True Intentions

My heart is racing rapidly as we walk hand in hand out of the coffee shop. We engage in a pleasant conversation and begin to make our way towards my house. It is already past midnight.

Fulvius looks directly into my eyes and adds, "I hope you liked the place, Hinata."

"I did. It was really classy and comfy. The tea wasn't that bad either." I respond to him, and we agree to share some more time together for a little while before I return to my house. He gives me a soft hug and expresses how much he enjoyed our time together.

The following morning, I am surprised to find Fulvius-kun waiting for me in front of my home. He is comfortably seated on the stairwell, holding an umbrella in his hand. The weather is cloudy and it's pouring, with occasional thunderstorms. It doesn't appear that things will improve anytime soon.

"Hi Hinata, did you get a good night's rest? I couldn't sleep much yesterday, so I was researching a certain type of conversion spell that I wanted to try out today." He replies as he stands up and reaches out his hand for mine.

I grab his hand and say, "Yes, I slept soundly. What kind of spell is it? What plant will we carry it out on?" I'm still very drowsy and I rub my eyes.
"You'll find out. Let's go. We'll be late for school," he declares.

Mitsuko greets us as we walk into the main school hall with a lively sneer. She presumably questions why our hands are joined. She is warming herself by pressing herself up against the radiator because the temperature dropped drastically these days. 
He asks me in an inquisitive tone, "Have you seen that Hinata, how Mitsuko-san looks at us?"

“Yes. I don't care if people detest us or are just jealous of us; I don't care what they think. It's important that we get along," I firmly respond as I squeeze his hand.

We let Emiko-san and Hideki-kun know that we won't be taking part in club activities today. We also reassure them that by tomorrow, everything will be back to normal, so they shouldn't be concerned. They head alone to the club meeting room after reluctantly receiving the news. I get a feeling they have grown wary of us.

They walk inside the clubroom. As soon as they get inside, Emiko opens the window and pulls back the curtains to let some fresh air in. Raindrops are pelting the window glass.

"Say Hideki, how do you like it in the club so far?" Emiko is puzzled.

"The green and red dust are some quite intriguing things. However, I have the impression that they are keeping something from us. That they are far more knowledgeable than this," Hideki responds.

"I agree. I also overheard them on one occasion when I was pretending to wash the dishes. They were talking about some really exclusive books. They didn’t realise that I heard what they were talking about," Emiko says.

"Unfortunately, I don't remember any information about where the books might be," she continues.

"They must be somewhere around here. Maybe in those old cabinets?" Hideki responds while glancing at them. He quickly fetches himself a chair that will support him as he climbs.

The class president grins and says, "Well, well, what do we have here, Hideki-kun trying to open the hidden cupboards with an iron stick and Emiko standing beneath as she gives support."

"Wow, Mitsuko, you're really early. We are trying to see what information they might be keeping in those cabinets. Please join us!" Emiko exclaims.

"I will have a look first. It's my first time investigating their little hiding spot. Hinata and Fulvius were holding hands when I saw them this morning. Emiko, are you aware that they are dating?" Mitsuko asks being currently in a very positive mood.

"Well, given that they missed club activities for the past two days, I suppose something is odd. Although I didn't notice them holding hands, I could tell they were clearly concealing something," she responds.

“They also mentioned they had to study for the approaching exams,” Hideki-kun adds.

“Must be great learning together, they are obviously preparing well,” Mitsuko remarks cynically. She investigates the meeting location further.

"Emiko, I want to know what the red dust was used for. I recall you were telling me about it before, but I forgot," Mitsuko says.

"Red is for igniting things instantly by triggering an elemental reaction. It basically causes fire. On the other hand, green dissolves." Emiko is happy to give her an explanation of how the dusts work.

“Interesting. Why would they want to create something so hazardous? Are they already using them little by little, or are they devising a far larger and far more dangerous plan?" Mitsuko wonders.

"In fact, there is a good chance that they are coming up with a risky scheme. Hinata-san and Fulvius-kun are not people I can really trust. They give off the impression of having ulterior motives. We need to gain control of the situation." Emiko expresses her opinion while displaying somewhat concerned expression.

"Actually, Emiko, I am worried about you. They were aware that you were a close friend of mine, yet you quickly switched sides. Would they really be keeping something from you if they truly trusted you?" As she asks, Mitsuko takes Emiko's hand.

Emiko intertwines her fingers and adds, "I have the idea they believed in the secret, but maybe they had some sort of plot to use me. Truthfully, I don't know."

"Well, you informed them that we were ex-girlfriends. That undoubtedly explains why we were so close before and are now so far apart. Furthermore, it is indeed clear from this that you would join their group as a kind of revenge against me." Mitsuko-san responds to Emiko.

"They don't know that we still appreciate the arts when we hang out, and more significantly, that our relationship hasn't ended at all. They firmly believe that I dumped you," the class president continues, clearly pleased with herself and her performance.

"You are correct, Mitsuko; perhaps I am overthinking things. Hopefully everything is working out precisely as we had hoped. Together, we are unbreakable," Emiko chuckles.