A/N: Bwahaha! I'm back! I tried to continue with this fic.but I'm not sure it turned out well.oh! And thanks for the correction on the last one! I was thinking to myself when I wrote that chapter, and I thought something was wrong.hehee sorry bout that!
- Scene change
'..' - thoughts
Chapter 4
"So, how've you been?"
Misao and Ayasu were sitting peacefully under a big shade that the oak tree was providing them, talking quietly amongst themselves and trying to catch up with all the news that they had missed from each other.
"I've been doing alright. Been training a lot after I left the Aoiya, even though I was only 10." Ayasu smiled contently.
Misao nodded her head vigorously. "Me too, I'm trying to train really hard so I could live up to be an Okashira as great as Aoshi-sama was."
Ayasu turned her head to Misao, and grinned a sly smile, "Shinomori-san grew into a quite a handsome man, ne Misao-chan?"
Misao turned into a bright shade of pink again for the 5th time today. "Of course he turned into a handsome man! He was already handsome to begin with anyways." Misao stated matter-of-factly. Laughing out loud, she slapped her hand onto Ayasu's back. "Don't you remember when we ran a mile to the other temple where Aoshi-sama was teaching just so we could get a glimpse of him?"
Ayasu raised her eyebrow at her, "Who's 'we'? You were the one who practically dragged me there, so when we got caught, you wouldn't have made a fool out of yourself by yourself."
Misao looked down at the grass, and chuckled sheepishly.Raising her hand to the back of her head, shelaid down on the bristled grass. "At least it worked" she smiled broadly. Ayasu shook her head.
Misao stopped for a second, thinking a little. She then asked, "Hey, Ayasu, not to sound mean, but why are you here?" Ayasu stared at her for a moment, then gazed back onto the ground around her, fingering the tiny brushes against her fingers. She remained quiet. Misao stared at her with concerned eyes. "Ayasu? You ok?" she asked softly, raising up into a sitting position, and touched her friend's shoulder gently.
"Huh?" She looked up again abruptly from the sudden touch and smiled widely. "Oh, nothing. Why, is it a crime to just visit her long lost friend?"
Misao glanced at her apprehensively, trying to look through her eyes, and then she said slowly, "No, I guess not."
After that, they both talked animatedly about what had been going on after they had separated. The sky finally turned into a hue-ish pink and orange,and the wind started to blow softly in the fresh-cut air.
Ayasu then stood up on her feet and dusted her outfit. "Come on Misao-chan, its getting late, we should get going." Ayasu offered her hand to Misao.
"Hmm? Oh, ok" Misao grasped Ayasu's hand, and lifted herself up.
At the Aioya, the whole atmosphere was dramatically changed into a joyous celebration. Everyone had gathered around and threw a welcome party for Ayasu Haradisi.
"Iiiiyaaahhhh! I'm so happy and I feel so refreshed!" Jiya exclaimed with glee, holding a big jug of sake with his left hand and Misao's piece of clothing with the other.
"Jiya! Get you filthy hands off me!" Misao cried out in frustration, yanking her outfit out of his grasp.
"Maa-maa Misao-chan, don't get all frisky with me" Jiya wiggled his eyebrows at her smugly. Misao fumed with rage.
While the two were bickering, Aoshi calmly drank his tea.
"It seems Okina-san never changed over the years, ne, Shinomori-san?"
Aoshi casually glanced his eyesight to his cup to the woman in front of him and then back down.
"Hmm."
Ayasu cocked her head to the direction of the drunken lord and the irate teen, and chuckled at the ridiculous sight. Misao had Jiya's head in a headlock, yelling at the top of her lungs.
"Take that back, you perverted old man!" tugging on Jiya's head. "I swear, you-" She was abruptly cut off by Aoshi's strict tone.
"Stop it Misao. We have a guest here."
"Huh?" Misao released Jiya out of her grasp, and looked up at Aoshi. "But Jiya-"
"You should learn how to control your temper."
Ayasu glanced at Misao for a moment; she could see that Misao's eyes were starting to glisten.
"It's alright Shinomori-san. I don't mind. It wouldn't feel right if this didn't happen anyways," she laughed feebly. Everyone had stayed in silence. "Aw, come on! This is supposed to be my welcome back party!" Ayasu yelled cheerfully, trying to get things going again.
"She's right! Gomen-ne Misao-chan. I guess I was a bit rash" Jiya patted her head. "Let's get this party starting again!" After that, all the noise filled up the room. A few minutes later, Aoshi, excused himself, and started walking towards his room. Ayasu saw the look of longing in Misao's eyes, and she then made a decision.
Ayasu raised herself up, and quickly muttered a quick apology to the others, saying that she has to go use the restroom. She then walked hastily in the direction of Aoshi's faded steps.
"Shinomori-san! Hold on for a minute. I need to talk to you."
Aoshi, stopped, and waited until she was right by his side. He lowered his head, and waited for her to speak.
"I was wondering what made you lash out to Misao-chan back there. She meant no harm."
Aoshi stared forward, never looking at the girl next to him. "I think it's time for her to act her age for a change," he announced quietly.
"But we all know Misao-chan was just acting like her normal self. There's no reason to change that." Ayasu glared slightly to Aoshi. He remained quiet. Not breathing a word.
"Is that all you wanted to speak to me about?" he breathed out calmly.
"No." Ayasu sternly said. "I might've not been here for quite some time, but I can see that Misao-chan still looks up to you very highly, but it seems to me that you don't care about her feelings as much as she does for you," she said firmly.
Aoshi finally twisted his head to Ayasu, his eyes boring into her. "You are right. You haven't been here for a long time. So I advise not to make any rash decision of my insight on Misao." He then swiftly proceeded forward in the direction of his room, leaving a stunned girl behind him.
After the celebration had ended, everybody went back to their designated rooms to get a good night sleep; Ayasu and Misao started to chat about the events that took place that day.
"Aoshi-sama rarely yelled at me for what I do," Misao quietly announce, laying on a futon next to her friend, "but these last few days, it seems I've been a nuisance to him lately." She stared attentively at the ceiling above her.
"Don't let him get to you, Misao-chan. I'm sure he doesn't mean anything," Ayasu smiled kindly to her in the dark. Misao sighed deeply and gently rested her forearm over her closed eyelids, blocking out the moonlight shining brightly outside her room. "Gomen ne Ayasu." she said softly. "I guess this wasn't what you visualized on your first day back to the Aoiya." Ayasu just stared back at Misao's form silently.
"Well! Tomorrow's a new day!" Misao put up a determined fist in the air, erasing her serious state from before."I'm going to make it a great day, even if I have to drag you all around Tokyo to do it!"
Ayasu laughed at her friend's bold spirit. "Yup! And I'm going to keep that promise in mind Misao-chan! So don't you forget it!"
Both laughed happily, and started to talk energetically again for whole two hours.
Ayasu woke up in the middle of the night, thinking of only one thing. Shinomori-san. She couldn't get it out of her mind of how his eyes looked when he stared at her before in the hallway. Those big, intense, blue eyes. Ayasu shook her head feverishly. 'What's wrong with me? Why can't I get him out of my head?' she questioned herself silently. 'Maybe some fresh air will clear my mind.' She nodded to herself. With that, she stood up inaudibly and went out the door.
When her bare feet met the hard wooden floor, she felt herself shiver from the sudden iciness it gave. She walked until the edge of the porch.
Ayasu looked up towards the sky above and filled her lungs with the cold air.'What a beautiful night out,' She thought and let out a deep breath into the frisk, cool atmosphere. 'I wish I could stay here forever.'
"What are you still doing up?" a deep, low voice behind her interrupted her train of thoughts.
Ayasu turned around quickly and saw Aoshi standing in the dark, with a book in his hand.
"Shinomori-san," she gasped, "I-I didn't' know you were up this late." Just then, her body started to feel something.
Aoshi watched her for a moment.
Those same deep, ocean eyes again. Ayasu stared right back, it seems she couldn't look away. She then felt something terribly wrong again, this time, her heart started to beat faster than her normal heart rate.
Aoshi broke the gaze and started walking towards her. With each step he took, Ayasu's heart pounded more and more forcefully.
When they were just an inch apart, Aoshi swiftly walked past her, without a second glance. Their shoulders brushed off lightly, making Ayasu's heart beat uncontrollably again.
Thump thump Ayasu quickly clutched her chest with her fingers after Aoshi passed her. Thump thump thump 'Why is my chest beating heavily right now?' she asked herself frantically, tightly gripping her yukata with panic. She immediately turned her body around and glanced at the retreating form of the ex-Okashira. 'No, it can't be..'
Aaaand cut! Whoohoo! I finally finished! I'm so happy! Do a little happy dance Whoohoo! ahem Anyhoo Please review my story! It'll make me happy! Oh, and sorry if there areany grammar/spelling mistake. I'm kind of tired to proofread it so...yeah..Tell me if there's any mistake on how the characters name should be pronounce, like, I don't know if Aoshi calls Jiya 'Okina' or Okina-san', it probably won't make a difference, but I wanna be sure. Please review!
Toodles!