Chapter Eight
Beta Posted 07/23/2007
Author's Note
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Ugh. I just realized that the timing needs to be slightly altered due to differences between the manga and anime. It shouldn't affect the story too much since it would mostly affect the month and year that I noted each event to take place. Still, it would probably confuse some people if they are more detail oriented. However, I might have to redo the emails since I put only the body of the messages down, forgetting the titles since they are somewhat important (the manga doesn't have them however so I might do it for some but not all). I might need more time between updates as the following scenes are pretty emotional. I want to get it just right. In this chapter, I feel bad having to cut up my favorite line from the movie...
- Free Corp Knight -
- - - - - - - - - -
- Chapter 8 -
- - - - - - - - - -
Month: August
Year: 2048
The seasons changed again and it's summer. With it came warm humid air and high-pitched cicada cries. The afternoon sky was dotted with clouds, some looking dark enough to give rain. Yet, the peaceful summer day was not the focus of a certain teenager. His eyes were set on a several ringed circles several meters away from his current location.
"Draw. Aim. Release."
Seconds later, an arrow burrowed into the earth just shy of the intended target. It joined two others, their shafts all standing outside the straw-filled mount. The archer, dressed in the standard haori, lowered his head. Dark hair fell across his eyes. It's been months since he joined the archery club and his shots always found a way to miss. His skills, or lack of rather, showed no signs of improvements. However, the sound of rapid footsteps and a call of his name brought him out of that brief moment of self-loathing.
"Noboru-kun!" Turning to the room's only entrance, he watched curiously as a young girl appeared around the corner. Some of her wavy shoulder-length hair flew across her face when she stopped. Blowing the errant strands aside, her eager eyes shone with anticipation. "Are you ready to go home?"
Noboru looked fondly at her. "Yeah..." After answering her question, he began putting his stuff away, first unstringing the bow. "Let's go home together... Wakana."
- - -
Noboru gave up waiting for Mikako's messages last winter. It's been more than a year since the last message arrived and he moved on, truly believing that his junior high friend found a new life just as he did. The biggest change of all would be the schoolgirl next to him. Wakana Maeda was now his girlfriend.
"Today, our teacher was talking to us about our career plans." She began as they walked down the path, side-by-side. "Do you know what to do?"
Lately, plans for the future did not sit well with him. He had plans before about high school but those came apart. His reply contained more sarcasm than necessary. "I'll probably just graduate from a crappy college and get a crappy job..."
"What?" She was about to say more when a raindrop fell on her forehead. Frowning, she watched as more continued to follow. "Ah! It's raining."
"Hmmm?" Noboru turned to see Wakana catching a few on her hand. "It is..."
"Should we take shelter?" She pushed aside some wet hair. Looking up, Noboru noticed that the sun was still shining in other parts of the sky. "Nah. It's just one cloud. It's sunny over there so it'll stop soon."
Wakana seemed doubtful, seeing how big this one cloud is. Noboru saw this and reassured her, taking something out from his bag. "Don't worry. I've got an umbrella so let's keep walking."
x x x
"I'll be fine Noboru!"
x x x
Noboru stopped, his face taking on a distant look as a distant memory was recovered. There was one afternoon that was like this when he and Mikako were caught out in the rain...
"Hey, is something wrong?" Wakana's voice broke through. She looked at him with concern in her eyes. "Are you alright?"
"What? Oh..." It took a moment for her words to register. "No... nothing..."
x x x
"Come on Mikako!" Noboru urged as he pushed his bike. "You're going to catch a cold."
"I'll be fine!" The said girl passed him, swinging her schoolbag haphazardly. With a playful grin, she taunted the struggling boy behind her. "I'll race you to the bus stop!"
x x x
"Look at that!" Her voice interrupted his thoughts once again. This time though, Noboru mentally locked away all thoughts of his past. He didn't want anymore flashbacks.
"Over there!" Like an excited child, Wakana pulled on his sleeve, her other hand pointing upwards. "Isn't that cool?"
A large flat-screen TV was on display nearby. The ceiling mounted device was broadcasting footage of a robot in space. It was a Tracer in action.
"You are now seeing the latest video stream sent from the Tarsian mission." Some unknown reporter remarked. Other commentary followed but Noboru was too focused on the images to hear.
"Wow... it's just like a movie!" Wakana said. Turning to her boyfriend, she smiled, mistaking his expression for awe. "It's hard to believe that it's really happening, isn't it?"
"Yeah..." He replied. "I've almost forgotten... Someone I knew from junior high is on the mission."
"Really?" Wakana was genuinely surprised. "No way! Does he really fly something like that?"
He merely nodded. Again, he had to struggle against resurfacing memories.
"Wow! That's so cool!" She exclaimed. "You never told me you had a friend on the mission."
"Ah..." He started to explain. "She's just a classmate."
Upon hearing the gender, her eyes narrowed. Wakana was by no means possessive. However, during their relationship, she couldn't help but feel overshadowed by another girl. It just felt wrong.
Noticing her unease, Noboru waved his hands as if brushing aside such disconcerting thoughts. "Really! She's just a classmate..."
His following words came out as a whisper, too soft for his girlfriend to hear. "I'm sure she'd forgotten all about me by now..."
- - -
The rain was coming down hard and as far as the eye can see, dark clouds loomed overhead. Noboru remembered his words before about how the rain should have ended quickly. It seems like he's wrong. The two made their way to the base of some stairs. This is where they'll split.
"Here. Take my umbrella." He said, giving it to Wakana. "I'll be fine without it."
"But... are you sure?" She asked, her hand lingering on his.
"Yeah." He replied. "It's not that bad and you got a lot further to go. Take it okay?"
"Thanks..." Wakana retreated her hand. "Hey, are you coming to the archery club tomorrow?"
"Yeah..." Noboru confirmed. "Why?"
"Would you..." She appeared anxious and her eyes turned away from him. "Would you like to go somewhere else afterwards?"
"You mean... like a date?" He stared blankly at her. Wakana blushed and nodded. He smiled at her. "Sure. I'll go."
"I guess... I'll see you then." Noboru would have begun his way up the steps if his arm wasn't caught.
"Wa... Wait!" Wakana pulled on his hand, drawing herself close. Standing on her toes, she moved even closer until her lips met his. Their kiss didn't set off fireworks or enflame his heart. It was a simple kiss, a small token of affection that marked the next step in their relationship.
Wakana, the one who started the kiss, ended it first. Stepping back with a red tint on her cheeks, she was barely able to bid him goodbye before hiding under the canopy of Noboru's umbrella. "I'll... I'll see you later..."
A stunned Noboru climbed the stairs. Later regaining his senses, he turned around and waved at Wakana who was still at the bottom.
"Tomorrow..." He said, talking to no one in particular. "Tomorrow will be an interesting day."
- - -
"Ah... It's really starting to pour..." Noboru noted while quickening his pace. From the looks of it, it would be a while till he sees the sun again. Looking around, he spotted a vacant bus stop. The small shelter designed to keep travelers dry would be perfect for now, even if his clothes were completely soaked. In the back of his mind, he remembered that this was the same place where he talked with Mikako a long time ago. Stepping into the cozy wooden structure, he sat on one of the benches and relaxed... until a small cheery ring-tone disturbed his rest.
Reaching into his bag, he pulled out his cell phone and read the new message.
To: Noboru Terao
From: Wakana Maeda
See you tomorrow! Don't catch a cold okay?
Her email made him smile. Wakana had always cared about him. While he was putting it away, the mobile buzzed again. "Another message?"
When he opened his inbox, his eyes opened wide upon seeing the sender. "I don't believe it! A message... from her?"
To: Noboru Terao
From: Mikako Nagamine
Hi Noboru! How are things? The mail has
gotten really slow, huh? Sorry.
Ummm, even now, I'm still excited, but... I
wonder how I should explain this? I'm at the
point where the ship Lysithea has now warped
one year's distance. To me, one year hasn't
passed at all, you know. I'm still 15 years old.
To you, Noboru, it's one year ago. To me, it's
30 minutes ago, around Pluto. After this, the
Lysithea will enter a long distance warp. The
destination is Sirius, 8.6 light-years away. By
the time you receive this mail, I will already be
at Sirius. From now on, it will take 8 years
and 7 months to receive each other's mail.
Sorry.
Say, we are separated by time and space like
lovers, aren't we?
Noboru, let me tell you a secret. Before the
battle, I was hoping that we wouldn't find
anything. I was hoping that we would all be
able to go back home. I want to come home.
I want to come home so badly, Noboru-kun.
I want to come home and see you...
I want to see you, Noboru...
I want to see you...
"You never gave up on us..." After reading the message, Noboru could imagine Mikako standing before him with a sad smile on her face. He could feel how desperately she wanted to come back to Earth and be with him again. "You never forgot about me..."
Ever since middle school, Noboru and Mikako only thought of each other. Their eyes only saw each other and no one else. However, a distance that takes eight years at the speed of light is no better than saying it's eight million. It might as well be 'forever'. Noboru clutched his head, his hands pulling his hair out in frustration and helplessness. "To think... that I wanted to forget..."
"I... feel like the worst."
