Tsumetai (Season 1)

Chapter 10 - Opening Up

Chapter 10 – Opening Up

Elle was standing right in front of me at the same rooftop that I dubbed that was my spot. I was speechless in front of her and I did not know why. I stared at her for a little longer until I noticed that she was waving her hand at my face.

"Helloooo" I had heard her say. "You alright?" she added.

Immediately I snapped out of my spaced out state and immediately turned away from her. I had heard her let out a small laugh. She probably thought I was acting silly in front of her. Why did she make me feel this way? It irritates me a little that I'm going soft.

"How'd you know about this place?" I asked her without looking at her.

"I've known about this place longer than you. I've been staying here on breaks ever since I was still in First Year in this Academy. This place is my escape from the stressful world of the academy." Elle had replied

"I-I-I um… whatever.." I replied to her. Shit her voice was getting to me. It sounded too angelic that I couldn't keep my normal demeanor around her. I walked to the other side of the roof, set my katana down beside me and sat down there as I enjoyed the cool breeze that blew towards me. Then I noticed that she sat down beside me.

"Mind if I sit next to you?" Elle asked me.

"Whatever." I replied to her.

"Is that the only thing you say?" she asked as she let out a small giggle.

"Not really." I told her bluntly while not looking at her.

"Then talk to me." She replied with a smile. Why was she like this? "You don't need to be cold all the time you know." She added. Of course I needed to be cold all the time, that's the only time that I can keep my focus.

"What's there to talk about?" I asked her.

"Plenty of stuff actually like, what your interests are, where you're from, you know general stuff about yourself." She replied to me. "You don't have to keep everything to yourself all the time. Sometimes it's good to have a release of emotions." She added as she smiled at me.

"Wow you seem to know me pretty well." I replied to her coldly and I still wasn't looking at her.

"Eye contact in conversations is a good thing too. It gives the impression to the one you are conversing that you are interested in what they are saying." Elle replied to me.

"Are you giving me a sermon on humanity?" I said to her and finally I looked at her blue eyes.

"See? That's more like it." She had replied and smiled afterwards. "Your brown eyes look good by the way." She added and it somewhat made me feel uneasy inside when she complimented on my eyes. I guess I'm not that used in getting compliments.

"You didn't answer my question earlier." I said to her.

"Yes I am giving you a sermon on humanity. Come on Seiryu, people need interaction with others aside from combat interaction. You seem to lack on the basic social needs of people." She replied to me.

"Basic social needs of people? What the hell is that?" I replied to her coldly.

"Relationships." Elle had replied to me.

"I never needed relationships. People only slow me down." I replied to her.

"Which is exactly why you wallow in your sorrow, you always think that people slow you down but I see a different reason on why you don't like making friends with people. You're afraid to fall again." She had said. "I'm still concerned about what you said back in the slums when I found you." She added.