"Izumu-chan, please refrain from the embarrassing act when you're with me. You're not a kindergartner anymore," he turned and said to me coolly.
"What do you mean, Kei-chan? We only became elementary students two years ago! It's not that far off from kindergarten," I said out loud. I heard more snickers from the nearby students, but I didn't care. For me, as long as I am with Kei-chan everyone else doesn't matter to me. At that moment though, I realized he didn't think the same way I did when he glared at me.
"Lower your voice," he commanded. I was confused. I heard him use that commanding voice on people before, but never towards me. He always showed me his kind and gentle side. What has changed between us? Is it because we're elementary school students now? Do I embarrass him because I didn't act like one? I mean, I would if I could, but acting so grown up when you're only eight seems so… far-fetched.
"Ah… I am sorry. I just wanted to show you-," he cut me short when he grabbed the paper in my hand and ripped it in two, throwing it on the ground. It felt like he ripped my heart into two instead. At that moment, my twin sister approached us. I tried to hide my tears by bending down and picking the two pieces of paper on the cold ceramic floor.
"Keigo-kun, let's hurry home," she said and took hold of Kei-chan's hand. "Izumu, if you don't hurry up we'll leave you."
"Let's go, Izumi," Kei-chan said and dragged her along by the hand. "And one more thing Izumu," he said and turned back to me, "Stop calling me Kei-chan. Learn to grow up." Then he turned his back on me and walked away with Izumi.
"Kei-chan," I sobbed and stared at the ripped paper. It was of Kei-chan, Mune-chan Izumi and me, smiling and holding hands.
"Daddy, do I have to go back to Japan? Why does Izumi get to stay?" I held onto my Dad's hand tighter, or as tight as my 11-year-old self could muster. I felt my Dad's hand holding onto tighter too.
"Izumu, now Daddy and Mommy won't live together anymore. Daddy is going back to Japan and Mommy will stay here with Izumi, do you understand?" he knelt down beside me and kissed my forehead. I nodded and held back my tears. I didn't want to leave Keigo despite how he treats me nowadays.
"Good girl," he said. "Don't forget to tell Keigo-kun. He will want to know." I nodded again knowing he wouldn't.
"Keigo-kun," I said after knocking on his bedroom door. I was careful not to call him Kei-chan anymore. I know he doesn't like it, even though the nickname is always at the tip of my tongue every time I wanted to call him.
"Come in," he said and I slipped inside his bedroom. He was reading a book. I sat on the foot of the bed near his legs.
"Keigo-kun, I have something to tell you."
"What is it? You're disturbing my reading time."
"Sorry. I'll be quick about it. I just want to tell you that tomorrow-"
"Keigo-kun!" The door bursts open and Izumi ran inside. She crawled onto the bed next to Keigo.
"Hi, Izumu," she gave me a quick greeting and turned back to Keigo. "Guess what!? Mommy bought me tickets to the new Elgar concert! Let's go together."
Keigo broke into a smile and put his book down. "Yes, let's go!"
"Excuse me…" I said, but they didn't listen to me. They are both excited and kept on talking about the concert. I sighed and slipped out of the room. I guess it's not important for Keigo to know I am going to move to Japan tomorrow.
"Izumi Ishiki," the teacher called and Izumi replied with a polite, "Present."
"Izumu Ishiki," the teacher continued. Keigo finds it weird that nobody is sitting in front of him. Usually, Izumu would sit there and he was so used to her presence. "Oh, I am sorry," the teacher corrected herself, "Ms. Izumu has moved to Japan."
Keigo couldn't believe his ears. What did the teacher said? Izumu-chan moved to Japan? Why didn't she tell him?
"Izumi, did you know that your sister was going to move to Japan?" Keigo asked during lunch time when they were both in the school cafeteria.
"Of course," Izumi replied and drank her soup, "Didn't Izumu tell you? I thought she would have told you since she likes you so much. She's moving with Daddy to take care of the newly opened branch in Japan. Daddy won both our custody since the divorce, but Daddy decided I should stay here in Europe with Mommy and continue my studies closer to the main company as an heiress."
"No… She didn't tell me… I thought she likes me too. Maybe she doesn't like me as much as I think. I was mean to her after all."
"Do you regret being so mean to her? It must've hurt you every time you say those things to her. You miss being called Kei-chan don't you?"
"It's better this way. Izumu is innocent and soft, she shouldn't be exposed to the duties of heirs and heiress like us. Our world is not for her."
"Ojou-sama… Ojou-sama… Please wake up, you'll be late, Ojou-sama."
I yawned and woke up all tangled in bed. "What time is it?" I mumbled sleepily.
"It's seven in the morning, ojou-sama," the maid replied. "It's your first day of junior high, ojou-sama. Please don't be late."
"AAAHHHH!" I screamed and instantly felt awake. The maid jumped in surprise. "Sorry, I just remembered that today is the start of school!"
I jumped out of the bed and hurried to the bathroom. Forty minutes later, I am all ready to go to school.
"The chauffeur is waiting by the front door, ojou-sama," the butler informed.
"Thanks Nicholas," I said and hurried to the front door. Nicholas was my butler in Europe too. Daddy had him move with us over here because of convenience reasons. The chauffeur opened the passenger door for me and I leapt in. I sat back against the sofa chair of the limousine and sighed in relief as the limo started moving, catching my breath. I stared out of the window and saw the other neighbouring mansions.
"Kaji-san," I called the chauffeur.
"Yes, ojou-sama?"
"Has someone moved into that mansion already? I remembered it being empty a few weeks ago."
"Yes, Ojou-sama. The Master has informed me that we will have a new neighbor, but the name of their family escapes me, I apologize. The Master also told me that only the son of the family will reside in that mansion along with the servants."
"Won't that be lonely? He's away from his family…"
Hyotei Gakuen. That's my school since I moved here in my elementary years. I walked towards the school gymnasium for the entrance ceremony and sat on the chair designated for me. Other students started piling in and I recognized someone from my sixth grade class. He was walking with his friends he used to hang out in back in the days.
"Shishido-san," I called his name softly and waved. He waved back when he saw me and sat on his chair in the row in front of me. Then the microphone gave a shrill noise and an elderly man step up. He was supposed to be the principal. I listened tentatively to every single word he said. Then he stepped down after announcing this year's freshmen representative. The representative is the student who always scores the highest in the entrance examinations. My eyes bulged when he got on stage.
What the hell is Atobe Keigo doing here?
I avoided Keigo-kun all morning and instead followed the crowd to all the facilities he donated to the school. Despite everything, I smiled when I saw him. He hasn't changed at all, still doing things like this and getting chased all over the place by girls. He is still as smart as ever, his role as the freshmen representative proved that. He is always number in everything he does after all.
"ATOBE-SAMA!" A few girls screamed and I instinctively ducked behind the first person nearest to me.
"Ishiki?" I looked up and realized the person I am hiding behind in is Shishido-san.
"Shishido-san! I am sorry," I apologize and moved away. Bad move.
"He's coming this way. Atobe-sama is coming this way," the girl beside me whispered. I froze and slowly turned around. He was staring straight at me and moved with determined steps. I backed away slowly, behind the screaming girls.
Thankfully, he never made it to me as the girls swarm him. I used this chance to run away and not look back.
It was a few days after the entrance ceremony and thankfully, I haven't seen Keigo-kun. Why is he here anyway? I sighed and slumped on the table. After I got home the first day, I stomped over to my Dad's study and demanded an explanation. He told me that Keigo-kun moved to that mansion in our neighbourhood, but didn't know anything before then. I believed him and gave up. He also told me Mune-chan moved here too.
I felt someone pat my head and I looked up.
"Ishiki-san, are you okay? You look unwell," Oshitari-san asked. He was my seatmate and I find him to be very nice even though he speaks with a Kansai accent I wasn't used to since I was in Europe and none of the Japanese I knew there were Kansai.
"I am okay," I said and sat up. I wanted to see Mune-chan, but I didn't want to cause Keigo-kun to be alerted to me if I did. And anyway, when I left Europe, I was so sure I would never meet Keigo-kun again and promised myself to forget him. Of course I didn't. I can't. Even if he hates me, I will never hate him. I sighed and wondered if I can possibly avoid him all through junior high.
Keigo studied the student council office. This was going to be his throne room for the next three years. Somehow, he has convinced everyone that he is fit to take on the role of the presidency. He'll start by memorizing everyone in school. Maybe he'll start with his tennis club. He picked up his club's member book and flipped through each page when his eyes landed on the Osaka genius. Oshitari Yuushi, class 1-C.
Out of plain curiousity, he picked up the class list of 1-C, wondering if anyone else he knew in the club might be the genius's classmate. Keigo was interested in Oshitari. Not many people can play against him that well. He almost dropped the class list when he saw a single name. The reason why he came here. The person he's looking for all this time.
Ishiki Izumu.
"Atobe-sama, it's Atobe-sama."
"What is he doing around here? Class 1-A is at the end of the hallways isn't it?"
"Maybe he's lost?"
"Stupid, how can he be lost? He's Atobe-sama."
"Maybe he's looking for someone in 1-C or 1-D."
Keigo ignored the whispers and stepped into 1-C. It was after school hours and Keigo hopes Izumu hasn't left yet. His eyes instantly made contact with Izumu's. She was with Oshitari.
"Izumu," he can hear himself whisper the name. How he missed her. Her long dark blue hair and innocent eyes. He tried to say something else, but nothing else came to mind. He wanted to tell her how he was sorry. He wanted to ask why she didn't tell him she's leaving. He wanted to tell her how much he wished he can turn back the time and treat her better.
When she left, he can hardly concentrate on anything else. He has told Kabaji and Izumi how much he regrets everything and how sorry he was and how he wanted her near him. He missed the way she would call him Kei-chan, he missed the way she would flash her innocent smile at him, not knowing anything. Not knowing how he was trying to protect her from the things Izumi and him had to go through. Not knowing how he really feels for her.
"Izumu," he said again, louder and forced his feet to moved forward.
"Izumu…" he said again and moved towards me. I back away a little. Why is he here? He shouldn't be here. I can feel Oshitari-san giving me a curious look, and so is every pair of eyes in the room and hallways.
"Ishiki-san knew Atobe-sama?"
"How is that possible?"
"He even calls her by her first name."
"How close are they?"
"Izumu," he said again when he stopped right in front of her. She wanted to run away. She had forgotten how much she feels for him, and now all those feelings and the painful memories are flooding back into her.
"Atobe-san…" I whispered and looked away.
"Atobe-san…" Keigo can feel his eyes widened and his heart aching. He bit his bottom lips trying to contain all his emotions. Trying to stop himself from yelling out loud or cry.
"Izumu… Please… I…" He didn't know what to say. His hands reached out for her wrists. She gasped slowly in shock, but still refused to look at him. "I am sorry." At least that was a start. He can feel Izumu trembling and he was close enough to see her tears.
"Izumu, look at me," he said and his left hand reached out to her cheek and moving it towards him. Izumu stared at him and he was shocked to see the emotions in those eyes. Confusion, shock, anger, sadness. He was speechless yet again.
"I am so sorry," he choked out again. "Sorry."
Izumu looked away for a moment and took a deep breath. Then she took a step back.
"Please let go of me, Atobe-san," she whispered and freed herself from Keigo's grasp. Keigo's jaws tightened and grabbed her wrists roughly.
"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving? Did you think about how I felt when I found out?" He started yelling. He knew he should stop, that he was only scaring her, but he could not help it.
"Let go!" She said and shoved him away. She started sobbing and every tears running down her cheeks felt like a slap to his face and a punch to his gut. "Did you think about how I felt when you wouldn't listen to me? I tried telling you, but you never cared! You were so happy in your own world with Izumi! She's the one who means something to you, while I am just an embarrassment, isn't that right? You were ashamed that you knew me."
"No! No…" Izumu slapped him across the cheek and shoved him harder that he fell on the floor. He felt so numb, but his heart hurts so much.
"I hate you!" She yelled out loud for everyone to hear, "I hate you! I was perfectly happy before you came! I don't want to see you ever again! I hate you so very, very, VERY, much!" She ran out of the classroom. Something snapped inside Keigo and he clumsily got on his feet to chase after her.
"Izumu!" Before he got to the door, Oshitari stopped him. He placed a hand on Keigo's shoulder.
"I didn't know what happened between the two of you, but don't make it any worse than it should be," he said, trying to calm Keigo down and chased after Izumu instead. Keigo punched the door, not caring if his knuckles bled, he walked away from the commotion. He messed things up… again.
When he gets to the solitude of the student council room, he broke down and cried.
"Don't hate me. I am sorry. Please don't hate me…" he whispered to himself over and over again.
No comments:
Post a Comment