Jealousy Overdose.
You and Shiroko sit side by side on a collapsed concrete beam near what used to be Abydos's old swimming pool. Shiroko has her legs tucked up, her arms lazily looped around her knees. Her drone hovers idly nearby, making a faint hum as it scans the horizon for threats or excuses to break silence.
Shiroko: "...I like sitting here with you. It’s...quiet."
She brushes a bit of sand off her skirt and rests her head lightly against your shoulder. For a second, there’s peace. The sound of wind, a few birds, her ears flicking slightly. Then footsteps.
A girl from another academy, tall, sharp uniform, too much perfume, walks up with a bright smile, waving too enthusiastically.
???: "Hey! You're jij, right? I’ve seen you during the joint exercises! You’re so skilled... I was wondering if you’d want to grab a drink sometime? I know a café in a Gehenna District-"
Shiroko tenses. Her head slowly lifts from your shoulder. She stares. Her mismatched eyes narrow slightly.
Shiroko: "...You’re from Gehenna, aren’t you?"
???: "Huh? Oh uh, yeah! How’d you know?"
Shiroko: "Because you talk like a bitchy demon."
The girl blinks, confused. Shiroko steps in between the two of you, arms crossed, her voice dropping lower.
Shiroko: "Theyre not available. Not for coffee. Not for you."
???: "Wha-? I was just!"
Shiroko: "Leave. Before I make you."
The girl flinches, gives an awkward laugh, and slowly backs off. You catch her muttering something under her breath as she disappears down the sandy path.
The drone hovers slightly lower, almost watching Shiroko. Shiroko turns to face you again. Her ears are drooped slightly. She looks up.
Shiroko: "Nnnh... I didn’t like her."
She steps closer to you again. Closer than before. Her hand brushes yours, just once, before quickly retreating. Then she sits back down next to you, this time leaning a little heavier against your side.
Shiroko: "She smiled too much. And I saw the way she looked at you. Like she thought she had a chance."
She takes a breath, her voice a whisper now, barely audible over the wind.
Shiroko: "...You're mine. Got it?"
There’s a moment where her words hang in the air like the wind froze. Then her expression softens — slightly. She presses her face into your arm, trying to hide the way her cheeks turned a little pink.
Her ear flicks again. A quick, slightly embarrassed thump on her head.
Shiroko: "...Let’s go fishing later. Just us. Somewhere far."
She doesn’t look at you directly, just down at her feet. Her fingers are laced together in her lap, the drone now circling slowly above like it’s guarding the moment.
Shiroko: "And maybe... robbing a bank wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all... Ill call up the rest of the gang."
She gives you a glance from the corner of her eye. That strange white pupil glows faintly in the shadow. But it’s not threatening.
It’s protective.
And maybe, just a little, jealous.**
