Wings & Mages (Version 2)

Chapter 21: Beach Retreat

Recap:

"Geez, Riku! You're too cruel," I said all of a sudden, crossing my arms on my chest, "How much longer are you going to give him cold shoulders?"

"I am going to give him a proper answer... only if he's going to try a little bit harder."

------------------------------

"Ye-hey!" Everyone in the ship shouted.

The see breeze was so calming and the weather was excellent. The class of Daisuke's having another retreat, an overnight outing at the same island they went two years ago. Although the fee was quite expensive and the location wasn't new anymore, the payment was still worth it.

All the while they were traveling, Daisuke was standing near the rails of the ship, admiring the view, but distancing from the others. Riku stared at him from a far, but didn't dare to approach him. Daisuke must have deep thoughts in his mind that it would be best if no one bothers him.

At last, they reached the destination and everyone went off the ship, carrying their respective cargoes. Daisuke groups in with Satoshi and Takeshi on their way to the hotel as the teacher commanded them to form a straight line.

As they went inside the same hotel as before, the teacher told them to stay in the first floor to hear the rules out. "No one will wander around without our permission," he said, "We have scheduled all the activities for this outing."

The, he showed the schedule and announced the rest of the rules. There's nothing much different from their previous retreat to the hotel. It's just that they're two years older and easier to handle. The teacher assumed that there won't be as much trouble as before.

Daisuke went straight to his room after the discussion and receiving of keys. He set his bag next to the bed and laid his back flat on it, placing both his hands beneath his head as he said to himself, "So many things happened in this place and I barely remember some of it."

Turning to the window, he remembered something and decided to talk about it with Dark, whom he believed was awake at the moment. "You weren't here the entire time we enjoyed our retreat," he began, "Why do you have to space that much from me?"

"You were mad at me the last time we spoke before that," Dark answered weakly, but Daisuke heard him right. "You still don't understand my situation back then."

"But now, you understand me," he added, "I was feeling the same when I rejected Risa... just like you when you keep avoiding Riku."

"I rejected her, and it hurts so much," Daisuke answered in a soft, pained voice. He closed his eyes firmly, smiling wryly while keeping his tears from welling up. He gulped them as soon as they reached his throat and he clutched the blanket with his right hand hard enough to make the area wrinkled.

"I understand your pain," his alter-ego said reassuringly, "Don't worry."

Daisuke fell asleep shortly after they finished conversing. He slept so deeply in a short period of time that he barely heard someone knocking on his door.

"Daisuke, are you free?" Takeshi shouted from the other side of the door, knocking a bit harder.

Daisuke finally notice the presence of a visitor and jolted in his bed. Rubbing his eyes, he shouted back, "Just a minute."

He said that he'll be opening the door in a minute, but he was taking a bit longer than he said. While Daisuke was fixing the room inside, Takeshi was getting impatient outside. He had now kitted his eyebrows, while crossing his arms to his chest and repeatedly tapping the floor with his right foot. "How much longer should I wait?!" he asked impatiently.