Chapter 10:
Fifteen

Rick's Side

When I arrived at our house, I went straight to my room. I have a hunch that I know where I can find the 'Glass round as the moon in full'. On the floor of my room, there's a pair of small glasses. Just like what Yuu said, they are round as the moon in full. I picked it up and flopped down in my bed. I carefully observed the glasses and closed my eyes, remembering where I got it.

I saw that kid again. I heard the kid's voice much clearer than before and found out that the kid in my memories is a girl. Tears are coming out from her sapphire eyes and flowing in her rosy cheeks. Kneeling down in front of her, I patted her head and told her that it will be alright. However, she shook her head and continued crying. I decided to hug her and rubbed her back to completely reassure her. She buried her face to my chest. I wanted to hold back my tears but they automatically flowed out of my eyes. She looked at me as if she sensed that I started crying too. Her eyes are wavering and it told me to let my tears flow and there's nothing wrong with it. She wiped my cheeks with her thumb and held it within her tiny hands the she started telling me something but I can't hear it. After she said something inaudible to me, she gave me her round glasses that she's been wearing then she kissed me in my cheek. At the distance, two people were calling her and a violet-haired girl is waiting for her. Before going to them she smiled and said something to me again, this time, I can finally hear it. It was a promise then she dashed her way to the three people who are waiting for her.

When I opened my eyes, a familiar ceiling welcomed me. I rubbed my eyes and looked at my watch to check the time, it's 9 in the evening.

I skipped dinner.

Still sleepy, I went downstairs and only to see Popuri watching a late night show. She's lying down the sofa and seemed to enjoy what she's watching. Trying to not to make a noise, I checked the fridge if there is something I can eat.

It seemed like that they had pork chop for dinner.

Closing the fridge, Popuri appeared in front of me with a grin similar to a devil in disguise.

"It's pretty peculiar of you to skip dinner, big brother... What did you do on your room huh? Training with your master named Bates?" she looked at me maliciously.

Getting an idea what she meant, I hit her head and gave her 'no' for an answer. She grimaced in pain making her crouch down on the floor and pout. I sighed and asked her what she's watching, Popuri immediately stood up and smiled.

"They are doing a re-run of the first season of 'My Dear Princess'! It's a 24-hour marathon you know!" She clasped her hands and her eyes shone.

"I nearly forgot that you're a fan of that show." I returned my attention to the fridge. "Pork chop for dinner?"

She nodded "I was going to make stir fried veggies but we just had vegetable soup last Sunday."

I sighed again and decided to go out of the house to get some fresh air. Before I left, my sister asked me where I am going.

"Outside. Don't stay up so late."

She stuck out her tongue then she returned on watching her show.

The breeze of summer wind prickled my skin as I walk the streets of Mineral Town at night. This breeze made me remind of that memory. I looked at the path beside our house that goes through Claire's farm.

The short haired blonde in my memories and Claire. The similarity is uncanny. I'm not sure myself if they are just the same person but whenever I'm close to Claire, I always get this feeling that I met her before. Even Kai felt it but that can be a coincidence right? If she really is that girl, won't she be wearing glasses too? Seeing that small pair of glasses made me guess that that girl has a bad eyesight.

I wonder if Claire is still awake.

With all that thinking, I haven't realized that my feet has brought me in front of the entrance to her farm. Her plants danced through the wind. I looked around and spotted the girl I wanted to see, Claire. She's leaning back on her apple tree, reading a book. She immediately looked up as if she developed a sixth sense and saw me. Claire smiled and beckoned at me to come near her. I don't know what kind of spell she cast on me that made my feet automatically moved on their own. I can't stop my feet from moving no matter how hard I try. I have no chance on breaking her spell to me. As I come near her, my heart tightens and I have lost my control.

I now stood beside her. She smiled again and patted the grass, gesturing that I seat beside her. Bewitched by her smile again, I did what she told me. Claire closed her book and turned her attention to me. For a minute, my breath got stuck in my lungs and the beat of my heart was faster than before because of what I saw...

She's wearing glasses.

Suddenly, the image of the smiling girl in my memories appeared but, this time her face is clearer than before. It's the younger Claire with her hair short, and of course she's wearing her round glasses.

I unconsciously touched Claire's cheek and looked down. She peered at me and held my hand that's touching her cheek with a confused look evident on her face. I didn't know why but a single tear fell down to my cheek and she saw it. The farmer started to panicked and she bombarded me with questions that I don't know how to answer. I just shook my head and I repeatedly reassured her that I am fine. Claire looked away and bit her lip while I continue to cry in silence. I stole a glance at her and shocked tthat Claire's face is near mine, still biting her lower lip. Her slender fingers brushed against my skin as she wipes the tears that are flowing down to my cheeks. Her actions made my face flush.

This is just like a Déjà Vu, it was the same fifteen years ago, when she first arrived here. The young Claire was by the lake and crying quietly. At that time, there was nothing in my mind but to comfort her. I sat beside her and asked why she's crying but she just keep saying 'It's nothing, I'm okay.' She said it too many time that I've begun to worry about the crying blonde girl beside me. She gasped when I suddenly hugged her. Despite of her squirming in my arms, I told her that she can cry until she wants to stop. The girl sniffed and broke down, she hugged me back and cried loudly in my arms much to her dismay. As the girl cried, I stroke her hair repeatedly. After she stopped crying, I wiped the tears away from her cheeks.

But this time, the tables have turned. I'm the one being comforted here. She gave me a faint smile and she placed her forehead against mine, making her face nearer to mine. Claire looked to my eyes. I can see the moon reflecting not in her glasses but to her sapphire eyes. She cupped my face with her small hands, I touched her hand and opened my mouth to talk.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to worry you..."

She smiled gently "That was nothing, you butt... I'm just worried about you and all." Then she giggled and released my face.

Both of us laughed like idiots under her apple tree. She looked at the night sky and smiled.

"You know... I just noticed that the stars tonight are brighter than the previous nights... I wish that they become brighter than tonight whenever I look at them in the next nights in the future."

Claire had always liked to look at the sky... Now and before.

I touched her hand and smiled, I heard her gasped. "I'm sure they will, Claire..." She looked down and nod, agreeing with me.

This girl... whenever she's blushing I find it adorable. I thought that she's going to show her swimsuit like the other girls but she didn't, instead I saw a Claire who wore a pink shirt and an above knee shorts. She even tied her hair in a ponytail but I can tell that she wore her swimsuit and just concealed it under her clothes.

Time past as we sat under her apple tree, making me wish that the Goddess gives me an ability to stop the time just to be with her much longer than before. But I don't that's gonna happen.

"Rick?"

Both of us looked at the owner of the voice, our eyes widen when we saw who that person is.

"K-karen..."

Claire called her with a pained voiced, her gentle face has disappeared and her smile has been wiped off her face and a sad and pained expression replaced it.

Karen stood there looking at me and Claire back and forth. She bit her lower lip and looked away, I was going to say to something but it was too late, she ran away. Claire poked me and told me that I should run after her and that she's worried that something might happen to Karen. I didn't budge but she looked at me with a concerned face.

She won't accept a 'no' for that, does she?

I winced quietly and ran after Jeff's daughter.

Kai's Side

I was walking in the streets of Mineral Town because of my boredom. Gray already went to sleep the time I got back from my shack. I wanted to talk to someone before I drift off to dreamland but the only person awake in our room is Cliff, reading some book unknown to. He wasn't exactly a chatterbox so I left the inn decided that maybe walking around the town can make me at least sleepy. I yawned and scratched my belly. This is Ann's fault, I got back in the shack so late in the night because of the mess she made. I had to thoroughly clean the shack.

-Earlier-

It's 5:30 in the afternoon when Ann dragged me to my shack, also dragging Gray along with me. The blacksmith keeps yelling 'Let me go' at Ann but she just kept dragging us like we are just bag of 1 kilo of trash.

For a girl, she sure is surprisingly strong.

I said that loudly. "Or maybe..." Ann looked over her shoulder grinning at me. "You're just surprisingly weak."

She turned her attention to the path we're taking while she happily hummed a moment we arrived at my shack, she both let go of our wrist. I rubbed my own, looking at the red mark she left and Gray on the other hand...

"What the fuck is this all about Orange?! Don't you know that I should be fucking resting by now?!"

"Fuck it Gray! You'll have your rest later! Unless you want to rest now... Permanently!"

Gray froze for a moment. What Ann said send a chill down to my spine. The waitress looked around, confirming if someone besides us is around. She nod and looked seriously at us. Gray and me straighten our backs and we looked at her seriously too. She gestured us to come inside my shack so we can talk easily.

Wait... Did she just told us to go inside the shack like she's the one who owns the place?!

After we went inside, Ann shut the door behind her and cleared her throat. "I don't really like whispering to other people, so..." S\she smirk "We are going to talk here!" The waitress threw her hands in the air and a there's a cat smile pasted in her face.

"And what are we doing here?" Gray asked her, not amused like I am.

"You dick, lighten up will you?! And you!" she pointed at me "Don't gave me that stupid 'I am not amuse' look!"

I sneered and swatted her pointed finger. "So that's why you dragged us down here?"

I was expecting her to end this ridiculous discussion, but she just smirked and shook her head then she pointed her finger to me again. "No! You foolishly foolish idiotic fool! That is not the reason why I dragged the hell out of yah!" She wagged the finger that is pointing at me."Tsk, tsk, tsk..." she smiled "You remembered what we talked about the other day, huh Kai?"

I swatted her hand again and she glared at me but I shrugged it off. "Yeah, why? Has your paranoia got to you again?" I grinned.

"First of all, I'm not paranoid, since you have that same strange feeling too. If I am, wouldn't you be a paranoid too just like I am?" She stated and I sighed.

Gray looked at us back and forth with a confused look pasted in his face not getting an idea what Ann was talking about. I was about to talk but the blacksmith talked first.

"Are you two dating?"

His question has taken me aback. "Are you insane?! You thought that I'm dating this psychotic person for a woman?! You thought that she and I are going out?! As couples?!" I yelled at him, I can feel my face reddens with anger and also embarrassment.

Gray plugged his ears "No need to shout you, jeez. Everybody will get the wrong idea if they ever heard you two talking that way, you know?"

I shot a glare at Ann but she didn't flinch or cringe. She just mouthed 'What?' and raised an eyebrow. I gave her my 'Do something' look. She glanced sideways.

The Blacksmith knitted his brows and narrows his eyes "That's weird..."

Ann looked at Gray "Yah? What about it?"

"You're not denying it? Like Pineapple did earlier. So that means-"

Gray was interrupted when Ann laughed mockingly. "You insignificant moron... Of course I'll deny it but I won't overact like that because just some carrot-headed idiot such as you-" she pointed at Gray. "Got the wrong idea between me and the tanned drama queen who is also an idiot, which means you." she pointed at me.

Why does she like pointing her finger at me?

For the third time today, I swatted her hand. Gray flicked the brim of his hat. "Well... If somebody else heard what you said earlier, I'm quite sure that they'll get the same impression that I got."

The waitress mimicked Gray's speaking using her hand. "Blah, blah, biddy, blah, blah, blah, blah." she coughed and cleared her throat. "Anyway... The second thing is that..." she looked at me with a serious face "I 'might'-" she emphasized the word 'might' "-got some idea why are we feeling that feeling, Kai..."

-Present-

She said that she 'might' got some idea why we got the feeling that we met Claire right before she brought 'his' farm. I just wished she told me that before declaring a 'Food Fight' and I just really wished that she just used the egg pie to throw at us instead of the pineapple pie I was cooling... I have to get some pineapples to Claire again... I hope she'll give me some.

Speaking of Claire...

I notice that I'm near at the entrance of her farm and also noticed the girl with a dirty blonde hair named Karen. She's standing there, frozen, it's like she found something... Strange...

Oh shit! Claire!

I was about to run to Claire's farm when Karen suddenly ran off with tears flowing from her eyes. I followed my gaze where Karen ran, a few moments later, Rick ran after her.

"That dumbass! I'll deal with him later... Right now..." I looked at her farm and my chest tightens.

I have to be in Claire's side now!

WHO'S READY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER?! ANYONE?!

Really, who would REALLY thought people actually read this fanfic of mine?! Again! Thanks for all those people who keeps reading this! Love Love you guys!

PS: I suck a making Fanfics Hehe~

(Cha. Revised: 4/26/19)