-GAAAH, I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!!
-Makoto? What’s the fuss all about...
-It happens all the time... I want to pick a box of lemonade from the vending machine but end up pressing the button for grape juice instead... - Makoto muttered in an excessively dramatic way. - Now I’ve wasted money!
-Is that so... - Kuroi replied without losing his cool.
He took a coin from his pocket and pressed a button on the vending machine, then picked up the juice box and gave it to the other boy. - Here, I’ll have that one instead.
-Really? You picked the juice I wanted for me? Thank you so much, Kuroi-senpai!! - Makoto replied with a spark across his dim blue eyes.
-Don’t mention it... Grape is my favorite anyway. - He said with an embarrassed smile.
-I always end up stuck with grape, and now I meet someone who likes it... IT’S DECIDED, SENPAI IS MY BEST FRIEND FROM NOW ON!!
Suddenly, Sochin charged in.
-WHAT ARE YOU TWO BEING SO FRIENDLY-FRIENDLY OVER?! - She yelled, her eyes appeared to be on fire.
-U-uhh... I don’t know too well what’s going on either... - The older boy said, uninterestedly sticking the straw into his grape juice box and starting to drink. - I just exchanged the juice he wanted for this one.
-Pfff, Nii-chan, you shouldn’t be hanging around with a punk like him! Let’s go, you don’t want to miss your next class, do you? - She said, pulling Makoto by his arm and dragging him away from Kuroi. - Frankly, I can’t get my eyes off you, can I...
The brown-haired boy sighed. Of course he didn’t expect Sochin to get along with him after being kidnapped, but for some reason Makoto’s words still echoed strangely inside his mind.
“It’s not like he meant it for real, I guess... I mean, who would pick a best friend over a second-time meeting and a juice box...?”
The bell rang, but Kuroi didn’t feel like going to class. Despite his reputation around the school, he was a fairly good student without really working hard, which only made him less popular among other students, especially the most hard-working ones. In spite of this, he never cared much about them or what they thought of him.
Not sure where to go, he sneaked to the lockers to get his things and head out somewhere else.
While opening his locker, something flew from the inside that surprised him. “What is this, a note?”, he thought, catching it and checking what was written on the tiny piece of paper.
“Meet me at the back after classes are over.”
The paper wasn’t signed, but the letters had definitely been drawn by a girl. The hiragana was pretty rounded, but for some reason they didn’t become hard to read like the handwriting of most school girls. Kuroi thought it was overall a rather cute, tidy calligraphy for a young female student.
He kept the paper in his pocket and closed the locker.
Finally, class time was over.
From the balcony on the rooftop over the right wing of the building, the brown-haired boy could see all the students leaving from their classes. He hurried to the other side to see if the person who sent the note was already there, and he wasn’t disappointed; down in the yard, Sochin and Makoto awaited.
The girl noticed him, and her brother waved to him as if calling him to join them.
-Hurry and come here, don’t think I’m going up there. - Sochin complained with a superior gaze.
-So, little miss wants me to hurry... - Kuroi said. - Sure thing.
Taking little balance, he jumped over the balcony and fell from above, leaving both siblings in shock. The girl muffled a scream, grasping her brother’s arm tightly.
-H-HOY!! - Makoto yelled.
-So, why did you summon me here? - He said in a disturbingly natural manner.
-Don’t... act... like nothing happened!! - The blonde girl shouted at him. - Didn’t you just jump all the way down from the roof?!
Makoto was speechless, staring at the distance between the roof balcony and the ground.
-You like bossing around, I like showing off. - Kuroi replied with a smirk. - Someone who can form a force field around herself when endangered shouldn’t give me that kind of look over a single leap...
-Stop talking about it so casually! - She said.
-Wait, your brother knows of it... right?
Makoto was staring with an awkward look on his face. He seemed lost.
-Stupid... I told you not to come... - The girl said to her brother, looking down.
-No. - He shook his head. - I knew there was something more than just intuition to you, the way you could tell when someone was nearby... What exactly is there between both of you?
-Oh, me and your sister are different. - The older one answered, climbing a short tree and lying on one of its branches. - But I need something from her. She was the one calling me here this time around, though... So I have no clue why we are here today.
-I did because you told me - She started. - that I could find out more about my ability. You called me a Medium, and I want... No, I must know what that means!
-A... Medium? - Makoto asked.
-Heh, I guess I need to explain everything now that I’ve started it. - Kuroi sighed. - Let’s start with what it means...
He sat upright on the branch and pointed at Sochin.
-A Medium is a person who can connect worlds, in simple terms. It’s a rare ability, but some humans have such a strong connection with the Dimensional Tissue that they deserve to be called such.
-Worlds? Dimensional Tissue? - Sochin interrupted. - Are you making fun of me...
-It’s as real as one of your barriers, or me being alive after jumping from up there. Or are you skeptical to the point you can’t believe what you can do yourself?
-So... she can do... magic? - Makoto risked, still feeling lost and looking at his sister.
Kuroi chuckled.
-I guess a human would put it that way... Her main ability, however, has yet to reveal itself. That is what I am waiting for... The moment when Sochin-san will connect two worlds.
-Two worlds...? No, before that... What do you mean “a human”?! You almost make it seem like-
-That’s more than I owe you of an explanation. - The older one replied, although he did not seem irritated. - But yes, I mean there are other worlds beyond this Dimension. How many, I don’t know... But only one interests me. - Then, he turned to the girl. - Sochin-san, I need you to open a Portal to that world. It’s very important that you agree in helping me, and in return I’ll tell you more about all of this.
-I don’t know... - She muttered. - All of this, so suddenly...
-What about me? - Makoto interrupted. - We’re siblings, doesn’t that mean I also...
-I can ensure you are a perfectly normal human, despite being somewhat... weird. - Kuroi replied with a smile.
-Tsk, “weird” you say... And you, what are you exactly?!
-I don’t feel like telling you right now. You understand, right? The person I need is your sister.
The light-haired boy looked down, apparently offended, but said nothing. Sochin didn’t know how to react, but looked unpleased about her brother being told off like that.
-But hey... That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, does it? - Kuroi added. - Weird or not, you’re the first person not to run away from me when I get close. I guess I can take having someone like that, too.
Makoto looked at him in the eyes, surprised.
-HE’S USING YOU, IDIOT!! - Sochin yelled, then stared at Kuroi. - If you think you can reach me through my brother, stop dreaming!
The younger boy was about to say something, when the older one interrupted again.
-I really can’t make you see me under a different light... But that doesn’t mean I can’t try.
Without looking back, he jumped down from the tree branch and waved to them once while walking away
Outside the school gate he turned to the right and became invisible behind the tall walls surrounding the yard.
The two siblings tried going after him, but when they crossed the gate they couldn’t see where he was gone.
It was just as if he had teleported away.
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