As he often did, he was studying with Shiori in the library. It was a quiet and cozy place, full of ancient books and wisdom. There they felt at ease, away from the hustle and pressure of the academy. They were alone, as Shinji didn’t like that place and only joined them when he had no other choice.
Ritsu observed Shiori as she read. There was something different about her, something he couldn’t define. Her face was tense, her eyes moved quickly across the pages, her mouth tightened from time to time. It seemed that she wasn’t enjoying the reading, but using it as a distraction.
“You seem different today,” said Ritsu, looking up from his book.
“Oh, really?” she asked, without stopping reading.
Ritsu remembered what had happened the day before. Shiori had slapped Shinji, after he made an offensive comment. He had never seen anything like that before. Shiori and Shinji often argued, but always in a joking tone, without coming to blows. But that time was different, it was real. And since then, Shiori had been distant and quiet.
“Yes, I mean... you hit Shinji,” Ritsu insisted.
She closed her book, with a sudden gesture that made the table tremble.
“I did it because he deserved it. He’s an idiot.”
“An idiot?” Ritsu repeated, surprised. “But Shinji is your friend. And mine.”
Shiori gave him an icy look.
“He’s not my friend. He’s a classmate, nothing more. And a very annoying classmate, by the way.”
Ritsu felt hurt.
He didn’t like his only two friends being angry with each other.
“But... why do you say that? What has he done to you?”
Shiori snorted with frustration.
“What did he do to me? Didn’t you see it? He made fun of Tsukimi, said it was stupid, a waste of time that only served for nobles to have fun.”
Ritsu shrugged. He didn’t understand why she gave so much importance to a simple comment from Shinji.
“I know, but you know how he is, he always says silly things without caring if he offends someone... he doesn’t do it out of malice.”
Shiori shook her head.
“No, he doesn’t do it out of malice. He does it out of ignorance. Because he doesn’t know how to appreciate the beauty of things. Because he has no sensitivity or culture. BECAUSE HE’S A BRUTE!”
Ritsu was left speechless. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Shiori seemed like another person.
A bitter and resentful person.
“Shiori...” he tried to say.
She interrupted him.
“And not only that. He also messed with me. He said I was a sappy, a dreamer, a deluded. That I believed the lies of fairy tales. That I had false hopes.”
Ritsu froze. He remembered Shinji’s words, and realized that there was something else behind that anger.
“Shiori... did you expect Shinji to invite you?”
She looked away, blushing. Ritsu knew he had hit the nail on the head.
“No... well... maybe... a little.”
Ritsu wondered if girls also had that “awakening” that he had experienced recently.
“But... why? Do you like Shinji?”
She looked up and gave him a furious look.
“No! Of course not! How could you think that! Shinji is the last man in the world I would like!”
Ritsu was left confused.
“Then... why did you expect him to invite you?”
She bit her lip.
“Because... because... because yes. Because that’s what you do. Because all the girls in the academy have someone who invites them. Because I don’t want to be the only one left alone. Because I also want to feel loved.”
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Ritsu felt a wave of compassion. He understood that Shiori was suffering. She had told them that she had never been close to other girls, that she preferred books to people.
Surely, she felt lonely and misunderstood. Surely, she longed for something she didn’t know how to get.
“Shiori...” he said, moving his hand towards hers.
She tensed and pulled her hand away.
“Leave me alone. I don’t want your pity,” she said, blinking to hold back tears. “It’s just that I had hope that someone would invite me. But it’s okay, it will pass.”
“Shiori, don’t be like that. I’m sure Shinji feels bad about what happened too. He has feelings, even if he doesn’t show it,” he said softly.
“Feelings? He doesn’t seem to care about hurting others with his words,” she replied sadly.
“That’s not true. I know he cares about us, about you. It’s just that sometimes he’s clumsy in expressing it.”
Shiori snorted, unconvinced.
“About me? How can you say that? He insulted me, humiliated me and made me cry.”
“I know, I know. And I’m sorry. He went too far. But he didn’t do it on purpose. He didn’t know what he was doing to you.”
“What do you mean he didn’t know? Doesn’t he realize what he’s saying?”
He sighed; he was tired of this.
“Shiori, listen to me. Shinji talked to me after what happened. He told me he might attend Tsukimi.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. And he told me something else...”
“What?”
“He told me he would like... he would like to invite someone.”
“Me?”
“Uh...”
Ritsu saw the hope in her eyes, and felt a knot in his stomach. He remembered what Shinji had told him afterwards. That he had thought about inviting Yuki. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know if he should tell Shiori. He didn’t know if he should break her illusion.
“Ritsu...” she said, with a sweet voice, calmer than before. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“I... I...” he stammered, not knowing what to say.
“What’s going on? Is there something else?”
“No... no... well... yes.”
“What is it?”
“It’s that... it’s that...”
“Tell me, Ritsu. Tell me the truth.”
“The truth is that... the truth is that...”
“The truth is that... what?”
Ritsu took a deep breath, and gathered his courage. He decided to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
“The truth is, Shiori... we’re not mind readers and we don’t know what women want. Shinji is planning to invite Yuki, but he hasn’t done it yet and I’m sure if you talk to him, you can sort things out.”
Ritsu waited for Shiori’s reaction, fearing the worst. But what he saw on her face wasn’t anger, or pain, or disappointment. It was acceptance.
“I already knew, Ritsu,” she said softly. “I’ve seen how Shinji looks at her when he thinks no one notices, how he looks for any excuse to be by her side.”
She paused and gave a sad smile.
“I know I have no right to be angry. I never talked to Shinji about my feelings. I never dared to take that step.”
“Why not, Shiori?” Ritsu asked, curiously. “Why did you never tell him?”
Shiori looked away.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I guess I was a coward. I secretly harbored the hope that he would realize on his own, that he would see into my heart without the need for words, like in fairy tales.” She looked at him and bit her lip, her eyes shining with tears. “But this isn’t a fairy tale, is it? And I’m not a princess... how foolish I was.”
He hated to see her like this, vulnerable and dejected like a wilted flower.
“You should talk to him,” he suggested gently. “Maybe all is not lost. Maybe Shinji feels the same way about you and fear has paralyzed him just like it did you.”
Shiori remained silent. Her gaze was lost in the distance. Gradually, determination bloomed in her features.
“You’re right,” she admitted. “It’s just that... I had hoped he would invite me to Tsukimi. But I shouldn’t have gotten so angry with him. I was selfish. I’ll talk to Shinji and try to fix things. I don’t want to lose his friendship over a misunderstanding.”
He smiled, and felt a relief in his heart. He had done the right thing, he told himself. He had helped Shiori, and maybe Shinji too. But there was something else that had been on his mind. Something that had intrigued him for a long time. Something he wanted to ask Shiori.
“Shiori, there’s something else I wanted to ask you.” Ritsu said, curiously.
“What is it, Ritsu?” Shiori asked, with interest.
“It’s just that, half a year ago, the first time we went to your dormitory, I saw a girl sitting in an inner garden. She was very beautiful, with long black hair. It seemed to me that she was thinking or seeing something very interesting, because she didn’t notice our presence. Do you know who she was?”
“Oh, that must be Rei Takami.” Shiori replied with a note of surprise in her voice. “I don’t know much about her, to be honest. The other girls hate her, and say she’s a witch. She never leaves her room, except to go to that garden. She receives private classes, and they say she’s very intelligent. But they also say she’s very cold, and that she’s not interested in anyone. Not even boys. Why are you asking about her, Ritsu?”
Ritsu blushed, and lowered his gaze.
“Well... I was thinking about, you know, inviting her to Tsukimi.” he confessed, shyly.
Shiori looked at him with disbelief.
“Are you kidding, right?” Shiori exclaimed between laughs. “You want to invite Rei Takami, the loneliest girl in the whole academy? What’s got into you, Ritsu? Has she bewitched you with her mysterious gaze?”
Ritsu shook his head vigorously.
“No, it’s not that,” he hurried to clarify. “It’s just that... there’s something about her that intrigues me. She seems different from the other girls.”
Shiori observed him with a mixture of surprise and admiration.
“Well, Ritsu, I didn’t know you had such a romantic side,” she said, sketching a mischievous smile. “But I warn you that achieving something with Rei Takami won’t be an easy task. She’s not just any girl.”
Ritsu nodded silently. He wasn’t very sure what to say; he didn’t even understand well that attraction he felt. He only knew that there was something about Rei that drove him to try to approach her.
Shiori must have noticed his confusion, because her expression softened.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to explain yourself,” she said. “If she intrigues you so much, you could look for her in the afternoons in the garden. Shinji could help you sneak in while we’re in our special classes.”
The idea made Ritsu’s heart race. To make contact alone with her, with no one around... It was an opportunity he couldn’t waste.
“You’re right, I’ll try,” he said with determination. “I just hope I can find the right words when I’m in front of her.”
“Don’t think so much and speak from the heart,” Shiori advised him. “If it’s a sincere encounter, the words will flow on their own. And who knows, maybe Rei isn’t as mysterious as she appears.”