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The next day, Yuki could barely function.
He kept replaying Ren's words over and over: Kitsune. Only one left. Others will come.
Was this what Aiko meant?
Yuki was so out of it, he didn't even notice the warning signs: the sound of fast footsteps, the whoosh of a bag swinging wildly, the quiet "oh no" that came from down the hall.
Too late.
THUD!
Something—or someone—slammed into him from the side, sending him flying backward like a bowling pin.
He hit the floor with a loud "OOMPH!" and felt something soft and very not floor-like land square on top of him.
He opened his eyes.
Aiko.
On top of him.
Staring.
"…Hi," she said flatly.
Yuki's brain short-circuited.
"Hi—wait—what—uh—are you—what's—ARE YOU OKAY?!"
Aiko blinked down at him. "I think I bruised my ego. And your ribs."
He turned a shade of red not found in nature. "W-WHY ARE YOU ON ME?!"
"I was following something. A spiritual presence. Didn't expect you to be in the way."
He raised an eyebrow. "You were following a ghost and tripped over me? Seriously?"
She smirked. "Don't flatter yourself. You're not that special."
"You just tackled me!"
"I tripped. You were in the way. Gravity did the rest."
"…Gravity's rude."
A few students were now definitely watching.
One guy pointed. "Yo, Yuki finally got a girlfriend?!"
Aiko glanced at the crowd. "Congratulations. You're popular now."
"Th-This is NOT what it looks like!"
"Oh? So you did want me on top of you?"
Yuki made a sound that could only be described as a broken kettle.
Aiko stood up like nothing happened, brushing her uniform off. "Next time, move faster."
"I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE COMING!"
She turned and walked away coolly, tossing her hair. "Exactly."
Yuki lay there, brain sizzling.
Spirits are the least of my problems.
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