Chapter Four
Two days after meeting Futaba and the Eguchi men, Yume finishes her afternoon run through the park by jogging down streets.
She's stalling.
The girl is curious about the other world. Seeing the app on Hitoshi's phone only adds to the curiosity.
But cowardliness beats curiosity again today.
The burner phone she bought a month ago sits on her bedside table, waiting to be used. She spent a week paranoid after she manually activated the red-eyed app via computer. Since the activation, she hasn't touched it.
I have to do it eventually, Yume tries to convince herself. I have to see. I have to know.
Pep-talk failed. Yume stops and leans against a wall, panting. Watching people pass, the building across the road catches her eye. Walking over there, Yume finds she gets more and more excited at the thought of doing the activity they advertise.
Dancing.
Something she could never do herself, back in the wheelchair.
That night, she signs up for ballet lessons. Her parents' signature is forged and cash is added to the credit card. The next day, she buys leotards and ballet shoes. That week, she attends lessons for the young girls not old enough to be attending school.
This how she meets five year olds Okumura Haru and Niijima Makoto.
Or, doesn't meet them. Not at first. The girls have their own groups of friends. Makoto has been dancing for a few years, while Haru joined last year. They are not only older, but are also better dancers then little Yume.
Makoto is part of the group of girls that help the younger or inexperienced ones. Yume, who is on speaking terms with those in the inexperienced group, finds it hard to connect with the older girl. The other straight-laced ballerinas or the younger girls easily take to Makoto's teaching, almost fighting for the older girl's attention.
Yume likes Takado Miwa the best.
"There you go, Yume!" Miwa cheers on, releasing the girl. "Have you been practicing?"
"Hai!" Yume nods, wobbling on her feet.
"A few more seconds," Miwa urges. "Come on, three… two… one… You're good!"
Yume drops down on her heels so fast something cracks. The girls turn sheepish looks around, but none of the others seem to have heard it.
"Maybe go easy on the release," Miwa offers with a laugh. The five – almost six - year old shows off the next set of positions to practice. "And you are going to practice, right?"
"Ee!" Yume nods with a wide smile.
It's the second week, when the older or experienced kids have more time in the studio, that Yume meets Haru; the five year old crying in the bathroom.
"What's wrong?" Yume says immediately, twitching her head around to look for injuries.
"I-it's nothing," Haru whimpers, rubbing her eyes harshly.
"It's not nothing if it made you cry," Yume says seriously, quietly. She gets some paper towels and soaks them with cold water. "Put this on your eyes. It will sting less."
The older girl sniffs and does as told, slamming her hand's heels into her eyes over the cloth. Yume lightly pulls at the girl's hands, easing them into a less painful position. "Don't press too hard. I know it hurts, but it will be worse if you do that."
Haru sniffs again, nodding.
Yume steps back and gets more cold papers. "Are you alright if I wipe your face?"
"Y-yes," Haru whimpers, starting to shake.
Carefully, Yume wipes the tear tracks on the girl's cheeks. Haru slowly stops crying, breathing turning to hiccups, and finally stilling her body. The older girl pulls the papers away from her eyes and gives Yume a hesitant smile. "I'm fine now."
Yume frowns and looks at the girl's broken expression. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Haru sucks in a breath, glancing over to the mirror, and starts to silently cry. "N-no. I'm okay."
Yume puts her wet papers down and holds her arms out slightly. "Will you be okay if I hug you?"
"W-why?" Haru asks, eyes going back to the younger girl.
"Because angels like you should be offered hugs when they're sad," Yume says simply.
"I'm not an angel," Haru says, almost irritated.
"Yes you are," Yume says, blinking innocently. "You have wings on your back."
Haru goes to say something, and then stops. She looks back in the mirror, eyes going to the wings drawn on the back of her fancy leotard. The girl giggles. Then laughs. "Can I give you a hug?"
"Ee!" Yume nods, spreading her arms out. Haru just about squeezes the life out of the younger girl, so Yume returns the favour. Squished against glitter and silk, Yume muffles out. "I'm Yume!"
"Okumura Haru," the older girl says softly. She steps back and looks away. "I'm sorry for snapping at you."
"No worries." Yume chirps, gathering the papers and throwing them away. "Thank you for the hug. Want to be friends?"
Haru's face falls into a mixture of sadness and anger.
"Or not?" Yume asks quickly. "Sorry if I offended you. I'm not good with people."
"It's okay," Haru says, scrubbing her eyes. "I… I don't have any friends right now."
"…Is that why you were crying, Ms. Okumura?" Yume asks softly, dangerously.
"Mmhmm," Haru nods, wringing her hands together. "My- eh… my… the girls I know said they didn't want to be my friend, but their parents are making them."
Yume frowns hard, green eyes narrowing. "What are their names?"
Haru blinks and glances up. "Ms. Chiaki and Ms. Hananoka. Why?"
"So I know who to make miserable," Yume says easily. Haru's eyes widen and she gasps. "What? They hurt you, and for a really mean reason. Unless… are you going to hurt them back?"
"No!" Haru gasps, shrinking in on herself. "That would be wrong!"
"Oh." Yume says softly. "You seem like a good person, Ms. Okumura. That's why you shouldn't worry about those girls."
"What are you going to do?" Haru whispers.
But there's something in the older girl's eyes.
"Probably torment them, if I can," Yume says with a shrug. "Maybe switch their shoes or pack things in each other's bags so they blame each other for stealing. I'm sure I can hit them with a few spit balls. Any suggestions?"
Haru pauses and bites her lip. Softly, she throws out, "Trip them in the hallway?"
"Maybe?" Yume hums, thinking. "I'd have to be really sneaky for that."
The older girl giggles and smiles. "Maybe let me have revenge then, Ms. Yume."
"Oh, it's just Yume!" the little girl says. "And are you sure? I mean, er, can I help a little?"
Haru steps forward and hugs Yume again. "You're cute."
"So are you," Yume mutters against the silk and sequence leotard.
"Hey!" one of the instructors comes into the bathroom. Yume and Haru stare innocently, a few feet apart from each other. "Oh, hello Ms. Okumura. I hope Ms. Ishii wasn't giving you any problems."
"No, ma'am," Haru says softly, blinking innocently up at the instructor. "We were just finishing up."
The teacher grunts and nods, sending Yume a hard look. "Get back to class, Ms. Ishii."
"Ee, ma'am!" Yume nods, washing her hands. She watches Haru leave the bathroom through the mirror.
The older girl looks back, and smiles and waves.
A/N: Sometimes I write to relieve stress. So… chapter. Hope people enjoyed, and thanks for reading!
Thank you, Harukawa Ayame, for your review! Wakaba and Boss may or may not star in immediate chapters, but there will be more of them for sure! Thank you for letting me know! All fixed now :) Thank you again for your review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!