Zakuro appraised herself in the mirror as she got ready for school. Her dark black eyes seemed to look dull because of stress. She studied the tiny mole under her left eye as she combed her long hair.
When she was younger, she had begged her parents to let her cut her hair at a salon rather than her Mom cutting it at home. On her birthday, her wish was finally fulfilled and her Mom took her to the upscale salon her Mom always went to. However, as luck would have it, the haircut was a disaster. Her hair was uneven and curled for months after that. Toya had relentlessly teased her for all those months.
The thought of Toya caused Zakuro pain.
She tied her hair into a high pony-tail, pulled up her light brown skirt and buttoned a full sleeved white blouse. She wore a red tie, grabbed her bag and coat, and made her way downstairs. She wore the green coat on her way down the stairs.
"You're up early." Zakuro's mother commented.
Zakuro's father was sipping coffee as he read from his laptop.
"I've to get to school early." Zakuro said, grabbing some toast. "I'm off then." Zakuro said, making her way to the front door.
"Have a good day, dear." Zakuro's father called out.
Zakuro put on her shoes. She hastily opened the door and almost ran into Toya.
"Aha!" Zakuro said, pointing an accusing finger at him as she closed the door behind her. "So, now you've no option but to walk to school with me."
Toya rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Whatever." He mumbled and walked past Zakuro.
Zakuro sprinted to keep up with him.
"Slow down!" Zakuro whined.
"I always have to walk slowly when I'm with you." Toya said, slowing his pace. "I think you're turning me into a snail."
"My steps aren't as big as yours." Zakruo countered. "And I'm not a swimmer like you."
"I'm slow now, right?" Toya retorted. "Will you stop whining?"
Zakuro stopped dead, her eyes stinging. Toya continued walking, without paying any attention to Zakuro.
Why was she fighting for him? Wouldn't it be better if they just stopped being friends?
Zakuro shook her head and pushed those thoughts from her mind. She jogged to catch upto Toya.
"I've decided to join the Girls Basketball Team." Zakuro Announced. "Sukunami sensei is a really good coach."
"He had an affair with a student 4 years ago." Toya said, interrupting Zakuro. "Sakaki Mayo."
"How do you know that?" Zakuro asked, spluttering.
"Everybody does." Toya said in a tone which implied Zakuro was stupid.
Zakuro got defensive.
"Those rumours are baseless." Zakuro announced. "I caught a glimpse of Sukunami sensei with his wife and daughter. And I don't think I have ever seen anything more pure and beautiful. His wife is a very pretty woman with dark red hair and golden brown eyes. They still act like newlyweds."
"You've been busy." Toya said, sarcastically. "Spying on teachers and studying extra."
"A lot happens when you ignore me." Zakuro said, snapping her finger.
Toya frowned at that. He opened his mouth to say something but they were interrupted by a girl's voice calling out to Toya.
"Toya!" The girl called out and stood right in between Toya and Zakuro.
Zakuro managed to catch only a glimpse of the stunningly beautiful first year that was the rep at the opening ceremony. She was the one Zakuro lost to by one mark. She stood with her back facing Zakuro and blocked her from Toya's view.
"You said you would walk to school with me today." She complained. "I was waiting for you!"
Toya grinned, the grin Zakuro had missed all these days.
"Sasaki-san." Toya said, folding his hands in apology. "I'm really sorry. I was rudely shocked this morning and got side-tracked."
Sasaki studied Zakuro impetuously.
"I told you so many times to call me Ai!" Sasaki continued, wrapping her hand on Toya's arm. "You'll have to make-up for this later. How about we go for a movie on Saturday?"
Sasaki and Toya started walking, leaving Zakuro behind.
Turn around. Zakuro thought.
"Sounds good." Toya replied to Ai, wriggling his arm out from her clutches.
Turn around! Zakuro thought, hoping her feelings would reach Toya.
"Yay!" Ai exclaimed. "You know what? I love horror movies. We can watch that new one. What was the name again?"
Please, Toya! Zakuro thought desperately. Turn around and come back to me.
"Evil Ghost of a Mummy?" Toya answered.
Ai and Toya took a right and entered the school.
Zakuro was still standing there waiting for Toya to come back to her. It seemed like she was waiting for hours. But he never showed.
Zakuro put her palm on her head.
"What am I doing?" Zakuro chastised herself. "Have I no pride? Why am I bothering him like this?"
Her eyes stung but she didn't cry. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction, in case he came back….
Zakuro let out a chuckle.
"God!" She shouted. "I'm so hopeless."
"Are you sure you're going to be OK to drive?" She heard the familiar voice of Sukunami talking behind her.
"You worry too much, Taka." A woman's voice replied.
"Yeah." A child's voice chimed in. "You worry too much, Daddy."
"Maybe I should give Yui a call." Sukunami said, his tone worried. "You're so far along. The doctors probably wouldn't be OK with you driving. Maybe I should call the doctor and check with him?"
"I'm only going to Keisuke's place." The woman said laughing. "It's barely an hour away. The poor guy has been so down since the divorce. I thought Hikari could cheer him up."
"Yay!" Hikari chimed. "I can cheer Uncle!"
"Just promise me, Miaka." Sukunami said finally, his voice resigned. "That you'll be careful. If you feel tired or uncomfortable, promise me you'll immediately pull over and call me."
"Yes, yes." Miaka replied, her tone warm. "I will call…."
Miaka stopped abruptly.
"What is it?" Sukunami said, his voice worried. "Why are you holding your chest? Are you in pain? Is the baby coming? Should I call an ambulance?"
Zakuro spun around and ran towards the car.
"Is everything OK, Sensei?" Zakuro said.
Miaka got down from the car.
"Should I call an ambulance?" Zakuro asked, pulling out her phone.
Miaka walked around the car and stopped in front of Zakuro. She caught Zakuro's free hand with both hers and beamed at her.
"You don't know me." Miaka said, her golden brown eyes twinkling. "But I owe my lifetime of happiness to you. All of this is possible because of you."
At this point, tears were streaming down Miaka's face. Zakuro took a step back, unsure. Miaka seemed to be emitting a warm glow. Taka had his hand on Miaka's shoulders.
"Miaka." He murmured.
Zakuro thought that Miaka was resisting the urge to give her a hug. But Zakuro was not going to be OK with a crazy, pregnant woman hugging her out of the blue. Zakuro tried to break free but Miaka held on.
"Thank you." Miaka said after a while and let go of Zakuro's hand.
She turned to face her husband.
"I will call you when I get to Keisuke's." Miaka said.
She tried to raise herself on her tippy-toes. But Taka gently pushed her down and bent down instead. Miaka kissed his lips.
"I love you, Tamahome." Miaka said.
She then got back into the car.
But when Miaka called her husband Tamahome, realisation flashed across his face. He almost broke his neck looking at Zakuro. Zakuro stumbled back and ran into the school.
She didn't notice Toya who was standing by the gate. He raised his hand as Zakuro shot by. But his voice didn't reach her.
Zakuro ran into the girls bathroom, panting.
What the hell was that? Zakuro knew hormones caused pregnant women to go crazy. But why was Miaka bothering her so much?
"Get a hold on yourself." Zakuro mumbled to herself.
"You OK?" Asked a girl.
Zakuro splashed some water on her face.
"I'm fine." Zakuro replied.
The girl held out some paper towels.
"Thanks." Zakuro said gratefully and wiped her face.
She looked up at the girl. The girl with short black hair and hazel eyes smiled at Zakuro.
"I'm glad you're well, Kinomoto-san." The girl said kindly.
Zakuro recognized her as Takahashi Yuna from her class.
"Thank you, Takahashi-san." Zakuro said.
"Please." Takahashi replied. "Call me Yuna. Is it OK if I call you Zakuro-chan?"
Zakuro smiled and nodded. Zakuro had spoken to Yuna a couple of times before.
"Excited for the basketball try-outs today?" Yuna said as they walked out of the wash room.
"Huh?" Zakuro said blankly.
"Sukunami sensei is a great coach!" Yuna exclaimed. "I'm not very good at the sport but he is very encouraging. And most of the girls have such a big crush on him."
"Well." Zakuro commented. "I guess he is kinda handsome."
"He has a fan club!" Yuna giggled. "They meet every Thursday and discuss how cool he looked when."
Zakuro looked at Yuna with her eye brow raised.
"I heard of the club!" Yuna spluttered. "I'm not a member! I swear!"
Zakuro laughed at this. Yuna joined in.
This felt nice. She spent the last two weeks obsessing over Toya. If she made friends, she would be able to move on.
Sukunami walked the corridor holding a book over his shoulder.
"Speak of the devil." Yuna whispered.
"Kinomoto." Sukunami nodded. "Takahashi. Hurry to class now. Your homeroom teacher is sick today. So I will be subbing for her, after lunch."
"I bet Satsuki-chan will be happy." Yuna said under her breath.
Both Zakuro and Yuna started giggling. Sukunami looked at them with his eye-brows raised.
"Move along now." Sukunami repeated.
The girls scrambled to class.
"Ah." Zakuro heard Sukunami say. "Kagakuni. You needed something?"
Zakuro didn't break her pace and turned to her class.
-X-X-
"Sukunami sensei is so hot!" Kobayashi Satsuki exclaimed.
She twirled her hair and balanced herself on two legs of her chair. Lunch boxes were open on the desk before her and Zakuro and Yuna sat on either sides of her. Tanaka Rin sat opposite Satsuki. She adjusted her glasses and appraised Satsuki.
"It's pretty rude to call teachers that." Rin said, her tone composed.
"Come on, Rin-chan." Yuna said, mock punching her shoulders. "You've to agree that when the light hits him in the right angle, he does look like a Greek God."
Rin blushed but didn't reply.
"The light always hits him in the right angle." Satsuki sighed as she took a bite of her lunch. "Too bad he's married and devoted to his wife. I'm so jealous."
"I met her today." Zakuro pitched in. "She is a very pretty lady and they seemed like newlyweds even though they're expecting a second child."
"Geez." Satsuki pouted. "I thought my high school years were going to be the best years of my life. The hot teacher is taken and the hottest guy isn't even in my class. I demand a refund, Gods!" Satsuki said, flailing her fists.
"Have we already decided on who the hottest guy is?" Yuna said, resting her elbows on the table. "Isn't high school when the ordinary ones blossom to hotties?"
"Noted." Satsuki nodded. "The current hottie, Kagakuni Toya, isn't in my class."
Zakuro dropped her fork at the mention of his name.
"WHAT?!" She exclaimed, rising.
The class looked at Zakuro quietly. Zakuro coughed and sat down.
"I mean." Zakuro said in a calmer voice. "What? Do you mean to say that there are no better options in the year yet other than Toya? Where is my shot at a teenage romance?"
Satsuki looked at Zakuro with her eye brow raised. Rin adjusted her glasses.
"Do you mean to say that you are NOT dating Kagakuni-san?" Rin asked.
Though Rin didn't seem like the type but Zakuro thought Rin liked to be at the top of all gossip.
"No way, no way." Zakuro said, casually waving her hand. "We're neighbours and have been friends for a really long time. That's all. Different class, different life."
"Are you saying that Kagakuni Toya is free game?" Yuna said, her eyes glinting, hoping to get a confession out of Zakuro.
Zakuro clutched the edge of her seat.
"He was never off the market." Zakuro replied honestly.
Zakuro screamed internally at her masochistic tendencies.
"But I think Sasaki Ai is making a move on him." Zakuro recounted.
"I saw that too!" Rin chimed in. "She was all over him today."
"I don't stand a chance against Sasaki!" Satsuki lamented.
"What about Sensei?" Zakuro teased.
Satsuki punched Zakuro's arm in jest.
"Sukunami sensei will always be my first love." Satsuki declared.
The girls erupted into giggles.
-X-X-
The bell rang signalling the end of lunch. The students rearranged the furniture and cleaned up the food. Zakuro went to her seat on the last desk of the middle row.
Sukunami-sensei walked in a while later. Satsuki squealed. Yuna and Zakuro giggled.
"Settle down." Sukunami called out. "Your regular homeroom teacher is out sick today. So I will be subbing for her. Her lesson plans said that you were in the process of choosing class reps. Will the nominees please come to the head of the class?"
Satsuki, Rin and a couple of other students walked to the head of the class. Satsuki stood blushing, staring at the floor.
"Don't be nervous." Sukunami said encouragingly. "You're in between friends."
Satsuki's neck turned red and she nodded. Zakuro and Yuna repressed their laughter.
"Now, all of you know…." Sukunami started.
Zakuro felt a piece of paper hit her head. She turned around and saw Yuna wink at her. Zakuro opened the note.
Teasing Satsuki is going to be FUN! Yuna had written.
Zakuro smiled and replied. She casually threw the note back to Yuna.
Zakuro felt happy. After a crappy start to high school, she finally felt that things were looking up.
She felt lucky...
And as though the universe was showing her a giant middle finger, the moment Zakuro thought that, the class turned pitch black. For a minute, Zakuro thought that the sun was eclipsed. She stumbled and fell off her chair.
A bright blue light buzzed past her and the earth shook as it roared.
Zakuro screamed loudly, covering her ears.
"Zakuro!" She heard Yuna's voice call out to her and shaking her shoulders.
Zakuro opened her eyes and her class was back in focus.
"Zakuro!" Yuna called out again.
"Here!" Rin gave Yuna a glass of water.
"Don't throw that at me!" Zakuro exclaimed and scrambled out of the splash zone.
Yuna blinked in confusion.
Zakuro clutched her chest and felt her heart pound against her chest. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself.
"Are you OK, Kinomoto?" Sukunami asked from the crowd.
Zakuro sprang to her feet.
"Yes." Zakuro said, bowing. "I'm sorry for causing a ruckus."
"I think she should go to the Nurse's office." Yuna said, still concerned.
"Yes." Sukunami said after a while. "Let me write you a note."
As Sukunami passed by Zakuro to his desk, Zakuro could have sworn that she heard Sukunami mumble.
.
.
.
.
"Why blue?"
AN:
Yay! Miaka is back! Hopefully she seemed like the awesome Watase Yuu creation that she is. So the timeline on this is 4 years after the FY Eikoden incident. This would make Hikari 4 years old. I know that FY Eikoden is not a part of the manga but the OVA's are created to be a continuation of the manga. This would bring the manga/OVA world together.
As always, keep reading!