Chapter 9: Our Wishes
"Thanks for meeting me so late, and so sudden."
Before I knew it, I was taking a stroll with the chairman of the elementary school division, youngest son of the Imonoyama zaibatsu (stated in the Clamp Schools pamphlet), the not-so-devilish-mastermind I thought he was, and the guy who unfortunately gave my dear cousin a stolen priceless heirloom, golden frame as a wedding gift.
"I hope I didn't interrupt your time with your family."
"Oh, no, I wasn't really feeling well, and I was just resting in my room." I shrugged off my answer, then looked at the robotic penguin that Nokoru was holding in between his arms, which curiously caught my attention.
"This!" Nokoru saw me staring at his little messenger robot, then said, "Finest in Clamp technology! I've had this for a while though, it's an old model.'" His hands held the robot, and rubbed off dust with his thumb, even though it was perfectly clean. Despite it being an 'old model' he said this with a soft fondness in his eyes. "It's an aerodynamic android," he held up the penguin, "one step closer and closer to perpetual motion machines. One day, just not today." He laughed.
"Do you like science-I mean, do you like Physics-and stuff?" I don't see a reason why I should be stuttering over my own sentences right now.
Nokoru looked at the robotic penguin then back at me. "Yeah, I really do." He smiled. "And, you like the fine arts, don't you?" How did he know that? My eyes widened.
He noticed my bewildered expression and said, "Oh, it was on your Clamp profile." He shrugged it off as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He's right though, I do love the arts. I was an active member in the art club at home. Always drawing in the sketchbooks at home, and staying up late at night, then falling asleep at my desk with my pencil still in my hand. I especially love sketching sceneries. The sensory garden would be a perfect place to sketch.
"But I don't even go to school here." I whispered to myself, Clamp is truly impressive, and kind of creepy….
"Plus, Yukiko showed us your art portfolio, and the art department too of course. Your work is lovely." I blushed, "oh, no, not really, there are many more great artists than I am," He paused, then said, "I may be a complete amateur at art, but I know good quality work when I see it, especially when it evokes so much emotion." He definitely has a silver tongue, no wonder so many girls are head over heels for him. I wonder if he really means what he says rather than just pretending to say something nice.
"There was something I wanted to talk with you about, what I couldn't say earlier today." I stopped and took a deep breath in. I tried to breathe more, but my body wouldn't let me.
"It's all my fault…..It was my idea to get your cousin Yukiko and her fiancé Ebihara, a golden frame as a present. It's from a silly belief of mine, I don't know if you have ever heard of it,-
"A lifetime in gold,
Endless joy and riches will be untold,
They will happily grow together old."
"It's a poem that I read in a book once. Even when my parents got married, they received a gold frame with their picture in it as well, and their really happy….. It's basically like good luck to the couple." Nokoru rubbed his head and blushed. "I guess my gift backfired instead. I'm so sorry!" He abruptly bowed towards me, with his head down. A droplet of water hit the ground.
"No, no, no, no, it's not your fault!" I mean, all these unfortunate circumstances really do suck, but…. "How were you to know beforehand, about that frame, it shocked us all, don't blame it on yourself. You only had good intentions from the beginning." I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Please, don't be sad." (And don't bow!) I looked around at where we were, and we walked all the way to the sensory garden. It was even more beautiful at night than it was in the day. There was a fountain on the balcony, that's where Yukiko would stand and right next to Ebihara, I already imagined their silhouettes standing next to the moonlight that shimmered off of the water. The water was sparkling like crystals.
"If we're going to be apologizing here, I have to say something too." Nokoru finally looked up from the ground, and his eyes were still wet. "When I first arrived at Clamp, I didn't know anyone…..or what they were like at all." I walked back and forth. "The next thing I know, I was chased by a stampede of girls, who were actually chasing you," I pointed to him, not sure if he would get what I meant by that.
Nokoru sat down on a bench, "Don't worry, I know exactly what you are talking about, it's a frequent thing actually, they almost got me that day too, I swear their getting faster day by day." He started laughing. I gawked at his laidback answer.
"It's nothing really! It happens to Suoh and Akira too!" Nokoru waved his hands back and forth, then he started to side track, "come to think of it, I think the ladies have been taking it out on me because Suoh and Akira are such heartbreakers."
And here I was worried for you….
"Nothing gets to you does it?" I said to Nokoru.
"Why be sad, when you can be happy!" He didn't have his fan with him, but if he did, it would definitely say, "Happiness today and forever!" I slouched down on the bench a few inches away from Nokoru. Wait! Nokoru was right! Why be sad, when you can be happy! A sudden thought came to mind, "Nokoru," I said and grabbed his hand, "follow me."
"O-Okay."
I walked towards the fountain with Nokoru, and since I didn't have two coins to spare at the moment, I picked up two small pebbles from the ground. Hopefully they'll work just the same, if we put a lot of feeling into them. I held one pebble in my hand and held out the other towards him.
"Apparently we both have a couple of things we're worried about," I smiled then said, "So, let's make a wish! Maybe this is just wishful thinking but this always helps me relax whenever I feel stressed, it may not be a coin, but I think our feelings will still get across." Hopefully he felt the same, and he did. He happily took the pebble from my hand. "No one on earth should ever be denied the pursuit and privilege of making a wish," I smiled.
"I agree and lets," he was smiling from ear to ear.
We both turned around, our backs were facing the fountain. "On the count of 3-
1
…..
2
….
3
!
Both of our pebbles, full of wishes, whisked into the air, when they reached their highest point in their flight. They slowed in front of the moon. The bright light behind them complimented their lustrous color, as brilliant as jet. And finally, they fell. They gracefully plunged into the fountain, leaving a cascade of ripples at the surface. As the pebbles fell to the bottom of the fountain floor, our wishes did too, and hopefully the universe would hear them.
The moonlight was shining on both of us. Nokoru turned towards me and said, "Hm, I do feel better!"
"I know right," I finally laughed and all the tension I had from today disappeared. Suddenly, something caught my attention.
My head was facing towards the ground. On the ground I saw a shiny object. I immediately thought that it was a coin or an incredibly luminous rock (like the pebbles we transformed into brilliant jet!), but when I picked it up, it was a finely detailed silver button. There was some sort of image engraved on the button but it was too worn down to tell what it was. I held it in the palm of my hands and felt the detail with my fingers. Nokoru leaned over my shoulder and said, "Wow! Very pretty."
"Fine artists are attracted to fine detail, am I right? Here." Nokoru took the button from my hand, he leaned in, and pinned it to my jacket. I saw (from a much closer point of view) that the moonlight transformed his blonde hair into perfect strands of gold. "It looks better on you than it does the ground," he was still smiling, but I was looking down at the ground, too shy, to even notice.
Thank you for reading! I really appreciate it! Make a beautiful wish everyone! 3
