NoteIn the little town of Kanagawa, men lived as either farmers or fishermen. Young male adolescents, around fourteen years of age, are often separated from their parents to be able to join schools that would teach them how to plant or fish. They can choose between planting, Ryoho School, and fishing, Kaihoko School. By the time they reach eighteen, they return back home to be able to help their parents.
Guardian of the Roses
"Someday we would be able to open the gates
Then run from our dictated fates"
"When the clock strikes 11 and the blue moon lights the seven violet roses, the sea's waves would calm down. In the middle, an island would rise. The waves, like obedient servants, would part and form a pathway to the island. This is the only time one can reach the world that remains to be hidden until now."
"Oh yeah? If it was hidden, then how did you know about it?" A voice piped in. It was an extremely bored boy who does not want to listen to any supernatural stories. This boy, who goes along the name Koshino, had his bangs on the side of his face and was wearing a brown kimono. Sendoh threw him a pillow. "But I want to hear it!" The boy with spiked hair wearing a blue kimono whined. Koshino retorted. "I want to sleep!"
Hanagata laughed. He was a tall boy wearing glasses and a green kimono. "Then sleep. It's as if I was forcing you to listen to me." Koshino pouted. "But I can't sleep."
Laughter came in. It was from Fujima, the leader of Ryoho. He was the oldest, next to Hanagata and Uozumi, but he was relatively shorter than the younger ones. He was wearing a violet kimono. "You're not scared, are you?" Koshino blushed. "Of course I'm not!" He shouted. Everyone laughed. Soon, the room was filled with teases and laughter.
Moichi Taoka, the administrator of Ryoho School, had enough of it. His forehead had wrinkles and he wore his pajamas. It was already 10:00 pm, and the boys still have to wake up early tomorrow for planting. Yet, they are still awake. Moreover, they were creating havoc.
He stood and started his way to their room. He opened their door and saw that they were having a pillow fight. "I told you to go to sleep!" This was the start of his long lecture.
Meanwhile, near the shores of Kanagawa, the same story was being told.
"That's crazy! I never saw any violet roses in the middle of the sea." Mitsui argued. He is one of the oldest in the school. He wore only blue faded pants. The leader and the oldest student of Kaihoko, Maki, replied in a deep voice. "Of course you can't. It appears only in the middle of the night. And the sea is blue. The seven roses are there deep in the sea."
"How would the moon light it if it was deep in the sea?" Kiyota asked. He was new to the school and his hair runs wild. He had blue kimono. Sakuragi also nodded his head, a signal that meant he also wants to know. He was also new to the school, but boisterous enough to fight with virtually everyone he wants to. He wore red shirt and blue denim pants with dried mud on the tips. Maki rolled his eyes. "That's why it doesn't happen every time there's a blue moon."
"It doesn't? I'm confused." Sakuragi said.
Maki rolled his eyes more and threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Of course it does not! Do you guys seriously think it happens every blue moon?" Sakuragi and Kiyota nodded. Mitsui nodded, too. "Besides, a blue moon is rare."
"Whatever. Do you want me to continue?" Maki already lost his concentration. People around him, whose eyes were glued to him all night, nodded. "OK, here goes.
The moonlight's rays would open the gateways. The seven roses would bloom suddenly and it would release luminous spores. These would form a torch in the guard's left hand."
"Wait! There is a guard?" Kiyota asked. "This is becoming too unrealistic, Maki-san!"
"Yeah! Who are you kidding? There are no such things as lighted spores that form a torch!" Mitsui questioned him. Kogure nodded to show his approval. He is one of the oldest of the school, too, but he looked young. He wore a white striped kimono. "You're becoming too old that you're beginning to tell unrealistic, old wives' stories." Hanamichi commented.
Rather than lose his patience, Maki just groaned. "Whatever!" He lied on the bed. Sakuragi followed suit and rolled to his side. "Why does this school provide us with only one big futon? I don't want to sleep with this fox! I don't want to sleep with a monkey, too! And how come Anzai-sensei and Takatoh-sensei have rooms on their own?" Sakuragi complained. He was referring to the boy who was already sleeping beside him. The boy is referring to Rukawa Kaede, one of the new boys in the school. The said boy is wearing a dark blue kimono. He might be new to the school, but he gets a lot of fishes, sometimes even more than his seniors can catch.
"Stop complaining." Akagi, the assistant leader, ordered him. He is only half awake, and it had only been through reflex that he answered Sakuragi. Sakuragi had been complaining ever since he arrived at the school. Akagi is the oldest in the school next to Maki. He is wearing a brown kimono.
Sakuragi "HMP"-ed. He proceeded to sleep. Peace reigned in the seaside.
11:00 pm
Weirdly enough, he woke up exactly at the time the grandfather's clock rang. 'That great grandfather's clock is such a nuisance.' He thought. He tried to go back to sleep, but he felt a little too uneasy.
Hanamichi decided that he couldn't sleep again. When he opened his eyes, he saw gold glowing eyes in front of his face. The orbs seemed to be floating in the darkness, for the room appeared black. The whole room, that is, except for the blue moonlight which came streaming from the window.
'Wait… blue moonlight and golden eyes?' Slowly but surely, it registered in his mind. He screamed.
His schoolmates woke up. Even their administrators, Anzai and Takatoh, went to their room.
Someone opened the lights. "Hey, what's the matter with you?" Kiyota asked Sakuragi. He was sleeping right beside him and was woken up by his scream. Sakuragi replied. "When I opened my eyes, I saw gold eyes and blue moonlight!" he stuttered.
Maki laughed. "Don't tell me you took the story seriously! What with the blue moonlight and the guard's eyes that turn gold when illuminated by the blue moonlight rays."
Kogure froze. "The guard's eyes turn gold with the blue moonlight?" Maki laughed. "Yeah. I got scared as a kid when I heard of the golden eyes." Mitsui also paled. "You weren't able to finish your story. You didn't reach that part yet."
Maki laughed, although this time a little nervous. "Maybe Sakuragi heard about the story before, and he suddenly remembered it again tonight." Kiyota laughed, too. "Yeah, you scared crow, go back to sleep! Stop screaming like shit!"
Soon, the boys settled down in their part of the futon. The two teachers went back to their respective rooms. Sakuragi didn't think twice of going to sleep again. He did not mind defending himself. He chose to believe that it was just a product of his active imagination.
When everyone else's breathing is even, a pair of golden eyes opened. The owner sighed from relief.
To be continued…