IMPORTANT, PLEASE TAKE NOTE!
This is actually a fiction that I started on 30/8/2003 – 19/7/2004. I stopped writing on the tenth chapter. After leaving it for almost 5 months, I REVAMPED this fiction. (6/12/2004 - 23/12/2004) Now it has fewer chapters, as I combined a few chapters into one. But it has the same plot, and I kept the same scenes/characteristics/etc.
And yes, I also changed the title. It was formerly known as Does Love Conquer All? Crappy title, I know,I know.
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My apologies to my darling reviewers who endured me till my last update (chapter ten). I understand your torment.
Anyway, here it is. Hopefully it's better.
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Chapter 1
She was heading towards her new school today, and the sun wasn't shining very brightly. The sky was gloomy, matching the mood she was feeling that instant. Strolling down a narrow pathway, she was drowned in her thoughts as she enlightened herself about the events that had recently occurred.
The landlord paid them a very friendly visit two days ago, demanding for the three months' unpaid rent. Six minutes later he was seen storming out, not before threatening her and her mother –"If you don't pay up by next month, you can bet your life you won't be ass warming the house anymore."
She let out an exasperated sigh, frustration washing over her.
It felt like the world has been very unkind, ever since her father left the earth when she was nine. Seems that after that, every difficulty an adult would face came crashing down like a thunderstorm. A thunderstorm that had lasted for the past six years, that was still on going now.
Her mother had lost her job after she found out she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Life savings have been spent on treatments and such, but it didn't seem to help one bit. Water bills, electric bills, taxes even, were all not paid.
Adding to her displeasure, Potato, her beloved dog of five months, ran away not so long ago after (what she guessed) living the life of stricken poverty with her and her mother. Two meals every three days were not all that bad.
Damn ungrateful animal.
Walking past a few terrace houses, her ears alerted her brain that she was about to approach higher volumes of squealing laughter. Recognizing the voices as little children, her curiosity perked up to where it was coming from.
Then it came to view. There were two of them, running around in the backyard. They were playing tag, or what she assumed the game was called.
She smiled when one of them got "tagged", which immediately diverted their movements to the opposite direction.
Watching them silently as they ran around screaming, she felt something irritating tugging at the side of her heart. It took a while to figure out what it was, and when she did, she was not at all surprised.
Envy.
She was envious of the two little girls. They were happily having some innocent fun, without a care in the world. Something she has always yearned to feel, something she had always craved to experience.
But God said no. And that was that.
Shaking her head, she smirked at her own thoughts. She was being silly and dramatic again, so she decided to ignore whatever was going on in her head. As she made a move to carry on with her journey to school, a small, shy voice stopped her.
"H-Hi!"
She turned her head slowly to it came from, and saw the two out of breath children grinning at her. They were puffing heavily, signs of exhaustion glowing on their faces. She smiled at them.
"Are you going to school?"
"Yes, I am." She replied.
"Is school fun?" The pig-tailed girl asked excitedly.
"I bet it is." The other girl answered for her. Kaoru just starred at them, offering them a smile.
The two of them starred back, smiling broadly.
"My name's Ayame. She's Suzume." She introduced, feeling shy again all of a sudden.
Feeling an urge to entertain them, she knelt down by the gate to their height.
"Those… Those are pretty names you have there."After that they started conversing for a few minutes, and more introductions were made. As she glanced at her watch, she realized that she was late for school. Getting up, she explained to them that she had to leave, and left.
Knowing that she made two new friends.
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When she reached the school gates, her watch showed 8.10 a.m. Sighing to herself, she took her own sweet time walking through the quiet school halls, and into the office. After she filled in some forms, the nice lady in the office gave her a schedule, and some directions to where her classrooms were located.
As she entered her first class, the teacher had already begun teaching. Every pair of eyes landed on her, the guys checking her out from top-to-bottom while the girls remarked in whispers about her appearances.
"So you're the new student, Kamiya Kaoru, I presume?"
She nodded as she shifted her weight, feeling uncomfortable.
"Well, seeing that you're new and all, I shall excuse you for being late. Now go find a place to sit behind."
She hurriedly walked to the empty seat behind the class. As she made her way there, she could feel more intense gazes behind her back. She itched to turn around, gouge their eyes out and throw them out the window.
But obviously, she couldn't. And anyway, she didn't have a spoon with her. So..
Sinking into her chair, she took out her brand new history book. Flipping to page 567 (it was written on the blackboard), she tried to understand what the teacher was talking about. And she did catch up, eventually.
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The dismissal bell rang, and the students got up and walked out of the classroom quickly. She was still in the middle of getting up, shoving papers and notes into her bag. As she was halfway through the door, someone not-so-tall knocked her over. She fell down as expected, butt making contact with the cold cement floor.
Looking up while glaring at him on reflex, she muttered -"Watch it, doofus."
Though it was soft, her not-so-tall classmate heard, unknown best to her. But being all the gentleman that he was, he just lowered his head and starred at her, without offering any hand to help her up, or even have the decency to ask if she was alright.
So he just. Starred.
Thinking that he was an ignorant bastard, she got up, pushed him aside not to gently, and headed towards the school exit.
On the way home she passed by a not-so-fancy restaurant, that had a sign hanging on the glass. It caught her eye for some reason, as she stood, reading it for a few moments. A few seconds passed, when she was seen entering the restaurant hesitantly.
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The following day -during her science class, where girls decide that it's the perfect time to gossip and guys to flirt, her science teacher took that moment to step in for an announcement.
"Class, can I g-"
They continued to babble on, ignoring Mrs. Miawari's existence.
"Class. CLASS. CLASS!!"
Silence.
"Good. Now that I have your attention… For your next term, you are to do a scrapbook with a classmate about a specific cold blooded animal, frogs. It would cover sixty percent of your test, so if you do poorly in your papers, there's still the scrapbook to depend on."
The whole classroom remained silent.
Taking it as an opportunity to carry on, Mrs. Miawari continued -"Now class, I shall assign you to your partner. But this time, you wouldn't be grouped in alphabetical orders, as I learned a little trick, from Ms. Himawari."
"Every one on the first, third and fifth row, turn to your right, and everyone on the second, fourth and sixth, turn to your left."
Everyone followed her instructions, and they were now facing with someone face to face.
"And who you're seeing now, would be your science partner."
Groans echoed through the whole class, as Mrs. Miawari grinned. "Clever trick, eh?"
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As the bell rang, the science teacher left the class hurriedly -not before reminding the class that the project would be due in two months.
Kaoru was doodling on a piece of paper with her pencil, until she felt a shadow loomed over her. Looking up, it was her science partner. She smiled a little bit, but he, on the other hand, was a bag full of smiles.
"I look forward working to you." He said friendlily, stretching out his hand. She took his hand and shook it awkwardly. "Me too."
"So, when you want to start? We have eight weeks to do it." He asked, making conversation as he sat down on the vacant seat in front of her.
"Um… What about tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow."
"Why tomorrow?"
"You asked me when I wanted to start, so I chose tomorrow."
"Oh. So tomorrow it is." He replied sheepishly.
She grinned at him, as she slid in the piece of doodled paper in between the pages of her science notebook. "So… What time do you want to come by my house tomorrow?"
"Y-Your house?" she asked, surprised.
"Yup, my house." He answered, lashing out yet, another smile.
"What about… after school? You can lead me instead of me finding my own way there."
"That's a good idea." he replied grinning. He was about to get up, when he stopped when something came to his mind. "And oh, before I forget, here's my number just in case." He scribbled down on her palm. "Call me."
She felt abit shy, feeling his warm hand against hers. As he went back to his seat, she glanced at the ink that formed alphabets and numbers on her palm.
'So that's your name.. Soujiro.'
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AN: If you read this fiction before, you would realize that I've combined the previous chapter one and two, into a prologue. So it was stupid of me to waste two chapters. Oh well. Anyway, I'm sure you would know what to do now.
But if you don't, let me enlighten you.
Review please! :D