Disclaimer: I so want to own Soubi and Ritsuka, yet I can't. Too bad for me since they belong to Yun Koga.
A/N: I don't know Ritsuka's sensei's name so I'm gonna make one up for her as well. No flames about this please . . . Thank you. (.(Goes to a quiet corner and sulks).)
Yakusoku
Chapter 7: Friends?
It felt strange to the dark cat eared boy that he now was a Master of someone, he in no way wanted to be a Master, but a certain fair-haired haired man wouldn't have it any other way. Likewise, things like this never occurred in a normal kid's life - nothing of the sort whatsoever. It seemed like Ritsuka was going to have to get used to it.
"Hey, Ritsuka, are you sure you're okay with walking off with that guy yesterday?" Yuiko asked. "I mean, you seemed a bit uncomfortable when you--"
"It doesn't matter," Ritsuka cut her off.
He literally follows me around like a dog . . . What the hell does he want me to do?
"Why do you always act this way? What makes you believe that you have the right to make us worry like this . . . about you," Yayoi piped up, finally voicing some of his deepest thoughts. Ritsuka was taken aback by Yayoi's sudden aggressiveness. "It's not right for you to do this . . ."
"I'm not doing anything."
That's the whole point, Aoyagi, you don't do anything . . . And Yuiko still worries . . . I could care less, but . . . I didn't want to sound heartless out loud.
What is Yayoi getting so worked up about? How does he and Yuiko worry about me when I don't even do anything. Why should they even care to begin with?
Yuiko looked at her bento box sadly as she opened it. A neat pile of fish sticks, rice and pickled vegetables caught her eye - the food looked delicious but she wasn't in the least bit hungry. The only thing she could focus on was the seemingly cold-hearted boy sitting not too far off from her, his sour expression only made the pain worse. She really liked him and seeing him this way pained her.
Ritsuka, why can't you smile? Why can't you enjoy life like the rest of us? I . . . I feel as if you're hiding a dark secret from me, Yayoi, from Miss Shinonome, and the class . . .
"Yuiko . . ." Ritsuka started, a solemn look coming to his violet eyes.
Her ears perked up expectantly. "Yes?"
"About that man," both Yayoi and Yuiko stared at him quizzically, it made Ritsuka blush from the sudden shower of attention, "I . . . he'll be coming after school to pick me up from now on. So you don't need to walk home with me."
"But, I never even walked home with you before, Ritsuka. I'm your friend, can't we at least walk together once?" Yuiko asked hopefully.
Soubi will definitely be waiting for me today after school, he said so . . .
"Come on, Aoyagi, stop being such a--"
"Fine." Yayoi never got to finish his sentence, Ritsuka was sure he didn't want to hear what was going to come out of his mouth anyway.
"So does that mean . . .?" Yuiko was quick to add on.
"Yeah. We can walk home together, I suppose." Yuiko squealed with delight, she knew she was heading toward the right path of getting Ritsuka to open up. "Don't expect me to walk with you everyday though."
"Okay!"
Even if it's just once in a while, I'll still be glad to even walk with you at all!
"Finish your lunch before the bell rings," Ritsuka added.
"Okay!"
Soft knocking could be heard from the other side. Sensei didn't bothering looking as she typed away on her computer. "Come in."
"Hello, there."
That voice.
Sensei spun around in her chair.
"Masao."
"Yuzuna, it's been a while."
What's he doing here? Did . . .
"Did you come here to bring me something from him?" She eyed the small packet that he held within one hand. "Or did you come here for some other reason?"
"I simply came here to see you, that's all. I saw Soubi again not too long ago either, my, how he's changed during the time of his absence. Yuzuna, if you were to see him now I believe you'd would have said the same thing."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Forget it. And I'm sure you know he's given us orders to gather again," Yuzuna tensed at the words, Masao smiled, "ah, so you have heard. The Seven Moons, the seven of--"
"Just stop it. What does he expect us to do if we were to reunite?"
"Even I don't know the answer to that, he's specifically told me that it's classified information. Nothing that even we can find out about, at least not at the moment." Masao raised the hand with the packet into the air, Yuzuna followed the movement. "I'm assuming you'd want to know what's inside here."
"If you're willing to show me."
She chose her words carefully, she didn't want to fall into another trap of Masao's; he was rather manipulative with words.
"Heh, then perhaps on my next visit. We don't need to gather as of yet, it's just that I wanted to tell you ahead of time although it seems you've already been notified before I could tell you. If you've been keeping contact with some of the others, do tell them also."
What is he planning?
"Sure."
"Goodbye then," Masao headed towards the door, "sorry to have disrupted you with such disturbing news. Please do take care."
"I never said I was disturbed," Yuzuna said as he closed the door behind him.
Cocky bastard. Luckily Ritsuka's school day didn't end yet . . .
"The great--" The bell resounded across the campus, " . . . that seems to be the end of this session, I'll see you all tomorrow, class."
Miss Shinonome had the tenacity to say something to Ritsuka, but what he had said to her the several days back bit at her harshly. It was awful hearing it once - she wasn't sure she'd be able to stand something like it again.
Japanese is my native language . . . I am Japanese . . .
Can you not understand Japanese?
What he said, it was horrible and I was so hurt by it.
"Miss Shinonome?"
She peered down in front of her: Ritsuka was standing there.
"Y-yes?"
"What I said to you a while back," Miss Shinonome gently smiled at him, it encouraged him to get on with it, "I want to formally apologize. It was irresponsible on my part . . . I should have watched my tongue. So, I'm really sorry, Miss Shinonome."
Ritsuka even bowed.
What a sweet child . . . It's hard to believe those things about him in it's entirety
"It's all right, Aoyagi. Thank you."
"Come on, Aoyagi, let's go before Yuiko goes nuts!" Yayoi called from the hallway.
Ritsuka breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped out the classroom door. The entire school day and the days before he could feel Miss Shinonome's depressive demeanor lingering not too far behind her - no one else seemed to notice it except him. Besides, he was the one that caused it. And now that he had formally apologized sincerely he didn't feel so regretful anymore, it was a breather that he surely needed.
Yayoi was right, it did make me feel better . . .
"Hey, Ritsuka, do you think you could come over to my house one of these days?" Yayoi's jaw dropped to the cement like dead weight while Ritsuka was rather surprised by the sudden invitation. "Well, I mean," a light blush crawled up Yuiko's cheeks, "just to hang out, you know. And Yayoi," she turned to face him, "you can come too if you like."
"R-right . . ."
"Ah!"
"What, Yuiko?" Yayoi asked.
"It's him, he's waiting by the school again!"
Chapter 7: END