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Chapter 8
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Tezuka
Monday morning arrived. Everything that had happened appeared to be just a dream. In little ways, he wished it was all just a dream. She shouldn't have had to endure that horrible experience. She shouldn't have had to get those injuries, and now she has to live with those awful memories. But it had happened, and he did take care of her, he did spend that quiet evening with her and he did allow himself to do what he couldn't have done if she wasn't there. He didn't like the fact that something good came out of it for him, only because she endured something bad. But he couldn't help but be contented with what happened, although he was suffering from guilt.
As he put on his shoes, all ready to head out for school, he thought with a hint of sadness. 'It won't ever happen again. We won't talk again. We are much too different, and our paths don't cross all that often for anything to occur. I don't need this. I have one more year left and I'll be gone. She has at least three years left with Echizen….. So be it.'
He closed the door behind him and headed off. It wasn't just the front door of his home that he closed. He also closed his heart once again.
Sakuno
"Be careful Sakuno." Obaa-chan said for the hundredth time that morning.
"Hai. I'm fine" She answered. Her grandmother gave her a look.
'Don't lie to me Sakuno….You locked yourself away in your room all weekend, you hardly ate, hardly talked, hardly focused at all.' The old lady thought to herself.
They said their goodbyes at the school gate. She watched as her grandmother walked across the road to junior high to begin her day. Then she gazed down the road, at which she had walked home that night. It chilled her to the bone, just the thought of walking down it again. But what could she do? Her home was that way.
She walked through the school grounds, hearing birds chirping, laughter and voices of students, the sounds of tennis balls being hit. She heard them but she didn't process them in her mind like she always did. Instead she felt herself shrinking further and further into the darkness that enveloped her fast.
'What's wrong with me? I'm at school now, no one will hurt me. I'm safe here. I have my friends.' She repeated over and over. She found herself standing under her tree again. Immediately she thought of him, but chased that thought away and sat down.
She scrunched up in a tight ball and tried to calm herself. The sky was gloriously blue, the clouds were delicately puffy, and the sun was shining brilliantly, but to Sakuno, it was as if she was sitting in cold rain.
'I don't feel safe. I don't feel safe anymore. I don't know what anyone is thinking. It seems like everyone knows, and everyone is thinking stupidly of me. But nothing happened. Those guys didn't do anything to me.'
The bushes behind her ruffled loudly, and she practically jumped out of her skin with fear.
'Stop it Sakuno." She chastised herself. 'You're being paranoid.' She sat down again and buried her head in her arms. 'I wish you were. Am I a fool to wish such a thing? He's not that type of person. He only saved me…because it was the right thing to do. He was only gentle with me because I'm obaa-chan's granddaughter. He would only think of me as a little girl, a little sister even.' She had come to convince herself that over the weekends.
'What do I think of him though? I don't know. I've never thought of him in that way before. Such stupid things had to bother me didn't it? I wish…..I wish none of this happened….' She sighed deeply.
'But in the end.….I still wish…that you could be by my side right now, Tezuka.'
Thanks to everyone who reviewed my story. I really appreciate your comments. Especially to Cinpii. Such thorough reviews! You're so funny, and thanks for reminding me or pointing out my mistakes.
But thank you to all who have given me other advices, I'll try my best to fix it.
I guess all this exam cramming is getting to me. But I hope you all enjoyed my story. Don't worry, plenty more to come. I hope you don't mind that this story will be a long one..I have a feeling it's going to be longer than my RyoxSaku one. Ja.
