A flurry of pink petals shot up in a brilliant cascade, each one fluttering aimlessly in the air. The sun's rays hit those petals gently, illuminating them as if they were fireflies glowing in the night. Rose swayed slowly in the background, showering down more petals slowly, and endlessly.
Y/n was once again knocked down onto his back. Not hard enough to kick the air out of his lungs, but still enough to leave a bruise. He closed his eyes and sighed. There wasn't any progress being made. Even though it was clear that Chara was holding herself back, it felt like no matter what Y/n tried, he would still end up on his ass with no idea what went wrong.
"I'll commemorate your progress, Y/n, but even with the basics, you won't be able to do anything against an experienced fighter. Focus, Y/n. Follow my movements, my intentions. Understand my thoughts before they are even made. Letting your eyes glaze over for even a second can be the difference between living on for one more moment and a bloody death. The slightest mistake can be pressed until even the sturdiest of structures fail," Chara said sharply, standing over him with her arms crossed.
"Real easy for you to say, considering that you aren't bound by human limitation," Y/n grumbled while pushing himself up into a sitting position.
"You're missing the point. It's like only 50% of your brain is fully here. You're always on the back foot, trying to block my offensive. Then these mistakes you make without a second thought slowly compound until they are too much to control," she retorted.
"I'm..." he paused for a second, as if thinking about something, then continued. "Doing the best I can, there's only so much I can do when your opponent is some mythical creature from Narnia," he quipped, trying to veil his disjointed words.
"Do you think I'm an idiot, Y/n? I go out of my way to give you openings, but every single time, I see your eyes lose focus for just a moment. Tell me, why do you waver? Why do you let me press forward despite my mistakes?" Chara asked in frustration.
"I... I don't know," Y/n said quietly, his eyes drifting to the petals strewn across the ground.
Chara stared at him intently. A part of her knew Y/n was hiding something. The other part knew that she shouldn't dig into other people's personal dealings... but she couldn't help but feel curiosity biting at the edge of her mind. Even ignoring that, this hesitation is something that needs to be dealt with if any progress is to be made. She sighed and sat down next to Y/n with her legs crossed.
"I know that isn't true Y/n. You know. Whether it's a conscious knowing, or a subconscious knowing. Either case, it's knowing all the same. The only difference is that one requires either complete familiarity or purposeful ignorance. So, if my previous question was a bit too vague, let me start with this: Is this a conscious knowing, or an unconscious one?" Her red eyes cut deep into him, as if she were trying to parse his answer simply by sheer will alone. Those eyes stared at Y/n so intensely, it felt like an inferno was burning within them.
It's a fire that Y/n has both seen and felt before.
One that was impossible to put out.
/
"Y/n! What happened? You look hurt! Come here, I have some Band-Aids."
"... Just some guys who wanted to mess around with me."
"This doesn't look like 'just messing around' to me. You got scratches all over your knees and arms!"
"It's fine. I'll have Mom clean it up later."
"It's not fine! Why did those guys go after you?"
"I don't know. They're a bunch of upperclassmen... I've never talked with them before."
"That's absurd! Let's go tell a teacher or something!"
"No, that'll only put a target on my back. Sure, the teacher will chew them out and maybe send a note home, but that will only give them more of a reason to go after me later."
"Well, we can't just let them get away with it! Who's to say they won't just gang up on you again even though you kept your mouth shut?"
"At least then there's the chance that they'll leave me alone."
"So you're just going to let them trample all over you just because they're older than you?"
"No— I... It just sounds like too much trouble."
"If you're not going to tell a teacher, then at least fight back! Show them that you're not just some doormat they can walk over."
"That's even worse! Then if a teacher does find out, Mom and Dad will be mad alongside those jerks."
"Your mom would definitely side with you if that happened. Wait, your Mom's going to find out anyway. Won't she bring it up with the teacher?"
"I'm just going to say that I tripped while playing with some friends."
"Hey! That makes me a suspect."
"Fine, other friends not including you."
"Oh, so now you have other friends?"
"It's an imaginary scenario! Besides, you know you're at the top of that list anyway."
"Hehe, I'm just joking around. Plus, it's not much of a list if I'm the only one on it."
"Ouch... *sigh*, I know. Can you keep this a secret from my Mom? I don't want her storming into the school like you said."
"Only if you promise to let me be your bodyguard. I'll fend those jerks off!"
"Come on, what can a girl like you even do?"
"Hey! I can swing a book real hard you know! In fact, since you don't mind being scruffed up a little, why don't I show you a taste of this hard cover!"
"W-whoa, l-let's not be rash now. I promise okay? Just put that book away..."
"A deal's a deal then! Next time I'll make sure those guys will think twice before messing with you again."
/
Y/n his mouth, but no words came out. He took a deep breath out before answering.
"I get what you're trying to say Chara. No need to beat a dead horse. Really, the first sentence would have sufficed. I'll try not to let you off the hook as easily next time. That's what you're looking for, no?"
"... Good. Get up, let's see if you truly mean it," Chara challenged, leaping off the ground in one swift movement.
~
Hope you guys enjoyed the short chapter! I'd love to put out more, but time is limited. It's a shame, really. I keep getting the inspiration to write, but never the time. Let's just hope the next chapter doesn't take 3 months. Or a year. Fingers crossed!