Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho and its characters. I do own Miyuzaki Riya and other OC's of this story, though.
Author's Note: I guess the first chapter's not exactly good but even still, thank you for those who added this story to their favorites and alerts. And surprisingly, someone made me his/her favorite author (sorry, I couldn't actually identify the gender). So thank you for that. This chapter is the part where Riya and Kurama meet for the first time. And somehow, Riya will be having problems regarding something. Just tell me what you think of this chapter. I'm not really sure if I could make this story as good as I want to but I'll try. I hope I could make my characters, especially Riya, good for Kurama. ^_^
Warning: The characters might not be in their usual selves.
AT LEAST WE HAVE FOREVER
CHAPTER TWO
A Fated Meeting
The next day…
Kurama slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for quite some time before he was able to remember what he had dreamed last night. It had always been the same dream that started last month. Every night, he could see her smiling face, hear her rather lovely voice and look at her purple eyes that sparkle like amethysts.
That girl I've met five years ago… Why did I dream about her? It's already been a month since I started dreaming about her. And it's always the same… It's always about the winter day I first and last met her.
He sighed heavily and winced before getting up from his bed. He opened the windows after he drew open the curtains. Then he faced the sun that had barely risen up to the sky.
He looked at his alarm clock and it appeared that he woke up thirty minutes earlier than his regular wake up time. And seriously, this was unlikely him at all. But what else could he do? That dream was somehow bothering him in a way for days now and Yusuke had noticed it. Though he's not telling them about the dream at all.
No one knew that he had that kind of dreams except him. And he had no plans of telling them about it no matter what.
Several knocks on the door snapped him out from his musings and returned his mind to reality. "Yes?"
"Shuichi, are you already awake?" a familiar voice called out from outside his bedroom. It was his mother—or rather his human mother—Minamino Shiori that he loved so much.
He smiled before he answered. "Yes, I am, Mom. I'll be down there as soon as I'm finished fixing myself to get ready for school."
"Alright, then." And then he heard footsteps walking away from that place.
He heaved a heavy sigh before he began getting ready for school. But still, he couldn't help feeling something inside his chest that made him quite uneasy. He knew it has something to do with his recent dreams. But he couldn't tell what.
Whatever it was, he was quite sure of one thing. It will happen very soon.
Riya smiled as she looked at herself in front of the mirror while wearing her brand new uniform. Starting today, she will be officially transferred to Hanasakura Academy. The white and dark blue uniform she was wearing was actually from that school. She was actually wearing a long-sleeved white blouse with a red bow, a dark blue blazer having the school's logo and a pleated skirt matching the blazer's color. From what she had heard, the boys were wearing a long-sleeved white shirt, a black tie, a dark blue coat with school logo, and tailored trousers matching the coat's color.
And honestly, it does look good on her no matter where she looked at it.
She giggled at the sudden thought that ran in her mind. But then her face turned solemn all of a sudden when she remembered the real reason why she left Hokkaido. It's a good thing that a relative of hers managed to find an apartment for her to stay in for the time being.
Just until I finished what I have to do, she thought and then she sighed. But then before she became even more depressed, her thoughts were disrupted when she heard the front door creaked open.
She wasn't felt threatened since she knew who had the spare key to her apartment. In the first place, that person was the one who found that apartment space for her. She faced the mirror once more and when she was satisfied with her looks, she went out of the room.
When she opened the door, she smiled when she found a familiar woman preparing some plates on the dining table. When the woman looked up, she smiled at Riya and approached her.
"You sure looks beautiful in that uniform, Riya-chan," the woman said with a smile.
That woman happened to be—
"Thank you, Atsuko-obasan." And then she sat on one of the chair as Atsuko sat on the opposite side, just in front of her. "I'm sorry for making you do this, Obasan."
"It's okay, Riya-chan. Besides, I promised to your mother that I'll take care of you in her place. I couldn't afford to let my sister worry so much for your welfare," Atsuko said in a somewhat determined tone.
All she could do was to stay silent because of that. Atsuko was, in reality, her maternal aunt. And to make story short, she's actually Yusuke's cousin.
"I could only hope that I'm not disturbing you because of this." And then she remembered something. "But Obasan, does Yusuke—"
Atsuko immediately shook her head. "No, he doesn't know that you transferred here from Hokkaido and that you live here. Though he figured out that someone moved in here yesterday. And before I came here, that son of mine already left for school. Keiko-chan came here to pick him up."
She frowned. "Keiko-chan? You mean Yukimura Keiko-chan?"
Atsuko smiled slyly and then nodded. "I wonder when would those two end up together."
"I guess in the near future if they keep it up." And then she laughed at her own statement. Her aunt soon followed.
That morning continued with Riya and Atsuko having breakfast before she finally left for her new school.
Of course, she wished that this place would somehow bring her a new life she was wishing for… ever since a tragedy suddenly changed the course of her life.
Hanasakura Academy…
Here she was. She was slightly panting when she reached the school. Man, it was even grander than her previous school back in Hokkaido. She stood straight before she took a look at her wristwatch. And she showed a faint smile when she saw that she somehow made it twenty-five minutes before the time for classes to start.
And with that in mind, she hurried to the principal's office where her homeroom teacher was somehow waiting for her.
A few introductions had been done and after that, she and her teacher went together to their classroom. But she couldn't figure out something while both of them walked together. Her heart was beating fast that was somehow telling her about something that might be happening soon. In a way, she could tell that it would be unexpected but she couldn't entirely tell if it would be good or bad.
But when trusting her instincts, she could tell that it might be bad… just like before.
"We're here," Miss Ryuuzaki announced that made her stop from her tracks. She then noticed that they were really outside a classroom. Class 2-C, it says. That made her faced the teacher. "I'll be calling you after doing certain introductions. Okay?"
Riya nodded and then she saw the teacher entered the classroom. But the uneasy feeling inside her chest caused by the rapid beating of her heart hadn't really left her. She stared at the door as she could hear the teacher talked to the students inside.
"Good morning, everyone!" Miss Ryuuzaki greeted to the students that made them put their attention to the teacher.
Among those students was Kurama. Well, he was actually known as Minamino Shuichi by most of the humans he interacted with ever since. He had just finished reading a certain book when his homeroom teacher entered the classroom.
"Well, as I've announced yesterday, we're going to have a new transfer student. And that means you're going to have a new classmate starting today," the teacher said before facing the door. "Miyuzaki-san, you can come in now," she called out. And then the door opened and from there, a maiden with long shiny black hair done in a single braid and having a pair of amethyst orbs entered the room.
For a while, Kurama was smitten by the appearance of the new student that seemed so… familiar in a way. He couldn't remove the thought that somewhere, he might have met her. But then he thought that it might be true in some way. He looked up and then he saw something in the maiden's eyes. And before he could have given it a name, the teacher spoke again after writing the transfer student's name on the chalkboard.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Miyuzaki Riya from Hanazono All-Girls' Academy in Hokkaido."
The maiden named Riya gave a bow to the students in front of her.
"I'm Miyuzaki Riya, sixteen years old. Nice to meet you," she said.
Kurama frowned. How can that be? Her voice was also familiar but it would appear that it would be stuck at the back of his mind for the time being just until he could finally remember something related to that.
He then saw the teacher's sight scanned the room, probably to find a vacant seat for the new student. And then to his slight surprise, the teacher's sight landed behind him that made him look at the back.
And that's when he remembered that the seat behind him had been vacant for three weeks now since the student who used to seat there had been transferred to study in America.
"You should sit behind Minamino-kun. That seat is vacant," the teacher announced and pointed the seat she was talking about. The girl Riya complied and then she walked towards the aisle leading to the seat behind Kurama.
When his sight somehow landed on hers, their gazes unexpectedly locked that made him feel his surroundings change. It's as if he could feel that only he and Riya were existing in that place. He knew it was just a fleeting moment that had passed but it somehow felt like it had gone for hours. It was new to him and he doesn't even know how to deal with it.
But that fleeting moment was more than enough for him to give a name to the emotion he saw in Riya's eyes a while back.
Sadness… that's what I saw in her eyes. But… it somehow felt different. It was like a medium for her to say "Save me" in a silent way… he thought as he tried to look behind him. And from there, he saw those emotions again but it instantly faded. It's as if she put an expressionless mask already to hide those emotions lingering in her eyes.
He knew, for a normal person, it would be hard to see the immediate change. But since he had somehow studied her actions for just a short time, even though he got caught in her purple eyes, he could already tell that she's somewhat an expert in keeping her emotions hidden to the public.
Just like right now, he couldn't even see in her face about anything that she's probably thinking. He then sighed mentally before facing Miss Ryuuzaki who was already beginning her lecture.
He could just hope his concentration wouldn't be mislead by certain thoughts.
Lunch time…
Students began to step out of their classroom just after the school bell rang, while some decided to stay there for reasons like they like to eat their lunch in the classroom and the like. Well, among those "some" were Riya and Kurama.
Both of them just stayed on their seats doing one thing: reading a thick book. But even if they don't talk to each other, Kurama already noticed something on their surroundings. And for some reason, he doesn't really like his observation.
With sharp eyes and ears, he used those to observe his classmates' treatment to the transfer student. And he heard that they don't actually like Riya, that's why she's not really felt welcomed by the class. He doesn't know why they don't like her since he could sense that there's nothing wrong with her at all.
But he couldn't just guess for reasons not until he looked for answers.
That's when one of his classmates, Kirisawa Ayako, approached him. And he noticed that she actually glared at the unknowing Riya.
"Say, Minamino-kun, do you already have a partner for our Literature project?" Ayako asked while smiling. "I couldn't actually find a suitable partner for the project. And I was wondering if it would be okay for you to be my project partner."
Kurama smiled but to be honest, deep within his mind, that spelled trouble. He knew Ayako to be opportunistic, both in good and bad ways. And he doesn't want to be a part of the long line of people that she had befriended and left betrayed in the end. Besides, he didn't have to be forced just to find themselves a partner for a certain project. For some reason, he figured out that Miss Ryuuzaki asked them to do a Literature project by partners in order for Riya to be able to make new friends.
But it appeared that she would fail. And he wouldn't allow that to happen.
That's when he faced Ayako. "I would love to, Kirisawa-san, but you see—" he paused before side-glancing… to Riya's direction. "—I already chose someone to be my project partner. I hope you don't mind."
"I see." Though Ayako was smiling, he could see disappointment in her eyes. And yet again, she side-glanced to Riya before throwing her a glare… which actually sounded like a big trouble for the transfer student.
When he glanced at Riya, he saw her stood up and left her seat with the book she's reading on her hand.
She's really avoiding something… huh? He thought as he let Riya slowly disappear from his sight.
Or probably someone… a part of his mind said that made him slightly frowned. And with that thought in mind, an idea suddenly flicked in it.
Of course, he knew that it would not be easy since he could see that it would be a tough job just by judging Riya's action towards people. But her eyes actually made him drawn to her in some way. By using the idea of making her his project partner for their project in Literary class, he could have a reason to get to know her more.
Without looking and paying attention to Ayako who was still in front of him, he stood up and left his seat to follow Riya. He'll start his idea the soonest possible time, before Ayako or any of his classmates do something that might hurt Riya in any way.
And for reasons he couldn't define, he felt that he wouldn't allow anything bad to happen to her. Not while he's determined to get close to her and get to know her in the process…
…in which he found weird.
Rooftop…
Riya inhaled the soft blowing wind and closed her eyes to feel the breeze. And somehow, it made her feel calm. It's a good thing she decided to leave the classroom before the girl named Ayako could actually eat her alive for some reasons.
It's just like what she had predicted…only this one was even worse that what she had experienced way back home.
I guess I don't really fit in every place I go to, she thought sadly. And before her eyes could let her tears to finally fall, she pulled something from her small bag she's carrying.
It was the Snow Rose that Shuichi gave to her. Whenever she was looking at it, especially during the times when she felt some negative emotions as she grew up, it was the Snow Rose that actually helped her feel calm and happy in a way. Well, it was because she could see Shuichi's smiling face when he gave the flower to her. even though she couldn't meet him, she's willing to wait for him to return and take the rose back.
She named the flower Snow Rose since she discovered it together with Shuichi under a blanket of snow five years ago. It was the flower's other name beside the Magic Rose. But no matter what the name of the flower was, she couldn't deny that it had become a medium for her to realize that magic does happen anywhere. And Shuichi made her realize that.
She placed the glass case back into the bag after a while of looking at it. That's the time when she heard the door just a few meters behind her creaked open. It somehow distracted the flow of her thoughts that's why she turned around.
But what she saw somehow rendered her surprise and made her utter a name she was just thinking about a while back. But was it really possible that it's him?
"Shuichi…kun...?" she uttered in a soft yet surprised tone.
Kurama frowned as soon as he saw the surprised look on Riya's face after he opened the door. But what caught him off guard was the word—or rather the name—that she uttered.
Wait a minute! Did she just call me by my first name? I know I haven't introduced myself to her yet. So… how?
No comments:
Post a Comment