Chapter 3: Sculpting Boredom

All three of them walked into a small room with mint green colured walls, and very bright lighting. The room had a big round wooden table in the centre of the room, in the corner; there was a big cupboard, which seemed to have art supplies and tools, such as paints, brushes, etc. The room was also surrounded by large sculptures of fruits, animals, and some that just looked like big blobs of clay.

Himeno inhaled deeply and she walked over to the table and sat down and sat opposite her father.

"Just place it down there, Hayate" said Kaoru, pointing over to the table, as he put on his apron and tied the back in a knot.

Hayate nodded as he put down the boxes and then placed the two heavy grey bags of clay on the table, he quickly glanced at Himeno, who wasn't looking back, instead she was looking at her nails and looking very bored all ready.

"Thank you Hayate, Okay, lets get started" began Kauro happily "Take out as much clay from the bag as you want, and just be CREATIVE!". Kauro seemed very excited as he took several large handfuls of grey coloured clay and placed them down in front of him. Himeno took on a small handful of the clay, she sighed deeply to herself and seemed to be picking up the clay, and began throwing it down like it was a rubber ball bouncing up and down. Hayate, turned around from were he was standing and walked towards the door.

"Oh Hayate" said Kaoru, looking up from what he was doing "You can join in too, if you want".

"Well...actually I..." began Hayate speechless.

"NONSCENSE!" shouted Kaoru, as he walked over to Hayate and grabbed his arm and pulled him over to were they were sitting "Now you sit down here, and start using your imagination!" he said excitingly as he pulled out a chair for Hayate to sit down in. Hayate had no choice, but to join in. He rolled his eyes and sat down, he felt slightly uneasy since he had no idea how to sculpt. He quickly picked up a couple or so, scoops of clay, and began to role it all up into a ball.

'Stop it' thought Himeno to herself 'Fenrir will not defeat you, you know that, stop getting down and out about it all...but why is she haunting me like this, nearly every minute of every day its all I can think about, does she watch and enjoy seeing me this way'. Without realising it Himeno, had gone into deep thought and was angrily punching the clay several times, which caused to table to shake. Hayate and Kaoru looked up suspiciously.

"Himeno..." began her father concerned "Are...you okay?"

"What..." said Himeno coming to her senses, she could see Hayate and her father eyeing her oddly "Yes, I'm fine, just letting off some steam" she laughed embarrassingly.

Kaoru nodded and began sculpting again, but Hayate kept his dark blue eyes on Himeno, looking suspicious. Himeno said nothing, she could see Hayate's eyes on her, and looked down and began digging her fingers into the thick clay once again.

"So..." began Kaoru, trying to break the silence in the room "What have you been upto lately Hayate?" he said facing Hayate.

"Huh...oh not much just...work" replied Hayate quickly.

"Work huh? Oh yes! That's right, you're a body guard aren't you..."

"Something like that..." replied Hayate quickly again.

Himeno looked up at Hayate, who kept this head down pretending he was busy sculpting. She quickly glanced away and done the same, staying quiet.

"Well" said Kauro, rolling his clay frantically in a ball "I never see you much now really, now you're a body guard or whatever you do...you always seem really busy". Hayate nodded slightly, still retaining his silence. As he was rubbing two balls of clay together, you could tell he did not to want to talk really about his personal life. He quickly looked over at Himeno, who was slumping in her chair, with a bored and sulky look on her face.

"So..." began Kaoru again, looking at both of them "D'ya two know each other well?"

Himeno nearly feel off her chair, were as Hayate looked very uncomfortable, and turned slightly pink in his cheeks.

"What is that suppose to mean dad?" said Himeno, standing up from her chair, and looking at her father eagerly to answer.

"Nothing, nothing, I thought you may know each other that's all, forget I said anything" said Kaoru hastily shrugging, and continuing with his work.

Himeno sighed and sat back down. She didn't mean to snap at her father that way, she felt like Mayune in a way when she snaps at people, for no apparent reason.

As Himeno sat back down, she was looking at what her father was doing. She quickly opened her eyes widely to see...he was shaping what looked like a tulip.

"Dad...Your not doing what I think you are you" she said folding her arms.

"Hm...No, I'm not" said Kaoru looking up "but I am doing something that is inspired by you...."

"Really, so its not another disastrous 'tulip' sculpture I will end up smashing into a thousand pieces?" said Himeno in a sarcastic tone. Hayate let out a faint laugh. Himeno glanced over at him, he looked away from Himeno and then pretended as if he was clearing his throat.

'Hayate...laughing...is that possible? And at something I said!" Himeno thought to herself.

"No, its not that" said Kaoru as Himeno snapped out of thinking. "Its actually well...wait and see"

Himeno got up from were she was sitting, throwing the clay she had in her hand, back down onto the desk. She walked over and peered over her fathers shoulder.

"If that tulip that you are doing, it sure looks like it..." she said doubtfully.

"No its not" said Kauro continuing to work.

"What about this, whats this suppose to be?" said Himeno picking up her fathers clay of a rounded ball and examining it.

"DON'T PICK IT UP!" said Kaoru hysterically, snatching the clay from Himeno, and placing it down carefully. "Can't you see I'm trying to concentrate, why don't you continue with your sculpture..."

"Because I'm bored..." said Himeno dismally.

"Well, then why don't you go outside and find something else to do".

Himeno blinked, as her father continued working. "Fine" she said coolly, and walked away out of the room, slamming the door of the room, slightly behind her with a fearful bang. Hayate still sitting there, turned to Kaoru who signed deeply, as he looked away from the door.

"Sorry you had to see that Hayate..." said Kauro, stopping from his work and staring at the ceiling.

"That's fine...I'm used to it...." replied Hayate.

"Used to it?" said Kauro weirdly as began working again.

"Oh...I mean...from...other people that is" said Hayate nervously, realising what he said. "So why is she like...that?"

"I don't know to tell you the truth" said Kaoru with another deep sigh "I worry about her, sometimes I feel she's lonely, she hardly has friends inside or outside of school, she doesn't seem to have settled down well ever since moving here, she always seems tired and uneasy, maybe its her age...I don't know". Kaoru suddenly stopped working. "Oh no! My little girl!" cried Kaoru.

Hayate looked at him with a raised eye brow. "Well, maybe you or someone else should talk to her" said Hayate, trying to calm down Kaoru.

"Oh I've tried Hayate, I've tried" said Kaoru, looking a bit confused. He then changed the look on his face, with a happy smile "I know! Why don't you talk to her...that may work?" said Kaoru in an excited tone.

"Oh...erm" began Hayate speechless and looking disorientated. He scratched his hair, with a not so certain look on his face.

"It may work..." said Kaoru rubbing his chin "She may confide with you more, You are after all around the same age and it will help you two build a friendship" he stopped rubbing his chin and turned to Hayate, with a look of hope in his eyes.

"That is true" said Hayate nodding "But..."

"Why don't you just try at least, please? It will take a lot of my mind, if I knew she talked to someone better than I would...".

"...Sure" said Hayate giving in and stopped scratching his hair and he got up out of his chair.

"Thanks Hayate" said Kaoru, patting him on the back "she hasn't gone far probably, try the gardens and her room, see where she is..."

"Sure...eh...I'll leave you in peace then"

Hayate nodded and moved walked out of the door, leaving Kauro began to work frantically again but massaging a huge amount of clay together crazily.