Unquestionable: Grannie? If I'm a granny, I dread to think what that would make you… hehehe… surely, surely you're a great-granny! Well, I've explained who Akane is in this chapter… go on reading. It's so sad, just look at my answers to the reviewers… if you don't understand, ask me in school…
Teh Tarik: Young lady? Wow… I have one calling me a young lady and unquestionable-san calling me a granny… hehehe… well, I am explaining, and isn't that a little too harst to call a poor person trying to write a fic… I don't ALWAYS end like that… do i?... well, anyway, I didn't end it like that this time….
Yuhi: Hey, thanks for reading… ei? You have a fic with the leading character name Meia? It's a nice name, isn't it?... well, we'll see… you like LOTR too? Did you read the book?
Chapter 8 - Understanding
'Hi mom!' Sendo greeted charmingly, a large smile decorating his face.
'Oh, hello Akira. How was the party?'
'Great! And hello, dad!' Sendo said, already reaching the foot of the stairs.
'Hey,' Mr. Sendo said, not looking up from the newspaper. Meia wrinkled her brows. Her brother had actually said that the party was great?! What? Does he have a short-term memory or something? She suppressed a sigh. As if reading her thoughts, Sendo added,
'Some weird stuff did happened, nothing much though.'
'Oh… okay, goodnight Akira, Meia.'
'Night, mom.'
'Night,' Meia said softly.
* * * * * * * *
Hanagata, Koshino and Hatina were on the only ones left, after they dropped of Mintei and both Fujimas back. Mintei's parents had requested that Mintei stayed a while in Fujima's house… the reason was still obscure to Mintei. She assumed that her parents went out for a movie or something, though she couldn't see why they had to ask her to stay in Varoa's house. It wasn't as if she was not accustomed to staying at home alone. She was still pondering over that when Hanagata had called out goodbye.
Sendo and Meia on the other hand had excused themselves earlier… together. Hanagata was more than a little surprised when Sendo announced that he was going home. Sendo was more of the out-going type, and he assumed that, like Varoa, he would love parties of this sort, but Koshino had told him that Sendo had never really bothered about parties like this. But the thing that really left his brain numb was the fact that Meia had left with him.
Is she still angry with me? They took a left turn, and walked on silently. Hanagata could see his house approaching nearer under the moonlight. Intuitively, he stopped. He could not face the night, he could not just go home without resolving this. He had to know if she was still mad.
'What's wrong?' Hatina asked, looking at him.
'You… did you by any chance notice the way Meia was looking at me? After I asked her to invite Mintei for a walk, I mean. She seemed so cold towards me after that… it's as if… I dunno. I saw her eyes… it seemed to reflect… hate? I mean… come on! And after that she just left with Sendo. Sendo! Of all persons! I mean, they hardly know each other, right? When I said bye, she didn't even wave back… God, what is wrong with her?!' Hanagata bursted out frustrated.
Hatina didn't reply, the scene that night replaying in her mind.
* * * * * * * *
'Who's that girl?' Akane asked, not even bothering to conceal her dislike for Meia.
'Meia Hitomi,' Varoa answered.
'Okay… so what is she doing?'
'She just asked Mintei for a walk. Why? You didn't come to see MIntei, did you?' Hanagata asked politely, but his eyes told a different story. Akane looked up at Hanagata, then dropped her eyes. It was quite obvious that for some reason, Akane respected Hanagata a little… maybe it was because of his brains that she didn't dare to bicker with him. He was definitely the only one among their group that she had any respect for. He, however, disliked Akane, but for both the Fujimas sake, never ever said it out aloud.
'No,' Akane said quietly. There was a short pause, until Varoa finally announced in a small voice that they should look for her brother. Akane allowed herself to be led away, throwing a last infuriated glance at the door where Mintei had last disappeared from.
Hatina let out a sigh of relieve as soon as they were out of earshot.
'That was close… man of all the biggest messes in my life, that was the very messiest one… if there is such a word… yeah I think there is….'
'Mess?' Hanagata asked, frowning, 'it wasn't your fault.'
'Nah… nothing. I didn't say anything. We have to make sure Akane stays away from Mintei though,' Hatina said, looking vexed.
'Yeah, I guess.'
Hanagata and Hatina met the other four squashed on a white swing, which was creaking under their weight. Mintei was still laughing at Sendo's antics, while Koshino just looked on. Hatina was glad that Mintei, at least, seemed to be acting as if nothing had ever happened. Meia however, was a different story. Her eyes, her body language…
* * * * * * * *
'Hanagata, maybe… I think there's something about Meia that you should know,' Hatina said quietly.
'Whoa, hold on. You can't just go on telling the whole world, you know,' Koshino cut in, looking indignant.
'Why not? Meia is….'
'Meia is who she is, and Sendo is my best friend. I think we should respect whatever decisions that they make. They can do what they want to do.'
'Chill, Hi-nii… it's not like I'm telling some unknown creep. I'm just telling Toru, that's all.'
Koshino scrutinized her intently, then with a sigh, muttered, 'I guess…'
'What? Are Sendo and Meia going out or something?'
'No… but would you be sad if they did?' Koshino asked playfully, receiving a whack on the back by Hatina.
'No… I don't think so,' Hanagata said, still a little blur on the things that were going on around him. Hatina sighed. Sometimes, Hanagata was just too innocent.
'Gosh, no, they are NOT going out. But, this is even more shocking. Meia's real name isn't Meia Hitomi. It's Sendo. She's Meia Sendo.' There was a long pause, before Hanagata finally burst out, 'Yeah right!'
'Yup, she's right,' Koshino chirped. 'They are siblings.'
'Guys… um… I know I'm blur, but I'm not stupid, you know.'
'Trust us, we know,' Hatina said quietly.
'Come on, Ti-chan, what are you up to now?'
'I'm not up to anything! I'm telling you the truth!' Hatina said indignantly. Hanagata stared at her a while, trying to decide whether she was pulling his leg or stating a fact. He decided that Hatina looked too serious to be playing a fool.
'But… what are they playing at? I mean… what is the whole damn point of concealing their identity like that? What is the freakin point?'
'Well… let's put it this way. You guys are the only few who actually took notice of her…,' Koshino started, and when he said that, Hanagata felt guilty, as he remembered asking Mintei why she had actually made friends with Meia…
* * * * * * * *
'Well, she seems a little weird… I dunno how to put it… how… why did you make friends with her anyway? I mean it's not exactly like you to do that…'
'Make friends? Varoa did that for me when Meia took one of the only two seats left in class, behind ours. Weird… you feel it too…' Mintei lapsed into a thoughtful silence.
* * * * * * * *
If it wasn't for Varoa, Meia would never be noticed by a bunch of jerks like us, Hanagata mused.
'… and I was the only one who knew that they were related… that was until Ti-chan broke through their pretence and told Mintei and you.' Koshino was saying. Hanagata replied with a blank look.
'Man… you are blur… okay, let me explain. I knew her because, and I would say, only because I'm a friend of the family, which means that I have been visiting them for a long time, since they were young.' Out of the corner of his eyes, Koshino saw Hatina's eyes widen in surprise. This was a part she had never heard of. He ignored her.
'But at that time I didn't really mix with them. I was an introvert… and I don't think you would mix with them either… they were… they seemed so complete. There was a time when they had actually came up to me and asked me to join them. I ran off. I didn't visit them for over nine years I think. And I think that was why Meia forgot me.
'They both grew, and seemed to change dramatically. The last time I saw them, Sendo was teaching her how to play basketball. She fell down a couple of times, and he kept pulling her up and checking her legs in the normal five-year-old fashion. He loved her a lot, and she loved him too. She always cheered him on, doing cute little dances. Few years ago, I met him in Junior High, and we soon became best buds. He remembered me, but I don't think she did. I only started going to Sendo's house last year anyway. And when I met her, she had already became the person you see now.'
'But… why?'
'Put yourselves in her shoes. Your brother is a well-known sports-star. He gets all the attention, but no one knows you. You're losing your self-confidence. Less people make friends with you, and those who do, forget you quickly. Worse than that, people start ignoring you…'
'But their relationship can't have just broken off, you know…. Something must have happened… or why didn't Sendo do anything about it?'
'Hey, Sendo was just a kid. You can't blame him… when he was little, he liked the attention, lots of people want to be popular anyway… although over the years he's come to hate it, he had liked it for a while. Sendo is really a talented guy. Obviously, he's great in basketball, he gets top five in the whole form, picked up drumming and guitar by himself… not to mention his extremely good way with people… he attracts people without even making an effort to. Meia felt… I believe she felt that there was an expectation to meet. Meia couldn't even make friends, she couldn't make her friends treasure her the way Sendo made his… and by being a Sendo, she had Akira to live up to, less her parents would ignore her. She felt as if she was losing to her brother… losing her brother. She must have felt as if God has placed her share of talents in her brother.'
'I uh… I gotta go,' Hanagata stammered… he had had enough shocks for one day. He didn't want to know more.
'Wait, I never got to tell you the answer to your question. The reason she seemed to look at you with hate. She must have seen something in you that reminded her of her brother… of what he used to be. You gave her high hopes of maybe being able to get her brother back… or at least get a replacement of her brother. Her hopes aren't easy to raise, and they fall far too easily. With just the wrong tone of voice, just the wrong usage of word, her hopes will come tumbling down.'
'Err… okay.' Hanagata paused for a while, then, 'Thanks.'
'Bye, Toru,' Hatina said in a small voice.
'See ya.'
'And Hanagata,' Koshino said.
'Yeah?'
'Don't tell anyone. Not even Fujima. They have their rights… if they don't want to be known as siblings, we should respect that.'
'Okay.'
Hanagata left for home, his mind whirling.
A/N: I know… it's terrible… and pretty boring, is it not? I mean all that happens in this chapter is Koshino explaining crap… oh, well, bear with me, ne? and tell me how to improve it!!
