"Just when I'm thinking about you, there you go, surprising me, right here before my eyes."
It appeared that he was holding something. He closed the unfolded object and stood up.
"What are you doing here?" she questioned him out of confusion.
"What about you?" he flustered.
"I can't sleep. Just going to check my artworks."
"This?" He took out what he had opened earlier and showed it to her.
Second ran and clutched her sketch pad. "Why is this on you?" shaken up and annoyed, she questioned him.
She didn't want to share her belongings without permission, especially personal belongings. Her sketch pad was for her personal use because, by drawing, she could bring out who she really was and how she felt. At its sheer cost, it served as her visual diary. She sat opposite where he was sitting, and then he sat down, half smiling. She stared at him.
"I'm sorry. I'm wide awake, too. I was about to play piano, but everyone was sleeping, and I'm not in the mood. I thought about visiting the art room instead. I was checking the cabinets when I accidentally saw a sketch pad and 'SECOND'S PROPERTY' was written on the cover." He chuckled while pointing at the 'SECOND'S PROPERTY' label written on the cover of her sketch pad.
"Okay?" she blurted sarcastically while he was making fun of her. She scratched her head and opened her sketchpad. There was nothing that could be done about it. He already saw its contents.
"But I didn't expect you to come here. I was surprised when I saw you."
"You thought it was a ghost, huh?" she jested while flipping the pages.
"No."
"Because I saw you interfering with someone's belongings?"
"Probably, 10 %? But still no."
"Only 10 %? Not because I'm kind, you can tamper with my belongings." He shrugged and grinned.
"Because you're going to laugh at my drawings?" she interrogated him.
"No. I can't even draw, so why should I laugh at yours?"
"Then why were you surprised when you saw me?"
She looked at her drawings. It might not be the best sketch, but she felt relieved to be able to do so. In her peripheral vision, he brought his face closer to hers.
"Because when the very moment I went to this room, automatically, I started thinking of you. I only stayed here for a couple of minutes. While scanning your work, I saw you standing there, glaring at me. Just when I'm thinking about you ... there you go, surprising me, right here before my eyes."
She was stunned. She lifted her head to see the person she was talking to. She stared at him because his eyes were captivating, associated with the words he uttered earlier. She blinked and moved away a bit as they were filled by the momentary silence.
"Stop it, will you?" she chuckled. "You are really weird." She just laughed, even at the depth of what he was saying, but he didn't say a word. "Are you okay?"
First blinked. "U-Um," He nodded and avoided her gaze in a flash.
"I wouldn't scold you if you just told me." She looked back at her sketchpad.
He sighed. "My bad."
"Okay, I'm not angry anymore, you've seen it anyway."
"Well, I think... Me, eavesdropping on your artworks, will be your payment." She turned her gaze to him because of what he uttered.
She frowned, "My payment for what?" and she even pointed at herself in astonishment. Did she owe him something? A favor? Money?
"You slept on my lap."
"H-Huh?" Of course, she almost forgot that embarrassment. Geez. "Was it Fourth or Aeith?" She needed to identify who let her lie on his lap.
"I was the one who caught you when you fell."
"Eh?"
"I couldn't help it. I put your head on my lap, when I was about to stand and transfer you to Fourth's lap, you started sleep-talking."
"Me?" She had no recollection of herself sleep-talking.
"It actually happened," And he nodded to make her believe it really happened.
She was even more ashamed of herself now. "What did I say?"
"You said, 'don't' in a pleading tone. I saw your grimaced face like you were in pain."
"P-Pleading, grimace…" She could not believe what he said. Why would she say that? She must have been dreaming or having a nightmare when that happened.
"Hahaha!" And now he was laughing at her. She didn't sometimes understand First. Often, he was serious but also loved to tease her.
"What's so funny?" She rolled her eyes.
"Your reaction, just now... It's priceless. Haha!"
"All right, just tease me. If that's what makes you happy."
He tried to keep quiet and get serious because she was sulking.
"Okay, I'm sorry for that."
"I'm sorry," she mumbled.
"For what?" His face frowned.
"I made it hard for you yesterday not to leave. You were still heavy when you lifted me. You're already bored because I've been awake for so long. Your thigh is still numb from the weight of my head, then-"
She never ended up apologizing to him for the embarrassment she had caused.
"For you, I'll do anything, if it's you," he stopped her from saying more and gave her another serious but assuring face.
"Even though. Thanks anyway," she then smiled at him.
He also smiled and leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "So, now, what's our agenda?"
"We don't have a meeting." She closed the sketch pad and laid it on the table.
"What about a topic to talk about?"
"Hmm..." She was thinking about a good topic, but she thought of something sensible to talk about. They were really getting closer to each other as the days passed by. This was normal since he was the one she knew the most aside from being her classmate on Earth.
"Ah! About the game." This was a good opportunity to review and analyze the game they'd had.
"Okay, what about it?"
"How did you guys win when the gold team had a higher chance of winning?"
"Simple," he answered confidently.
"How?"
"The extraordinary sports also have extraordinary scoring. The number of points scored is not based on how many times the ball has been shot, but on which part of the human body will be affected more delicately. If Author is clever, I am mischievous.
I purposely let our team lose from rounds 1 to 4, where human organs that are supposed to be affected are not that lethal. In round 5, I aimed to shoot the ball for the last 15 seconds, where the heart is the targeted organ, and it is one of the most delicate parts of the human body. The gold team's two members were affected in their brains and hearts. The scoring aimed for what team could handle the physical pain and what team could decode the secret technique behind the game."