Hanazawa Rui.
"During the battle with Doumyouji, he protected me to the point of almost getting kicked out of school.
At Shigeru's villa, he held my hand while we slept.
Always, always..
He's always been by my side during the hardest times.
Enveloping me gently....just like air."
"YO!! Tsukushi! Stop dreaming and get inside the car!!" Soujirou shouted.
Startled, she jumped, and flashed an annoyed look at Soujirou as she slide onto the seat behind Yuki.
"Akira is already at the villa, we'll be going to fetch Rui. That guy, he can really sleep through anything!" Soujirou complained, "I went to his house before going to fetch Yuki, and he was still sleeping! I tried all sorts of ways to wake him up, but he'd just ignore me and go back to sleep!"
The girls laughed at his disgruntled face.
**********************
"You look better, Tsukushi," said Yuki, "I'm so happy to see you smile again. All of us were very worried about you since the day that Doumyouji-san left."
With a start, Tsukushi realized that, indeed, what Yuki said was true, she was feeling better than she ever had in months. The excruciating pain of the hole, caused by Doumyouji's amnesia and departure, had receded to a more bearable level.
"Thank you, Yuki...and sorry that I've made you so worried. However, you don't have to worry about me anymore! I can stand strong, when I have such good friends by my side!"
A tap on the window interrupted their conversation. It was Soujirou, he looked annoyed.
Getting out of the car, Tsukushi asked, "What's wrong? Where's Rui?"
"I need some help here, Rui is still sleeping despite the fact that all the servants had been trying to wake him up for the past hour."
They followed Soujirou to Rui's room and found him sprawled on his bed, with a pillow over his head.
Soujirou went to over to his bed and shook him rather violently. But Hanazawa Rui gave no response, except to twitch a little.
Tsukushi went up to Rui; bending over him, she called, "Rui! Rui! Wake up! We will leave you here if you don't wake up now."
"It's useless. Even an earthquake couldn't rouse him from his slumber. He's been like this since young. Forget him, let's go now and let him go down by himself." said Soujirou, leaving the room.
"HANAZAWA RUI!! WAKE UP NOW!!!" she shouted into his ear. Seeing that he didn't even stir, Tsukushi straightened up and turned to leave.
A hand pulled her back, the impact caused her to lose her balance and she tumbled onto him. Frantically, she tried to get up, but she was trapped in his embrace. Despite her efforts to struggle free, Rui's grip on her remained strong.
"Arrgghh....for a person who's asleep, his grip is strong...What should I do now?? Soujirou and Yuki are waiting for me... Should I wake him up? But...under this circumstance, how can I do that?"
Just as she was pondering what to do, Rui solved her dilemma by opening his eyes....
Her brown eyes locked with a pair of sleepy hazel eyes.
Looking into his eyes, unnamed feelings welled up within her.
Why is it that being so close with Hanazawa Rui, evoked strange feelings within her?
Why is it that every time she looked into his eyes, she could only see her own reflection? As though, she was the only person in his world?
"I thought that it was a dream, when I found you in my arms....but seeing you blushing like that, I suppose I'm not dreaming, eh?" he teased.
"ACK...." Quickly, she tried to scramble off him, but his arms tightened, imprisoning her against his body.
"Let me hold you, Tsukushi. Now that you are in my arms, let me hold you, even if it's only for a moment."
**********************
"What took you so long, Tsukushi? We are running lat – Whoa!! Rui!! You are up! Great job, Tsukushi!"
However, for some inexplicable reason, she turned crimson.
Only Yuki was sharp enough to notice the tell-tale flush, before she averted her face.
"Come on! Let's get going!" Soujirou said impatiently, starting the engine and roared off as soon as Rui got in beside Tsukushi.
**********************
During the drive, the car was silent except for the occasional clicks. Tsukushi was lost in her own thoughts. After a few attempts at conversation from Soujirou, it was obvious that she wanted to be left alone.
As she was mulling over Rui's words, a tap on her shoulder broke into her thoughts.
It was Rui's head. He had fallen asleep on her shoulder. Just having the sensation of his head on her shoulder made her heart skipped a beat. Turning slightly to look at him, she tried not to move so as not to wake him up, she examined his profile.
His soft, tousled hair, sometimes reddish brown or light brown, depending on the season, gave off a mild fragrance. Gentle, light and refreshing.
Just like Hanazawa Rui.
His face was peaceful, the slightly tanned skin, without any blemish. Fine eyebrows arched over a pair of eyes lined with thick lashes that cast shadows over his cheekbones. The morning sunshine emphasized the sharpness of his finely moulded cheekbones. A smile tugged at the ends of his firm lips.
Such beauty.
Once again, her mind went back to the scene in Rui's bedroom.
^Flashback^
"I've watched you for so long, Tsukushi. You are always living your life with all your might. You cried, you laughed, you got angry, but you never gave up, no matter what happened. You brought light into my heart when you barged into my life.
Before you came, I was content to live in my own world, and let the world outside pass me by. But, you changed it all. Whenever I saw that you are down or troubled, for the first time in my life, I stopped to look. There is this unexplainable urge, to stay by your side, to soothe away your worries and dry your tears. To be your source of comfort and refuge.
I gave you over to Tsukasa when I saw that you love him. I chose to stay by your side, even if its means that I have to live in his shadow. Because, I can't bear to leave you. I tried to, but I just can't. Because, I know that whenever you are down, you'll need me by your side.
As long as you'd look at me, with that special smile of yours, that is enough for me.
But now that Tsukasa isn't with you, I worry. Who is going to soothe your hurts, chase away your loneliness, make you smile and bring you happiness?
Let me be the one, Tsukushi.
Let me be the one to dry your tears, to strengthen you when you're weak, to be your pillar, your joy.
I know that I am not the one whom you love. But, let me stay with you. Let me stay, till the day he comes back."
^End of Flashback^
Memories of Hanazawa Rui came into her mind.
"If I hated you, I wouldn't have carried you."
"Don't act so shallow. It's not like you."
"My feelings always get stirred up when you're involved. Even though I've never cared about what happened to other people."
"This time I'll be the one to support you."
"You can lean on me"
Tsukushi's thoughts: "In front of him, all my masks are stripped away." "He's the one who have always supported me in my loneliness...That's right... He's always been that one."
^Flashback^
Tsukushi asked, "...do you think there's anything you can't buy with money?!"
Rui, "Air."
(Rui smiles) "You're a pretty weird girl..."
... I found it.
Something that you can't buy with money.
^End of Flashback^
I have found his smile. I have found Hanazawa Rui.
**********************
"During the battle with Doumyouji, he protected me to the point of almost getting kicked out of school.
At Shigeru's villa, he held my hand while we slept.
Always, always..
He's always been by my side during the hardest times.
Enveloping me gently....just like air."
"YO!! Tsukushi! Stop dreaming and get inside the car!!" Soujirou shouted.
Startled, she jumped, and flashed an annoyed look at Soujirou as she slide onto the seat behind Yuki.
"Akira is already at the villa, we'll be going to fetch Rui. That guy, he can really sleep through anything!" Soujirou complained, "I went to his house before going to fetch Yuki, and he was still sleeping! I tried all sorts of ways to wake him up, but he'd just ignore me and go back to sleep!"
The girls laughed at his disgruntled face.
**********************
"You look better, Tsukushi," said Yuki, "I'm so happy to see you smile again. All of us were very worried about you since the day that Doumyouji-san left."
With a start, Tsukushi realized that, indeed, what Yuki said was true, she was feeling better than she ever had in months. The excruciating pain of the hole, caused by Doumyouji's amnesia and departure, had receded to a more bearable level.
"Thank you, Yuki...and sorry that I've made you so worried. However, you don't have to worry about me anymore! I can stand strong, when I have such good friends by my side!"
A tap on the window interrupted their conversation. It was Soujirou, he looked annoyed.
Getting out of the car, Tsukushi asked, "What's wrong? Where's Rui?"
"I need some help here, Rui is still sleeping despite the fact that all the servants had been trying to wake him up for the past hour."
They followed Soujirou to Rui's room and found him sprawled on his bed, with a pillow over his head.
Soujirou went to over to his bed and shook him rather violently. But Hanazawa Rui gave no response, except to twitch a little.
Tsukushi went up to Rui; bending over him, she called, "Rui! Rui! Wake up! We will leave you here if you don't wake up now."
"It's useless. Even an earthquake couldn't rouse him from his slumber. He's been like this since young. Forget him, let's go now and let him go down by himself." said Soujirou, leaving the room.
"HANAZAWA RUI!! WAKE UP NOW!!!" she shouted into his ear. Seeing that he didn't even stir, Tsukushi straightened up and turned to leave.
A hand pulled her back, the impact caused her to lose her balance and she tumbled onto him. Frantically, she tried to get up, but she was trapped in his embrace. Despite her efforts to struggle free, Rui's grip on her remained strong.
"Arrgghh....for a person who's asleep, his grip is strong...What should I do now?? Soujirou and Yuki are waiting for me... Should I wake him up? But...under this circumstance, how can I do that?"
Just as she was pondering what to do, Rui solved her dilemma by opening his eyes....
Her brown eyes locked with a pair of sleepy hazel eyes.
Looking into his eyes, unnamed feelings welled up within her.
Why is it that being so close with Hanazawa Rui, evoked strange feelings within her?
Why is it that every time she looked into his eyes, she could only see her own reflection? As though, she was the only person in his world?
"I thought that it was a dream, when I found you in my arms....but seeing you blushing like that, I suppose I'm not dreaming, eh?" he teased.
"ACK...." Quickly, she tried to scramble off him, but his arms tightened, imprisoning her against his body.
"Let me hold you, Tsukushi. Now that you are in my arms, let me hold you, even if it's only for a moment."
**********************
"What took you so long, Tsukushi? We are running lat – Whoa!! Rui!! You are up! Great job, Tsukushi!"
However, for some inexplicable reason, she turned crimson.
Only Yuki was sharp enough to notice the tell-tale flush, before she averted her face.
"Come on! Let's get going!" Soujirou said impatiently, starting the engine and roared off as soon as Rui got in beside Tsukushi.
**********************
During the drive, the car was silent except for the occasional clicks. Tsukushi was lost in her own thoughts. After a few attempts at conversation from Soujirou, it was obvious that she wanted to be left alone.
As she was mulling over Rui's words, a tap on her shoulder broke into her thoughts.
It was Rui's head. He had fallen asleep on her shoulder. Just having the sensation of his head on her shoulder made her heart skipped a beat. Turning slightly to look at him, she tried not to move so as not to wake him up, she examined his profile.
His soft, tousled hair, sometimes reddish brown or light brown, depending on the season, gave off a mild fragrance. Gentle, light and refreshing.
Just like Hanazawa Rui.
His face was peaceful, the slightly tanned skin, without any blemish. Fine eyebrows arched over a pair of eyes lined with thick lashes that cast shadows over his cheekbones. The morning sunshine emphasized the sharpness of his finely moulded cheekbones. A smile tugged at the ends of his firm lips.
Such beauty.
Once again, her mind went back to the scene in Rui's bedroom.
^Flashback^
"I've watched you for so long, Tsukushi. You are always living your life with all your might. You cried, you laughed, you got angry, but you never gave up, no matter what happened. You brought light into my heart when you barged into my life.
Before you came, I was content to live in my own world, and let the world outside pass me by. But, you changed it all. Whenever I saw that you are down or troubled, for the first time in my life, I stopped to look. There is this unexplainable urge, to stay by your side, to soothe away your worries and dry your tears. To be your source of comfort and refuge.
I gave you over to Tsukasa when I saw that you love him. I chose to stay by your side, even if its means that I have to live in his shadow. Because, I can't bear to leave you. I tried to, but I just can't. Because, I know that whenever you are down, you'll need me by your side.
As long as you'd look at me, with that special smile of yours, that is enough for me.
But now that Tsukasa isn't with you, I worry. Who is going to soothe your hurts, chase away your loneliness, make you smile and bring you happiness?
Let me be the one, Tsukushi.
Let me be the one to dry your tears, to strengthen you when you're weak, to be your pillar, your joy.
I know that I am not the one whom you love. But, let me stay with you. Let me stay, till the day he comes back."
^End of Flashback^
Memories of Hanazawa Rui came into her mind.
"If I hated you, I wouldn't have carried you."
"Don't act so shallow. It's not like you."
"My feelings always get stirred up when you're involved. Even though I've never cared about what happened to other people."
"This time I'll be the one to support you."
"You can lean on me"
Tsukushi's thoughts: "In front of him, all my masks are stripped away." "He's the one who have always supported me in my loneliness...That's right... He's always been that one."
^Flashback^
Tsukushi asked, "...do you think there's anything you can't buy with money?!"
Rui, "Air."
(Rui smiles) "You're a pretty weird girl..."
... I found it.
Something that you can't buy with money.
^End of Flashback^
I have found his smile. I have found Hanazawa Rui.
**********************