‹Rin›

At this point you shouldn't really be surprised of me sneaking in to Potato's house. But at 4am? Now I guess you can frown a bit.

It might be easy to forget that he is actually living in our house right now, so I feel very apologetic if it is either Anna or Kei that is in here, for they could probably hear some kind of noise downstairs. Or heck, they might even be using the room below.

But honestly, dreams can be so much weirder than what I am doing right now. The only problem is that I don't really remember the entirety of it. It felt like I just watch an easily forgettable movie at the theaters but this time I really want to remember them. Then again, I am awake so I very much know what I am doing.

Or I should probably take that back.

Potato really hasn't come back to this house for perhaps more than a week already, so it is expected that the siblings wouldn't really know how he runs the house. So yes, it is freezing downstairs. Every step, my hair stands out, every step, I feel a strong shiver on my back. For this house has not yet been optimized for the start of October, the house has turned into a refrigerator.

With that, I unrolled the carpet from Potato's storage then subsequently started assembling the kotatsu.

Do I know how to assemble it? No. I'm just picking up the things that Potato does, and the heater basically never leaves the underside of the table, but then I only have a lampshade illuminating me so as to not disturb the neighborhood. But warm lights make me really sleepy, so I'm on a do or die.

It has never been a feature of this specific kotatsu, but more of a consideration from the owner of the house; the furniture will never be complete without a futon under the table. In the grand scheme of things, it is a table that spawns sloth, but in our minds, it is for maximum comfort. We're at least disciplined in that regard, but not all the time.

And you know what, the heater can actually be on in a timer.

Thus… I set up a pillow, a blanket, and ventured to sleep with an hour of heating…

Suyaaaaaaaaa…

▪ ▪ ▪

Come the passing four hours, Anna woke up and stepped out of the guest room at the first floor with multiplied cowlicks. It was quiet, as she was the only one living in the house as of the moment, but she suddenly saw a turtle with only its head poking out of its shell.

In no time, she went to her speed dial.

"Hello, is this 911? We have a problem here."

"What…"

"Please rescue a dork that got stuck in the kotatsu. I don't think you can wake her up though."

"Oh? So you already built the table huh. Thanks."

"That's the thing, I didn't."

"…

Did I somehow sleepwalk again… Anyway, shall I take her home?"

"This is your home. Please just make her live here already and don't let her leave from here."

"Shut up. If Akira suggested that same thing, I'll kill him."

"We're not even in a relationship yet. Anyway, take care of Nee-chan."

"On it…" on a matter of seconds, Gin was already descending the stairs of his house. "Oh wow, she looks so comfy. Maybe I should sleep too."

"This isn't even my house so what can I even do…"

As if the two do not even exist, Anna proceeded on her morning routine.

"Heeey. Sleeping beauty, this isn't your house yet. Break the law of physics. Get up, come back to the tree. Prove Newton wrong."

"Ngghhh… Legs not move… me sleep… Can't stand up… Don't wanna…"

"Nii, is Nee-chan always like this?"

"More often than not. Did this change the way you see your sister?"

"Totally."

"Alright, you heard h-"

In an instant, Gin's ankle was already on the tight grip of Rin's hand.

"I'm… up…"

"…

Anna, do you watch horror movies?"

"Uh, I escape midway when Naru makes me watch them. Wait, I've never seen you watch one, Nii."

"Guess what, never in my life have I and I never plan to."

"Seriously?!"

"But I guess I now have."

From the younger sister's point of view, all she could see from the kitchen was his brother still standing on the living room, while on the other side, what Gin sees is his significant other's face creeping out of the blanket with eyes still half-asleep and hair all over the place.

"If you don't get up I'll carry you like a cat."

"Stop, I'm not liquid…"

Obediently, Rin crawled out of the table with the blanket still on her shoulders, and approached Anna with a hug from behind.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Warm…"

"Warm…"

"…

How warm…"

Player Gin used [Diversion]." Immediately after Rin got up, the man sneaked in to the heated table.

"Get off or else I'll hit you."

"You know that I can take punches," he said, while getting off the table.

What an eventful morning that was.

▪ ▪ ▪

Oh, speaking of events, Open Event!

Let us get priorities straight, especially last year. We did indeed come to last year's occasion, but it's too difficult to document when Gin is busy sorting out Haku's shenanigans, and me affirming my existence with Reina.

Wait, that sounded a bit dark.

But that's the gist of it. It was a weird Open Event at least for us. Since as per directed by Mato-sen, the art club did not hold any booths, hence why we only met the members back in ONrio a few months ago. I kind of understand that decision though. We have somehow placed a standard in the club and even the other classes, although we did not mean it to happen. Basically, the art club has always worked with an SOP limited to the seniors, so there was perhaps a need to revise the club's system now that lower grades from junior high have started to join in (after a few years of drought).

Nonetheless, it's not always "the only way is up" in Blue Ink, but that doesn't necessarily translate to the school somehow in a decline. Let's just say that we're now on a plateau in regards to the school's physical progression. Since we left, there hasn't really been that much of a change to the school. But at least we have no more assassins attacking the school nor another Wave Amplification.

And we still can't trust out juniors to take care of our plants on the rooftop.

But well, it seems that a few of the members are ones that incline towards fine art.

Speaking of which, what exactly is my stance on fine art? Simply put, it's not for me, at least not entirely. It's not a lie that I apply various techniques that rooted from that, but I'm more of an unconventional artist. I don't believe that digital art will be the set future, but I have observed myself doing that more than my roots, which was painting with water medium in general. There is still room for traditional art in art history, and my roots will always have a place in my heart.

I still work as an illustrator in TAC, and in that respect, I would dare say that I can now call myself an illustrator at this point while training to be a culinarian. Also we have our own ways in appreciating art, and this is probably where Potato's and my opinions are going to be mutual.

If we don't know its meaning, then that's it. Then again, art can be semiotic in a sense that really, it can be interpreted in so many meanings. In hindsight, I guess the way we do art is very linear, especially for an illustration, as there is a need to have a clear focus on the subject.

It just hits the nail that what we learned in high school was not fine art at most, but "visual" arts.

The club has indeed changed.

From a band of weebs, we now see impressive impasto on canvas hanged on the walls alongside the still showcased graphite centerpiece.

That's sounds great and all, but this did not age like fine wine as I can sympathize to the slight cringe Gin is feeling right now. It has been, what, six years since the time Piano of Tragedy was made and then framed, but for Gin, it felt like just one of those social media posts that you posted years ago thinking it was such a great idea, and realizing how embarrassing it is now. Don't get me wrong though, nothing has gotten bad in that piece, and it is still as good as ever, but it relates more to its emotional connection to the artist, in which it has greatly changed.

I however do not care what perhaps is between that before and after in Potato's mind, but I have a fair share of the same things that I would just wish not to see.

…

In comparison to these new fledglings, we look like a bunch of good-for-nothing. In a sense, we've never been that serious in art, or more like we're not overly passionate about it. Simply said, we like art in a way that we can bring the utmost enjoyment from ourselves.

So I'm just going to say this now—my first impression is that we won't see eye to eye with some of this new generation. I've been so used to seeing the club less with a serious tone, and it seems that it has been how the club was since Martin Aston's generation until the prodigies after us came to the club.

I miss those days.

But if Blue Ink birthed to TAC, then it should be no surprise if in a year or some, the "home-grown" smashed burgers in this school becomes an actual business. And that's why Potato left to get some, thus leaving me watching our underclassmen and looking at their works.

"They look really diligent," I started as I made my way to Mato-sen, or should I drop the informal honorific?

"Yeah, not like you bunch."

"Yeah, yeah. If we don't see them in a convention, then we'll expect to see them in an exhibit, okay?"

"That's tall."

"What's tall with that? It has been a while since you cultivated students from this grade. They still have many years."

"Phrasing, Ringo."

"Hahh… I guess you're now not riddled with bad kids like us. It sure is a nice club for not being a rowdy bunch."

"Honestly, I miss the liveliness of this place."

"So it's too peaceful in here these days, huh…"

"Well, at least we don't have problem children here. And anyway, you're not really one to think like agreeing to disagreeing makes it more fun, unless that part of you did change."

"I don't really know. I think I've already been partially like that. Or I guess I'm just giving Rena the student life that we want her to have so I've grown to be a bit like that."

"In any case, you're now livelier in a mature way. I guess there really is a difference between seeing people everyday and seeing them occasionally. You're really just turning 21, huh."

"I feel old already, you know? I get back pains, neck pains, and a lot of leg pains all over."

"Don't overreact. They'll just go away soon enough. I'm not even doing as taxing a task as yours and I'm feeling the same stuff. Wait until you get in my age."

"I'm not looking forward to that."

"Good to hear."

"Borgar's arrived. Pick your weapon. You too, Mato."

"Ooooh, thanks. You could've treated my club."

"I don't have much cash with me. They should try to hold starvation for days to come so that they can learn."

"No, they're fine. Your jokes frighteningly sound like it's from experience. Don't kid like that."

▪ ▪ ▪

102722.

"Say Gin, a question just popped in my head, do you always see Eijiro's memories or just in specific times?"

"Of course I can see them everyday especially if I somehow stumbled upon places he went to that I haven't visited. It's a weird feeling thinking how familiar it was when it was the first time I saw something."

"Is it nice or something?"

"…

Sometimes all I see are people knocked out on the ground."

"H-He sure was lively…"

"I guess thinking about stuff in our life where Eijiro could have also been at is something I got from Mom. It always leaves a bad taste in my mouth when faced with the reality that he died at a still rather young age, leaving his family.

That's the last thing I'd want to happen to me now. If possible I want to add that to his will."

"I'm sure that it's not going happen anymore."

"…"

Gin Sakato was not able to respond.

It was not a matter of awareness about a risk to him, but only a caution that his mind has told him to do by instinct. In the end, he is still the same person that takes every little possibility into account…

Although not at all times.

▪ ▪ ▪

November.

"Seriously, Yuuga scored another collab with Eia again? Is he cheating on Minase?"

"She never said anything about meeting him, huh. Or did I miss a zatsudan or Q&A?"

"Not that I know of. But they sure became friends fast."

"Does Yuuga actually game? I feel like he's the kind of guy who would suck on any game."

"He really gives off that vibe…

Wait, did you miss cutting a toenail, Rin?"

"Eh? Oh. My leg was hurting again earlier so I guess I forgot. I'll just get the clipper-"

But then a loud thud resounded in entire house.

"W-woah, you okay, Rin?"

"I just tripped on my foot, hahaha…"

(!)

With Gin's small worry gone, he turned back to what he was doing… only to look back at Rin mere seconds later as she hasn't bothered to stand up from the floor.

"Hm? Changed your mind on the clipper?"

"N-No…"

As a sudden shock hit Rin, her heart began to hammer.

"I had a feeling… a very frightening feeling…"

"Gin… I can't stand…"

"Are you sure…?"

As her body trembled, she slowly turned her head towards Gin. What his eyes caught was the sheer fear seen on the face of his partner.

"I… I… I can't feel anything from my legs down…"