Tuesday afternoon, classes just ended and people are leaving the building in groups. I'm walking through the courtyard with Saya on my left and Rei on my right.
The two of them managed to coincide with me right at the exit, which hasn't been a coincidence for quite a while because they both know my schedule by heart, and in fact I think they silently compete to see who reaches the classroom door first.
"Onii-chan, let's go quick, I'm hungry."
"Mm."
"What's for dinner at home today?"
"I don't know. Ask mom."
"Mom's never home, so it's the same as asking the wall."
"..."
"Arata."
Rei grabs my right arm and while tilting her head slightly to look at me, she smiles at me with a sweet tone of voice. It's not the first time she's made that face, so I know it pretty well by now. Generally when she makes that face, it ends with me treating her to something or doing her a favor.
"Arata, how about coming to my house today? I got some movies I want to watch, and... well, it's boring alone, so I thought it'd be more fun with you."
As she says that, her arm tightens more around mine. On my left, Saya narrows her eyes until they're two slits, and though Rei pretends not to notice, I know she noticed it perfectly because Rei's smile becomes just a tiny bit wider.
"Watch movies, huh."
I pause because the truth is I have things to do today. I agreed with Meiko to stop by her school after leaving here. It's something I already promised, and I don't really like canceling when I've already promised something, especially with someone like Meiko who's probably been waiting all day.
"...I have some things to do."
"Ah."
Rei says that, and her smile drops a bit. Through her emotional frequency I can sense sadness and disappointment escaping from her. She was hoping I'd say yes.
It gives me a bit of a laugh, but also some tenderness, so I can't hold back anymore and laugh a little quietly.
I look at her and focus on the lower layer of her aura.
Rei's layer right now is dark red, the same color Touka and Rize have. It means obsession and dependence, and it's a pretty high level.
And then there's Saya's layer, which remains bright crimson, a level above dark red, and as far as I've seen only she has reached that level, and she's had it for a very, very long time.
I call that layer the Yandere layer, because that's exactly what it is.
What's curious about Saya is that despite having that layer, she's still capable of maintaining her reason. She's an intelligent and rational yandere, and doesn't act on blind impulse.
Having some yanderes around me isn't something that worries me.
In fact, I really love it.
"Well... at night I can. If we're going to watch movies, we'll watch them at night, sound good?"
"Really?"
Her eyes shine instantly and her smile fills back up, while her hand squeezes my arm even tighter.
"Great! I'll wait for you then, Arata."
"I'm going too."
That voice came from my left.
Rei turns her head toward Saya with eyes wide as saucers.
"Huh?"
"I said I'm going too, Bakamoto."
"But... but I didn't invite you."
"I invited myself. Got a problem?"
Saya says that with a calm face, and crosses her arms snorting a bit. Her pink bangs move with the snort.
At that moment she looks like a little pink devil disguised in a school uniform.
Rei narrows her eyes. Her long eyelashes tremble a bit and her gaze becomes a bit dangerous, and that's the face she makes when she's really getting angry.
"Since when did you become so shameless...?"
"Always have been. Didn't you notice? I don't know where your eyes are."
Saya gives a mocking smile, and Rei presses her lips.
"Don't look at me with that face, Bakamoto, I know exactly why you want to be alone with onii-chan. You're going to try to do something dangerous with him, I know it."
"Hah?! Y-you... aren't you being irrational right now?! I just want to watch movies with him, that's it, I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Uh-huh. Watch movies. I know that movie, Bakamoto. It starts with lights off and ends in a bedroom."
"Saya!"
"What? You just want to take advantage of him, don't deny it."
"I-it's not like that at all!"
Mm, the funny thing is Saya's probably right. Even if we watch a movie, Rei would surely after five minutes look for excuses to lean on me and in the end would fall asleep on my shoulder, or ask for a blanket for the two of us. It's not like we'd go beyond that of course. But this kind of scene has happened before.
Saya knows it because it's also happened with her, so the accusation she's making to Rei comes from personal experience.
These two always fight like this. Especially when one tries to have alone time with me. It's like in their heads they have a point system, and each minute alone with me is worth extra affection points or something like that, which, looking at it closely, probably is how it works in their heads.
"Doesn't matter, I'm going too."
Saya ends the discussion with that phrase, and since she's on my left and Rei is on my right, both stretch their heads forward to stare at each other passing in front of my chest, and their eyes cross in the air while it seems sparks fly between them. If I could hear those sparks, they'd probably sound like small lightning bolts clashing.
This is going to end badly if I don't do something, so I raise my hands and put them on their heads.
I start stroking their hair slowly, and Saya stops frowning almost instantly, her expression softens and a small satisfied smile appears on her lips. On my right, Rei tilts her head toward me and rests it on my arm, and a silly giggle escapes from her throat.
"Hehehe~"
"Hah..."
I let out a sigh while shaking my head.
After a while, I release them. Saya fixes her hair and gives me a smug look.
"You already have plans with us for tonight, onii-chan. Don't be late."
"Yeah, yeah."
Rei separates from me with a triumphant smile. Saya ignores her and starts walking faster, with her chin up, and I stay a bit behind, adjusting the backpack on my shoulder and checking the time on my phone.
I have to go see Meiko.
After saying goodbye to the two at the crossing, I turn around and start walking in the other direction.
Touka and Meiko's school is about twenty minutes walking from here, and although I could get there in less than twenty seconds if I turned into blood mist and crossed over the buildings, there are too many people on the street at this hour and I always prefer not to risk it. Besides, walking doesn't bother me either.
I arrive at their school.
About twenty minutes have passed since classes ended, so Touka surely already went home, and most of the students have dispersed, only some remain going to clubs, or staying chatting in groups near the vending machines.
I see Meiko near the main entrance.
She's standing next to the gate, looking from side to side. She has that face people make when they've been waiting a while and have started to fear they've been stood up.
Her fingers play with the tip of her silver hair, twist it, release it, twist it again, and each time someone passes by on the street she raises her head hopefully before lowering it again upon realizing it's not me.
Seeing this, I find her somewhat adorable.
I walk toward her.
×××
Here's a curious question. Would you prefer the standard version of Alucard or the Girlycard version?