Mayu
theladyknight: 'Eyes wide in shock' You must be every author's dream come true! Nearly fainted after seeing the length of your review. Thanks a lot though, you are one of those really nice reviewers who make me feel extremely guilty for procrastinating...lol Although in answer to one your comment, I admit I have a tendency to try to link everything together, I guarantee you, Matt and Tai won't even meet in the story, although Mimi might(there, I gave a bit of my plot away...).
JyouraKoumi: There are more Koumi hints in the later chap. However, Izzy and Mimi won't end up happily ever after. But I promise you, if I ever write a new story, I will make it a Koumi happily ever after one for all your continuous support.
blueicepop: Yeah I agree, I like happier fics more. But there's the problem that I can't write happy fics. The characters must suffer one way or another. Muhahahaha!
windedlove: I sometimes to that too! I do it because my mum has the tendency to check on me to see if I am still doing my homework and she has learned to recognise the words & RealOnePlayer from a mile away. So if she sees Microsoft words, she will think I am still doing work...yeah, that's sneaky...
Yurikitsune: Yeah, I tend to make the characters a little OOC sometimes. Not only it makes it a lot more interesting, it also make my life a lot easier than trying to do everything by the guideline.
nickygirl: 'smile really really sweetly' Thank you.
angel: I agree with you. Very very hot!
Chapter Six – Pilgrim
"What do you mean you sort of succeeded?" Yamato raised his voice and everyone in the room winced. If they could, they would've wished to be anywhere in the world instead of in this room with Yamato at the moment. He's furious and he made no attempt to hide it. "She can't just pull a disappearing act like that!" He made a snap with finger to emphasize his point.
When Jyou said nothing to defend himself from the accusations and looked at him sheepishly, Yamato threw his hands into the air exasperatedly and paced back and forth in the room.
He didn't know who he's more angry and disappointed with, Jyou, Sora or himself. He should've went and picked her up himself, regardless how she protested about his motorcycle. His mind ran a thousand miles an hour and plagued him with regrets and questions such as: why the hell did she run?
Yamato glanced at Jyou questioningly and when he realized that he wouldn't get a satisfactory answer out of staring at Jyou's expression, he returned to his pacing more furiously than ever.
"Uh…I take it that the rehearsal is over?" One of the band members asked cautiously and earned silent appreciations and grateful looks from the other band members.
"Yes, yes it's over. Quite over. I think it'd be best if we leave it for the day when our concentration is a lot more focused." Jyou quickly supplied as he realized of their dilemma and gestured them to go as quickly as possible.
Yamato gave a non-committal grunt, which could've being interpreted as an agreement and everyone left as silently and as fast as they could.
Once everyone else was out of the room. Jyou took a few steps towards the unsettled young man and patted him encouragingly on the shoulder.
"Now Yamato. I didn't want to say it before, but I need reassurance. Do you actually like Sora or do you just perceive her as some sort of toy to whom you can play hero."
It was blunt and straightforward and it caused Yamato to raise his head and stare at Jyou in shock and surprise.
"What did you mean by that!"
"I made myself quite clear Yamato. I don't think it is necessary for me to repeat such accusing and ugly sentence again." Jyou looked right into Yamato's eyes and said.
"I heard what you've said. But what do you mean? You know I am not the sort that 'plays' other people. Okay, I might joke a bit and maybe some of the jokes stretches a bit thin, but I don't and wouldn't – at least not intentionally – got and hurt someone emotionally for the fun of it." Yamato replied testily and his eyes flashed angrily.
Jyou nodded satisfied and let out a sigh of relief. "Good, cause that's what I assured Sora of. You know, in certain respects, I think I understand why she bolted."
Yamato's facial expression changed automatically from gloom to shine and his eyes glimmered hopefully. "You do?"
"Well, put yourself in her shoe. From what I've gathered, during the past two days, she felt that she had lost both her father and her best friend. Many emotions could've aroused, but in her circumstance, I think the best word to describe it is betrayal. She felt that the world had abandoned her. Thus, when you came along, she had to ask herself, 'would he like the others betray her and abandon her?'
"To make the matter less favorable, you happen to be the suave, charming and handsome son of a powerful man Odaiba. If I were her, I would question our compatibility and of my value. It is probably that showing her the lavish school ground enforced that feeling and her doubt of herself and thus…"
Jyou left the sentence hanging. He had just given Yamato a deduced insight of Sora's emotions and he hoped that Yamato would realize what he needed to do now if he wanted a relationship with the girl.
Yamato pondered at Jyou's words for a moment and abruptly strode across the room and grabbed his jacket.
"Thanks Jyou." He opened the door and paused and turned around. "Have you ever considered a career in Psychology?" He grinned and turned back and headed towards his motorbike.
Jyou raised one of his eyebrows quizzically for a moment and then chuckled.
He was right. Yamato understood him perfectly.
'Well,' he thought smugly with a smile to himself. 'Here's the scientific proof that blondes are pretty smart, redheads are not all seductresse sand not all blue heads are wackos.'
Thank God!
Sora walked home from Odaiba Private, even though it was on the other side of the town. She needed time to cool down and find directions in her path of life. Really, when one fully analyzes her situation, one will find her in the most uncomfortable and awkward position.
Although Taichi and Mimi offered their congenial friendship, it was too delicate for her to reach out. Her parents may be able to offer help, but in reality, not many would go to their parents more help in the relationship department.
Sora sighed as her building came into view, she felt like those experimental mice running around in those mazes – trapped and tired. She gave a dry laugh. Yes, that will remind her to support those animal liberalism groups next time.
She climbed the stairs wearily and paused in shock when she saw the figure standing before her door.
"There you are Sora. I've been looking for you but you just sort of disappeared."
Sora putted on a cheerful face and opened the door to her apartment. "Come on in Mimi. I think I know why you are here. Make yourself at home, I will be with you in a moment." The girl made her way towards Sora's room and sat down comfortably on her bed and clutched onto a cushion.
A few minutes later, Sora came with two cups of water and sat on the floor, facing Mimi.
Mimi took a few sips of the water and twitched her mouth. "I am sure Jyou gave you an overview of the incident. I assure you, his version is possibly the most accurate one. But I am not here to tell you stories, I am here to explain myself and to try to redeem myself. Best friends ought to be honest with each other right?"
She clutched tighter onto the cushion and missed how Sora winced at her last sentence. "You see, Izzy loved me," Mimi's eyes glazed and she stared at the wall opposite of her absent-mindedly. "But I wasn't ready for something as intense as love. I think." She added the last two words and gave Sora a melancholy smile.
"You mean that you wanted a relationship where you can control over everything." Sora inserted as she supported her head on her hands and leaned forward.
Mimi blushed at the bluntness. "Well yes, domination. If that's what you like to call it. But there was a glitch in the relationship. I got very much attached to him and tried to change Izzy into someone that I would fall in love with. Someone more outgoing and more confident, someone like Taichi."
She mumbled the last three words and slurred at Taichi's name, as she turned deep crimson.
Sora analyzed her obviously smitten friend and sighed inwardly. Mimi loves Taichi. She had loved him for a very long time. While she herself… Sora paused the line of thought. What did she feel for Taichi? Affection? Friendship? Whatever it is, it's easily overpowered by what she felt for Yamato. But Yamato…
Sora ran her hands through her hair and shook her head. For the moment, she will concentrate on Mimi, for the moment, she will forget about him.
"Well, if like you said, that you became attached to him, why did you hurt him?" Her voice came out more harshly and accusingly than she wanted and to make up for it, Sora tilted her head, caught Mimi's eyes and smiled at her encouragingly.
"The rest of it was a horribly horrible mess. I happen to stumble onto the fact that he was adopted and by the way it sounded, it was as if Izzy has knew of this for a long time, only that he had refused to accept it. I tried to talk to him about it, but he would always simply change the topic or give me the silent treatment and forces me to change the topic. I got fed up with him in denial and got more aggravated that he would reject my help." Mimi paused there and a dry laugh, "I guess you can look at it this way. I lost control in the relationship and I hated it.
"I rebelled and as a revenge, I blurted his secret out in a large party in hope that peer pressure would at least force him to come to grip with reality but when he glared at me, eyes full of anger, hurt and betrayal and that moment, I knew I had to leave. I thought I had lost him and that even if I apologized, our relationship wouldn't have returned to what it was originally."
"What about the other guy you were with?" At this point of the story, Sora became totally confused. "I thought you were cheating on Izzy with another guy?"
"Cheating? I never cheated on Izzy." Came Mimi's indignant reply, "Where did you get such an idea?"
"Jyou told me and you told me that all everything Jyou told me would be true!" Sora exclaimed. "So who was the guy Izzy saw kissing you?"
"Oh him!" Mimi lowered head bashfully. "That was Hakei. I was acquainted with him through Jyou. There's really nothing between the two of us, we just went to the movies together a couple times as friends. He was there at Izzy's party and when I escaped from the mess, he followed me and comforted me. I was upset and vulnerable and somehow we started kissing and I think that's when Izzy ran into us. The rest of it," she shivered as she thought back to the time. How she wished that things didn't turn out like that.
"I don't think I will tell you in detail about the aftermath, you can imagine what it was like…" Her voice died away and she looked thoughtful. "But never have I cheated on Izzy. Never." Her pitch rose as she reinforced the idea.
"Jyou is not one who would make up such gossip. Maybe you were a little over friendly with this Hakei." Although Sora was at ease to accept Mimi's version of the event, she still felt that perhaps Jyou was right in certain aspects. The only explanation left that would explain both version of the tale was that Mimi and Hakei was on a very friendly basis, so friendly perhaps that they marred between the lines of lovers and mere companions.
"Yes, perhaps." Mimi did not deny Sora's accusation, but neither did she volunteer any more information and Sora founded it useless to press on. It wasn't as if she was anyhow involved in the imbroglio and thus she had no right to play god and place judgment on those involved.
"What's over is over. As a sage would say, remember the lesson taught and heal your wound but let the dead remain buried. You've gotten over it and went on with your life and for that you should be proud of yourself." Mustering her most professional voice, Sora declared with a playful wink to lighten the mood.
Mimi threw her head back and laughed. "Dear god, now I feel compelled to come out with another confession, I didn't come here to redeem myself. I have Taichi's pardon and to me, that's enough at the moment. I came here with the sole intention to bury you with my problems." She laughed a bit more and returned to the being cheerful girl that Sora recognized.
Best friends ought to be honest with each other right?
As Sora laughed along with her friend, she could not shake away the nagging feeling that she should tell Mimi everything.
I am your best friend. So I will always be on your side.
Yes, she should tell her. After all, Mimi had trusted her with a matter completely unrelated to her and friendship was to stand with each other through thick and thin. Friendship should be built on trust and understanding, as every good relationship should be.
"Mimi," Sora stood up from the floor and moved to sit next to Mimi on the bed, "there's something I've being hiding from you. Something I think that you should be told. You see…"
Feeling possessed but much more assured and comfortable, Sora related the entire event starting from the time she saw them under the cherry blossom.
Sora glanced at Mimi frequently as she poured out everything and took notice how she would knot her brows and frown at some parts, but the entire time, she had never made Sora feel uncomfortable.
As her story came to the end, Sora looked to Mimi expectantly and waited.
Like a headless chicken, Yamato dashed aimlessly around Odaiba. He has absolutely no idea where Sora could've gone. He's first thought was that she went to Odaiba Park, as she did last time. She wasn't there. Then, he thought of the possibility that she might've went back to her school to attend the after school activities. She wasn't there either. He had practically flipped Odaiba upside down and there wasn't a trace of her.
His trot slowed to a walk and placed him in her shoes. Where would he go when he's frightened and unsure? And suddenly, the idea hit me squarely in the face. Home! Of course, no matter how far one walks away, there's the natural inclination to return home. Home is gravity.
He grinned for the first time in the last hour or so. Yep, he inherited his parent's intelligence afterall.
Thank God.
"So let me get this straight. You fell in love with Taichi and then you fell out of love with him?" It was the first thing that came out of the awkward silence. "So right now, are you in love with Taichi or not?"
"To be quite honest. I am lost myself. I even began to question whether or not I fell in love with him in the first place or was I in love with the notion of love." The answer was quick, it was the same question that Sora had asked herself over and over, but as she answered Mimi, she realized that it was the second question that was the more important, for her and her friend. "But as it stands. I am absolutely certain that my feeling towards Taichi is nothing but the affection of friendship and kinship. He is like an older brother that I never had."
"Are you sure? Or are you just saying this because of me?"
It is strange how a person can feel territorial over another person. But in a relationship, that's exactly what one's doing, claiming right to possess another. Sora smiled humorously, that's exactly what Mimi's doing right now.
"I am sure that I am sure." She jested slightly through repetition and saw Mimi relax. Her expression could almost be read like a book.
"Well, there's also this Yamato fellow. He's quite an interest character I must say." Mimi's suddenly change of topic caught Sora off guard. She may be able to read her expression like a book; she certainly can't read her thoughts efficiently
"I must admit, by your description of him, he sounds hot." Mimi declared and Sora stared at her astounded.
Mimi laughed. "Hey, just because I have a serious boyfriend, doesn't mean that I can't think other guys are hot. And anyway, he's out of my league. You are a fool of a girl if you can't see that the guy is completely devoted to you."
"You think that he likes me?" Sora asked and Mimi rolled her eyes.
"God's grief. The answer to that is so obvious! What you should ask is whether or not you have feelings for him."
Sora blushed at the question and Mimi smiled. She will take that as a yes.
"Then, you ask, does he reciprocate your feeling? And from what you've been telling me. I'd say hell yeah! Now, when everything is as simple and clear as this, why are you afraid?"
"I am not afraid!" Sora replied resentfully.
"So says the girl who ran because she could bear facing him." Mimi's tone was full sarcasm. She would've laugh had she not thought that she might hurt Sora's feelings. "He makes you afraid, but you evidently likes him. So, why?"
"I think the answer is right in front of you." Mimi continued. "You are not worried about the differences between the two of you. You know perfectly well that to love someone, you don't need to have a reason. I think, that your mind made up all those excuses because you are afraid to trust him. You drew yourself into a cocoon that day and despite the amount of assurance given to you by various parties, you refused to come out.
"But keep this in mind Sora, one cannot live in a cocoon. Caterpillars wrap themselves in their cocoon and come out as beautiful butterflies. If you can learn to trust someone and to have faith in your own ability to overcome obstacles, then you will see truly how beautiful you are."
Sora listened to Mimi's lecture with an eerie sense of déjà vu. A certain someone referred her to caterpillar and butterfly not very long ago. Was that what he had in mind?
"And Sora," she was not given any more time to ponder on her thoughts as Mimi's voice drew her back, "remember what Eleanor Roosevelt said, 'you gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do two things, which you think you cannot do.' My suggestion is thus: go and face him." Mimi added matter-of-factly and pushed herself off the bed.
Sensing Mimi's intention to leave. Sora stood up as well to send her guest away.
"I never knew you were such philosopher Mimi." Sora teased as the girls made their way towards the door. "So you were paying attention during Society and Culture classes after all. I thought you were too busy applying your make-up." To which Mimi replied by rolling her eyes and declare indignantly, "of course! I am a dedicated student you know.
"By the way, I think it may be best to not to mention this little escapade of yours to Taichi. Just so his ego doesn't get as big as his hair."
The two girls laughed. The atmosphere was light and carefree, for just the time being, the burden of adulthood seem to be lifted and for the time being, the girls savored such freedom.
LOL Yeah, believe it or not, this angst, melancholy little chapter was written with the author having Enya songs on repeat. Pilgrim's from Enya's newest album (I think) "A Day Without Rain". Although it's not the song that stood out the most, I thought it was sweet little thing and it described Mimi and Sora quite well - pilgrims traveling in the journey of life (or something along that line). It was a whimsical idea, but I thought it sounded a lot better than naming the chapter "A Day Without Rain".
Anyway, next chapter is going to be the last chapter. 'grins' This will be the first medium length story that I managed to finish. The other...lol I think it's time I went back and worked on them.
Eiliriel