Re: KS Writing Club: Cherry Blossoms (Updated 07/02/15)
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:42 am
And here is part 6! Hope you all enjoy it! ^^
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[...]
"... I suppose running will help me clear my mind," I whisper as I set my alarm clock to wake me early in the morning. I remember trying to run with Emi earlier this year, but I stopped doing it on the first flutter I got. It's a shame; I could use some exercise but that's not the point of why I'm doing it. Running will help me relax and make me forget about bad thoughts. Who knows, I might feel better after running those four laps.
[Daylight](
The loud and annoying sound of my alarm-clock wakes me up, drawing a loud groan from me. Getting up so early in the morning is not something I do on a regular basis, but my current situation is everything but regular and normal. The bright red numbers of the alarm continue flashing, almost as if mocking me. I promised myself I’d do this. It's something I have to do in order to make myself feel better and to survive this unfortunate period I'm in.
The fact that I might meet again Emi in the mornings make me feel uneasy, since she probably still remembers me quitting our morning runs. She will probably tease me about that, maybe even shout at me. The idea of her assaulting me makes me shudder a bit, since the last time she tackled me I almost had a heart attack.
Part of me wants to quit, avoid meeting her, but the other part knows that she doesn't mean ill. For what I know about her, she already has a partial idea of my current situation... but to be honest, I really don't feel like talking to her about it.
The idea that Hanako is hiding something from me, calling Lilly behind my back frightens me. Maybe it's just me being paranoid and over thinking this whole scenario. Regardless, I want to take part on at least one of those conversations. It shouldn't be so bad, I bet Hana will be fine with it... if I approach it without admitting that I learned about her phone calls from someone who was spying on her. Whatever, that is a thought for another time. Right now I need to focus on running. I need to shove every other thought aside and get ready for this. I quickly put on my running shorts and a white t-shirt and off to the running track.
The fresh morning breeze makes me shiver, I didn't expect it to be so cold outside! I start jogging on my way to the benches next to the track, hoping that as I warm up I'll push away the cold that keeps bothering me. While I approach my destination, my ears catch a very familiar sound. Fast, metallic, and energetic, it all indicates that Emi is indeed there and keeps sprinting like it's the only thing keeping her alive. She always surprises me, but today I'm not here to marvel myself in front of the 'Fastest thing on no legs', but to do something productive for both my body and, more importantly, my psyche.
I start warming up, putting in practice years of physical education classes and what little that Emi thought me. As I finish stretching my neck, I see her approaching me with her ever-wide grin and energy. It looks like the laps around the track that she did didn't manage to make her tired.
[Hokabi](
"Look who's back," she teases, making me look away and sigh. Yup, I couldn't have done anything to stop this from happening. "Who do I need to thank for seeing your face here again?" she asks, assuming an even bigger grin and winking an eye in my direction.
"I... supposed that running would help me, with something," is what I answer, trying not to spill any details out. It's not like I hate her; on the contrary, I like Emi. It's just that I want to solve this with Hana, since it's between us.
"Ok...If that's what you wish, I'm not going to force it out of you," she says blandly. "So, wanna get going, or you're gonna wait for the rain to catch us?"
I don't even bother answering since, once I'm done warming up I immediately start my morning running session.
The laps seem endless. I definitely know that not running for all of these months didn't do well to my running capabilities. My legs hurt, my breath is short and I feel like I could get a flutter any second now. I'm on my third lap, I'm so close to the end that I must do it regardless of the pain that is causing me. My feet seem to be moving on their own, while I try to keep up the pace and so keeping at bay every other thought. It's just me and the running track. For now there's no Hanako, no Yamaku, no Kenji and his spying; the only thing that exists in my head and that keeps me moving is the gratification of fulfilling my daily goal.
Here we are, fourth lap. I don't even try glancing at Emi since it would probably make me feel inferior to her. Hell, she might be on her twentieth lap and laughing at me in the meanwhile. Whatever, she can laugh all she wants for all I care. I'm close, the finish line is barely fifteen meters away. Just as I touch the finish line like I feel I'm overcome with joy,as if glad that I managed to reach my limit and fulfilled my task. The four laps are done and even thought this is nothing too major for a normal person, it's a huge accomplishment for me.
As I begin to cool down, I hear Emi clapping in my direction, apparently happy that I did all of the laps. I might be almost dead and with no energy left in my body, but I completed my quest and I feel good with myself. I remember her talking about the 'runner’s high' and I think this might be it. It's a good feeling. I proud of the fact that I woke up early to do this. In a few minutes I'm done with cooling down, so I make my way to the Nurse, leaving Emi alone with her sprinting.
The medical check-up is quick, leaving me with enough time to take a shower and to get ready for the morning lessons. I have no exams today, though it should be a good idea keeping my focus high. I surely don't want to screw up my marks if I plan on attending the science courses of the university I plan on going.
The ringing of the bell signals the beginning of the lesson, which means I barely made it in time. I sit in my seat just as Mutou walks in with his usual uninterested expression. No one is missing, which is interesting since most of the times there's always someone who decided to deny us of his, or her, presence.
I turn my head towards Hanako, which promptly gives me a smile. The attention doesn't last very long, since immediately after she turns her head towards her notebook, apprently trying to focus on taking notes. She never fails to amaze me with her determination, that also reminds me that I should do the same. Part of me agrees with that statement, thought the other knows that I'll struggle in keeping my attention on the lesson. Today will be a long, long day, I suppose.
[School Days](
As the lunch bell rings I make my way to Hanako, hoping to spend some time with her and ask some questions. I really need to arrange something with her and Lilly.
"H-Hisao?"
"Hey, wanna spend lunch together?" is what I come up with. I enjoy spending lunches with her, but this time my suggestion has a clear purpose.
"Sure," she says with a sweet smiles after some seconds of silence.Not wanting to waste a single minute, I take my lunch and go with Hanako to the tea room.
Once there, I immediately feel a sense of nostalgia, remembering my first meeting with Lilly, the first few lunches with her and Hanako, and my first chess match with her. All of this seems like ages ago, almost like I wasn't myself when these events happened. Maybe one of the things I'll have the most trouble dealing with once I'll be done with Yamaku will be abandoning the places that forged my young-manhood.
Just as my mind returns to the real world, I notice that Hanako is already preparing the tea. With calm and precise movements, she immediately makes me remember that the tea set she is using is the same one that we used when Lilly was around. The moments are still vivid in my head, yet they don't provoke any sadness or nostalgia. I'm happy that I was lucky enough to meet her and I bet Hanako feels the same, if not even more. I turn my head and notice the chessboard that was standing on a shelf and immediately pick it and put in on the table. The sound makes Hana turn around, only to slightly grin at the sight of it.
"I was thinking that it would be nice to play, once in a while," I say just as she comes back with the tea and her sandwiches. It's not a surprise that she accepts, not only because she is so good at it, but also because chess carries a lot of memories to her. We soon begin playing, so focused on not making a single mistake that we almost forget to eat. Between one move and the other I munch on my sandwich and sip on the tea, hoping that I last at least a while against Hanako. We don't speak, only eat and play.
Soon enough she has a clear advantage over me, while I barely manage to break her defenses. One by one my army gets smaller and smaller, until my king is in checkmate. I sigh, though I expected a defeat on my part.
"I guess I never stood a chance," I sigh, which draws a small chuckle from Hanako.
"You're not that bad... It was pretty close."
"Hah, yeah right... Oh well, good game." After that I get up and start cleaning up, knowing that the lunch break is about to be over. "Listen, I was thinking... how about we arrange a group call with Lilly? It's been awhile since I called her."
"I... I think that would be nice," she says just as she's done with putting away our saucers and the teapot. "She will enjoy it." And with that, silence falls upon the room, leaving us to the cleaning duty and getting ready to walk towards our class.
The bell rings just as we're finished putting back everything in its original place. We hurry to our class, trying to avoid any weird ideas that people might get by seeing both of us coming late to class.
I gingerly open the door and, as I see that Mutou is not in the classroom, hurry up and sit in my place. I turn my head in Hana's direction and smile, hoping that this will do in order to replace a traditional 'See you later'. Thankfully, barely before the teacher comes into the room, she gives me a nod which I take as her way to say 'See you later' back to me. With that done, I brace myself to the last rush of the day before finally being able to enjoy myself in the afternoon.
The ringing of the bells cuts off the teacher's lesson, which has stopped trying to grab everyone's attention since they are already up and ready to leave the classroom. I'm still in my place, mostly because I have to write something down because I lost too much time in asking questions. I'm finished after a few minutes, so I start packing my things up.
I still don't have a clear idea on what I will spend my evening. If Hanako's busy, I will probably just read a book and study, which certainly won't hurt since I really don't want to lose momentum going into the last part of the school year.
As I'm about to leave, I hear a voice coming from the hallway. I can't even turn my head towards the source of the sound, as I'm tackled from behind. It takes a large effort to not fall down and maintain a steady heartbeat. After a couple of seconds, I'm ready to confront whomever assaulted me, which turns out to be Emi. She quickly assumes her usual 'hurt puppy' look. As she realizes that I'm fine, she once again beams with energy and begins to speak.
[Hokabi](
"Sorry about that! I was thinking... that maybe I could invite you to eat dinner with us! You know, I don't see you around much, so I thought that it would do you well to change your routine a bit!"
At first I'm ready to refuse, but the more I think about it and the more it begins to be appealing. Maybe I am around Hanako too much and spending some time with someone else might do me good. The meeting with Lilly is doable, even Hanako said that, so I don't have to worry too much about that. I wonder, am I willing to spend an entire evening with Emi and Rin?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Choice:
A) Spend dinner with Emi and Rin
B) Refuse and ask Hanako if she wants go hang out.
Strawpool:
---------------------------------------------------------
[...]
"... I suppose running will help me clear my mind," I whisper as I set my alarm clock to wake me early in the morning. I remember trying to run with Emi earlier this year, but I stopped doing it on the first flutter I got. It's a shame; I could use some exercise but that's not the point of why I'm doing it. Running will help me relax and make me forget about bad thoughts. Who knows, I might feel better after running those four laps.
[Daylight](
The loud and annoying sound of my alarm-clock wakes me up, drawing a loud groan from me. Getting up so early in the morning is not something I do on a regular basis, but my current situation is everything but regular and normal. The bright red numbers of the alarm continue flashing, almost as if mocking me. I promised myself I’d do this. It's something I have to do in order to make myself feel better and to survive this unfortunate period I'm in.
The fact that I might meet again Emi in the mornings make me feel uneasy, since she probably still remembers me quitting our morning runs. She will probably tease me about that, maybe even shout at me. The idea of her assaulting me makes me shudder a bit, since the last time she tackled me I almost had a heart attack.
Part of me wants to quit, avoid meeting her, but the other part knows that she doesn't mean ill. For what I know about her, she already has a partial idea of my current situation... but to be honest, I really don't feel like talking to her about it.
The idea that Hanako is hiding something from me, calling Lilly behind my back frightens me. Maybe it's just me being paranoid and over thinking this whole scenario. Regardless, I want to take part on at least one of those conversations. It shouldn't be so bad, I bet Hana will be fine with it... if I approach it without admitting that I learned about her phone calls from someone who was spying on her. Whatever, that is a thought for another time. Right now I need to focus on running. I need to shove every other thought aside and get ready for this. I quickly put on my running shorts and a white t-shirt and off to the running track.
The fresh morning breeze makes me shiver, I didn't expect it to be so cold outside! I start jogging on my way to the benches next to the track, hoping that as I warm up I'll push away the cold that keeps bothering me. While I approach my destination, my ears catch a very familiar sound. Fast, metallic, and energetic, it all indicates that Emi is indeed there and keeps sprinting like it's the only thing keeping her alive. She always surprises me, but today I'm not here to marvel myself in front of the 'Fastest thing on no legs', but to do something productive for both my body and, more importantly, my psyche.
I start warming up, putting in practice years of physical education classes and what little that Emi thought me. As I finish stretching my neck, I see her approaching me with her ever-wide grin and energy. It looks like the laps around the track that she did didn't manage to make her tired.
[Hokabi](
"Look who's back," she teases, making me look away and sigh. Yup, I couldn't have done anything to stop this from happening. "Who do I need to thank for seeing your face here again?" she asks, assuming an even bigger grin and winking an eye in my direction.
"I... supposed that running would help me, with something," is what I answer, trying not to spill any details out. It's not like I hate her; on the contrary, I like Emi. It's just that I want to solve this with Hana, since it's between us.
"Ok...If that's what you wish, I'm not going to force it out of you," she says blandly. "So, wanna get going, or you're gonna wait for the rain to catch us?"
I don't even bother answering since, once I'm done warming up I immediately start my morning running session.
The laps seem endless. I definitely know that not running for all of these months didn't do well to my running capabilities. My legs hurt, my breath is short and I feel like I could get a flutter any second now. I'm on my third lap, I'm so close to the end that I must do it regardless of the pain that is causing me. My feet seem to be moving on their own, while I try to keep up the pace and so keeping at bay every other thought. It's just me and the running track. For now there's no Hanako, no Yamaku, no Kenji and his spying; the only thing that exists in my head and that keeps me moving is the gratification of fulfilling my daily goal.
Here we are, fourth lap. I don't even try glancing at Emi since it would probably make me feel inferior to her. Hell, she might be on her twentieth lap and laughing at me in the meanwhile. Whatever, she can laugh all she wants for all I care. I'm close, the finish line is barely fifteen meters away. Just as I touch the finish line like I feel I'm overcome with joy,as if glad that I managed to reach my limit and fulfilled my task. The four laps are done and even thought this is nothing too major for a normal person, it's a huge accomplishment for me.
As I begin to cool down, I hear Emi clapping in my direction, apparently happy that I did all of the laps. I might be almost dead and with no energy left in my body, but I completed my quest and I feel good with myself. I remember her talking about the 'runner’s high' and I think this might be it. It's a good feeling. I proud of the fact that I woke up early to do this. In a few minutes I'm done with cooling down, so I make my way to the Nurse, leaving Emi alone with her sprinting.
The medical check-up is quick, leaving me with enough time to take a shower and to get ready for the morning lessons. I have no exams today, though it should be a good idea keeping my focus high. I surely don't want to screw up my marks if I plan on attending the science courses of the university I plan on going.
The ringing of the bell signals the beginning of the lesson, which means I barely made it in time. I sit in my seat just as Mutou walks in with his usual uninterested expression. No one is missing, which is interesting since most of the times there's always someone who decided to deny us of his, or her, presence.
I turn my head towards Hanako, which promptly gives me a smile. The attention doesn't last very long, since immediately after she turns her head towards her notebook, apprently trying to focus on taking notes. She never fails to amaze me with her determination, that also reminds me that I should do the same. Part of me agrees with that statement, thought the other knows that I'll struggle in keeping my attention on the lesson. Today will be a long, long day, I suppose.
[School Days](
As the lunch bell rings I make my way to Hanako, hoping to spend some time with her and ask some questions. I really need to arrange something with her and Lilly.
"H-Hisao?"
"Hey, wanna spend lunch together?" is what I come up with. I enjoy spending lunches with her, but this time my suggestion has a clear purpose.
"Sure," she says with a sweet smiles after some seconds of silence.Not wanting to waste a single minute, I take my lunch and go with Hanako to the tea room.
Once there, I immediately feel a sense of nostalgia, remembering my first meeting with Lilly, the first few lunches with her and Hanako, and my first chess match with her. All of this seems like ages ago, almost like I wasn't myself when these events happened. Maybe one of the things I'll have the most trouble dealing with once I'll be done with Yamaku will be abandoning the places that forged my young-manhood.
Just as my mind returns to the real world, I notice that Hanako is already preparing the tea. With calm and precise movements, she immediately makes me remember that the tea set she is using is the same one that we used when Lilly was around. The moments are still vivid in my head, yet they don't provoke any sadness or nostalgia. I'm happy that I was lucky enough to meet her and I bet Hanako feels the same, if not even more. I turn my head and notice the chessboard that was standing on a shelf and immediately pick it and put in on the table. The sound makes Hana turn around, only to slightly grin at the sight of it.
"I was thinking that it would be nice to play, once in a while," I say just as she comes back with the tea and her sandwiches. It's not a surprise that she accepts, not only because she is so good at it, but also because chess carries a lot of memories to her. We soon begin playing, so focused on not making a single mistake that we almost forget to eat. Between one move and the other I munch on my sandwich and sip on the tea, hoping that I last at least a while against Hanako. We don't speak, only eat and play.
Soon enough she has a clear advantage over me, while I barely manage to break her defenses. One by one my army gets smaller and smaller, until my king is in checkmate. I sigh, though I expected a defeat on my part.
"I guess I never stood a chance," I sigh, which draws a small chuckle from Hanako.
"You're not that bad... It was pretty close."
"Hah, yeah right... Oh well, good game." After that I get up and start cleaning up, knowing that the lunch break is about to be over. "Listen, I was thinking... how about we arrange a group call with Lilly? It's been awhile since I called her."
"I... I think that would be nice," she says just as she's done with putting away our saucers and the teapot. "She will enjoy it." And with that, silence falls upon the room, leaving us to the cleaning duty and getting ready to walk towards our class.
The bell rings just as we're finished putting back everything in its original place. We hurry to our class, trying to avoid any weird ideas that people might get by seeing both of us coming late to class.
I gingerly open the door and, as I see that Mutou is not in the classroom, hurry up and sit in my place. I turn my head in Hana's direction and smile, hoping that this will do in order to replace a traditional 'See you later'. Thankfully, barely before the teacher comes into the room, she gives me a nod which I take as her way to say 'See you later' back to me. With that done, I brace myself to the last rush of the day before finally being able to enjoy myself in the afternoon.
The ringing of the bells cuts off the teacher's lesson, which has stopped trying to grab everyone's attention since they are already up and ready to leave the classroom. I'm still in my place, mostly because I have to write something down because I lost too much time in asking questions. I'm finished after a few minutes, so I start packing my things up.
I still don't have a clear idea on what I will spend my evening. If Hanako's busy, I will probably just read a book and study, which certainly won't hurt since I really don't want to lose momentum going into the last part of the school year.
As I'm about to leave, I hear a voice coming from the hallway. I can't even turn my head towards the source of the sound, as I'm tackled from behind. It takes a large effort to not fall down and maintain a steady heartbeat. After a couple of seconds, I'm ready to confront whomever assaulted me, which turns out to be Emi. She quickly assumes her usual 'hurt puppy' look. As she realizes that I'm fine, she once again beams with energy and begins to speak.
[Hokabi](
"Sorry about that! I was thinking... that maybe I could invite you to eat dinner with us! You know, I don't see you around much, so I thought that it would do you well to change your routine a bit!"
At first I'm ready to refuse, but the more I think about it and the more it begins to be appealing. Maybe I am around Hanako too much and spending some time with someone else might do me good. The meeting with Lilly is doable, even Hanako said that, so I don't have to worry too much about that. I wonder, am I willing to spend an entire evening with Emi and Rin?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Choice:
A) Spend dinner with Emi and Rin
B) Refuse and ask Hanako if she wants go hang out.
Strawpool: