Gah! Writing this story is harder than I thought it would be! But it's fun, so even though it may take me a few days to update I'll definately update. Anyhow enjoy!
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Katsu flipped open a small piece of paper as they walked.
"Umm..I've been assigned to Class 3 Year 2...do you happen to know where that is?"
"Oh, we're in the same class.", Kaorin answered.
Katsu smiled homely.
"That's good."
They were nearing the exit of the forest path. Kaorin let herself relax a bit. Katsu wasn't as difficult to speak with as she had originally assumed and it did feel good to have someone to walk with, even simply for the comfort factor.
"So, Katsu-san...where did you transfer from? If you don't mind me asking."
"Osaka.", Katsu answered simply.
"Osaka eh?", Kaorin chuckled thinking of her spaced out friend with the same name. "Be careful or you might just get a wierd nickname."
"Huh?", Katsu questioned.
"You'll see.", Kaorin smiled sweetly for emphasis. She was beginning to like having Katsu around. She had never really had a male friend. She put that up to her 'alternative' sexual preference, but now she was thinking that she might just have been too shy.
They emerged from the cool atmosphere of the forest into the bright morning sun that caused them both to shade their eyes.
"The school is close by, isn't it?", asked Katsu.
"Yep, it's this way."
Kaorin led him down the narrow alley path and back onto the road. The school could be seen about a quarter mile down the street. They completed the trip in silence, yet neither felt bored which was absolutely mind boggling to Kaorin. She had always thought of herself as terribly boring due to the fact that two things constantly ran through her mind. Sakaki and fantasy dreams involving Sakaki. These, in turn, caused her to be a bit slow with conversation. Katsu, on the other hand, was plenty happy to have already made a friend. They passed by the rambling groups of students and headed to the second floor, pausing outside one door.
"This is the room.", Kaorin announced.
Pushing the door open and stepping through together was probably the worst move they could have made , for they had barely taken two steps before a voice bellowed through the room.
"Hey, Kaorin! Who's your boyfriend!?"
Moments later, Tomo bounded up to them and nearly tackled Kaorin to the floor.
"He's not my boyfriend...", Kaorin hissed.
"Then who is he huh?", Tomo said circling the pair. "He just some random guy you picked up on the way to school?"
"Actually...yes.", Kaorin answered.
Tomo was floored.
"What?", she asked.
"Hehe. My name is Katsu and I'm new to the school and me and Kaori just happened to run into each other this morning.", Katsu said.
"Oh, a new guy! I'm the drill sergeant around here! Your ass is mine!", Tomo yelled.
"Tomo! Hey, Tomo!", Yomi called.
"What?", Tomo asked.
"Shut the hell up! Leave the poor guy alone.", Yomi accosted.
"But Yoooomiiiiii! It's fun!", Tomo whined.
"What? Fun being an idiot?", Yomi smirked.
"You're the idiot!", Tomo shot back.
Kaorin and Katsu moved past the bickering friends and proceeded down the row of desks to come face to face with one, Ayumu Kasuga or Osaka as she's better known, staring blindly into space while emitting a quiet sound that resembled "Gaaaa..." from her open mouth.
"Good mornin' Kaorin. Good mornin...", Osaka looked up at Katsu and recoiled in a state of terror and surprise. "You're an Osakan aren't you!?"
"Well, yes I am.", Katsu answered.
'How the hell...', ran through both Kaorin and Katsu's mind.
"Ah, another Osakan...I dun think I can handle that.", Osaka walked off holding her head in apparently confusion and dismay.
"That's Osaka.", Kaorin whispered. "She lives in her own little world."
"Oh...", Katsu said, obviously distracted. "Who's the little girl?"
"Oh, that's Chiyo-chan. She's only 11. A child prodigy.", Kaorin responded.
"Wow...", Katsu basked in the oddity of a grade school girl in high school as the door slammed open once more.
Yukari strode in carrying a massive stack of papers. The look on her face was something split between revulsion and pure depression.
"Ok, which one of you is the new kid?", she asked.
"Um...me.", Katsu said, raising his hand slightly.
"Get up here.", Yukari commanded. "Everyone, this is Katsu Takamura. He's from Osaka, but we all know how that works out.", she chuckled.
Tomo yelled something incomprehensible and fell from her chair.
"Ok, Katsu...go sit next to Kaorin in the back there or something."
Katsu seated himself next to Kaorin who smiled happily. Yukari, on the other hand was rooting through her stack of papers with growing frustration evident on her face.
"GYAHHH!!!", she shouted, throwing the papers into the air and letting them flutter down. "I can't find what I'm looking for sooo...EVERYONE OUTSIDE!! WE'RE PLAYING DODGEBALL!"
A cheer rose up and Yukari slid the door open with a bang and rocketed out with a line of students following after her. Kaorin was reluctant to go, sports was not her strong point. Katsu smiled at her.
"C'mon...this might be fun."
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Outside, teams were chosen quickly and the stakes were set. Losing side has to clean the classroom. With most of her friends on the other team, Kaorin only had Katsu and Chihiro on her side whom she knew personally.
'But at least I get to see Sakaki-san win...', she thought.
"LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!!", Yukari called and threw the first ball which missed by a long shot. She was, in turn, pelted by a multitude.
The game began thus. Kaorin more or less considered herself fairly useless so she decided to spend her game time at the rear of her team, gazing longingly at Sakaki, who was ducking and dodging like a pro. Something else caught her eye as well. Katsu played the same way Sakaki did. His turns and twists were fluid and graceful, his aim was impeccable. Soon the other team was whittled down to three boys and Sakaki. The team Kaorin was on consisted now of herself, Katsu, and two other girls. She was so transfixed by Katsu and Sakaki trading throws and evasion maneuvers that she didn'y notice the ball headed straight for her face. A hand reached out, Katsu's hand holding another ball, that deflected the incoming missile harmlessly away from Kaorin.
'Amazing...', she thought.
Katsu jumped, dodging a ball thrown by Sakaki. He quickly retaliated with a curved toss to Sakaki's midsection which was easily avoided. Catching two incoming balls simultaniously, thereby eliminating the players, Katsu heaved one as a distraction quickly follwed by the second that caught Sakaki off guard and eliminated her. The last member of their team was quickly disposed off. That elimination was also followed by a loud curse from Yukari.
'He's amazing...he beat...Sakaki-san.', Kaorin gawked.
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Sitting down next to him at lunchtime, Kaorin couldn't hold in her amazement any longer.
"You're incredible, Katsu-san! You beat Sakaki-san and she's one of our best atheletes!"
"I'm really not that good, but thank you Kaori-san.", he responded, smiling.
After seeing his smile for about the thousandth time that day, Kaorin began to feel somewhat different about it. As time progressed he seemed to her more radiant, more...handsome. All in all, he simply awestruck Kaorin and she had no idea what to think about it. Yet, she recognized this feeling. She had felt it once before...
'Impossible...', she thought.
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The day passed by quickly enough and with no astronomy club that afternoon, Kaorin joined Chihiro for their daily walk home. this time though she asked Katsu to come along.
"Would you like to walk home with us, Katsu-san?"
"I'd love to but some teachers want to talk to me...so, maybe another time?", he responded.
"Alright.", Kaorin said with a smile, yet she was deeply disappointed that he could not join them.
Halfway down the street Chihiro popped the question that Kaorin had been dreading.
"So, do you like Katsu or something?"
Kaorin cringed, she had no true answer to that question. She was still reeling from how he had beaten Sakaki.
"He's nice. He's just my friend though.", Kaorin responded.
Chihiro chuckled mischeviously.
"Whatever you say. See you tomorrow!", with that she waved and took off down the side road that lead to her home.
Alone now, Kaorin dreaded the coming experience. She had to brave the forest path once more. Standing before the tall trees she held her breath a few times and began to speed walk through the chilly copse. Her eyes darted from side to side, scanning the bushes for any sign of movement. Each and every dance of shadow amongst the leaves caused her heart to skip a beat. The shadows, in her mind, seemed to want to encompass her. Every one seemed to come close, then retreat as if planning an attack. She began to sweat a cold sweat. Her eyes saw shapes among the more innocent shadows. Malicious shapes. She dared to look behind her. Behind her was nothing but blackness. Her mind raced with panic as the air became colder and colder. Shadows creeped along the dirt as if they were a slithering reptile. Tendrils of darkness encircled her legs with their hellish cold. She wanted desperately to scream and run but no part of her responded. Her throat could not force out a yell. Her legs could not push her a centimeter at all. She couldn't even close her eyes.
'I have to witness my own death...', raced through her mind.
But, the bonds on her legs loosened. The constricting terror holding her lungs receded. The Hadean chill returned to whence it came.
"You will return...", ran through her mind in a voice so cold and distant that the chills returned for a moment.
She slowly began to calm as the world returned itself to its former state, with warmth and light cascading through the tree branches above. She had just caught her breath when a hand on her shoulder caused her to emit a scream so loud she was surprised it even came from her. Turning, she was extremely relieved to see no one but Katsu.
"Kaori, are you ok?", he asked.
With tearful eyes, Kaorin couldn't help but encircle his waist in her arms and pull him close. She had never been so relieved in her life.
"Katsu...thank you.", she stammered.
"Don't thank me. It's my job.", he said with a smile, petting her head.