Sora & Fumiko

Chapter Ten

I was dragging my feet as I approached Sora's house. Even though what Natalie said did surprise me, still I couldn't stop thinking of Sora. I was elated to see that he was standing outside his house staring into the distance.

"Sora!" I said as I ran towards him. The tiredness I felt from earlier suddenly gone.

He looked up at me with a brightened smile as I ran and crashed into him, his arms wrapping around me to keep us from tumbling over.

"Fumiko", he said softly in a low warm voice.

I rested my head on his chest for a moment before my face flushed red because I remembered that I had thought he had fallen for me.

"Um...Sora" I said pulling away from him. "There is something I want to ask you. How do you feel about me?"

Sora seemed to blink back at my question before tilting his head to the side and smiling.

"I think your a very nice person. You are always kind and you always seem so warm."

"Warm?" If I had heard someone else describe me those ways it would have been nothing, but hearing it from Sora surprised me.

"Sora your the kindness, warmest person I've ever known. I don't think I'm anywhere as nice as you."

His eyes seemed to gleam at my words and I blushed at what I had said.

I can't believe I said that....

I quickly used my hands to cover my burning cheeks.

"Fumiko" he began softly, "why are you suddenly curious about what I feel about you?" He said leaning towards me.

"Oh it's nothing" I said smiling and staring at the ground.

He stared at me for a moment before smiling lightly.

"So is everything alright with you.... I mean-"

"Yeah!" I quickly said cutting him off because I knew he was going to ask me about school and I was not ready to go into what Natalie had said told me.

He seemed a bit surprised by my quick response, but he only shook his head playfully and smiled.

"So Sora....how are you? - I mean what have you been doing?" I asked changing the topic.

"Oh me" He said scratching the side of his head. "I've just been tending to my crops. They're coming up beautifully"

"Oh really, I'd love to see them when they're harvested." I replied a little enthused at the thought of all those brightly colored vegetables.

"It takes a lot of hard work to get them looking the best, but in the end, the hard work pays off."

I smiled and tilted my head to the side at this.

"Really?"

"Yeah, when cultivating crops everything has to be right. Not only that but the crops have to be given a lot of attention." He continued.

"Sora, how do you know so much about farming?"

"My father always had a thing about it. He only approved of the best work and he always gave me such a hard time. Though I still did love working with him." He replied with a faint smile and a glimmer of distance in his eyes.

"Sora, do you miss him." I asked carefully not to unnecessarily upset him.

"Yeah" he said softly, his voice sounding a little bit broken.

Maybe I shouldn't have asked him about his father, he always seems so hurt whenever.....

Wait that's it! I think I understand now why he doesn't speak of him. He probably had a close relationship with his father and maybe even now he hasn't gotten over his death!