Note1: Sorry this chapter is a little short. The next part is long and juicy, I promise.
Note2: As always, comments, criticisms, and praise will be appreciated greatly.
Chapter Ten: Meiko
Aya wandered aimlessly around the small park. He remembered a time when Aya-chan had loved to come here. His expression darkened. It didn't matter anymore, because Aya-chan wasn't going to wake up. She was dead.
"Ah, Fujimiya-san?" asked a tentative voice behind him.
He turned around in surprise. "Sakami Meiko."
"Oh you remember me!" Her face broke into a smile. "What a coincidence to run into you here, Fujimiya-san."
He hated formalities. He wasn't worthy of respect. "Just call me Aya," he muttered as he scuffed his shoe on the dirt path.
"Then you must call me Meiko." She took his arm. "Shall we walk, Aya?"
He stiffened at the contact, but couldn't pull away for fear of wrenching his injured shoulder. It had only been a few days since his fight with Schuldich. And only a few days remained before the mission to defeat Makoto Keisuke.
"I feel like I have to apologize again for my behavior," Meiko said as they walked arm and arm around the path.
"Don't."
She gave him a strange look. "You don't talk much, do you?"
"No." He resolutely avoided her eyes and looked at the cultivated flowerbeds instead.
She was undeterred by his stony silence. "So, do you come here often?"
"My . . . sister liked to." He focused on the path again.
"Liked? Did she grow up and move away or something?"
"She's dead."
"Oh no! I'm sorry!" Meiko squeezed his arm. "I always seem to say the wrong things to you. I'm so sorry Aya."
He said nothing, merely steering her toward a bench and gently disentangling himself. They sat in an uncomfortable silence until Meiko spoke.
"My brother used to take me here when I was really little. He disappeared twelve years ago, when I was eight." She sighed. "Now I'm trying to find him. He's the only family I've got."
Aya felt a pull of sympathy toward the girl. "When my parents died, my sister was the only thing that kept me going for a long time," he said quietly. "I understand how you feel."
Meiko leaned against his shoulder and he winced despite himself. She quickly sat up. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"
"Don't worry about it. I just twisted it training."
"You train? For what?"
He contemplated her wide-eyed, eager gaze. "Kendo," he said finally.
"Really? My brother was the star of the kendo club in high school."
Aya ran his hands through his hair. "I started after high school."
"Why then?"
"It was something to do."
They sat companionably. Meiko seemed to sense that he wasn't willing to talk about himself anymore. She rambled on about her family and her childhood while he listened with half an ear.
A shrill ring shattered the air of contentment the afternoon had brought. Aya flipped open his cell phone. "Hai."
Omi's tinny voice sounded strained. "Aya-kun, where are you? Ken-kun wants to go play soccer and Youji-kun is nowhere to be found."
Aya started and looked at his watch. He was late. "I'm sorry, Omi," he said. "I'll be there in ten minutes." He snapped his phone closed and turned to Meiko.
She held up her hand before he could speak. "It's okay. I really enjoyed talking to you, Aya."
"Aa." He stood with her.
She looked suddenly nervous. "Well, I guess I'll see you later."
He nodded.
Meiko stood before him a minute longer, then leaned in and kissed his cheek briefly. "Ja ne!" she cried over her shoulder as she hurried away.
Aya stood in shock, one hand on his cheek. "Ja ne," he said softly.
Note2: As always, comments, criticisms, and praise will be appreciated greatly.
Chapter Ten: Meiko
Aya wandered aimlessly around the small park. He remembered a time when Aya-chan had loved to come here. His expression darkened. It didn't matter anymore, because Aya-chan wasn't going to wake up. She was dead.
"Ah, Fujimiya-san?" asked a tentative voice behind him.
He turned around in surprise. "Sakami Meiko."
"Oh you remember me!" Her face broke into a smile. "What a coincidence to run into you here, Fujimiya-san."
He hated formalities. He wasn't worthy of respect. "Just call me Aya," he muttered as he scuffed his shoe on the dirt path.
"Then you must call me Meiko." She took his arm. "Shall we walk, Aya?"
He stiffened at the contact, but couldn't pull away for fear of wrenching his injured shoulder. It had only been a few days since his fight with Schuldich. And only a few days remained before the mission to defeat Makoto Keisuke.
"I feel like I have to apologize again for my behavior," Meiko said as they walked arm and arm around the path.
"Don't."
She gave him a strange look. "You don't talk much, do you?"
"No." He resolutely avoided her eyes and looked at the cultivated flowerbeds instead.
She was undeterred by his stony silence. "So, do you come here often?"
"My . . . sister liked to." He focused on the path again.
"Liked? Did she grow up and move away or something?"
"She's dead."
"Oh no! I'm sorry!" Meiko squeezed his arm. "I always seem to say the wrong things to you. I'm so sorry Aya."
He said nothing, merely steering her toward a bench and gently disentangling himself. They sat in an uncomfortable silence until Meiko spoke.
"My brother used to take me here when I was really little. He disappeared twelve years ago, when I was eight." She sighed. "Now I'm trying to find him. He's the only family I've got."
Aya felt a pull of sympathy toward the girl. "When my parents died, my sister was the only thing that kept me going for a long time," he said quietly. "I understand how you feel."
Meiko leaned against his shoulder and he winced despite himself. She quickly sat up. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"
"Don't worry about it. I just twisted it training."
"You train? For what?"
He contemplated her wide-eyed, eager gaze. "Kendo," he said finally.
"Really? My brother was the star of the kendo club in high school."
Aya ran his hands through his hair. "I started after high school."
"Why then?"
"It was something to do."
They sat companionably. Meiko seemed to sense that he wasn't willing to talk about himself anymore. She rambled on about her family and her childhood while he listened with half an ear.
A shrill ring shattered the air of contentment the afternoon had brought. Aya flipped open his cell phone. "Hai."
Omi's tinny voice sounded strained. "Aya-kun, where are you? Ken-kun wants to go play soccer and Youji-kun is nowhere to be found."
Aya started and looked at his watch. He was late. "I'm sorry, Omi," he said. "I'll be there in ten minutes." He snapped his phone closed and turned to Meiko.
She held up her hand before he could speak. "It's okay. I really enjoyed talking to you, Aya."
"Aa." He stood with her.
She looked suddenly nervous. "Well, I guess I'll see you later."
He nodded.
Meiko stood before him a minute longer, then leaned in and kissed his cheek briefly. "Ja ne!" she cried over her shoulder as she hurried away.
Aya stood in shock, one hand on his cheek. "Ja ne," he said softly.