There was no sound.
The lack of noise in the area had been unusual. There were no roaring bus engines or the buzz of human chatter. Even the day by day sounds of nature had seemed to flee from the scene, leaving only the bright sun and endless sky. It was a blank silence that covered the area like a heavy blanket. The only thing to remind anyone of the actual presence of their surroundings was the occasional spring breeze, which whispered its promises of rebirth ever quietly through the area.
Straggling students wandered around the campus at Odaiba High. Most of the students had disappeared from the grounds soon after classes had ended to enjoy the unexpected weather. Those that remained, whether they had planned on staying or not, had stayed for the sole purpose of the silence that had filled the place. It provided a surreal tranquility over the entire area. Even the busiest of the students there had taken the time to enjoy the special moment, even if only for a minute or two. Not any two people were conversing. Everyone in the midst of the moment had been enraptured by nature's binding spell.
Among these students, there was Yamato Ishida. He sat quietly in his favorite spot on the lawn. The entire entrance area had been filled with gorgeous cherry blossom trees which had given the school a certain appeal. There was always one tree, however, which always failed to blossom fully. It bent over slightly, the bark decrepit and brittle to the touch. What few leaves that bloomed were sufficient to shade someone from the sun, but it had never lived up to the standards of the trees around it. It was under this particular tree that Yamato sat. His knees were pulled up into his chest. Thin, pale arms wrapped around his legs as he rested his chin on his knees. Carefully sculpted eyebrows were furrowed, white teeth bit softly into pink flesh, and long, calloused fingers fumbled at the worn out hem of his jeans – all surefire signs that Yamato was deep in thought.
Yamato sighed heavily, focusing his eyes downwards at the newly grown grass. He breathed in heavily then, taking in the intoxicating scent of spring. He was the first to arrive of all the students that remained in the area, and had been deep in thought the entire time. Mimi, Sora and Koushirou had begged of him to join them for lunch and a day at the park, but he had simply smiled and declined. They had understood that Yamato had days like these, where he had just been disconnected from society. There were certain times when Yamato took moments for himself. For the most part, however, he did enjoy the presence of his friends.
Especially his best friend.
His best friend, that he had been friends with for ten years. His best friend, who excelled at soccer as much as Yamato excelled at singing and playing the guitar.
His best friend, whom, in the midst of it all, he had fallen in love with.
Upon walking out of the side entrance of the building, a younger version of Yamato spotted his older brother beneath the old tree. He made his way over to the tree, remaining as silent as the day around them. Hearing soft footsteps approaching, Yamato looked up to apprehend whoever was coming. When he saw it was his brother, a small smile appeared on his face and he patted the ground next to him. Takeru made himself comfortable next to Yamato and took a deep breath.
"It's nice out today, ne?" Yamato turned his head to look at Takeru, who was beaming at the weather.
"As nice as they come," Yamato replied softly. He observed Takeru pluck a piece of grass from the ground and move it smoothly between his fingers.
"You're not happy."
Takeru looked up at his brother's statement. A knowing look on his face, Yamato kept his gaze fixed on his brother. Yamato's eyes delved into Takeru's similar oceans of blue. The soft smile that had been displayed on Takeru's face faded as he felt his brother's stare pierce into him.
"How do you always know?" Takeru smiled sadly, having been caught by Yamato. No matter how well Takeru masked what he was feeling his brother had never failed to see right through him. Yamato shrugged, focusing his gaze on a couple resting side by side on another part of the campus.
"It's a built-in mechanism in older brothers. Unfortunately, younger brothers such as yourself face this mechanism inevitably." Takeru furrowed his eyebrows in thought and cast his eyes downward again. He was silent for a couple of moments after that. His silence outweighed that of the area around them. Yamato, concerned, started to say something when Takeru finally spoke.
"Hikari," he started, his voice catching on the last syllable of her name. He stopped a moment, let out a nervous chuckle, and continued. "I was going to talk to her today. Like you told me." He bought his knees to his chest and rested his cheek there, facing Yamato. The latter was already looking back, with concern written across his features.
"I went up to her after last period. I knew where to find her- next to Yolei's locker. I never could catch her at her own. Anyway, on my way there, I saw her, but in front of Daisuke's. They were chatting, you know, all friendly. There couldn't be a more public display of flirting if someone tried. And you know…you know that Daisuke knows how I feel about her." He stopped.
"He asked her out." Yamato stated, a tinge of disappointment in his voice. 'Damn. Daisuke should know better than to do that…' He thought wistfully. He sighed deeply, contemplating a moment, and was about to respond when Takeru interrupted him.
"He kissed her." Yamato looked up, shocked, at his brother's statement. Takeru shook his head and looked up at the ever-clear sky that remained above them.
"Who am I supposed to trust now, Yamato? My best friend…I thought he was my best friend. I don't understand how he could do that."
"I'm sorry." He placed a knowing hand on Takeru's shoulder. Yamato was not too sure of how to handle his younger brother's delicate situation, and so remained as supportive as possible while saying as little as possible. The wind blew again then, sweeping through both boys' goldenrod hair.
"I talked most of it out. Jyou happened to see the whole thing, and offered some bits of advice. Not surprisingly, it turned into a conversation about the medical side effects of depression due to disappointment." They both chuckled softly, lightening the mood significantly.
"Old, reliable Jyou." Yamato smiled, relieved that, once again, all of the Destined were there for each other. Where at one point Yamato would have been disappointed knowing that he wasn't there when Takeru needed him, now he was perfectly fine with and accepting of the fact that his friends always took care of his brother when he couldn't be there. He was ever grateful that he had such friends that he could rely on.
They were both silent after that. The afternoon's spell continued to have its effect throughout the high school campus. After a few moments, the older of the two spoke up again.
"I know things didn't work out perfectly," he began, a serious yet gentle tone to his voice. "And sometimes, things never will work out perfectly. I always thought it was cruel, the way we all crave to find that bit of hope and happiness in our lives, when we're guaranteed nothing. I don't want you to think the way I do." He paused a moment, contemplating the words that were coming forward. "Take every moment of happiness and make it last as long as possible. Regret as little as is humanely possible. And, just like you were going to do with Hikari, don't let anything you want pass you by without going for it. Life is so much easier not asking yourself 'what if?' for every possibility every time something comes up."
"Since when have you gotten deep?" Takeru teased. His comment earned him a playful punch on the shoulder, and light laughs once again from the two boys. As their interaction took place, the front doors to the school opened to reveal several players of the soccer team. At the front of the pack, there was the bushy haired, sun-kissed captain whom Yamato called his best friend. The spell of silence over the area, fragile like a vase made of thin glass, was easily broken as the team made its way through the courtyard. Students in the courtyard watched the team file through the area. As if they were all just waking from a long slumber, each student slowly came back into reality. Life continued as if it had never stopped for that blissful period. While the spell slowly removed itself from the courtyard, and people began to move back into their routines, Yamato stayed still. With a pained look in his eyes, he watched Taichi move to the front gates. One final moment of the spell, refusing to leave entirely, remained on Yamato. The moments in which Taichi left the courtyard seemed endless. Yamato effortlessly tuned out the sounds that surrounded him. A feeling comparable to a sinking stone in his stomach and a piecing realization bought Yamato from his reverie.
"So…when are you gonna follow your own advice?" Takeru kept his eyes fixed on his brother. Yamato turned to him, and felt those cerulean eyes peering into his very being. He chuckled sadly, forcing a small smile on his face.
"In relation to the older brother mechanism, I have the younger brother model. Just the same, it's quite inevitable." Takeru smiled genuinely. Taking note of the activity now surrounding the school grounds, he grabbed his bag and stood up. "I have to go. I'll see you later."
"Thanks, Takeru."
"No problem, and ditto." Yamato watched Takeru meet up with a friend and leave the grounds. Before long, everyone that had been captivated by the simplicity of nature was gone. Yamato remained there, under the gray, desolate tree. His thoughts wandered, leaving him mentally exhausted. As the sun began to fall under the cover of the earth, Yamato found himself retrieving his things and heading for the gates. His thoughts had left him at the crossroads that he found himself facing at the gate of the school – the right, which led to the soccer fields, where he knew he could find Taichi, and the left, where the streets led home. Keeping his eyes cast downward, and regaining the feeling of a stone sinking in the sea, Yamato wrapped his arms around himself and turned to the left. For a few moments, hesitation was apparent in his step. He continued on, leaving the school grounds just as silent as they had been that afternoon.