Butterfly

...

"Tired?"

I ask before she dozes off.

"Tired of seeing you? Probably..."

"Ah-..."

"Tired due to lack of sleep? Also a possibility...

But I'm leaning towards the former."

I see.

I sit besides her.

"Say, Kiyotaka. Why is it that I am so tired lately..."

"Because you hate me-?"

"That was a joke, idiot."

"Because you love me-?"

"Then I would be the total opposite of tired, stupid."

"Then..."

I take a deep breath.

"You love and hate me simultaneously?"

She frowns.

"Perhaps a compass to a certain someone's eyeballs would wake me up."

"Hm?"

I look around, confused.

"Your eyeballs, Kiyobaka."

Hm?

Ah

"I see.

If that wakes you up.... then-"

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"Owch..."

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"2 Hours Later

"Hey, Ayanokoji...?"

I hear a whisper

"Hm?"

I look to my side.

"Kushida?"

She is quite close to me... as if being secretive about something.

"Doesn't she look... down today?" She whispers again.

I glance over at my neighbour of the classroom.

"She's tired, that's all."

For some odd reason.

"Are you sure that's all?"

"Uh, yeah... she told me so, at least."

"But are you surely sure?"

"I guess."

Why would she lie about being tired.

"Hm... if you say so..."

She turns around.

"But don't forget, Ayanokoji! You can't decipher a girl's feelings through her words!"

"Huh? Right..."

Is she trying to tell me she's not tired?

Is she perhaps...

Seeking attention?

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"Suzune..."

"..."

"Suzune...?"

"..."

"Ah look, a plane."

"..."

"Hm, interesting..."

"..."

"I love you, Suzune."

"..."

"Suzune?"

Was I wrong? She doesn't seek attention?

I dont get it... I was taught by the internet that a boy must direct most of his attention towards his lover

otherwise,

We shouldn't be surprised to see them at such a state that Suzune is currently in.

But the fact that Suzune is downhearted... while not seeking attention from me...

Well, I guess I should be happy that my girlfriend is special.

But also unhappy of the fact that I still cannot understand her...?

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After School

I stand up with my bag on my shoulder. A minor burden indeed, compared to the abstract burden I currently hold.

"Suzune, let's walk to the dorms."

"Alright..."

"I'll make you dinner."

"Ah, thank you, Kiyotaka."

Her voice is still low.

And yet I cannot bring myself to figure out why.

Anyhow, we walk out the classroom together, as usual.

And walk down the corridor.

"Say, Suzune."

"Hm?"

"Don't you pity butterflies?"

"Pity? Butterflies?"

"Yes. Despite their beauty, their eyesight restricts them from seeing such beauty, which is in my opinion much worse than being beauty itself."

I try to strike up a peculiar conversation, to say the least.

"So, I should pity them for not being able to acknowledge beauty, despite being beautiful themselves?"

"Think about it.

A person who is the epitome of beauty, but lives their life unbeknownst to the beauty around them.

Doesn't that make them, ultimately the ugliest of all?"

"Well... I suppose so..."

I examine her attitude just a bit more.

"What are you look at so intensely, Kiyotaka...?"

"Ah, uh."

"Are you, perhaps, a creep?"

"Well, I was just wondering..."

"Wondering?"

"Um.

Your bag?"

We just leave the school before suddenly halting.

"..."

"..."

"You... tell me now? That I've forgotten it?"

"I'm sorry, I had butterflies in my brain."

She sighs.

"No, it's my fault. It's my responsibility after all."

"Hm?"

That's weird.

I wouldve at least expected a kick to my left shin.

But... nothing at all?

"Just wait here, I'll be right back."

"I can come along-"

"It's fine, I'll just waste your energy."

"I really don't mind-" she frowns, "But if you insist, then I'll wait."

"I'll be right back."

"Right..."

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She's just like a butterfly, huh?

I wonder if we, humans,

Deserve the privilege to see beauty.

Take me, for an example.

I am a-

"Huh?!"

"Huh...?"

"Sudo?"

"Ayanokoji... tsk."

"No basketball today?"

"No... it's gotten cancelled... 'cause teachs ain't around."

"I see..."

"What about you, huh?"

"I was waiting for someone."

"Someone?" He drops his basketball and positions his face right in front of mine. "Ayanokoji, are you goddamn blind?!"

Huh...?

"W-What is it..."

He moves back and sighs,

"Don't yer see? Horikita's been hella depressed today, and the boyfriend ain't doing much help to her, is he now?"

"Depressed?"

"Listen here, Ayanokoji."

He grabs my collar, albeit gently,

"Instead of waitin', go to her right now and figure it out yourself. It's yer duty as boyfriend to understand her and lift her spirits."

He releases.

"I see,

Thanks, Sudo."

"No need to thank me, just do it. You gotta go, and so do I."

He picks his basketball-

"Don't disappoint her, chosen one."

And leaves, with a hand in hia pocket and the other bouncing his ball.

"How very nice of him."

...

...

...

...

I continue to wait.

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"You took your time, Suzune."

"Eh?"

"It was only 1 minute... I thought I was being quite rapid actually..."

"It was 5 minutes and 43 seconds."

"E-Eh? T-Time does fly, huh?"

"It does indeed."

"Let's go, shall we?"

I say.

I hold her hand.

"Mm, let's go..."

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I can build major nuclear weapons,

Extinct major species,

Burn this earth,

Destroy this solar system,

With my vast and still growing intellect and knowledge.

I can solve any problem,

The solvable and unsolvable.

I can deal with anything that disrupts my path of success.

No matter what, no matter when.

No matter how.

So this problem is nothing to me.

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"I'll be leaving now,"

I say 2 hours later.

"Ah, already?"

She lowers her book.

"I have matters to deal with. Unless... you want me to sleep here with you for the night?"

She looks down, unresponsive.

"Suzune, does the ground interest you today?"

"Huh?" She looks up.

"After all, you examine it in fine detail throughout this whole day, as if something piqued your curiosity. So? What's interesting about it?"

"Nothing really..."

"I see..."

Just know that whatever the outcome the future may hold."

I walk up to her.

"I'll be there to shoulder it with you."

"Huh? What are you suddenly spouting-"

I wrap my arms around her,

"I knew it, you are fragile."

"H-Huh?"

"You may have a rough surface, but on the inside, it's like a little girl all over again."

"What are you saying-"

I squeezed my hug.

"Suzune..."

"..."

"..."

"Yes?"

"We'll overcome any special exam

We'll shoulder the challenges as well as rewards

We'll support each other when we need it,

We will graduate from Class A, together."

So-

"Sleep tonight,"

And-

"Rest assured."

Even if there were to be extraterrestial life,

Just know that I would remain the pinnacle.

So understand that those people are nothing.

They can be easily defeated

.

So for as long as I'm with you,

"Victory...

is paved"

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The Next Day

It's the end of school,

For others, an end to one of their daily education.

For me? An end to my daily sightseeing outside the window.

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We walk out the school, hand in hand.

By 'we', I am referring to myself and...

The other part of myself.

"Suzune..."

"Mm?"

"Not to frustrate you or even attempt to dampen your mood... but..."

"What is it? Spit it out."

"Well..."

"Kiyotaka, I promise no matter how annoyed I will get, I will not stab you with my compass."

Ah, that makes things easier to do.

"You forgot your bag again..."

"..."

"..."

"Kiyotaka?"

A bitter smile.

"Y-Yes?"

"Lend me your arm."

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"Owch..."

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As I had predicted,

She was worried about her future.

How typical of her...

And to think Kushida and Sudo thought I was devoid of such thing...

Thinking that they know my girlfriend more than me?

"Well, who knows?"

I couldn't care less about those who understand my girlfriend more than me.

At least, for now-

"I'm back, Kiyotaka."

For now, I can still see her beauty.

"1 minute and 34 seconds."

And, while it may be temporary or fluctuating throughout the future years.

"I was quite rapid, huh?"

Perhaps the butterfly can see my beauty too.

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AnanoDeprituse

So... it's been a while...

Well, see you next December!