Chapter Two -- Two Pillars Made Of Ice and Snow
Satoshi stepped out onto the sidewalk, schoolbooks held tightly in his left hand and a brand new cell phone, (compliments of a stern lecturing from his father), resting quietly in his pocket. He looked up. The black limo was waiting for him, as usual.
"Not today," he said quietly to his father's personal chauffeur. "I'm walking to school."
The black-clad man frowned. "But, Hiwatari-dono…"
"I said I'm walking." He glanced back and waited for another retort. But the man simply bowed monotonously and slipped back into the car.
"As you wish, Hiwatari-dono."
Satoshi waited, eyes closed. After a few seconds the rumbling of a car engine could be heard and then the soft din of a car passing by. He opened his eyes. The black limo was slowly disappearing down the street and out of sight.
He started off once again. To be honest, it wasn't very smart for him to be walking anywhere. It had only been a mere day since Niwa and the Haradas' had visited him, and his body had barely begun to heal. But lying motionless for nearly fives days was beginning to seem tedious, and the movement was humbly welcomed.
Satoshi walked alone for a few minutes, slowly coming to appreciation the valuable time. It was peaceful so early in the morning, and he relished in the cherished silence. It was a silence he had experienced on a daily bases, but he still enjoyed it.
To an extent, at least.
He glanced to his left and noticed the sparkling sea, glistening with the morning sun. Only a short, wooden fence separated the sidewalk from the rocky shore, and the morning sea breeze could be felt wafting in from the waves. It lifted his hair and filled the air with its salty, fresh scent. Such a relaxing sensation.
"Oh no, Riku!"
"Sorry, Risa. I wasn't paying attention."
Voices came breaking through his daze and Satoshi's hand instinctively shot out, snatching at some foreign object in the air. He brought his arm and down and saw that he held a pink, silk ribbon in his hand. He had seen it out of the corner of his eye, dancing lazily on the morning breeze, and it had threatened to fly out to sea before he caught it.
"Hey, that's mine!"
Satoshi turned around to see Risa Harada's exasperated form come running toward him. When she saw who held her ribbon she slowed down the tiniest bit and stopped short of Satoshi.
"Hiwatari-san," she said, sounding surprised to see him. He held the ribbon out to her.
"Yours?" he prompted. She reached out a tentative hand and took it from him.
"Thank you," she said, quickly tying her hair up. She smiled. "I thought it was lost forever. How did you learn to move so fast?" she asked. Satoshi merely shrugged. Risa laughed. "You know, the way you did it just then reminded me of Dark."
He frowned. "I'm no Dark," he answered icily. More his opposite, he thought to himself. He watched the girl as she gingerly pulled the ribbon into a bow in her hair. He had never been able to understand why Risa, or any girl for that matter, could ever like a phantom thief. Especially one as immoral, vague, and flirtatious as Dark.
"Risa!" It was Riku, sitting astride her bike with her bag slung over one shoulder. She glided up to them smoothly and pushed the brake, stopping right next to Satoshi. "Good morning, Hiwatari-san," she said politely, smiling at him. He simply nodded in recognition. It was weird, being trapped between the two Harada twins, both being so different and yet still looking alike. He wasn't sure how Daisuke was able to hang around with them and not feel oddly out of place.
"It was lucky Hiwatari-san was here, Riku, or else I wouldn't have gotten my ribbon back," Risa said to her sister, sticking her tongue out at her playfully. "You should be more careful next time."
Riku rolled her eyes. "I'm so sorry, dear sister. Silly of me not to hold on to your books, your bag, and your ribbon all at once without complaint." She smirked and stuck her tongue out as well. "All the same, thank you, Hiwatari-san."
Satoshi shook his head, unused to so much gratitude. "Believe me, it was nothing." He turned away from them and continued to make his solitary way to school. But what he hadn't counted on was the Harada twins automatically joining him on his journey. And, sure enough, it wasn't long before Riku kept a steady pace beside him on her bike and Risa had fallen into step with him on his left.
He sighed. So much for a peaceful walk.
"So how are you feeling?" Riku asked him, keeping her eyes ahead of her. Satoshi shrugged.
"Fine, I guess."
"Did you sleep well after we left yesterday?"
He bowed his head down to hide his eyes. Yes, he slept well…as well as a person could sleep when they were constantly plagued by nightmares of Krad, dark magic, and power ripping at their body. "Yes. Fine."
Risa bent down to catch his eyes but he turned away from her. "Should you be walking to school in your condition? You were barely able to sit up on your own yesterday; I don't think you should overdo it so soon."
He minutely quickened his pace. "I'm fine. Sitting at home won't help me regain my strength." As he said this he unconsciously flexed his left hand, loosening the stiff muscles under his splint.
Riku's pleasant smile immediately brightened and she lifted a hand to wave avidly at someone far ahead of them. "Niwa-kun," she called, beaming. Satoshi looked up. A block ahead of them stood Daisuke, a lop-sided grin on his face, and his bright hair blowing in the morning wind. He waved lazily in return as he waited for them.
"Wow, Niwa-san is early this morning," Risa commented.
Riku turned to her sister. "I'm going to ride ahead, Risa. I need to talk to him about something." And, without waiting for an answer, she pushed forward and glided up the street.
"Well, that was rude," Risa commented sarcastically. She turned back to Satoshi. "She's helping make Niwa-san's costume for the play, but I think she's having trouble altering it for him," she explained. "Which reminds me, Saehara-san changed the script again. Niwa-san said that the role of Dark wasn't portrayed properly, and that he was too soft. I agreed with him, so Saehara-san had to rewrite the script. A lot of your lines have been changed." She swung her bag to her front and began digging through it. "I have it here, somewhere."
Satoshi looked down at her. "Why do you have my script?"
"I told him I'd give it to you," was the nonchalant reply.
"Why?"
Risa shrugged. "I don't know. I just said I would. Now, where is it?"
They had reached the corner and were about to cross the street. "Careful, Harada-san," he warned. She wasn't paying attention to him and continued walking.
"Hmm? I thought it was in this pocket…"
"Harada-san," he repeated, looking up the street at the approaching car. "Be. Careful."
"Found it! Here—ow!" She stumbled over the edge of the sidewalk, not watching where she was going. Satoshi, noticing the car out of the corner of his eye, darted forward, snatched Risa by her wrist and pulled her close to his body as he swung back. The car glided effortlessly past them on the street, right over the spot where Risa would have fallen. Satoshi closed his eyes, sighing. That was far too close.
"I told you to be careful," he said to her, almost scolding. "You need to pay better attention to your surroundings."
Risa remained quiet, her head bowed down. She was facing Satoshi, the top of her head barely grazing his chin, and her body was trembling under his protective arm wrapped around her shoulders.
He looked up, checking the road. "It's clear now." He slowly dropped his arm and started to take half a step back when he was slightly halted by something. He looked down. She was gripping the front of his shirt in both of her hands. "Harada-san?" he prompted. There was a momentary pause before she slowly loosened her grip.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, stepping back from him. Satoshi cocked an eyebrow, slightly perturbed by her meek behavior, before bending down and picking up her book bag where it had fallen on the cobblestones. "That was just…just a little scary," she answered, laughing meagerly and finally looking up at him. "I get weak in the knees when things like that happen." She took the bag from him and slung it over her shoulder.
"Understandable," he answered, gently. He stepped onto the road. "Come on. We're going to be late." He turned forward and strode across the way, reaching the other side in only a few strides. He glanced back. Risa was still on the opposite corner, nervously stuffing something that had fallen out of her bag back into its leather depths.
"I'm coming," she called. She closed the flap and, quickly glancing both ways, started running towards him. Satoshi turned his back on her but waited silently, listening for her footsteps to fall in next to his.
So, the solitary Hikari seeks a companion, a voice whispered quietly in his head. Satoshi's brow furrowed in agitation. Flying solo no longer, tamer. And such a pretty girl, too. There was a low laugh. First the boy and now this girl. Maybe you wish for me to come out more often.
Satoshi's fingers tightened around his books and he started walking, carefully placing one foot firmly in front of the other. Behind him Risa started to call his name to wait, but he ignored her.
"Go away, Krad."
Another low rumble of laughter. Don't get soft on me now, Satoshi.
He ran his hand through his hair, speeding up. "Leave it alone. She's no one."
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Risa dug viciously through her bag, oblivious to her surroundings. "Now, where is it?" she muttered to herself, pushing her papers and notebooks aside. Honestly, Riku had always pestered her to organize her things, but she never seemed to get around to it. She sighed.
"Careful, Harada-san." Satoshi's tone was even, as usual.
"Hmm?" She opened one of her pockets. No script. "I thought it was in this pocket…" She peeked into a folder. Nothing. She peeked into another. Still nothing.
"Harada-san. Be. Careful." He sounded like he was behind her, but she could have sworn they were walking side by side. She checked inside her notebook and, sure enough, there was the script held snug between her language notes.
"Found it," she announced, starting to pull it out. "Here--…" But of course, her natural clumsiness kicked in, and she lost her footing on the curb. There was a split second where she dreaded the oncoming sting of her contact with the stone ground before she saw a flash of light on metal. A car. Coming up the street. Straight for her.
Her mind went momentarily blank.
Then fingers closed tightly around her wrist and she was forcibly yanked backward as the oncoming vehicle whizzed past. She pressed her face into cloth, her fingers tightening on linen. There was a shiver down her body. She had almost been hit. What a stupid thing to do.
What a terrifying thing it would have been.
She sucked in a deep breath to calm her nerves. Her head was soon swimming with the lofty scent that reminded her of the cool night air entertwined with fresh cotton.
Her fingers tightened their hold. Night air and cotton. Just like the jacket. Just like…Dark's jacket?
"I told you to be careful," came the low rumble above her head. She flinched at the icy comment. Yes, he had told her to be careful, but she had been too preoccupied to listen to him. Mix that with her natural clumsiness and she was a dangerous companion. "You need to pay better attention to your surroundings."
She nodded, intending to step back and thank him for saving her. But when she did she was stopped by something. She looked up from his shirt and felt her cheeks flush with heat. He had his arm around her, holding her tightly while he checked the street. She bowed her head again to hide the blush. He should have let her go already. He should not have been so close to her.
But why was she blushing? Besides the fact that she had to agree that he was best looking boy in school, Satoshi had never sparked her interest. She wasn't favorable to boys with glasses, and his isolated attitude had always caused her to think him a bit snobbish.
But it's not like it's his fault, she reasoned to herself. He's lived alone for so long…maybe he's just used to being independent.
But it wasn't as though that reasoning helped her! Here she was, standing on the street corner with Satoshi Hiwatari, clutching to his shirt with his arm around her. And she didn't even like him!
He's not Dark, she told herself, conjuring the mental image of Dark flying through the starry sky with his jet black wings. He's anyone but Dark. And I love Dark.
"It's clear now." She felt his arm slip away. She sighed. Good, that's how it should have been. "Harada-san…?"
She looked up. Her fingers were still twisted into the fabric of his shirt, holding him still. Slowly and silently she let him go, the blush on her cheeks deepening with every passing moment. "I'm sorry," she answered, searching for anything to be said at the moment. She dropped her hands to her sides. "That was just…just a little scary." Which was true…for both situations. "I get weak in the knees when things like that happen." And she meant the car only.
She noticed that he was holding out her bag for her and she took it from him.
"Understandable," was his usual monotone answer. He turned away from her and started walking once again. "Come on. We're going to be late."
She checked her watch. Yes, they were. She gripped the strap of her bag and was about to walk after him when something far too white caught her eye on the ground below her. She glanced down and saw a single, gleaming white feather lying at her feet.
In one swift, quick motion she swooped down and snatched it in her fist, quickly stuffing it into her bag. It must have fallen out when Hiwatari pulled her back. She closed her eyes. It was a good thing that she noticed it, or it would have been left behind.
She only prayed that Satoshi had not seen it.
She looked up. He was already waiting for her on the opposite side of the street. "I'm coming!" she called cheerfully, hooking the latch on her bag. She scanned the street once and, when she was absolutely positive that there were no cars, started across at a steady run. When she looked up again she saw Satoshi's retreating back as he made his way to school without her.
"Hiwatari-san! Hiwatari-san!" She called out his name, but he wasn't listening to her. He kept on walking, his long strides taking him farther than she could catch up with. She started to slow down her run, falling even farther behind. "Hiwatari-san?" Still no answer.
She frowned and continued on her way at a leisurely walk. The cold Hiwatari had returned as if he hadn't been kind before in his life. Fine. She could deal with that.
She didn't like boys with glasses anyway.
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A/N: Sorry nothing really happens in this chapter, but I promise that the storyline will pick up in the next chapter. Thanks for reviewing!
