Luv Sic

Saito Setagaya: a tall, handsome boy from class 1-B, flaunting dark, silky hair and deep hazel eyes. Rumor has it that Saito transferred from his last school after an altercation with a teacher led to a medical emergency and immediate expulsion. How much of that rumor is true wasn't for me to say. The only information I had was what Sora told me and what I could observe from an outside perspective. Saito definitely didn't seem like the type of person to assault a teacher for no reason, and the way he treated Sora with such gentleness and care made it hard to believe he even had a violent bone in his body.

* * *

It was a Saturday, sometime after school had let out, when Sora and I met up for our usual pre-weekend outing to the strip mall on our way home. These were some of the few times I was able to sneak away from my torturous household and really let loose. My father had finally given me the luxury of joining a 'study group' with my supposed prodigy friend, Umeda Sora. What my father didn't need to know was that I was buying nail polish and taiyaki waffles with my monthly allowance.

"Sweet little lies," is what Sora called this act. She claimed the English phrase came from an English-language song she used to listen to growing up, courtesy of her own father's music taste. For Sora, the phrase meant something along the lines of allowing deceitful words to comfortably put unsuspecting minds at ease; in this case, my father felt comfortable knowing I was performing my academic duties, and not knowing the truth would save him the stress of the painful reality.

My first real act of rebellion; it was thrilling!So long were the days of living vicariously through Sora, observing her spending habits from the sidelines. The answer had been right in front of me the entire time, yet I had not the confidence to execute the brilliant plan without the guidance of a higher power, Sora. Of course, given my ignorant trust, elevated mood, and unconditional love for the girl, I had eagerly accepted her request when she asked,

"Would it be alright if I invited Sai-kun to come hang out?"

"Sure!"

I said, with a smile plastered on my face.

It wasn't as if I hated Saito Setagaya; in fact, I cherished the way he would make Sora giggle and blush when he joined our outings. If having her boyfriend around was something that she wanted, who was I to deny her desires? Truth be told, having an intimidating man like Saito around to protect us was something that put my mind at ease, given the fact that Sora had a tendency to draw in a negative crowd.

* * *

Saito Setagaya had found his way through the after-work clutter and into the makeup store where Sora and I were testing eye shadow on our wrists. Having briefly been cut off from my question about which color Sora found more attractive, I turned my head aside as the two shamelessly kissed in the middle of the store.

This was a little embarrassing.

"Sai-kun! You came!"

Sora laughed, throwing her arms around his toned waist with a smile.

"Of course I did. I always have time for my little Sora-chan."

He responded, his eyes crinkling at the corners with delight.

"Good to see you again, Saito-kun."

I nodded respectfully.

"Likewise, Enki-chan. Say, are you going to buy that blue palette? It would look good on you."

His smile grew a bit wider.

His words certainly had a slightly positive effect on my ego, and I gazed down at the makeup palette in my hand to hide my rosy cheeks.

I understand why Sora likes him. He's a smooth talker.

"I don't know... I wouldn't really have many opportunities to wear it in my household. But thank you for the encouragement."

"That's a shame, right Sora-chan?"

Saito pinched her hip teasingly, not even considering that the public display could be seen as indecent to some.

"I bet Enki-chan would be good at makeup! You should see her drawings, Sai-kun! She's, like, some super prodigy when it comes to that older century stuff!"

Saito raised an eyebrow, giving me a sidelong glance before morphing his lips back into a smile.

"Older century? Do you mean Ukiyo-e? I'm quite the connoisseur myself."

I could feel my breath quicken at his confession. I couldn't contain my eager nod as I shifted my gaze upward to meet his. This was the first time in my entire life that somebody other than myself showed an interest in my perfected style.

"You like Ukiyo-e? I thought I was in the minority for drawing it!"

Saito let out a hearty chuckle, nodding along to confirm my suspicions.

"You're cooler than I thought, Enki-chan. Well, what are you waiting for? I definitely have to see."

Before I had time to give it much thought, I slid my backpack off my shoulder, reaching in to find my sketchbook when a small shout echoed through the makeup store.

"Hey! Stop that, thief!"

A frightened woman shrieked, pointing an accusatory finger in my direction.

Thief?! Is she talking to me?! But I wasn't doing anything.

I gazed down at my hands, letting out a gasp of fear when I realized the makeup palette from earlier was still in my hand. I quickly tossed it to the floor, shaking my head in desperation.

"No! I wasn't trying to steal it, I promise! I wanted to grab something from my bag!"

The woman behind the counter crossed both arms, her stern expression sending a shiver down my spine. She gripped a small radio transceiver in one hand.

"That's enough out of you! Stay right there until I call security! I swear, all of you delinquent gyarus are constantly trying to rob this place after school! This generation is completely doomed!"

"Aren't you stereotyping us too hard? And what's this about a doomed generation?"

Saito stepped forward, his signature smirk now contorted into a heavy scowl. The look in his eye was dangerous, and I could feel my breath hitch when his voice dropped an octave lower than usual.

Something was odd about the way he swayed closer to the checkout counter; like a switch had flipped in his brain commanding him to prepare for combat.

"I said what I said, pretty boy! You and your gyaru friends need proper discipline!"

The woman doubled down, though the end of her sentence was filled with cracked vocals.

"You think so? Or is your life just so boring that you won't listen to the honest pleading of somebody younger than you? Does it give you a power trip? What a pathetic, shitty adult. Enki-chan would never steal! She was showing me something from her bag."

Saito took another menacing step forward.

I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. My heart was beating out of my chest as I watched Saito transform into a verbal monster before my eyes. Turning my gaze to Sora, I could see she had the exact same expression as me. Pure, unfiltered shock.

"Sai-kun... Let's just wait for the police-"

"Shut up, Sora! This piece of shit thinks she can belittle your friend and get away with it?! People like her really get under my skin!"

Saito was now inches from the woman trembling behind the counter.

My knees were completely buckled, unable to move; my voice lost from fear, yet my inner monologue was shouting: Is Saito going to hurt her?! There's no need to go that far! Why can't I tell him to stop?! Why did he just tell Sora to shut up?! I'm scared!

"Sir... Please lower your voice! Your half-hearted threats aren't going to change what I saw!"

The woman shouted back, though tears were creeping into her eyes as Saito slammed his open palm on the glass below, luckily not hard enough to shatter the delicate surface.

"Sai-kun, I said stop!"

Sora's voice pierced through the air, her high pitched wail reaching all ears in the proximity. Patrons turned to watch, and passing customers kept their heads down and their strides forward.

Much like a sleeper agent, or like a dog hearing a command, Saito Setagaya took a step backward, turning to face Sora with his signature smile on his face. The monster I caught a glimpse of moments before was gone, and Saito had the aura of an ordinary schoolboy once again. Seeing this was enough for me to find the courage to rise back to my feet, quickly grabbing my school bag and rushing to Sora's side.

"I would rather avoid the police if possible. Shall we go?"

Saito's voice was back to normal - soft and sweet. Unable to give him a proper response, he grabbed both of our hands and guided us from the storefront to the crowded streets.

I wasn't able to say a word, much less fight the grip he had on my hand as he brought us to safety away from the escalated situation; though using the word safety was a bit of a stretch after what I had just witnessed.

"You mentioned Ukiyo-e art, Enki-chan? I would still love to see your work."

He smiled wider, yet all I could focus on were the cracks between present reality and the scowl I had seen earlier. I was staring at the face of an absolute monster, hiding in plain sight under a potentially false identity.

Unable to defy him a glimpse of my art, my hands trembled as I reached back into my bag, nodding slowly as I held my sketchbook toward this creature.

He handled it with gentle precision, flipping carefully through each page with little gasps and excited breaths at each piece of art.

"Wow,"

and

"Whoa!"

escaped his lips happily, his eyes shining with excitement.

"D-Do you like them... Saito-kun?"

My voice shook as I reached a higher pitch, wanting to hide the effect his outburst had truly taken on me.

"Like is an understatement! These are seriously masterpieces, every single one of them! Sora was right about you, Enki-chan! You're a prodigy."

Saito handed my book back to me, pulling Sora's waist closer to his own. I heard a squeak escape her lips at the sudden motion.

"Th-Thank you! It makes me happy knowing somebody appreciates such a forgotten art form."

I forced a smile across my lips, though when I finally saw Sora's face return to a normal smile, I could feel the fear slowly dissipate from my core. My muscles all relaxed at once, leaving me feeling a bit weak.

"You know, I have a really close friend that would appreciate these sketches more than I would. I think she's usually hanging out close to here around this time if you want to come along. What do you say, Sora-chan?"

Saito ruffled her hair gently, encouraging her with a casual expression that would make any girl swoon.

"If Enki-chan is free... I don't see why not. Is that okay with you, bestie?"

Sora gave me an expectant stare, seemingly happy to be spending more time in the presence of this demon that had a hold on her waist. It felt like I was the only one who had truly been scared shitless by his actions earlier.

Remembering the rumors I heard at school about Saito assaulting a teacher to the point of a medical emergency flooded my mind, and the walls around his perfect persona were cracking directly in front of my eyes. To keep an eye on my best friend, I had no other choice but to accompany him toward an unknown destination so close to my curfew. I nodded and smiled, stepping in line beside him as I put on my bravest voice.

"Sure thing! Lead the way!”