Chapter 3: Off Limit

Another one significant month has passed, and spending time in the Library of Amethyst College has been Tsubasa's routine. She liked being there. Even if she did not have any assignment or dateline, she would still come there just to sit and read for approximately three hours per day. She would not come during weekend since she prioritized rest. Nevertheless, she never felt any boredom hit through those days. Her daily basicity was well made for her, and she never found any more reason to attempt other schedule.

And yes, there was another thing mattered.

That one young man entered the library. He still looked as skinny, and his attire was still as lame. He still kept on lowering his head thus his face possibly to avoid any confrontation with other students. He, too, was alone – just like her. She covertly peeped through the book spines around five shelves from the usual spot. He calmly settled down at the same chair he has been sitting all these while, and he would take some papers out of the bag along with pens. He ensured himself comfort and began writing.

It has been one significant month since their first encounter. Tsubasa, an English Literature student, was stalking the mysterious student named Takato. No matter what activity she has been doing across his table, he did not budge. Even if she has been the one sharing the same table as his for the whole one month, he did not make any effort on kicking off any conversation between them. Even if she (intentionally) dropped something either on the floor or the table, he did not even startle.

Deep inside, she saluted his level of concentration.

It was Tuesday. That Takato man was absent on Monday. The longer Tsubasa spent days there, the more days she noticed the absence of that Takato man. In one week, he would not be around on Monday, as if he has planned his truancy ahead of time. Takato did seem skinny but he did not resemble as a sick person. He probably had malnutrition during his childhood, thus he had small body stature. He wrote neatly but in a low speed.

Tsubasa always had the urge to snatch his papers away just to read his novel. She quietly read it from the opposite direction, which she could not understand any single paragraph written. She really wanted to know how the story went on, how the characters were build, who this Takato man referred to for further information, and many more, since she never saw him talking to even the librarian. He rarely asked for help (in her opinion) since he just went there to write. Other thing he did that she ever saw was him looking for a thesaurus.

Writing was his ultimate hobby, or it could be his source of income. Living in this harsh world needs courage, to be honest.

Tsubasa made her way to the table. She brought three books in her hands and put them gently on the table, with her eyes fixed on Takato. It was common that Takato did not even lift up his head, but it was unusual that she witnessed something else.

That Takato man was changing his writing.

Or to be more precise, his handwriting became smaller than normal. As if he was restraining himself from reverting to large alphabets like before, he wrote his novel too carefully. His small A has become rounder, and his whole draft only consumed half of the line provided on the paper. Since he shrank the writing, one piece of paper could fit more paragraphs, indirectly hindered Tsubasa from peeping the novel. She might interchange the lines and paragraph.

Tsk! She chirped as she realized that issue. Takato did not get into nuisance but it did change his writing style; not in the grammatical way, but more to his physical action while pouring his idea out. He sat still and focused on the paper, but he eventually became hazy and tended to cease his writing pace. He would restart writing once he has gotten the grip, which Tsubasa was wondering.

Just what has happened to him?

The rarest part of Tsubasa's entire investigation on the novelist Takato was this day. For the first time in probably forever, Takato has accidentally released his pen during his writing. The second most bizarre thing happened was that Takato man has finally lifted up his head. His pen was accidentally thrown across the table, rolled over Tsubasa's books. The pen produced a small thud sound on the table which drew her attention.

Awkward silence overwhelmed both of them. Their eyes did not meet, but at last Tsubasa was able to observe how that Takato man looked like in a proper sight. He had a pair of shimmering eyes with dark blue pupils, clean and smooth skin, chapped red lips, and distinct jawline. His droopy eyes and pale skin colour did not really obscure his unique trait. Overall, he was good looking and actually quite handsome compared to her boy classmates.

Her lips parted. She was about to praise his specificity when he shifted his gaze away, leading to the direction of the pen. Automatically she understood his deed. She picked up the pen, with his heart craving for more information of that Takato man. She knew just by looking at him was not enough, and she never heard his voice, let alone chit chatting with him. If only she was not too observant on the first day she found him, she would not even know his name.

She pursed her lips, contemplating on giving the pen without anything else or initiating a conversation with him. Neither of them benefitted her, thus she pulled a pout. While her eyes eyeing his face, she gently shoved the pen back to its owner. What disappointed her was that Takato man did not bother to thank her; he nodded once and continued his novel.

For real? Tsubasa clenched her fists. She was still pouting though. She unknowingly furrowed at the latter, and obviously that Takato man got himself emerged into the world full of lies and fictional. Tsubasa rolled her eyes, getting annoyed at Takato. She returned to her reading on the novel, but it was falsehood that she was able to direct her focus 100% on the story. While her eyes read through lines, her mouth muttered her dissatisfaction over and over.

A small piece of paper flew to the pissed off Tsubasa. It was folded into four parts, meaning it was something important or confidential by the one releasing it. She was at first ignoring it just because of her frustration, but she decided on revealing the content when she noticed the paper, or precisely a letter, has 'her name' on it.

It was not her real name. Yet, who else sat across the table of that Takato man, right? She shivered a little as it was her first time receiving such mystifying letter, moreover it was from the one she got irritated to. She glanced at the still-writing Takato who really evaded the eye contact.

To the girl across my table

By Takato.

'It was obviously for me, right?' But Tsubasa somehow barely able to conduct her exhilaration. She gaped, she cupped her mouth with one palm, yet she did not shriek and it was grateful enough. She grinned ear to ear while unfolding the letter, surely with her trembling hands out of excitement. That Takato man has given her one of his treasure – his handwriting. Takato maintained his composition, but Tsubasa did not really care. Her eyes keenly read the content.

I never knew girls' intuitions are loud. Thank you for the pen.

"All right, this is over limit." Tsubasa squinted at Takato. Her hands shivered while grasping the letter which soon was going to be crippled, and her eyes ogled at him. He was still indulging himself in his own world, but she did not think he ignored her completely. He might be seeing her response, hence he preferred not to heed.

The tensed situation has loosened. Tsubasa manageably breathed in without complaint. She kept her focus in track since she acknowledged the effort would be in vain if she still got stuck in stalking that Takato man. She fixated her eyes on the page, unknowingly that Takato man was looking at her. She flipped over the next page when another small folded letter came by. This time, it was not too secretive because that Takato man did not hide his action. He openly tossed the letter across the table and it safely landed on the page Tsubasa was reading.

It was precisely stated 'The girl across my table. By Takato' and apparently Tsubasa could not help but to shift from the fictional novel to the letter. It was nothing serious when it was about Takato, but she still picked up the letter and read it almost loudly. She planned on exasperating him, however she was the one gotten annoyed instead.

It would be much nicer to you if you choose to sit other place rather than within my view.

"Are you serious?" Tsubasa huffed, almost threw her novel towards that man. She gritted, she ogled, and she cursed. "I'm sorry for being too loud earlier, but this one… you are too much!"

She deliberately tidied her table – the one she shared with that Takato man – and shoved her things into her backpack. She rose and without any further words, she left him alone there.