Disclaimer: Same as previous, Yuki Kaori and Konami own them.

Nearing Towards You: Chapter 10

Erika felt the weeks pass by quickly after her and Wilhelmine's good fortune on Valentine's Day. After the anxiety of that day disappeared the new tension of the upcoming round of tests rose to take its place, and she threw herself into her studies. A week into March she finished her preparations, then hoped and prayed to get the grades needed to join the administrative committee. When the results came back she was disappointed yet again. Her marks were good enough in two classes, but not the other three. She tried to bolster herself with the thought that the next time she would be sure to make it, but a cloud still hung over her head as she headed back to the dorm.

As Erika approached the dorm the chatter and squeals of a group of girls gathered around the front pulled her from her thoughts. She stood on her tiptoes to try and see over all the people to what caused the commotion and kept everyone outside despite the cold, and at the center she caught sight of black hair tied back with a white ribbon. What in the world is Naoji doing here at the girls' dorm? she wondered as she looked around for a way to get closer to him. The crowd was thick, and Erika did not dare push her way in, so she waited outside the fringes of the group to see if it would disperse.

"What a wonderful custom," a girl to Erika's left gushed to a friend of hers as they walked by. Erika did not recognize either of them and assumed they were in the year above her based on their height. "I wish all the boys here would give presents in return for Valentine's Day gifts."

The second girl nodded, and Erika saw that both of them held small packages wrapped in white paper. "I'm so glad I took a chance and gave Naoji a present. I can't wait to get back to my room and open it!"

Erika pieced together their conversation and watched as more and more girls walked away carrying similar gifts. All of them gave Naoji a gift? she asked herself in shock, then absently wondered how he had managed to walk around school that day with so many presents. No wonder the boys all hid in the greenhouse.

Just as she began to wonder if she should skirt the group that remained and just go inside she caught sight of Marin skipping toward her. "Eri! Guess what!" Held tightly in one of her hands was one of the same packages wrapped in white. Erika smiled weakly as the redhead came to a stop right in front of her. "I got a present from Naoji," she whispered loudly, and Erika was glad no one else was in earshot.

"That's great Marin," she said, hoping that her voice sounded natural and sincere. If it were any other boy, Marin, I would be so happy for you... "Is there a special reason?" The two of them began to walk away from the group of girls and toward the dorm's entrance.

The shorter girl bounced on her toes as she turned the small, square gift over in her hands. Erika saw it was not only wrapped in white paper but also tied shut with a white ribbon. "He said it was a thank you gift for Valentine's Day. Apparently in his country they do that sort of thing." She beamed up at Erika. "It doesn't matter why he gave it to me, though, all that matters is that he did!" Erika contented herself with the knowledge that Marin was not alone in the receipt of her gift, and that it looked exactly the same as the ones the other girls had carried. There was likely nothing special about the gift other than the custom Naoji followed that caused him to give it in the first place.

Marin untied the ribbon and twirled it around her fingers for a moment. "Maybe I'll buy one to match this and tie them around my pigtails," she said with a giggle, "and that way I can match Naoji."

"That sounds like a cute idea, but I think the pink ones might suit you best," Erika replied, though she hoped the redhead would not follow through with the idea. Naoji did not strike her as the type of person who would be comfortable with a girl purposefully matching her style to his.

It seemed as if Marin did not hear her because her attention was focused on unwrapping the paper around the box. In just a few seconds she had torn the paper away to reveal a small wooden box, about as long as the redhead's index finger. When Marin opened the hinged top of the box it revealed an assortment of round, jewel-toned candies. The shorter girl squealed in delight. "Oh they're so pretty! I think they're from that really expensive sweets shop in town." She closed the lid and hugged the box.

Erika nodded and smiled through the pang of envy that pierced her heart. "Such a lovely gift, it almost seems a shame to eat them. But I'm sure you'll enjoy them."

"I could give you one," Marin offered with a grin. Her fingers moved to open the lid again. "What's your favorite color?"

Erika placed a hand over hers gently and shook her head. "Oh, I couldn't, Marin. Those are a gift meant especially for you, so I think you should be the one to eat them."

A blush actually rose in Marin's cheeks at those words, and Erika was puzzled as to how she could be so forward with boys and still have a shy side. "You're right. Thanks, Eri!" She jumped up the last two steps to the dorm's front door. "I've got to go put these away, but I'll see you later for supper!"

Erika nodded and returned the wave Marin gave before she disappeared from sight. Shaking her head at the other girl's boundless energy Erika entered the dorm herself and headed upstairs to her room. The day's disappointing results had left her drained, so she laid down on her bed to rest until supper. That was her plan, anyway, but it altered as soon as her head hit the pillow and a knock sounded at her door.

Erika sighed and reluctantly sat up. "Who is it?" she called as she went to the door.

"It's August," came the perfunctory reply. Surprised by the unexpected visit, Erika pulled the door open quickly and ushered her friend inside.

"What a pleasant surprise," she said with a smile as August nodded and entered the room. "What brings you here?" She shut the door and turned to face her friend.

The brunette smiled secretively, and Erika immediately knew something had happened. For a split-second she thought Eduard might have realized August's feelings and made some kind of overture. "It's not what brings me here, but who," August corrected, her tone teasing slightly. The playful behavior was rather unusual for the brunette, and Erika's thoughts went to Naoji and the group of girls she had left outside.

"Who might that be?" Erika asked hesitantly, hope welling within her chest.

"Come now, Erika. We both know there's only one young man on this campus that you care for deeply." August indicated beyond the closed door with a brief wave of her hand. "I was stopped by Naoji on my way into the dorm. He asked if I would deliver a message to you."

The words caught in her throat. "What- what message might that be?" Erika held her breath.

August smiled at her affectionately. "If you are free tonight he would like to meet you in the library after supper," she answered, "so I certainly hope you have the time to go."

Erika could not help but return the smile. "It's a good thing the tests are over so that I have the evening free," she replied happily.

"I thought as much," August said, then reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "It's not easy to have feelings for one of the more popular young men at this school, especially when he's one of the Strahl candidates. It takes a strong will to keep your chin up when so many other girls are chasing after him too." Erika understood at once that the brunette was not talking about just Naoji.

Nodding, Erika took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. "That's true. But we didn't make it into the administrative committee for nothing, right?"

August observed her for a moment and nodded once. "Yes, that's the spirit. I've got to go wrap up some things before supper, but I'll see you later."

"Yes. And thank you, August." Erika gave the brunette a wave as she slipped out of the room. Her heart, which had just started to slow down, began to race again. Though she doubted she would get any real rest with the thoughts going through her mind Erika lay down again anyway and closed her eyes with a smile.

After supper Erika returned to her room for a couple of books and went out to the library. Excitement and nervousness warred within her for dominance, and even after she sat down and opened a textbook the words all ran together in front of her eyes. Every footstep she heard made her look up to see if the approaching student wore gray, and after about a half hour of that her nerves were tired of constantly being on edge. She forced herself to relax and focus on her grammar book.

"Good evening," a soft voice greeted as the chair next to hers was pulled out. Naoji sat down beside her and smiled, though his eyes looked strained. "I see August was able to deliver my message."

Erika smiled brightly and had to remind herself to keep her voice down. "Good evening, Naoji. Yes, August came to see me right after she spoke with you. Thank you." She paused, then went ahead and asked, "Are you all right? You look a little tired."

A sheepish expression crossed his face, and it took all of Erika's self control not to giggle at how adorable it made him look. "Yes, well... I'm not sure if you noticed but I was over by the girls' dorm earlier distributing gifts of gratitude to everyone who was kind enough to present something to me on Valentine's Day."

Nodding, Erika did her best to keep her expression calm. "I did notice the crowd. I hope you weren't stuck out in the cold for too long."

"It wasn't too bad," Naoji assured her, "though I'm afraid there may have been a couple of young ladies who were under the wrong impression about my gift." Color came into his cheeks as he looked aside, and though Erika was curious about what had happened she did not pry. If he felt comfortable speaking to her about the incidents then he would tell her about them in his own time. After a moment he shook his head slightly and returned his gaze to hers. "But that isn't why I asked you to meet me here."

This is it, Erika told herself as Naoji reached into the pocket of his jacket.

"Would you do me the honor of accepting this?" he asked quietly as he held a white envelope out to her with both hands. It had her name written across the front in elegant script.

Erika reached for it before she could think twice. "Yes, gladly." She had no idea what lay inside, but the simple act of his offer was enough to make her feel warm. "Thank you." Her smile stretched from ear to ear as she accepted the gift and cradled it in her hands as if it were a priceless treasure. Relief spread across Naoji's face, which confused Erika because there was no way she would not have been happy to receive a present from him. "May I wait to open it until after I return to my dorm room?" she asked, happy that she managed to get the words out without letting out any of the joyful squeals she felt inside.

Naoji nodded and then looked somewhat shy. "Much like when I received your gift I think perhaps it would be best that way." His words reminded her of the letter she had given him a month before. Does this envelope hold something similar? she wondered. The only thing she knew for sure was that it was a different gift than the one he gave all the other girls. Thinking about that reminded her that only those who had first given him a present for Valentine's Day received something in return. That means Marin found a time to give him something. But when would that have been? And what was it? She wanted to ask him those questions, but it felt like prying where she did not have a right.

Instead she commented, "I understand now why Valentine's was such a rough day for you and the other Strahl. Judging from the crowd of girls earlier you must have been overwhelmed with gifts that day."

Naoji's eyes searched her face for several seconds before he answered, "Yes, though the others had far more admirers. I am grateful to be thought of so highly among the students, but..." He folded his hands on the table and looked out across the quiet library. "To be perfectly honest I would be content with just one gift if it were from someone I cared for strongly."

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if anyone meant that much to him, but she was afraid to hear the answer. She chose a different question instead. "Why is my gift different from the others?" It was partially a guess on her part that all of the other girls received the same candy that Marin did. She had not seen all the packages Naoji handed out earlier, so it was entirely possible that hers was not the only one-of-a-kind gift, but she kept her hopes up.

Nodding slowly, Naoji replied, "I hope that will become clear when you open it. For now I will say that of all the gifts I received, well made and lovely as many of them were, the idea of a return gift felt like an obligation. In the case of the letter you gave me, it brought about a different response, and so what I gave to you is a reflection of that."

It was as close as she was going to get to an admission of his feelings toward her, and Erika accepted it happily. "Thank you," she whispered, her mind awhirl with the knowledge that there was a chance he could come to feel for her the same way she felt about him. She could not admit it aloud, not then, but she knew that if she was patient and willing to let their time together play out naturally that the day would come when she could confess to him freely and tell him everything.

The clock tower outside began to chime, and the noise startled them both. "I should get going," Erika stammered as she rushed to gather her books together.

"I should as well." Naoji stood and waited for her. "May I walk you back to your dorm?" When she hesitated he continued, "I insist. I couldn't rest well knowing that I had let you walk across the grounds alone in the dark."

Erika nodded and smiled as she stood up, aware that her face felt warm. "I appreciate it, thank you."

The walk was brisk due to the cold, and snow crunched underfoot. Moonlight gave everything a white glow. Erika took deep breaths of the chilly air only to exhale great clouds of steam. She almost giggled at the way her breath fogged up her vision, but did not want to look like that much of a child in front of Naoji.

When they reached the dorm he bowed neatly and waited for her to climb the steps to the front door before heading off to the boys' dormitory. Erika glanced behind her as the door closed to see one last glimpse of his retreating figure, then headed up to her room. The halls were empty, unsurprising given the late hour, but she heard voices in the rooms as she walked along. Just as she passed Marin's door she thought she heard a chair scraping along the floor, but then all was silent, so she continued on.

Once safely back in her room Erika put away her books and sat on the foot of the bed, the envelope from Naoji held in both hands. Her fingers ran over her name before she flipped it over and carefully opened the flap. Two pieces of paper, both the same thick white texture of the envelope, came out. The larger piece was folded in half, and the smaller one was the size of a business card. It read, To Erika. The lines contained here were composed after our visit to the ruins outside of town on New Year's Day. I thought that you might enjoy reading them, and that it may serve as a remembrance of the time we spent together. -Naoji

She set the card aside on top of the envelope and opened the full sheet of paper. Small, fine handwriting filled it with lines of poetry. Erika read through it once, in starts and fits, as several of the words used were only vaguely familiar. After checking on their meaning she read through it again, this time she whispered the words aloud and took her time going through them. When spoken aloud the lines seemed to have more feeling, more life than when read silently off the page, and Erika found herself with tears in her eyes by the end due to the lonely tone of the poem. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever heard, even despite its sadness. She read it again and again until her eyes were so tired that the words ran together, and only then did she carefully tuck the poem back into its envelope and place it into her desk drawer. By that point she had it memorized, and the words followed her into a deep, contented sleep.

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Calendar notes:
March 14th, 1936 (Saturday)