new beginning
The Snow Prince"I'm worried about Umika. Yuri, what are we going to do... I can't leave her like this" Miku grabbed Yuri's sleeves and trembled as she spoke.
"I didnt expect her to get over it immediately. actually it's still within my expectations that she hasn't got out of Ryosuke's death."
Miku looked at him in dismay.
"I've a reason for saying that. Ryosuke died in her arms, she witnessed the whole process of her lover dying. it's not possible to forget immediately. you wouldn't if I were him right" Yuri panicked when he saw tears in her eyes. his girlfriend seemed to be affected by his analogy.
"Miku~" he wanted to pull her into his embrace but she refused like as though she is angered by his statements. as dense as Yuri could get, he couldn't understand why she is acting like this.
"g-go away! I don't wanna see you."
"what's wrong...did I upset you? if I did, I'm sorry, Miku" he gave her a tight hug from behind, so tight that her resistance seemed futile.
"don't ever use yourself as an example. I just can't imagine you leaving me" Miku cried in his embrace. he can't help but let out a chuckle at how cute she is.
"Miku, I promise you I'll take care of Umika. Daiki will too, so don't worry. she'll be fine"
they strolled down the streets, shoulder by shoulder after parting ways with the rest
*****
his voice, his touch... it's so real, but it's all impossible. right?
when I forced opened my eyes, that surreal feeling remained. I looked up and saw someone's hand over mind. is fate playing tricks on my eyes? the features of the guy about my age satisfied everything I have been dreaming for the past years. it triggered off such familiarity yet the strangeness coexisted with the former. the guy smiled brightly at me, so bright it seemed like the light in the stars.
"look, you've some stars in your eyes." the guy handed some tissues, but my whole body is trembling, my mind is so distracted that I couldn't promptly reply.
"R-Ryosuke?"
"heh? do I know you? how did you know my name?" my heart almost stopped. He died in my arms and how is it that after 2 years, he appeared before my eyes.
but the sense that its the end of my long yearning and emotional struggle overwhelmed me, I threw my arms and my whole weight at him and tightly hugged him in case anything is gonna take him away from me again.
"woah...." he was obviously taken aback by my sudden affection. furthermore, he lost his footing when he was squatting, causing him to fall back with me on top of him.
"miss... miss... are you okay?" he struggled to sit up but my refusal to let go make him helpless. I laid my whole weight on his body, pinning him to the grass patch. I could smell his all-too-similar scent that were fading from my memories. his next question caught me by surprise, he doesn't know my name. Disappointment ran through my veins and my heart sank to the next low.
I pulled away and took a good look at him. Umika, this is not the Ryosuke you know, but the striking resemblance is hard to explain.
"are you okay?"
I ignored his question but asked "how did know the same line that he said... how did you know this place?"
"why can't i know this place? any one more observant could have seen this. and i don't know which line you are talking about, but i speak what i want" I could see his frustration as he answered reluctantly.
"it can't be... only he would be able to find this place or say that same line...you're supposed to be dead." I mumbled but it was too audible for his ears apparently.
"excuse me. that's rude. anyway I don't know who is the he you're talking about but I'm sure you got the wrong person" his words pierced through my heart, I looked at him as I saw the doppelgänger retreated from my reach. our eyes met, and I could sense his remorse. he opened his mouth, but before words could escape from it, a young beautiful girl entered the picture.
"Ryosuke! are you done?" he looked away from my eyes and turned to look at the girl.
the immediate thought that emerged top in my mind was 'what's their relationship?' please not let it be what I think it is.
the girl stared at me as if I was some nemesis of hers, it is like as though she hissed at me.
"who is she?" she questioned him sternly.
"stranger. come on, Mariya, lets go" it is more than the mere description of me that hurts, but it's the instant that he grabbed her hand that suffocates my heart.
I missed how Ryosuke held my hand. whether forcefully or gently, I could always sense his careful maneuver around my wrist so I don't get hurt. that subtle warmth is what I yearned, and it is happening right before my eyes.
they're a couple.
he said he is not who I am looking for.
I'm delusional. I'm in self-denial.
how more difficult can it get to forget someone... if only they have a magic that erases my memories.
*ouch!
my darn luck caused me to trip over a curb. my knees cut and bruise with blood oozing out. maybe I was numb to the pain, maybe my heart was more pain that its physical counterpart, I did not cry. only silent tears rolled down my cheeks.
I keyed the number on my quick dial.
"Yuri"
"Umika, where are you?"
"I'm going home first."
"stay where you are, Daiki and I will come get you."
"it's okay. I'll be fine. I promise."
"b-but"
"don't be a naggy grandpa, Yuri. you will send Miku home, and Daiki sends Riko home, so don't make them wait"
"okay. but call me when you reach home"
"I will."
I hung up and sighed loudly. my physical and mental tiredness took a toll on me and I slouched and limped my way down the long street that leads to my house.
******
"Ryosuke! Ryosuke!" she shook his arms vigorously to snap him out from his daydream. since he left the garden, his mind is stuck at the girl he met. he thinks she is weird, but there's this affinity with her he couldn't quite describe. it's like as though he knew her, but in fact he doesn't.
"what?!"
"what are you so engross about? have you even been listening to me?!" Mariya said with a frustrated face."who is that girl?"
"I told you! anyway, you should know the way home right? tell your dad I'll miss the saxophone training today." I signaled to dash away and Mariya went frantic.
"where are you going?!" she barely caught his sleeves.
"to apologise." he shook her hands away and dashed through the crowd with eyes sweeping the mountains of visitors. he felt this urge to show his care, not to anyone else, but her.,. he searched and searched..., until not too far away, he saw a limping girl.
"Miss! Miss! excuse me" he called out to her but she didn't respond. He wondered if he is too soft, but it is so unlikely since the few people on the quiet street have turned to look at him. Umika was not deaf, she heard someone called him, but she chose to ignore it as she was almost sure that it was her mind playing tricks again. The beautiful, alluring voice is too identical to the one of the Snow Prince. The velvet tone of his every call pierces right into the core of her heart, awakening the every fragment of his memory in her. She was finally pulled out of her disbelief when she felt a warm hand wrap around her arm. Her heart stopped when she sees his shadow once again, the moonlight shines on him, casting a mesmerising glow behind his back.
"R-Ryosuke?"
She knew he wasn't the one, but still she couldn't help calling him without treating him as the snow prince. He ignored her, but his eyes looked down at her bleeding knee. "Wait here, I'll be back soon." He guided her to a nearby bench, holding her gently by her arms before running off. She was touched by his frantic behaviour, and he himself was amused at how unsettled and disoriented he was when he saw that she hurt herself. It must be the guilt; I definitely wasn't sensitive to her feelings back there. The odd things she said, must be someone in the past that hurt her deep.
She sat on the bench, drowned in all the negative thoughts that ran through her mind, but it didn't take long when he returned with a bag of what seemed like medicine and cleansers. He sat down close to her, and immediately tore one of the wrappers which says anticeptic alcohol wipes. "there'll be abit of a stinging pain. but i'll be gentle and quick." He looked into her eyes; and it is as if his eyes are telling her that he's here for her so don't worry.
"Ouch" the first stinging sensation cause her to let out a soft scream, then she could feel that he slowed down the pace and became even more careful. Her eyes became drawn to his serious face as he applied the medicine on her knee. A part of her wondered how this Ryosuke resemble the snow prince so much that she couldn't at all tell them apart, every feature from his eyes, to his nose and his lips. She compared with the time she stared quietly at the peaceful sleeping face of Ryosuke in her room, and she was sure they were the same person. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice that he was done with the cleansing and has put on the plaster, and was staring right at her.
"do i really look so alike to the person you know?" he startled her with his question.
"y-yes...it's like a carbon copy"
"and we have the same name?"
"yes." she didn't dare look at him anymore. She has no courage to look into his questioning eyes cause she doesn't want him to think she's weird. furthermore, the more he asked, the thicker the barrier she felt erected between them.
"if you don't mind me asking.... is he~"
"he's dead."
It is as though his mood went with hers. The tears in her eyes saddens him as well.
"Hi! My name is Yamada Ryosuke! We can be friends right?...."
Umika was stunned by his introduction. She knew he was being kind after understanding her predicaments. One thing she learn about this Ryosuke is that he is much more overtly affectionate, optimistic and more importantly, full of smiles.
"but of course, that is if you think my presence won't end up hurting you....if it is, then I can leave..." intuitively, she didn't want him to leave so she grabbed his arm. it was so amazing that she could meet a person like him, and she's not gonna let fate slip off again, even if it isn't morally justified to see him as a replacement of the snow prince.
He chuckled and Umika noticed her tense hands grabbing his arm, so she quickly let go. "What's your name then?"
"Umika Kawashima. I'm 21 this year" her name rang a bell, but he didn't want to freak her out so he suppressed his curiousity.
"I'm one year older." he smiled, while Umika realised that even his age is the same as the prince's.
"anyway, I moved here only recently. my foster parents moved here for business so I followed suit. haha actually it doesn't quite affect me since I live separately, but then I thought it'll be more fun to try out a new environment. this is the site of modernisation, isn't it."
"foster parents?"
"yeah, I am an orphan..." Umika started imagining the possibilities, but it's crazy the kind of scenarios she is thinking.
"I'm sorry, i didn't mean to.."
"it's okay. no big deal. I'm happy this way too. anyway, I'll walk you home okay?"
"i don't wanna impose on you... I~" deep down, rejecting him requires painstaking effort cause she was afraid after today, she won't see him anymore.
"we're friends, aren't we? come on, no worries about it."
They walked down the quiet alley side by side, occasionally their skins and hands rubbed against each other causing her to blush slightly against the lights. there were silences, but it wasn't awkward. She just took the time to observe his every move and to soak in his presence.
"do you know the story of the snow queen?" she decided to ask, but his response was much more shocking that her heart couldn't calm down.
"I am more interested in the story of the snow prince though"
"h-how did you know..?"
"well, i just know. can't quite remember how i learnt about it. perhaps from my friends...to me, he is quite a legend. do you know of him then?"
"i think so"
"he is quite mysterious, isn't it? no one probably understands him entirely"
"i guess, but one thing for sure, he will stop at nothing to protect the people he loved." Ryosuke turned and their eyes met. whatever that transpired between was more than just approval, it was like they realised how similar they thoughts and beliefs were.
Our pace slowed down as we finally reached the door to my house. All things have to end. but she had to ask burning question in her mind.
"you better go back to your girlfriend"
"my girlfriend? oh... you mean Mariya? she's not my girlfriend. she's my foster parent's daughter. she clings to me like superglue, no wonder you think that way... i saw her only as my younger sister. by the way, you girls are the same age."
He chuckled when he saw the relief written all over her face. Noticing that he noticed her expression of happiness, she felt the heat rushing onto her face, revealing a tint of red on her cheeks.
"do you have a handphone?"
"yeah." she thought he wanted to borrow it, so she took it out and handed it into his hands. He started keying in some numbers and dialed. His phone rang in his pocket. "Here, this is my number. Feel free to contact me."
"I can?"
"of course. You are my first friend here." her heart pounded as he said. She was so shocked that she just stood in a daze.
"see you soon" he giggled and then turned his back against her.
He felt a gentle pull on his arms, and when he turned back at her, he saw the sorrowful eyes filling with tears. He didn't know what to say to comfort her broken heart. She on the other hand looked at him as though trying to force herself to remember everything about him, compensating the fading memories...her eyes ran down to his lips as she noticed how identically beautiful his was..the contours of the lips was slightly darker than the inner portion, the thin, shapely lips adds to the voluptuous-ness. No one could resist such perfection, she rationalised. She gave in to her lust and longing, and she leaned closer to him.
"Umika? w-what are you doing" he was taken aback, but before he knew it, her lips was pressed up against his. He didn't want to take advantage of her though he admit his lust was activated too. he tried to push her back but he couldn't overcome his own inertia. He felt a tingling sensation in his lips, almost like they clicked the instant their skins touched. He closed his eyes and returned the kiss, while she did the same, hoping that he was feeling the same as her. Their hands ran against each others' backs and settling nicely on their waistline. If time could only paused for the moment, because none of them wished to stop. their hearts were thumping like horses galloping in the horizon, but were synchronised as one. When they finally pulled apart, they opened their eyes, trying desperately to find each other's gaze.
the feeling is so insanely familiar.... but I just met you Umika? - Ryosuke
it's all coming back to me...the tenderness of your touch... - Umika
They stumbled over their words, trying desperately to source through their mental dictionaries, in search of the right word to say. but, all that came out was each other's name.
"can I see you again?" she asked but he looked at her with a pair of sorry eyes, and he turned his back at her.
He reconciled with his thoughts and finally gave her a response. "I'll come find you..." he gave her a smile before leaving.
Yuri and Daiki stood behind a tree and saw the entire chain of interactions between them.
"Ryosuke~" Yuri wanted to run towards him but Daiki stopped him from moving further.
"Daiki, it's him. It's definitely him. We need to let him know."
"What for? Look at him now, he's so much happier than before. There's no good in telling him. From what I see, Umika and him will start a whole new love story, isn't it." Yuri has to agree with whatever Daiki said, cause he does give off the feeling of happiness that he has never really seen from the snow prince. maybe forgetting everything and starting it afresh could be the right way to go.
"but, Daiki, there's something I don't understand. how is it possible? we all saw him perish"
"because there''s someone watching over him..." Yuri followed Daiki's gaze as he looked into the starry sky, and Yuri finally understood what Daiki meant.
Thank you Mirai
*********1 year later*********
"Wake up, sleepy heads!" Umika used all her strength to pull the 3 guys out of bed, but doing so wasn't easy. Not because they were so dead asleep, but because their topless state left her constantly gasping for breathe. That is the reason why she never liked to enter their rooms to give them morning calls. If it wasn't because today they planned to have a picnic with Miku, Riko, Haruna, Hikaru and Yuto she wouldn't have to put herself through this provocative ordeal.
Yuri and Daiki woke up one after another, leaving the sleeping beauty still on his bed. She leaned closer, only to be soaked in his minty scent that hypnotise her mind.
"Ryosuke...."
Instead of waking up he dug deeper into his blanket and buried himself under. Umika took one step further as she peeked inside his blanket to call him once more...But.
"Ryo...hey stop..." he pulled her by her waist and dragged her right beside him, under the blanket. She is drowning in his masculine scent and she leaned her whole weight on his bare torso, giving her an adrenaline rush.
"feeling hot, dear??" he pinned her to the bed and looked straight into her eyes.
"What the heck~ Ryo, snap out of it" she gently pushed him by his chest but he only came closer and then slumped right on top of her.
"You're really heavy. I'm suffocating."
He left a light imprint on her neck before pulling himself out of the bed.
"Umika..." before he left the room to the toilet, he threw a second look at his girlfriend still lying in his bed, stunned from the heartpumping morning. "ever since I moved in, i feel blessed having to see you every first moment i open my eyes."
"me too" she smiled at him. the moment he left the room, she continued her smile from the bottom of the heart. she feels really happy at this point. She walked back to her room and unlocked one of the drawers, revealing a fine drawing.
"thank you Ryosuke, then and now. I know you were and will watch over me forever." she ran her hands down the signature "The Snow Prince"
*****************
thank you for all your support! the story is finally completed. and i hope you are at least smiling near the ending of the chapter. last words for my readers: sometimes, forgetting something isn't a bad thing, cause it gives you another chance to start afresh.
Please give me your comments^-^
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