(Disclaimer: I do not own YST nor RW, they are owned by Sunrise. Neither do I own the characters of the original series.)
(Author's Notes: Please, DON'T BLAME ME if some of the details are insufficient, since I had never seen the entire series before. I'm just fascinated over the series, that's why. Some of the characters added are of my own and not related to other anime, in short, ORIGINAL. So please, enjoy reading and review it! This is my first taste of writing fanfiction, and I'm not too good at English, so please BEAR WITH ME...)
SAMURAI PHANTOM REKKA: CHAPTER ONE
Episode Seven: THE YEAR AGO
Ryo couldn't forget that morning when he saw the meteor shower: a very strange phenomenon which no one except him noticed. For that, the teacher called his attention for he thought that his student was daydreaming again. He threw a question on him and since he didn't answer, he got a low mark in recitation. Worse, when their English teacher gave back their assignment, which was a essay, he got a big, fat, hairy F on it. He just sighed secretly and went back to his seat being shot by a fatal gun in his head. In his thought, he will never, EVER make it. He almost wanted to ask the school authority why it is necessary for a Japanese to speak, read write and understand a language that the never grew up with, the same question that was likable to be imposed on Mathematics. But he just kept the question to himself and didn't bother to complain or it will turn out WORSE. He cannot help but sigh again.
But one afternoon will change his life... FOREVER.
Regarding the checked essays distributed, their English teacher became disappointed at the students' scores. So instead of having a formal discussion, it turned into a hour-long sermon.
"Is this will be your BEST output after I have taught you EVERYTHING? My God! For ten years here in this institution I have never encountered such shallowheaded students like you! You might be the second class but it doesn't mean that you will be like the students of the lower class!"
The heavy downpour can be only heard in the four corners of the classroom.
"You know my standards. I ALWAYS expect everyone to be good at this subject even though you're not in the highest division. I am always fair to everyone. But what you are doing to me right now is truly UNFAIR!"
Everyone can't look at their devastated teacher straight. While Ryo keeps on sighing secretly, catching a little breath. He almost wished for the dismissal already; he now wanted to go home straight since heavy rains poured on the city. He even forgot to bring his umbrella. But it is broken, anyway.
Until he hears something at the back...
That darn teacher! They called us shallowhead'd!
In fact, she DIDN'T teach us anythin'!
She don't have the RIGHT to say that to us!
Whaddus she think she calls herself? A GODDESS???
Her voice is SOOOOOO irritatin'!
I wanna KILL her right here, right now!
Give us a break, will ya?
I don't wanna graduate anymore...
He heard them, loud and clear. So he turned back to see if they were really cursing their teacher in whisper. But to his surprise, he didn't see any of them from the back opening their mouths...
And yet the cursing continues!
She's a miser!
So boring!
I hate her!
Darn it! I wanna go home!
C'mon, clock, RING NOW, WILL YA???
I wanna complain her to my mommy...
It turned louder, clearer. But NO MOUTHS HAD BEEN SEEN OPEN ON EACH OF THEM! He cannot get it why and HOW it that happened.
He turned his head around his classmates: All phisically silent but MENTALLY NOISY, complaining so much on their teacher without her hearing it! While the teacher continued to nag her students but they seem to be not in harmony in boxing their teacher's ears secretly.
Ryo turned in the state of shock with great perspiration. He cannot explain to himself how in the world he can hear them without opening their mouths at all?
Whatta... what IS this??? They don't open their mouths, but I CAN HEAR THEM SO CLEAR!!! But how??? What's happenin' to me...
"MR. SANADA!!!"
"GACK!"
He didn't realized that the teacher was noticing him since then. "And it seems that YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION VERY WELL. Why? Aren't you the LOWEST in my class?"
"Um..." he didn't know what to explain to her, "Yes, Ma'am, but I..."
"You what?"
"I... I'm sorry..."
"Oh, so you're sorry?"
"Y..yeah..."
"Well," and she stared her with the sharpest eyes she can set on his dullest student, "I can still forgive you if YOU WILL STAY STANDING OUTSIDE UNTIL THE END OF THE PERIOD! And you willl NOT go home after a long talk!"
No one uttered even a peep. All pitiful eyes were on Ryo, as if they were very sorry for the 'injustice' he comitted from their terror teacher.
But although they don't console him publicly, Ryo still can hear their thoughts on him...
Poor Sanada...
That's so CRUEL!
He's doin' nothin' wrong!
Damn!
If only I can help him...
This is INJUSTICE!
She's the one whe suppos'd to be OUTSIDE, not him!
I wanna push her off the window!
I want her DEAD!
This time it's louder and clearer. Their hearts are shouting for him! But their teacher didn't hear anything on them--except HIM. He shook his head vigorously, trying to take off the noise penetrating his head. But still with no avail. So although it's so hard on his part, Ryo had no choice but to follow her just to get the 'invisible' noise out of him.
Ryo stood outside the door--waiting for the 'major penalty' his teacher will gave to him. He hoped silently that he wouldn't hear strange voices again. But he thought he wouldn't... Until this time he had heard her irritating voice to his head...
After this... I will give that stupid boy a good punishment he deserve... I will give him an assignment on Idioms and he will report it to the class... Heh, let's see who will be humiliated! Serves him right for not paying attention!
He was surprised by what he had heard. She will give him that dreaded punishment??? She knows that Ryo is so LOW in her English class and although he gives homeworks and essays, all richly marked in RED (ironically, his favorite color). He thought that she is very allergic to dull students (that's true), thus made him furious. She wanted to humiliate him in front of the class! And so without worrying about this strange happenings first, he decided to talk to her SERIOUSLY.
But then...
( Your attention please, your attention please. Due to sudden heavy rains, the Bureau of Meteorology has announced that all the classes in all lavels are SUSPENDED. The students and the faculty are been advised to go home immediately. Repeating the announcement...)
"YEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
An unexpected annoncement has just made around 1:30 in the afternoon. All the classrooms were filled with shouts of happiness shouts of freedom from succeeding homeworks and other boring class afternoons. Ryo was surprised to hear the announcement and the shouts and yells from their MOUTHS had covered their angry thoughts. So peeking at the classroom, he was almost been bumped by the rushing students all packed up. Their teacher was almost been squished flat by the stampede unnoticed. She deserves it, anyway!
Luckilly, he grabbed his bag without noticing him and went straight home running, not worrying about the cursed old maid teacher. He ran not worrying that he might catch a cold since he let himself wet in heavy rain. He didn't mind about being sick or what, as long as he reach home safely.
Ryo went home attacking the heavy raindrops pouring over the entire city, perhaps to cool himself down. But as he went on his way, he was agin bothered by several unknown voices, although the people then didn't use their mouths. Or if they did so, they ironically talked about something so different from what he just heard... from their thoughts.
I swear... I want to KILL that man!
Oh no... what if Mom and Dad found out that I'm...
Man, what should I do? Where could I date her?
Hafta finish ma' homework first before watchin' the Slugs...
She's so sexy...so yummy...I like her to...
Damn! How could I tell her that I LOVE her? She might get angry at me...
He froze for a moment.
It's not a hallucination after all, he thought. He REALLY could positively HEAR their thoughts... EVERYTHING... without missing a line! In his shocked appearance, he let himself soaking wet, unmoved by the people bumping him unmindfully, at the same time letting his ears hear everything against his will. Damn, what's happening to him? Is this a result of the meteor shower he just saw this morning? Or just...
Until someone shared an umbrella with him.
"Hey, man! You ok?"
He turned to the cheerful fat boy, unexpectedly wearing the same uniform he wore, still with a shocked look. The fat boy didn't mind Ryo like that, he just shared his umbrella with him since he noticed him already soaking wet and no one had even bothered to help him.
The fat boy can't help his mouth but to talk to him, while Ryo just did his best to listen (although he didn't want for a while) until something that the boy uttered that made Ryo became even more shocked. Slowly, he moved backwards, and ran away from the boy, away from the crowd. Until some of them have already noticed his strange behavior. Unlikeable thoughts continued to flow in his mind, raindrops and perspiration mixed in his face, his hands became colder and more clammy, shaking with cold and a blank mind.
...Is he already insane?
"...Shut up... shut up... shut up, SHUT UP!!!!!"
And he ran away from the crowd; he cannot take these any longer, while the people wondered about the poor, raven-haired boy who looked like drunken. "Is he okay?" the man even asked the other with a puzzled look.
He ran straight home, loked the door, and panted heavily. His whole body is dripping heavily with rainwater, man, another chore to tackle up. In his heart, still he cannot believe about a special ability he had just discovered. And about what the cheerful fat boy had just told him that make him more shocked. He thought that he was CURSED. Maybe another factor that made him have that ability is being ALONE in the house since his father was killed in Africa. Yes.. he was. Looking around the interior, it seems that the only person living here is no other than Ryo Sanada himself. He sighed heavily.
He can feel the heavy shackles chained on both of his feet, like a prisoner going to his cell. His whole body was so heavy with wetness and mental tortures. Drops of rainwater made a trail from where he was been minutes ago. He swore to himself that after he dried himself, he will sleep the whole day without meals as soon as he reached his room.
He opened his bedroom then he took a few fresh clothes and a big white towel to dry himself before changing. As he took off his wet upper uniform and his red T-shirt one by one, Ryo noticed something shining... on his cherished stuffed white tiger on his desk.
He checked on his stufftoy. He found something on its lap: a smooth, round silvery crystal just about the size of a jackstone ball. He wondered how it got there. Looking at the stufftoy, "I remember this..." he said to himself, "It's Papa's last birthday gift to me while he was in Africa... a very cute souvenir..." then noticing the strange orb, he took it to examine. it. But as soon as he touched the orb, it suddenly glowed unto him with brightly red glow!
"WHATTA...!"
He felt sudden heat when red light penetrated on his wet body, seemed like the light itself dried him up! The soft but bright light almost made him float, so much amazed in another phenomenon occured unto him that day.
Minutes later, the orb stopped glowing. Once again his feet was on the floor. But surprisingly, he looked at himself: already DRY without even touching his towel yet!
He found himself with a blank, emotionless face. He couldn't hardly speak about the incident. But then he stared at the orb with great wonder as he decided to keep it for a while, for he thought that the said orb appeared just for him without knowing the reason behind it.
And for a year since that, he had already forgot his question about the cryatal he was wearing right now...
Back once again to present time...
"I'm so sorry..." as Ryo put back the stufftoy in his desk, "I guess I was just freaked out those days..." and he went down for breakfast.
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