A lighter that ignites the flames of desire.

While thinking about my childhood friend, I lighted the fire.

As I thought.

The colour of the lit flame was neither the red of pa.s.sion, nor the pink of true love.

It was a murky black.

I am holding distorted feelings towards my childhood friend.

If I were to put them in words, it was something like the desire to monopolise her, my inferiority complex, and impatience all mixed together.

We used to play house when we were little.

Naturally, I was the husband and my childhood friend was the wife.

We also made a promise to marry each other.

Did that promise come from my childhood friend?

In any case, I basically thought that she was [Mine] arbitrarily.