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Author Topic: One-shot: Drizzle of the Heart (AtsuMina)  (Read 7077 times)

Offline Titi

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One-shot: Drizzle of the Heart (AtsuMina)
« on: June 01, 2012, 10:33:12 AM »
Here I am again, with another fic (this one is shorter than my previous one, though). Tanchan-san, if you see this, you have your request granted~ And uhh, I'm still quite innocent, so no kiss in my fics.

I hope you enjoy this new fic, but this might be boring, since I just put together random things I thought would be nice. And I seem to have given Acchan a pretty mysterious character in my fics; if there's any out of character-ness, please forgive me.

Just to be sure, if you can't imagine the house I'm talking about, this is it:

Drizzle of the Heart

It was raining. Although it wasn’t quite what people would call a rain, it was still raining. From where she stood, the girl held her hand out to feel the small droplets. Remaining in that position awhile, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the coolness of the small breezes due to the drizzle.

She was tall, compared to the average height of Asian girls her age, and her hair was tied up in a loose ponytail. Her slightly pale complexion and her slim body left a fragile air around her. Perhaps she really was frail. Always being quiet, always by herself, were there not a supportive friend around her, she probably would have given up on life an eternity ago. She considered herself more fortunate than those her age; she had such caring friends, and the one best friend for whom she would do anything.

Cloaked in a long white dress, she almost seemed to be glowing with an angelic aureole. Without make-up, without special hairdo, she was just herself today.

Slowly opening her eyes—eyes that were shining without the help of the hiding sun, she drew her hand back and took a look at her palm. There were a few visible pearls of raindrops reflecting light from their surrounding like diamonds. She smiled peacefully at the tiny iridescent jewels, wishing she could put them in a kaleidoscope and save them for the future.

There was not a sound. The wind had stopped blowing to take in her warmth; the trees had stopped dancing to savor her light; the wildflowers on the pasture had stopped blossoming to lean their petals toward her.

It was green around her, streaked with light brown and cerulean here and there. She was under a small house, if it could be called as such.

The place was constructed in a fashion that was similar to a Chinese temple, but much smaller. Its roof was pleasantly plain; decorated only with lines of the tiles it was built out of, yet she felt an undeniable solemnity and admiration for this place. There was a pillar at each of the four corners, holding the roof up. They were connected to the stone floor beneath, which was built a few stairs above the soft ground.

Leaning her cheek against the pillar to her right, she followed the drizzle with her eyes. Some few marbles landed on the stairs below her feet, drenching the gray blocks with silver glint. Another few flew to the outer side of the pillars and clung onto the wooden columns, sluggishly finding their way back down.

The summer drizzle was refreshing, and she appreciated it for cooling down a hot season.

The river was sparkling with reflection of the softly radiant sky. Because it was such a small rain, the cotton balls weren’t darkening or taking up all the space in the sky; but there were enough clouds to mitigate the sun’s intensity. Somehow, the sky wore an azure outfit that was gray to a degree.

Being on the ravage, she could make out some lambent raindrops on the river’s surface, twirling light into little gleaming stars. It was as if the twinkling galaxy was reflected in the moving water. She would love it if the Milky Way was like this, radiantly flowing with its gentle sways of beautiful unknown stars.

Her smile gradually grew wider; her eyes became filled with delight as she thought about showing this view with someone.

She didn’t notice her phone ringing until the fifth bell. Awoken from her reverie, she immediately turned back to look for her phone. She had left her bag on a table upon arriving here. She had assumed this place was used to relax and to watch the river; that would explain the table and the benches.

She flipped her phone open and pressed it to her ear after glancing at the caller’s name. “Hello, Takamina?”

“Hello, Acchan.” The voice on the other side replied, “Sorry! I’m going to be a bit late.”

She smiled—“Hey, are you smiling?”—never getting tired of being amazed at how much Minami understood her. “Because,” she said in a singsong voice, “I knew you were going to ask that.” There was a split second of silence; she figured her friend was contemplating whether she should retort to her statement.

“So,” a slight pause could be heard, “wait for me. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” By now, Atsuko was certain that her friend was running, based on the small puffs delivered through her phone. As her eyes fixated on the flickering light on the river, she smiled, “Minami, do you have a kaleidoscope?”

“Eh?” The other girl seemed to be surprised by her question.


~~~~~~


She had slowed down to a stop; her hand still holding the phone to her ear, she racked her mind to find an answer. Her friend was not a person of many words, and her feelings were almost never spoken aloud. Minami was proud for being the only one who could understand her friend’s honest thoughts through her eyes. She had gotten so accustomed to those pulling pearls that now it was difficult to decipher Atsuko through a phone talk.

Breathing quickly, she tried to remember how the place looked; she guessed that could be one of the reasons.

“Minami?” Atsuko’s voice nudged her.

Closing her eyes, Minami grinned until her dimple was showing. “Atsuko, I’ll be right there to enjoy the scenery with you, and,” she tapped where her heart was and chuckled, “putting beautiful sceneries in a kaleidoscope isn’t good. You might lose it. How about putting them in your heart? That way, you won’t lose them and you can always scroll back to look at them.”

“Ah!” Atsuko laughed softly on the other side, her voice bringing yet another smile on Minami’s face. Minami couldn’t find the right words to describe her lovely friend’s laugh: it was ringing, but softer than any wind chime, and it was sweeter than any sugary love song.

“Maybe I’ll put them in my heart, and then yours, too. Then you’ll know what I’m seeing.” Minami didn’t think her heart had popped out of her chest; that would be exaggerating, but she thought perhaps it was similar to that. “Are you smiling? Wipe it off, then, and come here. But don’t run! Your short legs might trip.”

Her smile widened as she feigned a whine, her voice cracking up, “Oh, stop that! I’m not that short!”

“…See you later, Minami.”

“See you later, Atsuko.” Ending the call, she praised herself for getting better at talking over the phone.

“But as I thought, I prefer talking to her in person.” It would be worth it. Minami wouldn’t mind coming all the way to Atsuko’s house just to see her face, her smile, and her eyes. She took off once again, picking up her speed, and ran to their meeting place.


~~~~~~


Closing her phone, she put it on the table and leisurely returned her focus to the sparkling river. Silver-golden light seemed to pervade the sapphire surface, moving along with the lazy flow.

The drizzle glittered somewhere in the air, carrying with it the opalescence reflected off the river. The glinting opals soared through the atmosphere, like snowflakes, and glided over the grass. Rainbow-colored snowflakes!

A mixed aroma permeated into the damp ambiance of the riverbank as a small wind blew by. She spread her arms as if she were flying and inhaled the odor of nature.

There was the smell of raindrops falling down; there was the scent of the wet earth rising up; there was the aroma of the still-growing lime green grass. Her nostrils recognized the fragrance of the flowing particles in the river. All around her, she could see those tiny dandelions blown up by the wind spinning in circles.

A chirping sound pulled her attention away from the scenery. Surprised, she slowly dropped her arms while turning her head to look for the source of noise. Closing her eyes, she waited for another hint. Soon, it became more audible; following the little chirps, she looked up at the ceiling of the place.

Something was hung up; its wooden base was shaped in circle. It was easy to miss this object, seeing the wooden roof had a concave square that must be covering the thing. One couldn’t see it, looking from outside.

Curious, she made sure the bench was safe before taking off her sandals and climbed on it. She wouldn’t want to be pierced by a nail, nor did she want to stand on the bench with her sandals still on; that would be disrespectful. Whatever this was, it was hung so high that even with her height, the base was still above her head. Tiptoeing and balancing herself, she craned her neck and tried to peer at it.

There was a bird—a sparrow—locked in a cage. The whole cage spelled “old”: the metal bars were worn out, the wooden parts were musty, and the little feeding bowl—she assumed—was cracked, almost broken, and the little bird’s food had run out already. Except for this winged creature, nothing seemed to be alive or new.

Perhaps this was once well-cared and was used to entertain any unknown visitor. She could claim that it was abandoned now; however, the sparrow looked too young to be living here for a long time. Frowning, she wondered what could be the reason it was locked up.

Hopping around the limited space in the cage on its small feet, the bird’s head whipped around repeatedly as its chirp escaped the little beaks. Its belly and flanks, which were covered with white plumes, made her want to poke it and feel those soft feathers. From time to time, it would spread its wings and flew to the bars; she spent a while to properly identify the wings, as the constant movements hampered her vision.

Its coverts were the color of harvest gold, streaked with dark and short lines here and there. As if sensing her presence, the little thing slowed all of its actions and turned its whole body to face her, its head tilting slightly to the right. Flapping its wings, it hopped a few times closer to her and began singing.
(A/N: Wikipedia: "A covert feather on a bird is one of a set of feathers, called coverts, which as the name implies, cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail.")

The sound stretched endlessly, stopped, and then picked up a slow, broken melody. Cocooning her heart, the plaintive, long but disconnected notes played such a harmony it was as if someone was plucking a monochord. The song was simple—so was the one-stringed instrument—but rose and fell among all possible musical ranges, creating a mixed symphony.

Its dark pupils stared straight at her, the light from outside staining those orbs, but nothing seemed to be reflected in them. They pierced her soul; she could see an empty void present behind those black irises. They reminded her of something.

Akimoto Yasushi, who was like her father—and in a way, he truly had given her a new life, had taken her in when she was fourteen. She was such a shy and reserved girl back then, always with her head bowed and her lips shut tightly. Although she had improved, at times, she would go back to being that little girl again.

She had never been good with words; she still wasn’t but had opened up more to those she was close to. Her few precious people had broken her little shell, in which she hid, relieved from life and engulfed in her own loneliness. Pushing away the broken fragments, she had been taught how to stand on her own two feet while learning how to depend on others. Her loved ones had guided and led her to a new world.

“Acchan, what are you doing?” She raised her eyes and looked ahead across the metal bars. There was Minami, seeming out of breath from running. She was holding—hugging, to be precise—a basket to her chest. Atsuko supposed it was to keep the contents from spilling out on the run.

“I told you not to run.” She scolded half-heartedly, her voice flat as always.

“But then you might get hungry,” she said, holding up the basket. Lowering her arms as she began making her way to Atsuko, she smiled and asked, “What are you doing, standing on a bench like that? It’s quite windy; what if someone saw you?”

Atsuko smirked, her eyes twinkling with mischief; she said nothing and waited for Minami. As soon as Minami put the basket on the table, Atsuko feigned an innocent voice. “There’s no one out here… but,” she looked down at Minami and grinned, “I won’t mind if it’s you who see me.”

Minami, her face looking as if she had choked on something, stared at Atsuko as a small pink hue spread across her cheeks. She stammered, “A-Atsuko!” and grimaced as Atsuko laughed lightly. “Please stop teasing me…”

Giving up on talking, Minami took a few steps away and looked up at what Atsuko was staring at. “A sparrow,” she said to herself after taking in the picture of the little bird.

“Minami.” She took her eyes off the bird and placed them on Atsuko.

“Yes?”

“I wonder,” Atsuko paused pensively before continuing, “what would I be if I had never met you and Akimoto-san?”

The drizzle continued to fall along with the wind, scattering air everywhere. As her dress fluttered in the wind, Atsuko tilted her head slightly. Her angelic face almost made Minami think that Atsuko was flying. Perhaps, in a way, she really was flying. Minami smiled tenderly, “You will be a bird in a cage then.”

Seeing Atsuko’s nod, Minami went on, “But you’re not and won’t be. Because I’ll always find a way to help you fly.”

She turned and looked hesitantly at Minami before curving her lips into a wide smile. She grinned, “Is that a love confession?”

“If it was, then it would have been more romantic,” Minami replied. She stepped up and took Atsuko’s hand in hers, “But it is if only I alone get to see your nose wrinkle.”

“Always—”

Without letting her finish, Minami ordered, “Try to avoid the cameras when you smile, okay?”

“Ah—that’s impossible! You’re being too jealous!” Atsuko whined.

Laughing lightly, she asked, “Do you want to release the sparrow?”

Atsuko nodded and looked back at the cage. Spotting a small door, she put her fingers on it and tried to pull it open. It didn’t move much, because it was rusty, but finally gave in after a while. As the door slowly came ajar, Minami smiled and was about to say something when a cheery voice interrupted her from afar.

“Takamina! Acchan! What are you lovebirds doing?”

Hearing their names, they turned to the voice’s direction and found Yuko, who was clinging on Haruna’s arm, waving at them. Seeing the two girls, Atsuko stepped down from the bench and put on her sandals while using Minami’s shoulder to steady herself. Haruna, apparently ignoring the person on her arm, greeted them and asked, “Are you here to watch the river?”

“”No, Nyan-nyan, they’re on a date!” Yuko disagreed and rubbed her cheek against Haruna’s arm, earning herself a smack on the head.

Removing her attention from Yuko’s whines, Atsuko glanced at the cage, seeing nothing there anymore. She smiled contentedly and tapped Minami, who turned and was greeted by her smiling eyes.

Taking Atsuko’s hand again, she gave it a light squeeze and raised her voice, “Let’s eat!”

“Okay!” the other three chorused and she grunted.

“I meant ‘Let’s eat, Atsuko!’” There were a few complaints, mostly from Yuko. Despite saying no, Minami still smiled and began taking food out from her basket. She was going to have a good day with her friends, especially Atsuko.

The end.

Offline Nyanoha

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Re: One-shot: Drizzle of the Heart (AtsuMina)
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2012, 06:24:35 AM »
I really love you writing style, Husb ;___;/ It's so descriptive. I absolutely love descriptive things. I like to imagine these things happening in real life, and this makes things really easy on me~ I can picture it perfectly in my head!~

Now that you explained the 'Bird' part to me, I really understand it and it makes total sense ;___; You're really good at this, you should have started writing ages ago! Of course, I still love your sonnets!

Write more!~

 :heart: :heart:
That which does not kill you, makes you stronger.


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Offline diamond kirara

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  • I like Atsumina,Takayuu and takamina
Re: One-shot: Drizzle of the Heart (AtsuMina)
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2013, 03:29:32 AM »
Haaaa~such a heart warming story

Offline lossc

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Re: One-shot: Drizzle of the Heart (AtsuMina)
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2014, 11:16:25 PM »
it's indeed, a very heart warming story
it's very descriptive too.
i love reading this type of stories at night.
it makes the cool night warm.
thank you author-san =D

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