"Hikari?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you spacing out again?"
"Ah! I'm sorry dad." She said blushing.
"Is there something wrong? You seem worried." Her father watched her face with concern.
"N-no" she stuttered "Everything is fine."
FLASHBACK
"Hikari don't you feel sometimes that we are trapped in some kind of a vicious circle?"
"How come? Akira you're worrying me." Hikari leaned closer.
"Oh, it's not like that, it's just today I feel a little down and I'm seeing only the dark side of things I guess. I feel like I'm missing my youth." Akira looked away.
"I guess you're right in a way, we are made to help our parents all the time, plus we have school. But it's not all so bad, we are still young." Hikari clenched her fist.
"That's right, isn't it?" Akira joined Hikari's enthusiasm.
END OF FLASHBACK
"I was only trying to cheer her up, but somehow what she said made me think that I'm really missing something. I'll finish high school this year and I can't really remember that last time I had fun. Yare yare, such a boring life." Those were Hikari's thoughts, as her father continued to explain her, the new business he was trying to get himself into.
Hikari looked out the window, and then looked at her watch. It was so late. Tomorrow she had some exams, but there was no need to worry. "I guess that's the easy part in being a genius" she thought bitterly. She was top of her school since she entered that high school. The only good thing that came with that was that she was allowed to be part of Special A, the group of six friends that were close to her the most.
"I wonder what my life would look like if I didn't meet them?" she shook her head, not wanting to think about sad things.
"So this is the main problem. What do you think?" her father asked.
"Huh? Oh! Hmm. I've got to go." She rushed out of the room before her father realized. "Good night dad."
NEXT DAY
"Tadashi don't eat before my Hikari." Akira smacked the boy with a fry pan.
"Monster woman why do I have to wait for everyone?" the boy complained.
"Because I said so." She added furiously.
It was a beautiful morning and everyone seemed in high spirits, Hikari thought. Ryuu was surrounded by few small animals and the twins that were trying to get his attention as usual.
Akira and Tadashi continued to argue, but they all knew that they were actually in love. Everything was as it should be and as it was until now. Hikari sipped from her cup of tea. "Why do I suddenly feel so lonely?" she thought.
The greenhouse's door opened and Tadashi's mother appeared in front of them.
"I have a new member of your group. He just transferred, but he's grades are extremely good so he'll be a member of the SA from now on." She spoke firmly.
The six members watched the new boy appearing from behind the Principal. Their eyes grew wider as the boy came closer.
"Hello I'm Takishima Kei, glad to meet you. Let's be friends." He said joyful.
"H-hello." They all responded in choir.
Hikari took the initiative and presented each and every one of them.
"Hikari? Interesting name, beautiful I might add." Kei said with a smile.
"Huh?" the girl's eyes widened and blushed.
"Why is she using a pan card to write instead of talking?" he asked immediately.
"She's protecting her voice" Ryuu responded.
"Ah I see she must have a very beautiful voice then."
A forced smile and a tear of embarrassment appeared on Hikari's face, as well as the other 3 friends.
They all sat and ate quietly. Hikari watched as Kei couldn't decide what to eat first, that almost made her laugh out loud. This should be interesting, entertaining. A change was always welcomed in her life. Something to burst this routine bubble she was living in. She gathered some, of her thoughts and opened her laptop. Work seemed never ending.
"So who's first in this club?" asked Kei.
"That would be me" answered Hikari without looking away from her laptop's screen.
"I'm planning on beating you then. I entered second, but I'll definitely be first."
"Oh? Is that so? Well then you're on Mr. Rank Two."
"Huh?" Kei's face got all red. "Calling me that will only add to my determination."
"Humph! We shall see where that takes you then." She spoke almost smiling.
They others watched them getting all flared up. They all thought that it will be interesting to watch them matching up.
"No one will beat my lovely Hikari." Akira added with an evil grin on her face, which sent a cold shiver down Tadashi's spine.
"That's right" Hikari added.
"Oh demon woman got all angry" said Tadashi, right before being hit by the frying pan.
"We'll see about that. I'll make a bet with you Hanazono. Who ever wins, will make the other one obey one command."
"I see. That' sounds good to me. Which is the challenge? Shall we say the exam we have in a week from now?"
"You got it" Kei said feeling his spirits high. "Watch me Hanazono I'm going to beat you." he thought.
1 WEEK LATER
"You've got to be kidding me!" Kei watched the board in disbelief. Ranked number one was still Hikari.
"Oh I guess getting all cocky and flared up didn't help very much, did it?"
Kei turned and saw the girls smiling face. He turned all red and was about to say something, when she added:
"What should I command you to do? Hmm..." Hikari laughed.
"This, this cannot be. How come? I got perfect scores"
"Oh well, I guess that's good, but you see, when you come up with your own theories to solve a mathematics problem, then the teacher must give you a higher score." Hikari said all cocky.
"I see. Well then I guess you won fair and square." Kei answered happy.
This took Hikari off guard. Somehow she expected him to be more disappointed about it.
"Interesting."
"What?"
"N-no, I was talking to myself." She waved.
"Now then, let's hear your command." He spoke.
"I will think about it…"and then it hit her. The one thing she missed, the one thing that should be a constant considering her age, but was not.
"Well?" he questioned her impatiently.
"I want you to take me some place, where you like to go and have fun."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
"No humiliation?"
"Now, why would I do that?"
"No reason." He smiled.
Hikari thought that that is one smile she'd like to see every day. Why was she having these thoughts, she didn't know, but somehow it didn't matter. She felt challenged by this boy and that made her hopeful.
Kei watched the girl thinking about something. He liked her when she was deep inside her mind, like when she was watching her laptop screen, but he was sure her mind was somewhere far. No wonder she asked him to take her some place fun, he now thought, she was, probably, busier than his own parents. Must be difficult for a teenage girl to have such responsibilities and yet to face school every day just like a normal girl would do.
"I'll meet you tonight at 8:00 pm then?" he finally asked.
Hikari flinched as awoken from a dream.
"Yes."
"What is tonight at 8:00?" Akira appeared out of the blue.
"We are going out." spoke Kei.
"WHAT? No one takes my Hikari out."
"Oh? You should start making exceptions then." Said Kei watching Akira.
"Never!" She added furiously.
Kei glared at her and she glared back.
Tadashi watched them and added "scary" in his own thoughts.
Hikari got bored of their confrontation and walked away.
LATER THAT NIGHT
"Wasn't I supposed to come pick you up?" asked the boy.
"I thought since I have a car, maybe you'd like to drive me where ever you want to take me." She said.
"The first step in having fun is to walk. You miss a lot of things when driving." He added.
"I guess I never thought about it."
Hikari stepped out of the car and they started walking side by side.
"So where are you taking me?"
"You'll see."
And that was all the conversation they had on their way. Hikari thought of asking something just to make conversation, but as soon as they entered a crowded area of the city, she was amazed of how many things she was missing by driving, exactly as he said. So many people, so many faces, gestures, words, smiles.
"Amazing!"
"Hmm?"
"No, nothing, I was talking to myself."
He laughed.
"Should I be worried of going out with a person who's talking to herself?"
She laughed this time.
"How come no matter what you say I can't get mad at you?"
"Well that's because I'm charming" he said.
She laughed louder and continued their way.
"Here we are."
"An amusement park?"
"Yes. This is the best way of having fun."
"Isn't it kind of childish?" Hikari pouted a little.
Kei laughed out loud. Her face was just too cute.
"Will you stop being so rational?"
"I'll try."
As soon as she gave in and stopped thinking about details, such as how dangerous was a roller coaster, or the fact that the fast food was unhealthy, her body relaxed and she started having fun for real. Everything was fascinating. The everyday normal life that she was missing so much. Kids laughing, lovers holding hands, screams of joy, each and every one of those sounds and images invaded her mind and made her happier than ever.
The last ride they took was the Wheel. When it reached the top, the giant mechanism stopped so that they could admire the view. The girl's eyes grew larger and she couldn't hold her enthusiasm.
"Whoa! This is incredible."
She was enjoying this just like a child, Kei thought. He also believed that he never saw a more beautiful girl, than the one in front of him. Hikari was oblivious to him and continued watching on the window.
The wheel started turning again and before she could pout, Hikari saw the couple that was about to reach the top. They were sitting on the same bench and kissing. The shock hit her like a hammer. "Is that what we were supposed to do?" She watched the boy's face, he saw them too, but turned his face away and watched the window instead. "Think Hikari, think of something to say. "
"Are you OK?" he suddenly asked.
"Of course" she answered too quickly.
"Oh! You seemed worried."
"No. I am perfectly fine."
"Good. Then I must assume the date went well after all."
"Who said this was a date?"
"Well isn't it?"
"No."
"Yes anger is good, anger is better than that terrible silence. I can't stand it when she's alone with her own thoughts. I want her to be here with me." He thought. Seeing those two kissing filled their little cabin with tension.
They both knew they were just friends, but somehow they also knew that wasn't enough for either.
"But all the right things for a date happened." He continued his avoiding strategy.
"Well not everything, we didn't…"
"No, what are you saying Hikari? She panicked. "This is bad, why did I have to say that?"
"I understand." was all he said. He almost laughed out loud of the way she trapped herself. Somehow she looked like a regular girl. His first impression of her being stiff and a little absent from everything, faded.
And then it was quiet. They walked back to his place, where she left the car. Was she a little disappointed? Hikari couldn't say exactly.
"It was really fun, thank you" she finally spoke sincerely.
"Anytime, you say it and I'll take you again."
"Thank you again."
"Hikari…I…"
"Kei…I…"
They both spoke at the same time and then they stopped at the same time. They laughed.
"You go first" she insisted, but he couldn't finish his sentence.
She turned to walk away, but suddenly he grabbed her arm and made her face him. She couldn't tell his expression, because his face came closer to hers and it was dark. Blood rushed to her brain, making her head spin.
Kei was dealing with his own vortex of feelings, but somehow he managed to speak.
"I hope you had the fun that you wanted. I'm not very good with expressing my feelings, maybe because I never had to and although we barely know each other, I l-like you." Kei swallowed with difficulty.
Hikari was caught by surprise. A confession was not something new to her, since she received them almost daily at school, but this one meant something and that, was a first.
It was her time to speak now.
"Kei, I have a very busy existence, due to my family and the social position I must follow. I never considered having someone by my side simply because I thought I was self sufficient. I know I sound like an old woman, but many times I felt like one, but that was all before I met you. I thank you for bringing me into this reality again. If I get this feeling of fulfillment right, then I must like you too."
A short moment of silence and then they both laughed. They laughed so hard they had tears in their eyes.
"I feel like I'm in one of those, classical movie" she said.
"I know, all we had to say was we like each other, but somehow we seem incapable of being simple." He added.
When they finally got tired of laughing they became serious again. They tried to stare into each other's eyes, even though the darkness outside made that a little difficult.
For what followed, they didn't need their eyes to be opened anyway…
Their lips touched. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck. The sweet scent of her hair invaded his mind. It was a mellow kiss, slow and it felt like melted butter flowing into their bodies. She tangled her fingers in his hair, while he pulled her a little closer. They soon ran out of hair, so their lips parted.
They were both panting and they rested forehead on forehead. The tip of their noses touched and it tingled.
"I think we should say good night" she spoke smiling.
"I agree." He returned the smile then took a step back.
"Good night, Kei"
"Good night, Hikari"
THE END
Please review if you liked it! Thanks for reading. ^_^