Part 7: The Rose Destiny That Binds
"Look, there's that freak of nature, Yuriko," Whispers resounded throughout the cafeteria, "She's sitting all by herself. That's probably because she has no friends." The students of Ohtori gossiped quiet enough so that they couldn't be heard by teachers but loud enough to crush Yuriko's heart.
Kyoko was furious. Sure, she didn't have the outgoing and open personality of her famed cousin, Utena, but she sure stuck up for those who needed salvation and desperate help. Yuriko was staring at her little bento box of sushi, not moving an inch. Kyoko was sure that at any second, Yuriko would cry. Thus, she stomped over to a girl with blond hair and dropped her bento box right on top of the table she was sitting at. The blond girl looked up with a furious glare, and scowled, "What are you doing here, weirdo? Who invited you?"
"I'll tell you why I'm here, little miss Kawakami! First of all, don't call me weirdo. Second of all, why can't you leave Yuriko alone? If you tease her endlessly like that, you're a freak of nature yourself. So leave her alone, got it?" Jabbing her finger at the scowling blond girl forcefully, Kyoko continued, "She may not be that popular, but that doesn't mean that you can goddamn speak about her like that, you stupid bitch!"
The tall brunette girl sitting next to the blond girl stood up abruptly and slapped Kyoko soundly across the face. "You've got guts, speaking to Mari-san like that. Yeah, she started all the rumors, but why do you even give a damn? Just mind your own freaking business and leave us to ours, Kyoko. If you like Yuriko so much, why don't you go sit with her?" Kyoko held her hand to her stinging red cheek and counter slapped the brunette girl so hard that she fell over. "Keep your fat-ass mouth shut, Minato." Then, she walked over to Yuriko and sat down in the seat across from her.
"Why, thank you, Kyoko-sama for standing up for me like that." Yuriko replied softly while still looking down at her food. Kyoko looked at her quizzically and said, "You don't need to thank me. Besides, maybe you should eat your food soon. Lunch break is over in less than ten minutes." Gently smiling, Yuriko placed her hand on Kyoko's and murmured, "If I were you, I would get away from me. I wouldn't want your reputation to be ruined."
"As if I even have much of one," Kyoko grimaced. "Even though I'm on the Student Council, nobody listens to me anyway. I'm just the reclusive new girl with an attitude, good grades, and shocking archery abilities. Neither of us really has any friends." Giggling slightly, Yuriko held out a white rose to Kyoko.
"Why thank you." Kyoko took it from Yuriko's slender fingers. Suddenly, the sharp thorns of the rose pierced her fingers, and she dropped it. Cursing, she nursed her bloody fingers.
Yuriko sat in her seat, as still as stone. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you a sharp rose." Waving her hand nonchalantly, Kyoko said to the Rose Bride, "It's alright. It was my fault anyway for being so careless. Don't bother blaming yourself." Yuriko looked as if she was about to say something, but suddenly closed her mouth once she saw Megumi coming towards them.
"So, Yamada, you're here too." Megumi sneered contemptuously as she crossed her arms and raised her thin eyebrows. "Don't try getting too familiar with MY Rose Bride. Yuriko belongs to me. My possession." Leaning over, Megumi grabbed Yuriko's arm and started to pull her urgently, in the opposite direction that Kyoko was standing. "Next time, when we encounter each other, we WILL duel." With a final toss of her hair, Megumi walked away, still dragging Yuriko along with her.
"Who does she think she is?" Kyoko mumbled darkly to herself. "It's not as if she's much better than the rest of us, anyway." Crud! She was going to be late for sketching class if she didn't hurry up soon. Jumping up quickly, she grabbed her school-case and ran off towards her next class.
Unfortunately, she couldn't concentrate during sketching class. Nor any of the others following it that day, either. She would always look towards Keisuke's empty seat and think of the boy. He isn't going to die, she thought worriedly, so why am I so worried about him?
* * * * *
Yuriko sat in her dorm room, running her perfect fingers over a black rose. All around her, roses bloomed, and the beautiful scent of roses filled the room. There was a black rose on her desk, a black rose on her windowsill, a black rose on her night table⦠Anthy liked roses, but this obsession was going too far! Despite the overpowering scent of roses, Anthy leaned forwards and held Yuriko's hand tightly.
"Don't worry about it, Anthy-san. It's going to work out well," Yuriko returned a hand squeeze on Anthy's dark hand. "We are bound by the roses; Kyoko and I."
"Ah, yes," Anthy murmured quietly. "It is going to come. Utena has had her revolution already. It is time for Kyoko's and mine."
"Nothing can fail. Yours and Kyoko-san's revolution is the Rose Destiny. It is the Rose Destiny that binds. And I am part of it."
"Yes. You are the puppet."
"Look, there's that freak of nature, Yuriko," Whispers resounded throughout the cafeteria, "She's sitting all by herself. That's probably because she has no friends." The students of Ohtori gossiped quiet enough so that they couldn't be heard by teachers but loud enough to crush Yuriko's heart.
Kyoko was furious. Sure, she didn't have the outgoing and open personality of her famed cousin, Utena, but she sure stuck up for those who needed salvation and desperate help. Yuriko was staring at her little bento box of sushi, not moving an inch. Kyoko was sure that at any second, Yuriko would cry. Thus, she stomped over to a girl with blond hair and dropped her bento box right on top of the table she was sitting at. The blond girl looked up with a furious glare, and scowled, "What are you doing here, weirdo? Who invited you?"
"I'll tell you why I'm here, little miss Kawakami! First of all, don't call me weirdo. Second of all, why can't you leave Yuriko alone? If you tease her endlessly like that, you're a freak of nature yourself. So leave her alone, got it?" Jabbing her finger at the scowling blond girl forcefully, Kyoko continued, "She may not be that popular, but that doesn't mean that you can goddamn speak about her like that, you stupid bitch!"
The tall brunette girl sitting next to the blond girl stood up abruptly and slapped Kyoko soundly across the face. "You've got guts, speaking to Mari-san like that. Yeah, she started all the rumors, but why do you even give a damn? Just mind your own freaking business and leave us to ours, Kyoko. If you like Yuriko so much, why don't you go sit with her?" Kyoko held her hand to her stinging red cheek and counter slapped the brunette girl so hard that she fell over. "Keep your fat-ass mouth shut, Minato." Then, she walked over to Yuriko and sat down in the seat across from her.
"Why, thank you, Kyoko-sama for standing up for me like that." Yuriko replied softly while still looking down at her food. Kyoko looked at her quizzically and said, "You don't need to thank me. Besides, maybe you should eat your food soon. Lunch break is over in less than ten minutes." Gently smiling, Yuriko placed her hand on Kyoko's and murmured, "If I were you, I would get away from me. I wouldn't want your reputation to be ruined."
"As if I even have much of one," Kyoko grimaced. "Even though I'm on the Student Council, nobody listens to me anyway. I'm just the reclusive new girl with an attitude, good grades, and shocking archery abilities. Neither of us really has any friends." Giggling slightly, Yuriko held out a white rose to Kyoko.
"Why thank you." Kyoko took it from Yuriko's slender fingers. Suddenly, the sharp thorns of the rose pierced her fingers, and she dropped it. Cursing, she nursed her bloody fingers.
Yuriko sat in her seat, as still as stone. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you a sharp rose." Waving her hand nonchalantly, Kyoko said to the Rose Bride, "It's alright. It was my fault anyway for being so careless. Don't bother blaming yourself." Yuriko looked as if she was about to say something, but suddenly closed her mouth once she saw Megumi coming towards them.
"So, Yamada, you're here too." Megumi sneered contemptuously as she crossed her arms and raised her thin eyebrows. "Don't try getting too familiar with MY Rose Bride. Yuriko belongs to me. My possession." Leaning over, Megumi grabbed Yuriko's arm and started to pull her urgently, in the opposite direction that Kyoko was standing. "Next time, when we encounter each other, we WILL duel." With a final toss of her hair, Megumi walked away, still dragging Yuriko along with her.
"Who does she think she is?" Kyoko mumbled darkly to herself. "It's not as if she's much better than the rest of us, anyway." Crud! She was going to be late for sketching class if she didn't hurry up soon. Jumping up quickly, she grabbed her school-case and ran off towards her next class.
Unfortunately, she couldn't concentrate during sketching class. Nor any of the others following it that day, either. She would always look towards Keisuke's empty seat and think of the boy. He isn't going to die, she thought worriedly, so why am I so worried about him?
* * * * *
Yuriko sat in her dorm room, running her perfect fingers over a black rose. All around her, roses bloomed, and the beautiful scent of roses filled the room. There was a black rose on her desk, a black rose on her windowsill, a black rose on her night table⦠Anthy liked roses, but this obsession was going too far! Despite the overpowering scent of roses, Anthy leaned forwards and held Yuriko's hand tightly.
"Don't worry about it, Anthy-san. It's going to work out well," Yuriko returned a hand squeeze on Anthy's dark hand. "We are bound by the roses; Kyoko and I."
"Ah, yes," Anthy murmured quietly. "It is going to come. Utena has had her revolution already. It is time for Kyoko's and mine."
"Nothing can fail. Yours and Kyoko-san's revolution is the Rose Destiny. It is the Rose Destiny that binds. And I am part of it."
"Yes. You are the puppet."
