The lights above her blazed severely upon her, she could feel nothing but the pain. The sharp instrument lightly touched her sensitive wound, sending shivers down her spine. She could feel herself being indulged into a displeasing dizziness; she ached to take a deep breath, but she couldn't do so.
"I can't…breathe, it hurts." Zoe thought with agony, struggling to reach out for help.
Just at the time of deep despair, a heartening voice called out to her. Zoe, Zoe, hang in there, the voice murmured. It was a voice of a woman. Zoe couldn't recall any memories of her, but she knew that she'd met this woman before. Please wake up; it's not time for you to go yet…At that moment, a vibration shook her into a deep reverie, the face of the woman appeared before her, triggering memories of the past. "I've met you in this hospital seven years ago…" Zoe replied weakly.
1Her vision blanked out of all wonders as she began to slowly open her eyes to wake up. The first person she saw was her principal, Ms. Naruto. Somehow, Zoe was frightened by the sight of her. She couldn't explain that fear, it was just as mild as a slight pain.
"Zoe, you're awake!" Misha cried out with a high-pitched voice. Zoe quickly looked around; Misha, Ms. Naruto, Kouichi, and Misha's mother were there.
"Are you alright? We were so scared when we heard that you were sent to the hospital!" Kouichi said.
Zoe nodded, and smiled. "It's okay, I'm fine."
"I guess I'll be going now." Ms. Naruto declared as she walked passed Misha, who looked at her with curiosity. Just then, Misha's father came in at the door and his eyes met with Ms.Naruto's. His bright smile ceased into a slight frown.
He nodded as in a greeting kind of way. "Miyazaki, long time no see."
Ms. Naruto nodded with a tensed look in her face. "It's been a long time, Hataro." They didn't say anything to each other and Misha's father came to Zoe's bedside table with a bouquet of flowers. "Zoe! What happened?"
Zoe suddenly felt relieved that Ms. Naruto left the room and she continued to talk to her friends and family.
In a while, the room was silent after everyone went home except for Misha. She unwrapped the bouquet of flowers and put them on a glass vase. "Hey Zoe look, aren't these roses just beautiful?"
She took out another bouquet and was admired by the beauty of the red roses. "Who's it from?" Misha flipped over that card that was attached to the paper wrap, it was from Kouichi. Her stomach launched and once again, the uneasy feeling came back to her. "Zoe,"
Zoe looked up at Misha, "Yeah Misha?"
Misha's throat suddenly felt dry, she pressed her lips together before saying anything. "Do you like Kouichi?"
Zoe found the question a bit too odd to answer, "Why you ask?"
Misha didn't want to tell Zoe that she took a fancy in him, so she shrugged. " 'Cause I'm curious. It seems like he likes you and—"
Zoe's lips twitched into solemnity. "I liked him a lot in a friend kind of way, but he's not my cup of tea."
Misha blinked with oblivion. Zoe continued, "He's a great guy and all, but he's my best friend. And I don't feel that 'magic' when I'm with him."
Misha giggle, suddenly feeling a bit better. 'Then what is that 'magic' you're talking about?"
Zoe shrugged, "I haven't felt it yet, so I'm not sure."
Somehow, Zoe felt like she was lying to her. Maybe she did experience that 'magic' before, like that vague moment at rain storm when Kouji grasped her so tight in his arms for no reason. She felt herself shivered at the thought of him. But at the same time, she was curious about him.
The following days she spent in the hospital were more lonesome and serene than she perceived; she was desperate to escape from there. However one day, just when she thought it was going to be another dreary afternoon, a nurse arrived in her room with a bouquet of sunflowers.
"I believe these flowers were sent to you just a few minutes ago." The nurse replied, her face sparkled with delight. "Too bad I didn't get to see who that person was."
For once, her face uplifted with a glow of sunshine; tears abruptly welled up in her emerald eyes. She was astounded by how happy they made her feel. Somehow, they were different from the red roses that Kouichi had sent her everyday; there was something mystifying about sunflowers that took the fancy in her more than any flowers.
"Who's it from?" Zoe asked eagerly.
"Oh I don't know," the nurse said, "But I think these flowers were bought from the flower shop right across the street."
She looked at the sunflowers with rapture; they flushed radiantly like stars in the twilight. Ever since that afternoon, she received a dozen of them every single day during the afternoon, whereas the red roses from Kouichi were sent everyday during the morning.
"Who are they from?" Zoe questioned herself, desiring for an answer.
As soon as the doctor granted her the permission to go home, she went and visited the flower shop.
"I was wondering if you can tell me who bought sunflowers from your store during these past few weeks." was Zoe's first sentence that leapt into her mind.
"Oh you mean that young man who came here for a dozen of sunflowers everyday." The shop owner replied pleasantly.
Zoe nodded, feeling her heart skipped a beat knowing that they were from a male. "Do you know the name of that person?"
"Well now, he didn't say." She smiled, "But I remembered that he paid with his credit card once so I have his address with me. Would you like me to give you his address?"
"Um, sure." she answered with interest.
After receiving the address, she decided to pay a visit there since it was only a few blocks away from where she was. She looked at the address that was written on the yellow slip paper, feeling a bit disappointed. The flowers must have been from Kouichi, because the address led her to the Minamoto's residence.
"Well, you can sit here to wait for my young master to come back, Miss Orimoto." the butler declared grimly and left Zoe alone in the living room.
Zoe's eyes roved side to side, dumbfounded, this place hadn't changed a bit ever since the last time she visited it seven years ago. The place looked as elegant and sophisticated as ever with the white velvet curtains and the youthful, evergreen garden where she often used to play hide-and-seek with Kouichi. The sweet and subtle memories flown back to her as she drifted into her own reverie. She smiled gently to herself as she unknowingly got up from the sofa and danced around in the room just like she used to. The cheerful music played by a piano could be heard inside her mind; she maneuvered her body to the rhythm of the melody and hummed sweetly to herself. She glided up the grand staircase like a princess and continued to dance some more, she hadn't felt so happy for years…it was the childhood memories that have suddenly made her overflowed with joy…it was the mild scent of this place…it was…CRASH!
Zoe was snapped back into reality as she realized the enormous flower vase that was severely fractured right before her eyes; she knew that she'd unintentionally knocked it down. She gasped in fear and felt her face flustered. She looked around the hall, feeling relieved that nobody had became aware of her.
Right beside her, there was a door, leading to another chamber in mansion. Zoe quickly collected the pieces of the dented vase and went in. It was a bedroom that she'd never been in. The room displayed the theme colour of navy blue through the bed spread and sofa. The whole place resided a strong notification of a masculine scent.
"I've never been in here before," she murmured to herself.
She piled the broken pieces inside a closet and closed its door behind her. Just then, she heard the heavy foot steps of someone approaching the room; she squirmed off into the closet chamber behind the big sofa. The foot steps became louder as they came into the room, her heart was racing frantically.
The person opened the closet and the pieces of the broken vase tumbled down before him, he groaned in anger. Zoe felt intoxicated by her fear; it was unbearable, and humiliating. As she looked around the closet, the clothes inside it suddenly resembled something that she remembered. Her stomach coiled up into a tight knot as she realized who these clothes belong to, just then, an assertive arm grasped her shirt collar and pulled her out from her hidden place. She remembered catching a glimpse of Kouji's dark blue eyes before he lifted up his fist towards her. She tightened her grip on his shirt as she screamed; Kouji came to his senses to realize that it was girl and suddenly wrenched his fist diagonally so that it slammed on the wall right behind her. She breathed in a choked voice in relief, her heart thumped to the encounter of him.
Okay, I really have to stop here, but please make sure to read the next chapter okay; it's going to be really interesting! Well, better get back to my homework, and I promise that I'll update this weekend! Well, bye for now!