Umm...Hi everyone! .
This is my second story, and surprisingly, I'm writing it with so much better consistency than "Twilight Sonata"...I tend to do that alot -.- Sorry to those who were looking forward to reading it :(
But...Finally! This is actually a decent stroy that I've written, I hope you guys like it :DD Reviews are DEFINITELY welcome. I really want a revisor, so if you think that you're decently well at that, please tell me. My stories get a little sketchy over time.
I guess that's it. Hope you enjoy! Chapter two's coming up shortly! o
"We think that flower on a cliff is beautiful because we stop our feet at the cliff's edge,
unable to step out into the sky like that fearless flower."
--Anonymous
+xxx+start
Typically on a cold, dark night in the lone town of Sapporo, the stars would twinkle dully overhead and a soft melody would be produced from the small, nighttime critters. Trees would sway in the breeze and the leaves would rustle every so slightly. Everybody –and thing—would be practically still and silent, sleep casting a spell over the village.
However, tonight was not a typical night…
It was so much different from other nights; you could significantly notice the unusual restlessness. Crickets struck up a different tune and the trees danced to the rhythm. The stars would flash and twinkle brighter than ever. Every resident in the town tossed and turned with frustration and annoyance, because what bothered their minds caused the sleeplessness. Yet…what were they thinking about?
Tonight was not a typical night…
Ishizuka Hakura tossed and turned in her bed, like the many others in Sapporo. Sweat beaded down her face, and her mind was swimming with worries and thoughts. It wasn't unusual for her to become very nervous and anxious when she was on the last hour of summer break. Squeezing her eyes shut, she savored the last of her joy that was slipping away fast, running through her grip.
The clock struck twelve.
Snapping back to reality, Hakura signed and relaxed. Today would be the first day of school. Hakura didn't necessarily dread it, but she liked the idea of summer break extending longer.
Climbing out of her prison of tangled sheets and messy pillow, Hakura walked into her bathroom to wash her face. She picked up a comb and slowly ran it through her tangled hair. When it was free at last, she went back to her bedroom silently, each footstep even quieter than a mouse. Hakura sat down on a white chair front of a rather large mirror, the one that she was very fond of.
Gazing at her reflection, Hakura carefully studied herself. An almost-seventeen-year-old girl stared back at her. Hakura had beautiful soft and silky dark brown hair that fell down to her waist like waves in the ocean. It was rather hard to manage since it was so long, but gave off a casual elegance rarely anybody could achieve. She had a slender and smooth heart shaped face, with a slender body and creamy, hazelnut skin. But what perfected her already heavenly appearance where the dark green, almond shaped eyes that betrayed her outward emotions.
She stared into her own reflection. What was that look in her eyes? Fear? Anxiousness? Worry?
Slowly, she got up and flopped onto her bed. Curling up in the warm blankets, Hakura closed her eyes and pushed away her worries. For now. What seemed hours later that she finally fell into an uneasy sleep…
+xxx+
Brrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggg!!
The school bell rung as to mark the start of a new school year at Sapporo Private Middle School. Everybody crowded around the doors and the line slowly moved on. It was a sunny day, and everybody were gossiping happily and squabbling and sharing their experiences about summer break.
Hakura picked up her messenger bag and slung it over her shoulders. Her green eyes scanned the crowd. She broke into a wide smile when she saw a familiar head in the sea of people, pushing her way through the chaos. When she finally saw Hakura, she waved frantically. Hakura yelled over the noise,
"Airi! Ko-chi, ko-chi!"
Airi finally reached Hakura. As if on cue, Hakura suddenly grinned brightly and broke into a hug with the pretty blonde.
"Hakura, long time no see!" cried Airi, winking her azul eyes.
After they let go, Hakura observed Airi from head to toe. Her attractive friend didn't change much…the same tealish-blue eyes sparkled with warmness; a soft heart shaped face and angled eyebrows. She had maintained her slim figure and her extremely, as everybody called it "sexy" legs. Hakura also noticed her friend was a bit taller than her now. She looked more beautiful than ever. Hakura had always envied her, despite her own beauty.
Airi looked at the crowded entrance. "Doesn't change, eh? Sapporo Private will and will always be like this."
Hakura studied the building, the students, the gorgeous lawn...yes. Sapporo Private Hight School would always be like home. She found it unusual for her to be so anxious last night, but that didn't matter. What matter was that she was going to get a good start to a new school year full of unexpected suprises.
+xxx+
Everybody bustled to get the best seats in the school auditorium, so it was awhile before Hakura and Airi sat down and started chatting away.While they were talking, Hakura noticed Inoue Yori-sensei, head of Sapporo Private High School, whispering something to her secretary, Yagami Riku-san.
At some point, Airi said to Hakura,
"Can I be excused? I see my little Kazuke boy…" there was a familiar feeling Hakura was getting from that tone.
"Oh…so you and Hoshina Kazuke ended up together? I won't be surprised if you start slobbering over him in public. You kissed like, fifty boys already. How many did you ditch?" Hakura teased.
"Urusai ne..." Airi said, blushing. Hakura grinned. Airi didn't take dating guys seriously, and the longest she'd ever gone out with a guy, amazingly in Hakura's opinion, was forty-five hours, eight minutes and fifteen seconds (yes, they kept track of that). Still, the idea of Airi being so very popular, cute and sexy nudged Hakura's brain. Indeed, Hakura was very attractive herself, but she was too observant, too shy, too quiet and too partial to books. She was in deep thought before a voice sent shivers down hundreds of spines.
"Ahem, may I have your attention, please." a cracked voice wheezed into the microphone.
The sound of the unexpected speech gave every one a start. Many laughed and settled down. After all was quiet, Touya-sensei scanned the crowd with her hawk-like eyes. She was a nice women, but very strict. Making sure that everyone was seated, she started to speak again.
"Aa…welcome to a new a fresh school year at Sapporo Private High School, ladies and gentlemen! Old ones, a usual welcome back, but newcomers, we will warmly invite you to the atmosphere of a new school, new people!" she announced. The crowd roared with approval.
After a small speech, Touya-sensei allowed her secretary to take the stage. Yagami-sensei went through the usual procedure, starting with a speech as well and discussing rules and expectations. Hakura listened intently, but the earlier thoughts nudged into her mind. She was determined to let it not bother her.
While the welcoming remarks were coming to a close, students started getting up and ambling out the door. But that, unfortunately, didn't last long.
"One more thing before you guys leave," Yagami-sensei partially yelled through the growing noise. "I need everybody to be aware of your surroundings more than usual this year. As you may have heard..." she cleared her throat, "there have been...unknown...happenings in this school."
Of course, the news made the students act the exact opposite of what Yagami-sensei needed.
"Ahem! Ahem!" She shot her signature 'be-quiet-or-else' glare. Finally, the chatter died down. "I know some of you may take this as a joke. But, Kazuke, this is no joke." A snicker or two was heard when Yagami-sensei mentioned the most mischievous guy in the school. "The latest mysterious happening involves a girl fainting and taken to the hospital at the brink of death. The doctors later said that her blood was nearly drained out and there were fang marks at the base of her neck."
So was this the reason Hakura was feeling so anxious last night? She tried to think that the girl and the fang marks was just a joke played by a rival school (by the way, Sapporo Middle had a couple, so it was possible), but years of reading manga books took their toll. And, Hakura read quite a few on, obviously, vampires. Vampires. The thought of them was totally different in the midst of reading than real reportings of attacks. Fang marks and blood...what the hell? She thought.
So, Hakura wasn't the only one thinking about that. Even the dumbest kids in the school seemed to get the idea that these where vampire attacks. And to make it worse, Kazuke yelled, "SUCK MY BLOOD, BABY," which was responded by a sea of laughter. Touya-sensei concluded the speech with another warning, a lecture to Kazuke (for a old woman like her, a reasonably funny one), a tomato nearly missing her, and wishes to the students a fun year.
Hakura was separated from Airi, but she wouldn't be lonely for long since their lockers were next-door neighbors. On the way to the class 3A hallway, she met a few old classmates of hers and all warmly greeted her.
Finally through the entire hubbub, Hakura finally reached her locker. She twirled the combination expertly, whispering "twenty…two…eleven" and with a loud click her locker opened. She dumped an enormous pile of books in (not surprisingly, since she took three more extra classes than all the other students and was a perfect straight A student). Fetching out her history, biology, chemistry and calculus books, she slammed the locker close, whirling around and heading off to class.
She failed to notice after she left the crowd that a dark shadow lurked and danced in the lone, empty hallway that she passed through.
+xxx+
During lunch, the vampire incident Yagami-sensei explained to everyone earlier was now treated as a complete joke. Hakura even overheard a version of how Touya-sensei meet a vampire in her dreams that twisted her thoughts, making her kidnap the secretary before school started and raping her so Yagami-sensei was forced to tell everyone about a vampire attacking the school. Hakura raised a slender eyebrow at the sick rumor. But actual idea did seem a little too supernatural, so Hakura decided it was okay to let her guard down a little.
Typically in Sapporo Middle, a rumor's life lasted about two days since there were always new ones popping up. The vampire one, unusually, lasted about three weeks before there was another about a student of class 3D seeing a unicorn having sex with a donkey at his farm. Even Hakura thought the reportings were false now since nothing unusual happened.
That feeling wasn't going to last long
+xxx+
While the sun began to peak out of the horizon, Hakura slid herself out of her bed and dressed into her usually attire, the school uniform. Sapporo Private School was one of the best in Japan, and a wealthy one. The school uniform was no exception. It was almost like a dark blue suit with elegant silver designs and silver buttons, crimson tie for boys and ribbons for the girls to complete the image (of course, the guys didn't wear skirts). Hakura tied her hair up in the usual side braid that hid her actual curls (she noticed whenever it was put down it fell victim for pulling and random pranks). Grabbing a piece of toast and her bag, she was off.
The air was a little cooler than usual, which satisfied Hakura. After all, nobody really liked the heat Sapporo's summer gave off. She slowed down to a brisk pace, scanning the auburn trees that indicated autumn's entrance to the town. She failed to notice the bump in the sidewalk. In moments, her face was flat on the concrete.
"Iii-t-teee," Hakura tried to pick herself up, but came crashing down again when her wrist gave away. Damn, she thought. Why does my wrist have to break right now? Lying on the street didn't help either, but the school was still a ways ahead.
Forgetting the toast, she reached out to fetch her bag, only to find it hanging above her head.
"You okay?"
Hakura looked up. Which was pretty bad for her heart since she felt it skip several beats. She thought her brother was already the most handsome guy in the world, but the perfect image of a teenage boy standing above her changed her mind completely.
First was the wavy auburn hair. I swear, that color was either taken from the leaves or the leaves took the color from him, she thought. It was, let's say, perfect. The curls where in the perfect position, bangs swept to the side with perfection and styled to the point where it looked so flawless but natural. His brows were fitted into a semi-frown, arched at the right angel and giving a sinister impression. A high nose, smooth lips, perfect bone structure and flawless skin completed the look. Hakura estimated if she stood up, he would be at least a head taller that her. She thought that he must've came from smack in the middle of heaven because it was impossible someone so handsome like him existed. The eyes where the ones that caught her heart the most...a golden, warm stare emitted from those topaz colored eyes
Hakura snapped back to reality when a hand reached out to offer help. She had no choice but to take it since it was impossible for her to stand up herself, while observing a smooth palms and long fingers.
"Arigatou," she said. A smile tugged at her lips.
He eyed her right wrist, which was twisted at a sick angle. "I think we need to get to the hospital. I'll take you."
Hakura picked up her pace to match his. The walk was silent, but it was broken by his voice after a few moments.
"Your name?"
She looked up at him and replied, "Hakura. Ishizuka Hakura."
"Kain Akatsuki," he introduced, holding out a hand but then quickly pulling back. Hakura quickly slapped in into position with her left so she could properly shake hands. "I'm ambidextrous."
Kain gave her a warm smile and kept looking ahead. They continued to stroll silently along the road to the hospital. Hakura was thinking when she noticed that this person looked about the same age as her (though a lot more mature than the people at school).
"Don't you have school? I mean, I can walk there on my own."
Kain have her another smile. Damn, he'll kill me if he keeps on doing that.
"Well, it is my first day or school. I'm a transfer student," he explained after seeing Hakura's look. "I don't really mind. Getting you to the hospital is more important."
Hakura blushed at the last sentence. "Eh? Which school are you going to?" She asked.
"Sapporo Private Middle School."
Hakura's expression was that of surprise. "That's where I go."
The rest of the walk as quiet. After getting to the hospital, Hakura told Kain that he could leave (this was achieved through several attempts).
"Then I'll see you around, Hakura-san."
+xxx+
Hakura arrived at school an hour later, excuse in hand and an irritated look on her face.
"Wow, what a day, I've missed calculus and music, two favorite classes," she grumbled to herself while slamming her locker shut. "At least I have chemistry next."
She hurried to class and nearly kicked the door open. Her class consisted of sixteen people at their desks, a strict teacher in front of the classroom and a person standing next to her. She didn't have to think who it was. Again, her heart was caught by his appearance.
"Ishizuka-san, why are you late?" Hanazono-sensei demanded.
"I...I broke my wrist," Hakura explained and holding up the bandaged arm to prove it.
"Very well. Since you are an ace student, I'll let you go this time," the strict teacher said. "I was just introducing a new transfer student, Kain Akatsuki, to us." she continued. "He'll be your lab partner for the rest of the year since Fuzuoku Ren-kun left."
Talk about coincidence, she thought.
"Kain-san, you can sit at the empty desk, the fourth one in the third row."
Which is next to mine, thank you.
Kain's walk's six-meter walk from the front of the classroom to the desk next to Hakura wasn't quiet. The girls (excluding Hakura) were squealing and giggling at his beauty. Hakura admitted he looked more attractive in his morning attire than the school uniform, but the result was still the same: awe. The boys had the expression, why the hell does a new transfer student get all the girl's attention? on their dumfounded faces.
He winked at Hakura when he finally got to the desk. "Yo."
"Ohiyo."
Hakura tried to ignore the death glares shot at her from jealous girls. It felt like an eternity before the teacher gave out the assignment. Hakura was already rushing to the equipment and chemicals, eager to start. She came back to her table when she discovered Kain fast asleep on the desk
"Oi...OI!"
No answer.
"Um...Akatsuki-senpai, we're in chemistry class right now."
Grunt.
"Akatsuki-senpai...Kain Akatsuki-senpai..."
Same response. Hakura finally snapped. This guy in front of her was wasting her precious learning time.
"DUDE, YOU FREAKIN' PIG, GET UP SO WE CAN START!"
Kain opened an eye and smiled. Finally... she thought. It seemed like forever when the fact that she just insulted him hit her head.
"Ah...GOMEN, GOMEN NASAI!" she apologized, though it was mostly to the fangirls who were glaring daggers at her.
Much to Hakura's surprise, Kain merely chuckled and stretched, his long legs reaching out to surpass the length of the table. Was it just her, or is that guy still sleepy? Rubbing his topaz eyes, he said,
"Interesting insult. But I don't fancy being a pig in my next life." Kain frowned. "Wait...why senpai?"
So he did hear. "I skipped a grade, so technically you're an upperclassman, right?"
Kain shrugged and busied himself with the assignment. Hakura joined in, and in a flash they were done with the experiment with the results ready to present while the rest of the class was struggling with singed hair and unexpected explosions. Wow, I thought I would fail without Ren-kun. Akatsuki-senpai follows the procedures better than he does, Hakura thought. She mentally noted herself to check his grades at this previous school to satisfy her curiosity.
The rest of the day passed without much excitement. After getting to her locker, the emerald-eyed beauty scanned the distance to find Airi waving frantically at her. Hakura pushed her way through the bustling students to her best friend so they could walk home together.
"Anything interesting today?"
Hakura thought for a while, but decided not to waste her energy explaining. Knowing her friend would know in about eighteen hours max, she replied,
"Not really."
Without any permission, Airi started babbling about the supposedly haunted piano room in the second year hallway turned out to be an insane pianist-used-to-be hobo. Hakura listened, but her heart was somewhere else, clenching tightly as she spotted bloodred eyes staring at the two in the far distance.
+xxx+
"Did you see them?"
"I know, they're amazing."
"I like the dark haired one."
"Really? The cute blonde looks more my type."
Whispers issued from hundreds of curious boys and girls at lunch the next day rather than the regular idiotic rumoring. Hakura leaned over to Airi.
"What are they talking about?"
Airi's eyes widened. Hakura felt a pang of guilt for no absolute reason, but it melted away and was quickly placed with curiosity when Airi said,
"Don't you know? All in one day, there were TEN new transfer students, six guys and four girls. I can't believe it myself, but it's true." Airi casted a thoughtful look at a nearby table, which Hakura assumed was where the transfer students occupied, a total of nine people she'd never seen and Kain Akatsuki.
"But it's so strange...seem to know each other since, like, forever...and...they're all..." she paused for a moment. "...beautiful."
Hakura nodded in agreement. Indeed, their looks were unbelievable. It was emphasized when they sat together as well.
"Names?" Hakura asked.
Airi grinned and began reciting, the usual ritual she performed when announcing the latest news around school.
"See at the far right? With the awesome red hair-do and baby blue eyes? Senri Shiki-kun. Class 2A, sixteen years old. I think he's one of the youngest." Sometimes Hakura thought Airi was more of a stalker than a normal high school student. "Next to him is Touya Rima-chan, the one with gold hair in pigtails and the cutest cloths I've ever seen? She's in class 1A, fifteen, also a younger one." Airi's eyes wandered over to a boy with the brightest blue eyes Hakura ever saw. She decided that if he ever happened to be a mage or anything silly, she'd assume he would have control over ice. But the weird thing was, he seemed to be flirting outrageously with the girls sitting at the table next to theirs, and the charm worked perfectly.
Airi continued after smirking slightly. "Aido Hanabusa-kun, blond-hair, seventeen, five foot ten and complete playboy. Amazingly, he's in class 3AA."
In Sapporo High, classes were distinguished by the level of learning. The number represented the grade, and the letter stood for how advance the class was, starting from D (ordinary grade level), to A (very advanced), in some rare cases, AA (extremely advanced). The test for entering AA-leveled classes were only for third years and above. You had to be seventeen, so Hakura wasn't eligable, though she thought she was smart enough to be. But that obnoxious guy in front of her...getting into class 3AA? Impossible. The teacher must've been drunk when he graded Aido's paper.
"Anyway, let's move on." Airi said after observing Aido's behavior. "Umm...Silver hair, purple eyes, third tallest in the group and the one with the weird expression? That's Kiryuu Zero-kun. He definitely needs some happy medicine, look at that face. Class 4A, I heard a ruckus next door yesterday." Airi was in class 4B.
"What about the other girls?" Hakura asked.
"Oh...I know Souen Ruka-san, long gray hair? Yeah, she's in my class, but I think the teacher made a mistake. Too smart for her looks." Airi wrinkled her nose. "All the guys like her, but she's complete snob...it's so annoying."
She cleared her throat and moved on. "Kuran Yuuki-chan, Kuran Juuri-san. Fifteen and eighteen, the two long-haired brunettes sitting next to each other? I love Juuri's hair, looks a lot and more like yours...she's on the right," Airi pointed. "Yuuki's in class 1B, a little out of it sometimes but very sweet. Juuri, I think, is in 4AA."
"I know Akatsuki-san, so go on," Hakura mentioned when she saw her head tilt toward the dark-blonde hottie. Airi nodded and pointed toward a cute, smiling guy with eyes the color of emeralds, even richer than Hakura's. Airi's stare changed into a loving gaze. "He's Ichijou Takuma-kun, class 3AA and he's so mine." Hakura raised an eyebrow, but then said,
"So the last one? You haven't mentioned him."
Airi's expression darkened. "Kuran Kaname-san. Handsome dark drown hair, handsome face, handsome eyes, handsome height, handsome hands, handsome everything." Hakura thought it was a bit much, but he was indeed very different from the rest of the newbies. A sinister, powerful aura seemed to emit from him. Hakura admitted that she would be a little afraid confronting him if that ever happened.
"All the girls like him, their gushing pisses me off," Airi said with a dark tone. "Good thing he's in class 4AA. I would've died from all the squealing if he were in my class."
While Airi fumed, Hakura's mind was somewhere else.
"Kuran Yuuki, Kuran Juuri, Kuran Kaname...are they siblings?" she questioned.
Airi nodded. "They even look alike, what do you expect?"
Hakura shrugged. "Don't you think it's a bit weird that they're all so...good-looking?" her bad habit of being too observant and curious took over. Airi shook her head and went to say something about Touya-san and Senri-kun being models. "Bet you most of them are from up north," she said. "Very pale."
Hakura went back to finish her lunch, but an uncomfortable feeling clogged her mind.
Was it her, or were these students...something else?
+xxx+end