Author's Note: Hello wonderful readers! :) This would be the last chapter I'll add FOR NOW. You see, school will start in two days and there's our periodical tests waiting and I need to study. Hope you kindly understand. Just hold on to your screens, I'll be back on CHRISTMAS BREAK and that's a promise I would never break. I'll be glad to reply in your messages, if ever you send me one. LOL. Let's hit chapter 7, enjoy reading guys! ^_^
Chapter 7: My Mother's Scent
"What's with your outfit, bro?" Kazuma asked as Ren went out of his room. He was wearing a black tuxedo with red tie. He blushed with embarrassment, "Geez, Kazuma. It's our school festival today, so don't give me that look!". Kazuma laughed then grabbed Ren and patted his head, causing his hair to be disheveled. "H-hey… Quit it bro!" Ren protested. "I'm just styling your hair!" he smirked. Ayano went out with Megumi. She was wearing Sweet Lolita attire for their section's coffee house theme this year. Once Ren laid his eyes on Megumi, he was mesmerized by her beauty. She smiled at him with a light blush. "Uh… Does it suit me?" she asked. But our young fire artist was too captivated to speak, and Kazuma needed to elbow him lightly on his side to bring him back to reality. "Oh! Y-Yes, you look wonderful, Megumi" Ren finally said. "Okay move your butts guys, or else you'll be late!" Ayano said and tapped Ren's shoulder. "We'll be going then" Ren said. "See you later" Megumi said as she waved goodbye to Ayano and Kazuma.
They walked to school together, as always. There's a limousine that passed them by. Ren figured it was the same limousine he saw at the five star suite a week ago. "Why is it heading in our school's direction?" he thought. "Ren!" Megumi called. "Oh, yes, why?" he asked. She frowned a bit, "You're not listening to me. I was asking something". "I'm sorry, Megumi. I was thinking of something. So, what's your question again?" he said smiling at her. "What's a school festival? It's my first time to attend one" she said looking at his eyes. Ren smiled as he explained to her the things students usually do during that time.
*At their school*
"Welcome to our coffee house!" Kanon and Serizawa greeted as our young lovey-dovey got inside the room. Megumi eyed every corner of the room. "Wow. Our room was transformed into a real coffee house, amazing!" she exclaimed. "I was the head in-charge of decorations, so I made it look like a real coffee house!" Kanon said cheerfully. "Serizawa, our classmates need a hand to prepare the tables. Let's help!" Ren said and grabbed his arm, leaving Megumi and Kanon with each other. She smiled at her, "So, Megumi would you like to give some flyers to the visitors to promote our attraction?" Kanon asked. "I'd love to, Kanon" she replied with a smile. The two became more like best friends, after Kanon surrender with her feelings for Ren. She likes to be friends with Megumi, unlike before she dislikes her. But the time they spent together, she realized her bitterness towards her won't lead to any good. They often hang-out at the cake shop and talked girly stuffs. Good for them!
Ren walked to Kanon, who's sitting on the receiving area for customers. "Kanon, where's Megumi?" he asked. She lifted her head and looked at him, "She's out giving flyers to the visitors" she replied once the customer got inside. There's a long line of customers that keeps Kanon busy. "Sending Megumi out to give flyers is a good thing!" Kanon thought happily. Ren hurriedly run outside the building. "Darn. I hope she won't happen to see by any chance that look-alike of her mother! I'm certain she's here. I saw her limousine parked in front of our school. Crap, I hope I can see her in no time" Ren thought as he run and run to search for Megumi.
"Please come by to see our coffee house, thank you" Megumi said and bowed to every person who likely gets a flyer then off to see the coffee house. Her charming personality helps them to get more customers than any other attractions in the school. Three teenage boys around her age stopped at her front. "Please come to our coffee house attraction" she said and held out a flyer to the three guys. One at the center is a black-haired guy with ash-colored eyes wearing black shirt with piercing on his ears. At his left side is a blonde with baby blue eyes wearing a white tuxedo and at his right is a tall red-headed with brown eyes wearing blue jersey. The pierce-eared guy looked into her eyes coldly. "A coffee house?" he asked. "Yes, we serve delicious coffee and cakes. You might wanna try it" she replied cheerfully despite her uneasy feeling about this pierce-eared guy and his companions. He smirked, "What if we just taste you, huh? What do you say?" pierce-eared guy leaned close to her face. The red-headed smirked, "She's cute, very tempting". The blonde guy just darted his eyes on his left, a look of disgust with his companions.
Pierce-eared guy cupped Megumi's chin. "Let me take a good look with your pretty face" he said sternly. Megumi tried to push away his hand on her chin, but she failed. "I might kiss you, you know? You're lips are so…" he said and aimed for her lips. "Luscious" he continued and his lips will brush against hers when blonde guy punched pierce-eared on his cheek that cause him fall on the ground.
Blonde guy shot an evil look at him, "Quit that disgusting talk and acts of yours, Tatsuo" then he turned to Megumi "I'm sorry for my friend's rudeness" he bowed. Megumi was relieved. "I guess it's sort of okay, thank you?" she said and held her hand out. "Call me Kenji" blonde guy said and shook her hand. She smiled gratefully at him, "I'm Megumi". Tatsuo stood from the ground. "You! You always interfere!" he said angrily and punched Kenji. "Oh no. Are you alright?" she rushed to his side. He coughed a bit, "Not really, I guess". Red-headed guy hold Tatsuo tightly. "Let go of me, Natsu!" he said. "No way, dude. You'll cause a scene" Natsu said. Kenji walked to them, with one touch at Tatsuo's face, he lost consciousness. Megumi's eyes widen, "Whoa. What an ability" she thought. "We'll take our leave, sorry for all the trouble" Kenji said and bowed with Natsu then went off before Megumi could say farewell.
Megumi saw a woman wearing a green dress. They have the same hair color and it is cut above her shoulders. Her eyes widen she was stopped for a moment. The woman was walking in the direction of the main building. Megumi dropped some of the flyers, took a step then she found herself running to meet the woman. "Mom! Mom! Wait mom!" she cried as she approaches the stunning woman. She turned to look at her with a confuse expression. "Mom!" she once cried and finally reached her. She hugged her tightly and tears begin to flow from her eyes. The woman examined Megumi's pretty face before she asked with her sweet and gentle voice, "Do I happen to know you, young girl?". Hearing her voice made Megumi cried even more, it's her mother's voice she missed to hear terribly.
Realization came down to her. Her mother's dead. This woman is someone she doesn't know. She is a complete stranger with her mother's features. The woman asked her again, "Are you lost dear?". Megumi let go of her and stand properly in her front. "I'm sorry, ma'am but I'm not lost" she answered trying to keep her voice. She smiled. The same gentle smile her mother had. "What's your name?" she asked. "I'm Megumi Hosenkou" she answered as she wiped her tears. The woman patted her head, "It's nice to meet you Megumi. I'm Miyo Karino" she wiped Megumi's tear-stained cheeks with her lilac scented handkerchief. Megumi recognized the scent, "It's lilac, my mother's favorite scent" she thought. She smiled sadly and held back her tears.
They sat on a nearby bench under a big cherry blossom tree. Miyo took time to look at Megumi's face. "Megumi, I was wondering… Why did you call me 'Mom'?" she asked looking at her face searching for expression. She smiled weakly, "You look a lot like my mother, Mrs. Miyo". Miyo smiled, "I'm honored. But where is she?" Megumi looked at her feet, "Sh-She… D-Died when I was eight years old…" Miyo's eyes widen, "I'm sorry to hear that, Megumi" then she reached for the young girl to give a warm hug to comfort her. She continued to cry while Miyo's caressing her hair. "I know your mother is always watching over you" she said as a whisper but enough for Megumi to hear. "Oh, I'm so sorry to cry like that Mrs. Miyo" she said wiping her tears and sat properly beside her."It's alright dear, cry as long as you want. I'll be here to comfort you" she replied with her gentle smile. Megumi looked at her deep green eyes. By just talking to Miyo she felt as if she's conversing with her real mother. It felt real, her mother is alive in Miyo.
"Do you play the piano?" Megumi asked. "Yes. It's my favorite instrument, I also sing" she replied smiling. "My mother too, she used to play the piano and she loves to sing" she said with a sad smile. "You also use the same scent my mother love…" she added. Miyo smiled. "Lilac" they chorused. "Let me talk about my life, you probably talked everything about yourself" Miyo said. "Okay, I'll be the one to listen this time" she replied smiling, satisfied to see her mother alive in other person's soul. "I came back here from France. I studied music and performed in many theaters over there. But I came here to Japan, so I can teach and share my knowledge in piano in other students who likes to learn to play it. I'll teach in your school starting next week" Miyo said happily. Megumi's eyes glimmered with joy, she can see Mrs. Miyo almost every day. The thought of it makes her so happy! "Really? That's really great, Mrs. Miyo!" she exclaimed. Miyo smiled, "I want you to be my first student, okay?" Megumi nodded grinning.
They talked with so many stuffs. Megumi learned that Miyo lost her husband and children in a car accident five years ago in France. She told her Megumi's like her daughter, Charlotte in her sweetness and politeness. Megumi also told her about Alkan, her father. They happily talked with each other when Ren came towards them.
"Ren!" Megumi exclaimed. Miyo eyed the young fire artist. "I've been looking for you since this afternoon. You gave me quite a fright!" Ren said then he turned to look at the look-alike of Megumi's mother. "Ren, this is Mrs. Miyo Karino. She'll be one of our music teachers majoring in piano in our school" she introduced Miyo to Ren. He smiled, "I'm Ren Kannagi. Megumi's friend" he bowed. "Geez. I thought something bad will happen to Megumi once she met this woman, but I was wrong. She looks so happy. I'm glad for her" he thought and smiled to himself. "It's nice to meet you, Ren" Miyo said with her gentle smile.
It's twilight already. The school festival was a success. Everyone's happy that day, most especially Megumi, who met a woman like her mother, and by just seeing Miyo, it feels real that she's really with her mother. Miyo gave Ren and Megumi a ride home with her limousine. They also invited her to have dinner with the rest of the Kannagi clan. An offer she gladly accepted without second thoughts. Megumi introduced Ayano, Kazuma and Uncle Jugo personally to Miyo. They had fun talk during dinner, and Miyo stayed almost until midnight because she was having fun with the young girl, and as moments passed by, she begin to treats as her daughter.
Author's Note: This chapter is kinda long! xD LOL. I wonder what will happen to Miyo and Megumi… Oh! And will she ever meet Kenji again? :3 That dude is kinda cool, watcha think guys? :D Please kindly leave your reviews! ^_^ See y'all soon! God bless!