~Her Existence~

Chapter 3

Nagi continued to walk until she reached her plants. She place her bins on the ground for a moment to stare at her wet clothes and curse a little. She went to grab her bag that was placed under the tree near her tool table and found her hoodie. How glad she was that she decided to wear a work-shirt incase of accidents like these. She took a peek behind her if anyone was there.

That long haired boy came into her mind so she decided to change behind two big trees, a safe hiding spot. She hung her wet shirt in a branch and felt sorry for her denim shorts because she didn't bring any extra pants. She rubbed her bottom a little, trying to numb the pain.

Nagi sighed.

Irritation still fresh in her mind, but she couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed. She did just slipped and drenched herself in front of a boy, no matter how breezy the boy was. He was very weird, that boy. This day could be worst. But she decided that it's okay, she'll just have to take her mind off by working. She grabbed one of the bins and continued watering the plants. Plants that would be trees someday.

Hao Asakura was silent as he watched the girl do her business, he did have the manners to look away as she changed from her wet T-shirt to a dry hoodie. But now as he figured out why she travels to that lake to get water almost every day, he was beginning to be more intrigued by this human. She's watering plants, plants that were scattered like the trees on this forest. The plants are young, almost like two or three weeks old. They vary on different heights, but all of them not surpassing three feet. Small, but promising to get bigger like the other trees here. There are many of them, quite many. Twenty five, thirty… no Forty five. He wasn't sure. But the only thing he was sure of was that it was her who had planted them.

Nagi, that was the name that came into her mind when Hao had asked her. He thought it was a weird one, but the owner itself was weird too so he figured it was just right. He crossed his arms as he eyed her carefully, studying everything about her. It was only then that he realized that he never took time to analyzed her appearance before. Probably because he never really cared in the first place, but now… it's not like that anymore.

Nagi has blue eyes, cream complexion, angular features and jet black, layered, wavy hair with lengths that varies from her shoulders down to her lower back. She was dressed in navy blue hiking shorts, light pink hoodie and red snickers. She was tall, almost as tall as him though she appears to be younger, her legs and arms weren't thin but lean and her hands which appears to be gentle were covered in band-aid.

Suddenly everything about her was interesting, even what she was doing. Which brought the recent questions in his head. Why is she doing this deed? He wanted to know, he had to know and he will. Hao jumped to the open ground, away from the safety of the trees. He landed with a thud that was low enough for a human to hear. But as he take his first step, Nagi felt his presence and the girl stood up to face him. Her eyebrows furrowed, he just stayed serious. Without tearing his eyes on her, he walked, closing the distance between them.

Nagi was now beyond astonish, the boy who was just laughing at her was now dead serious, walking towards her in a fast pace. What could he possibly want? And what's with this third emotion? Hao had heard her but said nothing. He stop a few steps away from her, staring directly into her eyes which gained him another information. Her eyes weren't just blue, they were cobalt blue, vibrant and exotic. And also a very good contrast towards her dark, dark hair.

He just stood there, staring at her like she was some kind of freak from a horror movie. The silence was becoming a little bit uncomfortable now, so she had to say something. But what? He's stare was intense and sensual it's beginning to annoy her again.

"What are you doing?" Finally he spoke.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm watering the plants" She told him, obviously. But he was still staring with that intense expression.

"I know, but why?" his tone showed that he was extremely puzzled. Like no person is capable on watering the forest by their own will.

"Because… the plants… needs water… to grow." She slowly said, confused by his questions. But as he continue to stare at her, she realized that he wanted a more fulfilling answer. She looked away from him and stare at one of her plants. She sighed.

"Because I planted them. Half a month ago, many trees in this area were cut by illegal loggers. And I can see that the trees at this part of the forest was thinning. A lot of tree roots were visible but their trunks were gone. And trees as big as this-" She took a step and place her palm on the trunk. "- takes many years to mature. So I thought, I should start planting now so people of the future could appreciate it and watch it all compete to which is the tallest one." She said, unaware of the small smile on her lips.

Hao, who did not take his eyes off of her, now stared in awe. He had been wrong about her. She wasn't stupid, she was strange, yes… but not stupid. She had a very good perspective about nature and there in her exotic eyes, it's clear that she loved nature. She was different, she was unique. She didn't feel afraid of him not because she's too weak to notice his aura, but because she over came the fear. In fact she didn't even noticed she overcome it, she just naturally did it. She wasn't just another pesky human, she was different. She cared. Hao felt a sudden urge to smile, a smile that didn't need to be thought about, a smile that just spread on his face without even thinking of it.

Nagi brought her attention back at him, she felt a little shy because of the way he looked at her. But then he smiled, and the feeling that coursed through her made her feel welcomed and comfortable.

"Nagi." She muttered.

"Hmm?" Hao pretended to ask.

"You asked me earlier, my name is Nagi." She announced with a smile and clasping her hands behind her. A sudden breeze passed by and made both their hairs and Hao's poncho flutter.

"Weird one" He commented before raising his hand for a handshake. "I'm Hao" He told her pleasantly finally finding a worthy human for him to know.

"The boy of many emotions" She took his hand while nodding her head and smiling.

It was almost five in the afternoon when Nagi finished watering all the plants, carefully checking if she didn't miss or forget one. It took her four trips to the lake to water them all and finally she's done for today. She knows she had to do it because it hasn't been raining these past few weeks. And young trees needs water everyday in order for them to grower faster. And she very much wanted to do the job since she didn't have anything else to do back in town. Not that anyone would miss her or anything

Nagi sighed. She knew she was weird, that's why people usually don't understand her. She always ask the weirdest of questions or say the most unexpected things, sometime the most inappropriate things. That's why she was glad she met someone new today. Someone who's just as weird as her, who's probably on the same level or frequency as her.

She remembered that Hao has been sitting near the lake while she watered the rest of her plants. It's seems like he was waiting for something or someone. He was just leaning on that tree with a funny shape as time went by. It came to her that he hasn't eaten yet, neither has she. She took her bag and her still wet t-shirt then walked towards the lake of pasgua.

Hao was feeling very relaxed at the moment, after an hour of listening to the wind and being one with nature, it felt so good to be alive. He opened his eyes to stare at the sky. Beautiful. It's almost dusk, and the sky was rich in color. Different shades of pink, orange and violets spread along the horizon stopping at the brightly red-orange sun. Truly magnificent. It remind him of his mother and how they both like watching sunsets when he was young. It made him think about the future world he was planning to rebuild, how he wanted it to be full of life, like how the colors filled the sky. And it made him think of his other half, how he would like to spend some time with Yoh and talk to him about random stuff, things other that the shaman tournament. To ask him funny things and laugh with him.

There were so many things on his mind but they would all have to wait as he felt a brand new feeling, a presence that was coming towards him. And he knew that he would be preoccupied now, with her around. He's new acquaintance, Nagi… 'the weird one'.

He had to smile with the idea that he only got to know her an hour ago and yet she already had a nickname. He saw her arrive from the corner of his eye but he kept staring at the sun and the reflection it has on the water. She was standing there, facing his direction, finding a good spot to sit down. And when she did, she just stared at him. He could see himself through her mind. How his hand placed behind his head, his legs crossed and how his lips slowly turned up into a smile. He liked the fact that she was looking at him but her thoughts weren't coherent so he couldn't figure out what she was really thinking.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but what are you still doing here?" She suddenly blurted out. It took him a minute to forge an answer, her question caught him off guard.

"I'm watching the sunset." He simply said. He heard her think that his answer was pretty obvious but she didn't say it out loud. He turn his face to the left to take a look a good look at her. She was sitting crossed legged, facing him a few feet away with both hands on her hoodie's pocket. Her cobalt blue eyes wide with curiosity and head tilted on the side. Cute "What about you?" He asked. "What are you still doing here?" He pressed as he raise a brow.

She shrugged and took her bag from behind her to place it between them and started rummaging through her stuff. "I thought that you would want something to eat." She said before throwing him an apple which he caught in a reflex. He graze his thumb at the fruit, showing that he was in deep thought about something.

What is he thinking? He heard her think. "What are you thinking?" He heard her say.

"Are you sure it's safe to offer food to a stranger?" he mused, turning the apple around in his hand. That question fumble her mind again, confusing her. Making it impossible for him to understand what she was thinking. No rational thought was coming out of her, then suddenly… in one micro second, her mind was back to being consistent again.

"Well, your no stranger anymore. I know you who you are." She justified. Hao stared at her, she doesn't seem to grasp what he was saying.

"You know my name, but you don't know who I really am and what I can do." He told her with a strong smirk plastered on his face, he waited for her reaction. Out of the blue, she grinned.

"Oh! I know what you can do." She started while turning her face towards the sunset, the last of the sun's light for this day, which made her eyes shimmering icy blue. "You're a smooth talker, too bad it doesn't work on me." Hao was shocked by her words. "The first day I saw you, you tried to deny you were crying, this afternoon you try to tease me by laughing hard and now you're trying to scare me by your brooding expression?" She faced him with a amused look. "You're very unusual Hao."

It was the first time she spoke his name. It sounded different when it came from her lips and also weird when not being followed by 'sama'. It did strange things to his body, hearing her say his name. He liked it.

"Hmph, you say weird things Nagi. But I still think you're too naïve to spend time with a guy you barely know." He smiled darkly before biting the apple she tossed him. It was sweet. He had spoken her name, he just wished it had the same effect on her like it had on him.

And apparently he was right. He knew that.

"I'm not scared of you."

Hao stopped chewing. A long minute of silence passed by between the two of them.

"You know what I thought when I first saw you the other day?" She chirped, then he peered towards her. "I thought, what could a handsome boy possibly be crying about?" She dramatically said. She stiffed a laughed while giving him a sideward glance.

Hao rolled his eyes and smiled a one corner-mouth-smile as he continue eating his apple. The thought of her complementing him was funny. She was a delightful company, he admitted. He would never get tired talking to someone like her. And that's what they did. For a short while there, he was able to forget about his past, about the shaman fight and about who he really was.

Right now, he was just a smooth talking boy with many emotions, to Nagi at least.

What cha think? *nudge* huh? *nudge* huh? *smiles*

How is Nagi? any reactions, complaints, anything? Let me know.

Kate ^^

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