Me: Hi!
Kashino: What... Is this?
Me: Uh... A one-shot?
Kashino: I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU HAD NO TIME TO WRITE! That's why you didn't update My Journey, My Story last Monday!
Me: Well... I started this a long time ago... And I finished now. I had like, no homework today.
Kashino: What's this one?
Me: My newest one-shot, 'See You Around'! It's even longer than Litte Strawberry guys! It's like, 8k+! I'm so excited. xD
Kashino: Calm down...
Me: Just a head's up, all italics are memories/flashbacks and all regular font is present time. Just thought I'd put that out there so no one gets confused.
I don't own Yumeiro Patissiere!
Enjoy! :)
See You Around
"Kashino Makoto!" The young blond skidded to a halt, watching his soccer ball roll aimlessly away from him. The 5 year old boy turned to look at his older sister. His eyes were questioning, he raised his eyebrows.
His sister rolled her eyes, "Have you finished your study?"
In response, the little boy frowned. Studies were beyond boring. His family was so intent on him being a doctor, they wanted him to write a study on the basic systems of the human body. He was only five; it was the last thing he wanted to do. Besides, he didn't understand any of it anyway.
"No."
His sister rolled her eyes, "Mom and Dad won't be very happy about that."
Shrugging, he said, "I don't care." He ran after his soccer ball and kicked it harshly. Why were his parents so demanding? He had no interest in learning anything about being a doctor... Although, he still didn't know what he did want to do.
The soccer ball soared through the air and landed in the bushes. "Ow!"
Kashino scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion. Was it just him or had that bush said, 'Ow'?
Running over to the bush, he saw a little girl who looked his age. She had short brown hair and chocolate coloured eyes. She sat on the ground, rubbing her head. It seemed that she had gotten hit in the head with the ball.
"Who are you?" Kashino asked, staring at her.
The little girl looked up and squeaked, "Who are you?"
"I asked first."
"..." The girl pouted her lip, but didn't say anything.
"What are you doing here?" Kashino asked, picking up the ball and sitting beside her. It wasn't everyday he met someone his age, let alone someone hiding in the bushes.
"I got lost," She admitted sheepishly.
"Shouldn't you be with your mom?" Kashino inquired, his bright caramel eyes staring into her own.
"She's busy teaching my little sister piano, so I decided to go exploring," The girl shrugged, "Not a big deal." She looked around the huge Kashino estate with curious eyes, her gaze constantly moving, taking in her full surroundings. First at the stone fountain carved with intricate floral designs. The trimmed hedges and iron gate. The huge house and cars lined up precisely in the front.
"How did you get in here?" Kashino asked finally, "The gate is locked."
Brushing off her pink shorts as she stood, the girl pointed to the hedge, "I pushed through the hedge," Kashino noticed the gap in the foliage, "I landed in the bushes and then your soccer ball hit my head."
"You'd better get out of here," Kashino warned her, "My parents don't like trespassers."
"Just say I'm a friend," She grinned, "I won't cause any trouble!"
"But..."
"Would you like the play?" The girl asked, taking his hand into her own. Kashino stared at her, confusion imbedded on his face. "What's wrong?"
"No one's ever asked me to play with them before," Kashino answered, a little embarrassed to admit so.
"Well, there's a first time for everything," The young girl pulled him up, "I'm actually very excellent at soccer, let's play!"
"Wait..." Kashino trailed off, staring at their intertwined hands, "What's your name?"
The girl paused a bit, before looking to the sky. She seemed to be thinking, as if she had forgotten her own name. "Just... Just call me 'Ichi', it's my nickname."
"Ichi..." Kashino repeated to her. "Okay. You can call me Mako then." A smile took over his face; he had finally found himself a play mate. The two began to kick the ball around with each other and his older sister watched them.
'Just where did she come from?' She wondered to herself. 'It couldn't be...'
XxXxX
After playing for hours, Kashino and Ichi lay down in the grass. It was warm and comfortable, staring up at the sky, watching the clouds float by.
"Look at that cloud," Ichi said, pointing to a nearby fluffy cloud, "It looks like a bunny."
"That one looks like a strawberry," Kashino continued, pointing to another cloud.
"Makoto?" Kashino looked up to his sister coming towards them.
"Nani Aneki?" He asked, before lying down again.
She held out a plate, "I just thought you and your friend might like a snack." On the plate were several cookies and Kashino took it from her.
"Want one Ichi?" He asked, taking one of his own and popping it in his mouth.
"Can't," She shook her head. Pointing to one of the cookies, she continued, "It has hazelnuts."
The young boy raised his eyebrows, "So?
"I'm allergic," She sighed, "Unlucky me."
Kashino's sister raised her eyebrows, "Really? How allergic?"
Ichi sighed, "Anapha... Anaphalacti..." She was having trouble pronouncing the long word.
"Anaphylactic?" Kashino sister asked her.
When the girl nodded, she immediately swiped the cookies away from her little brother. "You, go wash your hands and rinse out your mouth."
Kashino scrunched up his eyebrows, "Why?"
"Anaphylactic means deadly allergy. You don't want to hurt Ichi, do you?"
Kashino shook his head furiously. He got up and ran into the house to do as his sister had instructed. "I'm so sorry," His sister addressed Ichi, "How's some watermelon? I think we have some in the fridge."
Ichi smiled brightly, unaffected, "Sure!"
After finishing up their snack, Ichi and Kashino went on playing. It was hours and hours until the sun started to set and Kashino's sister advised Ichi to go home before it got dark.
The little girl sighed sadly, enjoying being with her new playmate, "But... I want to stay here."
"I know, but you need to go home now. Your parents are probably looking for you."
Ichi grumbled and crossed her arms, "Probably not."
"It's okay Ichi," Kashino assured her with a small smile on his face. He picked up the soccer ball and tossed it between his hands. "You can come back tomorrow."
She sighed but finally gave her new friend a smile, "Okay. Fine. See you later Mako-kun!"
As she slipped back past the hedge, Kashino smiled to himself. He liked that nickname. And he couldn't wait to see her again.
XxXxX
The next day, Kashino waited all morning. He sat at the little gap in the hedge, just waiting for her familiar face to pop out and smile. He couldn't wait to play again. It was something he hadn't really gotten to do. After all, playing wasn't as fun by yourself.
Ichi finally came over at around 12 o'clock. "What took so long?" Kashino asked impatiently. The two walked towards the huge garden and Ichi took the soccer ball from the blond's hands.
"Mom was trying to get me to play piano again. I said no so she got mad."
"Oh," Kashino murmured, "Your parents try to force you to do things you don't wanna do?"
She nodded sadly, "But let's put that behind us." Ichi assured him. Putting the soccer ball down on the ground, she kicked it forward and they both ran after it.
When they made it to the ball, Kashino whispered quietly in her ear, "Mine do too. So I get it."
Ichi stared at him with curious eyes, but smiled and gave him an innocent hug, "Aw, you're sweet Mako-kun."
XxXxX
For the next few months, Ichi would come over at 12 o'clock on weekends and stay until sundown. On school days, she'd be there right after school and leave at dinner time. Kashino was quite used to her presence.
It was interesting to think that even with them being such good friends they didn't even know each other's names. They always referred to themselves as 'Ichi' and 'Mako-kun'.
One fall morning, Kashino went home and threw his stuff into his room. Immediately following, he went downstairs to wait at the hedge for Ichi. Both of them were already 7 years old and had been playing and hanging out together for 2 years.
It was a normal thing for Kashino. He sat by the hedge and waited a few minutes before her familiar face would peer through the bushes to check if anyone was around. When she realized it was just him, she'd slip through. Over the years, they'd had to make the hole bigger so Ichi could still fit. Kashino's parents became increasingly annoyed at the hole in the hedges, but Kashino usually covered it up when they came home, so they forgot about it most of the time.
Kashino checked his watch. It was already an hour after his school was over. Ichi was usually there about 45 minutes ago. This concerned him a little, because never once had she been late. The only times she hadn't come, were times when her family went away, and she always told him about those times.
Another hour passed. Kashino still waiting, sitting on the grass. He was becoming worried. Why wasn't she coming? What had happened?
Kashino's sister called his name, "Makoto?"
He didn't move.
She came up beside him and crouched down, "Makoto... I... I don't think she's coming. Why don't you come inside?"
"She has to come," Kashino insisted, "She has to. She always has."
His sister continued to try, but he wouldn't move. There was this sickening feeling in his stomach that something bad had happened to Ichi. He really wanted to know if she was okay. But he had no way of contacting her. He felt foolish now, never asking where she lived or what her phone number was or anything.
By sunset, she still hadn't come. "Come on Makoto," His older sister pulled him up by the arms, no matter how much he refused, "She's not coming today. She's probably busy. Just wait again tomorrow."
Kashino eventually was forced inside. Luckily for him, his bedroom overlooked the section of the hedge that Ichi usually crawled through. He kept watching from inside. But she never came.
That night, Kashino couldn't sleep. So many thoughts clouded his thoughts. What could have happened to her?
XxXxX
The next day, when Kashino came home, he went straight for the hedge. There was no sign that Ichi had been there at all. Angrily, he stormed into the house and threw his stuff down. Why wasn't she there? Why wasn't she coming? He was frustrated. She didn't tell him she was going away. So where was she?
He went out and sat there again. Waiting, longing, and just wanting to know where she was. No matter who pleaded with him to go inside, he wouldn't. He wouldn't, until he talked to Ichi again. Many of the workers who looked after the estate, wanted to try and search her up. Find out where she went. But they couldn't. Kashino didn't know her name. All he knew was her nickname was Ichi. That was all.
This went on for weeks. Kashino refused to believe she wasn't coming back. She had to. She had to. More days went on, the leaves changed colours, they fell, it got colder. Each day, Kashino would wait. When it was cold, he wore a jacket. If it was windy, he used an umbrella to shield himself. Soon, snow was falling and his sister was exasperated. She told him, there was no chance. No matter how much she knew it would break his heart, she had to say it.
"Makoto. Ichi is NOT coming back. It's been months."
His face was expressionless. He brushed past her and into his room. Slamming the door shut, he wouldn't come out for the rest of the day.
The next day, he didn't go out and wait for her. He had lost all hope in his best friend ever coming back.
XxXxX
"Makoto!"
"I know, I know!" He yelled back. The teenage boy was in his room, trying to tame his ever messy bed-hair, when his sister called him. Andou Sennosuke was waiting at the door, for minutes.
He ran down the stairs, with his luggage in tow. Summer break was over and he and Andou were headed back to St. Marie for their second year there. It was a school specializing in baking sweets. Over the years, Kashino had discovered what he wanted to do with his life. He was going to be a patissier, one who specialized in chocolate.
Andou was waiting for him, they were to get there by bus and he definitely didn't want to go alone. As usual, only Kashino's sister was the only one to see her brother off. Ever since the discovery of his dreams, Kashino's relationship with his parents had been in the rocks.
"Come on, let's get going," Kashino said, shoving his shoes onto his feet.
Andou nodded and the two boys walked along the pathway to the end of the estate. They passed by that hedge that gave Kashino the chills. It had long since been grown back over and left no evidence of anything. He was already 14; it had been 7 years since he had last seen that girl. But he still thought about her sometimes.
The two walked to the bus station, their luggage dragging behind them, occasionally bumping into their heels. "I hear we're getting a new transfer student," Andou said lightly.
"Whatever," Kashino rolled his eyes, "Transfer students are so annoying."
"They say she's going to join our class, A Group," Andou continued softly. He was nervous to see Kashino's reaction.
"I just hope they're not totally hopeless," He grumbled. He didn't really like change. So he was brooding on the inside.
They sat together at the bus stop. The leaves of the old trees were a light shade of orange, swaying gently in the September breeze. Kashino hated fall. Ever since that time when he was 7, he despised it. It brought back memories he never seemed to be able to shake himself free of.
"Look, see how the leaves change colours? They kind of remind me of you! See the golden yellow ones? They remind me of your hair. I've always liked the colour."
"Do you feel the way the wind blows? So gentle and soft, like you."
Her voice that haunted his dreams, his thoughts, his everything. He didn't understand why he couldn't just forget about her. It would be so much easier that way. But of course, life was never easy.
"Ma-kun?" Andou asked, staring at his friend. He had that sad look on his face. A facial expression he constantly had through the fall. He had never asked about it, because he felt it wasn't his place to do so. But he always wondered what bothered his friend so much.
The blond sighed and said, "Yeah?"
"Nothing," Andou continued. The bus pulled in and the two boys sat together in silence.
"I'm going on another trip," Ichi whispered softly. The two were lying in the grass looking up at the white clouds.
Kashino sighed and sat up, "It's like you always go on trips."
"It's because of my super talented, piano prodigy of a sister, she's always involved in competitions." Ichi huffed, "But I guess I don't mind. Those moments when you're in a vehicle, watching the scenery it makes you realize how beautiful the world is.
Kashino looked away from the window. He didn't want to think about that. She made anything beautiful. Always so optimistic, able to make any of his worst days better. She just seemed to make the world shine a little bit brighter.
"Why do they always force so much pressure on me?" Kashino spat bitterly, "Always making me do studies, as if I'm actually going to be a doctor. I can't stand it!" He slammed his fist against the ground.
Ichi sat back, using her hands to support herself. "At least you're not overshadowed, after all, my parents barely notice my existence. It's always about my sister, her amazing piano talents and abilities. I'm a disappointment of a first born child. I can't do anything." She smiled one of her sweet smiles at him, the ones that seemed to make the whole world a better place, "So, be proud that your parents have so much faith in your abilities. They think you can do this. So try hard, for them." She put a hand on his shoulder, "I have faith in you."
He wanted so bad to stop thinking about her. Why did she plague his thoughts all the time? Better yet though, he wanted to see her again. Demand where she went, why she left him out in the cold. She never ever came back. She hadn't even said good bye.
"Ma-kun... We're here," Andou told him. His friend was still distracted. Again, another thing he did more in the fall.
"Yeah," He agreed. Together they stood and walked back into the St. Marie campus. They met up with Hanabusa Satsuki. People eyes them, gasping, whispering, gossiping. Together, they were St. Marie's sweet princes. A group of elite, talented boys. All the girls seemed to be in a trance, obsessed with each and every one of them.
"So have you heard about the new transfer student?" Hanabusa asked as they walked towards the boys' dorm, "She's supposed to be something amazing. Scouted by Henri-sensei himself."
"Henri-sensei?" Andou repeated, "She's going to have a lot of expectation on her."
"That's for sure," Hanabusa agreed. Kashino wasn't really in the mood for conversation. He really just wanted to clear his head and get some fresh air.
"Are you okay Kashino?" Hanabusa asked curiously. The green-haired boy opened the door the boys' dorm and the three of the walked in.
Kashino kept walking. He didn't want to talk. "Answer the question," Hanabusa pressed on as he unlocked the door to their room.
"No." He answered finally. Throwing his stuff on his side of the room, he walked out of the room without another word.
XxXxX
Kashino went to the only quiet place he knew of. The lake on the edge of the campus. The sweet fall breeze blew past him and he wished it would just go away.
The air smelled sweet and like cinnamon. At least, that's the way Ichi always described fall.
Some of the leaves were already on the ground, Kashino crunching them into the ground as he walked. Sitting down and leaning against a tree, he closed his eyes.
"You know why trees lose their leaves every fall?" Ichi asked, pointing to the grand maple tree at the side of the Kashino estate.
Kashino shrugged his shoulders in response, "I don't know."
"Because," Ichi continued, "Wouldn't you be bored to stay in the same place all your life? Every fall, leaves fall just to be blown away. They want to go on an adventure. But every spring they come back, because they know, sooner or later, someone's gonna miss them."
Kashino groaned to himself. He just couldn't handle this anymore. This must be some sort of mental disorder. He shouldn't be thinking of this girl day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute. He should have been able to let her go already. But he just couldn't.
"Um, excuse me, can you help me?"
He opened his eyes. A girl with brown hair tied up in curly pigtails stood over him, a slip of paper in her hands. "Could you tell me where this is?" She asked, handing him the slip of paper.
Kashino was slow to move, he read the paper over and whispered, "Over there." He pointed to the general direction of the location she was looking for.
"Thanks," She breathed, relieved, "My name is Amano Ichigo. What's yours?"
"Is it any of your business?" Kashino snapped back, not in the mood for socializing.
She seemed startled at his response. "Oh. Sorry..." She trailed awkwardly. She took a step back and waved, "I'll maybe see you around?"
"Whatever," Kashino answered. As she left he thought bitterly, Absolutely not.
XxXxX
On the first day of classes, Kashino was dismayed by the fact that the ditzy girl he had met the other day, Amano Ichigo, was the transfer student sent to join their group.
He had just assumed she was a lost first year girl he'd never have to see again. Sadly, it wasn't the case. There was just something about her that his heart hated. Why he felt like that, he wasn't sure.
"Welcome to St. Marie, Ichigo-chan," Hanabusa greeted warmly, taking her hand and pressing her knuckles against his lips.
"Um, thanks," She whispered sheepishly, blushing a little.
There was something the way she looked, the way she sounded, the words she said. It made Kashino feel weird. It was a feeling he had never felt before, like a mixture of regret, bitterness and déjà vu all at the same time. It was strange and it made him very moody and angry.
"Okay class," Their teacher brought their attention back to her. "Today we are making Mille crepes, I assume you all know what to do, as it's review from last year. I will grade you at the end of class."
Everyone got set to work, except for Amano Ichigo. She seemed to be staring at the board, trying to get as much as she could from the little information written on it. It didn't seem like she knew what she was doing.
People were watching her. After all, she was scouted by Henri-sensei, one of the best in the baking business. She looked well aware of that fact, but tried to ignore them. Once she started, people were startled. Her technique, her consistency, her baking in general was absolutely...
Awful.
People were whispering and it was obvious Ichigo could hear it all. She was blushing and shaking, nervous under all the pressure. And obviously, she didn't know what she was doing.
At the end, Ichigo's work was a total disaster. Kashino stared at it with some sort of pent up emotion.
"I've never been good at anything really, but I love sweets," Ichi whispered one day. They were sitting by the front door, as the rain had started falling and they had taken shelter under the porch. "I'm gonna grow up and make sweets for everyone."
"Me too," Kashino agreed. Ichi was the one who inspired his dreams. She led him to discover himself and so much more.
"We can do it together!" Ichi exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together, "We can support each other through everything, right?"
He smiled and nodded softly. The two watched the rain slow down. As the clouds cleared, they saw, sparkling beautifully among the mist, a colourful, bright rainbow. A symbol to their promise to achieve their dreams.
Even with Ichi gone, Kashino was determined to finish that dream. He knew, if Ichi were to see, she would be happy with him. And that thought put some hope in his life. Just looking at Amano Ichigo's work made him angry.
She wasn't serious. Why was she here when Ichi could be? He didn't need people to fool around when he was trying so hard. Bitterly, he took a fork and freely sampled her work. Ichigo watching in surprise.
When Kashino tasted how amateur it was. How unrefined and unpractised. This was an insult to him and Ichi's dream. The last thing he had to connect himself with her.
He was angry. People like her didn't deserve to be there. If they weren't here to take sweets seriously, they could seriously go and die, in Kashino's opinion. He was bitter, why were these screw ups here when Ichi wasn't? What happened to them tackling their dreams and achieving them together?
"Indeed," He whispered to her bitterly, "It does taste like a beginner's work. Amano, you had 10 days leeway before you entered here, right?"
His voice begins rising. Kashino couldn't understand why he was so upset. She was just some girl. Just another girl. Why should she matter more than any other? He may not have known it, but deep down inside, he felt hatred towards this girl because, she wasn't Ichi. But the way she seemed to be just like her, it made Kashino feel like Amano Ichigo was an insult to his memories with Ichi.
"Yeah..." She murmured quietly.
"You've been delayed for over a year..." Kashino continued on, "So did you ever think of practising?"
Words were coming out of his mouth before he could stop them. Bitterness, resentfulness, all the feelings he felt about his lost childhood friend. "Did you think you'd get sympathy as a beginner and would be taught every detail?"
"T-that's..." Ichigo stammered softly. She didn't understand why he was so worked up. So what, she didn't know a simple sweet, that wasn't her fault.
"Don't take this lightly!" Kashino yelled, his feelings were getting jumbled in his head and poor Ichigo had to be the one taking all the emotions as he released them, "We're aiming to be professionals!" He screamed.
Just like Ichi wanted to be. His conscience added.
"If you're not willing to do this, go home!" He continued.
Why should you be here when I could have someone else! Kashino thought angrily, after all the years, he was finally uncovering all the feelings he had tried to keep buried inside of him. But for some reason, Amano Ichigo was revealing them and he didn't know why. I may have been a kid. We were small and talked about pointless things. But she was my everything. She was there when no one else could. Not my sister, my parents, my family. She was always there and I needed her. It was only until one day; Kami-sama took her away from me. Why? What did I do? I loved her! I may have been 7 and foolish, but I knew it. I loved her!
Ichigo looked down and Kashino could see tears fall from her eyes and hit the ground. As she ran out of the room, Kashino didn't feel a single feeling of regret.
XxXxX
Andou and Hanabusa pestered him all night long. He had taken it too far. He had hurt her badly. To be honest, he didn't care.
It went on like that for the longest time. He hated Amano Ichigo. It was because; she was so much like Ichi. And it made Kashino miss her even more. It made him long for her, to the point that it kept him up at night. It hadn't felt that way since the first few months of her absence. He hated that feeling. Kashino couldn't deny it. He loved Ichi. She was the best thing that ever happened to him. He thanked fate every day that she happened to stumble into his yard and not someone else's. But at the same time, he hated it for pulling them apart.
The way Amano Ichigo talked, her tone of innocence and optimism. The way she could find beauty in anything. The way she moved, sweet and graceful. The way she smiled, bright and infinite. She could have been Ichi's twin.
Kashino didn't want her there. She was a constant reminder of what he couldn't have. He couldn't have Ichi because she was gone. She never came back and Kashino never knew why.
It was only until more time passed when Ichigo began improving. She started taking everything more seriously and worked hard and strived for the things she wanted. Kashino had to admit, he had respect for her. But it definitely didn't keep him from thinking about his lost childhood love.
Each day, seeing Amano Ichigo only drove him closer and closer to the end. It kept reminding him of things he could never have and what he had lost.
It was only until one day, when his life took a turn. And that had to be one of the scariest days of his life.
XxXxX
Kashino along with the rest of team Ichigo were going out for the day. They were headed for a sweets festival in downtown. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the sun had been out all day and there was a slight breeze in the air.
Ichigo was babbling on about how excited she was to eat sweets, Hanabusa was subtly flirting with her and Andou was listening politely. Kashino could care less at times like these, after all Ichigo was still a glutton after all.
The bubbly girl was zipping around the place, sampling sweet after sweet. One thing Kashino noticed however, was before she bought anything she'd lean forward and ask the employee something quietly. When they shook their head, she'd buy the sweet. Kashino wasn't too sure what she was asking and it made him curious.
Ichigo was sampling cream puffs, when Andou finally turned to the two other boys. They were all exhausted and Ichigo didn't look like she was going to stop sampling any time soon. "Why don't we break for lunch?" Andou suggested.
The two agreed whole heartedly. "Amano-san?" Andou called out to her.
She stopped stuffing her mouth full of the sweet puffs to blink her eyes confusedly, "Yes?" She asked.
"We were thinking of stopping for lunch," Hanabusa told her, "Do you mind?"
The girl smiled brightly, "Of course! I was getting kind of hungry anyway."
Kashino wondered how she could eat so much. "Hungry? You've been eating all morning!"
"But those were sweets," Ichigo insisted, "I'm hungry for real food."
Kashino sighed and shook his head at her. He didn't say anything, there was no point. Walking around, the 4 looked for a cafe or restaurant that they thought might be a good place to eat. After a while, they saw a small restaurant.
The festival was the annual all around the world fest. Restaurants from all around the world were setting up little shops for people to enjoy. The specific restaurant team Ichigo happened to find was a French place. It was sweet and simple, a basic wooden sign on the door. It was written in French. No one was quite sure what it said, despite the fact they studied French in school.
They walked in and immediately felt out of place. The store was very empty, so most of the people inside were employees. They were all from France, so locals like Team Ichigo looked very different from them.
"Excuse me?" Andou asked one of the waitresses passing by.
She stopped to stare. The waitress herself was trying to figure out what Andou had said. Her first language was French, she really didn't know much Japanese at all. "Uh..." She murmured quietly, "Y-yes?"
Her Japanese was very choppy, so Andou tried to speak slower for her sake, "Could we have a table for 4?"
She nodded and gestured them with her hand. They sat down at the table she led them to and she placed a menu in front of each of them. She left to go tend to a couple that had just walked into the store. Holding up a finger, meaning to say 'give me one minute' she went over to assist them.
"Maybe we should have gone to a Japanese restaurant?" Ichigo asked.
Kashino sighed, "That just takes away from the whole point of the festival, you're supposed to be learning and trying things from different countries."
Ichigo was silent after that. Partly because everyone was trying to decode the menu. Kashino was the best at French, so he was reading the menu very slowly out loud.
Eventually, they all heard an order they wanted and the waitress came back. They each pointed at the item they wanted and after what seemed to take so long, everything worked out.
They were all eating silently, just a little bit exasperated. In the end, when their plates were cleared away, they relaxed a little. Ichigo leaned back in her chair, "Hey guys, do want to try one of their desserts?"
Kashino just wanted to get out of the festival and go back to school. He didn't like spending too much time with Ichigo, it wouldn't be long before he would be reminded of Ichi. He was about to say no, when both Hanabusa and Andou agreed.
All eyes turned to him. "No," He said bluntly.
Ichigo clicked her tongue, "Come on, let's try something French!"
"Most sweets are French may I remind you," Kashino answered her stubbornly, "Can we just get out of here?"
"Come on, we can afford a few more minutes to eat dessert," Hanabusa replied to the blond, "It's not going to do any harm."
Andou agreed with the rose boy, leaving Kashino the only one who was really set on leaving. "Alright fine," Kashino finally answered begrudgingly, "But after that, we leave right?"
Ichigo smiled that smile that turned her eyes bright and set her rosy cheeks up high, "Of course! No need to worry!"
They flagged down the waitress and asked her, slowly for her sake, "Can we have your best dessert?"
She nodded after a while, taking the time to translate. She was about to walk away, when Ichigo's eyes widened and she grabbed her by the elbow. The waitress looked slightly alarmed, Ichigo whispered something in her ear. Kashino noticed it was what she usually did when they were about to eat sweets.
The waitress looked somewhat flustered to be stopped and didn't really seem to understand Ichigo's question. She nodded feverishly just to get away, although, Ichigo probably thought she was saying yes to her question.
They waited a while, before a large plate was put in the middle of them. It was a chocolate brioche cake, with hazelnut cream on the inside. It was the whole cake and all 4 of them were going to share it.
Ichigo was the first to take a bite, "There's something about this cake that makes me nervous..." She whispered finally, after swallowing.
"What's to be worried about?" Hanabusa asked, smiling at her sweetly, taking a bite of his own, "This is really good."
"I feel weird," She mumbled in response, "My lips are all tingly and weird."
Andou shrugged and took a mouthful, "I like this too, it has very deep flavour."
Ichigo insisted that she felt strange, "Guys... I feel kind of dizzy."
"You're just complaining about nothing, as usual," Kashino grumbled moodily at her, taking his own fork and sample the sweet. "It's not like this doesn't taste good. The chocolate cake and hazelnut cream really compliment each other."
That was when Ichigo's face went deadly pale, "H-hazelnuts?"
"Yeah," Kashino said, confusion embedded in his tone, "What's wrong with that?"
Ichigo began scratching at her arms, which were red and bumpy with hives. Her face was pale but her cheeks were bright red, "I'm... I'm allergic to hazelnuts."
There was a moment of silence, "How allergic?" Andou asked finally. They were all dreading the answer really.
"Anaphylactic..." Ichigo murmured faintly. Her eyes were glassy and she was still scratching her arms, "Someone... Need epipen..."
Hanabusa was the first to react, he grabbed Ichigo's bag off it's hanging spot on her chair. Jostling everything in her bag, he was looking for the emergency medication, "Damn it! Where is it?"
Kashino was frozen. Hazelnuts? Anaphylactic? Like... Ichi?
Ichigo was woozy now, almost falling off her chair. Hanabusa finally located the medication and pulled the blue safety tab off of it. "What do we do?" He asked in panic, no one had any idea what to do. "Kashino! You're the doctor's kid, what do we do?"
"You need to inject it in her leg," He said almost automatically, "And call an ambulance."
Hanabusa was a bit nervous, but Ichigo was wheezing and looked ready to pass out, so he did it. Kashino knew that epipens had a drug inside it that ignited the body's adrenaline, keeping a person in anaphylactic shock, conscious.
No one had their cell phones with them. Except Kashino. "Kashino call an ambulance," Andou told his friend.
Kashino was still trying to comprehend the situation. Ichi and Ichigo were allergic to the same thing, did that mean...?
But he did as he was told. He did something he thought he would never have to do. Dial 911.
"911, what's your emergency?"
"Someone has just gone into anaphylactic shock," Kashino replied. His heart started beating double time, almost as if he was the one with the shot of adrenaline.
"Did they put in an epipen injector?"
"Yes."
"Are they conscious?"
"Yes."
"What was ingested?"
"Hazelnut."
"Where are you?"
"Around the world festival," Kashino stated calmly, yet he was anything but calm. Ichigo was crying and Hanabusa was trying to console her. The medication in the epipen wouldn't last for long.
"It's okay Amano-san, it's going to be okay," Andou assured her, though she kept crying. Her worst nightmares were coming true. Going into anaphylactic shock, her fear since it had happened when she was 8 years old.
"We'll be right there," The 911 operator told Kashino through the phone, "Hang tight."
Kashino grunted in response. Looking to Ichigo, he had this crazy idea in his head. But his idea was absurd. No way.
"Calm down Amano," He said to her, "The ambulance will be here soon. Plus, your conscious and that's all that matters."
She stopped scratching at her arms to stare at him in the eyes. A glimmer of... Yearning in her eyes. As if she wanted to tell him something.
It caught Kashino off guard. But he brushed it off. They waited for minutes, which seemed to drag on as long as hours, before the ambulance screeched into a halt in front of the restaurant.
Ichigo was still hysterical. The worker manning the ambulance hopped down and addressed her, "Are you okay Miss?" He asked, seeing her tear stained face. She shook her head. The memories of her 8 year old experiences were coming back to her. That time, she didn't have an epipen. All she could remember were scary people looming over her, wires attached everywhere, a mask on her face. She was scared to death that it was happening again. Even after she had been so careful.
Tears began sliding down her face again and the worker was alarmed, "Are you alright?"
She began choking back sobs, but nodded. They proceeded in strapping her into the gurney in the ambulance to load her in for the ride.
The driver of the ambulance turned to Kashino, Hanabusa and Andou. Each had stayed calm for Ichigo's sake, but were pale faced and looked about ready to pass out.
"So, who's going to go with her?" He asked, looking to all 3 of them.
The three exchanged looks, before Hanabusa spoke up, "I guess... I'll go."
The driver was about to say something else, when he was interrupted by a loud scream, from none other than Ichigo herself. "NO!" She screeched loudly, her voice desperate and high, "NO!"
The sweet princes rushed to the back of the ambulance. They were trying to attach wires to Ichigo, so they could keep track of her blood pressure and heart rate, but she wouldn't let them. Her eyes darted around wildly and she thrashed her arms around in a craze. She couldn't do the wires again, she couldn't. It was all too familiarly scary. They continued to try, which upset her further and further. Tears were rolling down her cheeks in what seemed like a waterfall.
"We can't get her to calm down, she won't let us put in the equipment so we can keep track of her vital signs, it's mandatory. Who's coming along?"
Hanabusa raised his hand slightly and the worker instructed him to get on the ambulance and calm the 14 year old out of her hysterics. The green-haired boy climbed in and gently took hold of Ichigo's hand. She stopped thrashing around to stare at him. "Ichigo-chan, you have to calm down. They're only doing their job," He told her soothingly, "You have to let them."
Ichigo realized Hanabusa was against her. She didn't want those machines hooked up to her. She couldn't do it. Not again.
"NO NO NO!" She screamed. She couldn't understand why no one understood her. Her deepest secrets and emotions started to rise up within her. For a long time she had tried, tried to keep her biggest secret tucked away. Hidden from prying eyes. But she needed to release it. She needed him. "MAKO-KUN!" She yelled, ripping her hand away from Hanabusa's own, "HELP ME!"
Andou watched Kashino suddenly stiffen at the name. His caramel pupils widened alarmingly and his mouth open slightly.
Kashino's head was spinning. Mako-kun...?
"Mako-kun! I missed you!" "Mako-kun! Let's play again!" "Mako-kun! Let's stay friends forever!"
Ichi.
The worker told Hanabusa to move out of the way. They were going to have to put Ichigo to sleep. They needed to do their job one way or another. Kashino felt like he was moving through molasses. It felt like slow motion but he jumped forward. Andou tried to pull him back, but he wouldn't let him.
"What are you doing?" Hanabusa asked, seeing Kashino. The blond, in turn, grabbed him by the wrist and threw him near the exit of the ambulance. Almost teetering and losing his balance, the narcissist jumped out of the ambulance, landing on his feet. "What was that for?" He yelled at him.
Andou held him back, "Stop. Look at him."
Kashino took hold of Ichigo's hand. A flurry of emotion fluttering through him, a force so strong he felt like he would pass out.
Ichigo... She was Ichi. The reason she was just like her, was because she was her. He took hold of her hand and gently wiped away the tears flowing from her flushed cheeks, "Ichi...?" He whispered softly. It had been years since he'd actually said the name and even then, it sent his heart beating five million times faster.
She stopped struggling and held his hand tightly, "Mako-kun..." She mumbled in response. Her eyes were not looking into his own however. Taking the opportunity that Ichigo had calmed down, the worker placed a mask over her nose and mouth. It was medication to put her to sleep.
Ichigo slowly fell asleep, still looking down. Kashino gently tilted her head back, so it was leaning against the head rest. Her eyes were closed, showing off her long, thick eyelashes. Her grip on his fingers loosened. Kashino couldn't believe it. He never thought he would ever hold Ichi's hand again. Let alone, ever see her again. It was so much to digest; he still hadn't fully grasped it.
Ichigo was Ichi. Ichi was Ichigo. It was so confusing. So many questions that had to be answered. Why didn't she tell him? If she had recognized him, why hadn't she said anything? Why couldn't he have figured it out?
The workers in the ambulance proceeded to attach the wires to Ichigo, now that she was asleep and no longer struggled. Kashino held onto her hand. It was like a lifeline. He felt like if he let go, he'd never get her back. She looked so helpless, strapped in an ambulance, wires taped across her heart, a blood pressure cuff on her arm. Tear tracks streaked her face.
Kashino thought it was a twisted way to reunite with the one you loved. After all the years, he was finally reconciled with her. The love of his life. As the workers backed away and began monitoring instead of hovering, Kashino leaned forward and kissed her forehead lightly, "I missed you a lot Ichi," He whispered to her unconscious body.
XxXxX
At the hospital, they wheeled Ichigo inside the hallway and Kashino followed along. They unstrapped her from the gurney, where the patient would usually walk the few steps into the treatment room but Ichigo was currently unconscious.
As much as Kashino wanted to be the one to carry her, it was the worker's job to do it. Kashino felt somewhat relieved that they hadn't gone to the Kashino General Hospital. Instead, they were in a closer hospital called Japan Memorial Hospital.
Ichigo was laid down on the bed. A female doctor met them. "She was given an epipen after ingestion of the allergen," The worker told her, "We had to put her to sleep because she was struggling and wouldn't let us attach any of the required monitors."
She nodded and looked at Kashino, "And... This was her accompaniment? Not her parents?"
"She was with 3 boys," The worker shrugged.
"We're all classmates," Kashino added.
"I see, you are?" The doctor asked him.
He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure if the doctor would recognize his family name, "Uh, K-Kashino Makoto."
"Ah, the doctor's son, studying sweets," She said quietly, "Okay."
Kashino felt his cheeks turn a harsh shade of red, "W-well..."
After that awkward conversation and medicating Ichigo properly, the doctor sent Ichigo into a room. A nurse picked her up and laid her down in a bed closest to the door. There was a T.V attached to the bed by a bar and sitting in front of the bed where Ichigo could see if she had been awake.
"Would you like to put a movie in or something while waiting for her to wake up?" One of the nurses asked Kashino.
He shook his head and took a seat beside the bed. Hesitantly, he reached for her hand and began massaging her knuckles with his thumb, "You need to hurry up and wake up," Kashino told her. He laughed, realizing how stupid he might sound to anyone passing by. "Did you recognize me Ichi? When you found me there at the lake against that tree? Did you know it was me? I was thinking about you, you know."
Ichigo's face remained blank and almost frozen as she slept. "I missed you a lot," Kashino continued, rambling on, "It hurt a lot when you never came back to see me again. I thought something bad might have happened to you."
"I thought about you a lot, I've missed you since 7 years ago. Pretty crazy huh? I love you. I fell in love with you ever since I met you back when we were 5 years old and you asked me to play with you. I still do. I'm not sure if you missed me or love me, but I'll figure that out when you wake up."
"Where did you go all those years, Ichi?" Kashino asked, against his will, tears began to pool in his eyes, "Did you forget about me? Did I hurt you? Why did you leave me out in the cold? Why didn't you tell me good bye? Why didn't you tell me I'd never see you again? I waited for you for months, but you never came. Why didn't you? Where did you go when I needed you at my side? Right beside me?"
Tears began slowly trailing down his face, frustration, unsettled and scared. He was shaking with sobs, though he remained silent in his cries. "Did you not like me anymore?"
Using his free hand to wipe away his tears, Ichigo's eyes fluttered softly. "I'm sorry Mako-kun," She whispered softly, squeezing his grip on her hand. He stared at her, half relieved to see her awake and half scared that she wasn't real.
"What happened to you?" He asked finally, "Why did you never come back? You were the one who wanted to stay together forever."
"Mom got mad at me," Ichigo admitted, finally answering all the questions he had exploding inside of him, "She found out I had been sneaking over to someone's house every day. After that, she never let me go out. I didn't know your name, so I couldn't search you up in the phone book to call you. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't get out of my house. I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you."
"What about when you transferred to St. Marie? Did you recognize me?" He asked. She had called him Mako-kun, she had recognized him, even when he couldn't recognize her.
"I did," She said quietly, looking out to the window, showing off the fall coloured leaves, smothered in sunlight.
"Then why didn't you tell me?" He asked, using his finger to make her look him in the eye.
Her eyes flickered softly, so naive and bright as he remembered them being, "I was afraid you were going to be mad at me. That you hated me for abandoning you, even after we promised we wouldn't."
"I never hated you," Kashino murmured, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, "I've loved you. I loved you ever since I met you that day in the bushes. When I saw your smile and you asked me to play with you. I loved you then and I still love you now."
Ichigo's lips twitched slightly, before 4 simple words came from her mouth, "I love you too."
He stared into her eyes before slowly leaning forward to her. The girl closed her eyes and leaned forward, her eyelashes almost like the fluttering of angel wings.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned forward into him as well. It was only a half second before their lips met. Ichigo's lips were so soft and just felt so right against his own. They broke apart and Kashino pressed his forehead against her own. Finally, Kashino felt like his life had gotten back into place.
He had his childhood love in his arms and felt everything was finally, finally, working out.
"Hey Mako-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"Heh, nothing. Just wanted to tell you, I love you."
"... I love you too Ichi."
Me: And that's it! I hope you guys liked it! And I'm super proud of you for reading until the end. That's a really long story. xD
Ichigo: Wow. It's like you know what it's like to get an anaphylactic allergy...
Me: Well... It has happened to me. Although, mine was a bit less extreme than Ichigo's. I could have died, yeah, but I wasn't struggling so much they had to knock me out. If you guys have any questions about life threatening allergies, I'll totally be able to answer. :)
Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it!
Until next time.
Love,
Mikashi-chan :)