School toilets. It’s evening, only small, dim lights are on. Aoi stands in front of one stall, there’s a faint pink glow coming from under the door of the stall.
"Rosie-chan, I can see the glow. Come out." She says gently and leans to the next stall’s door.
The stall door opens, and Rose steps out. Her face is red with blush, her hair is softly glowing and she has heart-shaped eyeliner around her eyes. Her eyes are slightly wet.
Rose looks at Aoi and says "Aoi, I’m scared. I can’t control this. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I don’t even know what this is. I cannot stop thinking about that girl. At first she was so infuriating I thought my brain would implode just from the effort of not hitting her in the face. Then it became an effort to keep my thoughts in order because she was all over the place and always wanting to include me in everything she did. And boi does she have energy! And now it has become a constant battle for me to try to stop thinking about her all the time. For the first time in my whole life I feel like I’m not in control. I cannot stop doing what I do. I cannot stop going where I go. I tried to ignore her, but after just a few days it became so hard I was afraid I’d die from sadness. Aoi, what’s happening to me?"
Rose lifts her gaze and looks into the eyes of Aoi who’s trying to stifle laughter with varying rates of success. "What the heck Aoi? Is this really a time to laugh? I’m scared for my life and you laugh? I thought you’d—"
"Rosie-chan." Aoi says calmly while smiling, "Look into the mirror. If you still can’t figure out what’s happening to you, I can’t help you anymore. Think about her and look into the mirror."
Rose turns to look into the mirrors on the opposite wall and notices the heart designs and swirly lights.
"Oh."
Aoi bites her tongue and makes a muffled yelp trying not to laugh at that.
"Oh. Am I…? Oh fuck. With her...? Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck. In love…? Oh, crap oh crap oh crap. Aoi am I going to die?" Rose mutters to herself in slight panic and touches the sides of her face with both of her hands.
"You tell me Rosie-chan, I haven’t been in love ever. I don’t think I ever will, it’s not me. But for what it’s worth, you seem to do better than before."
"...What? Better? How can that be…? Feelings are bad! Feelings can kill with magic! Feelin—- Aoi… Aoi, has anyone ever died from a happy emotion? The examples the teachers tell always have negative emotions… do.. Do we actually know what happens with positive emotions…?"
"You got me there Rosie-chan, you got me there." Aoi says and shrugs her shoulders slightly, still smiling and watching Rose.
Rose’s effects fade, except a single glowing heart beside her left eye. "Aoi." She says in a serious tone.
Aoi turns her gaze towards Rose, pointed by the tone change. "What is it Rosie-chan?"
"I might have found something nobody else has done. If you’d like to help, come to my place tomorrow after school. Bring every ward you own."
"Wards..? What are you planning Rosie-chan?"
"I’m going to have fun." Rose says and smiles widely.
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