Dear diary,
Today I reached out for Kawasumi-kun when he dropped me off. My heart beats so loudly when he is beside me. I wish he would stay. How can I make him stay? When he says goodbye and turns away I can't help but reach out. If only he would turn back, he might understand. How much I want to be next to him. Closer than the span of our hands apart, close enough that he might –
"Suiren!"
A pink head shot up, eyes darting frantically around the clearing. Seeing no one, Suiren exhaled her relief and gently folded her notebook closed, tucking it into the foliage behind her.
Brushing the fallen leaves from her lap, Shibazeki Suiren stood and tiptoed across the clearing, waiting for Aya to pass before exiting her sanctuary. Perhaps it was selfish, but she wanted this place to be her secret.
"Sui-reeeeen"
Stepping quickly out of the brush, Suiren approached her friend from behind.
"Suiren! There you are!" Aya moved to her good friend's side and linked arms.
"Were you writing again?" She teased, pulling an errant leaf from the taller girl's hair "I wonder where your journal is hiding now that we are in high school…"
Suiren looked at her friend anxiously, holding up her hands in protest.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I remember what happened in middle school"
Aya's smile faded as she pulled her quiet friend along. She remembered all too well the horror on gentle Suiren's face as her journal was held high above her head, dangled in the fingers of the worst bully from their middle school. It was the beginning of her beautiful friend's retreat into silence.
"I just wish you would keep it at home! Surely they would never raid your bedroom?" Aya peered into the other girl's face. Suiren mutely shook her head back and forth, eyes dark and unreadable.
"Oh well, it can't be helped. Just try to make sure no one finds it okay? None of us want to see you hurt again."
Suiren blushed at Aya's concern, walking placidly beside her friend back into the main building just as the bell signaling the end of lunch period tolled. Thankfully the next class was nearby, or they would risk being late.
I wish Kawasumi-kun was in my class, Suiren mused.
Despite her shy attempts to bridge the gap between them, the situation between Kawasumi and herself had reached a stalemate.
When meeting in the halls, they would greet each other politely and move on. On the walk home Suiren would hold Kawasumi's hand to force him to walk closer to her, inevitably leaving them both too flustered to talk. Upon reaching her home, Kawasumi would bow before quickly turning and dashing off, leaving Suiren staring longingly after him.
Deep in thought, Suiren missed Aya's departure into the washroom.
As she rounded a corner, something came barreling past and knocked Suiren off balance, forcing her bodily into the nearest wall.
"Takane-chan! Are you okay? I can't believe those first years, running around so violently…Good thing Kawasumi was here to break your fall!"
Suiren started at the name and looked around.
She saw only Ryousuke, who was grinning foolishly and pointing to something in front of her.
The … Wall?
Suiren followed his finger and looked up into a very handsome, very flustered face.
"A-a-re you okay?" Kawasumi stuttered, trying to ignore how she felt pressed up against him, fingers entangled in his shirt. His arms had gone around her as she collided, and he was afraid to let her go for fear that she would fall.
The slightly glazed expression in her eyes made Kawasumi want to kiss-
Kawasumi blushed an even more vibrant red and stiffened straight, just as Suiren disentangled herself from his clothing and tried to step backwards.
Instinctually, Kawasumi tightened his hold, drawing her closer to his chest. Suiren's eyes widened.
"S-S-SSS…SORRY" Kawasumi yelled, dropping his arms and jumping backwards quickly as if she was made of hot coals.
Kawasumi's felt tightness in his chest as he took in the sight of the somewhat flustered girl in front of him.
Unaware of his inner turmoil, Suiren blushed and shook her head for what seemed the hundredth time that day.
"No, Th… thank...you" She whispered, looking into his eyes shyly.
Kawasumi started from his reverie and looked around frantically for an escape; at this rate he was sure to assault her further!
"I – class is starting. I'll see YOULATERBYE"
Kawasumi grabbed his friend and quickly dragged him away.
He must… Really not want to touch me.
Suiren frowned at the unhappy thought and walked into her next class.
Kawasumi tried in vain to shake thoughts of Shibazeki Suiren from his head by attacking his sparring partner vigorously.
She looked like she was going to cry. Did I say something – did that idiotic first year hurt her …!
Kawasumi's eyes darkened and he delivered a violent kick to Ryousuke, who staggered backwards and fell.
"Jeese, man, lighten up! What's gotten into you today?"
Kawasumi sighed and ran his hand through his damp hair.
"Did she look upset?" He suddenly said, grabbing a towel from the ground and wiping his drenched face with it.
Ryousuke snorted and rolled his eyes,
"Well, yeah, of course she did. You practically threw her away from you"
Kawasumi blushed and frantically tried to explain,
"No! I nearly assaulted her in public! I had to run away, it was so embarrassing! It had nothing to do with her!"
Ryousuke shook his head and slapped his hopeless friend on the back.
"You are so clueless about girls"
Kawasumi hung his head and groaned.
"Let's go outside, it's too hot in here anyway. I'll explain some things about girls to you…"
Ryousuke laughed and dragged his moping friend through the sliding wooden doors that lead to the school's outdoor area, surrounded on all sides by dense trees.
The cool air was refreshing and imminently preferable to the stifling heat of the dojo. A strong wind occasionally gusted across the clearing, the red sky above promising a stormy night.
Ryousuke strolled beside his friend and tried to explain,
"Girls are on a totally different wavelength okay. You gotta watch all the things you do, 'cause they can take them to mean completely different things."
"But then, how do I do that? I don't know what she thinks!"
Ryousuke shook his head and chuckled,
"You just figure out how girls think, like I do, you know…" He flashed a grin, "…and it probably would help if you didn't throw her away from you when she only bumped into you on accident." He said dryly.
Just then, a loud crashing noise and what sounded like yelping came from the bushes not far from the students. Both darted their heads towards the sound, then looked at each other. Kawasumi held up his hand showing four fingers. Ryousuke shook his head and held up his own hand – showing three.
They nodded at each other before racing off toward the source of the commotion.
This was a private code the boys had created as children after being bullied in school.
A single finger meant "It's safe". Two fingers meant "It's not safe". Three meant "let's do it together"; while four was "get reinforcements." Five fingers was rarely used as it meant, "I can handle this alone".
Breaking past the bushes, the boys stumbled into the middle of a clearing. Frightened by the intruders, two foxes playing nearby let out high pitched yelps and scampered into the underbrush. The boys laughed and looked at each other, showing their hands with one finger raised.
"Well, this is interesting" Ryousuke whistled as he looked around, noticing how the clearing formed a perfect circle.
Kawasumi hummed his agreement and got up from the ground, brushing the broken branches and leaves from his gi. One of the branches had broken off and gotten stuck in his sleeve.
"Great," he sighed, and removed the stick, throwing it into the bushes a bit more violently then he intended.
Jarred from the impact, a notebook fell out of the bushes and slid towards the boys.
"A book? I wonder what that's doing here." Ryousuke reached the book first, checking the front and back but finding both blank.
"Let me see." Kawasumi plucked the notebook and opened to the first page,
"Shibazeki Suiren's diary – AAGGGH!" Kawasumi suddenly dropped the book.
"Diary. It's her diary. What do I do?" He took a few steps back from the fallen journal as if it would suddenly spring up and attack him.
Ryousuke gaped and stared at the book, then suddenly shouted,
"AH HA! This is perfect! You can find out what she is thinking!"
Ryousuke practically danced with excitement, but Kawasumi shook his head vehemently,
"NO!" He yelled, making an X with his arms.
Ryousuke pouted and glanced at the diary,
"Oh come on. Don't they normally keep these kinds of things in bedrooms? I bet it's an old one. She probably doesn't even remember she put it here. I'm sure it's safe to read, actually!"
Becoming excited, Ryousuke grabbed the book from the ground and flipped to a random page, while reading aloud,
"…If only he would turn back, he might understand. How much I want to be next to him- Hey!"
Kawasumi, as red as a tomato, grabbed the book and slammed it shut.
"No more. It's private. Let's go." He shoved the diary back into the bushes.
"Yeah, yeah, fine." Ryousuke sighed and exited the clearing.
Kawasumi followed his friend, but not before pausing and looking at the spot where he shoved the journal, a smile slowly forming on his face.
So… that's what she wants.
The first ever Hibi Chouchou fanfiction! I am completely obsessed with this manga.
Please review if you enjoyed this, I have already written the next four chapters, and would love to upload them.
Gi - Karate training uniform