A/n: Hello, I'm sorry but I couldn't stop my hands so here's another quick update. Probably the quickest one yet. And hey, it's long too. So this one is completely focused on Sora and hopefully sheds some more light on the events from the previous short chapter. I've seen a lot of people mention in the reviews that they like my take on Sora so I'm really hoping I don't disappoint with this chapter.
Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing the previous chapter, hope you enjoy this one too!
Some notes: Showering and entering the bath are two different processes for the Japanese. They first clean themselves completely before entering the hot bath, and they usually do this right before going to bed.
Japanese schools have a duty system where students are assigned to perform the basic class duties on a rotational basis. These usually include cleaning the blackboard before the day begins, sweeping the classroom etc.
Eight
-x-
"What's it going to be?"
Taichi's words were still ringing in her ears.
Sora washed off the remaining soap in her hair and looked over at the bathtub brimming with steaming hot water, her mind was buzzing with emotions, possibilities and predictions and as much as she wanted to sleep it all off immediately, she decided to not skip the bath. Once she settled inside the tub and let the hot water envelop her body, she felt her mind clear bit by bit. Her mother always used to be stern about her taking long baths, but taking one look at Sora's dazed and tearstained face when she had gotten home, her mother had simply put her favourite food on the table and drawn her a bath without a word. Sometimes Sora used to hate her mother's silence, and sometimes she was grateful for it, today being the latter. The thought of her mother trying to get her to talk about her messed up feelings almost made Sora throw up, and she made a mental note to make a nice breakfast for her mother tomorrow as a token of appreciation for her silent support.
There really was no other expression to describe her life right now, other than messed up.
She closed her eyes and splashed some of the hot water on her face and replayed her last conversation with Taichi one more time in her head.
"I will tell you the truth, all of it." She had told him. "But I need time."
"And how long will I have to wait?" His reply had been somewhat cold, distant.
"Not long, I promise. I just need some time." Even to her, these words had sounded feeble, no matter how hard she had tried to make sure they wouldn't.
Taichi took some time to mull over her words, and with each passing second Sora had felt a rope being tied around her heart, twisting it tightly and tightly and tightly…
"Okay."
After what had seemed like an eternity Taichi had finally answered. And yet, when she looked up at his face with relief, ready to break into a smile, the face that she came across wasn't filled with understanding as she had been expecting.
It was filled with disappointment.
But, despite of it all, Taichi still walked her home. He kept some distance between them and looked lost in his thoughts, not sparing her a single glance, but he waited till she was inside her apartment complex before turning to leave.
Even while he was upset with her, he cared for her.
And this only made the rope around her heart grow tighter.
Another splash of water to the face and Sora realized that she now needed a plan. Taichi had agreed to wait for an explanation but his behaviour had shown her that just because he was waiting, things would not be normal between them till she came clean.
She decided to think it through from the very beginning, she had begun to get carried away with her power and gotten lost in herself and started to ignore her surroundings completely from the day she saw Meiko Mochizuki's red string propel itself towards Taichi. Things had only worsened when Mimi had admitted to being with someone that her string of fate was not attached to. And the last straw was watching Yamato and Mimi's strings get connected.
Sora had begun to unravel the possibilities of all these incidents by herself that she didn't bother to think about how she was portraying herself to others around her, so it was no wonder that Taichi had been worried about her. To add fuel to the fire, any mention of Meiko near Taichi was enough to send her brain into a downward spiral of confusing emotions and when she had seen Meiko at Taichi's house, the resentment that she had felt against the raven haired girl in that moment was somehow lashed out on Taichi instead. A reminiscent sigh escaped her lips as she thought about all the times that girls around her had pestered her to ask Taichi or Yamato if they had someone they liked. It had always been so easy for Sora to walk up to either of the boys and ask them very matter of fact-ly whether they had a crush on someone from their class or not. And yet now, the thought of looking Taichi in the eyes and asking him if he had any feelings for Meiko filled her with dread.
But Sora knew, until she could get past her issues with Meiko, she wouldn't be able to fix things with Taichi. She found it a little hard to believe, how something so silly as the red string had made her develop such an ardent dislike towards someone else. She had barely interacted with Meiko since her arrival and yet just that one action of the girl's string, just the girl's presence inside Taichi's house had made Sora so angry that she was willing to admit her dislike for the girl out loud, and to Taichi of all people. The real cherry on top though was that no matter how clearly Meiko's feelings were presented to Sora, she had no idea how Taichi felt.
Approaching Taichi directly seemed impossible of course, but it didn't mean that there weren't other options available to Sora. The only other person who could gather the information that she needed without raising suspicion was Yamato and currently the blond was in dire need to get back in her good books anyway.
The goal was set in Sora's head.
She would use Yamato to make Taichi's feelings for Meiko clear for her own sake. In order for her to explain the truth to Taichi, knowing how he felt was essential. If there was even a slightest chance of him having any affection for the new girl, Sora would have to tell him about her power in a manner that would help him in turning his fate into reality. And if it was clear that Taichi had no interest in Meiko then she would tell him everything, from the beginning when her father left. Even the thought of being able to finally unleash all her feelings to someone made Sora feel lighter inside already, content with the conclusion that she had drawn up, she got out of the bath and readied herself for bed. As she settled in her futon, tired yet mildly excited about the thought of tomorrow, the tiny voice at the back of her head whispered to her the one thought she was desperately trying to forget.
Why are you so possessive about Taichi?
Sora turned and buried her face in her pillow, closing her eyes tightly shut, hoping that this would let her fall asleep.
You're okay with Yamato and Mimi being together because their strings are connected, but when it has to do with Taichi it's a different story?
She wanted to scream into the pillow. She didn't want to think about this.
You can choose to tell anyone about your power anytime, but you're choosing Taichi.
Sora sat up straight, her eyes wide open.
Because it was true, just a few weeks ago she had thought about telling Mimi. When she was younger she had even thought about telling her mother. She had written down what she wanted to say and picked a day to approach her mother, but by the time that day rolled around she had been a total nervous wreck and was unable to go through with it. And now, thinking about telling Taichi the truth wasn't making her uncomfortable or worried, no it was making her relieved and giddy.
The feelings that she had always tried to push back down were beginning to rise up.
It was simple really, why Sora had not wanted to accept her real feelings towards Taichi. She couldn't see her own string and she couldn't see Taichi's either. She knew they weren't connected by fate, they weren't destined to be together. Even if there was the slightest chance that Taichi felt the same way about her, she knew they weren't meant to last. Instead if they decided to act on their feelings they would just end up losing the best friend they'd found in each other. Sora could risk being lonely for the rest of her life but she couldn't imagine risking Taichi's presence in it. If all it would take for him to stay was her telling him the truth about her powers, then she would do so without hesitation. As long as she could stay by Taichi's side, it wouldn't matter if their strings aren't connected, if they aren't in love.
What mattered to Sora was Taichi, nothing more and nothing less, just Taichi.
When the little voice didn't speak up again, Sora understood that it was over. She had admitted her real feelings to herself and now she could move forward without any doubts. Some calmness returned to her mind and she was about to settle back into her futon when her phone buzzed loudly making her jump out of the sheets in surprise. She rolled her eyes at her own silly reaction and picked up her phone to see that she had received a text from Taichi. Immediately she felt her heart beat faster, it was odd for him to send a message so late at night because he was an early sleeper. When she opened and read the text, the sense of calm she had felt just a few minutes ago vanished within seconds.
Don't expect me to wait forever.
Taichi had fired the signal and Sora could only hope that she would finish the race in time.
X
Sora was the sole member of the gardening club, her teachers had been kind enough to let her continue the club even after her seniors graduated and no new members took interest. So it was her duty to watch over the flowerbeds surrounding their main school building. Sora was also a member of the sewing club that was usually only in session during their school festival when classes needed help with costumes for their drama performances or when the drama club requested their assistance. Lastly she was also a part of the cheering squad for sports events and the cultural committee of the student council. Although each activity kept her busy in its own way, watering and checking up on the flower-beds was something she did every day before classes began and after they ended. Usually she would come to school early with Taichi, as he had his morning practice too, and tend to the flowers.
But Sora had not been able to reply to his message since last night. When she didn't see him waiting at his usual spot at the end of her street, she walked to school alone and in silence after a very long time. She didn't mind, as it gave her more time to think about things and as she entered her classroom to keep her bag and ready herself for her gardening duties, she was surprised to see Yamato sitting at his desk with his eyes closed as he hummed along to whichever song he was listening to.
"Good morning. Didn't expect to see you so early!" Sora called out, as loudly as she could to catch his attention.
Yamato opened his eyes and took off his earphones, he looked at a little confused by her friendly greeting, after what he pulled yesterday he must've assumed that she would be exploding on him the moment she saw him.
" 'Morning. I have class duty today so…" He replied apprehensively.
"Oh, are you done already?" Sora tilted her head slightly as she looked at him. His overall demeanour was confident as always, but she could tell from his eyes that he was feeling nervous.
"Yeah." His voice was still monotonous, but he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.
"Well I wouldn't mind some help with watering the plants." Sora smiled at him. They both knew that it wasn't a request but more like an order and Yamato, as disgruntled as he looked, followed her out obediently.
They worked mostly in silence with Sora occasionally instructing Yamato with the correct procedure, finishing in half the time it usually took Sora when she worked by herself. She reminded herself to get back on the search for new members, faintly remembering Mimi mentioning having her personal greenhouse. When they walked back to the classroom, they passed the soccer field from afar and Sora's eyes immediately found the huge tuft of brown hair that she was so fond of ruffling. Her heart sank over the realization that Taichi really had come to school without her. As they left the field behind and entered the main building, Sora reminded herself that she had a different task at hand that she needed to focus on.
Instead of taking the usual route to their classroom, Sora took a different turn and looked back to see if the blond had followed suit or not. With all the discomfort visible on his face, Yamato had turned with her understanding what she was silently asking of him. He quickened his pace to walk next to her and not behind her.
"Did Mimi do something to you? Was she mean to you? " Sora knew Yamato didn't like beating around the bush so she got right to the point.
"No…" Yamato kept his eyes straight while answering, refusing to meet Sora's gaze. She waited for him to elaborate but when he continued to remain silent, Sora stopped in her tracks and faced him, her hands on her hip, this is where the real interrogation begins, she thought.
"Don't tell me you actually believe the rumours Yamato?" Her voice was a bit more shrill than she had expected it to be but it had the effect she wanted. The blond immediately took a step back and put some distance between them, he let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair as he tried to gather his response. Her angry eyes stayed fixed on him, and she started to tap her foot in anticipation.
"Of course I don't. I know you wouldn't be supporting her so much if the rumours had been true," he began, finally meeting Sora's gaze, his azure eyes swirling with a kind of confusion that Sora had never seen in them before, "I just don't know how to explain it, I feel so weird around her. It's difficult to put in words…" he trailed off, passing Sora a pleading look in the hopes that she would understand what he was trying to convey and explain it back to him as well.
Sora's frown deepened and she opened her mouth to reply but Yamato caught on to her annoyed expression and hastily added, "I'm not making excuses for what I did yesterday. I do plan to apologize to her for that."
Sora finally let the frown lift from her face and lifted her hands from her hips to fold them. She mulled over Yamato's words quietly, the blond had always been a good judge of other people's character so it was news to Sora that he hadn't been able to figure Mimi out, especially since the junior happened to be such an open book. Her eyes drifted towards his string out of habit, and her heart was elated to see it still stretching out, towards wherever Mimi was and not sitting stagnant like it had done for so long.
"Weird, how? I'm not sure I understand what you mean Yamato." She answered, carefully picking her words to not make any implications.
"I don't understand either, no one has ever made me feel like this before," Yamato's ears turned slightly pink as he spoke, which Sora might have missed had she not been staring at him so intently, "she's too…" he paused and closed his eyes, racking his brain to find the perfect word but could only come up with the one. "She's too weird." He concluded finally.
"The only one who seems weird to me right now is you," Sora snickered in response. It was obvious to her, even if Yamato himself couldn't see it that he had some kind of connection with Mimi and it made her even more determined to watch them and figure out why their fates were entwined.
Yamato looked relieved by the humour returning to her face and let himself relax for the first time since they'd met in the morning.
"So I'm all clear now right?" He asked, the hope in his eyes mirroring a puppy's as he once again passed her a pleading look.
"Well I do need a favour and you're not allowed to say no." Sora smiled sweetly at him, walking up to his side and linking her arm with his, she made them restart their slow walk back to the classroom.
She heard him gulp loudly and could already picture the deadpan look on his face before she looked up to study him.
"Okay, what do you need me to do?" He asked, his voice laced with apprehension.
"I need you to ask Taichi if he's interested in Meiko. You know, romantically."
"What?"
Yamato halted abruptly, making Sora stop in her tracks too. His face was covered with disbelief as he stared incredulously at her friend, trying to process the outrageous statement made by her.
Sora sighed and readied the lie she had spent cooking up during her lonely walk to school, "A girl I'm not allowed to name, has been crushing on Taichi for a while now and she saw the two talking outside of school so now she's worried that the 'new girl' will steal her crush away." Sora finished, looking at Yamato she had to stop herself from breaking into a grin over how easily he had bought into the lie.
"Why don't you ask him yourself? This happens all the time with us anyway." He passed her a questioning look.
Sora was expecting, no hoping that the blond would ask her this. She had realized that her lies worked best when there was a little bit of truth mixed into them. She lowered her gaze, letting her lips curl into a small smile as she replied in a much quitter tone, "Well, you know things haven't been okay between us lately. I really wanted to say no for doing this but our classmate was very insistent and you know me, always the people pleaser."
Yamato's face softened immediately, understanding settling over it. It was amazing how he didn't doubt her for even a second and that did induce some guilt in Sora, but this was the only option available to her so she vowed to apologize and tell Yamato the truth some day in the future. It was also easy for her to admit to Yamato that her and Taichi were having a bad run because she knew he wouldn't pry. Being the complete opposite of Sora, the blond hated involving himself in other people's quarrels and disagreements, she knew he would just leave the two of them alone and patiently wait on the side lines for them to resolve their issues so the three of them could go back to their usual routine. And this was reassuring in its own sense.
"So if I do this, we're good?" He asked once again, strongly reiterating his wish to stay in her good books.
"Definitely. But you can't tell him that I asked you to do this. Considering things between us right now, he might just end up lying to you." Sora stated and the Yamato nodded in agreement, "and you still have to apologize to Mimi." She added.
"I was hoping you'd gloss over that!" Yamato groaned dejectedly and Sora just rolled her eyes at him.
"And do it discreetly! If you waltz into her class that will just add fuel to the rumours." She lectured him, knowing that the blond would unintentionally make matters worse if not sent under clear instructions.
"Yes, ma'am." He replied automatically and with an afterthought grudgingly added, "I don't waltz anywhere."
Sora grinned and decided to continue with her instructions, "And definitely do it by the end of the day because I am itching to go to the waffle place she was talking about yesterday."
Yamato groaned even more loudly at that and unlinked his arm from hers as they reached the staircase leading up to their classroom and he rushed ahead before she could set any more deadlines for him. She laughed and watched his blond head bob up the stairs and disappear from her sight.
She wasn't sure if Yamato and Taichi actually ever talked about girls when she wasn't around. They definitely didn't do it in front of her. But the understanding look on Yamato's face when she'd mentioned things being rocky between her and Taichi had been a bit more knowing which only meant that Taichi must have already mentioned something to the blond. So she assumed that it wouldn't seem odd to Taichi if Yamato questioned him about Meiko and Sora could only be hopeful about her plan playing out exactly how she wanted it to.
-x-
A/n: My goal in mind for this story is to finish it in around 14 chapters so let's hope I'm able to stick to it. I have had such a nice and fun Mimato/Taiora idea in my head for a while now but I really don't want to increase the list of my WIPs right now.
Anyway, let me know what you thought in the reviews! Thank you for reading and stay safe everyone!
