❝YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND IT, TRUST YOUR HEART, TAKE A STAND AND YOU'LL BE FINE...❞
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HER BODY FROZE—UNABLE TO ELICIT A RESPONSE. If she wasn't suspicious before, which she already was, she undoubtedly was now. The sentence "Who is that ghostly figure whispering in your ear?" rang in her head before she finally chose to act upon her doubts.
"...What are you talking about?"
She hesitantly said, looking at him in confusion.
"What ghostly figure?"
He blinked, pressing his index finger against his lower lip.
"You know... I heard the other kids in the class talking about it. The rumor of the urban legend located in this school, you know? Have you heard of her?"
The platinum-blond lowered his hand, pouting.
"The urban legend about Hanako-san of the Toilet. They say that in the third stall of the third-floor girls' restroom, you can find Hanako-san! And if you need a description of her appearance..."
He pouted, pointing to the ghost beside her.
"She's a high school girl with choppy, black hair in a bob haircut and fringe. She wears a traditional sailor fuku uniform, consisting of a white blouse attached with a navy blue sailor-style collar and a navy blue pleated skirt. Along with that, there's a red neckerchief, loose calf-high white socks, and black loafers. If you want, I can continue!"
"I..."
[Name] paused, looking at Charles with a strained expression. "I don't know what you're talking about—"
However, Charles crossed his arms, forming an X-shaped shape. "Bzzzzt! Your resident lie detector, Charles "Charlie" D'Amore, detected a lie coming from Miss [Surname] here."
"...Huh?"
"You lied, [Name]. And you know how I learned that? It was a trusty tip from an adult I knew back in Italy. He detected lies differently, but still! Picking up the subtle movements that people make when they lie is interesting. He picked it up from someone's sweat, but sadly, I'm not that experienced yet, hehe! As for you... you tend to clench your fists when you lie, see?"
He pointed at her clenched fist, knuckles turning white from the pressure.
"Your pupils also dilate a little, but only a little!"
He raised his hand, tapping his rose-tinted glasses.
"But, you know... I'm kind of butthurt that you didn't tell me the truth. I thought we were classmates, Little Miss [Name]. Aren't classmates supposed to be honest with one another when the time comes? Come on, come on... it wouldn't hurt to tell me the truth. What will lies do, other than build up and eventually bite you in the back? You're digging your own grave here."
"I—I..."
"Come on, Little Miss [Name]."
He said, tilting his head to the side.
"Are you going to say something?"
Why couldn't she summon her Stand?
"Don't dig your own grave, [Name]!"
Why wouldn't she summon her Stand?
"Or, are you afraid of the truth?"
Why is she just standing there, letting Charles say all this?
"...Let's talk, No.7."
Her voice was quiet, barely audible.
Hanako-san swerved her head to stare at [Name] in confusion, the said girl looking down at her indoor shoes. Her doe-like amber irises blinked, placing a hand on [Name]'s shoulder to comfort her. The yōkai wasn't a suitable candidate for battle, was she? She was just a normal ghost girl with average capabilities—barely useful in combat. She can't do anything if Charles decides to harm her, and there's no possible way to blame a grade-schooler for homicide, is there?
"Ah, so you are a Stand user!" He giggled, grinning at her. "I knew it from the moment I saw Hanako-san in the classroom!"
Does she have to worry about this eleven-year-old trying to assassinate her daily now? Is this what her life will be like from now on? Does she have to live with the taunts of this foreign kid?
"Hmm... Is your Stand strong? She doesn't seem confident in herself... she is Hanako-san, right? Does your Stand have something to deal with urban legends?"
The ghost tensed, staring at her Stand user for further instructions.
"Hanako-san, Hanako-san, Hanako-san!" He happily chanted, oblivious to the atmosphere of the room.
"What a cool Stand, Little Miss [Name]!"
It was almost as if he was oblivious to the threat he posed.
"Who are you, and why are you here?" She interrogated the blond and took a step back, aware of her surroundings. "I... I won't hesitate to use self-defense if you attempt anything. You know better than to do anything in this school, especially with teachers nearby."
He paused—head tilted to the side, visage filled with puzzlement. "You know who I am, silly! It's still me, your classmate, Charles D'Amore."
"You know what I mean! Don't avoid the question."
"—Guwaah! How blunt and frightening!" He exclaimed, a step back. With hedonism in his veins, the dilettante grinned at [Name]. "I'm here to attend school, duh! Why else would I be at school? And there's no need to be so on-guard, Little Miss [Name]. It's not like I can do much to you anyway!"
"..."
Was he as innocent as he posed to be?
No, that wasn't possible at all.
After all—his actions were suspicious as hell. She feels like she's discovering a pattern between Stand users. Not only do they have a peculiar fashion, but they have eccentric personalities to complement their fashion sense too. Take Rohan as an example—an arrogant, brash, yet caring mangaka that is stubborn as hell, with pen tips as earrings and a headband that's jagged on both sides.
The dichotomy between normalcy and the bizarre was evident; call [Name] a perfectionist, hypercritical of situations—anything. But there was a gut feeling that sat at the bottom of her stomach. You could call it a feeling that fed her fighting spirit—a fighting spirit burning with assiduity. If she didn't take action now, then this could lead to an insidious scenario.
But... could she even take action?
Did she have the confidence to do so?
Charles sighed, lifting his rose-tinted glasses and opening his eyes, staring at her.
He opened his eyes.
Bemused and vivid pools of light blue stared into her [color] irises. His eyes were blue like the warm mornings—a cloudless sky, with specks of wild, heavenly deep yet childishly vacant colors. They resembled a warm, wool sweater you'd wear during the winters—contrasting the torrid temperatures of the current season. Despite that, she felt no warmness from his eyes. Astonishingly pale irises looked at her with mischief, and uncertainty crept up her shoulders, goosebumps laced her arms. One may describe them as baby blue—or one may describe it as somewhat alarming.
Charles' eyes were that kind of blue.
"Rimani."
Suddenly, the ghost girl faded into the background, disappearing. His fingertips brushed against the temple of his glasses. The rosy hues of the lenses reflected the light in the classroom.
"Riposati accanto a me. Non te ne andare. Io ti veglierò. Io ti proteggerò."
[Name]'s body felt like it was as light as a feather. He tapped the golden glasses frames, letting out a hum of amusement.
"Riposati. Non temere di nulla," he apostrophized, prepared to conclude his recitation.
The thoughts within her mind blurred together, and a fuzzy, nebulous noise clouded her ears.
"...Rimani, by Gabriele D'Annunzio."
It was almost as if her fingertips were numb, but why?
Charles fiddled with his glasses, looking at the pink lenses.
"Mamma and papà always mentioned how you got to have a cool catchphrase before a showdown." He said after silence filled the room. Shivers ran down her spine as she heard his voice—octaves lower than before. "I never understood why. I don't know the meaning behind Rimari either. But, Mamma said it was a poem about love. Love? Love?!"
His eyes fluttered shut—feminine and thick eyelashes brushed against his skin as he lulled over his thoughts.
"Someone in my class called me nihilistic once. Whatever that word means—that classmate kind of resembled you, Little Miss [Name]. I wanted to be their friend—to deconstruct the thoughts in their mind and peer into their brain. Their face was perfectly symmetrical, and if I cut their face into two halves, I would get matching sides. Isn't that crazy? Though, I don't think being a Heather will be very fun..."
He rambled onward, talking more and more.
Was this the classmate she knew? Or did she never know Charles at all?
"Oop—am I talking too much?" He blinked, looking at [Name] in the eye.
"Well, too bad! I have more to say."
In place of his ocean hues was a delicate, warm color. Instead of light blue eyes—they were pink. Was this his Stand ability? Was this why she didn't have control over her body?
"My Stand is La Vie en Rose—Life in Pink. Mamma gave me these rose-tinted glasses to prevent me from using my Stand all the time." Playfully, he winked at [Name] and tapped the side of his head beside his eyes. "Haha! I think I got the Stand because of my bloodline... While it's physically underwhelming, as long as someone looks into my eyes, I can charm almost anyone! You can notice its effect taking place when my eyes turn pink. Cool, right? My parents say I shouldn't use my Stand until I'm older, but it's fun to persuade others to buy me candy."
As soft footfalls from his school shoes clicked against the floor, [Name] closed her eyes in anticipation. Her Stand would be useless when she didn't have control over her body. In this situation, Charles could do anything to her—especially considering she didn't know the limitations to his Stand. For all she knew, he could command her to commit suicide, and her body would oblige.
Her breath hitched as his footsteps stopped.
It was over.
But instead of hurting her, she felt a light and playful tap against her temple.
Her eyelids fluttered open—surprised at his decision.
Charles could easily subjugate [Name] to do his bidding... but he didn't?
"Boop! Um... I should probably make some joke in Italian here, but I don't know if that translates well into Japanese." He exclaimed before he backed off.
"Hmmm, I've never done this before! Ah, what should I do...? Oh, I know."
Charles gave her a bow.
"Let's be friends, Miss [Surname]!"
...
—What?
"...Huh? Are you alright?" She bluntly asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Waa! What a bold assumption, [Name]!" He wailed as he fluctuated between her family name and a nickname. "I never intended to harm you in the first place, silly! Mamma and papà would scold me baaaaadly if I hurt someone in my classroom. You're going to drag more witnesses in and raise suspicions, Charlie—they would say. I just wanted to be buddies with you, Miss Stand User!"
Elaborate? She asked.
Heehee! He said, ignoring her question with a giggle.
"Oh, oh—as well as that! If you haven't noticed already, your charm has been lifted, yo—!" Charles pointed out, unbothered by his suspicious behavior.
"Umm, please don't bonk me on my head, ha— haha...?"
"...Why would I do that?"
"You would do that!"
"No, I wouldn't."
"Yes, you would!"
"No."
"Yes!! Stop denying it!"
"No."
"No, you would!"
"Yes, I wouldn't."
He took a step back in surprise. Thinking hard, he placed his index finger on his chin, thinking, thinking. "G—Gah! She avoided that cliche occurrence of saying yes instead of no! Damnit, I'll have to find an alternative way to break her cold demeanor. But how—?"
"Why are you talking to yourself like a shōnen protagonist?"
"It helps me think!" He answered honestly with a thumbs-up.
He... He couldn't be this childish, right?
[Name] stared at Charles, to which he tilted his head curiously.
"...What was with the forehead tap?" She finally asked, averting her eyes to the ground.
A sigh of relief left his lips as he answered her question honestly.
"...You're nervous about something, even if you don't show it. You give up easily, [Name]. The moment I approached you, you gave up. You didn't even try to fight back, to yell at me—anything!"
He grumbled, crossing his arms.
"So, that forehead tap was to show you that you won't always be in control, but despite that, you can't give up and close your eyes! You can plan things out; you can be impulsive, but don't give up! I know you can bear your struggles and— um, what was it? Right, perseverance!"
Charles gave her a cheeky grin, not letting her respond to his words.
"Anyway—we finished cleaning the classroom, right? I want to go home already...!"
"...Yeah, we finished."
"Hooray!" He cheered like a child who received their birthday present, "Let's go, Little Miss [Name]!"
"Why do you call me Little Miss [Name] any way?"
"Mmm, why do you ask? Does it bother you?"
"...You're weird. It does feel a bit uncomfortable, but I don't mind."
"Thanks for the compliment, wahaha—!"
"..."
As Charles happily skipped down the hallway to gather for dismissal, [Name] thought about what just transpired a couple of moments ago. Charles is a rather cheerful and quite childish figure who sought fun and energy in situations. He has fun talking to his mutuals and enjoys making friends—or, he enjoys talking in general, even though he seems to be very direct and blunt with his wording. Unintentionally, he could be threatening.
"Wait!"
He paused and turned around to face the girl, his lithe physique frozen in place with his shoes glued to the ground. Charles pointed at her with a pout on his lips. "You haven't called me by my name this entire time!"
"...Huh? I haven't? I was sure I did..."
"..."
He huffed, turning away.
"...I guess I haven't." [Name] brushed off his exclamation with nonchalance as she walked further to the dismissal grounds.
"D—Don't tell me you don't know my name—!! How can we be buddies if you don't know what to call me?" He waved frantically in distress.
"That's no good— no good at all!"
She let out a sigh of relief as she saw Hayato in the distance. Charles wanted to be her friend—but could she stand his presence for long periods before exhaustion hits? His effervescent charisma shouted, "pay attention!" As well as that, it also exclaimed a plaudit of friendship and excitement.
"...Of course, I know who you are. Does Charles "Charlie" D'Amore ring a bell?"
Perhaps it wasn't so bad to be friendly toward other people as well.
Hearing her familiar voice, Hayato perked up and looked at her. "Hey, [Name]..."
His eyes trailed to Charles, looking at him with a confused expression.
"That's Charles, right? The new kid?"
"Thaaat's me! And you happen to be Hayato Kawajiri, Little Miss [Name]'s bestie!"
"...Bestie?"
"Don't question it."
A small smile painted on Hayato's lips as he rolled his eyes playfully.
Suddenly—Charles snapped his fingers and smiled at Hayato.
"Oh, oh! I get it now!"
"—?"
"Don't worry, my buddy, chum, pal, friend! I got your back." Softly, Charles patted his back.
"I'll be your friend too, um... I can't think of any clever nicknames for you. I'll just call you Hayato, then!"
Curiously, filled with nothing but confusion, Hayato met eyes with [Name], who shrugged her shoulders. Was she telling him to own up and deal with Charles' quirky behavior?
Who knows!
Hint: [Name] doesn't know either.
"...Okay?" Hayato hesitantly said, directing a confused look at Charles. "I—I'm not too sure why you want a nickname for me, but alright..."
"It's because you're my friend now! No take-backs!"
"...Oh," he murmured, still looking at Charles in confusion. "I— I guess we're friends now, haha."
Charles looked on in the distance, watching a car—no, a Japanese luxury car pull up. He elicited a chuckle, patting his kind-of-acceptable attire for school and nodding at the driver.
"Oop!" He gasped, blinking at the shining and expensive vehicle. He gave his new friends a mock salute and bow, "I think that's my ride. Bye-bye, you two— see you tomorrow! Arrivederci!"
As he bid them farewell in various ways, Charles skipped off, leaving the rest of the children waiting, along with Hayato and [Name]. [Name] glanced over at Hayato, letting out a small sigh. However, she shook her head, hesitantly grabbing his hand and walking home with him.
Hayato flinched at the sudden physical contact but didn't seem to have any vocal complaints about it. His face flushed a red hue as he averted his gaze to the ground, and his eyes frantically searched for something—anything, to distract him.
Without much chatter, the two kids—with their hands interconnected—walked home together.
The next day at school resembled the other days. However, the striking dichotomy between the previous days was... there.
In the seat between [Name] and Hayato seated Charles, who happily interacted with both of them to no avail. She didn't understand why he searched for trivial conversations between the three of them—despite carrying the conversation all by himself! Charles was like a puppy who sought attention, a persistent puppy that sought the attention of friends. Whenever he received that attention, he got more energetic. Whenever he didn't receive that attention, he accepted the situation and persisted either way.
A loyal puppy, nevertheless.
"You guys should share some shower thoughts with me!"
He chirped, leaning on the palm of his hand. "It's no fun carrying this entire conversation just by myself... My back hurts, you know!"
"...Do you think baguettes are the snakes of bread? I guess?"
"Of course, [Name]!" He nodded vigorously, crossing his arms, "If they weren't then what would they be?!"
Charles sighed, the conversation dying once more.
"Hmm... Oh, I got one! Why do people call Venezia—the correct name for the city, Venice? I still don't get it, and I don't want to get it." He stubbornly pouted, staring at [Name]. "Is it pronounced better when it's Venice? But that doesn't make sense! If they pronounce Paris without the "s" as they do in French, why won't they say Venezia? That's like, kind of... you know... sad! Do you think it's considered cultural appropriation?"
"...Where are you going with this, Charles?" Hayato softly interjected, not wanting to come off as brash or impolite.
[Name] slowly nodded, her eyes glued to her origami. "...Mhmm."
Charles huffed and furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm just passionate, that's all—!"
Though, he shook his head, smiling.
"Phew, it feels a lot better now that I have friends to talk to, haha!"
"This is a one-sided conversation."
"I object! You just replied to my statement, so it's not!"
"..."
"W—Wait, no! Please don't stop responding!! I need someone to hear my thoughts! Well—one time, I said the skeleton was wet, and that upset my classmate. I promise I won't voice my shower thoughts, then! Please respond, [Name], Hayato—?!"
A small smile graced her lips, averting her eyes.
"...Sure."
"[Name]..." Hayato sighed softly before smiling at Charles as well. "Well—we're friends now, right..?"
Charles froze. Then, his eyes lit up, filled with thousands of stars in the night sky. His positive energy emanated toward the two next to him, permeating through the air. "That's so awesome!! You two are the best—! I wonder if I can get my parents to let you come over sometime. Mmm, maybe not. They have things to do, and they can't watch over us while we hang out."
[Name] blinked, remembering why she wanted to interact with Charles in the first place.
"Say... What do your parents do anyway? You brought up how your parents wouldn't be too happy if they know people are trying to meddle with their business."
"Oh, that's easy!" Charles exclaimed as if he didn't threaten the class over it yesterday.
Just as it did yesterday—his voice dropped an octave, a different cadence compared to his cheerful tone.
"They're capos of Passione."
"...Of what now?"
"Mhm. Passione is where mamma and papà work under. It's one of the most powerful gangs in Italy, filled with just Stand users. The boss is a secret; he doesn't like other people and sends his agents to send information instead. Members who try to figure out the boss's identity are traitors and get removed."
He sighed, once again propping his head on his hand.
"But, you know... I shouldn't be telling you this. After all, if I weren't your friend..."
With his index finger, Charles indicated his throat slit open.
"...you'd be dead."
After a moment of silence, Charles erupted into chuckles, watching their shocked expressions.
"I'm joking, I'm joking! Besides, there are many welcoming people in Passione, like Mr. Bucciarati! But there are also scary people, like the boss's hitman team, La Squadra Esecuzioni. Even so, I still want to be a GANGST★R!"
"Do you mean gangster?"
"No, GANGST★R!!"
"You're weird," both children said at the same time, mildly judging Charles as he huffed.
"JUST WATCH, I'LL BE TAKING OVER THE WORLD WHEN I'M A GANGST★R!"
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in which charles wants to find a trustworthy companion.