Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 38
Scar
The musicians were taking a break, and the music that was starting was from a CD player that one of the players had turned on before moving off to the table of food. There were a few moments of chaos when music started up, and then Anshii vaguely recognized the song. She offered her hand again to Ayomi, and was pleased to see the girl reach out to take it gently.
Soft blue eyes met bright green ones, and something flickered in the blue eyes in reaction. Anshii smiled and lightly pulled Ayomi to the dance floor.
It didn't matter who was on the dance floor. Ayomi and Anshii may as well have been alone for all they noticed. Juri leaned in to Miki and whispered something into his ear about how unnerving the two looked. Just like when Utena had pulled Anshii out for a dance that night. Miki nodded in response and they turned to watch the two dance.
The day that I first saw tears
I couldn't do anything.
I just gripped your hand.
Tired from crying, about to fall asleep
you turned to me and whispered,
"I'm sorry," and smiled a little.
That's what you were like.
The lyrics were all too close for comfort, Anshii reflected as she turned Ayomi around on the dance floor. She again remembered the night that she'd thrown herself off of the tower, remembering Utena's uncharacteristic breakdown after rescuing her. Her eyes refocused on the present, and she saw that Ayomi had a strange look on her face, but when she saw that Anshii was looking at her, she forced a smile.
The reason I couldn't even
say "goodbye" properly was that
I got the feeling that I'd
see you again. Or...
Anshii looked to Ayomi. "Are you okay.? We don't have to continue dancing."
"No. it's okay," Ayomi replied quietly.
The day that I was first scolded
I was speechless. I just
hung my head in shame.
You turned your back
and left the room.
And made the same wounds in my heart.
That's what we were like.
Anshii tilted her head at Ayomi for a moment, and as the music shifted, she felt Ayomi's hand grip hers a little tighter. It almost felt, to her, that Ayomi was afraid of falling, clinging to Anshii for support.
As Juri and Miki watched the two dance, Touga walked up, sipping at a glass. "Just like three years ago."
Juri turned to look at him, regarding him with cool eyes. "Not quite, Touga. The roles are reversed."
"Do you think Akio will ever let her go?" Miki asked quietly. "Even if Anshii wins. will he cheat again?"
Juri and Touga turned to look at him, surprise reflected in their faces. "Miki.?" Juri ventured. "How do you know.?"
Miki looked away. "It's the only logical answer. Think about it, Juri. Look at them out there." He turned his gaze to the two girls dancing. "Does Anshii look like someone who would betray Utena without reason? Wouldn't it stand to reason that Akio made her do it?"
They meet again somewhere today,
those two people who understand each other.
A tale of lost love
is repeated again.
Juri and Touga looked to the two girls. Eyes were locked, they looked alone in the world. Even though Ayomi was slightly taller than Anshii, she seemed smaller somehow, a shadow compared to the personality that shone through the darker girl. It was quite the role reversal, and Juri bit her lip. "Do you remember the curry?"
Shock snapped through Touga and Miki like an electrical jolt. "You don't think." Touga began, but his voice trailed off.
The reason I couldn't even
say "goodbye" properly was that
I got the feeling that I'd see
you again. Or...
"Anshii. is Utena.?" Miki whispered.
They meet again somewhere today,
those two people who understand each other.
A tale of lost love
is repeated again.
Oblivious to the trio's jump to a conclusion, Anshii and Ayomi danced across the floor, light and dark. Movements were flowing, perfectly controlled, as if they had practiced the choreography of the dance for days before a performance. Ayomi felt as if she'd never been so close to remembering who she was. It danced, just like they did, at the edges of her mind, a fleeting awareness that she'd done this before. Without them realizing it, they'd kept dancing as the song ended and the musicians picked up instruments and began the opening of a well-known song around Ohtori's campus.
She knew the music, knew the memory of dancing to it. But she couldn't recall who she had danced with. She straightened a little, her steps becoming a little more certain, and she watched the startled look in Anshii's eyes with a little thrill of memory. She'd seen that look before. But when?
She was so angry with them all. She'd show them. She snatched a tablecloth off of a nearby table, tying it around the girl on the floor, pulling her to her feet and into dance frame. The music started, and she turned the startled girl on the dance floor, watching the upset surprise melt into a strange sort of happiness.
Around and around they danced, the dark-skinned girl in the tablecloth dress finally relaxing enough to take certain steps, even almost laughing at times.
Anger dissolved very much like the green dress had, and soon both girls were enjoying the dance, to the admiration of some, and irritation to others.
Ayomi blinked, stumbling into Anshii's sudden and involuntary embrace to steady them both. "Ayomi.?" Anshii asked, concerned.
Thoroughly expecting Anshii to be wearing a tablecloth, Ayomi looked around. But Anshii wasn't wearing a tablecloth. And she wasn't wearing a garish light pink gown with hideous pink roses plastered all over it.
What was that.? A memory?
But the song was over, and she pulled back from Anshii, moving away from the dance floor, looking extremely preoccupied, leaving Anshii to stare after her, wondering what she'd done wrong.
The musicians were taking a break, and the music that was starting was from a CD player that one of the players had turned on before moving off to the table of food. There were a few moments of chaos when music started up, and then Anshii vaguely recognized the song. She offered her hand again to Ayomi, and was pleased to see the girl reach out to take it gently.
Soft blue eyes met bright green ones, and something flickered in the blue eyes in reaction. Anshii smiled and lightly pulled Ayomi to the dance floor.
It didn't matter who was on the dance floor. Ayomi and Anshii may as well have been alone for all they noticed. Juri leaned in to Miki and whispered something into his ear about how unnerving the two looked. Just like when Utena had pulled Anshii out for a dance that night. Miki nodded in response and they turned to watch the two dance.
The day that I first saw tears
I couldn't do anything.
I just gripped your hand.
Tired from crying, about to fall asleep
you turned to me and whispered,
"I'm sorry," and smiled a little.
That's what you were like.
The lyrics were all too close for comfort, Anshii reflected as she turned Ayomi around on the dance floor. She again remembered the night that she'd thrown herself off of the tower, remembering Utena's uncharacteristic breakdown after rescuing her. Her eyes refocused on the present, and she saw that Ayomi had a strange look on her face, but when she saw that Anshii was looking at her, she forced a smile.
The reason I couldn't even
say "goodbye" properly was that
I got the feeling that I'd
see you again. Or...
Anshii looked to Ayomi. "Are you okay.? We don't have to continue dancing."
"No. it's okay," Ayomi replied quietly.
The day that I was first scolded
I was speechless. I just
hung my head in shame.
You turned your back
and left the room.
And made the same wounds in my heart.
That's what we were like.
Anshii tilted her head at Ayomi for a moment, and as the music shifted, she felt Ayomi's hand grip hers a little tighter. It almost felt, to her, that Ayomi was afraid of falling, clinging to Anshii for support.
As Juri and Miki watched the two dance, Touga walked up, sipping at a glass. "Just like three years ago."
Juri turned to look at him, regarding him with cool eyes. "Not quite, Touga. The roles are reversed."
"Do you think Akio will ever let her go?" Miki asked quietly. "Even if Anshii wins. will he cheat again?"
Juri and Touga turned to look at him, surprise reflected in their faces. "Miki.?" Juri ventured. "How do you know.?"
Miki looked away. "It's the only logical answer. Think about it, Juri. Look at them out there." He turned his gaze to the two girls dancing. "Does Anshii look like someone who would betray Utena without reason? Wouldn't it stand to reason that Akio made her do it?"
They meet again somewhere today,
those two people who understand each other.
A tale of lost love
is repeated again.
Juri and Touga looked to the two girls. Eyes were locked, they looked alone in the world. Even though Ayomi was slightly taller than Anshii, she seemed smaller somehow, a shadow compared to the personality that shone through the darker girl. It was quite the role reversal, and Juri bit her lip. "Do you remember the curry?"
Shock snapped through Touga and Miki like an electrical jolt. "You don't think." Touga began, but his voice trailed off.
The reason I couldn't even
say "goodbye" properly was that
I got the feeling that I'd see
you again. Or...
"Anshii. is Utena.?" Miki whispered.
They meet again somewhere today,
those two people who understand each other.
A tale of lost love
is repeated again.
Oblivious to the trio's jump to a conclusion, Anshii and Ayomi danced across the floor, light and dark. Movements were flowing, perfectly controlled, as if they had practiced the choreography of the dance for days before a performance. Ayomi felt as if she'd never been so close to remembering who she was. It danced, just like they did, at the edges of her mind, a fleeting awareness that she'd done this before. Without them realizing it, they'd kept dancing as the song ended and the musicians picked up instruments and began the opening of a well-known song around Ohtori's campus.
She knew the music, knew the memory of dancing to it. But she couldn't recall who she had danced with. She straightened a little, her steps becoming a little more certain, and she watched the startled look in Anshii's eyes with a little thrill of memory. She'd seen that look before. But when?
She was so angry with them all. She'd show them. She snatched a tablecloth off of a nearby table, tying it around the girl on the floor, pulling her to her feet and into dance frame. The music started, and she turned the startled girl on the dance floor, watching the upset surprise melt into a strange sort of happiness.
Around and around they danced, the dark-skinned girl in the tablecloth dress finally relaxing enough to take certain steps, even almost laughing at times.
Anger dissolved very much like the green dress had, and soon both girls were enjoying the dance, to the admiration of some, and irritation to others.
Ayomi blinked, stumbling into Anshii's sudden and involuntary embrace to steady them both. "Ayomi.?" Anshii asked, concerned.
Thoroughly expecting Anshii to be wearing a tablecloth, Ayomi looked around. But Anshii wasn't wearing a tablecloth. And she wasn't wearing a garish light pink gown with hideous pink roses plastered all over it.
What was that.? A memory?
But the song was over, and she pulled back from Anshii, moving away from the dance floor, looking extremely preoccupied, leaving Anshii to stare after her, wondering what she'd done wrong.