DISCLAIMER: I claim no rights to K-on!
WARNING: Rated T for safety though I doubt there will be little to no explicit content.
Love transcends Time
It's past three minutes and Ritsu has not reemerged from the waters. Worried, Mio twitched her fingers out of anxiousness, anticipating that she will be greeted by the brunette's goofy smile once she made it to the surface.
'What's taking her so long?' she tried to quell the negative thoughts that were about to metastasize 'Is this one of her pranks again?'
The girl shook the rope, sending the brunette a signal but she got nothing in return. Nervous, she shook it again; still, Ritsu did not respond.
Thoughts about death filled her mind in gibber - screaming incessantly that she has yet to lose someone.
A stranger? No.
An acquaintance? No.
Someone precious? She stopped at the mention of the word that depicts the older girl's value.
Since when did she felt this way to a person whom she barely knew let alone she mysteriously appeared right before when Mio was in the middle of casting her emotions into oblivion?
"Oneechan!" Takumi yelled, "Ritsu-oneechan's in danger!"
Mio hastily pulled the rope up in her hands, grazing her soft palms due to friction. The boat's rocking like hell until the boy decided to jump off the boat to keep it still, trying to use his weight on the opposite side to maintain equilibrium.
Her hands were throbbing in pain as she tried to pull Ritsu to the surface. She did not falter, she continued until she saw Ritsu, her body appeared motionless.
Due to the adrenaline rush playing a significant part on Mio's added strength, she managed to grab the brunette by her arms and lift her up to the vessel while Takumi was doing a good job to keep the boat in balance, clinging on the old piece of wood that comprised its structure.
"Ritsu!" she yelled, tears flowing straight to her steel eyes who once emanated indifference before she met the amber-eyed. "Ritsu, stop joking around you idiot!"
She repeatedly slapped the older girl to arouse her but her efforts bore nothing.
The amber-eyed remained still, her complexion started to become pallid, her warmth gradually fading.
Out of desperation, Mio prayed, her voice shaking, "K-Kami-sama, if you're there… P-please help her!"
Cold wind blew the raven strands, whispering to her ear, "It's alright, she's not going anywhere. She said she was invincible, right?" a warm yet mysterious voice continued, "Just give her a kiss and she'll do fine."
Gone was the voice that helped Mio like a wind that randomly picks a place to share its breeze. Taking a few deep breaths, Mio made her resolve. She propped her soft lips onto Ritsu's, exchanging air while simultaneously compressing the brunette's chest whenever she pulled her mouth away, still trying to resuscitate her while gasping for air.
"Ritsu!" she cried loudly, calling the brunette's name again and again wishing that she would open up her eyes or resume breathing, whichever comes first did not matter to the worried girl.
Still not giving up, Mio attempted to resuscitate the unconscious girl for the second time. By god's will, Ritsu spewed water out from her mouth while looking at the face of a girl who was never new as an eye- witness to Death which she had seen in her very own eyes.
Ritsu coughed vigorously, trying to get rid of the water that had entered her lungs. "Why are you crying?" wiping the tears on Mio's eyes with her thumb, her left eye remained shut.
The crying girl held Ritsu's hand, still shaking "You made me worried sick, you idiot!"
A droplet fell to the brunette's face, staring at the girl whose steel orbs were clouded with concern and undeniable affection.
"I'm sorry for making you worry" she coughed before she resumed, "I will not do that again" she flashed a grin to cheer the girl up.
Relieved, Mio smiled then assisted the older girl to sit before she mocked her for her foolishness. "I suppose even the servant of Aphrodite is vulnerable in the face of danger, do you agree?"
Ritsu snickered to Mio's attempt of mockery though she was glad that the latter did not blow a fuse to escalate the argument in a level beyond repair. "Well... it just happens that I fell asleep on the waters that's why I ended up in that kind of state."
Making up an excuse, Ritsu failed to persuade Mio because of her honest amber eyes. It was clearly obvious that the former doesn't want to divulge the truth regarding the matter instead she was spouting make-believe stories to keep the mood light.
Ritsu spotted on the corner of her eyes Takumi smiling in relief, "Ritsu-oneechan, glad that you're alive and kicking!"
"Woah? Who do you think am I, kiddo?"
"Just a certain someone who claimed invincibility yet has almost pranced her way to Death's doorstep."
Surprisingly enough, Mio knew how to make sarcastic remarks. Perhaps she has learned this unwanted specialty from the brunette and this was her form of revenge for making fun out of her?
"Gosh, how long will you keep on mocking me, Ms. Crybaby?"
Mio unclenched her fist, resembling a dull knife which was about to be whacked on the newly-resuscitated girl.
Anticipating for the impact, Ritsu closed her eyes while holding her breath. The raven-haired gave Ritsu a soft thump in her cranium, inadequate enough to induce pain, "Not unless you get rid of your foolhardiness… Baka" she said.
The older girl lopsidedly smiled to Mio's actions. Hints of tsundere was inevitably expressed despite the latter was unaware about it.
"Oy, kid." Ritsu pulled the pocketwatch out of her pocket before she tossed it to him, "I got your present. Now it's time for you to give this to Aika-chan."
"Thank you, Ritsu-oneechan" he said before his smile dropped, catching the object by his bare hands "but I can't give it by myself."
"Don't tell me… you're a shy type?" The amber-eyed twitched her brow to the unmanly display of Takumi with regards to giving the present to his subject of affection, "Fine, we'll help you. Where's her house, by the way?"
Takumi pointed his index finger to the direction on the other side of the forest.
"There, huh?" Ritsu chuckled, "We got the same destination… hop back on the boat, kid." She pulled the boy out from the waters before Takumi resumed his position as the navigator.
"Off we go then!"
Walking down the woods, the lad did the leading of the pack, marching like a soldier who led a non-existing battalion but just a brunette and a raven-haired comprising the cluster.
Much older trees greeted them along their way, the roots protruding out from the soils that exuded greater maturity - bearing witness to the events that occurred to mark history.
Carrying Mio by her back, Ritsu asked Takumi a question out of curiosity or to be more precise, out of boredom "Hey, Takkun. I notice something odd about that watch…" she continued, "why is there something like a keyhole on its side?"
"Ah… that's because it's a pocketwatch at the same time, a musicbox" he said enthusiastically, his hands tucked beneath his dark brown hair while marching nonchalantly.
The younger girl joined their conversation, "If that's the case, where's the key then?"
"It's with Aika-chan's possession. I gave her the key and I told her to use it when she receives her present."
"Quite a romanticist, huh?" Ritsu smiled widely. She found Takumi's action as utterly endearing and breathtaking, "I commend thee for such straightforward display of affection!"
The three laughed heartily until they spotted an old house, almost covered in moss and wild vines that crept on its previously white walls. The once blue roof turned indigo, losing the vibrant color it held in its glorious days.
"She lives here?"
He nodded in response to Ritsu's question. He was definitely nervous and he lacks the courage to bring his self to admit his feelings to the girl in the locket.
"Ow, come on. Don't tell me you don't have the balls to confess?"
He nodded again while hiding behind Ritsu's back, handing the gift to the latter's left hand. "Guess Oneechan's gonna play Cupid once again."
Ritsu asked Mio a favor to knock on the old wooden door in her behalf. The door was covered in dust and cobwebs. She ceded over to the brunette's request, knocking the door with utmost gentle and respect, "Excuse me, is anybody inside? We have something for Aika-chan."
Nobody responded to Mio's knocking. Not giving up, she knocked again until a figure peeked beneath the old piece of wood that served as the boundary.
"Aika-chan, we have something for you. You see… Takumi…"
The twin-tailed girl with innocent garnet eyes looked at them in confusion, unsure of what they're talking about.
"Takumi…" They looked at the boy who never responded at the sight of her crush. Eyes widened in disbelief when his body turned transient: gold glitters engulfed the remainder of his body, smiling to the girls who offered assistance to a random stranger like him.
"Thank you, Ritsu-oneechan… Mio-oneechan…" He uttered in a manly yet gentle voice, smiling for one last time similar to Yui's before he completely disappeared like thin air, leaving the two at loss for words.
A woman appeared beside the twin-tailed girl, her dark hair swaying freely on her hips. She shared the same garnet eyes as the child who greeted them on the doorstep, probing at the two strangers who never minced a word since her appearance.
"How may I help you?" The woman asked while remaining cautious.
"Uhmm… Are you, Aika-san?" the brunette tried to keep her composure, still fazed on the fact that the boy was an entity not part of this worldly realm.
"Uhmm… no. I'm Aimi, her granddaughter." Her eyes still probing on the two who remained still on their position.
Ritsu showed the woman the golden pocketwatch, "Well you see… this pocketwatch... It's a gift from the boy named Takumi. Supposedly, he wanted to give this to Aika-san."
The woman smiled upon the mention of the boy's name. She invited the two inside her humble home, offering them an early dinner she cooked just oddly enough for the four of them.
"Please come in, it's rare to have guests these days" she gestured to the two to come by the entrance. Mio and Ritsu exchanged glances before they came up with the conclusion to accept the woman's invitation because they want to find out more about the pocketwatch and about the boy whom they've met earlier by the lake.
They went inside and followed the woman from behind. Mio grabbed the opportunity to study the lady as she watched her hair dancing freely side to side while her hips swayed on the opposite.
"Mio" Ritsu whispered lowly, making the curious girl the only recipient of her musings, "Don't you agree to a certain point that you will look like her when you grow old?"
The raven-haired swiftly gave Ritsu a hack on the head which earned a restrained yelp from the short-haired girl.
"Why are you so violent?" She shook her head to distract herself from the newly-inflicted pain brought by Mio's fist, "Face it, we're bound to grow old sooner or later"
The grey-orbed wasn't ignorant of the predicament every human being has yet to accept. She knew about the harsh reality of growing up - she feared not of losing her god-given beauty but the fact that she will wither like the rest who failed to seek one of the essences of life: falling in love.
She was completely oblivious to love because she found it directly proportional to lust. She knew love by theory - from the words that were far more inaccurate when you had to deal it personally. There is no absolute description of love because it varies from person to person.
Before her time expires, the raven-haired wanted to experience that kind of feeling by gradual means. She doesn't want to hasten it and by virtue of her father's words, she fully adhered to Akihiro's advice:
Mio, love is something that couldn't be achieved by forceful means nor
It is not something we get by doing nothing. True love is when you feel like you
Want to grow old with that person, to spend the rest of your life amidst the idea of separation.
There is no such thing as absolute because all of us are bound to wither.
Even if that person's gone forever, your memories what keeps him alive while giving him
A non-existent body that is purely functional in your very mind.
After all, true love defies logic that even death holds no power to the feelings that could transcend time.
"Please have your seats, I'll go prepare the plates" Mio finally broke out from her thoughts, not knowing that they reached the dining table already. She looked around the interiors. To her surprise, she found the place full of clocks, musicboxes, paintings of a four-leaf clover hanged around the old walls. There were lamps that illuminated the dark place, allowing the house to remain in possession of any remaining color that struggled to keep its vibrancy for years.
"Mio, where do you like to sit?" asked Ritsu who was waiting for the raven-haired beauty's reply, "… or do you want to sit by my lap?"
"I am busy to respond to your jokes" she answered angrily, "just let me sit over there."
"Ah, you're no fun at all!" the girl seemed dejected to Mio's lack of enthusiasm. She carefully settled Mio down the gothic-patterned chair; the metalworks showed a degree of godlike craftsmanship as the intricacy of the furniture was far more superior than the ones manufactured these days.
Ritsu on the other hand chose to sit across Mio to clearly observe the latter all throughout the course of discussion. She seemed the type who enjoys Mio's expressions the most despite she knew after this, she'll be rewarded a new lump in her head.
The youngest of all assisted the woman in preparing the tableware, carefully placing the fragile pieces on the table despite she was shaking badly.
"Oppps… Careful!" the amber-eyed reached out just in time before the glasses crashed down as shards. The younger girl caught a glimpse to Ritsu's eyes, mesmerized with the glow that swirled in her irises, "T-thank you" she stammered.
"Oh, no problem my princess" she smiled goofily, "would you like my help?"
"Ah… no…" the younger garnet-eyed rejected her offer politely; "Aiko-chan can do this on her own."
Mio looked at Ritsu with a mocking smile, "Perhaps you're unpopular to younger girls?"
"Oh, come on. That's impossible" the short-haired slumped on her seat, "she was just shy enough to accept the spectacular knight's help."
Their petty argument halted when the woman brought the food on the table. Steam swayed in the air, the aroma had the brunette licked her lips at the delicacy that was beyond irresistible.
Today, they had turkey as their early dinner and the raven-haired found it too extravagant for just the four of them.
"Please don't hesitate, eat to your heart's content" she smiled to her guests, sitting on their middle what seems like a Queen's chair.
"Thank you! Ittadakimasu!" Ritsu said without hesitation as she pulled the hind leg of the turkey without minding the heat. She tore the meat apart with her sharp canines.
Mio, shocked by Ritsu's lack of etiquette, scolded her companion while keeping it as courteous as possible. The latter gave her a confused look but the woman just let the brunette do as she pleased much to the raven-haired girl's protest.
Mio reluctantly ate her fill when the amber-eyed gave her a portion of the food because the latter knew that the raven-haired would not extend her arms and rip the meat apart. She was that hesitant and the brunette just provided her plate with the turkey's hind leg so Mio could eat because she hasn't ingested anything besides the apple she has eaten yesterday after the meteor shower.
After they finished their luxurious meal, the woman initiated their conversation with a question; her eyes gleamed with curiosity and excitement.
"Before anything else, what do you mean by that pocketwatch as a gift from Takumi?"
"Well… we happened to stumble upon this watch by the lake and there's a note beside it saying 'To: Aika-chan, From: Takumi' in a cute scribble" Ritsu forged yet another crappy lie hoping that the woman will buy her unrealistic claims, "then there's this very detailed map enclosed in it then we just followed it until we found ourselves in this place."
The exasperated girl nodded out of her will to support Ritsu's lies. "But the map was lost after a strong wind blew it until it was no longer in our grasp." She can't believe it; she had just lied for the sake of their reputation which had her mentally sulked and apologized to her parents 'I'm sorry. I have lied, Otosan… Okasan.'
Smiling, the woman just believed them while Mio never dared to look straight into the older garnet-eyed.
"Uhmm… if you don't mind" the amber-eyed surprisingly asked the woman with seriousness, "Do you know what's the relationship between Aika-san and Takumi and this pocketwatch?"
"I heard stories from my grandmother back when she was still alive that she met a boy in her early years. She said she used to love a boy by the name of Takumi who made her childhood an awesome experience. But he died before Obaachan's birthday when a storm hit the area unexpectedly."
+FLASHBACK+
"Aika-chan?" the boy looked at the girl with curiosity, his hands on his knees while probing to what the girl was frantically searching, "What are you doing?"
"I'm looking for a four-leaf clover because they said that it will bring the founder good luck."
"Good luck?" the chocolate-eyed rubbed his chin, "Why do you desire such?"
"Because I wanted to wish you good luck in your journey to Europe" she smiled brightly, earning an innocent blush to the boy's cheeks.
"Oh… but I'll be right back" he averted his gaze for a while, trying to hide his flushed face, "Father and I will just a pay a visit to fellow artisans."
"But I'll be lonely without you…" she said with honesty, "no one's going to play with me the entire day… and maybe you can't come to my birthday."
The brunette closed his eyes, sighing heavily before he gave the girl a warm smile, "I'll be back before your birthday, I promise. I'll give you something wonderful so please wait for my return."
"What are you going to give me?"
"You'll find it soon enough" Takumi chuckled; his round brown eyes glistened in excitement while looking at the girl with a soft look, patting her head like a pet cat.
The younger girl purred in response to the warm touch of the brunette, "Takkun, will you promise me that you'll return home before my birthday?"
"Yes, I will. And I'll bring a present."
Takumi watched the girl who was busy searching for the rare plant. He was just there, staring at her with eyes that reflected somberness. He tried to hide his sorrow, not wanting the girl to be perturbed by his feelings about the imminent death of his father who was battling the disease for years since the onset.
The once famous Artisan in the West was reduced to skin and bones. His craftsmanship greatly went into decline as the disease progresses. He can no longer create something good as the others. The disease is slowly eating up his body but he never faltered in the midst of his battle. Those dark brown eyes never lost its luster as he spent his remaining days as a father to an aspiring fellow artisan.
"I found one!" a girl yelled out of joy as she raised the plant with a smile that caught the boy off-guard. He smiled in return when the girl looked at him and gave him a shy grin. Takumi pulled something in his bag and captured the moment he deemed rarest. With an amateur shot, he was able to snap a photo of the young girl before he stood up and bid goodbye to his friend.
"Aika-chan…" he said in a sad tone, "I'm going now." He held the girl for a while. Aika buried her face onto the brunette's body, clutching the back of his shirt while muttering something in a muffled voice, "Come home quickly."
Takumi parted ways by planting a kiss in the twin-tailed girl's forehead which earned a blush from the two. He acted out of instinct and when he realized that he startled the girl with his act, he apologized instantly.
"Aika-chan, please wait for me in the usual place. I want you to be the first and last person I'll see before I leave."
The young girl handed the plant to the chocolate-eyed to serve as his goodluck charm to which the latter delightfully accepted and stored it in his empty locket. They bid goodbye one last time and the garnet-eyed was left in the hill that stood watch to the boy's departure together with his frail father.
Days went by as the scenery changes in every season. Trees and flowers that blossomed to its maximum will have to repeat the same cycle since time immemorial. The beauty that was the constant subject of praise gradually faded as they had to respond to the call of the nearing winter. The remaining leaf of the maple tree fell to the ground with majesty - stepping down on the throne while bearing the title of commendable endurance.
The garnet-eyed stood on top of the hill waiting for her friend that went overseas. Her dark navy blue hair took the liberty to dance with the wind while her eyes remained on focus to the spot where she expects Takumi.
She did not wait for despair as the sight of her friend appeared on the curve. She hurriedly went down the hill, filled with grasses that permeate its entirety, to greet the chocolate-eyed yet she found what she least expected: Takumi was alone. His face showed a hint of grievance while he overlapped it with his usual smile.
"Takumi, where's Oji-san?" were the first words she uttered to greet the lad.
He paused for a while but he gave her a neutral expression: uncertain whether he had really moved on or was he just faking it to keep the girl from worrying. "Otosan passed away two months after we've arrived at Europe."
A sudden ache swelled around the girl's chest. Out of instinct, she found herself running towards the brunette and embraced him with all the strength she could muster. She was crying contrary to the part that the ones who needs to cry this instant was none other than Takumi.
But knowing him, she knew the lad will shed tears in front of nobody and despite he was badly hurt, he'll masked it with his beguiling smile to hide the pain. At this young age, he already suffered much when his mother and sister died from an accident and now his father joined the two in afterlife. Takumi's everyday weapon was his smile that remained unshakable in the face of tragedy.
"Thank you, Aika-chan" he smiled authentically, "your warmth never failed to comfort me."
Blushed formed on the girl's face but she kept it hidden by burying her visage on the brunette's clothes, "W-welcome back" she stuttered.
The brunette pulled himself away from the girl gently, kneeling down as he drew something behind his back. "Aika-chan…" his eyes and lips curved in unison, "Happy birthday!" He handed a crystallized flower with an imperfect round yellowish color beneath the hole that serves as the source for nectar. In the middle and what seemingly like a stellar, supports its purple petals. It was a forget-me-not flower preserved to maintain its radiance after pulling it out from its cluster.
The girl almost forgot that it was her birthday that day because she was preoccupied with thoughts regarding Takumi's return. As far as she could remember, she spent her days on that same hill without knowing that time has already passed without her notice. She just sat there with her thin legs pressed against her chest during daylight and she'll knew when it was dusk when her stomach growled, begging for food.
She thanked the lad and held his hand, making their way towards her humble home. As they reached the doorstep, the girl yelled "Otosan! Okasan! Takkun's back!"
A door swung open and they were greeted by kind people: Aika's parents.
"Takumi, how long has it been?" A pat ruffled the boy's hair as the man with black hair and thick eyeglasses wiggled his hand like there's no tomorrow.
"It's been a while, Kazuhiro-ojisan."
The bespectacled man tackled the boy with his arms, "Ah! Enough with the formalities, kid!" he attempted to drown the boy in his body by brute strength, "Call me 'Pops' because you'll be my future son-in-law."
"Otosan!" the young girl slapped her father's butt out of embarrassment. She was blushing furiously from her father's bold remark.
"Welcome back, Takumi" a navy blue-haired woman greeted behind the man's back, her eyes shared the same color as Aika's.
"Aki-obasan" greeted Takumi in a smothered voice, trying to break free from the bespectacled man's hold, "How have you been?"
"I'm fine, thank you" she smiled, "please come in, we prepared a little for Aika-chan's birthday." The beautiful woman shifted her focus to the man who doesn't quit on his antics, "Dear… Stop it otherwise we'll lose a potential son-in-law."
"Okasan!"
The girl had had enough of her parents' chaffing and went past the three. Her footsteps banging loudly on the wooden floors as she went inside the house with puffy cheeks coated in crimson. Soon after, her mother followed her inside.
Loosening his hold, the boy succeeded to escape and gasp for air. "Takumi, how's your father?"
There was silence at first before the boy broke it with his faint smile and uttered in a monotone, "Otosan did not make it to the end. The doctors said it was too late and that he's on the terminal stage already. They could do nothing but give palliative care."
"I'm sorry to hear that" the man's smile dropped after hearing his good friend's death.
"No, it's fine. I have already moved on."
He slid his arm to the orphaned boy's neck, trying to comfort him. "Takumi, no matter what. You can still come to this house whenever you want" his tone sounded affectionate for a man before he reverted back to his cheerful self, "Let's go, Aika-chan's waiting for us."
Nodding, the chocolate-eyed agreed and went inside the house with Kazuhiro to celebrate the younger girl's birthday.
Everything felt surreal that after the death of Takumi's father, he is now wearing that same smile he had almost forgotten. He knew it wasn't the time to be frowning because he still had the girl he looked upon to when life has been a catastrophe.
The reason they stayed in the other side of the forest was to ease the gnawing pain from his mother and sister's death. They had to sell their house because the owner of the luxurious car who accidentally ran past the two was demanding a huge sum to compensate for the dents created by collision. They were powerless before the man because their earning wasn't sufficient enough to pay the damages.
Takumi had to bear it all and by his small shoulders, he had already shouldered a weight far greater than the children these days that did nothing but to complain about the unfairness of life without even realizing that there are the least fortunate who never questioned anything regarding the world's harshness.
"Happy birthday" he said in a sing-song though there's an existing lump in his throat but was able to force a song with such joy despite he had no one to sing for him in the day when he was brought into existence.
The celebration ended up well. All were happy to see that the day turned out more than what they had expected. What's more to beg when they already achieved their goal to make Aika the happiest girl in the world?
She wore the brightest smile that day but she had to deal the reality that Takumi's not staying any longer because he already decided to go to Europe to resume his new mission.
He returned to fulfill his promise. Now, he has to go on a journey once again to find a cure to help the people who suffered from Tuberculosis. He already made his resolve: to bring back the smiles that were once lost because of the disease and he wanted to show to everyone that Tuberculosis was not their end and the world is still a nice place to live in.
Before he left, he handed the girl a necklace which seemed to bear a key of some sort. He said, "Aika-chan, I'll return once again before your birthday. This time, I'll give you something that suits you best."
His shadow disappeared when he crossed the water by the boat. The garnet-eyed watched the back of the boy as he silently went with the flow. She stood at the same spot where she first witnessed his departure. But what's strikingly different was she gave no charm to bring along in his journey back to Europe.
Days went by like the river's flow, not knowing that it was almost a year since he left. Aika stood by the hill to watch the boy's arrival yet he never appeared. There was an unexpected storm that hit the area violently, their house almost torn by the strong gust of wind leaving only a shelter almost unrecognizable.
She hoped that nothing worst happened but her fear came into realization after days of waiting. Nothing could have prepared her when she heard the dreaded news that a young brunette died on his way when he tried to keep himself alive from the raging waters that disrupted his raft's buoyancy. A witness saw him trying to retrieve something beneath the water but he had never resurfaced again.
The once peaceful lake claimed the life of the one she deemed her only bestfriend… and the only one whom she loved with all her heart. No longer would she see the same smile etched on the brunette's gentle face nor would she blushed when someone makes sweet yet romantic way of innocent caressing.
Something inexplicable roamed around her chest, sending aches to her heart that was the least prepared among the all. A stinging sensation hurt her eyes, begging to be shed this instant.
Through her soft voice came a loud cry of yearning, regret, grief and despair.
+END of FLASHBACK+
The four found themselves on an old stone which housed Aika's body. The granddaughter showed them her grandmother's final resting place. It was located not far from the house and the setting sun joined them in their prayers for the woman who lost love in an early age.
"Obaachan, we have something for you" a beautiful garnet-eyed woman placed the pocketwatch in front of the tombstone, "this was supposedly the present that should be given to you on your birthday."
Mio watched the letters on the stone with the name of Nakazawa Aika craftily engraved with such precision.
Altogether, they greeted the deceased a "Happy birthday!"
Aimi turned around to thank the two for coming along to pay their respects for her grandmother and joined them in their celebration for the day of her coming into existence.
Before they left the grave, Ritsu suggested something much to their surprise, "Hey, can we hear the song that Takumi came up with?"
"You're asking for the impossible" Mio scolded the amber-eyed while clinging on her neck, supported by the brunette's humble back and arms. "You know it was submerged a long time ago and there's no guarantee that it will work like it previously had."
"Well… we'll never know if we don't believe" the brunette stood firm, her amber eyes glimmered faith. "Do you believe?" she pried her eyes to the granddaughter, waiting for an answer.
"I do" she smiled as she took the necklace out from her neck and picked up the pocketwatch to insert the key to its designated place before she carefully twist the key counterclockwise, waiting for the music to be played.
It's pointless, I tell you… Baka…
There was silence at first. I didn't work as expected. Aimi laid the object back to the grave. They were about to leave the place when a beautiful yet soothing song played in their back, humming together with rustling of the trees' leaves. Nature has sung in unison, bringing tears to the steel eyes who clearly felt the genuine love and underappreciated effort lent by the boy to create a piece for the girl he loved in his ephemeral life.
She can really visualize Takumi spending the night in his worktable under the guidance of the lamp, crafting the present with utmost perfection.
The song ended and never did it played again when Aimi tried to reinsert the key to make the gears work. "I guess the pocketwatch has served its purpose" she smiled satisfyingly.
Ritsu and Mio smiled before they bid goodbye to the owners of garnet eyes. When they almost reach a fair distance, a sudden gust of wind blew their hairs eastward whispering inaudibly what seems like a "Thank you."
Mio froze before she forced a stutter, "D-did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" puzzled to the raven-haired girl's question.
Embarrassed, she digressed and asked the older girl, "Hey, is the shrine near yet?"
"Yup. Look over there."
Steel eyes widened when she saw the altar her father used to frequent. It was still the same; the cradle never looked like it was affected over these past centuries.
Mio asked Ritsu if they could go near the stones and the amber-eyed just nodded and she allowed the girl to stand by her knees albeit she needs the brunette's assistance to remain still.
The raven-haired untied the knot on the hem of her shirt and offered something to the shrine. It was the apple which she spared earlier this morning.
"Kami-sama" she whispered lowly, palms against each other, "Here's the fruit father said you liked the most. I hope you're happy now."
'And thank you for saving Ritsu' she mentally added her thanks to the god she believed is currently listening to her prayers nearby.
The amber-eyed gave Mio a lopsided smile when the latter turned around, "Did you just thank Gisei for saving me?" she teased the girl who was striving to keep her balance.
"Baka!" she tried to hit the girl on her head but she lost her balance and fell straight to Ritsu's arms who caught her just in the nick of time like a princess who jumped out from the window only to be greeted by her prince's embrace.
A hint of crimson preyed on the raven-haired girl's cheeks before she apologized for her clumsiness, "S-sorry."
"You okay?" the brunette said in a gently voice, "Let's go home now, probably your grandmother will reprimand you if she finds out that we're playing more than a day during her absence."
The girl nodded in agreement, "Okay, let's head home."
Soon after, they managed to get on the vessel earlier than expected with Ritsu's crazy leaps. She carefully let Mio sat on the spot she assumed before while the amber-eyed grabbed the oars to start rowing.
Mio was watching Ritsu rowed properly contrary to her initial propelling. The amber-eyed grinned widely when she caught Mio staring on her amber eyes, "It seems that my gorgeous eyes unexpectedly came into your liking?"
"No, you idiot!" She came up with an excuse, "I was just watching you if you're going to pull another lousy move again."
The brunette was laughing loudly, oblivious to the peace that surrounded the two in their journey way back home. "Hey, do you know why this boat was left for more than half a century?"
"No, why was that?" she gave Ritsu a quizzical look, curious to the history behind the boat's desertion.
"I'll tell you if you call me by my name."
'What?!' she mentally protested.
"I see… stubborn as always."
Mio made an incoherent sound before she mustered her courage to call the amber-eyed by her name hesitantly, "R…R…Ri…Ritsu."
The girl grinned wildly, almost throwing the oars to the waters. Good thing her reflexes were quick enough to catch the wooden propellers just in time or else they'll have to row manually. And by manually, meaning Ritsu has to use her thin arms as a substitute for the oars.
"Okay, I'll tell you about this boat's history" she stared at Mio, still wearing that goofy smile, "You see…"
"Well what?"
"This boat is cursed!"
"What?!" Mio was stunned by the brunette's revelation. "Is this one of your silly jokes again?" her steel orbs filled with fiery, almost tempted to hit Ritsu on the head once again.
"N-no! I'm telling the truth!" Ritsu yelled, trying to convince the girl that she wasn't joking this time. "This boat was believed to be cursed. They said that long time ago, a boy used this very vessel to travel between the waters but died shortly after a storm hit the area."
Mio gulped but she tried to keep her composure to listen to the brunette's tale, "Then?"
"After that incident, never did anyone use this boat for transportation and it was left there in that place waiting for it to crumble into dust but it never did." She stared straight to the steel orbs before she uttered, "They said whoever rode this boat will be cursed to be separated from her lover for eternity."
"I guess that idea sprung from the death of Takumi?" Mio returned the gaze casted by Ritsu with utter seriousness, "But I guess we can't blame them if they feared the idea when you're going to lose the one you love. It's really not surprising if anyone will never attempt to use this boat."
"But you know…" Ritsu gave the raven-haired a faint smile, her eyebrows rested like she had seen nirvana already, "the idea of separation brings the couple closer than ever before. The farther the distance, the more you think about that person and the more you fueled your desire to spend your time around the one who made you realize that life was never complete without that person's presence."
For a moment, Mio gave nothing in reply. Still processing how on earth Ritsu came up with that kind of depth in understanding. Truth to be told, she never considered such kind of perspective because of the fact that she knew the feeling of being separated from her loved ones for eternity. She knew that her parents were gone in this world but she still held on the memories she considered invaluable.
"Oh, forget it. I was just trying to sound cool once in a while" the amber-eyed waved her hands frantically, oars now held by her thumbs.
"Thank you, Ritsu" the steel-orbed graced a smile that surprised the amber-eyed, "your words gave me another understanding of the meaning of separation. I'll make sure to keep that in mind."
Out of embarrassment, Ritsu tickled her cheek. She hesitated for a while before she replied back, "Oh, it was nothing really. I learned that from a certain someone."
"From a certain someone?"
"Yes… from someone precious." She laughed like the usual before she resumed her rowing that earned a confusion from the raven-haired who was clueless to whom Ritsu was referring to but decided not to pry anymore for details.
Before darkness sets in, the two were able to return home safe and sound. The grandmother has yet to arrive from her trip to Mio's hometown and Ritsu used the opportunity to sneak around and lay the steel-orbed carefully to the wooden floors of their house; crutches still on the same spot where they left it intact before they went to play outside.
"Mio" Ritsu said in a soft voice, "I'll come here to play again and I'll show you the places you haven't been yet."
The younger girl tilted her head out of confusion, her raven strands slowly shifting its weight to the other side, "S-sure… Thank you."
"And thank you for saving me" Ritsu again said softly, making it like it was out of her character to express such sincerest gratitude. She kneeled before the girl and kissed the back of her palm, gently pressing her lips to the smooth surface of the now-blushing steel-orbed. The sensation remained even if the amber-eyed pulled her lips away leaving nothing but a stunned Mio.
Ritsu waved goodbye before she left the house through the hole beneath the wall where she almost got crushed by the tree's branch. She crammed herself in until she was gone in Mio's sight.
Fazed, Mio quickly grabbed her crutches before she shakily stood up to march towards her room while the pair of steel created loud clanking sounds on the floor. She managed to reach the point of her destination and swung the door open before she buried her face on the ever-comfortable night furniture, still trying to process all the things that happened when they went out to play.
'D-did she just kiss my hand before she left?' She grabbed the nearest pillow and hugged it with all her might, pressing it against her chest as she rolled to her side, still wearing that blush she got from Ritsu's latest stunt.
Her constant cursing to the amber-eyed came into a halt when she heard a ringing sound smothered by something fluffy. The ring persisted until Mio was forced to answer the call with a slight hint of irritation.
"Hello, who might this be?"
"Oh, Mio-chan!" a childish voice answered, "Finally, you pick up your phone. I was calling you the entire day yet you never answered. I was really worried!"
Recognizing the owner of the voice, she quickly apologized, "Oh I'm sorry, Yui-chan." She asked, "What brings you to call me this night?"
"You see… I want to talk to you about something… Please don't laugh."
"Sure, I won't. I'll hear you out."
"You see… I'm writing lyrics for our band's song and when I let Ui check it out, she said that it was really unrealistic. She said I should find someone if I wanted to write a song about love because theory alone won't clearly reach the audience's heart. So… I was wondering if I could find someone whom I'll.. uhmm... dedicate something like…"
"Like a song?"
"That's it, Mio-chan! You're really smart! That's what I'm about to say!"
Mio took her time to massage her temples from the brunette's tendency to go airhead mode. "And you want to dedicate that song to someone?"
"Yes! I don't know why but I get this kind of uneasy yet pleasurable feeling in my chest that had bothered me the entire day so I decided to phone you up. Sorry."
"No, it's okay" Mio curved her lips when she remembered something similar to the brunette's case but the caller was oblivious to the faint enthusiasm Mio has expressed, "You'll definitely find someone whom you're willing to sing solely. I bet that luckiest person is somewhere near you, only that time was patiently waiting for your destined meeting."
"M…Mio-chan!" the airhead yelled on the other line making the girl flinched to her side, "T-thank you! I was never wrong to call you! Somehow that gave me the ease!"
"It's alright" she replied gently, still smiling until she heard another voice in the line screaming the brunette's name over and over again.
"Oh, Mio-chan. Ui's calling me for dinner. I better hang up now!"
"Okay, Yui-chan…"
"Thank you very much, Mio-chan! Take care!"
"You-"
*BEEP*
Yui hung up before Mio could respond back. The raven-haired flipped her phone closed before she slumped back to her bed while looking at the crescent-shaped on her window that shone cold light in the nightsky, the stars shining alongside the moon in background.
I guess there's a truth to the saying that true love defies logic that even death holds no power to the feelings that could transcend time.
A/N: Okay, here's another thank you portion from me to you readers out there.
First, I would like to thank Oneechantsu for keeping me company all day and I was really grateful that she entertained such random stranger like me who knew nothing but to disturb her in the midst of her writing. Thank you very much, Oneechantsu and you were really serious when you said that you'll include me in your A/N. I was a bit surprised.
Okay to the usual…
-Guest: Hahaha… Mio's a little bit skeptical to Ritsu's abilities and she's the one who prefers to bet on a degree of higher certainty than rely to gamble solely with questionable chances. Thank you very much for the review.
-Keeper Aki: Thank you very much for your review. I agree to an extent that nothing much happened in the last chapter and I hope this chapter will give justice to what the previous chapter lacks.
-rundownSaber: Hi, thank you. I should be the one thanking you. And don't worry, she's not going anywhere. She must learn from her foolhardiness otherwise she'll bring Mio closer to jeopardy.
-Fujimoto-Chiaki-789: Thank you for following and adding this story to your list. I can't express my gratitude enough. But still, thank you.
-NatalyLo: thank you for following this story.
-homsar955: Thank you for following this story too.
-To you readers out there: Thank you for reading this story up to this point. It really gives me the motivation to write but I'm still on my way of learning proper punctuation usage and grammar. Nonetheless, thank you.
Sorry if this chapter's a bit long and now you're probably wondering what kind of story you have just read. To tell you the truth, I am surprised as well. This idea transpired from a local movie in my country about a couple torn between time: the woman is from the 50s and the man is from the present. Their only connection was a telephone only that I borrowed the idea of 'love could transcend time' for this chapter. Probably some of you knew this movie especially those who lived near the Orient seas. And maybe I am totally confusing you for the plot of this story *apologizes severely. This will serve as a conclusion to the Servant of Love arc.
Another bonus. Screw me for adding such irrelevant information but I feel like sharing this when browsing for the meaning behind the names in a certain website.
-Takumi: means artisan
-Aika: means love song
Update is going to be slower than the usual (a month, maybe?). I have a case presentation up ahead and I am doomed if I failed my majors. Reviews are very much appreciated… Likes and follows are also appreciated. Complaints and rants are also welcome too. If anyone just want a random stranger to talk to, feel free to PM me. Thank you very much for reading this story. Once again, thank you.*drinks another cup of iced coffee