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.