Ajia has somehow found relief when she met Elric hours ago. It was like meeting a family member that she dear longed for after the disappearance of her own parents. If only she could see them again, she remembers how her parents spend the weekends at home. Her mother Nathalia would prepare a special dish making the family feel special every weekend and Ajia is always longing for that weekends with them. A smile draws in her lips as she relive the good memories of her parents.
"Watch where your going!" said Elric in a cold unconcerned voice.
"Ekkkk!" too late. Ajia rolled her eyes as she found herself drenched with sticky liquid this time. There was hole on her track waiting for her while she was reminiscing.
"You could have avoided it, if you were a little attentive, you know." scolded by Elric while looking at her messy state.
"I could have avoided it if there's a descent light, you know!" Ajia answered back. Elric was about to leave her when she noticed a foul smell suddenly swept her nose. "Hey! What's this stinky smell?!"
"It's not mud you are in, you are in deep shithole!" Laughing as hard as he can while Ajia was infuriated by this discovery! For several minutes, Elric satisfied himself with laughing at Ajia. Ajia was so silent and that made Elric laughed even more.
"Happy now?" asked Ajia, while being buried more than half of her body already. "I survived the zombies, the rabbit, only to drown at this shithole!" This remarked made Elric die of laughter!
Ajia said to herself, this guy never laugh. She never saw this guy in this light moment. He was always there to get her. How ironic it is when someone you avoid so much in school ends up with you in the dark forest. This must be a joke, right?
Elric was the only son of the merchant parents. He grew up in a nice house area opposite to where Ajia was living. He is quite popular with the girls for his rough but handsome face. He is tagged as one of the campus crushes. He is also quite intelligent as he often appears in the top 3 of the school's academic list top notchers. He usually kills his time in the library that's when he found Ajia in one of the covered spot amidst the thousands books. She was crying and her sobs where very audible that made Elric skipped a beat because he thought he was alone. He then followed the sobs and found at the base of the book shelf crying while reading. Elric can't believe this girl! How can she be so emotional while reading a book! He was quite fascinated because even if Elric walked passed her, she didn't reacted and just continued reading. That made him annoyed, for the first time his awesomeness was powerless in this crying girl. He was walking passed her for several times just to make his presence felt, but Ajia was to engross with the novel, she didn't budge an inch.
Curious, Elric found the book Ajia was reading and read the book himself. He borrowed the book so he can have time to read it and explain how Ajia was deeply attached to the story. In the middle of the book reading, he found himself crying! OMG! A tear just dropped in the page where he is reading, and more drops of tears came upon knowing that the book is quite emotional indeed. "Oh that girl, Ajia!" he thought and a smirk etched his lips while wiping his tears.
Since that day, Elric found himself going back to the library to observe and see what Ajia was reading and later find the book to borrow it. It was already his new found routine to observe Ajia in the library because in the classroom where they are classmates, both of them have different persona. They don't talk to each other. While Ajia was projecting to be nobody, Elric was quite popular. He didn't want the status quo to be changed. He likes it the way it is until one day he noticed that some of the guys in his classroom makes fun of the pushovers where Ajia was seated. He didn't usually partake in the bullying but this time, he thought he should save her.
"Hey Ajia, give us your money." Ajia just looked up and open her palms to say she has nothing to give before she lowered again her head. But she saw Elric whispered something to the bully.
Elric, murmured to the guy, "Cut her some slack, will you? She has nothing." The guy looked at him and said to Ajia, "We are not yet through, Ajia."
Elric didn't usually go with the bully group but this time, he feels that he must. So he went with the boys' group to wait for Ajia make a turn in their spot going to her way home. There she is! They found Ajia and she already started running. He came to see to it that he can protect Ajia by being with her enemies, surprisingly, she can protect herself with her running skills.
Elric was even fascinated when she outrun all of them and headed home safe. Elric was then relieved to see her far away and said to the leader while panting, "Tomorrow is another day, we can catch her then." Catching his breath while feeling at ease and relieved at the same time. The boys turned back at Ajia's direction while Elric, stayed and watch her disappeared in the horizon.
Ajia felt actually a little warm in the shithole or whatever it is. Although the smell is quite strong, it comforted her a bit, knowing that on the ground, it will be cold again. She then recalled about her day while in deep shit. "I survived those zombies, and the rabbit, yeah I was like a heroine in this stor-- wait, rabbit? Oh shit! I was covered in zombie blood and that rabbit was corrupted by drinking just a drop of it, oh my! What if this shithole has some creatures! Oh my god!" she silently thought to herself and started to be panicky to get out when Elric came back with a wood for her to grab.
"Here grab on the wood so I can pull you out of the shit." Elric was a bit gentle but he was still taunting in her ears but Ajia did not mind she needs all the help to survive. She grab the wood and Elric pull her out.
"Whew!" Elric in a relief said after successfully pulling her.
"So, how's the shitty experience?" He again laughed at Ajia while she was torn between being grateful and mad at the same time.