Chapter 3
Feelings and Tears
After a few weeks of being in Gaia, Ai was slowly getting used to travelling from home to school. She went to school early today in order to avoid the rush hour in the train. She likes it when she's the first to arrive inside their classroom. She put her bag on her table, and went out a bit to get some fresh air.
As one with curious soul, her feet led her to almost everywhere in the school. She passed by the tennis courts where a few regulars were already in for morning practice. And then outside the school gates where she noticed a brown box with a kitten inside. The kitten was so cute, that she couldn't help but approach it. She crouch in front of the box and touched the kitten with her point finger.
"Hello there little kitty," she said. "What are you doing here all alone?"
"Mewww.. meowww..." the kitten said, as if answering her question.
She giggled and petted its head. "You're so cute, I'll call you Neko-chan, okay?"
Fuji was walking towards Seigaku wearing the usual smile on his face. He was near the school when he noticed a flowing red hair just up ahead. He just knew that it was Ai, instead of Akemi. The expression on her face tells him so. The girl was looking down, inside a brown box, and he noticed that she was petting a cat. She had a gentle expression on her face, which tugged his heart.
He didn't approach the girl, he was contented to watch her from afar. It had been a few weeks since he became friends with her, and he could tell that there was something different about her. For one, she doesn't seem to get angry, another is she doesn't talk that much and always looks like she was observing thing; and the last thing is, even when her and Akemi are twins, there's something about her that just feels too unusual, and this made him curious. Not to mention, she was also Grandpa Chie's favorite topic.
He was still sad about the news that Grandpa Chie died. He was very friendly and he taught him a lot about certain things, like the planets, stars, and everything related to them. Even how they are tied up with fate and the future. He doesn't really believe all of it, but it was fascinating to listen to. And then, he just suddenly disappeared. Akemi said that he went back to his hometown. But when he asked for his address so he can write him a letter, Akemi wouldn't tell him.
His thoughts were cut when a few moments later, he noticed her hide the box from behind a tree. He walked over, not too near for her to notice, but near enough to hear her say, "Stay here Neko-chan. I'll be back later, after class, okay? Be a good boy." With that, she went inside the school. She had no bag with her, so he figured that she must have come to school early, and started to explore the area.
He followed her, and when he got inside the school gates, he saw her walk to the sakura trees that were lined up beside the school building. She was standing under the sakura tree where they bumped in to each other. He smiled when he saw her extend her hand, and a small bird landed on one of her fingers. He smiled to himself and decided to walk over to her.
"Hi Ai, good morning!" he said, greeting her from behind.
She turned around, face faintly flushed naturally, and with a smile on her face, "Hello Fuji-kun, good morning!" she said.
Fuji noticed just how lovely her voice sounds, they were like music to his ears. Or was it just him? "What are you doing?"
"I'm just thinking about some things," she said, and he noticed her touch the blue pendant she was always wearing. Must be important for her, he thought.
"Thinking about me?" he teased with a chuckle.
He saw her blushed and fidget. "Uhm," she said. "Well, a little..." she said, as she really was thinking about his relationship with Grandpa Chie over the past few days.
Fuji softly laughed and raised an eyebrow, "I was just teasing," he said. He loves how she reacts to his jokes, and she had a really cute blushing face.
"Anyway, we should head to class," he said. "I'll walk you to your classroom," he offered.
"Sure," she said grinning widely. "The teacher asked me to try and join a club, Fuji-kun," she said, striking a conversation which surprised him. "Do you have any recommendation?" he heard her asked.
"Well, what are your hobbies? Or what do you like to do?" he asked.
The girl thought about it for a while. "I like to... Write," she said.
"Then, you can join the newspaper club, or the literature club, or the music club if you write songs," he suggested as they entered the school building.
"Hmmm. I guess," she answered him, looking thoughtful. "Thank you Fuji-kun. I'll think about it more," she said as she looked at him with a smile.
He was speechless, quiet for a while, and for a moment there, he could have sworn his heart skipped a beat when she smiled at him.
As the two of them separated, Ai was finally able to breath normally. She doesn't understand why her heart misbehaves whenever she is with the male brunette, but she knew that there was something about it. Fuji Syuusuke, a tennis prodigy, who excels in both tennis and his class. There should be something else that's special about him aside from those, and that could be the reason why she feels different being around him.
As she went inside her classroom, her thoughts trailed on to her grandfather's diary that was safely hidden inside her closet. She still hasn't read that diary yet because for the whole week, she spent some time with her new family. She swore to herself that she will read it tonight, before she goes to sleep.
After class, Ai was walking outside of school, excited to get the kitten when she noticed Akemi and her classmate, Tezuka Kunimitsu, talking on one corner of the building. She stopped on her tracks and looked at them curiously. Akemi had a flustered, blushing expression, while Tezuka was wearing a soft, gentle expression on his face. This surprised her a lot, she never thought that Tezuka would wear that kind of expression. She didn't stay long to know what's happening, Akemi would tell her later anyway. By now, Ai was used to travelling alone, although she hasn't explored the city yet, but she now knows how to go to school from her house and vice versa.
She hurriedly went to the same tree this morning, to check on that kitten. It was so small and fluffy, with white fur and blue little eyes that she couldn't help but stop and touch it this morning. She decided to hide it so she can come back after school, which she is doing now. She ran to the place, and was surprised to see three guys, wearing a different uniform scaring the little kitten.
She ran towards then. "Hey, uhm... Can you stop doing that please?" she asked the boys nicely.
One of the guys, with black, spiky hair smirked at her. "Why would we do that?" he said. "We're having fun!"
"But Neko-chan, he's scared," she said, a little scared. She doesn't know how to deal with these kinds of people, she felt like they were dangerous.
A second one with rainbow-colored hair (she wonders if that's allowed in their school), approached her, his face so close to her that she had to back away a single step. "So, if we stop this," he said, holding the kitten with two of its feet that it was screaming meow's loudly, "we'll play with you instead?" he finished.
Ai was almost crying, because the kitten looked so helpless. "Can you please stop that!" she said, her usual kind and gentle voice gone, she was surprised herself too. Just then, the guy with black, spiky hair pushed her and she landed on the ground.
"Owwww!" she complained. Then, she heard a tongue clicked.
"Tch... You should never have done that," a guy behind her said. When she turned around, she saw Fuji standing behind her, glaring at the guys.
Fuji immediately helped her up and pushed her behind him gently, not letting go of her hand. He was glaring at the guys, with hands forming into closed fists. "I suggest you put the kitten down and leave," he said, controlling himself. He doesn't want to scare Ai. There must have been something in his expression that scared them, and they scrammed. He turned to Ai.
Ai was surprised when she saw him, his expression was different from the usual calm and kind demeanor he always has. He was wearing his tennis uniform. "I was passing by from tennis practice when I saw him pushed you," he said without a smile.
"You shouldn't throw yourself into danger like that, there were three of him Ai!" he scolded her because he was worried.
She looked down, almost about to cry. "I'm sorry," she softly whispered.
Fuji wanted so badly to wrap his arms around her, but he didn't. Instead, he patted her head. "It's okay. I'm sorry I got angry," he said. "I was just worried you might get hurt. Wait for me, okay? I'll walk you home. Those three might still be around. And you can bring Neko-chan," he said now with a smile.
Fuji realized that Ai is not only different, she was special. She was special for him and he didn't want anyone hurting the girl. He realized he's ready to protect the girl from any harm. He looked at her walking beside him. He told her to wait for him near the clubroom as he's going to change first. Her brows were furrowed, like she's thinking of something but she held on to the kitten gently. He petted the kitten which made her look up to him and gave him a sweet smile too.
She was thankful that Fuji was there. In fact, he has a slowly growing presence in her life now. She can't stop thinking about him. She was inside her room (and the kitten!), as Fuji walked her home awhile ago. He gave her his email address and phone number too. She sent him a thank you and good night message before she proceeded to read her grandfather's diary. It was locked. She flipped the book, side by side, and looked for the key. She stared at the keyhole and noticed it was the same shape as her pendant again, so she tried to unlock using the blue crystal. Indeed, it opened!
"Omamori Chie's Diary"
"I'm writing this diary for my granddaughter Ai to know the truth.
Ai, this is for you. Since you're reading this, it would mean that I died. I left this to a person named Izumi. I trust him enough to make this do for me, so there is no reason to fear him. - Grandpa"
That's what the first page of the diary said. She flipped through the pages and saw a picture of younger Fuji.
"I made a friend, and I wanted you to meet him. His name is Fuji Syuusuke. He has blue eyes, and for some reason and there is more to him that meets the eye. I hope you get to know him better."
She smiled and took Fuji's picture and stared at it. Then she went back to reading.
"Ai, I wanted to tell you something... Orion is... Orion will cease to exist. I've known this fact for so long, which is why I wanted to protect you..."
To say that Ai was shocked is an understatement. She continued.
"You weren't born at that time when the council realized that the world, our world is disappearing. I tried to investigate so I came to Gaia. I've been to Gaia multiple times and I realized that Orion is disappearing because it cannot co-exist with Gaia. Gais is complex, it's very difficult to understand this world. It has love, hate, war, anger, happiness - it cancels our world that is only made up of simplicity - kindness, peace. For some, they consider Orion as Utopia, but in truth it is not. It simply is a shell, and Gaia is the ocean. What you are seeking Ai, is in this ocean. Because you are not from Orion and you will not be able to survive in the world should you stay their longer, like I did..."
After a few minutes, there was a knock on her door. She decided to stop reading first, she has had enough for the night. When she opened the door, Akemi came in. Her eyes were puffy, and red.
"What happened?" Ai asked.
Akemi hugged her. "I confessed to Tezuka-kun," she said, burying her face on Ai's shoulders.
"And?" Ai has been in Gaia long enough to know what that means. She could see her sister crying, and it must mean that...
"He said that... He's happy that I feel this way for him, but he can't accept my feelings for now," Akemi explained. "But I won't give up, he said "for now" so he will accept it later if I don't give up. It's just that, it hurts," she said.
Seeing Akemi cry, she can't help but be scared of this thing called Love in Gaia. Just how painful can it be for Akemi to cry like that? Would she feel that way too?
Akemi cried the entire time, until she was able to fall asleep on her bed. Ai slept beside her newly found sister and realized something that night. Love is not all smiles after all.