I sneezed, grimacing slightly as I looked up at the gray dismal sky. Leaning on my shovel, I frowned slightly, wondering just when the first snowflakes would fall. The weather was much colder than I had expected, and it wasn't going to be surprising if this winter graduated into a full-fledged blizzard this year round.
"Emtato! EMTATO!"
I jumped, starting as the face of a frowning youth of about nineteen appeared in front of me. The boy waved a hand in front of my extremely startled face, raising an annoyed eyebrow at my stunned expression."Yes, I realize that I do look a little untidy, but it isn't THAT bad, you know."
I blinked, flushing guiltily as a cold wind blew from the east, ruffling the deep brown hair on my head. It was cropped short, hanging loosely above my shoulders, only held together by a loose string. Lifting my eyes to meet the other boy's accusing ones, I shrugged apologetically.
"I'm sorry, Jien," I spoke, my eyes still facing down as I shivered slightly from the cold wind. "I was thinking of something and well...you surprised me. How long do you think it'll last before winter arrives?"
Jien was apparently quite taken aback with my reply by the looks of it as he blinked rapidly before sputtering a reply. "Wha- Oh. Not long, I guess; probably a week or two. Somewhere around those lines. Besides, what's a baka kid like you got to worry about winter?" he grinned easily as he ruffled my brown hair affectionately.
"I won't have anything to live on," I spoke truthfully with all the wisdom that I had in my fifteen years. "The fields are the only things that are keeping me alive, and once everything's frozen, it's the end of me. Besides, the villagers don't even want to see my face in the town square."
It was true, I reflected as I absently lifted a finger to study a loose splinter lodged in the coarse flesh of my fingers. The wood protruded from the pink skin, its brown hue a wide contrast to my white, almost frozen fingers. The villagers hate my very face. They'd rather leave me to rot in the cold pits of the meadows than let me buy something. To them, I'm nothing. Just trash. USELESS trash.
Jien seemed to study my face for a moment before suddenly picking me up by the scruff of the collar. Letting out a small yell of panic as I felt myself lifted a few inches off the soft soil, I found himself face to face with Jien's serious face. "Listen, Emtato, as long as you and I are friends, no one is going to touch you or insult you in any way. I swear I'll murder them if they do."
"But-"
"No buts. You're coming to stay in the village this winter, whether you -or they- like it or not. No denials."
"But-"
"What did I say?"
I sighed, knowing that it was no use arguing with him when he had made up his ind. Running my eyes down his face and noting his determinedly set mouth, I felt a smile cross my face. Who was I to argue with fate?
"Well, if you put it that way..."
I grinned.
It was somewhat unnerving to have myself stared at, as if I was some type of stranger in my own village. Well, technically, I was, but that wasn't my point.
The villagers shunned me as if I was some type of leper, muttering insults behind my back after giving me a full-fledged stare right to my face. To them, I was the kid of the dead parents, the bad luck kid. The boy who would one day bring the entire clan to an apocolypse.
You see, both my parents died not long after I was born, and I was immediately assumed as the root of 'evil' or so they said. If anyone was associated with me, they were immediately ostrasized. Kicked out. Except Jien, that is.
I think it was his looks, or perhaps the disarming way that he smiled that made the villagers make an exception just for him. To them, Jien was their saviour, their leader, their everything. It wasn't going to be long before the village chief surrendered his post to Jien, according to the rumours that were flying around the market square.
A feeling of green envy crept up in my gut as I watched greetings fly from everyone's mouths to him , accompanied with either a wave or a smile. At me, however, they simply gawked and stared. Great. If it wasn't because of the tall boy beside me, I'd be no one, ignored by even the lowest scum of the society. Wait. I WAS the lowest scum of the society to them. Figures.
I was jolted out of my treacharous thoughts as he reached over and tapped me lightly on the shoulder, a small smile plastered on his face. "See? I told you it wouldn't be too hard."
"Easy for you to say," I replied with a slightly bitter note as I rubbed my forearms to keep myself warm from the blanket of coldness that was fast descending upon the village. "You're not the one that they hate. I don't think they even WANT to notice I'm here in the first place."
"You know, you've got to sto being so pessimistic. Lighten up. After all, these people are just afraid. Not that it's got anything to do with you, in the first place," he quickly added as he rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. "Listen, if you want these people to like you, you've got to like them first."
I raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you- my long lost father?"
I earned a light punch on the back for that comment, and I rubbed the spot ruefully with a slight frown. Jien drew back with a satisfied smile painted on his face.
"You know, that HURTS," I commented.
He raised an eyebrow mischeviously as he nodded lightly. "I know. Why else do you think I did that?"
"Mean."
"Thank you."
"I'm sorry. It was supposed to be an insult," I grinned, trying not to laugh as he twisted my arm slightly, chuckling gleefully. "Ow! You're not trying to break my arm before winter, are you? You'll be stuck with an invalid for 3 months."
He seemed to take this into contemplation before releasing me. "You're right. After all, you can't just bank in on my hospitality, can you?"
"You mean I wasn't going to?" I added in slyly.
He chuckled and chased me down the street.
Author's notes:
I've decided that I will NOT write crazily long chapters for this fic. No no no. Although I may actually forget about this promise and write disgustingly long chappies in the future... :p
My exams are bearing down on me, and this will be one of my final chapters that I will be posting online until early October as my exams don't start until October 7th. And to add to that, Stars of Hope and Destiny will ALSO be at a standstill as my computer has been affected by a virus. Someone up there HATES me!!! *sobs*
Don't worry; all the chapters are relatively safe (I hope), but I still need to get a good antivirus software to scan them now and then. Inexpensive recommendations welcome!! Put it this way; if my chapters are gone, I may never get down to writing the fic again. Willpower alone is not enough to replace 20 chapters. x_x
Yes, I do write my chapters far ahead in advance. Don't worry though, Tomite's hotheadedness is sure to survive through some stupid virus. Shimpai shinaide.
Wish me luck for my exams! 7As are all I need to get me into a good class (and the science stream) next year. Taiitsukun bless Juufan!!! (Although I'd probably fail if I prayed to her... XD)
Okay then, until next time, ja ne~!