A/N: Hope for your reviews! Oh yeah! Many thanks to the touching reviewers! I'm so happy! Every review is quite precious! I decided to make Akira a really important character here… instead of annoying Nagisa… he he…
Disclaimer: I am only a mere obsessed fan of CLAMP, and this is for fun… DON'T SUE ME! If I owned it, I'll keep Akira to myself and Nagisa wouldn't exist… he he…
December 21: WednesdayThe CLAMP School weather system got busted that day. No matter what the machine did, the snow kept coming and rijichou decided to keep the snow. It was the first time it ever happened in campus.
Something's really strange about Suoh Takamura. Since after Nagisa had returned from the concert in Okinawa, he had always left the student council room early. He always left with a warming smile, which he doesn't usually show.
Not that Akira Ijyuin was complaining to that.
Today, he decided to follow Suoh after he had left the student council room. But sneaking behind an heir of a great martial arts clan wasn't going to be easy.
"Kaichou, can I ask for a favor?" Akira approached his upperclassman while Suoh was packing his stuff to leave.
"Sure Akira. What is it?" Nokoru asked.
"Can I leave early today? I have to meet someone today." Akira asked.
Lying to Nokoru Imonoyama was wrong but he thought it was best he was to tail into Suoh's privacy. He would never let Akira do it if he knew. Nokoru knew that he lied but maybe it was for a good cause. "Okay, I'm sure you and Ohkawa-kaichou will have a great date today!" He smiled.
"WH-WHAT! YOU GOT IT ALL WRONG!" Akira blushed.
Nokoru giggled at Akira's flushing face, and felt his speechless thoughts.
"No, really. I'm leaving as well after finishing all these paperwork. So, go ahead." Nokoru was really serious at that time. He got serious after what happened yesterday.
Nokoru returned some of the snow to paperwork again, so it would take a little time to finish but he was serious. It would only take a little bit and he's gone.
He was too serious today. "Okay, I'm going now!"
Akira waved good bye to his upperclassmen and left the room. Nokoru saw him off and Suoh was waving him goodbye as well. They were again standing close to each other.
Nokoru felt his heartbeat was so loud.
He felt Suoh heard it.
"Um... Suoh?" Nokoru tapped his shoulder.
"What is it, kaichou?" Suoh asked.
"Suoh, it's about yesterday. Um… I was wondering if you're…" Nokoru smiled but inside, felt something was up. Something that he didn't realize.
Suoh looked down and didn't say anything. He was reminded that he had secretly kissed him before leaving.
It was something that Akira didn't notice.
And it was something that Akira shouldn't notice.
"…I'm off now, kaichou." Suoh dashed off in a mere second as Nokoru blinked out.
Again, on the desk, he faced his paperwork and started to work again. Doing work makes him forget. He suddenly dashes of on every paper and tires to sign them at a great speed. Accidentally, a small photo stuck between the paperwork blew to his hands.
But this time, it wasn't the picture he had when Suoh hated the sight of him. It was a picture after that incident. He remembered it well as if it was yesterday.
He and Suoh were surrounded by their admirers and showed them the picture that they took the other day. Nokoru smiled and asked them if they could get a new picture, since Suoh wasn't looking at the camera. It became perfect. Suoh was holding his shoulder and they both smiled.
Nokoru knew his feeling towards him, and now Suoh is acting strange. Even if he was a genius, he never knew what was inside Suoh's heart.
He assumed it was Nagisa.
"What is going on anyway?"
It was strange that Suoh was on his way behind the Imonoyama Shopping Center, carrying a lot of gardening tools. Suoh isn't that type of guy who cares to maintain plants. It sounded more like Akira.
"Takamura-senpai is going there?" Akira got out of Suoh tail and jumped up the shopping center. "I know! I'll take a shortcut there!"
Suoh looked back and saw no one. No one was following him. He felt that someone was on his tail but maybe it was his imagination. "Maybe it's rijichou's doing again…" Suoh continued without the thought anyone was following him. Except Rijichou, anyway.
Akira found himself standing on a frozen wasteland. Before, it was a great field of flowers and the bus with a lot of flowers growing in. Now all stuff was covered in snow. The inside of the bus had snow, but the flowers were saved for some reason. "Someone's been shoveling snow here. I say about this morning." He deduced.
The sound of moving snow made him alert. He hid under the bus to see if it was Suoh.
"Takamura-senpai must be the one who saved those flowers. But why?"
Suoh didn't go inside the bus but rather he went at the end of the field of flowers. Noticing that the place was still green, it means Suoh has been there for a while. "I'm glad you flowers aren't killed by the snow." Suoh smiled.
"Takamura-senpai has been planting flowers? But for what?" Akira asked himself.
"And why did he have to be discreet about it? And why am I asking all these questions!" Akira giggled.
Suoh grinned and looked at the bus. "You don't have to hide from me, Ijyuin. Come out of that bus." Akira sweatdropped.
"Good afternoon, Takamura-senpai! Ha-hehehe…" Akira smiled warmly.
"Why are you here anyway?" Suoh asked directly as he took off some of the snow on the soil.
Akira felt his heartbeat rise up. It was as if Suoh wasn't allowing anyone to see him plant stuff. "The truth is, I was just concerned why you leave the student council room so early. We were really surprised you would slightly neglect you're paperwork."
Suoh paused and looked at Akira. A little boy with a perfect smile actually saw something strange happening to him? It was surprising since Akira was so innocent, but now sharing what he wanted to say. Even without a little hesitation to his feelings.
"Ijyuin, are you trying to?"
"Are you all right, Takamura-senpai?"
He faced his plants again and dug as he said with a smile, "Arigatou, Ijyuin. You came here just to know why I left early. I really appreciate it, even sometimes I get cold at you…"
Akira chuckled and sat to check.
To the look of the soil, many flowers were planted but didn't survive for a strange reason. Everything was done in haste, even watering them looked neglected. Some didn't survive its care, left behind like weeds.
Flowers that didn't survive were unworthy to the Takamura.
Akira took pity to the plants that weren't really weeds but treated like one.
"To tell you the truth, I feel sad that you neglected those plants. They had a chance to live as a pretty part of nature but, you treated it like scum." Akira felt the stem. No care at all.
Suoh swiftly stole Akira's hold on the stem and crushed it in his hand. An emotion that was somewhat disturbed. He gave a glare that was sometimes shown to foes of the Imonoyama boy. "HOW WOULD YOU KNOW! YOU NEVER FELT LIKE SCUM! HOW WOULD YOU SAY THAT FLOWERS FEEL ANYTHING AT ALL!"
Suoh suddenly burst out.
He has never shown anything like that. Now his underclassman felt fear in his heart. An indescribable feeling that made him sad and sorry. "I-I'm s-sorry… B-But sometimes, I had b-been treated like scum…" Akira bowed down to his senior. His feelings spelled out tears.
"What is going on with Takamura-senpai?" Akira thought.
He tries to stop his voice from creating tears.
"Eh? Takamura-senpai?" Akira felt his' upperclassman's blue hair beside him and Suoh's hand at his right shoulder. He felt Suoh's other side. Nokoru and now Akira only saw that side… Maybe.
"I apologize. I didn't know… And?" Suoh wasn't really great at explanations when it goes to apology.
"I'm all right. You know, Kaichou must've felt safe." Akira looked at Suoh's comforting face.
"Why is that?" Suoh blushed.
"It's just… I feel comfortable right now at your side. Kaichou must feel secure in your arms yesterday." His ears turned pink and he suddenly continued digging out snow!
"Why are talking nonsense, Ijyuin! You must be ill or something!" Suoh pointed his right hand at Akira's face.
"It's just that I think you really care a lot for Kaichou. It might be my imagination since you already have Nagisa-san!" Akira saw his reaction. Here he goes again. He didn't blush or stammer. He stopped.
Hearing that name made Suoh sad.
It was an observation of two identities.
It was an observation of a detective and a friend.
"I'm sorry. Right! What are those flowers for anyway? A project? A test?" It was the only cure. Change the subject. Suoh felt better after he changed it.
"I'm going to give these flowers when they're already ready to be picked out." Suoh explained as he gave water to the flowers.
Somehow, Akira couldn't tell what flowers they were. It made him think. Does flower language have anything to do with it? Suoh knows a little about it so it might be connected. "What are these flowers called?"
He had sure meddled a lot. That information was too much to answer. Suoh thought that a lot. A student of CLAMP School maybe had an idea what he was to do. But still, he was his friend. "Takamura-senpai?" Akira waved his hand to Suoh's face.
He had a little right to know.
"I'm sorry to meddle in your affairs. I said sorry a lot, haven't I?" Akira snapped his fingers.
"I'm sorry. These are Sweetpeas for Nagisa-san." Suoh answered.
"Really?" Akira asked with joy.
Akira was struck with something. It felt disturbing.
"I'm glad you're happy to hear it." Suoh asked. "It's rude to ask, but can I ask you a favor?"
"What is it?" Akira asked. "Why is Takamura-senpai?" He thought it as he asked that question.
"Please give these flowers to her for me. Is it all right if you do it?" Suoh touched the ground and felt maybe embarrassed.
Akira couldn't answer. "I know Ijyuin, it's too much for a favor." Suoh frowned. "Why can't he answer?"
He thought.
He just nodded to comfort Suoh's frown.
"Wa - Wakarimashita…(1)" Akira looked down, clasping his hand.
"Arigatou. This really means a lot, Ijyuin." Suoh smiled.
"I'll go back to the student council room now. See you later, Takamura-senpai."
"Takamura-senpai… Is it a coincidence you chose Sweetpeas?" He frowned.
He had an idea in mind why Suoh acted that way. But now, it turned his idea all different. It seemed that it was only yesterday that they had that treasure hunting game. It wasn't jewelry, but their smiles were different to now. Everything is different now.
"Sweetpeas… Why, Takamura-senpai? Why do want to say goodbye to her?" Akira sighed. "I don't get it.. Why?"
A girl looked at him from below and giggled since he shouts it all aloud. She climbed up to the first branch and called up to him. "Asking there won't get you answers. Ain't that right?" The deducing little kindergartner looked up the boy's innocent puppy dog eyes as their eyes met.
Akira giggled and looked at the lady with a familiar tone. "I guess you're right, Utako-san. I'm coming down!" Akira let go of the wind and jumped down to the second branch above it.
"What are you doing here, Utako-san?" Akira asked. Utako gave a small flower to his hand.
Akira was quite puzzled on what the flower was for. He was a little shock that she would give a flower. He thought, "Oh no! I might be neglecting Utako-san! Maybe she gave me this not just for that. If that happens…"
Akira was already scratching his head so furiously and his actions were like a confused dog, finding nothing out of nothingness.
Utako sighed and explained, "I'm headed at the bus we went in that treasure hunting game we had. I thought, why not practice gardening for my bridal training!" Akira flushed red.
"What did you think otherwise?"
"It's nothing! I'm qu-quite hon-honored!" Akira explained. "B-But somebody already cleared out all the snow in that bus."
"Takamura-sama?" She guessed. "I have been seeing him care for flowers there, for a while…"
Akira almost screamed for joy when he heard his upperclassman's name. He suddenly grabbed Utako and they went up the really tall pine tree. "Did I say something important?"
"So you also noticed it?" Utako could imagine his figure right now with dog-ears and a tail.
"How did you know that I was spying on Takamura-sama?" Utako placed her hand to her mouth.
"Eh? I didn't really think that spying was involved!" Akira warmly smiled. "I also did what you did."
Utako burst out of joy when she heard a couple, like themselves, did something the same! Happiness!
"But, you must have a reason for spying on him." he asked.
"Hai…" Utako really didn't knew her reason but she could only say one factor. "It's because of Nagisa-san…"
"Why?"
To be continued…1) Wakarimashita - I understand
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