Fate Beckons
Disclaimers apply
Chapter 2 : A Wish Granted
"Mum, I'm home!" Misao locked the door of the flat behind her and took her knapsack into her room. After school (or rather, cleaning up) had ended, she and Kaoru had gone to a nearby shopping mall— for nothing much, just to look around and perhaps get some new clothing for the upcoming Chinese New Year. It was the sale season after all!
"Misao?" Mrs. Makimachi walked from the study, where she had been doing her work, into the room. Misao looked up from the manga she had just picked up.
"Huh?"
"I'd just like to tell you that we'll be spending a day with the Shinomoris tomorrow," Mrs Makimachi smiled knowingly. "Aoshi included."Misao's heart seemed to stop. Aoshi as well? Blood rose up to her cheeks. It would be the first time they saw each other in so many years, and she knew she had changed a lot since then. She wondered if he would even recognize her…and somehow, she was nervous but also happy. Another realization then surfaced.
So my wish did come true… A soft smile lighted up her face as she hugged the manga to her chest. Mrs Makimachi smiled and left the room.
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Somewhere else…
"Aoshi, you really have to go this time. I promised the Makimachis!" Shinomori Reiko glared at her son, holding a spatula threateningly. Aoshi continued reading.
"Are you listening to me or not?" Mrs. Shinomori slammed the spatula down onto the nearby table. Aoshi finally looked up.
"Okaasan, you've never been so adamant about me tagging along before. What's the occasion?"
"We haven't seen the Makimachis for a long time…"
"Ah.."
"Misao's all grown up"
"Sou da [Japanese for "So it is" I'll explain why he uses it later in the fic]"
"We all have some catching up to do…I'm sure Misao's definitely grown into a fine young lady."
"Probably." There was something incomprehensible in his eyes all of a sudden. A slight softening…?! Mrs. Shinomori took in the fact with internal delight.
"So you do want to find out how much our little Misao has grown," she teased, eliciting a slight smile from Aoshi.
"I'll go. After all, if I put this off, they won't recognize me anymore."
Mrs. Shinomori grinned. Finally, her son was cheering up. He had withdrawn himself into solitude for the past week that he had been home, withholding the reason from even his parents. My plan is a potential success, she thought gleefully.
"Hello? Miyako? Suteki [Wonderful] ne…" Aoshi looked up from his book to find his mother on the telephone, speaking in rapid fire Japanese. It was not his character to eavesdrop but he could not help listening in to every word. After all, he could understand it.
"Aoshi has agreed to go… glad to know that Misao was elated when she heard the news…Hai, our plan seems to be working…your husband knows doesn't he?" It was enough to make Aoshi's eyes narrow in suspicion. Something fishy was going on and he wondered what it had to do with him and Misao.
"Atchoo!" At the very moment her mother was telling Mrs. Shinomori how delighted Misao was to find out that Aoshi would be going along with them, Misao sneezed in her room. Reaching for a piece of tissue paper, she wondered if she was coming down with a cold. No, it could not be…she knew that she was in perfect health—with all that running and swimming training!
If you sneeze suddenly, it means that someone is talking about you. Misao abruptly remembered what she had read somewhere. I wonder if it's Aoshi. Her eyes glazed over as she began daydreaming about what Aoshi could be saying about her.
Resting her head onto her pillow but still unable to sleep, she got up, opened her drawer, and took out a thick, hardcover exercise book—her journal which contained her best memories ever since she was six, especially those of Aoshi. Smiling, she began to read, reliving every moment of days gone by.
"16 July 1992—Dear Diary, guess what? Aoshi taught me how to make paper cranes today and gave me one—I put it in here, look! I'm going to keep it forever and ever even after I grow old…" She smiled as a paper crane fell out from between the pages, its red coloring faded by time but still intact.
"20 March 1993—We went to Fantasy Island and Aoshi taught me how to swim. I was scared stiff of the water but he held me tight and promised he wouldn't let me drown."
Misao continued reading, even as the entries got longer, the thoughts and expressions more mature, and the love divulged stronger. Every entry from her childhood was littered with Aoshi's name, with a few exceptions. It was strange that she never had any other crushes beside Aoshi.
Time flew by and Misao's eyelids grew heavy. Switching off the reading light, she fell asleep smiling, the journal—opened to a photo taken years before of Aoshi and her together, grinning happily—resting on her heart.
Notes: 20/4/2002--The character of Shinomori Reiko/ Mrs. Shinomori is partly based on 'Mama' from the manga 'Itazura na Kiss'. It's my favourite next to RK, it's a pity the artist passed away before the series was completed...thank you Tada Kaoru-sensei for drawing that series and giving me inspiration...
Tbc…
