Fate Beckons
Chapter 5: Reconnecting
Disclaimers apply as usual.
After an uneventful lunch, the two families decided to walk around Orchard Road again. The fact that their parents kept behind Misao and Aoshi all the time, again causing them to walk together, fed Misao's suspicions that the 'reunion' outing was more than just a reunion. It was beginning to look more and more like a covert matchmaking operation. Summoning her courage, she decided to make the best of it and turned to look at Aoshi, who was literally head and shoulders above her.
"So, you're doing NS right? What's it like? Is it very tough?"
"No to me but it is for some others."
"Really? You must be very fit then." Misao, what on earth are you saying? she chided herself. Aoshi did not seem to notice what she had said and continued walking, taking long, confident strides. Misao's heart began to ache. Everyone always ignored her when she wanted to be listened to! It took much effort to control her anger.
Never mind, try again, her mind told her. She skipped up to him and asked again in a cheerful voice, "Don't you ever smile nowadays?"
Aoshi turned to look into her clear blue eyes. A cold draft blew through her again. Why does he seem so pained?
"One can choose whether to smile or not." Again, he was the Aoshi who was wise beyond his years that she knew. But somehow, the words were too subdued and depressing to be the boy she knew all those years ago. When she looked at him again, his face appeared to be a mask—a mask to hide his genuine feelings. And the more she looked into his bluish-gray eyes, the more she felt she could feel his pain, everything. It was as if they had an affinity that went back beyond their present lives.
Begin memory
"Aoshi-kor[older brother, like nii-chan], what are you doing?" five year old Misao asked, looking over his shoulder.
"My journal—it's homework," Aoshi replied, looking up.
"What's a journal?"
"It's like a diary where you write in your feelings and stuff," he replied, turning back to his homework.
Misao tried to peep over his shoulder, but he closed the exercise book swiftly. "Everyone has secrets they don't want others to know," he told her, smiling. "But I guess it will be a while before you learn that." Misao pouted, walking back to her story book. Then she suddenly turned back, a devious smile on her face.
"But Aoshi-kor, I'll know what you're thinking even if you don't tell me!"
Nine year old Aoshi grinned mysteriously. "No you won't."
End memory
"OW!" Coming down to earth after recalling that precious childhood memory, Misao saw the lamp post in front of her way too late. She lifted her hands to her forehead, only to feel a gigantic goose egg on it. That must be standing out like a stop sign! In front of her, Aoshi was smirking.
That infuriating guy! Misao glared angrily at him. Why does he only laugh at my expense? Her silent curses at him came to a sudden stop when she felt a gentle hand brush her forehead. "It doesn't hurt that much, does it?" She looked into his deep eyes again, surprised and touched. He lifted his hand away. "I suggest that you don't daydream and walk at the same time again." He turned away again, much to Misao's annoyance. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, storming up to him.
"What I do is none of your business!" The crowd that had gathered at the pedestrian crossing, waiting for the green light, turned their heads in surprise.
"They make a cute couple don't they?" A woman whispered to her husband, who shushed her. Of course, Misao was delighted internally, but still annoyed with Aoshi's unpredictable actions. One moment, it was as if he had become the Aoshi of eight years ago again—tactful, energetic and sweet; another moment, he had slipped into his own world of ice and melancholy, and the next moment, he would be laughing—at her expense!
She bumped right into him. He steadied her, then let her go awkwardly. "Little Weasel, I thought I told you to look where you're going?"
Fire seemed to flare in Misao's eyes. "I was looking where I was going! And DON'T CALL ME WEASEL!"
"Still as fiery," he teased. Misao fumed, oblivious to his softening gaze. By then, their parents had caught up with them.
"We hope you had a good time catching up," Mrs. Shinomori grinned. "It's been a long while since you last saw each other isn't it?" Misao detected a glint in her eyes that made her feel more suspicious than ever. Before she could reply, however, the pedestrian crossing man turned from red to green, and they started crossing the road. It was not long before Misao realized that she and Aoshi had been separated (again) from their parents—and that she had run out of topics to talk about.
The atmosphere was getting a little uncomfortable. Aoshi, silent as usual, strode beside her. Misao racked her brains, trying to think of anything—anything she could talk about, but came up with a blank. Until…
"I had the strangest dream last night, Aoshi-kor." Idiot! He won't want to hear about a dream!
"Aah."
"I dreamt that I was little and you came back drenched with sweat and blood and I made you promise never to leave me. You did so but not before you made me promise never to cry for you."
Aoshi's eyes widened slightly and he started, but not enough for Misao to notice anything other than that he was getting interested.
"Then, I dreamt that I was much older and the two of us were fighting a gang in a forest—" she was abruptly interrupted by Aoshi.
"And we put up a good fight but were poisoned, severely wounded and died in each other's arms after making a promise that if we met again in our next lives we would marry and never be separated again?"
Misao blushed and nodded. Can he actually read minds? "How did you know?"
"I actually had the same dream, believe it or not?"
"Really? But how can this be?"
"I don't know. But a friend once told me that some dreams have hidden meanings. I wonder if it's one of those."
"I had a feeling about that too. But why would the both of us dream about that? Maybe it's a memory of a past life." Again, Misao blushed. If it had been so…then did it necessarily mean that Aoshi would marry her in the future just like he had promised?
"Not necessarily. It could be a mere coincidence you know." Aoshi turned his head toward the front again, indicating that he wanted no more mention of the subject.
Misao was still unconvinced that their dreams were mere coincidences though. She kept speculating about it throughout the day.
Tbc
Notes: I've tried to make this section longer. A friend told me that people would probably not want to read a story set in an unfamiliar place so I've decided to concentrate much more on the romance (It is the main point that A & M are in here for, right?) But I'd also like to admit that 1. I am exactly 14 years old and am 2 years away from the O' levels so I don't really know what's going on upstairs where most of the Sec 4 classes are and 2. I have no romance or dating experience unless you count major crushes which didn't end well...so what I write here may not be as realistic!
