CHECKING ON HER - [I]

"Oh, sorry, Horikita-san... It's just that... I wanted to use the washroom for a bit and..."

I said this and then stopped for a bit as I started to stare at the girl standing beside me.

'It seems that you were about to cry. So, I don't want to leave you alone... Well, it's not like I want you to stay in my house or anything like that... But, I thought that maybe if I take you here, and --'

I was about to say this, but I think this would be too much for her and me. I mean, it might work on her if I said these words, but again, this has no 100% probability of success. Also, it will be very soon for her to hear these words.

"I wanted to talk for a little more with my newly made friend..."

"..."

She didn't say anything; she just continued to stare at me with an emotion that could be said to be serious but was not.

She continued staring directly into my eyes, maybe trying to find my real intention or something like that, but at last, she sighed lightly before turning her head away.

Well, I don't have any other intentions; I don't want her to leave alone. Because I have a fear and a hunch that she might do something harmful to herself or even worse -- no, I don't want that.

...

Why am I doing this? Hmm... Well, because of the former reason, I have a hunch that she might do something stupid, and currently, I also have a terrible headache from the moment she called me out to meet her in the park. And as the moment passes by, it just gets worse, or sometimes better... And it got worse when the time came for me to leave her... Yes, it started to hurt very much.

That's why I dragged her inside my apartment for the above-mentioned reason as well as another reason, which is that I heard the clicking sound of someone opening the door that was coming from the apartment, the one in front of my apartment. Yes, from the apartment of Shiina Mahiru, the girl with whom I met some hours ago and she also came inside my apartment. So, I can't take any risk, or I don't know what will happen to me...

But just as I thought, even though there was a possibility of her rejecting this, Horikita-san did accept my offer and is now sitting on the couch...

Hmm, I should put one more, no two more couches here. Because there is a possibility of guests coming here is more than two people, where they will sit... Yeah, let's call Yuri-chan after Horikita-san leaves.

.

"Well, Horikita-san... Do you like to eat something? Hmm? Should I go and buy some --"

"No, I am fine... But, t-thanks for asking."

I asked the question to the girl who was sitting beside me on the couch and watching something on the T.V. while eating the chocolate that I gave to her. She turned her whole attention to me, who was doing nothing but giving her company. She answered my question while slightly shaking her head, and when she said 'thanks' she also felt slightly embarrassed about something as she stuttered saying it. Well, well.

She also smiled a bit after saying these words, which is no question anyone would find charming and cute. Then she shifted her whole attention once again to the show/movies she was watching.

Well, it seems like as time continues to pass by and she changes her attention to something else, she comes back to her normal self and has a calm mind at this moment. I am saying this with confidence because my head has also stopped hurting that much.

*sigh*

"K-Kaneki-kun, do you not e-enjoying the show?"

"I am enjoying it... the same way as you are, Horikita-san."

Horikita Suzune loves the mystery-crime genre, huh? As I mentioned before she is watching a show/movie on the television, and yes the movie, she is watching currently is mystery-suspense-crime based, because of which it needs more attention to understand the concept better. Well, well. Oh, it finished, huh?

.

When the movie finished, we both looked at each other for a few seconds. Well, I don't know whether I did the right thing or not, but I said to her that it was getting late and that she should go now. In response to this, she turned her face to see the time and it says exactly 8 o'clock on the wall clock. So, she immediately took her belongings, well her bag, and started muttering something. But I can't seem to hear her that well.

After some seconds, I reached the entrance door of my apartment to say bye to Horikita-san. And just as she was going to open the door to leave, she turned her face in my direction to ask --

"So, um..."

"Hmm?"

"What we talked about earlier, is that really okay with you?"

"What are you talking about, Horikita-san?"

"HMM... that you will h-help m-me take the class 1-1 to reach the top spot."

"Hmm... Of course, I will help you."

As I said this, I slowly started patting her head. he seemed somewhat surprised but she let me do it for a few seconds until she immediately pushed my hand away. She then made a face like 'How dare you!' but she didn't show any harmful aura toward me, so I guess it's just her acting a tsundere.

"And don't forget that if you need help with anything that is troubling for you, just come and ask for me or anyone else --"

"Hmm..."

[SUZUNE HORIKITA: +2 AFFECTION POINTS]

[HER IMAGE OF YOU HAS CHANGED FROM [FIRST FRIEND!!] TO [MY PARTNER!!]]

Good Grief, at least let me finish my sentence.

[SUZUNE HORIKITA [TSUNDERE ICE QUEEN]

AFFECTION: 75 (MY PARTNER!!)]

.

..

...

....

.....

[NEXT DAY]

[OUTSIDE THE HOUSE OF SHIKIMORI]

~ring~ ~ring~

"Wait, wait..."

"..."

"Who is it -- Hmm? Oh, what are you doing here?"

"Um, I am here to deliver today's notes and homework to Shikimori-san. And also to check on her health."

"I see... Okay, but before that I have some questions for you. Do you mind answering them? Hmm?"

I nodded my head in agreement. She then fully opened the door, which was half open, to let me come inside her house.

I felt the same sensation I felt on the day when I first came here. That day I was all normal, and so I am today, but there is just a slight nervousness lingering inside me. Why? Because today I have to deal with her mother first, and then convince her to let me meet her daughter.

*sigh*

We entered the same room where we, I and Shikimori-san's mother, met for the first time. Yeah, the dining room. She sat on the same chair where she sat that day, and so did I. 

Hmm? She is showing no expression on her face, but is she angry? Because I can surely sense a dark aura surrounding her. Have I done something to her...? No, I am sure as I haven't met her after the meeting on that day.

.

Well, there is a high possibility that she knows about what happened with her daughter in her school.

Let's say the first possibility of her knowing everything is that Shikimori-san, on her own, told her mother about everything. The chances of this would be around 80-85 percent, I think. Because usually, a girl at her age would tell her mother about these things. And if Shikimori-san is not that normal, then there is no way her mother would know. On this note, there comes the second possibility.

The second possibility is that Shikimori-san's friends told her everything about what happened to her at the school. Well, the chances are less than 50 percent, but still, that's also a possibility.

There are other possibilities also, but these two are the ones that have a higher chance of happening.

Well, I, myself, don't know about it. Even though I asked Horikita Suzune yesterday when she was inside my apartment, she also didn't tell me. She just said to ask the victim herself, Shikimori Miyako.

.

"You... Do you know about anything related to Miyako's injury? Why did she behave this recklessly even though she knows her capabilities?"

Oh. Shikimori-san didn't even tell her mother. That's quite surprising, even for me. I shook my head to show that I didn't know anything and then opened my mouth.

"No, mam. I also don't know anything. Even though I tried to know by asking some of our classmates about it, they didn't tell me..."