tears that had threatened receding. There was a fervor in his eyes I’d never seen before. Could he possibly mean—
A bell pealed overhead. I flinched, and the moment was gone. We hustled to the classroom.
The teacher pushed open the door. Inside, the students had sprung up, grabbing their bags and collecting in groups. The largest group had congregated around the girl with the lavender ponytails. Mostly boys. Her glow might have been invisible to those without kami sight, but clearly they could sense it.
“Hey, Ikeda,” one said, “we’re going for karaoke tonight. Wanna come?”
“Ikeda, I grabbed you the last of those curry buns you like, if you want a snack,” another announced.
“Did you finish the history assignment, Ikeda? I can help you.”
“Maybe,” the girl said, addressing them in turn as a smile lit up her heart-shaped face. “Thanks! I’m already done.”
Then a tall, stern boy with hair cut so short it couldn’t help standing up from his head strode into the room, and the girl went from smiling to beaming.
“Haru!” she said, throwing her arms around him. She kissed him quickly, and his serious expression broke with a grin.
“Are these guys bothering you, Chiyo?” he said, and turned to the other boys. “Scram.”
The others scowled and grumbled but sidled away. Haru slung a proprietary arm across Chiyo’s shoulder. He gazed down at her as they wandered toward us, her bright voice filling the air.
“Mrs. Kaneda forgot to give us our quiz—can you believe it? I’m never going to argue with more time to study. Oh, we should go to the store now! I want to get that phone case for you.”
Her voice drifted away as she and her boyfriend headed toward the stairwell. Takeo nudged me forward, and we followed them, my heart thudding in a slow, painful rhythm.
It was time to confront the girl my life really belonged to.
6
W e got our chance on the second floor, where Haru ducked into a classroom to talk to a teacher. The few other students lingering in the hallway were gathered around another bulletin board, their backs to us, and Chiyo was momentarily alone. Takeo shifted into corporeal form. My body balked, but I curled my fingers into my palms and made myself follow suit.
“Miss Ikeda,” I said, and she spun around. Her eyes went wide as she took in my clothing.
“Wow,” she said. “Is there a special event going on no one told me about?” Her gaze slid past me to Takeo. “And you’re all dressed up too. So cool! Did you bring the costumes from home? I didn’t think the drama club had anything that nice.”
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Standing there in front of her, my feet now solid on the floor, the reality of the moment crashed over me along with her effervescent enthusiasm.
The moment we told her who we were, who she was, I would truly lose everything.
Thankfully, Takeo’s world was not falling apart. “Excuse our intrusion,” he said, courteous as always. “I am Takeo and this is Sora, and there’s something incredibly important that we need to discuss with you. Is there a place we can talk alone?”
“Okay, now you’re weirding me out,” Chiyo said, and laughed. “Is he for real?” she asked me.
Haru strode out of the classroom behind her. He stepped to her side with a smooth assurance. “What’s going on?” he said, eyeing us.
“I don’t know,” Chiyo said. “Apparently these two need to talk to me in private about something ‘incredibly important.’ We should find out what it is. Let’s go to the roof.”
Takeo frowned. “I don’t think your... companion should—”
Haru set a hand on Chiyo’s shoulder, and she folded her arms over her chest. “If I’m going somewhere, Haru’s coming too.”
Takeo looked at me. I shrugged, still too overwhelmed to form speech. What did it matter if one more human heard? One already knew, and no one seemed to mind that.
“All right,” Takeo said. “Please lead the way.”
We
A bell pealed overhead. I flinched, and the moment was gone. We hustled to the classroom.
The teacher pushed open the door. Inside, the students had sprung up, grabbing their bags and collecting in groups. The largest group had congregated around the girl with the lavender ponytails. Mostly boys. Her glow might have been invisible to those without kami sight, but clearly they could sense it.
“Hey, Ikeda,” one said, “we’re going for karaoke tonight. Wanna come?”
“Ikeda, I grabbed you the last of those curry buns you like, if you want a snack,” another announced.
“Did you finish the history assignment, Ikeda? I can help you.”
“Maybe,” the girl said, addressing them in turn as a smile lit up her heart-shaped face. “Thanks! I’m already done.”
Then a tall, stern boy with hair cut so short it couldn’t help standing up from his head strode into the room, and the girl went from smiling to beaming.
“Haru!” she said, throwing her arms around him. She kissed him quickly, and his serious expression broke with a grin.
“Are these guys bothering you, Chiyo?” he said, and turned to the other boys. “Scram.”
The others scowled and grumbled but sidled away. Haru slung a proprietary arm across Chiyo’s shoulder. He gazed down at her as they wandered toward us, her bright voice filling the air.
“Mrs. Kaneda forgot to give us our quiz—can you believe it? I’m never going to argue with more time to study. Oh, we should go to the store now! I want to get that phone case for you.”
Her voice drifted away as she and her boyfriend headed toward the stairwell. Takeo nudged me forward, and we followed them, my heart thudding in a slow, painful rhythm.
It was time to confront the girl my life really belonged to.
6
W e got our chance on the second floor, where Haru ducked into a classroom to talk to a teacher. The few other students lingering in the hallway were gathered around another bulletin board, their backs to us, and Chiyo was momentarily alone. Takeo shifted into corporeal form. My body balked, but I curled my fingers into my palms and made myself follow suit.
“Miss Ikeda,” I said, and she spun around. Her eyes went wide as she took in my clothing.
“Wow,” she said. “Is there a special event going on no one told me about?” Her gaze slid past me to Takeo. “And you’re all dressed up too. So cool! Did you bring the costumes from home? I didn’t think the drama club had anything that nice.”
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Standing there in front of her, my feet now solid on the floor, the reality of the moment crashed over me along with her effervescent enthusiasm.
The moment we told her who we were, who she was, I would truly lose everything.
Thankfully, Takeo’s world was not falling apart. “Excuse our intrusion,” he said, courteous as always. “I am Takeo and this is Sora, and there’s something incredibly important that we need to discuss with you. Is there a place we can talk alone?”
“Okay, now you’re weirding me out,” Chiyo said, and laughed. “Is he for real?” she asked me.
Haru strode out of the classroom behind her. He stepped to her side with a smooth assurance. “What’s going on?” he said, eyeing us.
“I don’t know,” Chiyo said. “Apparently these two need to talk to me in private about something ‘incredibly important.’ We should find out what it is. Let’s go to the roof.”
Takeo frowned. “I don’t think your... companion should—”
Haru set a hand on Chiyo’s shoulder, and she folded her arms over her chest. “If I’m going somewhere, Haru’s coming too.”
Takeo looked at me. I shrugged, still too overwhelmed to form speech. What did it matter if one more human heard? One already knew, and no one seemed to mind that.
“All right,” Takeo said. “Please lead the way.”
We
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