A/N: Long chapter ahoy! Lots of good stuff happen though, believe me, so do please read it! :)
Two Queens
Act 1 – Repair
Chapter Six – Beautiful
As I stepped out of the dorm I was surprised to find a bigger crowd than I had previously expected. Many were students from the school, but there were also lots of adults amongst the crowd. At my side was a small bag that I had decided to bring to carry some of my money, knowing that not much would be free.
I decided to find our class stand, mainly to talk to Shizune and Misha. I figured that if I spoke to them now, they might not bother me later.
However, once I arrived at the stand, they were nowhere to be found. Before I turned to walk away, I saw the girl who I remembered seeing in class, especially when she ran into me, motion to me from a little ways off with her good hand.
"Hello Hisako," she told me as I approached her. I opened my mouth to greet her back, but I paused, and she must have realized why, because she outstretched her right hand to me and said, "I don't think I told you my name. I'm Miki Miura!"
I shook her hand and nodded. "I remember you at least," I said jokingly, and she gave me a nervous smile.
"I-I'm sorry about that," Miki said, rubbing the back of her head, "I'm part of the track team, so I like to run everywhere." She shrugged. "But anyways, what are you doing for the festival?"
"Well, I was about to go look for Hanako and Lilly," I said simply, not thinking that Miki might not know who I was talking about. Luckily, she seemed to light up, and she grinned.
"Oh. Well, I haven't seen Hanako around anywhere. I think I saw Lilly at 3-2's class stand over there," Miki told me, pointing past the crowd of people, although I couldn't see exactly where, "I think so at least. Is she the blonde?" She set a hand on her chin and looked away in thought.
I nodded. "Thank you. I'm going to go talk to her then," I said.
Miki grinned at me. "Alright, I won't keep you then. Good luck, Hisako," she told me, giving a slight wave at me before I turned and walked away.
Following Miki's directions, I made my way through the crowd, and eventually picked out the sign that we had worked on before. When I drew nearer, I also made out Lilly behind the stand.
The stand was easily twice as big as the others, and had more equipment as well. They put a lot of planning into this, I though. Some of the class seemed to be unpacking ingredients for the noodles and soup I could see being prepared, and were being directed by someone who I figured must be their teacher.
Sniff. The smell coming from the stand was mouth-watering. I decided to stand in the line that Lilly was running, which had only a few other people, since I didn't want to disturb her.
I watched as Lilly asked the man at the front what he would like, then turned to the girl next to her, relaying the information. The girl handed Lilly a bowl of what appeared to be noodles and some sort of leaves, and the man dipped his head to Lilly.
"Thank you," he said, and she dipped her head to him as he walked away. I wonder if they realize she's blind, I thought for a moment. When the next girl stepped up though, it was quite obvious that they didn't know, because she pointed at the menu on the side of the stand as she said what she wanted.
After a few minutes, I came to the front of the stand. I was about to greet Lilly, but the boy running the other line suddenly asked, "Hey, where's the spare change box?"
"Excuse me one moment," Lilly said to me as she reached beneath the counter and eventually pulled out a small, metal box. "Here it is," she said, and the boy came and grabbed it, dipping his head in thanks.
Lilly then turned back to me, and asked, "I'm sorry about that. What can I get you?" For a moment, I was surprised that Lilly knew that there was someone standing in front of her, then I realized that I had forgotten to actually give the menu on the side of the stand a look.
I gave it a glance, then said, "Um...Miso soup?" It came out as more of a question, so I said, "Yeah, that'd be good."
Lilly reacted instantly to my voice. "Oh, Hisako?" She smiled and turned to the girl beside her, telling her what I wanted. When she turned back to me, I could tell that she was more relaxed, dropping her waitress facade. She asked me, "Are you enjoying the festival so far?"
"I may or may not have have woken up at noon, so I haven't gotten to see all of it yet," I said, a little embarrassed. "I decided to see where you and Hanako were at first."
Lilly giggled. "Well, there's plenty of time left to see everything," she told me, and I couldn't help but smile as she did, "As for Hanako, I was wondering where she was myself..."
"You haven't seen her?" Lilly shook her head. I guess a crowd like this wouldn't be her thing, I thought, wondering what empty place Hanako could be residing in.
"I really wished that she might come out for the festival," Lilly said, obviously troubled by it, her smile dropping. "It's to be expected I guess..." The girl tapped Lilly's shoulder and handed her the bowl of soup, which Lilly then held out to me.
Realizing I had forgotten about the money, I quickly fumbled into my bag, pulling out the yen needed. "S-Sorry," I said, gently grabbing the bowl and then placing the money in Lilly's hand.
"Thank you, Hisako," she said, dipping her head to me. "Um...If you would, can you find Hanako for me? We're a bit busy here, and I really don't want her to have to spend the festival alone."
I nodded. "Of course, I can look for her," I answered. "Do you think you need some help here though?"
Lilly shook her head. "We just need some more students from our class," she told me, and I looked around, realizing that there really were only about ten of them helping out. "Finding Hanako would help me very much though." She smiled at me.
"Well, I'll be glad to help then," I told her. I suddenly realized that there were a few people behind me, and I must be holding up the line. "I'll come back and drop off the bowl when I'm done," I told Lilly, who nodded.
I made my way over to a nearby bench and took my first taste of the soup. It was extremely good, though it was a bit cooler than it probably should have been. As I slowly drank the soup, I looked a little deeper into the crowd.
Some of the students I noticed making their way around didn't seem very excited, which I guess is understandable, especially seeing the adults who looked much more enthusiastic about the whole thing. I felt a little bad, since I wasn't helping out, but I had only transferred a couple of weeks ago, so it can't be helped.
I let my gaze then fall upon 3-2's stand again as I finished off my soup. Everyone seemed to be relaxed and enjoying themselves, at least on the outside, but Lilly didn't seem very impressed. She seemed a little stressed, and I couldn't help but think Hanako wasn't helping with that.
When I made my way over to the stand to drop off my bowl, I called out to Lilly, "You don't need to worry about Hanako, I'll find her."
Lilly turned her head my way, and I could tell that she was a least a little relieved. "Thank you Hisako. Please tell some of my classmates to come help out, if you see them," she told me with a smile.
I nodded. "I will. Make sure to take a break every so often," I told her, grinning and waving at her before turning and walking away. I felt a little bad about leaving Lilly there, but it's nice to relieve her of her worry for Hanako, at least.
Once inside, I was greeted by even more of a crowd who was meandering through the hallways for the festival. If there's one thing I know about Hanako, it's that she wouldn't be near this, I thought. With students showing their families their dorms, I doubt she'd be there either.
I decided to make my way towards the library. Thankfully, the crowd inside weren't as festive as the crowds outside, so it was easier to make my way through to the library.
When I made my way inside, I was surprised by the quiet emptiness that surrounded me. Not even Yuuko seemed to be present. When I looked around, I spotted a head of dark hair over the bookshelves, and, sure enough, it was Hanako sitting at one of the desks, reading.
"I thought you'd be here," I said. Hanako jumped, and I felt a little bad about disturbing her.
"H-Hisako?" She seemed surprised to see me.
"Lilly was busy, so I came to see what you were doing for the festival," I explained. "S-Sorry for disturbing you..."
Hanako did her signature covering of the right side of her face, and said, "I-It's fine...Do you want to sit down?"
I nodded, but then my stomach suddenly growled slightly, making me blush a bit. "I guess I'm a little hungry...Do you want to get some food from the stands?"
Hanako tensed up a bit and shook her head slightly. "I-I brought some food so..."
I sighed. It was worth a try. "Well, should we go to the tea room and eat? It might be more comfortable, and I didn't see anyone around there," I asked.
Hanako nodded. "O-Okay," she said, closing her book gently and sliding it into her bag.
When she stood, I asked, "Ready to go?" Hanako nodded, and we set off.
Hanako and I walked down the empty hallway side-by-side. The sounds of the crowds could be heard faintly, obviously far off, which seemed to help Hanako not be as tense.
After a few moments, I wondered why Hanako fell behind a bit, and I realized that her pace seemed to change a bit. "Is something wrong?"
Hanako jumped slightly at my sudden outburst and stopped. "W-What? Nothings w-wrong..."
"Sorry, I just noticed that you were...tripping or something," I said, stopping as well. I didn't quite know how to explain what she was doing.
Hanako blushed and looked at the floor, twiddling with her hands. "I-It's...a game." Seeing my surprise, she continued, "T-the floor, it has different shaded t-tiles."
I gazed down at the linoleum-tiled floor, taking note of the slightly different shades. "What about them?" I made sure to add my intrigue to my voice.
"W-When nobody is around...I only s-step on the darker ones," Hanako said. She continued to speak, but her voice trailed off and I couldn't make out her further explanation.
"Oh, I see. Do you play this game a lot?" Hanako shook her head. "Only when you're alone?" She nodded. "I see...Well then, should we continue?" She nodded with a bit more enthusiasm, and we continued on.
For whatever reason, I started to play the game as we made our way down the hall. I avoided the lighter tiles, being a little over-exaggerating with it, which successfully made Hanako giggle a bit.
Arriving at the tea room, we stepped inside, and it was empty like always. I took a seat, and Hanako went to the counter to make tea, eventually setting a tea cup in front of me.
"This tastes just like Lilly's," I commented as I took a sip.
Hanako looked away and smile shyly. "L-Lilly taught me..." She arranged some sandwiches onto a plate and brought it over to the table, setting it in the center. It seemed like a normal lunch time in the tea room, except Hanako seemed...calm.
When Hanako sat down, I couldn't help but watch her smooth, open movements. I realized that she must be getting used to me. The thought made me smile.
She looked up and saw me smiling at her. "W-What is it?" She seemed to become a bit flustered.
"O-Oh, nothing...I think I know why you like this room now. It's like another world in here, apart from the rest of the school," I told her, turning my head to gaze at the sunlight outside. "I guess that doesn't make very much sense..."
I could see Hanako shake her head out of the corner of my eye. "N-No...I understand," she said. I turned and smiled at her, and she returned with her own.
We sat in the tea room for the rest of the day, playing some games of chess, having small talk, and sipping at our tea until it grew cold.
When night fell upon the campus, I suddenly heard popping noises from outside. "Are those...fireworks?" I could see a slight glow coming from the sky as I gazed out the window.
"Y-Yes, but I don't think we can see them here..." I turned to Hanako, noticing that she was playing with her fingers, and with each pop, she seemed to wince a little bit.
"...I'm guessing you don't like fireworks," I said. Hanako seemed like she was going to retort, but she just dropped her gaze onto the tea cup in front of her.
"I-It's just loud close up, so I haven't s-seen any in person," she told me. I could tell that it was a little embarrassing to her. If she doesn't like crowds, then I guess loud sounds wouldn't be much better.
"Do you want to see them? You could always cover your ears, I wouldn't judge," I said, giving her a reassuring smile.
Hanako seemed reluctant as she thought over my proposal. After a minute, I figured that I shouldn't force her, so I said, "It's fine, we can stay here."
After a moment, Hanako suddenly shot up out of her chair. "L-Let's go!" Her voice was a little shakey, as though she didn't really mean what she said.
"Are you sure?" I had to ask, in case she really didn't want to go. She nodded though, so I shrugged and stood. "Would the roof be a good place to go? Surely there won't be too many people there," I told her.
"T-That sounds good..."
With that, Hanako and I made out way down the hallways once again. This time, it was dead silent, as most people had probably left by then, or were outside enjoying the fireworks.
However, the sound of some padding feet could be heard, getting progressively louder and louder. Hanako, who seemed to be zoned out a bit, didn't notice. After a few moments, two boys who looked like they were in Middle School came around the corner ahead, seemingly racing each other. I stepped to the side to let them pass, but Hanako was oblivious to them until they were near.
The boy on the right side of the hall didn't notice Hanako either until he ran smack-dab into her, sending both of them to the ground.
"Hanako!" I couldn't help but express my worry about what happened. I knelt down beside Hanako as she sat up, seemingly a little shocked by what happened. Turning to the boy, I said, "You need to watch where you're going next time!"
"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He stood and bowed to us, clasping his hands together.
I was going to scold the kid a bit more, but Hanako suddenly said, "I-It's fine..." She sat on her knees and looked up at the boy, who smiled...
But then, a look of horror seemed to overcome him. It didn't take me long to realize why. From the fall, Hanako's hair became a bit untidy, and her scars were clearly visible. The boy covered his face, obviously not meaning to show such a vivid reaction, but it was enough.
Hanako turned her attention to the floor, and I told the boy, "Just go find your parents, and don't run so fast." He nodded and made his way past us, running to catch up with his friend.
"Hanako?" I gently set a hand on her shoulder, wondering what was going on through her mind, her face blocked by her hair that was drooping down...
And that was when she brought her hands up to her face and began to cry.
Her sobs crushed my heart. I sat there for a moment, stunned, watching some of her tears drip from her face to the floor. "It's okay..." I tried to reach up to her face, to make her look my way...
But in a surprising act of aggression, Hanako pushed my hand away from her and looked up at me, a mix of anger, frustration, and sorrow on her face.
"It's not okay!" It was the first time I had heard Hanako raise her voice. "I-I'm...I'm...This..." Hanako ran a hand along the scars on the right side of her face, sobbing some more, her tears still flowing...
What do I do? I didn't know what I could say to make her feel better. The most fragile girl I've ever seen...just broke in front of me. What do I...
I ran my hand that was clutching Hanako's shoulder down along her arm comfortingly. "Hanako," I spoke softly, and she turned away from me, "Hanako...I..."
For a moment, I had to think about what to say. I reached up and placed my hand on her cheek, turning her head towards me. She looked at me with her teary eyes...
And I told her just what I thought.
"You're beautiful."
A look of surprise came across Hanako's face. "I don't care what you look like...You're you. I wouldn't want you to be any different." Her sobs seemed to cease, and she blushed heavily. I brought her forward into an embrace. "It's alright...You can let it all out," I whispered to her.
Hearing that, Hanako began again. We sat there for several minutes, holding onto each other. Eventually, her crying ceased, and I moved back, smiling at her. "Do you feel a little better?"
Hanako nodded slightly. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and I slowly stood up, giving her some support as she wobbled a bit, obviously still a little shook up. I locked my arm in with hers, much as I had seen her and Lilly do before, and dusted off my skirt with my other hand.
"Should we go," I asked, "Or do you want to return to the tea room?"
Hanako sniffed and looked down at the ground. "L-Let's go." With that answer, we slowly made our way forward, our arms locked together, closer than ever before.
Once we arrived at the rooftop, the sky was empty, and there were barely any sounds from the people below. Is it already over? I looked around worriedly, not wanting Hanako to be disappointed...
But then, the whizzing sound could be heard, and I saw several rockets fly into the air. It must be the finale, I thought with a smile. Seeing this, Hanako covered her right ear with her hand, then looked down and realized that our arms were still locked.
Taking the hint, I let go of her arm, and she covered her left ear. When the first firework went off, Hanako still flinched, so I moved behind her and set my hands over hers...
And we watched the assortment of colors flash above us. The only thought that flashed through my head, was:
I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in this moment.
~End of Act 1~
Next Act: Act 2 – Past
Next Chapter: Act 2 Prologue: Normal
