Chapter 3: Chapter 3: A Visitor on the Roof

Once again I find myself alone in the classroom.

As soon as Fiora left, I was left with more questions than ever. Save me? She wanted to save me? 

What exactly did I need saving from?

Enemies this time around were almost non-existent. Are there people who don't like me? Of course. Would they go as far as causing me harm? I doubt it. 

Furthermore, my plans shouldn't be known to anyone.

Maybe she saw a change in my behavior? No, that can't be the case. I acted as I usually did around them.

Think. I need to think. If there is nothing strange about me, what about her?

For the past two years, Fiora has acted according to the script I had for her.  Just like every iteration, she was supposed to be the non-confrontational magician who relies on others for her problems. Of course by others I am referring to Aru and Ava, maybe even myself at some moments. Straight forward methods are to say, not her style. If I had to describe her, she is a woman who manipulates others without them knowing. Fiora herself isn't even conscious of her ability to move others so easily. Or at least she shouldn't. 

Some deviations are to be expected. After all, I can't set up the same scenarios perfectly after every loop. However, none of her previous patterns could have possibly lead to her saying something so bold to my face. 

Her performance is beyond my reasonings and this in turn is making me anxious. 

Damn it. I hate to admit it, but I just don't know what caused a change in her attitude. 

Looking around my seat, I noticed that the artificial lights around me were no more.  I have been in this classroom for more than an hour, if it's anything to go by. I gave out an audible sigh. Thinking to myself here won't get me anywhere. For the first time in a while, I'm stumped. 

Strapping my backpack on my back, I make my way towards the door, heavy steps left in my wake. 

 

Instead of heading to the dorms, I decided to head to the rooftop of the school building. This area is not normally available to students for safety reasons, but it's actually very easy to get up here. There was no guard rails or any sort of fencing around the perimeter of the roof so it's quite easy to fall off the building. Speaking of falling off, this building in particular is about 6 floors tall, so a fall of this height shouldn't be able to kill any student of this school. Would they leave without a scratch? No, but they would be able to survive the fall unless they are just that unlucky and fall in a way that snaps their neck.  It's a morbid thought, but any student of this school should be able to react in time to protect themselves. 

As I suspected when I reached the rooftop, nobody was-

"Hina! Long time no see!"

-here?

What met me when I arrived at the roof was a pair of red eyes attached to a fully grown Aru.  She stood a few feet away from the edge of the  roof waving at me with that goofy grin of hers. The sunset facing her back makes her all the more alluring. 

To say I was confused is an understatement. Why was Aru here on the roof? I thought she went back to the dorm with Fiora and Ava. Furthermore, she was in her what I like to call adult form. What in front of me was not Aru the inchling, but Aru the grown woman. Before I could voice my surprise, another anomaly had happened today.  

"I really, really, really, missed you!"

Aru said as she ran up to me, only to envelop me in her embrace. Unlike Fiora ,whose embrace was soft and somewhat delicate, Aru's hug was fierce and tight on my body. She is known as a knight for a reason. Aru wrapped both of her arms around my lower back, bringing my body close to hers.  Her smaller breasts didn't have as much cushion and her arms are sturdy and defined, but didn't lack the feminine touch.  Her head was also resting gently on my right shoulder as she held me. 

Aru was more of a physical person, so hugging is within reason of what she would do. Still, this feels different compared to her normal hugs. It feels more... intimate?

"You missed me? We were just talking to each other not too long ago."

"We were? Oh yeah we were! Sorry, forgot."

"I don't think that's something you would forget so easily."

"My bad, my bad. Ehehe~"

She replied to me with a strange chuckle as she slowly let go of my person and tilted her head down to look at me. The look her brown eyes gave me was one I was eerily familiar with.  She was analyzing me. It was subtle, but she was not only looking at me, but also everything on me. My uniform, my bag, even how I reacted to her. She was studying every detail of my being. If it wasn't for the fact I did this action almost daily, I wouldn't have noticed this. 

This... is this my usual Aru? The girl who acts before thinking? I had never seen such a look on her before. Before I could comprehend her bizarre actions more, the look she had instantly changed to one of concern. 

"Hey, are you okay, you're shaking ya' know." Aru said to me as she takes one of my hands. Looking down at my hand she grabbed, it revealed a tight fist, slightly moist with sweat.

Now being aware of my body, I gradually loosen up.

"It's nothing. I'm just tired from all the tests we had today."

"Oh right, we finished up finals today."  

"We did. I'm just a little bit nervous about if I passed or not."

"Relax Hina. I'm sure you did fine. I'm pretty sure I passed. If I think I passed, that means that you definitely did!" Aru said to me in reassurance. I know for a fact that I did pass, but I had to make an excuse on why I was nervous. 

"Also, you're one of the smartest girls in class, heck, one of the smartest I personally know! Don't think you need to worry."

"Thanks Aru, I appreciate the confidence you have in me."

"Don't worry about it, I'll always be here to back you up. Don't you forget it!" She said to me with a dazzling smile rivaling the sun behind her. 

Letting go of my hands, she turns around to look at the setting sun in the horizon.

"I mean it Hina. If ya' have any problems, you're always free to talk to me." 

"Thank you Aru, I'm glad to know you have my back." I said to her, truly meaning what I said. 

"By the way Aru, what are you doing on the roof? Students are not allowed here."

"Hmmm, I came here clear my head. The rooftop has a nice view after all."

"Clear your head? From what exactly?"

"Oh it's nothing much, just thinking about what to do next." As Aru said that, she sounded melancholic. A quick glance to her face reveals a sense of longing. But for what exactly? 

"How about you Hina? Like you said, students are not allowed here. Didn't think of ya' as a rule breaker!" She asked, turning back towards me the look she had earlier vanished as quickly as it was shown. A teasing grin replaced her previous feature. 

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"I enjoy the view, it helps me relax. The sight of the sunset is mesmerizing and you can't see it better anywhere else except here."

"Agreed! There is no better sight to see than on the rooftop."

Well, so much for watching the sunset on my own. With Aru here, I guess I have a buddy that I doubt will go away anytime soon. If I'm going to have company, might as well make the best of it. 

Walking past Aru, I make my way to the edge of the building. Like I mentioned before, there wasn't any rails next to the edge of the building. When I'm alone, I usually sit on the edge and let my legs dangle from the rooftop as I watch the clouds run across the sky. 

"NO!"

"Ah-"

Before I could reach my destination, I felt two arms wrapped around my body. With a hard tug from behind,  the air in my lungs disappeared from my body. The view of the roof was replaced by the darkening sky, lightly luminated by the sunset.  

What just happened? The hard ground I expected to land on after falling was also not there and replaced with a soft body named Aru. 

At this moment I was laying on top of Aru, both of us were facing the same direction, up. 

"Don't." A small plea came from under me. I couldn't see her face, but I could tell that she was in some sort of distress. As I try to move so I could get off of her, the arms around me tighten, almost to an uncomfortable degree. I had never heard Aru sound so vulnerable before. 

"Hey Aru what's this all about?" I asked her trying to fish some information. To my dismay, there wasn't a response to my inquiry. She didn't even react to my voice. 

"Can you at least let go of me? Your grip is starting to hurt." As I said this, her arms around me loosen up, but not enough to wiggle myself free. Honestly, I probably looked like a turtle flipped on its shell. 

Through our clothing, I could feel and maybe hear the pounding of her heart. It was racing, any faster and it might beat out her chest. While mine was beating fast due to surprise, it wasn't close to matching the pace of hers. 

We remained in this position for what I assumed was a couple of minutes until she finally said something.

"Banned." She said in a whisper tickling my ear.

"Banned? Banned from what exactly?" I asked back confused. By the way, we were still in the same position. This is the only time that I would hope a teacher would check out this area to save me from this situation. 

"You're banned from entering the rooftop alone." Aru replied back. 

"What brought about this ban exactly?" I asked her. Banning me from the rooftop? She has never done this to be before. This is similar to what happened with Fiora, doing something unprecedented. I don't think I even seen her ban me from the rooftop, or anything for that matter in previous timelines. Now that I think of it, why is Aru on the rooftop? I don't remember seeing her here at all before this moment. What brought upon this change? I need to know. I have to know the reason for this change.

"You got too close to the edge." Really? That's the reason for her actions? I don't think that reason alone should brought an action this extreme though. Maybe a simple verbal warning, but not grabbing me like my life depended on it. Her arms, while calm now, they were trembling before. Even now she's grabbing on me like both of our lives depend on it. 

"I don't think that's a good enough reason for banning me though." I said bluntly to her. I still can't comprehend her reasoning. "It's like you think I'm going to jump off the roof or something if I'm alone."  

My words acted like a trigger to Aru. Her once loose, well looser, grip on me tightened to an uncomfortable degree and her calming heartbeat started racing faster then before. 

"Joke! It's a joke Aru! Loosen up, it hurts!" I pleaded to Aru as I kept tapping on her arms in hopes it would do something to no avail.

"If you joke like that again..."

"Then what?" I immediately responded. As soon as I said those words, one of the arms that were wrapped around me slowly moved up, caressing my body until it rested upon my cheek. 

"Pun-ish-ment." She whispered close to my ear. Every syllable she said was drawn out and I could feel her breath dancing on my earlobe. 

*nom*

I felt a warm and wet sensation on my right earlobe. I have never regretted something so fast in my life

"Ahhh!" I yelped at her surprise attack. Her- her tongue was slowly caressing the outer edges of my ear, licking up and down my earlobe. Why is this happening right now? What did I do to deserve this!?

As I continue to have my internal struggle, Aru is without a doubt enjoying every second teasing me. 

"Nhhngn... Ahh.."

Uncontrollable noises were making themselves known as Aru continues her assault on my ear. My body was twitching here and there as her soft tongue was exploring every inch of my ear. The stimulation is too much for me, who hasn't even had her first kiss! Suddenly having my ear messed with is just too much for an inexperience girl like me to handle. My heart isn't prepared to engage in this type of activity!

"I.. I fuu, I promise! I won't go on the rooftop, nghh, by myself!" I desperately yell out loud, hoping the teasing would stop. 

As soon as I said my vow, a gentle *chu* was heard followed by the the disappearance of a certain mouth and tongue on my ear.  While the tongue has left, the soft sensation of it is still there and I doubt will leave any time soon. 

The once firm grip on my body loosened, not that I gave it any mind as I wasn't able to do anything with this information. Both my body and mind were preoccupied with more important matters. Specifically, the person who I was still on top of. 

We remained in this position with only the sound of our pants audible, well mainly mine but I won't admit that fact.

"First Fiora, and now You. What next, a certain succubus is going to lock me in a room out of sight? " I muttered out loud.

 "I see, so she also..." I hear my friend whispering, whom is still under me. But with my mind and body recovered, I gently get up from our position with no resistance to stand back up. Looking back at Aru, her face had a barley pink hue to it. It seems that I wasn't the only one who was affected by her actions. Offering a hand to help her up, she gracefully takes it as she also stands herself up. 

"She also what?" I asked Aru. Her eyes widened for a split second, like I wasn't supposed to hear her say that, but quickly went back to normal. Soon following her surprise was a small grin on her face. With that she raised her finger and placed it on her lips. 

"Secret." She said with a wink and a slight tilt to her head. 

Normally, I would have put some pressure on what she meant by that, but I'm too exhausted to even question it. 

"You know what, fair enough." I said with a sigh, not planning on prying further. 

With that said, I gave up on talking and picked a spot that was essentially the middle of the roof, away from any edges, and laid back down. If I can't sit on the edge, then any spot will do. Patting the spot next to me, I hear the rustling of Aru as she sat down next to me. 

True to her word, she remained by my side until we left the roof together.

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