It had been a few days, maybe even weeks… Since that first day. School returned to normal, as if nothing supernatural had ever happened.
Elena blended in effortlessly.
She interacted with others so naturally that, before long, she became popular throughout the school. Not just in our class, either. She helped out whenever she could, did well in her studies, and made friends with students from all sorts of grades.
It was only natural that people admired her.
And of course—
"I–I like you…! Elena! Please go out with me!"
A first-year boy stood in front of her, face red as he confessed.
Honestly, it wasn't anything new. I'd seen it happen everywhere—by the gym, during lunch, in the courtyard, even right outside our classroom.
And every time, her response was always the same.
"I'm sorry. I really appreciate your feelings, but I can't return them," she said with a gentle smile.
"There's already someone I like."
No hard feelings.
Still… it was a little heartbreaking to be in the position of the one being rejected. But it was natural.
She was completely out of their league.
And yet—
I couldn't help but feel a quiet, secret resentment toward whoever it was that Elena liked.
Because that person was me.
Of course, Elena never said it out loud. But everyone was curious… Who was the mysterious person who had captured her heart?
Ian was already out of the picture. She had rejected him clearly that day.
Still, every time another confession ended the same way, I felt invisible stabs sink into my back, one for every poor high school guy whose heart Elena had gently crushed.
…It's not my fault she likes me, okay?!
Me and Elena… Our interactions were kept to a minimum, thank goodness. For everyone else, we were nothing more than classmates—or just acquaintances. She treats me the same way she treats anyone else, honestly.
Faye and the others never noticed, which was good. But for some reason, I hadn't seen Ian hanging out with them for a while. He usually tagged along after school, but now he just went straight home.
As for me… Faye and the others only wanted me around when it was convenient. So, I mostly kept my distance and ended up pretty much alone.
But I didn't really mind. Because after school, when no one else was around… someone was always waiting for me.
It was Elena.
Going home together on my bicycle had become a routine, and I'd gotten used to her hugging me from behind, whispering the corniest lines that always caught me off guard.
"Were you jealous?" she whispered, her breath warm against my ear.
"W-what!? H-hey…! Careful, what if I suddenly swerve the bike?!" I shouted, almost tipping us into the rice field.
"And… what do you mean, jealous?" I protested, steadying my bike as best as I could.
"I'm not exactly your girlfriend, you know?"
I wasn't wrong. We really weren't like that.
It would've been fine if we were just friends, and—well—two girls in a relationship was… kind of weird, right?
I mean, I didn't even know how to get myself a boyfriend, let alone figure out how two girls were supposed to work.
"Hm~ well, not yet at least," she said, giggling as she rested her head against my back and tightened her arms around me.
"Maybe someday?"
Someday… huh.
What would that even look like?
Urk—no! Don't imagine it!
As if we're ever going to be together! There's just no way!
…And yet.
Even though I kept telling myself that, we were secretly going on dates. Once a week… Which is part of her side of her contract.
She'd ask me out on weekends. We explored parts of the mountain together, and I showed her my favorite spots. Places where the sunset painted the sky in warm colors.
We wandered around town too, drifting from shop to shop, buying little things we didn't really need.
So far… I think we'd gone on two dates already.
And tomorrow was Saturday.
She'd probably ask me out again.
Like always.
"Are you thinking about our date tomorrow?"
She whispered it so suddenly—
"EEEEP?!"
I shrieked, my body jolting as the bike wobbled violently. I swerved off the road, arms flailing as I braced myself for the fall, straight into the rice field.
Except… I didn't splash.
I didn't hit the ground.
Huh…?
I peeked one eye open.
Tall rice stalks brushed beneath me, way too close… but I was… floating?
My bike lay abandoned to the side, wheels still spinning slowly.
"H-huh…?"
I turned my head.
Elena was holding me… one arm under my legs, the other around my waist. She wasn't holding me like in the movies… no fairytale carry or anything.
My body was stretched out flat, face down, like I'd been scooped straight out of midair.
I wasn't being princess-carried… I was being held like luggage. I thought blankly.
Elena blinked down at me.
"Oh."
Then she smiled.
"Wow," she said cheerfully.
"You really were going to fall."
"M–MAYBE IF SOMEONE DIDN'T WHISPER WEIRD THINGS IN MY EAR—?!"
I tried to move, but my body froze the moment I realized how close she was... Way too close.
She tilted her head slightly, still holding me.
"Should I… put you down?" she asked, sounding way too amused.
"…YES," I snapped. "PLEASE. IMMEDIATELY."
She laughed, actually laughed… and gently set me back on my feet like nothing had happened.
I stood there, face burning, heart trying to escape my chest.
I was never riding a bike with her again.
…That was a lie.
She passed me and walked toward my bike. I watched her sink into the mud up to her ankles.
"H–hey…! You don't have to get it," I said quickly.
"Hmm? Why?" She glanced back at me.
"It's your bike. I don't mind. It was my fault anyway." She smiled like it was the most normal thing in the world.
She grabbed the bike and lifted it easily, like it weighed nothing, then placed it back on the side of the road near me.
I watched her for a second longer than I meant to. Seeing her shoes all muddy made me feel a little bad.
"But your shoes… and your socks… they're all dirty now."
Elena blinked and looked down.
"Oh, that?"
She suddenly giggled, like it didn't matter at all.
"No need to worry about it. Look."
She lifted her foot slightly, and the mud slid right off.
Clean.
Smooth.
Like it had never been there.
"…Woah," I said, pointing. "Is that one of your alien powers again? Staying clean or something?"
"Hm," she smiled. "Something like that."
I stared at the mud-caked bike.
"Ugh… I guess I'll have to wash it later, when I get home."
Elena tilted her head slightly. Then she stepped closer—and without a word, she crouched down, knees tucked in, like she was getting comfortable.
She raised one hand, palm open, hovering just above my bike.
Then the mud… moved.
"…Huh?"
Tiny ripples spread across its surface, like it was alive. The wet clumps shivered, peeling themselves off the bike. Slowly at first then faster, they flowed upward in thin, twisting streams toward Elena's hand.
My mouth fell open.
The mud gathered together, swirling into a perfect, floating sphere above her palm. Dark. Glistening. Compact… Like a tiny planet made of dirt.
Elena glanced at it once, then flicked her wrist.
The mud ball drifted lazily through the air and landed in the rice field with a soft plop.
The bike gleamed, not a single speck left behind.
I blinked.
"…What," I said slowly, "just happened?"
Elena shrugged, standing back up like she hadn't just broken reality.
"You said it was dirty, so I cleaned it for you."
She smiled—innocent. Proud… Like she was waiting for me to praise her
My brain short-circuited. She's an alien… I knew that.
It's been a while since she'd done something… alien related. Long enough that I almost forgot she was an alien.
"…How," I asked, staring at her, "do you even do that stuff?"
"Energy," she replied simply.
She tilted her head, thinking for a moment.
"Technically everything is made of energy," she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I looked at the spotless bike. Then back at her.
She noticed, then she waved her hand once, dismissively, like shooing away a thought.
"But it's not something you need to worry about, Mayumi," she said quickly, smiling at me. "Really."
She leaned closer just a little, lowering her voice.
"I wouldn't do anything scary. Not to you."
…Okay.
That helped.
A lot more than it should have.
But then again… What else could she do with a wave of her hand? My thoughts immediately betrayed me.
Could she do that to people too? Or worse—
I glanced at her carefully.
She smiled at me, soft and reassuring. …Yeah. I was definitely overthinking this.
Still—
My brain, being my brain, immediately went what if she could.
What if she accidentally rearranged my atoms.
What if she sneezed and I turned into space dust.
I shook my head.
Nope. Bad thoughts. Stop.
"Thanks… I guess, for cleaning my bike." I muttered.
She smiled again, brighter this time.
"Anything for you."
And just like that, my stomach started doing that stupid weird feeling again, like moths eating my insides.