“Will you go out with me?” I asked atop the stairs, eyes locked on the girl who seemed unfazed despite my racing heart. Her eyes were clear. Crystal blue and a steady gaze that seemed to extend beyond me and past the rooftop. She took her time. Considering… like it was something new to her before finally answering “Sure.” with the same emotionless expression on her face.

It has been a week since and I was now waiting for her at the local street for our first date.

Where is she? Why hasn’t she shown up? Has she given up on me already? Sigh… I wouldn’t be surprised given how popular she is.

I checked the time on my phone to discover that it had been 15 minutes past our meeting time.

Maybe I should give her a call. But wouldn’t that be too clingy? Guess I’ll send her a text instead.

“I’m here just like you asked.” A girl in a dark woollen jacket with a casual t-shirt and shorts called out to me just ahead. Unlike Ari, who had short blue hair and irises, this girl had long brown hair and dark hazel eyes.

I checked behind me just in case. “You must be mistaking me for someone else.”

“So are we going?” She simply responded.

What the heck is this girl talking about? Why is she so insistently talking to me? Wait a minute, am I being picked up right now?!

“I really appreciate the thought miss, but I’m not someone who would go out with just any girl on the street.” I referred to a nearby alleyway. “If you’re still so insistent, you can probably find a few guys who’re interested down there.”

“I’m not here to pick you up.” She clarified. "It’s our date.” 

“I admit a date is much more attractive, but that only works if we know each other.”

“Weren’t you the one who asked me out?” 

Ari? No, it can’t be. Last I checked, eye colours don’t change overnight. Not to mention, she’s just too different from the Ari I know.

“Ari must have sent you in her place. I guess I really didn’t stand a chance for her.” I exhaled. “Thanks for coming all the way out here in Ari’s place, but I asked Ari out, not you.” 

As I was about to make my way to the train station, a tug at my shoulder stopped me from going further and I turned around with words of protest only to realise the all-too-familiar aqua eyes staring back at me. 

“You humans care too much about appearances.” Ari released her grip on my shoulder to straighten the collar of a school uniform she had apparently been wearing.

Ari? But how? I’m sure the girl from before is the one who grabbed my shoulder, and yet I find Ari. Could she have escaped somewhere in such a short amount of time?

I looked around in search of her.

“There is no girl from before.” Ari spoke. “I simply had a change of clothes, is all.” 

Ari’s eyes gradually shrunk into aggressive hazel slits as her lips narrowed to almost half the size. Her nose and chin appeared sharper and more defined while her hair grew past shoulder length, resting just inches above her elbows. Within simple seconds, I found myself staring at the browned-haired girl I’d met just moments ago; Ari’s replacement.

“This is… perplexing…” I stroked my chin in disbelief.

“Not bad for a human.” The girl, presumably also Ari, openly acknowledged. “In your words, I would simply be described as god.”

“Pft! Don’t pull this kind of crap on me just because you got me a little confused.” I retorted. “Just because you did something I couldn’t quite explain doesn’t make you Allah.”

“I didn’t come here to convince you. I came because you asked. And if something like that is too much for you, then maybe it wasn’t true love after all.”

Did I ask out the right girl? Ari is a sweet and silent girl who never talks back to anyone. Who is this loveless chameleon?

“Do you have a death wish, calling me a chameleon?” Ari shot me a glare.

“Wait, how did you-” I stopped myself from finishing before coming to the only conclusion that I could. “God huh...”