Wings for Mitsuki
>>Renzie>> Yes. We're starting the day off with lots of Sakamura. nn' If you thought he was a temporary show, think again. Sakamura is indeed one of the main characters. So is Hinako. But in a much...softer influence, I guess. I like writing with Sakamura a lot. He's an easy character to stick to. I guess Takuto can also be very hostile, but as we all know, he has a kinder and caring side. x) Guess I still have to work on writing personalities. Never did like them much.
>>Disclaimer>> Here I am, sitting in front of my old Dell. Trying to think up a witty disclaimer that isn't so witty. And at the same time, wishing I owned this amazing series. Which I don't, mind you.
Chapter 3: Stirring Up Trouble
"Ah! This is perfect!"
Mitsuki smiled to herself, twirling a feathered quill between her fingers. It was a snowy white, dappled with few spots of brown. One of a kind, you might say. The girl paused momentarily, before snatching an additional few off the rack. Wearing her inward smile, the bright hearted girl neared the line to purchase.
-
"Mm..." Standing in the head of a much longer wait, wavered a hesitant Sakamura. Finally, he had gotten his lunch break. But what to do with it?
'Have a hell of a time deciding on coffee,' he reasoned. That was, if he actually made the decision.
"Hey kid, you're holding up the line."
The irritated Shinigami glanced up at the remark, an icy gaze making good contact. Or perhaps Sakamura was just reading the wall menu. Whatever it was, the cashier seemed to have backed down.
Another sigh emitted, a finger gesturing at his top options. God dammit. At this rate, he would end up buying them both.
But seriously. The things here were ridiculously priced, and twice as ridiculously named. "Shinigami Surprise"? Now what the hell was that? To this day, it still amazed him how they came up with such gruesome titles. But who was complaining? People needed their goddamn coffee. Sakamura finally settled with the original mocha. No dumb, frilly words. As he walked outside, a quick padding of footsteps could be heard. It was her, again.
"Sakamura-san!"
The boy turned his gaze to see a fair skinned maiden coming from the stationary store. She looked happy - maybe even giddy. A definite 'no' on his list, but it was nice to see her getting more comfortable. The one known as Mitsuki finally caught up, a tiny smile forming on her delicate features.
"It's a surprise to see you here! I was just picking up some things from the store," she remarked, lifting her brown paper bag sheepishly.
Sakamura raised the mocha in a blunt reply of, "Coffee."
"Ah, I see!" Her smile didn't falter for a moment as she shifted in her position.
"You seem to be in better spirits today," he remarked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Heh, you noticed? Well, I guess things are improving."
Sakamura nodded. Things couldn't have gotten much worse. After her terrible incident with the collection, and with her strong passion of living, Mitsuki must've had a rough transition. After all, becoming a shinigami was not for the weak. As the boy watched her blabber on, something crossed his mind. To be a shinigami meant more than just a title.
...It meant you were punished for doing something wrong.
"Sakamura-san?"
He quickly reverted his gaze, eyes questioning her in return. Mitsuki blinked in surprise, instantly waving her hands in denial.
"Ah - it's nothing. You were spacing out there for a moment." She let out a quick laugh under her breath, before rustling the paper bag. "Before I forget..."
Smiling, the girl pulled out a feathery quill. Her original intentions had been to buy one for herself. But after arriving, Mitsuki wanted to purchase something for her friends. She handed it to him proudly, as Sakamura reached out and took it. Then of course, he gave her a skeptical look.
"It's a quill!"
He only stared at Mitsuki weirder, making sure the girl clearly understood. "I know that, stupid."
"And its...for you!" she added with a smile.
"I know that, too."
When she stared at him in confusion, Sakamura picked it up as his cue to explain. He pointed to the attached tag, glancing at her solemnly. "Something wrong with this?"
Mitsuki began to laugh, knowing what she had done. The card of paper strung over the top was printed with a bright yellow smiley face. A classic. Although somehow, she hadn't expected him to pick up on it right away.
She gave an expression that matched the tag - solid and happy. "Sakamura-san is never smiling. Maybe when you see this, you'll start to more often!"
Now in any case, the hot-headed shinigami was likely to become...well, irritated. But after seeing through her simple view on life, and the simple reasons behind it, ...who could get mad? Sakamura stared, eyes watchful of her strange behavior.
"Heh. Maybe not." Mitsuki smiled. Just smiled. "Well, I've got to get going. See you later, Sakamura-san!" And with that, the girl set back on her way home.
Sakamura cringed for many moments, but couldn't deny...the smile that soon crossed his lips. Or the small chuckle that emitted.
"Stupid girl."
-
Mitsuki trailed down the long dorm halls, gesturing a count with her fingers. "Hm...that makes three. So next is...Hinako!" She imagined how her friend would react, the girl's tiny frame jumping up and down.
'Oh Mitsuki, darling! You're the sweetest thing! Heeheehee. I'll put it on my dresser right now,' she would say. Mitsuki laughed, a smile crossing her lips.
It turned out that her prediction wasn't far from the truth. What Hinako said went something like this:
"Oh Mitsuki! Something for little ol' me? You're so sweet! Kya-a-a! I have the perfect place to put it too!"
Mitsuki smiled, pleased with her roommate's reaction. "I'm glad you like it!"
The quill Hinako received, was at least half the size of a regular one. It probably belonged to a small bird - an infant, maybe. Mitsuki figured it suited, seeing a cute and tiny quill matched well with a cute and tiny person.
"How could I not love it?" she squealed, jumping like a kid. Well...she was, in a sense.
As Hinako scurried around the room, Mitsuki shuffled the bag. Two quills remained, one which belonged to her. The last one was for...
-
"Takuto?"
A short knock came at his door, but no one was there to answer. Discovering the boy had left it open, Mitsuki took the privilege of coming in herself. She didn't have to use the entryway, of course. Shinigami's had certain powers that allowed them to go through walls. But it was still uncomfortable. "Feels icky," or so she had explained to him earlier.
"It's Mitsuki!"
Still no answer.
The girl blinked, twirling the ends of her soft brown locks. It had been a week since they met; Maybe two. Takuto never seemed to mind - maybe even gotten used to her barging in. It was a pretty standard procedure every day.
The teenager strolled along the carpeted floor, idle thoughts capturing her senses. He understood for the most part. That his life was to be taken, by none other than Mitsuki. But the thing was...
She sat down in a chair, catching a glimpse of two tickets lying on the counter. Smiling as she brought them closer, Mitsuki read the title. They were passes for that same coffee house.
...The thing was, Takuto treated her like a person. Not the stranger Mitsuki imagined he would. Normally if you were in contact with a soul, wouldn't your feelings differ? Yes, of course they would. Normally. So knowing that he didn't...brought a very nice feeling.
Becoming more aware of Takuto's absence, she glanced up at the clock.
"W-What? 1:30, already?" The teenager blushed at her forgetfulness, fumbling around mindlessly. How could she forget? Shinigami time was behind schedule by 3 hours!
Mitsuki sighed, feeling useless. She was supposed to follow her subject. Not wait in his house staring at the clock. Picking herself off the chair, the girl paced back and forth through the rooms. She had no clue where he went. There had to be some kind of time frame he kept. A planner? A memo book? Something?
Then, that "something" caught her eye on the fridge. Mitsuki quickly scampered forward, pulling a note from the magnet.
-Mitsuki,
By the time you get here, it'll probably be around 2 or something. I'll be at school, so just hang out. Schedule below, snacks in the fridge. You're a big girl, you can handle it.
8:30 - 3:30:Yobiko High School
3:40 - 4:00(Wednesdays): Club meeting
Mitsuki pouted with a small 'Hmph.' He acted like her dad or something. Sometimes, Takuto forgot she was his shinigami. His shinigami...
The girl let a frown slip out, realizing something odd. Was it possible...that Mitsuki had begun to accept the facts?
...No, couldn't be.
-
"Kira Takuto, please solve questions A - E."
A boy turned his gaze from the window, a calm expression written along his face. A lavender tie was knotted tight to keep his dark hair from falling. Takuto glanced forward at the impatient teacher, before standing from his seat. As he approached the board, minor thoughts clouded his mind. But nothing that could distract him well enough from the problem. That was, until the boy saw something strange in the corner of his eye. Changing views, Takuto found the "strange something" to be none other than Mitsuki. His eyes widened, and the chalk piece slowly came to a halt.
"Something wrong?"
"N-No. Nothing." Takuto coughed, sneaking a glance at the girl in the doorway. Mitsuki looked...well, a series of things. A little cross, a little smug, a little unsure, a little 'You thought you could leave me behind? Think again!' He managed to refrain from chuckling, but couldn't resist a little smile.
Mitsuki was content...until she walked across the room. All student eyes were on the board one time or another. So it definitely brought a weird feeling as they stared straight through her. The girl fumbled nervously, making way to her subject's desk. She found a seat on the smooth edge, watching Takuto from afar.
"Correct. You can sit down now."
Takuto walked over to his desk silently. His gaze paid no attention to the invisible girl, knowing very well that trouble would stir if he did. But as the boy took a seat, Mitsuki couldn't help but start a conversation.
"Your school is a maze, you know that? Finding you took forever."
He smothered a laugh, shaking his head. Takuto's gaze was focused on the board, but his mind was wandering to the girl beside him. And under the teacher's rumbling voice, he murmured a quiet, "Well, coming to school wasn't exactly the plan."
She huffed, shifting as the teacher droned on. "Well, staying home wasn't exactly my plan either."
"Well, maybe you should change your plans from now on."
"Well, maybe you should learn to cope."
"Well, maybe I don't have to give you those tickets..."
"Well, maybe...-- what?-! Not fair!" Mitsuki squirmed as Takuto smiled straight ahead.
But the joke didn't last for long, as he sensed the gloomy atmosphere. "Eh...I was just kidding. The tickets are for you," he blurted out.
And as expected, the clouds disappeared and the sun began to shine from the girl behind him.
-
School went on, carrying its boring and hectic ways as usual. But you've never gone to school with Shinigami Mitsuki, now have you? Lucky Takuto was the first to experience this. Take biology for example...
"Everyone, evacuate from the building!"
Or maybe...he wasn't so lucky, after all.
Rewind, and discover Mitsuki had accidently knocked over some chemicals. Some very, bad chemicals. And thus, creating a fire. The room soon became a frenzy, as wild teenagers panicked in the face of danger. Except for the few that found flames exciting, most of the students were scared out of their wits.
Amazingly, the teacher managed to get every person out safely. It was rather lucky that the fire was small. Had it been any bigger, the school could've had a problem. The high schoolers were called out to a serene area, as a couple people extinguished the wavering flame. And amidst the battering commotion, stood Mitsuki and Takuto looking a little uncomfortable.
"I swear, it was an accident!"
"Mitsuki, that was really --"
"-- I know, I know. Dangerous!" The teenager frowned, her eyes lingering to the floor.
Takuto sighed, as a hand brushed the bangs from his forehead. "...At least no one got hurt."
Mitsuki's gaze never left the ground. As she opened her mouth to say something, the teacher's booming voice washed out her own. "Class will be dismissed early, due to these string of events."
Cheers came from a couple students, but the rest scurried off to retrieve their books.
"-- Oh. And Kira Takuto, please report to the office a.s.a.p."
The two teenagers exchanged glances, seeing the same confused expressions.
-
Mitsuki paced slowly outside the office door. Her fingers were twiddling subconciously, knowing Takuto was inside. It wasn't his fault. If anything, he was trying to prevent the accident from happening. But it did, and now...now...? Mitsuki paused as a wonderful idea intertwined with her thoughts.
'Yea...! ' she thought. 'That's exactly what I'll do. Just go in and explain to everyone what happened...'
She smiled, feeling a little proud. But that pride didn't last for long, when Mitsuki realized there was a little...fault in her plan. She whimpered in disappointment, brushing a foot against the floor.
'At times like these, being a shinigami isn't so fun.'
An opening door sounded through the hallway, as two figures emerged. Mitsuki turned her head just in time to see Takuto walking out. Followed by the classroom teacher.
As the contracting door shut loudly, Mitsuki watched with eager eyes. The mentor was sighing, with a look she couldn't quite comprehend.
"I apologize for the mess today. You really are lucky in a situation like this."
The boy forced a smile, nodding his head in understanding. "Yea. Thanks a lot. Would you tell the staff members that I'm sorry?"
"Will do." The teacher waved a goodbye as he re-entered the room.
And then...silence. Mitsuki fidgeted in place, her gaze most obviously avoiding his. She wondered if Takuto was mad. Or would he just shrug it off? She followed him silently through the hallway, aware he had taken the blame. Her thoughts were suddenly cut short, when her subject was the first to speak.
"...Hm. That actually went better than I expected."
The girl looked up, searching his eyes for some negative emotions. She found none...it was only the usual Takuto. So despite her cracking voice, Mitsuki quietly whispered, "What...happened?"
"Nothing much. They asked me a lot of questions, but I guess I'm off the hook. It was an accident, after all."
The two left the school building, soon greeted by the blinding sun. Mitsuki kicked a rock on the ground, a frown barely seen against her lips. "Mm...Sorry about that."
She turned around, only to answer Takuto's soft gaze. "It's alright. It was an accident, remember?"
"But... - No, really," she insisted. "I should've stayed home! I'll only cause trouble here at school. Trouble for everyone, and trouble for you..."
"Yea."
"...I could've at least prepared. I know I should've listened to you, but I was curious. And...what?-!" She gave him a questionable glare as he laughed.
"Eh, why are you looking at me like that? You never would've stopped if I didn't do something!" He put a hold on the chuckle to give her an inquiring look. "Am I wrong?"
She flushed from the truth, turning away. She could see that smug look on his face. "Yes. You're absolutely wrong."
He shook his head, a light smile forming. "Yea, yea. We've heard it before."
"Hmph." She stopped the small grudge as a thought rushed to mind. "Oh, the quill!"
"...Quill?"
"Yea!" Mitsuki opened the paper bag, a buoyant smile lighting her face.
"Oh...! I was wondering why you were carrying that thing all day." Takuto watched in curiosity before she handed him the feathery object.
"It's from the Shinigami World! I had to sneak one out, since there's strict rules."
He laughed, twirling the quill in his fingers. "You really are crazy, you know that?"
-
It's been a while since I've written in my journal. It's been busy, and sometimes I'm not around. Maybe I should move this diary to Takuto's apartment. Lately, I seem to be there more and more often.
On a change of subject, there's something that I've noticed. The Shinigami World...is really different from the Human World. The people, especially. Many of the Shinigamis here have a cold attitude about everything. It's like they've been hurt, and ended up harboring feelings of grief. I guess it's to be expected, but sometimes I encounter it more than I should.
(Is it strange that I'm noticing just now? After all, I've been here for almost a month.)
Now Humans on the other hand...they carry few worries. I can't deny that I'm a little bit envious. I feel like when you're a Shinigami, it's so much harder to forget scars of the past. Am I allowed to move on through punishment? I mean, I barely know where I stand. I feel like a human, I look like a human, but I'm not...anymore. Why isn't anything simple for once? Why can't I just understand?
When will Kouyama Mitsuki stop asking such stupid, stupid questions?
-
"Sakamura, could you spare a moment?"
The shinigami turned around, his blue eyes melting on the chief's impassive gaze. It was late at night, so there weren't many around. "Yes, Sir...is there something you need?"
"Mm. Well." The figure paused, as if recalling something in his mind. "Yes, actually. Kouyama Mitsuki..."
Sakamura twitched, as the chief eyed his reaction suspiciously. Sakamura never reacted. "Kouyama Mitsuki...Her files aren't quite complete. The addition of her past is only roughly sketched. Must've gotten lost, the darn things."
The shinigami nodded, but curiosity of the unknown ignited inside him. Was he...intruding? No, couldn't be. It just came with the job.
"Good, then. I expect you'll return everything to its original state."
His boss exited, leaving Sakamura to thoughts of his own. Mitsuki's...past?
Yes! I finally got this chapter done. I had lots of stuff to do this week, and it kept on getting in the way of my writing time :( So how'd you like it? Was it a good third chapter? I really loved everyone's reviews, by the way :)
>>So leave me a review...because I love you! And because I just...rhymed.