Author's Note: Hello! I edited this on Wednesday, August 25, 2004. This is a Ren and Pirika pairing story. If you haven't read the AN in the first chapter, this fic contains three stories about the three Shaman King females: Tamao, Pirika, and Anna. They are held in their POVs. Thanks for reading and I hope you review! =)
NOTE: The ending to this chapter is a little different from the original version! Please read this again if you haven't! =) Thanks and please review!
Open Eyes
Pirika's Eyes
StrawberryLove-sama Productions
Started on Wednesday, May 12, 2004 and finished on Saturday, June 19, 2004
Pirika and Ren pairing
My brother's best friend, someone I knew I should never fall for. Yet, I fell, and I fell hard. So I escaped. I went back home. But he followed. I'm sure he didn't mean to, but HoroHoro brought him for Christmas and I saw him once again.
They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I knew this from experiencing it first hand.
I learned that no fruit tastes as sweet when you haven't tasted it for a long time.
Ren was the exact opposite of me. I was happy, optimistic, and light. He was gloomy, pessimistic, and dark.
And yet…
Every glance, I blushed red hot. With a slight touch, a handshake or a pat on the head or something brotherly, I would feel shivers down my spine.
I knew this wasn't love, it couldn't be. It was just a silly infatuation. Right?
I was so sure it wouldn't be more than a slightly more crazed crush, so sure. But when he started to glance back at me, or if he grazed my hand, I wasn't so sure.
There weren't many awkward situations I was in with him, but if there were, I knew I wouldn't know what to do.
He was like my brother; I shouldn't feel these things for him. But, I do and there's nothing I could do to stop.
One friend told me that love was only psychology and mindset. She said if your will was strong enough, you could make yourself fall in love, or out of it.
I thought it was an interesting theory but now I know it's not true. I might not have a strong enough will, but I thought I did.
I told myself, he would never love me back. Love. I said it wasn't that, didn't I?
I found that I doubted myself.
What is love anyways? People say it's the only thing keeping people together. It runs the world. But I always thought that was money.
Love is… what it is? Is it wonderful? Delightful? No, it only causes heartbreak.
But still, I wondered… what would the world be without love? It wouldn't be much of a place, even if it is all mindset.
I wondered then, and I still wonder now.
I don't know what I saw in him. He was always mean and teasing. Always sarcastic or cynical. But I once saw him sincere, and happy. And that's how I spend my days, waiting for that moment again.
I knew he was way out of my league. WAY.
But, I couldn't help feeling that he sort of liked me back. Sort of.
Then, it happened.
I was eating lunch at Anna-sama's house and under my lashes I peered at him. HE WAS STARING AT ME!
My fingers trembled and my chopsticks fell to the floor. I picked them up. HE WAS LOOKING AT ME AGAIN!
Now, it was all I could do to slow my racing breath. I didn't even try to reduce my rapidly beating heart.
I quickly finished my lunch and placed my bowl and utensils in the sink. I felt another presence beside me.
I couldn't help but look. Guess who it was… Ren Tao.
I wanted to walk way without looking at him or making a fool of myself but, as fate would have it, that didn't happen.
I turned and tripped. Guess who caught me… Ren Tao. In his arms.
So of course, I stuttered thanks and blushed a heavy red before running away. As I did so, I could feel his gaze on my back.
The blush receded and I paused before turning and looking over my shoulder. He was still there, staring.
The blush came back, threefold. I hastened to my room.
Was this a little infatuation? Or something more?
I presumed the later even though I wanted to believe the former.
I had to admit it. I was in love with Ren Tao.
Even though I meant to go to my room, I didn't. I went outside. Into the garden.
Back home, I always found solace in nature and I didn't see why it was any different here.
I wandered the garden and stopped here and there to pick a flower. Soon, I had an impressive bouquet.
I sat under the shade of a large oak tree and was content to just relax and let the comforting aura of nature lead me to tranquility.
But I wasn't going to be tranquil for long for who had to just plop down beside me? Ren Tao.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Nothing," I answered.
"What's that?" he asked, motioning to the bouquet I had picked.
"Oh, just some flowers." I shrugged.
He nodded and continued to look at me.
I felt my face grow hot.
Curse you, Ren Tao! How is it that you, out of millions, are the only one who makes me feel this way?
I clenched my hand in frustration, crushing a few flowers.
"Oh no… I've ruined the bouquet…" I said sadly, looking at the destroyed flowers.
Ren rolled his eyes. "Give it here," he commanded. I did as I was told. He then deftly picked out the crushed flowers.
"There," he said, "Stop complaining,"
Nodding, I thanked him. "It's beautiful, isn't it…" I added, looking at the bouquet Ren handed back to me.
If I had been looking at him, I would have noticed that Ren was looking at anything but the flowers. If I had been looking, I would have noticed that his eyes had gone all soft. But I wasn't looking.
"Yes, very beautiful…" He wasn't looking at the bouquet… he was looking at me…
This chapter finished! How was it? I had some complaining that Ren was OOC so I changed it a bit to make him IC. Did it work? Please review! =)