[Chi's work]

Chapter 2: Seeing all of You Again.

I step out of the gate where of the arrivers were going through to meet their loved ones that have been waiting anxiously for them to come out from the airport. I look around, searching for any familiar faces. It has been six long years ever since I left this place. It was six years ago that my new parents decided to send me to the US where the best doctors were. They wanted me to be treated by the doctors with best recognition and make sure that I have my voice back. There in the US, I had been examined and tested, but nothing they did helped me gain my voice back. During all these years I hope for every day that I would be able to return home the next day. My wish finally came true. It was lonely in US without my quiet friend, Rui. It was just last week that I would take no more of the loneliness. I decided to come back whether Mom likes it or not. I have survived all these years with no problem. I doubt that it would make much differences if I ever recover. I don't want to waste my time in a foreign country, seeing people that I don't care.

It was mystery a to me why the highly status couple would want to take me into their family. I found out about the reason shortly after I moved into their mansion. The house they lived in can only be described as the castles in fairytales. I felt like I was Cinderella, one of my favorite fairytales. Me, who is dirty and filthy in the dump of the orphanage is rescued to live in the castle-like home. What more could I ask? The size of my bathroom was the size of my bedroom in the orphanage. Not long after I moved in, I over heard the conversation of Mr. and Mrs. Hanazawa whom I now call Mom and Dad. I can't make out all the exact words now. It was just too long ago. But their conversation involved me and the reason why I am living with them. They were worried for Rui, for he never speak or show any emotions. They wanted someone to be with him so bring him out of his shell. They wanted to give him a little brother or sister, but Mom has her own problem and is not able to bear another child. So, the next best thing is to find him one among all those children that no one wants, which I am one of them. They chose me because it is the first some Rui would stand up and show his emotion for someone. I felt special by that and finally for the first time, I felt useful. I didn't feel like as much of a "Waste-of-space" or a burden to the world anymore. I have found the reason for me to be here and to live. I didn't really feel used as both Mom and Dad treat me greater than I can ever ask. They let me study in the finest school, and dress me in the finest clothes. I was like a princess.

"Tsukushi."

I faintly hear someone calling my name. Yes, Tsukushi is my name. Makino Tsukushi. I kept my original family name. At first they insisted that I should change my name to Hanazawa Tsukushi. However, I didn't want to forget my family and who I am. Seeing my determination, they didn't force me to do something strongly against my will.

I turn to look around to see who called my name. Searching frantically among the crowd, I cannot wait anymore...I have waited way too long. It isn't very hard to find the people I am looking for, since they are all finely dressed and well, HOT is the word, comparing to all those plain, ordinary people around them. They are all here. Nishikado Soujiro, Mimasaka Akira, Doumyouji Tsukasa, and last by not least, Hanazawa Rui.

"Tsukushi," Rui says again, in one of his calm tone, while I, who is already jumping with joy, pounce on him, wrapping both my arms around his neck. He, in return, wraps his arm around me, brushing the long hair that descends to my back. Tears are starting to form, but I don't care and let them roll down my cheeks. Rui, who seems to know already that I am crying even when he can't see my face, chuckles at my silliness. I finally let go of him and he wipes the tears off my face with his thumb and says, "Welcome home." I nod.

I look at the smiling Soujiro and Akira that are surrounding us. They are still the same. They would always put on a smile in front of anything that is of the opposite sex. Don't they know that their charm doesn't work on me? Tsukasa looks at me, studying me from head to toe. He isn't smiling though. Perhaps he is pretending to be his obnoxious cool self again. Tsukasa spreads open his arms and reaches toward me. With quick reflexes, I lift my arm ready to punch him since I thought he wants to start another fight like usual, but stopped half way from my goal.

"What's wrong with you?" Tsukasa asks with one hand holding onto my wrist that is up in the air.

I shrug and smiles again before hugging him. When I release him from my grip, his big grin is shown on his face making him look retarded, not that he isn't already.

I know he doesn't mean any harm, but it is just that it seems he is always asking for a fight whenever he sees me. The slightest movement that he would make toward me, my reflex would take over me before I can think. This had actually saved me from many serious injuries that I could have gotten from Tsukasa. It has became a tradition that I would beat him up or attempt to beat him up when I see him. This makes me sound unreasonable, but I am not. It is always Tsukasa who triggers me into being violent. I guess I just had to protect myself. We never do any serious damages to each other though, only minor bruises. It has always been like this, even when I first met him.

~~~

"Give it!" a little boy yelled. He was only 8 at that time. "Stop being such a baby! How old are you?! You are already 8! You should have stopped playing with stuff animals a long time ago!"

The little boy pulled on one end of the teddy bear while Rui gripped on the other end. It had only been a few weeks since I had moved in to live with my new family. I was in my room, getting dress when I heard an unfamiliar voice of an angry child in Rui's room. I decided that I would go over to his room to see what was going on as soon as I get myself dressed. As I walked toward Rui's room, I heard a couple more different voices.

"Don't do that. You will just make him cry," the second boy said.

"I don't care. This time he is going to have to play with us. It is more fun with more people!" the angry child demanded

"If he cries, he will just throw up again. Just leave him alone," a third voice was heard.

"Are you on my side or on his side?!" the persistent voice asked.

I opened the door to Rui's room and saw a boy with curly hair pulling Rui's favorite play toy, trying to take it away from him. Before I could ran over to Rui's side to help him in the tug-o-war, the bear was already ripped in half. Rui started to moan as tears well up in his eyes. I was furious at this curly hair boy who just bullied Rui.

"Tsukasa, look at what you've done," the second boy said.

"Well, it's about time he lose that thing, Soujiro," Tsukasa replied without any shame or guilt.

"Tsukasa, Rui is crying," The third boy add in.

"Akira, he always cries! Like a cry baby!" Tsukasa scoffed.

Seeing this ridiculously arrogant boy reminds me of those who bullied me in the orphanage. I walked up in front of him and even then, he was way taller than I was. I looked up at him and wanted to tell him to apologize to Rui right away. But of course, my body didn't allow a single word to leave my mouth. Tsukasa looked at me with his nose still up high and said, "So, you are that little brat they brought home to be Rui's new toy?" Tsukasa didn't bother to look at me straight in the eye as if the sight of me would sore his eyes. That was it. First he harassed Rui, now he insulted me. My theory of "If I can't win a fight verbally, then I might as well win it physically." pops into my mind. I jumped on him, pushing him on the carpeted floor. I did all I could to make him stay down so that I could have a chance to beat the shit out of him. I managed to give him a few punches that merely hurt him before he changed our position where I was pinned on the floor instead of him. He was too strong, probably the strongest opponent I had ever came across. I knee him in the stomach attempting to get him off of me so that I would have a chance of winning the fight. However, he hold on and was about to give me a black eye when Soujiro and Akira pulled him away from me. I was going to pounce on him again but Rui hold me in place. Then a girl who looks a little older than all of us comes in. She had long dark hair and she looked quite like the obnoxious boy that I was fight just a minute ago.

"Tsukasa! Were you picking on Rui again?" the girl yells into Tsukasa's face.

I smiled at the sight when I saw how scared Tsukasa looked when he saw the fuming girl.

"Tsubaki...I...I..." Tsukasa tried to explain, but before he could get his answer out, the girl already slapped the back of Tsukasa's head hard enough to make him yelp. I looked at Tsukasa's face and saw a few bruises. I was quite satisfied at the damages that I had done to his face.

Tsubaki looked at me and her face turned friendly again, unlike when she was yelling at Tsukasa. She studied me for a few seconds as if trying to understand what was happening just by looking at me. I then looked the dress that I was wearing and it was all ruffled up. I quickly straighten it the best I could and faced her again and I smiled. She smiled back before turning back to her brother.

"Just how ridiculous can you get? You even beat up on girls now?" Tsukasa roared into Tsukasa ears. Tsukasa no longer had his nose high up. Instead his face was almost low to the floor. I silently giggled at that.

~~~

That was how we met. That fight turned us into inseparatable friends.