JPHiP Forum
AKB48 Fanfics => AKB48 Fanfics => Topic started by: gekikarabuACE on April 22, 2016, 05:01:39 AM
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Hello everyone! Feels like years since I've stepped foot in here again. Well, actually it is. Anyway, I noticed how there seems to be a shortage of HKT-centric fics around here, so I thought I'd do one on my own. However, it's been a while since I wrote a story, so now I'm still trying to recall how to properly do it. Please forgive the poor quality.
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The Solitude of Ambiguous States
||PROLOGUE||
“Look, she’s at it again!”
“Who?”
“That girl! Roughing it up with Matsumoto from 3-D. Look, they’re right outside!”
“Matsumoto’s probably getting in her face again, then.”
“I wonder why Teramoto-sensei hasn’t kicked her out of our school yet. She’s a trouble magnet.”
“Aren’t you being a little harsh? It’s not like she’s the one starting all these fights. Besides, she’s one of the best runners of the track and field club. They won’t let her go that easily.”
“Still! It’s such a nuisance when she’s being like that. She’s ruining our school’s reputation.”
“Is something the matter?” a dulcet voice finally called out from across the room. The girl deliberately put down the book she had been engrossed with just minutes ago, tucking a few loose locks of behind her ear. She casted curious look at the two students chattering loudly by the classroom door.
“Ah! Madoka-san, gomenasai.” The two girls hastily offered with an apologetic bow. “We didn’t mean to disturb your reading.”
“No, it’s quite alright.” The other person waved them off. “But what’s going on?”
“Well, that. You see, Matsu – ” Suddenly, loud shouts erupted from the hallway, effectively cutting the girl off.
She flinched in surprise. Without a second thought, she launched herself off her seat and hurried outside towards the commotion. She gingerly pushed her way through the small crowd of students that had gathered around the scene. Her eyes fell on the familiar-looking girl on the floor, who was glaring daggers at the dark-haired girl standing a few feet away.
“You – !” the fallen girl spat, a look of retaliation burning in her eyes. Her muscles tensed, ready to spring into action. However, before she could do so, a booming voice quickly froze everyone in their tracks.
“Stop this immediately!” The group of students parted immediately parted to make way for the new comer. The entire hallway fell into complete silence. “What is going on here?!”
Taking advantage of the situation, Madoka quietly fished out a pink handkerchief from her pocket, eyes worriedly fixed on the red liquid trickling down the fallen girl’s left cheek. She took a few tentatively steps forward and bent down to the girl’s level, arm outstretched to offer the small piece of cloth. A warning glare stopped her short.
“A-ano, Teramoto-sensei….” Matsumoto, who up until that instant had been looking smugly at her enemy, fidgeted nervously under the critical stare of their headmaster.
“Everybody, please go back to your classrooms,” he announced, dispersing the group of students. His gaze briefly danced back and forth between the two hostile students. He let out a long sigh. “Matsumoto-kun, follow me to my office, now.”
“H-hai.” the girl in question meekly answered amidst the quiet murmurs of the diffusing crowd.
The bespectacled man turned his attention towards the figure on the ground.
“Matsuoka-kun, please have that wound patched up by the nurse.”
Teramoto-sensei addressed the girl beside her. “Moriyasu-kun, if you could please accompany her.”
Madoka almost jumped as the other girl snatched the small piece of cloth she still held in her hand.
“I’m fine. I can do it by myself,” the other girl muttered, avoiding her eyes. She lightly dabbed the handkerchief on her cheek, flinching slightly as she did so, and picked herself up from the floor.
“Matsuoka-kun, I still need to talk to you in my office later.”
“Hai, sensei.” She gave him a small bow and slowly headed to the opposite direction.
Giving one last shake of his head, he marched towards the direction of his office, but not before addressing the three remaining students in the hallway. “You ladies should go better go as well. Afternoon classes are about to start.”
“Let’s go, Madoka-san.” She grabbed hold of the hand being offered to her and pulled herself up, quietly follwing behind them.
“That Matsuoka, still as ill-tempered as ever,” one of her classmates exclaimed. “No wonder she doesn’t have any friends.”
Madoka slowed down and turned to watch the retreating figure.
“I’m sure she does….”
******
Sorry for any mistakes. I would love to hear what you think. Is this story worth continuing? :)
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I like it so far although my only concern is the addressing part... a bit confusing got but overall it's awesome to have another HKT fic up. Hopefully to see more or just random ones XD
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I like it so far although my only concern is the addressing part... a bit confusing got but overall it's awesome to have another HKT fic up. Hopefully to see more or just random ones XD
Thanks! I love reading your fics. :D As for the addressing part, I'm not really that knowledgeable when it comes to honorifics, so I asked my friend who's more proficient. Usually it's used to address a younger female employee by an older male senior. But in a school setting, male teachers can use '-kun' when addressing female students, so I just used that. :)
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I like it so far although my only concern is the addressing part... a bit confusing got but overall it's awesome to have another HKT fic up. Hopefully to see more or just random ones XD
Thanks! I love reading your fics. :D As for the addressing part, I'm not really that knowledgeable when it comes to honorifics, so I asked my friend who's more proficient. Usually it's used to address a younger female employee by an older male senior. But in a school setting, male teachers can use '-kun' when addressing female students, so I used that. :)
I've seen that, just the overall feel of reading it from before :nervous
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I've always had an idea for a story in which Natsu becomes the school delinquent but never actually writes it so this better continue! lol
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I hope more hkt members would be in this fic :cathappy:
The more the merrier！lol ( sorry i'm a bit hako oshi with hkt xD )
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AUTHOR'S NOTES:
So here's the bad news: I was, or am, a notoriously slow writer. I mean, I'm the type who takes time making my story, writing long, useless scenes just to drop a hint or two (that readers won't probably even pick up at first reading, lol). It takes me a while to introduce my characters, establish plot points, and develop relationships. It's something that can't be helped whenever I'm writing. Anyway, I'm saying this to warn the readers: I hope you're all prepared to read long, boring chapters, because that's all I know to write. :nervous
Oh well, here goes... probably my longest first chapter yet, lol
||CHAPTER ONE||
She felt the warmth of the morning sun kissing her face.
A soft groan escaped her lips, eyebrows knitting slightly as she blindly reached out for that small obtrusive object that had been begging for her attention for a while now. With one eye open, she glanced at her clock. She had exactly forty five minutes until school started. She contemplated about napping for another five minutes, only to grudgingly decide against the idea a few seconds later.
“Ohayou,” she murmured to the room absently. Madoka rubbed the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes and gently threw the blanket off her body. Her attention briefly fell on the huge and decidedly empty bed, disappointment dancing on the corner of her eyes.
She lightly hopped off the bed, footsteps padding softly on as she navigated across her sizeable bedroom. Sunlight filtered freely through the elegant curtains of her window, bathing her room in a warm glow. She made her way towards the closet on the other side of the room and took out some clothes, after which she headed for the bathroom.
Fifteen minutes later and she was checking herself on the mirror, looking smartly dressed in her school uniform. She ran a careful hand through the pleats of her dark gray and crimson plaid skirt. Her scrutinizing eyes roamed over her reflection, making sure that her matching blazer was smooth and creaseless, and her crimson necktie knotted with perfection. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she made a swift exit and proceeded down the winding stairs.
She smiled kindly at the gentleman waiting at the foot of the staircase. Her ponytail swayed gently with each step that she made.
“Ohayou.”
He was thin man in his early forties, neatly dressed in a dark suit and matching tie. With a wide smile and a dignified bow, he returned the greeting. He proceeded to lead her to the dining hall.
“Ohayou gozaimasu, ojou-sama.”
The house was huge, especially considering the number of occupants currently residing in it. Expensive-looking art works and furniture lined the walls and its hallway. On the way to the dining hall, they passed by a sitting room with a sleek, black grand piano inside.
“Really, Goto-san, how many times do I have to ask you not to call me that?” Madoka lightly complained while she settled into her seat.
“Gomen, gomen, It’s hard not to when you greet us looking like one every morning.” He chuckled, laying out a tray of food in front of her. “Please enjoy your breakfast.”
‘Itadakimasu,” She put her hands together then reached for the utensils.
“By the way, has father called yet?” Madoka inquired after a few minutes of eating in silence.
“A while ago. Moriyasu-sama still has some business to attend to in Nagoya.” Goto replied, relaying the message he had received from the master of the house earlier that morning. He poured her a glass of milk. “He will probably be back by next week, is what he said.”
“Is that so....” She wondered with a heavy sigh. Her eyes absently traveled along the long dining table, which looked even more imposing owing to its lack of occupants, aside from her. At the end of the table, a simple, wrapped package caught her attention.
“Did –” Madoka turned to the older man, realizing something.
“She left more than an hour ago,” he answered knowingly.
“Oh.”
The reply came nonchalantly, but all the same, the man recognized the deflated look on her face.
“She made that for you, though.”
“As always,” she lightly dismissed. Nevertheless, there was a pout that threatened to form on her lips. She picked up the utensils she had put down a while ago and resumed eating her breakfast.
His eyes twinkled. “How many times did you set it this time?”
It took Madoka a few seconds to answer, and when she did, she all but whispered, “just… ten.”
Her cheeks stained light pink as she remembered the number of times she had pressed the snooze button of her alarm clock. Already in her final year of high school and still weak like that when it came to waking up. Mornings had never been her strongest suit. But then again, everyone already knew that.
“At this rate, you’re never going to catch her.”
“Mou, it can’t be helped! She’s always running away.” She set down her utensils once more, a small but distinguishable frown now visible on her delicate face. Madoka lightly pushed her plate away and shrugged. “Besides, the bed is so warm and comfortable, it’s so hard to give it up.”
“Well, you just have to try you best, Madoka-chan,” the older man kindly advised. One by one, he cleared the dinnerware from the table and placed them back on the tray.
“You know, sometimes I think she’s just waiting for you to wake up and catch her before she runs away.”
*****
“Goto-san, I still have club activities later, so I’ll just give you a call when I’m ready to go home, okay?”
“Of course.” He stepped out of the car and opened the passenger door to let her out. “Please be careful and, if possible, don’t take too long. It was in the news a while ago; they are expecting a rainstorm later this evening.”
“See you later,” Madoka waved one last time before she crossed the threshold of their school grounds. She made her way to their class building, offering a small smile and a polite greeting to her peers and even kouhais who crossed paths with her.
“Madoka-chan, ohayou!” Madoka looked up from her locker and saw two familiar faces approaching – Kodama Haruka and Anai Chihiro, both of whom are members of the student council like her. She placed her school shoes inside her locker then greeted her friends with a grin. “Haruppi, Chiichan, ohayou.”
“You seem very energetic this morning, Haruppi,” Madoka noted the girl’s unusually high tension, falling into step beside her two friends as they walked towards their classroom. “What did Chiichan promised to do this time?”
“You make it sound like it’s a bribe!” Chiichan wrinkled her nose in protest. The three of them continued to make their way to class, stopping every now and then to avoid bumping into other students milling around the hallway.
“But you have to admit, it kind of is.”
“A peace offering, is what it is. You were pouting at me the whole time we were going here.” Exasperated, Chiichan shook her head, rolling her eyes at Haruppi and rebutted. Upon Madoka’s silent prompting, she further supplied, “I completely forgot that I promised to head over her house and start that project our last night. Fell asleep as soon as I reached home. I didn’t see her messages until it was so late in the night.”
“I see.” Madoka shot the other girl an impish grin. “So what did you bribe her with?”
They hastily got inside their classroom as soon as they reached their destination. The room was slightly buzzing with activity as their other classmates mingle around with each other.
“Eh? Even you, Madoka-chan?” The student council president pouted.
“We’re going out for yakiniku tomorrow, Chiichan’s treat!” Haruppi beamed, victoriously flashing a peace sign. “Then after that, a sleep over at my house!”
“To start the project. Not for anything else,” Chiichan quickly clarified. The three friends briefly paused by her desk which was situated right in the front row.
“Sure, sure. What else should be we doing?” Haruppi just waved it off, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes. She strolled over to her own seat just behind Chiichan’s, then shot Madoka a conspiratorial grin. “Besides, everything else should be done after, right?”
“Good luck with that, Chiichan.” Madoka gave the girl a sympathetic pat on the head, though she was unable to suppress her giggle. “Looks like Haruppi has lots of other things planned for you.”
Giving a small wave, she headed off to the far corner of the room, near the window, where her own desk was located. Madoka treaded carefully around, noticing that her seatmate was fast asleep. Gracefully, she settled into her seat, eyes falling on the sleeping figure beside her. She took the moment to take a closer look. Long locks of thick, dark hair framed the girl’s smooth face as she slept. Her fair complexion stood out in stark contrast to the dark rim under her eyes.
Her eyebrows knotted slightly. But before she could dwell on that little observation, the school bell rang, signaling the start of morning classes.
The girl slowly stirred.
Madoka quickly averted her gaze.
*****
She carefully stuffed the now empty bento inside her bag.
As expected, the prepared meal was wonderfully delicious, just like the other carefully prepared bentos that always seemed to be waiting for her very morning.
Together with Chiichan and Haruppi, Madoka had spent the greater half of their lunch break chatting while eating their meals together. Now Haruppi had gone off and volunteered to get drinks for all three friends, while Chiichan was briefly called over by some students from the other class.
The room was almost empty, save for her and the other student at the other end of the room who was busy scribbling on her journal. She glanced at the empty seat to her left. That person jumped out of her seat and scrambled away as soon as the lunch bell rang.
Deciding to take advantage of the peaceful moment, Madoka rummaged for small pocket book she always carried in her bag and took it out. She cracked the book open, carefully leafing through its pages in search of her marker.
Not a few minutes later and the complete tranquility she had been enjoying was shattered by the arrival of her two classmates.
“Look, she’s at it again!”
“Who?”
“That girl! Roughing it up with Matsumoto from 3-D. Look, they’re right outside!”
“Matsumoto’s probably getting in her face again, then.”
Madoka’s ears twitched. It was getting harder and hard to concentrate on the book she was trying to read. By this time, she knew exactly who they were gossiping about.
“I wonder why Teramoto-sensei hasn’t kicked her out of our school yet. She’s a trouble magnet.”
“Aren’t you being a little harsh? It’s not like she’s the one starting all these fights. Besides, she’s one of the best runners of the track and field club. They won’t let her go that easily.”
“Still! It’s such a nuisance when she’s being like that. She’s ruining our school’s reputation.”
Unable to hold herself any longer, Madoka interrupted the conversation.
“Is something the matter?”
*****
“Mou, Jiina, are you even listening to what we just said? You’re supposed to be keeping notes for this meeting, not constantly look at yourself in the mirror.”
“Hai, hai~” A melodious voice rang out. However, Kojina Yui continued to check her reflection, seemingly oblivious to the nature of the complaint. Taking one last look in the mirror, Jiina made some last minute fixes to her fringes then tucked the offending object away. She picked up her pen, looked at her empty notebook, and then flashed everyone a blinding smile.
“Let's see... volunteers for the upcoming interschool sports meet… flowers and get-well-soon cards for Shimazaki-sensei… location for the annual camping trip, and… oh, transfer student coming in soon, right?”
Haruppi eyed her suspiciously, but Jiina just shrugged. With a defeated sigh, Haruppi rested her chin on the wooden table, and grumbled, “Sometimes I wonder why we even keep you in our council.”
“Well, she does get the job done, so that’s good enough,” Madoka thoughtfully reasoned out, earning both murmurs of agreement from the other members, and a grateful smile from the said girl who was sitting across the table.
“And conveniently pretty, too,” the last member of the council, Sakaguchi Riko, concurred with a solemn nod. “She can get any of the kouhais to help out just with that smile of hers.”
“As expected, Madoka-chan is really nice, ne? And Rikopi as well,” Jiina gushed, after which she threw a playful pout towards the short-haired girl at the far end of the table. “Haruppi is just cold to anyone whose name isn’t ‘Chihiro’.”
“Mou, Chiichan, now she’s just bullying me~!”
“But… you were kind of asking for it…”
Sensing the brewing trouble, Rikopi firmly interjected, “That reminds me, did Teramoto-sensei say something about today’s incident, seito kaichou?”
“Well, he said only Matsumoto-san is under probation, since the other students clearly saw her initiate the fight.” Chiichan began filing away the loose papers in front of her and stowed it inside her bag.
“So no other punishment?”
“That’s it.” The council president confirmed. “Matsumoto-san and Matsuoka-san are both scary, aren’t they? They’ve been butting heads since we were first years.”
“I know what you mean. I was there at the scene! The way the bleeding Matsuoka-san glared at Matsumoto-san...” Haruppi shuddered at the memory. Hugging herself, she then turned to the other girl. “Ne, Madoka-chan? I saw you there, too! You even tried to help.”
“Un…”
“Matsuoka-san sure is scary,” the short-haired girl exclaimed once more.
“But you know, Matsuoka-san isn’t really that bad,” Jiina hesitantly offered, much to the surprise of the other members. “She has actually helped me out a few times.”
“Un. Natsumi-san may look aloof and intimidating, but she isn’t really a bad person,” Rikopi agreed, cautiously nodding her head. “At least I don’t think so.”
“Eh?! You’re close enough to be on first name basis with her?!” Haruppi looked positively stunned. “How come we didn’t know this??”
“We often share cleaning duties in the past,” the other girl casually offered. “She’s surprisingly quite efficient.”
“Mou, I think that’s enough. We should adjourn today’s meeting and head home. Looks like it’s about to rain.” Chiichan finally said, taking a quick glance at the window and noting the overcast skies. The wooden chair grated noisily against the floor as she pushed it back and stood up. Similarly, the rest of the council members gathered their belongings and stood up.
“Ne, Madoka-chan, are you alright?” Rikopi asked the girl who had grown noticeably quiet over the past few minutes.
The unexpected question startled the girl. “O-of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Ah! Must be the impending storm, right?” Without waiting for any confirmation, Haruppi grabbed Madoka’s arm and led her out of the council room. “Don’t worry, Madoka-chan. I’m sure Goto-san will get you home safely before the storm hits. So let’s go!”
*****
She tossed and turned for what seemed like hundredth time that night.
Outside, the storm was raging on, dumping buckets and buckets of water down their roof. Rain pounded heavily on her windows. Thunder seemed to crack the heavens wide open every now and then, punctuated by flashes of lightning that raced through the obsidian skies.
She had spent her evening leisurely, finishing her reading assignments and doing her daily piano practice. But once the heavy rains started pouring, she retreated inside her room.
The wind howled some more, much to her discomfort.
Madoka buried herself deeper under the sheets. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep in this condition. Seeing no other choice, she stuck out her hand from the under covers and reached for her phone from the night stand. She typed a simple message:
Can’t sleep again… :(
Then, she waited.
Predictably, it came five minutes after – a personal reply.
She heard it more than she saw it, the door to her room creaking open then shut. A dark figure appeared and padded as unobtrusively as possible towards her. Madoka pulled away the sheets and welcomed the other person into her bed.
The person sank into the soft mattress beside her and tugged on the sheets, covering them both. She gave Madoka’s hand a reassuring squeeze then turned to lie on her other side, facing away from her.
Madoka scooted closer and mimicked the position, lying on the same side.
“When did you get home?”
“A while ago.”
“I didn’t see you at dinner.”
The figure just hummed in response. Despite her misgivings, Madoka decided to let that one go. Instead, her attention fell on something familiar. She quietly reached over and lightly traced her fingers on the small, white bandage that adorned the other person’s left cheek. “Does it hurt?”
“No,” came the dismissive answer.
“Natsumi….” Madoka retracted her arm and let out a disappointed sigh.
The bed tentatively shifted.
“Sleep, Maachan. I’m okay.” The other girl had laid on her back once more. A sudden flash of light zipped across the sky, and in that split-second, Madoka could clearly see the pair of deep, chocolate orbs that bore earnestly into her own. “It’s alright. I’m okay.”
“Go to sleep,” Natsumi repeated, not unkindly. Madoka felt the girl’s warm hand cover hers. Soft fingers lazily traced circles on the back of Madoka’s hand in wordless reassurance. “It’s late, and we still have classes tomorrow.”
Madoka finally relented, head bobbing in an almost imperceptible nod.
“Good night.”
Closing her eyes, she felt Natsumi’s hand slowly pull away. Instinctively, she tightened her grip and intertwined their fingers.
Right before she completely drifted off into unconsciousness, Madoka could swear she felt something warm brush softly against her forehead.
“Sleep tight, Maachan....”
*****
I hope I haven't bored you guys yet. Comments are much appreciated!
Replies:
@kuro_808 - ah, then I hope I won't confuse you some more. I do have a tendency to confuse people. :nervous
@Yuki88 - thanks for leaving a comment! I love your HKT drabbles. so funny! and you must write that Natsu-is-a-delinquent story it as well! This site is quite lacking in HKT stories. :D
@ryo_heartkreuz - thanks! more HKT members will appear... and then some more. :P
@NogamiRumi - Thanks for leaving a 'thank you!' :)
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I'll be waiting for the next chapter :)
I love it by the way :thumbsup
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oh.. a transfer student..
looking forward to the next chapter :cathappy:
and . .
“Mou, Jiina, are you even listening to what we just said? You’re supposed to be keeping notes for this meeting, not constantly look at yourself in the mirror.”
“Haruppi is just cold to anyone whose name isn’t ‘Chihiro’.”
I actually lolled at this :lol:
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@NogamiRumi - Thanks for leaving a 'thank you!' :)
sorry, I was planning leave a comment but, yeah I forget
how is the transfer student
wonder, what is the relation between madoka and natsu
“Mou, Jiina, are you even listening to what we just said? You’re supposed to be keeping notes for this meeting, not constantly look at yourself in the mirror.”
they just need put a mirror in the council, then she can live in peace(?)
haruppi is too posesive with chiichan xD
thanks for the update
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The ending part was an intriguing thing although keeping that a secret may further the interest more
It'll be nice to wait it out... got many to write out XD
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Haha thanks! Maybe one day I'll write my ideas out lol. And hey, I'd rather have a slowly-updated fic that is thoroughly thought, and carefully written rather than one that is too rushed. Also, I have yet to think your story is boring, you're doing well in pacing the flow. The ending is such a surprise, and that person she asked about after her father must have been Natsumi, right? At first, I thought it was her mom haha.
And, you know what, good job on throwing that well-timed Haruppi-and-her-Chihiro-obsession joke as well as Jiina's narcissistic character lol.
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YAAAAAAASSSS HKT FIC!! AND IT'S NATSUMADO TOO!!!
If you can't tell I'm super stoked XD
I've looked everywhere for some NatsuMado fics but I've found maybe two, then I searched for SakuRuppi and found like absolutely none so I'm pretty happy that people are writing HKT fics now :P
I started one myself (tho it's not NatsuMado I do plan on writing some for that pairing later) but I'm always happy to read because it's not the same as writing ya know? XD
“You know, sometimes I think she’s just waiting for you to wake up and catch her before she runs away.”
This. This is gold. Nuff said.
Ooh and those hints, love it XD Though I wonder why Madoka and Natsu are living in the same house...siblilngs? Probs not so maybe adopted? Meh, we'll find out later right? :P Guess I'll have to wait and see.
And there's a transfer student...Wonder who it'll be :P Tho I do have my guesses.
And I can't WAIT to see how Madoka 'catches' her XD
Mado gotta melt that delinquent heart and the rough exterior- *shot'd* :lol:
God I love NatsuMado so much and now there's finally a fic for them and just GAH XD
Please do continue the fic! Even if it takes you a long time to write (and trust me it's never too long and definitely not boring) keep updating because there will be people who wait and read them (namely me lol :P) No 'poor quality' writing here, no siree :lol:
Looking forward to the next chapter! :thumbsup
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...then I searched for SakuRuppi and found like absolutely none so I'm pretty happy that people are writing HKT fics now :P
B-b-b-but I wrote a SakuHaru once :panic:
Wrote it as SakuZetsu tho (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=35648.msg1368946#msg1368946) lol XD
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...then I searched for SakuRuppi and found like absolutely none so I'm pretty happy that people are writing HKT fics now :P
B-b-b-but I wrote a SakuHaru once :panic:
Wrote it as SakuZetsu tho (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=35648.msg1368946#msg1368946) lol XD
Mines is on the other side XD No linky though :P
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...then I searched for SakuRuppi and found like absolutely none so I'm pretty happy that people are writing HKT fics now :P
B-b-b-but I wrote a SakuHaru once :panic:
Wrote it as SakuZetsu tho (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=35648.msg1368946#msg1368946) lol XD
Oh haha sorry :sweatdrop: I searched for SakuRuppi SakuHaru fics fanfics on google but none showed up. I didn't try SakuZetsu or anything and honestly I don't know how to find things on JPHIP XD :lol:
I will say that I have your fics open in tabs (for several days now) and I planned on like marathoning your idea center and Hakata drabbles but don't really have time these days :( (I'm always looking for stories and authors then I have like 30 tabs at once :sweatdrop: lol)
Thank you for the link tho! XD And kuro_808 I will look harder if you've got one too!
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AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I'm back with another boring chapter. It's a lot shorter than the first one, though. Anyway, nothing really happens, so just think of it more as an extension of the first chapter, since I have a few more characters to introduce.
||CHAPTER TWO||
She emerged from her room silently, peering out into the empty hallway before closing the door with the gentlest tug. Outside, the sun was starting to peek from the horizon. There was still no sign of movement coming from the other inhabitants of the house, as expected. She adjusted slightly the straps of the school bag slung across her shoulder, then proceeded to her destination.
Once she reached the kitchen, she lowered her school bag next to the duffel bag she had prepared the night before. She grabbed hold of the apron hanging on the back of and looped it around her neck, after which she proceeded to roll up the sleeves of the white tracksuit she was wearing.
As quietly as possible, she began to work, taking out the cookware and the ingredients she needed, moving about the kitchen in a practiced routine. The comfortable silence went on for the next twenty minutes, punctuated only by the occasional tinkle of the kitchen utensils she was using while she worked.
“Oh, Natsu? You started already?”
Natsu looked up from the bento she was almost done preparing and noticed the woman who came in. She was too caught up in her work that she hasn’t even heard her approach.
“Sashiko, ohayou.”
The woman lazily rubbed her eyes, suppressing a small yawn in the process. She lumbered across the room, plopped down unceremoniously on a seat by the kitchen counter, and propped her head up on one elbow.
“Ohayou.”
Wordlessly, Natsu took a mug from the cupboard and filled it with steaming coffee she had brewed earlier then placed it on the counter top directly in front of the drowsy woman.
“Thanks.” Sashiko flashed her a grateful smile. She gingerly wrapped both hands on the warm cup, blowing inside a little before taking a small sip of the bitter liquid. The effect was almost instantaneous, and Sashiko immediately sat up straight, looking energized. “You’re early today. Will you be working later as well?”
“Not really. I just need the extra laps.” Natsu just shrugged, placing a few garnishes and doing some last-minute fixes on the bento she was making. “Besides, it’s my turn to do the chores today, which I’ll do it later when I get home. So please use the day to relax.”
“Really, listen to this kid.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes, taking another careful sip of her hot drink. “Who are you telling to relax? Your ojiichan will haunt me in my sleep if he knows we’ve been letting you tire yourself out every day. Just look at yourself in the mirror.” Clucking her tongue, Sashiko made a grand motion of wrinkling her nose as she shot her a critical look. “You look like a zombie.”
Her comment, however, had only earned her a scoff.
“If you’re not running, you’re working jobs. If you’re not working jobs, you’re doing chores. If you’re not doing chores, you’re always playing around with Madoka-chan.” She listed off one by one, counting with her fingers as she did so. “When do you even sleep?”
“When I’m at school,” Natsu finally retorted, as if it was the most obvious answer. She paused and turned to give the other woman a dirty look. “And what do you mean, I’m always playing around with Maachan? I don’t.”
“We’re not kids anymore, you know?” the younger girl faintly added, fiddling with the cloth she was wrapping over the bento.
“You say that, but didn’t you sneak out and go to her room again last night?” Sashiko teased, eyebrows raising suggestively. An impish grin was blatantly plastered on her face. “As I thought, Madoka-chan still can’t sleep without her Natsu-bear, huh?”
“Don’t say it like that.” A small scowl threatened to break on Natsu’s face over the older woman’s ribbing. “You make it sound like I’m some… plaything that can be owned and thrown away,” Natsu said haltingly, her voice growing light by the second.
A blanket of uneasy silence unexpectedly descended. With hooded eyes, she pulled the edges of cloth into a final knot then placed the wrapped bento at the center of the counter. The small scowl was nowhere to found. Instead it was replaced by an unreadable look on her face.
“Gomen, gomen! Sashiko’s being mindless again, isn’t she?” the older woman quickly amended, noticing the abrupt shift in the air. Pushing aside her now empty cup, she stood up and clapped her hands together a few times, a little too cheerfully. “Yosh! It’s still early so why don’t you take a seat? Sashiko will cook a quick breakfast for you.”
“Thank you, but it’s okay.” The girl walked over to the sink and dropped the used utensils. She washed the bits and pieces of food stuff from her hands under running water. “I should be going, anyway.”
“Natsu….” All traces of jest were noticeably gone from Sashiko’s voice as she helplessly watched Natsu stride across the kitchen and gathered the heap of belongings on the floor.
“I shall go ahead.” Natsu waved off Sashiko’s mildly concerned look with a smile that failed to reach her eyes. She slung both bags on her shoulder. “Please don’t forget to give Maachan her bento later.”
*****
The cool morning wind whipped on her face.
Natsu ran. And ran, and ran.
It was all she ever did on mornings like this for the past few years, never minding whether it was under the biting cold air of winter or under the sweltering heat of summer. She ran until her lungs burned, until her muscles ached, until the world tuned itself out and all she could hear was the steady thrum of her furious heartbeat in her ears.
She ran until she could run no more.
Finally, Natsu slowed to a jog, willing her heart to slow down to the same cadence of her feet. The sun was slowly making its way up in the sky, casting it’s warm rays on her already flushed faced. From afar, she could already see a few early birds trickling in one by one.
She made her way to the bleachers where the rest of things were scattered. Natsu rummaged for the small towel from inside her duffel bag and wiped the beads sweat on her face. Once more she tried to control her heavy breathing with a couple of deep, calm breaths. When she was sure she had cooled herself down, she grabbed her jacket from the pile and zipped herself up, ready to call it a day as far as running was concerned.
Not wanting to be seen any further, Natsu picked up her pace and promptly headed for the lockers, but not before stopping at the drinking fountain behind the small building for a little refresher. A small commotion captured her attention on her way back.
“Ah! Itai~!”
“What the –?!”
The voice sounded familiar. Taking a slight detour, she trudged her way towards the covered pathway where the noise came from.
“No, wait, I’m sorry. Don’t – ”
There was the distinct rustle of crumpled plastic, followed shortly by a derisive snort.
“Serves you right, little miss goody two-shoes. Who told you to get in the way?!”
“What do you think you’re doing?” With a firm voice, Natsu spoke up, and leveled the person with her most frightening stare. Her gaze briefly traveled to the ground where another girl sat in a middle of the mess, then to the offending person towering over her. She narrowed her eyes.
“Leave.”
Just one word and the thoroughly surprised student – a kouhai, if she remembered correctly – scrambled away as quickly as possible without looking back.
“Matsuoka-senpai… ohayou.” The fallen girl cordially greeted her, picking up the scattered mess of things on the floor without looking up. “You’re training early today as well, huh.”
“What kind of person gets bullied so early in the morning?” Eyebrows twisting in a frown, Natsu watched the girl for a moment before walking over to help. She picked up a small pack of ruined rice balls and held it up for inspection. “Is this your lunch?”
Natsu felt her gaze linger on the white patch plastered on her cheek for a moment, but thankfully, the girl kept mum about it.
“Oh, it’s not for me.” A trace of disappointment laced the girl’s answer.
“Then forget about it. It’s doesn’t matter.” Natsu readily dismissed, realizing exactly who the food was intended for.
Pulling herself up, the girl dusted off her uniform and straightened her skirt, unmindful of the chastising stare Natsu was giving her.
“How many times do I have to tell you to stop bringing food to the rooftop?”
“Eh?” She scratched her head, her eyes sparkling with something akin to mischief. “But Matsuoka-senpai eats it every time I bring it, though. So I thought you must be enjoying it.”
“That’s… because, it’s a waste not to!” Natsu floundered for a second, ears burning up in a light but unmistakable shade of red.
“If you say so.” The younger girl giggled, prompting an ice cold glare from Natsu, not unlike the one she had used on the browbeat student just minutes ago. She motioned for the ruined pack of rice balls, which Natsu promptly handed over despite her visible annoyance at the girl. “Ne, senpai, you should know that’s not really quite as effective on me when you’ve already helped me more times than I can count in my hand.”
“Tch. Cheeky little brat. I was just at the wrong place, at the wrong time. See if I help you out again next time it happens.”
A small laughter once again bubbled from the girl’s lips at the sound of Natsu’s grumblings. Gathering all her things into her arms, she waved her free hand slightly and gave a small bow. “Well still, thank you for your help. I’ll go ahead now, senpai. See you around.”
*****
She mindlessly continued to trudge along the pathway, all the while eyeing the trashed pack in her hand once more.
Despite her senpai’s casual dismissal of the unfortunate incident, the end result still left her feeling more disappointed than she had initially showed. Because while it may have started as a simple gesture of gratitude, the past few weeks had certainly transformed it into more of a routine – a surprisingly comfortable one, at that.
She was so caught up in her thoughts the she didn’t see the other figure who was also mindlessly wandering about just a few meters ahead. Before she knew it, she found herself on the floor with a bruised bum for the second time that day.
“Itai! She exclaimed, rubbing one hand on her tender backside. “Seriously, again?!” The last part she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to anyone else.
“Gomenasai. I guess wasn’t really looking where I was going. Here, let me help you up.” The other person quickly stood up and held out a hand to pull her up as well.
“Thank you.”
One by one, the stranger started to pick up the things that had once again scattered on the ground. After making sure she had gathered everything, the stranger held it all out for her take, including the flattened pack of rice balls. “Did I ruin your lunch? I’m so sorry. I don't have a bento with me right now but I’ll buy you lunch later, I promise.”
“No, it’s okay. I was about to throw it away, in any case.” She dusted herself off and grabbed the offered objects before finally glancing at the other person. She took a few seconds to take in the sight of the slightly messy, shoulder-length hair, pale, clear skin, and thin, pink lips. It belonged to someone she hasn’t seen before. “Are you a transfer student? Can I help you with anything?”
“As a matter of fact, I am. You see, I was on my way to the headmaster’s office, but I seemed to have gotten lost. If you could please point me in the right direction…” the newcomer answered, running a hand through her messy hair. She took a surreptitious look at the small name plate pinned below the school patch of the other girl’s blazer. “Miyawaki-san. I would really appreciate it.”
“Teramoto-sensei’s office is at the other end of that building, on the first floor,” Miyawaki Sakura helpfully supplied, pointing to the large, nondescript building looming in the distance. She rolled her shoulders forward, slightly adjusting the heavy bag digging uncomfortably on her flesh. “I can show you. My classroom is in that wing so I’m headed in the same direction.”
“Thank you very much.” The girl’s face broke into a cat-like smile.
“My name is Matsui Jurina. Nice to meet you.”
Not really happy with this chapter, but at least I got that one out. It's so hard to write things when I'm still holding out a few main characters. Hopefully the next one moves the story along better. :P
Replies:
yurin23mayuki - Thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. :)
ryo_heartkreuz - Well, I can't have an HKT fic without narcissistic Jiina and possessive Haruppi around, can I? lol! Thanks for reading!
NogamiRumi - It's okay! of course receiving a comment is always a great thing, but having people leave 'thank yous' is also good enough.
kuro_808 - I've got a few more secrets up my sleeve. I'll reveal them one by one... some in flashbacks. ;)
Yuki88 - Well, I hope you haven't changed your mind just yet, lol. :nervous And yes, she was talking about Natsu in the first part.
Keiyuu - So did you guess it correctly? The new student, I mean. Haha. It's so hard to find HKT fics around, but we have a few, really good ones in here!
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“As I thought, Madoka-chan still can’t sleep without her Natsu-bear, huh?”
XD XD XD XD XD XD XD
this part~ :wub: :deco:
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Oh, Natsu saving Sakura almost regularly lol. White knight in the clothes of thug, isn't she? XD
And.... Eh, huh, Jurina? Transfer student? HUH????
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Natsu being consumed by everything XD.
She seems to be that person to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Jurina... Yeah...
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I hope natsumado ,,, :deco:
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eh? jurina.. (ﾟOﾟ)
didn't expected it tho lol
but now it makes sense,
having to mention ’nagoya’ at the start of the chapters
and now I'm thinking on how it is related to madoka :cathappy:
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What?! Another update?! Yeah, that's because I'm taking a break sometime in June. I might not be able to post a chapter until mid July. Though I'm trying to see if I can write a few chapters in advance and then just post them during that time. :nervous
And if you're wondering why these four characters... It's because I've always been fascinated by Natsu and Sakura's interactions from since way back into the old Hyakkaten episodes. I feel like they're someone who has an understatedly close relationship, like you don't really see it but feel it in their little interactions. Or at the very least, have the utmost respect for each other. Not to mention, I love all their concert duets. :P And as for Madoka and Jurina... well, Jurina did mention about wanting to bring her back home to Nagoya once, so... :yep:
Anyway, on to the next chapter.
CHAPTER THREE
“Ojiichan?”
“Yes, Madoka-chan?”
Who is she?”
Madoka continued to gaze outside window, her little fingers tapping absently on the glass while she watched the strange little girl through the sheer curtains.
“I caught her watching me practice the piano a few times, but she always runs away before I can talk to her.”
“Ah, gomen ne, Madoka-chan. This old man completely forgot to tell you.” Heavy, accented footsteps echoed throughout the dining room, and soon she felt a warm body sidle up next to her. Madoka looked up to see the old family butler. He took a quick peek through the window and showed her a kind smile.
“That’s my granddaughter, Natsumi-chan. I’m talking care of her now.”
“Is she alright? Is that why she won’t talk to me?” she curiously inquired, her attention caught on on the white cloth binding the girl’s right arm.
Don’t worry, Madoka-chan. She’ll be alright. Little Natsumi-chan is just really shy around people,” the old man assured with another smile. He gave her a small pat on the head before walking back to the table he was setting up.
“I’m sure she’ll talk to you soon enough.”
“Mou, then please tell her to hurry up, ojiichan.” Pressing her nose on the window, Madoka continued to observe the other girl as she absently wandered around the flower garden outside.
“I can’t wait to finally have a friend.”
******
“Today we have a new transfer student….”
The baritone voice of the homeroom teacher droned in the background, allowing Jurina’s attention to wander around the classroom. Although the old teacher in front was discussing something else, she could feel all eyes looking at her. Most students of class 3-B were looking on with curiosity, a number of them were looking at her admiringly, and someone… just looked surprised.
“… and since this is actually her first time in Fukuoka, I trust that you will all welcome her warmly and help her adjust to her new environment.”
Before she could process it further, the thin, balding man began wrapping up his long-winded introduction, breaking Jurina from her thoughts.
The teacher turned his attention to Jurina and motioned for her to come closer.
“Alright, then, Matsui-kun, please introduce yourself to the rest of class.”
Following his cue, Jurina walked over to the center of the room and drew herself to her full height. Everyone watched her intently. Taking a deep breath, she flashed them her most disarming smile and greeted, “Everyone, good morning! My name is Matsui Jurina. I actually came all the way from Nagoya. I know I transferred here suddenly, but I hope to get along with everyone. Yoroshiku onegashimasu!”
She finished her short introduction with a big bow. As expected, her greeting was received with much enthusiasm from the class. Replies of cheerful ‘yoroshiku onegaishimasu!’ bounced across the four walls of the room.
“Okay, let’s see… Ah, you can have that empty seat next to Moriyasu-kun right there,” the teacher finally declared after peering over his glasses to survey the room for a few seconds. He pointed to a seat at the back near the window, and nodded encouragingly at Jurina. “Moriyasu-kun, if you could please raise your hand.”
With a small nod of gratitude, Jurina made her way to where a slim, dainty hand had gracefully raised up into the air. She smiled and bowed cordially along the way, amidst the murmurs of awe and excitement coming from some of her classmates.
The hand, she pleasantly found out, belonged to a delicate-looking girl with long, dark locks that perfectly framed her elegant features.
“Thank you.”
“Not a problem, Matsui-san.” The beautiful girl smiled as Jurina settled into the seat beside her.
The teacher proceeded with the morning lessons as soon as the students had calmed down. And despite the lulling, monotonous voice of their teacher, Jurina was determined to make a good first impression and concentrated on the day’s lesson.
Which was something she was currently finding hard to do, because she could see it from the corner of her eyes and feel it at the back of her neck – someone was definitely staring.
She turned her head.
That person had looked away before she could meet her gaze.
*****
Madoka could only watch as Natsu shoot out of her seat soon as the school bell rang.
Despite Natsu’s downplay of yesterday’s event and the subsequent injury, she had really been a bit worried about the girl. At least enough to wake up earlier than usual in another attempt to talk further. But once again that proved to be a difficult task as she had soon discovered that the girl had also left earlier than usual.
Something which, Madoka reckoned, has always been the problem: Natsu was always a little too early, and Madoka was always a little too late. She often wondered if she would ever get the timing right.
She let out a sigh. It seemed that it would have to wait until tonight. But then again, that in itself was still questionable, given the way Natsu had slowly grown more aloof and reticent as years went by.
The high-pitched voice of her friend broke her out of her reverie, redirecting her attention to the person who was sitting on her other side.
“Welcome to our school, Matsui-san!”
She noticed Chiichan and Haruppi approaching the transfer student, followed closely by Rikopi who had somehow appeared inside their classroom. By this time, most of their classmates had gone out to eat at the cafeteria or someplace else, except for a handful who had decided to take out their own bento and eat inside the classroom in peace.
“Hello, I’m sorry we didn’t get to introduce ourselves to you this morning. I’m Anai Chihiro, president of the student council.” Chiichan greeted their new classmate with a warm smile. She then signaled to the girl who was almost bouncing excitedly by her side. “And this girl right here is Kodama Haruka, she’s also in the council.”
“Nice to meet you~!” The short-haired girl cheerfully exclaimed. “Please call me Haruppi.”
“Nice to meet you, Haruppi-san.” Jurina returned the girl’s infectious greeting with a smile of her own.
Chiichan continued, “She’s in charge of public relations.”
“Yup, because she’s suitably friendly and chatty,” Rikopi suddenly piped up from behind, astutely bobbing her head a few times. Her nose then crinkled slightly. “Even though she bites her tongue often times.”
“Mou! Stop insulting me, Rikopi~!” Haruppi complained with a pout. Her frustration, however, was proven ineffective as it only earned her an indifferent look and a noncommittal shrug from the taller girl.
“What do you mean? I said you were friendly.”
“That’s Sakaguchi Riko, from 3-A.” The student council president went on with the introductions without missing a beat. “She’s the treasurer.”
“The adult one in this council,” the tall girl stated matter-of-factly, much to Jurina’s visible amusement. She shuffled over and casually leaned against the adjacent seat. “Probably the only one, too. You can call me Rikopi.”
“Oh, of course we also have Madoka-chan here who’s working as the council’s vice-president.” Chiichan finally gestured towards Madoka, prompting Jurina to turn around and face her.
She smiled. “Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.”
“Nice to meet you.” Jurina’s eyes twinkled. There was something vaguely familiar about the way Jurina was grinning at her. “Please, call me Jurina.”
“We have one more member, Kojina Yui, also from 3-A. I sent her a message to meet us here for lunch, but I guess she’s still busy,” frowning slightly, Chiichan fished for cellphone. She tapped away on the keys and double-checked the message she had sent the girl.
“Busy checking herself in the mirror, you mean. She probably went to the washroom first.” Rikopi pointed out like it was the most obvious thing. “We were supposed to come over together but she disappeared before I could drag her here.”
“Jurina-san, if you have questions, feel free to ask any of us, okay?”Haruppi said. “We’ll all be happy to help you!”
“That reminds me, have you familiarized yourself with the campus yet? School grounds tend to be quite huge and confusing here Fukuoka, so it’s easy for someone new to get lost.”
“About that, I actually got a bit lost this morning,” rubbing the back of her neck, Jurina admitted with a sheepish grin. “Luckily, I came across another student who showed me the way.”
“Oh, then how about we tour you around the campus later this afternoon. I could –”
“Madoka-chan will do it!” the short-haired girl quickly interjected, eyes growing wide and head nodding vigorously.
Rikopi’s eyebrow shot up while Chiichan just looked thoroughly confused. “Eh, eh? Why are you suddenly volunteering Madoka-chan to do it?”
Meanwhile, Madoka stifled a giggle. She could clearly see the gears turning inside the girl’s head. Unlike Chiichan who seemed to have forgotten, she distinctly remembered about the plans Haruppi had concocted the day before – specifically, the one that didn’t include anyone but Chiichan and Haruppi.
Like a fish out of water, Haruppi opened and closed her mouth a few times before finding her voice.
“Well, she’s the only one free. Rikopi can’t do it because she has English club activities, Jiina also can’t because of her Kyudo activities, and you and I can’t because… we’re supposed to be finishing… some project… later,” the girl finished lamely.
Rikopi rolled her eyes. “That’s just playing dirty, Haruppi.”
“No, it’s not!” Haruppi adamantly insisted, the slightest hint of blush lacing her cheeks. “In any case, I don’t think Madoka-chan would really mind. Would you?”
She shot Madoka her most hopeful gaze, eyes batting a hundred times a minute. Madoka considered teasing the girl for second and refuse, but one look into those sparkling, puppy-dog eyes and she relented.
“I can show you around later, Jurina-san.” She let out a soft chuckle. “I don’t mind.”
“But don’t you have school club activities as well, Madoka-san? I don’t want to impose.” Jurina looked almost apologetic.
“It’s okay. I usually spend the rest of lunch time in the music club room to practice, anyway.”
“It’s settled!” Haruppi clapped her hands with a triumphant grin, startling the few, unsuspecting souls who have remained inside the room. She looped one arm around Chiichan’s own, merrily oblivious to Chiichan’s bewilderment, Madoka’s amusement, and Rikopi’s disbelief. “Then how about it, Jurina-san? Join us for lunch?”
*****
Her hurried strides slowed down to a deliberate saunter once she had put a good distance between her and their classroom.
Both hands in her coat pockets, Natsu let her feet lead her to her destination, largely ignoring the occasional peals of childish laughter and mindless chatters of the other students that littered the halls. Any other day and she would’ve made a beeline towards the school cafeteria, maybe unwittingly scare off some kouhai who so much as glance her way.
But not today.
Today she wasn’t really in the mood, and that much was evident in her face.
The energetic buzz of the students turned into nothing more than muted noise as she reached the far end of the now desolate corridor, beyond the corner of which lay a set of dusty stairs. The steady staccato of her footsteps reverberated in the stale air.
The metal door protested loudly under her hands before finally giving way.
Natsu squinted her eyes, momentarily blinded by the sudden assault of light. She blinked a few times, and once she had cleared her sight, skipped down the couple of steps. The heat of the afternoon sun was offset by the cool breeze blowing on her skin.
She made a quick march towards the side of the rooftop access where an old, worn out bench rested under the shade casted by the access door. The wooden seat gave out a small squeak under her sudden weight. Placing both hands under her head, Natsu lied down and stretched herself out.
The next fifteen or so minutes were spent in silence as she languidly watched the azure sky. However, it wasn’t long before she heard the grate of the metal door yet again.
The bench whined slightly under the additional weight.
“Here again? Don’t you have any friends to eat lunch with?” Natsu questioned, not bothering to see who it was.
There was a brief pause, then came a short reply, “I don’t.”
An awkward silence settled thereafter, the weight of the girl’s words hanging in the air. It was a couple of minutes later when Natsu spoke once more, “Ne, Sakura… Aren’t you scared of me? Haven’t you heard their stories? It’s mostly true, you know.”
The question was thrown with no hints of malice, but instead just pure curiosity.
“No matter what the others say, senpai can’t be that bad.” Sakura chewed thoughtfully on her answer. “I should know. After all, senpai has helped me quite a few times.”
“Something’s definitely not right in your head." Natsu almost snorted.
“But it’s true, right? That’s why sometimes I wonder… don’t you hate it? Being made out into something you’re not?”
This time, it was Natsu who seemed to consider her answer. “It doesn’t really matter.”
From somewhere with an open window, she could hear the faint stirrings of a familiar tune blend playfully with the wind. With one last look at the clear blue skies, Natsu draped one arm over her face, and gently closed her eyes.
“I don’t care what everyone thinks, as long as that person believes in me….”
*****
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Madoka-san!”
Madoka turned from the school bulletin board she was skimming to find Jurina screeching to a halt beside her, slightly out of breath.
“Teramoto-sensei wanted to talk a few things over. I couldn’t exactly get out of it.”
“It’s okay, I haven’t been waiting here long.” Madoka smiled in reassurance. “Maeda-sensei wanted to give me something to practice at home. I had to get it from her after class. Shall we go?”
Jurina nodded. Madoka adjusted the bag she carried on her shoulder and led her away from spacious genkan she had been waiting at and deeper into halls of the building.
“You play the piano?” the other girl queried, referring to the sheets of music Madoka had waved around just moments before. “Eh. I won’t ask if you’re good because you obviously are, judging by how you even spend your lunch breaks to practice.”
Madoka responded with a question of her own. “Is there anything you’re good at, Jurina-san?”
“Sports, mostly,” Jurina readily answered, never breaking their leisurely strides.
“Ah, but of course you are.”
“Hey!” The other girl exclaimed in mock protest, narrowing her eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Well, you seem like exactly the type: cool looks, charming personality… see, you already even have the fangirls that come with the territory.” With a small chuckle, Madoka nodded towards the passing students who greeted the two of them with barely restrained giggles and bashful smiles. Briefly catching herself, she then shot Jurina an apologetic look. “I’m sorry; I’m being too blunt, aren’t I?”
“Not at all. My friends in Nagoya speak like that all the time.” Jurina’s Cheshire cat smile turned mischievous. “Minus the pretty face like yours, though.”
“Exactly the type, indeed,” Madoka muttered under her breath and shook her head good-naturedly. The amount of confidence of the other girl was certainly not lacking. “Can I ask why you transferred, then?”
“My father is setting up a business here in Fukuoka. He wanted to personally oversee the preparations, but couldn’t leave me back home by myself for so long,” the girl lightly explained without preamble. “So he just brought me here as well.”
Madoka didn’t dare to broach the topic further after that, knowing full well how it might be a sensitive matter for the other girl, despite the light tone and the small smile Jurina had. It was, after all, something Madoka found in common with her.
So instead she focused back on the task at hand and proceeded to lead Jurina throughout the campus, pointing out important spots and shortcuts.
“Arts and crafts club rooms are on the second floor, which you can get to by using the set of stairs beyond that corridor. Student council room is also on that floor.
“If you take a left through there, you’ll find the short way towards the cafeteria.
“Administrative offices are mostly on the first floor. The school clinic is just on the other side of the wing.
“And that corridor leads to the other building, which is the library,” Madoka directed, lingering at the other end of an extensive hallway. They had been walking around for almost half an hour, and she was sure she had showed Jurina every place she needed know. “That leaves us with nothing but the sports complex outside.”
“Alright!”
“You sound a lot more enthusiastic now than how you were twenty minutes ago. That tour must have really bored you.” The tone was light and teasing.
Jurina chuckled. “Well, it’s just that I prefer playing around under the sunlight. That’s all.”
Madoka held up a hand over her eyes as they stepped out into the school grounds, the glare of the afternoon sun momentarily blinding her. She guided Jurina further towards the vast compound of open fields and small buildings. Dirt and gravel crunched under their feet as they walked through the beaten path leading to each spot.
“See that building? That’s the softball club room. The field is just beyond that. Shiraishi-san is this year’s captain, if you’re interested to join.
“The tennis courts are over there. Then that building adjacent to that the swimming pools.
“At the far end, you can reach the Kyudo. Jiina’s the co-captain of the team. She’s actually quite good at what she does, despite what the others say.”
“That’s the track club lockers up,” she gestured to the small, white building a few meters ahead. Their pace had slowed down considerably as they reached the track field. Briefly, Madoka let her gaze wander towards the group of students doing stretches at the far end of field, only not to find the face she was looking for.
Just then, the door to the locker room burst wide open. Madoka stopped dead in her tracks.
“Um, that’s the captain of the track team, Umemoto Izumi.”
“Oi, oi! Matsuoka! Are you going to skip training again?!” A short, irate-looking girl in track shorts loudly called out to Natsu who has emerged from the building and, Madoka realized, was now marching straight towards their direction.
“I have things to do today, Chiizu.”
“You always have something to do,” the captain huffed. She continued to stand by the doorway, hands on her hips and looking very much annoyed. Natsu, however, just waved a hand and stayed on track without turning to look back. “When will you have time for training? Competitions are coming up soon, you know!”
“And, well that’s…” Before Madoka can say or do anything further, Jurina had planted herself right into the path of the other girl, effectively blocking her off. Whether it was deliberate or not on Jurina’s part, Madoka wasn’t so sure. What she was sure, though, was the way she saw Natsu’s lips thinned ever so slightly.
Not to mention the way Natsu’s cold gaze quickly flicked towards her before settling on the other girl.
“Hello. You’re in the same class with us, right?” Jurina’s greeting was cordial enough, but that did little to tamp down the apprehension Madoka was currently feeling. “My name is Matsui Jurina. I’m the transfer student.”
There was a silent plea in Madoka’s eyes. For a few nerve-wracking seconds, Natsu wordlessly stared at Jurina, looking highly unimpressed.
“Matsuoka Natsumi,” Natsu finally acknowledged the girl after what seemed like eternity.
“You look somewhat familiar. Have we meet before?”
“No,” she answered shortly, and offered nothing more.
“I see…. My mind must be playing tricks on me again.” Madoka slowly released the breath she didn’t know she was holding. So caught was she with the veiled tension that she failed to notice the strange glint in Jurina’s eyes. “It happens often, don’t worry. You see, I had an accident when I was kid and lost some of my memories. Sometimes I confuse myself with people and places.”
The seemingly casual revelation took Madoka by surprise. Natsu, however, remained silent.
“Anyway, you seem to be busy, so we won’t hold you any further,” stepping aside, Jurina gestured lightly at the open path. The corner of her lips tugged into a smile.
“See you in class, Natsumi-san.”
REPLIES:
yurin23mayuki - Madoka is a secret dere :heart:
Yuki88 - yes, Jurina because... well, why not?? hahaha
kuro_808 - i think she's the type who finds everything troublesome but still helps out at the same :lol:
junrena - it is... kinda, lol!
ryo_heartkreuz - i really thought no one would realize that! it will all make sense in due time... i hope. :nervous
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That last part seems interesting that the two might know each other although I wonder the circumstances behind that
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I wonder if Natsu and Jurina is somewhat related to each other? :? :?
Or is Natsu related to the accident that causes Jurina's amnesia?
And oh! I felt the same way regarding Sakura and Natsu :P
and also sakura placing Natsu as her no.1 in her wanna-be-girlfriend list :D
that is something! :heart: :heart:
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Poor no-friend Sakura haahha. Also over-possessive Haruppi and oblivious Chihiro XD;
Jurina's character here is interesting. That part when she casually mentioned her amnesia condition haha.
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||CHAPTER FOUR||
“This is the third time Moriyasu-senpai has skipped her lunch time practice this week, hasn’t she?” Sakura mused out loud, chopsticks absently fiddling inside her almost-empty bento.
“I wonder if there’s something wrong.”
Her presence had been unobtrusive enough for the older girl to tolerate her frequent appearances at the rooftop. And she had somewhat gotten used to spending her lunch time in silence, listening to the melodious sound of piano playing in the distance. It was a routine that fit perfectly with their reclusive nature.
But now this silence – this lack of music – had been jarring, to say the least.
“Stop getting worked up over useless things.”
Beside her, Natsu had not moved a muscle since Sakura had sat down almost fifteen minutes ago, choosing to lie lazily on the old wooden bench while Sakura quietly ate her lunch. The onigiri she had brought her had also remained mostly untouched.
The older girl wouldn’t say a thing about this particular kind of silence, but her dour mood said just as much.
“Perhaps she’s just busy.”
Oh, is she?” Sakura put aside the lunch box and reached for the unopened juice can that she had found waiting for her when she arrived. The drink had expectedly turned almost warm from sitting under the scorching, cloudless sky.
“…I don’t know. Why are you even asking me?”
“But… aren’t the two of you friends?” The atmosphere visibly stilled, and at once Sakura knew there must have been some truth to the question that inevitably escaped her lips.
“I see her watching whenever I cover your competitions,” Sakura carefully considered her next words. “I was also there when you had that fight with Matsumoto-senpai last week. Moriyasu-senpai often looks worried about you, you know.”
A thoughtful passed on her face.
“At first I thought she’s just her usual self, being too kind to a troublemaker like you –”
“Oi, Miyawaki!!!”
“– but then I realized… you’re here every day to listen to her play. To silently support each other like that... Even though you two don’t interact much, you’re probably friends, right?”
Friendless as she may have been, Sakura firmly believed she always knew better than what most people would give her credit for. After all, actions still speak louder than words. And the actions she captured with the lenses of her camera had never lied before.
“Or did I get that wrong?” She anchored one hand and leaned forward, turning her head as if to take a good look at the older girl. There was another, unasked question left hanging in the air, but Sakura figured she’d leave it for another day.
“Whatever. That’s nobody’s business.” With a small grunt, Natsu pulled herself up.
Sakura watched her disappear through the metal door without another word. Gazing at the unopened drink she firmly held in her other hand, she sighed.
“Thanks for the juice, senpai.”
*****
She distractedly wandered through the halls of the school building.
Break time wasn’t over for another ten minutes, but Natsu found herself skipping lunch and heading back to class earlier than usual. She had considered taking the food Sakura had offered her, only to reject the idea in the end. Today she just had no appetite.
Sakura’s questions certainly didn’t help her dampened mood either, no matter how innocent it may have been.
She hadn’t even made it far when she heard a mellifluous tinkle of laughter. It stopped her in her tracks. Natsu could recognize it anywhere – it was something that she heard even in her sleep. She could also recognize the other voice it came with.
Against her better judgement, Natsu peered down the nearby open window. True enough, what she saw was two very familiar figure, talking and laughing animatedly as they stroll along the school grounds right below.
“Thanks for sharing your bento, Madoka-chan.” Jurina stopped and flashed the other girl her distinct cat-smile. “And sorry for not believing you earlier. I didn’t really think Meru-chan could really wipe out the cafeteria food that fast.”
“Now you know better than to arrive late during lunch time.” Madoka chuckled. Her cheeks were absolutely glowing under the heat of the midday sun, Natsu thought.
“Mou, I was only twenty minutes late. And it wasn’t my fault. Jiina-san asked for my help.” came Jurina’s weak protestations. “By the way, the food was delicious. Did you make it yourself?”
“No…. Someone did.”
“Your maid, then. I imagine an ojou-sama like you will have a personal attendant ready to fulfill all your needs.”
Natsu finally tore her gaze from the two. She turned around and leaned back on windowed wall, her face breaking into a small, wry smile despite herself.
“I’m sorry I can’t come with you to that dessert shop later.” She could almost see the apologetic look on Madoka’s face just by hearing the tone of her voice. “The council is having a meeting later to discuss the upcoming sports meet, then after that I still have piano practice with Maeda-sensei.”
“It’s okay. We can always come next time. My surprise can still wait. But I guess this means I’ll have to amuse myself later by actually doing errands for my father.”
Natsu walked away without a second glance back.
*****
“I’m in real trouble now,” Sakura mumbled to herself as she glanced at her phone for the umpteenth time. She hadn’t expected the school paper’s weekly meeting to last as long as it did, and now here she was, on her way to her appointment, in serious danger of being late.
The sun was starting to turn ochre. More and more people were starting head home. She quickened her pace some more, generously doling out ‘excuse me’ and ‘I’m sorry’ to whoever had the unfortunate luck of coming across her way.
Sakura turned sharply into the next corner, vaguely remembering a shorter way through the side streets leading to her destination. Along the way she passed by small business establishments: from a laundry shop to a snack store, a couple of izakayas, a ramen shop, and –
“Natsumi-senpai…?” She almost tripped on her foot in surprise. Once, twice, thrice, Sakura blinked at the person who looked just as surprised as her. No doubt, the figure standing in that small alleyway, dressed in an all-black uniform, was none other than the older girl she was talking to just few hours ago.
“This isn’t stalking… is it?”
Natsu was clearly not amused. She dumped the tightly wrapped garbage bag into the bin and wiped her hands on the apron tied to her waist, not once taking her eyes off her.
“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”
“Sorry. I just didn’t expect to see you. That’s all,” Sakura hastily amended, shaking her head. She adjusted the straps of her bag sheepishly, taking the older girl’s appearance. Black shirt, black pants, hair tied neatly underneath a black cap and with a flushed face – it was not a look Sakura had expected to see.
“What are you even doing, wandering around here?” Natsu questioned, wiping the trickle of sweat on her face on the sleeves of her shirt. She cocked an eyebrow, and crossed her arms across her chest.
“Oh, that. I was on my way to that dessert shop near the station, for a part-time job. I need to replace the lens on my camera, and I didn’t want to ask my parents for money.” Sakura noticed the logo on the older girl’s cap. It was the same one she saw on the fairly busy ramen shop she had passed by not a minute before.
And it was just then wen something else clicked. Sakura’s eyes went wide as saucers. “But that might not actually happen as I’m running late. See you later, senpai!”
Not waiting for answer, Sakura scampered away, leaving the older girl behind.
It took her a few good minutes of running before she saw the telltale signage of the shop she was headed to. With the last ounce of strength, Sakura sprinted towards the brightly-lit place that stood at the corner of the street. She could hear the heavy hum of trains coming and going from the station nearby.
“Good afternoon! My name is Miyawaki Sakura. I’m here for the part-time job. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!”
Sakura bowed down low as soon as she reached the shop, not a second to spare. To her mild surprise, the shop was mostly empty, and there was only a girl standing behind the counter.
“You’re Sakura-chan? My name is Motomura Aoi,” the girl introduced herself with a bright smile and returned her bow. With her pink uniform and short stature, she looked even younger, but Sakura guessed the girl was about the same age as her. “But you can call me Aoitan like everyone does.”
“H-hai.”
“Take a moment to catch your breath, Sakura-chan.” Aoi giggled, offering Sakura the glass of water she had just poured. She leaned on the countertop and propped her head on one elbow. “Looks like manager-san is running a little late. She doesn’t come often but she said she will be here, so I guess that means we’ll just have to wait.”
“Thanks.” Hesitantly, Sakura slid into a seat by the counter, accepting the drink with a grateful smile. She let her gaze wander around the store. The display cabinet was neatly lined up with slices of intricately decorated cakes and cupcakes. At the far end of the counter was a fridge filled with tubs and tubs of ice cream of different flavors. The whole place looked fairly new.
“Um, and the others?” she questioned, puzzled by the seeming lack of employees.
“Shinoda-san is stocking the walk-in freezer at the back. Just the three of us today. Weekdays are kind of slow days, but it does pick up on the weekends. Even manager-san picks up the slack. Anyway, here, if you’re done with that I can show you around.” Aoi took the empty glass with a smile, but before she could put it away, her eyes drifted towards the shop’s entrance. “On second thought, here comes the manager.”
The glass door jingled opened. As quickly as possible, Sakura slid down her seat and turned around to bow low, going along with the cheerful greeting Aoi had called to welcome the manager.
Slowly she lifted her head, gaze trailing up the pristine figure of the manager in her silver heels, crimson skirt, immaculately white blouse... and stared at a pair of equally surprised eyes.
“Eh?? Matsui-senpai?”
*****
“It’s not even raining, Maachan. And I’m sleepy.”
Madoka watched the other girl deftly maneuver her way around despite the darkness that shrouded the entire room. She had sent another message not more than five minutes ago, requesting the other girl to come over. And just like clockwork, Natsu quietly made an appearance, never mind her weak protests.
“Yet, here you are,” she lightly teased, idly fiddling with the sheets. Grasping the edge of her thick blanket, Madoka tugged the cover off her body and patted the empty space to her left. “Just get in the bed.”
“You know I’d do anything for you,” Natsu continued to grumble, but slid in beside her nevertheless.
“I know.” The answer was automatic to a statement that was often thrown around between them. But even then, Madoka had lately found herself counting on such a response just to spend some time with the girl.
She waited for Natsu to settle in. The other girl pulled the covers over their bodies then proceeded to lie down on her side. Madoka’s eyebrows crinkled slightly into a frown. She inched closer to Natsu and prodded her arm lightly. “Mou, why do you always face away from me? Come on, just turn over. How are we supposed to talk if you’re like that?”
“I told you, I’m sleepy.” Natsu finally relented upon Madoka’s incessant prodding and turned, their faces ending up mere inches away from each other. They were close enough for Madoka to smell the girl’s warm vanilla scent wafting in the air.
“Fine, you can keep your eyes closed like you always do. But I’m still going to talk to you. And if you fall asleep on me, I’m going to pinch you.”
Her empty threat went largely ignored. Eyes still tightly shut, Natsu instead muttered, “See, this is why Sasshi keeps on saying we’re always just playing around.”
“That’s just nonsense.” Madoka shivered lightly as felt Natsu’s warm breath tickle her face. “We are not playing around. This…” she earnestly went on, waving a hand between them, “this is Madoka and Natsu’s quality time, okay?”
“If you say so….”
“I know so. Anyway, you can always sleep in class in the morning, like you often do,” she quietly retorted, already resigned to having this kind of conversation – with Natsu shunning any form of eye contact between them. “You have to bear with this because I don’t often get to see you anymore. You’re always running around somewhere. I mean, where do you even go? What do you do?”
“Places. Things,” came Natsu’s cryptic answer, not once opening her eyes.
“If that’s how you want to play.”
Natsu’s nose crinkled at the two, soft fingers that pinched it. Giggling, Madoka released it from her grasp and let her fingers absently roam all over the other girl’s face.
“You know you’re only putting me to sleep, right?”
“Hmm.” Her tone was dismissive. Taking the chance, Madoka continued to wordlessly observe her friend and trace the pads of her fingers ever so lightly against her cool skin.
A curtain of rich, raven locks cascaded down the girl’s face, the faint light from the moon outside casting her features in an ethereal frame. Seeing her like this – a peaceful, almost Elysian figure – it was hard to imagine that this was the same person who stubbornly maintained an unpleasant reputation at school.
She brushed away the stray hair and tucked it behind the girl’s ear, eyes drifting towards a particular spot on the girl’s face.
“I hope this doesn’t leave a mark,” Madoka murmured. Her touch lingered on Natsu’s cheek. The wound had almost completely healed by now, leaving nothing more than a pink, thin line in its wake. “I’d hate to see a scar mar this beautiful face….”
Madoka’s eyes slightly widened at the warm hand that suddenly covered hers.
“Not all wounds leave visible scars, Maachan,” Natsu faintly reminded, giving the hand that was ghosting on her face a lingering squeeze before releasing it.
“I suppose so.” A blanket of comfortable silence soon covered the room. From her eyes, to her nose, down to her thin lips, Madoka continued to trace Natsu’s face, fingers skimming around like it was playing some Beethovian masterpiece.
Her ministrations went on as she go about describing her day, from the important things that happened to the most mundane.
“You should just ask Teramoto-sensei to install a full-length mirror inside the council room,” Natsu flippantly suggested after Madoka recounted an incident involving Haruppi, Jiina, and the mysterious case of the missing mirror that occurred earlier that day. “That way, you will always know where to find her.”
“Not that Teramoto-sensei will actually agree to that, but I don’t think Haruppi will be happy if that really happens.” Madoka absently tapped on Natsu’s nose. “Conversely, Jiina will just probably be too distracted by her own reflection and ignore us altogether.”
“Hmm… The possibility of that happening is quite high, actually.”
“She’s one of those people who is too pretty for her own good,” she added with a nod.
“Good thing you aren’t much of a narcissist like her, then.”
Taken aback, Madoka pondered on Natsu’s statement for a moment, her hand frozen in midair. A pair of suspicious eyes narrowed into thin slits. “I feel like there’s an insult there somewhere. You’re not making fun of me, are you?”
“…I’m not.”
“Then what does that mean, exactly?”
“Just as I said.”
The meaning behind Natsu’s words was completely lost on her. Lips pursed, Madoka lightly pulled on Natsu’s cheek in mock retaliation before completely giving up. It was no use pressing on the subject any further, as she had discovered long ago. The other girl could be stubborn and ambiguous when she wanted to be.
The room once again fell into comfortable silence.
“Ne, Natsu… what do you think of Jurina?” she asked, changing the subject a few minutes after.
Natsu hummed without saying a word.
Madoka figured it was as much of a response she was going to get, given the two’s less than ideal first meeting almost a week ago. Not that the few interactions they have had since then had been stellar, either. Natsu seemed to have somewhat developed a great aversion to the transfer student, although she wasn’t completely sure if it was because Jurina had a playful habit of getting into the other girl’s business.
Nonetheless, she continued to carefully approach the topic that had been weighing on her mind as of late. “We’ve been talking a lot these past few days. I think she’s nice.”
“You’re too easily charmed.” If Natsu wasn’t half-asleep, Madoka was quite sure that the other girl would be rolling her eyes by now. The corners of her lips tugged at the thought.
“Everyone keeps on saying how cool she looks, but when I talk to her, it’s somewhat different. She’s more laidback and silly than what I imagined.”
There was a deliberate pause.
“Do you like her?”
“She’s nice,” Madoka thoughtfully repeated once more. Her gaze distantly wandered, fingers absently hovering on Natsu’s face as she carefully put more thoughts into her next words. “She’s actually funny with all her puns, failed delivery or not. And her smile reminds me of someone. I just can’t figure out who….”
The other girl remained silent, prompting Madoka to turn her attention back to her friend. “Natsu? Did you fall asleep on me?” No further response came. Contrary to her earlier threat, she instead traced the dark bags under the girl’s eyes and, with a sigh, whispered to herself, “You must be really tired. Sorry for trying to keep you awake.
“Good night, Natsu,” Madoka breathed before closing her own eyes.
She completely missed Natsu tightening her grip on the sheets.
*****
Madoka sat on sat in front of the piano, hand tightly clutching a small, rectangular piece of equipment. She had prepared a lot for today, even going as far as asking her unsuspecting piano instructor as well as Goto-san for help days before.
At the corner of her eyes, she saw a tuft of dark hair peeking from the window, quickly disappearing from view as soon as she turned to look.
She smiled to herself, counting to ten before she pressed the tiny button of the remote she had been holding. Almost immediately, a recording of her playing resounded throughout the room.
Madoka got out of her seat as noiselessly as possible, and left the small remote on top of the piano, letting the recorded music continue to play in the background. Checking the window one last time, she exited the room and dashed straight for the garden.
Expectedly, she found her sitting idly underneath the huge, oak tree, still listening to the faint melody coming from the music room. With lithe steps she approached her, carefully sidestepping the old leaves and branches that littered ground. When she was close enough, Madoka leapt in front of her and smiled.
“Found you, Natsumi-chan!”
The moon-eyed girl almost jumped back in alarm, arms automatically raising to her chest. For a second, Madoka’s surprise appearance seemed to stun her into silence. But before Madoka can say anything else, the little girl stood up and bolted towards the other direction.
Her triumphant grin quickly turned into a disappointed frown. “Hey, wait a minute!”
With an indignant huff, Madoka pumped her short legs as quickly as possible, hurrying after the other girl who was fleeing deeper into the garden.
“S-stop running!” she called out, and willed herself to run faster. So desperate was she on trying to prevent their distance from growing any further that she didn’t notice the small tree root protruding from the ground. Next thing she knew, there was a feeling of momentary weightlessness, then –
“Ita~i!”
Madoka tumbled down with a small yelp.
With both hands planted firmly on the ground, she pushed herself into a sitting position and stared at her smarting knee. Droplets of blood begin to form where she had scraped her skin. Wet, hot tears started to cloud her vision. She sniffed a few times, trying to blink away her tears from falling, but ended up crying quietly in earnest just the same.
“Don’t cry.”
Madoka hadn’t even noticed that the other girl had stopped running and was now standing a few feet beside her. She glanced up to see the other girl peering over her with a doleful look in her eyes.
“It’s alright.” Natsumi stopped in front of her and crouched down to her level. She blew a few gentle breaths on Madoka’s scraped knee, then took out a piece of pristine handkerchief from her pockets. Timidly, Madoka watched the girl tend carefully to her knee, positively mesmerized by the tender expression on Natsumi’s face as the girl gingerly wrapped the cloth around the bleeding wound.
“You’re alright, Madoka-chan,” she repeated as she gently tied the final knot on her makeshift bandage. Looking up at her tear-stained face, Natsumi smiled sadly and brushed away the falling tears on Madoka’s cheeks. “So don’t cry anymore, okay?”
“You know my name?” Madoka hiccupped in between her tears.
The girl nodded slowly. “Un, ojiichan has told me about you.”
“Then why do you always run?! I only want to be friends with you.” Madoka’s frown only deepened. “Do you hate me that much?”
“Gomen ne, I wasn’t expecting you would… I didn’t think it was allowed... I never really had a friend before,” Natsumi stammered out an answer, looking panic-stricken as fresh tears threatened to fall from Madoka’s eyes once more. She tugged nervously on her ear a couple of times and lower her gaze to the ground. “Moriyasu-sama might not want that.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Madoka sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. “Otousan and okaasan leave me home alone most of the time. You can be my friend.”
“If… you say so,” the other girl conceded after a while. Standing up, Natsumi gazed into the distance and noticed the skies beginning to turn a deeper shade of blue and amber. “But we should go back or we’ll really get into trouble. Ojiichan and Goto-san might be looking for us.”
Madoka mutely nodded and tried to stand up, only to stop, however, as soon as she extended her wounded leg. A pained hiss escaped her lips. Noticing her obvious discomfort, Natsumi crouched in front of her again.
“Here, get on. I’ll carry you back to your house.” She patted her own back encouragingly. “Go on. I promise I won’t let you fall.”
Carefully, Madoka stepped closer and got on Natsumi’s back, wrapping her arms around the girl’s body. She rested her chin on Natsumi’s shoulder as the girl secured both her arms underneath Madoka’s legs. The two girls went through their journey in silence, punctuated only by the crunch of the fallen dried leaves under Natsumi’s feet, and the intermittent hiccups coming from the injured girl.
Soon enough, the occasional sniffles had somehow turned into quiet giggles.
Natsumi tilted her head slightly in confusion.
“Eh? Just a while ago you were crying. Now you’re laughing? Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when you fall?”
Shaking her head, Madoka buried her face deeper into the crook of Natsumi’s neck and let out another muffled laughter, realization completely dawning on her. “You were going to run away again but I finally caught you.”
“You didn’t catch me. I came back,” Natsumi corrected, amused.
“But you only came back because I made you come back.” Her arms tightened around the other girl. Despite getting hurt in the process, Madoka was sure that this plan was nothing but a success.
She could not hide her triumphant smile even if she wanted to.
“I definitely caught you.”
A/N:
Sorry I can't do replies right now; I'm in a bit of a rush. Didn't even have the time to edit this properly, so sorry for all the mistakes. I do appreciate all the comments and the thank-yous you left. This is the last of my expository chapter, I hope. It's been pretty boring until know. Hopefully it picks up on the succeeding chapters. As to when that will come out... it's another matter. I'll try to squeeze out another one by next week. After that, it's going to be irregular for a couple of weeks. I'll be quite busy by time so I'm taking a break.
Anyways, thank you for reading! Comments/suggestions/critiques are much appreciated! :twothumbs
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I figure I'd do the comment later as i'm outside and my brain's frozen ;(
So hey, another update at last~!
Jurina occupying Madoka's time... And Sakura hitting the bull's eye of Natsu... Then NatsuMado's close relationship, makes me wonder what happened that caused them to have such distance when they're at school.
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It is that small world that surrounds them. They are in the middle Kent of swirling, waiting for the swift moment where it gets broken down. :nervous
Waiting forever he next chapter
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Heeeeyyyy! Sorry I haven't been replying, been a bit busy with school and when I have free time time I end up writing, drawing or some other thing :sweatdrop:
But dang four chapters already! I'm loving this story and it's definitely not 'boring' because 'boring' wouldn't make me smile while I read or fangirl when there's fluffy moments XD
Ooh that Sakura tho, pretty perceptive isn't she? :lol: That was really well incorporated because I wouldn't have come up with the fact that Natsu goes to the roof to listen to Madoka's playing :P But that was just so cute I can't XD
Oh and I guess I didn't guess the transfer student correctly because I originally thought it'd be Sakura. But then Sakura showed up so it couldn't be her haha :P and then all of a sudden charming Jurina comes in and just dang I don't know what to say :lol:
Ugh but I can't wait to see what kind of past she has with Natsu and Madoka cuz ya obviously they have a past together judging from those few hints you dropped. I like how Jurina pointed out how she had an 'accident' which was a knowing jab at Natsu as far as I can tell XD
I LOVE how much faith Natsu has in Madoka tho! ' Madoka and Natsu's quality time' XD Even thought Maachan's a little clueless sometimes :lol: But I hope something doesn't happen where Natsu leaves her or something cuz that would kill me :cry: But hey if Jurina gets her a little jealous or something then that is perfectly fine XD
Hope Madoka 'catches' Natsu soon tho (again)! Really waitin for that! XD
Well I can't really think of anything else at the moment but I hope I've said enough and properly conveyed how happy this story makes me and also how eagerly I'm waiting for updates XD
Keep up the good work! :thumbsup
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Read natsumado fics for the first time and unexpected it's really cute XD
Please make them spend time more often together
Wait for your update :D
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:twothumbs :wub: