*~~~~~~~~*
Home is where the heart is, and Hitomi could really feel that coming from her heart. When she rounded a corner, there was her street, her hometown. Nothing has changed since 4 years ago, when she was only at the age of 14, with a purpose still hidden in her young spirit. It has been a long time since she was that little girl who always goes to school through this neighborhood every single day. Now, she is 18, a grown young woman. With one step, Hitomi walked along her street, a smile emerging in her excited emerald eyes. She viewed each of her neighbors' homes. With her good memory span, Hitomi could name a few as she passed by.
There was the Fujisawa family. She was surprised that they still lived there, since they were going on saying they will get out of this forbidden place. Hitomi assumed that although there were rough times within this neighborhood, it is still a home to them, no matter what the case is.
Then, across from the Fujisawa Family, there is the Yamori Family, a pretty huge family with three brothers who want to become masters in the arts of karate when they get older. She remembered how well they play in their teamwork methods, especially if they play childish games such as hide and seek and tag. It is almost as if they want to become hunters. Of course, that wouldn't happen. That's how brothers worked together, if they get along that is.
After passing by the Yamori Family, Hitomi noticed the smell near a particular house was quite…different. Yet, to her, as she sniffed in the smell involuntarily, Hitomi could tell that the food right now smelt good, even though it was quite different from the aroma of Japanese Cuisine. That smell truly made her hungry.
Momentarily, she seized her pace and looked at the house. Something was quite different about this place. The house, of course, had a gate in front of it, yet, it looked all new and well-painted, with beautiful flowers growing in the small garden, in a perfect and organized way. To the left of the garden stood a huge cherry blossom tree, with a single swing attached to it.
Hitomi thought it was quite awkward. Never in her life have she seen a house in this neighborhood. Even though she has been away, she still had a visionary memory of her neighborhood, and that house never crossed her mind. Scanning through the depths of her memory, she remembered a house that was abandoned for some time. The people who lived there were not very nice, and apparently, they abandoned that place due to financial crisis, as told by her mom. "No way!" Hitomi said, quite astounded. "This couldn't be the house…could it?" She noticed the address to confirm it. "No doubt about it. Someone must of bought it and rebuild the whole entire place. It was a major wreck before." Hitomi looked at the house one more before continuing on. "I hope I will meet them. Maybe Okaasan knows about them."
Finally, after passing by a couple of houses, Hitomi now stood in front of a two-story house, with the view of the sea behind it. Behind the gated home, there were plants of all kinds, from roses to the little pink orchids. On the side, there was a little swing set that was still in good condition. Up on the second floor, near the backyard, stood a balcony that has a magnificent view of the sea and the port of Yokohama. On the gate, there is a sign that says "Kanzaki." This is Hitomi's home.
Hitomi could feel the tears of happiness sipping at the rims of her eyes. Her house has not changed one bit. Quickly, she opened the gate and stepped in.
As she stepped into the property of her house, a little puppy, a germen Shepard mix, half breed collie and half breed German Shepard, came out of its little dog house, with its tail wagging excitedly by the person coming in. Hitomi remembered this little pup. Her mom had brought it in recently when she found the little one hungry, weary and homeless. She brought it in and it became a part of the family instantly. Chibi-chan, they called it. It was a cute name. Hitomi have to say that her mom has good taste in naming cute things.
"Chibi-chan!" Hitomi called to the little one. At first, the pup was reluctant to go to her, sensing that she was not familiar. The mention of its name was more than enough to let go of that very reluctance. The puppy wagged its tail and soon dashed to Hitomi, sniffing her feet, and barked happily to be picked up. Hitomi picked the little one up and made her way to the front door. Nervousness suddenly came to the pit of her stomach. What will her family say? What will they think of her now? All that will come up once she opened the door.
Slowly, she went into her messenger bag and found her keys. Slipping it into the slot, Hitomi stopped momentarily, trying to calm her beating heart. Chibi-chan started to lick her palm, as if he knew that she was quite in a dilemma. Hitomi smiled, screaming mentally how cute this little dog is.
"Here goes," she muttered to herself and she slowly opened the door.
*`````````*
Chapter 2- Memories, help, and family. I forgot to ask his name!
*~~~~~~~~*
Recognizable smells instantly came into Hitomi's nose as she opened the door to her house. Her mom was cooking and she knew it was Hitomi's little welcome home party. She closed the door and let Chibi-chan down to the floor. Chibi went instantly into the kitchen and started barking.
"Chibi-chan…how did you come in here?" said a voice from the kitchen.
Hitomi instantly knew it was her mother's voice. She smiled widely, her tears forming in her eyes once more. "Okaasan! Tadaima!" Hitomi called.
"Hitomi-chan!? Is that you?!" said the voice, filled with surprise.
Hitomi kneeled down and took her shoes off. "Hai! I am! I'm finally home!"
Suddenly, Chibi went out of the kitchen and went into the living room as a woman, at the age of 38, her honey hair tied into a ponytail, came out of the door, with a surprised look on her face. That surprised face turned into happiness as she quickly walked to her daughter. "Hitomi!" she beamed and hugged her daughter, with tears in her eyes.
"Okaasan!' Hitomi beamed back, also feeling the tears in her eyes.
Slowly, her mother let go of her and looked at her daughter. "Oh my, its seems like forever since I have seen you. You've grown so much since I last saw you."
"Wow, you look so different…quite different from the Hitomi I've seen in television, with all that showy clothes and make-up," Hitomi's mother said, clasping her hands with a wide smile.
"You really think so?"
"OF COURSE!! But that doesn't matter, because you are who you are, ne?" Slowly, she grabbed Hitomi's hand. With another smile, she led Hitomi to the living room.
"Come, come, you must be very hungry after the way here."
"You have no idea," Hitomi said as she let her mom usher her into the dining room.
"Your father is anxious to see you again," her mother said. "He was sick with worry about you. He was about to-"
"-Call the national army, right?" Hitomi added sarcastically.
"No, he was going to, but, instead, he was about to go look for you and print your picture on all the milk cartons," she said, frowning. "But I told him he should trust you more."
"It figures," Hitomi said, sighing.
"Hiro! Your Akina-chan is here!" called her mother pleasantly.
Chibi-chan ran into the dining room, barking excitedly at a particular person looking at the food in front of him. On one of the cushions near the table sat a man at the age of 39, who apparently is looking at the food with a slight drool in his mouth. The man looked pretty young, for a man at age 39. He could almost be mistaken to be 25.
Hitomi and her mother both sighed. "Maybe I should have cooked the food after you came here," said her mother, whispering to Hitomi's ear. "The only way he could get his worry out is food."
Hitomi frowned a bit and shrugged. "Hiro! Did you hear me??? HITOMI'S HERE!!!" said her mother, who was practically yelling.
"Huh? What?" the man finally, looking up to the two woman in front of him. To his surprise, he sees a younger version of the much older woman beside her. Rubbing his eyes, he looked again to see everything is still the same. Suddenly, a huge smile emerged from his confused expression and he suddenly dashed to the young woman. "HITOMI-CHAN!!" he screamed as he gave her a passionate, yet rather tight hug.
"I-I'm…home…Otousan," said Hitomi, wincing at the sudden grip her father held.
Hiro was happy with tears as he hugged her only daughter. "You're home! You're home! You're finally home!!" he beamed. "I was sooo worried about you Hitomi-chan!!! I was gonna put missing pictures on each and every milk carton, but, you're finally home!!"
"Where you really that worried about me?" asked Hitomi. She felt guilty for doing this to her family, especially to her father.
"No…I'm just glad you're home because we finally get to eat!" Hiro said.
Suddenly, Hitomi didn't feel guilty. She felt a sudden urge to punch her father square in the face to say such a things. She shook in rage as her father let her go and happily went back to his seat, grabbing a plate in front of him.
"Is he really my dad?" thought Hitomi as he watched him grab some food, while her mother scolded him. "Or is he my older brother? He acts more like a big brother than a dad."
"God, what's all the noise about?" said a voice coming out from the kitchen. "I was playing a good game of Final Fantasy XI when I heard dad scream like a kid."
Hitomi turned around. She instantly knew that voice. Coming out of the kitchen, scratching his messy light brownish hair, stood a young man at the age 22, who has an identical facial feature just like his father. He stood there, towering over Hitomi with his 6'0" tallness.
Looking down, he noticed the young girl before him who was smiling affectionately towards him. "Could it be…?"
"Hai, I'm home, Oniichan!" beamed Hitomi.
Mamoru looked at Hitomi for a while, trying to take in the information. Then, with a sudden rush, like his dad, he gave Hitomi a big bear hug. "Oh my god! Hitomi's here! This is a surprise! How come you didn't tell me Okaasan?! I could have helped you in the kitchen!"
"Mmm…*slurp* yes…why didn't you tell him, Ayame?" mumbled Hiro, eating sloppily.
"Because, segare, you were busy gawking at the screen. When I told you that Hitomi is coming today, you only gave me an approving mumble," said Ayame. "Lucky for you, I didn't drag you because you just came back from school."
"Oh, is that the fact?" said Mamoru, scratching his head. "Hehe, Gomen, Hito-chan, when I heard that Dryden Records have been down in stocks, or more to say bankrupted, I thought you would be transferred to Dornkirk Records for a while. But, instead, you took a break and came home."
"Oh yes, Dryden-san called us earlier, and he told us everything," said Ayame. "But I am so glad that you're going to stay with us from now on. It feels so lonely around here without you around." Chibi-chan barked as if he was agreeing. "But, come, come, let's eat!"
*``````````*
Two hours have passed, and everyone was all talking at once. Hitomi was having a fun time, talking to her family once more to see their smiling faces and hearing stupid jokes from her brother. It was like old times again, and she couldn't be more than happy. Chibi-chan sat next to Hitomi, eating his food quickly and begging for more. Hitomi couldn't help, but crack up when she looked at the little dog's puppy face and she ended up giving her pieces of food. She found out that Chibi-chan could do a lot of tricks, with the help of Mamoru of course. Hitomi was surprised to see a young pup learning tricks so fast. Chibi-chan already knew how to sit (by anyone's command), stay, shake, play dead, catch the food in midair, and giving a high 5. She laughed and liked Chibi-chan already.
"Okaasan, I will never get tired of your food," said Hitomi, patting her stomach. "I haven't eaten such good food in a long time."
"Oh well, I guess my little girl missed my home cooking," said Ayame, patting her daughter's head.
"Hey…what about your little boy?" pouted Mamoru.
"Of course, you too. If you don't throw your red peppers, that is," said Ayame.
"Ooh…you're no fun, Okaasan," Mamoru said, pouting again.
Hitomi smiled. She truly missed everyone. She doesn't feel as lonely anymore. Carefully from the table, she was about to grab one of the milkshakes, but her father quickly took it, stuck out his tongue, and began to drinking it. Hitomi gave one of those annoyed looks, but shrugged it off and reached for another one. Her dad, as usual, is acting like a kid.
"So, Hitomi-chan, what you took so long to get home? Dryden-san said that you are going to be here by 12?"
Hitomi's eye widened at the question and almost choked at her drink. "What?" she asked.
"Well, we were wondering what took so long, Hitomi," said Ayame, putting some more ice cream into Hitomi's shake. "Dryden-san even said that he drew you a map."
"And…I basically threw it away because it was so badly written," Hitomi said.
"Oh really? Hmm…Then what's the reason?"
Suddenly, the quietness filled the room. Everyone's attention was directly at Hitomi and she looked down, with her hands lying on top of her lap. A faint blush started to appear in her cheeks, the nervousness forming in the pit of her stomach.
"Should I…or should I not tell them…?" she contemplated.
"Come on, Hitomi," encouraged Mamoru as he patted her back. "You can tell us. It's just us here…"
Hitomi looked up to her brother's eyes, seeing his greenish-bluish eyes that held great encouragement for her to tell. She looked at Ayame who had a gentle look and smile. And she looked at her father who smiled toothily. "What's up with him?" she thought, her eyebrows twitching. Hiro cocked his head and gave her an innocent look that read, "What did I do?"
Hitomi took a breath and looked down, her blush reappearing in her face. "Well…you see…everything started out like this…"
*``````````*
Several hours ago…at the heart of the City of Yokohama…"Now, let's see…where could it be?" Hitomi asked, making her way into the beautiful residential part of Yokohama, her home. Slowly, she walked along the alleys, looking closely at the streets and the houses around her. Hitomi, at the moment, is slightly confused, trying to fill in one piece after another.
"Where is it?" she asked again. Soon, she made her way out of the alley and mingled in the crowded streets again. Hitomi gave out a frustrating sigh and leaned against the wall behind her. "This is impossible! Now, where can I find it?"
It has been years since she went into these streets, so it wasn't her fault that she is lost a city. In Hitomi's case, the city is more like a labyrinth than a city. Every time she rounded a corner, Hitomi would find herself at the same place every single time. It's as if she was going in circles. She sighed and made her way through the crowd. Slowly, she reached into her messenger bag and grabbed some headphones. She knows that music would always calm her down in this kind of situation. Slowly, she let her mind drift into the beauty of the music.
"Shou…Shimatta! I'm really late!" retorted a person a mile away, running frantically through the streets. "Okaasan is going to kill me!"
Hitomi didn't hear anything in her path. She was too in depth with her song when a figure appeared a few meters away from her, his eyes looking straight passed her.
Hitomi loved the song she is listening to. It made her feel that her troubles are washed away. And she could imagine herself floating into the sky weightlessly. She loved the coolness, the comfortable warmth…
*~*
A rumble was felt on the figure's back pocket. He hefted it out and found a new text message. He pushed the button and read the contents. "Ah! I already know!! I know! I know! God, can't she see I'm trying to get there as fast as I can!?" Another text came in right after he read it. "AHH!! Stop sending me message every two seconds!" he retorted, his eyes rang with fury.
*~*
…the light that led her through the heavenly sky, the white birds flew passed her with gentle ease, a huge mountain that was rudely interrupting her…the beautiful pigment of the blue skies…
Hitomi suddenly stopped.
A huge mountain?
Rudely interrupting her?
Hitomi looked up and her eyes widen in horror.
The man frantically pushed one button and another on his cell phone, fixing the mistakes in his spelling occasionally and erasing them for all its worth. He didn't even pay attention to the streets ahead of him.
*CRASH*
Hitomi and the young man collided to the sidewalk with a huge thump. Hitomi landed straight on her back, her mp3 player falling to the ground. The man landed on his bottom, his cell phone fell right into the heap of miss they both created.
"A…a…a…aray," the man muttered, slowly getting on to his feet. "What was that?" he said. Shaking his head, he slowly looked up to see a young girl on the floor in front of him, gritting her teeth painfully from the major collusion. "Oh…shit…" he muttered and went to her side. "Oh my god, I'm sooo sorry!" he said, bowing. "Daijobu?"
Hitomi, still lying on the ground, rubbed her back soothingly. She looked up to see the young man before her, with his head looking down at his feet. "I-I think so…" she said, trying to get herself onto her feet.
"No, no, let me," he said, extending his hand to her. Hitomi, at first, hesitated for a moment as she looked at the young man's hand. Slowly, her eyes started to trail from his tan arm to his shoulder, then to his face. To her surprise, she met red-brownish eyes that looked on with concern, yet he smiled to her comfortingly. His black hair, that covered most of his eyes, started to sway from the gentle winds.
Finally, Hitomi considered his aid, and extended her hand. The man grasped it and gently lifted her on to her feet with such unbelievable strength that she almost could feel her feet not touching the sidewalk.
"Arigatou," Hitomi said with a timid voice. "I should apologize…I wasn't looking…"
"Iie…it's me who should apologize to you for all this," he said, bowing once more. "I wasn't paying attention…either…I guess I was too worked up to notice…"
"No…it's me…I shouldn't have gotten into my music…and let my mind drift into the clouds…"
"No…no…it should me…I didn't have a good line of vision…"
"No…me…"
"Wait," he said, using his hands to signal to stop. "Let's just say it's both our faults."
Hitomi looked at him curiously. Then, she smiled. "Alright, fair enough," she said. Slowly, she gazed down at her stuff and gave another frustrating sigh. "Oh no." Slowly, she sank down her knees and tried frantically to find her stuff. "Can this get any worse?"
The man joined her and smiled. "I know how you feel…but what can we do about it?"
In silence, the two started gathering their stuff, looking at each label and observing the style of one item carefully in their eyes. "Hehe…" the man began to laugh as he schemed through the mess.
Hitomi looked up. "And what's so funny about this?"
"Hehe, nothing about this," he said. "It's just funny that we are in the same boat…you know…get worked up from this day."
"Oh, I see what you mean," Hitomi said, grabbing the last remains of her items. After neatly putting the last item in he messenger bag, she stood up, adjusting her strap carefully. At the same moment, the man stood up as well, grabbing his cell phone in the process.
"Hey…" he said, catching her attention. Hitomi looked up to see his face once more, this time, her cheeks turned into a rosy pigment. His eyes, his raven black hair, and his physic; Hitomi thought he was very handsome. The young man smiled again. "Wanna get a drink? My treat…"
Hitomi held a sharp breath. What's with this all of a sudden? "Don't worry, I'm not that kind of guy you are thinking," he said, as if he read her mind. "Even though we don't know each other, we both had a stressful day, and the best treatment for these kind of days is sweets to lighten up your day."
It was corny, but Hitomi couldn't help but giggle at the man's statement. The young man simply smiled and scratched his head. "I know, that's what my Tito always say to me, but it works."
"Sure…why not?"
~`~`~`~`
"So…you were stressed out because your parents keep on calling you?" asked Hitomi, taking a sip of her milk tea, mango flavored boba.
"Yeah, but don't get them wrong. They are cool parents, it's just that they really want me home because my brother just got back from college," the man said, taking a sip from his taro boba.
It has only been forty-five minutes since the collusion between Hitomi and the mysterious man. They agreed to get a drink to calm their nerves, and what more can any one ask for then a simple boba drink to relinquish that stress. They found a nearest boba café near the place they met. They got their orders and sat down, drinking the sweet goodness of it. For the first few minutes, the awkward silence between them came into play. After a while, the man started a conversation, and soon, they are both engaged into it.
A rumbling movement came from the man's pocket, and he gave an irritable stare. "I'm done. I'm not going to answer it," he said, racking his bangs up. "I tried my best to tell them I'm on my way…but…they don't listen…so…why bother?"
Hitomi giggled and took another slurp of her drink. "You should check out my parents. They are much worse than yours."
Interested, the man leaned in. "Oh really? How so?"
"Well, like your parents, they are worry warts. But, unlike yours, they are more…"
"What…?"
"They are more…on the wild side," said Hitomi in a whisper. "They are overprotected about these things. If I don't call them, at least once, then they would send the national military to find me."
"Ooo, I wouldn't like your parents," said the man. "But…at least that won't happen to me if I had your parents…"
"And why is that?"
"Because I'm a guy, and you're a girl."
"What is that supposed to mean?!"
The man chuckled at Hitomi's irritable sound. "It means what it means…"
"God, I don't understand you men," said Hitomi exasperatingly.
The man pleasantly smiled at her reaction, took a sip, and looked out into the window. "Say, what made you have a frustrated day?" he asked, averting his eyes back to her.
Hitomi put down her cup and gave a sigh, playing with the straw. "Well…basically the reason is because I got lost." The man nodded. "I just came from Shibuya…and it was hard enough to go through that huge maze over there…and I got lost there for a few hours and found the train station there. And now, I'm going around in circles in this place, especially since I lived here for most of my life."
"I see…" said the man, nodding his head once more. "Well…where do you live?"
"Well…I think a little miles away from Yamashita…near the bay...close to Yamashita Park. In the residential area a few miles from Yokohama Port."
The man's eyes widen after the mention of the place. This surprised Hitomi as well. It's like the man is looking at her as if she was crazy. She cocked her and wondered what she did wrong. His eyes soon eased. He looked at Hitomi and smiled. "Actually, it's not far from where we are."
"Really?!" Hitomi beamed, standing up from her seat.
"Yeah, do you want me to take you there?" he asked.
"Sure!" Hitomi said and picked up her messenger bag. She quickly went to the man and grabbed his hand and dragged him along. "Come on! Let's hurry and go!"
The man was oblivious by her reaction, but, let her lead him outside. Once they were out in the city, Hitomi let go of his arm and turned to him. "So…?"
"Nani?"
"Where do we go from here?"
The man scratched his head, and looked around. "Well, we'll head this way."
~`~`~`~`~
Night slowly appeared. A bus suddenly pulled up into the curve where a blue bus stop sign is. It made a complete stop and the glass doors slowly opened. Hopping excitedly down the small stairs, Hitomi hopped onto the sidewalk with a goofy grin on her face. The man casually walked behind her, one eyebrow arched with a slight frown on his expression. "Boy, you're excited to go home…"
"I know. It's been a while since I've been here," she said, halting her exciting movement and turned to him. "I just can't wait to see my family."
"Hehe, of course," he said, grinning. "I never met a girl who loves her family very much. Usually the girls I met hate their parents because they always said that they are such idiots."
Hitomi simply smiled and walked along the quiet sidewalks of the neighborhood. Everything around her seems so pleasant, passing by each and every gated house. She could smell the aroma of food within a few houses they passed by, indicating that all children must have gone inside and must be having a pleasant dinner with their family. She wondered how it was to be a kid again, with no care for anything, but to run around and play innocently. Slowly, she looked at the young man beside her.
She never really got the chance to look at his facial features closely because she was too busy from being frustrated over her day. The young man had a firm facial structure, yet, his eyes give out how young he truly is. Hitomi predicted somewhere around her age. His natural disheveled black hair bounced up and down, swaying harmoniously at times when the little gusts came in. From the way he dresses, he just hanged with his friends, wearing a white, hooded, sleeveless shirt, with blue baggy denim pants that hung below his waistband, with a brown belt strapping around his pants firmly. But under those garments, he was well built. His eyes were the ones that caught her the most. She never has seen such a great color. Reddish-brown. A good mixture for a handsome person as he.
Hitomi thought he was, pretty darn gorgeous. "What…what am I thinking?!" she thought to herself sharply, shaking her head mentally. She looked away from the young man and placed her eyes on the sidewalk, with a little hint of pink in her cheeks. "I'm still with…Yukio…I can't prey on other men while he's gone. Besides, Yukio is much better looking than him." Hitomi paused in her thoughts. "But, why do I have a feeling that I am lying to myself?"
"OWW!!!"
Hitomi suddenly looked up and looked to her right. Hitomi put her hand over her mouth, trying not to let her giggles burst out.
"What the hell?!" he yelled, rubbing his
nose. "When did this pole came up?!"
She couldn't take it anymore, and laughed. It took her forever to stop, even when they continued walking, she couldn't help it then. To her, it was so funny that his reaction was priceless. That truly made her day.
"Oh boy," Hitomi said, giggling now and then. "That was soo funny! I can't believe you didn't see that."
"Well, at least you could have warned me," retorted the man, with a pout on his face.
"I thought it was obvious since it was right in front of you."
"WAH!"
Again, Hitomi laughed. This time, instead of crashing into a cold pole, he tripped over a little fire hydrant. "Damn it! Not again!"
"I thought it was obvious…"
"Oh, will you shut up about that?!" he said, whipping the dust from his pants.
Hitomi just giggled and continued to walk a few paces ahead of him. When she rounded the corner, Hitomi's laughter suddenly seized.
"Damn it, my mom is going to kill me for this," he said, catching up to Hitomi. "Hey, you suddenly stopped laughing. What's up?" He looked where she was going. Hitomi pointed to that area. The young man cocked his head, squinting his eyes to see what is in front of them.
In his line of vision, he could see a gate, closing the area from the public. Within the area, a three-story building stood there, with all lights were turned off inside. Around the area, there is many playgrounds, with a slide, a jungle jim, swings, a sandbox, and six basketball courts. "Oh, you mean Gaia Elementary School?" he asked.
"Gaia…Elementary School…" Hitomi repeated thoughtfully.
"This school has been around for quite some time. There is also a Gaia Junior High School, a chain school of theirs, and Gaia High School too. People who live here go through those chains. It is the best school for learning all kinds of interesting cumulative. Gaia High School, most of all, is an excellent prestigious school. It was named one of the top 3 schools. But, it's hard to get to if you scored low on your test during the last year in your junior high school"
Hitomi nodded and looked at the school. "I've been to this school before…" She could not remember the memories in here, because it was so long ago since she had been in this school. Basically, she hasn't gone to school for ages overall. She tried to remember those times again, yet they were all in the back of her mind. With her busy life, Hitomi didn't have time to review her past. She has to keep on moving forward.
"Hey, you okay?" the man said, breaking Hitomi's wondering thoughts.
"Ummm…yes…I am," Hitomi said, shaking her head. With a smile, she averted away from the school, to only let her eyes follow the rows of cherry blossoms on each side of the sidewalk. Although its true pink color didn't show within the night, Hitomi find it mysterious to see a dark color on the usual light color. Her thoughts soon hit something in her head. She began to scan through her interpretation and soon, a smile emerged from her face. "I remember this area now…"
"Huh?" said the young man.
"I remember I went through here all the time to go to school, with Oniichan helping me out. I used to love running through here every spring because the cherry blossom leaves are beautiful when they fall off from the tree that all I wanted to do was run around under them." Hitomi turned to the young man who helped her, with her hands behind her back, clasped together. She smiled at him, giggling slightly in the process. "I know were I can find my house now."
The young man smiled and nodded his head. "I'm glad I helped you out."
"Domo Arigatou," said Hitomi, bowing in the process. "I really, really, really appreciate your help."
"No need for thanks," said the young man, scratching his head nervously.
"Really, thank you so much."
The man just smiled and bowed lightly. After that, they stood there, looking at each other, letting the quietness seep in between them. Hitomi couldn't explain it, but she feels disappointed that he is going to leave. Although she only met him by accident, Hitomi truly enjoyed his company. She wanted him to accompany her a little longer, but what can she do about it? From the looks of it, the man had family values, and he will go to his family, no matter what kind of situation he is in. Besides, he did mention that his older brother came home from college. She would feel the same way if Mamoru came home.
This man was the complete opposite of her boyfriend, if Yukio is considered her boyfriend that is.
The man too was thinking the same thing, yet he is quite paranoid mentally, thinking what will his family would say. Suddenly, their stares were soon erased by an annoying noise coming from the male's pocket. Irritably, the man grabbed his cell phone and pressed the button.
"Mushi, mushi," he said, trying to hide his annoyance. "Oh, Okaasan…"
Hitomi could actually hear the person who is calling. She could make out that she was quite worried. The man, at first, started talking in Japanese, then soon grew into another dialect. It was a surprise to Hitomi when the man suddenly changed from Japanese to another foreign language. "He must be linguistic," she confirmed, watching his expression turned from annoyance to happiness.
"Okay," he said, back to Japanese. "I'll see you then. Okay, okay. Got it. I'll be there in a few minutes. Bye." The man hung up and put his cell phone back in his pocket. "Well I gotta run. My mom and my dad are worried about me. Shit, and Oniichan is already there too." He bowed. "Gomen. But, I have to run."
Hitomi could feel the sudden disappointment coming from her stomach. She put her head down, trying to hide the discontent in her eyes. "I know, you have a family to go back to."
The man turned around, looking at Hitomi through the side. "It was nice meeting you. Ja ne…" He waved to her and started to walk in the opposite direction. It took Hitomi by surprise that it ended this way. Suddenly, Hitomi abruptly turned. "Matte!" she yelled.
The man turned around and smiled at her. "Nani?"
Hitomi was quite nervous at first, shifting her feet on the sidewalk. "W-w-w-will…will I ever see you again?" This caught the man by surprise when she said those words. It also caught her by surprise too. Why is she saying such things like that? Well, of course, Hitomi had such a good time with him, even though he was only helping her find where her house is. When he said good-bye, it didn't feel proper to her…neither did it make her happy about it. It ended so quickly just like the wind that she almost didn't catch it.
Recovering from the shock, the man smiled. "Who knows…? But, it may be sooner than you think," he answered. His cell phone rang again and he couldn't help but slap his head. "Damn it!! I'm hurrying! I'm hurrying!" The man raised his hand. "Well, it's been fun, ja ne!!" With that said, the man started running like a maniac and turned the corner.
Hitomi waved back to him until his form disappeared. She slowly let her hands go to her sides, staring at the blank sidewalk. Sooner than she thinks? What does he mean by those words? Hitomi wondered for a moment, trying to think a solution to that. This is a big world, and chances are, they won't be able to see each other again. Hitomi just shrugged. "We meet only to part," Hitomi said. "But...I really wish I can see him again." Suddenly, Hitomi snapped her fingers as another thought came to her.
"Oh my, I forgot to ask him his name…"
*````````*
"A young man with reddish-brown eyes, black hair, a tan complexion…he sounds like a good gentlemen," said Ayame with a smile. "I'm just glad you made here safely."
"A-a-a-a man helped you?!?!?!" retorted Hiro surprisingly. "What kind of guy is he?"
"Otousan, you don't have to get worked up about it…he's really a nice-looking, sweet guy," said Hitomi, blushing a bit.
"B-b-better looking than me?" Hiro said, looking closely at Hitomi.
"If you put it that way, YES!" Hitomi sneered, trying not to laugh at her father's surprised expression.
Hiro kneeled against the corner with his head down. "Aww…Hitomi-chan…why are you soo mean??"
"Otousan…I was just kidding…" Hitomi said soothingly. She patted his back and tried to comfort him.
Mamoru looked up at the ceiling with a wondrous expression on his face. "Reddish-brown eyes, and black hair, huh?"
Hitomi went back to her seat and grabbed her milkshake once more. "Oh yeah, and you heard about Yukio right?"
"Yukio? You mean your famous boyfriend?" asked Ayame with a threatening voice. "Why did you date that guy in the first place? That guy has no values!"
"I WANNA TEAR THAT GUY INTO PIECES!!!" yelled Mamoru and his father. They look like they are ready to kill. "I HATE THAT GUY!!!!"
"You don't have to be so blunt," said Hitomi, a sweatdrop forming in her head. "But, Yukio is at Hawaii right now."
"GOOD! He should stay there!" said Hiro. "If he dare hurt my daughter again, he's got a next thing coming. I'm not a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do and Fung Shui for nothing!"
"Otousan…you don't have black belt…more like a beginners belt," Hitomi pointed it out. "Better yet, you've never taken any karate classes."
"Well…ummm…WHO CARES?! I can beat the crap outta that guy!"
"I'm not in top ten best Kendo for nothing either!" Mamoru added, raising his hand.
"And I am not a house wife for nothing!" said Ayame, whipping out a pan out of nowhere. Chibi-chan barked and growled, ready to fight.
Hitomi looked at her family. They were pumped up over this little matter. Is she the only one without a fighting spirit? She simply sighed. "This family is so…"
But she loved them anyways.
*````````````*
After dinner, Hitomi helped out her mom in the kitchen, cleaning up everything they ate for dinner. In 30 minutes, Hitomi finished cleaning the kitchen and went up the familiar stairs to the second floor. "It has been a while since you've been to your own room," Mamoru said behind her. "I just can't believe you didn't stay at your big mansion back in Tokyo."
Hitomi climbed the last step, and turned to her older brother with a smile. "That house…back in Tokyo…held some lonely memories…ever since I bought that house once I became famous. Although parties were held for the major celebrities during the past years, yet, regardless how it was, being with my family is priceless." She turned around, trying to hide the tears from those painful memories. "Besides, the only sound I hear is just the silence. No noises down in the kitchen, where someone is cooking a homemade meal, an empty room next to mine…with no sounds of video games or loud music, a living room where all friends would gather and talk about nonsense until later the next day, packed with sleeping friends inside their comfy sleeping bags…is practically empty…nothing more than the white plainness of the room, filled with expensive decorations that I worked hard on. But now…everything is different." Hitomi smiled at the last part and looked at her brother's face. That reminder of that empty house was instantly wiped away from Hitomi's mind. She's home, and that's all that matters. Her family is here with her. And she is no longer that lonesome girl living in a huge house all by herself.
Mamoru stared at her green eyes for a moment, staring intently into her most inner emotions. With a lopsided smirk, he climbed the last steps and nudged the top of his sister's head. "Well, you're family is here, so that doesn't matter, ne?" he simply said and walked towards Hitomi's room.
Hitomi was a bit annoyed at her brother's actions, considering that he should know that she doesn't like him ruffling her hair like that. But, she shook her head and smiled. She would let that pass, for now.
Slowly, Mamoru opened the door to a certain room next to his, flicking the lights in the process. Hitomi peered behind him, curious of what's inside. Mamoru turned around and smiled. "Your room hasn't changed a bit," he said and went inside.
Hitomi's smile widened when she took a glimpse of her room she left 4 years ago. Everything was still the same, except that most of her posters, childish items from her desk, and most of her clothes are gone. It was a simple room, with the walls painted a pale green that Hitomi can fill relaxed in. To her left, her full size bed was placed in the corners of the wall, with a simple Maghoney nightstand on the right side of the bed. Across the other side, stood her small flat screen TV, next to her desk that has all the items placed neatly into its proper position. On top of that very desk is her computer, speakers, her hard drive, under the desk, a web camera on top of her computer screen, a printer, and her disk holder. On another corner is her walk-in closet. Hitomi turned on the light and opened it, to reveal her clothes that are neatly organized.
"Okaasan went shopping yesterday to buy
you these clothes," Mamoru said, bouncing up and down playfully on Hitomi's
bed.
"But…she doesn't have to…really…Dryden-san said he would deliver my clothes from my old house today," said Hitomi, a bit surprised that her mother would go through the trouble to buy her new clothes.
"Well…apparently…Okaasan disapproves some of the clothes he brought in…they're a bit…showy."
"Showy??"
"Yeah, like the clothes you wear for your concerts."
"Great," Hitomi sighed. "Dryden must have gone into the wrong closet." She shut her closet and put her messenger bag next to her desk.
"Hey, at least you should be happy that Okaasan got the right size, with my help of course. I mean, come on, I went through the trouble to go with Okaasan to the mall. And apparently I was dragged out of the house, you know." He paused and glowered at Hitomi playfully. "I even took the courage to go to a girl's clothing store. Get it? GIRL'S CLOTHING STORE!?!?"
"Gomen, Oniichan…"
"You owe me for that, Hitomi-chan…BIG TIME," said Mamoru, a smirk forming in his mouth.
"Of course, Oniichan, I cross my heart on that," Hitomi said as she sat next to Mamoru on her bed.
The two siblings sat there in silence. Hitomi looked around her room, feeling the memories start to come into her mind again. She whiffed in the smell of her room, recognizing the tropical-like smell floating in the air. Suddenly, a thought jolted her mind. Quickly, Hitomi looked at the spot where her pillows were placed and I smile emerged from her face again. "Oh my god, my little stuff white tiger," Hitomi beamed, grabbing the soft stuff animal from its place. "Okaasan still kept it."
"Hehe, I didn't know you were still into baby things. You're such a kid," Mamoru joked, giving a heartily chuckle.
"Of course, I couldn't resist its cute little face," Hitomi said, snuggling her stuff animal more.
Mamoru smiled and rubbed the top of his sister's head. "Welcome Home, Hitomi-chan," he simply said.
"I'm glad to be home."
*````````````*
The time is now 9:00 p.m. Hitomi sat in front of her mirror, brushing her hair. She now wore her pj's. She was a bit tired from today's events and so, Hitomi decided to go to sleep early. Just when she was about to tie her hair up, her mother came in with a smile on her face. "Hitomi…there is something important I must tell you," she said.
Hitomi looked up and turned to her mother. "What is it?" Hitomi asked, putting her brush down.
"You will begin school in two days…"
"What?!" Hitomi shouted as she stood on her feet with complete shock.
"Yes, honey, you will start school in Gaia High School."
Did Hitomi hear right or is she disillusional? Hitomi is going back to school? Complete excitement filtered her heart. "Really, Okaasan?"
"Hai! Aren't you excited?"
"No doubt about it," Hitomi said with a smile.
"Good. Be sure to get a lot of rest. We're going to the mall tomorrow with Mamoru," Ayame said. With a smile, she leaned down and kissed her daughter's forehead. "Oyasumi…"
"Oyasumi," replied Hitomi as she crawled under her covers. She reached over to her lamp and turned off the light. With a satisfying smile, Hitomi slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
*````````````````*
Most teenagers may think that going back to school may be drag, but, to me, I was quite happy. It was like one of my dreams that I wanted to come true because I truly missed it. What lies ahead will come on unknown to me…
…Yet…this is when my story truly begins…
…the obstacles is about to begin…
*````````````````*
Author's Note: I'm sorry if this chapter is boring, but you know how it is? I'm still in the beginning process. Soon, the tables will turn. I swear. And you all must be wondering when the other characters will appear. You will soon find out in a chapter or two. Anyways, I want thank Snow Blossoms for the idea suggestion. Thanks so much!! ^_^ I really, really, really, appreciate it!
Otherwise, thank you all for reading. Please review! Until then, see ya!