Chapter 28: Troubles of the Heart
Earth: April 22, 2014; 8:28 AM; Raph's Vacation Home
"Hey!" Ayase called out, standing next to the van that was running with a low groan. She took a single step towards the house and cupped her mouth with her hands before shouting again. "Come on! We have to go now, or else we won't make it before lunch!"
"Yeah! Yeah!" Yuki ran out of the house hurriedly, looking a little out of breath with disheveled hair. "Relax!"
She stopped in front of Ayase, and she bent over with her hands on her thighs as she stopped to breathe. Yuki looked up at Ayase with a look of irriration. "Calm your tits, Ayase."
The raven-haired girl just rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about? They're perfectly fine."
If there were a way to describe the change of atmosphere, it would be from comfortable to murderous in an instant. Yuki glared back at Ayase as if daring her to say it again, and the Lastation CPU took a fearful step back.
"I-I meant to say that I'm calm, and I'm just telling you to hurry up." Ayase said hurriedly, clearly afraid for her life.
"Yeah, you sure sound calm." Kyle chuckled as he walked past the pair, carrying a number of bags in his arms to the car. Walking over to the open trunk, he not-so-delicately stuffed the bags into the back and slammed the back door. "Is everyone here?"
"Yeah, yeah!" Himawari poked her head out of the window and yelled loudly enough to move a car with her voice. "Come on, come on! Let's get this show on the road, or I'll have to bust out the rocket skates!"
"I doubt you even have those." Yuki shot back, grunting as she pulled aside the sliding door of the van and clambered into the front row of the seats.
"Never mind! Step on it, driver whose name we don't know! Quickly, like Vin Diesel from Fast Five!"
And with that, the van pulled out of the driveway and got on the road.
Earth: April 22, 2014; 10:15 AM; Resort
"Wow, this place reminds me of the resort back at Planeptune!" Himawari commented admiringly as the group walked into the lobby.
"I see why." Her little sister agreed, nodding. "It even has the same idea of renting out houses instead of individual rooms."
"The only difference is that this place doesn't come close to Planeptune's." Kyle replied, readjusting the bag strap on his shoulder. "The one here isn't as luxurious. That, and we're all staying in one house."
"Still," Vince admitted and nodding, checking out the wall ornaments and basking in the aircon that cooled his skin. "This place is pretty nice for a resort that's not-so-luxurious."
"Well, we get discounts here, too." Raph said, smiling. "McDonalds sponsors the place."
"It's a nice place, and it's near Raph's vacation house, too." Matt finished, letting out a sigh and stretching his arms up to the sky as if to free himself from a cramp. "So, why not?"
"Well, what are we waiting for? Cholera?!" Himawari thrust her hand to the sky, as if she were pointing at God himself and threatening to drag him down from Heaven itself. "Let's go get our beach on!"
"Before anything, we unpack." Ayase shot back, hitting her on the head lightly. "And don't do that. Disregarding the idea of standing out too much, you're going to make us look like idiots."
"We're going to go over and check in." Kyle said before he went over to the main desk with Raph, leaving the group to fend for themselves against an increasingly volatile purple-haired CPU and a raven-haired CPU whose argument was escalating in stupidity and loudness.
"We won't look like idiots if we head to the beach!"
"What part of heading to the beach involves making us look less like idiots?!"
"If we go now, I guarantee you that we'll look like a bunch of smart guys! Like Stephen Hawkings!"
"I don't wanna look like a paralyzed, old man!"
"…actually, you think we can cure that with Gamindustri tech?"
"Get back on topic! And where did you even learn about Stephen Hawking, anyway?!"
"Don't interrogate me! I return the question! Where did you learn about Stephen Hawking?!"
"Don't return the question!"
Ten Minutes and One Really Stupid Argument Later…
"Gods…" Raph sighed in exhaustion to himself as he unzipped his bag, which was laid out on top of the bed.
After the scene in the lobby, everyone had decided to go and unpack before meeting in the lobby again before going anywhere else. But some decided to explore the resort a bit and some went to the toilet first, leaving Raph the only guy in the guys' bedroom.
As he opened his luggage bag and removed his shirt to begin changing into new clothes, he felt a very strange, discomforting feeling wash over his body. He felt a shiver run down his back, and he froze in place.
Déjà vu.
He carefully, oh so delicately and cautiously, glanced at the window that he could see out of the corner of his eye.
Their arrangements made things easier for everyone: the houses that they'd rented and were staying in were right across from each other.
So were the windows.
Memories of the resort back in Planeptune came to Raph. Vivid ones. The foremost one was the memory of being in his room, exactly as he was now, and looking outside the window.
And ending up seeing something he wasn't supposed to see.
If I just avoid looking there, nothing will happen. Raph said to himself in an effort to remain calm. Besides, I'm pretty sure she went with the others to explore for a bit. The lights are off, so…
Raph walked over to the door, trying to drown his concern in self-assurance. He reached for the doorknob, completely neglecting the fact he was without a shirt.
And as he opened it, he found himself face-to-face with the very same person he'd tried to avoid making another mistake with.
Ayase.
"Y-you!" She exclaimed, blushing bright red when her gaze ran over him. She pointed a finger at him, as if she were the prosecutor and he the guilty. "Wh-wh-what do you th-think you're doing?! W-without a shirt!"
At a loss for words and shocked beyond them anyway, Raph closed his eyes and braced himself for the quality tsundere-smack-out-of-embarrassment that he'd gotten accustomed to receiving every now and then.
But it never came.
He opened his eyes to see Ayase just staring at Raph.
He didn't realize what was going on inside the Lastation CPU.
A feeling like a freezing sword pierced her chest, leaving her stone cold and frozen. The silence had been transformed from that of embarrassment to that of something far heavier.
The memories of the time in Planeptune flooded the front of her mind, most especially the night when he had promised her that they would all make it alive and safe. The slight burning smell of fireworks, the salty taste of the seaside air and the cool night breeze that had washed over her neck were all things that she remembered as she recalled staring into Raph's eyes.
But looking at him now, with the numerous scars that decorated his chest and his arms, she felt like it wasn't possible. As if both Raph and the world had lied to her. Like reality had brought her hopes down in the cruelest way possible. She felt all of the emotions pulsing through her heart and leaving behind thorns of pain that only dug in farther and farther.
She felt it all.
Hurt.
Guilty.
Betrayed.
Bewilderment for feeling all of the previous.
And those thoughts, intertwined with the emotions that strangled her heart like it was in a vise, spilled out like a dam ready to burst after the hurricane.
"…you said that we'd all get out of this safe…" She said, her voice low and trembling, shaking like she was ready to break down and cry right then and there. As if it was all she could do to keep herself sane and stable. Her shoulders shook almost as violently as her voice, and she looked like she was ready to hug the wall for support. Her fists were clenched, and her eyes were downcast like she couldn't meet his.
Raph stared back at her as if he had absolutely no idea of what she was talking about, taken completely off guard. "What are you-?"
She brought her eyes up to meet his, unable to hide the tears that were threatening to spill out. A single one began to trace its way down her cheek, leaving Raph speechless. She raised her shaking fist high, only to smash it weakly against the open door like her own strength had been sapped away.
"YOU LIED TO ME!"
And with that near-guttural, almost primal cry of sorrow and grief, Ayase stormed out and left Raph to process what had just happened.
After a moment of silence and immobility, he glanced at the window again and then looked back down at the floor as if he had no idea what to do. He felt beside himself with a complex, indescribable mixture of bewilderment, guilt and hurt.
…what…just happened?
…did I do something?
He was too caught up in his own thoughts and feelings to see Kyle's figure there, leaning against the window frame and hidden by the lack of light while looking into Raph's room from afar.
Earth: April 22, 2014; 3:28 AM; Resort; Beach
"Alright, let the hormones outta their cages, guys!" Himawari cheered, leaping up into the air and pumping a fist into the air. "Let's go have fun to the max, and fulfill the desires of teenagers!"
Matt just sighed in tired irritation. "There she goes again." He then shot Grape a stare. "You'd better not make another speech."
"Well, Matt…" Grape began, patting his friend on the shoulder. "The beach is an all-important area for teenagers. Both the 2D and 3D world acknowledge this fact, and so it is widely used for prospective romance as well as more than decent fan service shots. It's the perfect place for adolescents such as ourselves to cut loose, relax and-"
"Grape, if you don't shut up, I will end you." Matt interrupted, cracking his knuckles.
"Have fun, Matt. That's what I meant to say." Grape replied, clearing his throat. "Anyway, they're planning to go ahead and play some beach volleyball. They seem to be calling for you."
Matt looked in the direction that Grape pointed in, and he could see Sakura, Kureha and Javy waving over to him. And indeed, they did have with them a beach volleyball.
"Alright." Matt nodded, beginning to walk over to them and stopping for a moment to turn to Grape again. "What are you gonna do?"
"Well, Shino and Shiina asked if they could bury me in the sand." Grape replied, chuckling.
"…why would you do that?"
"Well, cuz, y'know, I've always wanted to know what it's like to buried and they wanted to bury someone to know what it's like to bury someone. Two birds, Matt."
"…you're crazy."
"Tell me something I don't know."
"Grape!" Shiina ran over to him, and she began tugging him by the crook of his arm. "Come on, we're gonna do it now!"
"Yeah, let's go!" Shino emerged from the other side and grabbed his other arm, and the two began dragging him across the sand much to the amusement of Grape and the weirded-out strangers that saw the events unfold.
It only felt weirder to watch when Himawari ran over to join them.
"Get ready to have boobs, Grape! I can craft a mean pair!"
"I accept your challenge! Just make it look good, but no nipples! We'll get in trouble if we don't censor it!"
Matt just shook his head in disgust before he felt a sharp pain strike his back.
"Sorry!" Sakuya called out from a distance. Raph, Yuki and Kyle were standing in a circle in the knee-deep shore and were also looking at Matt. "Could you throw that back?"
Matt looked down at his feet to see a small Frisbee lying on the sand.
"Sure!" He called back, picking it up and tossing it back.
Matt decided to run over to the volleyball players quickly when the Frisbee nailed Kyle right in the chin.
"Why did I…say that?"
Ayase, who was sitting by herself underneath the shade of an umbrella a fair distance from everyone else, looked down and hugged her legs to herself.
She couldn't get the memory of what had happened earlier out of her mind.
"I called him a liar…he probably hates me now." She muttered to herself, her spirit sinking so low it may as well have been in Tartarus. She leaned her forehead against her thighs, trying to keep herself in control. "I don't even know why I said that…"
The instant those words left her lips, she felt her heart twist in protest and her mind scream otherwise. They both attacked her with memories, thoughts and emotions.
"…who am I kidding?" She said to herself, her voice on the verge of cracking. "I do know why…it's always like this for me, no matter who it is."
She felt like punching herself, if only her hands weren't so weak now. She tried to ball her fingers up into a fist, only to laugh in spite of herself when it hurt just to try.
"…I…I just-"
"Ayase."
She didn't look up. She didn't want to. But she knew Kyle's voice anywhere.
"…aren't you going to play a round?" Kyle asked, trying to make it sound as if nothing were amiss at all. Like everything was normal. "We'd appreciate a sixth player. We could split into teams."
But Ayase took a look at the group he'd been playing with, and then curled back up again. "…maybe later. I don't feel like it right n-"
"So it is because of Raph, isn't it?"
Ayase said nothing, but she turned to look at Kyle, whose face was filled with concern. "…what makes you-?"
"I know stuff's been going down between you two." Kyle answered back, sitting down next to her cross legged and sighing. "I know there's something between you two."
"It's not like that." Ayase replied, averting her gaze. "It's just…he and I made a promise before."
Kyle didn't say anything, but he listened intently.
"…back a few months, when we went to that resort in Planeptune…" She continued, the talk making her voice ever so slightly stronger. "He promised me that no one was going to die. That we would all make it through this together safely."
Kyle nodded to show he was listening, and she pressed on.
"But when I saw the scars on his body, like the ones on yours…I…I lost it. I got mad, and I called him a liar." Her voice cracked, and she took a gasp of breath before continuing. "And now, I'm not even sure of why I feel like this now. Like…like my chest is constricting around my lungs, and my heart's pounding so hard it's like it's trying to jump out of my chest. And…and like I want to cry because of so many different feelings that I don't know what kinds of tears I'd end up shedding."
"Well, it's obvious." Kyle offered with a solemn smile, drawing a heart in the sand in between the two of them with his finger, and then pointing at it. "You like him. That way."
Ayase just shook her head as if in denial. "No, no, no. That can't be it. He's sweet and nice and everything, but-"
"Just tell him how you feel." Kyle repeated, drawing another heart next to the first one. "He'll get the message, if that's what you're worried about."
Ayase looked at Kyle. "But-"
"Tell him." Kyle repeated again, looking into Ayase's eyes and smiling. "I bet he's really bothered about and worrying about you and what you said, even if it doesn't look like it. If you tell him, he'll understand."
"Well…" Ayase, unable to respond, just looked down at the sand. Her eyes were drawn to the two hearts, and she reached out to them. She touched one, and traced it longingly.
"You can do it." Kyle encouraged, offering her a smile. "You're Black Heart, the CPU of Lastation, aren't you?"
"…yeah. Yeah, I am." She said, her voice still shaky but now with a hardening resolve in it. She took Kyle by the hand, and he helped her to her feet. "I can do it. Just watch me."
With that, she turned and walked in the direction where Raph was standing, which was on the shore.
Leaving Kyle alone by the umbrella.
He smiled and pressed his palm against the umbrella, and then pushed himself off before walking away.
"Good luck, Noire."
"Hey! We've got ice cream~! Get your fill, before the suspicious white vans come here and load up on supplies!" Himawari hollered loudly before getting thwacked lightly by Yuki.
"We got it before we came here, but it's been in the cooler this whole time, so I guess it's still good to eat." Grape said, taking three grape-flavored popsicles and popping them into his mouth whole.
"…did you get three grape-flavored ones on purpose?" Shiina asked curiously, peering at the selection sticking out of his mouth.
Grape nodded and grinned. He tore out the wooden Popsicle sticks, and the chewed up his ice cream and swallowed, leaving his tongue and teeth with a hue of light purple.
"…you sure seem to have a lot of fun with that." Sakuya noted, picking up a chocolate fudge flavored one with a waffle cone and unwrapped the plastic around it as she spoke. "It's your favorite flavor, I'm guessing."
"Actually, no." He replied, reaching over to the other cooler and grabbing a bottle of iced tea. He chuckled, popping open the cap and taking a sip. "It's strawberry. For ice cream, anyway."
"…you're a difficult person to understand." Yuki just turned a cheek and pulled out a pair of vanilla sundaes from the cooler, and sat down next to Raph.
Raph swept his idle gaze across the sea, subconsciously letting out a sigh of relaxation.
However, looking far enough to the left granted him the sight of Ayase walking over to join them.
He was just about to call her name when he felt a poke on his shoulder. He turned to see Yuki holding out a spoonful of vanilla ice cream out to him.
"Here. Try it." She offered, a very small trace of a smile on her lips.
Raph obliged her, leaning forward and taking the spoon in his mouth. The familiar, sweet flavor of vanilla washed over his taste buds alongside the cool, cold feeling that sent a pleasant shiver through his body.
"Not bad." He commented on the flavor, chuckling gently.
Yuki just chuckled as well in reply, trying to hide the blush that feeding him had brought on.
Raph reached out for the sundae, taking the cup and the spoon in his hands, and then returned the favor. Taking a spoonful of the ice cream, he extended it towards Yuki's mouth. "Here, you try it. You haven't yet, right?"
Seeing the spoon return to her mouth sent her heart on a rollercoaster ride, and knew that her blush couldn't be hidden even in the bright sunlight. Her tongue had twisted around itself, making it harder for her to spout out any words at all. "Uh…um…"
"It's just ice cream, relax." Raph urged, pushing the spoon further towards Yuki's mouth. "Come on, try it."
Left with no other choice, Yuki opened her mouth and allowed the spoon to enter her mouth and deposit its contents.
"Hoo~" Himawari suddenly cut in, a teasing grin on her face. "This is the kind of thing I was talking about! Hormones all the way, baby!"
"Save it for the night, Raph." Vince added on, snickering as he quickly began distancing himself. s
"That's not-!"
As Raph stood to protest, he caught a glimpse of Ayase staring at them with a hand clenched over her chest.
Without a moment to spare, she turned on her heel and ran in the opposite direction away from everyone else.
Raph just turned away, his gaze passing momentarily over Matt. He was too distracted to see the difference in his friend.
Seeing Raph sit down next to Yuki, and Yuki getting all hot and bothered, only made Matt feel all the more conflicted. He could feel his chest twinge pleasantly at seeing the brunette's smile, but he could feel a twisting sensation that grinded in his chest painfully at the same time.
The sight of Yuki only made Matt remember the guilt of Formal Night.
And yet, seeing Yuki laugh and smile with Raph made him feel inexplicably angry.
He knew he was jealous.
He knew that he liked Yuki.
And knowing it didn't help him any.
Having had enough of the vortex of emotion swirling around inside his heart, Matt stood up and walked away towards an isolated, quiet part of the beachside. He passed by Sakura, who glanced at him worriedly as he strode past silently.
She, too, had troubled thoughts of her own.
Seeing Raph and Yuki together also reminded her of Formal Night. The sight of those two together filled her heart with an unpleasant emotion that bordered on anger and sadness hitting her simultaneously, and it was almost all she could do to act as if nothing were bothering her.
But her thoughts were not centered on that pair alone. The boy that had walked past her was also part of her worries.
Seeing Matt the way he was now only reminded her of what she'd done, and it made the unpleasant feeling even worse.
But she didn't know what to do.
Sakura looked at Raph again, the guilty pleasure of an accelerated heartbeat flowing through her once again as she glanced at his smiling face.