H I S
T R I N K E T

"He’s your cousin, right?"

A lump formed on Mel’s throat. The air thinned and she felt herself catching her breath, chanting calming thoughts in her head.

It’s okay, it’s okay, Mel, just answer, she muttered mentally. At the moment, she didn’t really trust her voice. Clutching her gloves, she firmly answered.

"Yeah," she released the breath she was holding, "He is."

"You look so much alike!"

"Awfully so."

It was Tuesday night. Mel and her family was over at their grandfather’s house, for they were grieving for their grandmother's death anniversary. All of their relatives would be around, of course. And as usual, her aunts and uncles were discussing how alike Mel was and her male cousin; Yuya. She didn't quite understand why her relatives would still ask if they were cousins. She was sure they'd been informed plenty.

Yuya had the same gold eyes as she had — maybe even a tint of honey. His hair, however, was the shade of overcast cobalt. He was recently the age of six.

"Yuya! Come over here, Mel-nee’s around."

The said boy snapped away from his story book and stalked forward with such grace for a six year old as he carefully took one step at a time.

"Mel. You came." His voice was as bland as it could get. For some reason, the boy didn't use formalities. He called everyone their given name — be it his own mother or father.

"I didnt really have much choice on the matter, Yuya."

Mel understood why most people kept insisting their similarities. They both held nonchalant gazes — as many Shinatobe do, of course — but they were the only ones of the clan to have golden eyes. They gave Mel the odd place in the family when Yuya still wasn't born, thinking she was adopted and all that. She thought it was absurd. What if the golden eyes came from her mother? Her mother wasn't even a Shinatobe to begin with. Her father was the one who carried the genes.

"I don't get how you two could be so tense yet cozy at the same time."

It was her Father that spoke up. His eyes had narrowed between the two of them, as if perlustrating the pair. Mel tried not to wince under his gaze as she put a hand on Yuya’s shoulder, sensing him stiffen from his father’s ogling.

She and Yuya had only conversed formally ever since they've met, yet no one could tell how the boy was somewhat comfortable with Mel from the beginning.

"We just have the same preference."

Mel saw her uncle — Yuya’s father — enter the living room from the kitchen, and she immediately excused herself, not bothering with her relatives’ protests about leaving too early.

She recalled how Yuya’s irises glinted like honey — like her.

And she hated it for it reminded her of something she buried a long time ago.

- - -

19 minutes.

The time it took for Mel to prepare for school. She wasn’t a person to have a mini self evaluation at the bathroom, nor was she a person who steps out of it at almost the exact same time she entered. She didn’t eat breakfast daily, so it was excluded from the things she had to finish before leaving.

The events of yesterday didn’t bother playing with her mind this morning. And she wanted it to stay that way. Forget about the wretched family she ended up with, and just move forward without looking back at their scrutinizing, predatory gazes, waiting for you to slip up and make a mistake.

She left the bitter chides behind her as she walked out of her house.

Thanks to her gloves, the cold didn’t seep through her fingertips although she was fairly sure her knuckles were turning white.

It was still remarkably early.

The fog was still collecting itself and the air vividly smelt like the mixture of peppermint and evergreen, followed by the distinct wind chime from her neighbor’s doorstep.

It seemed like she wasn’t alone.

"This is too early, how can you stand waking up in this?" Aomine grunted.

"I’m surprised you managed to get up that bed of yours," Mel commented, and for a fact, she really was subtly shocked, "Your tie’s not even tied properly yet."

He scoffed, "You were leaving already, I had to hurry up a bit. Almost hit my head through the staircase in the process." With a drawl, he sauntered forward to her direction.

Out of courtesy, she stayed rooted to her place and waited for him to finish his little parade. He walked as if the road was in his command and if there ever was a bump it would automatically flatten itself just for him. Mel rolled her eyes at this. Looking at her spruce tinted wrist watch, she concluded that he was taking longer than a minute.

Courtesy be damned.

She turned her heel and walked towards Tōō, not bothering to wait for her 6'3” and a half neighbor and seatmate.

"Oi, honey, what the hell? Wait up!"

Of course, as their basketball team’s ace, he was able to catch up to her fast. With long, big strides, he was beside her in an instant. She would not admit that this bothered her, even if it somehow did strike a nerve.

"Maybe next time you can stop having an exclusive fashion show in the middle of the road."

And in synchronized steps, they walked to Tōō in a comfortable silence.

- - -

"Dee! What’s this? You’ve got a companion?"

Mel cocked an eyebrow to Yagei’s enthusiasm and Hachi’s suggestive smiles.

"More like a burden, Yagei-san," Aomine didn’t even look offended at the understated insult thrown at him, "I take it that the rooms are open?"

Hachi nodded at the question as he sipped his morning coffee.

"Also, Dee, before going, sign this for a bit? It’s a little thing for Yagei-san, just to prove the students still approve of him being a utility," Mel was met with a sole sheet of paper and an uncapped ballpoint pen, "Since he kinda lashed out back then at one, hence the suspension."

The grey haired girl shrugged and accepted the paper, listing down ‘Shinatobe Mella’ in a not-so articulate manner accompanied with her ever-changing signature.

"That all?" They both nodded and threw grateful looks at Mel, "Alright. Later, Yagei-san, Hachi-san." she gave them nods respectively and headed to her classroom together with Aomine.

Again, they were in between a comfortable silence. Mel placed her bag beside the leg of her table, Aomine doing the same.

"Are you really that well-acquainted to the guards?"

Mel didn’t take the question personally or in offense, "Yes. I’m often early and they happen to be the only company I have. Plus, they’re convenient as, well, friends."

Aomine’s brows creased.

"Convenient?"

"They’re in charge of the gate. So yes. Convenient."

"The gate?"

Mel sighed, "Are you really gonna keep repeating my words?"

"Nah. I mean, why the gate? Why’s that convenient to you? Do you cut classes?"

She let out an amused chuckle at his query, "You talk like you aren’t aware of my sudden absences during after lunch or breaks, Aomine."

"Huh. So you’re that guy who’s always here at the mornings then sometimes not in the afternoon."

"No I’m not a guy," Mel leaned back on her chair, "Why am I not surprised that you didn’t know I was that person? You didn’t even know my name at first."

"Yeah, I don’t really care about all the other stuff."

"Stuff except your sport?"

"Ya mean basketball? S’pose so. Gets boring every now and then but sure."

She rose an eyebrow in curiosity, "Boring?"

"No one’s worthy enough of an opponent anymore."

"You’re really full of yourself, huh?" Mel questioned, taking out her phone and opening Silent Hill to play.

"Would you rather me be nice, then?"

Mel thought it over.

"No," she breathed out, not looking up, "You’re okay this way."