The Golden Pear [YA - Featured]

♫~Notes 109~♫

 Ueno stopped the fork in front of her, as her stomach squirmed. "Shut up."

"What did you—"

"Shut up!" Ueno's voice roared, echoing in the empty room. She stood up, the chair sliding back. "I'm not sleeping with any of them!"

Mrs. Ueno froze. Her daughter had shown signs of rebelling before, but now, the chain around her could snap.

"You are nothing without me!" Her mother tried to approach her, but Ueno splashed her drink into her mother's face.

"I would rather sleep in mud than having you touch me!"

With those words, Ueno left the dining room, using the same door as the maid. Behind them, the young lady found her and the butler standing, eavesdropping. Both sighed in relief. Their young lady was alright.

Later that evening, Ueno expected her mother to storm into her room, yelling like the banshee she was. Yet, none of it happened. It worried her since it meant her mother was plotting something sinister.

'But... I can take it! I can be a better person!' She clasped her pinkie before falling asleep.

\\_(''>_<'')_//

The next day went without fuss. Freya spent half of the day at school and then went into the hospital to switch place with Rigaku. The hospital was opened to visitors for almost a whole day with only a few exceptions based on the patient's health.

When Freya arrived, she heard Rigaku's voice, "... Sol then waited at the cliff, watching the leaving butterfly he helped to nurse back to health."

Sensing eyes on his back, he turned around. "Freya-san?"

She nodded.

"It's the time already?" He checked the time on his laptop, realizing it was close to noon, and he promised to attend school too.

"Time flies so fast." He powered off his laptop after closing the writing program. "I was reading Ka the latest chapters. And I..." he trailed off. "I lent Kenta-kun the first draft of the first chapters. The one you've read."

Freya's face lit up. 'Really?'

"Actually, he was supposed to return it yesterday, but his homeroom teacher told me, his mother excused him for he's gotten a nasty cold. I'll see if he is in school today."

She nodded and waved him goodbye. Despite he knew his youngest brother would be in good hands, it hurt him he had to leave. Not to mention it was Tuesday, and they had swimming lessons. One he didn't look forward to.

The girl put her bag next to a small table, watching Kagetsu's features. His body didn't lose his muscles as it was only a few days since he was on intravenous nutrition, but she could tell his face dimmed a bit.

Sitting on the chair, she watched her friend. The jester laid next to him away from tubes. The flowers they bought over the weekend would need a fresh water, and the muffin was gone too. They asked the nurse to have it if Kagetsu wouldn't wake up. It would be a shame if it went to waste.

She moved a stray hair from his face, feeling his breath on her fingers.

'Please, wake up.'

Ice hand grasped her heart, squeezing the juice out of it. For the second time in her life, she wished to speak. The first time was begging her father to not leave her to stay with her. Tears slid down her cheeks, and her throat burned.

Now, it all returned with interest, piercing her from all angles, never missing a single cell. She rested her elbows on her knees, hiding her soaked face. She thought she was strong. That she could remain calm with only a few tears.

But now, after days, as if everything inside her settled down, she couldn't stop the wave of emotions. Freya had seen him with his brothers, but now as she was alone, there was no need to hide her grief.

A gentle touch picked one of her tears.

Her head snapped up.

The room filled with rhythmic beeping.

Her eyes locked onto Kagetsu's face, but he was still sleeping.

\\_(''>_<'')_//

"Ai?"

"Hm?" Aiyoku looked at his brother.

The class enjoyed the sun and water games in the pool since the investigation ended. The police found nothing. All the footsteps mixed and nothing suggested anybody broke inside and pushed Kagetsu into the pool. They closed it as an accident until something resurface.

"Do you think I'm going crazy? When I was reading him my book, I thought I've heard him giggle."

The middle Kamini took his time answering. "That just means you miss him a lot."

"It's close enough."

\\_(''>_<'')_//

Finishing her school work, Freya nodded next to Kagetsu's bed. The shadows darkened and prolonged as if making way for the night. But above the city hovered only gloomy cloud castles, promising heavy rain.

She wasn't the only one venturing into the land of dreams, for Kagetsu's mind opened to a whole new world.

His eyes stared into the open sky with a few clouds. The wind blew around him, gently touching his skin.

"Where am I?" He got up on his elbows, but no matter where he looked, he saw plains of grass with him laying on the slope of a hill. Breathing in, he smelled a faint scent of flowers. One that he found familiar. Standing up, he dusted his school uniform.

"When any way is as good as any other..." He let his sentence unfinished, shrugging his shoulders, he headed down.

After a few steps, the ground under him vibrated.

"Oops?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.

His eyes shot open as a stampede of horses threatened to stomp him into a bloody puddle. Their bodies moved like a thundering wave.