This fiction is specially dedicated to AndreggvilJammer. :D Roughly based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Also, a MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone. I hope you enjoyed reading this. You know the pairings!
AMITY and ANIMOSITY
By PaTchoRa
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Sometimes the last person on Earth you want to be with is the one person you can't be without.
Such were the words written for the movie rendition of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. And it is without a doubt that that movie had captured the hearts of many, perhaps with an exception of one who cares little of true love. For a woman who is eldest of five children, that story was mere mockery of her condition. A love between a peasant girl and a filthy rich man is anything but possible. Stories like that only bring petty wishes to this already hopeless community.
Such a long time had passed since Sumire Shouda had given up hopes of finding a respectable man worthy of her own taste. It is true that her story was never far from Elizabeth Bennett's. When chance came, her mother would patch her up with some guy from foreign lands. But not once had she yielded to her mother's requests. It has come upon her that all these men were the same. They cared little of others and placed high regards only on their own and their kind.
She would never yield to people like them. Or perhaps she thought that she wouldn't.
"My dear Mr. Shouda, have you heard of the news for this coming spring?" said his lady to him one night.
Mr. Shouda replied that he had not.
They were all at the living room that time, warming themselves from the cold storm outside. Sumire and Hotaru, the eldest were reading a book by the couch. Mikan was playing the piano. The two more younger ones were telling stories about their flirtatious attempts on the soldiers early that morning.
"Oh, but you must've had! It's the talk of the town since yesterday," returned she, of which Mr. Shouda did not answer.
"Why? What is it, mama? I knew of the talk, but I was too busy to know what it was about," said Luna, the youngest, for she is the more spirited one among the five.
"Well, my dears, you must know. It has not escaped me that Ruka Nogi, as well as his cousin Natsume Hyuuga will be staying for the whole spring. They were here for a day last summer to check on the place where they should stay, and they were so much delighted with it that they immediately reserved the place for the whole season; and I suspect until summer as well. They should be here by Monday morning the very least."
"That is great news, mama!" exclaimed the other, "I heard that Ruka Nogi is a very respectable man. He owned most of the estates at Tokyo, doesn't he?"
"Is this man single or married?"
"Oh! Single my dear, to be sure!" replied his wife, "You must arrange a meeting with him the moment he arrives."
"Why so? By that time, I would be busy by the fields, tending to the animals and the crops. I'm afraid it would be nearly impossible."
"My dear Mr. Shouda, you consider your work first before your daughters? Can't you see that this would be a fair chance for us? Once they marry two of our daughters, which I had high hopes that they would, we would be able to pay our debts and leave this mess."
"I see your point in that, my dear. However-"
"Rubbish! Tell me, my darling, that you would do it regardless of anything else. You should do it for me and for the sake of your daughters!"
"I will see to it. However, do not trust to hope."
When it seemed that the topic was dropped, Sumire Shouda closed her book and turned to her parents. "Do not forget however mama, that he would be with them as well."
"Of course he would be! I never said that he wouldn't. But why would I let one young man be the cause of the ruin of my plans?" answer she, "Or perhaps I could even use him as well. After all, all of you are no longer as young as you used to. You, for a fact, had grown to be a very charming woman. Yes, it would be good-"
"Have you lost your mind? Have you no sense of pride at all, mama? Forcing one of us to marry the man whose family was the very reason of our misfortunes?" By that time, Mikan had stopped playing the piano. Hotaru dropped the book she was reading as well, and the remaining two of her sisters were now eerily quiet.
"I, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I'll be heading upstairs," excused Sumire. She stood up and placed the book back at the table. She then took her leave. However, just when she was about to exit the room, her mother had called on her.
"What then do you expect me to do, my dear? Sit quietly as I wait for my time and for you to act by yourselves?" her mother asked, of which she did not answer.
While she was lying quietly in the bed, unbeknownst to her she was being followed by one of her sisters –Mikan. Although she was much older than her by four years, she had grown fondness of her much more than her three other sisters. Mikan was more of the innocent, and the idealist. But despite the differences in personailty, she was not thick enough to not notice her sister's sentiments. In fact, it seemed that it is only her who shared an ideal closer to Sumire's.
"I could never understand how our mother's brain works," admitted Sumire.
"Nor do I," replied she, "I've always regarded mama as weird. However, weird as she may seem to be and hateful may be her methods, I cannot simply ignore the state of our family. I have greatly considered this matter and it has dawned on me that I could only be helpful in this family if I do as she says."
"Oh, my dear Mikan," Sumire got up from the bed and hugged her sister, "Never think of it that way."
"I wished to think not. I never wished to think so. But I'm rooting on the idea that certain events like this would not be at all bad. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice had given me hope that-"
"That movie once again!" said Sumire, "As much as I'd like you to hope, Mikan, do know that we are living in reality."
"I know. That fact never once escaped my mind," with a crestfallen face, Mikan tried to avoid her sister's gaze.
"You're too young to have your life wasted. I will never allow such fate to befall upon you," said she as she hugged her little sister tight.
AMITY and ANIMOSITY
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A grand party took place that very evening of Monday.
Mr. Yukihira, the town's mayor, had arranged for it the instant their guests had arrived. Everyone was practically invited. Although Sumire wished not to attend, it was Mikan who had asked her to; though she suspects her mother to be behind all this. Nevertheless, in the end, she decided to come along. After all, it would be lonesome sitting alone inside the house.
When they reached the halls where the party was held, it was all that they had thought for and more. It was not too formal, nor was it too rugged. The room was fairly lit by candles and chandeliers. The band had played a merry tune and most people were already up on their dancing shoes. Their mother was the more nagging one, urging Mr. Shouda to introduce to her the two gentlemen standing quietly at the far corner of the room.
"Good evening to you, Mr. Nogi. It seems that you had enjoyed yourself at the party I see," Mrs. Shouda had started the moment she was introduced.
"Yes, I enjoyed it very much. Thank you," replied Mr. Nogi.
Indeed, Mr. Nogi was a very fine young man, gentlemanlike and handsome. He had a friendly aura surrounding about him, and a warm smile was always seen plastered in his face. With his blond hair and deep blue eyes, he could be mistaken as a prince. Mrs. Shouda has never been more delighted than the thought of him marrying one of her daughters. Other than that, his two other sisters with him had an air of decided fashion. Though with a slight hint of authority, they had an easygoing look; a pleasant countenance she supposed.
However, most of everybody's attention was drawn by his friend, Mr. Hyuuga, with his tall, rather handsome and noble appearance; not to mention his twenty thousand a day. He was pronounced as a fine figure of a man. Ladies declared him to be much handsomer than Mr. Nogi, and he was looked at with great admiration by most. Though he was more of the silent and mysterious type, speaking only to a few and declining to dance with anyone else besides Mr. Nogi's sisters, a few daughters of some desperate families never gave up on nailing him. And that of course includes Mrs. Shouda on the list.
Mr. Nogi, on the other hand, had acquainted himself with most people at the party. He had danced every dance, two of which were surprisingly with Miss Hotaru. Though it was not what Mrs. Shouda had planned, she had let everything slip. After all, it did not escape her that her eldest' personality would not be the most fitting for Mr. Nogi. And her delightfulness grew to a little more of satisfaction especially when she realize the rather agreeable state of her other daughter. It had drawn the attention of most people as well.
It was a first that other than his own party, Mr. Hyuuga had decided to talk with someone else –Miss Mikan. Though how it came to be was not the slightest romantic, people have viewed of it that way.
Having no suitable partner for two straight dances now, Mikan planned to grab some juice by the table and simply sit the whole party out. She had lost sight of Sumire a few dances since they had come. It seems that Hotaru was busy as well. Her two other sisters were fortunate enough to have partners all throughout the dances. The only better thing left for her was to drink and sit down.
It was a perfect idea to do, if only she wasn't the clumsy one she usually was.
The moment she spun around, with the juice in hand, she inadvertently bumped into someone. The unexpected feat had unfortunately made her juice spill right onto the coat of the one man she least wished to bump into.
"I am sorry. Please do know that it is very much unintentional," Mikan apologized as she grabbed a handkerchief and tried desperately to wipe the stain away.
"Tell me," he began, "How is bumping me unintentional when you have clearly felt me behind you? Surely, there must be no other explanation for it besides that you demand my attention as most girls do."
"Excuse me? Whether you are behind me or not, I obviously do not know and do not care. You say that I demand your attention?"
"Indeed!"
"How prideful of you to regard yourself as such!" exclaimed Mikan. Mr. Hyuuga smirked, "Why are you smirking, you detestable person?!"
"I am a detestable person now?" asked he with much amusement.
"Indeed you are!"
"Well, Miss Mikan, it seems that I have wrongly thought of you. It has come upon my realization that you are rather different from the 90% of the woman population who had come here. You are a loudmouth, very much stubborn and I dare say lack a sense of grace," said Mr. Hyuuga.
"Lack a sense of grace?" Mikan scoffed, "I am very proud to say that I am the most expert dancer in all of town!"
"Probably," he replied, with a grin in his face.
"I see," she murmured, "I have misjudged you. It was wrong of me to consider you close to Mr. Darcy."
"Mr. Darcy?"
"Never mind! Please forget what I said," said Mikan, "I hope you'd have a great night at the party, Mr. Hyuuga. Please excuse me." With that, she left.
Meanwhile, at the far end of the hall, Sumire had least expect to see someone there. She had chosen that place since she noticed only a few people go there. Since twelve years ago, she was not very fond of dances and of being acquainted to men. She thought that despite being at the party, being in that corner would bring her peace and made her feel as if she is not. Nevertheless, of all places, she had never thought that he would be there as well.
"Sumire, it has been a long time. How is your mother and father doing?" said a voice all too familiar for her. Without lifting her head up, she planned to get away from him as soon as possible.
"Why do you care?" she asked, standing up. But before she could even take a step, a hand had grabbed hers.
"You still hate me, don't you?"
"You're funny. You ask a question you very well knew the answer," replied she, "Now would you please let go of my hand?"
"Sumire, please, would you for once listen to me?"
"What's there to talk about, Koko? What is there for you to explain about?" she asked him, mustering all her courage to face the one man she hates, the one man whose family had caused the ruin of hers. Mr. Koko Yome gave no reply. Even though how much he wanted to, he couldn't. Her expression was enough to tell him the hatred she had for him and his family. Having no other choice, he let go of her.
"I will never give up, Sumire," he had last told her before taking his leave.
For what unfolds right after, no one could imagine. No one has ever suspected that after twelve years, and the visiting of three most respectable men, could do much as to change the fortunes of the Shouda family. But what is more surprising was not about the change of luck. It was neither that nor the fact that this story had turned out to be a lot closer to Jane Austen's. Rather, it was more on the change of an ideal –the change of a woman who had once given up on love. Of Amity and Animosity.
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THE END
A Merry Christmas again to everyone!