Hey everybody! I... yeah I know. Late... again. I'm really sorry! But, so that you guys won't be surprised by the late updates anymore, I'll just warn you guys that I'm probably going to update this late almost every time. Gomen ne... ^_^"
Oh yeah, did you guys see episode 4 of Utapri Revolutions?! Damn it was so nice! X3
But I wish Ai and Haruka could've had more... alone time. But anyway! The fact that Ai-chan has his own episode is what's important anyway so... hehe... ^_^
Oh and, don't be confused. I'm sure you guys heard Ai last week that he's SAOTOME's robot or something like that, and he was created especially under his request. He's apparently Shining's ideal idol. Well, that's true, but since I'm mostly basing this from the game (like I say all the time lol I sound like a broken record sorry), I'm not gonna make Ai-senpai say anything like that. Kk?
Thanks! X3
Ai's POV
After me and Camus' unexpected meeting with Haruka in the grocery store, and after helping her with her shopping bags and dropping her off at the dormitory, both of us went to our own dorms and left our bags before heading back to work. Camus had a photo shoot while I had to rehearse for a commercial. My time there in the studio lasted for no more than exactly two hours, not including break intervals. So by the time I got back, it was only 5:40 pm. Meaning, there was still enough time for me to look through the data I've gathered throughout the day, and maybe do a little research on them too.
During each day, from the moment I wake up, I tend to record what happens, and keep those recordings for future reference. This goes on, until the moment before I go to sleep which is always at 9 o'clock pm... Sharp. Looking at the wall clock, I calculated how much time I had left exactly. Then I found out that I was still left with three hours and twenty minutes.
Today, I was able to observe how Haruka carries herself in public, and how she reacts to certain situations. She's very jumpy, and easily panics on most occasions. She's also clumsy, and can get distracted a lot. Well, I'm sure she's not necessarily the type who loses focus, especially with work. But, she tends to think of other things while doing something that is completely unrelated to her thoughts. At least, that's what she was doing a while ago when I bumped into her. I've also observed that her body is rather weak. And that was to be expected, judging from the events that happened in the past like, her fainting a number of times just because of anxiety or nervousness. Though as far as her shyness goes, she still respectful, and tries to stay confident enough for people not to have false impressions of her at all times. Those were some of her qualities that are most likely worth acknowledging.
But, there are still things about her that I don't understand. And I've spotted quite a few. There were even some I asked her about. Despite that, I still have a lot of data I can't understand, no matter how much I look up on them. And, I've always had this feeling that she'll be the only one who will be able to truly make me understand all of this, which is why I plan on meeting her tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then someday within this week. That last talk we had never got a continuation. And that last talk was approximately one week, and a few days ago. I sighed.
'Thinking of how long I haven't been able to speak to her won't help. Also… why am I thinking of her this much anyway? I should just go on with scanning my data already.' I thought to myself. Considering that from now on, I'll be able to concentrate more with Syo and Natsuki gone. They moved into their own dorms two days ago due to the president's orders. They had a choice whether or not to stay with me, but Syo was able to convince Natsuki to move out since if he didn't, then Syo wouldn't be able to move out either. But, even if that was the case, it wouldn't change anything, since practically almost all that I've recorded were things regarding her. They all involved her. And if not her alone, then her together with someone else. Just like in the grocery store, where from time to time, I would observe Camus as well. Other than that, it's just her... Her.
"I wonder… why…" I mumbled, crutching the cloth over my chest, noticing the strange, static-like sensation within me, specifically where my chest was.
"Nanami... Haruka."
'I wonder why… she's always the only one I think of. Or, maybe it's my fault… for paying too much attention. Either way, it would still end with the question "why?". "Why does her ways make me curious about her so much?" or "Why is she like that? What causes her to be so… different?".'
I sighed.
All the data I've gathered from this day, starting from my usual morning routines, to the work I've accomplished. I researched, and remembered all of them. I did this in order to improve myself, and for other possible purposes in the future. But mostly, this was supposed to be beneficial for my role as a working idol. Although, today, my observations regarding those were minor, and didn't require much of my attention. What really got me thinking, and doing a lot of research were my recordings of Haruka. She was the one I was most curious about. The way she acts, her personality, feelings, how she handles given situations and her way of doing things, were not so easy to figure out. I needed to understand, because I knew that if I did, then it would help me in understanding many other things. Things that are supposedly normal to actual human beings. Though originally, I'm not supposed to be capable of doing things such as understanding human emotions.
Today wasn't the only day I've thought too much of her. Now, don't get me wrong. It's not that she has affected me and my system or anything. She's just someone I use to attain more information. And in my opinion, out of all the people I know of, she is the most expressive. Yet, she remains within boundaries, not too wild, hyper, or sensitive. Although I know she's weak, and has many visible flaws, that aspect of hers isn't what I always see. She has persistence, and potential; some of the qualities needed in order to be a professional. At first, my impression of her was someone who was likely to never make it far in the area of professionalism, and most probably a part of that judgment is still present in my data's system, but according to Camus, it seems like the composition she had prepared for QUARTET NIGHT was better than expected. Though I believe what he said, I'd like to see that for myself.
After going through some of my early day records, I went to the kitchen, and got out the aqua colored jelly I bought from the grocery. Haruka had introduced this to me not too long ago, and based from her observations, she said I have come to 'like' it the moment I tasted it. As far as I understood that, she was right. Which was why, I bought it from the store.
While I was eating, I looked at all of the records I had of Haruka, and observed her every movement yet again. I was so curious as to why she acted this way, that I didn't understand even myself for doing these things. I especially went back to that last conversation we had, which was when I asked her to explain the meaning of 'jealousy', along with other human emotions and feelings.
"Ah. Speaking of that, I should sort out questions to ask her upon our next meeting which will possibly be either tomorrow, or the day after that." I said. Remembering our previous discussion, and thinking about having a new one, suddenly made my head throb slightly. It was as if I wasn't sure of my own memory. It was like… I've… forgotten something.
'That can't possibly be. Something as important as that should have been recorded in full detail, and yet, why am I so unsure with the data I've acquired myself?'
Suddenly, as I was scrolling through my past records, I noticed one file that my system wasn't familiar of, seeing as I don't have any data regarding it. Opening it, I started to watch the unknown recording. Strangely, it was another one of my observations with Haruka and… me.
"What is this recording? I don't have any data on it at all." I said, further analyzing the situation in the video. As it went on, the video showed many interactions between me and Haruka, and most of them were unexpected. It was like the one recording wasn't me, even though I clearly knew that is was. The part I couldn't understand about the recording was the fact that it was a continuation of the last time I talked with her. At that time, I had no existing data about that ever occurring, so this recording shouldn't be present in my computer as well.
"And yet… why does such a recording exist here? All the data here should have matched my data." I stated, squinting my eyes slightly. No matter how much I looked, I couldn't find any data that takes note of this, despite it only being a recording from yesterday. Being one of the recent happenings, it should be easy to find, but… I just couldn't spot any memory regarding this particular recording. Nevertheless, I decided to scan my whole system in case I find something, or a hint that the situation happened at least. Though, if something like that were to exist, then it still wouldn't make any sense.
Pausing the video, I closed my eyes, and began scanning my all my data. And this took two minutes exactly. Little by little, jittering sounds started to take place, signaling the occurring scanning process. I checked everything, from the very first, to the very last, and from the most significant to the least. Still, I saw nothing, absolutely nothing related to the new-found video recording.
"Well, might as well look at the rest of the recording, maybe then I'll be able to figure something out." I said, getting a hold of the mouse and resuming the video. All were as expected, considering the first few events, until Haruka expressed another one of her curiosities.
"Um... I was just curious about... Why you... Don't really know much about feelings and emotions. I mean, not understanding them is quite normal, but not knowing them... I was just concerned and all with why you seem to... Not know much about things like this. I mean, it's not bad, but... I just thought it wouldn't be much of an... Advantage on your part if you were to not know about usual human emotions like... Love for example." She said, as she eyed on everything else but me. That was, in my opinion, one of her bad habits. I waited for my reply, which I presumed to be brief; something that would say that, that was nothing she had to know about. But, surprisingly… it wasn't. I ended up telling her a lie instead.
"I lied to her? How idiotic. There's no way I could have made such an unreasonable decision as this." I said, questioning all that I've seen from the video. Throughout most that I've looked at, I was acting weird, and somewhat nothing like myself. Being who I am now, I would have simply told her that the reason I wasn't able to clearly understand emotions was none of her business. I wouldn't do so much as to think of my own, made-up story on the spot.
"If this happened last night, starting from 6:52 pm to 7:56 pm, then this happened before I went to Hakase for a check-up. If that's so, then… there's a 76 percent chance that he did not inform me of the side effects of his conducted repair on purpose. Although, there's also a chance of him not knowing, but I highly doubt that would be possible. If he did make himself unaware, then that would be by far the biggest mistake he's ever done." I stated, preparing to go to Hakase's laboratory. Before I did, I figured that I might as well finish the video, in case I'd be able to obtain information needed at the moment. Focusing on the monitor in front of me, I hovered the cursor over the 'play' button and clicked on it. From there, the recording resumed.
The moment it played, the screen started to break, as if the signal has been lost, or in my case, it's as if my system suddenly started to malfunction. The view from my point was unclear, and even the smallest of sounds that I could usually hear clearly were starting close to unnoticeable. Haruka, on the other hand, remained quiet for another minute or so, as my system continued to lose its stability. And after two and a half seconds, she looked at me. The second after, the screen went black. My first guess was that I had stopped working, but found out that I was wrong when I heard Haruka's voice.
"Why did the screen suddenly go black? No… more like, why was my ability to see removed? If I can still talk and hear, then that means at that time, I was still functioning. And yet… the only thing wrong is my sight. But, Hakase never said anything about my eyes ever experiencing any problems." I mumbled, half of my attention still on the video's audio. Carefully listening to the words I said, I've observed that they were words, statements I couldn't even understand. They made no sense.
I made no sense.
'Lying, then suddenly telling the person not to believe it? If that's what you were planning to do in the end, then what's the point in lying? Haven't I at least thought of that? Good grief. This is plain nonsense. Did the virus affect me that much?' I thought, as I tried to figure out what the virus could have been. I did that obviously because I didn't know. Hakase hasn't explained it to me, and I've never encountered a virus that was this strong.
Waiting for Haruka's reply, I wondered on how she was able to tolerate such unreasonable behavior. When she did, she simply asked what it was I meant by the statement exactly. Not surprised, I expected nothing more from her. I knew she wasn't the person to react or complain often, and that was something to commend her for. Complaining would only waste time, and get people nowhere.
"Well... You see, I can't tell you that yet. But... I will tell you, if you meet me in the nearby park tomorrow, six pm. Though, I'll only make you go, if you believe that the story I told you about my past was a lie. I'm not forcing you to go, but... You should, because only then will you know the truth about why I'm who I am now." was my reply. As my eyes rose a little, I took note of the second sentence.
'Meet me in the nearby park tomorrow, six pm. Meaning, that would be today… six pm.'
Averting my eyes to the computer's time keeper below, on the right side, it read '7:08'. And as soon as I processed my reading, a felt a strong throb within my chest. I let out a small gasp. The pain was stronger than anything I've felt, and it only got even stronger as I thought of the chances of Haruka still in that park, despite the time and weather.
Clutching the cloth covering my chest, I stated to myself in a low tone, "No, th-there's no way she could still be out on this kind of night. It's too dangerous… a-and with that kind of body… she won't be able to last long. She should have at least thought of… going home… even if I haven't showed up yet."
My plan at first was to immediately refer to Hakase for answers to my questions, but then I thought of Haruka. I knew she was weak, though I also knew she was capable of handling herself, so I didn't have to think about her still being out in the storm. But just to be sure, I decided to call her.
After the first few rings, the automatic answering machine spoke, stating that the device I was calling was not in the range of service. And that made me wonder why. If there was a strong enough signal on the area I was in, then it wouldn't be much of a difference if I were one floor above this one. But, still there was no service even after numerous calls. Having no other choice, I set my mind on heading for her dormitory instead.
Approaching the exit, I stepped out of my room and closed the door behind me. From there, I began making my way towards the women's dormitories, where I'll find Haruka's dorm. The walk was short, with simply a few detours and a small flight of stairs. And in no time, I was in front of the door with the name 'Haruka Nanami' encrypted above it. Raising a hand, I knocked.
I waited half a minute before I knocked again, and repeated this process thrice. When I didn't get any answer, I started calling out to her. "Haruka… Haruka, it's me, Ai. Open the door." I said, requesting her to come and get the door. I also added that I had something to ask her, so that she'll know that I went to her for an important reason. Though, by now I was sure that she knows I wouldn't visit her dorm for no reason.
Even after I did that, still she didn't respond, not even with simple words. She didn't even tell me to just come here another time, in case she was busy. Determined to know whether she really was there or not, I announced that I was going in, and started turning the knob, when I realized… it was locked.
"Hm… So the door's locked." I mumbled, removing the clip from my hair in order to use it as a tool to unlock the door. Once I was finished, I entered the unlit room, not spotting the slightest bit of light. Looking around, I found my way to the kitchen first. Everything was organized and stored in their rightful places. All equipment was left unused, including lights, for more than an hour. And it was the same with the rest of her dormitory. I entered her room and found a pile of sheet music stacked on top of the study table. Switching my view to the opposite side of the room, I saw her bed, and her closet. But, I still couldn't seem to find her. Peeping out the terrace, I checked to see if she was there… and she still wasn't. All I could find outside were trees swaying rapidly and leaves flying all over the place. I sighed.
"Why isn't she in here?" I asked myself, thinking of the other possible places she might be in at the moment. 'Though if only she would answer her phone, or at least go to a place with a stable enough signal, then it would be easier to figure that out.' I thought, focusing my attention to the empty room once more. Strange enough, I couldn't help but notice how the room had a hint of strawberry to its air. It was soft, and wasn't as strong as other women's perfume. Inhaling the scent, Haruka immediately came to mind, my chest suddenly aching. Putting my hand over my chest, I thought, 'Why does this happen every time I think of her? I… I don't understand.'
There were many things I couldn't understand about human attributes, specifically their feelings. The reason I couldn't understand her was because of how expressive she is. She would display many actions that would show what she is feeling at that current moment, and most of the time, those 'feelings' wouldn't even provide use for anything. To me, they were just things that disrupt them from doing what they have to.
"But… that's not the reason why I'm looking for you. I need to know where you are because there's a 50 percent chance that you aren't safe." I whispered to no one in particular. Turning to face the exit, I approached it, my pace increasing. In my mind, I visualized only one place; the park. I knew there was no time for making rash decisions, but this had to be done. I had to check out that place before the storm got stronger. And so, making up my mind, I quickly made my way to the men's dormitories and into my room to grab a few things, namely my phone, umbrella, and flashlight. The news said the storm would bring rain as well, so I brought an umbrella just in case it starts to rain by the time I get there.
Getting out of my room, I headed for the stairway leading to the ground floor, where the main entrance of the building is found. I was just about halfway down the stairs when my phone started to ring. Deciding that it was unnecessary to stop, I grabbed it from my pocket as I continued to make my way down. When I saw who the one calling me was, I was immediately put to a stop.
"Hello?" I said into the phone.
"Good eeeeveeeening Mr. Mikaaaaze." he replied.
"Is there something you need, Shining?" I asked, unsure of why I was displeased by the interruption, and why he would suddenly call me at this time. But, then again, no one is ever able to tell when he might call you, or where he might appear from.
"Yeesss. I need you to come to my office immediatelyyyy please?" he answered, my eyes narrowing at the thought of my plan being delayed. Though, I knew his orders were absolute, so I had no other choice but to say yes.
"Ah, ok. I'll be there in a few." I said, preparing to hang up when he had an addition to what he requested a while ago.
"Also-! Inform Ms. Nanaamii as welll. Thank youuu!" he exclaimed, before putting down the phone.
"Hm… if he asked me to do that, then that must mean he isn't able to contact Haruka either. I wonder where that girl went…" I said to myself, as I started walking the opposite direction from where I was originally, since that was the hallway leading to his office. Although before I did so, I figured on returning my umbrella and flashlight first, so I wouldn't have to tolerate additional questions when I get there.
Climbing back up the stairs, I went to the men's dormitories, and into my room, where I placed both my umbrella and flashlight on the couch, before getting out again to head for Shining's office. I also decided to cut the trip short quickening my pace, in order to conserve time.
Arriving at the designated place, I knocked on the panel door, and was soon greeted by a familiar voice telling me to come in. Upon entering, I noticed everyone from my dormitory building was present. Reiji, Ranmaru, and Camus were there, and as well as Hoshikage Seira and her assigned group, which was recently named by Shining. They were called STARISH, and consisted of seven members; Ittoki Otoya, Hijirikawa Masato, Shinomiya Natsuki, Ichinose Tokiya, Jinguji Ren, Kurusu Syo, and Aijima Cecil. Even Ringo and Ryuya were there, but… looking around, I knew that there was one person missing.
Haruka.
"I'm sorry for being late." I said, out of respect. All of them simply looked at me quietly, save for Shining, who acted like his usual, energetic self. Stepping further into the room, I closed the door behind me, and waited for him to announce whatever he wanted to. Though before Shining could speak, Reiji broke the silence and asked, "Ai-Ai… isn't Ruka-chan with you?" Focusing my attention on him, I answered, "No, she isn't. Why?"
Seemingly surprised, Reiji's brows shot up as he exclaimed, "Eh?! Then… if she isn't in her room, and she isn't with you or with any of us, then… where could she be?"
Taking note of what he said, I questioned his statement. "She isn't in her dorm?" He shook her head, before Camus replied for him.
"We were knocking on her door numerous times, but she never answered. Plus, the door was locked. If she were inside, then it shouldn't have been." he said, sighing before he continued. "Honestly, where is that woman? Causing so much trouble on such a night as this…"
Thinking for a bit, I began to analyzed the situation. At first, I thought that she could be with Reiji, or anywhere within the dorm, where there's service. But, since she cannot be contacted, either she was in a place without service, her phone's battery became low, or something happened to it to make it malfunction or turn off. If it wasn't any of that, then it's also possible for her to not notice anything wrong with her phone, and simply decides to leave it be. As for her whereabouts, whether her phone's lowbat or not, she should have been in her dormitory by this time. If she wasn't, then she must be somewhere within the building, like a practice room. Though only way to know where she really is, we'll have to look for her. Knowing that I wouldn't be able t find her immediately on my own, I decided to ask some of the others to look with me. Of course, I told them where to look.
"I've got it. Considering the time and the storm happening outside, there's no way for her to be out of dorm premises. Plus, she wouldn't have a reason to be out this late. So, there's a 90 percent chance of her being inside. The reason she can't be contacted is either because her phone's battery is low, or something happened for it to malfunction or turn off. Loss of signal isn't likely due to this building's power source. So, we'll just have t look for her, if she really is needed right now, for Shining's announcement. Reiji, Ranmaru, Camus, you guys will have to help me look for her if we want to find her immediately." I stated to everyone in the room, though directed the message to the three mentioned specifically.
Reiji was of course, willing to help, while Ranmaru and Camus simply went with the flow, thinking that they probably had no choice, seeing as even the president wanted to cooperate with this little search party. All the other people in the room wanted to look for Haruka as well. Obviously, I had no problem with that. We would actually be in a higher advantage point if more people were to join in to search for the missing person. And when everything was settled, I split everyone into groups, excluding me, Shining, Ringo, and Ryuya. Then, I assigned every group an area to search in. I decided not to include myself in order to look for her in a place I didn't inform them of… alone. Some of them questioned why I wasn't include in any of the groupings, but I said to them that I was still going to search, I just needed to do it by myself, with no one else.
In the next minute, when all the complaining and comments were over, everyone was gone and on their way to their specific stations. Reiji, Ranmaru, and Camus were in the men and women's dormitories, while Otoya, Cecil, Masato, and Natsuki searched by the practice rooms. Seira, Tokiya, Ren, and Syo were by the hallways on in the ground floor, where the main entrance is found. I assumed Shining together with Ringo and Ryuya planned on contacting the agency where she had a meeting this afternoon to see if they could get any hints to where she might be. I, on the other hand told everyone that I was going to search in her room, in case there were any clues to where she could have gone. I also reassured them that I wouldn't have any problem with entering her room, despite it being locked, and I also had to convince Reiji that I wasn't planning on doing anything indecent.
'Goodness… why does he have to be so troublesome even at the most crucial of times?' I thought, as I arrived at my dorm to get my umbrella and flashlight yet again. But, before going out, I made sure no one was in the hallway. When I spotted nobody, I quickly walked to the staircase, and passed by it as fast as I could. Stopping upon the last step, I again checked if there was anyone in the hallway and at my back as well.
"There's no one in the hallway, and I hear no footsteps coming from the next one. There doesn't seem to be anyone following me either…" I said quietly, before stepping down the last stair and swiftly making my way to the exit. I stumbled upon a few more turns along the way, with me checking their paths one by one to ensure that no one knew I was going out. It slowed me down, but it had to be done. I didn't want anyone tagging along with me asking me unnecessary questions about how I knew that she is or might be in the park. With the exit in sight, I looked back one last time before running to it. Slowly, I unlatched the door so that it wouldn't make any screeching sounds. And once the space was wide enough for me to fit, I slipped out the door, and closed it again. Taking out my umbrella, I opened it as I switched on my flashlight.
Seira's POV
"Hm… I wonder who that was who went out." I mumbled to myself. I wasn't really intending to say that to anyone else when Ren-kun suddenly interrupted me from my thoughts.
"What's wrong, Lady? You alright?" he asked in his typical, smooth, flirty voice. Smiling, I nodded. "Mm! I'm alright." I answered, pausing for a moment, as I tried to make up my mind on whether I should tell him what I saw or not. But then I thought that there was nothing wrong with being honest, so I was about to tell him about it when he suddenly spoke again.
"Are you sure? You looked a little disturbed just now." he said, smirking as he went closer to me. Blushing at the little distance we had, my shoulders raised as I put both my hands in order to push him away. I figured he was going to continue pushing his was through when he laughed instead.
"Hahaha! How cute… you were never like this when we were dating a few years back. So you really did change… interesting."
'Now that certainly caught me off guard…' I thought, pouting at the guy before me. We continued our playful argument when Syo-kun and Tokiya-kun arrived. They eyed us with question.
"What are you two still doing standing around like that? Let's go! We still haven't found her yet…" Syo-kun said, his volume decreasing as he got to the last few words.
"Yes. She isn't in this area, so we're just going to have to meet up with the rest to see if they found her." Tokiya-kun added, walking away after. Although none of us knew much about her, as a fellow member of this agency, we were all concerned about her. Of course, we also wanted to help out QUARTET NIGHT as well. They were probably worried sick about her.
'Or… then again, maybe not all of them.' I thought, recalling the looks they had when I first met them. Kotobuki-kun was pretty nice, but the other three were… well… let's just say they were scary, and… stiffer than most. Continuing to fill my mind with pictures of the past when, I ended up spacing out a little after. Luckily, Syo-kun was able to snap me out of it.
"Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay? Why'd you stop?" he asked, looking back to where I was; behind him and Ren-kun. And when I realized what he was talking about, I immediately ran up to them in order to catch up, apologizing as I did.
"Haha sorry, sorry! I was just thinking of Haruka and you know… where she might be during such a night." I mumbled, my eyes glued to the ground from embarrassment. Both fell quiet. We simply stood there, frozen until Ren-un was able to break the silence.
"Well, I'm sure she's fine. We just have to keep looking." he said, reassuring me. Grinning at the two idols, all of us resumed walking to where the others were. We also saw Tokiya-kun a few steps further, seemingly waiting for us. And when his eyes averted to our direction, he sighed and told us to hurry up. The three of us just laughed as Ren-kun explained why we took so long.
"Sorry for the wait up. The lady was just a little worried and needed a little comfort. Right little lamb?"
"Yup! I'm sorry Tokiya-kun…" I replied, laughing nervously as I bowed. Thankfully, he wasn't mad, so all was good. And with that, we continued our journey to the hallway by the practice rooms, where Otoya-kun and the rest were. Walking alongside with Syo-kun and Ren-kun, I suddenly looked to my right, where Ren-kun was. I smiled.
But then, the smile soon turned into a frown, as I thought, 'Stupid ex. Who does he think he is? Acting all friendly and familiar around me like that.'
Ai's POV
Through the dirt path surrounded by trees, I walked, directing my light on one side, then the other, to see if I'd be able to spot her around these areas. The wind was very strong, and at times blew my umbrella backwards, making it more difficult for me to walk at a steadier pace. Despite the dangerous weather, I had no concerns when it came to extreme temperatures and such. My body was built to withstand the cold, and even extreme heat. But, even I have my limits, and I can say that my body was weaker against heat than the cold. Haruka, on the other hand, was much weaker than I was. Extending her time out on a cold night like this would mean risking her health to high standards. That was why I needed to get to her as fast as I could. Although it would be better if she were somewhere safe, and in shelter, but… not knowing of her whereabouts is just as bad as leaving her out here, especially when no one could tell what may happen to her.
In less than five minutes I was able to reach the gate, which was open 24 hours a day, no matter what the situation. Stepping out of the agency's property, I immediately took a left, then walked straight until I came across another left turn. Noticing another drop in the temperature, I started to walk faster. I increased, and increased my speed until I began running. As the park opening came into view, lightning appeared on the dark, cloudy sky, thunder following its trail after the next two seconds. I stopped in my tracks, as one by one, raindrops started to fall down, until the rain completely poured. And as if on cue, my feet continued to run, quickening their pace all the while. No my way there, I could feel my chest throbbing again. And unlike before, it didn't start weak. This time, the first impact was strong, making my eye twitch as I felt the first hit. Tightening my grip around the umbrella's handle, I silently told myself to bear with it, and that finding Haruka had to come first.
Approaching the park entrance, I slowed down, and scanned the area for a bit. The park was a simple, medium sized lot, with grassy floors, trees, a playground, a few benches, and quite a number of lamp posts, based from what I saw that one time I passed by. But, because of the strong winds, those have stopped working, and now the park was pitch black, with nothing but the leafless treetops visible. In front of me, I shone the flashlight.
"If she were waiting for me here, then most probably she would stay by either one of the benches, or the playground… judging from her overall personality." I thought aloud, deciding whether to start from the benches or the playground first. Though, strangely, my mind began to fill itself with images of Haruka. Suddenly, a bunch of presumptions started to pop up all at once.
'What if she's already collapsed due to the cold?'
'What if she's been on the ground, unconscious for an hour or more?'
'What if she gets sick? It'll most probably worsen the more she stays out like this.'
'I have to hurry… I need to know where she is, and that she's safe.'
'What is she isn't even there?'
'What if someone offered to help her? Who knows who she'll trust…'
All those thoughts of negativity started to violate my place of mind, making my head have a massive headache. Ordering myself to stop, I said with a confident voice, "Whatever happens to her, I'll b sure to take care off. Whether she's okay or not, none of that will matter if I don't do something about this… I have to hurry and find her."
Stepping in the park's lot, I walked straight for the playground. I figured that since all the benches were scattered all around the park, it would be easier to look in one specific space fist. Unfortunately, I was having a harder time than expected. All the leaves that were supposedly on the ground were being blown all around by the wind, blocking my view. The rain was no different. It was so strong, that I had to look very carefully just to clearly see what was beyond the light of my flashlight. Though, aside from that, my system was still functioning properly…
Or so I thought.
The more I thought of Haruka, the more my chest pounded, and the more my head felt like it was being banged on all brick wall nonstop. The pain was tolerable, but it prevented me from increasing the speed of my movement. Every time a strong impact would land on both parts, I would freeze for a moment, and try to relieve my body of the intense pain. At that time, I had no idea why this was happening, though I certainly wasn't blaming Haruka for it. Well, I should actually be blaming Hakase for all of this. This couldn't possibly be because of some virus, and he most probably knew that I would find out. And yet, he gave me false conclusions, and no information on side effects such as data being deleted from my system unknowingly. But, now wasn't the time to think of my own situation. I had to concentrate on finding Haruka, and make sure that she'll be taken back to the dorms immediately.
When I arrived at the playground, I called out to her, making sure not to miss any part of it. I went by the swing, the roundabout, by the slide and behind it, and on the sandbox. I even went behind the trees in case she decided to sit under one of them. But… she was nowhere to be found. I called out to her.
"Haruka! Haruka! Can you hear me?! Haruka!"
Upon shouting out her name, a wave of pain suddenly came over me as I further thought her yet again. It was the most intense I'v felt, even before I approached Hakase for a repair. The grip I had on my umbrella started to weaken, as I felt heat build up in my head. Letting my guard down, the wind took advantage. Abruptly, it swished the umbrella out of my hand, and far from my reach. Immediately, I felt the cold drops of rain on my metal figure, as my breathing became uneven. And as if having a mind of its own, my knees wobbled, and fell to the ground with a heavy sound. The wind was stronger than ever, and was approximately 220 kilometers per hour. The rain drops began to thicken as well, as more and more fell onto the ground. I knew that if I didn't get up sooner, then Haruka will have to bear another second in the cold, and I didn't want that. I needed to somehow ease the pain, so that I could stand up again and walk. Though the only way to do that… was to get her out of my head for the time being. I've come to that conclusion because this only happens whenever I think of her. But, I couldn't do that right now. She's the reason I decided to go all the way here in the first place, so not thinking of her even when all this is for her sake would make no sense.
But, I needed to get up in order to continue searching for her. So I thought, in spite of my overheating system. Then, an idea came to mind. Letting go of my flashlight, I faced my palms downward, and tried to push myself back up. My feet were trying to support me as well, but, they kept on slipping on the muddy ground. I tried, and tried numerous times, but my knees kept on wobbling, and my feet felt numb, making my efforts ineffective. Balling up my fast, I took a deep breath, and pushed myself up. And at last, I was able to get up at least on my knees. Slowly, I stood up, steadying myself as I caught my balance. Taking one step, I made sure to take it easy, or else I'll lose my balance again and fall. Repeatedly, I screamed her name. Though, unfortunately, I received no answer. All I got from that was heavier breathing, and unsteady movements.
'Why… is this girl causing me so much trouble? We've only met, and she's already done this much… Why… I don't understand…' I thought, letting out a light grunt as a cough escaped my mouth. And as I continued to walk, I accidentally tripped on a rock, making me stumble and fall down… again. I bit my lip.
"Haruka… where are you? I need to know… Haru… ka…"
Only a whisper of her name, and it already increased the pain I was going through a hundred times. Though, I wasn't giving up just yet. She's just my group's composer, but I didn't see any reason to simply ignore her absence in the dorm, especially on a night like this. She didn't mean much to me, but I needed her safe, especially now. I couldn't understand why, and I knew that I may never will, but all that is of no importance at the moment. The only important thing was…
"Haruka… H-Haruka!"
As I called out to her, I attempted to stand up yet again. And finally, I was able to gain the strength to stand up, even if I wasn't completely in hold of my balance. I walked a few steps forward, and thought that I could continue searching for her just like that. Although… my knees knew better.
Not even a minute has passed, and I was already back on the cold, wet ground, and I was starting to get sick of it. I was disappointed with myself, and how weak I was. Squeezing a patch of grass in my hand, I gritted my teeth, as my breathing became harder to control, my forehead colliding with the floor. All these things I was experiencing, and yet, she has never once escaped my mind.
"H-Haruka… Haruka… HARUKA! Answer me! I-if you're there… answer me…"
Even if I knew she most probably wasn't in the area I was, I continued to scream her name, calling out to her in hopes of my voice ever reaching her ears. And I could only wish for the best that could happen as of now, which is that she's somewhere in this park, unharmed, can hear my voice, but isn't able to move, and therefore unable to reply to my calling.
"Tch…" I said under my breath, cursing my body and system's weakness. Balling up my fists for the second time, I let out the strength I had left into trying to stand up again. And this time, if ever I were to get up, I'll make sure not to return back down. Though, unfortunately, the strength I had left was little, and close to being no more. My eyes were starting to close as well, as I knew that my whole system will be shutting down in less than a minute. Just when I had no other choice but to accept the current situation, I heard a soft rustle coming from the area a few meters beyond mine. I looked up, and tried to see who or what made that noise. But, at this point I could no longer do so, seeing as my vision started to become a blur. Whoever that was or whatever, it probably didn't matter anymore. And just when my system was ready to shut down, I heard a voice. It was soft, unstable, and almost inaudible. Immediately, my eyes shot up, as I noticed some of my strength was miraculously regained. And when I looked up, I saw her. The one I have been searching for all around for hours. The one I unintentionally forgot, but mistakenly did. The one who has been causing me all this pain and trouble, and the one who not even for a minute, can I get out of my head.
"M… Mi… M-Mikaze-senpai…" the voice said.
"H-Haru… Haruka?" I mumbled, struggling to get closer to the small, crawling figure. For a moment, my knees and legs were able to push me a few inches forward, then, after that, I fell… for the third time. But, that distance I had between the figure was close enough for me to tell that the person really was the one I have been looking for.
"Haruka…" I said with a shaky voice, as I struggled to reach out to her. Although, my hand was only able to go so far, I pushed it a little bit more, when I saw her reaching out to me too. And when I did, our fingertips touched. They were cold, and stiff. By now, she was most probably frozen by the cold. And yet, she was able to do this much. I wanted to get closer to her. I wanted to get close enough to hold her in my arms in order to carry her back to the dorms, where it's safe. But… I couldn't. I was totally at my limit, and was able to go a little beyond it because of seeing her figure and hearing her voice.
Despite my motionless self, I still continued to hear small, inconsistent rustles coming from her direction. My elbows then started to tremble, as they couldn't do any more movements. Even so, I tried to stay above the ground, at least this much. I tried to stay conscious, despite my system keeping me from doing so. At this point, all my senses have grown weak; my sight, hearing, everything. Because of this, I wasn't able to tell anymore whether she was still moving or not. And again, I had thought of collapsing in my mind. This time, for sure, I knew I was going to really lose my consciousness. Of course, I didn't want to, because I wasn't contented with just knowing Haruka was there. I needed her safe. But, there was no possibility of me ever regaining my strength to come over to her and bring her to shelter.
'I'm sorry… Haruka.' I thought, despite knowing that it will never reach her. My head soon became heavy as I slowly started to descend onto the ground. Expecting the cold and hard ground against my cheeks, I waited for the impact. But… it never came. Then, I realized that my face was against something else. I needed to know what it was I landed on, so I demanded for my body to move. Though, as expected, it didn't work. I attempted to say her name, or at least whisper it, to know if it was her or not, when I suddenly felt hands grab onto the side of my sweater, steadily puling me up until I was up on my knees, and wrapped around someone's arms. At that point, I knew, that Haruka was the one who had helped me get up.
"Mikaze… senpai… I-I'm… sorry… A-are you… okay?" she said, her voice shaking and cracking up from the extreme temperature. Even her whole body was shaking from how cold it was, and was most likely aching as well. And yet… she was able to get up and help me.
'All those times I said she was weak… I take them all back. She was able to do this much… just for my sake. I should be calling myself weak… not her.'
"F-forgive me… Haruka. I should be the one… apologizing… N-not you…" I replied, somehow finding enough strength to speak. Simply shaking her head for an answer, she tightened her arms around me, as I did the same with her. We stayed like that for about ten minutes, and we both unexpectedly stayed conscious throughout the whole of it. Her arms had weakened a bit, but they remained around me. I, on the other hand somehow regained enough strength to exchange places with her. Slowly, I adjusted my legs in order for me to sit down. Then, I placed her in front of me, where she can still stay in my embrace, her hands on my chest, grasping my sweater slightly. There, I was determined to stay awake until the storm ends, and morning comes. By then, I'll have enough strength to bring her back to the dormitories.
Having her in my arms now, I feel somewhat… relieved. And even though I knew she won't be able to reply, I decided to speak, and tell her everything that's been on my mind. But, she ended up speaking before I could.
"Mi-Mikaze-senpai… Why did you… come all the way here… despite the weather being this… violent? I mean… you shouldn't do such things. It's… dangerous for your… health." She said, her voice barely audible, not moving an inch from her place as she did so. Sighing, I put my forehead on her shoulder as I answered, "Haruka… you should be… worrying more about yourself right now… not me." I had a continuation in mind, but paused in order to rethink whether I should say them or not. Keeping the fact that I was a robot a secret was one of my top priorities, though… she did deserve an explanation. Hiding it would be useless as well. So, I made up a decision in my mind that I'll be explaining everything to her. Though, I won't be doing that now, given the current situation.
"And… about me arriving here… extremely late… I-I'll explain that… when we get back… to the dorm. I don't think I'll be able to explain… right now."
Tilting her head a bit, she nodded, resting her forehead on the front of my shoulder.
Minutes past, and the storm finally subsided. Although, the temperature was still very low, causing Haruka to continue to shake. I knew, that because I wasn't human, my body wasn't as warm, therefore even if I wrapped my whole self around her, it wouldn't make her feel any better. But, since I have overheated quite a bit, some of the heat was probably transferred to her. And, as much as possible, she needed to get some sleep. Though, with the pain she's feeling, I don't think it'll be that easy. Trying to come up with an idea to make her fall asleep, a sudden thought came into mind.
"Haruka…"
"Y-yes?"
"… Is there anything that makes you sleep? Or at least, relaxes you?" I asked in a hushed tone. Lifting her head a bit, she let out a small 'eh?', seemingly surprised at my question. She was silent for as long as two minutes before she called my attention.
"M-Mikaze-senpai… why do you ask?" she said, turning her head to the left, the tip of her nose touching my neck. Once she felt my skin on hers, she stiffened, abruptly moved her face to the opposite side about half an inch, just so that her nose wouldn't be touching my neck anymore. Mumbling an apology after, her body began to relax, returning to its former state. Not knowing why she abruptly moved away like that, I asked, "What's wrong? Do I smell funny?"
Shaking her head to protest, she answered, "No, it's not that. I just… th-thought that it would make y-you uncomfortable… s-so I decided t-to… move a little. Sorry i-if it b-bothered you… a bit." Letting her be, I decided to just let her do whatever made her comfortable. After all, I was to blame partly for what happened. Though, the rest of the blame will fall on Hakase for not informing me despite the circumstances.
Going back to her question, I lightly shook my head, replying, "About that last question… I just figured that… you should probably be… getting some rest now… or at least relax your body…" Remaining silent, she tilted her head downward, possibly thinking of what to answer. With half a minute done, she at last replied to what I said a few seconds ago.
"I'm… n-not really s-sure of what makes m-me… sleepy. B-but, I guess… music seems to r-relax m-me…"
'Music, huh? Well, that's simple enough.' I stated in my mind, as I thought of the best way I could calm her nerves. If music was the key to making her comfortable, then I simply had to sing in order for her to relax a bit. Of course, a soft melody had to be used.
'But I guess I should just ask her what song she'll prefer.' I thought, settling things into place. Looking up, there were still heavy-looking clouds covering the sky, as rain still continued to fall down from them. Returning my attention back to Haruka, I prepared to ask her a question when I unwillingly inhaled the scent from her hair. It smelled exactly like her room… a hint of roses, but mainly strawberry scented. It was unusual though. I've never paid much attention to small things, especially scents, whether pleasing to the nose or not. But, hers was… well… different. I'd have continuous urges to smell it, even when I didn't need to. I even did so much as to get a little closer to her in order for the scent to smell stronger. But, I figured I shouldn't move any further so that she wouldn't feel uncomfortable. It was strange, these sudden urges to continue sniffing her hair strands, and it was making my chest hurt again. So, I immediately tried to forget I ever noticed that and went back to the question I was going to ask her.
"Haruka… is there any song that you prefer listening to? I plan on singing for you… in order to make you relax."
Raising her head, she took a deep breath, before she jerked in pain. I sighed, before putting my hand behind her head, and pushing her gently towards me in order for her to be back resting on my shoulder. "You shouldn't move too much if you want to get better." I said, not removing the hand that was behind her head.
"I'm sorry… I-I was just… s-surprised at what you just said." she uttered under her breath. "I just… wanted M-Mikaze-senpai to… get some rest… too." she added, turning her half way, her eyes on the neck of my sweater. My chest rose, then fell, as I exhaled air yet again.
"I told you, you should be thinking of yourself more… no need to think about me." I said, repeating what I told her earlier. As she sat there, quiet, I simply couldn't do nothing more than to just sit there with her, secretly inhaling her scent as I waited for her to speak once more. And somehow, I felt… discontented with myself. Despite all my words of bringing her to safety, in the end, I wasn't able to. All I did was find her, nothing more. To be honest, she was the one who played the role of a savior, even when I was supposed to be the one doing the saving. As much as I wanted to carry her back to the agency, I was aware of my limits, and those include my legs and feet not being able to support any more weight, as of now. Originally, my system would've stopped functioning by now. But, somehow, after seeing Haruka, I was able to gather enough strength to at least get up and act as her support as she rested. Looking at her in my arms like this, I noticed another strange sensation stirring within my abdomen. It wasn't painful, though it was making me overheat more. Leaning back on the tree trunk, I lead my right hand to the top of my chest, where I could feel all the heat collected. Calling my name with a soft murmur, Haruka asked me, "A-are you… alright, Mikaze-senpai?" Surprised with how thoughtful she could be, I nodded, and let out a small 'Mn.' before replying, "I'm alright."
Moving back slightly, she raised her head so her orange-colored eyes would reach my teal-colored ones. And with no more than a second after, she smiled, her eyes closed as her cheeks turned light pink. I wasn't really expecting her to smile at a time like this, so I had no idea how to react. But… somehow, without really thinking, I myself smiled too. It wasn't as bright as hers, but as my calculations said, it was still considered a 'smile'. Once our eyes met for the second time around, she stared at me for a bit, eyes widened, before she bent down her head, looking away as she did.
"M-Mikaze-senpai?" she said, speaking out of the blue. With my eyes directed to her, I replied, "Hm?"
"I… I-I think I know… what s-song I prefer now." She answered, the tension from her body disappearing slowly. Noticing this, I finally sensed that I was able to at least do something in order to help her in any way possible.
"Then, what is it?"
"Um… well… I guess I like the 'Star's song'."
"The 'Star's song'? You mean that song for children?" I asked, in order to configure with her whether the song I had in mind was correct or not. She nodded.
"Hmm? If that's the case, then I'll sing that song for you." I said, receiving another smile from her. And I couldn't help but smile with her too. It seemed so contagious, her smile. Even though I didn't understand much about the feeling of happiness, right now, I can somehow grasp the concept of what 'happiness' is like, thanks to this young woman in my arms this very moment.
"P-please do, Mikaze-senpai. Th-thank you very much." she whispered silently, before I told her to relax and loosen up so that her body wouldn't ache that much anymore. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, before reopening them as I began to sing the 'Star's song'.
"Twinkle, twinkle little star"
'These lyrics…'
"How I wonder what you are."
'I've never really come to understand them before.'
"Up above the world so high"
'I've heard this song already, once or twice…'
"Like a diamond in the sky."
'Although, I still couldn't grasp the meaning of it. I mean, it's basically just about a star, and a child singing to it.'
"Twinkle, twinkle little star"
'But… now, I think I understand what this song means. And it can mean many things; a literal star, or maybe something or someone you're fond of.'
"How I wonder what you are."
'And for me, this song describes Haruka, and how beautiful she is. She's so pure and untainted, that it's almost impossible to believe that she's even human. But… I still don't know what she is, or who she is… to me. Hopefully though…'
"I'll be able to find that out someday." I said, finishing my thought with a whisper as I found my lips forming yet another smile. She had already fallen asleep by the time I finished the song. I was a little overwhelmed at first. She was able to doze off so fast, which was something I hadn't assumed to happen, judging from all the pain she was feeling a while ago. But, I guess the sight of her sleeping peacefully somehow… relieved me.
'And it's about time she does… my system is ready to shut down as well.' I thought, holding her close to me as we both slept out on the cold, rainy night under a tree. I wasn't sure about Haruka but I wasn't bothered by this feeling at all. Not one bit.
So that's that! I'm really sorry if it isn't that... nice. Writing with the newly repaired robot's point of view is kinda tough. ^_^"
And I hope you guys still remember Seira. She's not appearing that much together with STARISH until... further notice. Lol... ^_^"
Anyway, thanks for reading! Bye! X)