[*NO SIGS!*] Isakaya High School – Role-Play Only, Thread #6

DAY TWELVE – MONDAY – 16 APRIL 2007 – “A LOCATION, NOT A DATE”

NARRATOR



After the unseasonable rain of Sunday, Monday dawned dry, bright and breezy, mild but not hot. Typical mid-Japan Pacific coast spring weather. There was hazy sun but the day was still fresh from yesterdays showers.

Isakaya High’s senior art sensei, Kazami Mizuho, showered and dressed and grabbed a bite to eat before packing her bag and leaving the house, trotting briskly down the street to the station, greeting her neighbours as they too joined the daily ritual of train or bus. Kazami-sensei had a smile on her face, it had been a good weekend, she’d gone out with some friends last night and they’d bumped into a group of young men, one of whom she’d got on with very well, laughing and joking all evening.

She was in a good mood, ready to face the week and anything it could throw at her.

Or so she thought as she started the last day of her life that she would remember in anything like a world she thought was normal.

Post last edited by NON-PLAYER CHARACTER on 06.05.2008, 06:21 AM.

Nature's funny. Nature's construction of the body clock is funny. When you need to sleep, you often don't want to; when you actually want to, your body just refuses to relax.

And that was how I found myself at the school gate at seven-thirty in the morning.

"Sigh..."

After numerous heart attacks at Saodru's party, all I wanted was to go home and sleep, yet yesterday's info tidbits kept me awake the rest of the day as I scoured through the internet and the nearby library for clues. And even though I went to bed rather early (read: before 1 AM), I did not really want to wake up so early the next morning.

"Sigh..." I sighed again as I walked into the classroom. It was empty, but obviously so. My eyes travelled to the roster board and learned, to my dismay and relief, that I was on duty that day.

Guess nature CAN be kind sometimes.

Early morning duties were light; I scribbled a few neccessities on the board and emptied the trash basket. Then I dug out my camera and headed for the art club again.

I wasn't expecting anything to change, of course. But it never hurts to check. Besides, there was that small discovery of-

The torii gate.

What if the gate was still standing?

I shot a couple of pictures, then left for the courtyard- the only place with a full view of the building's main entrance.

I got in school early and put my indoor slippers on then discovered I had no idea which locker I wanted. I stood well hidden to one side fretting over this and watching the entrance waiting for this person to come in. While I waited I bounced up and down a little on my toes and hummed quietly to myself.

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock. In my half asleep-half awake state I cycled through everything that had happened this weekend.
Sadoru's party, talking to Kazuo, the kiss...
I didnt want to think about that right now.

Sleeping over, rainy morning, staying in the back-not socialising, leaving pretty early. Going home.
I hadn't really wanted to talk to people that morning. I felt like I wanted to think about what had happened, but... when I was by myself I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to think about anything at all.
Too bad our wishes are not always granted.

I went home early in the hope that homework and other pastimes would fulfill the task of distracting me. They did.
But they also left me with a feeling that I was cheating myself. That I was hiding from something.
Sleep had been the saviour.

A new morning. I felt refreshed. Leave things behind for now, move forward. The sun is shining.


I arrived at school a little earlier than most people. As I walked to the lockers I realised that someone I knew was already there.


"Good morning," I said to Natsuba. A smile spread across my face, she was always a joy to look at, always seeming a little lost and confused - in a cute way. Like a kitten searching for something. I remembered that there had been some hubbub about something she had done. My combination of waking up late and staying away from social interactions had made me miss it. I wonder what had happened... "How was the rest of your weekend?"

I walked to my locker and arranged my things as I continued the small talk. "Nice day today, isn't it?" I said turning to her.
I then realised that that expression of being a little lost and uncertain was more tangible than normally.
"Are you looking for something or someone?"

I saw the lovely tall one come in, Takeo, the Kendo-boy. Nice. I watched him carefully, shrinking back into a corner so he wouldn't see me but it was no use. Poo.

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"Good morning,"

"How was the rest of your weekend?"

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"Ohayo!" I said eagerly with a big smile. Argh! Go away! I'm hiding! "Arigato, it was good. Mummy and I went shopping, she bought me some books and a pair of shoes and, uh," Urusai! Make him go away! "It rained again, which wasn't so good."

He went to his locker. I stayed where I was mostly hidden behind the end of the row.

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"Nice day today, isn't it?"

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He called back to me from his locker where he was getting his indoor shoes out. It was, but it could turn into a disaster. I mumbled something in reply.

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"Are you looking for something or someone?"

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I looked quickly behind me to see who he was talking to, but there was no-one there, so I turned back to him, "Who, me? Oooh, no. No, no, no, not at all."



"No. Yes. Well, sort of. But you're not supposed to see me, nobody is, so just pretend you didn't see me, okay, hm? Please?" and I made a shooing gesture with one hand, flipping the palm up and down from my held-out wrist.

Post last edited by natsuba on 06.09.2008, 01:39 AM.

She replied to my enquiries just as I had expected her to.

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"Arigato, it was good. Mummy and I went shopping, she bought me some books and a pair of shoes and, uh, it rained again, which wasn't so good."

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I stayed where I was hoping he'd go soon before anyone else I knew came in. He smiled at me. Oh, hm, yes, lovely. You can do that again...

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"Ok then. See you around later."

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I set my alarm clock ten minutes early and got into school before the main rush. I carried my load over to her locker, I knew which one it was, I’d hung about there enough times. We had lockers at the back of class for our bigger things, bags and books and so on, these were just the outdoor shoe lockers. But the classroom lockers were too public. Here I could enjoy the security of anonymity.

And so could she.

I took the box out of the shopping bag I’d brought it in and slid it into the locker. It only just fit, I had to put her school shoes right at the very back, stacked one on the other to make space for the big foot-square box. I leaned the card in it’s envelope up against the front of the box and closed the door.

As I went up the stairs I noticed it was starting to get busy, lots of people coming in now, milling around, messing about.

I went up to class and sat at my desk and got some books out, pretending to study but all the while fluttering inside. A few people I didn't know were already there and so was Morikun. From across the class I lifted a hand to him in greeting.

You were there on Saturday weren't you? Sure you were, in the afternoon and for the games. Don't remember seeing you much at all after that...

Hmm.

Now that is strange.

The entrance was... normal. It was so normal that it didn't look normal. Or I was just going crazy.

So the school entrance don't look like a Torii gate after all, I thought. It looked normal; two pillars and a slab of concrete acted as a porch to the wide doorway. No curvature. No suspiciously thick wall. Not even a charm.

Of course there isn't.

I scratched my head and headed back to class, looking at the zoomed-in part of the mural that showed a doorway the shape of a torii gate. I shook my head as I reached my class and sat down, disappointed at myself. This ain't no shounen manga, yo.

Only Aomori left then.

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“Aomori. In the forest, one day, hm? Go do it and take someone nice with you!” *hug*

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I reached the roof and stepped out into hazy spring sunshine. It was empty of course, I might even be the first person in this morning. I went to our corner and leaned on the railing watching the world happening. People living, students and sensei, and beyond the school wall more people; train drivers, delivery men, housewives, executives, babies, singers, geisha, pilots. Everybody. Alive. They were alive and they’d go on being alive. Without ticking time bombs inside them.

I sighed and turned away from the view. I lay down on the hard pale concrete, felt it press up to my scalp and my shoulders, my hips and my heels. I drew in a deep breath and let it out. It felt good. I drew in another. The sun on my face, the breeze ruffling my hair. The world going on. Life going on. I looked at the hazy sky. A pale dusty blue, unending. There’s no colour quite like it. You can paint it, you can dye cloth and make a blue dress like it, but you’ll never have a colour just like that.

It’s unique. She is unique. There is none like her. Just one. Perfect and wonderful. Full of life. I remembered her warmth when she held me, the grip of her hand, the smell of her hair… Opening my eyes again I lifted my hand and held it up, the palm flat. Sunshine, sunlight. Nothing would exist here without it. It gives life, it pours down on us and makes us happen. Animals, plants, people, the winds, the rain, thunder and lightning, the very air that moves into me and out. The air that fills her lungs. The sun provides everything.

It gives life.

But I can move my hand over the sun and block it out. I cause a shadow. I smile to myself, I’ll never think of that word again without it meaning something else now. Shadow. Shei-do. Shugo. But my hand causes it, my hand, a small thing puny in relation to the enormous sun it blocks out, can change the ground over which it intercedes. Shade causes the temperature to drop. It causes flowers and plants to grow less vigorously. Shade causes mosses to grow in sheltered places because the warm sun doesn’t evaporate all the moisture. I move my palm from side to side. Sunlight. Shade again. Sunlight. Shade. Such a small thing my hand, yet it can change the little piece of world that it covers, even from something as powerful as this.

It is small and weak yet it causes change.

I am small and weak, yet I can cause change. I can place myself between a powerful force and by my puny actions cause change. I can shield it.

My hand makes a shadow in front of the sun. My actions can make a shadow in front of her cancer. If the sun is light and life then her cancer being dark is death. And the shadow thrown by my actions in the darkness will be… light. Light. It’s light! It’s like that image in my mind’s eye the other day of the aircraft shadow passing over but in negative, my actions can cause light to fall on her in the darkness of her illness.

I suddenly sat up. And everything burst and bubbled and exploded and came on inside me. A hundred light bulbs burned. Oh my God, yes.

It’s so obvious! A shadow that causes light. A shadow that shields. A shadow that protects.

We are the darkness, and the dark Shadows are the light. The true light.

Why didn’t they ever go outside the school grounds?

I had an idea, I flipped it over and stared at the underside, turned it the other way. Nope, it still looked good, whichever way I went with it, it might work. There’s a way you test a theory. Do an experiment.

With my face split by a wide grin, I got up and left the roof, taking the stairs two at a time to the top floor I turned along the corridor towards 1-A.

As I went in my eye caught sight of Icchan. I raised a hand to him. Later, we’ll talk later.

I glanced across but the desk at the back near the rear door was empty, Yep, later, when you’re around.

I saw Fushida and decided to say hello. I went and sat on top of the desk in front of hers, which was empty, and put my feet on the chair seat, “Ohayo. Get home alright?”

We did small talk for a moment then I used a scolding tone of voice, “What on earth were you thinking?”

I was only half studying my books, very aware of who came in.

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“Ohayo. Get home alright?”

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“You’re not a person who appreciates bonsai? Want faster results?”

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It was finally a new school day. They say time flies when you are having fun, but sometimes it goes on forever to the point where its just not that fun anymore.

I set about my early walk to school, I had some brainswimming to do, so I flipped it to autopilot and dove in. I felt that there was more to this Na-chan character anyways, and now I know to some extent that I was correct. So she is followed around by someone, this Ama-chan. I assume now that it is some kind of God-like thing, but there is also I figure 2 more of them, that were the caused of her mad run into the rain, so they could be linked to the weather. There might then be more for other focuses of nature, and I guess the Mihariban might be something like their agents that can do work, and 'heal' from what Ive heard and seen. So where does this leave me? Too many moving parts again, and too much speculation, I figure that Na-chan is at or near the center of this, so I'll need to keep seeing her until I find out something more. I also do believe that Sadoru-san was going to enlighten me today with some extra info, so lets see what he has for me, I know enough that Im not sure if he could lie to me to throw me off he that was his intention.

Before I knew it I was at the school and got out of the think-tank. I was at the front doors, and paused a second, I realize that Na-chan would probably be right inside them waiting for me, I felt like taking a side route in, but figured I would just bear it. Something wasn't right in me, and I wasn't caring anymore.

As I walked from the bus stop to the school gates, I looked up at the sky and thought, No rain today... Being a little distracted, I walked through the gates, to my locker and finally to class without noticing anyone I knew.

I slid open the classroom door and looked around, noticing that Aoi-chi wasn't there, before finding Icchan's desk. He looked a little lost in thought so I said, "Morning?" to get his attention.

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“…I’m all for investing lots of love and care and attention on something that’s worth it…”

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“You hardly know me yet that was a lot of party to give.”

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“But you brought the gift before the party.”

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“You’re very welcome. I’m turning over some new leaves. Being a little more surprising is one of them and anyway I’ve not given a gift to anyone for a long time, and I just wanted to. As it turned out it was a brilliant party. I had a fantastic time and I don’t think you or I were disappointed.”

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Today, I woke up happy, I smiled at my mother on the way out. She was a bit taken aback, I'm sure, but I paid it no mind. Outside, feeling a little spontaneous, I got my bike because I had enough time.

I liked going downhill, of course. But there was also the adrenalin I felt, going up. Up and down, lots of sharp turns. A race with myself. And I was on the road leading to the school. I swerved around people and I heard some cries of protest behind me. Grinning, I held up a hand in apology.

After I'd locked my bike to the racks, I headed inside and opened my locker to have a big white box almost fall on me. My first thought was of fear.

No. Not again.

I haven't done anything.

I don't know anyone.

So...why?

I flinched as one of the girls that had been at the party said 'hello'. Giving me a puzzled look, she shrugged and walked on. Taking a deep breath, I looked around and found nothing unusual. No one standing, watching me...no telltale snickers. I took the box and my books for the morning and headed for the stairs. I kept going up until I reached the roof and closing the door, I sat down with the box in front of me.

I looked at the plain white exterior. No markings, no name. I shook it, no sound. Finally, after staring at it for a few minutes, I thought, To hell with it, and ripped open the envelope on top.

Inside was a card that I fingered it curiously. This was new. On the card, there was a kitten and puppy...asleep and cuddling. A smile threatened to invade my face as I had a feeling who'd sent this.

But I waited to read the inside to make sure.

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“Best Friends. You make me feel all fluffy!”

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People had been drifting in as we'd talked, the class was getting full now. I'd seen Ren-kun arrive and Momoko and a couple of others I'd only nodded to. Tanaka-san turned up.

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"Nice guitar and singing, have you thought of burning a demo CD and sending it to a couple of record labels?"

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