A Promise to be Kept
By Joanne Shen
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*In Chii's POV*
The alarm clock buzzed noisily. Chii hears the alarm, but Chii does not need it like Hideki does. Chii always wakes up early so Chii can feel the morning's breathing and the bird's singing.
Then Chii remembers she needs to make breakfast for Hideki. But what should Chii make today? Should Chii make toast?
Yes! Chii will make toast!
*Hideki's POV*
The alarm clock buzzed noisily. Argh, damn alarm. Why did I go to sleep so late last night? Oh yeah, Minoru called saying something about people going after Chii? That was scary. Why would anyone want to harm her?
He opened his eyes slightly and winced at the bright sunlight shining through the windows. He hears Chii humming a little tune she made up herself in the kitchen. At that moment she walks to the door and waves.
"Good morning, Hideki!" She smiles.
Hideki felt warm at the sight of that smile as he waves in return.
If someone took Chii away from me, I don't know how I would be able to live again. Chii, I promise to protect you, even if it's the last thing I do....
~~~~~~~
Once Hideki glanced at his watch he practically jumped from his chair.
"9:45??!!?!?! I'M LATE AGAIN!!!!" his cry echoed for probably miles on end.
Chii just looked about confused while Sumomo started another song on her tambourine about tardiness. Kotoko stood there with the same disgruntled expression.
Hideki on the other hand was on a rampage. He rushed towards the door, grabbing books and pens on the way out. "Chii!! C'mon, I'll take you to work!!" he shouts over his shoulder.
"Coming Hideki!" Chii replies happily. Chii had always loved to walk to work with Hideki every morning.
They scramble out the door hastily. Even when they ran past the bookstore, Hideki's eyes were still glued to his watch, watching every second tick by. Even in their haste, Chii kept up a swift pace a step behind Hideki. She was used to this by now, since it happened almost every morning....
~~~~~~~
When Hideki got to the bakery he quickly told Chii goodbye and to have a nice day. But he got no answer. He turned around at where his persocom was supposed be, but he could see no one.
"Chii?" he called. "Chii, where are you?" Still, no answer. He ran back down the street. "This is just a game. Chii is playing, that's all." He kept telling himself, but something told him that this wasn't a game at all. He ran three blocks now, but still no sign of Chii. His heart pounded and he started to sweat. Where had she gone? She wouldn't just run off like this. Before he did anything stupid, he stopped to think. "I remember that she was still right behind me at the bookstore...." That's it! She must be at the bookstore! Probably some kind of book caught her eye and she went to look! Hideki hoped with all his might that he was right about this.
The bookstore was crowded with people as Hideki pushed his way through. He searched frantically for any sign of Chii. "Chii!!! Chii, It's Hideki!! Where are you?" he cried. Hideki looked and looked. He knew very well that Chii was not in the bookstore, but he just couldn't bring himself to believe that.
Finally, Hideki quit. He dropped his head and slowly walked outside. He sat down on a bench and buried his head in his hands. Shutting his eyes, he tried to make himself believe that this was all a dream. But when he opened his eyes again, he knew that it was real.
"How useless can I be. I can't even keep a promise that I made to myself two hours ago." He said to himself.
Then it hit him. Minoru! If anyone who could help him, it would be him. There's nothing that kid can't do. Hideki rushed home and grabbed Sumomo in his hand. "Sumomo, call Minoru now!!!" he shouted.
"Ahh!! Yes master sir!! Sumomo calling Mr. Minoru right away sir!!" the little laptop persocom cried with fear. Hideki waited patiently for him to pick up.
"Hello?" said Minoru.
"Minoru!! Oh my God, I can't find Chii!!! She was right there behind me when I took her to work, and then she was gone!! I looked everywhere!!! It's all my fault!!!!" Hideki yelled much louder than he intended to.
"Calm down Hideki! Are you sure she was right behind you? Did something happen in between?"
"No!! Well....not that I know of...But you have to help me Minoru!!! Please!!" he shouted anxiously.
"Yes, of course I will. I'll..do my best. And I'll call you if I find anything." He replied.
"Okay." Hideki sighed. "Thanks. Thanks a lot."
Sumomo closed the link. The room was silent and stayed that way until the usually hyper little laptop persocom spoke up. "So is Chii's really gone?" she whispered.
Hideki answered in a short voice. "I don't know." Kotoko remained silent.
~~~~~~~
Hideki waited for hours for answers from Minoru. It was late at night at eleven when he had finally called. Hideki picked up abruptly.
"Hideki?" Minoru's voice sounded tired.
"Yes?! Minoru, did you find anything?!" Hideki said, fearful about what the answer might be.
The ten-year-old genius sighed deeply. He waited a few moments until he said, "Hideki.........the answer is....no, I didn't find anything.."
"What?" Hideki whispered hoarsely, not believing what he heard.
"I couldn't find a single trace of her. According to all my calculations.....she's no where on earth. I'm so sorry Hideki..."
Hideki didn't say anything. The knot in his throat was too tight. After a long time, Hideki choked, "Th-thanks for..everything..." and hung up.
He sat there just staring straight forward at nothing in particular. No. It can't be true... I won't believe it.....
But deep in his heart, he knew.....and the pain struck him hard.
"Chii's really gone..." he said.
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That was so sad! To me anyway!! Please review!!
By Joanne Shen
3333333333333333333333
*In Chii's POV*
The alarm clock buzzed noisily. Chii hears the alarm, but Chii does not need it like Hideki does. Chii always wakes up early so Chii can feel the morning's breathing and the bird's singing.
Then Chii remembers she needs to make breakfast for Hideki. But what should Chii make today? Should Chii make toast?
Yes! Chii will make toast!
*Hideki's POV*
The alarm clock buzzed noisily. Argh, damn alarm. Why did I go to sleep so late last night? Oh yeah, Minoru called saying something about people going after Chii? That was scary. Why would anyone want to harm her?
He opened his eyes slightly and winced at the bright sunlight shining through the windows. He hears Chii humming a little tune she made up herself in the kitchen. At that moment she walks to the door and waves.
"Good morning, Hideki!" She smiles.
Hideki felt warm at the sight of that smile as he waves in return.
If someone took Chii away from me, I don't know how I would be able to live again. Chii, I promise to protect you, even if it's the last thing I do....
~~~~~~~
Once Hideki glanced at his watch he practically jumped from his chair.
"9:45??!!?!?! I'M LATE AGAIN!!!!" his cry echoed for probably miles on end.
Chii just looked about confused while Sumomo started another song on her tambourine about tardiness. Kotoko stood there with the same disgruntled expression.
Hideki on the other hand was on a rampage. He rushed towards the door, grabbing books and pens on the way out. "Chii!! C'mon, I'll take you to work!!" he shouts over his shoulder.
"Coming Hideki!" Chii replies happily. Chii had always loved to walk to work with Hideki every morning.
They scramble out the door hastily. Even when they ran past the bookstore, Hideki's eyes were still glued to his watch, watching every second tick by. Even in their haste, Chii kept up a swift pace a step behind Hideki. She was used to this by now, since it happened almost every morning....
~~~~~~~
When Hideki got to the bakery he quickly told Chii goodbye and to have a nice day. But he got no answer. He turned around at where his persocom was supposed be, but he could see no one.
"Chii?" he called. "Chii, where are you?" Still, no answer. He ran back down the street. "This is just a game. Chii is playing, that's all." He kept telling himself, but something told him that this wasn't a game at all. He ran three blocks now, but still no sign of Chii. His heart pounded and he started to sweat. Where had she gone? She wouldn't just run off like this. Before he did anything stupid, he stopped to think. "I remember that she was still right behind me at the bookstore...." That's it! She must be at the bookstore! Probably some kind of book caught her eye and she went to look! Hideki hoped with all his might that he was right about this.
The bookstore was crowded with people as Hideki pushed his way through. He searched frantically for any sign of Chii. "Chii!!! Chii, It's Hideki!! Where are you?" he cried. Hideki looked and looked. He knew very well that Chii was not in the bookstore, but he just couldn't bring himself to believe that.
Finally, Hideki quit. He dropped his head and slowly walked outside. He sat down on a bench and buried his head in his hands. Shutting his eyes, he tried to make himself believe that this was all a dream. But when he opened his eyes again, he knew that it was real.
"How useless can I be. I can't even keep a promise that I made to myself two hours ago." He said to himself.
Then it hit him. Minoru! If anyone who could help him, it would be him. There's nothing that kid can't do. Hideki rushed home and grabbed Sumomo in his hand. "Sumomo, call Minoru now!!!" he shouted.
"Ahh!! Yes master sir!! Sumomo calling Mr. Minoru right away sir!!" the little laptop persocom cried with fear. Hideki waited patiently for him to pick up.
"Hello?" said Minoru.
"Minoru!! Oh my God, I can't find Chii!!! She was right there behind me when I took her to work, and then she was gone!! I looked everywhere!!! It's all my fault!!!!" Hideki yelled much louder than he intended to.
"Calm down Hideki! Are you sure she was right behind you? Did something happen in between?"
"No!! Well....not that I know of...But you have to help me Minoru!!! Please!!" he shouted anxiously.
"Yes, of course I will. I'll..do my best. And I'll call you if I find anything." He replied.
"Okay." Hideki sighed. "Thanks. Thanks a lot."
Sumomo closed the link. The room was silent and stayed that way until the usually hyper little laptop persocom spoke up. "So is Chii's really gone?" she whispered.
Hideki answered in a short voice. "I don't know." Kotoko remained silent.
~~~~~~~
Hideki waited for hours for answers from Minoru. It was late at night at eleven when he had finally called. Hideki picked up abruptly.
"Hideki?" Minoru's voice sounded tired.
"Yes?! Minoru, did you find anything?!" Hideki said, fearful about what the answer might be.
The ten-year-old genius sighed deeply. He waited a few moments until he said, "Hideki.........the answer is....no, I didn't find anything.."
"What?" Hideki whispered hoarsely, not believing what he heard.
"I couldn't find a single trace of her. According to all my calculations.....she's no where on earth. I'm so sorry Hideki..."
Hideki didn't say anything. The knot in his throat was too tight. After a long time, Hideki choked, "Th-thanks for..everything..." and hung up.
He sat there just staring straight forward at nothing in particular. No. It can't be true... I won't believe it.....
But deep in his heart, he knew.....and the pain struck him hard.
"Chii's really gone..." he said.
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That was so sad! To me anyway!! Please review!!