Tsukushima had seemingly appeared

out of nowhere to our dear

protaganist. She had quite incidentally

come across the quiet man through a

partnership in one of her college

classes. Were it not for this particular

instance she would of otherwise

finished that class without ever have

known that man, who by nature kept

to himself but was rather delightful

and interesting when talked to. She

had only intended, or so she thought,

to develop as close a relationship as a

project with partners would demand,

but no sooner did their meetings

become frequent and longer and the

subjects talked of so much deeper

that she found herself completely

immersed in the subject before her,

him. He was enthralling as he was

mysterious. It was the air about him

and the sincere indifference to the

world around him, for he always

carried a book in hand as he went

about his lonesome ways, that bizarrly

drew her to him. And he opened up.

He rarely did so and often stated so

after he would become aware of how

long hed be talking. Hed shyly

apologize and admit that even to him

that had felt strange. Before long it

had become obvious, to the both of

them, that it wasnt just the project

keeping them together but something

more. That, to one, her fascination

was not onesided, and to the other, his

change in character was not

accidental. It was him to her and her

to him. Their project ended but their

talks did not, neither did the frequency

of them. Soon their conversations

were not only of books, ideologies, the

weather and other slightly trivial

matters but of who are you? what are

you? and why you? Tsukushima was

fast to realize hed be the worlds

biggest fool to let to chance this

beautiful gem slip away and soon

asked her to be his for this life. Not

marriage, no, for he did not believe in

the institution of it all, but the sole

proof of a real marriage, two small

golden bands, hers with a small

diamond to remind her to keep the

shine that originally drew him. There

was no feast nor anybody else but

groom and bride attended, silently

swore their vows, and put the seal of

that union that night. Their close

friends which were few, were let

known, but to her, who she considered

herself an orphan forgo telling her

parents. Tsukushima graduated first

and she did as well two years later.

Their union always proving solid. But

in such solidity came norm and a

certain pulling apart. Everything soon

became forceful, what was supposed

to be and not so much what they

wanted to be. Before she knew it her

sole adoration had become a god to

whom she prayed to and to him the

creature he had taken interest in had

become dull and uninteresting, but

neither said a word and the two continued to function.