The Empress and The Titan II

Hisashiburi

Atsushi POV

"Class, we have a new student and she came all the way from Tokyo. Come on in please." Sensei urged another person to come in after her.

The student stepped in gracefully into the room. I had no words as I watched.

Her hair was just how I remembered it but a little longer now. her eyes looked like it could see your soul even more than before and her face...

Her face was still flawless the only difference was, it was now as cold as her brother's..

"I'm Akashi Miyuki. Please take care of me." Her voice full and clear as she stood there confidently.

"Akashi San can sit there, at the back." Sensei pointed to the back row.

"I prefer sitting in the middle." She replied with a firm air of command.

"Oh, okay. Danno, please transfer." Sensei complied with no objections.

Her eyes haven't met mine yet but when it does, she'll know it's me. She'll remember our friendship that didn't last that long...

After she left us everything went downhill at Teiko. The following year after she went away, the basketball team fell further apart. We were turning against each other at that time. I lost interest in school as well.

The worst part was, when I needed to talk to her about all that has happened, she change email accounts and I couldn't contact her anymore..

I lost her.

I stared at her back with hopes that my thoughts would convey to her and make her turn around. But it didn't. I had to wait all the way to our break time.

•••

Miyuki POV

The bell rang and everyone was in a commotion. Everyone was in a hurry to meet up with friends, to buy snacks, to do assignments due today. I stood up and headed out for the bathroom.

"Chotto matte--" a familiar yet deeper voice said. Or maybe I was wrong...

"Yukichiiin~" I wasn't sure it was for me until then.

I smiled to myself knowing who it was. I've been expecting him for a while now.

I turned around.

"Yukichin, you're here!" he sounded genuinely happy to see me. He looked like a happy puppy.

"Yes, I am. And you are as well." I answered in a sarcastic tone coupled with a sarcastic smile on my face.

"I haven't seen you for so long... How was Korea?" He asked, obviously wanting to catch up.

"It was fine. I learned a lot from the experience." I nodded, "how were you? Teiko all the way?"

His facial expression changed a bit into looking like he was masking his sadness. "You changed your email, and your account, everything... I..." he lost his breath, "I had no way to contact you the past year."

"Yes, I had to. I had to focus on my task and my studies. Studying overseas isn't something to be taken lightly and our business there was no joke either. Honestly I had no idea if I was ever gonna come back." i replied in one breath because I really didn't want to talk about it.

"I was worried..." he trailed off. It directly hit something inside of me.

"Well you worried for nothing." I replied coldly wanting to shake away this uneasy feeling.

"Yeah. I know! Ne, Yukichin you've gotten really pretty." He tried to compliment me with a rare smile I've missed for so long.

"And you've gotten," I looked at him from head to toe, "taller, Atsushi. You're huge." I wasn't gonna deny the fact that he grew. I'm a midget compared to him now.

"Yeah, I did grow a couple of centimeters. You look puny now. You didn't grow did you?" He teased.

"I did." I shrugged, "but only a little. Irrelevant to your size."

"Hey wanna go grab some lunch? My treat, Yukichin." He smiled at me a smile I longed to see for so long. I felt a certain warmth envelop me.

"Yeah that would be great. But it's too early for that and I have to go to the ladies room so if you'll excuse me." I turned away and left. For one I was already at my limits in holding it in. And second, I had nothing more to say to him. Last year I had a million questions for him but today, when I finally get to meet him again, they all wash out.