The Golden Pear [YA - Featured]

♫~Notes 87~♫

 A few days had passed, and the beginning of June had come. It was the month of the Summer Festival and preparations for it and tests to follow soon enough. The pressure was crushing everybody's shoulders. Except for Rigaku, who was perfect in every subject.

Freya's mind couldn't clear. Over the last weekend, she introduced Satos to her idea, and they were delighted. Next to spreading the information about their farm, visitors would pay a small fee for the Polaroid photograph to cover the cost and donate what they wanted.

As they helped with horses, they discussed the form, shape, and decorations around the stall. Satos promised to get some flowers and pots, with ribbons for Rocket, who would pose next to Princess. This mare was very old, so Satos took her in, so she wouldn't end up in salami.

However, Freya would put her hand in the fire for the youthful spark in her big eyes. What Princess lost on speed, she gained in graceful movements.

"Freya-chan?" Kagetsu's voice awoke her from her thoughts. "Are you okay? You seemed to be lost."

The girl looked around, finding the classroom empty. She gave them a sheepish smile, as the other brothers waited for her as well.

"Are you nervous about the tests?" Rigaku inquired. "No worries, I'm preparing a study plan to help us all to pass."

'Why I'm not surprised.'

She stood up, and together they headed into the library where Freya helped each week. With the closing tests, she didn't have much time at her hands. However, she would never deny the horses her spare time.

Glancing out of the window, she noticed Ueno going into the garden. 'She really loves those kittens and their mom-cat. Perhaps she isn't that bad as I thought.'

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

Ueno squatted, observing the small kittens wiggle around. Their meowing filled the old hut Ueno turned into a decent place for cats to live in. Blankets laid everywhere with toys buried inside them. The cat food thinned fast, as Taiga needed a lot of food to have milk, but Ueno had enough money to buy anything for them.

Taiga left her kittens and strolled to the girl, purring as she rubbed her soft body against Ueno's legs and hand. She didn't say a thing, only watched those narrowed eyes full of bliss as she patted the cat behind ears.

'Why do I keep coming back?'

This hut hardly reflected the places she would visit. Dirt clung to her uniform every time she came. The stale smell lingered onto her hair until she took a shower.

'Why?'

As if Taiga heard that question, she returned to the nest, took one kitten, and laid it in front of Ueno. Sitting down, Taiga watched the girl's reaction.

A moment of confusion stayed in Ueno's eyes before she reached for the kitten that stood on its wobbly legs, meowing. The softness of the babyfur left her mom's fur in the dust. Electricity filled Ueno's body, giving her a sensation she had never experienced.

"Hi, cutie," she whispered.

The kitten meowed in response, and then it happened. Ueno's eyes shot open as she witnessed a miracle.

The cub's eyes squinted before narrowing until they opened fully. Two gems shone in the dim light, shooing all shadows away.

"You... opened your eyes..." she whispered. "What?" rubbing her cheeks, she smeared dust with tears. "Why?" More tears slid down as she got on her knees as her legs shook.

Maybe she stayed squatting for too long, or the emotions didn't let her heart to settle down. It pumped blood into the furthers corners of her body, awaking it.

Seeing through the watery veil the other cubs, they also opened their eyes one by one. Their wobbly legs allowed them to make only a few steps before they collapsed on their side. However, no matter how many times it had happened, they stood up.

'Not giving up...'

The random thought brought Freya's image to her mind. All the bullying, all the chores she had thrown her way, not even the insults or badmouthing behind her back, crippled her figure. Standing high, never bending her back in front of anyone irritated Ueno to no end.

Yet now, perhaps for the first time, she had noticed a radiating aura around her kouhai. What made her so strong? Why did she keep going forward? Wasn't it better to give up and just transfer? She could study at any other school. Why this one?

"Wait? What?" Ueno's eyes shot open as she noticed the message she had just sent. The receiver was none other than Freya. Panic flooded her system for a few seconds, she had to leap outside the hut, pacing in front of it.

"Idiot! Why did you write it?"

With each step, she calmed down a bit. Perhaps that message wasn't that bad, "How do you name kittens?" So simple, yet no idea filled her mind. Without noticing, she asked her enemy for advice.

'Is she still my enemy? Am I that bored I would hang out with her? How long can this last?'

Would she miss Freya? This was her last year, after all. What university would she attend? Where?

A beep startled her, but it was just a new message, "Give me a minute. Will come. F."

Ueno waited, and when Freya arrived, she said, "That was four minutes."

Freya stuck out her tongue between her pants as she ran here. Small smiles danced across their faces.

Taiga came out and rubbed her body against Freya's legs. The red-haired girl sat down, patting the cat as well. Taiga then led them inside, where she put all the kittens into the nest.

'Wow, there is more stuff than before.' She gave Ueno a quick glance. The older girl tried to express indifference in her face, but her eyes and slightly curved lips gave her away.

Freya dived down as she saw the kittens opened their eyes. 'So cute!' She petted them, and they tried to catch her fingers with their chubby paws, stretching their claws out.

"So?" Ueno asked, leaning against what was left of the door frame.