Saturday, 3rd of February.

There was a rather fluffy feeling that filled Pras' heart this morning despite whatever chaos happened last night. Manna’s words mentioning that she could be a reason for him to keep playing had been rolling in his dreams several times. Further, the bolster he hugged the entire night felt a bit more comfortable because his mind kept repeating the feeling he had from Manna’s embrace.

The embrace was definitely not intended, but it’s still hard for Pras to erase it from his memories. Though this morning was cold, Pras' face always heated up every minute the incident replayed in his head. He never thought the girl he adored from afar, which was seemingly cold and untouchable, was really gentle and soft.

Pras was embarrassed with the thought so much that he avoided replying to all of Mana’s chat questions regarding his condition. He was afraid that Mana would unleash some additional concerns that Pras might be unable to bear witness. Any caring word from the girl might actually be able to burst his heart into an uncontrollable nuclear meltdown.

“Whatever she said was just formality, right? She’s just being nice, you know?” Pras said to himself. He hugged his bolster tighter, as if trying to warm the sudden chill in his heart caused by his own thoughts. Sometimes he wondered why he would inflict pain on himself like this.

A whimpering noise from outside followed by a loud bang on his door had warned Pras that it was time to wake up fully and face the world. The teenage boy lazily rose from his bed and reached the door to greet Danzo - who barked loudly before the door was open. Soon after, Bozter rushed from the lower floor just to get a nice gentle good morning pat. Galung, however, was still asleep on Pras’ bed.

Again, Pras was still astonished as how the interactions with pets could always help him, as a human, feel a bit better.

The thoughts about Mana disturbed him again when he was getting ready for school. But not for long, since his thoughts started to wander again about his uselessness to his friends while he was walking to school. They’re just fine without him, even better now with Manna's old acquaintances who would definitely strive to protect them. Not to mention his friends were able to take down two players from Lyra’s gang.

Nevertheless, his mind started to wonder if both player’s defeat was contributed partially from their class.

“That’s just an excuse you tried to make up, you idiot,” Pras sighed to warn himself. “They still beat those two fair and square. Unlike you.”

The cold wind of the morning struck at Pras' heart as he realised how much of a pointless existence he was in his group. Trying to battle the horrid feeling, Pras opted to get some sweets or any snack by stepping into a small traditional cake shop near his school.

He had visited the shop several times before when he was actually hungry. It was always more busy in the morning since people tend to buy these cakes in the morning either to save it for lunch or to have it as a breakfast. Perhaps, some are just like Pras, they want to munch something to swallow their worries away. In that sense, Pras wondered if klepon would work for now.

“Alas, there he is, good morning my… depraved deskmate.”

The bored soft voice that greeted Pras had shocked him like a lightning strike on a sunny day. Perhaps, petrified was more correct since he could barely move his body to face the ever cute girl.

“D-d-depraved?”

“Yes.” Mana strode forward, entering her deskmate’s unmoving field of view. “I could only imagine someone like you had fallen to moral corruption to have the audacity to ignore my messages.”

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean to….”

Before Pras could finish his sentence, Mana suddenly put the back of her right hand at his forehead. She said, “I will let your depravity slide for now. How is your head condition, deskmate?”

The gesture was enough to set Pras’ face ablaze. He couldn’t move an inch, nor could he respond as he helplessly tried his best to keep standing despite the sudden weakening of all his muscles. His whole energy was drained by his now pounding heart.

“My, you are a bit warm, is it a fever?” Mana asked curiously.

Pras finally managed to partially move by turning away his face. “N-no, nothing,” he answered in distraught.

“Are you sure, deskmate? Do not worry about the studies today, I shall assist you by utilising my notes.”

“Y-yes, no need, I c-can go to school.”

“Fine, if you say so.” Mana let out a sigh. “Though I cannot keep away the thoughts that your action reminded me of a certain someone.”

Jealousy struck squarely at Pras' heart, he abruptly asked, “Who? Eggi?”

“Definitely not,” Manna answered lightly. “Someone else.”

“Someone you liked?”

Mana’s eyes widened for a moment. Then she looked away while putting her fist on her chin, as if she was deep in thought. Then, she just answered with a dismissive shrug.

Pras’ heart sank. His thoughts couldn’t shake away the feelings that his question was right on point. Though she is not dating someone, Pras now suspects that she’s at least in love with someone else. He was right, hope was never there for him in this matter.

“So, someone did steal your heart,” Pras whispered out the held back feelings. He did so silently to avoid Mana overhearing.

“Pardon me?”

“It’s nothing.”

Mana frowned at the clear avoidance performed by Pras. Then she just sighed and mumbled sullenly, “The present is always more important than the past, and even than the future.”

Before the dumbfounded Pras even managed to give a response, Mana’s mood quickly changed. She didn’t move her feet away but just reached out to the nearest rack of traditional snacks and asked, “Speaking of the present, I am starving. What do you think would be tasty for breakfast?”

“Lemper?” Pras answered nonchalantly. He pointed at the rolled glutinous rice snacks covered in banana leaves.

“I prefer real rice like the ones in onigiri compared to glutinous rice,” Mana commented, accompanied with a flat stare at Pras.

Pras smiled wryly. He was unable to contain his emotions and whispered, “Like how you preferred that certain someone?”

“Owh?” Mana frowned. Her arms were crossed in a rather bossy manner. “Is it a problem if I prefer one over another?”

“Of course not, it’s just….”

Pras couldn’t continue his answer. His heart was crashing down in a wave of sorrow. All the warmth he felt from Manna’s words last night had turned into sharp cold ice lances that pierced his heart. He was right to think that she was just being nice last night. Both Tier and Pras were nobody to begin with, not a person worth a damn for. Yet, there was a push for a cry deep within him. Questioning the other party’s action all this time.

He couldn’t restrain it again. There was no more whisper when he bitterly asked, “Then why are you doing all of this?”

Mana sighed. Her countenance turned grim. There was a clear desperation in her voice as she shakily explained, “Dia-nee failed to realise that we ran out of blueberry jam and bread. She forgot to buy it yesterday, And here we are, staring into oblivion. The lack of blueberry jam is a clear sign of disasters to come.”

The answer left Pras dumbfounded. He was not sure what to make of the misunderstanding from Mana’s side. Was his words too cryptic to be understood?

“Sweetheart, did you really need to make it that dramatic?” said an adult woman whose face was almost identical to Mana. It seems that this is Diana that Mana and Eggi sometimes mentioned.

Her eyes quickly gazed at the clearly taller Pras. Then she cleared her throat, “I have been watching you two having some discussion just now, an intimate one indeed.”

“Of course.” Mana nodded her head in an ever-knowing expression. “We are deskmates, Dia-nee.”

“Dia-nee?” Pras frowned. He just realised Mana never mentioned her supposed aunt as Diana.

“Good boy,” Diana said happily. She gently patted Pras’ head like an aunt patting her good nephew’s gentle attitude.

She quickly grabbed some lemper Pras had pointed out earlier, then continued, “I’m feeling happy, so let me buy you these snacks.”

Taken aback with Diana’s overly happy reaction, Pras tried to stop her going further, “Uhh, no need, I actually wanted some klepon.”

“Sure,” Diana said happily. “I’ll buy you those as well, boys surely eat a lot, eh?”

“N-no, I mean….”

“Of course, Dia-nee.” Mana nodded approvingly. “He needs those nutritions to fuel his brain, he is a worthy rival of mine indeed.”

Pras stopped his attempt to protest at Diana and just snorted at Mana questioningly, “What rival?”

“My, my, Pras,” Diana chuckled, her hands patting Pras’ head again. “Manda often hallucinates, don’t mind her random babbling.”

With a wink, Diana left the two teenagers and walked towards the cashier. It was at that moment Mana told her, “Dia-nee, I want onigiri.”

“There is no onigiri, here, I’ll just buy you bread.”

“Alas, I guess that will do.”

Pras was still unable to completely fathom what had just happened. He was even more confused when he glanced at Mana and saw the girl was opening her mouth to shape a maniacal and eerie smile.

“You’ve now shared my curse,” she said with a hushing tone. Like a ghost, really.

“What curse?”

“To call her ‘big sis’ for the remainder of your life,” Mana continued, “Fail to comply and you shall invoke the wrath of the estranged daughter of the Hattori family.”

Pras didn’t heed much of Mana’s warning. He just glanced at Diana and from there determined that Mana’s word might have some truth to it since Diana had a somewhat softer and sweeter impression compared to the ever proud and bored Manna. As far as Pras was concerned, someone who seemed sweeter often held an unkempt fury deep beneath their heart.

Yet, one thing still made him rather curious. “Why does she look like a splitting image of you?”

“Oh my,” Mana chuckled, “The correct term is that I am the splitting image of her.”

“Yes, whatever, I’m just curious.”

Mana’s eyes glinted with mischief. She answered, “Perhaps, I am a clone? A perfect one if you will.”

Pras didn’t answer. Genetically that was not an impossibility. However, Diana’s words about Mana’s tendency to hallucinate just rang in his mind, forbidding him from giving further response.

Mana, seeming unaware of her secret admirer's silence, continued with an even bizarre suggestion, “Or perhaps, I was a mirror image like what those human rogues could make. If Dia-nee stacked enough intelligence, then it is not a wonder that a mirror image like me could have sentience.”

For the fourth time, Pras failed to contain nor restraint the surge of emotion. Perhaps it was the effect of whatever Steven mentioned last night. Maybe his brain was too tired to deal with all of this emotional damage.

He blurted out, “Can we stop with these existential crisis talk already?”

Mana smiled. She winked just like Diana and the girl from Pras’ past. She said with a very mischievous and confident tone, “Not until you are done with your inferiority complex, my distraught deskmate.”