Crazy

By io sono mi-cchi


-DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Daa! Daa! Daa! or any of it's characters.

-Review Reply:

aznurbangrl, narter11, ufobabylover, '-'Kaori-cchi'-', -Angel'sbabyblue-, swt miyu, CrushedLove: Thank you very much~ I appreciate your reviews, so here's the 2nd chapter.


Chapter 2


After dinner, they went back to Nozoumo's study. He asked her daughter, "Where did I stop again?"

She tried to remember until he told her, "I got it, already. It's after that part when we really wanted to disappear because we were too embarrassed." Yuri simply nodded. She asked, "Why do you have to ask me when you'd answer yourself? You always do that."

He shrugged his shoulder and answered her, "I don't know. I'm just like that." She pushed the record button again, signaling her father to start.

He cleared his throat and continued where he left off, "I told you it was our last plan, right?" She affirmed with a nod. "After a month, we knew we were both engaged. I thought it was just coincidence that we were engaged at the same time."

-Flashback-

A tone made the girls hold back from chatting. It was Christine's phone.

"I have to answer this call. Please excuse me," she politely said and walked a few feet behind them. She was talking and talking to that person on the phone. Suddenly, she burst out in tears. She flipped her phone and hid it in her bag. Her friends went to comfort her. They asked what was wrong and she told them in incoherent sentences, "I-I'm… en-engaged to someone… I don't know… Kanata-kun…I don't-don't want t-to be married to anyone else… only Kanata-kun." She cried a river that afternoon. She was even excused to the infirmary the whole afternoon. Her friends were very worried. They never thought such time would come. Her obsession was far from gone. It would be very difficult for her.

In the evening, Nozoumo met his father at their doorway. "Bonsoir, Papa!" he greeted with a curt hug "Maison bienvenue."

"It's good to be home, son," he said. Their butler handled the luggage and so the father and son proceeded to the library.

"I have something urgent to discuss with you, Nozoumo," his father said, upon closing the door. The said boy sat comfortably on the sofa obliquely across his father's favorite recliner. The older Hikarigaoka helped himself beside his son, which actually shocked Nozoumo. It was that serious. Sitting beside him meant something very important. It's more important than Okame, maybe.

"You know that the Hana Group of Companies had been our partners for several years," his father started. Nozoumo nodded. The boy was feeling tensed without knowing why. "Well, I'll just go straight to the point. You're arranged to be married with my business partner's daughter," he let off casually. That tone relaxed Nozoumo. Then, his father's words sunk in. "WHAT!?" he interjected "I'M ENGAGED!" He started rambling about his father's stupidity and nonchalance about the matter.

"Anyway, you'll meet her next weekend. I'm sure you'll like her." Those were the words of his father before retiring to bed. Nozoumo felt extremely confused. He went to his own room and called it a day.

The next day, at school, both of them were very gloomy. Nozoumo hadn't showered the ladies with red roses. Christine, on the other hand, wasn't herself. When the girls were near Kanata, she ignored it and looked outside the window. It was very odd, observed their classmates. Their friends tried to talk to them but they refuse to answer.

Dismissal time came. Nozoumo went to the school garden to check the plants for the Gardening Club. He was surprised to see his pink-haired friend staring at the flowers.

"Hey," he greeted.

She looked at him and gave him a curt 'hi'.

There was silence between them. Nozoumo filled the watering can with water. Then, he gave the flora a refreshing shower. Christine spoke up, out of the blue, "Why is silence so odd?"

Nozoumo didn't know why either. "I don't know. Maybe it is because we're not used to it," he answered.

"Then, why are you odd today?" she asked.

Nozoumo was caught off guard. Since she was in the same boat as he is, he told her, "The truth is, I just heard that I am engaged to someone I don't know."

"Everyone knows I'm engaged too. I guess we're kind of similar, huh?"

"Yeah… my father is an asshole."

"Same here."

Then, they both broke into an uncalled laughter. They were the only ones who understood each other.

-end-

"Didn't you know that mommy was the one betrothed to you?" Yuri asked.

"Not yet. I just discovered that she was the girl my dad was talking about when we were in the 25th Anniversary Party," he replied.

-Flashback-

Nozoumo was back to his old self, minus showering roses on Heiomachi. His friends were relieved. They were worried with Christine, though. She was out of character for the past days. Thankfully, after talking with Nozoumo, she regained a part of her old self. She was still facing a big boulder—her obsession towards Kanata.

The day of the Hikari Corporation's 25th Anniversary Party had come. The blonde boy fixed his cream-colored bowtie. He had accepted his fate. He thinks that he can't do anything but take it. It is fate after all. He entered the hall. It was classy. Men were in their tuxedos, and the women were in elegant dresses. He hated these kinds of parties. He loved the food, the music and the setting, but the people were just too much to take. He grabbed a glass of punch and sat on one of the chairs. His father spotted him and motioned him to come.

Nozoumo was surprised to see Christine, dressed in a royal blue dress and her hair tied in an up do. "I want you to meet Christine Hanakomachi, the heiress of the Hana Group of Companies and your soon-to-be wife," his father introduced, "Christine, this is your future husband, Nozoumo Hikarigaoka. He is the heir of Hikari Corporation."

Their faces were visible of surprise and shock. "You!?" they exclaimed in unison.

"It seems they know each other. Isn't it great?" Mr. Hanakomachi said and smiled at Nozoumo's father.

"Yes. We'll be leaving you for a while," said Mr. Hikarigaoka. Then, they left the two with an awkward air.

Nozoumo found the silence unbearable, so he started, "So…"

Christine echoed hesitantly, trying not to meet his eyes, "So…"

"This is so awkward!" he whispered more to himself. Suddenly, Christine stifled a giggle. She heard him, alright.

"The tension is killing me. We're not going to be married immediately so don't worry," Christine told him as she forced to curve her lips upward. They went to the balcony, overseeing the colorful garden below them and the half moon above them.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Christine said as she leaned on the railing. I agreed as I appreciated the view.

"Now that you know it's me, do you feel different?" she asked.

"Yes. I cannot deny that. The fact that you're my friend and suddenly, I learned you're also my fiancée is too much to comprehend. I never even thought of marrying anyone yet," he confessed. She nodded in understanding and said, "You know that I really love Kanata. Then, my father called me up and told me I was engaged to his business partner's son. He was telling that very important news to me in a carefree manner. Who wouldn't break into tears, especially when you love somebody else?"

There was a moment of silence. Suddenly, she thought that she said her piece of mind too improperly. She corrected, "Not that I loathe you, but you do get my point, don't you? I'm glad that you weren't a total stranger as I thought."

He smiled at her and gave her a curt nod. "I understand you. No one of us wanted this anyway," he said.

"Don't you think something good would happen out of this? It is fate, after all. It might be cruel at first, but in the end something incredible would occur. A miracle, maybe?" she wondered.

"Maybe… we don't know what lies ahead of us. 'Que Sera Sera'" he replied. Then, he sang a part of the song:

Que Sera Sera

Whatever will be will be

The future's not ours to see

Que Sera Sera

What will be will be

Her lips curved upwards into an incredulous smile. "You are so random," she remarked.

"I know," he said, feigning pride. Then they both laughed at their childishness.

-end-

"After that party, we treated each other like best friends. Maybe it was because we knew only the two of us understand what we're facing," Nozoumo said.

"Didn't your friends suspect anything strange about the two of you? Maybe being too close with each other," the teenage girl asked. Her father replied, "I exactly don't know about that. Maybe it's because we're always together when we were plotting, they didn't mind our closeness. She was always with the girls and I was with my friends."

"When did your engagement happen by the way?" Yuri inquired.

"We were in senior year high school," he answered.

"How about the plotting thing?"

"That was from second year of junior high until our last year in high school."

"Did you hide the fact that you're engaged?"

"Yes. We don't want to be the talk of the school. We were good pretenders, I may say. No one even believed we were engaged for a long time."

"What about mom's obsession towards Uncle Kanata? Was it solved? What did you feel about that?"

"After we knew we were engaged," he said, "I accompanied her to the psychiatrist every weekend. That was her father's wish. He thought that I might have the key to solve her problem because I was her friend."

-Flashback-

"Why are you going with me?" she asked.

"Your father said so," Nozoumo answered.

"Do you know where we're going?"

"To the psychiatrist."

"Why did father have Nozoumo to escort me to something so embarrassing!?" she violently whispered. Since it was quiet, the blonde boy heard that.

"There's nothing to worry about," he said as he patted her shoulder, "We're friends, right?"

"And we're engaged…" she added as-a-matter-of-factly.

"And that," he acknowledged. "But it's really odd."

"We have to get used to that. In the future, we'd be swearing to each other and to God our lives and… love," she trailed off.

There was a pause for silence.

She stiffened on her seat, clutching her frilly skirt tightly. "Can we really love each other?" the pink-haired girl asked him, her tears threatening to escape her orbs, "I don't want to regret my life's decision."

"We can find a way to make our parents realize that this isn't a good idea," he suggested.

"Yes," she agreed, "But how?" She crossed her arms and thought about it.

"Let's plan something, of course." His smile grew into a Cheshire grin.

The car stopped in front of the hospital. He went in with her. They were greeted by a lady in a black jacket.

"Good day," she greeted and motioned us to come into her clinic. We mirrored the gesture. "This must be Nozoumo, your fiancé?" she assumed. The said boy nodded. Christine was still uncomfortable with the titles fiancée and fiancé, even if she was the one who suggested to get used to it. It was odd for her, a high school student, to have an engagement. It was still very hard to get used to.

"Is it okay for Nozoumo to be around, sensei?" Christine asked as she smoothed her skirt.

"Is it okay for both of you? One of you may feel awkward or something," the psychiatrist asked.

"I'll just stay at the back," Nozoumo offered, "She might feel uncomfortable."

"Sure."

Then, the pink haired girl answered the psychiatrist's questions. From afar, she can hear their conversation a bit. He observed her look. There were unshed tears in her eyes. He heard the psychiatrist say, "If you want to cry, you can freely cry. Tears would not always mean vulnerability. It can mean strength." After a few seconds, she broke in tears. He was hesitating on approaching her since it would mean he's eavesdropping. He restrained himself, but soon he went to her side and scooped her in a warm embrace. The psychiatrist smiled at the two. After the session, the psychiatrist talked to Nozoumo.

"Is there something wrong, sensei?" he asked.

"Nothing's wrong," she simply replied.

"Then, what is it?" the blonde inquired.

"You're the only one who could help her," she said, "She needs a lot of emotional support, and you're the perfect man for the job. After I had heard of her life story, I traced the cause of her obsession and multiple personalities. Since she was always alone, she developed these disorders. She really needs a companion… and that would be you."

He never thought Christine was that sick, in terms of mental health. He frowned at himself, being reminded of the times when his mother or father would spend time with him. He always shunned them away, but here is Christine who wants a friend. Maybe to leave no more regrets, that's what he is ought to do—take care of his fiancée.

-end-

Yuri's eyes were downcast. "I haven't thought that mom was that lonely in her childhood days," she said musingly.

"People never thought she was like that, with her shy yet outgoing nature. She's a difficult person but she's a hidden treasure. She's more than a spoiled rich brat," Nozoumo said. There was a brief silence before he continued, "After that visit from the psychiatrist, I tried to be more of a friend to her. I was her pillar when she has these occasional breakdowns and tantrums. We had a very good friendship. And then…"

-Flashback-

The graduation ceremony has ended and each of them was proudly standing with their diploma at hand. There were a lot of pictures taken. A lot of see you's and good byes and promises to keep in touch. Friends were stuck together, refusing to let go of each other. It was the conclusion of one chapter of their lives, but they were to make another one… work or college.

"I got accepted at Tokyo University! I'll be living in a dorm. Isn't it nice?" Nanami excitedly announced.

"I'm accepted at A University. It's a station away. And then, springtime comes and a new beginning blossoms! Other than academics, love will sprout out somewhere..." The former high school playwright rambled as she was closely getting to complete the plotting her story.

"I'm going to this university near Aya's school. Isn't it great!? I'll be able to learn more stuff about archaeology. Maybe in the future, I'd be discovering an ancient animal somewhere," Santa said.

Everyone talked about their future. They were all jumpy and excited, but at the same time sad. Kanata and Miyu were headed to Tokyo but they weren't in the same university. Nozoumo and Christine were going overseas for their education. Most of them were envious of them, since they didn't have that much money to go to another country for college. After that, the couple and their friends rode the Hanakomachi's limousine to the airport. They were saying their parting words with their parting tears. Then, they went in.

"Take care, the two of you!" Miyu shouted and waved at them. The two turned and waved back; then, they turned their backs and dragged the luggage behind them.

After checking in and waiting for their flight, the two boarded the plane headed to Paris, the city of Love and one of the most famous places for art. In that city, they'd be living in one apartment unit as roomies. They were both excited and nervous. It has been awhile since they last visited the city.

"Aren't you excited?" Nozoumo asked.

"I am. I'm finally going back there… my mama's hometown. You might want to visit her and grandmamma," she said.

"Sure…"

Then, the flight attendant demonstrated the stuff to be done in case of emergencies. The plane's engine began to roar and it started moving. Nozoumo loved the sound of the engine during take-off. It made adrenaline rush through his veins. He looked at his side and saw the pink-haired girl almost frozen.

"Hey," he called out softly.

"Y-yeah?" her lips quivered. Her gaze was fixed on her shoes. There must be something wrong with her.

"What's up with you?" he asked.

"I'm… just scared of take-offs. I used to enjoy this since we're like in a roller coaster, but now I want to jump off the plane before it lifts itself a foot high," she confessed without looking at the guy. She looked so cute being nervous. You never see that side of her often.

"Don't be," he said as he placed his hand over hers, "I'm here."

She looked at him and slowly smiled. "Thank you, Nozoumo," she said.

-end-


Author's note: So here I am again, at the bottom of the story, blabbering. Sorry If this has been late. Stupid classes. Stupid cough. Ours wasn't suspended but I'm quite thankful for it. There wasn't much traffic. Hahaha! Our teachers were scary, but I think I could live with it. I guess… well, anyway, I still love them. I don't know why, thoughI feel sick these days. I hope I didn't catch A(H1N1). Okay I'll stop now. So what do you think? Tell me, if you like, by writing a review. They're always welcome, even ConCrit.

Ja!~

God bless, minna-san.