_________________________Chapter vii: A Vagabond_______________________
Curious by the sound of the closing door, she tried to take a peek. But she had been too late, the person had already gone.
"Ah. Chizu." His plain voice had echoed through the lobby of the house. Though his back was to her, he knew.
"Ryuu, who was that?" she sleepily asked, following a yawn. Stepping out the room, she faced his back.
"Shota. He wanted to talk. Something happened." He turned and walked up the stairs to come to her.
"EH!" suddenly awake, she was tugging at Ryuu half-way down the stairs already.
"Wait," he had stopped her movement, and drew her closer, "I'll tell you what he said over ramen."
"Y-yeah. That'd be better."
"Don't swallow everything in one gulp." He reached in and confiscated her chopsticks.
"Things like this make me nervous-"
"Say 'aah'."
Slightly annoyed she grabbed the chopsticks again and tugged at it.
"I'm not a kid, you know. Can you please stop treating me like one?"
With ease, he pulled her near him.
"But you are my girlfriend, Chizu."
His smile put a blush on her face which made her slowly let go and open her mouth.
"Aah~"
"Hey Ryuu..." Beginning to clear the tables and putting them away, she didn't care to look back.
"Hn?"
"You never told me why Shota went here." From the sound of her voice, she was kinda upset.
"Well..." he began and proceeded to talk about Shota's experience since morning.
*later____________*
"WHAT!" Shooting up, she had marched half-way to the door when an unmovable hand tugged at hers.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm helping my friends!" She shouted, trying to pry her hand away.
"Listen to me. I can't let you. Let them be, Chizu." Still wearing his calm face and his calm voice, he looked directly into her eyes. "Please."
She looked at the floor and stopped resisting, making her hand drop to her side. There had been a pregnant pause between them. Soon, small drops were falling to the floor.
"Y-You...Don't...y-you care! She directed her rage to the floor again while she gasped in between sobs.
Ryuu stared helplessly at his Chizu. She cries too easily. Suddenly, she had been enveloped in his embrace.
"I do... you know I do." he cooed as he stroked her hair, trying to calm her.
"They have to settle things on their own. We'll intervene only when we have to... But now... They need some space and some time. Don't you think you've helped them before?"
She clung to him tightly. Her sobs tuned down to staggered breathing.
"You always have the right things to say. Thank you, Ryuu."
That said, she broke down to more tears.
The lights in the street were all bright and on yet looked hazy tonight. The rain had only gotten worse. Not that it mattered since it had been raining since before he went outside. What time was it? Maybe it was time to go back home. He looked up blankly waiting for some sort of sign-any sign.
Lightning came as droplets formed rather fast on his face. What a sign. Thoughts were rampaging in his mind. Thoughts were still rampaging in his mind. Though his head was full, his heart was empty, he still felt numb. He continued his pace as he tucked his hands into his pockets.
BEEP! It was his digital watch. It rang hourly on the hour. 10 PM huh? So I've been walking around for roughly 3, 4 hours...greeaaat. Suddenly stopping, he scouted his surroundings. No people were out, not anyone he can see anyway. The shops were closed, and fog was getting thicker already.
I wonder which town this is. Hm...it looks familiar somehow...I'm getting nostlgic huh? Guess I'm that weak. Yeah...weak. That's why shit happens in my life...
*ACHOO!
Crap. I better go back. I'll make it back...maybe 1, 2 AM.
He turned around to find himself stopped in his tracks. He didn't jump nor flinch at all, he just stopped.
"Are you alright?"
There, before him, was a tanned girl under an umbrella. She was about two meters away from him. He couldn't see her face, but from the sound of her voice, she seemed familiar. Everything seemed familiar. Just this one person, and I find myself pausing. What is this place?
"Y-yeah..." he replied lowly.
"Sorry, I don't believe you." she replied as she immediately went close and shared the umbrella with him. He still didn't get the chance to get a look at her face. But she was wearing black jacket, zipped all the way, and a black mini skirt. I'm pretty sure, she's not a ghost...or my hallucination.
"T-thanks..." Coughing a few times, he had just realized how soaked he was and how cold it was this time of the night. Wait. Maybe she is a ghost. I'm not that sure.
"See? I was right." Gingerly raising the umbrella to fit them both, she said. She was cute, and she had sweetly smiled at him. He took a good look at her. She was a brunette. With her wavy dark brown locks and her light brown eyes, she looked not of Japan. But her nose gave away that she was really Asian.
"It's great that you're right," he smiled back, "but you're trusting a stranger, even sharing an umbrella and walking with one. Aren't you scared?" He asked almost seeing her run away from him mentally.
"If I was scared, I wouldn't have approached you in the first place, would I?" she giggled a bit. Her voice wasn't high nor was it low. It was like some kind of soothing voice in narrations or something. Whatever voice she had, it reassured him. That's as far as he was sure of.
"Good point." he said bluntly, just looking at the road he was walking on. The same thoughts violated his mind again.
"I'm Aoi by the way. But I like being called Al too."
"I'm-"
"Kazehaya-san, right?" she giggled again.
"Y-yeah. How'd you know that," he stopped to stare at her momentarily stopping the invoice in his head, "...Al?"
"Mmmm." she toned, not answering his question.
"Yeah. That's a great answer by the way." his statement dripped of sarcasm.
"I'm psychic!" she said in a loud, coarse whisper, and proceeded to put a finger before her lips. Her smile from ear-to-ear had been contagious enough for him to laugh mentally.
"Yeah, well. This'll be a great story to tell the guys," he walked as she kept up in his pace, "I got lost in crazy town and got saved by a psychic."
He flashed a small smile in her direction to make it clear it was a joke.
She chuckled at first but then it turned to laughter. Yup, definitely not a ghost.
"You're funny!"
Shota didn't reply. He just smiled back and continued on his pace.
Thinking of particularly nothing, he just went on his silent reverie. The downpour was still a bit strong, but its sprinkling against the plastic of the umbrella calmed him more than he thought. For once in this evening, he actually felt happy and sure of himself. By that just simple exchange of words, it's as if actual weights on his shoulders were removed. I don't know if this is my luck or that sign I asked for. But whatever it is, I'm glad I got lost. God... thank you.
This seems like a pretty rural area...he continued to take in the scenery. Foggy silhouettes of houses and small stores were on either side of the street as he passed them. He slowed down a bit. Somehow, it had all been familiar to him, and then suddenly, he felt a powerful pang of pain in his head.
"Anything wrong, Kazehaya-san?" she asked, trying her best to put the umbrella over them.
Starting to breathe heavily, he struggled to say, "I need to a bench...something...I just need to...ah!" He collapsed down to his knees. Trembling, he put his hands on his head.
"Kazehaya-san!" The last words he heard before seeing complete darkness.
"Seems like it's a really bad cold and a high-flu. He probably had a really bad migraine...might be in some serious stress or trauma right now. You say you found him in the rain? Hn. I see...Well. You know what to do with these, I'm sure. Good girl."
A coarse but warm voice. What is this? Am I unconscious?
"Yup Uncle! Thank you very much for helping me."
What? Where am I? Why is this voice so familiar?
"Well. Just call me if you need any help. Alright? He'll be coming around soon, so are you sure you'll be fine alone with him, Aoichiro?" The voice was slowly getting farther away.
"It's just Aoi, uncle. I'll be fine. Really. Don't worry, I'll call. I promise." Such a calming voice, and it's so near to me. I want to touch it...
The soft swish of the sliding door had stopped their conversation. It seems like the old man has gone...
"Kazehaya-san? Are you awake?" she asked, slightly giggling.
Abruptly opening his eyes, he found himself in a familiar room, with the pretty tanned girl he saw before staring at him.
"Y-yeah..." He shifted positions. Suddenly, he realized two important things which made him wide-eyed. One, this looked exactly like his living room. Two, he had his right arm ridiculously straight and out. He quickly pulled it in while she had turned her head the other way.
"Honestly now..." she bent to the table to get something, "You really are funny." Laughing a bit, she was holding a bowl in her hands. The steam had indicated it was freshly made and the savory aroma filled the room.
Eyeing the soup a bit, he bit his lip.
"I'll leave this here alright? Feel free to eat as much as you want. I just need to take a bath real quick." After quickly standing up and pushing the table nearer to the couch, she walked rather fast to can you believe it? the kitchen. Creepy. That's where our kitchen is. Oh, wait. I don't think I shouldn't be saying 'our' anymore.
BEEP! One AM already? Dang, that's fast... I can't really go back home now... I am sick. Maybe in the morning...
*loud sigh I should concentrate on getting better instead. Well...Itakadimasu!
SPECIAL THANKS:
InsanityKiryuuxD
danielle ()
I just la-la-love getting reviews! :D
NOTES: I want to change the title to 'What Makes a Smile'…opinions?
Background story: I originally planned this to be the chapter head but...it sounded more fitting for the entire story. Anyway, 'It's You and Me' has become such a cliche... Don't believe me? Go on, look around at some other story *sigh
FINAL NOTES: What do you guys think so far? Is it any good? :D I would gladly hear your opinions/comments/[constructive] criticisms! Go on and make that little button below wanted. :)
