“Are you sure you can do this?”
“Yes.”
“At least let me help you.”
“You gotta be kidding me. You don’t propose to leave Aiko and Kamui to train their siblings AND defend at the same time, do you?”
“Heck, Yuki and I defended and trained the Rookie, didn’t we?”
“Yes, but remember that Aiko had stayed here so she was in no immediate danger. We can’t have both Sara and Hikaru disappearing from school, you know. Also, Yuki has been a Star for several years, and you’ve been one since you were very small. Aiko and Kamui have been Stars for, what, three months?”
“Aiko herself told me that I can’t protect her forever. I’m going to let her go someday.”
“Well, she’s right, but it’s not today. Things are too critical. Especially since Hikaru and Sara are now involved without proper training.”
“They can handle it.”
“And you can’t?”
“I’ve slipped far too many times, sensei.”
“Do they not make mistakes themselves?”
“Their mistakes are not fatal.”
“Because you were there making sure they weren’t.”
“But—”
“Right now, I need you to keep an eye on the other Stars.”
Kaji clenched his jaw, trying not to yell at the man before him. Instead, he turned away and looked outside the window.
“That was what you told me the last time, and look where it got Yuki.”
To Kaji’s surprise, Ran laughed. “So, what’re you trying to say? That it’s your fault she got hurt?”
“Well, duh.”
“If I recall correctly, Sara told me you were fighting Fuu then. It’s not like you were just lying around watching Haruna stab Yuki.”
“Still…she was my responsibility. Sensei, I just can’t trust myself to do my job well anymore.”
Silence.
“That’s plain stupid.”
Kaji turned around with a sigh of exasperation. “Sensei, listen—”
“No, you listen, Kaji.” Ran interrupted. “Yes, your decisions may have had unpleasant consequences lately, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t the right ones. And even if they were wrong, then at least you learn from them. Remember, success comes from experience, which comes by making right decisions. And right decisions come after you’ve made the wrong decisions.
“Whether you like it or not, Kaji, you are a pillar of this team. You crumble down, everybody else crumbles down. So don’t you go and suddenly decide to quit.”
After being silent for a moment, Kaji finally nodded.
“Yes, Sensei.”
————–
As they always were during nighttime, the hallways were empty and dark. It was already almost past midnight, and everyone was resting in their own quarters. Except for one girl, who shuffled about her room, making sure everything was in order. All her possessions were in their proper places, her bed was made, and the glass doors leading to her balcony were closed. Finally satisfied, she turned around and faced the door. With a determined nod and a courage-boosting intake of breath, she stepped forward.
The heavy door opened, and a pair of brown eyes peeked ouside.
Good. The coast is clear.
The girl slipped out, her footsteps not making a sound. She tucked a stray lock of her black hair behind her ear as she bit her lip.
This feels so weird. I’m actually sneaking out of my own territory.
She flattened herself on the wall, and she slowly peeked around the corner. That hallway was empty, as well. She leaned against the wall and and exhaled slowly. She was about to turn around the corner when…
“Going somewhere, Mai-sama?”
Mai practically leapt out of her skin as she turned around sharply, a scream silenced as she clasped her hand over her own mouth.
“Yu—Yuuji-kun! What’re you doing up?”
“Nothing. What’re you doing up?”
“Um…I was…I was just…” Mai blinked, then dropped her voice to a whisper. “I was playing hide-and-seek.”
Yuuji nodded, and also dropped his voice to a whisper, leaning towards Mai. “With who?”
Mai opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Yuuji raised his eyebrows encouragingly and cocked his head.
“With…myself.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“Mm-hm.”
Yuuji-kun simply can NOT be buying this stuff.
But Yuuji nodded again. “Can I join you?”
Mai blinked. “Sure… but you have to be It.”
“Hm… I don’t think I can handle that.”
Mai nodded. “I didn’t think so, either.”
“Well, then,” Yuuji said, standing up straight. “I’ll leave you to play with yourself.”
“Thank you.” Mai replied, bowing gratefully. “Excuse me.”
She was barely three steps away from him when Mai felt Yuuji’s hand on hers.
“Oh, one piece of advice, Princess,” Yuuji said, still in a low voice, “if you plan to sneak out, make sure everyone’s asleep.”
Mai bit her lip. “I wasn’t planning on sneaking out.”
“You didn’t really believe I bought your hide-and-seek excuse, did you?”
Mai just sighed as she turned around. “No…not really.”
The black-haired boy sighed himself as he released her hand. “Tell you what. If you really want to go out that badly…” he trailed off, debating with himself if he was going to say what he was going to say. But when Mai looked up at him, there wasn’t any room for doubt anymore.
“I’ll go with you tomorrow morning.”
Mai’s face lit up. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“But won’t you get in trouble?”
“I think I’ll get into more trouble if I let you slip through my fingers and go out there alone.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“YES!” Mai exclaimed, jumping up and hugging Yuuji. “Thank you thank you thank you! You’re the best, Yuuji-kun!”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now go to sleep before Youko suddenly decides to do a bedcheck himself. And keep it down, OK?”
Mai nodded excitedly and went back to her room, her feet not quite touching the floor as she ran.
Yuuji sighed again and combed his fingers through his hair.
“Well, Yuuji… What have you gotten yourself into now?”
————–
Aiko didn’t move when someone knocked on her door, or when that someone opened the door and went in, or when he went to join her in the balcony. She didn’t move, even as she spoke to him a few moments later.
“So, are you planning to just stand there all night?”
“No… Just until I got impatient.”
“And when will that be?”
“About two seconds before you spoke.”
Aiko grinned. “I thought so. You were never one to be patient, were you?”
“And you were always one to worry me, weren’t you?”
Aiko finally looked at the boy beside her. “Worry you,” she echoed.
“Yes, worry me.”
“And why would I be worrying you right now, Sir Kaji?”
Kaji smirked and patted her head. “Well, just this morning, your fever’s so high I could’ve cooked my breakfast on your forehead. Then this afternoon, you were suddenly throwing lightning bolts!”
Aiko laughed. “Yeah, that got me, too.”
“So… Hikaru tells me you won’t talk to him.”
Aiko’s face fell. “Did he? Where is he now?” she asked as she looked away, gently brushing away Kaji’s hand from its position on the top of her head.
“He’s watching Yuki.”
“So are you his ambassador now?”
“No, I actually went here on my own accord, unbelievable as it may sound.”
“So you’re here to cheer me up?”
“If I can, yes. But primarily, I went here in case you needed someone to talk to.”
Aiko sighed, and leaned her hands on the cement guard. “I suppose finding out that Hikaru knew about Blue Star brought on a bit of a shock to me…I mean…He knew! All this time…”
“Even Ran-sensei was surprised,” Kaji told her.”Though you probably didn’t notice since you were too busy being shocked.”
Aiko chuckled. “Yeah, I was. I didn’t even hear the rest of his explanation.”
“So I noticed. You know, you worried everyone when you walked out of the room like a zombie when your brother was still talking. We thought you were going to commit suicide or kill someone or something…”
“I just wish he told me earlier…”
“Well, you didn’t tell him about yourself, did you? Besides, he DID say that he was just trying to protect you, the same way you were trying to protect him.”
“It’s odd, isn’t it?” Aiko said after being silent for a moment. “I mean, I can understand that he knew about Blue Star through dreams, but…The fact that he was able to use his element without anyone teaching him… It just amazes me.” Kaji just nodded. “Did I hear it right that Oniichan said something like, he had been using the Light ever since we were small?”
“It was rare, he said, but yes.”
“I thought Ran-sama said Stars’ elements can’t be tapped unless they die, or when he gives it to them.”
“Exactly. Even Ran-sama didn’t know the answer to that. It’s strange, to say the least.”
“But, I don’t remember him using them…”
“Nobody remembers him using the Light because nobody ever sees him using it. That being so, the Roses didn’t notice him as they noticed you. And that’s a good thing, too, because that’s precisely the reason why the Roses haven’t targetted him. Hell, they’ve NEVER targetted him.”
“Never? Kaji, if you remember, he’s been targetted several times the past weeks.”
“No, actually. If our theory’s correct, their target was you, and Sara. Don’t you think it’s odd that Hikaru was never involved in attacks except when he’s with any of us?”
“You have a point. What did Ran-sama have to say to all of this? I mean, he wasn’t that surprised about Kamui…”
“The main difference between Toriyama and your brother is their ki. Kamui’s is so strong even without training, it shows. Hikaru, on the other hand, was able to keep his ki hidden without trying, since he isn’t as trained as everyone is. So, we can say that Hikaru’s ki is too weak, too human, to be a Star. Heck, he’s too ‘weak’ to be targetted at all.”
“So that’s why I never sensed him.”
“Actually, his life ki can’t even support the Light.”
That caught Aiko.
“Say what?!”
“Whereas Kamui could only see unvisibles and sense ki without effort, Hikaru can use his element like adrenalin. So, after using the Light, he’s more than often spent.”
“‘Spent’ meaning?” Aiko demanded.
“Deliriously tired. I think his biological adrenalin was the only thing that kept him awake the past few hours. I won’t be surprised if I see him sleeping on his chair beside Yuki’s bed. But don’t worry, Rookie. All he needs is a few hours’ rest, then he’ll be fine.”
Silence fell in the balcony where the two Stars stood, as Aiko looked up at the diamonds in the sky. The night seemed so peaceful, as if all was right in the world. Aiko sighed again before speaking.
“Elemental powers, a battle for peoples’ ki, fighting for my life… Two years ago, I would never have imagined that I would be going through something like this…” she scoffed lightly, “I thought the most exciting experience I’d ever have would be finishing high school and getting into college… Maybe going for a professional career in track or maybe karate. I had always known I was a bit…different from other girls, but being a Star…Man, it gives the word ‘different’ a totally new definition.”
Kaji remained silent as he watched the moon give Aiko’s face a soft light as she stared out into the garden.
“Kaji…”
“Yeah?”
“Everything’s gonna be fine, right?”
Kaji didn’t answer at once as he gazed at the girl beside him. She was smiling up at him, but what he saw in her dark grey eyes was worry. Worry for her brother, for Yuki, for Sara, and everybody else. Worry because everything just seemed so uncertain. Suddenly, Ran’s voice echoed in Kaji’s head.
“Whether you like it or not, Kaji, you are a pillar of this team. You crumble down, everybody else crumbles down.”
Kaji smiled as he reached for Aiko’s hand. He almost flinched when he felt how cold they were, but his smile didn’t falter.
He couldn’t afford to falter.
“Yeah, Aiko,” he said with a nod. “Everything’s gonna be OK.”
————–
“Oh, no…”
Mai turned around sharply, her brown eyes frantically looking from left to right.
“No, no, no, no…”
She squeezed her way to a bench, and stood on it, searching the crowd for the familiar face.
“No, no, no, no…”
She bit her lip as she stepped down, wringing and unwringing her hands. What was she going to do now? She sat down on the bench nervously. How on earth did that happen? One minute she was walking beside Yuuji, and then the next, he was gone! He couldn’t have left her, because he was going to get into trouble if something happened to her.
Mai stood on the bench again, and tried to look for Yuuji in the crowd. No luck. She sighed, and was about to step down, when she noticed the huge ferris wheel that looked small from where she stood. Something clicked.
“If we somehow get separated, I want you to go to the ferris wheel, OK? That’s where I’ll look for you.”
With a sigh of relief, Mai jumped down from the bench, and started making her way to the ferris wheel. But then, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. What if she got even more lost going there? She and Yuuji actually DID get lost earlier that morning… Good thing they saw someone with an extra map who was nice enough to give it to them. Too bad Yuuji had the map right now. With a sigh, made her way back to the bench.
She adjusted her baseball cap on her head, trying to think of what she was gong to do next, and sat down.
.
.
Kamui tapped his plastic cup on his knee as he stared at the ground. He checked his watch for the hundredth time and rolled his eyes. What was taking the girls so long?
At first, Kamui was surprised at Ran’s announcement that the Stars (except Yuki and Ran, of course) were going to the carnival. Weren’t they supposed to be working on some plan for the next Rose attack? Or maybe train or something?
“You are going to spend your day at the carnival tomorrow,” Ran had said. “You guys need to unwind for a day. I’m sure the Roses won’t attack, considering their injuries.”
He had a point, of course, but still, Kamui thought it was weird. Well, what the heck. Ran was weird, in a way. Kamui shook his head, remembering what their sensei did when Aiko tried to retort: he turned SD with a poof, and shooed them away.
“I can’t concentrate with all of you kids running around the place. I don’t want to see your faces for a whole day, got it? Scram!”
So now, they were at the carnival. They had left Hikaru and Kaji at the shooting booth. (“Ha! I’m going to beat you THIS time, Hino!!!”), and Aiko and Sara had gone off to the ladies’ room. And Kamui…had been sitting alone on the bench for almost an hour.
And he was absolutely bored.
He figured that a gazillion people have already passed by him, and he had already lost count (not that he was actually counting at all) of how many girls had giggled at “how kawaii” he was, and how many had actually talked to him and had the guts to ask for his number. Kamui groaned at the memory. Didn’t he have enough ‘fangirls’ (as Aiko called them) at school?!
Kamui sighed for the hundredth time. At first, he assumed that there were a lot of people in the ladies’ room, causing the girls to be late. But an hour?! Kamui was about to check his watch again when his cellphone rang. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Hikaru’s name blinking on the LCD.
“Yeah?”
“Oei, Kamui,” came Aiko’s voice from the other end.
He blinked. “What—”
“Yes, I know, I’m really really sorry, but…”
“Where the heck are you guys?!”
“Well…” Aiko said, slowly, her voice thoroughly apologetic. “We’re here at the shooting booth. You know, the one where we left Oniichan and Kaji? “
Kamui slapped his forehead. “At the shooting booth… at the other end of the carnival…”
“Yeah, we’re all here… Kamui, I’m really sorry! Somehow, both Sara and I thought you were with the guys…”
“You forgot I was walking with you? Sara forgot she told me to wait here?!”
“…Yes…” Aiko said. Kamui even heard a faint “Sorry, Oniichan!” in the background. “Look, we’re really sorry, Kamui, we’re going to go there right now, so don’t leave OK?”
“You know what?” Kamui said, flipping out his map. “Why don’t we meet halfway…That’d be at the ferris wheel.”
“OK…” Aiko answered. “I’m really sorry, Kamui…”
“It’s fine. Meet you in about 30 minutes.”
“OK.”
Kamui pressed the end button on his phone, shaking his head. His best friend forgot him. His SISTER forgot him!!!
“Girls,” he muttered, standing up.
“Um, excuse me…” came a familiar voice behind him.
“Yeah?” Kamui asked, turning around with a polite smile. But then, the smile fell as he saw the equally familiar brown eyes smiling up at him…
“I’m sorry,” she said, adjusting her cap. “But I couldn’t help overhearing… You said you were going to go to the ferris wheel?”
“Uh…yeah,” he replied, still staring at her chocolate brown eyes.
“Um… I…was wondering if you could take me with you,” she said hesitantly. “I mean, I’m supposed to meet a friend there, too, but I… got lost.”
Mai bit her lip, hating the way she sounded. The black-haired boy in front of her was looking at her in a strange way, too.
I must’ve sounded really weird… Maybe he thought I was a stalker or something…
“I mean,” she started again when he didn’t respond, “if it’s not a bother, then…”
The boy blinked, as if snapping out of a daze. “Uh…” he said, apparently laughing at himself. “Yeah, why not? It won’t be a bother.”
“Really? That’d be so great!” Mai exclaimed. “Thank you so much!”
“It’s nothing. Here’s a map, why don’t you keep it? I’m pretty familiar with this place, anyway. So what’s your name?”
Mai hesitated, remembering Yuuji’s warning: “Be careful of who you talk to.”
But then, what harm would be done if they knew her name?
“I’m Kamui,” the boy said, smiling, when she didn’t answer.
Kamui smiled wider, amused, when he noticed the girl blush. Well, she was cute, no doubt about that. Although she looked around his age, her whole countenance and the way she acted made her look like a child. Throw in the baseball cap that hid her hair, she could do away with being a junior high freshman if she wasn’t as tall as Aiko.
“My name’s Mai,” she answered.
“Mai… that’s a nice name,” Kamui said. Actually, it wasn’t just nice. It sounded… familiar. The name was as familiar as her voice, and her eyes… Heck, it was as familiar as her face, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it…
“We…haven’t met before, have we?”
Mai shook her head at once. “I’m pretty sure we haven’t. Why?”
“It’s just… You look familiar.”
“Oh…”
Mai peered up at Kamui as they walked. Truth be told, he seemed somewhat familiar, too. Though she was sure they have never met (what with Mai not knowing anyone outside Deathrose), she felt as if she had known him all her life…
“Hey…” Kamui said as he stopped from walking. “Why don’t we ride The Twister?”
“What?”
“You’re not scared, are you?” he asked with a grin.
Mai smiled wanly, looking at the tracks. “I haven’t ridden a rollercoaster before…”
“Well, there’s always the first time for everything.”
“But— Hey!” Mai exclaimed when Kamui grabbed her hand and made a run for it. “Ka— Kamui!”
“Come on!” Kamui said with a laugh. “From the looks of the line, we can catch the next ride!”
They reached the line just in time for the train to arrive. The gate opened, and the line moved.
“Kamui,” Mai started when they were approaching the ticket booth. “I don’t have any—”
“My treat.” was all he said. Of course, the smile was still there. That boyish smile that brightened his face. The one that made her want to just melt. Did he have to smile like that every time he spoke to her?! Mai’s train of thought was cut short when Kamui pulled her hand again and made his way to the very front.
“We’re sitting here?”
“No guts, no glory,” he said with a grin.
Mai shook her head, and stepped in the car. She wasn’t scared, really. It’s not like she had a fear of heights. And she was used to moving fast, too. But, for some reason, she was excited in a giddy sort of way.
“Oh, and take your cap off,” Kamui said beside her when the attendants started checking the passengers’ guard from the end of the train.
Again, Mai hesitated. “My cap?”
“They’re going to make you take it off. It’ll fall off otherwise.”
“Well…I’ll just hold it so it won’t, then.”
Kamui laughed. “I don’t think you’d have time to think about your cap when this thing gets going.” When Mai still looked like she didn’t want to take it off, Kamui grinned. “You’re not bald, are you?”
“No!” Mai said, blushing. “It’s just that…my friend… He told me not to take it off.”
“Well, I don’t think he’d be happy if you lost that.”
“Oh, all right…” she finally relented, pulling her cap off.
Kamui’s jaw dropped as he watched her long black hair tumble down her shoulders.
Wow…
Mai combed her fingers through her hair, then tied it up in a ponytail, all the while oblivious of how Kamui was gaping at her. As she attached her cap to her belt, Kamui finally figured it out. He finally knew why she looked so familiar: She looked EXACTLY like Aiko. Except for the eye and hair color, they were exactly the same.
“Hey, Mai…” he said when the train slowly moved to climb the hill. “The friend that told you not to take the cap off, is he the one you’re meeting?”
“Mmm-hm.”
“Boyfriend?”
“No, he’s more like an older brother,” Mai answered, laughing.
“Ah. Why didn’t he want you to take your cap off?”
Mai shrugged. “So what if he didn’t?”
Kamui shrugged, too, turning his attention to the tracks. “I was just wondering. You’re gorgeous when you have your hair down.”
Mai immeditely reddened, her eyes widening. What did he just say?!
“Well, it’s been nice knowing you, huh?” Kamui joked, smiling that smile at her.
She didn’t have a chance to respond before the train dropped.
And Mai found herself screaming.
————–
“That was AWESOME!”
“Whoa! Careful…” Kamui said, laughing, as he caught Mai from falling. They had just gotten off The Twister, and, although Mai looked nowhere near nauseaus, her balance was still a bit off. “Why don’t we sit down for a while?”
“OK…”
They walked to a bench, Mai grinning from ear to ear.
“Uh…Mai?” Kamui asked. “You might want to fix your hair.”
Mai laughed, still a bit in a daze, then pulled her ponytail off. “Wow, I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on that.”
“Glad to have the honor of taking you, Mai-sama,” he said with a bow.
She froze from combing through her hair, but then, seeing the grin on his face, she smiled. “Haha.”
“Ready to go?”
“Yup!” she said, standing up. Then, she stopped, finally realizing where they were. They were almost at the ferris wheel.
“Hey, wait a second…”
“The Twister begins and ends at different places,” Kamui told her. “You can actually use it to save yourself a 15-minute walk.”
“So that’s why they named it that way?”
“One of the reasons, I suppose.”
“And that’s why you took me to ride it?”
Kamui smiled that smile again. “One of the reasons.”
He shook his head when Mai blushed again. Mai blushed so easily! And he wasn’t even trying to make her blush…Well, that was definitely a good change from some ‘fangirls’ in school who shriek when Kamui at the very least looked at them. Yup, he definitely preferred the blushing over the shrieking.
Mai bit her lip, looking around. It didn’t look like Yuuji was there yet… She turned to Kamui, smiling widely.
“Hey, can you treat me to another ride?” she asked.
Kamui blinked, then nodded. “Sure.”
.
.
“Wow…” Mai breathed, tucking her hair behind her ear. From their windowless cabin, she could see the whole carnival. It looked like one of her toys when she was small… And the sunset…
“Don’t tell me you haven’t ridden a ferris wheel before, either…”
She turned to the boy sitting across her, and shook her head slowly. “Actually, no…”
“Really?” Kamui asked in wonder. “Have you ever been to a carnival?”
“No…” she said, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.
“Man… Your parents must be really strict…”
Mai tried to smile, but found that she couldn’t, so she looked away, instead.
Kamui noticed this instantly.
“Mai?” he asked hesitantly. “I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?”
“My parents…” she said quietly. “I never knew them… They were killed when I was really young…”
“I’m…I’m sorry,” was all Kamui could say.
Mai just shook her head, still wearing that smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s all right…”
“My mom died when I was small, too.”
“Really?”
Kamui nodded. “I was five then. But my dad’s still with us…”
“Us?”
“Me and Sara, my younger sister,” he answered, “You kinda remind me of her, actually.”
Mai blinked. “How so?”
“Well, for one, I call her ‘Smiley’ since she can get excited over practically anything…” Mai blushed at that. “And she’s really optimistic, so she smiles through everything.”
“I see… I know someone like that. She’s like my younger sister, too…”
“The same way the friend you’re meeting is like your older brother?”
“Right. She’s just two years younger than me, but she’s so small she looks like a 12-year-old. And she sometimes acts like one, too.” Mai added, laughing. “Not in an annoying way, though. Maya’s really cute…”
Kamui blinked. “Maya?”
Mai bit her lip, only then noticing what she had said. Well, it’s not like she could take it back…
“Yes…that’s her name…”
“Ah…” Kamui said, nodding. For a moment, he just kept silent, watching as the clouds moved in the sky. The Maya he knew also looked like a 12-year-old… But then, he almost laughed out loud at himself. Somehow, he just couldn’t picture Maya, the Winter Rose acting like a 12-year-old and looking cute. Cold, deadly and stoic was more like it.
“That’s a perfect sunset, isn’t it?” came a voice beside him. Mai took a deep breath, smiling. “And the wind is so nice up here, too…”
“Yeah…Gotta love the wind, huh?”
Mai smiled widely. “Actually, it’s my element.”
“Your element,” Kamui echoed.
“You know… My favorite element?”
“Oh…Right…Of course…”
Mai barely restrained herself from slapping her forehead. Just how much more careless can she get?!
“Well,” said Kamui, “take your last look at that…”
She looked out into the sunset again, appreciating the view as their cabin slowly decreased altitude.
“Hey, Kamui?”
“Yeah?”
Mai smiled, admiring the way the wind blew through Kamui’s black hair. Gotta love the wind.
“Thanks.”
————–
“So are your friends here yet?” Mai asked as she put her cap on the way she wore it before.
“Hm… No, I don’t see them… Odd. They should’ve called me if they were going to look for me elsewhere…”
“Why would they? Aren’t you supposed to meet here?”
Kamui grinned. “Yeah, but I’m 20 minutes late…”
Mai bit her lip. Only then did she notice that it was already almost dark. They were that late? She’s never going to hear the end of it from Yuuji…
“Oh, hey, there they are!” Kamui exclaimed beside her. “But… they…don’t see me…” Kamui smiled, turning to Mai. “Wanna meet my friends?”
“Uhh…I…”
“Come on, I’ll introduce you…”
“I can’t…”
“Why not?”
Mai bit her lip again, then pulled Kamui in between two nearby booths.
“Mai, what—?”
“Kamui, you have to promise me something,” she said when they were hidden from the general view of the crowd.
“OK… What is it?”
“Forget about me.”
“What?!” Kamui asked, incredulous.
“Forget my name, forget my face, forget everything you know about me.”
“Why?”
“No one, and I mean no one, must know you were with me OK?”
“Why?” Kamui repeated.
“Kamui, I’m sorry if this is confusing—”
“Got that right.”
“But…please, this is really important. You have to promise…”
Kamui just looked at her for a moment, then he sighed.
“I don’t think I can forget that easily…” he said, “But… if it’s really that important…then I promise that I won’t tell anyone I met you.”
“Thank you,” Mai said, breathing in relief. “Thank you so much.”
Before Kamui could have a chance to say “You’re welcome”, Mai had already ran into the crowd. Without thinking, he ran out into the crowd, too, craning his neck to look for the mysterious raven-haired girl. But she was nowhere to be seen.
Wow, she moves fast…
He was about to walk away, when he suddenly heard her voice.
“Kamui!”
Kamui smiled widely as he turned around, and he saw her squeezing her way to him…
“Oh my goodness, Kamui… We’re so sorry!” she exclaimed when she reached him.
It took a few seconds for Kamui to finally realize that the girl before him wasn’t Mai… For, unlike Mai who was dressed in a white blouse and dark blue jeans, the girl had on a green round-neck t-shirt and black denim pants. No, the girl looking apologetically up at him wasn’t the mysterious, black-haired, brown-eyed Mai.
It was Aiko.
Her grey eyes blinked at him, her eyebrows furrowing in bewilderment.
“Kamui? You OK?”
He frowned.
“No, I’m not OK,” he stated, brushing past her.
“But, Kamui…” Aiko tried, following him.
“Honestly, Aiko,” he said, “I didn’t think you of all people would forget about me just like that.”
“I know and I admit that was really stupid…” she said, running in front of him to block his way. “And I’m really really—”
Aiko suddenly stopped when she saw his face.
Kamui was…
He was grinning?!
“Well?” he asked. “Do you think I could get in the drama guild?”
Her eyes narrowed ever-so-slowly. “What were you trying to do, make me beg on my knees?”
Kamui just grinned wider. “That’d be nice…”
“You…” Aiko seethed.
The grin turned into a full-fledged smirk.
“Ka. Mu. I…”
“Yes, everdearest best friend?”
“Die.”
Kamui made a face as he easily dodged Aiko’s fist.
“Can’t catch me!”
“Watch me, Toriyama!”
Kamui laughed out loud as he ran for it, away from his enraged best friend, and away from the newly-lighted ferris wheel…
————–
Mai took a deep breath as she knocked on the familiar brown double doors.
“Come in,” came a voice from inside.
She pushed the door open, and stepped in as confidently as she could. The silver-haired man was, as usual, at his desk. Upon seeing her, he quickly stood up and bowed.
“Good evening, Youko-san…”
“Good evening, Mai-sama. What can I do for you?”
“Something happened today, and I know you’ll most likely find out, anyway, so I came here to tell you before you did from anyone else.”
Youko’s eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded, anyways. “Yes, what is it?”
“I went and forced Yuuji-kun to take me outside today.”
Silence.
Mai continued, trying to ignore Youko’s lack of response. “I do hope you won’t take it against him. He really ddin’t want to take me. He kept saying that I should get your permission first.”
“And why didn’t you ask for my permission?”
“Because I knew you weren’t going to let me.”
Again, silence.
“And so Yuuji went with you to the ground?” the man finally asked.
“Yes. We just arrived.”
“I see… So that’s where he was today,” he said, sitting down again. “Thank you for telling me, Mai-sama. You really didn’t have to.”
“I just thought that Yuuji-kun might go here and take the blame and all that. I just wanted to make it clear that I made him do it.”
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Youko said. The door opened, and Yuuji stepped in, bowing.
“You sent for me, Youko-sa..ma…?” he trailed off as his eyes landed on Mai. “Mai-sama, what—”
“Actually, Yuuji,” Youko started, “the reason I called you has been resolved. You may go.”
Yuuji just looked back and forth at Mai and Youko, before bowing again and hesitantly turning for the door.
“Well, that’s all I came for, Youko-san,” Mai said after Yuuji had left.
Youko stood up and went towards the door. “Again, I thank you for taking the time to tell me.”
Mai nodded slightly as Youko opened the door for her, bowing. But just before she stepped outside the room, Mai turned to Youko.
“Promise Yuuji-kun won’t get in trouble for this?”
Youko nodded. “I promise, Hime-sama.”
Mai grinned. “Promise you promise?”
Youko himself smiled. ” I promise.”
“Thank you.”
Mai stepped out of the room, and, after sparing one last smile at Youko, closed the door. She silently made her way back to her own room, nodding once to Kaori when they passed each other. After a few minutes, she finally reached the comfort of her own room. And once doors clicked to a close, the Princess leaned back on them, sighed, and smiled widely.
“And thank you, Kamui…”
————–
Next on Blue Star:
What do you have when you cram training, vacation, and a school trip in three days? One word: chaos.
“When it rains, it pours.”
Episode 17: Wings
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From the Author
Hanyaaaan! I had so much fun writing this episode!!! I hope you had as much fun reading it I just noticed after rereading this: Mai’s most frequent actions were smiling and blushing! Nyehehehe.
Oh, a clarification here: what Kaji and Ran was arguing about was that he wanted to stay at Ran’s while he healed Yuki. Yeah, remember that she was hurt pretty badly in the last episode.
Lotsa love to Maggy d, liem and beve for reviewing :Þ I’ll be updating in a month. Your reviews have motivated me. I’ve already started Episode 17. Fighting scenes are going to make a comeback, and… secrets are going to be unearthed… Mwahahhaha!!!
Review topics
1.) Mai: Opinions about her are most welcome!
2.) Hikaru’s story as told during Aiko and Kaji’s conversation. Does it make sense?
3.) The whole time Kamui and Mai were together. What do you guys make out of that?
