Hopes of Love

Chapter 26

Past vs. Present

The daily murmurs and noise of morning HR buzzed around the warm classroom. The warming climate seemed to affect everyone's mood by lifting their dampened spirits a bit. However, in the midst of all the chattering groups, one lone figure sat, a certain aura of stillness emitting from her.

Saimi opened her eyes, revealing empty azure eyes that didn't reveal much of anything at all. The dull pounding on her ears of the humdrum of the classroom noise had woken her from her almost non-feeling, tranquil and comforting darkness.

Blinking a bit, her eyes adjusted to the bright light streaming from outside. Slowly, she turned to her left. The dull throb inside pinched a bit more as she saw the predictable empty seat next to hers. But externally, nothing changed, as she bent her head down to sleep in her own peaceful world again.

Meanwhile, aquamarine eyes focused themselves upon the apathetic figure.

"Someone seems to be out of it. You think she might be on drugs?"

"I hope she takes an overdose and dies quickly from it."

"Actually, I heard that Kouji-kun totally ignored her in the hallway..."

Silence suddenly surrounded Yurana. Lifting her gaze from Saimi's figure, she saw the girls looking at her expectantly. Yurana managed to sigh out, with an aggravated undertone.

"yea..really?"

A girl, not noting her sarcasm, continued and nodded furiously. "Yup! EVERYONE saw it!"

"Heh, serves her right!"

"I knew the moment that slut tried to climb to our status, she would fall down someday. Kouji finally came back into his right mind..."

Yurana turned her head to continue watching the blue haired girl. A small, exhausted frown slowly deepened on her face. She felt frustrated. The "obstruction" had been completely kicked out of the way. Yurana had taken extreme measures of perfect timing and calculation to bring Saimi out of the house and out of Kouji's eyesight. However.. just why was she having this feeling of dissatisfaction?

Dareu was walking to his next class when a familiar blonde caught his eyes. "Hey Kouji!"

The moment their eyes met, Dareu unexpectedly and suddenly froze from the nostalgic chill he hadn't felt for a long time. But the moment passed as quickly as it came and instead, an almost exhausted Kouji came up to meet him.

Concerned, Dareu frowned. He was about to ask him what was bothering him when he saw a familiar figure from the corner of his eyes.

Raising a hand, Dareu was about to call her when Kouji suddenly interrupted.

"Hey Dareu? I'll catch up with you later"

Without anymore explanation he started walking away, melting away behind the group of crowds.

Shrugging it off, Dareu called out. "Hey Saimi!"

Saimi noticing him, replied with a weak smile. "Hey Dareu." Brotherly concern filled him. Frowning, he asked firmly. "Is something wrong? Are you sick?"

Saimi shook her head. "Nope."

Grabbing her softly by her arms, Dareu looked firmly in her eyes. "Saimi, this isn't like you.. what's..wron."

The late bell rang throughout the school. Saimi pulled away from Dareu and replied. "Sorry, Dareu, I got to get to class. I'll see you later."

Before Dareu could stop her, Saimi began to walk to her next class.

"SAIMI!!"

Chesi bounced out a hallway, and greeted Saimi. "Tonight, grandpa and grandma and I'll have to go out to some coporation business ceremony. But I want you to come with us. The ceremony is really really boring but afterwards the food is always good!!."

Saimi nodded with a strengthless smile. "Thanks Chesi, but I think I'll just stay home.. I'll talk to you later, I have to go to class" Without another word, Saimi continued her walk to her class.

Chesi frowned. Noticing Dareu's distress, her frown deepened in confusion.

Dareu, frowning, turned to where Saimi had disappeared behind a hallway. Both Kouji and Saimi were acting weird. Did something happen between them?

"Saimi?" Looking up, Saimi saw Hiromi.

"Hi, Hiromi." Was her automated reply.

Hiromi walked up to her, a small smile forming.

The moment he got close to her, a small growl came out of Saimi's stomach.

Saimi, surprised, blinked. Was it lunch time already? It only seemed like five minutes ago that she had started this day. Time didn't have its effect on her in her shell...

Soft laughter broke Saimi out of her thoughts. Saimi began to blush a little.

Hiromi just cocked his head and smiled.

"Guess you didn't have lunch yet." Grabbing her hand, Hiromi gave a gentle tug. "Come on. I'll treat you to lunch."

"Hey Kouji?"

Kouji continued to walk. Walking a bit faster, Yurana caught up.

"Um.." Yurana racked her brains for something to say. "About yesterday, thanks. If you hadn't seen me and picked me up.."

Kouji replied. "It wasn't me. It was my driver who saw you."

"Er..either way, if you guys hadn't picked me up, I would have gotten wet and probably sick. Just my luck to have forgotten my umbrella that day.."

Yurana trailed off.

Kouji continued walking as if the conversation had never happened.

Yuranas hands clenched into fists. She bore her eyes through Kouji's retreating back.

"..What's wrong with you.?.." whispered Yurana inaudibly, "..Why won't you tell me anything anymore?..."

Kouji continued walking.

Saimi felt weird. How Hiromi was holding her hand. This..

Before she could think of anything, Hiromi had come to an abrupt stop, causing Saimi to softly slide into his back. Looking over, Saimi froze also.

Yurana saw Kouji stop. Determined, she ran to him to catch up when the sight made her slide to a stop. Kouji and Hiromi glared hatefully at each other with Saimi caught in the middle.

In the intersection, four figures stood as tension and silence completely suppressed itself around the group.

Kouji's eyes flickered to Saimi for a split moment, before landing themselves on Hiromi's glaring eyes. He looked back at Saimi, who was staring at him deeply. Hiromi moved in front of her, glaring competitively. Tearing his own eyes away from hers, Kouji returned the hateful look, turned around and continued to walk away.

Yurana, almost shakily began to continue following Kouji, leaving the other two.

That .. scene back there..

FLASH

Green grass were stained with thick dark red. Gasping for breath, Yurana turned to see a very disheveled seven year old boy, lying on the ground, gasping for breath. His once shiny blonde hair was not matted with dark red stains. The suit of white he'd been wearing earlier was ripped and bleeding profusely. His once bright mischievous eyes were growing duller by the second and without her noticing, her entire face was drenched with tears, sweat, and even a little bit of Kouji's blood.

Yurana felt the urge to scream come up from her throat when the silver haired boy nearby suddenly focused his eyes from Kouji's gasping body to her. The deep chilly look from the silver haired boy immediately forced her to swallow her scream and look on in horror as the event unfolded before her.

END OF FLASHBACK

Suddenly, Yurana found herself back in the hallways. She hadn't even noticed she had stopped midway in following Kouji because of her flashbacks.

Yurana stared at Kouji's retreating figure sadly. She wanted so much to run to him, hug him from behind and protect him so much.. She wouldn't ever allow that kind of thing to ever happen again. She'll protect him.. but..

Her feet felt they suddenly transformed into lead and she couldn't breathe. She found that even though she wanted to run closer to Kouji, she couldn't move from the spot. It was almost as if an invisible hand was squeezing her heart and lungs.

But..he wouldn't accept her, even if she did run and protect him. After all, after what she had done.. After how she had betrayed him like that ten years ago

Before she knew it, her vision blurred and she felt something wet on her cheeks. Clenching her hand, Yurana felt as if she would never start breathing again. She didn't know when it had started.. It might have been this very moment. It might have been the winter she came back home. It might have even started way back, when Kouji had consoled her with a candy..

Straining through the tears, Yurana just watched the blurred figure of Kouji getting smaller and smaller, farther and farther away from where she was and where he had once used to be.

I really really love him.

FLASH

Bright colored fabrics of dresses rustled everywhere. Out of all the bright colors, Yurana found herself drawn to look upon a certain silver haired boy and blushed softly. But she knew that would never happen. Lately, her family hadn't been doing too well in their business and the silver haired boy was the sole heir for the grand Hisaragi cooporation. Why would anyone of that status look at her for..

Disheartened, Yurana tugged on her mother's dress telling her she was going to go to the bathroom. Walking away from the wedding crowds, Yurana managed to slide herself through the bushes, away from the stifling crowds and sounds.

Yurana took a deep breath as the waves crashed over the cliff and as she let the wind blow in her face, causing her disheartened little heart to almost soar.

A presence caused her to look to her left.

A boy in his age of seven, with slightly ruffled blonde hair and clear brown eyes stood, looking at her.

Smiling brightly at her childhood friend, Yurana called out joyfully. "Kouji!"

Kouji turned his eyes away from her as his cheeks began to tint with a pink hue.

"Yurana.."

Curious and a bit suspicious at Kouji's weird behavior, Yurana just looked at Kouji questioningly.

The sound of waves breaking over rocks sounded distantly as the winds continued to blow.

Kouji looked into Yurana's eyes. His mouth opened to release three whispered words.

"I like you."

Yurana stood there, shocked. Kouji.. liked her? Like. That feeling.. A picture of Kisaragi's heir flashed into her mind.

Slowly, she shook her head.

Smiling brightly at the renewed feeling of overwhelming affection, Yurana replied.

"Sorry, Kouji. But.. I like someone else."

Kouji stood silently.

Realizing that she had hurt him, Yurana repeated the words again, a little less brightly and more apologetically.

"Sorry Kouji.."

FLASH

Yurana got up her courage. Forcing herself not to tremble, she forced herself to look at the cold, yet beautiful gray eyes. She cringed inwardly as the cold dark gray eyes focused on her ruthlessly in the usually aloof manner.

Forcing words through her dry mouth, Yurana confessed.

"Hiromi? I really really like you a lot."

Hiromi stood there silently.

After a few seconds, he spoke.

"I don't like you at all."

Yurana's lips trembled.

"But.."

She remembered just a couple of weeks ago, Hiromi had given her all the pretty stones. Just a couple of weeks ago, Hiromi had comforted her when she was crying from the usual bullying..

Hiromi continued.

"I heard recently that your family was having money problems? With that kind of background, I don't think you can help me anymore. But thanks for all the stories you told me about Kouji. They were fun to listen to."

Without any other words, Hiromi coldly began to walk back to the party. Tears blurred Yurana's vision, when a certain blonde figure approached her and grumbling but softly threw a handkerchief at her face.

While Yurana wiped her eyes, Kouji glared in the direction Hiromi went to. Before she could say anything, Kouji determinedly began to follow Hiromi back to the party.

FLASH

A younger Kouji and Hiromi were glaring and punching wildly at each other. The adults around them were panicking badly. Kouji somehow had ended with a lot of fatal injuries than Hiromi. People were pulling the two sons of separate wealthy business away from each other, trying to restrain them from hurting each other any more and trying to not hurt the young masters. Between the two, a younger Yurana cried. This was all her fault.. This was all her fault..

FLASH

Yurana jolted awake. She had fallen asleep during the ride home. Frowning, Yurana massaged her head where the window had hit her. Yurana's frown deepened as her thoughts drifted off to the memory replay she had dreamt a moment ago. Suddenly feeling suffocated inside the car, Yurana told the driver to stop.

"But miss..."

Already getting out of the car, Yurana interrupted. "Don't worry about me. The house isn't far from here. I just really need to have some air right now. You can wait for me in front of the house, if it worries you that much that you won't get your paycheck."

Slamming the car door, Yurana started walking.

The driver just sighed and drove onward, following his mistress's direction.

Yurana let out a sigh again as the scenes from the past began to play over and over in her head. She really had cried a lot back then.. between those two..

..It had been because of her those two had almost killed each other.. It had been all her fault.. That experience had been horrible. The guilt.. All she could think about was that Kouji was dying because of her. Because she had been the person between them..

Yurana's stopped as a recognition hit her.. between those two..

In the hallway today, that scene.. Saimi was between those two now.. The image of a dying Kouji and Hiromi and of herself crying between them came up. In her mind, she could easily see Saimi between a dying Kouji and Hiromi..

She snapped out of her thoughts. Shaking her head, Yurana scolded herself. Stop thinking too much and making things way too complicated..

Looking up, Yurana came to a complete stop. The opposite figure, noticing her stopped as well. Yurana stood stunned as she looked at the blue haired girl. Saimi's expression also matched Yurana's which was completely stunned shock.

Snapping out of her reverie, Yurana opened her mouth. "Sa.."

Before she could finish, a dark van screeched to a stop in front of them. And before any of the girls could contemplate anything that was happening, masked men rushed out and forced Yurana into the van, dragging unconsciously a struggling Saimi, who had been in caught in the midst of the turmoil.

As quickly as it appeared, the van quickly disappeared into the darkening night.

Eh..it's been awhile huh;hides behind invisible force field fufufu Well, I'm very sorry for the delay yet again..(this one was pretty long..) and I probably lost a lot of readers out there already but for those of you who stayed and continue to wait for the next chapter to come out, thank you.

This story will crawl along very slowly as I find myself going through a lot of problems as life progresses on. whispers college pressure is evil!! TT but let's not think about getting into one yet..and…cough

Basically, what I wanted to say was that because of those ppl who are constantly supporting me and stuff, I'll really try and force myself to somehow bring this story to an end.. And if I'm really late in delivering the chapters, I apologize in advance.. although I'll try never to update with a gap of 2 years between each chap ever again

Well..enjoynervous laughter runs