ACT IX
It took me approximately fifteen times to comb my hair into perfection. I may not seem like it, but I do care about how I look. I examined myself in front of the mirror, seeking for imperfections in my appearance. I started from the root of my golden hair, to the placement of my necktie, until the tip of my polished school shoes. I put extra attention to my face, which I am proud to say, lacks the slightest blemish. Contented with my look, I trod towards my bed, picked up my bag, and went out my room. I then found myself outside the comforts of my warm room, looking at the my fellow students leave theirs. The once quiet hallways have become drowned in murmurs and sound of numerous footsteps by the time the sign of a new school day struck. I followed the current of the river formed by the rows of students passing the said hallways.
I finally freed myself from them when I first took a whiff of the fresh morning air. I looked at the almost orange leaves dancing in the wind. It seemed that autumn was coming earlier than expected. I took my journey on the cemented roads towards the high school building. I saw some of my companions levitate high above us, also looking at our said destination. The sun's rays were cooler than usual and I enjoyed their penetration into the pores of my skin. I continued on, thinking that this day might be a great day.
I now saw myself a few meters away from the building that I was glad that my long walk would finally end. I slowed my steps, however, thinking that I'm not that in a hurry to go to class. I looked around me, hoping to see someone familiar to accompany to class. I saw Koko and Kitsunume, but I hesitated to approach them, knowing that they might tease me again. I saw Shouda, but was afraid to be trampled with her disgusting praises again. I didn't seek for Sakura and Natsume, thinking that I will just be a distraction. I sighed, being aware of my loneliness. I went on walking, drowning myself in my thoughts.
"Nogi," a distant, yet familiar voice called. I turned my attention towards the origin of the voice, and there she was, riding her duck scooter again. Yes, it was Imai. She puffed wisps of vapor as she hurried towards me. Unintentionally, I raised my hand and waved at her. In addition to that, I felt my cheeks lift as I formed a smile. She didn't respond to it, however. I expected that. I saw her stop her vehicle a few feet in front of me. She looked at me, with her usual blank lavender eyes and I knew that she was going to inform me of something.
"Narumi-sensei said that we, along with the other actors for the play, will be measured for our costumes." She said in a monotonous tone, not even pausing for a breath in between phrases.
"I see," I replied. "Thank you for telling me."
"It's nothing," she told me, turning her head on her right.
I looked at her while she stayed silent, and I saw her gripping the handles of her scooter. I then remembered the funny sounds of tools from her room last night. Curious of what she was making, I asked.
"I guess you have another invention to create. It seemed that you stayed all night for it. Would it be okay if you tell me about it?"
"Why?" She then turned to me, with a look of suspicion written on her face.
"I'm just curious," I answered. "I wasn't able to sleep last night thinking about it. But, if you don't want to tell me about it, it's okay."
"Well," she sighed. "It's..."
"Hotaru-chan!" Our attention was directed now to a bespectacled, pale-blond-haired student just about our age, waving his arms wildly at us. It was no other than one of the two class representatives, Yuu Tobita. He showed us his biggest smile and ran towards us. He panted as he arrived at the side of Imai. She and I looked at each other, wondering if we are going to have an unplanned tripped towards the infirmary since Iinchou might collapse due to fatigue . We then saw him inhale deeply and exhale forcefully, ceasing his exhaustion.
"Good morning, Hotaru-chan, Ruka-kun," he greeted us.
"Good morning," Imai and I chorused.
"It's rare to see you together on the way to school," he said moving his eyes from me to Imai, back and forth. "Well, it's not that weird now since you guys are friends already."
"What is it, Iinchou," her voice was tuned with impatience. "I know that you're here not to greet us and telling us insignificant things."
"I guess you got me," he said scratching his head. Taking a clean, white handkerchief from his pocket, he took off his eyeglasses and then wiped the lenses using the said handkerchief. He placed his eyeglasses stably on the bridge of his nose and looked at Imai with worry written on his face.
"Ruka-kun," he politely spoke. "Is it okay if I borrowed Hotaru-chan for a while? It's really important, you know."
"Why are you asking him?" Imai, with obvious irritation in her voice, asked. "Now what is this important thing that you are going to say to me?"
I then saw Iinchou proceed closer to her, and placed his lips near her ears. Seeing that, my heart skipped a beat, making me lose my breath in the process. He covered his mouth with his hand, keeping me from reading his lips. I saw Imai ask him to repeat what he had just whispered. He obeyed her, of course, and brought himself several centimeters closer to her. Impulsively, I looked away, and I felt my heart beat faster than usual. The temperature of my face started to shoot up, and it throbbed of the blood pooling and gathering in my cheeks.
I placed my eyes upon them again, and I saw his hand slowly crawling towards hers. My hand suddenly had a mind of its own, slapping the tip of his fingers, where he jerked in surprise. His topaz eyes grew wide with startle. I, too, was surprised with myself. I brought my hand back to me, and saw Imai looking at me with those big suspecting eyes.
"I-I'm sorry," I apologized, stumbling for the right words to say. I then stayed silent, finding a reason for that action I just did. My thoughts started to browse for rational explanations of me acting that way.
"It's okay," he showed a fake laugh as he spoke.
He turned his eyes towards the young female inventor who was deep in thought. Her eyebrows were pulled towards the middle, making a line between them. It seemed that she was made to think about something difficult. I wondered what our class representative told her. But, I knew that I won't be able to know the reason. Silence dawned upon us for a few moments and she finally ended thinking. She brought her dim lavender orbs at me and then diverted them towards the person beside her. She took a spare helmet, shaped like a duck's head, and threw it to Iinchou. The force, however, she released throwing the head protector was strong. Thus, creating quite an impact on the blond honor student's chest. He coughed in pain, as a matter of fact. Not showing a sign of weakness, though, he placed the helmet upon his head.
"What are you waiting for," she impatiently asked while leaning forward. "They need us as soon as possible, right? Hop in."
"Y-yeah," he said approaching the empty space Imai has provided him to stand on. He brought his arms around her waist which made me feel uncomfortable looking at them. I saw a tint of pink grow darker in his cheeks and I felt further uneasiness engulf my senses. She turned her handle forward, and the engine of her scooter started to roar silently. After securing themselves properly on the vehicle, they began to ride fast away from me. A smoke of dust trailed their path as they went further back. Now that they were gone, I felt lonely again. I sighed, and decided to walk by myself towards the high school building.
"Nogi!" I heard her shout from afar. I looked towards the direction of her voice and saw her. Imai, still standing on her vehicle, faced me. Of course, with her usual boring face. An unexpected feeling has overwhelmed me when she called me, however. I was glad. I was glad that she called me. Even though I didn't know the reason why she did it, but, I was glad. My lips formed into a grin and waved to her, indicating that she took my attention.
"Don't forget," she informed me. "Four o' clock. Costume measurement."
"I won't," I almost shouted at her. My voice was higher pitched than usual. I felt that it was about to crack.
Hearing my answer, she nodded her head and turned her vehicle back. She and Iinchou went farther and farther until not an outline of their bodies was visible anymore. My mind then commanded me to head towards the high school building to attend class. But, my feet failed to move. My eyes were stuck on the far, empty street where Imai and Iinchou passed. I wanted to go now, but wasn't able to.
Nogi. Her voice echoed inside my mind. It repeated endlessly that everything around me has gone blank. My sense hearing failed. My sense of smell failed. My sense of touch failed. My sense of sight failed. My whole body failed. I felt that I had become a statue, not being able to move by my own will.
Four o' clock. Immediately, I regained my senses as I heard those words resound in my thoughts. I snappily pivoted back, and started to walk towards the high school department. For some unknown reason, I am looking forward for this afternoon. A smile crept on my face thinking about it. I trod merrily on the cemented road, knowing that today will be a good day.
-0-
"Twenty-eight," the tailor's assistant announced to his boss as he measured my waist. I saw the seamster right the numbers on a ring-bound notebook. I brought my eyes towards the far end of the auditorium, and noticed Shouda and her friends smiling creepily at me. I gulped, feeling a sense of eeriness radiate down my spine. I diverted my attention to my fellow male performers, which were found alongside me on the stage. The people on my side, however, were a little chaotic than those at the female side. The turmoil can be witnessed by Koko's evil mind reading of the costume maker's men, Kitsunume's magic carpet ride on the fabrics for the costumes, and others more. I heard myself laugh seeing them.
"Stop it! I'm begging you! Stop!" I heard someone shriek at the other end of the auditorium and laugh her guts out. Curious of what was happening, I turned my sight towards a familiar, auburn-haired girl squirming in laughter. As what I have expected, it was Sakura. The modiste, along with a few of her assistants, pinned her on a chair and tried to get the size of her waist. She laughed non-stop until she finally silenced after all of her measurements were taken.
"That girl never ceases to surprise me," a somewhat deep, yet velvety voice asked me. I turned towards the person beside me and saw deep red orbs staring at the girl who caught our attention. A faint smile appeared on Natsume's lips, and he failed to hide it from me. I let out a silent laugh and agreed to what he said.
"That's why she's Sakura," I told him, and I heard him chuckle under his breath. He never kept his eyes off of her. They sparkled despite the dimly-lighted auditorium. The first time I have seen these eyes was when we played dodge-ball when we were ten. The first time he felt being important. The first time he was accepted in a group. The first time he fell in love. The first time he really knew Sakura.
I took an empty seat beside the tailor and looked at the red and black hands of my silver watch. The time indicated on it was 4:45 p.m. My aquamarine eyes toured the cushioned seats of the auditorium where the girls stayed. I examined each and everyone of them, hoping to see long, ebony hair and a pair of lilac orbs. I found myself disappointed not being able to find her. I then thought to myself, Why the heck would I get disappointed for? I know I don't hate her anymore, but, looking for her is just plain crazy! I buried my face in my hands, trying to comprehend my feelings.
"Here's our Juliet," Serina-sensei announced. Hearing it, I concluded that Imai has finally arrived. I lifted my head up immediately and saw... her. A girl's glorious presence greeted me. An embroidered scarlet frock was worn fittingly on her slim body. It was embedded with glimmering rubies and gold thread. Her hair was braided and tied with a red ribbon. It was made to rest on her right shoulder. A ruby earring was dangling on each of her ear. A black-colored, chained necklace with a pendant with the same red-colored stone lay on her bear chest. And her face, which took my attention the most, grew as red as her dress, and her eyes softer than before.
My feet then started to have a mind of its own, again. They made me stand, and move towards the girl in front of me. I felt my breaths grow deep and slow as I proceeded with each step. My heart followed the rhythm of my footsteps. My eyes were etched on her, never planning to direct it to anywhere else but her. I finally stopped approximately a foot from her and I still wasn't able to remove her from my sight. She didn't look at me, however, and she hid her now tomato-red face behind her bangs.
"When I heard that Hotaru-chan was going to play as Juliet," the blonde-haired teacher boasted. "I immediately took this beautiful dress I received from Noda-sensei last Christmas and let her wear it! Doesn't she look beautiful?"
"Isn't it the one Noda-sensei stole from... Mmff!" Naru was interrupted when Serina-sensei's hand flew above his mouth, ceasing him to speak another word.
"He said it was a gift from Queen Victoria! A gift!" She argued as she buried her manicured nails into his cheeks.
While our so-called teachers continued fighting, I still was enamored with Imai's amazing appearance. I never stopped looking at her, and she felt that, too. She further curtained her face with her bangs as she her head down, keeping me to see more of her.
"I hate this dress," she said almost silently. "It wreaks of old people smell and peppermint. Also, I can't believe how people survive in these kind of dresses. You can't breathe in them. The weight of this thing also seems like a ton."
"But, even so, you look beautiful."
She suddenly jolted her head back up, and her eyes dilated as they faced me. After being made aware of what I just had said, my heart beat started to speed up, and flushes of adrenaline flowed through my narrow blood vessels. I felt my eyes grow wide in surprise for having said something I shouldn't have. Why? Because Imai will totally annihilate me because she never ever wants to be praised. Unless, that is, if you call her a genius.
"What I meant to say was," I tried to browse for words in my head, hoping to find a way out of this mess. "The dress looks beautiful on you. Yeah, that's it. It looks beautiful on you."
I immediately turned my back, pleased with what I said. She will not be able to hit me with her BakaGun at this rate, right? I told her clearly that the dress was beautiful, right? There should be no misunderstanding about that. I hastened my steps a bit so I could escape from her wrath faster. I returned back to my seat beside the tailor and hid myself from her.
I placed my trembling hands on my face. It felt warm to the touch, and it was pounding fiercely, like it had a heartbeat of its own. Numerous footsteps then created trampling sounds on the wooden planks of the stage. I heard various girls' voices chorus as they grouped altogether around a certain someone. They expressed words of awe as they praised her. Through the spaces of my fingers, I peeked and saw many girls surrounding Imai. However, she really stood out among all of them. Her pallid face looked brighter and colorful than before. Even though I didn't want to, my eyes kept still on her.
She... is beautiful, I thought to myself. No matter how much I denied it... No matter how I did not want to admit it... She really is beautiful.
I removed my hands from my face and looked at her from where I was. My surroundings suddenly turned into a silent resonance where I found myself almost deaf. Her figure, no matter how dainty it was to me, was the one who overcame all. I felt a smile creep on my face. But, I did not hate it. I wanted to smile for her. I wanted to feel happy for being praised for her.
Unexpectedly, she turned my way. I, on the other hand, impulsively looked away when I felt my heart almost jump out of my chest. I brought my attention to the other guys who were horsing around with the tailor's assistants, hoping that my reaction of her seeing me did not let any feeling of suspicion rise. However, my eyes started to move on their own, turning again towards the lady in red. The girl who I thought was the nightmare of my life has turned into something so magical and majestic. I then started to realize that I have been praising her for numerous times already. I slapped my face lightly and scolded myself silently. Stop thinking weird things about her, Ruka Nogi. You know that she will kill you if you continue on admiring her out of the blue. She's your walking Grim Reaper, you idiot!
Her footsteps grew faint as she went away from the crowd of girls. I stared at her figure until she totally disappeared in the darkness of the backstage area. I stood up, and took my leave out of the auditorium. I doubted anybody knew that I was already gone from there. I walked through the silent street towards the dormitory and listened the gentle rustle of leaves blown by the cold breeze. There was nothing in my mind but the image of Imai I had seen this day. I inhaled deeply and forced out a strong exhalation to blow those thoughts away from me. I never stopped thinking about her. I looked up in the sky in wonder and thought to myself: Why have I become more afraid of her? I expected that since we've become friends, my fear for her would have subsided. But, why did it grow?
I walked alone on that cold afternoon, hoping to find answers to my questions soon.
I'm keeping this message short, guys. I'm sort of in a hurry because I haven't watched Kimi Ni Todoke 2nd Season Episode 10 yet, and I'm way late from the airing date. Yes, I'm also a Kimi Ni Todoke fan.
Anyway, I would like to thank Shanaa12 for reviewing the previous chapter.
Please read, review, and support this fanfic. Love you!
