Chapter 12: Weary Old Kids in Technicolor

Aoi's POV

Sigh. What a boring day. It's been over an hour since Yumi left, and now I have no one to play with. She told me we were gonna have fun today, and this ain't fun at all. I sighed again, and looked at the sky. I wonder when Nii-chan would finally visit…

Just then, some dogs started to bark. A little boy came running to the Town Plaza, coming back with a group of other kids thirty seconds later. Seems like there's a new stranger visiting this small town, which wasn't a very common thing here since this was, after all, the countryside. Nobody ever visits here anyway. I should go check it out.

"Otou-chaaaan!"

"Yeph Aoi?" Otou-chan said to me with a paintbrush in between his lips. He was poking his head from inside, where he was working on his newest painting, Bored Old Kid in Technicolor.

"I'm gonna check out who just arrived by the main street, ok? I'll be back in five minutes! Bye!"

"Take care!" He called out to me as I got my sweater and was putting it on while running to the southern side of town, the one leading to the main street where delivery trucks usually, and visitors rarely, pass through.

"Oh, and come back soon! I won't be able to get to work if you're not here." He hurriedly added.

"'Kay!" My feet felt like wind as they carried me on through the pathway amidst the trees. It was as if they knew that I really needed to see this stranger right away.

I started running faster as the number of people flocking to see the new comer got bigger. I couldn't see the stranger since some kids my age were blocking him. I pushed myself through, even though some of the kids got mad at me and tugged at my hair. I didn't care though, because right now, my curiosity got the best out of me.

"Aoi!" I felt the pull of the same crimson eyes I loved oh-so much as two pairs of red orbs met each other. I gasped.

"Onii-chan… Onii-chan!!!" My eyes suddenly watered up. What was he doing here? I ran out to hug him and he gratefully took me in his arms.

"These arms, feel like home." He whispered into my hair.

"You are home, Nii-chan." I smiled at him.

Mikan's POV

"How do you think Hotaru's doing Ruka?" We were lying down under a tree where we were playing with the flowers we picked that afternoon.

"I'm sure she's…alright." He struggled to say the last word. I lifted myself on one elbow and raised my eyebrow at him.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind."

"Hmmkayy…" I let it pass. Hotaru was probably somewhere, inventing something for millions of dollars. Such a gold digger, she is.

"Hey Ruka."

"Yeah?"

"You think my hair looks nice?"

"Erm… Yeah." He blushed. I wonder why.

"You really think so? 'Cause I've been thinking of keeping it this way forever." I beamed at him.

"That's great, Sakura." He smiled back. He flushed again and I grinned an evil grin. Then I took him by surprise as I took his shoulders and swept my long hair all over his face while he was lying down.

"Pfft! Sakura, you're so dead!" He appeared to grow redder and redder by the second.

"Ok, ok! I'll stop. But honestly, Ruka, I don't think you'll even dare harm a fly."

"Huh?"

"Prove to me that you can hurt me."

"Eh? No…"

"Just try." I rolled my eyes. He sighed. Then he grabbed my shoulders and shook them. I just looked at him, what the hell was that for? I blinked and burst out laughing.

"Well, I tried my best." He smiled apologetically. Ruka-pyon would always be a gentleman, forever. I smiled at him then suddenly rested my head on his shoulder, much to his surprise.

Ruka's POV

I could swear I blushed ten different shades of red and pink today, each. And this time, an array of colors started appearing.

Pink, rose, red, scarlet, firebrick.

"Your face looks like a brick, Ruka." Mikan commented while touching my nose.

"Feels like a brick too." She murmured as she poked my cheek.

Then, without thinking, my teenage boy hormones took over. I leaned over to kiss her forehead. Yeah, just the forehead. Mikan froze.

This time, it was her who turned five shades of red. Such a pretty color. Then, she blinked, blinked again, and leaned over to kiss my cheek. They felt soft and warm, just like how I expected them to be.

Pink, rose, red, scarlet, firebrick.

She rested her head on my shoulder again. We both looked like bricks.

A group of students passed by.

"Oooh, Sakura-san and Ruka-sama are having a lovey-dovey moment." Random girl number 1 crooned.

"I'm so jealous…" Random girl number 2 said.

"Nothing you can do to change the past now…" Random girl number 3 joined along in Random girl number 2's interlude.

"Speaking of Ruka-kun, have you heard?" Random boy number 1 spoke up.

"No, what?" Random boy number 2 asked.

"Well, it seems that Natsume-sama and the some other rebels went over to the other side and were brought home."

"Oh, is that so?" Random girl number 2 piped up, her eyes growing curious.

"Well, I heard it was only a rumor, but who knows?" Random girl number 3 straightened her glasses.

It seemed that they forgot about us being there anyway. We both watched them walk away.

"Well, that's good news ain't it?" I tried to fake a smile, making an effort to cover up my sadness.

"What? …Yeah?" Mikan said, her head bowed. A hint of grief escaping from her voice. I rested my head on hers and held her hand.

"It's OK." A teardrop fell on my hand.