Ongoing Cycle

13

     The lake in front of her was breathtaking. Purple and aqua blue hues came off of the calm ripples that sat atop the surface. The pink-orange sun currently rising in the sky reflected the waters and she saw twinkling light. Beneath her was the ticklish feel of grass and behind her stood a tall, strong tree, which she was leaning against. The rough bark scratching satisfyingly on her back, the soft whispers of the wind surrounding her, and the melodies of the birds ringing in her ears made her sigh dreamily.

     [Y/N] took a quick glance at Kuro, who crouched beside her. She was surprised to see that he had the same peaceful look. His blue eyes complementing well with the surroundings and his tousled hair waving in the wind, she thought he looked like art. He looked so much better without the continuous smirk he always had on his face.

     Finally breaking the silent magical spell of nature, she asked, "How'd you find this place?"

     He turned to her with sorrowful eyes and a bitter smile that confused her. "My father bought this area. Luckily, they don't even use this place much, so I ended up going here whenever I needed space from everything."

     She blinked for a few seconds. Right. He was a rich boy. Staring at the color changing trees surrounding the mystical lake, she bit her lip. If this place was property owned, she wouldn't be able to return. Unless...

     She looked at Kuro, dead in the eyes. Feeling herself getting embarrassed by the second, she knew that she had to hurry up and ask before she loses her courage. "Can I....come back here sometime?"

     His eyes widening at that request, his smirk returned. "Of course," he said. It got her looking excited for a little while until he added, "but....you'll need to owe me something."

     She deflated and scowled at him. "I knew you were going to say something like that," she murmured.

    Hearing that, he chuckled. "I was kidding [Y/N]. You're welcome to come back here anytime."

    Her mouth parting in shock, she scanned his face to see if he was lying. Not sensing any sort of lie from him, a grin cracked through. Before she could stop herself, she grabbed his warm hand and shook it happily. "Thank you so much. I guess you're not always a total dickhead after all."

      He let out another laugh at that and returned the shaking of the hands. After pulling their hands away from each other, [Y/N] leaned on the tree trunk again. Fluttering her eyes shut and breathing the refreshing outdoor air, she thought that maybe skipping class for this hadn't been such a bad idea. As long as Kuro does his thing to prevent her from getting in trouble, then she should be fine. Scrunching her eyebrows together, she now wondered how he was going to do that.

     "What are going to do to keep me from getting into trouble?" she asked, opening her eyes back up.

     He easily answered that question. "I'll be bribing the attendance keeper to leave the absence out of your profile."

     Though she felt guilty for accepting for something so illegal and for letting him spend his money for her, she also felt relieved. It meant that he got it under control and that for once, she could enjoy breaking a few rules without worrying about her parents. In this moment where everything seemed possible, it was making her crave for that freedom even more. She wished to explore the world and to be a teenager by making stupid, but fun mistakes....though it seemed she had to skip all of those experiences for the sake of her parents.

     Digging her nails at the dirt below her, she realized that today might be the only chance she could pretend to be a normal teenager.

     The clearing of a throat caught her attention. She looked over to see Kuro staring in return. "So..." he began, scratching his head. "Do you mind me asking why you were crying?"

     Her heart squeezed at the thought of Miku again. Glumly picking up a stick and drawing it around in the dirt, she shot him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I don't really want to be reminded of what happened and I'd rather enjoy the scenery right now than think about that shitty mess. You're also not exactly who I'd want to talk about this with," she explained. She paused and quickly added, "No offense."

     "None taken," he responded with a shrug. He gave her a large grin. "You hate me anyway."

    She wistfully smiled back. "I do," she agreed.

     It was weird to be here, admiring this place with the person she hated....but it wasn't all that bad. It was a moment in which they can both relate to. It was now a place where they both would go to, to escape the madness in their lives. She thought back to how he had said that he went here when he needed space. That made [Y/N] realize that Kuro may also have problems in his life. Because of that, it made her feel less alone.

     She wasn't the only one struggling.

     The two of them were both quiet and lost in their thoughts, but the silence was wonderful. It was what kept the sad reality from seeping back. They could be who they want, go where they want, and do anything they want as they sat there, their minds dreaming of the unreachable.

     She dared to break the silence again. "You were right. This calmed me down a lot. I'll for sure be ready for the upcoming presentation," she admitted quietly. Her voice dropped to a low whisper as she gazed at the yellow leaf falling in front of her. "But....I don't want to leave."