3th January 2016 [2116] (7:23am • Alnilam • VEN–5 highway• )
...10 years ago...
Muttered gibberish overlays the creak of the seat beside me, barely covering the low hum of the bus engine.
My violet eyes are tired—exhausted.. my ears feels like they want to burst.. she's been talking Non-stop,not even pausing to breathe.
God... She won't stop. stop–
It's been nearly 20 minutes since I shook her hand, and she's still bouncing on her seat!
"You need to breathe"
I side-glanced at her with a sigh..
I think I just triggered a sugar rush..
--
She blinked,
Crimson-pink eyes lock on mine,
brimming to with excitement.
She raise something that she hold. Then she shoved it to my face—a plush bear—closer and closer.
Her voice, loud and cutting , drew silence from the entire bus. Everyone was staring now, except her. She was still bouncing, oblivious.
"Hey yoshi , yoshi look look! Your pookie got stitches around it's neck! Did you tear the head off and sew it back ? or is it that just the design?? It's super duper cute tho! Zombie bear pookie with stitches looks so cool! "
...
Oh.Right.. I do give her permission to 'take look at pookie' after we became friends.
And she said that we could share secrets or whatever that is she blabbers about.
I sighed, but before I could respond–
She leaned back, pulling pookie down to her lap.
Her lips curves to a smirk at me, with that vicious cat–like grin, her eyes locked on mine without blinking once.
Her hand rest on pookie paw's fidgeting with it. That grin never left her lips.
She speaks again , still with that knowing smirk and mischievous glint on her eyes.
".. y'know what? Pookie is interesting, but I'm more interested in you, yoshi.Where are you from? And you said you're from manami family?Plus, what do you want to do once we get to schelvia? Wanna go to the same school together?"
I arch an eyebrow
'this is ridiculous'
"You're quick talker aren't you?"
I said.
She blinked,
"Oh thanks! Yoshi your so sweet. y'know I'm ha–"
I cut her off.
"Okay, okay. Mieruko let me answer your question first, alright?"
I leaned into the chair's armrest, resting my head against the cold bus window.. the view outside blurs in motion, and the reflection of my face faintly visible on the glass. I glance at her through it
"Oh! Okay okay.. if that's what you want, yoshi!"
She beams,
I sigh,
"So. first question—what is it again?"
One arm dropped lazily on the armrest. for the first time she actually stop bouncing. as I talk back to her.
yeah.. I ignored her for the past 20 minutes but she didn't end the conversation at the time I ignored her.. she just kept on talking to me—like talking to a wall..
"Hmm.. oh yeah! First... I asked: where are you from?"
She was still playing with pookie's paw.
...
Right...of course she wants to know where I came from..
she probably won't talk to me after this.
"..I'm from HOG-STein..."
"It's nothing much there, but it's still home. I know HOG-STein district more than any kids here.. it's just old factories and old warzones. But my mom thought me that.. I shouldn't give up. so she signed me up to this... schelvia City thing.."
My voice soften as I speak.. I close my eyes.
'It's.. really nothing much. I only lived on a banglo with my mom and that's was it..
The only "picnic" were just visits to ruins, killing small corrupted bots for fun.
And have our fun there either searching for relics or even just stay there spending time just the two of us..'
HOG-STein isn't the kind of place to raise kids..
Filled with dangers and decay of the past..
It's a graveyard of machines and memories.
But it's all I had.
Im just glad mom never left me...
I can feel the disgusted stare around me when I stepped on the bus...yes.. im the first— and the last—student to be picked up on HOG-STein..
An inferior,
--
I kept my eyes closed, bracing any judgement from the Friend I just made.. Bracing for her voice
did I really lost her?
Silence...
seconds passed ..
Then—
A hand on my shoulder. Shaking me
What the hell?
Is she shaking me to wake?
What the hell is she thinking?
I sit up straight, blinking at her in disbelief.
Her crimson pink eye still gaze at me..that excited stare the hopeful gaze..
it didn't change,
She blinked,
I blinked back,
"Did you just–"
"..oh! I Thought you fell asleep"
She tilts her head innocently.
I deadpann
"Huh?!"
"You had your eyes closed"she said pointing at my violet irises.
I fluttered, but quickly compose myself.
"Yea, but... didn't you just hear what i said?"
"What?"
"Seriously?! I told you— I'm from HOG-STein!"
She blinked.. straighten in her seat—pouting.her pink eyes narrowed. trying to look cute,
Honestly you do, but forget it.
"Yeah, I heard you! So?"
"S-so? What are you–"
"Besides where you're from, you have a good mom, Yoshi, Look at you now—seating here with me.. you're my friend. I don't care where you're from"
Urgh..Cliché.
"..wha- what that's not-"
"Ah-ah! Question closed!" She hushed me with a finger to her lips "Now you have to answer the three other questions"
She shut me.. with a hush finger sign to her own lips..
"... Three questions?.."
"Right."
"Hehe~ good."
Did she just shush me?
I arched a brow.
"So.. second question?"
I sighed..
"Oh, hold on—lemme remember!"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah!"
I groan but she didn't care as she hummed, her fingers still fiddling with pookie's paw, trying to remember.
"Aha! Got it! So my second question was.. you said you're from Manami family is that true?"
I tilt, my head slightly.
"I didn't said that."
"But your name's does! Yoshi Manami,right?"
She ask again
I nodded, leaning back into the seat.
"..yeah that's right, im yoshi Manami..from the Manami family.. why?"
"Wow really?! Wow!"
"Wow what??"I groan half-interested, half-heartedly annoyed..
"Ohh I read some data about our legendary 'HEROES'.. like their generations and stuffs."
".. Heroes?"
I arch an eyebrow, what are she's saying?
Is she playing jokes with me? who is she talking?
"O- oh right you don't know huh?.. Kay kay, let me explain somethings about 'HEROES'.."
"Do you know the tragedy happened five decades ago?"
I furrow a brow..
"You mean 9-77?"
"Not that sillly! That was just a decade ago!"
She giggles..
"..okay okay. nevermind that. Do you know about ZESTROPEDIANs perhaps?.."
.. zestropedian?.. I think mom told me bout those 'satellites' a little...
I nodded.
"Yeah, mom tells me few things about those..'satellites' "
"Great! So you know some stuffs!"
She leaned in , grinning.
"...so as you know, the tragedy ended like uh.. I dunno, 1967 or something like that right?"
I nodded,
"Okay! So.. those tragedy ended because—?"
"..because they ended?"
"Noooo! Silly again!" She giggled
"Because someone ended them! The HEROES!"
"..like superpowers?"
" Nope! Like piloting a mega–mech! They were the first one piloting 'K.X.E'..and named it 'ANGELSHOTGUN'..the first real unit to be piloted by human... And these 'heroes' were the reason the zestropedians hadn't descend again! for the past like–.."
"Wait—"
She paused, counting with her fingers.
moving it as if she's actually start counting them..
Then,She turns facing me as she held her hands up to me. Seems To be with one pinky closed on one hand.
Five fingers,four...
54?
"..um fifty-four years?"
I asked ,
but she shook her head.
"Nope! It's fifty–nine years ago!"
"... Okay?"
She puffed out her chest,proud.
standing from her seat throwing pookie off of her lap..
"See? I can count! Im smart y'know?!"
...yeah, you are.. I barely can past twenty.
"..so umm what do these Heroes had to do with my family name?"
I caught pookie as she tossed it off her lap, placed it down on mine, gently fidgeting with it's Paws..
She snap off. Noticing that she just dropped pookie.
Her pink eyes returns to me.. then turns back down to sit on the bus seat. With now the familiar weight placed on the seat beside me.
She scoff and apologize sheepishly.
"E-ehem sorry for throwing off pookie like that. I didn't mean to okay?"
I shake my head.
"... No .. it's nothing at all.. just.. keep going"
"Oh..um right about your question!"
"It's about what Connection Manami family had with the heroes, right?"
I nodded.
".. well.. actually..my parents had this like tablet...that I used to read on it all the time."
"I think It's called ENCYCLOPEDIA?.. I read about the world, the tragedy , the Heroes.. and I found out something interesting.."
"..Go on."
"..I found out that one of the Heroes had descendants. Families. And those families were like Eldoneta, Quincy, Lashed ,Êltær..and one of them.. was Manami"
"So you're saying I have 'hero blood' in me?"
she pointed a finger to my face with a wink.
"Yep! Real descendant!"
I stared at her.
"... you're joking. C-curse you, that's not funny mieruko."
Her brows twitched.
"Just call me Miko! And no! I'm not joking! Why would I?.. I don't lie with so much detail y'know?? that'd just cause me lots of trouble!"
I facepalmed.
Of course she wouldn't lie..She's way too.. oblivious and innocent to lie anyway..
-.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-. -.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-.
7:37am..
I let out a long sigh, leaning my head back against the bus window again. My fingers absentmindedly fidget with pookie's ears while i watch her—this girl, this storm of a person who entered my life barely thirty minutes ago and already turned it upside down.
"Heroes' blood, huh?" I mutters , more to myself.
Mieruko leaned in again,her voice lowering slightly like she was about to share some top-secret mission or something.
"Mhm! That's why I got super excited when i heard your name. I was like—No way he's from Manami? So i just had to talk to you!"
"You didn't talk to me, Miko. You ambushed me"
She gasp dramatically. Placing hand to cover her mouth like I shocked her.
"Rude! I was being welcoming y'know?? You're lucky I'm cute or you'd be totally bored on this bus ride."
I rolls my eyes.
"Right..what a blessing"
She giggles and sits back, swinging her legs a little, her gaze now on the window, her reflection flashing on the glass beside mine.
There's beat of silence.
It's strange, really...
Comfortable, even.
"..you know alot, Miko.."
I glance at her..
Her eyes met mine's.
She beams proudly.
"Thanks!"
".. I'm sorry Miko, I didn't mean to accuse you.. I just thinks.. it might be a coincidence.. there's a lot of Manamis in the world , right?"
I turn away, gaze shifting to the window. The light outside shift dims,covered—
We're entering a tunnel..
I sigh, then glancing back at her—only to catch that familiar mischievous smirk tugging at her lips.
"W-what?"
She scoffs.
"Oh, nothing... you just look cool like that"
Her smirk widens
"Pft. Shut up. What do you know?"
I look away, down at pookie. My hand finds the zombie bear's head, gently petting it.
She giggles placing a hand over pookie's paw resting on my lap. Then she leans in trying to catch my eyes again..
Pink meets violet.
"Tch , tch.. You still haven't answer my two questions. That's what I know!"
"Seriously?? There's two more?"
I groan, rolling my eyes.
'I'm honestly tired of this. I woke up early—I want a nap...'
"Ohh.. you gonna sulk now, yoshi? That's fine~"
I can feel the heat rise on my cheeks in embarrassment. How dare she–
I shoot her a glare.
She blinks meeting my glare without flinching—then she let out a sigh and leans back..
"okay, okay. No more teasing"
She waves it off , sitting upright again.
...
I turn to glance back at her..
She's fidgeting with the hem of her Shirt. Queit now.
She's being queit...
Good sign?..
I copy her posture. Sitting upright too.. adjusting pookie on my lap. Facing the front.
But she had her head lowers down. Biting her lower lip.. her fingers on the hem of the shirt no longer fidgeting.. it clutch tightly on them.
I could see her knuckles turning white.
Her legs trembling slightly on her seat.
...Not a good sign
"But... I-I want to talk more!"
She snaps, pouting. Her pink–crimson eye's flick up to mine.. As she start bouncing on her bus seat again—but this time it's more like a ..tantrum.
"Please come on! Just two more questions then I'll leave you be~! Pwease?"
Bouncing again.
Up and down. Bounce. Bounce.
Whimpering.
I stare at her, stunned.
What the hell? It's barely two minutes after she finally be quiet, and she's just gonna snap right back after?
--
She stop bouncing for long enough to just enough to lean close and invading my personal space.. pleading me with her big pink pupil.
"...C-come on. That's Hero's bloodline runs in you. I'm sure heroes doesn't mind for two questions!.. just two more! And it's done I promise!"
Her hand covers pookie's paw again
Pink eyes meet the violet's once More.
I sigh.
' I've sighing a lot today..and it's All because of her alone'
".. Fine.. Two more questions. That's it. I want to take nap after, got it?"
"Sure! You can sleep after! I won't bother you! just two more questions! Thank you!"
She lunges towards my seat but I manage to catch her and push her back down to with a glare.that she quickly scoff and she giggles sit back properly
she playfully swats my shoulder.
Our first physical contact.
I ignore it.
"..sigh. just tell me what the question already.."
"Kay, kay!...okay third question..hmm..."
She looks away... Thinking. I raise an eyebrow.
"You forgot again, didn't you?"
She glances back with a light scoff then giggle..
"Umm...no?"
"Liar"
I deadpan with sigh.
Shaking my head in disbelief.
She just laugh on my frustrations.
"Ah!"
I flinch.
"Oh right, right! I remember it now. The third question is 'what do you want to do once we get to schelvia?' "
...
"... honestly?..what I have in mind was. Just focusing on study and achieve whatever that is schelvia can offer us student..I want to accomplish it all"
I pause, muttering.
"Because I made someone a promise."
I glance down at her hand over pookie's paw.she gently fidgeting with it.
I notice how her fingers fidgeting with it, how gentle she was handling pookie's paw..
Soft, almost delicate.
I can feel her eyes on me.. probably she's going to laughs at me... For how ridiculous and naïve I might sound. promising someone that I will achieve all..like it's was an easy piece of cake.
And aiming so high.
But I'm serious about this
about the promise I made to mom...
I won't let her down, so as I won't let myself down either...
so I lift my head and meet her eyes.
"There you are.. you're looking at me. that's good!.."
"you have a big dream, yoshi. I bet your mom would be so proud of you right now—Even if you haven't achieve anything yet."
"W-wait... how did you know it was my mom?"
She grins.
"you seems like a mama's boy"
I groan.
.. she's not wrong ..
I never met My father. Not in Person.
it's not right for me..to be called daddy's boy
For a son who barely knows his actual father.
contacting only through letters. messages. One voice note.
And a simple name—what mom used to call Him.
Trivoer.
what so i believe to be,
Trivoer Manami.
-.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-. -.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-.
7:46am
"... Yoshi?"
She leans in my personal space again... Her face inches away from mine.
Startled, I casually push her back with a palm to her face.
My eyebrow twitches in annoyance and relief..
"Can you stop doing that? Calling me while your face just inches away."
"Hehe~"
She giggles against my palm innocently, before lean back down to her seat..
She flash me with wry smile..
"You look lost in thought again. so I figured If I
leaned in, maybe you'd notice and see me."
"...sigh. you're weird."
"..thanks!"
That's not even sarcastic..
I sigh again,
"..so the last question was?"
"Oh, um... Okay! So as for the last and the fourth question. 'Wanna go to the same school together?' once we're in schelvia?"
I blink
Wait,
"... Wait, Aren't the whole city was one big school?"
"Well, not exactly," she says. "The city's divided into seven sections and made up of five districts."
"D-district?!"
She laughs, waving her hands..
"Relax out yoshi! Yes,..the city is huge and bigger than district. I mean the city it'self housing over sevenmillionpeople. So naturally it would be normal for some arrangements...and in this case the school."
I rub the back of my neck, uneasy..
"... How many schools, exactly?"
'I didn't know much about schelvia... aside from what mom told me. That it's a city where students brought in from young age, and stays there until they graduate..'
"If I remember right... there's 14schools in schelvia ..with each have their own motto and unique courses.."
"That's... That's a lot of schools"
"... Aaand~?"
I blinked as she poke a finger on my side cheek. Teasing.
"... Ahh, right. The question?.."
"... Hehe still confuse Aren't you? Hehe Don't worry."
She pulls back her finger.. placing them down gently over pookie's paw..
"So my question was, would you want go to the same school together? ...in schelvia. As best friend?"
"Friends"
I corrected her softly..
...
...
"... I'd love that. Thank you, Mieruko–"
"Miko!..just call me Miko, remember?.."
She interrupt, pouting again,
I smile softly..
".. right, Miko. Thank you for even consider asking me that.. I mean. I hope we're not growing distant once in schelvia..maybe we can teach each other.. things or two"
"..and that's the last question.. was it?"
I ask softly, before shaking my head,
the weight of sleep creeps fast.
"Yep! That's cover up my 'CloverQuestions'! Hehe."
I yawn, I which quickly covers with my hand.the side of my eyes bit watery, Must be the yawn...
I gently tuck pookie closer. I turns slowly facing the bus window resting my head on it, close my eyes.
...
She gently nudge my shoulder..
I peek at her with my half-lidded eyes.
She's smiling warmly..and abit twist of her lips curves that was odd..
There's something in her expression...
Doesn't feels right—
confusing almost like she knows something that I don't..
A knowing smile.
I ignore it... Must be I'm thinking a lot.. I'm still sleepy after all.
I glance at her through.
"..what, Miko?"
".. y'know–"
...
"I wonder how long we'll be together.."
Her pink eye's met mine's.
My violet eyes gaze at her pink one's..
Searching for any intention..
but nothing.
Only hopeful, gentle gaze..
No tricks.
"..if you make it worthwhile.. we'll see"
I close my eyes.
She Finally leans back down to her seat, leaving me alone and taking in my answer..
Her gaze drops to pookie—still in my arms.
tilts her head slightly at the plush..
"Is it okay I don't know?"
...
I cast her final gaze through the low drooped eye.. seeing her gaze on pookie..
I clutch it a little tighter.. hearing her questions it.. I can't help but to make her hang..
She won't get her answer.
Not yet.
"... My feelings are a secret."
And with that—
My eyes shut.