Kaze Chibi: Hey guys! Finally back with an update! Thanks for the reviews in the previous chapter! I'm glad you guys liked it!
I have been writing this chapter for a while… because no matter how I seemed to re-write it, I found myself to be putting Kouji a little out of character… however, I've tried as much as I could to keep him as he should be, given the circumstances and thoughts of this story. So hopefully, you guys won't find him too OOC…
Kami Chibi: A slightly longer chapter this time, for who knows why, but here it is anyway! Please read and review!
Disclaimer: We obviously don't own Digimon, Fullmoon wo Sagashite, or the song mentioned in this fic. If we did, we wouldn't be writing about it. We'd be making this a reality.
Last time…
"So…is it alright for me to ask…for you to play that song again?" she asked again.
I wanted to deny her, but her eyes pleaded me. So I agreed, seeing her so happy to have heard it the first time.
Bringing my fingers upon the keys once more, I started the song for the third time today.
She smiled, humming softly to the tune. She seems to know this tune well.
Chapter 2
His fingers continued to dance upon the small keys, his eyes closed, his mind still one with the emotion of the song. The song played his mind. His emotions. It was almost as if this song was written for someone just like him.
His mind flowed through the song, just as the sounds flowed through the park. It was in perfect harmony.
The song was coming to an end, his fingers slowly bringing him to the finale of the soft melody. But as the song drew to a close, his eyes opened to an unusual sound. A sound he had heard before, but it had always sounded so distant. This sound… it had never been for him. Applause. He heard applause. No one had ever applauded him before. It felt good.
He looked up to the source of the sound. The girl sat quietly on the tree branch above him, her hands meeting softly but repeatedly as a sign of appreciation.
Her smile… it looked so sincere. I was at a loss for words. No one has ever praised me for these things before.
"Thanks…" I muttered; feeling slightly embarrassed about her clapping.
"I should be the one saying thank you." She replied, grinning.
My eyes flew to the ground. I could feel the heat coming to my cheeks. There's no way a stranger is going to see me blush like this.
"I-I should be heading home now." I stuttered, pulling my piano back into its small black case.
A look of sadness seemed to strike her, but she quickly put a smile back on to hide it. Why was she sad about my leaving? I hardly know her…
"Will you come back?" She asked, her voice sounding more hopeful than her face seemed to show.
"I guess…" I mumbled.
Her voice almost made her requests undeniable… it was unquestionable. But I don't know why. Perhaps it is that smile… it fills me with guilt to know that I was the one to wash that sincere smile off her face.
There it is.
Her smile is back.
Not the same one she used to hide her sadness.
The sincere smile I saw earlier.
I almost felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. She was smiling… simply because I had agreed to come back. I've never felt so appreciated and accepted. I've always had trouble making friends… but right now…
"You promise you'll be back to play that song for me?" She asked softly, her left hand reaching out, pinky extending towards me.
That innocent aura around her… maybe that's what made her requests irresistible… it's hard to tell. The innocence? The smile? Or maybe it was both? It doesn't matter.
My hand almost reached for hers instinctively, raising my right hand, pinky extended to meet hers.
"I…"
She looked at me expectantly. "Do you promise?"
I took a deep breath.
"Yeah…" I finally answered, my eyes that were once focused on the floor, finally moving up to meet hers. "Promise."
This girl… I've just met her, yet she's done something no one else has… what she's done, I still have yet to figure out. But whatever it is, I just know it's a good thing.
"Goodbye!" She waved politely, that smile never leaving her features. "I shall await your return."
"Bye…" was all I muttered before waving quickly, turning around and walking away… this girl… why was she…
She's so unusual.
What is it about her that makes me feel so comfortable yet uncomfortable at the same time?
Why was she being so friendly?
Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I continued my way out of the park. I wasn't going to let a mere girl distract me. I've got much more important things to do… like studying for the upcoming exams and practicing for that recital…
But it's not like I usually study anyway.
It's been two weeks since I last met that girl, Izumi, at the park. I know I promised her I'd go back to see her… but I seem to be lacking the will to do so. Actually… not lacking the will. More like too lazy to go. Either that, or I just didn't feel like it. To go back now though… she might be mad at me for not going to see her for two weeks…
Then again, I never promised her when I'd go back.
Why do I care if she's mad at me anyway? I hardly know her.
Hn… it doesn't matter now I suppose. I'm on my way to the park now anyway.
As unlikely as it was to meet the 'spirit' of a Sakura tree, it seemed as though she was telling the truth. There was no other logical reason to the tree's blossoming amidst the cool autumn air of November.
But then again… speaking of logic, her reason wasn't exactly logical either…
Well, either way, it didn't matter. Not like it's bothering me in any way.
Keeping at a steady pace, I continued my way into the small deserted park, my right hand grasping the handle of the piano's black case, carrying the instrument casually over my shoulder. Upon nearing the small pond, I looked around for that tree I had saw Izumi in last time.
However, my mind came to a blank.
Hell, all these trees look the same to me. The one she sat in isn't blooming anymore. So which one's her tree?
Looking around, I tried to recall the scenery of which I saw while sitting against the trunk of the tree.
But I can't seem to remember anything. All my mind had focused on was the girl and the blooming cherry blossoms.
Deciding I should try calling out to her, I called her name, turning my head around to see if there was a response to my call.
There was none.
Maybe she is mad at me after all.
Oh well.
Sighing, I was about to leave when I felt something tap my shoulder.
Turning around abruptly, I was startled when I saw the blonde girl standing right behind me, one hand behind her back, one hand brought up, clearly indicating that she had been the one who tapped me.
"Hi Kouji!" she spoke happily, smiling.
What was she doing behind me? And,
"Why didn't you answer me when I called out to you?" I asked her suspiciously.
"I wanted to surprise you." She answered simply.
I raised a brow to her statement. But she only giggled.
Nothing was said for a while.
"Sorry I didn't come back earlier…" I muttered… it'd be easier for me to apologize than for her to question me and leave me without an answer. After all, I didn't have a good answer.
"It's alright. I understand." She smiled slightly. "So? Aren't you going to play that song for me again?"
"Yeah… sure…" I answered, looking around before finding a good spot next to the small pond and plopping myself down onto the ground.
Sitting down, I brought my left knee towards myself while my right leg lay flat on the ground. I pulled the small black case over right leg, tugging the zipper open before retrieving the silver piano.
With a small 'click', I turned the piano on, bringing my left knee down and crossing my legs before placing the piano flat on my lap.
I took a deep breath, placing my hands atop the white and black keys, preparing to start the song.
I could feel her gaze on me, bidding me to start the song.
I complied, my fingers dancing atop the white keys again at a soft but steady rhythm. My eyes darted around the area, searching for her tree. If what she said two weeks ago had been true, her tree should be blooming just about now…
Surely enough, my eyes landed on a pinkish-white coloured tree, it's cherry blossoms in full bloom. I smiled slightly before my eyes darted back to the girl before me.
Her eyes were closed, and she was humming happily to the melody, but her face seemed to show that she was in deep thought.
What a weird girl…
The song continued for another couple of minutes before drawing to an end.
She applauded again, cheering slightly this time.
This girl… she's done something no one else has ever done again… but I still don't know what. I just know I don't have to worry about it. Whatever it is, it's supposed to be a good thing.
But I don't seem to understand this at all. It somewhat bothers me; that this girl, whom I hardly know, is able to do something like to me… something that even I don't know of.
"Hey Kouj!" Izumi called to me as I neared her. She was sitting up in her tree again, waving as I approached.
"Hey." I returned, bringing my left hand up slightly as a sign of acknowledgement. I've gotten used to that nickname she's given me.
I had gotten rather annoyed by it at first, but she refused to stop calling me by it. I'm not even bothering to stop her anymore.
I've been meeting up with her for a while now, and we've been getting to know each other more. She's told me a lot more about herself, and I've been letting her know bits and pieces of myself.
"I'm bored… what took you so long to get here after school Kou-kun?" She pretended to ask cutely, pouting slightly.
I twitched.
And she saw it. She laughed.
"Well?" She asked without the pout this time.
"Didn't you want me to bring the piano today? I had to go home to pick it up." I answered, rolling my eyes slightly.
She laughed again.
"So where's the piano now?"
"At home." I answered bluntly, grinning.
She pouted again. "I thought you went home to get it?"
"I did." I answered. "But it's out of batteries. I forgot to recharge it last night."
She pretended to glare angrily at me this time. But it didn't work. She looked too childish.
I smirked. "It wouldn't be out of batteries if you hadn't been nagging me to play that song again and again yesterday."
That's right. I've been going to the park to see her everyday after school, and at least once on the weekends. She's the one besides Kouichi to have gotten this close to me. And everyday now it seems, her tree has been blossoming.
I had never been one to trust strangers, but she seemed a lot more than a stranger now. She wasn't just the Izumi I had met a while ago. Not just the spirit of a tree.
Now I knew her as Orimoto Izumi. She had lived with both her parents until her father passed away a couple of years ago due to cancer. As a child, she had always had medical issues, and was often forced to miss school and stay home to hopefully help her get better with more rest.
She also told me that her favourite tree; had always been a Sakura tree, as her father and her had planted one together in their backyard before he passed away. Unfortunately, the tree had died after her father had, as she was unable to maintain it herself, having the trouble to water it and such.
She claims that after dying from an illness of her own, she became the spirit of this tree, seeming to feel a lot more at rest by being next to something both her father and herself treasured.
I had felt a slight pain in me as I heard this from her. It obviously hurt her to tell me. She had been near the verge of tears, yet she refused to cry in front of me. I understood though. I wouldn't have wanted to let her see me cry either had I been in her situation. So I turned around, my back facing her.
"Go ahead and cry." I had told her. "Don't hold back. It's all right. Everyone does it sometimes."
I had felt her stare at my back for a moment before breaking down in sobs. I felt somewhat helpless then. I could never stand seeing person cry. Let alone a girl I knew, crying at the mentioning of her painful memories.
I don't know what possessed me at that time to do this, but I turned around, causing her to gasp and turn away, wiping frantically at her eyes with the back of her hands.
I reached towards her, taking her wrists before pulling her awkwardly into an embrace. I wasn't used to this. Close contact. It was unnerving. As a matter of fact, it was very uncomfortable for me. But she seemed to need this.
We both stiffened.
I brought my arms awkwardly around her, pulling her closer to me, allowing her to cry on my shoulder. I was very tense. She knew it. Because so was she. But neither of us cared. She returned the embrace, sobbing softly for a while.
I waited quietly for her to stop.
When she finally did stop, she mumbled something.
"Thank you."
Ever since then, I had allowed her to get slightly closer than most others. I still didn't need friends at school. They were useless. But she wasn't just a friend. She was different. She was Izumi.
TBC...
Kaze Chibi: Not the end of the fic if it seems like it, there's plenty more to come! But once again, my question: how was it? Please let me know! The more you complain (constructively of course), the better the stories will be for you to read in the future!
Oh, and once again, I'd like to mention to those interested in the song this fanfic is based upon, if you're interested in hearing this song, I've finally put it up as a background theme on a small site I've decided to start up out of pure boredom. You'll find the address of my website on my profile.
To hear the song, simply click 'Fanfiction' in the navigation bar of my site, and the song should automatically start playing as the page's background theme. If you don't hear it, try scrolling down to the bottom of the page, where you'll find a media bar. Press 'Play'. If it's already playing and you still don't hear it, try turning up the volume, this song is rather quiet.
Hope you guys like it!
And to those who do like the song, I can offer to send the song to you, but unfortunately, I must limit it to sending this song only to those who have MSN Messenger. This song is too large of a file to send through e-mail, and my computer won't seem to let me send it through AIM. Sorry!