The Accident

Today, Stephen went to the school and everyone was surprised to see him hanging around for a couple of hours, he usually didn't stay that long. The news about him being at the school spread throughout the university like a wild fire, students began to look for him for a chance to see him up close. When they found him they deliberately took picture of him, with or without his consent, though he doesn't really care about it anyway. They assumed that he have a homework to be submitted, but the truth was, he was actually here to see Aya. Obtaining the copy of her class schedule thru hacking the school files, he could easily guess when and where to find her.

He was sitting at the empty bench near gymnasium while typing on his laptop when Aya appeared along with her friends and she didn't notice him. Memorizing her voice, there is no need for him to see her to know that it was her. They walked past him,

"I'm starving let's go to the canteen," he heard Claudia suggested, everyone agreed and went there. He on the other hand seen talking to someone on his smartphone,

"Okay see you later," as he ended the call.

"I didn't know that they actually serves delicious food here," commented Macky,

"Yeah we're been students here for two years but we didn't even try to eat here. It is great that Bro suggested this place," chimed in Ivan.

"You don't usually eat here at the school canteen," noticed Dave, "Why you suddenly decided to eat here?" he asked Stephen,

"It's convenient," his short reply, as he looked on the direction where Aya was eating together with her friends, a few tables away from where they are. As everyone around them were busy taking picture of them, Stephen was focusing on his smartphone while tapping on its screen.

Kevin was observing around while trying to read some books when Tom found him at the library.

"What were you doing here?" he asked Kevin,

"Just reading some books," he answered.

"Reading?" Tom wasn't convinced, "Or waiting for someone?" he teased as he sat beside him. Kevin sighed, he knows that he can't really lie to his long term friend.

"You win," he surrendered, "I'm waiting for a girl named Aya," he admitted. Tom's eyes widen in suprised,

"Aya of Computer Science department?" he exclaimed, Kevin didn't anticipated that he knew her.

"You know Aya?" he asked,

"Of course! No one in the school admin didn't knew her. She's a scholar with the highest score in entrance exam and the only female freshman in there department," explained Tom. "Never expected that you'll be interested on her though," he remarked,

"I've met her last time and she is quite unique," Kevin didn't admit it directly but it was obvious that he likes her. "I want to see her again to apologise, it seems I upset her last time" he said,

"But do you know how to find her if ever she don't come here today?" Tom inquired, Kevin shook his head.

"And that's is why your help will be gladly appreciated", he wiggled his eyebrows, Tom sighed,

"Yeah I get it."

Even though Aya didn't appeared at the library, it didn't stop Kevin from devising a plan on how can he meet her again.

"Ma'am do you remember the female student that returned the materials here the other day?" he asked the librarian,

"You mean Aya?" she retorted and he nodded.

"She usually goes here once to twice a week to do her homework," she supplied then suddenly, something occurred to her. "That reminds me, I need to talk to her", she stated, "Please tell her to come here, it seems that we have a problem with the inventories and records of the reading materials they borrowed, since she was the last one who returned it, can I ask her to help us?" she requested, assuming that he was a closed friend of Aya. Kevin saw this as an opportunity so he eagerly agreed and he left with one thing in his mind, to see Tom at the school administrative office.

With the help of Tom, Kevin acquired Aya's schedule, he found out when and where her final class would be. He waited outside of her classroom,

"Aya!" he waived upon seeing her exiting the room and he approached her, "Can I have a minute with you? The librarian ask me to tell you something important," he explained why the librarian needs her.

"I see, but anyway Sir Kevin, how do you know where to find me?" she was curious,

"Uhm... some students happened to know you, and they told me where I can find you..." he was nervous, because he was lying, of course he can't tell her about Tom who provided him her schedule, it was against the school rules to give away any student's information to anyone. His answer somehow satisfied her and they proceed to the library together, after a few instructions from the librarian, they immediately started to work on the inventories.

Aya usually don't initiate a conversation to a person that she just met, while Kevin was having a hard time thinking on what topic he can open up since he have no knowledge about what she likes or what her interest was. Most of the time he was just watching her, stunned by her beauty and he always turn away whenever she look at his direction.

Even with the assistance from Kevin, Aya didn't expected that it took them an hour or two just to finish the half of the records. She got home late because of it, Stephen was already worried about her, knowing her schedule, she was supposedly to be at home after 6pm. It was already quarter to 7pm in the evening but still RareHeart wasn't online,

"Alpha do you know where Luna is?" asked Macky, Stephen didn't responds, he was in deep thought. A notification informed them that she was now online,

"Luna, where have you been?" Macky inquired.

"Sorry for being late, I have unexpected errand at school", she explained.

"That's okay but next time do inform us an hour before your duty," Ivan told her,

"Noted Gamma, and I'm very sorry," retorted Aya. Stephen sent her a message,

"Something happened?" he questioned,

"Just finishing some inventory," her honest responds.

"Inventory?" he wondered on what subject she was required to do such.

"The librarian asked me to recount the inventory for the materials we borrowed last time", she narrated, "It seems that the class who borrowed it before us didn't update it's record so the master list got messed up," she added. She might be already tired he thought, so he sent her a task but tell her that she can start to work on it by tomorrow.

"After you finish your article and discussion with Delta, take your rest," his advised, Aya was touched by his concern and sent him a smiling emoticon. Stephen didn't reply but he was delighted as he stared at the stolen picture of her that he took while she was laughing with her friends at the canteen.

The next day, Aya decided to finish the inventory so she can focus on her duty at UnderWorld site. After her class she went straight to the library but got disappointed when she found out that the record they finished yesterday were gone. She informed the librarian about it and they both search for it but in the end they couldn't find it anywhere. No other option left for her but to recount the materials from the start. Her additional problem was the recounted materials were already put into boxes, and kept above the higher shelves. Before starting, she connected her smartphone to internet and sent message to Fenrir's GC informing them that she will be late again and disconnected right away after she sent it. Stephen just got home when he read her message but when he try to reply she was already offline. He suddenly decided to go to school and wait for her so he can give her a ride home but he have one tiny problem. That is, what valid reason he could tell her if ever she question why he went there or why he was even there. The last time they were together, he noticed that she was somehow unease with his presence, so it won't be easy for him to ask her to go with him without a reason.

Since the librarian were already occupied with other things and nobody can help her, she thought of getting the boxes herself. She placed an old chair infront of the shelves, stepped on it and try to reach the box, its height wasn't enough for her to able to touch it so she tiptoed. Without noticing the chair started to wobbled slowly and when the box were pulled halfway, one of the chair's legs snapped causing her to fall. When she opened her eyes, she saw the box was falling directly upon her, instinctively she protected her head with her both arms, her right arm got hit and absorbed mostly the impact from the box's weight. The librarian heard a loud thud coming from the store room, she rushed there and saw Aya lying in the floor with some bulky books covering her and a few scattered around her.

"Oh my God! Aya what happened?" she exclaimed worriedly as she crouched down and removed the heavy objects covering her, Aya tried to get up but flinched when she used her right arm. Ignoring the pain she forced herself to at least sit up. "I tried to get the box and lost my balance", she explained,

"Are you hurt, aren't you?" the librarian noticed that she was holding her arms, pain written all over her face. Aya refused to be brought to clinic, because she assumed that her injury wasn't that serious. The librarian decided to sent her home earlier and told Aya if she needs to see a doctor advise her.

Few moments ago after she left, Kevin arrived,

"Did Aya came?" he asked excitedly, the librarian faced him with a sad expression and told him what happened. Shock and guilt overwhelmed him, he didn't expected it, even he knew that she already left, he ran to the gate of the school hoping that he can catch up with her but he didn't.

At home, Aya treated her injured arm with homemade cold compress. Using her left hand, she logged in at UnderWorld site,

"I thought you were gonna be late?" asked Dave seeing her online

"Surprisingly I've finished earlier," she lied. Stephen was about to leave when he saw her online, now that she was already at home he decided to cancel his plan.

"That's good" he intervened, Aya bit her lips and typed back,

"Yeah and I can focus on my article," she took a while before she sent her short response, Stephen sensed something isn't right but he can't point out what exactly it was. While chatting with her colleagues, Macky pointed out that she keeps on typing wrong spelling or she was too slow to reply. Aya joked that her keyboard were to blame and she need to buy new laptop, everyone was laughing at her joke but all of it was a lie. Actually she was struggling to keep up with their phase, they type almost 40-50 WPM, if she wasn't injured it won't be really difficult for her to catch up with them. Aya sighed when her duty ended, now she can relax her swollen arm, she hoped that it will be healed by tomorrow. But when morning came, her arm gotten worst, a dark purplish color appeared on her skin, almost covering her whole arm. With a tight budget she decided to ask help from the librarian. For the meantime, she hid her injury by tying a handkerchief around it then concealed it by wearing a long sleeve. She took a pain-reliever to somehow lessen the pain.

"I pray that it wasn't broken or worst than it was now," she whispered to herself as she stared at her right arm.