Naito Hisakata: Lovers Arcana

Subject: Naito Hisakata: Lovers Arcana Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:38 pm

1. THE MEET

(note: this happened on when Naito first came to the island about a year ago. Razz

social link will be established in later posts seeing that Naito has to meet some requirements in order to establish the said link. in later posts, it will be shown that the time has moved to the current time frame.)

Silence envelopes her in her loneliness as she sits at the secluded area of the park, where a bench is placed on a railed cliff, overlooking the entire Island. As much as she loved moving in the Island for various reasons: being accepted at Isla de Muerta's San Aquinae de Tomas Universitae; to be with her brother; to no longer be alone...she feels rather lonely in her new environment. Her brother had perfectly been busy...that she didn't want to bother him too much, and it didn't help that he was as strict as a parent and a discipline teacher could get when he was made the dorm mother.

She sighs as she raised her legs and hugged it close to her chest in the bench, her red eyes sadly watching the sparkling sea in the distance turning slowly orange as the sun sets; fitting in the university was a challenge as well. Everyone was staring at her since she enrolled late, is a foreign transfer student and practically new to everything. She fought back tears as she lowered her gaze, hiding her face as she went to sob.

"Oh, i see my place is occupied." said a voice that made Naito snap her head up to see a black-haired young man, probably a bit older than she was standing there with a heavy-looking bag. Her eyes were still tear-filled. "And by a cry baby too."

she bit her lip and put her legs down and stood up from the bench, her head hung low as she wiped her tears away. She decided to head back to the dorm and lock herself inside her room again just like since a week ago when she first came to the place. She grabbed her bag and proceeded to walk away without as much as a word to the guy who just said she was a 'cry baby'.

"Hey, wait just one second, girl. I insulted you and you succumbed to it?" asked the man and she turned to him, but she still was not showing her face. "Aw, come on, you have got to be kidding me. I've seen tons of girls snap at me after making such insults."

instead, Naito shrugged and decided to walk on...until she felt her wrist be grabbed by the same man. "E-eh?"

"Japanese, aren't you?" she asked as she pulled her to face him. "Your eyes are already red, no need to make them even more red."

"Hm..." she groaned, trying to break free from his grip, so he let her go.

"Hey, don't think i'm going to do something to you, I'm decent here." the man scoffed. "Tch. Hey, if you want to stay, stay all you want, don't mind me, I'll go look for somewhere else."

Naito looked at him and then at the ground. "N-no...it's all right..." she said. "Please...s-s-stay...I-I'll only be here for awhile..."

at that, the next thing she and the man knew, they were seated at the same bench, with silence as their third companion. Naito looked at her knees; the man looked ahead at the sparkling sea. None budged for the last ten minutes.

"A-arigatou..." she muttered softly and the man turned to her.

"You know...I'm not japanese." he chuckled.

"A-ah...G-gomen...I m-mean...s-sorry..." Naito bit her lip once more and he scolded her.

"Don't do that!" he barked. "pretty lips such as yours would be damaged." he noticed Naito blush and move away. "Oh, darn, I'm not a pervert, okay?" he slumped back on the bench. "listen, i'm sorry I insulted you. You looked like you're having a rough time and i didn't quite help when you stood up and wanted to leave."

Naito looked at him. "Oh...uhm...i-it's all right..." she said. She then heard the man scoff.

"You still being shy just cuz i'm a stranger?"

"H-huh? Uhm...I...d-don't-"

"Cyrus Andersen." he said nonchalantly with a smug smile on his face. "Call me Cyrus." At this, Naito nodded her head. He sighed. "Well, come on, what's your name? It's only fair i know yours since i told you mine."

Naito nodded. "H-Hisakata, Naito." she said, bowing her head a bit. "A pleasure..."

"Naito." he said. "That's a nice name. I knew you were japanese." he chuckled. "say...don't you think it's getting late for you in here?" Cyrus referred to the darkening sky and the stars making an appearance. "The stars are already out."

For a moment, Naito looked up at the stars and sighed in relief as if her tensions and burdens were eased off of her. Cyrus watched her and coughed. "you fancy stars?"

Naito looked down and at Cyrus. "Uhm..I..."

noticing she was really too timid to talk straight, he sighed in defeat. "You better head home girl. It's getting late."

Naito nodded and stood; she bowed in thanks to Cyrus. 'T-thank you so much...for the time and t-the company..."

"that really a custom?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow. "never mind. Be safe on your trip home kid." he said and waved a hand as Naito gave a last glance at him, grabbed her bag and started walking away.

when she was a good distance, she looked back. He wasn't budging still. "he seems...nice..." she whispered, smiling at the thought.

Subject: Re: Naito Hisakata: Lovers Arcana Sat Aug 13, 2011 9:48 am

[color:d45c= black]2. TO MEET AGAIN

For several periods of days following that one encounter, Naito now frequently spends her time at that cliff, as if waiting for Cyrus. It was a breakthrough because she was no longer spending her time locked up in her room after school.

however, weeks have already passed that Naito had not seen Cyrus in the park bench to where she first and last met him. She had been hoping to see him again since he was the only stranger she was in good terms with. Coping up in school seemed difficult so much for her.

And a lot of stranger things happened as well. Here she was, an ordinary girl, and here she is now, a persona user, whose weapon is a....death scythe.

and what more, she can talk to those...'Personas'

"You seem very uncomfortable." said Iris, her persona as Naito sighed. "is something seem to bother you?'

'I'm not used to having...' she stopped mid sentence and looked at the empty bench. 'it's not...it seems rather hard to be talking to you in my mind.'

'it is only natural. you are still getting used to this.' Iris comforted the girl. 'it would also seem that your brother seems hesitant about your abilities. He does not know what you are fully capable of. But then, i can tell, he's only worried of you. what you are involved in now is dangerous....death looms around.'

Naito sighed anxiously. "Gee, thanks for that Iris." saying it aloud.

"Who are you talking to?" asked a familiar voice and Naito whirled around, surprised. "Oh, it's you again." said Cyrus as he put down his back pack on the bench. "Talking to an imaginary friend now? Man, you're worse than i thought..."

"I-I wasn't..." Naito mumbled.

"and who's Iris?"

For a second there, Naito considered telling Cyrus abut her persona, but she couldn't. It was forbidden. She gulped, racking her brains for an idea. Any idea. "A-A friend...."

"Imaginary?" Cyrus chuckled and noticed her frown. "I was kidding. Have a seat." he said and sat on the bench followed by Naito. She watched him as he took out a camera from his bag. It was an SLR.

"You're a photographer?" Naito asked.

"Hm, yeah, you could say that...say...can i ask you a question?"

Naito nodded as Cyrus looked at her and moved closer. Naito didn't budge, but she blushed. He looked as if he was going to kiss her, but he didn't. "How long have you been coming back here?"

"E-eh?"

"I asked you." he moved back and prepared his SLR and started to take shots of the sea.

"E-everyday...a-after school..." she said and Cyrus looked back at her with a raised eyebrow and a chuckle. "W-what?"

"Where you waiting for me?" he asked and Naito nodded. "hm...logical enough. You look quite relieved to see me again, i must say your memory is impressive for having remembered me from that one time we met weeks ago. Although...this is new for me. No one else I've just met is persistent enough to come back and wait for me to show up again in the same place we first met." his hand reached for her head and patted her. "Sorry for not showing up for weeks, kid. I had been just too busy."

"Y-you said this was your usual spot...so I thought...you'd be here always." she blushed a bit.

"How long do you usually wait?"

"t-two hours..." she admitted and saw Cyrus frown.

"you should just leave after an hour passes, you know. It's not good that you stay until night. You leave classes late in the afternoon, am i right?"

Now how in the world did he know about that? "H-how..."

"Sorry...i'm in no position to scold you..." he went back to his camera. Silence followed both and the only sound heard was the continuous clicking of the SLR. Naito turned and watched as Cyrus worked, but it seems did made him nervous that he faced her and clicked his camera to take her picture of her staring at him, with a smile on her face. "That's a pretty smile." he said as Naito blushed once more.

"T-thanks..." she said and looked at her lap. Cyrus sighed once more.

"you know kid..." Naito snapped her head back up and looked at him as he started. "you should try being confident. You're awfully a quiet one...why not try to talk with some people in your class? Or...you could join an org or something. San Aquinae's got pretty good orgs that will help you a lot."

"D-did you go to San Aquinae as well?" She asked and he laughed. "was it something i said?"

"probably....but i wouldn't blame you. Did you really think i was that old?" Cyrus asked.

"anou...y-you keep calling me kid...I'm sixteen years old turning seventeen." she answered. "...very soon, that is. But you seem young..."

"how young?"

"about as young as a graduate." He nodded.

"Well, you're right." he said, smiling at her. that would be like the first smile he ever gave out to her. "Anyway...thanks for ruining a good shot."

Naito's jaw dropped in horror. "I-I'm so sorry..."

Cyrus was taken back. "what the hell? you took that seriously? What is wrong with you? no sense of humor?"

"I'm sorry..."

"hey! no need to apologize... sheesh, you're a handful." He said and sighed, putting his camera down in between the two of them. "Kid...you've got quite a long way to break out of that shell of yours...i really advise that you start working on that right now. You can't stay shy and timid forever you know." he then put his camera back in his bag and stood. He was looking at his watch and then at her. "Well, i got to go, i could only stay here for a couple of minutes..."

"Ah!" she stood as well and grabbed his wrist, to which surprised the both of them. Naito then let it go and he looked at her.

"What's the matter?"

"uhm...I...sorry..."

"Kid, you're lying. tell it to me now."

"A-anou...i was wondering...if...if you're going to come here tomorrow..."

Cyrus looked at her in awe then chuckled. "want to see me again, do you? you're even making sure if i show up or not..." But Naito only stared at him, determination in her eyes. "what the heck, you're really persistent about this. Most people would ask about their cell phone numbers."

"e-eh?" Naito started to look for her phone in her pockets, but Cyrus stopped her.

"Don't bother. I don't memorize my number...tell you what, I'll see you here tomorrow, same time. I'll really show up so don't worry. If i can't make it, I'll tell you."

"but-"

"I'll do everything i can to let you know." he said, assurance in his voice as he patted her head and took his hand back. "in any case. I'm going. See ya." with that, Cyrus picked up his bag, turned around and left. Naito watched him as he went, feeling more than content with his word.

'you seem to trust people quickly by their word.' came back Iris's voice.

'I trust him.' she said in her mind. 'i know...i'll see him tomorrow.'

'you really are still a child. Be wary not all people can be trusted.' Iris said. 'I am not quite sure if he trusts you though.'

"We can never be too sure, Iris. After all...this is just the second time He and I met....but we never know...third time might be the charm."

Subject: Re: Naito Hisakata: Lovers Arcana Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:33 pm

3. THE NAME AND THE LINK
--Finally the social link is being established!--

True to his word, Cyrus came to see Naito at their meeting place by the bench in the park cliff, overlooking the island. This went on for a period of days, though all that they ever do when they were together was that she'd just watch him work on his photos. Cyrus didn't seem to mind her company; she was rather quiet as he worked, but there were times he'd look up and ask if she was all right or how her day went, or if she even tried to open up to some people and not just him.

but that's just how they are. Cyrus never shared anything about himself and Naito only shares when asked of a particular thing. And when they call each other, Naito uses sentences that don't address him by name; and he addresses her as 'kid'.

Still, Naito, though Iris worried, felt really happy to hang out with him after school. Days turned to weeks and she was a lot chipper and cheery than the last. She had even started to talk to others, though struggling at first, but by the end of the week, she had gained the trust of her class and everyone seems to want to hang out with her, even those from outside the class. Just the other day, student organizations were hounding her even up to the bathroom to have her join them.

"You've changed." said Cyrus as Naito tilted her head to her right, obviously confused. He chuckled. Cyrus had been more accommodating the longer they hung out.

"Is it bad?" she asked.

"No, no, it's good. All good." he said. "You're a lot chipper nowadays, I noticed. And your speech pattern has less stuttering now."

"Oh.." she blushed but still smiled. "I just followed your advice."

"that's good to hear." he said, laughing out loud now. "I never met anyone who'd follow my advice before..." his eyes softened as he looked at her. "I never met anyone like you."

Naito never blushed so hard. "T-thank you..." she said, unsure if that was the right thing to say when said they never met anyone like them before.

He then went back to his camera. "So what has been going on with you?"

"hm?"

"Go on. Tell me. You seem to have a been doing a lot of things lately. I'm doubly impressed you can find time to hang out with me...like, just the other day, you fell asleep, sitting up. I guessed you were tired." Cyrus said and Naito felt really embarrassed but before she could apologize, he waved his hand for a no. "it's no big deal. i would have woken you up, but i let you sleep in until you woke up of your own accord. Didn't take that long though. Anyway...how have you been in school?"

"oh...uhm..well...I've been getting along quite well with my classmates...they even offered to have lunch with me...and to go to a karaoke this weekend..." she answered. "there are also some from other classes who approach me and say hi."

"I see. You're doing fairly well. Did you join any orgs yet?"

Naito nodded. "well...i've joined just one...for now...I'm really thinking of joining another organization."

"what's that organization you're in?" he asked, taking quite a keen interest to know.

"t-the student council." she said and watched as Cyrus sat back, a bit skeptical. "It wasn't really my idea...after my brother saw my grades were a bit topnotch...he wanted me to join the student council."

"Oh, you have a brother." Cyrus said. "i can take a guess he's older....but why do you follow what he says? You should stand up for yourself. What if the student council isn't your thing?"

Naito bit her lip, to which Cyrus scowled at. "I-I'm not just following what he says..." she told him. "It's just that...I...the student council's a good organization too....a-and...it's just that...I thought i could start off here...so I could eventually follow in my brother's footsteps."

"Oh really?" Cyrus raised a skeptical eyebrow. "That the truth?"

"Y-yes..."

and silence. Only Cyrus's camera with its clicking sounds could be heard...until Naito felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She quickly took it out to check a message and placed it back. When she looked back at Cyrus, he was taking her picture again.

"W-why do you keep on taking my picture if you keep saying it's ruined?" she asked, already curious of it.

"I didn't say anything." Cyrus said.

"But you always tell me that."

"ah..." Cyrus let out and put his camera down in his lap. "i was just looking for any interesting subject, that's all. So far, i find you uninteresting as a model yet."

"that sounded a bit mean..."

"maybe so..." Cyrus grinned and looked up at the sky, and Naito followed him. The clouds seem to be far more interesting to look at today. More silence followed suit until Cyrus spoke again.

"How would you like to try taking photos?" he asked. Naito looked at him in disbelief. "You might like it. Photography's pretty easy."

"a-are you sure? I d-dont' have a came-"

"That's not an issue. You can borrow mine. Now try it. You know how to operate one, right?" he asked as he gave her the SLR. Naito stared at it for a moment and looked through the view finder. She then looked back at Cyrus, a bit confused. "Don't tell me you don't know how to use an SLR!"

"I-I do!" Naito said defensively. "It's just that....It's k-kind of heavy..."

"man, you're so weak-armed. Here." he stood up and Naito followed. Cyrus walked behind Naito and supported her arms in carrying the camera; taking her hand into his and (because her uniform today was for the summer, requiring short sleeves) feeling the smoothness of her arms. Cyrus had to exercise a great deal of being carried away while teaching her about the camera. "Look through the viewfinder once more." he instructed and she followed, seeing the sea through the perspective in the camera. She felt his hands, his finger guide her index finger to where she was supposed to click in order to take the photo. "Now, if you find that the angle is good enough for you, go ahead and click it." he said and Naito, liking the view already, did so. She put the camera down and looked up at Cyrus.

"I did it." she said. Cyrus nodded, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Congratulations. You've become quite a photographer, now hand it over." he said and Naito gave back the camera. After a few minutes of looking over at it, he smirked. "You're a talented one. This is a nice shot...but you still have a long way to go."

"I know." Naito said. "B-but...thanks..."

"No problem." he said and they both laughed; but after awhile, they fell silent. Naito looked at places, feeling uneasy once more and Cyrus looked as if he was stressing over something. The silence between them had gone awkward than the usual this time and neither knew not why.

"uhm..." Naito felt really nervous, having to want to slice through this silent air between them, but he cut her off.

"Naito." he said and she looked at him as he looked at her. "the first time you told me your name, i said it was nice." He smiled at her, a really genuine-looking smile. "I've been calling you 'kid' all these time we've been hanging out and i never once called your name." he added with a chuckle, but his eyes were full of endearment. "would it be all right i call you that?"

"S-sure." she said and Cyrus sighed in relief. "I thought you were going to freak out....hey, could you call me by my name? You never once did."

"I didn't?" Naito was in shock. Not once has she realized she never referred to him with any name. "Oh...I'm s-sorry...Andersen-san..."

"Hey, it's all right, Naito. At least you don't call me names. I keep calling you a kid. Sorry about that...but you're still a kid...just a different type of kid." said Cyrus as he put down his camera in the bench. "You want to know why I lent you my camera? Why i keep coming to see you here?"

He didn't have to ask twice. Naito nodded her head and he could only chuckle at the sight.

"It's because I trust you."

She raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Trust me?"

"Yes....what's wrong? don't believe me?"

"n-no...it's not that...it's just that..." Naito smiled. "I trust you as well." With that, Cyrus was taken back. Naito blushed and felt worried. "w-was it something i said?"

"No. I was just surprised...then again, you did look like the type to trust me." he chuckled. "I thought you were just going to freak out and stuff. I mean, when we first met...you..."

"I never thought of you as a pervert." she said cutting him off and Cyrus only chuckled.

But then his laughing was cut off by an eerie silence and a voice, a very unfamiliar one that had a different and in-explainable feel rang in her head that she thought for a moment, it was Iris speaking to her...but it wasn't. Iris had been silent-was always silent whenever she was with Cyrus...so what is this?

Everything was at a stop; something...a card, faded in right in front of her, showing something like out of a tarot card. One that she recognizes as the tarot card of 'The Lovers'.

Naito had been doing her reading about magic, no doubt.

[[dear reader: highlight this part to see the text]]

Thou art I
I art thou
Thou has established a new bond!

Thou have been bestowed the power of the Lovers Arcana
It will aid your heart and your soul towards your path to discovery

Naito went to reach for it as soon as the voice stopped talking, but it shatters and envelopes her in an unfamiliar warm glow of blue light, enough to blind a person. When she opened her eyes again, time was once more moving and she could hear Cyrus still chuckling at her.

"I think that's enough...the sun's setting already. It's dangerous for you to be out late still. You ought to head home now, Naito." he said, packing his things as Naito, still in a daze about what she saw, nodded and took her bag.

"Uhm...W-well, I'll be going then, Andersen-san." she said then noticed the look of frustration on his face. "what's wrong?"

"Naito, you're too polite. Call me Cyrus." he said. "say it. I want to hear you say it, and i don't want any -san suffix next to it either. I'm not Japanese."

She blushed but proceeded timidly to call him by his name. She had not called others yet by their names in this Island; and she was not used to such, but here was Cyrus demanding it. "Uhm..C-Cyrus."

"That's better." He said and patted her head. "It's only fair. I call you by your name now, don't I?"

She nodded. "Uhm..C-Cyrus..." she looked up at him. "Will you be here tomorrow?"

Cyrus rolled his eyes. "You still ask that from me?"

"H-huh?"

He leveled his eyes with her. "Remember when i said people would normally ask for their cellphone numbers?" Naito nodded. "Give me your phone." Without any hesitation, Naito handed him her phone and he flipped it open and started to dial his number. She looked at him in disbelief. "what?"

"i thought you said you don't memorize it?"

"I don't." He grinned. "So i took time to memorize it." he closed it after saving his number and gave it back. "There. I even had your phone send me your number. that way we can contact each other and meet up any other place than this."

"You want to meet somewhere else?" asked Naito.

"You don't want to?"

"ah...uhm...i just thought...that us meeting here makes this a special place...b-but...meeting you in other places would be lovely too."

Cyrus smiled. "Of course."

"I better get going...my brother might get worried..."

"Sure...be careful on your way home. I'll see you tomorrow, Naito."

Tomorrow? That means they'll still see each other tomorrow. She beamed at him and turned around to walk away. "o-okay...see you tomorrow, Cyrus."

Subject: Re: Naito Hisakata: Lovers Arcana Tue Aug 16, 2011 3:16 pm

4. THE REASON (S-Link Rank 2)

So far, things have brightened up for young Naito as she worked diligently in the student council room, watched by her fellow members and the officers. She was unconsciously humming a song with a smile on her face that it made everyone in the student council room wonder in awe why she was in such high spirits, and to even work double today.

"That's enough, Hisakata." said the authoritative voice of the sitting president, a smile on her face as well. "You've been a lot chipper since. Has something good happened? A new boyfriend, perhaps?"

"e-eh?" Naito blushed, resulting to her fellow minor members of the club to be in a fit of giggles. "m-mou...Ms. Joan, it's nothing like that..."

the senior smiled. "if you say so.." she stood and went to the door. "i think we've done enough work for today. The files have been fixed twice already, so there shouldn't be any problem...and the meetings went smoothly, so i guess, all of you can go early now."

with that said, the rest of the people in the room stood, took their things, said their good byes and left. Naito placed back the files she was holding in the proper file cabinet before a couple of her fellow members called her attention. "We're going to the strip mall for some snack at the bakery there; you wanna come with, Naito?"

"hm-mn...sorry girls, I've got someplace to go to." Naito answered. "You go on ahead. I'll join some other time. Have fun."

"All right. See you tomorrow then, Naito." the girls bade good bye and left the room.

"Going someplace? I always wonder where that is." asked another member, who happened to be the vice president.

"Robert-senpai, isn't it none of your business?" Naito asked with a polite tone towards her sempai.

"I was just wondering." Robert answered as he ruffled his own hair. "I better get going...I have classes until sundown still. Don't forget to lock the door, all right?"

"Oh, well, good luck with your advance classes, senpai." cheered the girl as the vice president headed for the door. Naito then closed the filing cabinet and took her backpack. She checked her wristwatch and realized it was way earlier than she thought. She doesn't have that much homework or projects since she already finished most of them and doing advance readings would just be over the top already, considering she had to sit at the lounge next to Kai every night with him hounding over her to finish reading two to three advance chapters in her textbooks. Still, it was really that early to head back to the dorm; there's probably no one there right now, considering that it was just her, Kai and two more upperclassmen of hers staying there. Judging the time right now, those three wouldn't be home, it would make things a lot lonely.

'You can talk to me.' Iris's voice had come back and Naito smirked.

'And then you start speaking. What's with you and your silence the past few days? You still don't like Cyrus?' She chuckled and Iris frowned.

'It is not that i do not like him. It is just that he gives me a very uncomfortable feel.'

'Iris, I trust Cyrus and he trusts me. He's all good.'

'My dear child, you are really too young to understand such...' Iris stated, sounding worried. '..i merely meant that he might be the one to bring you your happiness, but he will also be the one to bring forth your heart ache. Do not let your emotions run amok, heed my advice to keep your guard up at all times, and whatever may happen, please do not let your heart be shattered too much.'

Naito raised an eyebrow. 'Iris...the way you sound...'

'Is something wrong?'

'No...it's just that...' she smiled. 'It makes me so glad to know that you care for me so much.'

'I must. You are the most special to me, miss Naito.'

'You're such a good friend, Iris.' Naito said and took out her phone. "In any case, I really would appreciate a physical company right now..."

'why did you not go with those girls whom offered company to you?' asked Iris, completely baffled of Naito's rejecting their offer earlier.

'oh, uhm...i wasn't in the mood...'

'you are thinking of him.'

Naito paused for awhile, and the smile disappeared from her face. "It's just because i have this ominous feeling..."

'then you must not meet with him.'

'Oh Iris...' Naito chuckled and wondered, would he be present in the bench at this hour? It would seem a great deal earlier than their usual time...but she could call him to ask, right? "Oh, i'll just send him a message."

'your phone is ringing.' said Iris and she was right; Naito had not noticed it was ringing and didn't even bother to look at who was calling; she immediately picked it up and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." Said the voice of Cyrus and Naito could feel a certain euphoric emotion threatening to envelope her cheeks.

"C-Cyrus."

"What's with the hesitation? did i call at a bad time?"

"N-no...no...I was just...uhm...I was about to send you a message."

"Oh really? Sorry i cut you off from it."

"It's all right...I..."

"Are you free?"

Naito was taken back. Was he asking this time? The many times they hung out, Naito was the one who usually asks him if he was free or if he would be okay with meeting up the next day. He'd only call to cancel out or to just say hi and ask how she was. Strangely enough, he'd call her when she was feeling down. It was as if he knew she was sad and everything and that him calling her would cheer her up. "Y-yes...as of now...uhm...student council meeting just finished a-and i don't have any classes anymore...and-"

"Great. Let's meet up." she could hear him chuckling on the other line. "If you don't mind."

"I-I don't mind at all. Meeting up would be great...uhm...at the park bench?"

"No. It's a bit too far from here now. Besides, aren't you getting tired that's the only place we meet up in? I thought we'd hang out someplace else today...since I'm here already, I'll see you at the roof top in ten."

"E-eh?? Roof top? Whe-"

"You know, it's hard to believe you're smart with the reactions you're giving. Roof top atop the main building of the university of course. See you." with that, he hung up and Naito was left speechless. She knew the University was open, but how did Cyrus manage to gain access at the roof top? Visitors were only strictly allowed at the first floor of the main building. Floors above that, they'd need a special ID.

Still, she put her phone in her pocket, took her bag and locked the student council room then left the student center to walk back to the main building as quick as she could.

'Naito, child, breathe.' Iris said, seeing that Naito was practically running now.

'I only have ten minutes...' Naito reasoned. 'And i want to know what he's doing here....' she said and Iris nodded as Naito went in the main building and took two

steps at a time going upstairs. She finally reached the door towards the roof top and took a moment to bring back the original color in her already flushed face and hand-brushed her hair. At the count of three, she opened the door and was momentarily blinded by the sunlight.

It was so calm and serene up in the roof top as her ruby red eyes took in the entire scene then her eyes landed on the sight of a familiar young man seated on a bench and grinning at her. For some strange reason...he was wearing the university uniform.

"Cyrus." she smiled.

"You're a minute late, if i may say." He stood and walked towards her. Naito was used to his comments already, but deep inside, she was at least expecting a 'thanks for

coming' from him. "You ran all the way here? that's silly...i would have given you five more minutes."

"You said ten minutes." said Naito, trying to keep her breathing in level. "So I hurried." but as she finished her explanation, Cyrus brushed his hand against her hair, fixing up a couple of messed tresses and smiled at her. He next took her hand and led her to sit on one of the benches.

"So, sit and catch your breath. There's a nice fresh breeze blowing by today and it's just the perfect weather as well."

"Uhm...t-thanks..." she blushed and once more, they both fell in silence; but it was not an awkward silence. It was a pleasant silence that occurred between them. One of nostalgic and euphoric moments wherein any sound is neither required. Just complete silence.

"Aren't you going to ask me?" Cyrus's voice cut through the thickening air of such silence. Naito turned to him and saw that he was looking at the sky. She was confused.

"Ask you of what?" she said.

"Why I'm wearing the university uniform." he said nonchalantly. "Aren't you curious?"

"I am....now that you mentioned it, i was also curious as to what you were doing here and how you gained access to the roof top, and, to be honest, it's too coincidental

that you called me to meet up with you, right after my student council meeting and duties were dismissed way earlier thant he usual time."

"I'm a student. A graduating student." Cyrus looked at her; dark brown eyes meeting red with his lips on a grin. Naito did not budge, but after a few minutes, she nodded.

"What? No flailing reactions? I thought you were going to hit me for saying that."

"I wouldn't hurt you...you just said something factual." she smiled. "It...it's nice."

He chuckled and patter her head. "Naito...you're really something else."

"e-eh?"

"I mean it." Cyrus nodded and looked back at the sky. He sighed. "You should have noticed by now that I seem to know your schedules...what you are doing, how you are doing...even though i ask you...and I call you at the most convenient of times...too much for coincidence eh? Don't be freaked out...but I watch over you...not like a stalker, but i just wanted to make sure and see if you're doing all right."

Naito's red eyes stared at him momentarily and he looked as if he were expecting she would freak out, but she smiled. "Thank you."

"What?"

"Thank you...for watching over me...It feels so nice to know...that i have a friend who would care for me so much." she honestly said. "It's usually just my brother who does so..."

Cyrus looked at her and sighed. "Friend, huh? Tch..." he smirked. "It still surprises me you take this calmly. Not once have you freaked out. Panicky, stuttery and shy maybe, but freaking out and screaming, making a ruckus, you haven't done that. It's...all new...and cute, to just be honest." Cyrus scratched his head as if in embarrassment and looked away. "Look, it's your fault."

Naito was surprised. what did she do wrong this time? "E-excuse me?"

"I shouldn't be here." his eyes locked into hers with determination plainly seen written all over his dark brown orbs.

"W-what do you mean, are you mad at me?"

"N-no! that's not what i meant..Oh crap...what i mean is... I shouldn't be going to university." he said that made Naito raised an eyebrow.

"I don't seem to get what you are trying to tell me." she frowned. "I'm sorry..."

"Hey, no frowning now!" he scolded. "er....i meant...listen, i stopped going to school regularly. I mean, i'm still a student, but i'm a known class skipper. I've been disappearing from the classes for as long as a month or two....and i just...tch...it's embarrassing." Cyrus was definitely blushing now as he looked away and Naito put a hand on his shoulder.

"uhm...if it helps, i won't laugh, i promise." she said reassuringly.

Cyrus looked at her once more and then, sighed. "It's because of you that's why I decided to come back. I know you go to this university...so I wanted to keep an eye out for you...and to see how you were doing...so to do that, I went back." he continued. "I heard about you...I mean after we first met, I asked around about you."

"asked...about me?"

"come on, don't tell me you're the last to know you've been a popular topic." Cyrus rolled his eyes. "even until now you're still being talked about."

"I never thought of it that way..." admitted Naito. "But...Cyrus...you're too kind...to have worried about me so much."

"Hey, that's just me...I guess...although i have to be honest, I've never worried about someone else before." he laughed. "like i said, you're different." he noticed Naito blush and he patted her head once more. "I'm curious."

"Of what?" she asked naively.

"Of what will happen from here on...you see...I've made a decision." Cyrus stood and stretched his arms. "I'm not going to skip school anymore...if it means i get to see and talk to you, there's no other reason that i'd skip class." he laughed and Naito frowned as she stood up as well.

"mou...that's a bit too much...there are plenty of other reasons why you shouldn't skip school." she said but Cyrus only continued to laugh at her. He then looked away, and she could see that his eyes were a bit sad as he did so.

"I forgot...you're like an honor student, and that you're a lot younger than I am...you wouldn't really understand my reason why I don't want to go to school regularly..." he sighed, closing his eyes. Naito stared at him for a few seconds, trying to understand what he meant, but she decided to not try to understand the underlying message he was trying to convey with his words. Instead, she sympathized with him. What she knows is that he felt sad...she didn't know why, but he looked quite sad.

As if by instinct, she put a hand on his shooulder and when he looked, smiled at him. "Cyrus...it m-makes me feel quite relieved to know, that you'll go back to school...and it makes me happy to know that I'm the reason why...because...I think it makes me some kind of your little helper." she giggled; something she had not done quite so much in front of Cyrus that he was in awe at seeing her. "I mean...you helped me a lot of times and you've been so kind to me, i was already thinking of paying you back with something or with the same gesture...but this doesn't make us even yet...but I'd really like to try and help you when I can."

Cyrus smiled at her and patted her head. "That's greatly appreciated." he said, ruffling her hair a bit. "It's awkward to say this since I never considered anyone else except as an acquaintance but ...we are...friends, right?"

Naito nodded her head. He said the word. They're 'friends'. She was glad to be such with him. It felt really special...really, really...close. The way he put it that is...since he mentioned he never looked at anyone else except as just acquaintances.

"Yes, we are." she happily said.

Cyrus looked quite relieved to hear it from her and he went back and sat down on the bench. Naito followed suit and he chuckled. "I don't have anything else to do but sit here, do you still want to join me on this boring afternoon?"

"I wouldn't mind." she shook her head, hearing Iris sigh somewhere in her mind, already imagining the persona to give up and agree with her that Cyrus is not a bad person at all. "I'd rather stay here and do nothing with you than go home and spend the lonely day alone."