Issei and Sakura: Into the Past [Part IV]
Timeline: University Years - April - Senior Year
[About 4 Years Ago]
Issei toyed with the phone as he lay on his bed. He pulled at the rubber buttons and clicked the phone on and off repeatedly. He was being childish, that he knew, but mustering the courage to call Sakura was not an easy thing to do for him. Issei could only imagine her rage and anger. After all, Sakura was such a melodramatic girl; she always got carried away with her emotions and was quick to act on them. Issei would usually ignore her little emotional roller coasters, choosing not to let her drag him down with her, but this time it nagged him. His conscious was eating away at him and feeding him with guilt.
"It's not like I really did anything to her. She's just overreacting," he reasoned with himself.
"Who's overreacting?"
A shadow had been cast over him. Issei looked up to the source of intrusion that hovered over him with curious round eyes.
"Don't you know the meaning of privacy, you twerp?"
The girl shot a hapless glare at her older brother and snatched the phone away from him.
"I tried knocking, but I guess your Royal Twerpness is going deaf as well."
"I happened to be deep in thought." Issei replied as he sat up on his bed.
Sari shook her head in exasperation.
"Gee, I didn't know you had it in you, tinker boy."
Issei glared at her and threw his pillow as her face.
"Don't call me that."
Sari caught the pillow and shrugged.
"Fine," she said without a second thought. Issei looked at her doubtfully, knowing full well that she had no intention of putting an end to her favorite nickname for him.
"Whatever happened to that pesky little brat that used to look up to me?"
"A brat, am I?" Sari grinned mischievously and swung the pillow at Issei. Issei blocked with his arm and yanked it away from her.
"What'd you want anyways?"
"I came looking for the phone," she said as she waved the device in his face. "You've been hogging it for almost two hours."
"Give it back," Issei said as he extended his hand.
"Didn't you hear me? I said, 'You've been hogging it for almost two hours.'" Sari replied.
"Sari, there's an important call I need to make."
Sari raised her brows.
"And it's taken you two hours to make it? I take it that it has to do with a certain someone 'overreacting.'"
Sari had expected some sort of reply from her brother, even a smart-aleck comeback, but Issei showed no reaction, nor the slightest implication that he was going to say anything.
"Well then, lets see," Sari continued. "What could possibly be troubling my loser brother?"
"Shut up." Issei snapped.
"Well there are really only three options to choose from." Sakura went on. "Lets see, there is A: Jinpachi," she said as she began to count off from her fingers.
"Let it go, will you?" Issei cut in but Sari didn't seem to be listening to him.
"B: Jinpachi again." She paused and gave Issei a thoughtful look. "You know, I'm detecting a pattern here."
Issei huffed and looked away.
"Or it could be C: Sakura."
Sari was quick to notice the dejection that washed over Issei and the subtle way his head hung down. Issei sensed her eyes probing into him and lay himself back down on his bed and turned his back to her. Sari took a seat next to her brother. She combed his bangs aside with her fingers and motherly pressed her hand against his forehead.
"Sorry." Sari said, feeling a twinge of guilt rising inside her chest.
Issei only nodded.
"No, really. I mean it." Sari insisted.
"I know you do."
Sari smiled broadly and pinched Issei's right cheek.
Issei yelped.
"Wha?"
Sari laughed. "Sakura, huh?"
When Sakura got home, the first thing she did was check the answering machine for messages. Five messages, huh? Sakura smiled and picked up the phone. I suppose I should call him back, then. But I should make him squirm just a little for what he put me through.
"Yeah, that's what I'll do," she said out loud to the empty house as she nodded.
Sakura shuffled through the messages on the answering machine; the first two messages were for her father. The next message was an automated voice message explaining why the switch should be made to their phone company and the higher quality services they offer, the fourth was from a classmate. Sakura listened to the entirety of that message, afraid to skip the last one. A knot of nervousness had formed in her stomach as the message came to an end and the monotonous voice moved on to announce the last one…
"…message five: …um, hello?…uh, this message is for Sakura. This is Kintaro Mikage, I don't know if you remember me, we met at Club Paradise last weekend…and um well, I was wondering if you'd like to get together sometime, uh…maybe we could--"
Sakura cut off the message. She felt the slightest tremble course through her hand as she did so.
He didn't call me…
Although Alice's words still rung in her mind, plaguing her to call Issei, they seemed so insignificant now.
He didn't call me…
The more she thought about calling him, the more it seemed to be a bad idea to do so.
Why should I be the one to call him? I'm not the one that is in the wrong here. He's the one that should call and apologize.
You're too proud.
That's not true. He's the one who is proud. Shouldn't he have called me by now?
You must meet him halfway.
It's not like it even matters, anyway, Sakura told herself.
Because I don't matter to him in that way…
Tell him how you feel.
Tell him how I feel? Then what? Have him tell me "Sorry Sakura, but you know my feelings for Jinpachi," or better yet, "I'm so flattered that you feel that way, but..."
I'm setting myself up to end up just like him; the way he pines away for Jinpachi…its…
He's your friend.
Sakura felt the rage and fight drain out of her. I don't want this. I just want a normal friendship. At least we could have a normal friendship--
The phone rang loudly in her hand. Sakura dropped it, startled by the sudden pull into reality.
"Um, hello? Ku-Kukusho residence," she spoke hesitantly into the phone.
"Sakura? Is that you?" A confident voice replied.
"Um, Aki?"
The voice on the other end chuckled.
"Yeah, it's me. For a moment I thought you wouldn't recognize my voice. I'm not imposing on anything am I? Maybe I caught you in a bad time? You sound a little strange."
"Uh, no I'm fine. You're not imposing. It's just…I woke from a nap just before you called so I'm still a bit groggy," she lied as she tried to collect her thoughts.
"Want me to call back later then?"
"Oh, no. No. It's okay, really."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, then. Glad we have that settled."
Sakura laughed and felt her spirits returning to her.
"It's always a pleasure to make a woman laugh," said Aki.
Sakura could envision him smiling as he spoke.
"Not many people would say I'm a lady," Sakura replied, envisioning a scornful Issei.
"That's because those people lack manners and don't know beauty when they see it."
"Oh please," Sakura scoffed. "Don't try to bait me with that nonsense. Do you honestly think I'm that easy?"
"I only hoped," Aki replied in a rather boyish tone.
"Well, don't bother," Sakura said flirtatiously.
Aki sighed. "So does that mean that there's no hope of me getting you to go out with me tonight?"
Sakura was dumbstruck.
"Eh?"
"There's a carnival I was planning to go to tonight, where the old high school used to be, and I was hoping that maybe you'd join me."
Sakura had always gone a little out of her way to flirt with Aki Narita; he was incredibly handsome and athletic and well liked among their peers. But to Sakura, Aki represented many things that Issei was not. While Issei was soft spoken and artistic, Aki was outspoken and a master of sports; Issei was often self conscious and lacked confidence in himself, in contrast, Aki moved through life with certainty, never bothering to spend much time second guessing himself. Despite their flirtations, Sakura had never taken them seriously and would have never expected Aki to take any real interest in her.
"Hello? Sakura? You still with me?"
"Um, yeah."
"So do you think I can talk you into going with me? Or have I failed miserably?"
Sakura thought for a moment.
"I…I think I'd love to go with you."
Issei clicked off the phone and tossed it onto his bed. He watched as the phone bounced and rolled off onto the floor.
"Damnit! It's still busy."
He sat on the corner of his bed. After he and Sari had fought over the phone a bit more, Issei had finally mustered the courage to call Sakura, but all his efforts had been in vain; every time he called he was stonewalled with a busy signal. Doesn't her family believe in call waiting? Issei wondered.
In a moment of absolute decisiveness, Issei jumped to his feet and took his jacket out of the closet. If I can't get a hold of her by phone, then I'll just have to go see her in person, he thought as he put on his jacket and headed out the door.
When Issei got to Sakura's house he was crestfallen to see that no one was home. He peered through the windows and into the backyard in hopes of finding someone, but it resulted in nothing. What a waste of a trip that was, Issei thought as he jammed his hands into his pockets and began his to way back to the train station.
"She sure makes it difficult," Issei uttered to himself under his breath. He was now becoming acutely aware of the cold and began to feel stupid for not wearing a warmer jacket. Issei began to jog and quickly moved into a sprint. His lungs were quick to burn up, but his body remained cold. Realizing his effort to warm up was futile, Issei slowed down and stopped near the traffic light to catch his breath. He bent down and held himself up by propping his hands on his bent knees. Once his breathing had returned to near normal, Issei looked up and realized that he'd already reached the train station.
He glanced down at his watch.
The next train should be arriving soon.
Issei crossed the street; his legs felt weak and unsteady as he moved. This is no good. Looks like I need to work out more. He neared the station platform, still contemplating his unfit body when he saw her. It was Sakura. She was smiling up at a tall athletic looking man, whom Issei recognized as Aki Narita.
Issei could not move, his tired heavy legs were planted to the ground. He could only watch. Watch as the train arrived. Watch as Sakura and Aki boarded. And watch as Aki wrapped his jacket around her shoulders just as the train began to roll away. Issei closed his hand in a tight fist as a mixture of emotion overcame him. He could not fathom what it was that he felt, he only knew that his body felt heavy and tight, like he could explode any moment.
Author's Note: I don't know Issei's sister's actual name so I made one up for her, but if anyone knows, please tell me.
I'm also finding that I'm really beginning to have fun with the Issei/Sakura Story line. But don't worry, the next chapter will deal with Rin and Alice...