.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
A gentle breeze blew over Misaki as she stood upon the hill that faced
the Angelic Layer stadium where she had just won the championship. She
smiled. She had won. Even better, she had finally found her mother after
so many years. They were finally together again, at last. Misaki loved
her mother.
Misaki glanced at Hikaru on her shoulder. She grasped the doll around
the arms lightly and ran off down the hill. She had to go home to
prepare dinner.
Run run run. Misaki stopped my the local fish shop to purchase some
salmon. Run run run. Misaki raced home with the fresh fish dangling in a
tied up bag that she carried in her left hand. She reached the door to
find Tamayo and Kotarou waiting for her.
"Misakachi!" shouted Tamayo as she hopped down the steps to squeeze
Misaki to death. Kotarou followed her to greet Misaki, however is made
sure to keep a few feet between him and Tamayo. Except Tamayo noticed.
She jumped on Kotarou's back.
"Trying to be sneaky are we?" asked Tamayo. Choaking sounds came from
Kotarou's throat as he struggled to get free. However Misaki grew
curious as she looked at Kotarou.
"Kotarou-kun... why do you blush when you are being choaked to death?"
asked Misaki. Then she noticed Tamayo start to blush. A nice deep red.
Oh so nice deep red. Tamayo let go. The dropped their guilty heads and
looked away from each other.
"Uh..." said Kotarou.
"Umm... I don't know, but we have a message to deliver to you! That's
why we're here you see! Your Aunt and your Mom had to go somewhere
urgently and they asked if it was possible for you to spend the night at
my house! But... my parents aren't away as well, so I was going to spend
the night as a guest at Kotarou's house tonight. So... Kotarou's parents
said it was ok for you to spend the night as well." replied Tamayo.
"I see... Well, I better pack my..." Misaki was cut short.
"Your bags?" interjected Tamayo. She held up Misaki's little suitcase on
wheels, "Already done, by your Aunt. smile "
"Well, I guess I should bring this fish as well... I suppose I could
make some more sandwiches with it for tomorrow." said Misaki as she
glanced at the salmon in the bag. Tamayo and Kotarou's tongues hung out
and their eye's grew sparkely.
"Oh please oh please oh please!" they begged. Misaki grinned.
"Well, we're off then. Come on oh great Chef Misakachi! Dinner should be
ready!" grinned Tamayo as she pulled Kotarou and Misaki behind her.
Upon arriving Kotarou put Misaki's salmon in the fridge and he procceded
to show them about the rather large house/dojo. Kotarou held Tamayo's
hand as they did. Misaki noticed this and kept it to herself, but it got
her thinking and she was distant when they showed her the room she'd be
staying in for the night. They left her to unpack as Kotarou lead Tamayo
off to her room.
Misaki found a small bed in her room with a small desk off to the side.
A small lamp lighted the otherwise dark room as the sun set. Misaki
procceded to unpack her nighttime clothes when she heard a knock on her
bed room door.
"Please come in," responded Misaki. Hatoko popped her head in. She ran
forward to Misaki smiling.
"It's been a few days hasn't it Hatoko-chan." said Misaki. Hatoko
nodded.
"Since those tournaments are over we haven't had the chance to say hello
lately," replied Hatoko, "In any case it's time for dinner. Come on
now."
Hatoko took Misaki's hand and led her to the kitchen. On the counters
were boxes of traditional Japanese food.
"Please take a box Misaki-chan." said Hatoko before she could catch
herself. Misaki smiled as Hatoko looked down at the ground blushing.
Kotarou and Tamayo looked on from across the room confused. Misaki saw
them. They were holding hands again.
"Must be magnets." said Misaki as she looked back down at the boxes of
food. She chose one and Hatoko chose another.
"Now follow me," instructed Hatoko as she grabbed Misaki's hand again
and led her off.
"Better watch out Misakachi... she bites." grinned Kotarou. Hatoko just
glared back at him and stuck out her tongue as she continued to drag
Misaki away.
Misaki and Hatoko stepped outside into the inner-garden on the dojo.
They sat on the ledge of the walkway around the house/dojo. Sounds of
Karate could be heard across the yard as the night time lesson continued
on. Hatoko encouraged Misaki to eat, but Misaki wasn't responding.
"Misaki-chan?" asked a worried Hatoko. She looked at Misaki. Misaki was
crying.
"Seeing Kotarou-kun and Tamayo-chan... It reminds me of Oujirou-san..."
mumbled Misaki as another tear escaped her. Seeing Kotarou and Tamayo
only brought up thoughts about Oujirou. Oujirou was a great person...
but Misaki could never have his heart. Oujirou had told her that it was
for his first love. Misaki knew he would never give it up for anyone but
her.
Hatoko realized what Misaki was talking about. Misaki had told her about
their first date. It really never was a first date. Maybe more of a
get-to-know-each-other thing. Misaki's stomach growled from hunger.
Misaki didn't move.
"Misaki-chan... your hungry. Eat something." urged Hatoko. Misaki was
motionless, except for the silver tears that ran down her face.
Footsteps could be heard approaching the door of the dojo. Hatoko
stacked the dinner boxes and pulled Misaki to her guest room as her
tears fell on the wooden walkways. Hatoko closed the door. Misaki
slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor. She crawled to the bed as
Hatoko rushed to help her after setting down the boxes.
"I have no one now. No one to love and hold..." mumbled Misaki. She
reached the bed and ctawled onto it. Hatoko sat by her side.
"Stop crying Misaki-chan... please... tell me what's wrong," asked
Hatoko of Misaki. Misaki looked up as Hatoko looked down at her lying on
the bed. Misaki sat up and rolled her feet over the side to sit next to
Hatoko. She wiped tears from her cheeks as she struggled to compose
herself enough to explain to Hatoko.
"When I got here I didn't have any friends, or anyone that I loved
besides my family. Then I met you and Kotarou-kun and Tamayo-chan and
Oujirou-san..." explained Misaki as more tears flowed down her face.
"First I loved Kotarou-kun... but he fell in love with Tamayo-chan after
she stopped him from coming after me on the beach. Then Oujirou-san...
but he basicly rejected my heart. Now after the times I was in love, I
am in love no more, but my heart yearns for someone... I'm lonely."
finished Misaki. Hatoko understood Misaki. She hugged Misaki. Misaki and
Hatoko's cheeks grew slightly, but it couldn't be helped. They were
alwasys like that. Misaki hugged Hatoko back as more tears flowed down
her face. Misaki's stomach grumbled again.
"You need to eat Misaki-chan." said Hatoko.
"I'm not hungry..." replied Misaki.
"Yes you are," and with that Hatoko picked up the food boxes and placed
them on the bed. She took out a piece of sushi and stuck it in front of
Misaki's mouth, barely touching her lips. The smell distraced Misaki
from her tortured thoughts.
"Eat." ordered Hatoko. Misaki took a bite. She chewed it slowly and
swallowed. She was about to take another bite when the door slid open
and Tamayo appeared with Kotarou close behind. They both noticed Hatoko
feeding Misaki. They noticed Misaki's tear-stained cheeks and Hatoko's
grief-striken face. They were speechless.
"This is our time Nii-chan (brother) and Tamayo-san. Please go away."
She placed the remaining bite of sushi in Misaki's mouth. She slowly
chewed it as Hatako pushed out Tamayo and Kotarou and closed the door.
There was no lock, but Hatoko figured that they wouldn't try such a
thing again. Hatoko faced Misaki and noticed that she was blushing.
"Misaki-chan... your blushing," pointed out Hatoko. Misaki already knew
her face was warm.
"I don't know why... I'm not embarressed..." replied Misaki. Hatoko sat
back down on the bed next to Misaki and placed a box of food on Misaki's
lap and one on her own.
"Let's eat now, ok?" asked Hatoko. Misaki agreed, no longer in a deep
trance, she could at least eat.
They ate in silence. When they had finished eating they placed the empty
boxes beside the bed. The room was silent. It began to rain outside. The
room became colder as the rain sapped the eat away from the room.
Misaki's mind went back to self-torture. Agony overcame her and tears
rolled down her cheeks once again. Hatoko knew that this wasn't good.
Misaki was hurting herself. She jumped on Misaki from the front,
knocking her back to lie on the soft bed. Hatoko hugged her tightly.
"Please don't cry Misaki-chan... it makes me sad to see you cry because
I love you..." Hatoko did it again. Her face was now a bright red color
and she grew weak from the mixed fellings within her.
Misaki hugged Hatoko to reassure her it was ok. Through her mind rolled
the new thought that Hatoko had introduced. Could love not have to be
restricted to sex? Do you have to love someone of the opposite gender?
Of a similiar age? No. Love was a pure emotion. True love doesn't rely
on the person, but instead the spirit within. Misaki looked at Hatoko
who was still red.
Then it hit Misaki. Hatoko had fallen for her from the start. From that
first battle to the last, Hatoko respected and admired Misaki. She grew
to enjoy her presence. Then within Misaki realized that she herself had
fallen for Hatoko. She never thought about it however... she always
expected her love to be a guy about her age. She never thought that she
might be in love with a young girl who shared the same interest in
Angelic Layer as her.
"Hatoko-chan... I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner... I love you..."
whispered Misaki. Misaki grew red too, and now there were two ripe red
apples lying on the bed embracing. They were both feeling an incredible
feeling. All their tensions slipped away, and an air of peace surrounded
them.
Hatoko was far more mature then other her age. She knew what she had
gotten herself into. She already had thought about what it meant. She
had dreamed for this day when Misaki whould finally realize that Love is
a misconception, and that Hatoko was waiting for her to accept her.
Hatoko closed her eyes and leaned forward hesitantly to kiss Misaki on
the cheek. Misaki closed her eyes as she felt the soft warm lips of
Hatoko kiss her.
"Thanks Hatoko-chan... you've given me the strength to love you, even if
it was by accident... thank you..." whispered Misaki into Hatoko's ear.
"You've helped me too. You are there when I'm down. It means alot since
usually people only want my signature... they care nothing about me. I'm
glad that you do. I'm glad that you can be the only one I can share
every secret with. Screw Kotarou-kun and Oujirou-sa..." said Hatoko.
"Hatoko-chan! What a potty mouth! laughes But your right... they never
said they were 'sorry'... and they hurt me to the point of tears..."
replied a suprised Misaki. She grew sleepy, and so did Hatoko who rested
her head sideways on Misaki's chest and she closed her eyes. Misaki
adjusted her arms aroung Hatoko to reaffirm the hug.
"I don't care when they figure it out, but don't let them get to you
when they do... Kotarou-kun is the one that will try to convince you
that your logic is wrong... I know him all to well. Trust your feelings
Misaki-chan." advised Hatoko.
"I will Hatoko-chan, and in any case... let's keep it from them Hatoko.
It'll be fun. Maybe a bit of revenge as well... but they deserve it."
said Misaki. Hatoko agreed even tohugh she knew she'd have to go back to
her room.
"I'll see you in the morning Misaki-chan. Goodnight." replied Hatoko as
she gave Misaki once last hug and a little peck on the cheek. She rolled
off the bed and stood up. Smiling, she left the room and walked to her
own. Kotarou and Tamayo were off to the other side of the inner-garden
saying goodnight as well. They saw Hotako and ran over.
"Hatoko-chan! What was that!" demanded Kotarou.
"Nothing." replied Hatoko with 100 confidence in her voice as she
walked on towards her room. Kotarou and Tamayo just stood there
wondering what nothing might mean to a kindergardener that feeds sushi
to her friends.