White Fragment and Rain - Chapter 4

It was cold. Kaede could feel cold coming from every direction, or was it just her? It’s been six months since her and Shiro visited Lake Tuoni in the forest, and she could swear something odd was happening to her, but school drowned her of those thoughts. Today is finally her last day of senior year, and she’ll do anything to make sure the teachers know how much she won’t miss them.

The entire night was filled with thinking of what she could do to the teachers today, so she barely was able to get any sleep before the alarm clock woke her up. She dragged herself out of her bed to put very little makeup on, and to brush her hair.

She sighed and knelt against the wall and thought a little.

Shiro has been here at her apartment for almost six months, and they have developed a friendly but loving relationship. She couldn’t believe that someone like him who she now fully trusts and isn’t even human, has made her feel like she has something in life since the second day she met him. Sometimes she even thinks that it’s all a dream, until she wakes up to reality knowing it wasn’t.

Shiro goes to the gym afterschool with her at the high school to strengthen his muscles, although the weights there are no match for his unnatural strength and speed. He hasn’t participated in any of her classes in fear of being discovered by other humans who might think he is a monster.

She resumed her morning routine and proceeded to put on fresh garments and casual clothes. Since today was the last day of high school, there was no need for the school uniform. She flew out the door almost instantly after to find Shiro sprawled out on the couch.

He looked at her with his seeming to be permanent icy blue eye color. His eye color changed quite often for the past 5 months, but for the last month they have stayed the same icy blue. He greeted her with a smile.

“Good mornin’. Did ya sleep well?” he sat up correctly on the couch.

“Not really. I was too busy thinking of what evil things to do to the teachers today to let them know how much I strongly dislike them.” She evilly smiled.

“Heh, bein’ the rebel of the school again?” he laughed.

“Mhm…” her evil grin grew wider.

He opened his mouth to say something but was stopped when their cat Rin jumped on his lap and scared him. They found him abandoned in a trash can last month. He and Rin didn’t get along. He could swear that the cat was taunting him. Sometimes Shiro would get on the floor in a dog like stance and walk in a circle, just like Rin would do to fight back. He wouldn’t hurt Rin, though.

“If only this cat knew what I was saying…” he mumbled as he stared at Rin with a deathly look.

Kaede laughed.

“He’s not doing anything but being a fat adorable, lazy cat. What could he possibly be doing to you?”

“The way he looks at me. It’s like he’s tryin’ to make me mad. When he just sits there and stares… Stares and I don’t even think he blinks.” He stared back at Rin.

She laughed at him.

“Today’s finally the last day. It’s not a normal school day; it’s a field day so there are no classes. All students are to be on the football field till they are dismissed.”
She explained.

“Let me guess. Yer not goin’ to be on the football field, you’ll be in the school doing somethin’ bad huh?”

She nodded with a smile.

“You should come with me.” She suggested.

“What if the other humans try to talk to me?”

“They’re not that scary. Besides, I won’t let them get too close for you to feel uncomfortable.”

He stood up from the couch and stretched a little.

“Alrightttt I’ll go. I won’t be around the other humans, protect me from them, kay?”

She giggled and nodded and waited for him to get ready to go.
He put on the clothes that she found him in months ago, that were now clean and unworn for a while. At last, he grabbed his sword and put it under the back of his very large hoodie so it wouldn’t be seen at all.

Both of them walked out into the warm, fresh air with no rain disturbing its scent of flowers and grass.

“What do ya plan on sayin’ to the teachers when they see me? I’m not a student, so they’ll have a problem with me bein’ there.” He asked.

“I’ll just say that you’re checking out the school and I’m the one showing you around. They won’t mind if I say that the paper are already filled out so you’ll be fine.”

“Ah… kay”

It was about a twenty minute walk, but it wasn’t of consequence because the sakura petals were blooming, and falling in front of them with every step they took. The scent that came off of them smelled just like Shiro, and made her smile.

“Well” she began “here were are.” They stood in front of the school.

“It’s finally the last day here. I won’t be missing this forsaken place.” She said happily as they both walked through the doors, and into the light green hallways.
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“What do you think you’re doing here?” an obnoxious voice spoke.
It was the school principle, Mrs. Reika. To Kaede, she was the most miserable and strict woman she has ever met, and wonders how her husband puts up with her. Just the sound of her voice makes her cringe and think an evil witch has come to attack her.

Kaede and Shiro whipped their head around to look at the old lady Mrs. Reika.

“Damn it, caught already…?” she said quietly to Shiro.

“You do know that every student is supposed to be outside for field day, what makes you think you can disobey that rule?” she tapped her foot with a scowl on her face.

“Oh! We were just grabbing some papers that I left in class yesterday; we were going to head out right after, Mrs. Reika.”

“Who’s we? Who is the boy standing next to you? I know every student in this school, and I’ve never seen his face before.” She looked at Shiro.

“He’s…” she was stuck. She didn’t expect being caught by the principle.

“Allow me to introduce myself.” Shiro walked up to Mrs. Reika and shook her hand.
“I’m here uncle Shiro. I’m here because she accidently mixed together important papers of mine and forgot them here, so I was comin’ along to make sure she gives them to me. I was going to leave right after, Mrs.… Reika is it?” he politely said and asked.

“Make it quick and hurry to leave. We can’t have non-students or staff walking around the school.” She turned the other way and walked off, leaving Shiro there with a confused expression.

“She’s a mean one. Are all humans at school like this?” he asked as he walked back next to Kaede’s side.

“No it’s only her. She’s just a sad old lady with nothing better to do than be mean to students…”

“I can tell. So, what are we goin’ to do?” he asked.

“Well I… I guess I didn’t come up with any good ideas. I’ll write something or mess up the teachers papers. Follow me, I’ll go to my first period class.” She motioned him to follow her to a classroom.

“Ah… this horrible place.” She walked to the white board and grabbed a blue marker.
In huge letters written in kanji she wrote how much the stuff she learned was not important, and how much she’ll never miss this class or school.

“Wow…” he laughed. “Ya must really hate this place huh?”

She looked back at him and smiled. He was sitting in the desk like a normal student with his arm on the desk, and his head rested in his hand like he was sitting through an incredibly boring lecture.

“The way you’re sitting is how we sit during lectures, for hours and hours learning stuff irrelevant for 95% of our lives. I really do hate this place, glad I won’t be coming back.” She placed the cap on the marker and headed towards the desk.

The sound of the doorknob alerted Kaede and Shiro to run to the other door so they wouldn’t be seen. They exited that door, and ran through the hall and away from that classroom. She saw more teachers walking from the stairs and before she knew it, Shiro pulled her into the nearest door that was the supplies room with no windows or light.

“That was close, ne?” he said as he adjusted himself in the tight space of the supplies room. She was in front of him; well, basically on him since it was so crowded.

She turned around to face him. His icy blue eyes were almost glowing, and looked so calm.

“Yeah, it sure was. We would have gotten in so much trouble if we were caught again. I don’t doubt Mrs. Reika told the rest of the teachers to make sure we were…?” Shiro interrupted her by kissing her on the lips gently.

“W-what was that for?” she asked, her blush not seeable in the dark.

“Yer just so close, I had to.” He smiled although she couldn’t see it.
He planted his lips on hers again, and this time awaited her to allow him to deepen the kiss. She let his tongue explore her mouth and she did the same and grasped his shoulder.

He released his lips from hers and pouted.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Huh? Nothing’s wrong.”

“Should I stop?”

“No… keep going” she continued to kiss him and he lifted her up to his waist and sat down on a box.

His somewhat possessive eyes looked at her closed ones as he deepened the kiss even more and hummed deep in his throat and laughed a little. She broke away from the kiss.

“What are you laughing at?”

“I’m laughin’ at how much yer into this. I thought ya would have pushed away.”

“What makes you think that?” she sat straight on his lap and looked into his eyes.

“I dunno” he brought her closer and kissed her deeply again as he ran his hands under her shirt and on her sides, which made her shiver from his gentle touch.

“But…” he whispered into her ear “I’d like to continue this later at yer apartment… kay? Unless ya want to do this here, at school with the possibility of teachers hearin’ ya” he grinned.

Her blush increased to the point where she thought her face would be identical to a tomato.

“Yeah...uhm…that…” she stuttered and didn’t know what to say.

He laughed.

“Ya don’t gatta be so nervous or embarrassed with me, ya know.” He smiled and ran a hand through her orange hair.

“I won’t. It was just… a little awkward that’s all.” She smiled back.
She checked the time on her phone. There was still two hours left, since it was only a three hour school day because of an early dismissal for the last day.

“Well then, we should get going. I’ve decided not to go to the other classes; I’m feeling a bit lazy. We should go to the football field.”
She stood up from his lap and waited for him to stand up.

“Look from the door to see if there is any teacher walkin’ this way.”

She looked out of the door slightly. There was no body in sight, so it was fine to walk out. She pulled his arm and began to run towards the stairs. The sound of their sneakers tapping against the marble ground echoed throughout the stairwell. Shiro made sure he lowered himself to reach her speed, since he can easily run 100 times faster than her.

There, they were at the door that led to the back of the school, which led to the football field hundreds of feet away. There were teachers and a few senior students occupying the space around there, and in the way of the football field’s entrance, and walking past them would mean being caught and getting in a lot of trouble.

“Damn… how will we get past them? The gate would take a few minutes to climb, so they would see us instantly.”
She stood there and thought while looking at the teachers and students.

“How about I test my speed?”

“What?”

“Remember in the forest when I ran back in a matter of seconds? I can do that again probably.”

“What about me? I can’t run that fast you know.”

“I’ll carry ya then” he lifted her up in his arms and opened the door with his knee.

“Here we go…” he said as he entered a running stance.

Almost instantly they were at the gate, and he jumped over it like it was a two feet obstacle for dogs. It was a delayed effect, the teachers and students were startled when a huge gust of wind blew the papers and or cups of coffee out of their hands. Some teachers even cursed at what happened and questioned.

“Over there” she pointed to behind the bleachers on a bench.

Again, almost instantly they were at the bench that she had pointed to almost two seconds ago. Shiro set her down on her feet next to the bench.

“Jeez, you’re really fast and it’s incredible. You should join the track team here.” She laughed and sat down on the bench.

He sat down next to her.

“Thank ya. I dunno why I can run that fast”
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They sat there and talked for the remaining time of the school day, until Mrs. Reika’s voice announced on the speaker that all the students were free to leave with all their stuff and that they were allowed to stay longer to talk to the teachers and or take pictures if they wanted.

“Finally!” she got up and stretched while taking in a large breath of fresh air.

He stood up with her and smiled.

“Yer finally free of this place, congratz.”

“Yeah… thanks. Let’s go to my apartment, Rin might be hungry.”

“Rin… that cat.” He mumbled.
She giggled and grabbed his hand and began to walk to the gate leading out of the football field, and outside of the school area.
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“Rin, I’m home!” she called out for Rin to come to her.
Rin was lying on the couch like usual, being the fat lazy cat that he was.

“I’ll be right back, going to put some things away in my room.” She walked up the stairs, leaving Shiro and Rin by themselves.

She put away school books and notebooks into her closet on the top shelf, and threw her book bag at random somewhere in the closet. As she was walking, a strange dizziness occurred, almost making her collapse but she stood up. As fast as the dizziness happened, it left. This was the 8th time that this has happened, and she doesn’t know why. Maybe she should go to the doctor soon and get checked out.

Every time that she would become dizzy, tiredness would sweep over her instantly and cause her to take long naps. She didn’t like that she would sleep so long and leave Shiro bored and by himself with Rin, but if she didn’t go to sleep she would get sick and throw up.

“Shiro, I’m really tired right now. Will you wake me up in about five hours?” she called out from her room.

“Sure, I’ll wake ya up. Sweet dreams, Kaede.” He called out and replied.

She sighed and lay on her bed.

It only took her a few minutes before sleep took over.
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Shiro sat there and petted Rin as he watched TV. He didn’t fully understand what these shows were about, but they gave him something to do when Kaede took her long naps. He wondered, why has she been taking these long naps? He’ll have to ask her some time. But, for now, he’ll watch the TV and wait for her to wake up. He has quite a thing planned for her tonight…