See the thin, red line. That kills coincidences. How fragile it is... Connected Coincidences Feelings possessed the length of her arms to the tips of her fingers, it possessed the whole of her body to the tips if her toes. That was why she could not afford to lose her feelings even if she knew she would lose her humanity in the process. These feelings ran through her body, dictating her every motion, and commanding the awe of her audience by the subtlety of her private dance. And her anger possessed her-- raw, unrestrained rage. Despite the sheer brutality of her performance, one could not help but admire how rehearsed it all seemed... like a kung-fu movie-- all action and eye candy. Of course, anyone who truly knew Kino Makoto would claim that the girl was one hell of a fighter. Simply put. The campus of Juuban High was open and treeless. They had more than enough space to move about, and for the students to gather around in a spacious circle. Makoto, with her school uniform already torn and dirtied, ran through the punks in an impressive display of strength and agility... taking them down one by one, and sometimes two or three of them at the same time. This episode was not something new to the students and teachers. After all, Juuban High was notorious for its number of delinquents and troublemakers who "studied" (and that's putting it mildly) here. So naturally, fights and chaos would often erupt the moment they had enough hellions... or the moment Makoto stepped into the campus. Many bruises and aches later... The tall girl was the only one left standing. Her wavy brown hair, which was normally tied into a pony-tail, now hung freely and unkempt over her shoulders. She spat... Saliva, mixed with blood, stained one of her downed opponents on his discolored cheek. She muttered rudely at no one in particular and walked over to pick up her book bag on the ground. The gathering students near it moved away skittishly. They were too intimidated to have the fierce Amazon come into their proximity. But before she could bend down to grab it, a pair of leather-clad feet came into her view. One of them began to tap impatiently. Wary green eyes slowly trailed along the stocky form, and met those of the teacher's stern, brown ones. “Kino-san." Sawada Tetsuya, a balding and middle-aged, no-nonsense man, rumbled ominously. "Fighting again?" She knew it was useless to make him listen to reason. The man was really just a prejudiced asshole... but she said it anyway, "They started it!" "Really now?" He scoffed and crossed his massive arms over his burly chest. "Just because you are a girl doesn't mean I will treat you any less than a troublemaker." Makoto clenched her fists tightly, which trembled. She fought to keep them on her sides and not give in to the urge to smack the sneer off the other man's face. "Look," she began forcefully, "How could you say I'm the troublemaker? They were all ganging up on me! Should I just stand there and giggle girlishly and let myself get beaten?" Tetsuya did not answer her immediately. Instead, he leveled his gaze over to the assembly of students and asked them, "Who threw the first punch?" There was a hesitant pause before someone who was hidden among the crowd, and sure of his safety because of it, cried out, "Kino-san, sensei." "There... You see?" He turned his head to focus on his wayward student once again. "But--" "Now, you pick up your things and follow me to the Dean's office." He interrupted her, jerking his head towards the school. "To hell with you!" She exclaimed and swooped down to finally grabbed her bag-- slinging it over her shoulder in one swift movement. "I'm out of here!" Then she stormed towards the open gates, ignoring Sawada's angry warnings behind her. It wasn't the smartest thing to do... she knew that. She could get suspended for fighting alone, and not confronting the Dean about it would certainly get her expelled. But her feelings and her pride would not allow her to take much more of this humiliation. 'Damn...' She thought hatefully, and glanced behind her to glare at the bullies who were starting to get up. 'It's all their fault.' Nishikawa and his stupid goons had been on her case since the beginning of the school year. Harassing her, calling her names, picking on her-- they did everything to make her life in Juuban miserable. It was only when she started to fight back did it get worse. She had been targeted by all the stupid and violent morons in Minato ever since. They simply could not allow a girl to dominate them. Makoto still held her baleful gaze over her shoulder, so she did not see a small form walk out from around the corner and inherently blocked her way. She collided with the figure. Legs tangled with legs, before they both lost their balance and fell to the ground with a resounding thud. The brunette groaned and sat up. "What the hell!" She exclaimed, her already wired temper finally snapping. This was the last straw! She jerked her head to face the blockhead responsible for her fall, her mouth open and ready to unleash her fury. But the moment her gaze fell upon the smaller and fragile form of another girl, she could do nothing else but croak. "I-I'm sorry!" The aforementioned girl cried out, both in fright and embarrassment. She was pale, but it was not because of her current disposition-- it was simply her natural coloring. Her boyishly-cut, blue hair had miraculously stayed in place in spite of the collision. Her blue eyes were wide and doleful as it peered up into Makoto's own as if appealing for her mercy. "I didn't watch where I was going. I'm so sorry!" "Erm..." Makoto began awkwardly, "it's okay. I didn't watch where I was going either." She gathered her bag and herself before standing up. She reached down and helped pull the other girl to her feet. "Excuse me..." She muttered before walking away, oblivious to the thoughtful gaze that followed her retreating form. Juuban was not like Mizuno Ami had expected. In fact... It was worse. Seventy-five percent of the student population was loud, rebellious, and noisy. Twenty percent were the ill-fated playthings of these bullies. And the remaining five percent were the lucky few who managed to avoid attention and trouble altogether. Ami had hoped to be one of those lucky few... Unfortunately, the moment she and Makoto crossed paths, she immediately felt the interested scrutiny of everyone present on the campus grounds. She had blushed, had bent her head, and had plowed through the crowd to reach the safety of the school's inner sanctum. Then, she had gone to check in with the Dean, whose name and face were forgettable, before discreetly trying to search for her classroom. And now here she was, in class 1-D, sitting on one of the front row chairs which was nearest to the window. Her head was still bent as she pretended to read something in her book. She tried to ignore the boisterous laughter, the vulgar comments thrown back and forth across the room, and the ear-splitting blare of the boom box that was currently playing a song by some American rock band called Slipknot. 8:19 She counted the seconds... 8:20 'Where is the teacher!' She thought desperately. There was a slam, of fist against table, which caused Ami to jump. "Oi! What kind of yankee crap are you playing!" A boy yelled from somewhere behind her. "Play something nice and hip hop!" "Up yours!" Came the witty retort. Then all hell broke lose. Ami's body was rigid as she remained where she was... She was torn between looking for a safe spot away from the fight, and looking for a way to escape the classroom without catching anyone's attention. But her decision was taken away from her the moment the door was kicked open. A tall, lean boy with short bleached hair, and malicious dark eyes-- stepped inside. Behind him were his band of merry brutes. All four of them sported a few bruises, and black eye or two. Silence suddenly filled the room like a thick fog, but the boom box continued to boom its music against the awkward quietness. The air crackled with tension. Ami quickly tore her eyes away from the young thugs-- the motion catching the attention of the leader. But he did not address her right away. Instead, he drawled to everyone else in the classroom, "Eeeehhh? What's this? You're all having fun without me? What do you think about that? Eh, Endo-kun?" "It's not fair, Aniki!" The boy to his right, a behemoth of a person, continued the flow of the mockery. "We like to have... fun too. Right, Inouye-kun?" "Hell frickin' yeah! Slaughtering you all, that's frickin' fun!" Another cohort cut in, this one the lankiest of them all, his hair standing in green spikes. The palest boy with dreadlocks and multiple-piercing, suddenly lashed out a fist and caught his friend on the chin. "Shaddup, Usui-tako! He was talking to me!" "That frickin' hurt you jerk!" "Shut up!" Their leader whirled around to glare at them, then punched the one called Usui on the top of his head. "Ah hell, Nishikawa-kun! That reaaaally frickin' hurt!" Usui wailed, and scampered behind Endo for protection. Nishikawa turned back around to look at everyone else coldly before making his way to Ami. His friends exchanged smirks before following his cue. The students who occupied some of the seats, which surrounded Ami's, suddenly stumbled out of them. Nishikawa sat directly behind her, Endo sat beside him, Inouye sat to her right, Usui dragged a chair in front of her and straddled it. She was clearly, and utterly surrounded. Ami's hands started to tremble, and she laid them flat against the table's surface to steady them, staring at them-- afraid to look up and acknowledge the dreaded truth that she was prey. "Eeeehhh? What's this? Some blue bird is blocking my view!" Nishikawa exclaimed and put his feet up to rest on top of the chair's back rest. Ami could feel the dirty and course bottom of the bully's shoes pressing against her back. She felt them push against her, forcing her to lean forward. She bit her lower lip, her eyes growing moist in embarrassment. "How am I going to learn all my lessons in class if I can't see the black board?" Nishikawa went on, sighing exaggeratedly. "I think you ought to move all the way at the back, blue bird!" Ami tried to stand, then, "I... I can't." She whimpered. "Why not?" "Y-Your feet. M-maybe if you c-could..." "My feet are comfortable where they are, blue bird." Nishikawa grinned and stretched them out even further-- practically forcing Ami to bend, her nose now inches from the table's surface. "We're so cramped in here! I like to stretch my legs out, you see? You're so small and skinny, I'm sure you can... slip through." His friends laughed cruelly. Usui leaned forward, the chair tilting along with him. His long tongue snaked out to lick his thin lips in a lecherous manner as he tried to peer into the frightened girl's eyes. "I dunno Nishikawa-kun! She's frickin' sexy to me! Totally my type! I especially like 'em when they frickin' cry!" "All girls are your type, you horn dog..." Inouye muttered. Ami whimpered and closed her eyes, her hands curled into fists. She wanted to die. She wanted to die right now. At least something as sudden and permanent as death was better than this prolonged torment and humiliation... She tried to die... She tried to close off all her senses-- the sight, the awareness of sounds, feelings... she tried to pretend she had none. Then she heard it. Her world exploded in lights and color when she suddenly opened her eyes. Her jaw tightened in determination. A sudden sense of calm and courage washed over her as the familiar song the boom box was easing out of its massive speakers was now easing her troubled psyche. Her fists uncurled, her palms once again flat and strong against the wooden surface. She pushed. "Hey! What gives!" Nishikawa exclaimed. The boom box continued to play as Ami stood up, glared down at the other boys, and ran out of the classroom. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. What had she done...? With her little show of defiance, she wasn't sure she was going to be left alone now. 'What am I going to do?' In the city I'm not used to that's full of dirt, I can't laugh the same and I walked with my head down People pass by in a quick pace I ask "have their dreams come true?" But I'm still struggling I want to try living in the present rather than returning to my childhood It's my nature to be a coward If I go to a sunny spot and stretch my arms out, I wonder if I can go beyond the sky that's what I thought The wings I use to fly away are still invisible It's because it's not simple that I can go on living I just picked up a wet puppy and for a while, I laughed so much that tears spilled "I want to be loved, I just want to be loved" is what I said It's no good just to ask for it When I was a child, there were days when I hurt my mom badly I want to change everything I went to a sunny spot and tried holding your hand tightly I will destroy that place, that time, so I can change my life But I really can't express everything that's in my heart It's because it's not simple that I can go on living I went to a sunny spot and spread out my map, but I know... You know... that even the path of doubts can't be helped I can change my life All the days that have passed make up the me that's here now It's because it's not simple that I can go on living "Minako-chan..." "Minako-chan!" The blonde's blood-shot blue eyes fluttered open and regarded her manager sullenly. "What?" The other's darker blue eyes-- which was more aquamarine than blue-- twinkled with amusement. If it wasn't for the fact that Michiru was a serene, polite and professional person... Aino Minako could almost believe the idea that the other woman took great joy in tormenting her. "So grumpy," Michiru clucked her tongue in feigned disapproval; her voice was coy as always, "did you have a late night? "When did I not?" The 15-year-old singer countered tiredly. She groaned and sat up, feeling her back protest against the abuse of sleeping on the stiff, narrow couch for several hours. She really needed to train herself to sleepwalk towards the bedroom or she'd die of a bad back or something. 'Right...' She yawned and tightened the sash around her waist, re-adjusting her silky cream-colored robe so that she looked decent enough for company. "But I was not out partying this time..." She went on in sleepy defense. The young girl ambled her way through the other portion of her spacious and opulent suite to reach her equally luxurious and neglected kitchen. Michiru was not long behind. "It's my best friend; we were talking on the phone most of the night... She's going to study in this crappy school... Joo-something. The poor thing was a nervous wreck." "Mizuno-chan?" Michiru queried, out of graciousness if anything else. She sensed that the blonde needed to talk about the current turn of events. She really did not care about the going-ons of her Talent's personal life... it was not her business. And when it was not her business, she could not allow herself to form any sort of emotional attachment to it. "Yeah..." Minako sighed and started to fix herself some coffee. It was the only thing she knew how to do, really. She did not trust the hotel's room service to make a decent cup of coffee. Coffee was crucial. Coffee was her life. "Ack!" The teenager exclaimed when she caught her reflection, seeing all that unkempt mess on her head on the coffee pot's shiny, glassy surface. "My hair!" Minako also remembered that her hair was equally as important as her perfect cup of coffee. Michiru hid a smile when her younger charge rushed past her, yelling, "Brew the coffee for me!" "Ahh... Routine..." The older woman chuckled to herself and continued prepare the bittersweet concoction for her young charge. She began to hum to herself, conscious of the sound of the shower turning on through the open doorway of her star's room. A full minute did not even pass when she heard Minako's voice reverberate loudly, "Why did she have to choose that school of all places?" Michiru sighed and chided, "You're going to hurt your throat shouting like that. We'll talk when you're done." "Right! Sorry!" The aqua-haired woman sighed again. When Minako came out of her bedroom, fresh, perfectly groomed, and dressed like the trendy pop star that she was-- she was immediately assailed by the delicious aromas of French toast and coffee. She followed the smells towards the kitchen, and saw her diligent manager lay her breakfast down on the table. "Heaven..." She swooned, falling into her chair, the one that faced away from the tall, elegantly designed window behind her. "I don't know what I'll do without you." "Bon appetit." The other woman told her, smiling warmly. She seated herself across from her and watched Minako devour her food happily. "You've already eaten, right?" "Of course, Minako-chan." Michiru answered pleasantly. "My husband would not let me leave the house otherwise." "Hehe, of course..." Minako chuckled knowingly. "You're really dedicated to your work, Kaioh-san. You're so busy taking care of your Stars; you keep forgetting to take care of yourself! Always holing yourself up in the office and whatnot..." She sipped her coffee, frowned, and reached out for the sugar container that was conveniently placed nearby for her. The coffee was always never sweet enough. "Sometimes," she went on absently, "I wonder if you're trying to avoid going home." Minako did not see the older woman shift uncomfortably. "Tell me more about your friend and her new school." Michiru interjected smoothly. "Oh yeah!" The blonde exclaimed, her brows crinkling with worry. "Ami-chan is really smart! She can go to any school she wants! I can't believe she wanted to go to Joo-- that school!" "Is the school that bad?" "Well, according to her, it's a really, really bad place with really, really bad and violent people." Minako grabbed her toast and chomped down on it forcefully. "And she's just a timid and helpless thing without me... I'm really worried, Kaioh-san!" Michiru could not help but empathize with the other girl's worry. But the situation did not make any sense. "Why did she choose to go there then?" "Because it's cheap." Minako pursed her lips together in a grimace of distaste. Not just at the idea of poverty, but also at the fact that such a silly reason would pose such a hindrance to her well-connected friend. "I offered to lend her some money, but that... that..." The blonde blew a frustrated breath. "She's so stubborn!" "I see..." Michiru murmured in understanding. "I really don't understand her sometimes." Minako went on, standing up to pace in front of the window with her faithful cup of coffee in hand. "She had this opportunity to be well-off with her mom, but instead-- she had to go choose and live with her dad. After her parents' divorce, she just changed... I mean, so what if her mom's such a bitch? At least she owns a house and a car!" She shook her head. "I mean, look at me! I have everything! And I'm perfectly happy!" The older woman watched her pace, catching a whisper of emptiness in Minako's vehement tone. 'She knows nothing beyond the happiness of wealth.' She thought, understanding the self-made farce very well. She felt a profound sense of sadness for Minako and herself. The blonde stilled, she pressed her forehead against the cold, crystal pane and stared at the sky. At this vantage point, high above her family-owned hotel building on the 30th floor, one could appreciate the expansive and unobstructed view of the sky. To her, the sky seemed bland and lifeless right now. 'Ami-chan likes to look at the sky...' Minako thought then looked down at her coffee, seeing how black her reflection was against the dark, liquid surface. For one brief moment, she was overcome with loneliness and despair. 'I can't depend on Ami-chan anymore...' She thought darkly. "She's my only, real friend, Kaioh-san..." She whispered. "With her going to that horrid school, I won't see much of her anymore." "You can always visit her, you know?" "You know I can't." Minako stepped away from the window to sip her drink. She closed her eyes and said, as if it were a personal mantra, "I have too much to do. I can't neglect my dream. The moment I do, I will be pushed down into obscurity. In the entertainment business, it's survival of the fittest... I want to be on stage, Kaioh-san... There's nothing like the adoration and love of your fans! On stage, under the spotlight, I matter, I feel like my existence means something!" "Of course,” Michiru replied neutrally, feeling even sadder for Minako. There was a moment of silence. When she realized that the blonde had nothing more to say, she reached out for her purse and took out her silver and sleek, little Personal Digital Assistant. Perhaps a change of topic was necessary. "Minako-chan, do you remember the Benefit I mentioned the other day?" "What benefit?" Minako murmured. She was too immersed in her thoughts to pay attention to what was being said to her as she continued to stare out of the window. "The Hospital Benefit," Michiru reminded patiently and checked the schedule on her organizer, "We promised that you would perform for the sick children in two weeks." This time the blonde did turn around, her eyes wide with dismay; the announcement successfully diverted her from her gloomy musings. "Two weeks? Isn't that too soon?" "Oh no," her manager chuckled, "it's just a Benefit, Minako-chan. We don't need to promote the event to the public as much we usually do. Besides, the Hino Foundation has taken care of all that. Representative Hino and his family will personally attend the event." Minako smiled slightly and sat back down on her chair once again. "The Hino Foundation, eh? And who would've thought that Hino-san had time to play the philanthropic..." "You don't like him?" Michiru looked at her in surprise. "And I didn't know you were into politics." The younger girl bent over slightly as she tittered in laughter. "I was not trying to be sarcastic, and of course I'm NOT into politics! Come on..." She shook her head at the absurdity of the notion. "My father! He likes to have powerful friends." Minako leaned over to Michiru conspiratorially. "It's just that... According to him, Hino Yasujiro-san was personally one of the most uptight and callous person you'd ever get to meet! Politics meant everything to him like Stardom does to me!" The aqua-haired woman tilted her head curiously, keenly sensing something amiss with her Talent's statement. "'Was,' Minako-chan?" "Uh huh,” Minako nodded, "Recently, Hino-san changed. Something about his daughter and an accident... Since then, he has never left the country. Oto-sama said he 'liked him better when he was a bastard' and 'at least he was responsible enough to attend to his duties.'" "Ah yes! I do believe I've seen that on the news last week, the accident I mean. Last I heard the poor girl had amnesia." Michiru shook her head in pity. Minako stared at her cup of coffee again. "It must be scary to lose your memories..." She said, frowning. "I can't imagine waking up one day, not knowing who I am. That'd be the worst!" At the last exclamation, she tilted her head back and expelled a bated breath. 'Then again,' she thought, 'it must be liberating to know nothing, especially about yourself.' "You are going to see her at the Benefit." Her manager added thoughtfully. She craned her neck slightly to look out the window again, seeing everything in an upside-down perspective. The sky, to her, looked a little bluer this way. "What was her name again, Kaioh-san?" R. E. I. C. H. A. N. In red, bold letters... It was the first thing she noticed the moment she woke up-- that and the feeling of something painfully thick and heavy cramping into her skull-- like cotton and cobwebs. Rei-chan... The word seemed foreign to her. How odd... It almost sounded like a name if she said it out loud. "Reichan?" She tried it once, her voice dull and weak of disuse. She decided that it sounded familiar enough to be a name. Her eyes flickered over to the other, smaller words written above it. 'We love you' with a comma on the end. We love you, Reichan... Whoever Reichan was, she must be someone lucky. She tried to get up. The effort was tiring and agonizing but she managed. 'What happened to me?' She thought. She tried to take note of her surroundings and her body's current condition. She was lying in what seemed to be a cot. Other than the colorful banner that she had first laid eyes on, the equally colorful balloons, the yellow daisies and the orange vase that held them on her bedside table-- everything in this small room was painted in all shades of white. Her right arm was held in a cast, and a bandage was tightly wrapped around her head. All in all, she concluded that she was in some sort of hospital and that she was a patient here. 'What happened to me?' She wondered again and felt a sudden sense of dread as she tried to think of an answer. 'Why am I here?' Then... 'W-who am I?' She started when she heard the door click open and she leveled a wary gaze at the man who entered. He was a gray-haired handsome man, but his face was ragged with age and stress lines. His mouth almost seemed to have a permanent grim set to it. But the moment his matching violet eyes met hers, the lips curled upward. "Rei-chan!" He exclaimed, relief flooding his voice. He bustled towards her and grabbed her good hand, wrapping it around both of his as if he were afraid to let go. "I thought... I-- I'm so glad you're awake!" She stared at him blankly for a moment, before she turned her focus towards the door again when she saw another person enter-- this one a woman. Her hair was tied up in a severe bun and she had matching blue eyes that was framed by rectangular eyeglasses. She obviously looked like she was in charge of this place. "Please, Hino-san." The doctor said, a hint of reproach in her polite words. The man, the girl now knew as Hino-san, loosened his grip. "I'm sorry, Mizuno-san." He inhaled shakily then smiled at the incapacitated young girl in front of him. "I'm just so happy to see her awake." She cocked her head slightly at him, her brows furrowing in puzzlement. "Why?" The question obviously gave him pause. "It's because you've been asleep for almost two days, Rei-chan." 'He keeps calling me Rei-chan... Is that my name?' She thought and smiled, feeling some of her worries alleviate at that. "Why?" She asked again. "Why was I asleep for two days," she paused as she tried to recall what the other woman had called him, "Hino-san?" The smile on the man's face fell, and he quickly exchanged worried looks with the doctor who quickly scribbled something on her medical dossier. "What was the last thing you remember, Rei-chan?" He asked instead, and that grim, unreadable line returned to his mouth with practiced ease. "I..." She began, and tried to remember. Suddenly, she had the urge to rub her head. For some reason, her mind... tickled. It was as if the answer was trying to claw its way up into consciousness but was too weak to tear through the hazy barrier of forgetfulness. The whole thing bothered her. "I don't know..." In that instant, she saw the man's face crumble. But before she could express her apologies for saying something that might've saddened him-- she suddenly found herself being engulfed in a suffocating hug. "I'm so sorry, Rei-chan. I promise, I'll be here for you this time. I'll never abandon you again!" The vehemence of his words both frightened and reassured her. 'Who is he to say such things?' She thought, bewildered, as she tried to push him away. The doctor cleared her throat and put a firm hand on his shoulder. "Hino-san-- no, Yasujiro-san, my friend... Please. You're stressing the patient." Yasujiro stood up and whirled around to face her, his face twisting angrily. "She is my daughter!" He yelled as if the statement were all the reason she needed. "Rei-chan does not need to witness any of your emotional outbursts, Yasujiro-san." Doctor Mizuno chastised him sternly. "Both her mind and her body need to heal properly. And in order to do that, I suggest that you cooperate with me." She brought her clipboard up and examined the notes she made, a gesture to stall and to dismiss any future argument. "I am the best doctor in the field. I know what I'm doing." Yasujiro bit his lip before glancing at his daughter once again. "Can I talk to you outside then, Kaori-san?" He asked quietly, to which the other woman agreed. Rei watched them leave and gingerly lay back down on the bed. All strength left her. She was even more befuddled than ever. Nothing the adults said made sense, and she was too drained to bother deciphering their confusing words. 'What the heck is going on?' +Author's Note+ The song you found in the middle of the chapter is called Life and belongs to YUI. I love it! If anyone wants a link of the mp3, just email me... Any kind of constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated. Flames? Eh... Well... I'm open to them too. It only proves to show that the more you hate me, the more this fic is being read. Haha :P Seriously, I like talking with people so hook me up. I took creative liberites on naming the girls' parents. I could research about what their real names are, but I'm too lazy. Aniki means big brother. It doesn't necessarily mean they are related though. The "-tako" suffix is added to someone's name when you wanted to refer to them as a stupid jerk. But the literal meaning is octopus.
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