Chapter 13: A New Student
Recap
" Zero, I just... don't understand you. Why won't you let me worry?" she said quietly. She looked up. Her eyes looked sad. Zero wanted to say something when suddenly he felt warm hands on his cheeks.
" Zero... I want to worry for you," Hitori said softly.
That's right... I... care for Zero... a lot...
He's important to me...
I want to worry for him...
Her heart managed to convince her confused feelings. To her, Zero is very important. She can clearly see that now. Zero could only stare at her. He couldn't help but to lean into her palm.
That's right..., he thought. I want... I want these gentle hands.
He looked at her face.
That gentle smile... But...
He started to lean in.
Should I...
He was closer to her now. Hitori gasped quietly.
Should I... Could... I
Their lips were just a few centimeters away.
Am I allowed to...
Their lips nearly met.
Yearn for her?
And with that, their lips met.
End of recap.
Hitori was officially taken by surprise. She didn't know what to do. Zero? Kissing her? It was soft and tentative. His kiss. Hitori's cheeks turned pink.
Slowly but surely, Hitori began to pull away. Feeling entirely shocked, she stared at him, mouth agape. Zero was also shocked. Did he really did that?
" Um..." he began.
Hitori didn't bother knowing what he wanted to say. Swift as lightning, she got up and dashed out of the room. Leaving Zero behind, left thinking about his sudden actions.
Hitori ran and ran, as far as her legs can carry her. She didn't know where she was going not that she cared. All she wanted was to find somewhere she could hide her embarrassed and more confused self. When her heart was straining to go faster and her legs were practically dying, she stopped running and hid herself within the bushes in the small forest in the academy grounds.
" J-just as I thought I was getting along with my emotions... ," she whispered to herself. Her heart felt like a bunch of thread tied into a knot. A knot which she couldn't unravel.
She brought up her knees closer to her and buried her head in her arms. Then, she started to cry in frustration.
Unknown to her, her younger sister had seen her running towards the forest before this. Hitomi was getting ready for class when she thought she saw a figure through the corners of her eyes. When she looked closer, she realized that it was her older sister.
" One-san? What's wrong with her?" she wondered. Her question remained unanswered.
The next day...
Hitori tiredly walked towards her class. She hasn't been getting enough sleep that night. She tried to but every time she started to doze off, those vivid images of Zero and Kaname came instantly. She yawned quietly.
" I just hope I can get some shut eye before teacher comes. Mathematics is the first lesson so I'll have to concentrate. Test comes- " she paused as she yawned. " -very soon..." Her eyes felt like they were 100 tons. She started to collapse due to exhaustion but before she could, strong arms caught her.
The arms were familiarly cool.
" Careful, now," said a terribly and painfully familiar voice. She looked up to see Zero gazing down at her. She quickly pulled herself from his arms and walked away, her cheeks faintly scarlet. She paused and turned around. Without looking at him, she bowed.
" T-thank you, Zero," she fumbled over her words. Even saying his name was hard. She hurriedly went to her seat, looking down.
Yuuki saw the exchange and immediately knew something was wrong. Hitori looked troubled, Zero...well.. he looks rueful, she thought to herself. She went over to Zero.
" Hey, Zero? What's wrong?" she asked.
" Nothing," he said, flatly, looking away. Yuuki knew he was lying but said nothing. Must be something personal, her heart whispered.
Class began quite smoothly when the teacher suddenly made an announcement.
" Class, today, we'll have a new student joining us. He's quite new to this city as he just moved from England. Please give him your fullest cooperation," she said.
Murmurs like "Yes, teacher," , " Sure thing," or " Yeah, whatever, teach," can be heard in response. The teacher sighed yet nodded.
" Come in," she said, motioning towards the door.
Almost everyone glanced anxiously and curiously at the door as it began to creak open. Hitori was too tired to notice and Zero doesn't particularly care. When the door opened, a young lad strode in.
The girls started to squeal quietly as he entered. He smiled as he introduced himself.
" My name is Ai Haruhi. I'm 17. Nice to meet you," he bowed.
At the very instant, questions were shot at him.
" Eh????? You're a year older than us??? But why are you in the same class as us?" a couple of girls asked.
Haruhi remained calm. " I never began my first year of high school due to some inconveniences so I thought it will be better if I started in the first year class here instead in the second year class,"
" Your last name is Ai, isn't it? Are you by any chance... related to Hitori-san?" a guy asked.
At this statement, everyone looked at Hitori. Hitori sleepily looked up.
" What?" she asked.
" Are you related to Haruhi-kun?" asked a girl beside her.
" Who?"
She glanced at Haruhi who smiled in return. Now that she mentioned it, something about him looked awfully familiar. That sort of shaggy black hair with some strand of hair that tends to fall over his multi-colored eyes. Yes, those eyes... violet left, emerald green right, very familiar. And that smile...
Hitori's eyes widened as realization dawned upon her. She knew him. Very well. Slowly, she got up.
" W-what are you doing here?" she asked in a shocked tone.
Everyone stared at the both of them in surprise. Their thoughts were right. Hitori knew him. But how? Haruhi strode over to her seat and gave her a crooked smile.
" It's been a while, Hitori," he smiled.
The girls were taken aback by the informality.
" He didn't use honorifics when he says her name!"
" Could they be really that close?"
Many murmurs and whispers can be heard among the crowd. The teacher tried in vain to calm the class down, but failed. Hitori slowly get out from her seat and before anyone could blink, she rushed out of the class. She didn't any more drama. She had enough of it.
" Hitori-san!"
" Ai-san, wait!"
She ignored their cries and she closed the door with a loud 'slam'. Yuuki proceeded to go after her but was quickly stopped by Zero.
" Let her be," he said quietly.
" But-" Yuuki hesitated. Something about Zero's expression made her stop talking. She nodded and went back to her seat.
Unknown to any of them, Haruhi watched them with very amused eyes. No one noticed as he gave a silent smirk.
~*.*~*.*~*.*~*.*~
It was five o'clock in the evening. Hitori had spent most of her time wandering aimlessly around the academy grounds, occasionally hiding from the view of Yuuki, Zero and her roommate, Kotoko, who came out to look for her. She watched the sunset from the tree branch. The view made her feel nostalgic. Her calm expression turned sour when recalled the events in the class.
" Why does he have to be here? " she gritted her teeth.
Hitori... I'll never leave you...
Take care of Hitomi...
I'm sorry... I have to go...
Hitori gripped her forehead in pain. Those words from the past came back to her again.
" Don't avoid the truth..." sneered her inner self.
What truth? Her heart asked herself.
" The one truth..."
" Shrouded in despair..."
" Your trust... being broken..."
" Don't avoid it..."
Hitori winced in pain. Her head hurt much.
" Shut up," she told herself.
Hitori...
" Shut up,"
" Shrouded in despair...."
" Shut up!"
" One-san?" said a soft voice.
Hitori's eyes which were previously closed, snapped open. She looked down to see Hitomi staring up at her. Her expression was worried.
" Hitomi," Hitori hopped of the branch and landed just in front of her little sister.
" What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for class?" she asked her younger sister.
Hitomi merely grinned.
" Ah... I heard one-san's song again," she stated, smiling.
" My song?" Hitori repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Now, that she mentions it...
Flashback.
Running as fast as she could, Hitori raced those past her: including the chairman, a few students and Yagari. They watched her go in confusion. None of them noticed the fear and anxiety spread across her face. Her eyes were wide with fear and her hands were slightly shaking.
" Why? Why does he have to be here?" she whispered to herself as she ran.
Finally, she stopped near a tall, shady tree, hidden from public view. She allowed herself to sunk into the ground. She was exhausted but she ignored that fact. Hitori needed to relax her mind again.
" A song, if I sing a song, maybe I could relax," she told herself.
Ever since she was a child, Hitori loved singing. But she never let her passion show in front of others, aside from her sister. Was it because of her shyness? No one knew.
Hitori thought of a song to sing. Her late mother once told her, if you sing the right song that fits the situation you are in, it might help you to forget your problem much easier.
" Sing a song that matches your emotions. A slow song for sadness, a regretful song if you're sorry, a frustrated song if you're mad. That's how I do it," her mother once said.
Somehow, the situation reminds her of a song that her mother once sang to herself while waiting for her father to come home, especially on late nights. Slowly, she clasped her hands to her chest, and opened her mouth to sing.
Hiding within the stars, my eyes are looking down,
Just confused about what's not possible,
Again, even holding hands in awkward,
We'd Like to see the smile of a dream.
Beyond the melodic sounds of the night...
There's a heavy heart beating,
Whispering to the growth of the Blue Moon,
Although its layer is
Chasing me,
You always smile so tenderly,
A second light to a second grain, Don't you think?
Don't ever forget the grain,
The supplementations when the moon disappeared,
Defenseless is backing up,
The sweeten deep scars remain,
The proof cuts have held,
Why do you have a fleeting Blue Moon?
You've become liked,
When it moves on in the same scene.
It's too sad of a story,
I think when you look up at the Blue Moon,
My time has come to a stop,
The wailing darkness of the Blue Moon doesn't end.
Swallowing up in depth,
But still, I love it,
The sky will also be torn someday,
But my feelings will last forever...
End of flashback.
" Oh, that song," Hitori said quietly.
" It sounded so sad... Are you sad, one-san?" Hitomi asked with a glint of worry in her green eyes.
Hitori looked down at her sister and gave her a gentle smile. She patted her head playfully.
" No, I'm fine. Just a lot of things in my mind,"
" Your confused, shadowed mind..." her inner self mocked.
Hitomi still looked unconvinced.
" You sure?"
" Yeah, I'm sure,"
Hitomi thought about it for a minute and gave her sister a carefree yet relieved grin.
" That's good! I've been worrying about you for a while," Hitomi admitted.
Hitori stared at her sister. She then embraced her.
" I'm sorry for making you worry," she said softly.
They stayed like that for a moment. Hitomi was relieved that her sister was okay. Lately, her older sister looked troubled. Her usual blank face was replaced by a thoughtful expression, and sometimes a frown. She also didn't seen comfortable around Zero and Kaname, fidgeting around them and all. She could only watch Hitori from afar, not knowing what to do. Her sister was never the type to open up to others so she couldn't help but to get worried. Which reminds her...
She released herself from Hitori's embrace and looked at her.
" One-san, yesterday, I saw you running away from the academy's main building. Was there something the matter?" she asked.
Upon hearing her question, Hitori's cheeks turned pink. Yesterday's memory came back. Zero's kiss...
She shook her head in dismissal.
" N-nothing. I was just in a hurry to get somewhere, that's all," she lied.
Well, it wasn't completely a lie. She was in a hurry. To go anywhere but to stay there with a dumbfounded Zero.
Hitomi peered at her sister. She was about to ask her something when her green eyes strayed to the scene behind Hitori. Her eyes widened as she did.
There, standing not far from the Ai sisters, was none other than Haruhi himself. His black hair swayed in the wind and his multi-colored eyes looked amused. His lips were curled upwards, hinting a small smile. His uniform looked untidy; the tie hanging quite loosely around his neck and his blazer not completely buttoned, probably caused by running.
Her eyes watched him in shock as he gets nearer to them. Her lips trembled as she tried to say something. Hitori noticed and turned around. When she saw him, her own eyes narrowed in disgust.
What came out of Hitomi's mouth was...
" Oni-san?!"
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