Author Note: Wow... first time writing one... Anyways, I hope you enjoy this story as much as I do, and I know it sucks badly. GOMENASAI! T~T -goes into emo corner- Read and comment please?
Copyright does not belong to me. Characters belong to Yamaha and story belongs to Yumeka Sumomo-sensei, go read the original manga! Swear its better than mine.
Kon No Ki No Konoha
My father and I loved expeditions. We used to go everywhere. Money didn't matter; my father had tons of them.
When I was six, my father and I went to a hill far away from our residence. I was marveled at the sight that was bestowed to me.
"You may go look around by yourself, but be careful." My father said.
I nodded and took off by myself. Soon, I arrived in a place that was filled with trees in every shade of red and orange.
I continued walking till I reached a tree in the middle of the woods. The leaves and trunk were all completely dark blue. I've never seen a tree like this ever before.
'Is this even real?'
I went up to the tree and hit it a few times. It certainly felt sturdy, like wood.
"Itai (1)! Mou, yamete-kudasai (2)!" a voice called out.
I looked around the tree. Turns out there was a boy behind it. He was certainly older than me with dark blue hair and eyes. He was wearing a coat of some sort and a sky blue scarf.
"Daijoubu-desuka (3)?" I asked.
"I'll be fine…" he said.
Suddenly he looked behind, serious all of a sudden.
"Go hide," he said.
I quickly dodged behind a bush and waited. A woman with brown hair appeared out of no where and pointed at the boy drunkenly.
"Ningen (4). I smell human. Give the human to me! If I eat her I might live for another year!" she said.
"There is no human around here. Leave now." The boy said.
"Fine. But I shall stay for another year." She said before disappearing.
I quickly came out from my hiding place and ran to find my father.
"Otousan (5)!" I called out to him.
He was waiting at the place we were before I took off.
"What's the matter, Miku-chan?" he asked.
"There's this tree, it was blue! And this boy, A-and this women who wants to eat humans!" I said.
He laughed as if it was a joke.
"Miku, you're a big girl now. You should stop telling make-belief stories." He said.
"But…"
"No buts. Let's go, we're leaving."
I was dissatisfied with his lack of trust, so I decided to go for another look at the tree and the mysterious man again.
On the next day, I woke up precisely at 8 o' clock. I took a bath and went downstairs for my breakfast. My father wasn't at home, again. He was probably off to buy more of his favorite 'bananas'. It's so silly. I mean, leeks are much better than bananas. Right?
I went up to my room again and combed my teal colored hair. I didn't feel like tying it, so I left it down. I got dressed in proper clothes and took some money out from my money-box.
I boarded a train to go to the hill. I arrived an hour later. Everything was much or less the same as I had seen it yesterday.
I ventured into the woods again, in search of the blue tree. However, I wasn't keeping track of the time. Time flew fast and soon the moon had appeared.
I realized I could no longer find my way home so I sat down against one of the trees and tried to think of a plan.
"Can't find your way home?"
I turned quickly and saw the guy from yesterday. I nodded.
"Follow me, then." He said.
I followed him through the forest when I suddenly heard thunder roaring. I jumped forward and tried to grab on the boy for support.
To my astonishment, my hands past right through his! I stared at him, shocked. Fortunately, I had managed to gain my balance again so I did not fall.
"Are you a ghost?" I asked.
"And if I am?" he asked back.
"I'm not afraid of you!" I said.
A smile broke out from his face. He looked dazzling. Even more dazzling than my father, who I once said I wanted to marry (as you may have guessed, I wanted to marry him 'cause he was cute).
"My name is Kaito. I'm a spirit that resides in the deep blue tree in the forest. I go to sleep every other season and wake up during the season when the leaves fall." He said.
"I'm Hatsune Miku! Nice to meet you!" I said.
He smiled and turned to look in front of him. There was this throbbing feeling in my chest. I wonder what it means.
"Here you are. If you continue straight from here you'll get to the train station." He said.
"Ano… Arigatou, Kaito-niisan (6)." I said.
"It's no big problem." He said with a smile.
"Eto (7)… I'll come visit you tomorrow, 'kay?" I said.
"Jaane (9)!" I said without waiting for him to answer.
I ran all the way to the train station. I was afraid he might say no. I quickly road the express train home, I hoped my father was home yet...
I opened the door quietly, hoping that it would not squeak.
"Young lady, do you know what time is it now?" a voice came from inside.
I quickly entered and saw my father sitting on the couch with his hands crossed. He looked angry. Better not make him angrier.
"Eh heh heh… Nighttime, perhaps?" I said.
"Not funny, Miku."
"Gomenasai (10), otousan." I said.
His face softened a little.
"Come over here," he said.
I went closer to him and sat on the armchair opposite the couch.
"Now, tell me where did you go?"
"I… went to Gumi's house! Yeah, that's right!"
He looked at me doubtfully.
"Really? Shall I call Gakupo and ask him?"
"Ah, no! They're probably asleep anyway!"
"Miku," he gave me one of those 'I-know-you're-lying' looks. "It 8pm. There's no way they would be asleep."
"Okay, fine. I went to see the blue tree again." I said.
"Miku! You shouldn't go there alone! You could've gotten lost, or hurt, or even worse, kidnapped!" he said.
"But I'm fine!" I yelled.
Father stood up and came towards me. He put his hand on my shoulder and sighed.
"You're right. You being here and safe is good enough for me. But tell me next time, okay?" he said.
I smiled.
"Okay, father."
"And Neru wants you to call her ASAP."
"Then I'll be going now, father."
He nodded. I hopped off my chair and ran to my room upstairs. My room was decorated in all shades of blue and green. It felt calm to me.
I hopped on my bed and took my leek-shaped pillow and hugged it tight before grabbing my cell-phone from the bed stand.
I pressed '2' on my speed dial and it automatically called Neru. After not even one ring, she picked up. Does she have her phone glued on her ear or what?
"Hatsune Miku! You were supposed to call me an hour ago!" Neru's shrill voice yelled.
"You already know Neru gets mad when you don't call her immediately…" Gumi said from the other line.
"I know but I didn't have my cell-phone with me when I was out!" I protested.
"Why not?!" Neru asked.
"What kind of normal 6 year olds have cell-phones?" I asked back.
"Well, you can't exactly say that we're normal, Miku. I mean, we are the daughters of Crypton's company's CEOs…" Gumi said.
"Yeah!" Neru said.
"I know that… but I just wanted trying to be normal…" I said meekly.
"Whatever," Neru said. "Did you hear about Gumi's mom? I heard she was addicted to tuna."
"Hey!" Gumi yelled.
And so the conversation goes on…
I went to the tree again the very next day.
The air had gotten colder. I shivered as I walked to the tree.
He wasn't waiting for me at the tree. I looked around but couldn't find him. I went back to the tree and placed my hand on the trunk.
"You've already went back to sleep, huh?" I said with a sad smile.
10 years went by quickly.
I am now 16, a high school student in Yamaha High, a prestigious school that Gumi, Neru and I went to. Nothing much ever happens here.
I visited Kaito, the mysterious blue-haired boy, every autumn. It's currently summer here in Japan. I hated summer. The air becomes so dry it could literally tear my throat.
I hated winter. The cold air makes me so lonely. I know I have very nice friends, but they're just not enough to make me feel warm.
I hated spring too. It marks the day I have to part with Kaito.
I sighed deeply.
"What's with you? You're like this every day!" Neru asked.
"We're worried about you…" Gumi said.
"I'm fine. Just a bit… tired." I said.
They both looked at me doubtfully.
"Anyway, you have to come to the summer festival with us, okay? Kagamine-san said he didn't want to go if you didn't come." Neru said.
I put on a fake smile and said 'sure'.
I looked at Kagamine-san. He was smiling at me shyly. I know he was crushing on me, but I didn't say anything. What good would it do even if I said it? He wasn't the one I wanted to love me.
I was in love with Kaito. Every time I go visit him, my heart goes crazy and starts beating wildly.
But I know this love wouldn't work out. How would it? He's a spirit and I'm a human. It could never work out.
"Miku! Over here!" Gumi yelled while waving her arms at me.
I rushed to the place where all of them were huddled in a group.
"Sorry I'm late." I said.
"Miku! I told you to wear a yukata (11)! Gumi and I look like idiots just because you didn't wear one!" Neru yelled.
"Sorry," I said.
"Whatever, let's go." She said.
What's the use of wearing it? The one I wanted the show wasn't even here.
Months passed. Soon, it was autumn again.
I went to visit Kaito again, like I usually do. Climbing the hill felt even more difficult than before now.
"Looks like your strength has decreased in the years." A voice said.
I looked up at the tree. Kaito was sitting on a branch with his usual smile.
"Kaito!" I called.
"Want to sit with me?" he asked.
"Okay," I said.
Climbing the tree wasn't hard. I quickly got up and sat next to him. He smiled again.
"Looks like you've grown heavier, eh?" he said.
"Hey!" I said.
He laughed. I was too mesmerized by the sight of him laughing so I couldn't think of anything.
"How did you know anyway?" I asked.
"I'm connected to the tree, remember?" he said.
I nodded.
There was a minute of silence between us. I took the chance to look at the view in front of us.
Nothing much has changed in those 10 years. Kaito hasn't aged. I know he would, just slower than me.
"You've grown it out again. Your hair." He said.
I took my hair in two bunches and showed it to him.
"Do I look more mature now? Do you want to touch it?" I asked.
He smiled.
"Mature? No way. You look like a kid." He said.
Then his smile faded a little.
"But I do. I want to touch it." He said softly.
I looked at him. He looked a little sad. I knew he couldn't touch me. Unless…
"What are you doing?" he asked.
I was hugging the trunk of the tree.
"Touching you, of course." I said with a slight pinkness on my face.
He blushed faintly pink. Then he smiled again.
"It's warm." He said.
Then suddenly his smile vanished.
"Go hide." He said seriously.
"Hide? There's no where here to hide…" I said.
Suddenly, the drunken woman from before appeared again. Kaito shielded me with his arm. I wonder what's wrong.
"Ningen. Give me the human child! I might just live longer if you do!" she said.
"No." Kaito said firmly. "She's mine."
Then the woman melted into the ground.
"What was that all about?" I asked.
"We spirits living inside the trees have to make a choice by the end of autumn. Either we continue living till next autumn, or we go back into the soil." He answered with a sad smile.
"Go back… into the soil?"
He smiled as an answer.
"The autumn 10 years ago, when you first met me, was the autumn that I decided would be my last."
My eyes widened. He wanted… to leave? But why didn't he?
"But…"
"Then I met you," he turned to me with a smile, "And you said that you wanted to see me again. I wanted to see you again too, but winter came."
His smile faded as he sat down next to me again. I wonder why…
"You should get home. It getting late." He said suddenly.
"But… this is the last day! You might go back to sleep tomorrow!" I protested.
He jumped off the branch and looked up at me.
"There's always next year…" he said.
Next year…
"… You're right."
I couldn't wait till next year. I wanted him to be with me, every day. I know that was impossible, but one can hope.
Kaito walked with me till the edge of the forest. He waved me off and waited for me to leave.
Time… truly is short, isn't it?
"Ah, living under this hill gives me fresh air, which is nice. But the weeds…" Haku trailed off.
"It's fine, it's fine. I'll clear them off for you. Just call me anytime you need me." Dell replied before taking another whiff of his cigarette.
"Arigatou, Honne-san." Haku said.
"Whatever, just get into your house before you get sunburned."
"Ah, okay…"
Haku retreated into her house as her brother told her to. Dell threw off the cigarette butt before leaving, but he did not put the flame out…
Somewhere in between the wintery season, I visited Kaito again.
He was sleeping, as he always does in other seasons. I had missed him, that's why I wanted to see him.
I put both my hands on the trunk and lowered my forehead till I felt the rough wood. I wished he was here with me…
"Aishiteru (12)…"
Summer's here again. It makes me all hot and sweaty, especially on P. E., my most hated subject.
"Look's like you're down too, eh?" Neru asked beside me, puffing.
"Same to you," I said.
Gumi was wheezing beside Neru.
"Gumi, daijoubu?" I asked.
The green-haired girl looked at me and smiled a tired smile.
"I'm fine, Miku."
"You should worry about yourself more you know. You're wheezing pretty badly too." Neru said.
Surprisingly, Neru was right. I am wheezing.
"Do you want to get up?" Kagamine-san asked with his hand outstretched towards me.
"Ah, sure." I said.
I was about to take his hand when another took mine. I looked up in surprise. Dark blue was the only color that I could see.
"Kai… to?"
"Who's that?" I heard someone mumble behind me.
I could touch Kaito? But how? Why is he here? He pulled me up and led me out from the gym.
I had a dream once. A dream about me and Kaito. He would be a normal guy, going to school and living a life. We would talk in school all the time. And when it's time to go, we would be reluctant to.
"Could you live… without me?" he asked as we stopped in the hallway.
"If it's you, I could wait forever…" I said with tears streaming down.
He lowered his head. My breath was getting shallower as his lips drew close to mine. I could see him fading away, into leaves of dark blue.
I didn't want to lose him.
"Miku, you're a liar." He said before disappearing altogether.
My eyes widen with shock. I feel to my knees and continued crying.
"KAITO!"
I heard from the news that the forest was destroyed by a still-lit cigarette, thrown by an irresponsible person.
The wind had blown on it, causing the flames to increase. The flames burned everything in that forest, including my favorite tree.
But I still visited that place. The trees are now no longer red or orange.
There are only those with deep blue, and I know whose color that is.
-The End-
Translation;
Itai : Ouch
Mou, yamete-kudasai : Please stop
Daijoubu-desuka : Are you alright
Ningen : Human
Otousan : Father
Ano… Arigatou, Kaito-niisan : Um… Thank you, big brother Kaito
Eto : Um
Jaane : See you
Gomenasai : I'm sorry
Yukata : Japanese apparel
Aishiteru : I love you