Chapter 4
Ai was standing out in the rain staring up at the sky, water dripping from her hair, "Thank you for being by my side." The usual look that grazed her face disappeared, instead turned into a smile. But then everything went black.
Lets go back to the beginning of the day.
Ai was sitting on a steps in front of a mansion reading a book, she had black boots on with brown slacks that were tucked in, a white dress shirt with a light brown vest over with a dark brown blazer over it all she also had a maroon tie on. "Excuse me, you were singing earlier, weren't you?" Ai looked over at and saw Syo dressed in baggy light brown pants tucked into black boots with black button up with blue blazer jacket, with a black hat on. Syo, "I'd like to hear that mysterious song again. Ai got up from her seat grabbing her bag and closing her book. Syo, "Wait" Ai had a scrawl grazing her face as she stared down at Syo, "Sorry, but I stopped singing for other people." There was a loud "Cut!" Syo and Ai were in the middle of recording a movie. Ai went over to her chair and sat down and started re-reading the script once again. Haruka walked over, "Mikaze-senpai, Syo-chan!" Syo, "Are you watching the film?" Haruka, "Yes! I finished talking to the director about the movies theme song, and said I could watch." Syo, "That's encouraging!" Ai looked over at Syo, "Why is having Haruka here encouraging?" Syo looked at Ai, "B-Because…I feel like I can try harder when I know someone I feel as my family is nearby." Ai, "Does that mean you'll make fewer mistakes?" Syo put up a fist, "That's got nothing to do with this!" Ai looked back at the script, "I don't get it. Being alone is easier and more efficient. Why would you be with someone? I don't get this movie either. These lines at the climax…Thank you for being by my side… I can't understand wanting someone by my side." Syo stood in shock, "What?" Director, "Mikaze-san, we're ready!" Ai closed the script and placed it down before getting up, "I'd better go." As Ai walked away Syo told Haruka, "He hasn't messed up once since we started filming." Haruka, "Not even once? " Syo, "It's amazing. But he doesn't understand the dialogue? I don't get Ai."
Ai was now sitting on a green couch with a wooden frame with her right elbow placed on it and her hand rest on chin. Haruka, "You lyrics are amazing, they're overflowing with love for connections between people. They're heartwarming." Ai, "Heartwarming, huh?" She just stared out the window, "It's going to rain soon. Haruka, "What?" Ai didn't respond she just kept on staring out the window and watched as it began to rain.
Syo was walking around and watched as the down pour began its assault, "It's really coming down, will we be able to film?" Then he looked out and saw someone, "Ai-senpai?" As he took a closer look the clothes were clinging onto his body, and showed Ai's hips. Syo then looked and saw, Ai was practicing in the rain. The wind was blowing his hair but all of a sudden Ai's eyes closed and he collapsed. Syo, "Oh, no!" He ran over to the door and opened it up, when the door opened on the ground. Syo bent down "Are you okay, Ai-senpai, wake up." Syo then put his hand to Ai's forehead quickly retreating it, "You're burning up! I need to get you inside. Syo used all of his strength getting ready to pick up a male, but when he got ahold of him only to find he was really light, he quickly got her inside and laid her down on the bed. Syo, "Ai-senpai…" Syo looked and thought maybe it be better to get Ai out of the wet clothes that he was in. Syo, "Forgive me Ai-senpai." He slowly removed the clothes first the blazer and then the vest, then he saw something strange, there was like a white strap showing through the white dress shirt as he removed it he saw a bra that held boobs. Syo blushed and quickly put a change of clothes on Ai, blushing the whole time. Ai was a girl. 15 minutes later her eyes opened and she stared at the ceiling for a second thinking how did she get in here, where was she. She then closed her eyes and sat up I in a panic she quickly looked around and saw Syo sitting there. Syo, "A-Ai-senpai, are okay." Ai, "Yeah, I'm fine." Syo, "Ai-senpai, can I ask you a question." Ai, looked at him, "yeah, I'm your senpai after all." Syo, "Ai-Senpai, are you a girl." Ai's eyes were wide open, that explained why she was dry. 'So now you know I'm a girl." Syo sat down in the chair, "you're a girl, why are you hiding it? How could that be?" Ai, "I was born this way, and I'm hiding it because of something that happened a long time ago, okay." Syo, "Does Saotome know?" Ai, "I told him but he didn't believe me, because I sound like a boy." Syo, "That makes since." Ai then sneezed Syo, "your getting sick aren't you." Ai, "Yeah, probably from being in the rain." Syo, "I can go talk to the director to see if we can continue tomorrow." Ai, "No, I want to finish today." Syo, "But will you be okay." Ai, "Yeah, if we don't put anything off." Syo, "Is there anything I can do to help?" Ai, "You want to help, why?" Syo, "Because it's an emergency." Ai looked at him, "I don't need help." Syo looked shocked and a little hurt, "Why not? What if something happens while you're filming? Ai, "If I get sick, there's nothing you can do. It will be more effective if I handle it myself." Syo, "But-" Ai, "This is my problem." Ai started coughing but got up and got ready to shoot.
Ai was back in the rain, along with Syo. Director, "Action!" Syo, "A-Are you okay?" Ai had been by a tree like "he" collapsed. Syo ran up her, Ai, turned to look at him "You're still here? I thought you'd given up and left." Syo bent down, "More importantly, you need treatment…" Ai, "I'm fine." She stood up, "I can handle this myself." She opened her hands to reveal a baby bird "I've always managed by myself until now. Always alone." Director, "Cut!" Ai walked away, " Syo, "She seems fine." Ai was under the break area where it could keep her dry from the rain. Ai took a deep breath but she felt dizzy, she started to pass out. Syo ran over to her but Ai was able to catch herself. Syo, "Ai-Senpai. Are you okay?" Syo was staring at her worried. He walked over to her and placed a hand on her forehead again, "You're burning up. You really need to take medicine and rest, but you won't do that will you." Ai shook her head. Syo then began to fan her with her with his script. Ai, "I don't get it." Syo, "What?" Ai, "It's strange. You know that I'm a girl, I lied to you for a long time about who I truly was, and yet your helping me? You're even making less mistakes now." Syo, "Because I care for you, does there have to be another reason." Ai stared at him she still didn't understand.
Director, "Action!" Ai was now standing on a path in between two trees with Syo standing across from her. Ai, "How can you say you trust me so easily?" Syo, "Because you have a song." Ai, "A song?" Syo, "That song told me that you carried the wind onto us that day. You probably secretly want the same thing I do." Ai's eyes opened wide. Director, "Cut!" Syo then looked at Ai and her then her right back at him. Then everything went dark and she felt like she was falling, Syo quickly ran over to her and caught her and held her up. She opened her eyes again, "Syo." Syo, "Are you alright Ai-senpai? Come on let's go rest over there. Even though you might think I'm not very dependable… I want to help you." Ai, "Why?" Syo, "No particular reason. When someone's in trouble, you help them out. That's normal." Ai just stared at Syo as he helped her inside allowing her to rest for a moment before shooting started back up.
Ai was currently standing on the stairway leaning against the railing, "Ai-senpai, how are you feeling?" Ai, "I can probably make it to the end of the shoot." Syo, "That's great." Ai turned and looked out the window, "Thank you for being by my side. I never understood what that line meant. I thought I could understand if I were in the same situation as the movie…Flashback "Ai standing out in the rain repeating Thank you for being by my side. Ai, "Huh, it doesn't sound right, I'm a person who's been broken, I can't truly understand human emotions like everyone else." End of flash back. Ai, "Emotions are simply a tool I use to complete my acting." Syo, "But your performance was wonderful…" Ai, "Really? That means the choices I made were right." Syo, "How can you say that?" Ai, "I'm broken Syo, I'm different, I don't understand like you. I envy you for that. I can't understand wanting someone by my side. Being alone is easier and more effective. I still believe that." Syo, "But I felt as though we were closer we were talking." Ai, "I know a lot of information from all my studies since I dedicated my life to it after the incident that made me lose faith in everyone." Syo, "Studies? Dedicated? Incident?" Ai, "The reason I've become more comfortable around you is because the more I learn about you the more accustomed to them I become." Syo, "I'm the same." Ai, "What?" Syo, "The more I learn about someone, the closer we come." Ai, "We're the same…" Ai then smiled at Syo. Syo thought it was really cute.
The director then walked up and told Ai and Syo they were ready for their next scene. Director, "Action!" Syo was sitting in a room in a chair next to a window, with a bird cadge then the bed. Ai, "I'm not afraid of being alone." Ai thought to what so said earlier, "Let's go together." His hand was reached out towards her. "I know we can be friends. Ai put her head down, "don't mislead me anymore." Syo just watched from the sidelines. Ai got up and sat on the bed, resting he hand on the head frame. Ai then felt dizzy then collapsed on the bed. Syo stared in worry. Director, "Cut! Mikaze-kun, that improvised fall was great!" She opened her eyes and sat up, "Thank you." Once the director was out of earshot, Syo, "that fall wasn't improvised, was it?" Ai, "I just felt dizzy for a second that's all." Syo, "But what if something happens to make your condition worse?" Ai, "There's no problem." Syo, "I'm worried about you!" Ai stared up at Syo before she closed her eyes then she spoke, "I see" she stood up. Syo, "Ai-Senpai, please, don't push yourself any harder. You need to let yourself get better first." Ai, "Those lines. I think I finally understand what they mean now. What it means to be with someone. I had no idea that people could really be like that still, vague and unstable, controlled by emotions. Is this the heartwarming feeling you have described to me…I-I like it." Syo, "Ai-senpai." Ai, "I promise I'll explain everything to you once were done and I'm better, but please don't tell anyone." Syo, "Promise." Ai walked away and got ready to for the last part of the filming for the climax.
Music begins playing in the background Ai was standing on one knee outside in the wind and rain getting ready to sing. She stood up had her right arm bent upwards across her chest. Then she started lowering her hand down her face.
The wind whispered to me
Live with love
Ai stretched her hand out forwards.
A strange feeling and something warm salvage
Syo walked up to her as she closed her eyes and continued to sing
I felt as though a piece was always missing
Where are the pieces of my heart?
Clip from inside the mansion on the stairway then by the couches.
I wanted wings instead of a cold heart
And you gave me a song…
Dispersing the storm
Take the warmth between our hands
Otherwise, I'll end up holding all of you
Back outside Ai reached her hand out towards Syo
Take me away, Innocent Wind
Wandering and tearing apart
On the other side, the sun
Is always smiling with light and kindness
It stopped raining and a rainbow was now on Ai. The song was now over, Ai reached her hand out once again towards Syo, "Thank you for being by my side…" She slowly began to fade into darkness as she finally allowed herself to submit to the darkness. Syo ran over to her and put her head in his lap. Syo, "Thank you for trusting in me Ai."
The truth has finally been reveled to Syo, now he's promised not to tell. Find out in the next chapter what happened to Ai to make her hide the truth about her gender, and what had made her so cold hearted, Also will we find out why only Reiji knows? Stay updated, and find out.