Hello dear readers! Here we go again with another chapter of "Starfire"! I hope you liked the previous chapter, and if you didn't, well, the best part has still to come.
I'm meeting some difficulties with writing in another language which isn't my native one, but i hope you'll forgive me for any eventual mistake. Now, have a nice reading!
3. The shadows' ballade, part I
As i was walking on a common sidewalk of Tokyo, i could sense everyone's eyes on me.
The usual.
The cheerful clicking of my heels distinctly echoed through the noisy streets of the big city,drawing the attention of every single citizen in the area.
My flashing-red stockings used to capture the eye of the other in no time, therefore, i could be easily spotted everywhere; also the high-pitched tinkle of my
circular-shaped earrings was a good decoy to catch people's gazes.
On top of all, i was pretty, so i could never pass unnoticed by someone.
Ahh, what a great feeling! Getting so many attentions without even opening my mouth. I was madly in love
with that naughty sensation.
A part of me couldn't care less about other human beings, but the other half silenlty craved to be noticed by them, being watched by them and picturing
all of their possible comments about me, in my head. I was deeply amused by it!
That they were young women feeling jealous of my style, innocent kids being scared by my aggressive looks, or aroused guys trapped into their own carnal desires, it
didn't matter at all; i just wanted to be closely observed and admired, as an exotic and beutiful animal at the zoo.
Swinging my hips from left to right, moving my legs forth with sensual energy and directing my icy eyes in fron of me, without never looking at the sides, all of this
in a flawless posture, just as i was playing the model, step by step, i proudly brought myself to school.
It was an ordinary building, neither too small, neither too big., but attended by many students from the nerby prefactures. Some of them used to come from other far cities too, everyday.
Indeed, it was a renowned school.
My reputation among the entire student body, was a pretty messed up one. Even though i was just a freshman, my name spread and reached everybody's ears in less than
a month. The reason? Well, let's say that i did some weird stuff.
Apart from lazing around on the school roof and attending school dressed up like i was going to a party instead, i was also the girl who nonchantely read fashion magazines in
the middle of the lessons, totally ignoring my teachers calls, and the one playing nasty pranks on the student council.
Surely i had much time to waste, or at least this was what i wanted to believe.
Being a troublemaker was my main occupation twenty-four hours a day. After all, i had plenty of time to kill and the only source of entertainment i could rely on was myself,
so that if boredom was my imfamous enemy then i was its sneaky opponent. My parents were rarely informed abou my mischief; too busy with that onmyoudo stuff, even when the teachers tried to
call them, they almost never picked up the phone, since they weren't even at home.
The school also sent several letters filled with a bunch of complaints about my inappropriate and bad behaviour, but they never touched my parents hands. I quickly burnt them out before they
could ever read them.
Obviously, i was being as nasty as ever, but, you know, bad habits hardly die.
While royally marching into the principal hallway, i could definitely hear out some sinister whispers. I perfectly knew that noise made of coward low voices.
I used to call it "the sound of fame"; people were talking about me, again.
Look, she finally appeared...
Doesn't she have any shame? Coming to school like that!
The devil has returned to hell.
Ahh, Haru is so pretty, i'd like to ask her out one day!
Loser, loser and loser.
I was deeply delighted by those sharp and wicked obeservations, again, i was in the middle of a spotlight.
Every ground i used to walked on, istantly became my stage, and i was the queen of the show! A child from the stars.
I grinned to myself as i kept on walking towards my class: the parade had just begun.
"Stop right there, Haru Amawaka!" a firm and clear voice pronunced my name behind my back.
As the voice was ordering, i stopped in the middle of the hallway. Damn, i already knew the name of the one who abruptly interrupted my moment of glory. The party was over.
Trying to calm down my nerves, i turned my body into the opposite direction, facing my interlocutor.
"Hashiba-san, what a pleasure to meet you so early, today! I was anxiously waiting for your visit." i said in the most faked-lovely way.
"I don't racommend you to mess with me , right now. Your last joke wasn't even funny!"
Sakurako Hashiba. The student council's president and also my beloved rival. She's a very stric and i-know-everything kind of person; when i first met her,she kinda looked like my father and suddenly
it was hate at first sight!
Recently i heard from some rumors, that she had to cut her already short dark hair because of a funny genius's naughty prank.
Just to inform you: that genius was me.
We could say that i accidentally sticked my bubblegum among her hair, and that's the result: a very lame-looking and boyish haircut.
My best masterpieace!
"Oh really? I think you're rather cute...for the other girls."
"You little!"
"Chill, hair get fixed with time, unlike your attitude, though."
Before i could notice, students began to gather around us.
Great, it's showtime again! i thought while smiling of pleasure.
"You're not gonna get out of it so smoothly this time!"
I threw a rapid glance to my wristwatch .
"Well, i wouldn't be so sure if i were you..."
"What do you mean?"
Suddenly the school bell started ringing, informing the student body that lessons were about to start. As soon as its sound reached every corner
of the school building, the students began to hastly move.
Needless to say, the huge mass of high schoolers moving around the halls, created a fuss. I bet it was like this every morning! So noisy!
In that mess, losing your sense of direction was a piece of cake; the classes were like mirages. Basically it felt like being at a famous band's live concert.
Taking advantage of the situation, i sneaked away between the students and vanished into the hallway, leaving my enemy behind, in that stratospheric mess.
Safe! i told to myself while wandering around the whole building and searching for a
place to slack off insted of following the lessons. I guess the roof was the best place at that moment.
While i was stepping in elegance through the space, i found myself overwhelmed by the peaceful quiet which was floating in the big hallways. It was like
a gentle winter snow was landing in the inside of the school, appeasing the sound of my heels.
Indeed, it was a strange silence. I tried to let it slide away, but as i reached the main stairwell i had to stop myself.
A sudden chill went down through my spine, making me shiver. Abruptly, i started feeling restless, like i was being troubled by something which was rising up from my chest.
A slight drop of sweat began running down my forehead while i could clearly hear the dim sound of my teeth rattling with fear.
Was that a panic attack, or something?
When did i even start suffering from them?!
I was choking on my breath, just like someone or something was gripping my lungs from the inside. Letting out a single scream was impossible; everything in my
body just stopped working as i was blinded by a speed train of thoughts which were collecting and running wilde in my clouded brain.
In that moment my sight began to get blurry and hazy, the ground was slightly trembling, or were my legs? and i felt like i was reaching my limit and faint at any minute!
Fortunately i didn't get paralyzed by that frightening sensation, my muscles were still able to move, somehow. So i shook that nasty feeling off my shoulders and started walking upstairs.
My body was still reacting to my own will, but every inch of it felt so heavy and tensed up, i couldn't move at my usual pace.
With my clunched hands arund the railing and visibly limping in pain towards the upper exit door, i sensed a creepy aura which was pulling me from the back and
almost forcing me to stay inside the bulding.
An impurity? Impossible. If it was one, someone would have noticed that beforehand!
The only thing i was sure about, was my healthy and strong constitution: i wasn't feeling sick at all.
But if it wasn't an impurity and neither me having health issues, then what was that?!
Suddenly a dark murmuring made its way through my ears, a stinging headache arose all of a sudden, as a reaction to those sinister whispers.
Understading what kind of words were being spoken or who was spelling them was undetactable. All i could hear was their luring echo of and the ringing noise they had produced in my ears.
It was getting even worse, my brain was about to burst!
Only a few steps remained from the promised land, i absolutely had to get out of that place and stay at the light of the sun
in order to keep my sanity from slipping away in any moment.
I didn't know what the heck was happening to me and who was pulling the strings behind it, but i could guess some kind of
darkeness had been following me around since i left home.
The noise and the horrible pictures arose in my head were eating my mental sanity out at every passing second. If i hadn't reached the rooftop in time, i would have lost my mind or
collapsed, by all means! Before making the decisive step towards the outside world, i had the misguided idea of throwing my eye behind my back for a second., because i had the hunch about something which was
faintly clinging onto me.
I regretted it for the rest of my life.
I didn't completely turned my head towards that harbinger, but just in the corner of my eye, a disturbing black living stain, surrounded by smoke was intensely staring at me with its mischievous eyes
and cracked smile. I though i might have seen some dark-coloured blood dripping from its silouhette.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Before being totally drained into that insane picture, i quickly turned my head forth and threw my hand over
the door handle, putting my whole weight against it and pushing hard.
Finally crossed the threshold and left behind that living nightmare, i found myself overwhelmed and soaked in a sunlight bath.
The brightness of the sun's rays was so dazzling and blinding that, at first, i couldn't see anything apart from white.
By instinct, i rapidly covered my eyes, rising an arm in front of them.
As i revealed myself to the purity of the sunlight, all the madness from earlier vanished in the air like burnt away.
The oxygen into my lungs began to flow again while the warmh of the light kindly was carresing my skin and the chirping of the birds filled my heart with peace.
Making a step forward i closed my eyes, inhaling the spring flavour of the fresh air and letting a soft breeze messing my hair.
I'm pure, again! i thought with a realieved smile painted on my face.
After opening my eyes again, i looked in front of me and carved the contours of a human shape, standing behind the chain-link fence which enclosed the rooftop, gazing at the
landscape of the city. It was a very familiar silouhette.
Red flaming and messy hair, a long gray scarf dancing in the wind, a pair of sharp cold eyes. There was no doubt about his identity.
I could have recognized him among the whole crowd of Tokyo, if i wanted to.
He turned to face me, without moving an inch.
"Haru."
I stood there, freezing in surprise at his sight, stunned. Why now? Why in that place?
"Dad..."
Leaned with my back against the chain-link fence, staring at the endless blue sky, englightened by the sun, i was patiently waiting for his answer.
"So, what are you doing here?"
I asked him without even greeting him first.
My father was like that; he used to disappear from the household for days, sometimes also weeks, and then suddently showing himself again in the
less indicated place but with a perfect timing, like he was always watching over me.
That mere thought almost made me bite my tongue in annoyance! Effectively, that morning Yuzuru had informed me about dad wanting to talk with me about something...
I hated that fake apathetic expression carved on his face, or his pruod poise, or his strict attitude towards everyone, or...or...! Well, i hated him in his whole being.
A father who's never at home, without even caring for his wife or daughter, always risking his life in impossible missions throughout the world...
I just couldn't accept it! To me he was "the uncool rooster daddy". I guess i cought the habit of giving weird nicknames from my mother.
I wanted to roast that little rooster so much and baste it with all of his own big snotty words!
Yes, i was quite lovable with my father.
"I could ask you the same question, miss."
he finally answered me, with a pinch of harshness in his voice.
"I...wasn't feel well, so i came here. Don't change the subject, anyway!" i wasn't afraid of pointing my finger against him.
He was strong, indeed, but could have never hit me back. He was too kind.
"You should be in class by now. I bet this is not the first time you skip lessons, right?"
Again, twisting it around. Dealing with him personally was a real pain in the butt!
I stayed quiet, totally ignoring his question.
He visibly sighted in reaction.
"Listen Haru, i know you don't like talking to me but-"
"Wrong." i felt like correcting him. "I deeply despise talking to you!"
I've always had this rule in my policy since i was little: always be mean to your father.
Why? Because he doesn't have, neither deserves, any respect from my side.
Talking to him was more like battling against a soldier, and i wanted to win, no matter what. I'll always have
the last word in our discussions!
I didn't look at him directly that time, but i could sense his concerned and gloomy gaze on me, as i was shutting my mouth in a
religious silence, totally refusing to talk with him.
"I know. " he said lowering his voice, almost murmuring .
Hearing him surrender so easily to my battle strategy made my hands clench around the iron wires, with frustration. Playing the understanding father, now?
Don't make me laugh!
"Still, i wanted to tell you that i love you, and i want to protect you untill it will be possible for me."
I didn't know how to feel in front of that sentence. I should've been angry at him, because i didn't want to be fed up with lies and ridiculous excuses,
but the other part of me, made of a glimps of faith, wanted to believe his words, deep down.
I loosened up the grip of my hand for a moment, bowing my head a little.
"If you want to protect me..." i started whispering "...you should be staying here, in the first place!" i finished my sentence in a loud, almost screaming voice.
The birds all flew away, startled.
The sweet spring breeze was kindly blowing on the roof, caressing and making our hair wave as we stood there in silence, beside each other.
We spent a few seconds like that, while i was already thinking about his possible answer.
"I have work to do too!"
" I have to protect you from much dangerous things that could destroy our world!"
I knew he was about to say something like this. My father was easy predictable, at least to me.
"Haru-"
"Any-way!..." i abruptly interrupted him, before he could take out one of this usual excuses.
"What brings you here today?"
Dad cleared his voice in a cough, as for pulling himself back together, and began to speak.
"I guess you're not in the mood to talk about becoming an onmoyji, yet..."
As hell i would! i thought while wincing with irritation at the mere proununcing of the word "onmyouji" on his lips.
"...i just came here to give you this."
He reached into his pocket, rifling through for a while and then pulling out a necklace with a small pendant hung up on a red string.
I looked at the little jewel with a lifted eyebrow, confused and kinda surprised.
Earlier, the creepy shadow following me around, now dad giving me a present...
Strange things were happening that day! But i tried to shake off that stupid thought from my mind.
"It's...cute." i was stunned by my own words. I was liking something i received as a gift from my father!
"It's a an enchanted charm which protects from evil."
Ugh, i should've expected that.
Obviously, my father could only give me an exorcist-like item as a sudden present!
I took back what i said about it earlier. Not even close to be called cute.
"And why are you giving me this right now?"
Dad was slightly hiding his face in the grayish scarf, turning his whole body towards the landscape, refusing to face me.
I guess he was probably embarrassed.
"It's...for your birthday."
Oh my, i really want to laugh now.
So my father was giving me an echanted charm as a very late birthday present?"
I mean, my birthday had been almost five months ago!
Moreover, something to protect myself from impurities and evil spirits?
So hilarious!
I really wanted to laugh my butt off, but my external reaction came out pretty twisted.
I was trembling in rage, still holding the pendant like some kind of disgusting animal, right betweenn the tips of my fingers,
grinding my teeth and clenching my other fist. I was about to explode!
"I sensed a dangerous and dark aura coming from this school and rushed here. I was worried that something could happen to you!
I'm glad to see you're alright." he said while putting both hands on my tiny shoulders.
Why did he have to do that? Why did he have to touch me and tell me that he was so relieved?
My rage vanished at the sweet and simple contact of his hands against my shoulders. I was very weak to physical touch; i wondered if he knew that...
The slight tremor suddenly calmed down and my teeth stopped raging against each other.
Properly holding and bringing the necklace to my chest i nodded to him.
"Um."
"I have to return to work now. Be careful on the way home."
I watched him in silence as he was about to fly away thanks to his powers.
"Another thing..."
"What?" i asked with an annoyed face.
"Go to your class."
I rolled my eyes and took a deep breathe before yelling at him, "Stop telling me what i have to do, you uncool rooster daddy!"
He kindly chuckled at my words and then flew away towards an unknown destination.
I turned my back towards the landscape and closely stared at the little charm in my hands while a gentle warmth spreading
throught my powdered cheeks.
Baka.
_.
Baka: literally means "stupid" in japanese
Aaand, here we have arrived! Finally word after word i reached the end of the chapter in almost no time! Remember when i said that the story would have been a fast paced one?
Well, forget about it, after all i 'd rather dwell on the details of the story! I hope you're all silently following the fic and enjoying the reading, because i'm putting a lot of efforts in it, and i'd love you to review it
or put it in the followed story, as well. Okay, guys, i'll update soon enough, untill that moment, stay tuned!