quote:

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Originally posted by Saddletank
"If you go, if you turn away, a person's death will be meaningless. If you stay, their life will have had purpose. Maybe... maybe losing one person is an exchange for saving two others."

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She came to me and pressed close. Arms around my neck. I stood, arms at my sides, not sure how I should react. She felt wonderful against me.

How can this person be ill? So much life in her, so much. So - let's not let it go out, hm? Let's make it burn so bright she won't have time to think about dark things. Yes, let's do that.

I saw a couple of senior students go by, holding hands. The girl smiled at me. The world was alright after all.

I slowly lifted my arms and put them on her, holding her to me. I squeezed. My face was down on her shoulder against her hair.

Hm, that crazy heap of hair which had been the first thing I'd noticed about her, my first gawky, stupid comment.

Hair was good. I liked hair. Especially Takako's. It smelled wonderful.

There was no need for words. But one. And like the first words I'd spoken to her, I spoke it into her hair:

"Arigato."

Post last edited by Saddletank on 09.16.2007, 06:52 AM.

[Meanwhile...]

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed people picking up the crumbs. At least Sho had the right idea.

No... I deserve to get hell for it.

Wow, right again. You're getting good at this.

I had no idea what to do. I just sat there for a moment, wondering how I could have got everything so horribly wrong. I looked at Megumi and opened my mouth to say something, anything, but

Do you want to make things worse? The first thing anybody will think is that you two are planning how you can ruin everything for everyone else! If you'd listened to me, this would never have happened!

Listen to you? What did you ever tell me?

If you'd spoken to other people, then chances are, you'd have been standing over there shouting.

But I wouldn't want that either.

That's your problem. You don't know what you want.

I got up and walked out of the room. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew I couldn't try to make up for the mess I'd made, as that would be much the same as walking into a military camp with a target painted on my forehead.

So, uncertain of what I was doing, I wandered around vaguely, eventually ending up outside.

"Nani!" I stood up and turned around and there, crouching and laughing, was a girl, giggling her head off..
She had brownish hair and wasn't very tall.

That was just weird. I actually didn't even know her.

"Um....Apparently you already know my name. So I won't introduce myself." I sat down again. Why was I running into the strangest girls?

Looking back up at the sky, I said, "The clouds are pretty today."

Post last edited by sho on 09.16.2007, 11:18 AM.

quote:

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"The clouds are pretty today."

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Well, that wasn’t so bad. She didn’t slap you. And the cake was inedible anyway, all squashed. It tasted nice but… I couldn’t have eaten it. Cake. Hmmm… now there’s an idea…

I leaned my chair on its back legs and then tilted my head right back over. Hibiki-san was behind me, upside down. I smiled at him but this way up it probably looked like a grimace. He looked very down, grumpy. Then he stood up and walking on the ceiling went out the room.

I sat up and set my chair down.

No way is he going to go off into his own little world again. Quiet and easily discouraged he might be, but he’s still cute.

I grabbed my lunch bag and got up and went out after him. He wandered around the corridors for a bit and then went outside the front entrance and down the steps, turning right. I followed. Down by the benches there I called out to him.

“Oi! Wait up!” I ran up to him, “Hey, why the rush? And the main thing. What do we do to fix that? Any ideas?”

Post last edited by ..Ayami.. on 09.22.2007, 05:57 PM.

quote:

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“Oi! Wait up!”

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It was an odd turn of events, all right. Especially since this boy, Icchan, seemed to have become another person during lunchtime, if his current actions were any indication. I raised my eyebrow towards Kazuo, who must also have been dazed by the past few minutes, but I decided to put the thoughts away for now. There was nothing to be gained from keeping this tension continuing.

Mai asked if we should all head over to the library. I eyed her nervously, giving a sort of "Are you sure you're all right?" look, and the look I received seemed to indicate that she was, and that she wanted me to take direction.

"Er....okay..." I said, having an urge to laugh, feeling like I was commanding a little group of explorers, "...let's go, then."

We headed over to the library, which I was familiar with but neither of the others were, it seemed.

Just like last time, the large room housed a few students studying diligently by different tables. Music, philosophy, history, and arts all shared large portions of the shelves, and just like last time, there was the "RESTRICTED" section in one corner.

"Right", I said towards Mai and the others. I felt a bit awkward addressing Icchan as I had never spoken to him before, as I glanced towards him while speaking. "Well, I suppose I should go and check my book request....."

I walked towards the librarian desk where there were two older students behind the table. I couldn't tell whether they recognized me or not, but I caught their attention and asked, "Hi....I filled out a request for one of the restricted books, do you know if it's been accepted?"

Post last edited by Theowne on 09.16.2007, 06:50 PM.

quote:

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Originally posted by Theowne
"Er....okay...let's go, then."

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__________________

LIBRARIAN:

It was quiet this lunchtime. The year had only just begun and no-one was under pressure for exams yet. Which is why I was so surprised to see no less than four students, freshmen it looked like, come in. One of them seemed to be the group leader and the others hung back nervously. They looked for all the world like some comic-book kids gang. A foreign guy, maybe a Korean or an Indian, a really cute girl who would have been even cuter if she’d not looked like she’d just been crying and an albino. I looked away from him, I thought he’d be pretty fed up with being stared at.

The ‘leader’ spoke, asking for a book he’d requested on Friday from the restricted section.

“Of course. What was the name?”

He told me.

“Uhm, let’s see. Oh, yes, here we are. Ah, this looks a weird one. And there’s a card left in the front for you. Now you can’t take this one out of the room and I’m going to ask you to look at it over there where you’re visible from the front desk here. Is that okay? Now, if you’d just sign for it please.”

The boy signed the requests book and I checked the signature against the original request. Yes, it was him.

I handed over the rather dusty and decrepit loose bound manuscript.

quote:

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"Arigato."

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"Actually, yes." I replied, "But if you want to join me I don't mind."

I looked at her again. She was quite a mystery to me.
I put my arms behind my head and lied down.

When life gives you lemons, make lemon juice, I thought.
Life sure as heck was giving me the strangest lemons in the world.

Trying to think of something to say, I asked,
"So...what brings you to this school?"

Post last edited by sho on 09.16.2007, 05:54 PM.

quote:

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"Arigato"

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Post last edited by Saddletank on 09.16.2007, 05:29 PM.

"Don't worry, I meant with you." I was still smiling. I couldn't help myself. I was happy. He's talking like he's practically lost his mind. That's okay. I know what he means.

"There's still most of it left. I've only had a bite."

I took another bite anyway, just for good measure. I have to make sure it's still fresh...

Post last edited by Mush on 09.16.2007, 06:34 PM.

She was smiling at me like... I don't know how to describe it. Like she meant it... like there wasn't a single false thought in her entire being. Like pure emotion filled her. Pure truth.

She looked exactly like I felt.

I just stood there grinning at her like a total fool.

I... I feel like... I... I'm new. Totally new.

I couldn't even form coherent thoughts. All I could do was be happy, so I hugged her again, squeezing like my life depended on how close her mind understood mine. It wasn't about bodies it was about demonstrating something. My fierce hug ended and she spoke again. About that silly pear.

quote:

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"I've only had a bite."

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I took the book from the librarian and I headed towards the table along with my "band of explorers". I noticed a postcard sticking out of one end and read it as I walked. On one side was a picture of a hospital with the words "“Minatama Byouin 1861”". I read through the card and raised my eyebrows.

Now this was certainly interesting........the card said not to share it's contents with anyone. I looked at the group beside me.....I trusted Mai, of course, but Kazuo and Icchan, I had only known for a few hours. Would it be sensible to show them, when this card seemed so strict about it's secrecy? Better play it safe, I thought, and only show Mai. So I let Kazuo and Icchan get slightly ahead towards the table and then passed the postcard along to Mai, giving her a furtive expression, hoping she would understand.

We reached the table and I took the bound manuscript and laid it on the table. "Well, this is it," I said. "You can see why I was curious about it." Indeed, it looked just as rusty, old, and oddly mysterious as it had when I first had seen it. Upon closer inspection I could tell that it wasn't really a book - it looked more like an original writing, perhaps a post-grad thesis.

I opened it to the first page.

Isakaya – A History
By
Professor Ibuki Sagisu

I began reading, trying to allow the others to see the book as well, though it was difficult with four people, and I read aloud the main points as I kept going.

"It was built in 1959 and underwent a major renovation in 1980. It is built on the site of All Souls Hospital “Minatama Byouin” which was destroyed by bombing in June 1945. The site lay derelict from 1945 to 1957 when construction started." "

I paused to look a the group around me -

"Wow," I said, "There sure is an interesting history to this place.....What do you all think?"

Post last edited by Theowne on 09.16.2007, 08:44 PM.

Yuichi spoke with the libranian and after signing a piece of paper, he returned with the old manuscript. No wonder he was intrigued by it. It looks like something a person would want to touch, explore. I was surprised that the libranian had handed over the book to Yuichi so easily. From what he had told me it, it seemed as if it should have been harder, especially when Akuri-sensei was the one who's permission we needed. However that surprise was nothing compared to what I felt when as we headed for a table, Yuichi started walking beside and deliberately slowed his pace. I matched his pace and let the other two get ahead of us while giving him an inquiring look. He didn't answer but he handed me a postcard, which had probably come from the book. Puzzled as I was, I picked up on his furtive expression. Obviously, it was something he wanted to keep from the others. But why?

We reached the table and sat down. I was itching to look at the postcard but waited patiently until the others were completely preoccupied with the book. Then I lowered my eyes to my lap, where the postcard was out of everyone's sight and read the back.

quote:

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"You were very quick, I'm impressed. You'll go far, Hasumi. I have been instructed from a very senior level not to let you see this but I think you might find a use for it's contents. I also think Takako would like to know as well. So I'm doing this for her. I think I owe her one, eh? No-one else in the school is to know about this and this will be the only time you'll be given permission to withdraw this particular book. So now we have a little understanding. Destroy this card; a week's detention if you don't.

-Akuri Kousei."

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__________________

Post last edited by fenkashi on 09.17.2007, 02:09 AM.

For the second time today, my eyes must have looked like it was going to pop out.

All the better to scare you, my dear.

"Sorry, let me see that for a moment," I said slowly. I didn't wait for Hasumi to give me the book; I pushed down a corner of the book so that it was more visible and read the whole passage- twice.

"This isn't interesting; this is disturbing," I finally said. I glanced at my watch. "Not enough time," I mumbled to myself.

I hadn't realized that everyone was staring at me by then.

"I think I may know why it's restricted, Tanaka-san."

"But I'll explain later. Hasumi-san, please continue, there's not much time left for lunch break. Yes, this is very important."

[EDIT: I just realized that Tanaka never actually saw the page in the art book. Only Seisaku and Sho saw it.]
[EDIT2: Correction, I never SHOWED her the page. So fenkashi, your call on this.]

Post last edited by Roarkiller on 09.17.2007, 06:00 AM.

quote:

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Hai! I'm starving, let's go back to class! Come on! Run!

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quote:

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Originally posted by Hibiki-san
"er... what were you saying a moment ago?"

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Post last edited by ..Ayami.. on 09.22.2007, 05:59 PM.