Yui
tapped her pencil impatiently as the clock slowly clicked to the end of
the day. Her advance English class was dragging on to eternity. The fact
that she hated the new teacher, Mr. Unkei, didn't make time move any faster
either. Mr. Unkei was an older man who had just come back from England,
so his Japanese and English were almost impossible to understand through
his heavy "London" accent. Yui had given up listening to him, she figured
it was just going to be yet another classes in which she'd have to read
the text book a few times over. A yawn escaped as the her eyes watched
the little red second hand which seemed determined in going in slow motion.
" Is
there something wrong Ms. Hongou?" snapped his stern voice. Actually is
was more like ' 'S t'ere somth'ng 'rong 's. Hangguu'. Yui looked up slowly
from the clock on the wall. Stares from the whole class made her throat
dry.
"Ummm..Ummm..iie
Sensei Unkei" she said, her voice low and scratchy. The teacher glared
at her coldly and hissed, " What is the first rule in MY class room Ms.
Hongou." Yui gulped and thought frantically
*First
rule...first rule..god..oohhhh...*
" Speck
only in English..." she mumbled. The teacher tapped his foot in annoyance.
"Well..."
he said.
Yui
stood up beside her desk and said in her most perfect English, " Nothing
is wrong Mr. Unkei." The teacher humph unable to find a problem her English.
He turn back to the board and continued the lesson. Yui slid back into
her chair just as the bell ring. Mr. Unkei dismissed the class with a wave
with his hand and the class quickly filtered out.
*******
"Is
something wrong Yui-chan?" Miaka said in her usual cheerful voice, though
there was a hint of concern in it. Yui looked up from the small chocolate
milkshake that she'd barely touched.
"No."
" Are
you sure?" Miaka asked again. Yui sighed in frustration and pushed the
glass away.
"Yes,
yes I am fine Miaka," she said and looked over at the counter of the American
snack shop, Taka was busily arguing over the price of a ice cream bar with
the boy behind the counter. Arms were flying up in the air. Threats were
being thrown back and forth. Yui chuckled a little at the sight, but the
display of small laughter didn't convince Miaka.
"Yui-chan....you've
been acting weird lately. I mean you look like you haven't slept in days!"
she exclaimed. Yui looked at Miaka and smiled the most happy smile that
she could conger up.
"Miaka
nothing is wrong! I promise....I just haven't been getting much sleep,
which is probably because I've been drinking too much caffeine...." Yui
stopped in mid-sentence when she heard the sound of two motor scooters
and a voice call out.
"But
Sei-kun, I HATE American food!"
* It's
them!....oh no. I can't let Miaka or Taka see them!* she cried out in her
mind. " um.....Miaka I better go. I have.....I have to study for that...English
test..ummm could you pay for my shake please? I'll pay you back," Yui strummed
to Miaka.
"Sure..I
guess Yui-chan," Miaka said so softly that one could barely hear her. Yui
grabbed up her briefcase and jacket from the seat beside her hurrily. Without
looking up Yui muttered Miaka a thanks and then ran off toward the sound
of the twins.
*******
"Hey
Exinjeru-kun look! It's the girl from the subway train," said Sei as Yui
walked up to them just behind the bushes that barely hid them from the
sight of Miaka, who from the corner of her ear was gulping down Yui's milkshake.
"You
mean..Yui?" Exinjeru said almost dropping his helmet. Yui stopped in front
of them, giving a small smile.
"Hi,"
was all she could manage at the moment. Sei grinned at her, Exinjeru looked
down and blushed. " I didn't think I'd see you two again," Yui mumbled
softly.
"Yeah...."
they said in union. The three stood there in silence for a few seconds,
really not knowing what to say.
" Would
you like to join us to eat Yui-san?" Sei asked.
Yui
gulped, " Ummm..well I really don't like American food all that much."
Exinjeru grin and laughed at his brother, " See! I told you not everyone
likes American food!" he said triumphantly
" I
was going to the...park down the street..You two want to come along?" Yui
said. *Please say yes..oh god please say yes..* she prayed. Yui looked
over her shoulder at Miaka and Taka. Miaka was inhaling Taka's hamburger
and to the looks of it, The was a little annoyed at losing his meal. Exinjeru
grinned at his brother impishly, Sei shrugged.
" Sure!
You wanna ride on my bike Yui-san?" Exinjeru exclaimed. Yui looked at the
two identical blue and black motor scooters slightly nervous.
" I
guess.....but I've never rode one before," she said, looking down at the
plaid skirt that was apart of her uniform. Sei smiled, " It's not that
hard, specially if you are riding in the back."
Yui
looked at the scooter again and brushed a hand though her slightly messy
hair.
" Well....Okay,"
she said a bit hesitate " I mean there is a first time for everything after
all." Yui exclaimed in surprise as Exinjeru grabbed her arm excitedly and
pulled her to his scooter.
"Come
on then!" he said. Yui hurriedly put on her green jacket, then pulled at
the hair out of the caller.
"Where
can I put this?" she asked and pointed to the brown leather case that she
held in her hand.
"Sei
can put it on his scooter. Right Sei-kun?" Exenjeru said.
"Sure,"
he said. Sei shrugged and took the case from Yui , then put in a small
compartment under his sit. Exenjeru and his brother hopped on to their
scooter unisonous, the bikes bouncing on the pavement as they did.
"Come
on Yui-san," Exinjeru said as he put on his solid black helmet. The sun
shine reflected on the glass shield as he put it down. Yui grinned and
excitedly got on back on of Exenjeru's scooter.
"Okay,
now wrap your arms 'round my waist," he said. Yui wrapped her arm around
his waist tightly. Exenjeru laughed " Not too tight Yui-san , I can't drive
if I can't breathe!" Yui blushed and loosen her grip.
"Gomen,"
she stammered. Sei laughed and slid on his on helmet. The engines soon
roared loudly, the jolt of the scooter starting caused Yui to cling on
to Exenjeru tighter. He laughed in responded and speed down the road.
****
Miaka
looked up at the sound of two loud engines starting. She looked up just
quick enough to watch two scooters zoom by. A gasped escaped her mouth
when she saw Yui on the back of one.
"Taka-kun!
Look!" she yelled and jumped up on the table, spilling her soda allover
Taka's hamburger. He looked up at her, stream practically coming out of
his head.
" Whaat...OI!
Wasn't that Yui-chan?" he said, confusion in his voice. The two watched
the scooter go around a corner and disappeared out of sight. Miaka and
Taka looked at each, then the corner.
" I
think it was," was all Miaka could answer.
****
The
sun was setting, as the it began to hid behind the horizon, the sky above
Tokyo was splashed with bright oranges, pinks, and purples. It made Yui
think that someone has take a brush with some water colours and just painted
the it. Yui stared at the sight and hugged her knees to her chest. The
twins were laughing and punching each other lightly, occasionally throwing
tuffs of grass at each other. She sighed softly, then picked a blade of
grass from the ground on which they were sitting. Yui looked up as she
felt a hand touch her shoulder. Exenjeru steady blue eyes meet her's.
" Is
something wrong Yui-san?" asked Exinjeru, worry written all over his normally
impish face. Yui looked back at the sky and shook her head,
"No,
nothing is wrong Sub..er..Exenjeru," she said. Exinjeru turn her around
and looked seriously at her
" Yui-san,
that is eighth time that you'd started to call me that and you'd called
Sei-kun Amiboshi at least five times. Why?" he said, his hands still holding
her shoulders. Yui looked down at the grass and her brown uniform shoes.
" You
wouldn't believe me," she answered back flatly.
" Try
me."
" Okay,"
she sighed, " Would you believe me if I told you that we'd met before?"
Exinjeru give her a curious look.
" But
we have..at the train.." Sei said. Yui shook her head no.
" I
mean before that....like..when your names weren't Sei and Exinjeru. In
another life,"she said barely above a whisper. The way they looked at her,
Yui felt like she was some kind of talking fruit," I told you that you'd
wouldn't believe me."
" Yui-san..that
is a hard to shallow..I mean another life time?" Sei said. Exinjeru stared
at her.
" Describe
it Yui..." Yui looked up at him in surprise.
"What
do you mean?"
" Tell
us what it was like."
" Well..in
China....a long time ago. There was you two, two men, one very...handsome
with long blonde hair, the other who wore long red robes and had this laugh
that sent chills down my spine. And there was a women, a very beautiful
women, with bright red hair and a man who was...." Sei cut her off and
finished the sentence.
"A
man who was half wolf and a small boy who acted years older..."
Yui
looked at him with shock,
"But..."she
said. Sei nodded and looked at his brother, who brushed a hand through
his dark chestnut hair.
" We..I
mean...Sei and I..we'd always had..this dream..about these people and..and
sometimes there was a girl..who was very important....she had this kind
of sadness around her...and we were fighting these other people who had
this other special girl," Exinjeru said, who's head was turned toward the
sunset.
" So
you don't think I'm crazy?" Yui asked. Sei and Exenjeru got up and sat
on either side of her. Each on took a hand gently in their's and then whisper
in union.
" We
knew you were the one that could help us Yui, if you are crazy. Then so
are we...."
" Then I guess I'll tell you everything....." she said, looking at them both, a sad smile on her face. Then Yui did.