To Our Limits And Beyond

Tightropes

"Now, let me get this straight. So that notebook you have there contains poetry about you. Ain't that right, Lui dear?"

"That sounds gross for some unknown reasons, but I suppose so... wait, was that a new nickname?"

"I see, I see. And there's not a chance that I can take a look at it, even just a glance, Lui dear?"

"That certainly would be gross of you to do so for some unknown reason, so I suppose you're right... and that's definitely a new nickname."

"I see, I see. Too bad, then. I was looking forward to it, too."

Gale stands up from where she was sitting: a step on the school building's staircase. The chase between her and Leugi concluded there after a long hour of running and rounds of hide-and-seek. On the other hand, Leugi remains sat down on the steps, just a level below Gale's. His hands still grip the notebook firmly but with care. His eyes still vigilant towards her.

He is wary, and for a good reason.

At the same time, Gale's mind still hasn't given up. Her eyes still dance around Leugi, evading his constant glances.

She is up to something, and for no good reason.

The silence between them is noisier than the sound of students passing through the hallway downstairs and the blaring siren of a fire truck passing by.

It was not fleeting at all.

It was a battle of reading rooms.

Then a noise, louder than the occurring silence, breaks it. A loud bell ringing interrupts them, followed by a small, almost audible growling of the stomach. They finally look at each other after catching and evading glances, still not daring to say a word. Gale blushes, and Leugi chuckles.

"So journalists do get hungry. What a discovery," he says in a quietly sarcastic tone. Meanwhile, Gale blushes even more, then gets annoyed after. Leugi also stands up, meeting Gale at eye level even with the step advantage.

He descends the staircase, and she follows closely behind despite the embarrassment. Together, they made for the cafeteria to have lunch.

Later that night...

"To the moon that floats above, I envy you. I wonder what it's like to be reciprocated by your admired star's light? An endless sea of bright ones gather around you, and yet your gleam reflects none other than the one you want. You're so well-received that it doesn't even matter if you rarely meet your beloved sun. Moon, I envy you."

A passage.

Leugi lets out a sigh as he puts the lid of his pen back on. Before him is the same journal that he desperately protected from Gale earlier that day.

Yes, a journal. That's what it is. And Leugi is in pain as he looks at it with the irony of having to protect his secrets from the person he wants the most. Within him resides the urge to show everything to her and let out all the feelings that live in him, restrained. But his armor must be impenetrable, and his facade must not be blown even more than it already was.

His heart saw an opportunity, after all.

But his mind saw a dent that needed concealment.

He looks up at the ceiling, like a habit unnoticed. A smile creeps out of his worried face. A forced one.

"Leugi, the great pretender. Keep it up, and you'll soon be free to reveal your intentions. Keep it up, and you'll soon realize she's already too far to reach. What are you going to do about it?"

It was a battle of reading rooms, after all. But was it really just that?

The next day came by, a cold morning blessed with light rain showers. Leugi is early as always, with a transparent umbrella in his left hand and half-eaten bread in his right. His thoughts remain where they were last night. He carries an invisible burden, along with the notebook that quietly sits in his bag.

Today is the real day for the campus press' interview with the literature club, driven by its revival after a year of discontinuation due to the lack of interested members. Its main star, the club president and former member, who worked hard to gather members and bring the club back: Leugi Mellins.

A member greets him by the school gate, running towards him to share the space under his umbrella. The girl, about the same height as him, smiled as she closed her own umbrella. Dawn Allayne Riecher, an underclassman.

"The journalists have arrived. Any other errands for us?"

"Have you finished the ones I asked you to do?"

"Well, of course? Anything for the great supreme leader!"

"Nothing else, then. What's with all these nicknames, though?"

Dawn only replies with a smile before opening up her umbrella once again and running back to the club. Leugi, on the other hand, rushes while finishing his breakfast-to-go.

During the interview...

"Good morning, Mr. Mellins. We appreciate your cooperation with us in today's interview. The journalism team looks forward to working with you."

"Likewise, Ms. Klair. We of the Writing Club thank you for this opportunity. I am ready to answer your questions anytime, on behalf of my club members who are also here."

"Well then, shall we begin?"

It was a conversation that didn't sound the least like Gale and Leugi. He was respectful and not sarcastic, and she was formal and not playful. The two exchanged discourse with impeccable professionalism, not even letting others recognize them as the camera team kept on rolling the interview that lasted for almost an hour. Club members cheered their president from behind the scenes, and students who passed glanced to see what was happening from time to time.

The interview ended in success after that.

Leugi shakes hands with Gale, and the documentation ends there. Everyone let out sighs of relief, rounds of applause, even loud cheering. With that, the club hopes to be known to more students. With that, the journalism team grabs a new scoop to feature.

Outside the clubroom, Gale waits for Leugi to come out. A few moments later, he walks out of the door. Gale grabs his hand, pulling him close to her while no one is looking.

"W-what?" Leugi exclaims in shock. Before he can even do anything, he's already caught by Gale.

Her hands grip him tightly, her eyes focus on him.

Beads of sweat suddenly form on Leugi's forehead, along with the impending feeling of unease.

Their faces were only inches away from each other.

Her mouth opens.

He trembles.

"Good job, Luigi dear."

"O-okay, I guess...? Thanks?"

"You made my heart skip a beat."

"What? Are you sick or something?"

Gale starts laughing controllably at his response. She pats Leugi, who was flushed and trembling, on his head before walking away. Not a single clue left behind.

In this battle of reading rooms, the star might have awoken.