Chapter Seven

– Just Hope –

"School trip?" the students all asked out and the teacher nodded with a bright smile.

"So pack your bags because we're going on a class trip."

The room was filled with cheers and Aiko smiled brightly as she looked at Minako but noticed how Minako was looking over towards Takashi. The two were mouthing something to each other and Aiko just rolled her eyes and looked out the window.

'Geez, just because they're a couple doesn't mean they have to act like one,' she thought and sighed deeply.

"Now, for more information please come up here and get a brochure! We're going to have a lot of fun!"

Swarms of students gathered around the desk. Aiko tried to get towards the teacher's desk but was pushed towards the door. She tried to get back in but was getting pushed farther back.

"Hey! Let me get one!" she cried out then suddenly she got pushed out of the classroom and fell back on the ground. "That hurt," she mumbled and then a hand was let out to her and she looked at the person standing before her.

"Are you ok?" Toboe asked and Aiko smiled then grabbed his hand and got up.

"Yeah, the class is just too excited about the trip that they don't notice if anyone got hurt!" Aiko shouted out in the classroom but they didn't seem to have heard her.

"I think this is going to be fun," Toboe said out while looking at his brochure. "We'll be going to different places."

"Yeah and it's going to be so exciting! I wonder what we're going to do."

"Entering into a beautiful land filled with nurturing nature will delicate your mind and your soul. As you head into the realm of the blossoms you can hear the soothing voices of the wind and water combined as one," Toboe said out and noticed how Aiko had a dreamy look on her face.

"Oh Toboe-kun the way you put it made it sound so fantastic!"

"I was only reading what the brochure had on it," he laughed and Aiko looked at him then cleared her throat.

"Well, I'm going to go and have a lot of fun! Even if it costs me my life!"

"You're dead!" Sumi shouted out while chasing Aiko around the apartment.

"Wait, wait! Listen to me!" Aiko cried out while cowering in the corner. "I just borrowed your skirt because I want to feel the smoothness you always told me about," she laughed nervously but Sumi was holding onto a broomstick.

"But you ruined it! You tore it to pieces!"

"Funny story," Aiko said out and Sumi was steaming. "Um…a squirrel attacked me! It was horrible!"

"And you couldn't protect my skirt?"

"Hey! I'm a human! My life counts more than that dumb skirt!" Aiko shouted out but quickly silenced when Sumi broke the broom in half.

"Do you know what I went through to get this skirt? I worked my ass off to save enough money for this!"

"Wow, I say you really got ripped off. I saw the exact same one less than half of its price."

"You little- really? I bet that wasn't name brand."

"Oh yeah…didn't think of that."

"Hmm, maybe I should- wait a minute! Don't change the subject!" Sumi shouted out and Aiko quickly crawled out of the way and ran out the door. "Come back here!" Sumi shouted out.

Aiko continued on running and she made her out way outside of the apartment and into the quiet streets. A deep sigh came from her and she looked at her feet and realized she didn't wear any shoes.

"Crap, now my feet are going to get dirty and cold."

"Just like you're face," came a cold tone of voice and Aiko looked up to spot Mitsuko.

"U-uh…Mitsuko, what are you doing here?"

"Just walking around. I just wanted to pay you a little visit."

"M-me? W-why?" Aiko asked nervously as she remembered why she was avoiding the T-pop gang.

"I just wanted to see how, someone who happened to get away with hitting me, was doing. It looks like you're doing just fine."

"Not really. I'm aching in so much pain," Aiko said out then suddenly Mitsuko grabbed Aiko by one of her braided hair.

"You little bitch, you really think you can get away-."

"Hey, let go of her," came a male's voice and in Aiko's heart she felt a sudden leap.

"Who the hell is- oh, Tsume-san!" Mitsuko's tone of voice changed while Aiko's face expression changed from happiness to sudden worry.

"What is he doing here?" Aiko mumbled and Mitsuko kept holding onto Aiko's braid.

"What are you doing here, Tsume-san? I thought you would be at one of your meetings," she said out sweetly.

"It got canceled. I told you to let her go," Tsume reminded her but Mitsuko's eyes narrowed.

"No."

"Are you disobeying me?"

"This is the bitch that hit me! She hit me on the back then hit me on the head with a soccer ball!"

"What? Hey! That was a total accident!" Aiko shouted out. "I hit you on your back because I thought you were choking on some noodles and I didn't mean to hit your head with a soccer ball! I just can't throw a ball that far…"

"Shut up!" Mitsuko hissed at her then Tsume walked over and looked at Aiko slightly surprised.

"She's the girl?"

"Yup, we meet again," Aiko greeted then Mitsuko eyed her dangerously.

"You messed with the wrong girl, Ai-shit. I'm T-pop's gang first lady!"

"What? You mean…you and him are an item?"

Tsume raised an eyebrow and he looked at Mitsuko.

"What the hell are you talking about, Mitsuko?" Tsume asked and Mitsuko looked up at Tsume.

"She's the hell I'm talking about," Mitsuko said out nastily and shoved Aiko away.

"What you're doing is unnecessary."

Mitsuko looked up at Tsume and so did Aiko. He eyed Aiko carefully then his eyes went to the more beautiful girl standing beside him.

"Mitsuko just lay off of her. Lately you've been too aggressive with worthless shit."

"Are you saying my businesses doesn't matter?"

"They're not really businesses. Anyways you should be going off now. I have to talk with little braids here."

Mitsuko glared at Aiko then she slowly backed off and made her way out of their sight. The other girl straitened out and she cleared her throat as she faced Tsume.

"W-what-?" Aiko's voice shook slightly and she cleared her throat again. "What-,"

"Let's go to the playground."

"Eh? Playground? What for?"

"So we can talk alone. Just the two of us."

He said out then led the way. Aiko looked at him worriedly and didn't move.

"I…but…"

"Shut up and just follow me."

Pretty soon Aiko was standing by the swing set while Tsume was standing near the slide.

"What are you even doing?"

"What? What do you mean?" Aiko asked while looking at Tsume.

"Running around and causing trouble. I heard you and Shinji had an encounter."

"So what? I don't think it's your business to know," her voice was shaking and she gripped onto the metal pole of the swing set.

"You seem to cause a lot of trouble. More trouble than your friend, Takashi."

"Don't say that about him! Even…when it's true."

"I'm just speaking the truth. Anyways you should get out of this city."

"Why? What are you talking about?"

"You're just causing trouble."

Aiko felt herself getting slightly annoyed and she knew she had to say something to him. Something serious and confident so he won't see her as someone to push around. Aiko closed her eyes shut and opened her mouth then said out every word she had in her mind.

"What are you doing?" Tsume asked and Aiko opened her eyes then realized she was holding onto the pole tighter than ever and was only mouthing the words, not actually saying them. "You're…pretty interesting."

"Ahem! I don't know what you're talking about but I have not caused trouble in this city! …Sir…"

"Just do as I say."

"Why should I? I'm not going anywhere!"

Aiko cowered behind the metal pole and her legs were shaking.

"Just do it!"

"No!"

"Do you want to end up like Takashi?" Tsume shouted out and Aiko's eyes widened then she looked at Tsume.

"W-what? What did you say?"

"Do you know how Takashi got hurt like that? Because the bastard Shinji stabbed him! Because Shinji wanted payback for what one of Takashi's gang members did to him, he stabbed Takashi!"

"T-that can't be…but why?"

"How the hell should I know? Because of you, the Yang gang is going around more aggressively."

"…Taka-kun…why?"

"So just be careful when you're hanging around the city. Rumor has it you have a protective pet."

Tsume walked off then suddenly Aiko looked up at him.

"Why? Why are you telling me this?"

Tsume stopped then he looked down at the ground while Aiko kept her eyes on the back of his head.

"Why are you warning me? You could have just ignored it and go on with your life. The Yang gang is not involving your gang in this so why are you giving out a warning?"

"Because…Takashi was stabbed by protecting me."

A short gasp came from her and she swallowed the heavy lump in her throat. Tsume continued on walking off and Aiko only stayed behind.

That night near the lake, Hige was walking around sniffing the ground then he picked up a familiar scent. His ears straightened and he made his way near the bridge and spotted a white wolf sitting underneath the moonlight. Hige walked over towards the white wolf and sniffed around.

"Not many peopleare here," Hige then looked at Kiba and smiled. "What are you thinking about?"

"…Something."

"Still thinking on how to get that lunar flower? You were running off towards her, I don't know why all of a sudden you stopped."

"You stopped me," Kiba reminded and Hige laughed nervously.

"Oh right…that was because you almost got hit by a truck."

"She carries it around like she's bait."

"What?" Hige looked at Kiba and saw how the white wolf focused his eyes on the moon.

"If I can remember…I was held in a secret place somewhere far away from here. I remember the scent…I remember the metallic sounds. It was something that wanted me to sleep for eternity, but when I had the first whiff of flower I knew it was calling me. I don't know how to explain it but there was a certain warmth that grew within me…"

"Are you trying to write a novel?" Hige laughed then he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed deeply. "Yeah…the scent."

"What?" Kiba looked and Hige surprised and the other wolf only smiled brightly.

"Hey, we should just relax. Toboe's school is going on a class trip. Since he's friends with that girl, he has a chance of getting the flower."

"…Hmm…"

Kiba got up and he slowly walked away. Hige was about to follow when all of a sudden there came a different scent. Hige turned around and spotted the familiar black dog with glimmer cold blue eyes. Slowly Hige backed away and his ears slightly slanted back against his skull.

The black animal had a low growl deep within their throats and their muzzle cringed slightly as their fangs were exposed. Saliva was slightly dripping off of the fangs and the sharp claws on the dog were digging into the cement bridge. Hige looked at the animal carefully and noticed there was a certain leather leash attached around the dog's neck.

'It's a pet…but it looks familiar.'

"Sapphire! What is it?" came a soft voice and Hige sensed a person coming so quickly he ran off.

Right as the black dog was about to run off after him, the leash was tugged tightly and the dog looked up at the human holding onto the leash.

"Sapphire, what's gotten into you these days?" Nadeshiko asked while adjusting her glasses. "You've been acting strange. Come on, let's go. I have to take my class on a trip tomorrow."

As Nadeshiko was walking off, the dog looked back then went off with the human into the night.

Next morning the 10th grade students of Himura Academy were loading onto the buses with their bags. Takashi and a few of his gang members were sitting in the back of the bus while the others sat around in the middle. Minako and Aiko sat together and the first thing Aiko did was pull out a bag of chips.

"Ai-chan! Already eating? Didn't you have breakfast?" Minako asked and Aiko smiled.

"Well, not really. I was getting kicked out of the apartment early because of my cousin."

"What did you do this time?" Minako asked out and Aiko shrugged.

"Probably for just dropping her toothbrush in the toilet."

Minako laughed out and Aiko shared the chips with her. Slowly the bus began to move and soon enough it was off on its way towards its destination! All the students were chattering about and the teacher was sitting way up front near the driver. She listened to them and smiled softly.

'Darling…the sound of children…still makes my heart lighten,' the teacher thought and she closed her eyes gently.

"Sensei!" one of the students shouted out and Nadeshiko opened her eyes. "Where exactly are we going?"

"It's a surprise," she giggled and the students looked at each other.

As the students continued on chattering, Nadeshiko's cell phone rang. She looked at the screen and saw it was someone at the laboratory. Quickly she answered it but quietly she spoke.

When the students finally arrived to their destination, they all stood in shock right in front of the gates of the entrance. Each of them had their mouths opened wide while a few had their eyes twitching slightly. The teacher clasped her hands together and smiled brightly.

"This is the surprise class trip?" someone mumbled.

"Welcome to Paradise Garden!" Nadeshiko introduced and the students looked at her. "This will be our class trip for the day! Everyone will have a chance to walk around this huge garden and gather information about all the certain types of flowers you can find! You will be writing a short paper about the flowers you find are interesting!"

The students groaned and moaned while Nadeshiko kept her bright smile. Slowly the students were making their way into the garden and while doing so Nadeshiko looked at each of them carefully.

'So…my experiment will begin.'