Sorata first knew something was wrong when he entered Mashiro's room.

"You okay," he quickly asked.

Mashiro's room was tidy. It pretty much resembled the way it was when he last ordered it. Mashiro herself was laying in bed.

"Fine."

Sorata knew Mashiro better than anyone, save Rita. Any change in her habits was monumental. He looked at her computer to see her latest work. On the screen there wasn't anywhere near as much work as there should have been compared to her usual output.

"Did you work on your manga last night?"

"A little," the master artist muttered from her bed.

"Are you sick?" Fever was the only reason Mashiro wouldn't be working. If she was physically able then she would work.

"I won't be going to school today." Her voice came out as almost a pained grunt.

Sorata could do nothing but agree. He quickly fetched the thermometer and some pain reliever they keep in the bathroom cabinet. He had to wrestle with Mashiro to rescue her from her bed.

"I need to take your temperature," Sorata pleaded with her. She only kicked and struggled more. It took all of Sorata's strength- because he was being gentle, not because she was overpowering him- to manage Mashiro out to read her temperature.

"You don't have a fever?" Sorata looked at the reading shocked- it was a perfectly healthy body temperature. Maybe he did it wrong.

"I don't feel hot. I just want to stay home." Mashiro buried herself under the covers again.

"Well. . . okay, feel better. I'll talk to sensei when I get back about taking you to a doctor."

Mashiro waited until Sorata was gone to emerge. She looked at her phone, the corners of her mouth subtly curving. She tossed it away before burying herself again.

Downstairs, Sorata was meeting Nanami. "Mashiro not ready yet?" The aspiring voice actress looked at him from the sink- she was washing dishes.

"No, she claims she isn't feeling well." Sorata brows furrowed in thought. "She has no fever. Maybe it might be something bad."

"Was it a stomach ache?"

"Maybe, I'll check up on her after school."

The dragon soon came down to join them. He had started coming to school more often after the principal threatened him for his truancy.

"Maybe she's depressed," was his opinion on the matter.

"It would explain why she didn't want to do anything other than stay in bed." Sorata knew Mashiro was different to others. Depression wouldn't just happen to her, especially given she found her life's purpose. "Why could the cause possibly be?"

"Maybe she's dissatisfied with her relationship with you?" Nanami could understand herself. She felt depressed after realizing Sorata would never love her like Mashiro. She was able to quickly recover, Mashiro who had never known love would have a harder time coping with Sorata's reluctance.

"If that was true, there would have been gradual signs," Ryūnosuke pointed out. "This is the subsequent reaction of an event from yesterday."

"She seemed fine before school yesterday." Nanami didn't notice anything off about Mashiro.

"When I was walking her home she was quiet. That isn't strange, so I didn't notice, but she locked herself in her room yesterday. Again this isn't strange, but when I delivered dinner she was still despondent"

"Then you have your answer."

"Mashiro has an acquaintance in her art class. She cheered for her during graduation. Why don't you go talk to her, you simply say you are collecting her homework as an excuse."

"Yeah, I'll think I'll do that," Sorata said to Nanami. "Maybe I'll call Rita afterwards if the mystery remains."

The seniors didn't let themselves dwell on it anymore, mostly Ryūnosuke. The rest of the day went on as usual. He came to know Mashiro's schedule intimately, and the girl Nanami was referring to, Fukaya should have the same schedule. At the next break he would talk to her.

He wordlessly left his friends behind for his mission. It only took a little searching to find his target.

"Hey Fukaya!" He greeted her.

When she saw him she jumped inside her skin. This odd action perplexed Sorata. He shook it out of his head, it wasn't good to jump to conclusions. She seemed to be heading somewhere so Sorata endeavored to obtain what he needed quickly.

"As you know Mashiro wasn't in today," he began. Fukaya just shook her head a little in acknowledgement. "I'd like to get her class assignments so she isn't behind when she comes back. Her school work could fall behind her if she isn't careful, which she isn't."

"Okay," Fukaya gave him a nervous smile. "What's your email address, I'll send it all to you." Sorata proffered it. "I hope Mashiro comes back soon, I know. . . " her words trailed off, she suddenly became unsure. Sorata narrowed his eyes.

"Fukaya," he addressed her," I have the impression something happened yesterday to Mashiro. Since getting back from school yesterday she hasn't been herself."

Fukaya became really frightened at that; she looked all around hoping for an escape to this conversation. She saw Sorata's eyes were locked onto her and he was going to patiently wait for her answer.

"Something did happen," she breathed out. "Mashiro was bullied."

"By who! How!"

Yesterday, after Mashiro split off from her friends for classes, trouble began. Mashiro paid little attention to her classmates around her. She wasn't cold to them, at least she didn't intend to be so, but she felt they existed on completely different planes from one another. Her classmates for the entire year all felt too intimidated by her skill to ever talk to her, with the semi-exception of Fukaya.

She trailed her way to class, the proceeding events occurred due to the coincident of a text's timing. Her editor contacted her to inform her of some details regarding her release schedule. That's when she heard it.

"Damn that little freak," Mashiro knew the voice. It was one of her classmates: a red headed girl named Ayami. She had big dreams of being painter- specifically portraits. Her talent was middling but she did work hard everyday. Which is why when she was rejected from her college of choice she became resentful.

When a person becomes resentful they want something to target their negative emotions at. She had some resentment towards the school, but an organization was hard to personally hate especially since she didn't even have a face from there. Mashiro became the most convenient target; a person who she had already previously been envious of.

"All that talent is wasted on her, airheaded slut. She is extremely creepy, she never even bothers with any of us. At first I thought she was aloof but now I realize she is just daft. You've all heard the rumors. How the only thing in life she is good for is drawing and being candy for that boy, Sorata, to gobble up at his leisure. I'm sure she is going to make a good toy for him, bringing him money from her art then bringing in ecstasy with her body." Ayami's face was red at the end of her spiel.

Everyone around her jumped in shock when Mashiro entered the room; eyes darted between the two as it was clear Mashiro heard every word of that.

The red head looked more annoyed than guilty knowing Mashiro had heard her. "I would apologize but why bother. You don't think about anything, you aren't even a person, only a tool. I'm sure if that boy, no your 'owner', fucked you raw and kept you in a cage you wouldn't object. You're property to be used."

She took to her seat pointedly ignoring Mashiro. The rest of the day went on like that with everything seemingly fine, but Mashiro was deeply heartbroken. Sorata knew Rita's words from before flashed into her mind. She probably felt despair knowing she caused people such turmoil when all she wanted to do was what she loved.

"Thanks Fukaya," he dashed off leaving the girl startled by her speed. She couldn't help but smile when the shock faded.

"You really do have it all," Fukaya said softly, with a touch of bitterness.

Sorata found his friends in the general classes waiting for the break to end.

"I'm going home. I found out that Mashiro's mood was due to this girl in her class named Ayami taking her aggression out on her."

"What!" Nanami was horrified. Ryūnosuke was disgusted.

"Go home. Deal with Mashiro, we'll deal with Ayami," Ryūnosuke promised.

"I'll deal with the physical route," Nanami smashed her shaking fist on the desk below her.

Sorata was always worried for Mashiro. Seeing these two so concerned he now felt relieved others valued her as much as he did.

"Ryūnosuke keeps Nanami from getting suspended or arrested." Nanami had just reconciled with her father.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure we cover our trail." Sorata ran out of school hard with that comment, he left his bag with his friends to not be weighed down. He returned to Sakurasou in a flash.

"Mashiro," he gently rapped her door.

"Come in," a voice tinged in a british accent called.

Rita and Mashiro were sitting on bed together. The two were playing Misaki's old video games, and both looked tired. Rita smiled at Mashiro before taking Sorata to the hall.

"I found out what happened," her voice was icy.

"We just did too. Nanami and Ryūnosuke are back at school dealing with the bully."

"I haven't had to deal with this in years. I hope I'm not too out of practice," Rita squeezed a fist.

"You've done this before?" Sorata asked curious about the story, he unfortunately wasn't shocked a younger Mashiro would be persecuted by peers when they were less mature.

"At our old elementary school one boy destroyed Mashiro's picture. He laughed at her while doing it. He needed stitches on his lip and an ice pack for a black eye," Rita said this all with a smile. "I think I'll go give Nanami and Ryūnosuke a few pointers. I did come all this way to see Ryūnosuke anyway." She patted him on the cheek before sauntering off.

"Mashiro," he whispered.

"Am I heartless?"

"No," he said brusquely. "I've seen you give your heart to anyone, even seeing their true self with greater wisdom than anyone I know. You saw the heart of Nanami and urged us to support her. Never doubt yourself." Sorata gripped her shoulders.

Mashiro's gaze fell towards the floor. It raised back up to Sorata before falling back down again.

Her head tilted, she pressed it forward. Mashiro's lips found Sorata's gluttonously embracing them. Sorata tasted what felt like the freshest spring water. His face grew hot and his heart sped up. He wrapped his arms around Mashiro pressing her closer to him. Both parties merged their lips zealously.

They reluctantly parted for breath.

"You said I should never doubt myself," Mashiro susurrated. "I really had the urge to do that."

"So did I, but I wasn't brave enough to do it," Sorata confessed. "I wish I can be like you one day." He smiled. When Mashiro's lips curved up he felt very thirsty. He had never seen such a feminie, delectable smile before.

"I just hope you are brave enough to do it next time."

He fulfilled her hopes.