Hey guys! Thanks to my lazy-ass-ness, I haven't continued any of my past stories! But don't worry, I'm done with half this story... Well. Yeah.
"What are you doing?"
He holds up the green paper, folded into a shape of a bird. "Folding paper cranes."
The first time I saw him was when he visited my house for an assignment. He was to be my home tutor for three weeks. An assignment for both me, and him.
He wore a white coat that brushed lightly past his ankles, shielding jeans and a dark-colored shirt from view, as well as half his fingers even though the sleeves were folded in. I noticed him easily because of his light colored hair. Like steel; blue in color, shiny in the glow of the fluorescent lights. He sat on a stool by the table, opposite Granny, hands placed on his lap and a navy blue file on the table.
Granny made me introduce myself to him. I did; after all it was rude to not do so.
"Hello! My name is Kairi," I said. He did not smile; he merely shook my outstretched hand politely and pulled back.
"I am Ienzo."
_One-Thousand Paper Cranes_
The next day when I returned from school, he was already waiting for me in the dining room, dressed in the same attire. He was reading a book- something really thick- I don't know what. On the table were two different books, meant for someone my age, one labeled 'Mathematics' and another 'Tales of the Worlds'.
"Welcome home, Kairi. Now sit down and have your lunch; Ienzo will help you with your homework later." Granny called from the kitchen. I took my seat directly facing Ienzo. His eyes were blue. Blue; unlike mine, which were like the sea; his was steely gray, shades darker than his hair but still blue.
Granny served me some potatoes and vegetables. Ienzo paid no attention. I ate; he frowned at the noise I was making. Oops. Perhaps I irritated him.
When I was done eating Granny left us be to buy something from the markets. He put his heavy book down and picked up the Mathematics book. We talked about equations.
I drew the wrong symbol and earned a glare. He took my hand and guided me to draw a more proper looking eight symbol.
He taught me about the multipli-whatevers. I said he drew the addition symbol wrong. He buried his face in his palms.
We went on to the next book where he told me a story. He said something about other worlds. Worlds with flying cars. Giant key-shaped things that can open doors to another world. He mentioned a star-shaped fruit and cranes.
One thousand paper cranes.
I begged him to tell me more of the paper cranes. He didn't tell me the origins. He told me a story.
"It was in a world far, far away from ours. War has always littered the history of the world. In a particular war a dangerous weapon was dropped. She was a little girl then, but she suffered the aftereffects. She developed a dangerous disease.
"Soon she was sent to the hospital. Her friend visited her every day. One day her friend folded a paper crane for her. It was an ancient belief in her homeland that by folding a thousand paper cranes, your wish would be granted. She wanted to get better. She wanted to be able to run freely outside with her friends again. So she started folding.
"She folded, and folded, and folded as the days went by. At 644 paper cranes she left the world forever. Her friends continued it for her. They made the remaining 366 paper cranes and buried all 1000 of them with her."
Then we stopped talking when his guardian, a blond man came by to pick him up. He said a curt goodbye and left taking the books with him.
_One-Thousand Paper Cranes_
I never saw him on the day after because it was a Saturday. I never saw him on Sunday either. On Monday he returned, with two different books, none of them his reading material. In place he was moving his fingers nimbly up and down a few pieces of colored papers.
I asked him what he was doing. He told me that those were the paper cranes he told me of. He had six of them already on the table, two yellow, one orange, one red and two violet ones. He added a green one to it. Then he stopped folding and then opened the books.
We spent the rest of the lesson learning about science. About life. I like it when he told me how to differentiate between the things that have a life and those that don't. Those that have a life move by themselves. Those who don't just… don't.
I said the fan was alive and he choked on his tea. He said we control the fan so it moved. I took it up.
Then I said the curtains were alive and he planted his face on the table. He said the wind caused it to move.
I said the wind was alive and he screamed "UGH!"
So we stopped learning and went out to the garden.
"How old are you?" I ask, watching Ienzo intently as he tried to avoid stepping on puddles of water from the rain last night. He liked skipping. He was jumping out of my house the other day, too.
"Me? I'm three years older than you are. You do the math."
I counted on my fingers. "Eight!" I said triumphantly. Then I frowned. "You're too young to be a teacher."
"You only noticed now?" He exclaimed. "Wow," he added, whistling.
"What class are you in?"
"I don't go to school."
"Eh? But… But you're so smart and…"
"I had a tutor. Much like you and me. Except that mine taught me everything I needed to know, every day, until now, where I had to do this assignment with you. When we're done I have to study under him again."
"Oh. Is he three years older than you, too?"
"… No."
Then the blond man came again and took Ienzo away. He left all seven of the paper cranes for me, and took the books away again.
_One-Thousand Paper Cranes_
Today was the last day I get to spend time with Ienzo. There were forty-two paper cranes in my room now. He didn't bring any books for me with him today, only a thick black book with no words on it. I asked him why. He said we were going to do something practical today, and that he could stay longer.
He led me to the Fountain Court behind the castle. It was pretty, all pink and purple and blue. I found a few odd floating pots which Ienzo used his thick book to whack them away.
I said don't. Those things have a life. He said he was glad I learned but then he told me that those things drop special stuff and they never get hurt. I don't know why. It dropped a few packets of things which he asked me to taste.
The first one was something called Soy Milk. It tasted like milk and something else. I wrote it down on his book.
Another one tasted bitter! He said it was Moogle Coffee. I put it away quickly.
Then it was something sweet he called 'Nebula Nectar'. I don't know what it is.
The last one he gave me was a fizzy drink that made my mouth taste funny. It was called Rocket Soda. He laughed when I spat the fizzy drinks out.
When we were done he gave me ice-cream, the kind Granny always buys for me whenever I get good marks. The blue matched his eyes.
"Can I see you again?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I can't go out from the castle freely."
"You live in the castle?"
"Uh-huh."
We said nothing after that. When it was close to the evening he said he wanted to go somewhere else before he was bought home. But he didn't know where to go so I dragged him by his hand and bought him to the Outer Gardens.
_One-Thousand Paper Cranes_
"What is this door?"
"I don't know."
"Let's go in!"
"I don't want to."
"Why?"
"I don't know this place."
"You don't know the Outer Gardens too."
"I…"
So I dragged Ienzo in and then we walked together, hand in hand. The place was huge. The floors are golden in color.
"I- I think I should return to the castle now. I am too far away from the central square; and Even cannot locate me in here. Furthermore I did not bring my cell phone with me."
"A little while more? Please?"
He nodded. I walked to the edge carefully. Below the raised platform it was all water below.
"Kairi."
"Huh?"
"Don't move."
Too late. I turned to see Ienzo when he said my name; but instead I saw something big and blue. It nearly got me with its punch. I screamed, and screamed, until Ienzo used his book to push it away. I don't know how he could do it but the big blue thing disappeared. A few more came. He repeated his actions.
By the time there was no more of them Ienzo didn't have the strength to move anymore. I ran towards him. No, he wasn't hurt, but he was tired. He didn't look at me.
"Screech."
I heard squeaky noises. I heard Ienzo gasp. I saw something blue, smaller than the ones before, and I saw red. Like the only red paper crane I have in my room. Ienzo never wore red. Only white, black, blue and gray. I heard a thump and it was all over.
There was no more weird squeaking, punching blue monsters, only me, and Ienzo, lying down on the floor holding his book. The red came from him, from inside him, making his white coat red.
I'm sure he wasn't sleeping. Maybe he fainted. I don't want him to faint.
Tadah! Give me a motivating glomp! Wait, on second thought, don't. I don't want you guys to ruin your PC/Laptop/Mac screen for trying to jump-bear-hug it.
I don't know when I'll update again, but neh. Give me some motivation. Also, any Qs? Ask away! Oh, and I might have to change bits of this story or something, I admittedly say I only use the spellchecker but I haz no beta.