DISCLAIMER: I claim no rights to K-on!
WARNING: Rated T for safety though I doubt there will be little to no explicit content.
Hints
They said your first dream in New Year will come true…
I wonder how long has it been since I last had a good dream?
She was woken up not by the constant ringing of the alarm clock sitting atop the bedside drawer but by the gentle sun. Its warm light crept onto the pink curtains of the glass window. She curled to her side, stuffing the pillow on her head, keeping the sun from reaching her face yet it was very persistent to the point that it had the girl mumbling a soft protest.
"M-i-o!" an energetic voice disrupted the raven-haired girl's attempt to fall back to sleep, pulling the blanket that reveled on the luxury of hugging the girl's body all throughout the night, "Time to wake up!"
"Just a bit more…" she complained softly under a low-pitched voice while turning to her opposite side, exposing her creamy legs that could elicit a physiological response especially the perverted ones.
"Sleepy head as always" the owner of unrivaled energy crawled her way towards the bed's footpart and pulled the younger girl's thighs, sliding Mio's delicate body on the ever soft pink sheets whilst sporting a cunning smile that denote nothing but a sly way to awake the half-asleep girl.
Alarmed by the immediate pull without a warning, her reflexes kicked in; she gave a quick hack on Ritsu's skull as their distance closed in before they tumbled down on the floor altogether when the brunette did not set Mio's thighs free from her grasp.
"What do you think you're doing, you idiot?!" she yelled while her face was evident enough to show belligerence to Ritsu's prank.
The older girl held her head for a while, small beads forming on the corner of her lids as she was the one who received the greatest impact of all, not to mention, her head fell first before her body while serving as a human cushion for the raven-haired whose pelvis settled unwillingly to Ritsu's abdomen.
Mio shot a glare to the amber-eyed without realizing the awkwardness of their current position. She continued her nasty lectures that even children will cringe when they see the very image of the raven-haired beauty's face in scowl and grey eyes raging in fury as if she could choke anybody just by watching her steel orbs adding up her anger's intensity.
She was only taken aback when Ritsu had the nerve to talk back in the middle of her lecture, "I see you don't mind sitting on top of me, Mio." She curved her lips into a sinister grin while enjoying the sight of the younger girl's vulnerability - cleavage exposed accidentally when the button popped out from the stitches but what's strikingly appetite-inducing was that Mio looked like a lost little lamb cornered by a ferocious wolf and the stray raven locks cascading down her voluptuous curves, touching a portion of her ankle when she fold her legs in proximity with Ritsu's thighs - an image worthy to behold of.
"Hey, I don't mind playing-" Ritsu lost the opportunity to complete her sentence when the raven-haired pulled a swift bash on the amber-orbed girl's head which earned a restrained agonizing yelp from the former when she bit her tongue - her punishment for initiating a classic innuendo for a peaceful morning.
"I don't have time to listen to your jokes" the indignant girl rolled her eyes for a bit, not giving a single damn to the girl who acquired multiple injuries the moment she tried to pull a prank against the raven-haired, "What business do you have here, anyway?"
"I am not giving up not until you tell me what you dreamt first in the start of a new year."
"Why are you so persistent with knowing what my dream was all about?"
"Because who knows it might come true in this very year?" she straightened her back to face the possessor of grey orbs who refused to tell her even the faintest hint of the content of her dream.
"I'm afraid I couldn't divulge anything because I don't know what you have up in your sleeves." They exchanged glares, both of them not backing down until the older girl softened her stare.
Amber orbs now concealed by the golden brown locks while plastering her signature grin, "I guess your dream has something to do with… having me posing as your boyfriend?"
"B-boyfriend?! YOU as my boyfriend?!" Mio couldn't believe what she had just heard from the amber-eyed but that joke was far from what she could tolerate in this given time.
"Yup, that's why you don't want to reveal your dream because you're ashamed to admit that you hold some lovey-dovey feelings for me." She continued her nonsensical jest to force Mio to tell her the truth, "…not unless you tell me what your first dream for the New Year was with much honesty."
The raven-haired was certainly on her limits, she raised her left hand and was about to slap Ritsu on her cheek. Slender fingertips were about to land on Ritsu's face but the older girl caught it before it could create a loud smack, just an inch away before it could be considered a success but it was a total failure because her opponent possessed great reflexes for a young lady with boyish traits.
Owners of grey and amber orbs respectively waged war by exchanging glares. This was the first time something like this happened between the two of them - a prank gone wrong which escalated to an argument.
"Say, what if we'll settle this by playing a game?" she suggested, loosening her grip on Mio's wrist while the latter slowly retrieved it, laying it carefully on her lap.
"I guess we don't have a choice, do we?" the younger girl answered back as if she was left with no choice but to agree on Ritsu's proposal that a game should be able to settle things once and for all.
"So… what are you going to bet then?" Ritsu propped her head on her arms, her back resting against the edge of the foam.
"Bet?" Mio reiterated. She was not used to play a game to which she had to offer something as a form of compensation because she knew that she was always on the losing side not to mention that she had little to no luck at all when it comes to things like these.
"You afraid? Unlucky as always, I see…" the amber-orbed chortled, taunting the girl with the innate fate she had that she was the unfortunate recipient of poor luck.
She remembered back when she used to hang out with the club members in which she always lose to any game the girls could come up be it card games, board games or even spin the bottle. She was always on the receiving end of bad luck and Sawako would never fail to use this opportunity to have the raven-haired forced to wear any outfit that was surprisingly readily available every time the bespectacled woman pulled something beneath her skirt and shove it to the poor girl.
Despite her protest, she couldn't stand a chance against their club advisor who would not hesitate to pull any dirty tricks if Mio would dare not to oblige to her request. There came a time when she was very perplexed on the fact that her airhead friend, Yui, never lost any game even if she acts clumsy for her age.
The raven-haired cringed on her seat, fists held tighter than ever before, loosening it up as she faced the older girl with her new resolve, "I'm not… I'll take your challenge head on."
"Oh…" a lopsided smile etched on Ritsu's face as she witnessed the younger girl's attempt to show bravery in the midst of her disadvantage. She straightened her back once again like she was caught up with how things turned out to her favor, "Your bet, Ms. Unlucky?"
"If I win, you will stop pestering me about my dream and if I lose, I'll tell you every single detail of it."
"Okay, that's decent for a deal. Then I shall have mine too…" she tilted her head to her left while constantly relishing the sight of Mio wearing her serious expression, "If I win, you will have to listen to what I'll say after the game and if I lose, I will obey every single word you say."
Confused with the deal, the steel-orbed asked, "You're not going to ask what my dream was if you win?"
Ritsu laughed boisterously much to the younger girl's annoyance, "Of course, I was certain enough you'll lose so you'll have to tell me what your dream was all about and at the same time, you will have to listen to what I'll say after this. I'm not going to ask for a thing twice, should I?"
Ashamed, she averted her gaze while her raven locks definitely served its purpose to hide her face filled with red hue due to shame. "F-fine, then state the mechanics of your game."
Chuckling with blinding confidence, she brought her knee near her chest while the other one was left resting casually on the floor. Her head held high, sporting a devious grin as she pointed her thumb straight to her heart, "I, the Great Ritsu, propose a guessing game!"
"W-what?!" Mio's eyes flashed vexation intermittently as if that game would assure her instant defeat, "But that's unfair!"
Amber-orbed smiled mischievously when she saw the girl's reaction, "Hey, not so fast. I was about to explain the mechanics of the guessing game so hold your concerns or any violent reactions in check."
"Continue" she calmed down a bit while trying to listen intently to the older girl and was about to launch another fist whenever the amber-eyed will spout ridiculous things beyond her comprehension.
"First" the sly girl raised a finger to connote her ephemeral superiority, "I will be giving you hints along the way and these will be vital towards giving you a picture of what the real answer might be."
The younger girl nodded once in agreement. "Second, taking back an answer is not allowed once you have given it after I ascertain you that indeed it was your final answer."
Then Ritsu coughed vigorously to show to the girl that she had to pay attention to the last mechanic of the game, "Wear something in your best attire for this game."
"A-are you crazy? Why would I oblige to that kind of mechanic?" Frustration made its way to her angelic face, eyebrows knitted firmly when her pinkish lips curved slightly downward.
"Hey, no more objections please? I would also compel myself to that last mechanic so there's no sort of injustice in here or what."
Her mind was swirling violently to what she would wear for that game because of the stupidity of a certain girl who couldn't come up with a decent game.
"Then, I'll meet you after three hours. I will wait on the gates, okay?" The older girl slowly got up on her knees, bidding goodbye to the younger girl before she opened the window and jumped off much to the latter's surprise.
Mio instantly picked her crutches up that were hidden underneath her bed and made haste to check if the amber-eyed was fine. She looked below, her eyes constantly moving in different directions looking for Ritsu.
"Yo! I will be waiting, Mio." She flashed a grin, her fingertips pressed against each other, imitating a pyramid as she yelled loudly to catch the raven-haired girl's attention. "See you later!" then she left the ancestral house, leaving only a trace of footprints on the snow.
Did she know already?
+Mio's P.O.V+
My eyes stared blankly on the tracks she left; I was puzzled on why she was very enthusiastic about this so-called 'guessing game.' I admit I am not really good when it comes to things like these. I am always on the losing end when it comes to games but my academic performance was far from failure.
I sighed softly, my breath created a fog as heat forced a contact with cold air. I stared at it for a while before it was gone like thin air then I carefully stretched my leg forward, taking small steps before I rested my back on the foam.
"Will it come?" I heaved a sigh before I turned to my side, bringing my knees near my chest, hugging it with faint strength I could muster just to keep it close.
I was looking forward for this particular day to come. I am eager to discover the identity of that Phantom, unmasked him and decipher his single-worded message.
+FLASHBACK+
Men and women dressed elegantly, all of them had their distinct fashion to boast in this very moment. Flamboyant dresses designed with nonpareil intricacy matched with sparkling heavy jewelries, begging for exaltation to everyone who was present in a gathering of the exceptional.
This event should just be a supposed simple celebration yet no one sees it in that way. For them, this night should be an all-out competition and I am quite saddened with the fact that I am forced to deal with the adults for formality's sake even though I don't require much attention because I believe it's just an ordinary day and this is just part of growing up as a human being.
I was just there, sitting on the staircase with the red aisle occupying almost all the steps. I heed no attention to my dress, ruffled by my lack of interest to keep it neat as possible.
Gentlemen flocked their way towards my position; I see lots of hands crowding in front of my face, asking for a dance yet I declined politely, saying I was not in the mood for it. They knew they had no chance even if they'll try to convince me because I dislike being once again, the center of attention. I never liked this but I couldn't raise this concern to my kind parents. All I want is a simple celebration for my fifteenth birthday.
I need no expensive gifts and exaggerated praises to fill the void in my heart. I am tired of extravagance and I yearned for simplicity. How simple it was to ask only for a friend? Given with my family's wealth, I could garner and filter the people up but all I want was someone who wouldn't be swayed by worldly riches but who will see me as I am- not as an Akiyama but just me, Mio.
My friend, boredom, never failed to sit right next to me although it couldn't utter a single word yet its mere presence clearly denotes that a girl like me lacks the essence of what it feels to be truly alive.
It's been an hour since I sat on this staircase, and all the people passing by were just silhouettes in my own eyes. Their black suits were just a bad product of mass production. If they had nothing in common, perhaps it depends on the wearer's ability to appeal himself to the populace.
My black locks found its way to conceal my feelings, covering my eyes that were devoid of the needed luster for this celebration.
Those greetings from the same people never had the slightest sincerity from their words. And I know that I should not be complaining about it because from the very start, they only knew me as the only daughter of the Akiyamas. To put it bluntly, we're just strangers and our sole connection was the business world, nothing more nothing less.
But I never said that I totally despised my birthday. On the contrary, I was looking forward to it. I was expecting for the appearance of that 'Phantom' to cruise casually in this party. I never saw him personally but I caught a glimpse of his stature and what he certainly looks like despite he always disappeared in the middle of the crowd. My only evidence in his visits was that a golden strand was always left in the scene whenever I find myself searching for this mysterious guest.
I always asked the people present in that event if ever they saw that handsome man lurking around to catch a prey in the name of coquetry but to my dismay, I only received a shrug as an answer.
It was always like this, I couldn't catch that phantom red-handed by placing his gift in the pile of expensive presents I have received earlier from the other guests. His gifts were unique to the point I would immediately recognize it because of its sheer peculiarity. If all the gifts were wrapped mostly with a dull pattern, his gift was different in a way that it seems that it was intended as a present for a five-year old like he was mocking me that I am childish despite I was exhibiting maturity in the face of public.
I wouldn't deny that I love anything that is fairytale-like and I couldn't help but giggle mentally whenever he made his visits in my birthday party. While crowding myself in the sea of people, I caught an image of him and followed him discreetly.
His eyes were overshadowed by his black top hat and I only manage to see a portion of his gold irises staring at me in derision.
He pulled his hat off which revealed his golden hair that was bathing on the glory of the chandelier's light as it supplemented the atmosphere needed to enchant me with his alluring looks.
His hair was fashioned in a way that his unruly strands were blocking his vision. Like the rest, he wore a black suit with a crooked red necktie to accompany his white long-sleeved serving as his undershirt.
He curved his lips slyly; still, his golden orbs radiated extreme malicious satisfaction. "Finally, you caught up." He raised his right hand and fit his hat snugly on his head. "Until next time" a group of waiters blocked my view as they serve the guests their drinks and when I managed to catch a final glimpse of him, I saw him uttering my name in a playful manner, "…Mio."
The phantom disappeared without a trace. I sighed in defeat yet I have this kind of feeling that was shouting for joy. Finally, I saw him in my fifteenth birthday and towards the end of the party, I wore a smile that would send everybody in bewilderment because I was never one to smile in gratification and they knew it was a rarity of a kind.
Panicking, my father assumed that I fell in love with someone from the party and he started to run wild and threatened every man suspected dallying at me. My mother and the guards were forced to intervene and the party ended up in a mess but I don't blame my father for it. Maybe it's nice to see something uncommon in a party of elites - creating a ruckus out from a simple misconception.
After the lights went off with confetti spreading around every corner, my father and our bodyguards escorted us towards the basement. I brought none except for the phantom's gift. And when we reached the black sedan, one bodyguard opened the door for me and I gladly accepted his kind offer. I settled my hips on the grey seats and sat there with grace.
When I felt that the distractions were now minimal, I carefully unwrapped the gift, making sure that it would remain intact. There, I saw the contents of his present; it was still the same over his past seven visits, only that the note attached to a whorled pinnate dark purplish flower served as his means of communicating to me. I brought the flower close to my nares and whiffed its soothing scent that never failed to bring me the slight elation. That day, I received 'side' as his only message for this year.
+END of FLASHBACK+
+END of Mio's P.O.V+
She rubbed her hands for warmth as the frigid wind blew her hair towards the east. She was waiting for someone in the midst of this cold yet it appears that that person was late for a trivial reason. She stood there, pulling her earphones up and plugged it on her ears. Scrolling down for some good songs in her ipod to kill some time while waiting for the brunette, she ended up listening something unbefitting to her image.
'I guess I'll give this song a shot' she pressed the play button and rested her back against the high walls of their house. The song's intro started with a male voice singing in a desperate tone, accompanied by the slow beats of the snare drums and the calm strums of the guitar.
She looked up above, only to see snow descending slowly from the grey skies before it reach the ground. She raised her plaid scarf in level of her jaw to keep her neck from experiencing the cold brought by a drop in temperature. She was wearing a grey coat with buckle enclosing her slim waist to match her raven hair cascading down her hips; her white blouse made of wool slightly exposed her bust while wearing a black pencil skirt with dark leggings extending up to her ankles. She wasn't in the mood to use her boots so she opted using her black wedge-heeled sandals as a substitute.
Unconsciously, she was humming the song especially during the chorus part. She was tapping her fingers on her crutches and decided to close her eyes to direct her focus to the song's message.
The song finally reached its conclusion and Mio gradually opened up her eyes, feeling the dramatic end by the prolonged wailing of the guitars. She saw a figure grinning in front of her face, eyes showing a hint of mockery for leaving herself vulnerable outside their gates.
"You know you could be kissed by anyone else if you leave yourself susceptible in the eyes of the perverts" a hooded figure declared, grabbing the raven-haired girl's wrist and pinned her against the concrete.
Eyes met and Mio never budged from her position; instead, she looked at the figure with passivity as if she was not threatened even a bit. "And who might this pervert be, trying to kiss a random girl he deemed an easy prey for his advances?" she pulled the hood off which revealed a golden brown hair falling lazily onto the figure's eyes. Amber orbs glimmering upon Mio's display of bravery.
"Tch! And I thought I could play a prank against you" she hissed.
"Sad to say that I developed an immunity to your jokes, Ritsu" Mio gave the assaulter one last glare before she shook her off out from her grasp.
"Nah, I'll think of a good way to scare the hell out of you" the older girl retorted, "like using bar-"
SWISH!
The amber-eyed found her face drowning from a heap of snow when she received a direct hit on her frontal lobe.
"Care to continue?" the younger girl said in a low voice, steel orbs not showing any form of mercy upon the bestowal of the brunette's punishment.
"N-no, I quit" she replied instantly while aiding her steaming head. She stood on her knees, surprised to see the girl in full view, "Woah… you do have good taste in fashion. You look very beautiful in that outfit, Mio."
The raven-haired felt blood creeping upwards. She averted her gaze to hide her blush, persistent enough to keep herself invulnerable towards Ritsu's flattery. "You look handsome in your own way too…" she countered and she only got an 'eh?' as a response.
"Do I?" she tickled her cheek. The handsome girl least expected to hear that compliment from Mio who's at par on her with regards on throwing sarcasms because of her lack of maturity despite being eighteen years of age.
In Mio's point of view, Ritsu looked like a handsome young man dressed to catch girls in one glimpse of her. She could be a potential weapon for warfare to disarm the girls and steal their hearts, leaving men to agonize on the cruel fate that someone is better than them and to top it off, a young girl to be exact.
Her white coat embedded with silver zippers was sewn with much precision, leaving no loose stitches to disgrace the brand. She unzipped it to reveal her untucked navy blue long sleeved-shirt extending up to her upper thighs. Her black pants was designed to fit her legs in a way that she wouldn't look thin just by wearing a dark-colored denim and a grey-colored sneakers with laces left dangling on the sides. Her plaid scarf was crooked as expected of the amber-eyed who couldn't care less on fixing the garment to make her a better eye-candy to all female spectators.
"Your scarf's crooked" the raven-haired sighed. She pulled Ritsu closer to fix the winter garment while not knowing that they were just inches from each other and undeniably, they could really feel each other's breath. She snuggled her slender fingertips onto the scarf, trying to fix it while staring at the perfect scar on Ritsu's neck. "There, much better."
"For a moment, we looked like a couple there" she smiled coyly and evaded Mio's attempt to silence her, "Oy, oy… that was just a joke, you know?"
"That's not funny for a joke" she complained under her scarf, producing a fog that would make a short appearance over her face as she exhaled.
"So… you ready for our game, Mio?" Ritsu asked, making a cute face while waiting for the younger girl's reply.
"Yes, I'm ready."
"Remember, you need to figure out the right answer from all of my hints otherwise you're going to spill everything about your dream and you will have to listen to what I'll say after this."
"Yes, yes… I got it."
"Shall we begin now?" Ritsu offered her hand to Mio. The latter knew that when the amber-eyed makes a gesture like this, a piggyback ride is an imminent choice for human transportation. Without further delay, she stretched her arm and reached for the game master's hand. She could feel the transition of the warmth passed down to hers the moment she settled her palm over the older girl's and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Let's go."
They were strolling down the thick pile of white mass down the road; her sneakers were buried deeply every time she launched her foot forward. Indeed she had a hard time keeping a tough façade but knowing Ritsu, she would definitely take it as a form of challenge to her self-acclaimed 'superhuman' endurance.
"Are you okay?" the raven-haired beauty whispered beneath the girl's ear, "Do you want to take a short break?"
"No need, the first hint is up ahead" she replied with eyes burning in excitement.
Mio was vexed; she saw nothing except for a young lady talking to someone while holding her phone.
"You don't mean… that girl is our first clue?"
"Yup, what's wrong with that as our first clue?" the amber-eyed was even more vexed than the younger girl, arching an eyebrow as she saw nothing wrong with it. She doesn't feel a single guilt by spying on her who sat on an old bench with a leafless cherry blossom tree above her.
"It's totally wrong in every way, you idiot!" Mio hissed although she kept her voice low as much as possible so as not to alarm the girl whose privacy was currently breached.
"Eh? You should quit complaining now or else you'll miss the first hint" the brunette suggested in a childish tone, trying to convince the raven-haired that it was just part of the game.
Sighing in defeat, Mio observed the girl while trying to listen intently to the conversation with someone on the other line. She wanted to obey her conscience but she couldn't afford to lose because she waged something and who knows that in the end of the game, Ritsu will force her to do something humiliating, enough to break his reputation into smithereens.
Otosan, Okasan… just for today, I don't want to lose in this game. Please forgive me.
+CLUE # 1+
"Hey, how long has it been since we last had a talk like this?" an energetic voice from the other line said.
"I think it's been a year" she curved her lips slightly when she heard the raspy voice of a young man constantly adjusting his tone to make his voice coherent.
"How're you doing there, Chihiro? Got a boyfriend to spend your bucks with?"
"I am not planning to date anyone within this time of year."
"Heh? Sad to hear that from you… You got good looks to begin with yet you haven't managed to hook any boys with your charms. What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing's wrong with me" she scoffed under her red scarf while her gaze on to the two birds perching on the electrical wires, still wearing that same smile she had earlier the moment she heard his voice.
"Gah, I'm tired with your excuses about 'studies first.' Seriously, a boyfriend could be used as a source for inspiration. It's not really that harmful, you know?"
"What if I get pregnant in the process?"
"E-excuse me?! It ain't gonna happen! I'm gonna find that bastard and kill him for it."
"Why would you kill him if you were the one who suggested to get a boyfriend in the first place?" she twirled her wavy brown hair in a seducing manner while waiting for his answer, trying to elicit something from him to make this phone call worthwhile.
"Damn it, because you got a good future up ahead and getting pregnant is out of the question. What if he was an irresponsible husband and a father, leaving you and your child while he's hooking up with the other girls? That would be horrible!"
"Well… why do you even care if that man would ditch me in the future?"
"Because…"
"Because?" she leaned back on the set of cold steels as she arched an eyebrow, waiting for a continuation to his sentence.
"Because I love you, damn it."
A wide smile formed on the girl's face, smiling as she heard what was due for this year, "So... you do love me, Kazuki?"
"Gah! You witch! How dare you had me saying something so embarrassing?!" she pulled the phone away from her ear as the voice was yelling indignantly when he realized that he had finally confessed his feelings to the master of trickery, "You're gonna pay for it!"
"It's your fault, dummy. I was just asking you yet you confess without knowing it yourself? How much dumber can you get? Perhaps your brain's rusting when you couldn't hear my voice for a year?"
"S-shut up! I was just fooling you."
"No way, you are always the unfortunate victim of my fooling."
"…"
"So, can I hear you say that again?"
"W-what?"
"That three words."
"Shit, I'm gonna get back at you for this…. I love you! Satisfied?"
"Nu-uh… who are you telling that to? Say it again."
"Damn you! You're one hell of a witch!"
She crooked a smile before she requested for a reiteration, "Say it properly this time."
"I love you, Chihiro."
"…"
"Hey, why aren't you saying anything? Laugh all you want now, witch!"
"I could be laughing right now for your idiocy, you know? Relax; I have something to say too…"
"What? You're going to say something nasty again?"
"I love you."
"…"
"Why aren't you saying something too, Kazuki?" she leaned forward, crossing her legs while expecting an answer after her bold confession.
"Since when?"
"Oh my, you're one hopeless case. Haven't you notice that I keep turning all the boys down? It was because I was waiting for you to make your move yet it seems that you're oblivious to it. I regret falling in love with a dumb guy like you."
"And I regret harboring these feelings for a girl with a razorblade tongue like you." A loud ringing of the bell could be heard on the other line, signifying that break time is almost over and all of them should resume working, "I guess this will be it, Chihiro."
"Yeah, I think so. It will take time again, will it?"
"Yeah… another year, maybe? But you see, I'm glad to hear your voice again. It was kind of refreshing after a long day of hardwork. I guess I really did miss you."
"You're not alone. You see… I'm willing to wait for you. Distance is not a hindrance, right? And even though you're far away, I could always feel that you're just right next to me. So, any last words?"
"Yes, I do. Wait for me and I'll properly ask you to be my girlfriend, got it? Don't you dare flirt to any guys out there, remember that!"
"Sure, and I'll ask the same thing for you. Never make someone pregnant before you come back here and beg for my forgiveness."
"Damn, I won't. You know I wouldn't." Someone interrupted Kazuki as if they had to go now otherwise they'll be reprimanded, "Chihiro, this will be for this year. I love you and I hope you'll be doing fine there."
"Yeah… thank you for making this day special as always, for your extra effort on making me happy every start of the New Year. I love you."
"See you, Chihiro."
"See you too."
*BEEP*
+End of CLUE # 1+
"How's that, Mio?" Ritsu asked the girl who was blushing madly when she was forced to listen to the entire duration of the phone call. "Got something like a clue out of that girl's conversation?"
The raven-haired sunk her nails deeper onto Ritsu's back, creating multiple folds out from the latter's white coat, "I am still uncertain… shall we proceed to the next clue?"
"Ohoh… I should be praising you for your enthusiasm to this guessing game."
"Hurry up; I don't want to prolong this foolishness."
"Yes, yes… right away, miss."
It took them ten minutes to reach the playground with no one in sight. The slides, seesaws, swings and monkey bars were left untouched. In general, no one would dare to play casually during the winter season to avoid catching up a cold.
"What are we doing here?" Mio asked in curiosity, grey orbs examining the place, at the same time, looking for the next clue to appear on the scene.
"Shh… lower your voice. The next one's here."
+CLUE # 2+
"Hey, wait up!" a bespectacled man with spikey brown hair tried to chase the girl who was running away from him.
"Leave me alone!" she turned to her side to face the boy; eyes now pooling in tears, dropping silently on her cheeks before it dampened temporarily the mound of snow occupying the entirety of the playground.
"Why are you running away from me?" his auburn eyes reflected confusion. He was desperate enough to learn the cause of the girl's initial reaction.
"Why didn't you tell me that you're leaving by tomorrow?"
He couldn't answer the girl, or rather, he was afraid to speak the truth on why he chose to hide the fact that he was going abroad starting daylight, "Where did you hear that from?"
"I heard it accidentally when I was about to enter the faculty room to hand the worksheets not until I saw you talking with Nakajima-sensei while handing down your resignation papers."
"I'm sorry" he cast his gaze off the ground, refusing to stare at the girl eye to eye. "I was about to tell you about it but I found out that I was scared that I might not properly say my farewells because you'll be mad at me" he respired deeply to remain composed, "But before anything else, I want to say something to you."
She wiped her tears with the help of her wrists, trying to calm herself before she could brace the young man's revelation.
"You see… I really like you." He settled his hands on the girl's shoulders bilaterally, heaving a huge sigh before he continued, "And I want you to know my feelings before I'll leave."
"Why are you so cruel?" she was about to cry again, "Why are you saying something late in this crucial time?"
"I'm sorry for being such a coward but I want to convey my feelings before I'll lose the chance to say it in person." He seized the girl and dragged her towards a vacant seat that was supported by two chains suspended in midair.
"What are you doing?" she protested, forced to remain on seat on the freezing metal.
"Let's make memories before we couldn't anymore." He grabbed the lower portion of the seat and shove it will all his might. The girl swung high while holding the chains firmly on her hands to keep herself from falling, quivering as she felt the cold crawling towards her palms, "N-not so high!"
"You're one scaredy-cat as always ever since we were kids" he braced his self to receive the seat that was drawing closer to his position and shove it again with little force enough to keep the girl on air, enjoying the feeling of having butterflies swarming in the stomach.
Not long after, the frown from her face turned into a gentle smile, lingering on the moment that she could spend this time alone with her childhood friend without disruption. The noise coming from the rubbing of metals came into an end when the boy dragged the girl onto their next destination - the seesaw.
They grabbed their respective seats and the bespectacled man arched his back backwards while holding onto the T-shaped steel, trying to lift the girl on the other plane. A creak escaped as the plank ceded over to the difference in weight and had the girl left suspended above ground level, "P-put me down!"
"No way, use your own weight to put yourself down and lift me up. " He sported a grin, relishing the moment his friend was making a cute protest who couldn't even budge the boy from his seat even if she tried to wiggle with all she got.
Seeing her efforts went in vain, the boy loosened up and let the girl carefully descend her toes on the pile of snow. She tried to avenge herself but only succeeded in lifting him just a few feet from the ground. And there, they were now exchanging lifts and smiles deprived of fraud under the sunless skies.
They stood altogether on their seats and grabbed each other's hands. They knew where they are going last - the penguin slide. Tracks are increasing in number every time they ran around and play, like little children who lacked the ability to restrain their excitement.
He assisted the girl by her hips to allow her to climb towards the peak. He immediately stationed himself in front of the slide, arms wide open to catch the girl by his body.
"I'm going to slide now" she flexed her knees and positioned her legs on the smooth cement before straightening it up. She moved a few inches and granted gravity the permission to work towards her favor. Sliding down, the boy caught her instantly and altogether, they fell on the ground. They were laughing for their silliness, slowly moving their bodies until their backs laid comfortably on the snow while watching it fall from the heavens with bodies adjacent to each other.
"I think this will be the final memory we'll both have in common… watching the snow descending from the skies" the girl smiled before she face the boy who was staring at her the whole time.
"You think so?" he rose from his back and dusted the remnants of snow that were clinging on his hair and brown coat. He stood and shook his self like a dog, offering a hand to the girl. He pulled her and brought her in proximity to his body, wrapping his hands around her waist. "The falling snow will not be our final memory" he brushed his lips over hers which left her astounded.
Pulling away as he gasp for breath, "That will be our final memory for this day." He faced his back and started walking; his heavy steps plunged deeper on the cold mass. He knew what he had done was unforgivable; stealing her first kiss which she valued the most.
Unexpectedly, he felt a tug at the end of his coat's sleeve. He looked back and saw his childhood friend with head down low, her hair now covering her face. He tried to resume his pacing when someone pulled his collar and forced him to get on to the level of her lips. She returned the kiss, this time, with much passion. They shared one final kiss under the silent snow.
+END of CLUE # 2+
Someone giggled vehemently while hiding on the spot unnoticed by human eye. Amber orbs now in focus to the two childhood friends who had just shared a kiss, "How's that, Mio? Is it not a bad hint for this game, right?"
She received no reply because the raven-haired girl's thoughts were now in jumble. It wasn't her first time witnessing such passionate act because she saw her parents doing it in public but it was her first time seeing the same age as hers doing it. Nothing could have prepared her for it and she was blushing wildly while clinging onto Ritsu's back.
"Lighten up, Mio. We still have our third clue coming up." She tried to snap the girl back from reality. Ritsu walked deeper into the mini-forest not far from the playground, whistling lowly until they succeeded on finding the next hint for their guessing game.
+CLUE # 3+
"Back off!" an owner of fierce aquamarine orbs warned a group of rowdy ten-year olds who had them completely surrounded without the intention of letting them go unscathed.
"Yo, Oniichan" one boy stepped into the middle, head slightly hyperextended while wearing a smirk to connote his supremacy, "your sister never apologize when she stepped on my new shoe."
"Stop it, she already gave her apology!" he hugged his sister who was trembling in fear.
"Is that so? I never heard her saying something like she was sorry at all."
"Quit it, she couldn't talk!" he yelled louder, arms still on his sister's tiny shoulders.
"Ah… I see… your sister's mute. I bet your mommy regrets giving birth to a child who couldn't even talk" he crossed his arms around his chest, looking at them with disdain.
"You, dumbass!" he lunged forward and was about to strike a blow straight to the leader's face when he was grabbed by his shoulders and pinned his face down the ground.
"Boys, you know what to do next."
Five boys of different sizes crowded themselves to the older brother, exchanging fists and kicks until he was covered in bruises and wounds. He fought back, jumping forward and pinned one boy down. Tightening his fists, his punches became harder and harder in every release, sending his enemy in a broken nose and was gone out cold.
He shot a dangerous glare to his remaining opponents, spitting blood out from his mouth as he invited them for another round of brawl, "Scared? Come at me, you fools!"
Hesitation was evident in their eyes; no one made a move when they saw their ally's face beaten beyond recognition. How could they even fight back when they finally realized that their opponent was the infamous 'smasher' in their village?
Foot stepped backward, cringing in fear when he saw they have no chance of winning, "I'll be getting back on you, you mongrel!" the leader shouted before they left the scene and ran for their lives.
He fell on his back; the snow's his only cushion to receive him in a reduced impact. The girl rushed towards her brother, tears flowing silently as the salty liquid dropped onto his bruised face.
"Don't cry" he forced a smile despite moving a facial muscle took him a small tear forming on his lid. He raised his shaking arm and wiped his sister's tears "Oniichan's not going to die easily."
He tried to sit up, "Hey, let's go now. It's bad to stay longer in the woods because of the legend of the ugly witch playing pranks against the children who wandered off to the forest."
Holding his knees to increase the support to his aching body, he succeeded in straightening his back albeit he was groaning in pain. He held her tiny hand and started walking, limping while wearing a tough brother visage.
Stopping on their tracks, he looked back to check her sister who halted in the middle of their walk, blonde locks now covering her cherubic face.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
She nodded twice and approached her injured brother, thin arms wrapping his bloody jacket. She tightened her hug, implying something with her action.
Smiling, he placed his hand over her soft hair and stroked it gently, "Don't worry" he said, "words are no longer needed to understand one's feelings."
+END of CLUE # 3+
Mio and Ritsu sat on a blue bench situated near the frozen small body of water. It was just only the two of them there while watching the snow overlapping the previous one that landed first on the ground.
The once green grasses were completely buried and it will took them days before they'll be fully rejuvenated and bring back the glory stolen by the winter season.
"So… have your figured out the answer?" Ritsu cocked an eyebrow, arms on the bench's apex while expecting for the younger girl's reply.
"I am still unsure but I need more clues" she rested her chin on her hand, mulling over the things she have witnessed to synthesize it all and reduce it to one single answer.
"Oh well… 'B' is the first letter of that answer and it has 'D' and 'R' as the consonants."
Starts with 'B' and with consonants 'D' and 'R'?
Mio was thinking deeply despite she was showing calmness in the face of oddity in winning this game. She tried to conjure an answer from a set of ambiguous hints. She raised her head when she finally found her answer, lips curving in brimming confidence which made the brunette squint her eyes and grin cunningly in unison.
"I bet you found the answer already? Let's hear it out."
"The first clue shows that even if someone's away, your feelings will reach each other even in the greatest distance."
Chuckling, the older girl crooked her smile even more, anticipating to Mio's next analysis on the other clues, "Good going, sharp as always. How about the next one?"
"The second one was about making memories out of the simplest things."
"So the kiss was just a simple thing?"
"S-shut up!" she blushed once again when she remembered that part when they were watching that scene in full details like a movie only that they were violating the rule of respecting one's privacy.
"The third one?"
"Protecting someone you cared and…"
"And?" she reiterated.
"Words are no longer needed to understand one's feelings" the raven-haired smiled faintly when her heart got struck when she saw the boy acting like a prince while protecting his loved one.
"Heh? Repeating his line, I see… So what's your final answer then? Taking it back is not allowed."
Mio took one deep breath and faced her with a genuine smile.
"The answer is BOYFRIEND."
Amber orbs gleamed upon hearing the younger girl's answer. She stretched her arms and stood from her seat, clapping thrice before facing Mio within eye level.
"Congratulations, Mio." She said while watching her steel orbs dancing in victory, "You lose."
Huh?
"I bet you were greatly influenced to what you've saw in that moment… particularly those boys who act like a potential figure for a relationship." Ritsu placed her palms on her knees, "Hey, don't feel bad. You almost got the answer right." She tried to cheer the girl up who was dispirited the moment she learned she got her answer wrong.
"What's the answer then?" She raised her head slightly, pleading for the right answer from that given hints.
"Hey, do you remember when I said that when you lose, you're going to listen to what I'll tell you after this game?" She pulled her face away from Mio's vision and took a step backward. "Well before that, let's go back to the hints."
The younger girl nodded in agreement and she lent her ears to the possible explanation of why she got her assumption wrong.
"You were right when you first said that feelings could travel even in the greatest distance. You were also right when you said about making memories out of the simplest things and you were never wrong about protecting your precious ones and about 'words are not needed to understand one's feelings'." She paused for a bit before resuming, "All of your assumptions are correct but you just didn't see the vivid picture in a different perspective."
Loosening her scarf, she called the girl's attention while sporting a devious grin, "Mio, I know this was completely unexpected and I know you were waiting for this moment to come."
E-eh? A confession?!
"Mio" the amber-eyed said firmly in a rough voice before softening her gaze, "Happy Birthday!" She flashed the rarest smile of all that made Mio snapped out from her sea of thoughts going maelstrom. For a moment, her eyes remained astonished to the figure exuding radiance in the midst of cold.
"I wish to share those things with you" Ritsu extended her right arm, stretching out her palm as if waiting for Mio's left hand to accept her invitation, "Can you be my best friend?"
Tears trickled down her rosy cheeks when she couldn't believe what she just heard from the brunette's lips today. Raven strands concealed her grey orbs now pooling in tears. This was completely unexpected on her part, she didn't even reveal to the older girl about her birthday nor wasn't she really prepared that she will get something like a 'best friend' in this time of year. This was by far, too memorable for her sixteenth birthday.
"Oyoy, you don't have to cry." Ritsu wiped Mio's tears with her thumb, "It's okay if you don't want, I'll just pretend I never said that."
Without a word, Mio grabbed the brunette by her loose scarf and embraced her, burying her visage onto the white coat without minding her tears dampening the leather.
"Yosh… yosh…" the handsome girl cooed, stroking the raven strands with utmost care.
The answer to the guessing game was best friend, huh?
Before the sun sets, Mio returned home with a smile on her face while Ritsu on the other hand, rushed towards the woods and said that her master might kill her for not preparing dinner.
She took her crutches which she left near the gates and placed it beneath her armpits, taking one step at a time and reached the knob to swing the door open. She left her sandals and walked barefooted along the hallways.
"I'm home, Otosan… Okasan" she said as she greeted her deceased parents whose picture was left on display on top of the drawer "I just got a great present for my birthday today."
She kissed the picture before she proceeded to the staircase. It took her minutes to reach her room as she was struggling to climb upstairs but she managed to do it alone without other's assistance. She twisted the knob and switched the lights on, giving a good picture of her room exhibiting femininity in every aspect.
To her surprise, she saw the peculiar gift sitting atop her study table with the same pattern of the wrapper that was used all throughout the years whenever the phantom paid a visit to place his gift along with the elites'.
Pulling the chair to take her seat, she unwrapped the gift with care. She lifted the box's lid and saw the contents of the present. 'He sure is good at sneaking without getting caught' she thought while she graced a smile when she read the last note.
The raven-haired placed an adhesive on the back of the note and stuck it on her wooden desk together with the Phantom's earlier notes from her previous birthdays.
I will always be by your side, Mio.
A/N: I never knew I couldn't add an update for the month of August. I got bombarded with lots of school requirements, exams and thus, I would like to apologize for the delay and also I got a serious case of writer's block while writing this. We got no internet connection for days and I don't know how I succeeded to live with that kind of life with no internet. So… this chapter's an advanced birthday gift to our Dangerous Queen although I had to write something like this because it is needed to advance the plot. I was also planning to divide this chapter into two because of its length but I ended up compressing them all in one chapter.
Okay, here's the THANK YOU SECTION once again. First and foremost, I would like to thank Oneechantsu because this fellow author aided me to cure my growing boredom. I appreciate the fact that you're helping someone like me to keep my sanity, Oneechantsu. I'm going to thank you every now and then. THANK YOU VERY MUCH! And thank you for the review, all I have to say is that you'll need a tissue to wipe your tears once again while reading this chapter because of its length, even it pains my eyes just by seeing it.
CaptainFirePower: Thank you very much for your review. Don't worry; Ritsu's past will be revealed after a few more chapters and I hope it will give justice on why she was hiding something from Mio.
maye-chan: Thank you for the review and thank you for keeping me company during the times I wasn't writing the latest chapter. The conclusion's still far in my own opinion but I hope I could finish this story in less than twenty chapters but I'm not really sure if I could wrap all the things like that.
sam: Aw, thank you. Here's the latest chapter. Thank you for leaving a review, I appreciate it.
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ScarletDragon522: Hey, thank you for keeping me company and for adding this to your list. I really appreciate it and the fact that your replies are longer too. I really enjoyed my time talking with you. Sorry if my replies are in irregular intervals because of lack of internet connection and such.
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Updates will take longer than usual. I don't know if the next one will take a month or more but I hope I could add one before I might forget everything about how this story should progress. Likes, follows and reviews are much appreciated. Thank you very much.