When Time Runs Short

When Time Runs Short

Chapter 2~Accepted/Rejected




Shinji finally managed to collect himself by midnight and quietly told Natsuki to go back to her apartment. They both knew her parents would worry about her if she was gone too long. It had already been a few hours. Natsuki nodded, standing, her face rather concerned. "Okay, Shin-chan...I'll go...but I want you to PROMISE me you'll get better. I can't go to school without my best friend."

He smiled weakly and nodded. "I guess not..." He said and watched her head towards the door. "Turn out the light before you go, please..." He said softly.

She looked back at him, her eyes distinctly worried. "Aa..." She lifted her hand to the light switch and turned it off. She turned back towards him briefly and saw he was standing at the window, the light illuminating his face. She blushed faintly. "See ya tomorrow?" She asked softly, smiling.

He looked towards her, his face still streaked from tears and looking pale as death. "Sure..."

The image caused her breath to catch and she swallowed her horror. Hurriedly, she turned her back and closed the door. She leaned her back against it, breathing heavily, her eyes frightened. He...he looked DEAD... She thought, trying to hold in the bile that was on the verge of rising from her throat.

Quickly, she went back to her apartment and tried three times to open the door, each time, unsuccessfully. After a moment, she heard her father coming towards the door and it opened. She walked inside, her body numb.

"How is he?" Her father asked softly. "What was wrong with him?"

"He'll be okay..." She said numbly and headed towards her room.

"Natsuki?"

"Hai..."

"Are you okay?"

She heard the concern in her father's voice and forced a nod. "Aa...I'm fine. I'm just a bit shaken up..." She walked into her room and closed the door. She knew what had upset him. She'd seen it on his face earlier that day. It was because Toki was hitting on her.

She blushed. Does that mean Shinji likes me? Could it mean that? She hugged a pillow to her chest, staring up at the ceiling. "Shinji..." She whispered dreamily. "Oh, Shinji no baka..."

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Shinji winced at the pain in his back. "Chikusho..." He whispered, hugging himself. "Dammit...where does this pain come from?!" He rasped, his fingers making fists in his shirt. Forcefully, he pushed his mind off the pain and grabbed a trusty manga off his shelf and flipped it open. He continued to flip through it, his face flinching every now and then from the pain. Then, he shivered.

Someone was in his room.

Cautiously, he glanced up from his manga and saw a figure dressed in solid black, with relatively long black hair. "Access, it HAS been awhile..."

"Who the hell are you?!" He asked, jumping to his feet and tossing the book aside, the pain in his back still affecting him.

"Surely you recognize me, Access..."

What the hell is he talkin about? Shinji wondered, getting into a ready stance. Martial artist he was not, but he knew he could hold his own in a fight. "Who the hell are you callin Acccess...My name's Shinji."

The man snorted. "I see your memories have not fully returned...perhaps with the emergence of your other limbs we shall see progress...our fight can wait till then..." A harsh grin.

"Get the hell outta here..."

Noin threw a seal at him and it smacked him in the face, only to fall away seconds later. When he looked up, the man was gone, although there was a gentle breeze blowing in through his window, stirring the curtains.

Shinji went towards the window, and looked out, but couldn't see his 'mysterious' assailant.

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Natsuki waited impatiently for Shinji to get ready to go. She could tell the second he opened the door with his hair a wreck, and his eyes with more bags than the luggage carrier at the airport that he hadn't slept well that night. She shook her head, leaning against the door wearing an exasperated expression.

Shinji opened the door, walking out with his collar unbuttoned, and dragging a comb through his hair. "Okay, let's go!" He said, grinning weakly.

She walked beside him as they went to pick up Toki and Celcia. She didn't want to admit it, but she was worried about him. His eyes seemed haunted, like they'd been the previous night. Deep down, she wondered what had happened that had affected him so deeply. It couldn't just be the incident the other day with Toki. It had to be something else also. She bit her lip, looking down. "Shin-chan...how much sleep did you get last night?" She asked softly.

"Not much." He said, shrugging. "An hour...maybe two." He saw her head lowered and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I'm okay..." He said, although he could still feel the pain of something trying to force it's way out of his back. He winced slightly, rubbing his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"Just a few sore muscles." He said, grinning.

She frowned deeply. "Okay..."

Celcia and Toki ran down the street to meet them, and Toki was quick to claim Natsuki's hand as they were walking. Celcia ruffled a bit, but kept quiet. Shinji barely managed to keep himself from ripping Toki's throat out. His hands sporatically fisted and relaxed as he tried to keep control of himself. He also discovered if you're going to let your best friend have the woman that you're in love with, it's best to get a full nights rest. Otherwise, you might consider killing your best friend.

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Natsuki opened her mailbox and peered into it hopefully. To her surprise, a letter sat in it, adressed to her, with the return address of the school. She pulled it out slowly while Shinji checked his. Her heart thumped hard as she tore it open and looked inside. At that point, she let out a shriek of joy.

Shinji looked over at her in surprise. "Natsuki?"

She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I got accepted!" She cried. "I got accepted into the University of Japan!!!" She cried, her face lit up with an extatic smile. She felt Shinji pick her up and spin her around, laughing right along with her.

"Congratulations!" He said, setting her down, his eyes smiling at her. The gentle look on his face sent her heart racing.

"Shin-chan..." She whispered, her eyes shining. The smile on his face made her flush and she hugged him tightly. "Come on, open your notice! You must have gotten accepted too!" She said, pulling back and holding him at arms length.

He looked down slightly, his face serious. Pleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease...he thought, tearing open the envelope. He closedas he pulled out the letter, holding it opened and then let them snap open. His heart fell. "We regret to inform you that..." He said softly.

She stared up at his face in shock. "Shin-chan..." She whispered.

He forced a smile and shrugged. "Maybe I'll get accepted to Tokyo University..." He said, fighting down the anguish inside. Dammit! He walked past her slowly and looked down at the waistbin at the end of the mailboxes. His face darkened slightly and he threw the rejection letter into the trash without ceremony.

She watched him head towards the stairs and bit her lip. This means...She swallowed hard. "I have to leave..." She said softly.

Suddenly, Toki and Celcia ran in. "Natsuki! Did you get accepted?!" Celcia held up her acceptance letter and Toki displayed his as well.

Natsuki saw Shinji pause on the stairs before he continued to move up them. "Y-yeah...I did..."

"What about Shinji?!" Toki asked, silently praying he hadn't.

Natsuki sighed heavily, then turned to walk up the stairs. "No..." She said softly, watching her best friend turn to walk up the next flight.

"Oh, Natsuki, I look forward to basking in the sun of Kyoto with you!" Toki cried, clasping her hands.

She bit her lip. "Excuse me, guys...I outta go tell my parents..." She said softly, walking to the elevator and pressing the up button. We regret to inform you that...She bit her lip, her eyes saddening. "Oh, Shin-chan..." She whispered, stepping onto the elevator and pushing the button for the seventh floor.