The Golden Pear [YA - Featured]

♫~Notes 31~♫

 Before the announcement ended, Kagetsu rocketed out of the shop, disappearing into the crowd. Freya reached for him. But her fingers didn't grasp even the air, since she had no strength in them. 'What did he say?'

The youngest triplet ran and ran all the way to his flat.

'Why?' He gasped in his mind.

'Why did I spurt that out?' He clenched his fingers, cracking the plaster of the building under his touch.

'Why am I such an idiot?'

He dragged himself to the lift. His legs weighed tons, and each step sent pangs right into his brain. His vision blurred. 'Where am I...?' The images kicked in after the ring of the elevator. 'I!'

He swallowed, but his throat remained dry. 'How could I?' He stumbled out, heading toward his room. Inside, he collapsed on his bed. 'Did I just leave her there?'

Papers rustled in his jacket. 'And I didn't give her...' His mind couldn't take it anymore and shut down.

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

Meanwhile, in school, Rigaku arrived alone. 'I wonder what's happening?' The crowd showed sadness at not witnessing Aiyoku's gorgeous, long hair or Kagetsu's muscles. Despite not coming closer, they still goggled at his body.

'Ai said he'll come later because of some errand.' His forehead frowned. 'Errand, huh? But for who?' His strict eyes scanned the classroom, as if searching for a hint. 'And yesterday Ka mentioned going ahead of us, yet he isn't here.'

He eyed the people entering. 'Even Freya-san is late.' Only a minute until the bell rang. He reached for his pencil case, but it slipped from his fingers. He frowned, picking it up. Before the last bell ring, he headed outside of the school, stopping by the gate.

'She wasn't by the lockers, so she hasn't arrived yet.' He waited for about fifteen minutes when he saw her approaching.

He awaited for her to come closer, before speaking to her, "Ohayo gozaimasu, Freya-san, may I have a bit of your time?"

The girl waved in response, tilting her head. 'Wasn't that a way too formal?' She nodded.

He gestured for her to follow him. And they stopped inside the garden, far enough from the main road, so they had privacy.

"I realize this is sudden, and it's alright if you don't want to answer." He adjusted his glasses.

Freya signed to him to get on with it.

"I'm merely wondering if you know what could Ai be up to." Rigaku blinked as he realized he had used his brother's nickname. Something he had never done in front of other people.

"He said he had some errand this morning. I don't mean to pry into his privacy, I'm worried... that I may have failed as the oldest brother." He fidgeted as the last words left his mouth. "That he has no trust in me—"

Freya shook her head. So widely, it caught him off guard, especially when she bumped his chest with her fist. Fishing out her trusted communication notebook, she wrote in a messy style, "He respects you! A lot!"

"You think?" A slight blush found its way on his face, giving off how stupid he felt.

She firmly nodded, her eyes frowning, but her smile assured him she was dead serious. 'He often mentions how he looks up to you.'

She added, "Maybe it's a surprise like a gift."

A mental slap landed on Rigaku's forehead. "Right! I should have figured that out."

"That's okay."

"And have you seen Ka? He had left before us, and I think he wanted to visit you. Yesterday I noticed he had a box with your name tag." This time, he willingly used the nickname, feeling comfortable in her presence.

Freya nodded. "It was a cake. Got smashed in a fight with punks. He invited me for breakfast and buying a new bag. It was damaged." She sighed. The handbag stayed in the corner of her room as she rushed to get her school stuff and change clothes. Despite her best efforts, she arrived late.

Her wrist hurt, so she massaged it for a short while, continuing, "We split." A blush crept on her face. 'Should I add the reason? He kinda panicked.' She rolled her eyes back. 'Did I scare him?'

She wrote more, explaining why they separated.

A silence hugged them.

"So, he said that..." Rigaku pushed up his glasses. "And then he overreacted. That's so much like him."

Freya stretched her neck forward, curious about what he had meant.

"Ka tries to be honest, but it sometimes results in embarrassing moments. I suppose he still has this reaction."

A school bell announced the end of the first period.

"Let's return, but I would like to ask you if you can describe those punks. They could come back to take revenge."

'That's true.'

"I will look into it."

'I guess that can't hurt. They may cause problems for others too.' She nodded, giving him a brief description for each of them.

Meanwhile, on one of the V.I.P. balcony behind the closed door, Aoi Ueno shouted into her mobile phone, "You morons! How could you mess this up?"

"That brat was—"

"I don't care about your sorry excuses!" She paced back and forth. "You had one job! Forget the cash!" She ended the call, throwing her smartphone against the floor. Its display shattered into pieces. But whatever, she could buy a new model every day.

She turned around, standing by the railing, biting her thumb. "That witch! How could she!" It took her several minutes to cool down. "It's obvious the Kamini Brothers favor that ugly Freaka!"

With her mind clearer, she paced calmly. "Could they know about this? No way! But why was Kagetsu-kun there?"

The breeze played with her hair, and she would look beautiful if it wasn't for a deep frown and evil sparks in her eyes.

Ohayo gozaimasu - Good morning