Thank you to all those encouraging and creative reviews! That certainly did the trick.
And… as promised… this chapter is dedicated to the people who guessed correctly when my birthday is.
This is for moon-bunny and enigma who were the only persons able to guess the date of my birthday—the nineteenth! Majority of the guesses were seventeen and eighteen… only one or two days away! I'm posting this early coz I won't be going online tomorrow.
Oh, and moon… did you get the date from my LJ site? The date of my birthday is posted there…
So… here it is! The latest installment of the Untouched Ring!
Disclaimer: ONLY THE RING FINGER KNOWS does not belong to me. All elements below belong to Kannagi Satoru and its proper copyrights. The only things I do own are my original characters.
Note: These are not, I repeat, these are NOT the actual events of the fourth novel. This is what I guess you could call an alternate storyline. Please do not rely on this fic for information about the fourth novel or on any of the books, although I will be borrowing some scenes and events that took place there.
THE UNTOUCHED RING
Chapter Eighteen: The Untouched Ring
Kazuki lay awake in bed, not stirring even as the scent of morning hot-cocoa brewing from the kitchen reached his nostrils. He thought everything was a dream, but each time he blinked, he was assured that everything was real. His break-up with Wataru… Mizuho's confession… all of it happened.
He groaned as he pushed his body into a sitting position, feeling the muscles of his limbs tighten in protest. He brought a hand to wipe the anxiety off his face, but he couldn't ignore the topic for long.
Mizuho is still in love with him.
He growled as he ruffled his hair. How could he not have seen it coming? The look of longing in her eyes, the innocent peck on the cheek, even the gentleness of her gestures towards him… How could he have been blind to all of it? Or maybe… he thought. Maybe I wasn't being blind—just ignorant. It's not that he didn't see it coming. Rather, he chose not to see. It was already as plain as day. Shohei must've seen it coming, even Touko saw it… but he didn't. He didn't want to see it.
Even Wataru had seen it.
Kazuki rose from the bed and walked over to the huge body mirror and stared at his reflection. His eyes were blood-shot, like he hadn't slept well for days, and he was looking apparently thinner because he wasn't eating properly. These past few days of drama had been taking its toll on him. The drama with Wataru had been enough to make him skip his meals and lose focus in class and at work, but now even Mizuho's confession was making him a wreck!
Why couldn't he… just have answered straightly? Why did he falter? Why didn't he just push her away?
Could it be that he's truly still in love with her?
His mind was filled with confusion. He banged his forehead against his reflection in the mirror, hoping that the shock would knock some sense back into him. The burning sensation returned to him. But now, he didn't feel it on his cheek or on his hand. It was in his chest… and it hurt. It felt like his insides were being scorched and reduced to ashes.
"Kazuki Yuichi," he murmured to himself. "What is the matter with you?" He clenched his fists and growled in frustration. Without really giving it a thought, he kicked the bedside table with such ferocity that the wooden fixture jumped a bit, causing some of its contents to fall on to the floor. Kazuki would've paid no attention to the tiny mess he had just made, if not for the tiny tingling sound he heard. The sound was small, but also familiar—like metal had come into contact with wood. He stooped down on the ground and picked up the tiny item in question.
It was his ring.
Its tiny silver and gold shimmered against the light, and the sound it made upon contact was like a small humming tune—a song of some kind. It looked so sad and fragile. Kazuki stared at it for a few more moments, feeling his own heart wrench with pain and agony. Subconsciously, he slowly brought the tiny object near his lips and placed a chaste kiss on it. Oddly enough, the metal he had been expecting to be ice-cold was burning with warmth.
From the doorway, Mizuho watched him silently, her eyes gleaming with emotions—a mixture of hurt and grief. She brought a hand to her chest as she silently tried to calm down her racing heart.
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Wataru opened his mouth and let out a tired yawn. He stretched his arms upward to get the blood pumping back into his muscles. Beside him, Miho pouted her lips and formed a small frown. "You're still sleepy, Fujii-kun?" Miho asked. "Do you have any idea what time it is? It's almost noon!" Wataru yawned again and gave a groggy answer, "Well, why does noon have to come so early?" Miho sighed and shook her head. "Noon always comes at the same time of day," she said. She tugged the sleeves of his jacket and hauled him over to the window of a shop. "Say, Fujii-kun," she spoke, pointing to one of the handbags on sale. "Aren't those cute? What'd you think?" Wataru closed one eye as the other stared at it blankly. "Are you trying to make me buy it for you?"
"Eh? I never said that!" Miho retorted. "All I said it's cute."
"Women and their language… I'll never understand," the young boy mused. "That's how it was with Nano…"
Miho pursed her lips together to form another pout. Honestly, she didn't know what she was doing. She had come to know of Wataru's predicament, and seeing that he was always distraught, decided to cheer him up a bit. She had invited him for a small outing over the weekend, but now that they were out together, she honestly didn't know what to do. Should they go to the cinema? Sight-see around Tokyo? Or go shopping?
All those options sound like dates… she mentally berated. The mere mention of the word 'date' sent shivers to her shoulders. Speaking of which… she was feeling a bit cold. Her ears were slightly numbing from the cold. Should she have worn ear-muffs? But it horribly clashed with her outfit! Speaking of clash… was she wearing too much make-up? Did she look like a kogal with that much lip-gloss on?
As her mind continued with its inner rambling, she took notice of what she was worrying over, and shook her head again. What's with me…suddenly being concerned over my looks… she thought again. She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. As she did, she noticed a soft piece of fabric wrapping gently around her neck and shoulders. When she came to realize, a long scarf with a red, green and white checker design was daintily placed on her. She ran her fingers through the fabric and discovered it to be really warm and soft like a baby's skin.
She turned her head to the side to gaze questioningly at her companion. Wataru just shrugged and said, "You should've worn a scarf if you were that cold. Wear that for now." Miho looked at the material and slightly turned pink at the cheeks. Taking this as a sign of dislike, Wataru quickly spoke out, "H-Hey… I know that it doesn't go with your outfit… or that it's a horrible piece of clothing… but it's important to me ya' know…"
Upon hearing that, Miho took the ends of the scarf and wrapped it properly around her. "No, that's not what I was thinking," she explained. "I'm just amazed at how gentlemanly you're being, Fujii-kun."
"You're saying I'd let a girl shiver in the cold?"
"No… Just saying you actually make a good boyfriend."
"…Right…"
Wataru drawled out that response. The mention of anything pertaining to romantic interest always had the knack of making things rather awkward between people. And, as expected, an awkward silence did follow suit—Wataru not knowing what to add; and Miho not knowing whether to take back that comment or not. As the silence wore on, it was only broken by the sound of something rumbling painfully. Miho stared at Wataru blankly before the boy began to chuckle nervously. "Well, waddya know…" he uttered. "It is noon. I'm starving. Wanna get something to eat?"
"Thought you'd never ask…"
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"We'll have two specials, please," Wataru said to the waiter attending to them. The man nodded and promptly listed down the order, and retreated to the counter to place in their order. The restaurant they had gone to wasn't a fancy one. It was a simple family-restaurant that had a nice, warm and comfy atmosphere. Miho looked around the place, almost expecting to see some familiar faces. Sadly, there weren't, but she felt more relieved than sad. She didn't want this entire outing with Wataru to be misinterpreted. After all… it's not like they're out on a date…
"You okay, Miho?" the older boy asked, eyeing her curiously. "Would you have preferred a different restaurant? Or maybe McDonald's?"
The young girl quickly shook her head. "N-No. This place is fine. I was… just thinking of something else…"
"Ah, I see…"
"S-So… you go here?" Miho said, attempting to open a topic.
Wataru smiled and waved his hand nonchalantly. "No, I don't," he answered. "Well, I mean I'm not a regular, but I do go here occasionally."
"With Kazuki-san…?"
"…With my family. Although I did come here with Kazuki once… But we had a fight… or at least I think we did. I don't know… he just looked… off that day…"
"……"
Miho had taken notice the way Wataru's voice was gradually sinking lower and lower. She immediately cursed herself for treading on troubled waters. "U-Um…" she uttered. "You said this scarf is important to you. Did, perhaps, Kazuki-san give this to you?"
"…No, my sister gave it to me as a present back when I was in first year. It was her first try at making one."
"I… I see…" Miho mentally cursed again. What was wrong with her? Why did she keep bringing Kazuki up when it was obvious that Wataru was still pained to even discuss about it? There must be wrong with her sense of judgment at the moment. Fortunately though, their food had arrived, and it was enough to rid them of all thoughts of anything else. It was time to appease their hungering stomachs.
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Sayuri huddled in the middle of her bed in a foetal position. The curtains weren't drawn back, so the entire room was shaded in darkness. The ticking of her bedside clock was the only audible sound that could be heard. She lay there, counting the seconds that passed by while staring off at nothing in particular. Each time she blinked, a thought began to process in her mind, each of a different theme. She thought she heard a soft chime somewhere, but wasn't sure. It could've been just her imagination.
She stretched out her knees and rolled on to her back so that she was facing the ceiling. A gorgeous mural of lilies and daffodils were painted on it. She remembered once comparing the mural on the ceiling with the Sistine Chapel, and how she made believe that Michelangelo Buonarroti, himself, had painted the ceiling of her room. How young she was when she thought of it that way.
Her eyes focused on the daffodils—the richness of its yellow petals. In her mind, they seemed to sway with an imaginary wind, and she could've sworn she could also smell an aromatic scent. The daffodils meant "wish" in flower language. She thought her wish had come true when she met him—among the bushes of beautifully blooming daffodils. But she didn't realize that it was a naïve and childish dream.
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Lunch was over in a flash. And all too soon, Wataru and Miho hit back the streets, this time opting to go to the shopping district. Wataru quivered at the sight of fully-packed stores as it was rammed full with shoppers. There was something about men and shopping that really didn't quite click…
"Fujii-kun! Look at this!" Miho gleamed as she pulled out a cute pink blouse from the bargain bin. "What do you think?"
Wataru chuckled nervously as he scratched his head. "It's, uh… fine. I guess…"
Miho scoffed. "Men and their tastes… Can't you see that the pattern of the beads is wrong and the ribbon just doesn't go with it at all! It's cute, but honestly, what were they thinking when they made this?"
Ah, shopping… a woman's haven… and a man's torment…
"Say, Fujii-kun" the young girl spoke, scouring the clothes rack. "Have you already done some Christmas shopping? It's already pretty close."
"Y-Yeah…" he uttered in reply. "Finals is about a week from now. But as for the shopping… I think I'll leave that for the last minute."
"The last minute?" Miho exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a good item at the last minute? It's next to impossible!"
"Well… I haven't decided…"
"There's no other choice then… All right! Today, we go Christmas shopping!"
"Eh?"
…And thus Fujii Wataru learned never to bring up shopping again with women.
Realizing that there was no stopping Miho now, Wataru gave a sigh of defeat. As the young girl hurried off to the cashier to purchase the black tank top she found, Wataru was left alone to think up a list of people he should be giving presents. He had to give Kawamura one. They've been friends since Elementary; it's like sacrilege if the best friend didn't receive any presents. Plus, he owed the guy for allowing him to stay over at his house. There's also Karin. She cooks and cleans, and they amazingly get along well for a brother and sister, so definitely he's getting her a present. His parents… yeah, a gift of reconciliation would be nice… Who else…?
"Fujii-kun!" Miho chirped. "Come on. Let's go!"
And the next thing Wataru knew, he was being dragged to different stores, browsing over different items and deciding over the prices. He had to admit that Miho had quite good tastes. Most of the merchandise she had brought to him for assessment he actually liked, and was thinking of getting them for himself. However, he strictly pointed out to the young girl that he had a budget to follow. It's not like he can splurge all of his allowance on one go.
On one of the clothes rack, he saw a black T-shirt with a metallic-silver, gothic-lettering imprint of the word "Romeo". The first thing that came to his mind was Kawamura and his lovesick, puppy dog-face saying, "Call me a modern-day Romeo!" Wataru grinned at the memory and shrugged his shoulders. "Why not? He might actually find it rather manly and appealing." With a chuckle, he took the shirt off the hanger and drooped it over his shoulder. He looked around the store for anything else that caught his interest.
"Find something good?" Miho asked, carrying her own share of chosen items, no doubt for her Christmas gifts.
Wataru shrugged and said, "I got one for Kawamura. But I was thinking of getting something for my parents."
"Your parents? You'd still give them presents even after…"
"…Well, they're my parents, Miho. It's only right."
"My, what a good son you are."
He frowned at her skepticism, and turned his attention to the other items. Across the store, he found a pair of perfectly fine wine-glasses. They were crystal clear but the rims were lined with a gold band. The neck had a long and slender curve that almost held a sensual appeal. The base was of solid foundation, but nonetheless glittered under the light. Wataru narrowed his eyes as he pondered over it for a moment. As far as he can recall, his parents were fans of vintage wine, and really enjoyed a good night-cap. But it was truly a shame that they settle for coffee mugs as wine-glasses.
They'll probably like this…
Nodding his head once, Wataru called for the attendant and ordered for the two wine-glasses to be packed. Miho glanced at him curiously then hummed a light tune. "Nice choice," she chirped. "Your parents are gonna love that."
"Right," he said, as he watched the glasses be wrapped around carefully in bubble-wrappers and old newspapers. Afterwards, they were placed in a box and handed over to him. "Well, that's all I'll be getting from this store. Shall we get them gift-wrapped?"
"Uh… sure…"
They proceeded to the counter where they paid for their items. Afterwards, they requested that the objects be gift-wrapped; both of them choosing the colors and motifs for the wrapping papers. When that was done, they departed the store carrying their own luggage.
Wataru looked absent-mindedly around before his eyes landed on the record store. Miho followed his gaze and gave a small grin. "If you want to go then go ahead," she said. Wataru whipped his head around to face her, an almost flushed look on his face. "Uh… no…" he muttered. "I was just… thinking of something…"
"Oh… well, anyway, you're not yet done with your Christmas list, are you?"
"Uh… no… I still haven't decided what to give the others… Kawamura was pretty easy since he adores practically anything."
"Right…"
They continued to walk around a bit, slowly leaving the shopping district. Wataru adjusted the neckline of his jacket, adapting to the cold. Miho tugged his sleeve and motioned to share the scarf with him since it was really his, but he shook his head and assured her he'd be okay. A frown marred the young girl's face, and she placed her hand against Wataru's neck. Her hand winced at the feeling of the older boy's cold skin. "That's not good," she scoffed. "If it was bothering you, you should've said so!" She undid the scarf around her neck, and wound it around Wataru's. "There," she huffed, quite pleased with herself. "Anyway, it clashed with my outfit so…"
Wataru stared in awe for a moment at the young girl, but a smile eventually formed on his lips. "Thank you," he uttered with great sincerity. "Thank you, Miho."
"Eh? What're you thanking me for? It's your scarf."
"No, not that," he said; his smile remaining intact. "Thank you… for everything you've been doing for me lately…"
Realizing what he was trying to convey, Miho became silent with her cheeks becoming flushed with embarrassment. "Uh… Y-Your welcome…" she uttered, and quickly averted her gaze. She twirled around and strode down the sidewalk, Wataru following close by. "Say, Fujii-kun," she spoke. "Will everything be okay? With Kazuki-san, I mean…"
Wataru tilted is head upward, bearing that in thought. He noticed how the clouds seemed heavy and downcast. It would possibly snow this season… "We'll see…" he answered honestly. "There's a lot going around me and Kazuki at the moment. Maybe we just need a little time-off."
"Probably… Sheesh… you guys are just like a normal couple…"
"…Normal…?"
"'Yup, normal. So there's really no problem at all, is there?"
"Uh… right…" He had no idea what she meant by that, but he just nodded and agreed.
They continued on their way when he felt Miho suddenly tugging his elbow. "Fujii-kun, look!" she pointed at an old accessory shop that had a tattered sign with faded letters reading: Gentarou Silverworks. "Let's go take a look. You can buy me a present there!" And she dragged him off towards that direction.
The moment Wataru had a proper look at the store, there's no doubt that it was old, but still stable. It reminded him of the old coffee shop he and Kazuki rendezvoused at. But strangely, there was another feeling he got from the store. Something… familiar and nostalgic…
What was it?
Miho tugged him by the arm, pulling him inside, and for a brief moment, he remembered Nano doing the same thing back in their first year when they were still a couple. He could remember the excitement the girl had, while he had a feeling of dread and boredom. She was excited about something—practically bouncing off her feet, while he had shrugged and waved his hand nonchalantly as if dismissing something.
What were they talking about then?
He couldn't remember at the moment, but he also didn't know why these memories and emotions were suddenly being evoked. Surely, though, this store had something to do with it. Wataru was almost positive it did.
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When they entered the shop, Wataru couldn't help but feel a great amount of nostalgia flowing through him. He'd been here before… He was sure of it. The whole place had a familiar feeling to it. But when did he come here? This wasn't a place he frequented. If he did then surely he'd remember. But why was this store at the pinnacle of his memory. It's almost as if there was something about this store that he should remember.
"Greetings!" the old man by the cash register called to them. "Welcome to Gentarou Silverworks. As you can see, this is a pretty old accessory shop, but I can assure you that all creations here are original."
Miho browsed through the window casings, tilting her head to the side as if pondering whether to buy one. Most of the accessories were cute, but they didn't seem up to date with the times. Wataru, on the other hand, kept staring at every nook and cranny of the shop as he could, as if walking around in a daze. He couldn't shake away the immense feeling of familiarity.
"Are these all your designs, jii-chan?" Miho asked curiously, looking at the displayed picture of various patterns.
"Ah, yes, they are," came the reply. "All of them are originally designed and crafted by me. I'm afraid—and quite embarrassed to say so—that the designs aren't at all extravagant as most fancy jewelry are nowadays. Most of them I had crafted during my youth. And, uh, you can just call me 'Gentarou' if you wish."
"Heh…." Miho drawled in awe. "You're pretty good. Although, the designs are quite simple…"
"Yes, but I've sold so many of them during my years in the business. I've already lost count. But the paired rings have always been the most popular…"
"Paired rings?" Wataru echoed, suddenly engaging himself in the conversation. Somehow, the mention of paired rings made something click in his mind. "You also make paired rings, jii-san?"
"Uh, yes," Gentarou coughed out. "Became really popular… A lot of couples used to come here to pick out matching rings. I think it sold the hottest in the last three years."
Last year… It was last year that the fad of wearing matching rings in Ryokuyo reached its peak. Practically every student was wearing one. But Wataru could really feel something swelling up in his chest—telling him something important.
"You're a really good craftsman, jii-chan," Miho said, examining one of the rings at a closer glance. "I mean, simple design or not, seems like all of them were crafted expertly. You must've been born with the talent."
"N-Not really…" the old man blushed to his ears. "Well, I have been making these things since I was in high school as a hobby. I never realized it would become my passion and calling in life." After a brief pause, he let out a heavy sigh. "Ah, yes… That suddenly reminded me of my Tsubaki-hime…"
"Tsubaki-hime…?" both teenagers chorused, in their minds, imagining a silly picture of Thumbelina (complete with a crown) sitting on a camellia flower.
"Tsubaki-hime…" Gentarou repeated, almost as faint as a whisper. "That was the nickname I gave my lovely sweetheart back in high school. I was really in love with her. I had planned to propose to her as soon as we graduated."
"Really?" Miho sparked up, ever loving a good romance story. "So you managed to do just that?"
A grave expression befell the old man, and he sighed so heavily. "No. Her family didn't approve. She came from high-class family, while I was only low-class. My parents barely got by, sending me and my seven other siblings to school."
"O-Oh…"
"Graduation was the last I had ever seen of her. I heard she had moved away to another city and got married with a rich folk like her."
"……"
Wataru and Miho fell silent, feeling guilty of evoking such painful memories from the old man. They watched wordlessly as a lone tear drop trickled down the edge his wrinkled face. He wiped it away with his also wrinkled hand—showing the years had worn on him. But afterwards, he smiled ever so gently and said, "I don't regret anything. I'm glad that I met her and fell in love with her. I've never regretted it."
"Jii-chan…"
"It's a shame though… I had even made her a ring… It was my first official creation…"
"Really…?" said Miho, expressing genuine curiosity. "Do you still have it? Can I see it?"
"…Or did you already sell it off?" added Wataru.
Gentarou waved a hand and said, "I tried to sell it off, but no one would buy it. The design was too plain and simple. When I opened this shop, it was one of the first items displayed. But no one paid any attention to it because of its simplicity. It's probably been thirty years now."
"…So that means you have it?" asked Miho.
"No…" he replied. "Usually, if the item doesn't sell, it's put into storage. I was about to do that, but when I did, it didn't feel right. That ring… was the only one of its kind in the entire world. It was the only one I had ever made of it. It felt… kind of sad putting it into storage, so I kept in on display. Oddly though, for the past thirty years, no one had taken interest in it. It was always the fancy ones they liked. Even I had never touched it since I placed it inside its glass-casing."
"……"
"…But it's funny, you know… I've had a lot of couples walk in here looking for matching rings, but it was a year or two ago when I met a rather peculiar couple."
"Peculiar?" they chorused.
"Yes, peculiar… I mean, they were obviously a couple… the girl was latched on to the guy's arm. Like the others, they came in here to buy matching rings… But the guy didn't want to."
"……"
"He said that matching rings wasn't his thing. His girlfriend tried to convince him to get matching rings, but he refused and told her to just pick out any other accessory she likes."
Gentarou went over to the glass-casing on the other side of the room. He patted the surface a bit as if trying to recreate the details of over two years ago. "The ring was here… the ring I had made but no one would consider…" he muttered. "The ring that I had left here to collect dust… the ring that had been left untouched by anyone for thirty years… it was right here… And that guy… the boyfriend… he looked at it as if contemplating something…"
"……"
"…Took him a while too. He was just staring at it as if it was the most fascinating object in the entire world. And then… he asked if he could take a look at it… and almost immediately he brightened up and said he'd buy it…"
"Wow…" Miho drawled. "Talk about random… Who was the guy who bought it?"
"Ah, I don't remember…" Gentarou shrugged. "I'm old, and I have trouble remembering faces. For all I know, he could've come back to this store to buy something else, and I didn't recognize him."
"Hm…"
As the two continued their conversation, Wataru stared blankly at the glass-casing. He had a feeling of nostalgia… the feeling of trying out something new, and adoring even the simplest pleasures. He vaguely remembered a scene with him, Nano and Kawamura watching the cherry blossoms in spring. He was showing off his newly bought silver ring, while Nano was fuming, apparently disheartened that her attempts at coaxing him into buying matching rings had failed. Kawamura was shrugging, not knowing whether to commend him for his fine discovery, or to console Nano. The three of them were in their first year of High School at that time.
"Fujii-kun…?" Miho called his attention. "What's wrong? You spaced out."
"H-Huh?"
"We were just wondering if that couple is still together or not…"
"Oh… I guess they already broke up, Miho."
"Eh? What makes you think so…?"
"Well…" he scratched the tip of his nose. "The girl wanted matching rings, right? But instead, the guy bought a ring that had no pair. Isn't that like an indication that he doesn't want a real serious relationship? Or maybe, like the ring, he isn't supposed to go with anyone…?"
"……"
"…Well, I don't think so," Gentarou coughed. "The only reason that ring didn't have a pair is because my skills were mediocre when I made it. I wasn't a professional yet. And when Tsubaki left me, I lost the urge to give it a pair. But… it would be nice if it did have a pair."
"Pardon?"
"The way I see it, boy, it may not have a partner here in this shop… but surely, somewhere, someone made another ring with the same design. So doesn't that automatically make it a pair?"
"Even though they didn't come from the same store…? Or crafted by the same person…?"
"It doesn't matter," Gentarou motioned his hands for emphasis. "That ring was lonely enough as it is being cooped up in this store. Then it finally saw the outside world when it was bought. Surely, it has every right to search for a partner just like it."
"……"
"I believe that, without a doubt, somewhere in this world, another ring just like it exists. And those two rings are destined to meet. And when they do, no one will have any right to tear them apart. Even if it seems like a mere chance encounter, later on, it will become the most powerful and precious bond ever. The same goes for people too."
Wataru closed his eyes for a moment and imagined beer cans clanking against one another, and cold liquid gargling down his throat. He thought of a heavy and dizzying hang-over, followed by a trip to the bathroom. Then there was the sound of running water, and something cool splashing against his face. Then came the scent of soap and the feel of soft cotton. Mocking eyes and a playful grin… Then something was placed on his palm… something silver and shiny…
He kept his eyes shut for a few more moments as he continued to imagine a clear blue sky, a floral-wrapped box resting in his hands, and the look of astonishment as he pushed the present on to the other man's chest. Then there was the feeling of that strong chest as he was pressed back against it, strong arms catching him from a fall. A smirk and a grin… a whistle blew and there were cheers and chants. A subtle chase, and then something warm and unexpected planted itself on his finger.
What's next? There was also pain and heartache… the feel of rejection and the feel of jealousy… The strong emotions overcoming him… And then… arms circled around him, trapping him into an embrace. A look of anxiety and desperation… then a fire was lit and nearly exploded.
Stop!
Yes, he had pushed that fiery flame of passion away. Apologies and a slap… separate ways… An empty corridor… he cried… he cried but at the same time, he laughed. He wasn't happy though, just sad. Then there came the urgent need to realize the truth… Running, panting, out of breath…
Time stopped…
Hydrangea flowers blooming shamelessly… A prince emerged. Two pairs of eyes locked on to each other. There was silence… the swaying of the wind… and the rustling of leaves… Warm… yes, it was warm again… So warm, unlike any other he had felt before. Warm and safe… And there was… something… on his ring finger… shining… illuminating…
…So beautiful.
When he had finished musing over these thoughts, Wataru opened his eyes again, only this time, he had a bit more fervor in his eyes than earlier. "Fujii-kun?" Miho asked, quite concerned over her companion's long and sudden silence. Wataru's black eyes shone with realization and discovery. With a tired sigh, he uttered, "Stupid… I'm so stupid…"
"What?" Miho tilted her head in query. Wataru returned his gaze to her, and heaved his bought items into her arms. "Eh? Fujii-kun, what?" Before she could finish her sentence, he was already at the door, bolting outside. "W-Wait! Fujii-kun!"
"Sorry, Miho," he called, turning his head to her direction. "Hold on to those for a while, will ya'? There's something I need to do."
"Wait! Fujii-kun!"
Before she knew it, Wataru had dashed away, leaving her behind in the store. Both she and Gentarou looked blankly at the door, pondering over the young boy's actions. "Weird boyfriend," the old man said.
"He's not my boyfriend."
"Really…? A nice boy like that…?"
"But he does have a lover."
"Oh?"
"I'm only hoping everything turns out okay." She looked down at Wataru's items resting in her arms. She breathed a heavy sigh and shook her head. "Can't be helped then. Looks like I'll be holding on to these for a while."
Down the street, Wataru ran as fast as his legs could go, until his breath became ragged and he felt his lungs would burst. There wasn't a minute to spare. He had to hurry… hurry to that place, and rectify the animosity between him and Kazuki.
To be continued…
I wonder if you guys managed to pick up what was trying to be said in this chapter…
Notes:
Kogal – a sub-culture of Japan referring to girls that are in to fashion, sporting colored/bleached hair, long manicured nails and heavy make-up. They often flock around Shibuya.
Tsubaki – Japanese for "camellia".
Next chapter: Driven to Desperation. It's time for another character to take the spotlight.
Please review. Those things really help me a lot.
