Konnichiwa minna-san! How have you been? I'm sooo sorry for the late update. T.T Turns out a new school environment has taken a toll on me. *Sigh* Anyway, now I'm back to business for today and tomorrow (before the hell torture *cough* school *cough* starts again). In the meantime, enjoy chapter 6!
~DAY 2: Kyoto~
It's almost time to leave the Kiyomizudera temple… So we start checking up on everybody and rounding the group up.
"Such beauty…" I could faintly hear Rogue sighs with a peaceful smile, not a big one though, adorned on his face. He sun is setting over the temple grounds, and it's so gorgeous that even Rogue has to admire it.
"That's a hell of a view." Gray is gazing at the sunset, along with the rest of us.
"Yeah." Natsu comments, his eyes still not leaving the magnificent view.
"Makes you glad we live in Japan, huh?" Levy heaves a small sigh.
"No kidding…" Erza gazes at the sunset with a peaceful expression too.
Just then, I notice something… Hey, Jellal's gone. Where'd he go? I look around, and…
..
.
..
He's running full tilt up that massive set of stairs! W-why?!
"… Don't worry; he'll catch up with us when he's done." Gray states, as if he was reading my thoughts. He must have noticed my gawked expression. "It's about time to go. C'mon, guys."
"Wait… What's he doing?" I can't get over the fact that Jellal is making a mad dash up that intensely long flight of stairs! I mean, is that normal?
"Sprinting, duh." Gray replies me in an as-a-matter-of-factly tone, "He's using the steps to tone his legs. He could be anywhere and he'd still get an urge to go train. He's a baseball nut."
"Yeah, he does that in school, too! He'll take off running totally at random!" Natsu joins in the conversation.
"Hahah! He even did running on the morning before our high school entrance exams." Gray laughs with a nostalgic expression written over his face. He has a teasing tone, but I can see him looking fondly over at Jellal. When Gray's eyes meet mine, I can see a twinkle in them.
Jellal really loves his baseball. I hope he gets his confidence back soon… I turn toward the temple and make one last prayer.
I'm lounging around after dinner and a nice bath, when…
"Oh hey, Lucy!" I cross paths with Jellal.
"Just got out of bath?" I smile at him.
"Yep, I could go for a nice cold drink." Jellal jogs up to a nearby vending machine and buys two sports drinks out of it. "Here you go." He hands a can to my direction.
"Oh, for me?" I am slightly off-guard by his action.
"Yep, all yours." Jellal smiles his innocent smile at me.
"Thanks." That's so sweet! But sports drinks have an awful lot of calories… And we just ate fried food for dinner. I wouldn't want to drink right before bed. Jellal pops open his drink can and tips it back, gulping it down. But… he did buy it for me. It might be rude if I don't drink any. Man… What should I do?
.
Hmmm…
.
I'll just chug it! "Okay, bottoms up!" I end up drinking it anyway. Jellal sits down next to the bench where I'm sitting.
"I saw you praying pretty hard at Kiyomizudera. What were you praying for?" I make a casual comment, to start off a conversation.
"Er…" He seems to flinch a bit. It must be baseball then. He could have just made something up to tell me. But, he's so open and honest.
"Sorry, I guess that was kind of a personal question!" I say a bit too quickly, "Prayers are no one else's business, right? I'll keep my nose out of it, okay?"
Jellal looks away with a pained expression, "I was praying to be strong enough to pitch like I used to…"
Oh, Jellal…
"I just…" Jellal stammers, his eyes not leaving the ground, "I try so hard, but I just can't put any power into my pitches. And I know why."
…
"It was the prefectural tournament finals last year… I threw a home run in the bottom of the ninth… We lost in the very last inning, and it was all my fault." His eyebrows knit together, pain is in his eyes. "All our hard work, straight down the drain. There was a clang." Jellal balls his hand into a fist on his lap.
"Clang! That was the sound the bat made when it hit the ball I threw. The ball went flying, way out of anyone's reach… The ball I threw… It ruined the whole team's dream…"
Jellal seems so different now. I'm sitting right next to him, but he looks like he's staring off into his own inner darkness. I can't bear to watch this any longer!
"Jellal!" I cry out, putting a hand over Jellal's clenched fist. As if he was pulled out from his trance, Jellal looks at me, surprised. He looks startled. What could I say? I could say his team doesn't hold it against him. But I don't know that…
"Thanks, Lucy."
"Huh?"
"Huh… My knuckles are white. When did I start making fists that tight? I should take better care of my pitching hand…" His fist relaxes under my hand. His palm is dark red.
"Are you okay?!" I grow worried and touch his palm. When I do…
"Whoa!" I-it's rock solid! I jerk my hand back in surprise.
"Hahah." Jellal starts to laugh, "That surprises guys, too. I've done so much pitching… My palm's pretty much one big callus now." Jellal laughed! That's a relief! But, wow, that hand… I can only imagine how hard he works to get it that way.
"I'll pray to the patron gods of every temple we visit." I boldly states, "I'll say, please let Jellal get back his pitch!" I pump my fist in the air in determination. "… Hang in there, okay?" The edges of my lip curl upwards. I hope that doesn't put even more pressure on him. But instead, Jellal laughs.
"Thanks… I will. You know… I'll be honest with you… I've never told anyone about that last inning loss. It just kinda… slipped out. Thanks for hearing me out." Jellal flashes his infamous smile.
"…" I can feel my heart give a pound. I'll be glad to hear him out, as long as it makes him feel better! But I'm in such a fluster, I can't get the words out.
"I'm going on a quick run." Jellal stands up.
"What, right now? I'll go, too!" I stand up immediately after him.
"Really?!" Jellal looks at me in surprise, "… You want to run together?"
"Sure!" I reply with a smile. I still got those calories to burn too… So, why not?
Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Our footsteps have a rhythm as we run. We enjoy a long and pleasant jog.
"If I keep running like this… Maybe I could climb those steps we went up today!" I thought out loud.
"What steps?!" Jellal seems surprised, for some reason.
"You know, the long steps up to the Kiyomizudera temple?! I was exhausted by the end of that." I breathe in and out in rhythmic motion, "Gray got worried and came to check up on me… And he helped me up!"
"… Oh yeah?" Jellal replies.
"Gray seems pretty conceited… but he's really a caring guy, huh?" I fix my eyes forward as we continue jogging.
"Gray's… a nice guy. He can do anything. He's like a fairy tale prince. And he gets lots of girls."
"I'll bet he does! He's cool, too!" I add, "He comes off like a guy with an ego… But he's good at taking charge! A prince, huh?"
"… If only I could be more like him."
"What?" But we had that talk at Safari Park about being his own person. It didn't seem to bother him that much then.
"I *huff* think *huff* you're fine… *huff* being *huff* who you are! *huff* *huff*"
"… You okay?!"
"I can barely breathe…" I had a fun time running, but I'm so exhausted… My fatigue hits all at once, and I come to a stop.
*huff* *huff*
"All right, let's take a breather. Walk for a bit."
"Okay…"
"So, you don't wish I was more like Gray?" Well, that's a strange question to ask me.
"That would take away from your charm."
"What's my charm?" Jellal looks a bit… embarrassed? Hmm, how should I answer that?
"Your enthusiasm for baseball! The way you always train when you've got nothing better to do… It's inspiring to watch." I say out my honest thoughts.
"Yeah… That's pretty much all I'm good for." Jellal looks at the ground dejectedly, "I've never done much other than baseball…"
"I think that's charming" I stubbornly states again, "It shows how enthusiastic you can be about something."
Oh, Jellal's stopping…? I guess I'm running his own pace by tagging along. "I'm sorry about this. I didn't mean to slow you down by going with you…"
"Oh, you're not! This isn't training or anything…" Jellal shakes his head in denial, "In fact, I should be the one apologizing. You're out here with me… And I never even stopped to consider what kind of pace you'd want…"
"Ahahah!" I laugh it off, "It's okay. I don't expect you to worry about stuffs like that anyway."
"… You don't?"
"Nah."
"…" Wait, is that bothering him? Now there's an awkward silence…
"You know, if you're tired…" Jellal breaks the tension, "I could take you back."
"Wait, take me back? How?"
"Um…" Jellal shifts his gaze to the side awkwardly, " I guess I could give you a piggyback ride, maybe?"
"Ahaha! That's embarrassing. I'd look like a little kid!"
"Oh… Sorry." Huh, I thought he'd laugh with me on that one… Neither of us speaks up again. We go back to the hotel in awkward silence.
"I'm beat after that run. I'd better sneak back to my room." I stretch my entire body upon reaching the hotel lobby. "Good night."
"Good night." Jellal replies with a casual smile. I give a smile back. As I walk off, I hear Jellal mutter something under his breath.
"Nothing at all like Ultear…"
SOOOOO, how was it? :3 I know... I kill all of you with a cliffhanger, AGAIN. T.T I hope y'all don't hate me for it... Also, while I was writing 'fairy tale prince' I didn't realize I wrote it as 'fairy TAIL prince' before I reread it! HAHAH! (Okay, I'm being lame ._.)Anyway, leave your thoughts on this chapter in the box below maybe? ARIGATO~!
P.S. Have you guys read the latest Fairy Tail manga? I cried in one of those chapters. T.T Anyway, Ja Ne! Please look forward to the next chapter!*fairy tail sign*