Hello Everyone, Reader Here! Nothing to say, so let's get on with it!

Chapter 3: Date...?

A particular red-haired girl stood outside a familiar cafe with her phone in her right hand and her left in her pocket twitching with a mix of both anxiety and happiness. Neither emotion she couldn't explain herself even if she wanted to. She was wearing a short black skirt with a navy-blue jacket that covered her simple t-shirt underneath along with wearing a pair of white-stockings as well. It was an outfit she never in a thousand years would've imagined herself wearing outside of school. But this evening was a different story.

"Sorry for making your wait, Erika-san." a voice spoke nearby and her heart skipped a beat. Turning to meet the voice, she almost gagged at the sight the befell her.

Standing there, a few feet away, was the person she was meeting today. He wore a plain buttoned-down white shirt and pair of jeans with a black overcoat. His black hair was combed and a soft smile was gracing his lips. Erika blushed slightly as she flashed her own sly grin at the boy.

"My, my, Tatsuya-kun! Not meeting me on time? I might have to punish you for such insolence," she said in a mocking voice while tilting her head sideways and placing her hands on her hips.

"I'm here exactly on time, Erika-san. You're the one who came early to our little meeting. It seems someone was eager to get here," said Tatsuya in a teasing voice while sporting his own grin. Erika flushed a new shade of red and looked away in embarrassment as the boy walked up to her.

"A-Anyways, let's go in and order our drinks!" the redhaired girl said in a stuttering voice as she rushed into the cafe. Tatsuya gave a soft laugh while walking through the door behind her. The two along with their little group of themselves, Miyuki, Leonhart, and Mizuki had made a habit of coming to the small cafe after the school day had ended. The prices were fair, the walking distance to the school was short and it had a nice atmosphere to it as well. The duo grabbed their respective drinks and sat down in a smaller spot from where they usually sat with the others.

"It strange seeing you without Miyuki-san attached to your hip Tatsuya," noted Erika while taking a sip of her drink. Both she and Tatsuya had removed their coats and were wrapped around their chairs.

"It certainly wasn't easy getting her to not come with me tonight. I had to tell her I was going out for a business meeting to put her at ease," Tatsuya said with a small sigh.

"Business? Do you work for a company?" Erika asked curiously. Tatsuya nodded in response wrapping his hand around the porcelain mug.

"I work for a research company that develops C.A.D's and new magic spells as well. Can't say more than that, though," said Tatsuya apprehensively. Erika's eyes widened at the revelation.

"Oh, that sounds like something you'd do. I bet you work on some crazy technology for the government or something cool like that!" the red-head said energetically. Tatsuya chuckled a little before he laid back against his chair.

"You could say that I've worked on some... interesting projects before..." he shyly stated before taking a sip of his coffee.

The two began to talk for a while about the various topics of their lives. Tatsuya talked about magical theory while Erika talked about her swordsmanship and the various techniques she employed while fighting.

"That's right, I remember seeing a portion of your fight with Mibu-san during Blanche's attack. While I didn't get to see much, I was impressed to see your skills in action," Tatsuya remarked. Erika's cheeks flushed as she tried to turn away from his gaze.

"I-Its nothing, really. Mibu-senpai was not an easy opponent, that I can guarantee," said Erika while her memories of the Blanche incident filled her head, "... say, how did that fight in the warehouse end up?"

She felt the laidback mood that had formed instantly vanish as a more menacing feeling of oppression filled the space. Tatsuya's face hardened as his grip on the mug nearly cracked it. Erika unconsciously felt herself scoot backward into the seat in fear. The boy seemed to realize he was frightening her and his body posture relaxed a bit before he sighed again.

"I'm sorry, that was totally uncalled for. It's just-" he didn't finish as Erika reached out with her hand and placed it on his. His face filled with a look of surprise as she gave him a soft gaze and an equally soft smile.

"It's fine, Tatsuya-kun. We all have things we don't want to talk about, right?" she said in a whisper. Her red eyes stared into his blue as they seemed to both enjoy the small silence that had formed between them at that moment. She could tell that he had many secrets and also pain behind that calm facade of his. Erika herself understood that pain better than most people. Being the bastard child of a powerful family had taught her that lesson. To just endure the pain and suffering and push on in the face of it all behind a mask of being fine.

"Um, excuse me..." the two heard nearby. A member of the staff was looking at them with a sheepish look across their face.

"I'm sorry to ruin the moment, but we're actually closing now..."

The duo blushed with equal ferocity and apologized before speedily leaving the establishment. The two walked along in silence as they both seemed to not know what to say after what had happened in the restaurant earlier.

"I guess this is where we're gonna have to split, Erika," suddenly said Tatsuya as he stopped. Erika turned to him and shook her head in acknowledgment. As he was about to leave, she called out to him in a low voice.

"Say, Tatsuya-kun..." she started but paused for a moment, seemingly thinking over what she would say before speaking again.

"I had a lot of fun tonight, let's do this again more often," the girl said with a genuine smile across her rosy lips. Tatsuya seemed suprised for a moment before an equally real smile took his face as well.

"Sure, Erika. I'll be looking forward to it."

Later that night Erika was laying in her bed, bashing her face against her pillow as her entire face was as red as her hair. She was dressed in nothing but her t-shirt and a pair of panties while her earlier attire was laid out across the floor in a mess.

'Idiot! Idiot! IDIOT!' she yelled in her mind. How could she say those embarrassing things to him?!

She tumbled around as she remembered the feeling of her hand against his, that smile on his face and their banter across their entire night together. Add on top of the emotional moment after the mention of the Blanche attack.

"If something threatens me or Miuyiki and our way of life, I'll make sure to end them."

Erika felt a pang in her heart as his words filled her mind. The words he had spoken with absolute resolve before attacking the Blanche hideout. His seemingly absolute devotion to his sister was something that baffled the red-head. But it also filled her pain, knowing that the boy she was so interested in was wrapped around the finger of another girl.

"J-Jealousy?! No... No... I can't... love him... right?" she said to herself aloud. She shook her head and sighed before she stopped fidgeting and laid herself out properly against the sheets. It had been a long night and she needed a rested mind for the school day tomorrow.

And also a level head to figure out her confused heart, as well.

Thanks for reading!