Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, Photo Kano or any of its characters. I wrote this fanfic for my own pleasure and purely entertainment.
Chapter 2 – The Boy with a Cold Heart
The loud wailing sirens of the ambulance were more than enough to clear the usually busy main road of Kouga Prefecture. The driver expertly weaved through the traffic as various vehicles gave way for the emergency van rushing madly on its way towards the hospital. The man behind the wheel was already on his late thirties, armed with a decade worth of crisis driving experience, such conditions were apparently considered normal to his profession. Overall, his outer appearance was calm and composed with the only thing evident to the severity of the situation would be the unusual glint reflected by his steely gray eyes. They were hawk-like as he stared at the road like a predator while occasionally steering and swerving the ambulance to avoid other vehicles.
However, it was a totally different story inside the ambulance's coach.
"I'm right here with you. Don't let go, ok?" Heero coolly said to the amber eyed girl who held his hand with an iron grip.
There was no response from her other than press his palm firmly with hers.
Since he had placed the young lady inside the ambulance after carrying her to safety all the way out of the park, she had only firmly grasped his hand as if her very life depended on it. The paramedics initially attempted to separate them but the young woman's erratic convulsions dissuaded them from doing so. Instead, the chief medic decided to bring the bewildered Gundam pilot along with them if it would help calm down the chestnut haired girl.
He carefully observed the patient as the paramedics inside the ambulance worked tirelessly to stabilize her condition. She still drew her breaths with difficulty despite the oxygen mask placed above her nose and mouth. The bullet had cleanly passed through her shoulder and enough pressure had been exerted on the wound to temporarily stop the bleeding. But her condition was still unstable as her physique struggled to keep up with the rigors that accompanied their previous situation. The shock or trauma coupled with the physical strain her body had been subjected proved too much for the amber eyed young woman to handle.
"Is she responding to you? Please continue talking to her. It would really help in calming her down." The chief medic reminded him before tending to the various life support systems inside the ambulance.
'What the hell am I suppose to say on a situation like this? This supersedes the usual protocols I have been accustomed with.' Heero mused while shaking his head subtly.
"Everything will be fine. You're a… strong girl. You'll get through this."
The young lady once again only responded by pressing his palm firmly with hers.
'You will be safe. I won't lose another innocent… because of my actions.'
He was purged from his thoughts as the ambulance took a sudden turn before abruptly stopping a couple of seconds later. The rear doors soon opened as hospital staff rushed in to take out the small bed where the wounded civilian was currently situated.
"W-wait… Hold on. Be gentle…" Heero trailed as he was dragged along with the patient's bed.
'Why is this happening to me…?'
All because she still clenched his hand with a vice like grip.
The small bed was swiftly yet carefully raised and before long its folding wheeled legs were already rolling as the patient is whisked into the emergency room.
Along with Heero… in tow.
The chief of the paramedic team was providing a detailed update on the chestnut brown haired girl's condition to the head attending physician when one of the supporting doctors noticed him. The medical practitioner had a long oval face, wore round eyeglasses, black hair tied into a bun and seemed to be already in her mid-forties. She glanced back and forth at Heero and the patient while taking a keen interest on their tightly clasped hands.
"I see, you're this young woman's husband. Don't worry. We will take good care of her."
"Huh? No… no, you got it wrong, doctor…"
"Oh, nonsense… you men are all like that. Well, you have to be strong, ok? Just hold her hand till we reach the operating room. It would help in stabilizing her condition as it is right now."
"Ok."
"There's a gunshot wound on her shoulder, but the bleeding has been stopped. Does she have any allergies to certain medications? Or is she currently taking prescription drugs?"
"I… don't know."
"It's alright, young man. Her heart rate is quite high and her pulse is abnormally fast… are you by chance expecting she'll conceive probably nine months from now?"
"W-what?"
"Is she pregnant?"
'Huh?!'
His blank stare was enough for the doctor to clarify her inquiry.
"Well, with your baby of course."
'What?!'
"Ahh… young people these days. You have to take responsibility of her, ok?"
'My actions… resulted to this. I'm already responsible… why she ended here.'
"Yes, ma'am."
"Now, answer my previous question."
'Which was…? I think it's the girl being pregnant or not.'
Heero was confused, first he was mistakenly identified as the young woman's husband now he's being wrongly tagged as the father of her baby.
That is… if the civilian was pregnant.
'I don't really know…'
"No… I am not aware if she is expecting something… nine months from now."
"Ok… this would most likely be something congenital or probably caused by other intrinsic factors." The kind doctor said to herself before continuing.
"We're almost here, you two, please help this fine young man remove his hand from the patient's grip." The physician ordered at the nurses who were also walking briskly beside the hospital bed.
'What have I gotten myself into…?'
Finally after much effort, her hand was eventually pried off from his palm.
"This is as far as you may go. Non-hospital staff is prohibited inside the operating room. Please wait for your wife here while we attend to her."
'But… She's not my wife.'
Seeing him still stunned and without any reaction, the female doctor held both of his hands.
"Don't worry. We will do everything we can for her. True, the most difficult part is waiting. But you must stay there. She would no doubt be happy when the first person she sees upon waking up is you, her husband. We will notify you once the procedure is finished."
'And… I am not her husband.'
With that the physician went inside the operating room and after the doors closed the red light found at the center above them lit up. Heero could only sigh deeply and shake his head subtly in exasperation at the most recent events.
'Are all hospitals like this?'
"Mr. Keitaro Niimi and Mrs. Hinowa Niimi… in behalf of the Preventers High Command we would like to convey our sincerest apologies to the mishap that got your daughter, Haruka involved." A tall orange brown haired woman in military uniform earnestly stated before bowing respectfully to the couple inside one of the many private rooms inside Kouga Memorial Hospital.
"Ms. Po… please, it's alright… we understand." Keitaro Niimi, a man in his late thirties said as he ushered the Preventer officer to stand straight before resuming.
"Both me and my wife are sure that… nobody wanted our Haruka to be involved in that incident. Based from the report you have given us, Haruka got inside the park through the entrance utilized by one of the suspects where two of your agents were killed. It was a bad case of coincidence and tough luck she happened to be there which eventually led to unforeseen circumstances."
"Keitaro… is right, Ms. Po. We are truly grateful to the Preventers organization and especially to the young man who brought Haruka here. He's been standing watch over her even after we have arrived." Hinowa Niimi, a woman with chestnut brown hair tied in a pony tail agreed, bowing also to her.
"Preventer Special Agent Yuy was the overall mission team leader on that operation. He was the one who led your daughter to safety out of the combat zone. They just had the misfortune of getting pursued by one of the suspects as they neared the exits." Sally Po replied smiling lightly at the couple.
"He truly is a brave young man. Considering… Haruka suffered one of her seizures during the incident." Keitaro acceded while nodding repeatedly in relief.
"Mr. and Mrs. Niimi, as compensation for the incident, the Preventers have shouldered all of your daughter's medical fees. She will also be placed under a lifetime health plan that will cover all of her future health treatments, both pre-existing or not." The orange brown haired woman in a braided pair explained before bowing once again in apology.
"Oh… my… thank you so much." Hinowa said with gratitude clearly recognizable from the tone of her voice.
"This will be… very helpful to our family… especially to our Haruka. We can't thank you enough." Keitaro added, bowing deeply to her.
"Eight Preventer agents killed in action and four more in various degrees of injuries. Seven hostiles slain, one primary target killed, the other taken into custody with another auxiliary. And one civilian wounded." Lady Une, chief commanding officer of the Preventers enumerated before carefully placing the mission debrief folder in front of her table.
"What do you have to say for your actions?" She added after folding both palms together and resting them above the table's surface.
"Well… we did a great job, didn't we Heero?" Duo answered smiling confidently after nudging him with his elbow.
"The casualties were warranted considering the capabilities of our targets, the scope of our area and the number of resources available to us." Heero straightly answered, ignoring his fellow Gundam pilot's statement.
"Special Agent Yuy… or should I say… Contractor. According to the various statements taken and compiled into a report from your subordinates, you wavered on your last two commands. You initially had them back down after recognizing that there was a civilian inside the combat zone. However, you rescinded your order and had your team engage the targets."
"We were detected by the assassin, Lady Une. Aside from my statement, didn't the other teams made you aware that my location was peppered with bullets from the assassin and the arms dealer's bodyguards." Heero impassively replied.
"The civilian…"
"Was saved, kept alive and managed to get out of the engagement zone as well as survive through my actions, Commander Une."
The spectacles wearing leader of the Preventers organization subtly shook her head sideways and sighed deeply.
"A civilian was still involved. When the specifics of this report goes to ESUN… I am not sure how much flak they're going to throw at the Preventers."
"Can't you just… you know… edit out some of the details… Lady Une?" Duo suggested.
"Maxwell… I could have done that if only you and Yuy were the only operatives involved. But there will be a committee who will be conducting a review and investigation on this operation. We are already fortunate that details of this mission have been kept under the wraps with the civilian's parental consent. A media blackout has been successfully put into place considering the… blunder surrounding the mission's completion."
"With all due respect, commander, the sentries we placed on the east gates were neatly disposed by the assassin. Due to manpower issues, we lacked the flexibility on assigning more roving teams to keep out non-combatants inside the red zone." The braided haired former Gundam pilot explained.
"No, Duo. I understand where Lady Une is coming from. Despite the limitations, we still accepted the mission. Therefore, we… I still have to face the responsibility of ensuring the safety of our team and ensuring that no innocent civilian gets involved." He calmly responded before turning his attention and meeting the Preventer head's gaze.
"Fortunately the lone civilian was only wounded and is now recuperating. And since we both know that Heero Yuy is only a special contractor for the Preventers he is… absolved and excused from any interrogating body or sanctions that would normally apply to a regular Preventer agent." Lady Une elaborately discussed while referring to him.
"So the purpose of this meeting is to formally severe my ties with the organization." Heero ascertained, nodding his head in conclusion.
"Heero, I do hope you understand the decision. But as stated on our agreement, upon completion of the assignment, your compensation has already been deposited to your personal account." The head of the Preventers said truthfully before smiling apologetically at him.
"With severance?" Duo inquired, grinning smugly at Lady Une.
"He is only contracted on a per mission basis."
"Thank you, Lady Une." Heero answered while nodding subtly.
"What are your plans now, buddy?" Duo curiously asked him.
"Whatever the case was, I… plan to quit also after the events of this last mission." He revealed earning a surprised reaction from both Lady Une and his fellow pilot.
"Heero?" Duo astonishingly queried.
"I… intend to keep a promise."
Various medical equipment and monitoring systems surround the sleeping form of the young woman carefully laid out on the hospital bed. Only the steady beeping from one of the instruments could be heard from the stillness inside the room. Heero had dedicated himself to standing guard and watching over the patient since three days ago during the late hours of the evening till early morning cautious enough to leave before the room's occupant wakes up.
"Here… please take this, Heero." Hinowa Niimi softly said as she handed him a steaming cup of coffee.
"Oh… it's ok, Mrs. Niimi. Thank you." The stoic pilot replied after receiving the warm beverage.
"You've been keeping watch over her during the times me or my husband are supposed to be sleeping. How could we ever repay you?"
"No… you don't owe me anything. It is me who is indebted to you. Because of my actions, her life was placed on peril."
"That again…" Hinowa sighed before smiling lightly and looking straight into his eyes "Think nothing of it, young man. Ms. Po already explained everything to us. We… me and Keitaro are truly grateful you protected Haruka. She is alive and safe because of you."
"Again, I am… grateful for your kindness, Mrs. Niimi." He earnestly stated before shifting his glance at Haruka's sleeping form.
"Haruka… she's always been full of energy even then. When she was young, nobody wanted to play with her because she's all boyish and skinny. But despite that she persevered and eventually won a lot of friends."
Without waiting for him to say anything, Hinowa continued.
"Thanks to his childhood friend, Kazuya, she gained the confidence and determination to relate with people. She's been quite proactive and very friendly ever since."
"I see." He replied before asking, "Mrs. Niimi… has she been… ill like this before?"
The mother of the patient before them looked at him sadly as she spoke.
"She's been born with a quite fragile heart. Haruka's known that ever since she was a child. She's accepted her condition without any complaints. She's… she's such an understanding person."
Hinowa turned back to face Haruka's sleeping form as she resumed.
"Despite her ailment, it didn't deter her from living like any other normal kid of her age. She's been on a strict diet and… well, to keep herself fit she even indulged on sports, tennis particularly."
"That's good for her, Mrs. Niimi." The brown haired young man could only say before Hinowa softly nodded in agreement.
"How old are you, Heero?"
"Seventeen."
"Oh… so young. My Haruka is already eighteen but she's still only a second year in Senior High. She needed to stop a year back then due to her illness. That reminds me…" Hinowa trailed as she shifted her gaze back at Heero.
"About what you mentioned the previous evening. Keitaro and I both decided it would be for Haruka's best interest if we agree on your offer."
Hinowa bowed deeply at him before smiling kindly.
"However, I told Keitaro I would only approve on one condition."
"Anything, Mrs. Niimi."
"Heero, we were really happy when you offered to look out for Haruka till she finishes her Senior High. Keitaro, though he may not show it visibly or talk about it frequently truly appreciates and is already looking forward to your notion."
He only grunted in response to Hinowa's statement.
"But me… as Haruka's mother… and being a woman as well have something to ask of you. Heero, even at such a young age we are already aware of your capabilities as a soldier. You're already used to situations you have to watch over or… protect someone. In Haruka's case, please… look after her as someone you would care for."
There was a moment of silence between them as Heero pondered the meaning of her words before he replied.
"Mrs. Niimi… my training doesn't permit me to include my emotions on the person I have to watch over."
"Heero, the great war and Mariemaia's rebellion have concluded. All those times, our family had only been civilians. We have been very fortunate to have been spared from the horrors of war. Haruka, is not used to such circumstances, she's only been exposed to an ordinary civilian's life and been surrounded by pretty much the same people as well. If you enter her life, treat her as a friend. It would hurt her most to learn that you are only at her side out of pity or due to a deep sense of responsibility." The pony tailed woman carefully explained while gazing deeply into his eyes.
"I have to take responsibility for the results of my action, Mrs. Niimi. She wouldn't…"
"Heero, stop blaming yourself for the incident that happened… it was beyond your control. We never blamed you for that. Even or… despite her condition, Haruka, never wanted to be treated extraordinarily. She just wants to live like any other normal, ordinary girl. Don't do it out of pity for her… or because you feel responsible." Hinowa softly stated after placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I understand Mrs. Niimi, I will accede to your request. Please know that I am not doing this because I pity her. I want to help at least in my own way. But at any case… let my reasons for being at Haruka's side is kept secret from her."
The woman once again looked deeply into his cobalt blue orbs, as if measuring the truth behind his words. Finally after a couple of moments, she smiled warmly at him with her kind brown eyes and thoughtfully nodded.
"Thank you, Heero. I will tell Keitaro about this as well. Everything is safe with me and my husband."
"Man! This feels nostalgic!" Duo exclaimed as he walked beside Heero while they followed the school Principal.
"Keep your voice down Duo." The Perfect Soldier lowly uttered.
"Come on Heero, this brings back the good old memories of the time…"
"Shhh."
"You're always too serious."
"And you're always too irresponsible. I should have thought twice on letting you go with me." The former pilot of Wing Gundam chastised.
"Come on now… it's like I'll let you have all the fun and hog all the girls in Kouga Academy for yourself!" Duo smugly said before turning to look at the building's hallways.
"Besides… I'm always up to being your wingman at any given time." The lavender eyed Gundam pilot added after grinning impishly at him.
The brown haired boy subtly shook his head sideways in frustration. It has been more than three months since the mission in Kouga's southeastern park while a month and half had already passed since Haruka Niimi was discharged from the hospital. All those times, the stoic pilot had vigilantly watched over the civilian unwittingly caught up in their mission. He had been very wary on making his presence known to the amber eyed young woman those days he stood vigil by her bedside. Her operation was a success and her condition had been stable ever since. The school term was already rolling after the summer break when Heero made the decision to enroll in Kouga Senior High.
Duo Maxwell on his part, decided to take an indefinite sabbatical from the Preventers Organization in spite of repeated pleadings from his superiors to get back into active duty. The fun-loving Gundam pilot reasoned stress and psychological trauma, both lies, as his reasons for the extended absence. However, without any words needed to be exchanged, Heero, Col. Une and Maj. Po all knew that Duo's return to the force is next to impossible. The braided haired young man had been keen enough to make his disinterest with the organization known after the hard line policies and red tape restrictions implemented by Earth Sphere Unified Nations on the aftermath of the Kouga southeastern park debacle.
On his part, Heero's exit was without any hassles being only a contractor or a "special" operator for the Preventers. The cobalt blue eyed boy had no issues when it comes to financial matters as his professional fee had been quite substantial every time he was contracted for a mission. Duo had even once jokingly stated that his savings was enough to fund three lifetimes on an above the average living conditions without the need to ever work again.
Along with some assistance from Duo, Heero had temporarily closed down his humble apartment in L1 before taking his luggage and setting up residence in Kouga Prefecture. The lavender eyed former pilot of Gundam Deathscythe on his part, had long left his scavenger business in L2 under the management of his associate Hilde Schbiker. Though the two were no longer romantically connected, both have retained a friendly and professional relationship. Heero surmised that Duo's persistence to join him in his… "quest for redemption" as the braided pilot fondly calls it was a way for him to take his mind off from a lot of matters.
The two of them had set up residence about a block away from the Niimi's house. The small home where they currently live in had two rooms, a bath/shower/toilet area, a living room separated from the dinning room and a kitchen. Three days ago, while Haruka was attending her classes they had already visited Keitaro and Hinowa Niimi to properly notify them of their arrival and subsequent plans. The couple was sincerely thankful and quite delighted upon learning their preparations had been quite extensive. Considering their expertise of course, it was a walk in the park for Heero and Duo to 'strategically' place themselves as transfer students coincidentally into Haruka's own class. After meeting with the Principal as their first stop of the day, both of them had been treated akin to celebrities or VIPs due to the false information planted by Duo on their school profiles. Right now, they were even being escorted personally by the Principal to their homeroom.
"Our mission here is for the welfare of Haruka Niimi. You could play around if you want, but whenever there is a medical emergency I expect your immediate response first hand." Heero uttered under his breath while seriously staring at Duo.
"You can count on me, Red One. Grey Two might play a lot and have some fun with the ladies… but I take any mission given to me seriously." The braided haired pilot solemnly replied as they followed the school's head administrator.
He grunted in acknowledgment and nodded slightly at the young man hailing from L2 before the Principal beckoned them towards the sliding door leading to the room named 2-B.
The third period for morning classes lingered lazily much to Haruka Niimi's own growing complacency. She was an outstanding student, her academic marks are among the top in her class and the chestnut brown haired young woman has been known to be a very hardworking individual. However, for reasons unbeknownst even to her, she had been feeling a bit down lately since her return to the campus two weeks ago. Even though, it was already their English class, which happens to be one of her strongest subjects, Haruka still wondered why she seems to lack the motivation and focus on listening to the instructor.
Haruka briefly pondered if the persistent cacophony inside her mind was caused by that unforgettable incident last summer that almost cost her life. Everything had been… quite hazy since she regained consciousness in the hospital. Though the exactness of the entire event now seemed obscured from how she remembers it, the lovely girl could never forget the face of her protector during those critical and desperate moments.
"Look at me!"
"Everything will be fine! I will take care of you!"
"P-promise me…"
A faint shade of pink graced her cheeks as she reminisce the events of that tense-filled encounter.
She panicking… scared… she thought that was the end for her.
Yet the ice cream vendor or rather the secret agent protected her and saved her life.
He was lean built, but his muscles were toned… chiseled finely to his frame. His messy locks of chocolate brown hair as the gentle gale whiffed them aside revealed those intense and striking Prussian blue orbs gazing worriedly at her.
'He must have forgotten about that already.' Haruka mused before reminding herself that he had only acted accordingly on that heart racing, life or death situation they found themselves in.
'It's quite silly of me… to think so.' The chestnut brown haired young lady chided to herself.
After regaining consciousness and undergoing some psychological evaluation from one of the hospital's specialists, it was explained to Haruka by her parents that they have agreed and signed the waivers to keep everything – the incident, her involvement as witness under the wraps. Luckily for her, the Preventers had been successful with the operation, apprehending its target and killing the other suspects without anyone else getting aware of her identity. It was explicitly explained to her to keep everything a secret – even to her closest friends. Knowledge of the incident going public might force the Preventers to place their family on protective custody.
She for one was adamantly against the idea of living under the mantle of the Witness Protection Program. The young woman knew she would lose all of it – her simple yet cherished civilian life, her friends and the community she grew up in. It wasn't the kind of life she envisioned… especially when the matter of its length is highly questionable due to her fragile health.
Still… that moment… loitered in her thoughts. Deep into the night before sleep overcomes her awareness. Or even on occasions she was by herself. Those… moments they were running towards the park exit, him pulling her as she huffed and puffed while struggling with her breath… before one of their pursuers caught up with them. He turned and faced the gunman shielding her from the enemy then killing his foe with a precise shot from his sidearm. However, they were not left unscathed… she would have lost her life if not for the alertness and determination of the secret agent in rushing her to the hospital.
'I'd like to see him… to thank him for saving me. But he's now probably on another mission and has totally forgotten about me.'
She smirked subtly, twisting the edge of her lips slightly at the thought before shaking her head sideways in an effort to wash out those musings.
"Niimi-san, please read page 54 for the class."
The amber eyed young woman was purged from her ruminations after hearing the instructress call out her name. She pulled back her chair and picked up her book, incidentally, the current subject was taught by their homeroom teacher, Ms. Misa Kitagawa and once again she had been asked by the educator to translate one of the passages in English.
"The sun was already setting on the horizon as Heishiro and Hinata ran ecstatically along the shorelines. The young man tightly held the young lady's palm with his before slowly going into a halt. Heishiro turned his head and fixed his gaze at Hinata before telling her…"
"The summer is ending and soon I will be recalled back into the frontlines. Please remember me, our times together, even for just a moment. Know that the happiest days in my life where those I spent with you. If I won't make it back, know that I will cherish you always and am setting you free without any hindrance."
"Hinata placed her hand on his cheek as her eyes looked longingly into the young man. The young woman with long straight raven hair smiled hopefully at him while sharing her thoughts…"
"I will only look at you. Promise to return for me because I will wait for you."
"Heishiro's eyes wandered over Hinata's gentle face, nodding lightly and smiling back in return before pulling her close to him in one bittersweet embrace."
"Wonderful, Niimi-san! As expected your skill on reading English is certainly among the best in your batch." Ms. Kitagawa commended after the amber eyed tennis ace finished reading the assigned passage.
Haruka smiled and bowed slightly prior to taking her seat.
"Ms. Kitagawa's frustrations in romance are evident on the fiction works she has been getting us to read!" A student slyly commented earning a roar of laughter from the rest of the class.
"QUIET! EVERYONE!" Misa angrily yelled at the class with a dark aura hovering all over her that compounded the scary visage currently reflected by her stern yet lovely face.
The entire class was immediately silenced after that.
"You, Mizuno-san… will be getting some special treatment today. Write a 20-page translation from where Niimi-san has left off!" Ms. Kitagawa gravely ordered while glaring angrily at the now fear-stricken student.
No one dared to laugh at the poor offender's misfortune upon hearing their teacher issue a drill sergeant like exercise after getting riled up.
The tensed air permeated inside the classroom would have rose up even further till they were interrupted by three timely knocks from the front sliding door.
Haruka's amber eyes darted curiously at their classroom's front door to see Ms. Kitagawa alertly pacing towards it. The fiery teacher pulled the door aside with one hand on her waist showing her irritation on the earlier commotion. From where the chestnut brown haired girl sat she was able to see the sudden change of demeanor from their agitated teacher. It altered from incredibly incensed to… peculiarly docile as soon as she saw the person outside the door.
"Shima-sensei!" Misa blurted before bowing repeatedly at the elderly man.
Mr. Kanbei Shima, a stout man wearing a grey business suit, 50 years of age, fixed his eyeglasses while smiling inquisitively at their homeroom teacher.
She then saw Ms. Kitagawa slightly close the sliding door after engaging the school's Principal in what seems to be a rather confidential discussion.
'What could they be talking about?'
Seeing no point to entail her interest on whatever matter the educators were in conversation outside, the tennis ace averted her attention back to the topic she was finding herself deeply intrigued with.
"Look at me! Calm down, ok? We will get out of this alive!"
"But we need to get out of here! Don't worry I will protect you!"
'Well… ice cream vendor-kun did indeed protect me. But… he didn't make good with his promise. Oh! What! Is! Wrong! With! You! Haruka! Of course he just said that because you were in a life and death situation! Let it pass!' Her thoughts scrambled and shoved back at the young woman.
The chestnut brown haired girl closed her eyes and steadied her breathing in an effort to calm down whatever it was raging inside her chest. She surmised that she was just looking for a closure on the incident that happened last summer. Of course, she was thankful that whoever the ice cream vendor a.k.a. secret agent was – had extended her relatively limited lifespan. Yet at the back of her mind, there was that something she could not place a name on which always drives her thoughts to a corner and causes the pretty young woman a lot of anxiety.
"Class, you have two new classmates beginning today." Misa Kitagawa announced after entering the room.
Like a group of people watching a spectacle all heads inside the room turned to the opened front door as a young man entered.
The boy was 17-years of age, he had long braided medium brown hair, a pair of lavender eyes that sparkle with mischief and a sly smile graced his lips. The transfer student knew he was physically attractive as he made no effort to hide it, especially when his school shirt hung perfectly from his nice and fit upper body.
"Please introduce yourself."
"The name's Duo. Duo Maxwell, hope to be friends with everyone… especially all the ladies." The new student said before smiling or… grinning brightly at them.
Of course, as expected with such a statement her class turned lively immediately.
"Maxwell-kun! Can I call you Duo?" One of her classmates, Ami Yoshino teasingly asked.
"Only if you let me call you, Pretty." The boy playfully teased in return before winking at her classmate.
The class, particularly the girls were all shrieking and elated upon hearing his response. Soon after, the other female students where bombarding him with different questions to which he candidly answered in a flirtatious manner.
'He looks kind… but he's a player for sure.' Haruka construed as she turned to look out at the window next to where her seat was located.
'I wonder… what he's doing right now.'
Her mind was taken out from its wanderings after hearing Ms. Kitagawa calm down the class.
"Ok, that's enough everyone. Thank you, Maxwell-san for obliging them with your rather frivolous answers." The fiery teacher spoke, nodding slightly at the braided young man before turning to their class.
"Now, we have another new student that will also be placed in our class." Misa declared which prompted the rest of her classmates to sit back and listen.
"Please come inside and introduce yourself as well." Her homeroom teacher beckoned, ushering someone from outside.
'Oh, another new classmate.' Haruka thought, she had rested her left arm on the desk before leaning her face on her palm while gazing curiously at whomever it was that would soon come in.
Her amber colored irises stirred in apparent disbelief upon seeing the face of the person who stepped inside their classroom.
'It's….'
The young man was obviously also 17-years of age, he had an unruly mess of chocolate brown hair with his bangs falling just above his eyebrows. The boy had piercing cobalt blue eyes and stood impressively at a height equal to that of their other new classmate, Duo. He neither had a smile nor frown painted on his lips yet his lean frame cut perfectly on their school uniform.
"My name is Heero Yuy. It is… a pleasure." He shortly said, bowing slightly at them.
'…him…'
For unknown causes… she felt something… somewhere skip its normal rate as her eyes fixed themselves on the young man before her.
'Ice cream vendor-kun…'
The screaming of her female classmates and the overall noise around the room paled in comparison to the echoing call resounding someplace she was now dredging to discover.
'How could this be…?'
"Yuy-san, why did you enroll here?" A girl from her class queried smiling expectantly at the chocolate brown haired boy.
An angel seemed to have passed by as the whole classroom was silenced in anticipation of his reply.
The ice cream vendor, or rather, Heero Yuy scanned the entirety of the room with his deep blue orbs seemingly searching for something before meeting her eyes discreetly in passing.
He cleared his throat slightly before sighing and saying another short response.
"To keep a promise."
His words brought a sudden jolt within her, similar to the sensation of getting electrified.
'What is happening… to me…? 'She mused, as a light pinkish shade blossomed out from her cheeks.
The amber eyed girl buried the lower half of her face slightly on the area covered by her palm.
It was all she could do to hide the fond smile curving from her thin lips.
Author's notes:
Thanks so much for the reviews, reactions and feedbacks on the opening of Look at Me. I am really grateful as well to the readers who have also included the story on their favorites or alerts. Rest assured that though the rate of update is erratic, LaM (Look at Me) is a serious project which I have every intention to finish.
Admittedly, in terms of fanfiction writing I am more focused right now on the conclusion of Haruka's Wings. So for those who haven't read that yet, it is near completion with one update left. To the readers of HW who also support this story, don't worry, I wanted to finish Chapter 2 so I could resume work on HW19. It will be pretty long so think of this update as some sort of appetizer to satisfy the anticipation on the climactic finish of Haruka's Wings.
Special acknowledgment to a few good friends – operation meteor for plugging 'Look at Me' on his highly popular and epic action & romance story, Journey to a New Battlefield. Drake202 – as always, a pioneer on both my stories. And lastly, Bucio – one of the in-depth critics on my stories.
Hmmm… let's give this chapter an anime-like feel on the end… some interaction between our protagonists.
Next on Look at Me:
Heero and Duo have enrolled at Kouga Academy. The two former Gundam Pilots are not only there to study, experience a normal school life, meet various colorful personalities inside the campus but also due to one very specific mandate.
"Our main and sole priority is to protect Haruka Niimi at all times." The Perfect Soldier clearly stated at his self-proclaimed wingman, who grinned impishly and nodded in agreement.
"And probably… find romance on the side as well!" The god of death slyly declared with the tone of his voice hinting nothing but mischief and excitement.
"Duo… I only need to guard Haruka Niimi, I don't have the time or patience to look out for you as well."
"You don't need to get too preachy on me Heero, you'll be requiring my extensive romantic… err… civilian exposure to blend well with the common folks!"
"Stick to the game plan, Duo. I didn't bring you here to play around."
"Oh come on Heero! Relax a little… now look at that girl… despite the stern face and well…" The lavender pilot trailed as he ogled the young woman from head to toe.
"… quite lacking on certain aspects… BUT I like those glasses, twin pony tails and her long legs. She's definitely my type!" Duo whispered as both of them discreetly observed the young woman.
"Duo… again, focus on our objectives…"
"There you go again, so uptight! Or maybe… you already like our mission directive right from the beginning…" The former pilot of Deathscythe insinuated, smiling evilly at Heero.
"Damn you, Duo. I really shouldn't have even considered bringing you here." The Perfect Soldier callously stated before walking away from braided haired pilot.
The dark knight fulfills his promise to the maiden with an ailing condition. Now that their lives have crossed each other, how will Haruka Niimi's once quiet and simple civilian life be able to handle the torrent of possibilities brought by the Perfect Soldier, Heero Yuy? Find out next on Chapter 3, The Girl with a Fragile Heart.
Thanks for reading LaM02 and please don't forget to review! – EZ23 (Chapter 2 released on 11.12.13)