Comfort Me

When teenagers are so troublesome...

[Burn]

My heart was pounding.

Too fast...

Gazel wrapped her arms tighter around me and my head went dizzier as I felt her whole body smashing against my back. God, why do I have to be such a pervert?

But, you know, can't say that I don't like it.

"N-nagumo? Are we there yet?" I heard Gazel mumble.

I stared at head-on at the orphanage. I answered, "Almost. You can handle it, princess."

Gazel shook her head and kept holding me.

A stupid grin spread across my face.

Finally, we arrived at Sun Garden. I turned off the engine, and that made Gazel jump off the bike. Immediately, I missed the warmth Gazel gave off when she was at my back.

So, maybe, Gazel was rather cold... but it's kind of addicting.

I also hopped off the motorbike and then glanced at Gazel.

She was fidgeting and she looked like she wanted to say something. I'm rather amused by this rare attraction... Gazel never hesitated saying something to me.

"...t-thanks..." Gazel finally muttered.

"Hmm? You thought I'd actually kill you, princess?" I teased.

"Yes, actually." Gazel growled and then flipped her hair. She continued, "I'm honored that I'm still alive."

And then she was blushing yet again.

I don't really know why I never teased her because of it.

"Ah! Fuusuke-san!"

We both turned to the source of the sound.

"...Kiyama..."

It was weird to have a person call Hiroto 'Kiyama'... it felt like Gazel wasn't ready to be really close with Hiroto. It kind of boosted my morals as I realized that Gazel didn't really like Hiroto that much to call him with his first name.

Just so you know, Kiyama is Hiroto's first name.

"I'm glad you made it! Come on, let's go inside!" Hiroto invited with mock politeness.

Hiroto would love Gazel to be his. Just so he could break her heart.

He says that it was 'love at first sight' and that 'I deserve her' and some sort of shit like that. Even without his Aliea meteorite powers... well, he was still pretty much scary. If he wants something, we were to respect it and even try to help him get what he wants.

So, I don't really have a say if Hiroto wants Gazel.

"Okay, then." Gazel agreed.

Hiroto gave me a pointed look, and, just like that, I was gone.

I walked to the garden of the orphanage. Usually, the orphans would play here and when I was a kid, I played with them until late afternoon. Back then, when my mom was still working here.

And... I remember her. The garden we used to play in... but, no, it wasn't here. The garden looked scarily similar with the garden in Sun Garden, though...

"Ruya! Ruuuyyyyaaaa!"

"You can call me Haru, y'know?"

"But... it wouldn't be special! There are other people with a name of Haru!"

"..."

"Ruya! Let's play soccer! Nii-chan said he could beat the both of us!"

"We can't have that can we, Suke-chan?"

"Yep!"

The sunlight burned me as I stood there.

When I looked up to the sun, a tear already escaped my eye.

"Shit!" I muttered as I wiped the tear.

"Nagumo, could you please be rather polite when you're in here?"

I look up and mumbled, "Hitomiko-san..."

Hitomiko held her arms out and I hugged her tightly. Sniffles and howls came out from my mouth as I regret everything I have ever done in my life.

Why?... why did I have to be so fucking selfish?! I could have been fine, even without some stupid Aliea meteorite... I could have joined Suke still! Maybe... just maybe...

"E-eh... Ruya?"

"I found a way to get stronger in soccer!"

"Really? That's great!"

"Ah!"

"So, when do we start, then...?"

"Suke-chan... you're going to accompany me?!"

"Is that a problem, Ruya...?"

"No... I'm really glad!"

"Are you done, Nagumo?" Hitomiko hummed.

I sighed shakily and broke the hug. Quickly, I wiped the tears that had ran on my cheeks.

"Regretting what's in the past... that's rather stupid of you Nagumo. Not that I'm surprised." Hitomiko chuckled silently.

"Thanks for underestimating me," I retorted and breathed in big breaths.

"You can still change it. The past doesn't matter anymore, you should do what you can in the present."

"You're always like this Hitomiko-san..."

"Suke-chan would forever be your best friend, right?"

"..."

"That Suzuno Fuusuke... she sure reminds me a lot about Suke-chan. Considering all the stories you fed me about her." Hitomiko concluded.

"Ah... she does..." I agreed.

"By the way, she was looking for you." Hitomiko informed.

"E-eh?"

"Nagumo!" a voice rang from the distance.

I stared at the figure. G-gazel? She actually looked for me?

"Come on, Nagumo." Hitomiko stated and dragged me to where Gazel was.

"Ah, Hitomiko-san... you found him." Gazel stated.

"Yes, I did."

"Could you... leave us for a moment, please?"

"I'll be going now, then." Hitomiko said and walked away, but without giving Gazel a pat on the head.

"Thank you."

"Eh? Hitomiko-san?!" I called out after her. Since when did she surrender that easily?!

"If you didn't like being with me, you could say so, you know..." Gazel huffed and turned away.

"A-ah..." That's not what I meant.

"What did you want, princess?" I asked.

Gazel turned away completely and stalked off. She replied, "Never mind! Clearly, you never wanted to see me in the first place!"

Was she offended? Why the fuck would she be offended? Did... she like me?

My hopes raised up and I could seriously do a happy dance now. But I guess that'll have to wait since Gazel was going farther and farther away from me.

"O-oi! Suzuno! Get back here!" I called.

"S-suzuno?" I heard her mutter. How I did with this distance, I'm kind of clueless.

"Yeah, I called you 'Suzuno'... do, do you not like it?" I stuttered, breaking my barriers for a bit.

Gazel turned to me and ordered, "Call me Fuusuke."

"E-eh? Why?" I asked, clearly uncomfortable.

"Call. Me. Fuusuke." Gazel seethed.

I sighed and gave up as I stated, "F-fuusuke?"

Gazel looked unsatisfied. She ordered again, "Now call me Suke."

"Suke?!" I asked, shocked at her order.

Oops.

But if she asked me to call her that, then she should have remembered, right?

I heard Gazel sniff and I let out a sigh. I trudged to her and gave her a hug.

I don't know how, but it seemed to make it worse. She cried harder and harder and then began punching my chest. I'm not sure why she was doing that, but I suspect because she knows about Ruya.

"Ruya..." she whispered.

"He-he'll come back." I comforted her.

"..."

"That's a funny thing to say when I think that he's in front of me right now."

I cleared my throat and replied, "Oh, really?"

Gazel looked up to me and said, "...you've been crying, haven't you?"

My throat constricted as I realized she knew that I had been crying. Not a lot of people could tell if I did cry or not... sometimes my friends think I never cry at all.

"...yeah, princess." I admitted.

Gazel smiled at me and said, "I think I told you to call me Fuusuke."

My memories flashed before my eyes.

I hugged her tighter and rested my head on her shoulder. I muttered, "Fuusuke..."

Gazel hugged me back and I felt tears that tainted my shirt.

I told her, "Try not to tell others about this emotional breakdown of yours."

Gazel chuckled bitterly, "Of course, I forgot you had a reputation."

"It's not like that at all." I whispered softly.

"What?"

"Nothing." I replied and added, "Let's go to dinner, shall we?"

"Nagumo!"

Her stomach grumbled.

I laughed and broke our hug. I said, "I don't think your stomach would like when you're skipping meals, hmm?"

"Nagumo! Really..." Gazel sighed and held my hand.

I widened my eyes as she explained, "Lead me there... it's much easier this way."

A smile reached my eyes and I teased, "If you really wanted to hold my hand, you could have said do, princess."

"Shut up!" Gazel whined.

I tightened my grip on her hand as I lead her to dinner.

Her hand was cold... but it only just made me want to hold it more.

This one, too, got deleted, so sorry!

I changed it a bit, if you don't mind...

Disclaimer: I do not own IE.