Linked Together III / How Friendship is Supposed to Work

Shina, as I was quick to learn over the next few days, was an odd person. Most of the assumptions I’d made based on first impressions…

“Why didn’t you come down for dinner? I was looking for you.”

“W-why are you barging into my room? How do you even know where I live?”

… couldn’t have been more wrong.

“Hmph,” she huffed in annoyance. “I asked Professor Seris.”

Why’d he give me up like that!? That traitor!

“And as for your first question, it’s because the door was unlocked,” she continued.

That doesn’t give you permission!

“I can tell you’re complaining in your head! At least do it out loud!”

I refuse! I don’t have anywhere near enough confidence to voice my sarcastic quips!

Before our “friendship” began, my encounters with Shina had led me to believe she was a shy and quiet girl, but I now knew that wasn’t quite right. She was just terrified of approaching people; once that hurdle was overcome and she stopped feeling uncomfortable around them, all traces of her bashfulness melted away. In all honesty, I envied that.

“So?” she asked, shutting the door and inviting herself into my room. “Why didn’t you show up for dinner?”

“Wasn’t hungry,” I mumbled. While she might have warmed up to me, I was still conscious of each and every word I spoke to her, terrified of saying something wrong and screwing everything up.

She seemed dissatisfied by my answer, but I couldn’t begin to guess why.

“Did you need something? You said you were looking for me.”

“I just…” Her voice trailed off, and she stood there in silence for several seconds. “Um, never mind.”

I was sure she wouldn’t have gone through all the effort of finding my room if she didn’t have a reason. Choosing to take a calculated risk, I pressed her.

“If you need help with something, I’m all ears. Well, there’s a lot of stuff I still can’t do, but if I’m able—” I cut myself off when I noticed the redness flooding her cheeks. “I-I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong?”

I was sure I must’ve said something that made her uncomfortable, but she shook her head. “No, you’re just… kind of dense.” She stopped, took a deep breath, then, with a look of determination, declared, “I just wanted to eat with you! Th-that’s a normal thing friends do, right?”

Oh. I guess they do, huh. I averted my gaze in something akin to shame. “Sorry about that. I’ll be there tomorrow.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah, I promise.”

She beamed, seeming content, although the red in her cheeks had yet to dissipate. Between her words, body language, and expression, I couldn’t help but find her adorable in that moment, which only made me feel more awkward and guilty.

I closed my eyes and took a moment to collect my thoughts. By the time I opened them again, Shina was gone.

“Hm? I didn’t hear the door—”

“What’re you muttering about?”

I jumped out of my chair and toppled to the floor, startled by the sudden voice appearing behind me.

“Everett? Are you okay?” Shina, who had shifted past me to sit on my bed without a word, expressed her concern over an attack she herself had perpetrated.

“When did you get there?”

“What do you mean? I walked over here just now. What are you freaking out about?”

“Okay, but why are you there?”

“You only have one chair, duh. Where else was I supposed to sit?” Shina seemed equal parts confused and defensive at my continued interrogation. She scooted across the bed to reach a spot perpendicular to the desk I had been sitting at, then pulled out a book and some papers from her bag and started setting them up on its far side.

“But, but…” Struggling to formulate a better way to say it, I blurted out, “Why are you doing that here?”

“Friends are supposed to hang out. If we’re both gonna be studying anyway, why not do it together?” she said, without skipping a beat.

I don’t think making yourself at home after breaking into my room is what friends are “supposed to” do! Though… I haven’t had any friends before, so I guess I can’t refute it for sure.

Grumbling in my head, I got back to my feet, lifted up the overturned chair, and returned to my original position from before the assault. My eyes flitted skeptically toward Shina, who was uncapping an inkwell to dip her writing stylus into. I can’t believe I thought she was cute earlier. This girl gets more bizarre with every interaction.

Deciding not to get too distracted, I returned my gaze to my own work. Professor Seris had tasked me with reading a children’s book and answering some questions to prove my comprehension. It felt a little embarrassing to be reading something meant for young children at my age, but I gritted my teeth and did as I was told.

…

… Dammit.

Or at least I tried, but it was distracting having Shina work next to me. Even if we weren’t talking, I wasn’t used to being this close to someone for this long, and it was making me feel self-conscious. It certainly didn’t help that she was a girl, either.

My eyes drifted over to her. In one hand, she held a textbook open, and in the other, she was writing intently, her eyes bouncing back and forth between the two sources of text. Sometimes, she would stop for a few seconds to think, then she’d continue scribbling once an answer struck her.

Now that I think of it, other than when we first met, all I’ve seen Shina do is study. Reading, writing, pondering, always. Not to mention all of this started because of an overly ambitious library run.

“Do you like studying, Shina?” The question left my lips before I realized I was speaking.

“Hm? I guess so, yeah,” she responded, with a tone suggesting she’d never thought about it before. “I need to keep getting better if I ever want to be worthy of the Oryn name.”

I recalled how she introduced herself when we first met. “Oh yeah, you said you’re from a mage family, right?”

Shina puffed out her chest and grinned. “The Oryn family is among the most prestigious of mage lineages. If you thought my magic was impressive in that last fight, just know that it pales in comparison to what the great Oryn mages of old were capable of.”

“Seriously? I still don’t really get magic, so it all seems amazing to me. Actually, come to think of it, we covered famous mage families a few days ago in my history class. I don’t remember Professor Stika mentioning the Oryns, but I probably forgot. Or maybe they’ll show up in a future lesson.”

“Oh, um, well, we might not be quite that famous. But we’re really close! I promise!” Punctuating the final point as if expecting me to doubt her claim, she shrank back down onto the bed with a hint of dejection in her posture.

Crap. I shouldn’t have said that.

Unsure of how to respond, I went about it from a different angle. “Don’t worry. I’ve already seen you use your magic, and it’s incredible. Probably because of all the time you put into practicing and studying. I’m sure you make your family proud.”

Shina shook her head. “Oryn magic is unparalleled. I still can’t do it justice, not even close.” She balled her hands into fists, her frustration palpable. “But if I keep working hard, maybe I can stop wasting the talent I inherited. Maybe then people will… sorry, never mind. It’s probably boring to hear me whine about this stuff. We can talk about something else.”

Even I could tell she wanted to change the subject, so I wasn’t going to push further. Before I could think of a new topic to pivot to, a loud grumbling roared from my stomach. Both pairs of eyes shot toward the offending organ.

“Liar,” Shina said, her annoyance evident.

“I didn’t lie. I wasn’t hungry earlier, and I am now. Those aren’t conflicting claims.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Unconvinced, she stood and grabbed my right arm, tugging me toward the door. “Come on, let’s go.”

“W-w-what are you doing!? Mealtime’s already over, so—” I was flustered from the unexpected contact, but Shina was having none of it.

“It’s not much, but I have some snacks in my room from my last trip into town. Come on.”

From an objective standpoint, my (or, rather, Leon’s) strength surpassed Shina’s by a wide margin, yet the sheer difference in our willpower made the ensuing tug-of-war into a stunning loss for me and an impressive victory for the underdog.

Stumbling to my feet after being dragged from the chair, I said, “It’s fine, really. I’m not that hungry.” You don’t have to do anything for me. Don’t let me bother you.

“I don’t care,” she declared. “I’ll say it a thousand more times until you finally get it: this is just the kind of thing friends do for each other.”

Her words sapping my will to resist, I went along with her unyielding proposal.

Add “stubborn” to the list of Shina’s unexpected traits…

I clicked my tongue to voice my dissent, though the gesture was more performative than reflective of my true feelings on the matter.

… and maybe “good friend” too.