Fuuko
I stretched my arms above my head, yawning, as another school day came to an end.
"Boy, that horrifyingly boring class sure got me worn out," I complained, placing my hands behind my head again. I glanced at Mi-chan, and noticed that he'd been staring into space since the beginning of our conversation. "But I'm sure you didn't have any trouble in school today, ne?"
He kept quiet.
"Mi-chan?"
"…"
I turned towards him and frowned in concern. "Daijoubu desu ka…?"
"…"
I blinked, and then something occurred to me that made me grin. "You know, I did say that we should pretend to be the worst enemies, but school's over now, for one thing, plus we're not even at the university anymore!" I giggled. "When I told you to try to be harsh on me, I didn't mean that you would be keeping it that way, you know," I smiled at him.
But he still kept silent, continuing his track down the street.
Slightly frowning, I tilted my head to look at his face, but then I noticed his eyes. There was definitely something wrong...because they were cold and distant, blissful yet perishing, as if an insufferable agony was being played over and over again right before him…
"T-Tokiya…?" I whispered, a small shiver of fear and anxiety slowly creeping up my chest. "Tokiya…?"
When he still didn't respond, I placed a light hand on his shoulder and tried to shake him a bit, but it was as if he was in a...a spell or something.
The small shiver of fear slowly grew into a major attack on me. What was wrong…?
I immediately took his hand, which was pretty much getting cold, and squeezed it. "Tokiya!"
It was then that he finally snapped out of his reverie. He shook his head slightly, blinked a couple of times, and then turned to look at me.
I kept my hand in place, an indescribable fret popping out of my eyes. As his sight seemed to finally clear away, relief filled his troubled eyes at the sight of me. He really must have been suffering through a horrendous ordeal.
"Gomen nasai…" he mumbled breathlessly.
"Tokiya, what's wrong…?" I asked him.
"…" he hesitated. "Nothing."
Disappointment washed over me as I sighed at his reply. He must've realized this, because he placed an arm around me to try to make me feel better. But he still didn't utter a word, though.
"Are you…keeping things from me again? I thought we've been through this before," I persisted.
Silence.
Then I noticed that he was staring out into space again, dazed.
I sighed again and pulled away, slowly picking up speed towards my house. He was supposed to be accompanying me home, but now it seemed like he didn't even know I was there.
"…Fuuko…matte…" he said softly, catching up with me. I slowed down my pace.
"Tell me what's wrong, Mi-chan," I told him. "Kudasai…?"
He looked at me, deciding on whether or not he'd spill it out. I supposed he chose not to.
"Gomen, Fuuko…I just…I just can't," he said, slowly looking away.
Silence stretched on until we reached my house. I turned abruptly towards the doorway without saying a single word to him.
"Fuuko…" he mumbled. I stopped without turning around.
"I'm sorry…there are…there are just some things in my mind, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear about what I'm thinking…so please just try to understand, okay…? I'm sorry…" he somehow trailed off.
I clenched my quivering fist and nodded slightly, then continued to walk back inside, keeping the hurt to myself and desperately trying to fight the urge not to look back into his pained blue eyes.
Tokiya
Baka! I wanted so badly to take out my Ensui and cut myself in half. It was such an incredibly lame thing to say.
My eyes slowly shifted up to her room's window, looking at her silhouette sitting on her bed. Even without seeing her face, I could tell she was hurt. And that was the last thing in this world I had wanted to do.
Sumimasen, Fuu-chan…I'm really sorry…it's just that---
"Tokiya?"
What the--? I quickly looked beside me, surprised. No, wait; scratch that. Annoyed. It was she again. Didn't this blasted woman get the picture?
She smiled her usual sly smile. "Konnichiwa," she said, glancing up at Fuuko's room as well. She blinked. "My, isn't this Kirisawa-san's house?" she mused out loud.
I frowned and began to walk away. I didn't even want to share the same air with her. Don't ask me why I loathed her so much; my instincts just told me so. And usually my instincts were right.
"Where are you heading to?" Akira followed and fell in step beside me. I could feel my temper boiling up again.
"…"
"May I come with you?" she continued.
I clenched my fists inside my pockets, choosing not to speak. Because if I did, I knew my words would come out exceedingly ruthless. And since I was trying to keep my cool, I didn't want that to happen.
She sighed. "I know all about it, you know," she said when I refused to talk to her.
I was trying my best not to fall for her trick--giving me a cliffhanger statement so that I'd get curious and actually ask her what it was about. But I was only good at tricks if it was involved in a battle or in a math problem or something. I was never really good at avoiding women's tricks, just like Fuu-chan's back then. But I won't go into what happened that time; it'd be a long story. Right now I was having a hard time avoiding this one. And eventually, I fell for it, no matter how hard I tried not to.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked reluctantly, still avoiding her gaze.
At this, she eyed me naughtily and smiled slyly again. "I know all about your oneechan."
By this time I felt like I was going to explode. How dare she butt into something that wasn't her business! After the revelation of my past in the tournament, I swore not to let another soul gain knowledge of it ever again. I had even made the team swear the same thing! And now here she came, barging into my life and examining my past?!? Didn't she understand that I had my privacy too???
I glared at her, willing the ground to open up and swallow her whole. "Just who the heck died and gave you the right to--"
"She's still alive."
I stopped dead in my tracks, swearing that the whole world around me ceased as well. My heart practically stopped beating, and all at once I forgot about Akira, the nightmares I'd been having, and my misunderstanding with Fuuko. In my mind's eye, all I could see was Mifuyu's peaceful, smiling face and her long auburn locks swaying in the wind.
Mifuyu's…still…alive…? I mused, remembering how horrible it felt to see her warm body covered with blood, and how she had died handing the Ensui to me, still thinking of my safety even in the last moments of her life. But…how…how can that be…? She died right before my eyes…right…?
Right…?
"…"
"I can take you to her if you wish," Akira said, smiling at me. I shook my head to regain myself, my heart now beating three times as fast as before. "Well…? Do you want to see her?"
I finally looked at her, checking to see if this was all some kind of joke she'd put on just to get my attention and drag me into something not worth my time.
"You're kidding …" I muttered hesitantly, half wishing she was so that it wouldn't keep bothering me anymore, and half wishing she wasn't because I really yearned to see oneechan again after such a long time.
But by the look on her face and the pesky smile on her lips, something told me she wasn't.
And I didn't know how to react to that.
Not only did I not believe it, but also I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I'd been missing my sister for so many years now…and now that the impossible had come true, the thought of seeing her again left me terribly confused. I didn't know whether to feel overwhelmed or to feel dubious or anything. It was just that I never thought I'd see her again. And I never realized how I'd feel if ever I did.
"Think about it, Tokiya, I'm sure she'd been longing to see you after all these years, too," Akira carried on.
I raised my eyebrows at her. "Why would you want to help?"
She hesitated, and for once, her eyes didn't hold the usual rascally look in them.
"I...I know how it feels..." she stared out into the empty street. "To lose someone who's always been there for you from the moment you were born..." All of a sudden she was frowning. "My brother was also murdered." Now she was practically clenching her fists. "And the worst part was...was that...he was killed by someone...someone I could've fallen in love with if it weren't for that reason..."
I looked down at her. Was she actually...serious...?
"Sorry," she shook her head and grinned up at me. Her impish expression was back again. "See me tomorrow, okay? I'll tell you everything you need to know," she said.
I was still astounded that I gave a little nod. She winked playfully and walked off. I glanced at her as she walked away, an unspeakable sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me I didn't know what I was getting myself into.
And for once, my instincts had no idea either.
Fuuko
I glanced down gloomily at the sidewalk from my bedroom window, watching Mi-chan look up my way then leave together with that snotty girl, Akira. It made me sickeningly upset that he wasn't telling me what was wrong, and now it got into my skin that he was spending time with another woman, probably telling her what he wouldn't tell me.
Okay, so maybe they weren't going out and maybe I was just overreacting, but it did seem that way. Or maybe…
Maybe what he was thinking so deeply about was our relationship. He probably thought that it wouldn't work out because he loved someone else…
I clutched my pillow tighter to my chest, shutting my eyes close, leaning against the wall. It was a pillow he'd won for me in the arcade once, and it was one of my unforgettable moments, considering that he'd never played the arcade before and I only talked him into it.
I smiled, remembering how he had kept getting the high score and everyone had started to gather around him, watching him play. It was flattering that he had given the pillow to me instead of keeping it to himself in front of everyone.
I sighed, glancing outside the window again at the setting sun.
Tokiya…
The shrill ring of the phone gave me at least something else to think about. And I appreciated it a lot since I didn't want to spend the whole night moping around about my distant koibito. And as I picked up, a small wave of relief washed over me. It was Yanagi.
"So hey, how did it go?" she asked, eager to hear my answer.
I couldn't help but sigh. "Yanagi, is this about my horrible day at school, or is it about what we talked about before?"
"Well…I guess the dance can wait. So what happened to you at the university, anyway?" she said on the other line.
"Well…" I tried to get my mind off Mi-chan and concentrate on my friend instead. "First there was the paper I completely forgot about," I began, fishing in the cabinet for some neat clothes for the night while supporting the cordless phone on my shoulder. "It was, like, so embarrassing, considering I was the only one who forgot about it--"
"And considering you're a girl, too, and girls are at least a little bit more responsible than guys," she commented. "At least, they're supposed to be," she giggled.
"Don't rub it in," I bit my lip, picking up a clean pair of shorts (again) and a shirt that didn't have a hole on it. "So anyway, next up was the fact that I lost all my pocket money in the bathroom--"
"What? Why???" she cut in.
"Don't ask," I told her, "it's all too horrible. Okay, then that stupid pop quiz came up about the topic that left a completely blank page on my notebook. That was what I was asking Mi-chan to help me with this morning because he already took all this stuff up last year, and since it was supposed to come out as just an excuse to make it seem to everybody that I'm annoying him, he didn't take it seriously. But I was seriously in need of those notes, and since my lucky stars had vanished this day, we had a blasted pop quiz on it. I had even tried looking all over for Mi-chan to copy off his notes last year, but I couldn't possibly find him anywhere…" I trailed off, recalling how desperately I had searched for him and he wasn't there. Yet another thing that was disappointing me. Where had he been that time?
My mind started to drift off again, but it was a good thing Yanagi spoke up when she did.
"Uh…Fuuko-chan? Are you alright?" Yanagi spoke worriedly, reminding me that she was still on the other line.
"Oh..uh..hai, I'm fine, yeah, sure. There was just…um…something…um…oh, forget it," I cleared my throat. "So then when the day was finally about to end, that crappy professor gave me an extra assignment, seeing that I was 'unable to understand the value of learning' and that I needed 'professional help in acquiring interest in lessons'," I rolled my eyes. "Translation: if I didn't improve my grades, pretty soon he'll be assigning me a tutor," I pouted, kicking off my sneakers and placing them on one corner. "And there's nothing more humiliating in this world than having someone tutor you when you're already in college."
"Mmm hmm, you got that right, girl," she seconded. "Well! I can see that your day went pretty perfectly. It figures that you've been wearing an awfully big smile the whole day," she giggled.
"Ha ha, Yanagi, I appreciate the sarcasm, but it didn't actually make my day even just a little brighter," I grunted, unzipping my shorts and folding the pair neatly on my bed.
"Who cares about school, anyway? Forget about it and tell me all about what he said," Yanagi's voice sounded a bit more interested now. "Okay, so I'm going to ask you again the very same thing I asked you when you picked up. How did it go?"
"…" I took all the time I could to take off my shirt, not wanting to answer the question and hoping that the line would somehow get cut off (no matter how rude it would appear to Yanagi-san).
"Fuu-chan? Are you still there?" she asked after a few moments of silence. It took all of my self-control not to just shut up and pretend that I wasn't there anymore.
"Hai…I'm still here," I answered reluctantly, staring blankly at my shirt and trying to find a way out of this.
"Okay…you're probably having a hard time answering my question, so let me specify a bit, alright?" she cleared her throat. I gulped. Here it was. It was coming. "Did he ask you?"
It wouldn't have taken me such a long time to answer her question if Mi-chan did ask me. But the trouble was, he didn't. And I had a feeling he never would. Mi-chan was never much of a social person, and he hated parties, particularly dances. He probably didn't even know about the upcoming one. I myself had never seen him crack even a single step during the whole time I'd known him, which pretty much proved that he wouldn't be attending the Valentine's dance at the university a few weeks from now. And if ever he would, he'd probably ask that heck of a cheap flirt, Akira. And if that ever happened, I'd be better off not going to the dance anymore. Maybe not even going to school anymore, either. Or probably ending my life, instead. Yes, that was how much I loved my Mi-chan. Although right now, it didn't seem like the feeling was mutual any longer.
"Oh no," Yanagi's voice dropped. "Don't tell me he…didn't…?" I could hear her hold her breath.
I sighed noisily onto the phone and slouched on the edge of my bed. "No, he didn't," I confessed miserably. "He didn't ask me at all," I cried. "Crap, he didn't even mention anything about it!"
"I don't believe this! I know Mikagami-sempai is not a party person, but couldn't he at least reconsider? Doesn't he understand that this is a big day in history?" she commented.
"No, I don't think he does. Sure, I admit that I did manage to change a part of his antisocial behavior, but Mi-chan still has that strong, silent, cold part of him that has been there ever since Mifuyu-san passed away. And I know I can't change that," I said disappointedly.
"I know, Fuuko-san, but this is so wrong! Aren't you going to do anything about it?" she asked.
"No, I don't really think so…" I sighed. "Besides, it's probably better that way so that no one would have any idea about our relationship," I replied.
"No! That's not the thing, Fuuko-chan! Just think about it. Mikagami-san will be graduating soon, and right now it doesn't really matter anymore if people knew about your relationship or not! I mean, what do they care, anyway?" she reasoned.
"…" That was the same thing Mi-chan had told me before. And according to him, '…what do they care, anyway? If they start wondering about us, then that's their problem…' How I wished I had listened to him earlier. Because if the public knew about us, then that Hinageshi Akira-top-scorer-girl-with-no-shame-at-all wouldn't be flirting with him, knowing that he's taken. Okay, okay, I knew I was being too paranoid for jumping into stupid conclusions, but I just couldn't help but detest that woman for trying to take Mi-chan away. Say whatever you want, but that was just how jealous I felt.
"Oh Fuuko-san, we oughta do something about all this!" Yanagi beamed in determination. "Oh, I know! Why don't I force him to go over there as in, right now? Yes, that just might work! Once you're both alone, I'm sure he'll ask you to the dance!"
"Once again, I really appreciate your help, Yanagi, demo…" I glanced down at my bare body, covered only by my underwear. And if Mi-chan came barging in at this exact moment…
I blushed like crazy at the thought, even though he'd already seen me like this, along with everybody else, at our first battle with team Ku. At my first battle with that pervert, Fujimaru.
But still, now that we were something else, the thought of him seeing me again like this…
I gulped and shook my head, trying to shake the conclusion that was forming in my mind away.
"…d-demo, Yanagi-san…i-it's just that…that I'm not, um, dressed for the occasion or something," I finished.
"Whatever." I could almost see Yanagi shrugging at the other line. "I just want to make sure I see you two dancing together a few weeks from now," she said, "and I mean it! Promise me you'll be dancing with him that night, okay, Fuu-chan? Onegai?" she pleaded.
I sighed. I knew it was never going to happen, but I didn't want to disappoint Yanagi, now that she was determined and after all the efforts she'd tried to suggest (plus she made me feel a little better), so I just said, "I'll see what I can do."
"Good," she said. All of a sudden I heard the sound of knocking on her side of the line, followed by a muffled, "Hime-san? May I come in?"
I didn't need to think deeply about it; no doubt it was Hanabishi, and he had come to her house.
"I guess I better go; it looks like you'll be needing a lot of quality time alone with your honey bun," I teased.
"That's not funny, Fuu-chan--"
I giggled. "Just don't do anything you might regret doing!"
"Fuuko!" she fumed.
I laughed louder. "Okay, okay, I'm kidding!"
"You better make sure you are!"
"I'm sorry, Yanagi," I grinned. "Oyasumi nasai, and thanks a lot for, you know, making me feel better."
"Anytime. Oyasumi!"
"Night," And we hung up. I couldn't help but feel jealous of Yanagi, too, since Hanabishi was always there and she was sure that he didn't have any other girl in his life. While I wasn't.
I stared meaninglessly at the phone, hoping against hope that Mi-chan would call to say he was sorry and explain everything. And ask me to the Valentine's dance.
But the phone kept silent all throughout the cold, lonely night.