[Jow Ylliard Hayle]
"Hey, are you okay now?" Clay asked again. I nodded. She sat back down on the bench with a dramatic sigh.
"You look like you're stuck in your own anime arc. News flash—you're not in an isekai!"
> Anime again? She really loves that stuff.<
"Nova. Clay," I called out. I dropped to the ground and looked up at them seriously. I didn’t look away. "I think I got this curse because I was the worst kid in my neighborhood. Maybe... maybe that’s also why you two ended up with curse abilities. Maybe you were bad kids too, in your own way."
Nova slowly untied her hair. A soft *snap* of the band was swallowed up by the sudden burst of laughter that erupted from her chest. Her shoulders trembled, wild and uncontrolled, the wind catching her hair as it whipped around her face. The gust was hot and coarse, like it was scraping at our skin.
I watched her in silence as she finally spoke.
"You’re not wrong," she admitted. "When I was little, I almost became a victim of sexual assault. Something snapped inside me. I kicked that bastard so hard he couldn’t move anymore. People said I was too big, too strong for a five-year-old—like I had the body of a twelve-year-old already. After that, I couldn’t make friends. So I made sure no one forgot me—I hurt them. All of them. I made them cry. That was how I knew I mattered. I burned their bags. I brought a hammer to school and smashed those cheap plastic chairs to pieces."
Her words tumbled out, breathless and raw, like a wound being opened.
The wind howled between us, scattering her words into the sky—but the heaviness of what she said hung over us, unmoved.
Beside her, Clay didn’t move. She sat still, carved from silence and shadow, her gaze falling to the floor.
She wouldn’t look at me.
> Shit, this is awkward. Change the topic, quick!<
“F-Forget what I said earlier. Sorry. You can stop smiling like a psycho, Nova,” I said.
“I only spoke the truth,” she shrugged. “I don’t regret what I did. I did it because I needed attention. I needed people to know what I was capable of.”
> Then why are you smiling like that?<
“Sorry…” Clay’s voice cut through. It was low, nothing like her usual teasing tone.
> Jackpot. She’s hiding something too. Clay did something bad in the past...<
“C-Clay… I didn’t mean to— I’m sorry,” I stammered, struggling for the right words.
“I… Where am I?” Lean May’s voice broke in. Her eyes fluttered open as she sat up from Nova’s lap.
“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Nova said with a grin. “Clay, do we still have another bottle of water?”
“Yeah. Here.” Clay passed the bottle without looking at me.
Nova handed it to Lean May, who opened it and took a long drink.
> I exhaled. She's okay… thank God.<
After finishing the water in one go, Lean May turned to me, her face tightening.
“Jow, are you alright? Wait—I remember now. You were crying blood earlier!” Her voice shot up in alarm.
I waved her down, trying to calm her.
Nova pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. “It’s okay… everything’s fine.”
“But—”
“What happened, Jow?” Clay asked suddenly. “You still haven’t told me.” She pouted a little after saying it.
> Don’t pout like that, Clay. Please. That’s not fair. You're way too—<
“Jow? You’re zoning out again!” she snapped.
I gave myself a light slap on the cheeks. “Sorry.”
Standing up, I walked over to the bench and grabbed the bottle of water. I took a sip and reached into the paper bag Clay was holding to grab a piece of bread.
She growled at me. I ignored her.
The Clay I knew was finally back—brash, loud, dramatic.
> Honestly… seeing her that quiet? It was like someone stabbed me in the soul.<
"Earlier, Lean May came up here to the rooftop. We talked. Shook hands. After that, I suddenly heard a voice in my head, telling me to use my ability to see fate threads. I didn’t want to. But it activated on its own. I saw my fate thread—but it wasn’t tied to the right finger. Then I remembered something… a memory from when I was a kid. There was this old man with a guitar playing music. He said something to me… and when I looked down at my hands, I saw two fate threads tied to me—so bright it nearly blinded me.”
“Old man?” Nova echoed.
“Guitar?” Clay followed.
“Jow, that’s probably the same old man from the photo!” they said at the same time.
“Clay… I don’t think the childhood picture moment was the only time we saw him,” Nova said, grinning wide.
“You’re right… I can’t remember clearly, but if Jow’s memory is accurate, then that old man gave us these curses on purpose,” Clay added.
“Fate threads?” Lean May asked, confused.
“Ahhh, Lean May, I’ll explain everything later. Is it okay if we include her in this?” Nova looked to us for permission.
“She saw Jow cry blood… she’s already part of this now,” Clay said, smirking at me. “Someone’s careless as usual.”
“What do you mean usual?! You jerk!” I shouted.
“Seriously, who even hangs out on the rooftop before an exam?” she retorted.
“What’s it to you? You’re also a big attention-seeker sometimes.”
“Shut up! You sound like a baby crying for milk.” She raised her hand like she was about to smack me.
"Do you two even like each other or not?” Nova asked, turning to Lean May. “They fight over the smallest things.”
"I don’t—she’s my enemy," I said, pointing at Clay.
"You mean your frenemy. Geez, I’m not that bad,” Clay corrected me.
> Ugh, this girl! She’s so annoying… and kind of dangerous to my heart.<
"Tsk."
"Anyway, you cried blood even though you didn’t see a black thread?" Clay asked.
I nodded.
“Be careful, Jow. If you keep pushing your curse, it might leave permanent damage,” Nova warned.
She stood up and gently pulled Lean May to her feet.
“Wait, Nova—” Lean May looked confused.
“I’ll explain everything. And if you’re in that photo with us, there’s a big chance you have an ability too.” Nova slung an arm around her and led her away. “Clay, Jow—I'll drop by your clubroom soon. We’ll talk more there.”
“Don’t you dare visit our clubroom!” Clay shouted after her.
I turned to Clay. “Why are you gatekeeping the clubroom? We literally just hang out there.”
“You don’t get it… Nova destroyed my third electric fan. That’s my fourth one in there right now,” she muttered, gripping her head.
> Wait, she’s serious?<
“Is it okay to just let her go with Lean May?”
“She’s doing it to figure out what Lean May’s ability is. And if Lean May turns out to be powerless, Nova will take precautions. She’s like that.”
“She told you that?”
“No. That’s just how her brain works.”
“…Is Nova into girls?” I asked.
“You’re just figuring that out now?” she said, giving me a deadpan look.
> Tsk. How was I supposed to know?<
I tapped my forehead.
“Clay, the way she looked at Lean May earlier… she really cares about her.”
Clay clapped her hands together. “Exactly! I’m good, right? Like Detective Conan.” She laughed. “Nova likes Lean May. She’s soft with her.”
“Yeah.” I agreed, maybe a little too quickly.
Then she gave me that mischievous grin—the one that always spelled trouble.
“Is that how you felt earlier? When you two were talking alone? Yieee… you’re in trouble with your wife.”
“I don’t have a wife.”
We talked for a few minutes—just the two of us on the rooftop.
She teased me non-stop. Compared me to anime characters. Tossed out jokes and theories only someone like her could think up. I tried to walk away, but she yanked my ID lace and made me stay. She said I was the only one she could talk to this freely. That she could mess with.
A girl who finds joy playing with words.
> Clay… I wish I could move on faster. So I can allow myself to fall. A day without your foul mouth, your stupid jokes, your playful smile… it would hospitalize my soul. I can’t be sure yet, but this much is true—you might be the one who’s healing me.<
To be continued.