Of Winter and Spring
by: Eniar (nsmx_01@yahoo.com)
Standard disclaimers apply.
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Act 01 – You
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Again...The snow was falling...
Souma Hatori was sitting at the bench in the park in this cold evening. He seemed wanting to stay at this cold place forever not even trying to stand up. For him, the cold place and the snow are his refuge as if this were the only things that kept him from sharing his dream with Kana, now that she's gone from him forever. He opened his palm letting the small snow drop and melt into his warm hands. "I believe no snow would not melt when it lands in your hands...do you think I'm right?" he remembered someone told him that. "It just doesn't make sense...why?" he closed his eyes tilted his head up.
"Hatori-san...?" a soft voice called.
He turned and smiled weakly at Tohru.
"Here." Tohru handed the warm can of coffee to Hatori and sat down.
"Thanks."
She stared at him for moment; then she said, "They say, 'Coldness could soothe one's soul but too much of it could swallow you whole.'"
Hatori never replied as if he was lost in thought. "Ahh...anou...what I mean is, Humans are warm blooded and they need warmth an---" Tohru quickly blurted out.
"I always thought I could live in this cold world am in..."
Tohru looked at her lap as if she was a child explaining to an adult. "I think all snows melt no matter how big or small it was...It always melt...as long as there will be sun, as long as there is warmth...it always melt..." she said softly.
"Yes…she is my warmth..."
The door creaked wide open as a young lady's soles kissed the floor tiles, making a loud tap into it. She slowly stepped inside Hatori's clinic which only made the noise echoed more louder in the room. "It sure is cold outside..." she mumbled beneath her breath. She stopped and knocked at the wooden divider. "Excuse me, anou..." she said looking around the room. "I was sent by Souma Akito to be your new assistant, I'll be waiting for your instructions."
Hatori took the files from the cabinet and laid it on the table opposite to his'. "This is what you're going to do starting today. Get right on it." he said without looking at her as he fixed the files in the cabinet, the girl in the other hand was seemed to be also busy reaching for the falling snow.
"I believe no snow would not melt when it lands in your hands...do you think I'm right?" she approached Hatori and showed her hands to him like a child.
"I told you to get right on it didn't I?" he said as he closed the cabinet.
"Just look." she insisted.
"It's common sense, your hands are warm that's why it melted..." Hatori adjusted the chair and wrote something.
"Geez, you're not even paying attention." She mumbled.
"Iam..." he replied, still not looking at her. "Well then, can I ask you a question, What happens to snow when it melts?"
"Of course it turns into water!" she said proudly.
"Wrong." he put the pen own and finally looked at her. He was surprised that she looked like Kana. For the second time, fate was playing with him again. "She's not Kana." he tried to convince himself and dug his hands deep into his pockets as he answered the question...
"It turns into spring." they both chorused.
She smiled. "Thought I didn't know the answer?"
Hatori never replied and looked away.
"Ah, sorry!" she said rubbing her temples. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Kamina Haruka, pleased to meet you, Souma Hatori-sensei."
Author Notes:
I guess it's natural that some people would look alike but not actually looks identical. That's what I'm trying to point here, I think that goes with Hatori too, when he convinced himself about that anyway, for those who have watched ep 8 of fb this chapter is quite identical to that episode, partly because the setting was in winter and they were talking about snow, the only thing that was different was Haruka mentioned about Akito earlier, which I will tell about it in the next chap. I'll be waiting for your replies! Ja~