Upside Down
Chapter Six: Journey to the Woods
September 22
I prayed to the hopefully existent God last night, hoping that this day will never come. Then, I awoke to the chirps of songbirds, welcoming the day with their melodies. Not to me, to me, I wanted to drag those birds into the forest and shoot them dead. Unfortunately, I didn't possess a gun, and plus, I'd be known as Waya, the bird slayer. So I checked my bags, knowing that I can't avoid the inevitable, and set out to meet Kyshima-san for the trip. When I got to the Rê ve, she was waiting outside the door, tapping her foot impatiently, but she stopped when she noticed me.
"Good morning, Yoshi-kun." she greeted me. I merely nodded.
"What's going to happen to the store when you're gone?" I asked, curious.
"Well I hired someone to cover it for me…" Myuki explained.
"Oh, I see…" I replied. Then, we sat in silence, listening to the humming of the car on the road.
"So is there anyone else going on this trip besides me?" I asked, breaking the continuous silence.
"Well, I originally wanted Akari to come, but she was very busy with her school work, so it's only you and me for a week in the woods." Myuki said cheerfully. I shuddered at the words 'you and me'.
"Er…so…how long have you been in the designing business, Kyshima-san?" I asked stupidly, not knowing what else to say.
"Hm…I believe its 7 years now…" Myuki said thoughtfully.
"I see…so technically, you quit school?" I asked impressed, surprised at the fact that she started her business so young…
"Not really…I used to live in the States, and there, I took some extra courses in high school so I was able to get out earlier than most people." she explained.
"That's cool, buy why design?" I asked. Myuki smiled.
"I guess I should ask you why Go?" she replied, mimicking the emphasis on my profession.
"Because it's what I like to do." we both answered at the same time. Then, our eyes met and we stared at each other, like we had some secret understanding for what we loved to do. It went on like that until I remembered that Myuki was supposed to be driving. At this time, the car had gotten off track.
"Kyshima-san! The car!" I cried out, and Myuki averted her eyes back on the road.
"Gomenasai!" she cried out, swerving abruptly, making both of their bodies collide.
"Myuki! You should have kept your eyes on the road!" I shot back, not realizing that I had called Myuki by her first name.
"Gomen! Gomen!" Myuki cried, and she breathed a sigh of relief when they had gotten back on track. Then she smiled.
"That was the first time you called me by my first name, Yoshi-kun." she said smiling. I could feel myself redden in embarrassment. Now it was my turn to apologize.
"Gomenasai, Kyshima-san." I muttered.
"Don't be, I've always wanted you to call me by my first name, so don't call me Kyshima-san anymore." Myuki replied softly. That made me even more uncomfortable than I already was, since I didn't know what to reply to that. Thus, once again, we sat in silence in the car.
(A/N: This next part will be narrated in the third person point of view, otherwise it would be awkward…)
"So…when are we stopping…?" Waya asked, breaking the silence.
"Hm…about…half an hour…I think…" Myuki said arbitrarily. Waya frowned at her answer.
"Can I see the map?" he asked.
"I don't have one." Myuki replied. Waya stared at her in shock.
"You don't have one? Then how can you get there?" he said incredulously.
"Well…I memorized it…" Myuki said unconcerned.
"When was the last time you went into the woods?" Waya said, panicking. Myuki noticed his expression, and bit back a smile. She decided to play along.
"Oh, I don't know…it has been a couple of years…" she said, trying hard not to laugh. The horror on Waya's face was priceless.
"Wait, maybe we should turn back…" Waya suggested lightly, not wanting to appear like a chicken in front of a girl, especially if the girl was Myuki.
"No, we shouldn't. I mean, we already went so far…I'm sure with a couple of hours we'll make it…" Myuki said cheerfully. Waya mentally screamed. Myuki stole a look at his face for a brief moment and laughed out loud.
"Relax, I remember clearly where I'm going, don't be worried. Trust me." she said laughing. Waya still looked doubtful.
"Somehow, those words coming out of your mouth aren't that reassuring." he said cautiously. Myuki grinned. Within a few minutes, they were arriving at the so-called destination.
"Well, we're here." Myuki sang out.
A/N: I'm trying to see if i could get these updates to match the lovely weather we're having in December. Thanks for reading once again, and please review!