In the following months, Tsukushi would have broken down if not for the
support of Hanazawa Rui. It seemed like he would always know how she feel,
that when she was about to break down and succumb to the pain, he'd always
appear before her. It was like her pain had called to him.
^Flashback^
As Tsukushi walked the hallways of Eitoku High, she could hear the whispers behind her. People sneering. Sniggering at her fate.
"..........its about time Doumyouji-san dumped that weed.........."
"......look at her....so ragged.....wonder what Doumyouji-san saw in her....."
"...serves her right....should know her own place....how could she be compatible with the great Doumyouji-san..."
"Ya...that stab must have woke him up..huh..."
"Ignore them Tsukushi....just imagine that they are singing....very badly...tune them out....you don't need to her these..." she muttered to herself.
She quickened her pace, almost running. Without realizing it, she had gone to the emergency staircase. She pushed open the doors. Sunlight hit her, warming her cold body.
"Ah....he's not here..." Disappointment welled up within her.
She heaved a big sigh of relief.
"Phew!! Finally freed of the gossip...."
It was the first day of school, after spring break.
Coming back to a place full of memories with Doumyouji would have been too much for her, if not for her place of refuge.
Once again, Doumyouji haunted her thoughts.
"As long as you say it's not true, I will believe you."
"It wasn't easy for me to get hold of you, how can I let you go so easily."
When Tsukushi was lost in the snow storm in Canada, just as she losing her consciousness. Suddenly, Doumyouji appeared and carried her to a wooden cabin nearby.
Doumyouji hugging her and saying,
"If you would just say you like me, I will cancel tomorrow's match."
"I like you. So much so that even I can't understand. All I can see is you. If you want to run away, I will chase you. Be it to hell, anywhere, no matter where you go, I will get you!"
"Close your eyes" He said before getting beaten up by Junpei and the gang.
"Don't cry. It's not like you."
She whipped her head around, expecting to see Doumyouji behind her.
But there was no one.
"Yeah......it's not like me to keep crying...I am Makino Tsukushi, the weed, who survives; no matter who trample on me...I must be strong...for him..."
"Oh no!! I am late for class!! The last thing I need is more snide comments from Asai and her lackeys!!"
With that she pulled open the doors and hurried down the stairs.
In her haste to get to class, she tripped and started to fall.
"AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
Wincing, she braced herself for the impact when she connected with the ground.
It never came.
She had landed on something soft.
"Since when is the ground soft?" she wondered aloud.
"When it is cushioned by a person." Came the reply.
Tsukushi's eyes locked with a pair of familiar hazel eyes.
Something unrecognizable flickered in his eyes. With a blink, it was gone, and it was his usual eyes again.
Suddenly, she came to realize that she was sprawled on top of him.
Quickly, she scrambled off him, blushing furiously.
Backing away, she apologized profusely, "Sorry, Hanazawa Rui!! Sorry!! Sorry for landing on you!! Are you hurt??!!"
Without realizing it, she had backed into a wall, "SMACK!!"
"OUCH!!"
Now, even more embarrassed then ever, she rushed off, "I –I've got to go to cla – class!!" leaving him still sitting on the ground.
**********************
"Makino Tsukushi!! Pull yourself together!!" she reprimanded herself as her mind wandered to Hanazawa Rui's mesmerizing eyes. The way he looked at her just now, with that strange expression.
"What was it? I've never seen that look in his eyes before."
"MAKINO TSUKUSHI!! Good of you to finally join us!" a voice boomed.
The rest of the class tittered as she stood in the doorway of the classroom.
".......still has the cheek to come to class...."
"Yeah, if I were her, I'd be hiding in my house...."
"What can you expect out of lower class people like her?? They are all shameless...too thick-skinned to know their place." Asai sneered.
"Ignore them, Tsukushi. Remember, you are the weed Tsukushi. You can stand up to this!"
Suddenly, the classroom was as still as a graveyard.
All of them were gaping at something behind her.
She turned around to find Hanazawa Rui behind her, with a look on his face that can only be described as a GLARE.
"Hanazawa Rui!!"
Looking down at her, his eyes gentled, "You dropped these." He held out a pile of books.
With a slight smile, he left.
His comings and goings, were just like the wind. So fast. So sudden.
**********************
As the teacher droned on, again her thoughts wandered to Hanazawa Rui's eyes.
His gentle smile.
The way he has been looking at her recently.
(Music filled the air)
It was Hanazawa Rui playing his violin.
She became lost in the heartbreakingly beautiful music.
**********************
Jolting awake, she discovered that she was the only one left in the room.
Class had ended.
Then, she realized the expression that she had seen in his eyes was –
Warmth and tenderness.
Something that was never seen in his usually cold eyes.
^End of Flashback^
**********************
"Yo!! Hardworking virgin!!" a familiar voice rang out.
Tsukushi grimaced at Sojiro's words and leveled at glare at him.
"It's lunch, come and join us for a picnic!" said Akira cheerfully, dragging her away despite her protests.
"Wait!!"
"A hungry man's an angry man, Tsukushi. Or in our case.....maybe its something else....." Sojiro said suggestively. "At least let me lock my locker!!"
"Ah...that...done!!" Sojiro proclaimed with an exaggerated flourish.
"And not forgetting these two. They really know how to cheer me up. I'd be lost without their encouraging presence. I used to see them as spoilt brats, who cared only about themselves. But, during this period of time, they have shown another side of themselves." She thought as she allowed Akira to drag her out.
**********************
^Flashback^
As Tsukushi walked the hallways of Eitoku High, she could hear the whispers behind her. People sneering. Sniggering at her fate.
"..........its about time Doumyouji-san dumped that weed.........."
"......look at her....so ragged.....wonder what Doumyouji-san saw in her....."
"...serves her right....should know her own place....how could she be compatible with the great Doumyouji-san..."
"Ya...that stab must have woke him up..huh..."
"Ignore them Tsukushi....just imagine that they are singing....very badly...tune them out....you don't need to her these..." she muttered to herself.
She quickened her pace, almost running. Without realizing it, she had gone to the emergency staircase. She pushed open the doors. Sunlight hit her, warming her cold body.
"Ah....he's not here..." Disappointment welled up within her.
She heaved a big sigh of relief.
"Phew!! Finally freed of the gossip...."
It was the first day of school, after spring break.
Coming back to a place full of memories with Doumyouji would have been too much for her, if not for her place of refuge.
Once again, Doumyouji haunted her thoughts.
"As long as you say it's not true, I will believe you."
"It wasn't easy for me to get hold of you, how can I let you go so easily."
When Tsukushi was lost in the snow storm in Canada, just as she losing her consciousness. Suddenly, Doumyouji appeared and carried her to a wooden cabin nearby.
Doumyouji hugging her and saying,
"If you would just say you like me, I will cancel tomorrow's match."
"I like you. So much so that even I can't understand. All I can see is you. If you want to run away, I will chase you. Be it to hell, anywhere, no matter where you go, I will get you!"
"Close your eyes" He said before getting beaten up by Junpei and the gang.
"Don't cry. It's not like you."
She whipped her head around, expecting to see Doumyouji behind her.
But there was no one.
"Yeah......it's not like me to keep crying...I am Makino Tsukushi, the weed, who survives; no matter who trample on me...I must be strong...for him..."
"Oh no!! I am late for class!! The last thing I need is more snide comments from Asai and her lackeys!!"
With that she pulled open the doors and hurried down the stairs.
In her haste to get to class, she tripped and started to fall.
"AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
Wincing, she braced herself for the impact when she connected with the ground.
It never came.
She had landed on something soft.
"Since when is the ground soft?" she wondered aloud.
"When it is cushioned by a person." Came the reply.
Tsukushi's eyes locked with a pair of familiar hazel eyes.
Something unrecognizable flickered in his eyes. With a blink, it was gone, and it was his usual eyes again.
Suddenly, she came to realize that she was sprawled on top of him.
Quickly, she scrambled off him, blushing furiously.
Backing away, she apologized profusely, "Sorry, Hanazawa Rui!! Sorry!! Sorry for landing on you!! Are you hurt??!!"
Without realizing it, she had backed into a wall, "SMACK!!"
"OUCH!!"
Now, even more embarrassed then ever, she rushed off, "I –I've got to go to cla – class!!" leaving him still sitting on the ground.
**********************
"Makino Tsukushi!! Pull yourself together!!" she reprimanded herself as her mind wandered to Hanazawa Rui's mesmerizing eyes. The way he looked at her just now, with that strange expression.
"What was it? I've never seen that look in his eyes before."
"MAKINO TSUKUSHI!! Good of you to finally join us!" a voice boomed.
The rest of the class tittered as she stood in the doorway of the classroom.
".......still has the cheek to come to class...."
"Yeah, if I were her, I'd be hiding in my house...."
"What can you expect out of lower class people like her?? They are all shameless...too thick-skinned to know their place." Asai sneered.
"Ignore them, Tsukushi. Remember, you are the weed Tsukushi. You can stand up to this!"
Suddenly, the classroom was as still as a graveyard.
All of them were gaping at something behind her.
She turned around to find Hanazawa Rui behind her, with a look on his face that can only be described as a GLARE.
"Hanazawa Rui!!"
Looking down at her, his eyes gentled, "You dropped these." He held out a pile of books.
With a slight smile, he left.
His comings and goings, were just like the wind. So fast. So sudden.
**********************
As the teacher droned on, again her thoughts wandered to Hanazawa Rui's eyes.
His gentle smile.
The way he has been looking at her recently.
(Music filled the air)
It was Hanazawa Rui playing his violin.
She became lost in the heartbreakingly beautiful music.
**********************
Jolting awake, she discovered that she was the only one left in the room.
Class had ended.
Then, she realized the expression that she had seen in his eyes was –
Warmth and tenderness.
Something that was never seen in his usually cold eyes.
^End of Flashback^
**********************
"Yo!! Hardworking virgin!!" a familiar voice rang out.
Tsukushi grimaced at Sojiro's words and leveled at glare at him.
"It's lunch, come and join us for a picnic!" said Akira cheerfully, dragging her away despite her protests.
"Wait!!"
"A hungry man's an angry man, Tsukushi. Or in our case.....maybe its something else....." Sojiro said suggestively. "At least let me lock my locker!!"
"Ah...that...done!!" Sojiro proclaimed with an exaggerated flourish.
"And not forgetting these two. They really know how to cheer me up. I'd be lost without their encouraging presence. I used to see them as spoilt brats, who cared only about themselves. But, during this period of time, they have shown another side of themselves." She thought as she allowed Akira to drag her out.
**********************