R E D

R I B B O N S

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P R O L O G U E

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"Hey crybaby, where are your friends?"

"Look at her... always alone. I feel kind of bad... but then again, not really."

Painful.

She would never forget the pain she went through. Yaya? Pain? How was that even possible? The taunts, the crude jokes, the snickers --- they played themselves endlessly in the girl's head, like a broken record. An attainable target --- the prey for bullies, Yaya was likely to cry at almost anything. Yes, they made fun of her. They made fun of her all the way until 6th grade, when she became a Guardian and got popular. Whether they believed it or not, Yaya was really very outgoing once one got to know her, and there was really no problem with her, except for the fact that she cried too much, of course. Laugh, and the whole world laughs with you. Cry, and you cry alone. Lonely. She was lonely.

It hurt.

It hurt so much.

"Hey crybaby!"

"Pffft, don't call her that. She's gonna start crying."

"Jeez, she needs to grow up and stop acting like a baby."

The words were sharp, like a knife that pierced. They were spoken senselessly, by kids who at that time, seemed heartless to Yaya. But it wasn't only the words that left bruises on Yaya's skin. It got bad. It got to the point were everything tore --- and violence was the only option. Why? SO many hours spent crying in bathroom stalls. Countless times running away from home and ditching school. How she had envied those girls as they hooked arms together, chattering nonchalantly about pointless things --- carefree, and happy. Truth be told, Yaya only wanted to make friends. Though more an observer, Yaya longed to join the other girls and boys in their fun games and giddy conversations. The storms came and went, the lightning flashed and passed. The sun around her rolled in it's tint of gold; the seasons changed. And yet, she was alone all along. Until that one fateful day, where her life came to a climax --- and everything was altered, for the better.

"Damn it, she's crying again!"

"Shut her up! We'll get in trouble if they find out we made her cry!"

"Pull her hair! Teach her a lesson!"

It was in May of fifth grade, and Yaya was sitting outside of the school on a bench, waiting for her mom to pick her up. Tears were streaming down her face from the past event that had taken place, when two boys had been teasing her mercilessly. She couldn't wait to get home --- the one place that she could truly be herself. She couldn't help it if she was such a crybaby... her parents spoiled her for God's sake! She sniffed, wiping her tears on her sleeve. While trying to pull it together, she spotted a group of boys in matching uniforms in the distance --- the soccer team. They had just finished their game, and were coming her way. Yaya panicked. Not boys... they're going to make fun of me! She trembled, wanting to turn even more invisible than she already was. There was no where to run. There was no where to hide. As the boys approached, Yaya could see that they were all gathered around one auburn-haired boy who looked like a 7th grader. She could hear some snippets of their conversation, because they were talking so loud and boisterously.

"GREAT GAME, SOUMA!" the boys chorused, showering him with praise and pats on the back.

"We kicked the other team's butts, and it's all thanks to you!"

"That was an awesome goal you made in the last 10 minutes!"

Whoever this boy was, he sure was popular. Yaya's strained, cried-out eyes softened as she got a clearer look of the boy. There was something about him. Something different. Sooner or later, she caught herself gawking at the handsome, athletic boy in awe. And all of a sudden, the boy got close enough where he shifted his view and met Yaya's eyes --- olive green looked into chestnut brown. He had caught Yaya staring at him. Ah!! How embarrassing, Yaya quickly looked away, averting her eyes. All was well for the next couple of minutes, and Yaya wondered what was taking her mother so long. She was eager to leave, and still kind of humiliated from the incident with the staring.

"Ah... Yuiki Yaya, ne?"

Yaya whipped around and came face-to-face with the boy, who was smiling friendly. Was he talking to her? She looked around and behind, dumbfounded. Not believing this, she realized that he was. He was talking to her. Her eyes widened for a moment, and it took her a while to process from the shock. What should she say? How should she respond to him? Did she look like she had been crying? Should she smile? Should she even answer him back?

"Y-yeah..."

He smiled. "Someone picking you up?"

She nodded, in a trance. Was he.. concerned? He was so nice...

"Come on, Souma!!" some boys yelled alternatively, impatient to leave. As soon as their eyes fell upon Yaya, yells turned into hushed tones.

Hey, isn't that crybaby Yaya?

Yeah.. the girl who always cries...

"One minute, guys!" The green-eyed boy told them without turning around. Why is he even talking to me anyway? Yaya thought, suddenly feeling mislead. The smile was lingering on his lips, and Heaven knew why. Don't tell me --- he's teasing me too? She felt fresh tears accumulating in her eyes. Seeming confused, the boy blinked --- did he do something wrong? He fished around in his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. He then slightly bent over and pinched Yaya's nose with it, his face too close for comfort. She blew into it, and he handed it to her. She wiped her eyes and stifled her sniffs. Why was he being so nice to her? Then he withdrew, pausing to look at her one final time. His fingers lay atop his lips --- looking as if he was deep in thought. And suddenly, for the first time, Yaya heard something that she never heard before:

"Cute --- like a baby."

Compliment? Insult? Who cares. In heat of the moment, she felt herself blush, turning a light shade of delicate rose. And then he was gone. Gone with his popular friends, back to his popular life. Ever since that day, Yaya had never taken her eyes off of him. Ever since that day, she didn't cry half as much as before. His name was Kukai. Souma Kukai. Her savior. The one who gave her the confidence. The one who gave her an opportunity. The one who gave her a sense of existence. The one who gave her her first love.

r and r

I want to make a KUTAU (kukaixutau)

but I also want to continue this KUKYA (kukaixyaya)

which is better, KUTAU or KUKYA?

(kukya fan all the way :D)