DISCLAIMER: Don't we all want to own Angelic Layer? ^_~ Sadly we do not,
least of all me. I can never live up to the incredible genius of CLAMP nor
their writing, but I do enjoy indulging myself and writing these fics,
hoping you all find them at least minutely good to read.
Angelic High: Episode Seven: Lost
"Naaa!?" Misaki didn't need any more incentive to blush than put on the gown chosen for her companionably by Tamayo who was convinced Misakichi would look absolutely irresistible in it.
Misaki refrained from spoiling her friend's great enthusiasm by withholding the fact that she felt being irresistible was not in her scope of possibilities, nor was it her wish if she could.
Still, it was a beautiful dress.
"Er, Misaki-chan, are you coming out?" Hikaru's voice sounded, curious as to what had provoked such a reaction from Misaki.
"H-hai," Misaki was just glad Wizard, Oujirou and Kotaro were not there. Otherwise she never would have even put the dress on, much less walked out into the open dressing area...with all those unfortunately placed mirrors. Tentatively, Misaki opened the changing room door and stepped out, wincing as if from some invisible hurt, thought it was really because she didn't want to look at herself in the beautiful gown.
In Misaki's mind, you could put a crown of jewels and gold on any person's head and they would not be king or queen. They would simply remain as a normal person only wearing a crown atop their heads. It was the same; if she wore this dress, she was still just plain Suzuhara Misaki. The fact that she was not at all plain but very cute and even pretty did not register in her mind any time she looked in the mirror, regardless of its truth. No, she just saw herself, looking decent enough.
Hikaru and Tamayo on the other hand, had the right perspective.
"Sugoi! Misakichi! Look, look! No, no, open your eyes you silly!" Tamayo dragged a still closed-eyes Misaki over to one of the largest mirrors; it seemed to dwarf her tiny frame but that made her appearance even more petite and sweet. If only she would open her eyes to see, Hikaru thought amusedly. Obviously this girl had never worn anything of the sort before, nor had she any comprehension of her cute demeanor.
Tamayo and Hikaru had their own kind of beauty; Tamayo was spunky but true and slender and very athletic, blessed with a lithe body and height. Hikaru was short, though not as short as Misaki, but also very slender. Her eyes were her most captivating trait, as their color was so unusually exotic, a startling crimson. Hikaru had a dress at home she could wear, or so she claimed.
Only Misaki was left, to her personal chagrin.
"Come on MISAKICHIIII!" Tamayo used her signature Misakichi call to give Misaki incentive to open her eyes.
And open them she did.
"Na---Naaa?!" Misaki swore inside that the girl before her was not herself or that it was some kind of mirage to fade away if she got too close to the mirror.
She looked good...
Really good.
"See?" Tamayo's telltale grin of satisfaction crept over her face and she faced Hikaru to shake hands as if they had just concluded some great business deal. Mission complete!
--------------------
The invitations arrived Friday night; the gala was for Saturday night now for some reason.
Oujirou and Wizard had promised...or rather Oujirou had promised and Wizard had agreed in pensive silence that they would pick up Hikaru and Misaki at Misaki's house around seven. Wizard kept grumbling about not knowing how he had gotten into this and why on earth was he going and so forth. This amused Hikaru who noted that this was a part of the Wizard people didn't normally get close enough to see; the human side. Normally he acted much like a well-oiled machine, except that he didn't always listen to you of course.
Oujirou would only smiled and shrug his nonchalantly coined expression and then go back to doing thinking of his own, which to his sudden realization, seemed to revolve much around Suzuhara Misaki. He had asked her to go...why? This was not normal, the very logical and almost conservative part of his conscious told him. This was not normal at all...for a first year to be so entrancing to him, Prince of Angelic? It wasn't that he was egotistical; it was just strange to realize that one's long dormant reservoirs of affection were suddenly brought to life, not by some prematurely curvy high school third year or fourth or even one of his own age [and all had approached him at one point or another], no, but by a very short, slender child of a girl.
Yes this was far from normal.
And yet he found himself arguing with...well, himself, less and less about the matter. What he had found to be true, was that he was happier when he was around Suzuhara Misaki, that she made him feel like it was okay to do anything, whether it matched up to his image of the Prince or not.
Simultaneously though, it wasn't that she didn't care; it was only that she didn't mind.
She didn't mind.
That his interest in her was more than friendly, he had deduced to his at first, somewhat disturbed consciousness. There was proof though, proof he had laid out for himself in the past two days or so repeatedly: his sudden wish to go out of his way for her, to see her smile [which thankfully, was more often than not], then there was the subtle interest Wizard showed, which bothered him. He had at first not understood why it should bother him that Wizard might fancy Misaki except perhaps that it was extremely out of character for him to like anyone as a friend, much less in the way that he seemed to be heading.
That was another thing. How exactly did Wizard feel about her? Oujirou had made every attempt to foil any of Wizard's advances by being there first, always first; that was another tip off of proof for the Prince that his eyes on Misaki were not merely companionable.
This is bad, was his first thought. If Wizard did like her, what could he do? Would he just let his own whims pass? Probably not...Oujirou groaned internally. What to do?
He wasn't altogether sure.
Wizard on the other hand, as they walked in easy silence together to pick up Hikaru and Misaki, he was struggling as well. He felt like acting completely un-Wizard like and having an all out tantrum, something he could not ever remember doing, not even as a child. But what was happening inside him now, it was enough to call for it. Suzuhara Misaki, what intrigues me about you? He wondered. Hikaru, fighting miracle, was that wistfulness he had seen in her beautiful crimson eyes the last time she looked at him? Hold on a second...who said beautiful? You did, his higher self said in evident amusement and he promptly told his higher self to kindly shut up.
He just wasn't in the mood for enlightenment.
Two girls, both of which intrigued him in different ways...those ways he had yet to puzzle out it might be noted.
Like said before, he was in the mood for a grand old tantrum, perhaps a few very loud obscenities and a bout of throwing miscellaneous useless objects...yes that was what he wanted, he decided irately as they continued to walk, ignoring the questioning glances Oujirou sent his way at decidedly random intervals.
He was irate; true, he wasn't exactly great at handling the unexpected, especially in the form of the opposite gender. The only person he had had to deal with in years other than himself was Oujirou, and contrary to popular belief, the Prince could be just as much of a loner and cold machine as Wizard was reputed to be. Wizard was just not used to these...what were they? Feelings? Emotions? They swirled in prismatic colors in his mind and heart like some crazed artist's masterpiece work until all he saw was the mass of confusion in a conglomeration of abruptly vivid colours...that all slowly dimmed to a moderate black and white as they approached Misaki's house.
They were here. It was time.
Oujirou glanced at him again and paused before knocking lightly on the door.
Wizard would sort the rest of his conflicts later, or so he thought. Right now was too much to deal with without pondering one's heart, the historically most chaotic part of a human.
"Hai! Coming!" Shouko appeared at the door; as Misaki's aunt, she was also her caretaker but normally she worked so much it was difficult to find time to be with the young girl, daughter of her sister. So when she found out about the gala, she crunched times and extended hours elsewhere to be there and see her off...and, Shouko thought slyly, see who was "escorting them."
"Evening gentlemen," she smiled at them; my, they certainly are handsome young men, Shouko thought. Way to go Misaki-chan. Oujirou wore a sleek black tuxedo...with a coordinating cape that had a smoky silver lining. Wizard wore the same, but his lining was a vivid deep blue, subtly making the connection between his blue eyes and hair.
As a guild we practice the art of anime, watch it, reaGood evening Suzuhara- sama," Oujirou bowed in greeting and Wizard followed suit before they stepped inside.
"Just Shouko-san is fine, and Misaki and Hikaru will be down in a second methinks," Shouko grinned at them and disappeared into the kitchen where she had left her dinner boiling precariously. [That was why she normally let Misaki cook...not only was it much more palatable than her own cuisine, but it had less chance of setting the house on fire...or worse.]
Wizard and Oujirou stood at ease in the foyer, waiting for Hikaru and Misaki to come down the stairs; they didn't wait long.
Soft steps were heard and they looked up.
It was cliché, like a movie scene, and yet it was better because it was real.
Hikaru apparently had had a dress indeed. It was a classy long black dress that slightly dipped in the back, elegant and mature. Adorning her right wrist was a simple clasp of plain white gold. The front of the dress was modest but attractive and accentuated every bit of Hikaru's femininity to perfection without being...inappropriate. She was like a fire goddess with her flame eyes and correlating beautifully natural hair.
And then she spoiled the look by laughing unabashedly at the two young men who, suddenly realized, they were staring. Oujirou had the grace to offer a smile as if saying, "How could I help myself?" while Wizard looked away jerkily. This, Hikaru noticed in bright amusement and she descended the stairs to take his proffered arm, him still pointedly looking away.
"Misaki?" Hikaru called up to her, knowing how long it had taken her to convince the younger girl to put the dress on again, then there was the fact that she had nearly run out the window when her aunt approached her with a small amount of make-up...it had been quite the challenge. In the end though, Misaki was convinced to wear the dress...and the persistent Shouko allowed her to get away with a simple lip-gloss. So where was she, Hikaru thought worriedly. If she had locked herself in her room they'd never get her out...and then Suzuhara Misaki walked down the stairs.
Mihara Oujirou was speechless. Wizard never thought he'd see the day THAT happened. Then he looked up at the descending Misaki and saw exactly why his best friend was rendered so.
Apparently the humble and shy Misaki hid quite an attractive self under her normal school uniform. She wasn't as developed as Hikaru but it was her slender and subtle, ever so subtle curves that gave her a glowing kind of beauty that transcended her childlike being into a woman without going all the way. The dress was a pure snow white with crossed straps in the front that came around her neck to tie in the back...speaking of which, there wasn't really any. Her luminously pale skin actually looked more pigmented next to the white fabric but glowed from its shine in an angelic way...how appropriate. It was also long like Hikaru's but had a wavy hem that reminded one of a princess's dress.
"Misaki-chan, kirei," Hikaru breathed. Apparently Shouko must have accosted her one last time because ever so sparingly, there were a few sparkles at the edges of Misaki's eyes, clear, so that one only saw them if the light hit them right, finishing her angelic look perfectly.
"Hai, perfect," Oujirou agreed, smiling in awe and something more. He took her hand and they waved farewell to Shouko until much later that night.
"Ja ne Shouko-san!" they called and off they went.
Shouko smiled after them but as their retreating forms disappeared, her smile dimmed.
"Shuu, your daughter...she's so wonderful...you've missed so much..." she whispered sadly as she closed the door quietly, even though no one was around to hear even the softest click.
The quartet walked in the warm night weather at peace with each other, each wondering different things and coming to their own conclusions on them. They had decided to walk to the gala, as it was a mere two blocks away nearly and it seemed, all of them preferred walking.
Misaki watched as the sun sunk low behind the horizon, paying half- attention to her feet, just enough to keep her walking in a straight line next to Oujirou. The sky had dimmed, or brightened, into a magnificent violet hue streaked with vibrant reds, dotted with night's first waking stars. It was like magic.
Oujirou watched her out of his peripheral vision, his previous rolling emotions subdued to a quiet calm, as normal. When he discreetly took her hand in his as they walked, he did so without looking directly at her; he needn't look. He could veritably feel the blush emanating from her. But she didn't pull away.
Hikaru walked at a respectable pace matching Wizard's unconsciously long stride, hidden due to his composure and the leisurely way in which he moved. Her hand was laid equally respectably on his arm and they were both fine with that. It was comfortable and both Wizard and Hikaru could attest to preferring that above all else.
They arrived at the house and even Mihara Oujirou gaped; his house was not even this large. It was a near-castle, gargantuan and grandiose, all of those things plus some kind of ornately polished garnish of extravagance. This was the Mizawa residence and it sparkled with the glitter of high society.
Ladies in gorgeous gowns, men in their tailored tuxedoes, much like the quartet at hand, but different as many were slightly older or even if they were their age...higher on the chart. Society was sticky and all four knew originally, except Oujirou, that none of them really belonged here. But here they were.
"Minna-san!" Mizawa Rei approached them, a deep green dress hugging her body in a surprisingly not inappropriate fashion, though the neckline was questionably low. Her eyes were enhanced by the dress and her hair shone as it swished around her in its sophisticated and primped state.
"Mizawa-san, arigato," Misaki bowed. Everyone else bowed as well and thanked her...well, Hikaru did not thank her but Rei did not seem to care. Her eyes were all for Mihara Oujirou...or rather, on him. Misaki didn't notice. She had suddenly found her feet, notably hidden underneath the flowing layers of her gown, feeling strange in this upper-class setting. Wizard noticed though and suppressed what he guessed would have been something between a scowl and derisive laughter at his friend's situation. This girl had it bad for him, and she wasn't giving up.
"Enjoy yourselves minna, gomen I can't show you around, demo I'll be terribly busy," and Rei left in a hurry, leaving the four to stand wondering where they should go. They were so enthralled in looking around to see any form of indication of the proper direction to head in, none noticed the approaching figures until a finger tapped Misaki's shoulder lightly. She jumped in surprise and turned, coming face to face with Kokuyo. Misaki's eyes widened at the close proximity of his face to hers and she backed up hastily, backed right into Oujirou who bumped into Hikaru who fell onto Wizard who luckily for both of them, caught his balance and Hikaru too. Kokuyo chuckled his amusement while they collected themselves, Oujirou's hand straying protectively to clasp Misaki's. She gulped.
"Good evening Suzuhara. I thought I might show you and your friends where to go, as you all seem to be lost," he made no attempt to hide his satisfaction and without waiting for a reply, simply grabbed Misaki's free hand and pulled her along behind him.
Naturally, everyone followed in a harried pace.
"You know I could have sworn that you were a completely different person from the little girl who got in my way the other day; you look very...different," he said as they came to a stop before two grand doors, turning and eyeing her appraisingly. Hikaru stepped forward before this could continue though and intervened before Oujirou lost his infamous patience and Wizard burned a hole in Kokuyo's head by glaring at him so.
"I hear music," she began and Kokuyo's attention was on her.
"Hai, there is dancing," he paused and then asked as though he already knew the answer, "May I have this dance, Hikaru-san?" as he opened the doors for them into the splendid ballroom of glitz and grandeur.
"Iie Mizawa-san, she's dancing with me," Wizard shocked himself by saying and walking purposely through the doors, remembering to grab Hikaru's hand as he passed. What am I doing, he asked himself in his head and he lead them out to the dance floor the same way he would lead an army into battle. Hikaru, after getting over her initial surprise, was pleased that he had been so valiant; otherwise Kokuyo might have ended up with a bloodied nose or a broken knee if she had been left to it on her own. A waltz was beginning.
"Ano, arigato Wizard," she smiled up at him gratefully and Wizard could only do the typical Wizard thing before he was lost in her crimson eyes...
"Feh, it was nothing," he protested dully but Hikaru recognized the difference in his tone and just continued to smile.
Each moment in time, little by little, I'm getting to know who you really are Wizard, she thought, and it's never boring.
They continued to waltz.
"Well, Misaki-chan, shall we?" Oujirou gently coaxed her into the dancing couples and began to lead. Mizawa Kokuyo shrugged but as he walked by the pair, he looked down at Misaki with a thoughtful glance.
"Save me a dance Suzuhara," he said before disappearing into the many faces of the crowd. Oujirou, immaculate Oujirou, could not repress a deep scowl at his words. Who did he think he was? He had slapped Misaki no less than two days ago, did he just forget? Oujirou was well insulted enough for both of them, which did well because Misaki was not insulted in the least...only confused, but she would never admit it. She never wanted to trouble anyone...
I never want to bring anyone trouble, she thought sadly as she whirled with Oujirou in three-quarter time. I don't want to lose anyone else by being troublesome, her eyes were heavy with hurt as she remembered...and then she was back in the dance room, smiling brightly up at Oujirou, who had been a second too slow to notice her minute sadness and only saw carefree Misakichi.
For a long time now, Misaki thought, all they have seen is carefree me...and that's how it must stay for me to keep my friends, she thought as the waltz ended.
They met back up with Hikaru and Wizard after a couple waltzes and by the time it was almost the leaving hour, they were surprised to know, nothing had happened, nothing troublesome or vindictive, other than Kokuyo Mizawa's mere existence, in Oujirou and Wizard's opinions, which it seemed just couldn't be helped.
It came down to the last hour.
And that's when it happened.
"Minna! I know I haven't been with you at all, demo, I wanted to show you something before you left! Come with me," Rei popped up out of nowhere, to everyone but Misaki's great disturbance and dragged all four of them behind her toward her "surprise."
Misaki was in awe. It was a garden maze, a real one, like from all those stories her mother...her eyes flickered in sadness at that thought but her other musings continued...all those stories her mother told her when she was only three or so. All the ones in the stories were magical or had something magical about them.
"Sugoi, ne?" Rei grinned and took Misaki by the hand.
"Naaa!?" Misaki looked up at the older girl in confusion, missing Rei's shady-eyed look that belied her true intent. And no one else was close enough to see.
"You first Misaki-chan," Rei smiled, an actress of high caliber as she gushed in fake enthusiasm. "It's wonderful and easy to get out of so it's just like walking through a really fun park!" And before anyone could stop her, Rei dragged Misaki bodily into the maze and ran off with her, pulling her along. She did this until they were thoroughly in the thick of it and Misaki was thoroughly lost.
"Wait here Suzuhara, I'll bring Oujirou and the others," Rei said and pounced off, not noticing her slip from the very friendly "Misaki-chan" to the formal "Suzuhara."
Misaki looked around. It was very beautiful she thought absently as she walked around, thinking she wasn't going very far, following the lovely natural and ornate patterns of the flora. To her mortification though, when she turned to go back to her waiting spot, she found she could not find the telltale bench that had marked it...
"Iie..." she breathed in dismay.
She was lost.
Meanwhile:
Mizawa Rei walked leisurely back to the entrance, giving the unsuspecting Misaki plenty of time to get lost and then plastered on a fake smile that was only real when she looked at Oujirou.
"Rei-san, where's Misaki?" Oujirou asked first and her insides boiled at his question, asking about the...the child when she, Mizawa Rei, was right there for him.
"She said she wanted to look around, demo I can take you to her if you want," she grabbed Oujirou's arm and moved quickly into the maze, leaving a doubly startled and confused Hikaru and Wizard. After five minutes, they both were frowning fiercely. After ten, they were tapping a foot each. After fifteen they both thought to Hell with it and purposely strode into the maze, calling the names of their friends, Rei exempted.
Even more so meanwhile:
Mizawa Rei was uncomfortably close for Oujirou and he attempted to disengage her from his person, but she seemed totally oblivious of his attempts; if anything, her hold on him tightened, rather possessively too.
"Ano, Rei-san, is she near here?" Oujirou asked and did not miss this time, the flash of anger in her eyes at his reference to Misaki.
"Hai," was her terse answer and then her voice melted slightly into a more coy tone, "Demo, she's looking at everything, why not stay here with me a while?"
This was a bit too much for Oujirou. He gently pushed Rei away.
"Gomen Rei-san, but I can't return those feelings," he said gravely and her coy smile twisted into an almost pityingly agonized expression.
"Why? Why do you like her so? She isn't as pretty as I am, and there's nothing she has that I don't! I don't understand you Oujirou!" she cried in frustration. She had liked him for a long time, years, and he had never accepted her in that way, though she knew in her heart he had never led her on in any way. He was only his normal charming self, and that was enough to get her obsessively into him as a person and an icon at the school. She had liked him for so long...tried for so long...and then Suzuhara Misaki appeared and had both him and Wizard on either side, Hikaru appearing soon thereafter to suddenly interest Wizard as well...it was too much. Rei had spent so much time, wanting Mihara Oujirou, wishing for him, trying to get him to notice her in that special way...
"That's why, Rei-san," Oujirou said.
"Huh?" she was fed up and confused.
"You don't understand me, but I feel somehow, that Misaki does..." he said softly.
"How can that be when you've only known her for almost less than a week!?" she cried in denial.
"It just is," he replied.
"Well, you know what ELSE just IS?" she yelled, suddenly furious, furious with Mihara Oujirou for being so kind and good, so good and so very perfect even in not liking herself, furious with herself for wanting him still, furious with herself for hating Suzuhara Misaki.
Do I hate her? Rei wondered, her emotions contorting in ugly fashion and as she stared at Oujirou and noted the lack of love for her there and all the love he had for Misaki, she knew that whether she meant to or not, she couldn't help but dislike the girl who stole a love away from her she never even had.
"What else is, she is somewhere in this maze and good luck ever finding her before something happens to her!" Rei cried spitefully before running away, knowing her way out by pure memory of living there, dreaming about being with Oujirou there in a loving embrace, and now she knew whenever she went there, it would be an empty dream.
Now she had a new mission, no longer her dream of course; that was gone forever. No, her mission now was Suzuhara Misaki. It was difficult to imagine anyone having a less than perfect life if Mihara Oujirou was in love with them, but she was going to try and make it so.
Misaki had ruined her life, inadvertently, and she wanted some kind of retribution.
Rei felt tears and brushed them viciously away.
No tears for someone who doesn't love me back, she thought stubbornly as she ran out of the maze, leaving a startled Oujirou.
Then her words sunk in and he was running deeper into the maze...before something happens to Misaki, he thought frantically, feeling as he had never felt before: dead worried.
"Misaki!" he yelled, making his way swiftly through the flora and pathways.
Somewhere on the other side of the maze, Wizard and Hikaru called for Oujirou and Misaki.
Somewhere in between the two, Misaki was desperately looking for some way out. This was bringing back bad memories suddenly; they were things she had forced herself to forget before but now...now...
"Okaasan..." she cried softly as a few tears escaped. Onegai, she thought, where are you? And yet she knew; this was not her childhood again, when her mother always came for her, always rescued her like her Angel from heaven in the stories. No this was her life now, without her Okaasan. Without.
In renewed determined demeanor, Misaki dried her tears bravely. If any of the others found her with tears, she would have to explain, and that might burden them and then...she cringed inside; they might leave her too...
Just like Okaasan.
"Misaki!" Oujirou called again.
The foursome was separated, two on their own, two together, and all looking for each other...
Deep in a maze made by the Mizawas, beautiful but with hidden dangers.
And Misaki, the most lost of them all, was nearest to that danger.
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Review onegai minna-san?
Arigato for all those who are reviewing my stories. It means a great deal to me
Next chapter? Review, ne? ^_~
-Kaji Hikage
Angelic High: Episode Seven: Lost
"Naaa!?" Misaki didn't need any more incentive to blush than put on the gown chosen for her companionably by Tamayo who was convinced Misakichi would look absolutely irresistible in it.
Misaki refrained from spoiling her friend's great enthusiasm by withholding the fact that she felt being irresistible was not in her scope of possibilities, nor was it her wish if she could.
Still, it was a beautiful dress.
"Er, Misaki-chan, are you coming out?" Hikaru's voice sounded, curious as to what had provoked such a reaction from Misaki.
"H-hai," Misaki was just glad Wizard, Oujirou and Kotaro were not there. Otherwise she never would have even put the dress on, much less walked out into the open dressing area...with all those unfortunately placed mirrors. Tentatively, Misaki opened the changing room door and stepped out, wincing as if from some invisible hurt, thought it was really because she didn't want to look at herself in the beautiful gown.
In Misaki's mind, you could put a crown of jewels and gold on any person's head and they would not be king or queen. They would simply remain as a normal person only wearing a crown atop their heads. It was the same; if she wore this dress, she was still just plain Suzuhara Misaki. The fact that she was not at all plain but very cute and even pretty did not register in her mind any time she looked in the mirror, regardless of its truth. No, she just saw herself, looking decent enough.
Hikaru and Tamayo on the other hand, had the right perspective.
"Sugoi! Misakichi! Look, look! No, no, open your eyes you silly!" Tamayo dragged a still closed-eyes Misaki over to one of the largest mirrors; it seemed to dwarf her tiny frame but that made her appearance even more petite and sweet. If only she would open her eyes to see, Hikaru thought amusedly. Obviously this girl had never worn anything of the sort before, nor had she any comprehension of her cute demeanor.
Tamayo and Hikaru had their own kind of beauty; Tamayo was spunky but true and slender and very athletic, blessed with a lithe body and height. Hikaru was short, though not as short as Misaki, but also very slender. Her eyes were her most captivating trait, as their color was so unusually exotic, a startling crimson. Hikaru had a dress at home she could wear, or so she claimed.
Only Misaki was left, to her personal chagrin.
"Come on MISAKICHIIII!" Tamayo used her signature Misakichi call to give Misaki incentive to open her eyes.
And open them she did.
"Na---Naaa?!" Misaki swore inside that the girl before her was not herself or that it was some kind of mirage to fade away if she got too close to the mirror.
She looked good...
Really good.
"See?" Tamayo's telltale grin of satisfaction crept over her face and she faced Hikaru to shake hands as if they had just concluded some great business deal. Mission complete!
--------------------
The invitations arrived Friday night; the gala was for Saturday night now for some reason.
Oujirou and Wizard had promised...or rather Oujirou had promised and Wizard had agreed in pensive silence that they would pick up Hikaru and Misaki at Misaki's house around seven. Wizard kept grumbling about not knowing how he had gotten into this and why on earth was he going and so forth. This amused Hikaru who noted that this was a part of the Wizard people didn't normally get close enough to see; the human side. Normally he acted much like a well-oiled machine, except that he didn't always listen to you of course.
Oujirou would only smiled and shrug his nonchalantly coined expression and then go back to doing thinking of his own, which to his sudden realization, seemed to revolve much around Suzuhara Misaki. He had asked her to go...why? This was not normal, the very logical and almost conservative part of his conscious told him. This was not normal at all...for a first year to be so entrancing to him, Prince of Angelic? It wasn't that he was egotistical; it was just strange to realize that one's long dormant reservoirs of affection were suddenly brought to life, not by some prematurely curvy high school third year or fourth or even one of his own age [and all had approached him at one point or another], no, but by a very short, slender child of a girl.
Yes this was far from normal.
And yet he found himself arguing with...well, himself, less and less about the matter. What he had found to be true, was that he was happier when he was around Suzuhara Misaki, that she made him feel like it was okay to do anything, whether it matched up to his image of the Prince or not.
Simultaneously though, it wasn't that she didn't care; it was only that she didn't mind.
She didn't mind.
That his interest in her was more than friendly, he had deduced to his at first, somewhat disturbed consciousness. There was proof though, proof he had laid out for himself in the past two days or so repeatedly: his sudden wish to go out of his way for her, to see her smile [which thankfully, was more often than not], then there was the subtle interest Wizard showed, which bothered him. He had at first not understood why it should bother him that Wizard might fancy Misaki except perhaps that it was extremely out of character for him to like anyone as a friend, much less in the way that he seemed to be heading.
That was another thing. How exactly did Wizard feel about her? Oujirou had made every attempt to foil any of Wizard's advances by being there first, always first; that was another tip off of proof for the Prince that his eyes on Misaki were not merely companionable.
This is bad, was his first thought. If Wizard did like her, what could he do? Would he just let his own whims pass? Probably not...Oujirou groaned internally. What to do?
He wasn't altogether sure.
Wizard on the other hand, as they walked in easy silence together to pick up Hikaru and Misaki, he was struggling as well. He felt like acting completely un-Wizard like and having an all out tantrum, something he could not ever remember doing, not even as a child. But what was happening inside him now, it was enough to call for it. Suzuhara Misaki, what intrigues me about you? He wondered. Hikaru, fighting miracle, was that wistfulness he had seen in her beautiful crimson eyes the last time she looked at him? Hold on a second...who said beautiful? You did, his higher self said in evident amusement and he promptly told his higher self to kindly shut up.
He just wasn't in the mood for enlightenment.
Two girls, both of which intrigued him in different ways...those ways he had yet to puzzle out it might be noted.
Like said before, he was in the mood for a grand old tantrum, perhaps a few very loud obscenities and a bout of throwing miscellaneous useless objects...yes that was what he wanted, he decided irately as they continued to walk, ignoring the questioning glances Oujirou sent his way at decidedly random intervals.
He was irate; true, he wasn't exactly great at handling the unexpected, especially in the form of the opposite gender. The only person he had had to deal with in years other than himself was Oujirou, and contrary to popular belief, the Prince could be just as much of a loner and cold machine as Wizard was reputed to be. Wizard was just not used to these...what were they? Feelings? Emotions? They swirled in prismatic colors in his mind and heart like some crazed artist's masterpiece work until all he saw was the mass of confusion in a conglomeration of abruptly vivid colours...that all slowly dimmed to a moderate black and white as they approached Misaki's house.
They were here. It was time.
Oujirou glanced at him again and paused before knocking lightly on the door.
Wizard would sort the rest of his conflicts later, or so he thought. Right now was too much to deal with without pondering one's heart, the historically most chaotic part of a human.
"Hai! Coming!" Shouko appeared at the door; as Misaki's aunt, she was also her caretaker but normally she worked so much it was difficult to find time to be with the young girl, daughter of her sister. So when she found out about the gala, she crunched times and extended hours elsewhere to be there and see her off...and, Shouko thought slyly, see who was "escorting them."
"Evening gentlemen," she smiled at them; my, they certainly are handsome young men, Shouko thought. Way to go Misaki-chan. Oujirou wore a sleek black tuxedo...with a coordinating cape that had a smoky silver lining. Wizard wore the same, but his lining was a vivid deep blue, subtly making the connection between his blue eyes and hair.
As a guild we practice the art of anime, watch it, reaGood evening Suzuhara- sama," Oujirou bowed in greeting and Wizard followed suit before they stepped inside.
"Just Shouko-san is fine, and Misaki and Hikaru will be down in a second methinks," Shouko grinned at them and disappeared into the kitchen where she had left her dinner boiling precariously. [That was why she normally let Misaki cook...not only was it much more palatable than her own cuisine, but it had less chance of setting the house on fire...or worse.]
Wizard and Oujirou stood at ease in the foyer, waiting for Hikaru and Misaki to come down the stairs; they didn't wait long.
Soft steps were heard and they looked up.
It was cliché, like a movie scene, and yet it was better because it was real.
Hikaru apparently had had a dress indeed. It was a classy long black dress that slightly dipped in the back, elegant and mature. Adorning her right wrist was a simple clasp of plain white gold. The front of the dress was modest but attractive and accentuated every bit of Hikaru's femininity to perfection without being...inappropriate. She was like a fire goddess with her flame eyes and correlating beautifully natural hair.
And then she spoiled the look by laughing unabashedly at the two young men who, suddenly realized, they were staring. Oujirou had the grace to offer a smile as if saying, "How could I help myself?" while Wizard looked away jerkily. This, Hikaru noticed in bright amusement and she descended the stairs to take his proffered arm, him still pointedly looking away.
"Misaki?" Hikaru called up to her, knowing how long it had taken her to convince the younger girl to put the dress on again, then there was the fact that she had nearly run out the window when her aunt approached her with a small amount of make-up...it had been quite the challenge. In the end though, Misaki was convinced to wear the dress...and the persistent Shouko allowed her to get away with a simple lip-gloss. So where was she, Hikaru thought worriedly. If she had locked herself in her room they'd never get her out...and then Suzuhara Misaki walked down the stairs.
Mihara Oujirou was speechless. Wizard never thought he'd see the day THAT happened. Then he looked up at the descending Misaki and saw exactly why his best friend was rendered so.
Apparently the humble and shy Misaki hid quite an attractive self under her normal school uniform. She wasn't as developed as Hikaru but it was her slender and subtle, ever so subtle curves that gave her a glowing kind of beauty that transcended her childlike being into a woman without going all the way. The dress was a pure snow white with crossed straps in the front that came around her neck to tie in the back...speaking of which, there wasn't really any. Her luminously pale skin actually looked more pigmented next to the white fabric but glowed from its shine in an angelic way...how appropriate. It was also long like Hikaru's but had a wavy hem that reminded one of a princess's dress.
"Misaki-chan, kirei," Hikaru breathed. Apparently Shouko must have accosted her one last time because ever so sparingly, there were a few sparkles at the edges of Misaki's eyes, clear, so that one only saw them if the light hit them right, finishing her angelic look perfectly.
"Hai, perfect," Oujirou agreed, smiling in awe and something more. He took her hand and they waved farewell to Shouko until much later that night.
"Ja ne Shouko-san!" they called and off they went.
Shouko smiled after them but as their retreating forms disappeared, her smile dimmed.
"Shuu, your daughter...she's so wonderful...you've missed so much..." she whispered sadly as she closed the door quietly, even though no one was around to hear even the softest click.
The quartet walked in the warm night weather at peace with each other, each wondering different things and coming to their own conclusions on them. They had decided to walk to the gala, as it was a mere two blocks away nearly and it seemed, all of them preferred walking.
Misaki watched as the sun sunk low behind the horizon, paying half- attention to her feet, just enough to keep her walking in a straight line next to Oujirou. The sky had dimmed, or brightened, into a magnificent violet hue streaked with vibrant reds, dotted with night's first waking stars. It was like magic.
Oujirou watched her out of his peripheral vision, his previous rolling emotions subdued to a quiet calm, as normal. When he discreetly took her hand in his as they walked, he did so without looking directly at her; he needn't look. He could veritably feel the blush emanating from her. But she didn't pull away.
Hikaru walked at a respectable pace matching Wizard's unconsciously long stride, hidden due to his composure and the leisurely way in which he moved. Her hand was laid equally respectably on his arm and they were both fine with that. It was comfortable and both Wizard and Hikaru could attest to preferring that above all else.
They arrived at the house and even Mihara Oujirou gaped; his house was not even this large. It was a near-castle, gargantuan and grandiose, all of those things plus some kind of ornately polished garnish of extravagance. This was the Mizawa residence and it sparkled with the glitter of high society.
Ladies in gorgeous gowns, men in their tailored tuxedoes, much like the quartet at hand, but different as many were slightly older or even if they were their age...higher on the chart. Society was sticky and all four knew originally, except Oujirou, that none of them really belonged here. But here they were.
"Minna-san!" Mizawa Rei approached them, a deep green dress hugging her body in a surprisingly not inappropriate fashion, though the neckline was questionably low. Her eyes were enhanced by the dress and her hair shone as it swished around her in its sophisticated and primped state.
"Mizawa-san, arigato," Misaki bowed. Everyone else bowed as well and thanked her...well, Hikaru did not thank her but Rei did not seem to care. Her eyes were all for Mihara Oujirou...or rather, on him. Misaki didn't notice. She had suddenly found her feet, notably hidden underneath the flowing layers of her gown, feeling strange in this upper-class setting. Wizard noticed though and suppressed what he guessed would have been something between a scowl and derisive laughter at his friend's situation. This girl had it bad for him, and she wasn't giving up.
"Enjoy yourselves minna, gomen I can't show you around, demo I'll be terribly busy," and Rei left in a hurry, leaving the four to stand wondering where they should go. They were so enthralled in looking around to see any form of indication of the proper direction to head in, none noticed the approaching figures until a finger tapped Misaki's shoulder lightly. She jumped in surprise and turned, coming face to face with Kokuyo. Misaki's eyes widened at the close proximity of his face to hers and she backed up hastily, backed right into Oujirou who bumped into Hikaru who fell onto Wizard who luckily for both of them, caught his balance and Hikaru too. Kokuyo chuckled his amusement while they collected themselves, Oujirou's hand straying protectively to clasp Misaki's. She gulped.
"Good evening Suzuhara. I thought I might show you and your friends where to go, as you all seem to be lost," he made no attempt to hide his satisfaction and without waiting for a reply, simply grabbed Misaki's free hand and pulled her along behind him.
Naturally, everyone followed in a harried pace.
"You know I could have sworn that you were a completely different person from the little girl who got in my way the other day; you look very...different," he said as they came to a stop before two grand doors, turning and eyeing her appraisingly. Hikaru stepped forward before this could continue though and intervened before Oujirou lost his infamous patience and Wizard burned a hole in Kokuyo's head by glaring at him so.
"I hear music," she began and Kokuyo's attention was on her.
"Hai, there is dancing," he paused and then asked as though he already knew the answer, "May I have this dance, Hikaru-san?" as he opened the doors for them into the splendid ballroom of glitz and grandeur.
"Iie Mizawa-san, she's dancing with me," Wizard shocked himself by saying and walking purposely through the doors, remembering to grab Hikaru's hand as he passed. What am I doing, he asked himself in his head and he lead them out to the dance floor the same way he would lead an army into battle. Hikaru, after getting over her initial surprise, was pleased that he had been so valiant; otherwise Kokuyo might have ended up with a bloodied nose or a broken knee if she had been left to it on her own. A waltz was beginning.
"Ano, arigato Wizard," she smiled up at him gratefully and Wizard could only do the typical Wizard thing before he was lost in her crimson eyes...
"Feh, it was nothing," he protested dully but Hikaru recognized the difference in his tone and just continued to smile.
Each moment in time, little by little, I'm getting to know who you really are Wizard, she thought, and it's never boring.
They continued to waltz.
"Well, Misaki-chan, shall we?" Oujirou gently coaxed her into the dancing couples and began to lead. Mizawa Kokuyo shrugged but as he walked by the pair, he looked down at Misaki with a thoughtful glance.
"Save me a dance Suzuhara," he said before disappearing into the many faces of the crowd. Oujirou, immaculate Oujirou, could not repress a deep scowl at his words. Who did he think he was? He had slapped Misaki no less than two days ago, did he just forget? Oujirou was well insulted enough for both of them, which did well because Misaki was not insulted in the least...only confused, but she would never admit it. She never wanted to trouble anyone...
I never want to bring anyone trouble, she thought sadly as she whirled with Oujirou in three-quarter time. I don't want to lose anyone else by being troublesome, her eyes were heavy with hurt as she remembered...and then she was back in the dance room, smiling brightly up at Oujirou, who had been a second too slow to notice her minute sadness and only saw carefree Misakichi.
For a long time now, Misaki thought, all they have seen is carefree me...and that's how it must stay for me to keep my friends, she thought as the waltz ended.
They met back up with Hikaru and Wizard after a couple waltzes and by the time it was almost the leaving hour, they were surprised to know, nothing had happened, nothing troublesome or vindictive, other than Kokuyo Mizawa's mere existence, in Oujirou and Wizard's opinions, which it seemed just couldn't be helped.
It came down to the last hour.
And that's when it happened.
"Minna! I know I haven't been with you at all, demo, I wanted to show you something before you left! Come with me," Rei popped up out of nowhere, to everyone but Misaki's great disturbance and dragged all four of them behind her toward her "surprise."
Misaki was in awe. It was a garden maze, a real one, like from all those stories her mother...her eyes flickered in sadness at that thought but her other musings continued...all those stories her mother told her when she was only three or so. All the ones in the stories were magical or had something magical about them.
"Sugoi, ne?" Rei grinned and took Misaki by the hand.
"Naaa!?" Misaki looked up at the older girl in confusion, missing Rei's shady-eyed look that belied her true intent. And no one else was close enough to see.
"You first Misaki-chan," Rei smiled, an actress of high caliber as she gushed in fake enthusiasm. "It's wonderful and easy to get out of so it's just like walking through a really fun park!" And before anyone could stop her, Rei dragged Misaki bodily into the maze and ran off with her, pulling her along. She did this until they were thoroughly in the thick of it and Misaki was thoroughly lost.
"Wait here Suzuhara, I'll bring Oujirou and the others," Rei said and pounced off, not noticing her slip from the very friendly "Misaki-chan" to the formal "Suzuhara."
Misaki looked around. It was very beautiful she thought absently as she walked around, thinking she wasn't going very far, following the lovely natural and ornate patterns of the flora. To her mortification though, when she turned to go back to her waiting spot, she found she could not find the telltale bench that had marked it...
"Iie..." she breathed in dismay.
She was lost.
Meanwhile:
Mizawa Rei walked leisurely back to the entrance, giving the unsuspecting Misaki plenty of time to get lost and then plastered on a fake smile that was only real when she looked at Oujirou.
"Rei-san, where's Misaki?" Oujirou asked first and her insides boiled at his question, asking about the...the child when she, Mizawa Rei, was right there for him.
"She said she wanted to look around, demo I can take you to her if you want," she grabbed Oujirou's arm and moved quickly into the maze, leaving a doubly startled and confused Hikaru and Wizard. After five minutes, they both were frowning fiercely. After ten, they were tapping a foot each. After fifteen they both thought to Hell with it and purposely strode into the maze, calling the names of their friends, Rei exempted.
Even more so meanwhile:
Mizawa Rei was uncomfortably close for Oujirou and he attempted to disengage her from his person, but she seemed totally oblivious of his attempts; if anything, her hold on him tightened, rather possessively too.
"Ano, Rei-san, is she near here?" Oujirou asked and did not miss this time, the flash of anger in her eyes at his reference to Misaki.
"Hai," was her terse answer and then her voice melted slightly into a more coy tone, "Demo, she's looking at everything, why not stay here with me a while?"
This was a bit too much for Oujirou. He gently pushed Rei away.
"Gomen Rei-san, but I can't return those feelings," he said gravely and her coy smile twisted into an almost pityingly agonized expression.
"Why? Why do you like her so? She isn't as pretty as I am, and there's nothing she has that I don't! I don't understand you Oujirou!" she cried in frustration. She had liked him for a long time, years, and he had never accepted her in that way, though she knew in her heart he had never led her on in any way. He was only his normal charming self, and that was enough to get her obsessively into him as a person and an icon at the school. She had liked him for so long...tried for so long...and then Suzuhara Misaki appeared and had both him and Wizard on either side, Hikaru appearing soon thereafter to suddenly interest Wizard as well...it was too much. Rei had spent so much time, wanting Mihara Oujirou, wishing for him, trying to get him to notice her in that special way...
"That's why, Rei-san," Oujirou said.
"Huh?" she was fed up and confused.
"You don't understand me, but I feel somehow, that Misaki does..." he said softly.
"How can that be when you've only known her for almost less than a week!?" she cried in denial.
"It just is," he replied.
"Well, you know what ELSE just IS?" she yelled, suddenly furious, furious with Mihara Oujirou for being so kind and good, so good and so very perfect even in not liking herself, furious with herself for wanting him still, furious with herself for hating Suzuhara Misaki.
Do I hate her? Rei wondered, her emotions contorting in ugly fashion and as she stared at Oujirou and noted the lack of love for her there and all the love he had for Misaki, she knew that whether she meant to or not, she couldn't help but dislike the girl who stole a love away from her she never even had.
"What else is, she is somewhere in this maze and good luck ever finding her before something happens to her!" Rei cried spitefully before running away, knowing her way out by pure memory of living there, dreaming about being with Oujirou there in a loving embrace, and now she knew whenever she went there, it would be an empty dream.
Now she had a new mission, no longer her dream of course; that was gone forever. No, her mission now was Suzuhara Misaki. It was difficult to imagine anyone having a less than perfect life if Mihara Oujirou was in love with them, but she was going to try and make it so.
Misaki had ruined her life, inadvertently, and she wanted some kind of retribution.
Rei felt tears and brushed them viciously away.
No tears for someone who doesn't love me back, she thought stubbornly as she ran out of the maze, leaving a startled Oujirou.
Then her words sunk in and he was running deeper into the maze...before something happens to Misaki, he thought frantically, feeling as he had never felt before: dead worried.
"Misaki!" he yelled, making his way swiftly through the flora and pathways.
Somewhere on the other side of the maze, Wizard and Hikaru called for Oujirou and Misaki.
Somewhere in between the two, Misaki was desperately looking for some way out. This was bringing back bad memories suddenly; they were things she had forced herself to forget before but now...now...
"Okaasan..." she cried softly as a few tears escaped. Onegai, she thought, where are you? And yet she knew; this was not her childhood again, when her mother always came for her, always rescued her like her Angel from heaven in the stories. No this was her life now, without her Okaasan. Without.
In renewed determined demeanor, Misaki dried her tears bravely. If any of the others found her with tears, she would have to explain, and that might burden them and then...she cringed inside; they might leave her too...
Just like Okaasan.
"Misaki!" Oujirou called again.
The foursome was separated, two on their own, two together, and all looking for each other...
Deep in a maze made by the Mizawas, beautiful but with hidden dangers.
And Misaki, the most lost of them all, was nearest to that danger.
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Review onegai minna-san?
Arigato for all those who are reviewing my stories. It means a great deal to me
Next chapter? Review, ne? ^_~
-Kaji Hikage