♥Dissonance♥Prince of tennis♥Shitenhouji♥

♥13♥ The shackles of loneliness

Everyone got their parents' permission to come here. They have their uniform, toothbrushes, pajamas, and other essentials to spend the night. They have no idea how long the blackout will be but they all assumed it will last all night and none of them wanted to leave Chinami all alone in the darkness.   

Chinami made Chitose follow her to the kitchen with the light so she can bring some drinks and snacks for the others since the blackout was still present. Chinami was happy for the company but she wondered if it was really okay for them to be here at this hour...  

"Chitose-senpai, shine the light over here." 

"Hm. Say, aren't you scared to be in the dark?" He remembered when his little sister used to be very afraid of the dark and would cling onto him for protection and comfort. Since Chinami's an only child, he wondered who she clung to when she's afraid if he were to assume her Dad is hardly ever home.

"Not really. I've grown used to it. Senpai, sorry that you came all the way here..." 

"Eh? You're apologizing? What for?" 

"I didn't mean to make the four of you worry. If you knew I was used to the dark, you wouldn't all come all the way here for no reason." 

Chitose found it a little funny that she's apologizing for something that she did not cause. He went ahead and pat her on the head, assuring her that it was no trouble at all. 

"You know? I would have come even if I knew you were okay all alone." 

"Hm?" 

"I don't like knowing you are all alone in a big house. It's not about whether I worry something bad will happen, I just don't like the idea that you're alone." 

"Just that reason is enough for coming here?" 

"Is wanting to see you a good enough reason?" 

"But you see me every day." 

"Then...is looking out for you a good reason?"

"Senpai..." She's happy to know she's got wonderful people looking out for her. 

"Pfft, your hair looks orange when I shine the flashlight on your hair." 

"Yeah, yeah..."

The other three were in Chinami's room, sitting on the floor while waiting for their return. 

"Shiraishi, Chinami's room is...lovely." Kenya was sitting on the small cushion by the glass tea table, and he was flashing the light to his surroundings. 

"Ahh...Ecstasy! Her pillow smells just like her hair..." He was curious at first but he finally took it into action! He was sitting on her bed, holding her pillow close to his face so he can smell the scent of her shampoo. He loved the smell of wild flowers from her hair, but he knew he will be visited by her paper fan if he just went and sniff her hair so the pillow will have to do for now.

"Buchou, what you're doing is so creepy..." Zaizen was well behaved in her bedroom, sitting on the opposite side of the glass tea table. He shone the light to her shelf that's full of various cute dolls that he had zero interest in. "Huh, Chinami likes these things..." 

"Now that I think about it, I have never been in a girl's room before..." Kenya suddenly mentioned. 

"Oh, I have been here before, loads of times..."

"What?!" Shiraishi and Kenya raised their volume at Zaizen's sudden claim; why was it that Zaizen is always a step ahead of everyone?! Also, how come he's been in her home most of the time without anyone's knowledge?!