If you are a cliffhanger ending
I'm the one that doesn't know anything
Like a magpie and a ring
I am always going to be looking right to you
Oh, you capture my attention
Carefully listening
Don't wanna miss a thing
Keeping my eyes on you
Got me on my toes
If I were to hideout on the sea
You'd be whispering from the westerlies
And any book I'll ever read
You'd be the line that sticks out to me
Out to me
Oh, you capture my attention
Carefully listening
Don't wanna miss a thing
Keeping my eyes on you
Oh, you capture my attention
I'm anticipating
I'm watching, I'm waiting
For you to make your move
Got me on my toes
Got me on my toes
Got me on my toes
Got me on my toes
Oh, you capture my attention
Carefully listening
Don't wanna miss a thing
Keeping my eyes on you
Oh, you capture my attention
I'm anticipating
I'm watching, I'm waiting
For you to make your move
Got me on my toes
Got me on my toes
Got me on my toes
By Lights
Chapter 16: Toes
Hitomi awoke bright and early the following Monday morning. She first examined her ankle before attempting to get out of bed. The swelling had subsided, however it was still sore to the touch. She tried to move her foot in a circular motion to determine how much range of motion she still had.
Although she didn't seem to be experiencing as much pain, she would still err on the side of caution for the day. She reached over to her bedside table grabbing the rolled up tensor bandage. With great care she went about wrapping her ankle and foo, giving her joint some added stability.
Satisfied that her ankle was securely bound, only then did she make an attempt to stand. It was still somewhat painful to bear weight on it, however the pain was more manageable than it had been the day before. I'll just have to take it easy this week, she told herself, which also meant no returning to her running just yet.
She went about her morning routine as usual, preparing herself a light breakfast and packing her school bag before finally changing into her school uniform. Before leaving, she gave herself a once over in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair, tucking it behind her ears to keep it out of her eyes. When did my hair get so long? She wondered, debating for a moment whether she should consider getting it cut or to simply let it grow out. She couldn't recall when the last time she had longer hair, maybe it's time for a change?
She would have to decide on the matter later, she needed to be on her way. She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her bag before departing her room. After locking her door she was surprised to find Dilandau doing similar and fully dressed in his school uniform. "What are you doing?" She unexpectedly asked him.
He tossed his keys up in the air, catching them with finesse, "What does it look like." he answered. As he walked past her he asked, "Need a ride?"
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
The drive had been a relative quiet one, neither knowing if the other would be the one to initiate the conversation. Hitomi nervously fiddled with the pleats of her skirt, trying to distract herself. She had figured he would have said something, had hoped he would have said anything. She was at a loss for words as to how to respond to what transpired between them. What more could I say to that? I can't relate to what he's gone through…
From the car lot, they walked silently together. Hitomi looked to Dilandau trying to read the energy he was giving off. He was hiding something, she could sense it. I should say something… Finally finding the courage to speak up, she said, "You don't have to worry, I wont tell any of them about what happened the other night."
"Why would you think I'd worry about something like that?" He nonchalantly asked.
Confused and feeling a little flustered, she continued, "I don't know… I figured that's why you came back. To make sure I didn't tell them anything and ruin your whole bad-boy image." Dilandau let a small chuckle escape his lips. He had his own reasons for returning, none of which he was willing to divulge to her.
As they rounded the corner and approached the school's gates, they were spotted by Yukari. "Hitomi-chan!" She squealed with delight as she playfully pounced on her friend, wrapping her in a tight embrace. "How's the ankle today?"
"Oh, it's okay. Still a little sore but I've had worse." She answered.
Yukari's eyes brightened upon noticing who had accompanied her friend that morning. "Di-kun!" She said gleefully as she released Hitomi. "I'm surprised to see you back so soon." Dilandau shrugged his shoulders, he hadn't been completely sure he'd bother returning himself. "I thought you said you were going to be gone for awhile. What changed?"
"We decided to cut the training short when I caught Hitomi here spying on us at the onsen." He answered with a sly, mischievous grin. Hitomi's face began to flush bright pink with embarrassment at his accusation.
Yukari, aghast, turned to look at her friend, "You did what!?" she exclaimed before leaning in and asking in a hushed voice, "How come you didn't tell me?! Did you like what you saw?" She gave her a suggestive wink.
"It was nothing like that! I swear!" Hitomi rebuked, her cheeks turning an even brighter shade of red. "And I was there first! If anything he tried to peep on me!" she added, trying to defend herself.
Dilandau chuckled to himself as he kept his pace, walking away from the two girls. Their reactions, although predictable, had been well worth the wait.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
As the days passed, it became easier for them to naturally fall into a sort of routine. Their mornings consisted of meeting in the hallway, followed by their drive to school, and eventually going their separate ways to class. With Hitomi's yearning to return to some form of normalcy in her life, she decided to continue joining her friends for their lunch break, even if it meant sharing the time with Dilandau. As the days passed them by, the awkward silence between them had begun to lift and dissipate. They found themselves finally feeling comfortable enough to engage in idle conversation, going beyond the typical expected pleasantries.
When Friday had rolled around, their comfortable routine had come to a pause. With all the school festival in full swing, they each had their own conflicting schedules. Upon their arrival at the school, they went their separate ways not knowing if they would cross paths again. Hitomi went to her classroom where she went to work helping transform it into a yokai themed cafe.
She wasn't a particular fan of putting on a cafe, finding it to be a bit cliche. However it was better than the alternative choice of putting on a short play, which had narrowly lost. She wasn't one for the performing arts, but at least with the cafe she could have more of a background role keeping her out of the spotlight.
When the noon hour had come around and her shift had ended, she was relieved of her duty of preparing the food trays for the tables. She grabbed her duffle bag, which she had stored under the table she had been working at. As she made her way down the hallway, she contemplated checking into the other classrooms along the way to see what they had set up before eventually deciding against it. She knew her friends would be waiting and if they changed quickly enough at Ayaka's they could realistically make it back before everything was shut down.
The decision to gather at Ayaka's to change had been a simple and logical one. She was the only one of their group who lived within walking distance from the school. Hitomi was even more grateful that it wasn't too long of a walk either as her ankle was still recovering.
Upon their arrival at Ayaka's and after getting settled in, they started on each other's hair and make-up. Suzume took charge of working on everyone's hair, feeling she was the most qualified as her mother ran her own salon. Yui, although more timid, offered to work on applying their make-up.
Hitomi was just thankful she wouldn't need to worry about either for herself. She had typically taken a minimalist approach to getting dressed up, opting for little to no effort. Before allowing Yui to begin, she requested that she go light with it. "Don't worry," she said as she began to blend the foundation on Hitomi's face. "It's going to look and feel natural. Besides, because you'll be wearing a mask I only need to really focus on your lips." After finishing with her foundation she moved onto her eyes, keeping it simple with some mascara, eyeliner and just a hint of pale green eyeshadow. For her lips she applied a rose gold lipstick, complimenting the gold markings on the mask Hitomi would be wearing.
When it came time for her hair to be styled, Suzume knew she would be in for a challenge as found shorter hair to be more limiting. Whereas with her other friends whom she was able to style their hair in elegant updos, her options would be few and far between. Determined to deliver on her promise she got to work curling the longer portions of Hitomi's hair, giving her hair some bounce and volume. Happy with the base she had created, she began working on braiding her hair beginning at one ear and going across the crown of Hitomi's head and finishing at the other ear. To hide the hair tie and bobby pins holding the braid together, Suzume inserted a silver and gold hana kanzashi.
"Oh wow…" Hitomi said in awe as she examined her reflection in the mirror, amazed at her transformation.
Suzume placed her hands on her hips, proud of what she was able to accomplish. "Well it helped that your hair is getting longer. Are you planning to grow it out finally?" Hitomi shrugged, she hadn't decided that yet but seeing her reflection was beginning to sway her mind.
With her hair and make-up complete, all that was left was to get changed, something Hitomi felt confident she could do on her own. Before departing the house, Ayaka insisted they take some group photos and a few selfies. After their little photoshoot was done, Ayaka promptly uploaded the images to her various social media accounts.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
As the group arrived at their school, Yukari pulled Hitomi aside, "I haven't forgotten my promise. The moment this gets too much for you we can leave okay." Hitomi smiled, grateful she knew she could rely on her friend. "I know Ayaka wants to stay all night, but we don't have to."
With how busy the past week had been, she had almost forgotten about her friend's promise. "Thanks," Hitomi said with a soft smile. Although she knew she had a guaranteed way out, she was finally beginning to feel almost like herself again.
Their school had been transformed into a sea of colours and costumes. Some attendants had opted for more traditional attire like Hitomi and friends donning yukatas and traditional masks. Other attendees were more bold, wearing elaborate and intricate costumes.
Ready to take in the sights, the group of friends made their way towards the game and food vendors. The aromas of the various festival foods wafting and mingling together transported Hitomi back to a simpler time. They had awoken the memories of her youth, of the times when her life was carefree.
Hitomi found herself to be enjoying her time at the festival, something she had been worried she would be incapable of doing. The atmosphere and the company of her friends had elevated her mood, washing away the sorrows that had long since plagued her mind. Her smile and her jovial laughter felt true and genuine for the first time in what had come to seem like an eternity.
It appeared as though nothing could have spoiled the evening. However, fate can be a fickle force as Hitomi had become well aware of. As she awaited for her turn at the ring toss game, a loud commotion from a few stalls down had caught her attention. The rowdy group consisted of three men, who were all dressed similarly in dark coloured yukatas and wearing elaborate blue oni masks.
Hitomi wasn't one to normally eavesdrop, but as she still had a fair bit of time left to wait, she figured it wouldn't hurt to listen in. From what she could gather from their yelling and shouting, the group were exchanging taunts and insults as they competed against one another. Hitomi rolled her eyes at the childish behaviour. As she began to turn away from the scene her eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. Her body froze at the sight of the figure. It can't be, she told herself.
However, as much as she wished to deny it, she knew she had seen this figure before. He was the kitsune figure from her dream. What should I do? She could feel the slight pulse of the pendant Folken had given her, urging her forward towards him.
"Hey," Yukari tapped Hitomi on the shoulder. The gesture startled her, causing her body to jolt at the touch, "It's your turn." Yukari held out the set of rings towards her friend. Hitomi looked at them baffled for a moment. She had been so lost in her thoughts she had completely forgotten about the game. Yukari tilted her head, confused by her friend's odd behaviour. "Hey? Earth to Hitomi?" She waved her other hand in front of her face.
Hitomi gave her head a gentle shake, "Sorry, I thought I saw someone I recognized…" she glanced back in the direction of where the mysterious kitsune had been only to find he was gone. It had to be just a coincidence. There's no way he was really there. It was just a dream. Wasn't it?
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
As the evening wore on, Hitomi found herself to be preoccupied with the sighting of the kitsune. As they made their way through the crowds of people, she would catch glimpses of her mysterious kitsune. She tried to shake off the urge to leave her friends behind and seek him out. She had determined it couldn't be a coincidence. Every detail of his costume from the unique pattern of his yukata to the red and gold marking on his mask had been identical to that of the kitsune she had encountered in her dream.
Eventually her friends grew tired of the games and were eager to hit the dance floor. The sun had long since set over the horizon, and the crowds had begun to thin out and dwindle. Many departed for their homes while others made their way to the gymnasium where the lively music had begun to fill air. Hitomi continued to try and spot her kitsune as they waited in the line up to enter.
Yukari had taken notice of her unusually distracted demeanor, "Hey, what's been up with you tonight?" She asked.
"What do you mean?" Hitomi asked, still on the lookout for him.
"You've been acting very… distracted all evening. If you want to leave, we can. I won't hold it against you."
"No, no, it's not that." She couldn't leave yet. Not until she found him. She knew she needed to find him.
"Then what?" Yukari pressed.
Hitomi stopped her search, bringing her attention fully to her friend. "You're going to think I'm crazy…"
Yukari crossed her arms, "Try me."
"I recently had this strange dream about someone dressed as a black kitsune. I thought it was just that, a dream. But earlier tonight I saw him, the guy from my dream. I thought maybe it was just a coincidence, but he looked identical. I have no idea who he is but…but I just know I need to find him… I don't know how else to explain it."
Yukari nodded her head as she listened to her friend's odd explanation, not sure entirely what to make of it. "I'll admit, it's a little weird but then again you were always scarily accurate when you did your tarot readings… maybe your gift has carried over to your dreaming? It wouldn't be such a crazy notion, if I'm being completely honest here." Hitomi looked at her stunned. She hadn't expected Yukari to so easily come to that sort of conclusion. "Well I'll keep my eyes peeled for this kitsune guy and if I see him I'll be sure to let you know." She gave her friend a suggestive wink.
The line had begun to move once again and the group found themselves finally inside. The colourful display of lights pulsed and flickered as they seemed to dance to the beat of the music. Ayaka could barely contain her excitement as they came upon the dance floor, dancing wildly as she grabbed Yui and Suzume by the hands, pulling them along with her to hit the dance floor. Hitomi and Yukari smiled, looking at each other and shrugged, deciding to join in.
They danced to their hearts' content, allowing the music to guide them in their dancing. After a few songs, Hitomi excused herself from the group as she needed to take a small break in order to rest her ankle. Yukari offered to join her, however Hitomi insisted she would be fine. She could see how much enjoyment her friends were having and didn't want to tear them away.
Hitomi weaved her way through the crowds of dancing attendees until eventually finding the exit to the outdoor patio. She closed her eyes, inhaling the refreshingly crisp night air deeply. She quickly glanced around the nearly vacant patio, stopping once she found an empty bench. She casually walked over and took a seat. She leaned forward to slip off one of her ukon-geta and proceeded to massage her ankle. "Maybe this wasn't the best idea after all…" she mumbled to herself, leaning backwards on the wooden bench to stare up at the clear night sky. Maybe I didn't actually see him… maybe I am just losing my mind…
"And why would you say that?" An unfamiliar voice asked, breaking her train of thought. Hitomi turned to look at the owner of the voice and found herself at a loss for words. Standing before her was the black kitsune she had been searching for. She blinked her eyes rapidly, unsure if she was actually seeing him or just imagining it all.
She sat upright, eying the figure before her carefully. He appeared to be real, but she had to be sure. Carefully she slipped her geta back on before rising to stand once again. She cautiously took a step towards him and reached out to place her hand on his solid chest. He's not an illusion… she looked up at him feeling a sense of relief wash over her. "You're actually real…" I'm not losing my mind!
"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" He asked, with a hint of a laughter in his voice.
"Oh uh ummm...s-sorry…" She quickly removed her hand, realizing how awkward she had probably made the situation. "This is going to sound incredibly crazy, but I had a dream about meeting you. I honestly thought I was losing my mind when I kept seeing you everywhere tonight." Feeling like she was digging herself further into a pit of embarrassment, she took a step backwards. "I must sound like a crazy person. I'm sorry." she turned her head away, what should I do now? I hadn't thought any of this through!
The mysterious kitsune dressed man smiled, and closed the distance between them. He reached out to take hold of her hand gently in his own. Hitomi nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden touch. "It appears that our meeting was destined." he raised her hand to his lips where he then placed a delicate kiss.
She could feel her heartbeat wildly, I don't want to be a slave to fate or destiny but… she brought her gaze upwards to meet with the kitsune's and recalled Folken's words, "Fate will always present you with a choice. In the end, you ultimately decided your own fate."
"Care to join me for a dance?" He asked, tilting his head towards the door back to the gym.
I decide my own fate, she reminded herself. I can say no… but is that what I want? The warmth emanating from his hand travelled up her arm, drawing her in. There was something oddly comforting about his touch. After a moment of hesitation, she gave him a nod to say yes.
Still holding her hand, he led her back inside, guiding her to the dance floor. The music had shifted and the beat slowed. Her mysterious kitsune pulled her close, swaying the bodies together in unison to the more mellow flow of the music. "So… who are you?" Hitomi finally asked.
"That would ruin the fun," He spoke softly into her ear, causing a chill of excitement to course through her.
"It-it's just a dance. And besides not everyone is wearing a mask." She countered.
"Perhaps later. Let's just see how the night goes shall we?" Hitomi could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks and was grateful that he couldn't see to what extent he had made her blush.
They danced alone together for a few more songs before her friends had spotted her. Yukari snuck up on Hitomi, embracing her from behind. "There you are!" she declared, squeezing her tightly. "I thought you had left without me!"
Startled, Hitomi begged her friend to loosen her grip. "I'm sorry," she apologized, while gasping for air.
Yukari caught sight of the man before them and noted his attire. She leaned over towards her friend and asked in a hushed tone, "Is this the guy you were telling me about?" Hitomi simply nodded. "I suppose I can forgive you this time," she said with a mischievous grin. "I guess I leave you two love-birds to get back to it." She gave her friend a suggestive nudge and wink. Before departing, she eyed the kitsune up and down, "If you hurt her, I will personally hunt you down."
"A friend of yours?" He asked, drawing Hitomi closer.
"Yea… she just gets a little protective of me. She means well." Hitomi said with a slight smile. It was reassuring to her to know that she could always count on her friend to have her back.
As they continued to dance with one another, Hitomi slowly began to drop her guard bit by bit. The world around her seemed to fade away and she embraced the feeling of just living in the moment. Whether their meeting was truly predestined or not, it was the distraction she knew she needed. She had put too much of her life on hold waiting for her dragon king to swoop in and save her. She knew she needed to take a stand, to end her cycle of despair. Throwing caution to the wind, she let go of her previous inhibitions. She allowed herself to act more spontaneously and she was enjoying every moment of it.
Time had become irrelevant and all that mattered was how alive she had finally felt. Her mysterious kitsune had reignited something within her that had been absent for far too long. As the night had crept to it's close, the once energetic music progressively slowed and mellowed as the attendees began to trickle out.
Her kitsune held her close, wrapping her in his comforting embrace as their bodies slowly swayed together to the music. There was something so oddly familiar about the sensations she felt being held so close to him. "It seems the night has come to an end for us." his velvet voice whispered into her ear. Her hands instinctively gripped onto him. She didn't want to let go, she wasn't ready to part ways. He let out a soft chuckle as he felt her grip on tighter. "If I don't return you to your friend, I fear I may not live to see tomorrow," he joked, provoking Hitomi to let out a small laugh.
"I suppose you're right," she mumbled into his chest, eventually loosening her hold on him and creating a small space between them. "So are you finally going to tell me who you are?"
A smile tugged at his lips, it would have been easy to tell her, but he was enjoying leaving her bewildered. He brought a hand up to caress her neck, slowly bringing it to cup her cheek and lifting her head upwards. He had been waiting all night for this exact moment. There would be no going back afterwards, and he was fine with his resolve. He lowered his head, gently pressing his lips against her own.
A surge of warmth and excitement exploded within Hitomi. The kiss was a pleasantly unexpected surprise and she embraced the intoxifying feeling that coursed through her body. She parted her lips, inviting him in to deeping their kiss. It was everything she had expected a first kiss to feel like. It was unexpected, but welcomed and left her in a blissful daze when their lips finally parted.
"Hitomi!" Yukari called out, breaking her out of her daze. As she came to her senses, she realized she was alone once again. Her kitsune had vanished. She brought her fingers to her lips, gently caressing them. Where did he go? She glanced around trying to spot him. The disappointment settled on her when she had come to the realization that he was gone. "Where's your mystery man?" Yukari asked.
"I… I don't know… he was just here a moment ago…" Despite the fact he had somehow managed to disappear, she knew she would find him again.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
A/N: I am so sorry for the long delay with getting this chapter done! Honestly, work got really busy and completely drained me mentally. So I wasn't in the right state of mind to write this particular chapter. I didn't want to half-ass it either. I'm not 100% happy with how it turned out, but It's a huge improvement from the original. God the old version was painfully cheesy!
Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing lately 3 It's greatly appreciated to know you guys are enjoying this fic.
No idea when the next chapter will be done. I haven't even begun working on my outline for it yet. I'm going to take a few days off to try and sort some things out. Hopefully I can get back to my normal schedule and post a new chapter every week. So stay tuned!
