Unexpected visit

Mystic mizu

"Yukari! Amano!" Hitomi runs towards them with a big smile on her face.

"Good morning Hitomi." Catching her breath from the long run, Hitomi smiled and replied,

"Good Morning!"

"Something's different about you?" Yukari said with a curious look on her face.

"What do you mean by that?" Hitomi stood straightly.

"You seem happy today."

"Yeah you're kind of gloomy these past few days." Amano added.

"Gloomy? I was just thinking of the up coming tournament this Saturday."

"I thought you were thinking why you ever shouted 'STAY IN THAT STUPID WORLD YOU JERK!' the last tournament" Yukari laughed out loud.

"Quit it…I'm embarrassed enough! It's a good thing that only a few student of our school saw that incident. And besides, it was a year ago, they've probably forgotten it" Hitomi blushed and started to walk.

"Yeah, only few of the big mouths of our school."

"Big mouths?!"
"Yup. Track team is kinda famous you know, a little rumor will surely embarrass the whole team." Yukari smiled as if she was planning something devilish.

"Why don't they just stick with shoes or bags instead of talking about me?"

"You were known as the school's fortune teller before. Your visions are always accurate. If the whole school knew about this incident and assumed that you're reading other people's future again, a crowd of girls will soon run after you if this news spread all over the school."

"But I don't want to that again."

'I don't want to see horrible visions again.'

"Then don't" Amano interrupted.

"Don't let those people make you do what you don't want to do." Amano tapped her shoulder and smiled, Hitomi smiled back.

It seems to be a typical morning for Hitomi. No murmurings around her nor weird looks. Just an ordinary morning.

'I guess the news didn't spread.'

"Good morning Kanzaki."

"Morning." Hitomi continued walking, then she stopped and looked back at the girl she just said good morning to.

"Is she a new student?"

"The blonde girl? I guess."

"Then how did she know my name?"

"I don't know…maybe the school gave her a list of her classmates"

"And pictures too?"

"Hmm... I guess she's psychic too..."
"I don't think so."

"Don't be ridiculous, We have a lot of friendly classmates, perhaps they showed her around or they have pictures and stuff. Besides, you're the star of the girls track team; it's no new if they introduce you first."

"No…I don't buy that…"

The girl with blonde hair's name is Toma Sae. She's half British and half Japanese. She was born and lived at England and just flew in to Japan a week ago.

"Nice to meet you all." She bowed down and smiled.

"You can sit right next to Hitomi's chair. Ms. Kanzaki will tour you around the campus at lunch, won't you Miss Kanzaki?"
Why me?

"Yes sir." Sae sat beside her and looked at her.

"Hello…you can call me Sae."

"I'm Kanzaki Hitomi, you can call me Hitomi."

"Hitomi…it has a nice ring to it"

"Thanks... Uhm do you if I ask you a question?"

"No, not at all.."

"How did you know my name, you greeted me this morning right?"

"Oh that? You have a lot of friendly acquaintances in this room. I'm ecstatic to be here."

Okay…what's with the vocabulary?

"Miss Kanzaki…will you show us the formula for this problem?"

"Right sir…"

Maybe just a coincident. She grew up in a foreign country. Maybe some Japanese taught her with such deep words.

Its lunch time and the bell rang. The students hurriedly went to the door.

"Don't forget, your project is due on Friday. Good luck." The professor left.

"Uhm…Hitomi."

"Yup?"

"Do you mind if you accompany me this afternoon to the bookshop?"

The professor said only at school, not the whole Tokyo.

"I'll have to ask my friend about that, I have a practice this afternoon and it's kinda late when I go home, I also go home with my friend Yukari."

"Hitomi! C'mon, Amano is waiting for us!" Yukari came in the room running.

"Just a sec. I'm sorry, I can't come with you." Hitomi left the room.

"Why are you talking to her?"

"She's not such a bad person you know. Her name is Toma Sae. She's from England."

"So what were you two talking about?"

"She's asking me to accompany her at the bookshop. I said no."

"Good for you, you have a practice this afternoon for the tournament."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Don't you think I was a little harsh on her?"

"No, you were being honest so that's a good thing."

"Maybe you're right."

It was a long discussion after lunch. And so the time for practice came. Hitomi changed her clothes and ran to the tracking field.

"You're late!" Yukari yelled as she approaches her

"Sorry about that!" Hitomi winked at her.

"Don't be too strict on her, it's hard to deal with studies and sports at the same time." Amano tapped Yukari's shoulder.

"Alright, get you ass on the field!"
"Alright, alright! You're full of spirit today!" Hitomi starts to walk to her lane.

"On your mark, ready, go!" Hitomi started to run.

"She's fast! Keep going Hitomi!"
Her eyes are focused on the finish line. She's on the lead. Right out of nowhere a light sparks in font of her.

What the?

She ignored it.

I must beat my 13 second.

A man appeared in front of her, facing backwards. He looks at her astern.

"Hitomi…"

Van…

She tried to stop but then the vision faded and she passes through a blur image of Van. Her eyelids became heavy and she collapsed.

"Hitomi!"

What was that?

"Van!" Hitomi sit up on her bed and pant.

"Take it easy…you're in the clinic. You better stay in bed." Amano laid her back.

"You okay? You fainted in the middle of the practice." Yukari looked at her worriedly.

"I'm fine… just a little tired I guess."

"You should take a rest Hitomi, the tournament is two days away." Amano suggested.

"I know…"

What the heck was that? Some sort of vision? It's been a year since I last talked to him. Could something be wrong?

"It's getting late…we should get going. C'mon Hitomi, we'll walk you home." Amano recommended.

"Oh that's not necessary. I'm fine I swear." Hitomi smiled.

"You two go ahead. I'll go home by myself."

"Are you sure? It's really no big deal for us to walk you home." Yukari sat beside her.

"Nah…I already caused you so much trouble by staying behind."

"Alright then… we'll be gong now." Amano and Yukari walked out of the door.

It took Hitomi 15 minutes to gather her stuff and change her clothes. At the school's gate, she notices someone leaning at the wall.

"Sae?"

"Hi…"

"Uhm… what are you doing here? Didn't I make myself clear when I told you that I can't come with you at the bookshop? I'm sorry that you have to wait that long but…"
"Kanzaki Hitomi, I know where you went when you've gone missing" she looked at her seriously.

"I know you went to place called Gaia… please, come with me." Sae started walking and Hitomi followed her.

"Who in the world are you? How did you know about Gaia? What the heck do you want from me?"

Sae kept quietly.

"Hey I'm talking to you." Hitomi reached for her shoulders. Sae turned back.

"You don't need to fear me."

"Who said anything about being afraid?"

"Be patient. We're almost there."

Sae started to walk and took a few turns.

"We're here…" they're in front of a bookshop. It was old and dark inside. She opened the door. Inside, there is a man wearing a green sweater and glasses. His long blonde hair is tied behind.

"Well it's nice to see you again…" the man took off his glasses.

"Wait a second…" Hitomi runs towards the man and removed his ponytail.

"You…" she points at the man. He grins.

"Then that means…" Hitomi looked back at Sae.

"Yup! It's me…yours truly Princess Milerna." Hitomi is astonished.

"Alan… how could you? A knight of Caeli should be a perfect gentleman. And both tricked me…" Hitomi is sweating profusely. Milerna and Alan laughs.

"I'm a knight of Ceali who obeyed the Commands of a king…" Allan bows down before her.

"Knock it off…you're at Tokyo. Not at Gaia." Hitomi blushed.

"Well I guess my title as a king is useless in here…" Van walks in from the back door. He puts his hands on his waist.

"Hi there…" Van gave her a grin. Hitomi looked down, hiding her watery eyes. She turns back.

"Hitomi?" Van approaches her and puts his hand on her shoulder.

"Idiot…" She wisphered.

"Well that's a nice welcome from you." Van turns her around. Hitomi is still looking down.

"You know… I didn't come here to look at you hair." He held her face and lifts her chin. He looks straight at her water-filled eyes. He wiped her tears with his finger. Hitomi smiled.

"That's better." He wraps his arms around her in a tight grasp. Milerna and Alan looks at them.

"now I'm jealous." Milerna stands up and walks towards the back door.

"where are you going?" Alan eyed her.

"Somewhere else, those two need some time alone." Alan closed his eyes and smiled. He stands up and followed her.