The longer the girl stalked you, the more problems would arise. Especially because you've never met her before. What she was capable of was anyone's guess. The best course of action was to nip this issue in the bud. You pivoted toward your stalker. She swatted the air with a limp wrist. Any faster and you could hear her wrist pop.
She definitely had your attention. Better head over before she hurts herself.
How were you going to leave Madoka and Homura? Lies were out of the question, and you were short on practical explanations. Homura seemed perceptive, and Madoka knew you well enough to see through any fibs. The likelihood of them actually returning to class was low. Whether it was out of concern or curiosity, they were sure to follow you. It didn't matter what excuse you used.
A heavy sigh.
"I'll meet you guys back at class," you say with a wave of the hand. "I'm going to use the restroom."
Madoka pivoted toward you, already frowning. "Really?"
"Yeah, sorry. I've kind of been holding it."
In that moment, whether it was a blessing or a curse, divine intervention.
"Alright," Homura says. "We'll let Ms. Saotome know you'll be late."
"Thanks, Homura. You're a lifesaver!" You turn on a heel and begin sprinting down the hallway.
"Don't run, Momoka!" Madoka cries. "You'll get in trouble!"
"I'll be fine!" You continue your sprint through the glass corridor.
Your footsteps echo through the empty hall. Each step toward the stalker was another step into the unknown. Your mother was adamant about teaching you and Madoka the proper way to approach scenarios like this.
Run away, wave your arms, maybe scream. There was a whistle somewhere in your room if you wanted to be practical about it.
Just being on school grounds should be enough to dissuade her from trying anything. Mitakihara Middle School had cameras.
Your heart beats in rhythm with each step.
You slowly round the corner.
First, a head of black hair. You knew that already. She wears a slight frown, like she doesn't want to be here. You want to sympathize, but it's because of her that you even walked over here.
Yellow eyes, similar to your own. They shimmer from the ambient sunlight reflecting off the glass walls. Pretty, in their own way.
Her hands fidget as she averts her gaze.
You remain silent as you walk around the strange girl.
She made no effort to run or escape.
An odd tension fills the air.
It was best to seize the initiative while you could. As you open your mouth to speak--
"You're Momoko, right?" She says, her fidgeting hand now resting on her hip.
"Momo
ka, but yeah. That's me," you reprimand, narrowing your eyes. "You've been following me for a while now. What do you want?"
"Well, it's not really what I want," the stalker sighs. "All I'm really here to do is deliver a message."
It wasn't what
she wanted?
"A message? From who?" You ask.
"My friend."
"Yeah?" You blink. "
Who is your friend? What's the message?"
"Well, less a
message and more like an invitation." She scratches the top of her head like she has a bad case of lice. "You'll find out when you meet her."
"Okay, I'm good. Thanks." You wave a hand and start to walk off.
"Wait!" The stalker tugs on your wrist. "Wait, stop! You gotta meet her!"
"
Got to?" She was obviously forcing this. Who was she? How did she even know you? Outside of some floating rumors and gossip, you weren't particularly well known outside of the school. "You're not really making any sense."
"I'm not good at this stuff. Why did she ask
me to do this?" The girl mumbled to herself as if you couldn't hear her. "I can't really explain, because she didn't really tell me the reasons either."
"That seems kind of important, don't you think?"
"Well,
yeah, that's what I said -- but she said it'd make sense after she explained it."
"Okay?" You were still lost. Best to go with the flow to see what else you can find out. "So, you know my name, what's yours?"
"Oh, right." The girl clicks her tongue. "It's Kirika. Kirika Kure."
An unfamiliar name. She had a uniform, but you couldn't be sure she wasn't a weirdo who snuck into the school. Best bet was to tread lightly. You didn't really know what she was capable of.
"Well…"
No reason to give her the time of day outside of curiosity. A glance toward the floating Madoka reveals a persistent frown and a furrowed brow. She is supposed to be able to see the past, present and future. What prevented her from using that power was anyone's guess.
"Well?" Kirika says, leaning in. "
Well what? You're going to meet her, right?"
The answer to that was no; obviously not if this was how her 'friend' wanted to make a first impression. You couldn't make your refusal apparent. Skirt around it the best you can. "I mean, do we have to meet face to face? I'd rather talk to them on the phone, if that's okay."
"P-phone?" Kirika pauses, eying the phone in her opposite hand. "I mean, that makes sense," she says with a frown. "But I can't give that out. Not without her permission. Give me your number instead."
"No," you say as a matter of course.
"Ah, well, uh…"
"I guess we're done here," you say, attempting to walk away.
"Wait, wait!" She lightly tugs on your wrist. "Fine,
fine. Tch." Kirika scoffs in defiance. She flips through the phone, clicking up a storm with her fingers. She holds up the phone toward you, but her finger covers the contact name. "Here."
She went through the effort of hiding the name. It could be a person from school. It wasn't impossible, but it didn't seem likely. You pull out your own phone and copy down the number.
"Done?" Kirika asks with a huff. She taps her foot, practically begging you to stop staring at her phone.
"Yeah," you put away your phone. You spy the colorful trinkets hanging off of her phone. Must be a mascot of some kind. "So, is that all you wanted to talk about?"
"Yep," the strange girl turns away. "Bye."
"Yeah, bye."
Kirika left as quickly as she appeared. It was as though she were an actor exiting stage right. Her bit part in the play had ended. A small meeting, but it gave you food for thought. Why was she stalking you? It couldn't have been just to set up this meeting. The real question was how long had she been stalking you.
A transient weight pulls at your chest.
What did you just involve yourself in?
You sigh and shake your head. It didn't do any good to mull it over in the hall. You turn around and walk down the hallway. You stare at the floor, almost counting the steps as you continue on your walk back toward the classroom.
What were you going to do? Walking over there probably didn't make much of a difference. She seemed the sort to force a meeting if she had to. Something about her was off-putting. The fact you were able to keep a straight face was a testament to your nerve.
"Momoka."
"Whoa!" You jump out of your skin. "What the-- Homura? When did you get behind me!?"
"I was waiting for you to notice," she says, failing to hide her smug smile.
"Right,
waiting," you say, averting your eyes. "Where's Madoka?"
"She's up ahead," Homura says. "She didn't want to leave you by yourself."
"That makes sense," you say, clicking your tongue. "Wait, why did she send you?"
"She didn't," Homura says as she walks past you. "How did your meeting go?"
"I was expecting a lot worse," you say with a frown. "Apparently she just wanted to exchange contact info. Terrible way to introduce yourself, but she gets points for being bold."
"Doesn't sound like anything good can come of it."
"No, probably not."
"Homura!" Madoka scrambles into sight from around the corner. "Where did you--!" She pauses when she sees you. "There you are! You scared me."
Your sister sighs as she clutches her chest.
"You said you were worried, so I went to check on her," Homura says with a smile.
"You could have told me," Madoka frowns.
"Sorry," Homura pushes a smile onto her face.
"I just don't want you getting lost," Madoka reaches a hand toward Homura. "Let's go, Momo."
You nod while glancing toward Homura.
It was a sight you weren't quite used to. Even knowing very little about her, it was an expression that didn't sit well with you. It felt forced and stilted rather than anything genuine. It was an odd feeling -- something you didn't have to contend with before. Lexi's own mannerisms came to mind, but she was apathetic to pretty much everything, so it wasn't quite the same.
Upon first meeting her, you wanted to spill your guts in the hopes of finally having found a comrade. You relented, of course, since playing your cards too early could certainly backfire. The issue with Kirika was much the same. You couldn't just do things without thinking anymore. You have to consider how your choices affect others. It was frustrating, but it was something you could manage.
Hopefully.
You shake your head and cast your doubts aside.
For now, it was best to walk side-by-side. If you ended up friends or not didn't matter. It didn't matter whether you told her about yourself or not. Your goals. None of that really mattered.
Madoka walks with her hands gently tucked behind her back.
Homura steps beside her, a warm smile pulling at her lips.
Yeah.
Even if you screwed up, even if you failed, Homura would protect Madoka until her last breath.
End of Episode 6
Your mind is plagued with doubt and uncertainty. The events of the day roll over in your mind as the rest of the school day passes you by. As the end of the school day approaches, it finally comes time to make a decision. What were you going to do after school?
[_] Call Kirika's friend and see what all of that is about.
[_] Go see Mami, Kyouko, and Momo after school -- or at least try to get a hold of them.
[_] Focus on hanging out with Sayaka, Hitomi, Madoka and Homura. Take things slow.
[_] Pull Homura aside to speak to her. It might be good to clear the air sooner rather than later.
[_] Do your job -- go out with Lexi and hunt some witches.
