Disclaimer: I'm only using FoR and its characters for the fun of it! It doesn't belong to me.
A Cup of Tea
Chapter 10
The cry of nature continued on without ever missing a beat. The stars have been completely veiled by the dark cloak of her seemingly eternal mourning. Its melancholic aria soon stepped up a crescendo as the wind gave a sudden bellow and the rain poured even harder.
Underneath the tragic rendition of the cosmos, the figure of two persons braving the wrath of nature could be made out. The taller one pulled the girl closer as the strong wind blew in their direction. The umbrella was long forgotten, as it was too weak against the forces of universe. The teenagers quickened their pace as it rained even more.
Fuuko Kirisawa fought the languor that was slowly creeping up her senses. She was too tired to carry herself and the tempest before her wasn't helping much. Her frail body was nothing against the strong gusts of wind coming her way. And aside from her current physical handicap, the emotional confusion she was going through right at that moment was getting close to unbearable. To just touch Tokiya Mikagami on the hand gave her these uneasy, tingling sensations, what more now, that she is enveloped in his protective arms.
The reality of it all was too much too take. She found it odd, even, that she could already feel haggard just by exposing herself to wrought-up feelings and violent downpours. Surely she has more stamina that this. She fought in the UBS for crying out loud.
But she felt really, really tired now. Her knees were so ready to give way…
Mikagami immediately caught Fuuko as her limp body swayed violently towards the pavement.
"I'm such a fool," she mumbled almost inaudibly.
He adjusted his hold on her before replying, "So am I."
The girl tilted her head a bit to look at him, only to see a vague, blurry picture of the ensui-wielder. Stray wisps of her hair marred her vision, and her dizziness was still extant, but she held on to him still, knowing that with him, she was safe to say the least.
Tokiya tucked the locks of her purple hair behind her ears, but he pointedly avoided her questioning gaze, and the unspoken question it asked. Even he didn't know why he chased after her. Perhaps it was because he had been a terrible host, making his guest leave without as much as an umbrella in the middle of a storm. But then again, he wasn't aware that it was raining even. Or maybe it was this thing that he didn't want to admit. That the minute he heard the door slam close, he suddenly felt as if she would be gone…
Forever? Not bloody likely. As ardent as he knew his feelings were, he knew where to draw the lines. Fuuko Kirisawa would never be gone forever. It was possible, but not highly probably.
But he knew that their forced acquaintance of sorts would be terribly affected. What he had with her earlier, he knew, wasn't forced. And perhaps so more than what could be called an acquaintance. It was something like… friendship. Something he had never had in a long time. He didn't want to lose that, after he realized how differently pleasant he felt around her.
That made him the fool he was right now.
They stumbled their way inside the house unceremoniously, with Tokiya slamming the door shut with a quick shove of his foot.
Fuuko immediately wrenched away from his protective hold, still adamant and stubborn as she is, refusing to yield to all this new feelings rousing from her once again. She didn't even want to try figuring out why he went after her. He was probably fearful of the fact that if she got sick because he let her leave his place without as much as an umbrella, Yanagi would forever renounce his presence in her life.
Although she knew that her assumption could be true, she was more or less positive that there was more to Mikagami's action than what she places it to be. But she didn't want to know.
Even if she already knew... Rather, both of them knew.
In that moment, with her standing in all her lost hope under the rain, with him coming after her to shield her from the storm, with them facing nature's wrath together as they went back-it definitely looked like something that came out from a cheesy romance novel, but it was life's way-their way, of conveying without the power of words, that he was sorry, and she too was sorry, and since they have admitted and accepted their faults, they can start over again…
"Mikagami?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks…"
He nodded in return. Gratitude, he knew always meant a lot of things-not necessarily only for the object it was thanked for.
"Um, so can I get an umbrella now and go home?"
"You're staying for the night."
The girl ceased all ongoing mind games and stared at him with a surprised look mirrored in her face. "What?!"
"You're staying here for the night," he repeated in a no-nonsense voice. "I can't let you go out in this weather, umbrella or no umbrella."
Fuuko wasn't able to help herself as she asked in a somehow biting manner. "Why, 'coz you think Yanagi-chan'll never forgive you if I get sick?"
It was now time, he believed, to take the silly notion that all he did with her had something to do with Yanagi as the foundation off her head. He knew as light and jovial as Fuuko is, her brain functioned in a rate faster than the rest of her peers. It was already a given that Fuuko would've thought about Yanagi sometime throughout the course of her short stay here.
"I'm not doing any this because of Yanagi. I'm doing this for your welfare, Kirisawa."
"Yeah right, whatever!" but nevertheless, Fuuko was somewhat swayed by his seemingly genuine care.
Tokiya ignored her and made his way to the staircase.
"Oi, where are you going?!" Fuuko cried and ran up to follow him.
"Upstairs, to shower and dry up," he stated in a casual voice, and in a rare moment of mischief, added "Why? Want to join?"
The stunned wind-wielder gaped at him, shocked at his suggestion. It seemed like something Domon and Recca would say, and if they said it, they'd crack up immediately. But Tokiya Mikagami still had his straight face on and didn't even flinch a bit when he said those words, which made her wonder if he really was serious.
Noticing her apparent surprise and the lack of words coming from her open mouth, Mikagami chuckled. "I was kidding Kirisawa."
"Of course I knew that!" she retorted. "Why one earth would anyone want to see YOU naked?!"
He smirked as they both made their way upstairs. "You'd be surprised, Kirisawa, that normal red-blooded females would willingly empty their bank accounts just to see that sight," he gave her a sidelong glance. "But then you'd never know…"
"Are you saying I'm not female?!"
"I'm insinuating the suggestion that you might not have normal red blood like the rest of the female population."
The girl stuck her tongue at him and crossed her arms. "You don't even like those girls, Mi-chan."
Which is the reason why I'm here talking with you, he replied in his mind. But then he didn't think he'd come along saying that aloud. Ever. As long as she is with him.
He was given another chance tonight. And he better not mess it up. It definitely wasn't about tea anymore. And it is unquestionably more than the arrangement of pride. Somehow, he half-expected this unorthodox allegory to go with Fuuko prying herself in his life, like she always does. But it was different now. He has intentionally destroyed the boundary he had set upon himself. Was he that desperate to be known? To be understood? To be cared for? And even to be…
Loved?
TBC
Happy New Year everyone! Just came from China and it was so cold there. I'm writing chapter 12 already, and I'm expecting to end things by chapter 13. So there. I think my pacing's kinda slow. Imgaine, 13 chapters for a span of 4 days!
A Cup of Tea
Chapter 10
The cry of nature continued on without ever missing a beat. The stars have been completely veiled by the dark cloak of her seemingly eternal mourning. Its melancholic aria soon stepped up a crescendo as the wind gave a sudden bellow and the rain poured even harder.
Underneath the tragic rendition of the cosmos, the figure of two persons braving the wrath of nature could be made out. The taller one pulled the girl closer as the strong wind blew in their direction. The umbrella was long forgotten, as it was too weak against the forces of universe. The teenagers quickened their pace as it rained even more.
Fuuko Kirisawa fought the languor that was slowly creeping up her senses. She was too tired to carry herself and the tempest before her wasn't helping much. Her frail body was nothing against the strong gusts of wind coming her way. And aside from her current physical handicap, the emotional confusion she was going through right at that moment was getting close to unbearable. To just touch Tokiya Mikagami on the hand gave her these uneasy, tingling sensations, what more now, that she is enveloped in his protective arms.
The reality of it all was too much too take. She found it odd, even, that she could already feel haggard just by exposing herself to wrought-up feelings and violent downpours. Surely she has more stamina that this. She fought in the UBS for crying out loud.
But she felt really, really tired now. Her knees were so ready to give way…
Mikagami immediately caught Fuuko as her limp body swayed violently towards the pavement.
"I'm such a fool," she mumbled almost inaudibly.
He adjusted his hold on her before replying, "So am I."
The girl tilted her head a bit to look at him, only to see a vague, blurry picture of the ensui-wielder. Stray wisps of her hair marred her vision, and her dizziness was still extant, but she held on to him still, knowing that with him, she was safe to say the least.
Tokiya tucked the locks of her purple hair behind her ears, but he pointedly avoided her questioning gaze, and the unspoken question it asked. Even he didn't know why he chased after her. Perhaps it was because he had been a terrible host, making his guest leave without as much as an umbrella in the middle of a storm. But then again, he wasn't aware that it was raining even. Or maybe it was this thing that he didn't want to admit. That the minute he heard the door slam close, he suddenly felt as if she would be gone…
Forever? Not bloody likely. As ardent as he knew his feelings were, he knew where to draw the lines. Fuuko Kirisawa would never be gone forever. It was possible, but not highly probably.
But he knew that their forced acquaintance of sorts would be terribly affected. What he had with her earlier, he knew, wasn't forced. And perhaps so more than what could be called an acquaintance. It was something like… friendship. Something he had never had in a long time. He didn't want to lose that, after he realized how differently pleasant he felt around her.
That made him the fool he was right now.
They stumbled their way inside the house unceremoniously, with Tokiya slamming the door shut with a quick shove of his foot.
Fuuko immediately wrenched away from his protective hold, still adamant and stubborn as she is, refusing to yield to all this new feelings rousing from her once again. She didn't even want to try figuring out why he went after her. He was probably fearful of the fact that if she got sick because he let her leave his place without as much as an umbrella, Yanagi would forever renounce his presence in her life.
Although she knew that her assumption could be true, she was more or less positive that there was more to Mikagami's action than what she places it to be. But she didn't want to know.
Even if she already knew... Rather, both of them knew.
In that moment, with her standing in all her lost hope under the rain, with him coming after her to shield her from the storm, with them facing nature's wrath together as they went back-it definitely looked like something that came out from a cheesy romance novel, but it was life's way-their way, of conveying without the power of words, that he was sorry, and she too was sorry, and since they have admitted and accepted their faults, they can start over again…
"Mikagami?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks…"
He nodded in return. Gratitude, he knew always meant a lot of things-not necessarily only for the object it was thanked for.
"Um, so can I get an umbrella now and go home?"
"You're staying for the night."
The girl ceased all ongoing mind games and stared at him with a surprised look mirrored in her face. "What?!"
"You're staying here for the night," he repeated in a no-nonsense voice. "I can't let you go out in this weather, umbrella or no umbrella."
Fuuko wasn't able to help herself as she asked in a somehow biting manner. "Why, 'coz you think Yanagi-chan'll never forgive you if I get sick?"
It was now time, he believed, to take the silly notion that all he did with her had something to do with Yanagi as the foundation off her head. He knew as light and jovial as Fuuko is, her brain functioned in a rate faster than the rest of her peers. It was already a given that Fuuko would've thought about Yanagi sometime throughout the course of her short stay here.
"I'm not doing any this because of Yanagi. I'm doing this for your welfare, Kirisawa."
"Yeah right, whatever!" but nevertheless, Fuuko was somewhat swayed by his seemingly genuine care.
Tokiya ignored her and made his way to the staircase.
"Oi, where are you going?!" Fuuko cried and ran up to follow him.
"Upstairs, to shower and dry up," he stated in a casual voice, and in a rare moment of mischief, added "Why? Want to join?"
The stunned wind-wielder gaped at him, shocked at his suggestion. It seemed like something Domon and Recca would say, and if they said it, they'd crack up immediately. But Tokiya Mikagami still had his straight face on and didn't even flinch a bit when he said those words, which made her wonder if he really was serious.
Noticing her apparent surprise and the lack of words coming from her open mouth, Mikagami chuckled. "I was kidding Kirisawa."
"Of course I knew that!" she retorted. "Why one earth would anyone want to see YOU naked?!"
He smirked as they both made their way upstairs. "You'd be surprised, Kirisawa, that normal red-blooded females would willingly empty their bank accounts just to see that sight," he gave her a sidelong glance. "But then you'd never know…"
"Are you saying I'm not female?!"
"I'm insinuating the suggestion that you might not have normal red blood like the rest of the female population."
The girl stuck her tongue at him and crossed her arms. "You don't even like those girls, Mi-chan."
Which is the reason why I'm here talking with you, he replied in his mind. But then he didn't think he'd come along saying that aloud. Ever. As long as she is with him.
He was given another chance tonight. And he better not mess it up. It definitely wasn't about tea anymore. And it is unquestionably more than the arrangement of pride. Somehow, he half-expected this unorthodox allegory to go with Fuuko prying herself in his life, like she always does. But it was different now. He has intentionally destroyed the boundary he had set upon himself. Was he that desperate to be known? To be understood? To be cared for? And even to be…
Loved?
TBC
Happy New Year everyone! Just came from China and it was so cold there. I'm writing chapter 12 already, and I'm expecting to end things by chapter 13. So there. I think my pacing's kinda slow. Imgaine, 13 chapters for a span of 4 days!