I’ll keep wandering this line Between the past and the present

“Yeah? Yeah?”

“We’re curious? I mean…did he have someone he liked?”

“…” If he had been, it hadn’t been Micchi himself, he knows that much. Well, that is nothing to dwell upon, but… “Kouta-san never really talked about girls. Sorry.”

She sweatdropped. “Well…what about guys?”

Micchi’s blush deepened and he shrugged again, glancing away.

“I’ll take that as an ‘I have no idea.’”

“Ehh…well was there any people that Kouta hung out with? Ack no that’s probably being too deep.”

"Why would I have an idea? I mean, I..." "He hung out with *us*." With *me*, he wanted to add. He didn't.

“Yeah? Yeah?”

“We’re curious? I mean…did he have someone he liked?”

“…” If he had been, it hadn’t been Micchi himself, he knows that much. Well, that is nothing to dwell upon, but… “Kouta-san never really talked about girls. Sorry.”

She sweatdropped. “Well…what about guys?”

Micchi's blush deepened and he shrugged again, glancing away.

“Yeah? Yeah?”

“We’re curious? I mean…did he have someone he liked?”

"..." If he had been, it hadn't been Micchi himself, he knows that much. Well, that is nothing to dwell upon, but... "Kouta-san never really talked about girls. Sorry."

“What? About Kouta? Naww…”

“R-Right! We weren’t talking about Kouta-san at all!”

“Huh. O–okay, then.” Somehow, he doesn’t look convinced.

Awkward laughter.

“Uhhh…hey Micchi…did Kouta have…uhh…any preferences?”

His face flushes a deep red and he stutters for a moment. "Kou--Kou--Kouta-san?! He... I mean, he.... I..."

“What? About Kouta? Naww…”

“R-Right! We weren’t talking about Kouta-san at all!”

“Huh. O--okay, then.” Somehow, he doesn’t look convinced.

“Maybe, but I’m not gonna be the one to ask him…”

She turned red. “I-I’m no way in heck gonna ask either!”

“And if we ask Kaito, he’ll probably try and kill us!”

“…Ask what? What are you two talking about?”

“Uhhh…Hey Micchi!”

She looks panicked. “Uh…we weren’t talkin’ bout anything…big…”

"Miyake-chan... Hi. Um..." He looks between the two of them. "D--did I hear you talk about Kouta-san?"

“Maybe, but I’m not gonna be the one to ask him…”

She turned red. “I-I’m no way in heck gonna ask either!”

“And if we ask Kaito, he’ll probably try and kill us!”

"...Ask what? What are you two talking about?"

With a Song of Victory

“Ah… I’m sorry about that. You have a nice singing voice, though.”

“Oh, thanks! And strangely enough, that’s not the only weird song…do you know a song that goes like, ‘ey ey oh!’?”

Micchi shakes his head. “Uh. I can’t say that I do... Sounds like either a soccer supporter song or some sort of war cry, no?”

With a Song of Victory

“I-It’s fine…whatever-your-name-is…”

“…Micchi. Kureshima Mitsuzane. I never introduced myself…?”

“…I don’t think you did…”

"Ah... I'm sorry about that. You have a nice singing voice, though."

With a Song of Victory

“I-It’s fine…whatever-your-name-is…”

“...Micchi. Kureshima Mitsuzane. I never introduced myself...?”

With a Song of Victory

”What about it?“

With a Song of Victory

”What about it?“

First Meeting

“Oh...” Well, that all sounded well and good, and it was the kind of person he wanted to be. A hero. Like Kouta-san. White outweighing the dark. But could he? Was that even possible? No time for self doubt, because then he’d dig himself too deep and she didn’t deserve that. The world didn’t deserve that, not if such a threat was looming at the horizon. “I do want to help, I can say that much for certain.”

A Nightingale in a Golden Cage

“I…”  She trailed off, sometimes disliking that look he was giving her because she couldn’t read it, and then liking it for the same reason.  “I still have a little bit to go before I’m fully recovered.  And my health isn’t the only thing I’m lacking in, apparently.”

“They... They’ll come, I... I have...” Had to get away? Yes, he had to get away. But talking. Someone talking to him. This girl. Talking. Helping? Could he trust? No, of course he couldn’t trust. But had to get away, no time for debating, mentally he knew this, knew he had to focus. He bled too much. “...Hide.” Well, that seemed like a good option. Hiding was good. But whoever she was, she couldn’t get caught up in this as well. She had to hide too. But he didn’t trust her... It could be a trap. It could but... No time for debating. Right. “Hide,” he repeated, dazed.