Disclaimer: Suki dakara suki is by Clamp.
When you grow up.
By Miyamoto Yui
Chapter 4 – [Are you all right?] [I'm worried because I care.]
I remember that day when I entered those school gates, as I was about to put the precious letter into my bag, a gust of wind took it away.
I turned around and ran after it as people began to rush in to not be late. So, I ran against the crowd with my hand out with no one to help me.
Holding onto my backpack, I ran up to the end of that block and it landed on the sidewalk. I was almost in tears by the time I got there. It was a pretty busy street and so I was horrified if it would travel onto the moving cars.
As I skidded to the ground, I hugged that letter in my hands. I sighed and began to cry on it. Closing my eyes tightly, I said, "I can't lose you too, Asou-sensei."
"Are you all right?" a man asked me as he was passing by.
I smiled and wiped my tears while nodding. "Yes, thank you."
I got up and made sure the letter was proper put into my folder before I ran into the school. I even forgot about wiping my knees.
As I ran back while holding my backpack, I thought of my mother.
Mixed in these happy memories with smiles was something dark.
My mother was only sickly after I was born. But not only because she had given birth to me...
It was something much deeper.
I had the scar on my back to prove it...
There were many things I wanted to tell you Asou-sensei, but I couldn't. I didn't think it was the right time.
That's why I cherished his warm hands so much when I first touched him. I had never met someone with such warm hands before. It made my heart feel so light.
These hands make me feel good.
Running past the gates, I made it to my classroom just in time. But I didn't pay attention to anything at all that day. All I could think about was my mother.
My father and she never fought in front of me, but I knew there was something wrong. As my father protested to something, my mother just smiled at him and patted his head with an assurance that really wasn't comfort.
She was dying and she knew it.
My father didn't want to face it.
I just wish I knew what it all was then. Maybe it could have changed my life by knowing.
But that secret was a part of me.
It ran-
"Hina-chan?" Touko-chan asked as she patted my shoulder. "Class is over. Are you all right?"
I smiled as I took my things and waved goodbye to her. "Sorry, but I've got to go!"
But where was I really going? I didn't know.
I didn't know how to lie, so I tried to find something to do downtown.
Store after store, I looked around for cookbooks. That was what I loved to do best, right? "I will cook something for Asou-sensei when he gets back," I said as I put my hand on a dessert book made by Piffle Princess.
"They think of everything!" I half-shouted in excitement as the people around me looked at me strangely. (Hey, I really like that brand. ^^;;;)
I sweatdropped as I went to the front to pay for it.
"I hope he will like it," I whispered to myself.
That's right, I wasn't alone anymore.
Asou-sensei loves me.
I blushed as I laughed to myself while hugging the dessert book in my arms. I remembered his voice saying, "I love you too."
It was the greatest feeling.
It still is…
So, that's what picked up my mood. As I waved the bag in my hand, I was singing, "I will learn to cook more things. Because cooking makes people happy~! And I love to see people smi~ile…"
As I opened the door to my house, I saw my two beloved bears in front of me. "Tadaimasu!"
I took them into my arms and kissed them. Then, I took them into the kitchen to have dinner.
While I was cooking, the phone rang. It stopped and then started up again.
I turned my head to watch it as I stopped chopping the vegetables in front of me.
"I know Asou-sensei told me not to…" I sighed.
After a long silence…Ring, ring!
"Ow!" I blinked as I put my index finger to my mouth, but I stared at the phone not wanting to answer it.
"But it's bothering me," I reasoned to myself. I then put my hand into a fist. "I've got to be strong."
So, I touched the receiver and held it to my ear. "Mushi mushi?"
"…"
"Nai?" I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head as I began cooking again. "I'm worrying for nothing.
--
After I wrapped myself in my blanket, I closed my eyes. At that moment, the phone rang as I was about to turn off the light. The phone next to me kept on ringing and I refused to answer it.
Ring, ring, ring, ring…
It went on forever and I even put my pillow over my head. "Make it stop…" I mumbled in pain.
Finally, I answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hina?" Then, I heard a sigh of relief on the other end.
"Asou-sensei?" I looked at the clock as I sat up. "Is something wrong?"
He ignored my question as he asked, "Why didn't you answer the phone?"
"Someone was calling earlier. Around the time I was making dinner."
"That was probably me," he answered.
"But when I answered it, the person didn't say anything."
He became silent.
"Why are you calling Sensei? Is something wrong?"
"Hina…" he started to say.
"Yes?"
"I will be back in a few days."
"You're finished so early?"
"No."
"Then why are you coming back so early if you're not finished?"
"…"
"I don't understand what's going on."
We were silent again.
"I can't stand it," his monotonous voice replied.
"Are they treating you badly?" I began to become worried and held onto the phone nervously.
"No, it isn't that." He then sighed. "I can't go to sleep."
"Drink warm milk then. That's what I-"
He sighed again, but it had a twinge of annoyance. "No, you're not understanding this at all, are you, Hina?"
"Nope."
Silence again.
"I need to know you're okay."
It was my turn to be quiet as I looked to the ground.
"By being here, it isn't making it easy."
I blinked my eyes as I softly smiled and said, "Don't worry about me, Sensei."
"I need to get back there," he insisted.
"I'm being strong for you, Sensei," I said as my hands shook while I tried to be calm while remembering my mother. "You must also be strong for me."
"Hina…"
I then laughed. "And when you get back here, I'll bake you a strawberry cake."
It was then that I heard him laugh on the other line. "You always surprise me, Hina."
My heart became very light and warm as I put my hand over it while smiling more.
"But when you get back here, what will you do?"
He didn't answer me.
I then sighed.
"I will tell you when I get back there," he assured me. "I can't exactly say it over the phone."
"Okay."
"I'll be back in a few days."
"But I thought-"
"I'll try to finish this as fast as possible. Or else I won't be able to sleep well."
I laughed. "Okay. I'll be here waiting for you to come home."
"Yes…home."
Silent yet again.
"I better get going, Sensei. I have to go to school tomorrow."
"Of course."
"Bye…" I then whispered confidently while blushing, "I love you, Sensei."
As I was lowering the receiver, I then heard a soft "I love you too."
I opened my eyes as I put the receiver back to my ear in disbelief.
Click.
I looked at the phone and grinned so widely. When I dropped to my bed, I forgot to put back the phone and then the dial tone registered into my mind as I hurriedly put it back.
I blushed as I closed my eyes tightly.
How I ever got back to sleep after that, I will never know…
--
Author's note: Aww…
Just telling you now, there's going to be lots of plot for this story, so hold on for the ride. It's going to be a long, long fic.
But please enjoy it! Arigatou gozaimasu!
When you grow up.
By Miyamoto Yui
Chapter 4 – [Are you all right?] [I'm worried because I care.]
I remember that day when I entered those school gates, as I was about to put the precious letter into my bag, a gust of wind took it away.
I turned around and ran after it as people began to rush in to not be late. So, I ran against the crowd with my hand out with no one to help me.
Holding onto my backpack, I ran up to the end of that block and it landed on the sidewalk. I was almost in tears by the time I got there. It was a pretty busy street and so I was horrified if it would travel onto the moving cars.
As I skidded to the ground, I hugged that letter in my hands. I sighed and began to cry on it. Closing my eyes tightly, I said, "I can't lose you too, Asou-sensei."
"Are you all right?" a man asked me as he was passing by.
I smiled and wiped my tears while nodding. "Yes, thank you."
I got up and made sure the letter was proper put into my folder before I ran into the school. I even forgot about wiping my knees.
As I ran back while holding my backpack, I thought of my mother.
Mixed in these happy memories with smiles was something dark.
My mother was only sickly after I was born. But not only because she had given birth to me...
It was something much deeper.
I had the scar on my back to prove it...
There were many things I wanted to tell you Asou-sensei, but I couldn't. I didn't think it was the right time.
That's why I cherished his warm hands so much when I first touched him. I had never met someone with such warm hands before. It made my heart feel so light.
These hands make me feel good.
Running past the gates, I made it to my classroom just in time. But I didn't pay attention to anything at all that day. All I could think about was my mother.
My father and she never fought in front of me, but I knew there was something wrong. As my father protested to something, my mother just smiled at him and patted his head with an assurance that really wasn't comfort.
She was dying and she knew it.
My father didn't want to face it.
I just wish I knew what it all was then. Maybe it could have changed my life by knowing.
But that secret was a part of me.
It ran-
"Hina-chan?" Touko-chan asked as she patted my shoulder. "Class is over. Are you all right?"
I smiled as I took my things and waved goodbye to her. "Sorry, but I've got to go!"
But where was I really going? I didn't know.
I didn't know how to lie, so I tried to find something to do downtown.
Store after store, I looked around for cookbooks. That was what I loved to do best, right? "I will cook something for Asou-sensei when he gets back," I said as I put my hand on a dessert book made by Piffle Princess.
"They think of everything!" I half-shouted in excitement as the people around me looked at me strangely. (Hey, I really like that brand. ^^;;;)
I sweatdropped as I went to the front to pay for it.
"I hope he will like it," I whispered to myself.
That's right, I wasn't alone anymore.
Asou-sensei loves me.
I blushed as I laughed to myself while hugging the dessert book in my arms. I remembered his voice saying, "I love you too."
It was the greatest feeling.
It still is…
So, that's what picked up my mood. As I waved the bag in my hand, I was singing, "I will learn to cook more things. Because cooking makes people happy~! And I love to see people smi~ile…"
As I opened the door to my house, I saw my two beloved bears in front of me. "Tadaimasu!"
I took them into my arms and kissed them. Then, I took them into the kitchen to have dinner.
While I was cooking, the phone rang. It stopped and then started up again.
I turned my head to watch it as I stopped chopping the vegetables in front of me.
"I know Asou-sensei told me not to…" I sighed.
After a long silence…Ring, ring!
"Ow!" I blinked as I put my index finger to my mouth, but I stared at the phone not wanting to answer it.
"But it's bothering me," I reasoned to myself. I then put my hand into a fist. "I've got to be strong."
So, I touched the receiver and held it to my ear. "Mushi mushi?"
"…"
"Nai?" I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head as I began cooking again. "I'm worrying for nothing.
--
After I wrapped myself in my blanket, I closed my eyes. At that moment, the phone rang as I was about to turn off the light. The phone next to me kept on ringing and I refused to answer it.
Ring, ring, ring, ring…
It went on forever and I even put my pillow over my head. "Make it stop…" I mumbled in pain.
Finally, I answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hina?" Then, I heard a sigh of relief on the other end.
"Asou-sensei?" I looked at the clock as I sat up. "Is something wrong?"
He ignored my question as he asked, "Why didn't you answer the phone?"
"Someone was calling earlier. Around the time I was making dinner."
"That was probably me," he answered.
"But when I answered it, the person didn't say anything."
He became silent.
"Why are you calling Sensei? Is something wrong?"
"Hina…" he started to say.
"Yes?"
"I will be back in a few days."
"You're finished so early?"
"No."
"Then why are you coming back so early if you're not finished?"
"…"
"I don't understand what's going on."
We were silent again.
"I can't stand it," his monotonous voice replied.
"Are they treating you badly?" I began to become worried and held onto the phone nervously.
"No, it isn't that." He then sighed. "I can't go to sleep."
"Drink warm milk then. That's what I-"
He sighed again, but it had a twinge of annoyance. "No, you're not understanding this at all, are you, Hina?"
"Nope."
Silence again.
"I need to know you're okay."
It was my turn to be quiet as I looked to the ground.
"By being here, it isn't making it easy."
I blinked my eyes as I softly smiled and said, "Don't worry about me, Sensei."
"I need to get back there," he insisted.
"I'm being strong for you, Sensei," I said as my hands shook while I tried to be calm while remembering my mother. "You must also be strong for me."
"Hina…"
I then laughed. "And when you get back here, I'll bake you a strawberry cake."
It was then that I heard him laugh on the other line. "You always surprise me, Hina."
My heart became very light and warm as I put my hand over it while smiling more.
"But when you get back here, what will you do?"
He didn't answer me.
I then sighed.
"I will tell you when I get back there," he assured me. "I can't exactly say it over the phone."
"Okay."
"I'll be back in a few days."
"But I thought-"
"I'll try to finish this as fast as possible. Or else I won't be able to sleep well."
I laughed. "Okay. I'll be here waiting for you to come home."
"Yes…home."
Silent yet again.
"I better get going, Sensei. I have to go to school tomorrow."
"Of course."
"Bye…" I then whispered confidently while blushing, "I love you, Sensei."
As I was lowering the receiver, I then heard a soft "I love you too."
I opened my eyes as I put the receiver back to my ear in disbelief.
Click.
I looked at the phone and grinned so widely. When I dropped to my bed, I forgot to put back the phone and then the dial tone registered into my mind as I hurriedly put it back.
I blushed as I closed my eyes tightly.
How I ever got back to sleep after that, I will never know…
--
Author's note: Aww…
Just telling you now, there's going to be lots of plot for this story, so hold on for the ride. It's going to be a long, long fic.
But please enjoy it! Arigatou gozaimasu!