souna no miko
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all original characters mentioned in this story is owned by the great Takeuchi Naoko. There is no way I would claim them as my own. The song/s that will be used as part of the story are not mine either, they are owned by their respective writers and singers.
Chapter
6
Rain
The next day Haruka looked haggard and he kept on yawning, his lack of sleep the night before was starting to get to him. And as if reflecting Haruka's mood, the sky was starting to get dark and threatening. Then he heard Haruko running down the stairs hurriedly in fear of getting to school late.
"Don't forget your umbrella, it might rain!" Haruka reminded.
"I won't, I promise!" Haruko replied as she stuffed a waffle in her mouth, dashed out of the dining room and out the house.
"Haruka-papa, why did Ruko-nesan leave the house? Aren't you going to drive us to school again?" Hotaru asked as she placed butter on her waffle.
"Gomen Hotaru but I can't, the car is still broken remember, unless you want to ride on the motorcycle?" Haruka replied with a smile.
"I don't want that noisy thing." Hotaru replied as she stuck her tongue in disgust.
Meanwhile at the three lights' apartment, Seiya and Taiki have already left for school leaving their other friend sleeping soundly in his room.
'Damn those guys. All they had to do was knock on my door and tell me it was already time to wake up. Now I'm going to be late!' Yaten thought to himself as he left the apartment, leaving his umbrella behind.
Yaten was already five blocks away from their apartment when the rain finally poured down. He used his bag to cover his head and ran towards the shed when he accidentally bumped into someone, which made him fall on a puddle of water.
"Why don't you watch where you're going you jer-" Yaten stopped when he heard the person apologizing. When he raised his head he saw Haruko all wet from the splash he generated awhile ago. Haruko reached her hand to help him up and offered to share her umbrella. Together they walked towards the bus stop where there is a waiting shed.
"I'm really sorry Yaten, I didn't see which way I was going. Gomenasai Yaten-san!" Haruko said as she tried to wipe her face with her already wet hands.
Yaten stared at her and felt like his heart's on a racetrack. He reached into his pocket and took out his handkerchief. It was also wet but he tried his best to squeeze out the water and dry it a little. Then handed it to Haruko and said,
"Here, you can use this. It's a little wet but at least it's better than your hand."
Haruko took the handkerchief, smiled and replied,
"Thanks. I guess I left my handkerchief at home."
"Hey it was better to leave your handkerchief behind than your umbrella, unlike me." Yaten replied and the both of them laughed.
After awhile Yaten smiled at her as he reached out and tucked a stray wet hair of Haruko's behind her neck.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
They waited for the bus but the rain grew stronger. Yaten looked at his watch and said,
"Look's like we're going to be late."
"Super late if the bus doesn't arrive now. Oh man, Setsuna's gonna kill me!" Haruko whined.
"Kill US you mean! Wait a minute, why didn't you go to school with Setsuna anyway? You two live in the same house right?" Yaten asked.
Haruko stuck out her tongue and replied,
"I woke up late, Setsuna left at 6am."
"6am?! Whoa that's so early." Yaten exclaimed in shock.
"Yeah well... She said she had some stuff to do before going to school." Haruko replied with a shrug.
"Ah souka (I see)."
Then the wind blew stronger and Yaten noticed Haruko hug herself as she shivered due to the coldness of the wind blowing at her already cold body. Suddenly, Haruko felt Yaten pulling her closer to a warm embrace.
"Gomene..demou..this is the only way I can think of to keep the both of us warm." Yaten said as he noticed Haruko blush.
Haruko nodded and uttered a soft 'Thank you.' But it was audible enough for Yaten to hear and cause his heart to flutter.
Meanwhile, back at Juuban High, classes had already been suspended and most of the students were either picked up by their guardians or had already gone home by themselves. After picking up Hotaru, Haruka went to Juuban High to fetch Setsuna and his sister and went ballistic the moment he learned that Haruko never made it to school.
"Calm down Haruka. Maybe she's just stranded somewhere." Minako said in an attempt to calm down the angry tiger that is Haruka.
Everybody stared annoyingly at Minako,
"What?! I was just trying to help." Minako reacted.
Setsuna shook her head lightly, turned her attention to Haruka and said,
"We'll look for her once the rain stops or at least when the wind lessens. In the mean time calm your nerves okay?"
The gang, except for Seiya and Taiki stayed in the school to wait for the rain to stop. The two starlights drove home amidst the pouring rain,
"So I guess it's a good thing we didn't wake up Mr. I-sleep-like-a-log." Seiya told Taiki as they make their way home.
"Maybe. Let's just hope he's still sleeping or else its world war III." Taiki replied.
Back at the bus stop, Yaten told Haruko that the school had probably suspended the classes by now and it would be better and safer if they went back to the 3 Lights' apartment before they catch a cold. They walked side by side under one umbrella and shared Yaten's coat. When they got there, Yaten immediately instructed Haruko to take a bath,
"Demou...what about you?" Haruko asked.
"Don't worry I'll be fine, I don't catch colds that easily." Yaten replied as he took off the upper part of his school uniform, leaving his pants on.
Haruko went inside the shower while Yaten dried himself up with a towel, changed his pants and made hot chocolate.
Meanwhile, Seiya and Taiki had just pulled up in the garage and went up stairs.
"Aren't you a bit least worried about Haruko? I mean she could be anywhere. We should have atleast helped them look for her." Taiki asked Seiya as he looked for the key of their apartment.
"I already told you, Haruka would never ask for our help and even if we do volunteer he'd just snap at us for 'meddling with his problems'. Sheez you know how that guy could be" Seiya replied.
"But still...she could be –" Taiki was cut short the moment he opened the door.
They saw Yaten sitting half-naked in front of the TV with a towel hanging over his shoulder talking to Haruko who was standing in between his legs with nothing else but a towel wrapped around her body.
Seiya and Taiki screamed at the top of their lungs and immediately entered the apartment, banging the door behind them. Seiya ran to the other side of the apartment to close every window and to cover it with the curtains.
"What the hell is she doing here?!" Taiki exclaimed, pointing at Haruko.
"Don't tell us something happened between you and –" Yaten smacked Seiya at the back of his head to cut him off.
"Uhh...yeah..I think I should go look for that shirt now." Haruko said as she walked towards Yaten's room.
"I think it's at the back of my cabinet." Yaten shouted back.
The moment Haruko was gone; the two taller boys pinned Yaten on the wall and asked,
"You better start explaining Yaten." Seiya warned.
Yaten slapped their hands away, walked towards the table where the hot chocolate is and explained everything while preparing two extra cups of hot chocolate.
"....Then she came out of the shower asking if she could borrow one of my shirts. That's when you two came in screaming like a bunch of sissies." Yaten ended as he handed them their hot chocolates.
"Ah souka, so that's why you two didn't make it to school." Taiki replied.
"But now we have a problem." Seiya said after taking a sip of his hot chocolate.
Yaten raised an eyebrow in question,
"Haruka. He's gone ballistic when he discovered that his sister didn't make it to school." Taiki replied.
"And he's gonna throw a serious and dangerous fit once he discovers that she was with you all along." Seiya continued.
"Most especially if he learns that she was here in our apartment with you all alone." Seiya added after a brief moment of silence.
All three boys fell silent once again when,
"No he won't." Haruko announced as she walked out of Yaten's room wearing a big shirt that it looked like a dress shirt on her.
"Hey that's not your shirt Yaten that's mi— oof!" Yaten elbowed Seiya on the stomach and took a step forward to look at Haruko, feeling the very same thing he did this morning back at the bus stop. He shook his head lightly and asked her,
"Naze ka? (Why is that?)"
Haruko smiled a big sinister smile, flopped down on the couch, reached for the phone before finally replying,
"Because I said so."
Meanwhile back in Juuban High Haruka's cell phone started ringing.
"Moshi Moshi! (1)" Haruka greeted.
After a few seconds Haruka suddenly exclaimed,
"She's with whom in whose what-ment??? I'm gonna crush him. He did what?!" Haruka paused for a while and continued, "No Mich I can't calm down knowing that she's with those guys!" Haruka paused again to listen to the other line and continued with an annoyed tone, "Oh alright, if she says so, but he better bring her home untouched or else. Uh-huh..okay...I said okay already! I'll try to be, okay bye." Haruka heaved out a heavy sigh as he pushed the "end" button.
"What was that all about Haruka?" Usagi asked.
"It was Michiru. She said Haruko called home."
"And?" Setsuna asked.
Haruka rolled his eyes and replied,
"And she's in the 3 Lights' apartment."
Everybody had a shocked look on their faces except for Mamuro and Calliope.
"How did she get there?!" Minako exclaimed.
"Michiru said that my sister would explain everything when she gets home." Haruka replied.
Mamoru cleared his throat and said,
"If she's with the 3 Lights then she's safe. You don't need to worry anymore."
"That's easy for you to say. It's not your sister who's alone with three guys in an apartment." Haruka snapped back.
"And neither is it yours." Calliope replied.
Everyone turned to her and Haruka looked like she just wanted to strangle the poor transferee right then and there.
"What did you say?" Haruka hissed.
Mamoru looked at Calliope, who was sitting quietly beside him and asked,
"Calliope, did you say anything?"
Calliope opened her eyes and looked at Mamoru indifferently,
"Nothing sir, I was just thinking out loud about a conversation I had with my father last night. I wasn't even listening to any of you sensei. (2)"
Haruka 'hmphed' and left the room.
Back at the apartment, Haruko and the guys watched TV and talked about stuff until Seiya noticed that the rain had finally stopped.
"I better get you home." Yaten said as he grabbed the car keys.
'I'll just go and change my clothes." Haruko replied as she grabbed her school uniform from the dryer and stepped into Yaten's room.
"You're gonna drive?" Seiya asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Why, got a problem with it?" Yaten replied while putting on his shirt.
"Okay okay, let me get this straight. You're going to drive the car to Haruko's place and drive back here?" Seiya asked.
Yaten stared at Seiya and replied,
"Ye-ess, and your point is?"
"Nothing. It's just that –" Seiya answered.
Yaten folded his arms, raised an eyebrow and asked,
"It's just that – what?"
"We're just surprised. I mean you never drive the car when we go out. 'It's tiring and I don't feel like it', you always say, but now you'll do it." Taiki butted in.
"Oh shut up." Yaten dismissed as he turned his back to his friends to go to the kitchen.
After a few more minutes, Haruko finally stepped out of the room wearing her dried uniform with a smile. They said goodbye as Haruko thanked Seiya and Taiki for their hospitality and together they left the apartment. Seiya and Taiki leaned on the balcony as they watched the car drive away.
"I wonder if Yaten's finally...you know... falling in love." Taiki said.
Seiya simply replied with a 'hmm'
Yaten pulled over in front of the Tenou residence, got off the car and opened the door for Haruko.
"Thanks for everything Yaten."
"It's nothing. Well, you should go in, it's starting to get cloudy again. Say 'Hi' to everyone for me."
"Okay Yaten." Haruko beamed. She turned around and started to walk away. Then she stopped and ran back to Yaten to give him a quick peck on the cheek, which made the latter blush lightly.
"Arigatou.(3)" Haruko said with a wink. "Mata Ashita!(4)" She exclaimed as she ran towards the door.
Yaten smiled and waved goodbye but before going back into the car Haruko ran towards him once again,
"Listen, Michi's having a recital this Saturday and I was hoping you and the guys would be able to come."
Yaten blushed and smiled as he replied an affirmative answer. Haruko's smile widened as she gave Yaten another peck on the cheek. Haruko stood infront of the door as she watched Yaten drive off into the night.
Tsuzuku…
A/N:
(1) Moshi Moshi! = Hello! ; usually used as a greeting over the phone.
(2) sensei = teacher
(3) Arigatou = Thanks
(4) Mata Ashita = See you!/ See you later!