Authoress' Notes: Another chapter for the story that makes no sense at all! Mwahahahahahah! So… I'm back! Thought I was dead? Mwahahah! I am REBORN! LoL. So anyway, here we go. I have Bio homework due tomorrow and I need to research on human trafficking, but what am I doing? Yes, I know, I know. I have wonderful study habits. And I'm going to become the top witch someday! Better even than you, Yuta! points at him
Yuta: Go talk to a wall, Aya…
Aya: suddenly silences …Hey! It's Yuta! hugs him
Yahiko: …she's got terrible mood swings today…
Yuta: Authors DON'T make SENSE anymore…
Aya: continues hugging Yuta Lalalalah…
DISCLAIMER: Oh yeah. I don't own Yuta or anything else from Ultra Maniac… waaah! But someday, I'll show ya! SOMEDAY! laughs maniacally
Stuffed Toy
Today is Nina's Birthday: Seventeen
By psychedelicaya
She was seventeen today.
The knowledge of time seem to pass through them. Two years wasn't so long ago…
…But then again, maybe for others, it was.
"Where do you want to go, Sakura?" Her boyfriend, Tsujiai Hiroki, asked her with a small grin. "It's your choice tonight, since you you're the celebrant."
Two years since that sleepover. Sakura Nina was still the same person everyone knew—cheerful, energetic and kind. Her best friend was still Tateishi Ayu, and her current boyfriend was one of the school's most popular guys—as I've mentioned, Hiroki Tsujiai.
Kirishima Yuta wasn't present with them at the moment, since a week after that 15th birthday sleepover, his mother called him, saying he got a good school abroad. He did argue at first, saying that he wanted to stay with Nina and the others at Seijou High, but his parents said that studying abroad would do good for him. And so, with a reluctant goodbye, he left all his friends in Japan.
And when I say a reluctant goodbye, I mean it.
Nina still kept in good contact with him though, through letters and e-mail, and even phone calls. They were still the best of childhood friends. And though Yuta wasn't there during her 16th birthday, he sent her a parcel, containing—yes, it is pretty obvious isn't it…—a teddy bear. It was a different teddy bear this time, not like the ones in Japan. It had fur as soft as silk and eyes that didn't look plastic, but almost real.
"I want to go to…" The birthday girl put a hand on her chin, thinking deeply. She smiled as she pointed to a big sign that advertised a carnival. "I want to go there! The carnival!" Her eyes softened suddenly, a quick forgotten memory dashing through her mind, playing like a movie in her vision.
"I want to go there! The carnival!" A nine year old Nina shouted, pointing to a sign.
"Yes, yes, we'll go there tomorrow, Nina." Her Mama said, smiling at her sweetly. She faintly remembered the sweet smell of her mother's perfume, the floral smell that matched the gentle smile. "We'll go there tomorrow."
But they never went…
Because on that tomorrow, they died.
Nina snapped herself out of her sudden flashback, hoping her boyfriend didn't notice. It seemed that he didn't, and that was good for her.
Tsujiai laughed. "Alright then." He said, taking her hand. "Let's go!" And he urged her forward, chattering with her sweetly, entwining her hands with his. Then unexpectedly, "I'll get you a stuffed bear on the carnival. Is that okay with you?"
Her eyes widened. Her footsteps came to a stop.
Another memory.
"Stop crying." A nine year old Yuta said to his friend, bending down so that he would be face to face with her. Although he usually treated her with bickering and insults, today, he tried to be gentle. "Nina…" He murmured, placing a hesitant hand on her shoulder.
She looked to him, the tears freely cascading on her cheek. "Yuta!" At the feel of his touch, she jumped into his arms, crying onto his chest. "T-they… they're not coming b-back… M-mama and p-papa a-aren't coming b-back!" She wailed in his arms, pounding all the frustrations on his chest. "And they promised… they promised! They said they'd take me to a carnival today! They shouldn't have…! Shouldn't have gone to that meeting! Then the car crash wouldn't have happened! Then they would still be here!"
Yuta held his best friend, almost embarrassed of holding her this way. But nevertheless, he put his arms around her, stroking her hair. "Nina-chan," He only called her that when she cried. "Cheer up." And then, all of a sudden, "C'mon, stop soaking my shirt. Let's go."
Her tear soaked eyes raised to meet his, confused. "Where?"
"I'm getting you a stuffed bear at the carnival. Is that okay with you?"
The images stopped.
"Sakura?" Hiroki called out, waving his hand in front of her face. "Are you alright? You seem a little lost."
The girl held on to her head, wondering why she was having visions all of a sudden. Her heart pounded with nervousness, as if something bad was going to happen. Hiding what she was truly feeling, she gave a smile to Tsujiai. "I'm fine… hehehe! Just a little dizzy…" She didn't know what else to say. So in a soft murmur, "Flashbacks…"
"Oh…" Tsujiai said, then shrugged the topic off. "C'mon then. We might miss our train to the Island Park!"
"Oh, yes, right. The Island Park. Carnival." Nina murmured things in chapped sentences. "Sorry. Momentarily forgot."
The boy gave her a weird look, but then he disregarded her behavior because the train stopped, indicating that they should get in. "C'mon, Sakura." And he pulled her in, holding her by her hand.
When they were in, they immediately got two seats, just near the window. The train was almost empty, since it was quite late at night and everyone had already gone home.
Tsujiai put an arm around his girlfriend, pulling her closer to him. She simply smiled in response, not knowing how else to react in a situation like this, and it didn't help that so many thoughts were bothering her.
"Your hair smells nice…" He complimented, smiling.
"Your hair smells nice," One of the bullies said, as circling her. Nina was 13 years old at this time. "…You must be a rich kid, to have such wonderful shampoo." He mocked her, pushing her to the wall. The other bullies with him laughed. "So, girlie, are you giving us your lunch money?" His face was dangerously close, Nina could feel his breath on her cheek.
Instead of giving any verbal reply, Nina just spit at the bully. She also glared.
"Why you little…" The bully leader was supposed to hit her, and she braced for it—shutting her eyes and getting ready for the impact. But it never came.
Someone was fighting the other bullies from behind, and the leader got distracted.
"Hey! Who is that kid?!?!" He roughly threw Nina down, making her have scrapes on her knees. She was still in her school uniform, and her skirt was kind of short.
But anyway, before she knew it, the bully leader was on the ground; a punch mark on his left cheek and a black eye on his right eye.
Behind the fallen bully, a familiar face smirked as he cracked his knuckles. "No one treats Nina that way. Not when I'm around, you jerks…"
Then…
"Nina?!" The same boy who defeated the bullies shouted, and immediately ran towards her. Her auburn eyes met green ones. Yuta kneeled to her, holding her by the shoulders. "Are you alright?"
"Nina," Tsujiai called out again, this time he chuckled a little. "You've been lost for numerous times now. Are you sure you're ok?"
'Yuta…' And although different thoughts occupied her mind, Nina nodded. "I'm good, Tsujiai-kun…" A pretend smile. "I'll be ok."
He nodded at her, and she was glad that he was convinced. But then…
'Yuta…' Her mind raced with thoughts about her childhood friend. As the train sped towards their destination, she couldn't help but think of the boy who always gave her teddy bears. '…Why am I remembering you all of a sudden…?' The worst ideas suddenly hit her. But then, with a forced smile, she said to herself, "Yuta will be just fine…"
Tsujiai looked to her. "Ne, Sakura, did you say anything?"
Startled, Nina sheepishly shook her head. "Eh? No, no! I didn't say anything." She laughed nervously. Then, "Ah! Look! We're here!"
The bright white lights of the carnival suddenly appeared before them, illuminating and spreading out psychedelic colors to their eyes. Fireworks exploded in the air, bright sparkles mystifying the dark night. From the train's clear glass window, Tsujiai smiled as his girlfriend's eyes widened in excitement and sheer wonder.
Nina felt an overwhelming feeling take over her, and she let herself murmur a soft "Sugoi!" as she giggled happily while facing her boyfriend. Then, setting her gaze back on the innumerable bright colored carnival, she commented, "I never knew it was so much prettier to go here at night! Ayu-chan and Yuta brought me here once, but it was during the afternoon and all these lights weren't present…" Her childish smile grew.
But then, she remembered something again.
'Yuta…'
She closed her eyes in indifference.
'What's wrong with me?'
The sight of the beautiful carnival seemed to be a distant place in her subconscious now.
She glanced at Tsujiai, who averted his gaze from her and so he seemed to be staring at the lights too, unnoticing her discomfort. She was relieved. It was better if he didn't know. He had no idea of her and Yuta's childhood friendship… maybe he would get the wrong idea…
…Childhood friends…
'Mou! Hidoi, Yuta! Making me worry about you for no reason… and on my birthday too!'
But was her worry really for no reason?
She didn't know.
Maybe she was just getting the wrong idea…
…About everything…
Authoress' Notes: Yes. This whole chapter made no sense at all, really, Aya! Mwahahahah. But that's the whole point. Lalalalalah! Anyway, I hope you liked this! Sorry if I'm taking so long to update… but school's up and I wanna die… waaaah! So much homework… and my greatest waterloos is still Math and anything connected to Math. I guess our Statistics subject is a little easier (even though it does involve Math…) but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to explode cause of homework soon… which reminds me… Aya, you have Bio HW… waaaahhh…
So anyway! Hehehe. Long time no update! Heheh! I missed writing here! I have to finish this and Unexpected Carriage! Waaaah! I actually wrote another UM story, but I swear I'm not posting it without finishing this one. Hehehe. Oh well… take care everyone!!!
…I am going to faint if I see the variables X and Y once more…
Hey! I typed X and Y!
faints
(ooookkkayy… that was weird. )