Goodbyes
"What? Seika Academy-"
"Is an all boys school?!"
The two friends of Misaki screamed in her ears. A scary aura surrounded Kaga Shizuko, one of Misaki's best friends. She clutched her orange juice with such might that Misaki was scared she might crush the glass into bits.
"Shizuko..." Misaki started but she turned around to see they've caught nearly the whole entire cafeteria's attention. "Calm down guys, you're attracting attention!" She whispered as she lowered her head in embarrassment.
"I am fine," Shizuko stated flatly. "But I supposed we should take this elsewhere, am I right, Sakura?" A fabulous pink-haired girl sat with her legs crossed before Misaki next to Shizuko. Hanazono Sakura, one of the most qualified ladies in the school nodded in agreement.
Together all three of them walked outside into the courtyard. Shizuko seems chill in this... Misaki thought.
However, once they were out of anyone's sight...
"Do you not feel ashamed?! What in the world are you planning; going to an all boys school on such a reckless mission?" Shizuko screamed in Misaki's ears.
Oh crap, I knew she would have gotten mad. Misaki regretted telling her friends. "Shizuko, calm down. It's only for two years."
"TWO YEARS?! ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF ME? YOU'LL BE SURROUNDED BY MALE IDIOTS FOR TWO WHOLE YEARS. AND IF YOU GET CAUGHT? TELL ME, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SURVIVE?!"
Misaki was left speechless. "It's not how you think it is. I have my own... reasons."
"Fine. If you want to jump into hell, go for it. I won't stop you. I already warned you," and with that, she stormed off.
Sakura stood there hearing Shizuko shout at Misaki. Shizuko rarely shouted and behaved like a perfect lady, but this was a rare case. "Where are you going, Shizuko?"
"To the library," Shizuko snorted, "where I can get some peace."
As the two watched their friend storm off, Sakura turned to Misaki. "Misaki, are you sure about this?"
Misaki paused, "Yes. You see, I have very dear friend of mine who kindly asked me to help him. I'll be back in two years. Plus, I'll recieve a great reward."
Sakura bit her lip. "Look Misaki, for whatever your reasons are, I hope that this is something that you want to do. I don't want you to feel forced. And if you are in any financial crisis, don't be afraid to ask me or Shizuko. I'll ask my father-"
"Sakura, it's alright. I'm sorry that I'm keeping the reason secret, but I really want you both to support me. And you know that I hate being indebted to anyone, especially my friends."
Sakura smiled, "I will support you Misaki, because I trust your judgement. And I'm sure Shizuko thinks the same. You're our friend, and there's no reason for me to not support you."
Misaki kept her tears in, "Thank you Sakura."
"No problem," Sakura's face suddenly pulled into a mischievous grin, "Hey, I heard there are some really hot guys in Seika. And when I think they're hot, they're hot as hell. Better not-"
"Sakura!"
"Oh, I wonder what naughty things you might-"
"Sakura, for the last time, I hate absolutely hate-"
"Attention and males. Yes, yes. It's engraved in my mind. But won't it be fun if you do find someone special?" Sakura teased.
"Tch. Like hell."
Sakura gasped. "Shh! Don't you ever swear on campus Misa! You never know where that creepy Honoka-sensei will pop up and yell at you for that." The thought made her shiver.
Misaki smiled.
"Hey, have you told Suzuna about this yet?"
Misaki's face grimaced. "No... not yet."
Misaki knocked on a certain girl's dorm room door. "Suzuna? It's me, Misaki."
A quiet voice answered, "Ah, Onee-chan, please do come in."
Misaki stepped inside and faced her sister. "Suzuna, I need to talk to you."
"It's okay, Satsuki-san already explained everything to me."
Misaki felt like she was slapped. "Oh... she did?"
Suzuna nodded. "I'm not mad at you, Onee-chan. Instead, I feel sorry because if I could have helped, you wouldn't be so burdened with part time jobs and looking after mother."
"Don't say such things, Suzuna. Two years can be short, but it's also an awful long period of time. I want you to talk care of mother while I'm gone. I'll send money back every month, so everything is going to be alright. With a Seika degree, I can go anywhere. I more like a boy anyways. You know, I bet I can beat up lots of males' asses, even when I'm outnumbered. Remember? Then, I earn lots of money for you and mother," Misaki blinked away the tears.
"Onee-chan... I know it's hard. You'll have to disguise as a boy every day and protect your identity at the same time. But don't worry, I'll take care of mom for you. So don't worry."
Hearing her sister's promising words, Misaki's tears flowed uncontrollably. "Suzuna... you're so grown-up now..." Misaki choked between her tears.
Misaki visited the hospital the following day. She brought new lilies for her mother.
"Hey mom," Misaki greeted the unconscious women laying on the hospital bed. Her dark hair sprawled across the pillow and the white sheets covered her body except for her head. Her familiar honey eyes were closed, leaving a peaceful smile.
"You must be dreaming something good, " As she saw the faint smile, she sat down on a stool after changing the flowers and held her mothers hand. There was a silence with only the beeps of the heart rate machine which Misaki took a long time to stay strong.
"I'll be going to a wonderful school soon. Don't worry, I'll take care of myself and Suzuna. I'll send money back every month for you two. Just focus on getting better," she confronted.
"I'll be back," she said and left.
"Misaki, are you sure you want to do this?" Sakura asked seriously. Misaki looked at her reflection in the mirror. Then at her long hair.
"Yes, I'm ready."
She closed her eyes, ready for Sakura's scissors to cut her long-grown hair. But the moment never came. She opened her eyes stared at herself in the mirror.
"What... did you do?" Misaki asked, confused.
"Something special I whipped up for you. I asked my personally designer to create this. It's a fire-proof, water-proof, finger-oil proof-"
"Wait, what? Finger oil?" Misaki inquired with a weird expression.
"Let the girl finish," Sakura snapped and continued, "-finger-oil proof, and-"
"Is this thing sturdy?" Misaki poked around the wig.
Suddenly Sakura stopped. "Oh... I forgot the last part..."
"And the most important one," Misaki added. "What if one of those idiots in the school accidentally pull my wig off?"
Sakura looked down. "I'll be right back!" She tried to run out the bathroom but Misaki caught her arm.
"It's okay, Sakura. I''l manage." She grabbed the elastics and tied her hair up over a hair net. Then, she combed the wig slightly to make it look more natural. When she finally positioned the wig on her head and looked in the mirror. Sakura gasped and Misaki couldn't help too. She looked like a totally different person with her newly "cropped" hair. It was black to match her natural hair color and showed her fragile frame very well. Her pale skin stood out in comparison and her eyes seemed to look larger.
Woah.
"Misaki! You still look beautiful!" Sakura beamed. Misaki couldn't stand to smile with her.
"But if I look beautiful, they'll-"
"Don't worry, Misa. Don't you remember?" Sakura came in with a huge cart of men's clothes. "I'm Hanazono Sakura, the inheritor of the Hanazona Incorporation, also known as the largest fashion industry in Japan. What else can I not provide you with?"
After trying on a million sets of men's clothes, from goth to loli type, Ayuzawa Misaki stared at her herself in the the full length body mirror. This look concealed her feminine looks completely. The dark wig seemed completely natural and her manly clothes made her look like some scrawny boy. Her breasts were tied with white cloth to make sure it looked flat, and Sakura added a layer of fake skin on her throat to look like an Adam's apple. But overall, at least she looked like a boy.
"Misaki-kun transformation complete!" Sakura proudly announced. "Although you are a bit short for a guy."
Misaki rolled her eyes, "Well, I'm sorry for not growing taller."
"I can't wait to show Shizuko this!" Sakura said excited.
"Uh... No. Just leave shizuko alone for some time..." Misaki's face darkened. "Until I leave."
"Is she still mad at you?"
"Yeah."
Sakura slapped Misaki's shoulder encouragingly and said, "Ah don't worry. You know Shizuko, she has creepy glasses and a crazy polite way of scolding people but inside she's actually like a little girl. After all, she was surrounded by her protective brothers until she came. Did you know? They all have the same creepy glasses as her?!"
"I know."
"Ha. Next semester we'll start swimming, and Shizuko will have no reason to not take off those creepy glasses," Sakura said confidently.
"Well, good luck with that," Misaki started leaving the bathroom.
"Wait!" Sakura suddenly called. She grabbed Misaki's arm to stop her and handed her two little bottles.
"What's this? Pepper spray? I didn't think you would be like Shizuko."
"Nope. This is men's cologne. It's super strong. My dad uses it so don't worry, it'll cover up all your girly features when those hot boys sniff this scent," Sakura explained. Misaki stared at the weird expensive cologne. She was doubting if you would ever use something Sakura's dad uses.
"Uh... Thanks? But why two?" Misaki asked.
Sakura stepped closer, "This bottle is pepper spray. Don't mix it up." Misaki swore she her eyebrow twitched.
Misaki held her passport and boarding pass in one hand and her suitcase in the other. A black bag swung across her shoulders and a large men's watch was wrapped around her wrist. The Nike sports shoes make her look taller and her feet look bigger. She wore regular jeans with a baggy jacket to make her look... well, manlier I guess.
The first bursting hug she received was from Satsuki. "Oh my Misa! You're so grown-up now! And look... you had to cut your beautiful hair just for this mission!" Satsuki burst into tears.
"Satsuki-san..." As crying women cried on her chest, she patted her back, trying to comfort her. Of course, Satsuki was like a mother to her. How can she ever let her dream Seiko Girls Academy corrupt? It was worth it.
After some of her friends pulled Satsuki off her, a second crying women ran into her arms. Sakura.
"Misaki! I can't believe you'll be going away! Who's closet am I going to borrow for my extra clothes?! Shizuko won't even let me come in her room!" Sakura continued to cry. Misaki did the same motion she did to Satsuki to Sakura. As she comforted her, all of Misaki's other friends began crying.
"Oh my gosh, will you guys just stop it?! It's like you guys are at my funeral than sending me off. It's only two years," Misaki confronted. The girls stopped. But Sakura and Satsuki's lips were still quivering.
"Oh come on people!" A female voiced boomed. Everyone turned to look at the same direction. There, dressed in the usual perfectly ironed ruffled shirt and wrinkle-free pencil skirt with a dangerous three inch pumps, was Honoka, Misaki's homeroom mentor. Honoka was known for her strict attitudes towards students and showed no signs of any "favorite" students. She taught literature, history, and a mannerism such as ballroom dancing. Along with her, there was Subaru, the housewife acquirement teacher, dressed in her usual dark green dress. She taught simple housewife basic skills, such as cooking, flower arrangement, and the arts, such as music and art. Finally, there stood Erika, the sports and science director. She majors in math, sciences, and sports. Apparently, she showed off her bright scarlet coat at the airport with her matching hair today.
"Honoka-sensei, Subaru-sensei, Erika-sensei," Misaki greeted and bowed.
"I'm only here to make sure you lousy immatures don't make any mistakes that would disgrace the school's image. Hmph." Honoka said with her head held up high. She apparently knew about Misaki's mission and her situation since she did't get a heart attack when she saw her top student in baggy men clothes.
"Please don't mind Honoka, Misaki. We actually came to see our top student off," Subaru smiled. Misaki smiled back and said her thanks. Erika also said something about Honoka missing me.
Honoka snorted and simply said, "Tch. Like I'll miss that scrawny beansprout." Misaki was slightly offended but brushed the insult off. Still, Honoka still hugged Misaki when she was about to leave. "Just make sure you maintain your manners and don't make a fool out of yourself. Remember your goal, and what you came for. If I catch you slacking off, I'll definitely smack you until you shrink two more centimeters."
Misaki smiled and replied, "Don't worry, Honoka-sensei. I won't, and instead, I'll grow much taller once I come back." Misaki exchanged as few last farewells and took her four-wheel suitcaes, prepared to departure.
"Hey, I think you forgot something," a deep female voice called. Misaki turned around to see an embarrassed Shizuko and smiled. Shizuko held up the bottle of cologne Misaki "accidentally" left in her dorm. "You better keep this. Don't know what those morons will ever do to you," Shizuko demanded as she the little bottle.
"Thanks," Misaki slipped the bottle in her bag. She smiled meekly, "So... Are you going to study medicine?"
Shizuko nodded. Shizuko had always wanted to become a doctor, and she has natural potential. Her family run hospitals all over America and Asia. Despite her incredible talents, she always lived in the shadow of her three brothers, who also specialized in medicine.
"Do you have any idea of what you're going to do?" Shizuko crossed her arms. She was right, all her friends had a goal or a family business they will inherit. What heir was she? Perhaps poverty. Even as the top student in Seiko Girl's Academy, Misaki had no dreams, goals, or whatsoever in life. All her life she has been worried about her family, and thinking back, her life had always revolved around her family. When other classmates played and socialized, she would try get as much sleep or study time she could get. When other girls went shopping and gossiped about boys, she was busy washing dishes at her part time job. It was hard, but Misaki managed.
"I don't know..." Misaki mumbled.
Shizuko placed one hand on her shoulder and sighed, "I knew it. You always put others before yourself." She smiled, "You know, it'll be waste to not have a dream. For once, think about your dreams, not your what others tell you should do. For once, think about yourself." And with that, Shizuko hugged Misaki. "Where's Suzuna?"
"She couldn't make it since she had a class, but we exchanged goodbyes earlier. So... You're not mad anymore?"
"Silly, why would I be mad? If this is your decision, then as I friend I would support you however I can," Shizuko said softly. Misaki could feel that Shizuko had dropped her usual cold, arrogant mask and replaced it with her true heart.
Misaki pulled away with teary eyes. After another ten minutes of comforts and farewells, Misaki was finally going through the security stage. She looked back at her friends, mentors, and classmates. They were all there for her. She smiled faintly to herself.
They are such a crazy yet wonderful bunch. They're my... family.