Sasaki’s back was drenched. Her hair became sticky. What I just spilled was a sweet carbonated drink.

“Y- You !!” She ran her fingers through her sticky hair.

Then, she sighed and groaned. She screamed and squeaked like a rat. Mika and Aya immediately moved close to her and wiped her with tissues.

Kisaragi stunned as she looked at me. Anger left her face and she showed concern toward me.

Wiping the sweet drink was a futile. The sticky residue remained on her uniform. She glared at me angrily while pointing her forefinger toward me.

“You will regret this!!” She declared and bumped through the crowd.

The crowd split a path for her to get out. Realizing that Sasaki was going out, Kisaragi stood up as if she forgot to do something, she was about to follow her.

While stomping out furiously. Sasaki yelled,

“Afterschool. Rooftop!! You BOTH!” As she waved her hand with the pendant. Mika and Aya anxiously followed Sasaki out from the canteen.

The crowd gradually ceased its existence. No one talked to Kisaragi. They just went back doing their things like nothing happened.

Kisaragi sat down with head facing the ground. The water dropped from her messy front hair. So she wiped her forehead with her arm. She looked dispirited.

“Are you.... alright? “

I approached her and actually asked if she was fine when she definitely didn’t look ‘fine’ at all. I handed her some tissues. She took them with her head still facing on the ground.

“....”

Silence. She looked so disheartened. I wondered if that pendant was important to her. After a while, she slowly raised her head up.

“I.... Uhm... I need to...” She stuttered.

“... I need to get that pendant back” She continued.

“It is important for me!” and she raised her voice.

Then I hear her mumbled. “...that... was the only thing my parent.... left”

Sigh

“Okay... I understood”

Kisaragi’s eyes filled with a spark of light as she heard me.

“Thank you” She thanked me sincerely and she actually smiled.

That was the first time I saw her smiling. It made my heart fluttered a second. But not in a romantic way. It felt like you saw a cute kitten’s video online. Her smile lasted only for a while.

After that, she left her uneaten lunch and walked away. She went upstairs, going to the changing room. I subconsciously followed her all the way to her intended destination. Then, I stood outside waiting as she went into the room. I don’t know why I followed her. But she looked so depressed that people would think if she will be doing stupid things.

Some girls walked pass by me and gave me a suspicious looking stare. That made me feel a bit awkward.

While waiting, looking up at the sky that I watched through the window. The rain had finally ceased. Leaving behind drenched rooftops in the neighbourhood and wet ground. My stomach started to growl and rumble. I am hungry.

“Uhm..... Shiratsuki-san...” Kisaragi who changed in to her PE cloth once again startled me by suddenly stood beside me. I couldn’t feel her presence at all. She knew that and grinned. Then she looked all gloomy again.

She walked toward the end of the hallway. I followed her closely. Then she sat on the stair which we seldom use in the school. I lied my back toward the wall. I hesitated a bit as the wall felt cold but the warm spread out after a while. I watched Kisaragi closely.

“I never saw you before” I talked after a moment of silence.

It’s true that I never saw her until recently. I don’t mingle with people. But, I remember every faces I saw. I never forget.

She listened and nodded then she finally spoke.

“I transferred into here just a while ago”

I gave her an “Ohh...” then we fell silent again.

I didn’t mean to, but I took a quick scan of her from the corner of my sight. She has small wrists and thin body. She looked so frail as if she would break with a single bump. But, when I think about the expression she made while glaring back at Sasaki a while ago.

I took back what I've said, she is not weak.

“I really appreciate for what you did just now” She thanked me again.

“No.. It’s nothing”

I lied.

To be honest, I regretted a bit. I don’t know why I reacted aggressively toward that incident. I never wanted to stand out. It’s my last year of high school and I just ruined it. Normally, I would just leave her be. I won’t be concerned by it. But, she piqued my curiosity. As a human being, curious is the least I could feel.

“Yesterday... “ I paused briefly and gained her attention.

“...Did you follow me?” I asked again, out of curiosity. It’s now or never.

She gasped.

“I-I lived nearby” She panicked. I can see that.

“But, why did you have to ran away?” I continued with another question.

“...that was because.............” She gave a long pause.

She inhaled and exhaled. She showed a determined expression. Then, she stood up from her seat. Kisaragi stepped forward.

She stood in front of me.

“To be honest, I wa-“

Rrriiiiiiinnnnnnggggggggggggggg.....

The bell suddenly rang and interrupted whatever Kisaragi was going to say. Tension left her face. I caught her sighing out of relief. She was nervous.

“I- I got to go... See you later” She immediately leapt away.

Leaving me half answered and confused. I scratched my head for a while and went down stairs to my class. I thought she has something to say. If not, why would she led me to the secluded area of the school.

I managed to eat my lunch right before the teacher came in.

***

“Don’t forget your homework. The class is dismissed” The teacher declared.

The students stood up on class representatives’ sign. We bowed to the teacher and thanked him for the class. After the teacher walked out. Everyone started to pack their belonging and walked out one by one.

Some students stared at me. But then they immediately looked away when I caught their eyes.

I guess what happened today really made me stand out. I am used to people’s eyes on me. But adding that incident, they looked at me with somehow a different way now.

After packing all my belonging. I went straight to the rooftop.

The rooftop is normally locked and off limit. I don’t know how but Sasaki must have her way. I walked out from the door toward the rooftop ground. The floor was puddled with the rain water. I avoided the puddle as I walked toward them. Sasaki, Mika, Aya and lastly, Kisaragi. She was tensed up.

Sasaki folded her arm as she saw me. Standing proudly with chin slightly up. Mika and Aya both standing left and right of her, as if they were her bodyguards.

She had changed into the same but clean uniform. I don’t think that the stain could just easily be cleaned up in such a short time. So, that uniform must be newly brought to school.

I went to Kisaragi’s side and stopped exactly next to her. The dark clouds haven’t fully dissipated. So it was quite dark and ominous feeling up here. I looked through the fence. Seeing students walking pass by the main gate.

Then I looked at Kisaragi, who was clearly giving a threatening glare toward Sasaki. But her expression rapidly changed from anger to troubled when Sasaki pulled out the pendant from her pocket. She was holding it with her thumb and forefinger. She held it up high to the eye level. Then she swung the pendant by the fence.

“Hmm.... Would it break if I throw it from here?” rather than a question, she threatened.

Kisaragi watched the pendant anxiously. It was a sturdy looking pendant, so I don’t think it would break but throwing with strength from that height is definitely going to leave ugly scratches. That pendant looked polished. It was a silver framed gold coloured new moon shaped flat gem. She has taken a good care for the pendant.

“Please! Give it back to me!” Kisaragi pleaded as she stepped closer to Sasaki.

Mika and Aya stepped forward to drew a line between Kisaragi and Sasaki.

Sasaki smirked.

“If you want it back that bad...” She rolled her eyes toward me.

She took out a clothing from her bag. Then she threw it to me. I caught the cloth by reflex.

“Wear it!!” She ordered while grinning wickedly.

I spread the cloth down. It was a girl’s uniform. Kisaragi gasped and clasped her hands by her mouth. I stood still.

“No... You don’t have to do this!” Kisaragi exclaimed as she snatched the uniform from my hands.

Sasaki saw that and slowly moved closer to the side of the fence.

“Not doing it? Then I have no use for this!!“ Sasaki raised her hand backward and up high, building momentum, to throw the pendant.

“N-Nooooo!!” Kisaragi shouted out loud.

She leapt forward while Mika and Aya pushed and blocked her.

“Stop it!” I raised my voice in case she didn’t hear me amidst the noise.

“I will do as you say” I stated.

Sasaki stopped midway and turn around looking so pleased with my resolution. As if she predicted it.

I unbuttoned my shirt and took it off. They glanced at me as I threw my shirt away exposing my upper body.

Then I grabbed the uniform Kisaragi held and wore it in one swoop. I dragged up the skirt from below then pulled down the pants I was wearing. Kisaragi was flustered, she looked at me with guilty-ridden eyes.

Sasaki locked her eyes on me and gave out a smirk with her cheek kind of flushed.

The uniform unexpectedly fit on me. I am not a tall guy. My height is roughly the same as them so maybe that explained how the uniform fit. Then I glanced at Sasaki.

“Tsk...” She clicked her tongue.

The once sneering Sasaki suddenly curled her upper lip with disdain. She scanned me from top to bottom and didn’t seem to like what she saw.

I turned my head to face Kisaragi. Her eyes wide open looking at me with disbelief.

I felt a bit humiliated for a few seconds. But then, that feeling quickly disappeared. As long as I can get Kisaragi’s pendant back. That much was nothing.

I took few step closer to Sasaki and raised my hand up to chest level with palm opened facing upward.

“The pendant” I demanded while looking straight into her eyes.

She grit her teeth and clenched the fist which she held the pendant in.

Why is he so calm about that...

Sasaki introspected. Her aim was too see a pathetic side of Shiratsuki. Instead of what she thought he will be. He actually acted as calm as he normally does. None of her bully went through Shiratsuki. That’s what made her getting more and more irritated.

It’s not like Shiratsuki ever offended her before. Maybe once without himself aware. But it wasn’t his fault at first. She knew it but she didn’t like his oddly composed manner.

Moreover, his face. That peculiar gaze he always gave from his sharp and crystal clear pair of black eyes. The skin complexion that was uncommonly pale until it outshone hers.

He looked so mysteriously appealing in her eyes that it literally became hate. She was so surprised to see Shiratsuki wore the opposite gender’s uniform with such impeccably fitting. It felt like the uniform was made solely for him.

Sasaki snapped out from her train of thought and smirked awkwardly. She pulled out a smartphone out of her pocket.

Kacha!

Her camera flashed. Her phone aimed at me. So I guess she took a picture of me.

She slowly walked along the side of the fence as she said,

“A boy wearing a girl’s uniform as a hobby during his spare time.... How does it sound?”

She turned her smartphones screen toward me which displayed a picture of me crossdressing.

I leaned forward and swung my nearest hand without prior notice intended for her phone. But, she dodged it like she knew it. I was surprised by her reflex.

“Go away!!” Aya knocked me backward caused me to stagger on the side but I managed to keep my balance with a step back.

“Hmm.. that sounds really great! It would became our school’s headline, wouldn’t it? ” She continued her arrogant speech.

Sasaki and her two followers laughed in agreement. Their laughs echoed throughout the rooftop. Lightning flashed ominously as their background. They looked like three distasteful devils.

To be honest, I am not bothered by the fact of her spreading the picture.

Instead, most students would know that Sasaki was the one who forced me into that. But, when I thought about how some girls caught me standing alone in front of the girl’s changing room suspiciously this afternoon. Sasaki might succeed. Nonetheless, that wasn't the point.

I glanced at Kisaragi who was looking at her pendant anxiously as Sasaki swinging back and forth nearby the fence when she talked. She was about to be in tears.

Which frustrated me.

Then I unconsciously whispered,

“U...gly..”

“What?

...Did it bother you?” She didn't hear it.

I clenched my fist and opened my mouth.

“You are the ‘ugliest’ girl I’ve ever met”

I can’t believe what I just said.

Silence suddenly struck.

Sasaki’s formerly chuckles stopped abruptly. Her eyes wide open and they pierced me with a raging sharp gaze. She bit her lip in disbelief to hear the words that just came out from my mouth.

Mika and Aya looked at each other astounded.

Sasaki clicked her tongue and once again she turned her body toward the fence and she raised the pendant high backward. She was going to throw the pendant.

I was one hundred percent sure she will.

I leapt through learning what she will be doing. Swiftly gripped her wrist with the strength I didn’t care to control. I forced her to turned around, facing me. She whimpered and stumbled. Then she struggled with her back leaning on the fence. Both Mika and Aya came to her aid. But, my strength outwitted those girls.

“Y-You insolent creature!!” She screamed at me so loud that it rang in my ear.

She was quite powerful for an average girl. It wasn’t easy to force her away from the fence. It was dangerous as the fence’s height only around my waist tall. We were struggling and her followers were pulling and pushing me.

Exactly when I think about the danger. Mika used all her strength and pushed me on the chest. I lost my balance, my back hit hard on the fence. I stumbled, my upper body bent pass over the fence.

I caught a glimpse of Sasaki dazed and Kisaragi astounded from a far, about to leapt forward.

I couldn’t feel the ground on my feet. My sense of direction shambled. I saw the dark sky upturned. My heart thumped so fast thinking about what will happen next.

Then I vaguely heard Kisaragi screamed as my sense of hearing fading away.

I am falling down toward the end of my life.

That was when all the magic happened...