Chapter Text
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents’ strife
The fearful passage of their death mark’d love,
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
Michiru let the words marinate in her mind as she stared entranced by the passage in front of her. Sure, she had read the same words dozens of times, but each time she read it she felt like she came upon a new revelation. Sometimes, she even imagined that she could find a hidden message within the words if she focused enough will into it, however she didn't feel like expending the energy today. She turned from her booklet to read the first question on the worksheet she had due in her English class. Why would Shakespeare give away the ending of his play in the prologue?
“If you wanna know the answer to the first question…” sea green eyes snapped up to meet the sky blue of her intruder. A smug smile stretched across the young woman’s lips as she leaned against the door frame before finishing her thought. “It’s because the ancient Englanders hadn’t come up with spoiler tags yet.”
The sea green eyes rolled at the comment, although an amused smirk couldn’t be denied the satisfaction of gracing Michiru’s face. “I highly doubt that’s accurate, although you may get partial credit for the originality of your comment.”
Haruka guffawed as she got up from the door frame to put her hands on her hips. “Oh please! You won’t be so snarky when I get a perfect grade on our assignment!”
“And I'll be sure to apologize for doubting you when that time comes.” The sarcasm dripped from Michiru’s tongue as she turned back to her work. Haruka moved to flop onto the bed, her long blonde hair and skirt swaying with the motion. “Although, if you are serious about getting a perfect grade, I could give you some constructive criticism. For instance, perhaps not referring to Shakespeare as ‘ancient’ since he was alive and writing in the late 1500’s to early 1600’s, which is nowhere near being considered as such. Also, the term is English, not ‘Englanders-’”
“And my name’s Michiru Kaiô.” Haruka interrupted, using her hand as a puppet while she mimicked her friend in a taunting high pitched voice. “I’m so smart, and the teachers love me, but I still get sent home from school with notes to my parents about the inappropriateness of dying my hair such an unnatural color.”
Michiru swiveled to the boisterous blonde and glared at the young woman who was simply laughing at her own antics. Giving a slight huff, Michiru decided to reacquaint herself with her English assignment as she turned her back to the teenage prankster. “Well,” the irritated student scoffed as she flipped her hair dramatically in disapproval. “I’m in shock that you even bothered to look over the assignment since you usually just make excuses that you didn’t have time and flunk everything outright.”
“That’s because this is all so stupid!” Haruka complained as she slammed her fists into the bed to raise herself up by the elbows. “I mean, we’re reading this stupid old book about people born into every privilege that life could offer them, but when one thing doesn’t go their way they throw a hissy fit and kill themselves just like every other stupid story you find in every other book or movie these days. Seriously! People would actually waste two hours on this cliché idiocy! I don’t have time for that shit.”
“You simply don’t understand since you don’t have ‘patient ears.’” Michiru giggled as Haruka rolled her eyes at the comment. The aquanette sighed before trying to convince her friend otherwise. “Haruka, this story may hold a common theme amongst different stories now, but this was the story that inspired it all.” The musician began to pour her heart to the wall beyond her computer as her voice took on a dreamy expression. “I mean, Romeo and Juliet is full of romance, and intrigue, and drama, and tragedy. No matter how many times I reread it, I catch myself thinking towards the end that ‘maybe, this time, things will be different. Maybe Juliet will wake up before Romeo drinks the poison chalice. Maybe, this time, they’ll be able to live happily ever after, despite the prologue’s bulletin that that will never be…’ Maybe…”
Haruka watched her friend in intrigue as Michiru continued to get lost in her words, looking off at some distant point that only the star-struck student could find importance in. Haruka couldn't find it, instead sighing before flopping back onto the bed, resting her head on her hands. “Whatever you say…”
Michiru swiveled her chair again to face her friend. Something was off with Haruka. Or, perhaps the whole situation was off. Michiru wasn’t certain. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand by her bed before it dawned on her.
“Haruka… wasn’t there a track meet today?”
Haruka visibly deflated at the statement. “Yeah…”
Michiru swallowed hard before pressing further. It was only 3:47. “It wouldn’t have ended already, would it?”
“No…”
Michiru got up from her seat to sit next to her friend as she spoke in a soft and concerned voice. “What happened?”
Haruka squirmed a little in her spot, debating on whether she actually wanted to talk about it or not, but when she turned to take in Michiru’s concerned visage, she knew that there was no debate to be had. The athlete sighed before planting her palms behind her to push herself into a sitting position.
“They cut me…”
“WHAT!?” Michiru practically shrieked into the blonde’s ear, though Haruka seemed to be impervious to the volume.
“They cut me from the team…” Haruka repeated in the same despondent fashion.
“But WHY?!” Michiru screamed in utter disbelief. “You’re the fastest girl in the school! Honestly, you may be the fastest girl in all of Japan! And not even any of the boys can keep up with you!”
“Pffft. Believe me…” Haruka flopped back onto the bed with the conversation proving to be incredibly taxing. “Coach wouldn’t have let me go if she had a say in it…”
Green eyes went wide as Michiru turned to gaze at the floor to help calculate what could have happened that got Haruka cut from the team. However, the answer she didn’t want to admit was the only one that had any validity. Unable to mask the disdain in either her face or voice she turned to her friend.
“It was her wasn’t it.”
The heart-broken athlete turned her head the opposite direction to avoid facing Michiru’s ire. “Sh-she found out I forged her signature…”
The anger immediately washed out of Michiru as she immediately grew concerned with the tremor in her friend’s voice.
“I-they can’t let me do athletics if she won’t sign the permission form.”
A soft sniffle escaped from the blonde, causing Michiru to shake with a mixture of rage, pain and helplessness. “Haruka.”
“Why does she hate me?”
Michiru turned to see light tears trickling down Haruka’s cheeks as the blonde turned to face her. The violinist grabbed one of her friend’s hands and squeezed as if the gesture would drain the pain out of her friend. “Because she’s an idiot.”
Michiru knew that she developed an intense emotion towards the woman that her friend was referring to. Hate. She knew that, with all her being, she honestly hated the woman. The woman who punished her friend for having her own dreams. The woman who tore Haruka down for not being the way that she believed her daughter should be. The woman who refused allowing Haruka any chance to be herself.
Michiru hated Haruka’s mother.
“I wish I were a boy…” Haruka mumbled through her tears as she turned away from Michiru. “Mom probably would’ve liked me better if I’d been born a boy instead.”
Michiru squeezed the single hand she held with both of hers as she tried to will the pain away. She kept her gaze on her friend. “Haruka…”
“IT’S NOT FAIR!!!” Haruka screamed as she rose from the bed tearing her hand away from her friend as she used it to gesture the gross injustice of her mother. “If I were a boy, my mom wouldn’t force me into this stupid skirt everyday! Or take me off the track team because it’s not what ‘proper ladies’ do! Or gripe to me about how ‘real girls’ behaved and how I’m a FAILURE OF A DAUGHTER!!!!”
Haruka hid her face in her hands as she began to sob profusely. “It’s not fair…” she continually chanted between her sobs. “It’s not fair. It’s not fair!”
The heart-broken violinist got up and rushed to be in front of her friend. She gently took her friends hands into her own as she slowly lowered them from the Haruka's face so her eyes could lock onto sky blue before speaking in a near whisper. “Hey…”
Haruka sniffed, maintaining her friend’s gaze for a moment before Michiru cautiously moved in to embrace the athlete. Haruka focused on her breathing, allowing Michiru to hold her there before she slowly rose her arms to wrap around the aquanette’s waist. Haruka buried her face into her friend’s shoulder as she continued to cry while the violinist began to rub small circles into her friend’s back through the golden curtain of hair.
“It’s not fair…” the small voice continued to recant.
“No, it isn’t fair.” Michiru stated in response as she held Haruka’s body close to hers. “It isn’t fair that someone as beautiful, wonderful and talented as you, is stuck with someone so pretentious, judgmental and stupid as your mother. Your mother will never understand just how incredible a person you are.”
“But what if she’s right!” Haruka wailed into Michiru’s shoulder as her fingers began to clutch at her friend’s shirt. “What if I’m just a failure of a daughter! Face it Michi, I'm just better off de-”
“She isn’t right Haruka!!!” Michiru practically screamed, not allowing Haruka to voice the thought that they both knew was coming. She moved her hands to the blonde’s shoulders to create distance that would allow eye contact. “You have so much to offer! And if your mom refuses to acknowledge that because of her stupid, narrow-minded idiocy then that’s her loss!” The violinist took a deep breath to release the anger, before continuing in a softer tone. “Haruka, you truly are the most incredible person I know, and I promise you that, one day, your mom’s going to regret all of this because you’ll be able to do the most extraordinary of things and your mother will simply bicker in her bitterness that her life has fallen to pieces when you were able to build an entire future with your own.”
Michiru held Haruka’s gaze as she offered a soft, comforting smile, running her thumbs across her friend's face to wipe the tears. “You’re not a failure as a daughter, or any other kind of failure. Because you succeed in the aspects that matter the most. You come to all of my violin recitals and always ask if I need a pianist for my next one, even if I don't have a performance booked. If someone’s picking on someone else you immediately jump in to defend the person being belittled. And whenever you find someone hurt, you always cheer them up with words of comfort, or a joke, or even a treat if you have an extra on hand…”
“You are the kindest, most incredible person I know Haruka…” The last of the blonde’s tears were threatening to fall as a few tears trekked down Michiru's cheeks. “Don’t let your mother bring you down.”
There was a long pause before Haruka’s gaze drifted away slowly. “Sure…” It was despondent and heartbreaking, but it was still a step forward. “I just can’t wait till I’m eighteen and can get the fuck out of here….”
Michiru paused. There was always a tug at her heart every time Haruka made that comment.
“Yeah…” Michiru spoke, sounding just as despondent as her friend had been. “Only a few more years…”
Silence enveloped them as Michiru lifted herself out of her friends arms, struggling to think of something to say. She rose to her feet and glanced back at her English assignment before deciding it wasn’t going to get done tonight. She glanced back at the clock. No more than fifteen minutes had passed. But no matter where she looked, something in the air of her room just seemed so stuffy. And looking at her friend who was now slouched forward with a gaze focused on nothing in particular, she decided they just needed to get out.
“Haruka! I just had an idea!” Michiru cheered as she hopped in place with a clap. She leaned towards her friend to be eye level as her voice took a sing-song quality. “How-about-we have-a race!”
Haruka paused, examining the bright look on her friend’s face and trying to match it to what was actually said. Eventually, Haruka’s face began to contort with amusement before she flopped back onto the bed with laughter.
“Seriously Michiru!” Haruka exclaimed through her giggles as she leaned up from the bed. “You couldn’t outrun a garden snail! Ha!”
Michiru straightened to her full height as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I thought you would be thrilled to show off your athleticism, however if your simply all talk, we can remain in here and I can tell everyone that you were too scared to race me.”
“Oh, now it’s on!!!” Haruka exclaimed rising to her feet and beginning to stretch. “Where to?”
Michiru began to head out her bedroom door, but not before sending a seductive smirk over her shoulder to her friend. “Where else would we end our race than where it all began.”
“Alright!” Haruka cheered before taking out her wristwatch and taking on a more serious tone. “I’ll even give you a thirty second head start, so don’t squander your time.”
Michiru rolled her eyes as she continued to saunter out of her room and down the stairs. Watching the pace at which Michiru left, Haruka was certain her warning fell on deaf ears. Sure, Haruka knew that she’d win the race even with the thirty second head start, but with the way the violinist casually sauntered out of the room before padding down the stairs, the athlete was certain that it would take her lethargic friend the full thirty seconds just to leave the house!
The impatient runner checked her wristwatch and started to count the seconds while shifting from one foot to the other. Perhaps she should give Michiru more time. Where they were going was decently far from her house, so it would only be fair, right?
The thirty seconds ticked by. Then the thirty-first second. Haruka continued to shift in her spot as she drew upon every fiber of her being to try to be merciful to her dearest friend. That thought did stall her for a moment, but just one moment.
Forty-two seconds. Time was long past up. Haruka pivoted towards the window, flung it open and vaulted over the sill to land in a crouch on her friend’s front lawn before launching into a sprint down the sidewalk. Houses blurred in her vision as she continued to push herself continuously faster.
Haruka looked ahead as she pushed long golden locks to streak behind her head and into the wind. Seriously, long hair was such a nuisance.
She snapped her face back forward in search of her friend, but Michiru was nowhere to be found. She had to admit, she was impressed that she didn’t see any sign of the aquanette up ahead, which probably meant that she'd reached the first turn-off. Of course, perhaps Michiru didn’t leave her house at all and simply set this race up just to get rid of the obnoxious athlete. Haruka wouldn’t have put that past her.
Regardless of which was true, Haruka knew she’d get her answer once she passed the next two houses.
The runner reached the corner as she skidded on the sidewalk with the heels of her shoes protesting the action. Haruka ignored their cries as she pushed forward to regain her previous momentum. She focused on the path in front of her, but the sight caused her to lower her head again as she snickered. Perhaps Michiru didn’t squander as much time as she’d previously thought. It still wasn’t going to help the innovative violinist. Haruka would stake her life on it.
With a new surge of adrenaline kicking in, Haruka increased her pace to try to catch up to the teal waves of Michiru’s hair that rippled through the wind. She was still quite a bit behind the Michiru, but the runner knew that she would overtake the violinist easily with their difference in pace.
Haruka focused on her breathing as her feet continued to carry her forward. No matter how many times she’s been down this street, she couldn’t tell you about it in any kind of detail. Everything was a blur to her with as fast as she was going. The only thing worth her attention was the pretentious violinist who had the nerve to cheat at a race she suggested.
Blonde streaks began to tease at the edges of Michiru’s vision who turned to see the cocky smile of her closest friend. Haruka pivoted to backpedal so that she could give Michiru her full attention.
“Geez Michiru. I know everyone’s scared to race me, but I didn’t think you’d be that scared!”
Michiru simply rolled her eyes as she continued to pedal her bike forward. “And here, I thought you would’ve caught up to me about four blocks ago. Don’t you know it’s rude to keep a lady waiting?”
“Uh, no!” Haruka retorted with a hearty laugh. “Maybe you can tell me about it after I beat your ass to the finish line!”
And with that, Haruka turned back around and increased her pace to leave the Michiru in the dust. A small smile graced the violinist’s face. Michiru knew that, even on a bike and the head start the racer gave her, she wouldn’t win. But that wasn’t the purpose of doing this.
The purpose was to see that smile, to hear that laugh, to see the sheer joy that overtook Haruka’s face when she runs without restraint. She never dared to run at full speed when on the track team, purposefully holding back for fear that people would gossip about her superhuman speed, increasing the likelihood her mom would find out she’d snuck into the team. Michiru knew that Haruka had forged her mother’s signature on the consent waiver to let her do track. She’d just hoped that her friend wouldn’t have been found out so soon.
She watched as Haruka dramatically skidded on the sidewalk to make another sharp turn down the street to the East as she pushed forward as relentlessly as earlier. At this point, Michiru still had another four blocks to catch up. There was no way the violinist could turn this one around. But to watch Haruka run, one would believe she was born running her entire life, or even that the wind carried her forward. Michiru couldn’t help but be in awe.
She finally made it to the turn which opened their neighborhood to the expansive ocean. The smell of salt was heavy in this area and Michiru couldn’t help but inhale deeply. Something about the smell triggered something in her, but she couldn’t pin down what. It was like the smell was familiar to something familiar to her. Or perhaps someone else had shared a memory with her about a trip to the sea that felt so real she imagined it as her own, but the nostalgia was too diluted to pinpoint with certainty.
She continued to pedal her bike past the last residential house that welcomed a small park to one side of the street, while the other revealed a bench that was built facing the ocean. Michiru veered off towards the park bench where she found Haruka sprawled across it, breathing heavily, with her hair and clothes matted in sweat. The athlete peered at her friend through lidded eyes as a smile cracked her face her arrival.
“Bout… time…” The exhausted athlete managed to breath out. “Had me… waiting…” raising her wristwatch to her face she finally wheezed, “three minutes…”
Michiru simply rolled her eyes as she dismounted her bike. “I am sincerely sorry. Shall I now commence with my speech on how impolite it is to keep a lady waiting, and how this tardiness reflects so poorly on my character?”
Haruka gave a sound that was a mix of laughter and a gasp for breath before rising off the bench to sit upright. “Nah…” It was all that Haruka could offer as an answer before giving her friend a smile and patting the spot next to her on the bench.
A smile gleaned Michiru’s face as she leaned her bike against the railing in front of the bench and sat next to her friend, the two locking eyes for a moment before looking back at the scene in front of them.
This is where the sky meets the sea.
At least, that’s how they liked to describe the place. They were well aware that there were other places that could produce a similar scene, but it just wouldn’t be the same. Not for them.
They were drawn to this place long ago and, consequently, this place drew them to each other.
This was where they would tell you their story truly began.
They had known each other since they were four, Haruka’s mother being adamant that she learn to play the piano and Michiru’s mother being an internationally renowned musician turned music teacher made the meeting between the two young women imminent. At that point, they didn't really talked to each other. When the enthusiastic young aquanette tried to introduce herself to the other student, the blonde simply ignored her. Haruka took to piano slowly and always flinched whenever the simplest mistake was made, ending the song immediately as she begged the teacher not to hurt her for the slight. Both Michiru and her mother tried to console the blonde in these moments, but she would always ignore their words and bury her head as she sobbed.
Then, one day, she didn’t come to her piano lesson.
Michiru was terrified. There was something about Haruka that seemed so uncertain. As if her life was constantly teetering on the brink. Michiru's mother seemed less concerned about it, explaining to the young aquanette that Haruka could just be running late. A knock on the door arrived as Michiru eagerly rushed to greet her fellow classmate only to be greeted by Haruka's mother. She asked if Haruka was possibly there and Michiriu's mother told her that Haruka hadn't arrived for her lesson. The stately woman responded simply, thanking the musician for her time and leaving immediately, seeming none too concerned about the situation.
Whatever concern Haruka’s mother lacked, Michiru seemed to make up for ten-fold. She panicked, tugging at her mother’s long dress that they had to find Haruka. That she may be in danger. That they had to save her.
Her mother knelt down to soothe her daughter and let her know that everything was going to be alright, but the small girl refused to believe it. If her mother wouldn’t go help Haruka then she would. She ran out the front door, cutting through backyards to try to lose her mother in the chase. She had to find Haruka, she just had to!
Of course, she didn’t know where to look.
The four-your-old trudged on for what felt like forever. How far could Haruka have gone? She felt tears begin to prick at the edges of her eyes that she wiped away quickly. She couldn’t give up just yet! But where to look?
She shut her eyes and focused. Her mind instantly going to a picture of the sea. She could smell it, and was pretty sure that she could hear it too.
She kept her eyes closed as she began to walk, letting a trance-like state take over to lead her to where she needed to be. She wasn’t sure how far she walked or for how long, but that didn’t matter.
She knew something was drawing her somewhere.
When she heard the screech of a gull overhead she opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was a small playground and park area to the right side of the road. She had never seen it before and the temptation to play on it was great, until she heard a sniffle on the other side of the road.
She turned towards the sound, as her sea green eyes widened in shock. She recognized Haruka’s school uniform, and the long blonde hair stood out against the black paint of the park bench.
Michiru rushed over to the small figure curled into a ball and scrambled onto the bench.
“Haruka?”
Haruka flailed out of her position as panic set into her eyes. “What’re you doing here!? I didn’t do anything! I’m sorry!!!”
Michiru moved closer, wanting to ease the pain. “Haruka…”
“DON’T TOUCH ME!!!”
Haruka pushed Michiru away from her with the small violinist catching one of the gaps in the bench’s backrest before righting herself. Haruka curled back into a ball and scooted as close to the opposite end of the bench as she could.
“I’m sorry! I won’t touch you! I promise!” Michiru assured swiftly with her hands raised to prove her plea. “I’m sorry Haruka, I-I’m scared for you.”
“No. Nononononono.” The frightened blonde recanted as she shook her head. “You’re mad at me! And you’ll make mama mad at me! And then she’ll hurt me for making her mad!”
“I’m not mad Haruka!” Michiru shouted as tears welled in her eyes. “And I don’t want you hurt!”
“You’re lying…” Haruka weakly voiced as her shoulders shuddered with the sobs. “E-everyone wants to hurt me… mama said so because I can’t be a real girl…”
That put Michiru on pause for a moment. She saw herself as a girl, but no one accused her of not being real. What made the blonde less real? And what made it impossible for her to become real? “Why not?”
“I don’t know!” Haruka shouted not daring to raise her head to look at the small violinist. “I don’t know if it’s piano, or dolls, or what it is, but I can’t be a real girl! Mama said so!”
Michiru paused for a moment as the small form of Haruka continued to shudder in turn to her sobs. “Why does any of that matter?”
“Because people will hurt me! I don’t wanna hurt anymore!”
“I won’t hurt you Haruka…”
The blonde continued to sob as Michiru said everything that she thought might be able to console the small girl.
“I’m scared for you Haruka…”
The sobs began to quiet as Michiru continued to assure the blonde of her good intentions.
“I won’t touch you Haruka…”
“Michiru…”
The girl nearly fell off the bench. This was the first time that Haruka had ever mentioned her name. “Y-yes?”
“Why are you here?”
Tears began to trickle down from sea green orbs as Michiru began to explain herself. “I wanted to see you again…”
“Why…?” Haruka’s voice shook with the threat of more sobs. “Why look for me if not to hurt me?”
“’Cuz I was scared you wouldn’t come back…”
The tears started to roll down the Haruka’s face softly.
“Why should I come back…?”
Michiru’s tears began to stream down now. The fear that Haruka may just disappear seeming imminent. “Because I want to be your friend!”
Sky blue eyes widened as the sea green dams weighed Michiru’s face down to her hands as she began to bawl. “I want to be you friend Haruka… Please… Be my friend… I promise I’ll never hurt you…”
Haruka watched as Michiru continued to break down in front of her.
She didn’t want anyone else to have to hurt. She thought that she hurt enough that no one else in the world to have to experience it. That if she took all the pain, there wouldn’t be any pain left in the world to hurt anyone else with.
So why did the small aquanette in front of her seem to be in so much pain?
So Haruka did what, to her, was both absolutely unthinkable yet the only thing she could think to do.
She grabbed one of Michiru’s hands.
Misty sea green looked into shimmering sky blue as fresh tears began to trickle down Haruka’s face. The blonde's lack of words was replaced with a slight squeeze of Michiru’s hand. She wasn’t sure if she could trust this person. If she could believe everything that the small girl before her was saying. But she didn’t want to see the girl in pain. She couldn’t stand seeing others going through so much hurt.
Their gazes met for a moment, making Haruka feel incredibly awkward as she tried to force a timid smile. Michiru absolutely beamed at the sight and, without thinking, threw her arms around the blonde. It was the first smile, genuine or no, that she had ever seen cross the blonde's face.
Haruka was absolutely flabbergasted. Her first instinct was to throw the arms off of her and get away, but the panic began to subside as she felt the young aquanette’s tears seeping into her shirt and the small body snuggling into her own.
The blonde was rigid for only a moment before making her decision. She slowly lifted her arms to encircle her first and only friend, hands running up and down the girl’s back. “I’m scared to go back Michiru…”
The aquanette rose out of her position to face Haruka and give her a comforting smile while wiping away the tears. “Don’t worry! I’ll protect you!”
Fresh tears sprang back into sky eyes as she held Michiru tighter. Both promising to keep the other safe and be the best of friends.
Of course, after that first night, Michiru realized that she couldn’t actually protect Haruka.
She began to understand more and more where Haruka’s bruises came from and understood better her tentative nature.
She was only so grateful for how the bruises were less prevalent when school started, and once Haruka started Middle School they had all but disappeared.
But Michiru still longed to do more to protect her precious friend. She even talked to Haruka about reporting what had happened to someone.
But Haruka’s mother was a secretary to a law firm.
And an adolescent’s word against that of an esteemed lawyer about their trusted employee wasn’t going to get the time of day.
So Haruka continued to suffer.
And Michiru continued to watch
And as they looked over the scene that heralded the beginning of their friendship, Haruka couldn’t help but feel a mixture of gratitude and shame towards her dear friend. Gratitude because Michiru truly was the most generous and incredible person who would ever dare to befriend the young, frightened child during such tumultuous trials.
And shame because Michiru threw away opportunity after opportunity just to stay by Haruka’s side.
Haruka noticed this of course. Michiru had been granted so many chances to play her violin world-wide, but she limited her tours to within the country. Multiple elite private schools offered her free tuition, but Michiru always chose to remain at Juban Prefectural High.
And although Haruka feared that the violinist would eventually find an offer she couldn’t refuse, she felt sick with herself for wanting to so selfishly keep Michiru with her through this hellish nightmare. She couldn’t help but think that Michiru simply stuck around for pity, but she always said the right things and helped in the ways no one else could. It made Haruka feel so blessed to have Michiru in her life.
And right now was no different
“Thanks…” Haruka stated with a soft smile crossing her lips.
Michiru turned to give her the reserved yet playful smile that melted everyone’s hearts. “It’s what I’m here for Haruka.”
“Yeah…” the athlete lightly chuckled before the thought of Michiru’s heart-melting smile reminded Haruka of something she wanted to ask her friend. “Hey, you know there’s a dance going on later this week, right?”
The teal waves of Michiru’s hair fluttered in the wind as the aquanette turned to look back at the scene in front of them. “Of course, I know of the dance. Why do you ask?”
“Pfft. To make sure you were using your calendar properly!” Haruka retorted while rolling her eyes. “Who are you going with? I know every boy in the school had to have asked you to go with them!”
“Perhaps…” Michiru giggled, keeping her gaze focused on the horizon as her mirthful features fell. “However… the one I’d really want to spend the dance with hasn’t asked me.”
Haruka’s heart started hammering in her chest. She wasn’t sure where that reaction was coming from, but decided to blame it on her exertion during their race. “Who is he?!” Haruka cried while her arms flailed about sporadically. “Does he go to another high school or… Oh my god! Michiru!!! Don’t tell me that you’re crushing on a college guy!?!?”
Michiru turned her head to raise an eyebrow at the question giving the blonde an incredulous look.
“An underclassman?”
Michiru scoffed and turned back to the horizon.
“Oh, please tell me Michi! Please, please, PLEASE!!!” Haruka begged leaning further forward towards the aquanette.
“Nope!” Michiru answered while rising from the bench which caused Haruka to fall in the space that her friend had occupied. The runner groaned as she rubbed her chin when a soothing voice with a playful lilt reached her ears.
“They still haven’t asked me so I’m not going to tell you. Although…” Michiru turned to lock her gaze with Haruka. “If they don’t ask me soon, I might just have to drag them to the dance myself. Don’t they know how improper it is to keep a lady waiting?” The light-hearted question was ended with a wink to which Haruka rolled her eyes.
“Pfft. Come on Michiru! All you have to do is walk up to the guy and he’d immediately drool all over you and do whatever you say. Hell, he might even propose to you on the spot!”
Suddenly Michiru found her head feeling heavy as she raised her hand to hold it up by her face and groaned into her palm. “I swear Haruka, you can be so-”
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!
The sound echoed throughout the area causing the two girls’ to cover their ears.
“What the hell was that!” Haruka shouted, shaking her head to get the ringing out.
Michiru slowly lowered her hands from her ears, hesitant to believe the sound wouldn’t return. “That was probably just some construction mishap.” Michiru replied before raising her head to face Haruka. “That came from the Sankakusu Delta. I heard that it was part of the Tokyo Bay land reclamation project and they're developing it into a commercial district as efficiently as possible.”
Haruka rose to her feet before facing the direction of the disturbance. “Let’s go check it out.”
Michiru was slightly perplexed by the sudden seriousness in her friend. “I assure you there won’t be anything too intriguing there.”
“Yeah…” The word seemed to simply fall off Haruka’s breath. The wind suddenly seemed to pick up in that moment, blowing in the direction of the disturbance as Michiru noted the tide waning from the beach, as if retreating from the formidable figure. She turned back to the determined blonde.
This was so unlike Haruka, and yet so strangely familiar…
“I’ll lead you there,” Michiru stated as she slowly clasped her hand in Haruka's. “We can take my bike if you’d like.”
Haruka turned to glance at Michiru before inspecting the bike. It figures Michiru would grab the bike so that they could both ride together. She always thought ahead like that.
“Alright. Lead the way.”
Michiru nodded as she grabbed the bike, letting Haruka mount first so that she could be the one pedaling. Michiru followed suit, hugging the runner from behind while keeping her focus ahead so that she could provide directions.
It really was faster getting places on a bike. At least, it was faster with Haruka doing the legwork.
The crunching sound of gravel under large machinery gradually became louder and louder until it was downright deafening, leaving the two wondering how they didn’t hear any of the other nuances in the booming business of construction.
“We should be nearing the center of the delta now!” Michiru shouted above the roaring mechanical appendages.
Haruka simply nodded as she continued to bike through the tall buildings until they finally got to the tallest structure in the district. An ominous woman was standing in front of the structure, watching over the mechanical workers constructing the massive building.
The two girls stopped a little before reaching the site to dismount and crept slowly towards the woman. Haruka couldn’t help but feel like something was off about her.
As if sensing the ill thought the red-head turned to face the two newcomers as a devious smirk scratched at her face.
“Ah, Kaiô-san. A pleasure to meet you this fine evening.”
“Oh! Kaori-sensei! I apologize for intruding!” Michiru quickly stepped forward to bow towards the mysterious woman. “My friend and I were simply out for a stroll when we heard a loud noise and became curious as to how the construction of the delta was going.”
“Ah, well, as you can see…” Kaori turned to raise long manicured nails towards the height of the newest building. “Our Mugen Academy is coming along splendidly! In fact, it should be complete by the end of this month!” She turned back to give her new arrival her full attention. “Speaking of which, have you considered our offer? With someone of your talents we could not only offer you free tuition, but also grant you access to our sponsors who can take your skills as a violinist to an international level.”
Michiru stepped back and turned to glance at Haruka. “Does that offer extend to my friend here as well?”
“Michi!”
“Oh, I apologize! I didn’t see you there!” Kaori responded with an exasperated cry as Haruka cautiously stepped forward. “And you are?”
“Ten’ô.” Haruka stated in a flat tone. “Ten’ô Haruka.”
“Ah, Ten’ô-san. My name is Kaori. A pleasure, I’m sure.”
She extended her hand which Haruka tentatively took. Her hand was cold, and something sinister felt like it could snake its way through Kaori up Haruka’s arm.
“Y-yeah…” Haruka responded upon retrieving and inspecting her hand.
“I hear that you were on the Prefectural Juban High track team before you resigned.” Kaori looked down at Haruka with cold eyes.
The athlete grabbed one of her elbows at the statement as her gaze fell to the floor. “Something like that…”
“Well,” the future schoolmaster stated while dissecting the girls in front of her to help calculate the appropriate words. “Kaiô-san is a bit of a special case with her phenomenal musical talents, however, if you happen to have a special skill that we can help you foster we would be more than happy to extend the same offer to you.”
Haruka suppressed a shiver. Something was incredibly unsettling about the woman. “I… appreciate the offer… though I doubt you’ll find me worth your while.”
Kaori simply scoffed at the statement. “I see.”
Michiru watched as her friend’s posture continued to deflate under the schoolmaster’s scrutiny and decided that she needed to step in. “I apologize Sensei, but it is getting late and our parents are surely-”
“Oh! My, of course!” Kaori cried as she was redirected to the conversation. “I apologize for stalling you. Please get home safely and wish your father well for me.”
“Of course…” The words simply hung from Michiru’s lips as she and Haruka began to walk away from the delta. Haruka couldn’t help but feel unnerved by the entire situation. She swore she could still feel the ice-cold gaze of the headmistress piercing through her as they walked away.
Once they got far enough that Haruka felt like it was safe to breathe again she turned to Michiru. “Well, she was certainly interested in you.”
Michiru rolled her eyes, avoiding meeting Haruka's gaze. “She’s practically been living on my doorstep trying to convince Papa to send me to her school.”
“What’s that got to do with me.”
Michiru turned towards the sound of Haruka’s voice, but the runner refused to meet her gaze. She cast her gaze down. “I’m sorry, I-”
“You what Michi!” Haruka snapped, causing Michiru to visibly flinch, which made the athlete immediately regret her temper. She took a deep breath before trying again. “Sorry… I just… you don’t have to go out of your way for me like that…”
“Haruka…” Michiru turned towards the blonde as she tentatively tried to reason with her friend. “It’s not like that, I… I just…”
“Hey…” Haruka interjected, stepping ahead of Michiru and placing her hands on the shorter woman’s shoulders to garner her full attention. “I’ll be fine. I appreciate it, but… I’ll be fine…”
It wasn’t enough though. Michiru had known Haruka for too long to fall for her brave face. “Haruka-”
“I need to get home.” Haruka stated, cutting Michiru’s thoughts short. Slowly the slender arms of the jogger wrapped around the violinist’s shoulders to pull the ocean to her chest. “You get home safe, okay?”
Michiru returned the embrace as she buried her head into her best friend’s lean body. “Okay.”
Haruka broke the embrace and began to jog towards her home before turning around to give Michiru a final wave goodbye.
The lone woman simply raised her arm half-way to gesture her own farewell, but felt the sentiment falter. She looked back towards the impending private school and shuddered. Something about that place felt so unnatural to her, so twisted.
But she also believed that, whether she wanted it or not, destiny would drag her to that place in one way or another.
She just hoped beyond all hope she wouldn’t have to face that destiny alone.