I tried to process what I saw. While sitting in the cafeteria with Harry like normal, Gentrei came over again. The original terror of the table came willingly to the table. Instead of marching over with a grudge, or begrudgingly following us, Gentrei came with joy. I haven’t ever considered Gentrei’s face to be related to happiness. All I used to see was daggers in her eyes.

Now, I saw Gentrei hanging so close to Harry, she practically clung to him. The entire mood Gentrei brought with her completely changed.

“Um, you are Gentrei, right?” I asked, “Since when did you act so close with Harry?”

Having her attention drawn away from Harry, Gentrei’s eyes immediately narrowed as she glared at me. The glowing expression on her face immediately disappeared. I was left with the Gentrei I knew. Without her even speaking, she answered my question. The Gentrei clinging to Harry was the Gentrei I knew.

“What, is it any of your business?” Gentrei returned my question with another.

“Well, uh…” I looked between Gentrei and Harry.

While Gentrei acted super close, Harry stayed stiff, as he ate his food. Normally, I would see him pull off some ridiculous antics, but he didn’t do anything. Instead, he quietly observed the two of us.

“Illate should know,” Harry said, “he’s a close friend, Gentrei. Let’s treat him as such.”

“H-Harry? Why are you acting so professional? Did you change too?”

Ignoring me, Gentrei replied to him, “I suppose…”

Both Gentrei and Harry turned to me at the same time, saying the exact same words.

“We’re dating.”

And then I woke up from my dream. At least, that’s what I thought would happen, but the day kept on going. The looks on Gentrei and Harry’s face didn’t change. The two of them were being serious. I had to keep up with this change.

“W-wow…I’m, uh, happy for you two?” I responded.

Gentrei scowled, “Why are you being so meek? Can’t you be a little more supportive?”

“It’s okay, Gentrei,” Harry defended me, “I bet he’s just a little shocked.”

No, I was not a little shocked. I was very shocked.

With the rest of the lunch period, I ate my lunch silently while the two lovebirds doted on each other. Harry went from my support character to his own protagonist in his little romance. Technically, I didn’t really count as a main character, but I never knew I’d become Harry’s third wheel. Once lunch ended, I went on with my day.

----------------------------------------

My world was rocked. Going to my after-school meetup with Iter, I sat down in the familiar seat I used to sit in with Itra. Nearly hugged by the books, I brought out my pen and paper and began writing a little before Iter came by.

After what happened with Harry and Gentrei, I felt the need to document something. I decided to try my hand in a little romance. I didn’t understand how it worked, so I decided to try dancing with the idea in a story.

I thought about what made a romance. On the subject of love, I believe loving each other made up a majority of the relationship between partners. I didn’t exactly know how loving would work though, so I had to wing it.

I thought about her, I wrote, I couldn’t help myself but do so.

Finishing my sentence, I stared at the paper. I didn’t know how to continue. Without having an idea of how the story should go, I just stared at the sentence.

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“What’s this?” Questioned Iter, appearing by my side, “A new little writing project?”

I jumped at his sudden appearance, but quickly settled back down. I answered, “Yeah, I’ve just been trying my hand at something a little more romantic.”

“More romantic?” Iter sat down across from me, “I thought your other works were pretty romantic already, were they not?”

“Oh, well,” I recalled my previous stories, “they weren’t very focused on romance…”

“So…what’s the story about?” Iter asked as he set his bag by the table leg.

“Um, love?” I answered, “I haven’t exactly started yet…”

“What about love though?”

“That’s…not somewhere I got yet.”

“What kind of story are you looking for then?” Iter asked

“I…don’t know.” I answered, “I just want to figure out how love works through story.”

“Really? Well, I think you should use personal experience here.” Iter advised.

“But I don’t have personal experience,” I said, “I can probably get a good idea from books, right?”

“...Just use anything you know,” Iter responded, “you’re a writer, right? Do what you do.”

With Iter’s empty advice, I decided to try and figure out what I would have to write about in a love story. Obviously, there would be love, but I had no idea what would be included in a drama. After all, I wasn’t the type to read dramas.

I decided to just start writing.

Once upon a ti-

No, that was too cliche. I needed something to bring the attention of the reader. Itra told me before, I need a hook. I decided to start off by describing a scene.

For the first time, I was blinded. The bright colors of the trees strained my eyes, and the blue sky pained me. White pavement reflected light like the sun. Most of all, her eyes. Focusing through and looking at her.

Woah. That’s a cool paragraph. Surely Itra would agree…no, actually, she’d probably find something wrong with it and correct me. Still, I couldn’t help but find my words there to be well made. The only problem was, I didn’t know how to describe the person my main character was looking at. For help, I turned to Iter.

“Hey, do you know how I can describe the person my character is in love with?” I asked him.

“Just describe the important parts,” he answered blandly, reading some books he picked out.

Important parts!? How am I supposed to know what that means?

“Thanks,” I told him. I didn’t feel very thankful though.

I decided to take a peek at my old notes. Itra used to talk about describing scenes to me. Back during our one study in the park, she told me how to- oh right! The park! When she sat down and posed for me!

…What did I write back then?

I took a second to think back. I think our trip to the park to study was the first time we ever met outside school. She pulled a little trick on me pulling out the picnic carpet…and then had me write about what I saw. I really…I missed that. Why isn’t she here now?

“I really wish…” I accidentally let my thoughts slip out my mouth.

“Huh? What?” Iter pulled up from his book, “You wish?”

“Ah, uh, nothing,” I said, “I was just thinking.”

“Oh, okay,” Iter returned his attention to his book.

I shied away from Iter and scooted to the edge of the table, before resuming my thought process. I had just been recalling the days I spent with Itra, being able to see her there to help me whenever I needed assistance. She would be over my shoulder, just to my side, maybe in front of me. Itra would pack books into her bag just to help me study, and she never complained with the giant weight in her carry-on. Sometimes being messy, sometimes well-dressed, sometimes…

I think I know how to describe the character in the story now.

When I looked at her, I saw beyond just her pretty eyes, groomed hair, and well-made clothes. I’m not saying I have X-Ray vision, or I’m seeing things I shouldn’t be seeing, I just see…her. Looking at her, I see history. I see the days we spent together, I see someone I can be truthful with, and I see…

Now I needed a name. Last time, I named my characters some names like, “Octavia,” and, “Rodvig.” Maybe I could develop a name kind of like that. We could call them…”Quadrina,” and, “Pillarvig.” Quadrina being half of what Octavia is, four and eight. I think…Pillarvig might be a bad name. Oh well, I’ll come up with a name for him later. For now, I’d just write down Quadrina’s name.

Quadrina.

I finished two paragraphs…I have countless more to go.