Disclaimer: I do not own DN Angel.
A/N: It's being so long since I've written a DN Angel fiction! Enjoy this one!
Summary: Miracles are everywhere. You just have to know where to look.
i. First encounter: Watercolors
A five-year-old Satoshi stood outside a shop, gazing at art materials.
"Do you want a set of watercolors?" his adoptive father asked kindly.
"No," Satoshi lied, "Art is boring, and so is this Azumano town."
His father didn't say anything except to smile with an understanding nod. They began to walk back to the hotel, but Satoshi couldn't help looking back at the set of watercolors.
Suddenly, there was a girl in front of Satoshi. The blue-haired boy looked at her confusingly and raised his eyebrow. "What do you want?" He asked coldly, his usual tone.
"Do you mind taking this box of watercolors?" She asked.
"Why?"
"Because," she lowered her voice, "I hate art. My parents will probably give up the idea of sending me to art school or something if they become irritated with me losing art materials every time. They stopped having ideas of instilling art talents in me."
"You lose your stuff on purpose?" Satoshi asked, keeping the appalled tone under control.
"No, I give them away." She said, smiling widely and proud at the fact. "It's called charity. So, take it?" The little girl shoved the box at Satoshi but before the blue-haired boy could say anything, she had run off.
He didn't ask for her name, but he noted her long brown hair and her sincere chocolate eyes.
He hugged the box of watercolors closely and tightly to his body.
ii. Second encounter: Sincerity
After nine years, he returned. 14-year-old Hiwatari Satoshi walked in the corridors of the local school. Students around him paused when he walked by, staring at him and whispered in low voices: 'he's so cute'; 'I heard he already got his university degree' and 'he's smart and good-looking'.
Satoshi rolled his eyes surreptitiously at the comments made about him. He just wanted to feel the normal life of a 14-year-old and not be judged as someone different, someone people see as superior. He wanted sincerity. Was that so difficult?
He found his class and entered. Everyone's eyes were on him but Satoshi ignored every one of them. A girl approached shyly and stammered, "He…hello. My name is…is Miyako. It's nice…nice to meet you."
Satoshi looked up at the girl blankly, then turn back to his desk and said, "Whatever."
The girl ran away to the washroom, crying loudly, causing everyone to look at her. The blue-haired boy wasn't guilty at all. She should have treated him as a normal person. Instead of arguing back about his cocky behavior, she chose to escape.
He wanted sincerity. He wanted someone who dared to challenge him.
"You're the new student, Hiwatari Satoshi, right?" Another girl's voice; he rolled his eyes and looked up at the girl just for the sake of looking up.
"Yes." He answered stoically as if she didn't matter, which was true.
"I don't like your attitude." She blurted out. "You should apologize to Miyako."
Satoshi blinked with wide and surprised eyes. His lips curled into a smile and said, "I'm not going to. What are you going to do about it?"
"This." The girl took her water bottle and splashed water at him. Everyone around gasped in horror and waited for a reaction. The girl was still holding her water bottle in her hand and Satoshi was still dripping wet.
"Ri…Risa!" A girl came along and held the girl's – Risa – shoulders. "What are you doing?" She said anxiously.
"Exactly what it is," Risa said, not sorry at all.
"We're going to tell the teacher!" A group of girls declared. A Satoshi fan girl group was formed so soon already.
"No need." Satoshi said.
"But…!" The fan girls protested.
"I said no need." His tone was sharper this time, and there was firmness in his voice. He stood up and went out of the class. Where he went, nobody knows.
He only returned after the break.
iii. Third encounter: Together
Teachers branded him as a cocky brat, a knows-it-all, a egoistic person and all sorts of terrible nicknames, except for a small handful of teachers who know talents when they see one.
He found out her name: Harada Risa, the one who so bravely stood up against him for the sake of her friend.
And he was supposed to do a project with her as well.
"This is great." He heard Risa mutter softly. "A lovely Saturday afternoon in the library doing a project with the cockiest person in the world."
"I didn't want to do it with you." Satoshi replied with his usual bored tone.
"Great, then let's go home." Risa said sarcastically.
"I can, but you can't." The blue-haired boy said matter-of-factly. "You have to do this to pass middle school. I don't."
"And why not, smart aleck?"
"Because I got my university degree and you haven't even got your middle school certificate. Genius." Satoshi said simply, adding the last part to irritate her. Risa flushed bright pink at that but managed to muttered, "That doesn't mean I like working with you."
"Then bye."
"Wait!" He heard her call him and turned back in response. Risa lowered her head and said softly and forcefully, "He…help me with this project."
"Glad you are willing to compromise." Satoshi sighed and they began working.
He couldn't help but think he saw those chocolate eyes and the uniquely-brown brown hair before.
He just needs to recall.
iv. Fourth encounter: Walking in the Rain
He sighed deeply, wondering what an idiot he was for forgetting to bring his umbrella. It was raining cats and dogs that running through it, even to the nearest bus stop, was impossible. There was only one solution: to sit at the sheltered parts of the stairs in front of the school and wait for the rain to die down.
It was Friday, six o'clock. The school was empty by now, though the gates were not yet locked. It was quiet. The pitter-patter of the rain seemed pacifying somehow. He likes being alone this time.
"Hiwatari-kun," Satoshi spun to face at the caller behind, evidently surprised as he thought that the school would be empty by now, save probably for the teachers.
"Harada-san," Satoshi acknowledged the brown-haired girl politely.
"You can just call me Risa, you know." She said, sitting next to Satoshi.
"It's more polite to call you Harada-san." Risa shrugged and the blue-haired boy continued, "Why are you here?"
"What?"
"It's Friday, and you should be home by now."
"What are you? My guardian?"
"Just thinking," Satoshi reply patiently, clear about Risa's attitude during her monthly. He noticed, and blushed. He was the one who told her about it during physical education lesson.
"Thank you, Hiwatari-kun."
"For what?"
"For the project that we were supposed to do together." Risa answered. "It's because of you that I got an A plus."
"You did your part too." Satoshi said modestly.
"Thanks."
Silence.
"So why aren't you going home?" Risa asked.
"It's raining and I haven't got an umbrella." Satoshi answered, still confused about Risa's attitude towards him. Why is he feeling so weird at her presence? "How about you?"
"I saw you and thought I wanted to talk to you."
"About what?"
"Just talk, about anything. Like thanks for the project."
"So how are you going home?"
"I'll be walking to the bus stop. My chauffeur is busy."
"How are you walking to the bus stop?"
"Umm…walk?" Risa answered uncertainly, raising her eyebrows in thought, thinking that there was a hidden message in Satoshi's words.
"In this rain?"
"I have an umbrella. How about you? How are you getting home?"
"Wait until the rain stop."
"Want to share?"
"Share what?"
"Share the umbrella." Risa answered matter-of-factly. "We can walk to the bus stop together."
Satoshi stared. So far, she was the only girl who dared to make a move on him, or so what he thought was "the move".
"So are you coming or not?" Risa asked. When Satoshi looked, she already stood up with her umbrella opened.
"Sure."
v. Fifth encounter: His Miracle
School ended early and Satoshi decided to buy a new box of watercolors for the art lesson in school the following week. Despite not turning up for quite a lot of lessons for various subjects, he never misses art.
Memories sprang into his mind, reminding him of the little girl who first gave him his very first box of watercolors. When he was little, he was shy, afraid to hear people say about the boredom art brings about. He was afraid to be labeled as boring.
He'll slap them if he has to.
"Hiwatari-kun," Satoshi saw Risa standing in front of him.
"Harada-san, what are you doing here?" The blue-haired boy asked casually.
"Buying art materials." She rolled her eyes. "I hate art, it's so boring. I can't even draw a single straight line."
She is the only person he won't slap.
"It's not boring." Satoshi narrowed his eyes, "It just depends on whether the person wants to do it well or not. If you have the heart to do it, a blotch of paint on the paper will be art."
"You like art a lot, don't you?" Risa mused.
"Yeah, I do." He confessed.
"By the way," Risa fished a box of paints out of a plastic bag, "You want to take this? It's a new set of watercolors. I thought it was poster paint but I got it wrong and bought double. The shopkeeper won't exchange it as well. So, take it?" She looked at him earnestly.
Satoshi stared at her for a moment, fragments of memories piecing together in his mind.
"Hiwatari-kun?" Risa called him from his own thoughts.
"Oh, right." Satoshi jolted at her voice and tightened his grip on the box of watercolors, "I'll take it, thanks. How much is it?"
"Never mind about the price." Risa waved the matter off. "It's only a few dollars anyway. Just take it, okay?"
"Sure."
"Then, I'll see you around?" Risa said, signaling her leave.
"Okay." Satoshi replied, waving to the girl as she walked away.
He stood there, many things running through his head.
Suddenly, he ran after Risa.
He didn't want to miss her again. Literally.
"Risa-san!" He called loudly. The girl turned in surprise, partly because he called her by her name, and because he was the one chasing her.
He knew this.
He approached Risa gracefully, his eyes looking into her chocolate ones that were filled with confusion. Satoshi smiled, truly smiled for the first time.
He planted a soft and gentle kiss on her lips.
"So I'll see you at the cinemas on Saturday night?" Satoshi asked, hopeful.
"Of…of course." Risa lowered her head and smiled. Despite her efforts to tone down the red tint on her cheeks, she failed.
He had found his miracle after all.
A/N: Hope it was well done. Please review!