Disclaimer: If you want a disclaimer, find it in the first chapter please. But just in case, please don't sue me! Escaflowne doesn't belong to me. It belongs rightfully to the maker of it, not me! ^^;;
Hi everyone, here is chapter 3 for you. It took me a while to deal with this one, due its lengthy plot that I am thinking about. I did this also during class as I wrote on paper to think about my sources. But I hope this is will turn out well for you guys. Thank you all for the reviews that you have given me and please enjoy the story. ^_^
And, if you love reading stories or bored to death, go ahead and read my other fics such as Escaflowne: Together Yoyokagirinaku. If you are looking for a Chrono Cross fic, then Angelus Errare is another my fics, yet you must deal with a long torturer of the chapters and everything, since it is my first fic after all.
But…anyways…onward to our feature presentation…
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Four years later…The clock slowly ticked as the professor waited patiently on his podium, keeping a sharp eye on every pupil in the room. They were all in rows, from bottom to top, their eyes glued to the test on each desk. Taking a deep breath, the professor looked at his wristwatch.
"Time's up!" called the professor boldly in the quiet classroom.
~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 3- Missing piece…
~*~*~*~*~
(Ans: Again with the sappy title. Sorry about that. I will change it until I think of a better one…)
"All right, everyone, please hand up your test and you may go."
The students all sighed and talked at once as they gathered their stuff and head down to their professor. Behind the crows, a young woman with long sandy light brown hair that reached to her waist slowly gathered her stuff and put it in her bag. Carefully, she neatly stalked her test, grabbed her bag, and went down, easily landing on her sneakers and casually walked to her sensei. "Ah, Kanzaki-dono. I am truly looking forward to reading your writing," said her professor happily as she handed him her ten page test.
"Arigatou," she said pleasantly with a respectful bow. "I really enjoyed your class this year, sensei. I hope to see you around school next year." With that, she bowed again and moved on her way.
~`~`~`~
Outside, a young woman with long, red, layered hair, wearing a light sleeveless shirt and a dark denim skirt, waited patiently by the tree. Her eyes suddenly lightened up and ran. "Hitomi!" called the girl, going to the teen.
"Yukari, hi!" Hitomi greeted. "How did you do?" Yukari gave a huge smile and gave a thumbs up. Hitomi smiled happily. "That's good to hear, Yukari!"
"Yeah, I know, especially since it's math. I just can't believe that our first year in Toudai is already over." Yukari stretched and yawned. "I'm just glad studying time is over! And vacation time is already here too."
Hitomi smiled and walked with her friend.
IT has been four, grueling years for Hitomi as she continued on her life without the presence of Van's existence. In high school, she scored number one in her class exams and became the high school class representative every beginning of each school year. Not only Hitomi was noticed by her efforts academically through math, writing, and art, she was a star athlete in Track and became captain after beating the school's record through a finals league. She'd always have a smile on her face whenever she was with her friends or even seen alone. It seemed that she has a carefree life without worrying about the surroundings around her. Even if some situations go grim, she never gave up and never frowned.
Now, after fours years of keeping high scores, being noticed by representatives of each college in Tokyo, doing community service and keeping her spirits up have led her to apply to University of Tokyo, where she would major in English/art/technology field.
"After four years in high school, you still are number one," said Yukari with a smile. "I can't believe that you scored number in finals this year. It's unbelievable that you can cram all that knowledge in that simple brain of yours."
"I'm not that smart. Sometimes it get tiring to cram all that knowledge into my brain at times, you know," said Hitomi, heaving a sigh as they crossed the pedestrian intersection.
"By the way, how is your family doing?" asked Yukari, changing the subject.
"They're doing fine. It gets lonely sometimes in there when I'm not around. Okaasan is doing well and so is Mamoru and his schoolwork. He's trying to beat my score which he won't in the lazy state he is in."
Yukari just shrugged and rolled her eyes. Typical high student.
For some time, as they walked around the busy streets of Tokyo, Hitomi and Yukari started to chitchat with hot gossips and usual girl conversations. Yukari once in a while would bring up about Amano, her boyfriend for 3 years now, and how her relationship is with him, yet skips around the subject once in a short while.
"Well, Hitomi, I'll see you around okay?" said Yukari, as she stopped near her living quarters. "Let's hang out with the others tomorrow alright?"
"Well," began Hitomi, thinking thoughtfully. "Tomorrow…I just want to rest from studying so much, but I would love to hang out with you and the girls at night in the Boba place tomorrow."
Yukari smiled widely. "Hey! No problem! We all need a rest right?" She gave a quick, friendly hug to Hitomi. "Well then, I'll call you up when there is changes okay? Ja ne!" With one wave, Yukari went up to her apartments with Hitomi watching her disappear.
~`~`~
After a while of zigzagging through streets and waiting patiently for each traffic light, Hitomi finally reached her apartment building, holding a grocery bag in her right arm. "Phew, all the food I needed," she said as she started up the stairs.
Something along the way caught Hitomi's eyes. Slowly, she peered in to see workers constructing the place. "It looks like I'll be having new neighbors soon," said Hitomi as she unlocked her apartment room. Scanning the wall with her hand, she found the light switch and turned it on, putting the grocery bag on top of the kitchen counter. As usual, her apartment is clean and neat with the exception of her textbooks, pencils, and papers lying all over the floor.
"I better tidy the place up a bit," she said, grabbing one textbook after another and putting them into the bookshelf near her television.
After the place is all scattered free of schoolwork, Hitomi went to the bathroom, had dinner, watched a little television, and went to a peaceful sleep, knowing that she would not have to wake up early for school.
~`~`~`~`~`~
Maeko and her husband walked along the sidewalks and climbed a yard of a certain huge two-story house just a few blocks from their house. In Maeko's arms, a young, beautiful baby girl slept peacefully without any disturbance. Akeno rang the doorbell as they approached the fancy porch of their new neighbors. The doorbell rang beautifully through the entire house. Instantly, a man with black, messy hair, wearing a long white shirt and baggy jeans, appeared at the door in front of them. "Hello," said Maeko with a smile, bowing gently, careful of the precious bundle within her arms. "We are Akeno and Maeko Kanzaki, your new neighbors just down the street."
A friendly smile emerged on the man's face. "Hello, it is very nice to meet you. Come in and join with us," greeted the man kindly as he ushered them into their lovely home. "My name is Gaou Fanel. I am very pleased to meet you both Maeko and Akeno."
The entrance way was very enchanting, with decorations of traditional Japanese art and architecture everywhere in the house. In the entrance hall, there were shoes lined up neatly, with a nice etching of a Japanese mat. Everything is all cream white and decorated except there was light everywhere in every house. It's as if the place is a Dojo without a Dojo itself.
In the Kanzaki's went to another traditional Japanese decoration living room of the Fanels. A young woman with long black hair, wearing casual attire with a blue robe around her, emerged from the kitchen, holding a plate full of pastries in her hands. "Oh dear, we have company," she said surprisingly.
"This is the Kanzaki's, dear," said Gaou with a smile. "It was a surprise welcome." He turned to the Kanzaki's. "This is my wife, Varie."
Varie smiled and shook Maeko and Akeno's hands with pleasure. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintances. Please, make yourselves at home and feel free to sit anywhere you want."
Slowly, Maeko and her husband sat their selves on the red and white pillows, watching as the two couples prepare their evening munch. "This is the first time we had neighbors come over to our house and welcome us," said Gaou, finally sitting himself across from Akeno after helping his wife set the things on the small, coffee table. "Most of our old neighbors back where we lived never took the time to come over since they think we are a weird family…if you noticed the style of decoration we have around the house."
"Oh no, no, we don't think of you that at all," said Maeko. "Me and Akeno love to meet new people and make new friends." Maeko looked around and instantly fell in love with the setting of the living room. "And I love how you made your theme around the house. It's so spacious and decorated that you can barely see any walls."
"Arigatou," said Varie, blushing. "I just can't stand empty space. It looks like you have a ghost on that wall or something whenever I look at walls. You would see me say that this wall should be decorated and everything."
Suddenly, the baby girl in Maeko's arms suddenly cried. "Oh dear." Maeko slowly rocked the little bundle in her arms, trying to lull the cute little cry.
"Oooh!" beamed Varie as she looked upon the baby girl. "What a cute little baby. So small and precious. What is her name, Maeko?"
"Her name is Hitomi," she said, gently shushing the baby. "She's our first born for two years now."
"What a coincidence," Varie said with a smile, clasping both of her arms excitedly. "We have one just about her age. He's quite the little rascal when he was born. Yet, he brightens our day every day with that smile of his. His name is Van."
"Mama!!" said a tiny, little voice coming out of the family room. Everyone turned around to find a small, little boy walking slowly to his mother, with his little black hair ruffled. Maeko couldn't stand the look of this cute, little boy. She just wanted to squeeze him like a teddy bear after looking into his little gorgeous reddish-brown eyes of his.
"He can walk by himself? At this kind of age?" asked a surprise Akeno, watching Chibi Van walk towards his mother, his little thumb inside his mouth.
"Yes," said Gaou with a proud expression on his face. "We never thought that he would learn to walk and speak after he turned one."
Slowly, the child went to his mother and looked with confusion in his face at the Kanzaki's. Yet, among the eyes, it seemed his eyes glimmered with curiosity. Maeko mentally note to herself how soft his hair look and how small he was compared to his mother's height. "Is there something wrong, Van-chan?" asked Varie as she held her little son lovingly in her arms.
"Mama…hungry," said Van, smiling cutely.
"I'm sorry, Van-chan, but you must wait," said Varie with a smile.
Little Van turned his little head to look at Maeko and Akeno, with little fear in his eyes. Changing the subject, he looked at his mother, fear replacing his ravenous hunger. "Mama…who?" asked Van, pointing at the Kanzaki's/
"Van, this is our new friends," said Varie pleasantly.
Van blinked a few times and smiled. "Hwello," he began with his babyish voice. "N-n-nice to meet you. I'm Van…"
Maeko couldn't help it. She whined like a schoolgirl deep in her mind. He was just so cute. "Hi Van, Im Mrs. Kanzaki and this is Mr. Kanzaki."
Suddenly, a rumbled started to be heard upstairs as a young 7-year-old boy with bluish-silver messy hair, similar to Gaou's, came down with a frantic expression on his face. "Otousan, Okaasan! I can't find Chibi Van anywhere!"
"Oniichan!!" screamed Van cheerfully as he saw his older brother, jumping up and down on his mother's lap, waving his small arms at his brother.
"Just too cute!" said Maeko once more.
"Oh thank god," he said, walking toward his family and grabbing his little brother gently. "You scared me there, Chibi Van."
Varie smiled and turned to Maeko. "This is our first son, Folken. Folken, these people are our new neighbors, Maeko and Akeno Kanzaki."
Slowly putting down Van, who was fidgeting all the while, to the ground, Folken smiled and bowed before the Kanzaki's.
Once more, as the commotion around the atmosphere started to grow uneasy for the little bundle, Hitomi gave Maeko her undivided attention, crying from the uneasiness. "Oh dear. It must be one of those days when she hates loud noise." Maeko gently rocked the baby back and forth, lulling her back to sleep. During this time, Akeno and Gaou started a heated discussion about their lives, being the men as they are when it comes to mechanical concepts and other manly things start to bring forth. Folken grabbed one of the pastries on the table and joyfully ate it, watching Van whining that he wants some too. Varie moved and sat beside Maeko, with Van in her arms.
"Mama…I want some what Oniichan is eating."
"No, Van, not yet," said Varie, giggling at her younger son and his big appetite. "Sometimes, I think little Van here spends too much time with his older brother. He is starting to act like him in the eating department."
"I can see that," said Maeko with a smile. "Your family is so interesting to know about. Maybe we should have a little get together party at our house sometimes."
"I would love that, Maeko. And I know Folken does too when something is mentioned about parties. You know…like Gyoza and chicken dumplings."
"Huh? Did someone say chicken dumplings?" asked Folken as he caught into his mother's conversation, his mouth instantly watering. Varie and Maeko shared a pleasant laugh as they watched Folken scold his mother for tricking him, which made Maeko laugh even more.
During this time as the two mothers were discussing about their lives and other humorous situations between their husbands, Van wondered his eyes around the room absentmindedly. Little did he know, the young Hitomi was looking at him curiously. Noticing something is watching him, little Van turned his little head to meet little green eyes. For a moment, Van and Hitomi stared at each other, with no emotion in their cute little faces. Varie noticed the lingering face that Van worn. She looked down and stared where he was looking at. She smiled, as she finally comprehended where her little boy was staring at intently.
"Your daughter is beautiful," commented Varie as she took a glance of a now calmed Hitomi. "She has your eyes and the father's ears. One day, she would grow to be a beautiful woman."
Maeko smiled at Varie's comment, trying to sooth Hitomi just in case she attempts to cry again.
Van was now near his mother, still staring at Hitomi curiously. Varie notices the gaze of her son's expression and smiled, knowing that once Van is interested in something, there is nothing that would get him out of it. Slowly, he stood up and walked over to Maeko. Within that moment, he peered cautiously at Hitomi, her green eyes starring back at Van. Maeko smiled at the cute little boy and moved Hitomi a bit towards Van, giving him a closer look at her first child. "Van, I would like you to meet Hitomi," said Maeko.
"Hi-to-mi," he said, pronouncing each syllable of the girl's name. Slowly, a smile spread through his childish, curious face. "Hwello, Hitomi, I'm Van."
Hitomi blinked a few time and starred at Van and his reddish-brown eyes. She couldn't quite understand what Van was saying at the moment. Her face was still the same, clueless expression. "Can…can you say Van?" asked Van, cocking his tiny little head. (Ans: Just too cute!! ^^)
Maeko sighed sadly and looked at Varie. "Somehow, we can't get Hitomi to talk. Even simple names such as Mama or Dada, she couldn't hear the words we are saying. Mostly, she would give out this goo goo or ga ga sounds whenever she wants milk or "adada, adada" when she wants to eat something."
Van's smile was there. "Hitomi, can you say Van?"
"He's still trying," said Varie. "Once he's at, he never gives up."
"Come on, Hitomi. Can you say my name?" asked Van.
Hitomi simply giggled at Van's puppy dog eyes. He continuously pleaded many times for Hitomi to say his name. Yet, at that moment, Hitomi began to pull off a small grin. "V-v-v…" she muttered, opening her tiny little mouth. "V-a-n…"
Maeko looked down with a surprise look on her face. "Hitomi? Did…you say something?" By the tone of Maeko's voice, Varie looked down at Van and Hitomi, with Folken by her. Gaou and Akeno's conversation seize to a halt and went to join the others. Gaou, by the meantime, managed to grab a small video camera behind the couch, turning it on as he aimed at the gathered people around Hitomi. Everyone's attention was directed to the young Hitomi in her mother's arms and chibi Van, smiling and jumping up and down.
"Could it be?" said Varie, looking at the child and at Van.
"Mama, she said my name! She said my name!"
Slowly, Maeko looked at Varie's eyes with shock. "I…thought I just heard Hitomi say something…like Van?"
Once again, Hitomi smiled. "Van!!" she said with more enthusiasm.
"Oh my!" beamed a proud Maeko. "Honey, Hitomi said her first word! I don't believe this! She said her first word!" Gaou smiled and zoomed in the picture between Van and Hitomi.
"My little girl," said Akeno proudly. "She said her first word!"
"Van! Van! Van! Van! Van! Van!"
~`~`~`~`~`~`
From the world outside, the sun reached its peak and peered through Hitomi's window. Her emerald eyes slowly opened from her pleasant sleep. When she saw the sun consume the light around her room, she closed them back and turned away from the glare that is threatening her to wake up. For a few minutes, Hitomi fell back asleep peacefully without a care in the world.
BAM!!
Hitomi quickly sat up, her eyes widening as she tried catching her breath.
"ONNIICHAN! YOU IDIOT! I TOLD YOU THAT THERE ARE BOXES IN FRONT OF YOU!" yelled a voice behind her wall.
"Sorry, sorry," said another voice.
"God, what's going?" said Hitomi, scratching her head as she headed into her bathroom.
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
The noises still kept on when Hitomi started making breakfast, wincing once in a while from those clumsy noises. "Poor person," said Hitomi as she slowly put the finished fried potstickers on her plate from the black pan. "I know how they feel when they move into these kind of apartments." Hitomi thought pleasantly when she first moved into her apartment, giggling as she remembered she would fall into her boxes every minute she passes by to put one thing on side and another on another side. Her mother would scold her for her clumsy movements.
Taking one little sigh, Hitomi began to eat her breakfast joyfully, entertained by the noises that seemed it gone on forever.
"Agh! ONIICHAN! HOW MANY TIMES I TOLD YOU THAT--"
"—THERE BOXES EVERYWHERE! I know, I know! But I can't help it since this apartment is so small. Your acting like Okaasan these days." A girly giggle was heard after Hitomi just smiled and continued on with her breakfast.
~`~`~`~`~`~`
Strapping on her shoes, Hitomi looked in the mirror. In that mirror, she saw herself, wearing a white tied spaghetti strap shirt and a blue denim pants that flared in the bottom. Her hair long, sandy brown hair was curled a bit and she smiled to herself, satisfied with her appearance. Grabbing her little Chococat decorated purse, she was ready to meet up with her friends at the Boba hangout.
It was a beautiful afternoon when Hitomi stepped out, locking her door securely. As she turned around, she noticed stacks of boxes were piled on the other side of the railings. Hitomi's eyes brightened when she caught a glimmer of light coming from the door. "So that's where the sounds are coming from," she said, walking passed the door. Hitomi continued her way down the stairs, reaching the ground within ten seconds. Slowly, she turned the corner to reach the small parking lot at her apartment building.
"I guess people are staying home this afternoon," she said, seeing the cars all lined up in the parallel white markings. Her eyes scanned the area and trudged along. When she wandered just a few feet away from the apartment building, her eyes caught on a white car that looks very different from the rest. Hitomi's eyes grew in excitement and went there, observing the car from a safe distance. "I don't believe it! A Nissan Skyline!" she beamed, peering inside the passenger seat. "This person must of spent a fortune to this car!"
It was remarkable to Hitomi as she saw the rarely seen Nissan Skyline parked in her apartment building. It's rims shone brightly through the afternoon light, all clean and fixed. It may seem like an ordinary car, yet it holds great horsepower and speed.
"Hey!" said a voice from above. Hitomi gasped and looked up. "I'm gonna grab something to eat over at the Chinese food stand near the marketplace. Do you want anything?" Hitomi was relieved that the person coming down the stairs was not looking into her direction.
"I better go or he might think I must be a thief." Quickly, she went straight to the main street.
"Okay, you just want orange chicken and fried rice? Okay, got it."
Slowly, the figure walked down the stairs, grabbing his keys from his pocket. He looked up to see Hitomi walking to the main street. He wore a curios look on his expression. "Hmm, must be another newbie who wants to check out my car," he simply said and opened the door to his car.
~`~`~`~`~`~`
As time grew throughout the city of Tokyo, the streetlights start to appear one by one as stores and buildings begin to light up the darken streets. Within a few minutes, Tokyo was filled with beautiful lights that look as if it was Christmas in the spring.
Hitomi trudged along the sidewalks of Tokyo, happily looking at the sights before her. She could not help but feel fascinated by these lights, even though she lived in Tokyo all her life. Of course, Hitomi only lived in the neighborhoods in Tokyo, almost 15 miles away from Downtown Tokyo and she rarely get to see the lights in the city since she only gone to and fro to her school during her younger years.
"Pretty," she said, stopping her pace as she looked at the televisions between the buildings. They showed advertisements of products, anime, and such, even though some people would not pay any heed to due their long walk to places in the big capital.
"Hey Hitomi!" yelled a voice from behind. Hitomi's eyes brightened and turned around to see a young woman about her age with long, curly-blonde hair and violet eyes, waving to Hitomi.
"Millerna!" beamed Hitomi as she met up with her and gave her a hug.
"I missed you soo much Hitomi!" said Millerna as she let go, looking into Hitomi's green eyes. "It's been so long since I last seen you."
Hitomi closed her eyes and gave a grin. "Yes, I know! I'm sorry if I haven't called you this passed year, but I was so busy doing this and that in Tokyo U."
"It's okay, Hitomi! I understand what you are going through. It's the same for me in my school."
Since the freshmen year of high school, Hitomi and Millerna Aston, in sophomore year since she skipped a grade due to great intellect, became instant best friends after a run in during the first day of school. Since then, they were inseparable along with Yukari. After Millerna reached senior year, they took their separate paths as Millerna went to college to achieve to become a pediatric in medical college.
"So, Yukari called you up?" asked Hitomi as they begin to walk towards the desired place.
"Of course! I heard you guys were on vacation now and Yukari called me up to hang out with you guys today to catch up on old times," said Millerna, grinning widely.
Hitomi simply nodded and looked at the city perspective before her. "Can you believe it has been 2 years since we didn't see each other. It has been so long, yet it seems time flew by so quickly."
Millerna nodded in agreement. "But, you have changed so much. You used to have short hair, short height, and a young face. You could pass being a junior high school senior. Now, you look more of an adult with your long hair, except with the height and facial features. I almost didn't recognize you until I saw that white silver pendant around your neck." Hitomi looked down at her necklace and held it firmly in her hands. She said nothing more, looking at the pendant with strange, cloudy green eyes. Millerna cocked her head and raised an eyebrow, wondering the confused expression on Hitomi's expression.
Slowly, Hitomi let the pendant dangle around her neck, letting it sway through her movement. She looked at Millerna and simply smiled, "So, how is school for you?"
"It's going fine," said Millerna, pausing for a moment. "It's hard work, but I'll manage since I truly want to help little children from their illness. Dryden is supporting me as much as possible to reach my dream. He is usually off and around somewhere, being the merchant he is to find goods for his job to sell. Oh well, at least I have some time for myself." In front of them, they could see the Boba shop. "What about you? I heard from Yukari that you've been busy studying your brains out."
"Well, what Yukari said is true," said Hitomi. "It's not an easy task to study in Tokyo U since they expect a lot from you. But of course I'm highly academic since I want to reach my dream too. But anyways…" Hitomi spotted Yukari and Amano, with Eries, Millerna's older sister, in the Boba place, sitting and already chatting away. "…We better head in or they would start without us." Millerna nodded and they both went in to the Boba place, the girls' favorite hang out during their high school years.
~`~`~`~`~
For the next few hours, Hitomi and her friends chatted away, enjoying each other's company after two year of not sharing a delightful drink of Boba with variety of flavors. The girls chatted, remembering idly about high school, shopping at the mall, playing at arcades, karaoke, and television shows. Amano, once in a while, would roll his eyes, grudging the fact that Yukari is telling her friends about one of his embarrassing moments and the fact that he is the only guy among the girls.
Hitomi sighed contentedly as she took another sip of her Mango slush Boba, feeling the juicy liquid tingle her eager taste buds and sinking to her hollow stomach. "I love this flavor," said Hitomi, gulping down the shredded pieces of the tapioca.
"Of course, you do because that's the only flavor you always order in the pass year," said Yukari, giggling at her friend. Millerna and Eries joined Yukari with her laugh, mocking Hitomi playfully with her childish behavior.
"That's goes for you too," said Hitomi.
"Hehe," Yukari laugh nervously, scratching her head as a sweatdrop formed in her upper cheek. "You got me there."
"It is great to see all," said Eries, taking another sip of her drink. "I don't know how long ago was it since we had this fun get together." She looked at her cell phone and her eyes twitched a bit, realizing something. "You guys don't believe this."
"What is it sister?" asked Millerna.
"Do you remember Folken?" asked Eries, putting her cell phone away into her black purse. The four friends suddenly stopped with their drinks and looked at Eries as she mentioned Folken Fanel, Van Fanel's older brother. Since the funeral, he never seemed to contact them and was never heard from again. Now, as Eries mentions Folken, a weird silence came between Hitomi, Millerna, Yukari, and Amano, looking at Eries with bewildered eyes.
"D-did I hear right?" asked Yukari, a single sweet coming down her brow. "Did you say Folken? Van Fanel's older brother?"
"Van??" thought Hitomi surprisingly, cocking her head.
"Yes," said Eries bluntly. "Recently, I received an e-mail from him and said that he was terribly sorry for not contacting us for such a long time. He said he had some business to take care of since he is the only adult Fanel member and he has been so busy that he was not able to contact us."
"So, what business is he taking care of?" asked Yukari. "It's not like him to be so busy since he is so neat and organize that he has spare time to make up the rest and hang out with us or his friends."
Eries settled her cup down on the table. "Well, it is mostly unexpected business since his father works on an import car company. Folken is taking his father's place for now to deal with unfinished business that his father left behind. Apparently, the work seems to take long, so Folken has long way to go."
"But now he's done?" asked Millerna.
Eries replied to her younger sister's question, nodding her head. "Now, he is finishing college to start his own business regarding to his father's career."
"Maybe it's time for me to call him up," said Amano. "We could hang out and have a drink or two like old times."
All were silent as they took a drink at the same time, thinking about the tragedy that took place in such a long time ago. Mostly, Yukari and Millerna were silent, rethinking about the past. Hitomi looked around her, noticing the awkward silence.
"Do you remember when Van used to come around and make everything seem boring fun?" asked Yukari, looking up at Amano with a sad smile.
Amano's downcast eyes suddenly lighten, after a thought struck his mind. "Yeah, I remember when we look bored enough to fall asleep, he instantly starts to perk things up a bit."
Everyone started to smile fondly. "Yeah, and then he is the kind of person to be superstitious over things like school on April Fool's? I would always see him running to school because every time he thinks school is on May 1. It's like a daily routine for him but he always make it in time."
"It seems that Van is such a nice guy. When Hitomi was in Freshmen year, she would always talk about him," said Millerna. "It was sad to hear that he died. Pity, then this gang wouldn't be missing something."
Yukari looked at Hitomi, noticing the downcast look as she firmly held her cup in both pf her hands. Throughout the whole conversation, Hitomi never spoke a word within their discussion. Usually she would instantly come in and talk about it no matter what. Regardless how much it would hurt her to mention her past love, Hitomi would gladly tell them how special he was. Yet, somehow, when Yukari looked at her friend, she had the blankest expression on her face. "Hitomi?" Hitomi looked up by the mention of her name. "Do you still think about him? About Van? Don't you want talk about him?"
"Huh?!" said Hitomi incredulously, backing up slightly on her seat.
"Hitomi…you know…Van? The person you cared for dearly since you were 4 years old?" asked Yukari, surprised by Hitomi's actions.
"You know…how Van is such a cute, lovable person that you can't take your eyes off of. The Van that you fondly speak about and the jerk, which I'm not going to say that he is about him, who doesn't call or keep in touch with you and hurt you so much?" Millerna joined, staring at Hitomi fiercely.
For a few moments, Hitomi was silent as she stared at Amano, then at Yukari, Eries, and then to Millerna. All of her friends were looking at her with curious eyes. Hitomi could feel herself cower with their icy stares, making her feel uneasy between them. Sounds of blenders consumed the remaining silence with people in front and behind chatting and drinking.
"Hitomi?" said Yukari, breaking the uneasiness of the silence. "Well?"
She looked at her best friend and slowly raised an eyebrow. Finally, Hitomi managed to open her mouth and spoke. With the words that she spoke, the eyes of her friends turned from curiousness to surprise. Millerna's hand flew to her dropping mouth and Eries just stared at Hitomi, sweet striking her face and dropped from her chin. Amano paled and Yukari just looked at her friend with utter belief. "W-w-w-what did you…?" stammered Amano.
"Who's Van?"
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Well you guys, here is chapter 3 for you. Unfortunately, I leave it here for now. Ironic, isn't it? Of how Hitomi suddenly forgotten. What made her be in this state? Well, anyways, I hope you enjoy this fic and please be sure to review. Ideas are open! Until next time, arigatou and Ja ne! ^_^
~*Kuti*~