She was absent three times in a role this week. Was she avoiding me? After what I had told her, of me being the cause of her sister’s death, I doubted that she would not. My guilt felt even heavier, only to be amplified by the piercing cold around me. Not even four layers of clothes could provide me with any warmth. I hated it like this. . . . . .
PANG!
“Cheer up, mate!”
An impact laded behind me, followed by those words. From how they sounded, I could already figure out who it was. He was standing there, his smile, his way of “greeting” were as old-fashioned as always.
“Oh, Natsu, what’s up?” I said. The response was brief, as if I did not even bother to speak to him.
“You look down. Be lively a little bit, will you?”
“No, can’t do.”
“And, if she doesn’t come, why don’t you go find her? Be a man, mate!” Natsu suggested, now clapping my shoulder.
Oh, why had I not thought of this before? Oh, Natsu! A friend in need is a friend indeed! It was just the moment that I wanted to ask for Ayaa’s whereabouts that Natsu immediately answered me.
“I think she visits the sunflower garden more often nowadays, you know, after last autumn. Although those flowers seem to wither in times like now. Try your luck after the school!”
I just nodded. Sunflower garden, eh? I guessed it must be the one she showed me last spring. A torrent stirred in my stomach as I hoped to meet her there.
The final bell rang and I quickly started looking the paths leading to the garden. It was quite difficult to do so, as most the roads were covered with thick, white snow. The immense cold as well as the difficulty to search for the roads worsened my thoughts, somehow.
As I picked my way through the snow-covered roads, I finally found the way I was looking for. There on the ground, footsteps were already visible, hinting that my luck would be fair. But as I observed further, those footsteps seemed too impossible to just belong to one person. I made haste, imagination running wild.
“EAT THIS!”
A sight caught me frozen; five figures were all punching, kicking that one timid figure, a figure which looked really familiar. Strange thing was, that figure didn’t seem to be fighting back. As I took another step forward, I thought I stepped on something, and it broke. It was a pair of glasses, the same one I broke last spring. The one I broke last spring? AYAA!
Within five seconds, I reached the glasses, put them in my bag, hid it safely and dashed towards the scene.
Only with a heavy punch on a face that I halted my rush. Then I turned, realizing that the other four figures were charging towards me. I ducked and delivered a head butt on the stomach of one of them, and, in split second, turned again to kick the one beside him, right on his left cheek. I was never a good fighter, given my weak body structure. But fury and rage seemed to catalyze my skills. A huge landed behind my neck and it was required to beat me. I lied on the ground, finally defeated.
Crimson blood was flowing across the snowed ground, but it was not mine. Shocks stroke me again. The blood came from another person lying not far from me. She was not moving at all, as if she were dead. I struggled to get up for second round but was beaten down again. Tears began to flow, thinking of how much I wanted to protect her, yet I could not.
“Curse you, sons of bi…” thundered a voice, though it came from quite a distance. Everything started to become blur, yet I struggled to reach her, yet again my body failed me. I saw nothing but darkness now, but still had not lost my hearing.
The noises of people being beaten up became clearer and only a few minutes later I heard footsteps approach me.
“Hang in there, mate. Oh, Ayaa, she’s bleeding badly. I’ll call ambulance now. Promise me, HANG IN THERE!”
This was all I could hear and then, every parts of my body failed me, slowly falling into a slumber.
“I didn’t know you sleep like a pig, mate.”
My ears seemed to be functioning again. Bit by bit, I began regaining consciousness and, as I opened my eyes, I saw Natsu.
“You were beaten up into a pulp, mate! Luckily I made it on time, lest you two would have been dead. Those scums were trying to destroy the graves at that garden. All three of them, I say! No wonder Ayaa fought back. Ouch, Ayaa, she’s not in good shape. And then…” Natsu kept on mumbling.
I was not, at all, paying attention on him until he mentioned Ayaa. I got up, only to be pierced by pain all over my body. I tried to resist but failed again.
“Ayaa, where’s her?”
“Here.”
And yes, there she was near the entrance to my ward. Her wounds seemed more serious than mine, as there were bandages all over her face and body. Strange thing was, she could still stand up and walk to my ward. Realizing her arrival, Natsu departed, to buy some food he said.
“So, u broke my glasses again.” Her eyes narrowed as she talked just like she always did. I was relieved that nothing had changed yet.
“It couldn’t be helped then…”
“Now you owe me quite a fortune you know,” now I could sense killing aura surrounding her. Oh, her menacing presence, just like always.
“Hey, Ayaa, about Ayaka…”
“She’s gone.” Ayaa replied even before I could finish my question. “And you didn’t lead her to her death. Stop having that stupid thought.”
Awed, my eyes opened wide, mouth fell agape, still unable to comprehend what I had just heard. She had forgiven me.
“But you’ll to repay me when we’re out from here.”
“Oh, I know how to do that, you know.” I suggested, making an expression that seemed to be toying with her.
“With what?”
“A date. At the sunflower garden. After we get out from here.’
She did not really respond, only being silent. She did not nod or shake her head, either. It was then that she immediately rushed out from my ward, leaving me still confused of what was happening. And that was the one and only time that I had met her for two weeks.
The said day finally came and I departed for the garden early as possible. Thinking of the consequences of being late frightened me. As I arrived, she was not there yet, but I discovered something on the snowed ground. There writings on it. They were written as;-
Kitty,
It’s pleasant to know you but I’m sorry I can’t attend this date. I’m now adopted. I have to leave with them for
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-09-12-09-11-05-25-15-21 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Truthfully,
Ayaa.
I sighed at the message on the ground. The snow seemed to be soaked with waters flowing from my eyes.
“Yeah, I know. Same to you, Ayaa,”
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