Chapter 6: The new doll
Tezuka was walking to class when he felt that empty feeling disappear. Did that mean...?
He turned to look over his shoulder.
Standing there in the Seigaku uniform was Sahya. Looking like a third year. His eyes widened as he took in that and the fact that she was on the ground. "Sahya...?"
She smiled, an image of perfection. Her indigo eyes sparkled. "Kunimitsu. It seems I've been given a chance to live again."
"The girl in the hospital...?" He asked hesitantly.
"I think she was my reincarnation. I seem to have inhabited her body indefinitely." She answered. "But these are my looks exactly." She took the last few steps to him. "I convinced my parents to let me come to Seigaku instead of Hyoutei."
Tezuka resisted the urge to take her hand. Then people might see, and that could raise awkward questions. "I...I'm glad you're alright." He said instead. "You had me worried."
"I'm sorry." She apologized, and even her sad apologetic looks were perfect.
"Are there any effects from going from being a..." Tezuka trailed off.
"It's ok, no one's in hearing distance." She said, smiling. "I seem to..." She concentrated. Her eyes glowed faintly blue and her school bag floated in the air on its own before she held it by the handle again. "I seem to have inherited telekinesis from my time as a ghost."
"Just be careful where and how often you use it." Tezuka warned. "Your eyes glow when you activate it."
She laughed lightly. "That's good to know. Of course, I'll be careful like you said. Let's get to class, Kunimitsu."
"Yeah." He smiled. It was the faintest of smiles, but for him, a smile nonetheless.
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"Have you seen the new student?"
"Of course!"
"She's from England right? Is she a star, or a model? She's got to be a model!"
"If she isn't she should be!"
Sahya sat in the classroom, reading a small book by the window. Talk had spread all around the school.
"Sitting there right now, isn't she like, perfection?"
"She sure seems perfect."
"You know, she's so perfect it's almost scary. Like she's...a doll or something, y'know?"
It was true though; she did seem like a perfect doll. Her hair was perfect platinum, straight and down to her waist. Her eyes deep sparkling indigo, her skin pale and unblemished...and she even had the air of perfection about her. Or at least some sort of aura.
Since she was alive centuries ago, posture was something every girl had then and so she still had perfect posture now. And she would always neatly fold her legs under her chair together and fold her hands in her lap...
She looked up as Tezuka stood from his desk next to her. "Tennis practice, right?" When he nodded, she smiled and put her book away, also standing.
As they stepped onto the courts, the Regulars turned and gave out muffled exclamations of surprise. Tezuka called them aside along with Sahya and said quietly "She's been given another chance at life. Her full name is Tsuriko Sahya."
They couldn't seem to be able to fix their jaws. Sahya simply smiled and bowed a bit. "It's nice to formally meet you. Please don't worry about introductions. I know your names already."
"Tsuriko, are you going to join the tennis club?" Oishi asked.
She shook her head. "I never got into any sport. But I found I love to watch." Although where can I watch from now? It's different when you're floating as a ghost behind the Captain.
"The benches over there have good views of the courts." Tezuka suggested. "Why don't you sit there, Sahya?"
"Thanks. I'll do that." She said, moving over there.
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After practice, Tezuka changed and came out to see Sahya waiting for him. He resisted the urge to go over there and just wrap his arms around her. Something about her, it might have been how fragile she seemed or how much of a beautiful doll she really was, but he wanted to hold her. Instead, though, he contented himself with walking up and standing close to her.
"Would you like me to walk you home?" He asked.
"I'm afraid my parents in this life aren't much different than my last." She answered a bit sadly. "As long as I become their perfect child, they don't really care what I do or when I come home."
"Then would it bother you to still come to my home after school?" Tezuka asked. "The only difference would be meeting my grandparents."
"I'd like that, actually." Sahya said with a smile as she walked out the gates with him. He did the polite thing and took her school handbag for her.
The Regulars popped out of the bushes and grinned. "Wow, Buchou's such a gentleman!" Momoshiro commented to the others.
"Isn't that good though?" Oishi asked. "Being over 100 years old means that Tsuriko must be used to a different level of courtesy, right?"
"It's going to be a bit scary, seeing Buchou act like that..." Ryoma muttered.
"You'll get used to it." Fuji assured him. "Tezuka's not so bad once you get to know him. I think it'll be interesting to see how this works out."
Back at Tezuka's house, Sahya bowed gracefully to his grandparents when she was introduced. "It's nice to meet you." She said in the general greeting. "Thank you for the flowers you sent me while I was hospitalized."
"Oh, we're glad to see you're alright now!" His grandmother assured her. "I just baked a cherry pie this afternoon; I'll bring some up to Kunimitsu's room with some tea."
"Thank you." Tezuka and Sahya answered, before heading up the stairs.
Once in his room, Sahya looked around uncertainly. Before she just floated anywhere and sat in the air; now where was she supposed to sit? What would be considered an appropriate place?
"Instead of sitting at my desk, how about we both sit on the bed?" Tezuka asked. "That way you can still read without staying standing."
"Sounds like a plan." Sahya said with a smile as she and he sat on his bed. He took the book that he had been reading in his spare time out and flipped to the bookmarked page. As he set the book down on the bed and lay down to read it under the lamplight, Sahya lay down next to him to read over his shoulder.
Since his shoulders were broader than Sahya's and his body larger, Tezuka leaned more on his left side and draped his right arm over her shoulders to get more comfortable. Sahya kept one hand on the book and the other propped her head up.
A knock sounded at the door and his grandmother entered with a tray. She set it down and quietly left, knowing that whenever Tezuka got into a good book he hated interruptions. Smiling, she went back down to the kitchen. "Dear, would you believe that Kunimitsu is reading his book with that sweet girl?"
"He's reading with her?" His grandfather asked, raising an eyebrow. "Now I know I did that as well when I was his age, but I hope he hasn't forgotten all of his manners when he has company, and a girl no less!" The reason Tezuka had such engraved manners and politeness was from his strict grandfather.
"Oh no, it seems she's enjoying it too. Do try not to tease him, though." His grandmother said sternly. Well, maybe a bit also came from his grandmother. But he mostly got a secret soft side and home skills from her. "You know that if you tease Kunimitsu he's going to shut her out. I've never seen him so comfortable with someone so soon!"
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"Oh, Sahya!" Her mom looked up as she entered the house. "Our family has been invited to a dinner gala with some old family acquaintances, although I'm not sure if you remember them. Of course we accepted. Now I want you to look your best. We want them to know that you're still the doll even though you were comatose for years."
"Of course." Sahya answered politely, but with little emotion. "I'll see what I have to wear. Excuse me." She went up to her room without another word to her 'parents'.
"Of course"? Our Sahya's never been so well-mannered. She was more of a crude girl before; I guess the coma affected her a bit. Her parents thought, exchanging looks that said 'it's different, but it's good'.
Sahya wouldn't start disobeying her parents now, but she wouldn't be lying if she said she didn't care much for them. But they took care of her and most of her needs, and were nice people in general.
It was just because she was a doll to them. But since Tezuka came along, she wasn't minding so much.
