To Unfold A Mystery (Hiyori x Kiyotaka Fanfic)

Chapter 16: A Fateful Encounter (1)

Hiyori POV

...

...

...I showed an unsightly self in front of Sakura-san, did I not?

I exhaled a breath of exhaustion, as my eyes moved towards the changing number of the descending elevator, wishing to distract myself from my mishap last evening.

After Sakura-san comforted me, we both went back to the dormitory last night. Since I returned to my room, I never got to sleep for a while, as swarms of thoughts and emotions are overwhelming my entirety.

And right now...in quite an early morning...while my feelings of self-doubt and guilt have worn out with time, they were replaced by an extreme exhaustion, as my back began to attach itself onto the wall, wishing to find a place to ease the burden it's been carrying...

Well...no. To call it a burden would be too misleading through and through, considering everything is what I've brought to myself...

I sighed again, as I brought the Volume-3 novel up and took a peek at its cover, as if it would give me some comfort that my lonesomeness needed.

Ever since that night...I've only been lying on the bed, staring at the cover of this book, as I'm alone reflecting on what's been happening yesterday. And now, it finally dawned on me...how much has this novel really affected me, not just my daily life, but also my immersion on this World, my consciousness of my own self, my awareness of others, and most of all, my rationality of keeping the heightened emotion in-control...All of these...can be traced back to my obsession with this novel, and the emotion I felt from my reading, and the people surrounding it.

Then again, there's also my affection towards Kiyotaka as well, where it has shown no sign of ceasing its growth.

Maybe...that's just how I was torn by guilt and lost my self-control last night...

I shook my head, as I sighed once again.

Even consciously, I'm still finding excuses to justify my own irrationality. How pitiful of me...

As the elevator bell rung with its door opened, I glanced at the man who appeared before the now-opened door.

The man's brow perked up, as he scanned over me.

"Well," Ryuen-kun mused. "You sure look miserable."

I didn't reply. Instead, my blank stare just moved along with him entering the elevator, as if my exhaustion has complete control over my senses.

We both stayed silent. As the elevator began to once again descended, we both immersed into our thoughts, not bothering with the other's presence.

"..."

"..."

"Don't expect me to comfort you."

...?

As my mind hurried to process Ryuen-kun's words, I only sighed in response.

"I do not." I replied. "I understand my mistake."

Being too emotional...just doesn't fit my character at all. And yet, I continue to step on the boundary between rationality and emotion, ruining my own judgement and sense of self.

It's been a really terrific experience...looking back on that incident, when my mind refused to coordinate with my own senses.