Tied in a Knot Pt. 1

It's been a week since my fateful encounter with the three sisters, who turned out to be goddesses from those legendary myths. Since then, my life has gone back to normal... for the most part.

I'd often see those girls in class and in the hallways, walking like celebrities down a red carpet. The amount of rejected confessions I witnessed was baffling, and that's only when I saw them. Only the gods would know how many more happened. And it just so turns out that the gods are right here.

It's laughable, really. They're goddesses. They would never accept love from a human, but it's not like anyone would know that except for me.

As much as I'm trying to forget what happened, I'm always being reminded every time I see them. It doesn't help when they always turn to look at me every single time I see them in passing, almost as if they're trying to keep an eye on me.

How do I tell them to just leave me alone in the kindest way possible? I'm not trying to die, nor do I want the attention that's bound to come if they keep looking at me.

When it was time for lunch, I quickly made my way to the library, avoiding every populated area along the way. I can't keep running into those girls. It's not good for my mentality right now.

I carefully slid open the doors, peeking my head through to check for any potential goddesses. The coast seems clear... for now. I should still be cautious since the library itself is huge. I continued to sneak over to my personal spot until a faint light caught the corner of my eye.

No way, right? It couldn't possibly be them. My head slowly tilted, and there stood Chloe with a hand in the air.

I mean... What was I expecting? Genuinely, fate kind of sucks.

A glowing strand connected her fingertips to a large textbook near the top of the bookshelf, which was just about four times her height. The textbook slid out and gracefully fell into her arms. An ecstatic smile appeared on her face when she read the title. She then turned around, and that's when she saw me. That cute smile immediately faded.

"W-wha...?!" she exclaimed, almost tripping backward. "Aikami?! W-what are you doing here?!"

"What do you mean?" I sighed. "You know that this is a public library, right? Keyword, 'public.'  What are you doing, using your magic so blatantly? What if it wasn't me who approached you?"

"I didn't think anyone would get here so fast! After all, I... I teleported."

Such a statement would've normally had me walking away after facing second-hand embarrassment, but because I know who she is, I took it like a champ.

"Just be careful," I said. "Who knows how other people would react if they saw you do what you just did."

"I wouldn't have done it if I knew you were here, but I can barely sense your presence."

"Why is that? Didn't Lana put a thread in me last time?"

"She did, but... Maybe it's because your fate has been void up until now. Even though you technically have a thread now, it doesn't make up for the years of nothingness before."

"Nothingness, huh? That's one way of putting it."

"Ah! I'm sorry!" she shouted in the most silent way possible while bowing. "I didn't mean for it to sound rude!"

"D-don't worry about it," I said, surprised that she would even have such a reaction. "It's not like what you said is entirely false."

"Still..."

It feels weird to have someone apologize to me. As normal of a gesture as it is, I can't say I'm used to it.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" she suddenly said.

Chloe snapped her fingers, and from a bright orb that appeared right next to us came... my school bag. It's the same one I left here over two weeks ago.

"You left this here the last time," she mumbled nervously. "I've been trying to return it to you, but never found the time."

"But... We have four classes together..." I mumbled.

"Y-yeah, that's true. I just... kept... forgetting... Sorry."

Why does it feel like she's slowly melting into a puddle?

"There's no need to apologize," I said. "I should be thanking you for returning it at all, so... Thank you."

Her head slowly fell as a faint smile grew on her face. My heart suddenly skipped a beat, forcing a subtle sinking feeling that I felt at every corner of my body.

"A-anyways, I'll see you later," I said just as quickly as I walked off.

I dropped both of my bags on the table, sat down, and breathed an almost inaudible yet heavy sigh.

Does it make me weird if I think she's cute? No, right? Everybody probably thinks the same thing. I guess it doesn't matter in the end.

I wonder if they've adjusted to school life yet. I see them a lot, but not enough to know how they're doing. At this point, they must have a lot of friends.

Friends... huh? I took a second to look around me. Here I am, all alone in a small corner, sitting at a table with three other empty chairs. For some reason, I feel a bit sad right now, though I couldn't help but laugh a little.

I've had friends before, but they were very short-lasted. A single day... was all that was allotted to me every single time I introduced myself to someone. If I didn't make a good enough impression within those twenty-four hours, I'd be forgotten the very next day.

Is it too presumptuous of me to say that I'm lonely by choice? Part of it is true, and part of it isn't. I don't try anymore because I know how it'll end. This time will be no different. I'll simply fade into the background until there is not a single person left in the world who knows my name.

That... is my fate.

"What are we thinking about, Aikami?" said a very familiar voice.

My head slowly twisted to the left, and what I saw next nearly sent me to the afterlife. Sitting on the chair right next to me was Lana with a massive grin.