Runo's Birthday
I was sitting in my art class waiting for the teacher Ms. Dearie to arrive so we could take our art history test on the ones for the still life lesson. Ms. Dearie arrived two minutes later with my girlfriend Runo Misaki, who had her head high in air as always, following her in the room with her arms full of note pads and clay.
"Your attention, class." Mrs. Dearie said to the whole room. "It is an honor for me to introduce you to my prize pupil, who has just moved back here from Japan, Runo Misaki." She told us with a smile on her face. "I will be expecting everyone to make her feel welcome. You can sit down by Mr. Kuso, Runo." She told her kindly and told me to stand up so Runo could see me. I walked over to Runo when I saw her struggling with her heavy load.
"Let me take some of this stuff for you, Runo." I tell her while I was grabbing her box of clay from her arms.
"Thank you for your help, Dan." She tells me sweetly and quietly, which is unusual for her to do with me, but I did not have time to ask her about it. I put the box of clay on the table and I turned my attention to the test on my desk. I finished it ten minutes later and started to work on my landscape paint of the beach with Runo in front of the sunset. I watched Runo work with the clay to make a statue of a girl with long black hair wearing a dress with a high neck collar and long sleeves. I thought she was doing a wonderful job with the dress design, which she used flowers for it.
"You are a wonderful artist, my dear." I tell her sweetly and softly because she looked a little tired to me.
"Thank you for your complement, Dan." She tells me with a small smile on her face. I knew that something bad had happened to her because she had worried written all over her face.
"Did something bad happen to you, Runo?" I asked her calmly and coolly so she did not kill me for asking her about it. She threw herself into my arms and starts crying very hard. I had to nod that she was okay to the teacher.
"My parents were killed a month ago and their killer is after me now. I had to leave almost everything that I hold dear behind me, Dan." She tells me still sobbing a lot.
"I am sorry for your loss. You will be safe here though, Runo. I will never let that evil man get near you even if it costs me my life." I tell her calmly and quietly because my heart was breaking into two piece from her news. Mrs. Dearie had overheard Runo talking to me so she came up to us and put her arms around Runo until she stopped crying hard.
"I think you should take Runo home for the rest of the day and stay with her, Mr. Kuso. I will clean up the clay and tools Runo was using today. You may sign both of you out in the front office first though." She tells me and I gently pull Runo onto her feet. I walk us to the office and sign us out of school for the day. Madam Histake comes out of her office as we get ready to leave for the diner that Runo calls her home.
"Are you going to brawl again, Mr. Kuso?" She asks me because I do not usually leave school otherwise then she see Runo standing behind me. "Is that you, Runo?" She asks her calmly and quietly because she could tell when Runo was upset about something.
"It is good to see you again, Madam Histake." Runo said to her sweetly and prettily.
"When did you arrive here, Runo?" Madam Histake asks her with wonder in her voice.
"I had arrived here yesterday, Madam Histake." She answered her calmly and coolly.
"I will drive you both home, Runo." She told her and led the way to her car. We reached the diner ten minutes later and Runo found a surprise waiting for her there. A guy who looked about six years older than Runo opened the door to the apartment and let us into it so Runo did not have to find her keys.
"Is that you, Yusei?" She asked him calmly, but with excitement in her voice. I was thinking that he better not hurt Runo because I would kick him to the moon and back again.
"Hey, Rookie. It had been a long time since we had last seen each other, baby sister. You have grown up a lot since we were kids." He told her coolly and I was glad he was her brother instead of an old boyfriend who had found out that she was in town.
"Yes, it has been a long time, Yusei." She tells him with a smile on her face. It was one of the few times that I had since her smile today.
"Happy Birthday, Runo. I hope you did not forget your own birthday was today." He told her and explained that he had to leave for now, but he would come see her again soon. I had stayed with Runo all day and night to celebrate her birthday and make sure she was safe here. I had missed my Kid after all these years apart from her.