Their Memories of Fukinara High (Foundations of Friendship)
Chapter 25 – Something Old, Something New (Part 2)
4:56 PM
Akira ran, trying to hear possible sounds of Tokito panting. It's hard to locate the silver-ish yellow haired girl. Akira resorted to asking passers by for her. Lucky he was on the right track. Almost everyone, upon seeing 'a blind man' in need, offered their help most enthusiastically.
He soon ran out of luck. Lesser people noticed a girl running past them, and couldn't help much. He panted slightly. Time to exercise again. He thought, but there's no time to be thinking of that. Where IS Tokito?
"Hi there, pretty lady, you look pretty cute, aren't ya?" A voice somewhat familiar rung.
"Don't come any closer!" Tokito warned, but her trembling voice gave her confident front away.
Tokito! Akira walked towards her, taking notice that he was turning into an alley.
"Yo, Matsumaru! You're sure lucky eh? Weren't you saying that you wanted to have some fun?" Another somewhat familiar voice sounded, just that this time the name mentioned showed Aki that it wasn't the first time that he've met them.
"Hey!" Akira called out, getting their attention.
"Huh? Whatcha want, blind man?" Akira could feel Yamada striding up to face him. "Go find some other person to bring you across the road. Can't you see that we don't want to be disturbed?"
"Yamada, you idiot. He's blind. He can't see, get it?" And both thug-like undergraduates laughed.
"Let her go, will you?" Akira asked nicely.
"Oh yeah, and what if we say no?" Matsumaru threatened.
Akira shrugged. "I've loads of inside news about Ryuyousei if you like. I overheard you two wanting to overthrow Ryuyousei. But release the girl first."
There was a hesitation. "Alright alright, we'll let the girlie go," Matsumaru released his hold of Tokito, who ran behind Akira. "The insider's information is more important. So, what can you tell us?"
Tokito glanced at Matsumaru fearfully and nudged Akira. "Omoda-kun, don't bother. Let's run." But her words were ignored.
"Hmm…" pondered Akira with his thoughtful look. (A/N: the one with the curled up finger on his chin.) "I think Ryuyousei has decided against ceasing activity. They should be reuniting everyone again by Christmas." Not bad for a lie. He mentally patted himself on his back.
Matsumaru cursed. "Why you sneak! That is not true information! I know it!"
Akira laughed.
How can he laugh in a situation like this? Tokito stared at him in shock. Who is he? Omoda-kun… So he is the student that Father had praised so often at home. But other than that… what else does this 'blind and useless' person have?
"Okay okay, so you found out that I was lying about that one. But listen carefully to what I've got to say." Akira smiled.
What is he doing? Tokito wondered. Glancing at the confused faces at the pair, they are probably thinking of the same thing.
"My name is Omoda Akira. I'm your humble junior in Usako University, and I've no problems admitting to the fact that I have close connections with Ryuyousei's Sanada Yukimura. If you decide to create trouble anymore with me, or anyone related to me…" In an instant Aki emitted a deadly aura that stunned the two roguish men. "I'll ensure you won't have a good life after that. Do you understand?"
"Ye… ye… yes!!" The two men stuttered and ran past them as if fleeing for their lives.
"A pair of boastful chickens." Akira muttered calmly. "Fearing Yukimura's name like that. All I need to do is mention Yukimura's name. I can even lie!" He chuckled again, but stopped midway when he realised Tokito's still there. He flushed in embarrassment. Not many people see him in any state apart from mellow. "Tokito…"
"Don't touch me!" was the hostile, passionate reply.
Akira didn't. "Let's go back to your father, shall we?"
"I don't want to. Bring me somewhere else first. Somewhere quiet." Tokito rejoined immediately, though not as hostile. Akira frowned, with his finger curled against his chin. He's not ecstatic about bringing a girl anywhere alone, especially if the girl happened to just proclaim her absolute loath for him. But, better she's with you than she alone and getting into trouble again. He shrugged and decided to bring her to the Central Square.
5:30 PM
"Why bring me to such a busy place?" Tokito frowned at Central Square.
Akira shook his head. So she's intelligent, but not street-smart. He thought. "No worries, this park at Central Square is extremely full of activity, but since it's so big, we probably won't get to meet many people you know here. It's safer for you, in case we get into trouble… and safer for me. What if you decide to accuse me saying that I harassed you instead?"
Tokito frowned at him. "Do I look THAT heartless to you? I hate blind people, but I'm not mean as to overlook the fact that I was saved by one."
Akira said nothing, but only gestured her to sit on a bench nearby. They sat in silence, with Akira choosing not to ask anything. After a while, Tokito asked, "You know, when you told those thugs that you know the Ryuyousei, are you serious? Do you really know people in that triad?" She spoke softly at the word 'triad', which Akira found amusing.
"Those weren't 'thugs'," Akira corrected. "They are some shameless people trying to get fresh with you." The young girl shrugged. "But yeah, I guess you can say that. I am friends with some of them." And all of them when I was young. Akira thought in nostalgia.
"… So are you a bad guy or a good guy?" Tokito asked quietly.
I can't imagine how she can sound like an idiotic brat in one moment, and sound like a normal little girl the next. He frowned. "I don't belong to either." He said firmly. She said nothing. Akira cleared his throat before he said, "Fubuki-san, I apologise for my ignorance of your gender just now."
"No… it's not entirely your fault."
Of course it's not my fault. Akira thought furiously, but said nothing.
Tokito then said, "I guess it's my upbringing. But then again, I doubt you want to hear my story."
"Well, we've time to hear you talk. So why not?" Akira encouraged.
The girl kept quiet, but not for long. "Erm… You heard my dad talk about documents just now. It's for my enrolment into the university."
"But how old are you anyway?" Akira couldn't help but interrupt.
"I'm 15 this year." Tokito nodded. "I'm going to entirely skip high school and start on my university after university admission exams."
"Isn't skipping high school going to be a bit tough for you?"
"Not really, I guess. When I was in middle school I was requested by the school to take on the high school syllabus too. So I had middle school lessons in the morning and high school lessons in the afternoon." She smiled wily when she saw that Aki was stunned. "I was actually given exemption from taking the middle school tests and will be taking the university admission exam this coming July. The university professor will revise my high school topics."
What a scary girl. Aki thought. He almost felt inferior next to her. She's 4 years his junior, but will only be 1 year behind his own academic year.
"My father was proud to have a daughter like me," Tokito continued. "I doubted he had any evil intentions, but he's worried that a smart girl like me who be dragged down by social life. He taught me that everyone is jealous of me, there's no point in making friends when my life is bright before me."
Akira stared at her (albeit he's blind) and couldn't believe that his favourite teacher could possibly be a bad father.
"I don't blame him for wanting to protect me," Tokito hugged her knees. "But because of that, I grew up not knowing how to behave around people. Everyone hated me for my haughtiness and arrogance. I hated them because I thought they were jealous of me. And perhaps because of that, I truly did turn mean, and discriminate other people in society who aren't as qualified like me." She sighed softly as she hugged her knees tighter. "But I don't blame my father anyway, he may not be a fantastic father, but he's a great professor, and I played my part in my own…well-being."
Akira laughed.
"What's so funny?!" Tokito demanded. "I'm trying to explain everything to you!"
"Fubuki-san," Akira smiled. "If you detest handicapped people so much, why are you trying to tell me all these? You forgot that I belong to that 'category'??"
Tokito hesitated, and said quietly. "When you rescued me from the thugs… two people, I discovered that… that… I misjudged you." Her voice dropped to a whisper. Akira can tell that she was very embarrassed, but she still continued further. "I'm sorry."
Akira smiled, resisting the temptation to pat her head like how he would to Yuya. "I haven't told you this, but although I'm blind at birth, I have extremely sharp senses. So I can hear you sniffing. (And actually the 'pat pat' sounds of the tear drops as it land onto her lap. He thought.) Don't cry, it's okay."
"It's NOT okay!" Tokito retorted, startling a fewer passers by. They stared at Akira with wonder. Akira slapped his forehead. Now the passers by probably think it's a lover's spat or something.
Why did I think of it that way?
"Why isn't it okay?" He asked, ignoring his thoughts.
"Because I've hurt so many people before you… I could've enjoyed my school years… I could've had a friend. I… I don't know. It's too late anyway, I've graduated from middle school." Tokito sighed, furrowing her brow further.
"I can be your friend."
"What?" Tokito stared at the blind man in incredulity. "After what I've done?"
"Why not?" Akira smiled. "I would love to have a new friend, and introduce you to my family and friends!" He grinned.
Instead of grinning in reply, Tokito cried more. Akira was at a loss until Tokito, in her tears, gave a wide smile and said, "Thank you."
Akira was dazed, and quickly beamed. "But most of all, shall we go back to your father? I'm sure that you have a lot to say to each other." She nodded and they headed back to Usako University.
(A/N: I'm so sorry for forgetting about Sasuke, here he is!)
6:04 PM
Sarutobi Sasuke stared at Shindara, or rather, the previous Sarutobi Sasuke of Yukimura's Juyushi. He hated what he had just heard. Sanada Yukimura? A reckless master who fails to allocate and take care of his sub-ordinates well? Yukimura is reckless, yes, but he'd never felt that his master treated them less than what they deserve.
"I know I know," Shindara sneered. "You must be thinking that Yukimura has always treated his subordinates like how they deserve. All the members in the Juyushi are brainwashed! Throwing yourselves in front of him when he's in danger… has he ever done anything worthy to make you proud of being his subordinate?"
Sasuke was horribly reminded of last night, when Yukimura drank too much wine and in his misjudgment, he bought the entire inn for the night.
Seeing that Sasuke was silent, Shindara smiled. "Sasuke, I'm here to let you see the world without Yukimura. My aim is not to tear down Ryuyousei." Sasuke looked at him questioningly. "Why should I? It's going down anyway. I've set up my own triad, and I want YOU to join me. Would you consider my offer?"
"What?"
"I'm serious, Sarutobi Sasuke." Shindara looked at the boy squarely. "I must admit I'm impressed with your capability. You'll do so much better without Yukimura. Think about it, if you leave him, you're as free as a bird."
"That'll be enough, thank you."
"Yukimura!" Sasuke exclaimed, for his dark-haired master stepped out from where he was standing. He flushed upon the thought that he'd doubted his master. Ahh, that's where the brainwashing starts. A voice that eerily sounded like Shindara echoed in his head.
"Shindara, we'll discuss about Sasuke in his absence, if you please." Sanada Yukimura spoke with a clear voice. "Sasuke, leave."
"Why must I?" Sasuke protested. "It's my business!"
There was silence. Yukimura turned to him and smiled warmly. "I know it is your business, and your life. That's why I want you to go off on your own." Yukimura took a deep breath. "I'm not going to hold you back. Go and consider Shindara's offer, or whether you want to stay in Juyushi still. The choice is yours, Sasuke."
Sasuke kept quiet in response.
"Sarutobi Sasuke," Shindara spoke. "I'll give you till 10 PM tonight to give me a good and decided reply. I await your good news."
The little boy stared at his former namesake. "… Alright." He turned to Saizo and passing the bag of groceries to him, he said, "Remember to bring these to Yuri." Then he bowed and left, with Haku the dog running after him.
"Yukimura-sama," asked Saizo solemnly. "Should we keep a lookout for Sasuke?"
"It's unnecessary." Said Yukimura lightly. "Let him be alone. Now, Shindara," He turned to his previous Juyushi member who betrayed him. "Shall we get down to business?"
Shindara sneered in reply.
6:38 PM
Akira headed home from Usako university, trying to recall what has happened. He brought her back to her father safely. Fubuki sensei apologised for his selfishness as a father and it goes on, but all in all, it was a happy ending.
He thought back about when they bade farewell. She apologised again, and finally she remembered that she doesn't really know Aki's name.
"Omoda Akira." He smiled. "You can call me Aki."
"You… you… you can call me Tokito, if you like." Said Tokito, somewhat embarrassed.
Fubuki asked Akira if he wanted to join them for New Year's Eve dinner. Fubuki sensei sounded sincere despite his poker face, and Akira couldn't reject it. How am I to tell Yuya-san that I won't be back on New Year's Eve? He huffed and frowned. But at least Tokito-san has her doubts and worries settled. As for me…
Fubuki Tokito may have had her doubts and worries all cleared, but Omoda Akira now has a new problem. There is something tugging at his heart, he couldn't ignore it. Get a grip, Aki! Fubuki-san is just like a sister to you! The feeling is the same as how I feel towards Yuya-san. Just brotherly love. There's nothing more than that."
But his own instinct warned himself of a possibility.
As you've noticed, I added time headings to the sections, so that it won't be as confusing. I'll keep my author's note short this time round too. XD
Thanks to all who've reviewed! I've finally broke through my average of 2 per chapter and made it to 4 this time round! I'll continue to work hard! Please review! Your feedback is precious to me!
Name roll!
Hikari Mibu: hehe, thank you for your compliment! And yeah, university hunt is still going on, I haven't looked into much USA universities. You've got Scottish universities to suggest? XD
Kookie-Chan: hey kat! i was thinking of trying UCLA Communications. How's UCLA like over there? And so sorry to keep you waiting for this chapter! Will try to update quicker!
Icemaster91: I salute you again for notcing that loophole! I'm working on it! You'll get the answer at the end of this series!
Fan girl 666: it's really sweet to hear from you. I'm glad that you've enjoyed my stories! I'll work harder! Thanks for alerting my story : )
Not to mention my thanks to eirilovshuichi and LuckyStar31 for liking my story so much to favour it!!
See you next chapter!