Chapter Two
Posted: 06/27/2007
Author's Note
Hits: 7
Reviews: 1
I didn't expect too many hits or reviews since this fanfiction currently falls under the Misc. catagory. I've sent the site an email requesting for Voices of a Distant Star to have a catagory of its own. Hopefully, it'll get one.
Wrath:
I'm predicting at least 10 chapters. There are 10 chapters in the manga and so far, I've been keeping the ratio of one fanfiction chapter 1 manga chapter. I hate to put a timeframe on my fanfiction release schedule but I think I can have a chapter released every three days (excluding weekends), making this story a month-long process. Work and personal events may delay it so don't be surprised if I disappear for a while.
Back to the story.
- Free Corp Knight -
- - - - - - - - - -
- Chapter 2 -
- - - - - - - - - -
Month: March
Year: 2047
It was spring, the season of rebirth. Yet, for Noboru Terao, he most certainly felt otherwise. Tired and sweaty, he slowly made his way toward the shoe lockers, his last stop before leaving school. Just a few moments ago, he was at the school dojo practicing kendo. Like the school's academics, the Jouhoku kendo club was very strong, its history filled with members ranking high in national tournaments. Noboru wasn't bad at all. In junior high, he ranked second amongst classmates. The only person above him was Nagamine and she's not even on Earth anymore.
Speaking of which, he didn't get any new emails since her arrival at Jupiter. There, it took less than two days to send and recieve messages. Fishing out his cell phone, he checked the inbox.
Loading...
No new messages!
Instead of putting his phone away, he felt compelled to read her email again, feeling nostalgic of the times when they didn't need to wait days to talk to each other. However, the present is very cruel and this was all he can do with Mikako.
- - -
Month: February
Year: 2047
It was the previous week when he recieved her last message. It also happened to be the second week for Noboru being a Jouhoku student. He was alone and taking a nap at his desk, using his arms as a pillow. His fellow first-years were scattered around the building, taking advantage of the lunch break to be somewhere other than the classroom. Noboru never was a social person, more inclined to let the other person approach him instead of the other way around. None of his friends from junior high made it into Jouhoku, leaving him alone in his new high school.
Outside, un-noticed by the sleeping boy, the cherry blossom trees were in full bloom. Their branches were covered with small petals and each time the wind blew, some would break loose and fall to the ground like snowflakes. A handful of pink petals were carried by a gust of wind, floating toward the school. Three petals entered the classroom through the open window. Twisting in midair, as if searching for their target, they fluttered toward Noboru, lightly touching his hand before another breeze blew them off.
Blink! Blink! Blink! By coincidence, Noboru's cell phone chose that moment to recieve Mikako's message. Noboru stirred awake a moment later. Checking his phone in hand, he saw the blinking light and opened it to find Mikako's message.
Noboru
I've finally gotten used to life on the Lysithea. After training on Mars, we've come all the way to Jupiter and we are taking a short break at a satellite base on Europa. I never get bored of looking at Jupiter's clouds. Also, the Flux Tube between Lo and Jupiter is amazing. It's the hugest lightning in this solar system!
Mikako
For the rest of the day, Noboru didn't feel so lonely anymore.
- - -
Month: March
Year: 2047
"Ha!" Fwish! A roomful of bamboo swords swung down as one.
"Ha!" Fwish! The Jouhoku kendo club shouted out, forcing their breathing to be in sync with their swings.
"Ha!" Fwish! It was the last of the exercise as the leader turned toward the rest of the club and bowed. After stretching out, the kendo club sat down, each member waiting for practice to truly begin.
Like most first-year's, Noboru suffered a little discrimination from the upperclassmen. In the kendo club, due to the limited space in the dojo, senior members had priority over new recruits and would be the first to use the practice mats. With the other younger members, Noboru sat to the side as he watched the others practice against each other.
"Hey you!" Looking up, Noboru saw that one of the female seniors was pointing to him. "What's your name?"
"Terao Noboru." He replied, wondering what she wanted.
"Noboru-san, could you help me put the this on?" She asked, holding up the part of the protective suit that covers the head and shoulders. "This hairpin I have might get stuck if I put this on myself. I can't take it off because I don't want my own hair to blind me."
Noboru understood and got up to help her. As he was setting the part in place, he saw that the hairpin was the same brand that Mikako used back in junior high. In fact, it was the same color and shape of the one that she broke and he tried to fix. Remembering how he lied to her, Noboru felt guilty and promised to apologize to Mikako the next time he emailed her.
- - -
Month: March
Year: 2046
Noboru and Mikako were both in the kendo club in junior high and practiced together every weekday afterschool. One day, after the kendo club dismissed, Noboru noticed Mikako looking at an object in her hands, her face drawn into a frown. The source of her distress was a broken hairpin. During one of the exercises, it must have fell off and someone stepped on it. Bent completely out of shape, Noboru doubted if the hairpin would serve its purpose anymore. However, when Mikako looked up and saw him staring at her with a concern written on his face, she put on a fake smile, trying not to make him worry.
Noboru walked over and looked at the bent clip. It was badly deformed but maybe he could force the pin back into its former shape. "Nagamine, would you allow me to fix it for you?"
She looked taken back by his offer. "I don't want to trouble you over such a small thing... I can always get a new one..."
"It's ok. I'm sure I can fix it." Noboru assured, taking the pin from her hands. "I'll have it back to normal tomorrow."
Mikako was about to protest but when she saw him smile, her doubts melting away. "Thank you."
That night, he tried to uphold his promise. First, he tried bending it back to shape using his bare hands. He got most of it back to its normal shape but there was still one large kink that he could not fix. Using a hammer, he tried to flatten it out. Instead, the hairpin broke apart. Noboru stood still for several minutes looking at the two broken pieces. "Glue... tape..." He muttered, thinking up of materials that would bind the two halves back into a whole. An hour later, he was finished. The 'fixed' hairpin looked like a monstrous glob of scotch tape and dried glue. Holding it up to the light, he inspected his work. Like watching a disaster happen in slow motion, the two parts refused to hold together and broke apart... again. Sighing, Noboru admitted defeat, cleaning off the mess he made before going to sleep.
The next morning, Noboru woke up earlier than normal and made a stop before getting to school, Dashing into a 24-hour store, he looked at their selection of hairpins. Fortunately, he found one exactly like Mikako's. There was no way that he could return the broken pin when he promised he would fix it. A new one would be the next-best thing he could do. Purchasing it, he ran off, nervous that he would be lying to Mikako and breaking his promise.
Holding his breath, he held out the new hairpin. She looked at the pin for a second before taking it from him. "Thank you Noboru." Mikako said with a geniune smile, taking off hers and replacing it with his. When she turned away, hearing someone call her name, Noboru let out a sigh of relief, thankful that she didn't notice the difference. Maybe later, he would confess his actions but for now, it's fine seeing her smile again.
- - -
"Nagamine! Come to my office afterwards. Dismissed!" A female voice shouted out. The speaker was a pony-tailed woman of normal stature, wearing casual clothes instead of the typical U.N. Space Force uniform. As the others in the room shuffled away, Mikako followed her orders. A plain office greeted her as she entered and took a seat. The woman soon followed, carrying a folder in her arms.
"Nagamine Mikako, reporting as ordered." The girl saluted. She was ignored as the other occupant in the room just sat down across from her and started reading from the file. Several excruciating seconds later, still saluting, the woman looked up. "Ah... Sorry, at ease. Please, don't be so formal around me... makes me feel old."
"Commander Miwa, is there something you need from me?" Mikako questioned once she was seated.
"Please call me Miwa. Leave out the 'Commander' part unless we're with other officers."
"Yes Miwa, is there something you need from me?" She asked again.
"I just want to be sure of something... I'm sure you know that it's rare for a woman to be a Selected Member. However, not only are you female but you are also a child. Sorry if that sounded offensive." Miwa put down the folder and looked at Mikako.
"None taken."
"Good, to be frank, I'm not sure I should allow you to be on this mission. I don't want to force you to be a Tracer pilot. There are plenty of dangers which I'm sure you're briefed on." After recieving a nod, Miwa continued. "If we do find Tarsians, we'll be the ones out there fighting them. As your commanding officer, I need to know that everyone can pull their own weight." Mikako was about to protest but was cut off.
"I'm not questioning your abilities. Your folder here tells me that you are in the top of your class. What I want to point out... is that our job is more than just fighting. We are the first humans to go this far out and we will be writing a new chapter in history. In the best scenario, we would be seen as guardians of the human race. However, if things fall apart, we'll become scapegoats and be remembered as the reason why the expedition failed. Are you ready to accept this job knowing this?"
Miwa stared at the girl across from her, trying to intimidate her into quitting. Truthfully, she believed the mission was too dangerous for any child and if her subordinate wanted to leave now, she could take a shuttle back to Mars and then to Earth. It was not too late to turn back now.
"Commander." Miwa frowned. "I accepted my duty to be a Tracer. This is a job that nobody else can do except me. I will do it." Mikako stated, staring right back at her superior. The two females stared at each other for several seconds. Chuckling, Miwa looked away first. "I told you to drop the 'Commander' part. You really are a troublesome girl. Anyways, now that I understand that you know your duties, I formally welcome you into my squadron. I hope we become good friends." Smiling, Miwa offered her hand.
"I'll be in your care. I too hope that we become friends.." Mikako said, taking her hand. The two girls laughed, immediately bonding.
- - -
Mikako returned to her room, flopping on the bed. The meeting with her commander was stressful but in the end, she made a new friend. Looking up, she looked at her shelf of personal belongings. There was a picture of her family, another one with only her junior high friends in it, and the last photo was one of Noboru alone, staring up in the sky from the school rooftop. It was her most precious possession besides her phone which was currently...
Blink! Blink! Blink!
She stared at the flashing light before pouncing on her cell phone.
Mikako,
The kendo club here is very hard. I wish you
were here. Also, I'm lied about your hairpin.
I didn't fix it but got you a new one. Sorry.
Noboru.
Mikako broke into another smile and wondered if the day could get any better.
- - -
Noboru was sitting on the rooftop today, bored of sleeping in the classroom. The weather was nice and only a few people were up there with him. Basking in the sunlight, he felt its rays give warmth to his body. The cell phone in his hand came to life as a new message was recieved.
Noboru
I wish I could do kendo with you. It's so boring
here with only training. But, I made a new
friend today! She seems like a nice person.
By the way, I knew that you got me a new
hairpin and didn't fix it. Thank you.
Mikako
Feeling some guilt lift from his shoulders, he looked up into the sky. Somewhere in the vast greatness of space, Mikako had forgiven him.
