False Reality

Preparations

It only took a few days for Keigo to invite Rumi around like he said he would, even though you'd changed your mind about asking her about what Akio had said relatively quickly.
This time, it was because the League of Villains had destroyed an entire city, so Keigo was working longer hours, and either didn't trust you alone in the house, or didn't trust you to be alone after such destruction, so he had invited her over to 'hang out' with you.
You weren't stupid though, you knew she was really just babysitting you for a while. Not that you needed it, you were perfectly capable of looking after yourself. You'd pretty much done exactly that throughout your late childhood, anyway.

You didn't mind it too much though, because Rumi didn't make it feel like she was babysitting you. It really was just like hanging out with a friend. Both of you were lazing around, gossiping, giggling, snacking on foods that Keigo couldn't eat and watching trash television most of the time.
You wanted to bring up what Akio had said, having unlocked a new insecurity in your mind, but didn't want to risk her telling Keigo, or telling you something that you didn't really want to hear.

The more your indecision of whether to tell her ate away at your brain tonight, the longer the gaps between her talking to you and you responding are.
Eventually, she just scoffs and points a finger at you.

"What is it, kid? Lights are on, but no-one's home."

You groan automatically. There probably wasn't any getting out of this, now.
Rumi wasn't like Keigo, who would just let something go if you denied its existence. She would definitely get you to admit to something.

"It's nothing." You reply, trying to brush it off anyway.

Naturally it doesn't work, Rumi raising a white eyebrow, her nose twitching a little as she gives you a look mixed between disbelief and annoyance.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" She asks, leaning forward. "Something's going on in that skull of yours, and I want to know what it is."

Your lips pull into a thin line, and you stare back at her intense, unforgiving ruby eyes.

"Plus, Hawks already told me you asked for me the other day, but I've been waitin' for you to bring it up first." Her lips pull up into a smirk on one side, and she suddenly seems a little more playful, slapping the center of her chest with her palm a couple of times. "C'mon! Hit me with it!"

Of course Keigo told her even though you had said it was fine and that you'd figure it out yourself.
Goddamn it.

"Um..." You murmur, picking at your feathers anxiously.

Beyond Ama and Genji, you'd never really had the chance to talk to anyone about things like this. Your parents were always too busy to make time to check in on you, really. And it wasn't like you'd had any friends in your old school.
You didn't know if you could trust anyone, including Rumi, with information like this. She could tell Keigo, or try to preach to you about being around boys at your age.

And when you'd asked Ama about it, not wanting to discuss something about your body with Genji, you'd gotten a response from Genji through her number, so you'd dropped the subject with them both entirely.
Although he hadn't said anything bad, you'd asked Ama, and the fact that you'd gotten a response from Genji had put a stone in your stomach for some reason, feeling a little betrayed that he'd seen the message despite not having told her to keep it to herself.

"Quit it, you'll give Hawks a heart attack if he sees your feathers in a state." Rumi nags, swatting your hand away from your white plumage.

You swat back at her playfully, a small smile on your face before you see the expectant look on her face as she awaits the answer to her question.
The corners of your mouth fall again and you look away, wondering how to phrase the question.