She pulled her hand back and had stepped away as we had reached it, the clothing room, which was for people to try on clothes.
It looked to be a normal room.
"Let's find you some clothes."
She pulled me towards a rack of dark-colored shirts. She started to look through them, her fingers flipping through the hangers. She then pulled out a black turtleneck and dark-washed jeans.
"Try these."
She had handed me clothes, and i had taken them. My eyes were on it, those clothes, it was a fitted black button-up shirt, with a top with two top buttons undone, it was sharp, with black trousers, and a pair of round dark sunglasses that rested on top of the shirt. top of the folded shirt and trousers.
She pushed them into my arms, and then she had shooed me towards the changing room. I went into one of the stalls, and I took off my hoodie and my shirt. I looked at myself in the mirror. My body was more defined than it used to be, the muscles more pronounced. My skin was still pale, but it wasn't as sickly as it used to be. I put on the turtleneck. It was soft, and it fit me well; it was a bit tight, but not too tight. I put on the jeans. They were a good fit, too.
I stepped out of the stall. wearing it, black trousers with a fitted black button-up shirt that had left the two top buttons undone, letting her see somewhat of my chest.
Akeno was waiting for me, her arms crossed over her chest. She looked me up and down, her eyes lingering on my chest and then my hips.
"Turn around."
I did as she said. I turned around slowly. I could feel her eyes on my back, on my shoulders, on my horns. Even with her illusion, I felt exposed.
"It looks good."
She stepped closer to me; her fingers traced the collar of the turtleneck. Her touch was light, but I could feel it like a brand.
"Very good."
Then she pulled away, and she went to grab some more clothes. This continued for a while. She would pick out an outfit, and I would try it on, and she would tell me what she thought. We didn't talk much, but it wasn't awkward. There was a comfortable silence between us, a silent understanding.
I ended up with a few new outfits, all of them dark, all of them simple. I paid for them, and we left the store.
"Where to now?"
I asked, as we walked out of the store and into the bustling street.
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"What do you want to do?"
I thought about it for a moment, and my only thought was to spar. For some reason, I actually wanted to fight her. But maybe I was crossing into territory I shouldn't even try to touch.
"I don't know."
I said that because I didn't want to say what I wanted to do.
"Then let's get something to eat."
She had said as she grabbed my hand and started to pull me towards a small cafe that was tucked away in a small alley.
The cafe was quiet and cozy. There were a few people scattered around, all of them minding their own business. We sat at a small table in the corner. Akeno ordered a slice of chocolate cake and a cup of tea. I ordered a coffee.
"You don't talk much, do you?" she said, as she took a sip of her tea.
"Not really."
"Why?"
"I just... don't have much to say."
"Or you're afraid to say it."
I looked at her; her violet eyes were steady, her expression was unreadable.
"Maybe."
"What are you afraid of?"
"Saying the wrong thing."
"What's the wrong thing?"
"Saying something that will hurt you."
She laughed; it was soft and musical.
"You're not going to hurt me."
"You don't know that."
"I do."
She leaned forward, her elbows lay on the table as she used her wrist to support her chin.
"I'm not as fragile as I look."
"I never said you were."
"Then why are you so careful with your words?"
I didn't have an answer for that. Not one that she would like.
"Tell me something, Amamiya-kun."
"What?"
"Why me?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why did you ask me out? Of all the people you could have asked, why me?"
I thought about it for a moment. I could have told her the truth. That I was drawn to her, that I felt a connection to her, that I wanted to get to know her better. But I didn't. I couldn't. The words were stuck in my throat.
"What can I say, you are just my type. Real question, since you brought it up, after this would you like to spar?"
I had said it. The words were out there, hanging in the air between us.
She stared at me, her violet eyes widening just a fraction; then her smile returned, wider and sharper than before.
"A spar? With you?"
Akeno had leaned back in her chair as she had tilted her head to the side.
"How bold. Are you sure you know what you're asking for?"
"I have a general idea."
I took a sip of my coffee. It was bitter, black. Just like I'd asked for.
"Alright," she said, her fingers tapping against the ceramic of her teacup. "But don't come crying to me when you're on your back, wondering what happened."
"I'll try not to."
We began to eat the cake and drink the drinks we had ordered. I had ordered just a normal tea, but hers was bitter.
She had grabbed my drink and had taken a sip of it.
"Too bitter for me," she said, making a face. "How can you drink this?"
She said this as if she wasn't done eating her small cake; crumbs stuck to the side of her mouth. I reached in with my hand and my thumb, and had grabbed it, and then I had eaten the crumb.
Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink, a faint but noticeable blush. It was a beautiful sight to see her blush. It made her look more human, more approachable.
"You want a kiss for that?"
She was teasing me.
"I wouldn't say no."
I leaned in, my lips hovering just inches from hers.
Ding~~Ding~~
The bell above the cafe door chimed, and a group of rowdy students from our school stumbled in, their laughter loud and obnoxious. I pulled back, the moment broken.
Akeno's eyes glittered with amusement.
"Saved by the bell,"
She whispered into my ear. We were so close to each other, her mouth was right in front of my ear.
We finished our snacks in relative silence, the noise from the other students a distant buzz. When we were done, we left the cafe, the cool afternoon air a welcome relief.
"Where to?"
I asked, with my hands shoved deep into my pockets.
"My place,"
She said, her voice casual, as if she were suggesting we go to the park.
"The clubroom. There's plenty of space there. And fewer... interruptions."
The walk back to the academy was quiet. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the sidewalk. The sky was a brilliant orange and pink, a beautiful, fiery spectacle.
We reached the academy gates, and my stomach tightened. I was back in the lion's den.
"You're nervous," she said with her voice as soft as a whisper beside me.
"Shouldn't I be?"
"No. You should be excited."
She had said as her fingers brushed against mine.
I didn't say anything. I just followed her, my footsteps echoing on the pavement as we walked across the empty campus.
The Occult Research Club room was on the top floor of the old school building. We climbed the stairs in silence, the air growing cooler with each step.
She unlocked the door, and we stepped inside. The room was just as I remembered it: large, dusty, and filled with an assortment of strange and wonderful things. There were books piled high on every available surface, strange artifacts tucked away in glass cases, and a large, circular table in the center of the room.
I looked around, my eyes taking in every detail. I could feel it now, a faint, thrumming pulse of mana. It was like standing next to a high-voltage power line.
"So, are we not going to spar..?"