Once our one hour lesson was finished the whole rest of the day was called off. We were free to do whatever we wanted. Everyone of course went on to prepare for tonight's festivities. It was not often where the whole city came together in a big gathering. In my second year here this was the first time I was about to attend a celebration in Akasia.

  I was not surprised when I found Itsuki waiting for me outside the university.

  He brightly came up to me and welcomed me.

  “It’s good to see you! Rory!” Itsuki said with an open smile.

  I simply nodded acknowledging him and kept walking forward. Tugging my coat around me. My lungs tried to adjust to the chilly crispy air today. It was zero degrees outside today. I mean…it was the first December but weather usually is adjusting to the cold at later dates. Or perhaps, I am still not used to how much colder it is here at this time than my hometown.

  “It’s cold here. Isn’t it?” Itsuki saw my struggle. He was walking right beside me. Trying to start a conversation.

  I kept walking without saying a word. My mind was wandering in a different place right now. Trying to plan ahead for what I need to do. A goal to graduate. The new system gives me the opportunity to do it early so if I want to do it early. The leisure and easygoing approach I had till now needs to be gone. I needed to be done with it but something inside me felt like I should still wait.

  The time was ticking and as a student I cannot do anything. To prove Sano…to myself that I can do it without him being close to me. That even in distance I need to step up the same way.

  “Are you even listening to me?” Itsuki suddenly stopped me by grabbing my hand.

  I looked up at him.

  His yellow cat-like eyes staring at me, impatiently holding onto my hand.

  “Can we have our sparring matches weekly?” I asked Itsuki a question.

  His expression softened at my words and he let go of my hand.

  “Gla-dly!” He replied smiling at my random question.

  “Thankss…” I nodded with a silent reservation.

  Move on Rory! My mind silently told me. Like an urgency to adjust and adapt.

  “You did not listen to a word I just said…didn’t you?” Itsuki then began to speak.

  “Nope!” Without a second's delay I replied to him.

  He only chuckled at my honest reply.

  “I said that we're going to the festival today! Are you excited?” Itsuki glared at me while saying this with a do not ignore me again stare.

  “My mom is coming too and we will meet up with Athena…Rio…maybe the rest of that group.” I told Itsuki.

  “New faces? Since when do you have a group of friends?” Itsuki looked rather intrigued at my words.

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  A wind blew at the same moment and the cold air went through my bones.

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  “Are we walking or taking a car?” I shamelessly turned towards Itsuki.

  His yellow eyes brightly looked into mine. The mystery in them is very much alive.

  “I can drive you.” He offered happily.

  “Is the Em girl coming today?” I asked him.

  Itsuki shook his head.

  “No…she has something else to do.” He replied.

  We turned towards the car park. In the sight of many students walking. Some had their own cars. Others got picked up by their families or friends. The majority were walking as most of these students lived in the dorms or had their homes very close. In the corner of my eye I noticed Shin stepping in his car. His back was turned so he did not see me. If he did happen to notice me then he did a good job to make sure I didn't see it.

  “Ohh…the ex!” Itsuki noticed my stare. He enthusiastically enjoyed the show.

  I did not reply, taking my gaze away.

  We moved on and stepped inside his car. Itsuki by the week and I sat next to him at the seat in the front. The cold was still stinging my body, slowly adjusting the temperature.

  I put on my seatbelt and stared outside.

  The gray weather made the landscape look very depressing.

  Itsuki stared at the wheel but did not move. A minute passed without him moving.

  “What’s taking you so long?” I asked.

  “Do you want to have a go?” He turned to me, asking.

  “To drive?” I did not expect him to ask me this.

  He nodded.

  “I haven’t used a car in a long time…” I slowly said.

  Itsuki clapped his hands, looking at me with big wishful eyes.

  “Let’s switch!” He said and opened the doors. He stepped outside the car and walked over to my side.

  I slowly opened the door.

  “Why do you want me to drive?” I asked him.

  “I just want to see if you can drive!” Itsuki brushed as if it was nothing.

  I let out a sigh and stepped out of the seat.

  Itsuki immediately sat in the passenger seat and closed the door smiling excitedly.

  Walking around the car I sat down in the driver's seat. In silence, I adjusted the seat to my height. Itsuki is much taller than me so he had put the chair very much in the back. I had to move it forward. Once that was done, I checked the back mirror and the surroundings and turned the engine on.

  “Wanna go for lunch together?” I asked Itsuki.

  “Always!” He replied.

  I nodded and I started driving. At first, I needed to back out from where the car was parked. Making sure I had a clear view and no one was obstructing my way. I moved the vehicle backwards, then turned it around towards the road that led to the exit and eventually joined the main street.

  “You’re natural!” Itsuki praised me.

  “I once had to take one apart and put it back together…” I told Itsuki.

  “Ohhh??!” Itsuki’s eyes opened big. Looking at me. “That’s not a normal experience..” He pointed out the obvious.

  I chuckled.

  “It took me a month…but by the end I learned a lot about cars…” I said.

  “Impressive!” Itsuki praised me. “Makes me want to have a go!” He spoke up thinking about it.

  “It’s an experience…especially the part of the end of the day trying to wash your hands from the oil that is pretty much permanently stuck under your fingernails…” I remembered the horror of the experience I had.

  Itsuki laughed out loud.

  “I can only imagine.” He said.

  “So…I shared something about myself…now it’s your turn.” I gave him a short glance turning my head right back at the roads. They were fairly busy today.

  Itsuki saw my move and pointed at me.

  “I see what you are doing!” He said it acknowledging. Then sat back at his seat.

  “I once climbed the highest mountain in three days…”

  “The one in Kuyo?” I asked.

  Itsuki nodded.

  “In three days?” I took a double look at the guy.

  Itsuki again nodded.

  “Impressive!” I gave him a prize.

  The mountain in Kuyo is a legend of being one of the roughest experiences for the ones climbing it. The air density is very hard to manage even with all of the professional tools. It was located in Kuyo Kingdom. A large country that I’ve been to a couple times.

  “Soo…then you are from Kuyo?” I asked him interested.

  “Good one…but no.” Itsuki replied.

  “You pretty much know everything about me but I can’t even know the place you are from?” I asked Itsuki. Unhappy of his unwillingness to share anything about himself.

  “You have been to the place where I am from. If you can remember it…then I will tell you.” He gave me a condition for the truth.

  I let out a sigh.

  “That’s the point…I’ve been wrecking my brain but I don’t remember!” I said.

  “It will come to you…eventually.” Itsuki said as if he was sure of it.

  I did not share his confidence. Even though I had a perfect memory…this did not come to me. I didn’t meet him directly and that’s why I can’t figure it out…

  Eventually we had our lunch. With me typing to pry information about Itsuki but he was like a tough wall. Unbreakable and unbreachable. The mystery of him persists. Something that I now genuinely wanted to uncover.