Hello everyone! Well, this isn't my first fic (which explains why I'm so adept at creating awesome summaries) but it is my first one for Hana Kimi, which definitely is on my top ten favorite mangas of all time list. :D Sano and Mizuki are one of my favorite couples. So I decided it was time to branch out! I haven't published since Christmas, so I have to get back to my other fics before people get mad ahaha! That's why I don't do continuous stories ;) So please tell me what you think! I love reviews and I handle criticism very well. It helps me grow. I even sound flowers to people who tell me my stories are awful. Kidding, I've never had that before. But you can check if you don't believe me. So please let me know if I stayed true to the characters (one of my pet peeves). I'd love to hear from you! Thank you! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Hanazakari no Kimitache e, otherwise it wouldn't have taken 120 chapters for Sano and Mizuki to kiss. But at least they did...unlike OTHER STUPID SHONEN MANGAS! *coughtsubasacough* ;)
1. Colors of the Wind
You think I'm an ignorant savage
And you've been so many places
I guess it must be so
But still I cannot see
If the savage one is me
How can there be so much that you don't know?
You don't know ...
She and Sano were alike, Mizuki realized, in more ways than she had believed. They were two of a kind. Compatible? Attuned? She didn't know… but it gave her peace of mind. The one I love… loves the things that I love…so shouldn't that mean…he loves- no! She wouldn't say it! Not thinking, not thinking, not thinking…
She had come to this realization while walking home from her job at Akiha's studio one late, cool afternoon, basking in the fading glow of the sunset. She lifted her head to the sky and inhaled the light fragrance of cherry blossoms in the breeze. Ah, Japan she thought. Why didn't I come here sooner?
The wind toyed with her hair, blowing it in her mouth and eyes. But she didn't shove it away in a frustrated manner nor begin to complain about the finicky weather like most passerbies would. She smiled and giggled a bit, puckering her lips and blowing the brunette locks so she could see. She slowed down her pace, keeping her head turned up, and admired the funny shapes the clouds had taken. A boat, an ice cream cone, a duck… she drifted to the end of the sidewalk and leaned against the stone pillars at the entrance to the local park so she could be out of the way of passerby. She leaned against the cold wall and stared directly into the dying sun without blinking.
You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name
I wish Shizuki could see this, she reflected. She had been prone to sudden thoughts of her family lately, of her friends and old memories. Maybe it was the spring weather making her reminiscent… but I bet Julia would love to paint that sunset! And Gilbert… I wonder if he can see the same sky from whatever mountain he's climbing…
Reluctantly, Mizuki looked down at her watch. 7:30? Where did my afternoon go? At that moment her stomach growled and she felt a bit lightheaded. Oh, that's right. No snack break after Ebi's mistake with the movers…
Mizuki wished she had more time to sit and admire the evening sky. She really needed a while to relax, after all, working for Akiha was not easy feat. She had been on her feet hauling box after box of film and clothes for that day's shoot since 3:30 , and now she had hours of homework to complete after she (if she ever) made it back to the dorm. This week had really taken a lot out of her. Sano even had to forcibly drag her out of bed (which wasn't easy, considering she was on the top bunk) that morning.
Sano…
You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew
Her thoughts turned to her favorite high-jumper for the first time since school let out. Normally he was always on her mind, but she had been so consumed lately that everything seemed to be slipping. She caught him making anxious glances at her throughout classes that day, occasionally prodding her when she seemed to be dozing off. His alarmed expression (eyebrows raised, eyes wide open, mouth in a perfectly straight line) would have made her laugh any other time, but she knew he only was worrying about her. He was always worrying about her…
She wished she could bring him out her to relax, too. She knew his high jumping was going better and better, but she could see him taking a little more time to get out of bed in the morning too. Although he always had a smile to offer her, even at seven o'clock in the morning. Just thinking about his rare gift of companionship made her heart grow warm.
Sano… you're beautiful…
She had been thinking a lot about beauty lately. Watching the makeup artists turn normal –beautiful, but in a human, relatable way- into gorgeous, glamorous models that were so perfect they seemed inhumane. Ebi-san especially had a magic touch, sprinkling a majestic aura (she didn't need Kayashima to tell her that) on the models so that they seemed possessed by other-worldly beings as they posed and spun in front of the camera.
Mizuki thought they were beautiful, certainly. She was frozen on her first day on the job as soon as the first model stepped in front of the backdrop. She stood, arrested, drawn in with such force. She'd never seen anything like that before.
Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind
She had arrived home in a daze that evening, reveling in both exhaustion and amazement. Akiha-san sure is efficient… and then her thoughts returned back to the models. I wish I was that pretty (she took another quick glance at her chest- nope, still nothing)…but then, I probably wouldn't be able to pass myself off as a guy here… it's probably for the best…
"Ashiya?"
Sano's deep voice shook her out of her daydream. She remembered that he sat at his desk, dressed in a black hoodie and gray sweatpants, staring at her curiously.
"You okay?" he had asked, concern flickering over his handsome face.
"Oh, Sa- yeah! Yes, I'm fine! Of course I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be! Ahahahaha…." I wonder if Sano thinks I'm pretty….NO! NONONONONONOOO! Of course he doesn't! He thinks I'm a guy! Stop it stop it stop it!
Sano watched in apprehension as Mizuki turned red and began making wild gestures at herself, seemingly caught up in an internal argument and forgetting that he was there. She never changes, does she? He thought, sighing to himself. But what would I do if she did change?
"Ashiya?"
"AH- yes?" she exclaimed with a start, staring at him fearfully.
"… You look cold."
"Oh… really? Well, uh… I guess it's a little chilly outside…yes, uh… I think I'll use the bathroom first. Take a shower. Go to bed. You know." She started inching towards the door, smiling and laughing desperately.
Dear God, Sano thought. What am I going to do with her? "How was your first day?"
She stopped and cocked her head to the side. "First day? Of what?"
Did she hit her head? "Of work. At Aki- that guy's studio." That jerk…
Mizuki brightened. "Oh! It was wonderful! I learned so much!"
Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth
"You had fun?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "It was great! And I'm finally making some money! It feels good…becoming a little more self-dependent… that's one of my goals, you know…" she faded, lost in serious thought. Then she looked up, mouth curling into a mischievous smile.
"Hey, maybe I can treat you to dinner sometime! Cause you know… I've got a job now!" She started laughing hysterically, evidently very proud of herself for achieving something that Sano had not. He tried to keep from smiling too. Then he thought of something…
"Like a date?" he asked innocently, just to see her reaction.
"HUH?" she asked in shock, turning red and staggering back a few feet. "A d-d-…what? But I, I'm…"
"Jeez, I'm just kidding. What are you getting so angry for?" he teased, shaking his head and turning back to his work. God, her face… so cute…
She appeared next to his head, blinking away the embarrassment rapidly. "I wasn't angry," she retorted, pouting. "And just for that, you can forget the sweet red beans I was going to buy you tomorrow."
Sano laughed and turned to face her. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Would you please reconsider?"
"Nope."
"Well, okay then. Go take your shower."
"Fine, Mr. Isn't-it-great-to-make-fun-of-Mizuki. But…here." She thrust something in his face. He looked down and saw a charm with blue beads and a kanji letter that read Luck*. He turned back to her and saw she was looking away, slightly red again. "I thought it might be time for a new one… you know, one that's not a love charm… cause your next meet is coming up…" She looked up at him, hoping he wouldn't think she was weird or girly or….
She froze.
He was smiling at her. Not condescendingly, not amused, but a true smile. In the way that Shizuki or Julia smiled at her when she brought them back carefully chosen souvenirs especially for them when she returned from a trip. In the way that her parents smiled at her before kissing her good-night. His eyes shone, turned up at the corners, his bangs hanging in across them, head bent slightly toward his shoulders.
Oh…
"Thank you," he said, holding on to the charm as if it was the most precious thing in the world. "I'll definitely use it." He smiled again, sweetly at her.
She nodded silently, and edged to the bathroom. "I- I'm glad you like it…. Excuse me…" She shut the door and slid down to the tile floor. Her heart thudded so loud she would swear he could hear it.
Oh…
Sano!
The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends
Mizuki turned red just thinking about that day. If Sano only knew what he did to her… well, he couldn't ever know. It would ruin everything.
She just couldn't stop thinking about that smile. How glaringly, stunningly beautiful it was. But it was a different kind of beauty than she was used to. It wasn't the made-up, fake beauty that the models now seemed to have. It wasn't aberrant, unnerving, unreal.
It was so naturally beautiful that it chilled her to the bone. It was the same as when she had seen him high-jumping on the television back in that hotel room for the very first time. It was just him. No lights, no camera, no makeup. Simple, yet stunning. He didn't need it. Didn't want it. He was beautiful without all of that. And he didn't even realize it.
Mizuki remembered the first time he explained why he loved the high-jump so much. How he looked when he described what the endless blue sky did to him as he extended himself in the air, gazing up in wonder. Why it sent excitement and awe shooting up his spine as he ran towards the jump. He loved the beauty of it, too. The simple, yet stunning beauty of nature. The clear, natural, unnaturally bright colors of the sky, the leaves of trees, the petals of flowers. The fragility and grace of flying birds, soaring clouds, and swaying branches. Had these perfectly beautiful things really just grew out of the ground?
Sano was like her. They both stood apart from the rest to gaze in wonder and the wonders of the world, and not just the manmade ones. They both appreciated the effortless way nature completed its daily miracles- creating snow from rain, making the sky so unnaturally blue, helping a little flower bud pop up from the dirt. They both saw past the hustle and bustle of chores, shopping lists, and glass-and-steel cities… and looked up more than once in a blue moon to take in the breathtaking view.
She knew it. She could feel it. He was like this, too. When he jumped… when he took in a young Yujiro off the streets… when he took long jogs at night away from the lights of the campus…he saw things that others did not. How could they, when all they thought of trees and animals and flowers were I hope that branch doesn't fall on my car, I hope that squirrel stays away from my bird feeder, I hope those flowers don't wilt and leave brown petals all over my floor. How could they appreciate all that the world had given them, when all they thought about was themselves? How could they hope to give anything back? When they didn't stop to look around them once in a while… just to stop and look and find…
A certain beauty in everything.
How high will the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you'll never know
And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
For whether we are white or copper skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains
We need to paint with all the colors of the wind
She finally made it back to Room 205 around eight, cheeks slightly pink from the growing chill. It had taken a while for her to tear her eyes away from the steadily appearing stars and blue wisps of fog, but she knew she had to finish that history paper before midnight and she couldn't keep her eyes open. She highly doubted that her teacher would let her off the hook because she was so absorbed by the sunset. He was not the type to stop and smell the roses.
People never change…she thought sadly.
And besides, Sano would be worried. That was a much better excuse to return home quickly. She would not hurt him out of purposeful foolishness. Never.
She opened the door quietly, in case he was resting. But the minute she poked her head in, her eyes met with deep gray pools staring back at her.
"Ah- I'm back!" she said, smiling. She stepped into the room, still feeling his gaze boring into her, and walked dutifully to her backpack, trying to ignore her uneasiness. She much would have preferred talking to him all night, but again, her teacher wouldn't be so forgiving…
Suddenly she felt hands around her waist, turning her back towards the door. She whirled around, eyes wide, mouth open but silent, and was dragged after Sano as he pulled her out the door.
"Sa- Sano?"
"I've got something to show you." He didn't turn around, but kept pulling her towards the staircase to the roof. Mizuki had learned to trust him long ago, so she followed loyally, if not a little anxiously. Something to show me? What could possibly be on the roof that he wants to show me? Thoughts and ideas bounded inside her head as she climbed the stairs after him, her hand tingling where his skin touched hers. He opened the door and she felt the cool night air whoosh inwards and snatch her breath away. She stepped out and he closed the door.
"Look," he said quietly, pointing towards the sky.
It was a full moon, suspended like a glowing round diamond in the sky, casting a bright glow down over the city. A million little stars twinkled down at them, like the eyes of little imps winking playfully. The midnight blue sky stretched like velvet in a million different directions, beckoning her to strain her eyes as far as she could, and imagine what lay beyond the impenetrable distance. The stillness, the calmness of the scene stunned her. She stood in wonder, feeling like she couldn't soak up everything fast enough.
She suddenly remembered that Sano was still there, and she turned to him. He was looking at her curiously, but with a faint smile on his face. He turned his head to the sky.
"I thought you might like it out here. I came up earlier because I thought I saw a cat, but when I saw the view I just stopped. I must have been up here for hours…"
She hadn't noticed before, but now that she thought about it, Sano's cheeks were kind of red when she first got back. She continued to look at him, noticing how the wind played with his ebony hair, how the moon made his eyes shine, how his eyelashes fanned across his cheekbones when he closed them in content…
"And I just thought you'd like it. 'Cause you know…you…well, you like this kind of stuff. Right?"
He was looking at her again. She loved the way he looked at her.
She nodded. He smiled and looked up again.
"Do you, Sano?"
His brow furrowed. "Do I what?"
"Do you like this kind of stuff?"
He was quiet for a moment, and when he looked back he had a funny glint in his eye and the ghost of a smile on his lips.
"Yeah."
They stood there until their bodies could not stand the cold anymore. Sano took her hand. She turned red, but leaned into him, savoring the warmth. They stared up at the sky until the dorm advisor noticed them and started yelling to get back inside before curfew. And it was only then that they reluctantly moved back to the door, still overcome in the silent majesty of it.
The beauty of everything.
You can own the Earth and still
All you'll own is Earth
Until you can paint
With all the colors of the wind
*I am not a Japanese kanji expert. Deal with it.