After a while, you forget. Don't you know ?
"Guardian-san, why're you still in denial ?"
From where I was standing, I looked at Juuji in disbelief. "What makes you think that you're right ?", I asked in response. "Moreover, my name is Shiori, quit calling me Guardian." Juuji shook his head but kept that cheeky grin on his face. "You can't hide it from me", he said mischievously, "I know everything." I sighed and shook my head. "As you wish", I mumbled. "There's no point in me trying to convince you to change your mind if that's all you're going to tell me." I walked past him and reached for the door knob. "Nee, Guardian-san, don't leave me", I heard Juuji say from behind me, "It's so boring in the room alone. Don't go." I looked over my shoulder. "Persuade me", I replied bluntly. Juuji began to twirl a lock of his long ash colored hair with his index finger. "Oh I don't know", he said in such an obvious tone. He looked down at his hair. "Maybe you could braid my hair or something..." It was a lure. And as bad as it sounds, I was beginning to fall for it. I broke out into a laugh to distract myself. "Seriously ?", I asked, "I didn't know you were that kind of guy ?" Juuji sighed and leaned his back against the wall. "Yes well", he said in a nonchalant tone, "What do you say ? I've seen the way you've looked at my hair whenever you come in here." He smirked. I frowned.
"Jah Juuji", I said slowly, aiming to sound like he had won. "...I'll see you in a bit." "Nande !?", he shouted. I turned around and grinned at him. "Just kidding", I replied, sticking my tongue out at him, "I'll be right back." "I thought you were staying with me !?", he asked, sounding completely confused. "Oh I am", I mumbled before I closed the door behind me. "I just need to get some hair ties."
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To my surprise, Juuji cooperated. He didn't struggle like I had been expecting. All he did was watch from the reflection of the mirror that was across us. I was sitting on the bed and he was sitting on the floor. His hair was so soft. Probably softer than mine. While I was braiding his hair, I was suddenly reminded of the Spring Festival. It was a shame that it was already over. I sighed. If none of this had ever happened, then maybe I really would have been able to see him in a maid costume... I stopped moving my hands. Him ? "You're done ?", I heard Juuji ask. I looked down at him and shook my head. "Almost", I replied with a faint grin. I was planning to do braided pigtails that went across the side of his head. He looked away from me and back to the mirror. "Just then", he said slowly, "It looked like you remembered something." I tiled my head to the side and reached for a hair tie. There we go... I reached for the other section of his hair and started to braid again. "Ah, you noticed", I mumbled after a while. "What were you thinking about ?", he asked.
I think I was thinking about a certain long, red haired, green eyed guy.
"A person", I replied softly. "Who ?", he asked next. "Someone important." "A lover ?" I was surprised with how interested he sounded. "If that's what you want to believe", I replied. I wasn't going to involve him. At least, not now. He had no involvement in this entire thing. "Now now", Juuji replied, "We can't have that. Guardian-san is mine." I looked up at the mirror to see a stern expression. I reluctantly grinned. "Nani ?", I asked, continuing to braid his hair. "Since when did I become yours ?" "Ever since I saw you", he said bluntly. I was instantly reminded of those shojou mangas and the helpless protagonists that resided in them. Please don't drag me into another misunderstanding.
[Author-san, that message is for you.]
"First love at sight hmm ?", I asked as I tightened the braid. Juuji slightly nodded his head. "To think that people still believe in those." "You don't ?", I was asked. "I wonder", I mumbled. But the real question is, I thought to myself. Should I really care about it in the first place ? "What about you ?", I asked, discarding Juuji's weird words, "Don't you have a lover ? You'd be lying to me if you said no." "How so ?", he asked with a faint smirk. "Just." "Could it be that you're interested ?", he said. I held the unfinished braid in one hand and slapped him on the shoulder with the other. "Stop that", I said, "You're distracting me. Let me finish doing this." "The love", he muttered, sounding amused, "Too bad that I can't read your expressions. You always have that stoic expression on your face. Even with that wound on your side." I grinned. "Why thank you", I replied, "It's good to know that I'm doing something right. We can't have others finding out your weaknesses so easily." I reached for the second hair tie and wrapped it around the end of the braid. "Here we go.."
The both of us looked at the mirror. I grinned. "My, Juuji", I said in a nonchalant tone, "You look so pretty." "Oh shut up", he replied, slowly pushing himself up. He stood in front of me before he had walked over to the mirror to stare at himself. I watched in amusement. I was proud of my work. Not once did I mess up. Everything was in place. Not one strand of hair stood up. I guess I was content.
"Nee, Guardian-san", I heard Juuji say, "You look a bit sad." I didn't realize, but I was looking down at my hands. "Me ?", I asked, "What're you talking about ? Why would I be sad ? I finally got to braid your hair didn't I ? Why would I be sad ?" "I don't know", he replied slowly, "Your enthusiasm seemed to die out for a second." I stood up from the side of his bed and stretched my hands. "Yes, well, I think I'm going to go now", I muttered, "I've been in this room with you for about 2 hours. I'll see you later when I drop off your dinner or something." I made my way over to the door and looked over my shoulder. "Oh and Juuji, don't take those out until I tell you to, understand ?" He grinned at me. "Got it."
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"Hey, Shuichi, someday when I'm not around, will you replace me ?" He kept his gaze on the area that was in front of us. "What's that supposed to mean ?", he asked me, "Are you going to go die or something ?" I didn't reply but I ended up with a smile. "Nothing really", I mumbled softly, "I was just wondering if you'd ever replace me, your "supposed" girlfriend." He sighed and looked up at the sky. "If push comes to shove, then I will", he replied, sounding somewhat bored, "However, if you were to for some reason, disappear on me, I'd try and find you." "But what if you can't ?", I asked back. "Are you questioning me ?" He peered over his shoulder with a scowl on his face. It caused me to grin.
I looked up at the clear night sky and sighed. I was laying down on the roof of the base, all alone.
Even if we were in different worlds now, would he still come back and save me ?
I closed my eyes and tried to see a future where I would be standing. Would I be happy ? Would it be different ? But in the end, I couldn't see anything but darkness. Emptiness.