Kaezi opened the letter to see what's in it. Her face suddenly turned pale and carelessly dropped the paper on the floor.
"What's wrong?". Jeremy and Elisha suddenly got worried.
"N-nothing..". I immediately picked up the letter so as not to let others see the message.
"You should wait for what's next. It won't be the same as yesterday".
The message conveyed for me was a warning.. no, it's a threat. The person who wrote it was aiming at me.
What have I done wrong?!
I don't understand anything anymore.
Kaezi looked at her brother. "We should go to our designated seats".
...
While in class, I was lost in thought. I rolled my pen as my face rested on my palm. The excitement made me smile.
"That's it for today. Review your notes for tomorrow's assessment". The teacher took his things and left.
"Hey!".
There she goes once again. Melody spoke elegantly and her beauty was gleaming more than usual. The entire class was focused on her.
"Claude, accompany me today". She bluntly ordered me just like that. I turned down her offer last time and so does this time.
"I'm sorry. I have lots of things to do". I force myself to smile even though I don't want to.
"Are you still visiting that girl? You do know what happened, right?!". A girl close to Melody Nakamura appeared.
"Please don't say that. It's not what you think. Kaezi Iura is a kind and honest person. She won't do such a thing at all". I keep telling them what's true but they don't seem to believe me.
"Claude is right. Don't talk bad about her!", Melody scolded the class with their negative opinion. She then gave a chuckle to her face.
"...", I didn't respond. I just feel like I don't like it.
Later that day,
It was lunch time and I didn't see Lucy at all. Is she still with the council's vice president? For some reason, I feel uneasy.
"Kaezi Iura, may I sit here?", she asked me for permission pointing out the chair in front of mine.
"Sure".
Elisha Nakajima, one of my classmates. It was our first long conversation a few hours ago and we got to know each other well. She's kinda cute and a bit shorter than me with her pink twin ponytail standing out. I heard she was a great artist and wanted to be a professional one someday. I'd love to make friends with her since I only have my brothers, Lucy, and Claude.
She took a bite of the sandwich she bought. So cute~~ What a sight to behold.
"I see you're doing well making friends".
I noticed that voice and saw him with two boys behind him. One was approachable and noisy and the other was too reserved.
"Hey, there! Nice to meet you".
Kimi said hello and Ian was clinging to Claude's behind.
"Uhm, hello", I smiled back and greeted them.
Claude explained why they were with him. "We wanted to meet his only girl friend and decided to say hello", Ian, the noisy one, grinned.
"Sorry if my friends made you uncomfortable". Claude was embarrassed and apologized.
I shook my head really hard. "No! No! It's fine. Besides, it's fun to have new people to meet".
Elisha agreed. "That's right. The more the merrier. Elisha Nakajima, is my name".
"Kimi Nanamine here, this noisy one here is Ian Osamu".
"Hey, who are you calling noisy?", Ian strongly opposed it.
I can clearly see a bickering duo. How did they get to meet someone who's quiet like Claude.
"Now, now. Don't lock horns here. This is not our classroom". Claude can hardly break this two's squabble.
Elisha and I chuckled as it was entertaining. "Why don't you join us for lunch?". Elisha suggested and the two immediately sat down in a vacant seat.
The desk was put together as one and our chairs around it. It was my very first experience in having so many friends.
Unlike my childhood, it was lonely and only surrounded by my brothers. To think I would experience this, I'm happy enough.
Jeremy silently stares at us.
"I was only out a bit and there's already a rowdy place to come back". Lucy was stunned to see how there's already a lot of us on one side of the area.
"Kaezi… what's going on here?".
Ah. How do I explain this bit by bit? And I feel I need to clear things up here. Sigh~
I told him how it happened and Lucy suddenly jumped at me. "My bestie has finally met new friends!". And now she's crying because she's happy?!
"I was worried you'll be all alone without me. Glad Claude did the job well". She said while wiping the little tears she had.
"Why is it also my job? And I have accomplished it?".
Wait. What job?
"Oh yeah. Did you do the main thing?". She suddenly pushed me aside. Jeremy grabbed my shoulder while I was left clueless… again.
Claude took out some lunch boxes from the bag he's carrying. "It's all well".
Me and all of the others look at it.
"It looks tasty", Elisha said, drooling all over.
"How do you eat this? Is this edible?", Jeremy said. He took some dried pickles. It was actually he's first time seeing it.
"Rich kid", Kimi and Ian said asynchronously. And what's with that reaction? Do you have a problem with it?
Elisha asked, "Are we eating this?". Claude nodded with gleaming eyes to his face.
"Yes, I made a lot". He was expecting for his food to be eaten, nothing else.
"Everyone dig in!", Claude said with an open arms and bright smile.
We have only one thought in mind right now. 'An angel has descended!'. He showed us a sudden halo and bright light that it's blinding.
"I have an idea. Why don't we eat it in that place?!".
"What place?", Elisha asked.
This place!
We stopped under the cherry blossoms. Lucy took the job in preparing blankets for the foods to place.
They talked a lot while I was reminiscing as I stared at the petals of the tree falling out. One landed on my palm and it was a heart shaped petal.
"How do I count this? One or two?". I said joking to myself.
The wind blew so strong that my hair slapped my face.
"Kaezi, let's eat". Elisha said while I was trying to get the hair out of my face.
"Coming!". I ran towards them and put a great smile to my face.
I enjoyed the food he made. Jeremy then started talking with Kimi and Ian. "We should do this often. It's quite fun to eat with lots of friends to hang out", he suggested.
"I second that! There's nothing more greater than spending time with all of you. It was a great time", Lucy added.
While they have some fun talks and lunches, Derris watches them not far from the students council room.
Lewis was emitting great gloominess behind him. "How come they get all the fun with my precious sister while I get to work overtime here?!"
Klein and Derris looked at each other and sighed. Derris pulled him away from the window.
"Stop acting stupid again. You're whining like a baby".
"You'll lose face", Klein said abruptly and shut his mouth with bread.
Hmph. Kaezi is still at her age where she needs friends to hang out with. It's better than being all alone.
Derris looked out to see his sister's cheery smile.
"Come here and get back to work, you idiot". He then pulled Lewis's shirt as he kept whimpering. Klein waved without saying much and got back to eating and savouring the food he had in his arms.
…
*ring ring*
The class is dismissed.
I'm exhausted. To think the professor suddenly gave us a little assessment. My mind needs meditation.
"Kaezi, hurry up or we'll leave you behind".
I stuffed my bag and hurriedly ran towards Elisha and Lucy to catch up with them. We walked through the hallway and checked my phone a bit.
It's 5 pm in the afternoon and tomorrow is the weekend. I don't know what to do since I have nothing to do tomorrow.
"Let's go visit the amusement park. It's nearby here so it's worth it. How about you, Kaezi? Any plans?".
I thought about it. Hmm…
"Can we invite Jeremy and the other boys?".
Besides, I can't go without a family guardian with me and Jeremy is the only one available right now. He doesn't have much to do as I am besides playing games all day.
"It's up to you. I have already informed Kian and Ian".
"Wait, does that mean I'm the only one who doesn't know this?!".
"Claude doesn't know it, either. Kimi and Ian said he left at the afternoon session with his mom".
Huh?! His mom visited and took him away?
"He didn't say anything before that?".
The two shook their heads. They don't seem to know a lot about Claude and he rarely talks about himself. Which means apart from all of us, he hides most secrets.
"So, are you on it?".
"Mm", I agreed to spend some time hanging out with them. I'm a bit reluctant since Claude has no idea about this and he's not here.
"Amusement park?".
"Yes".
"Alright".
"Oh, I see. Thanks".
I ended the call to my twin brother and put my phone aside. I don't have Claude's phone number and forgot to ask him about it.
I lie down and stare at the ceiling. Lucy has not been with me since she went to Elisha's dormitory. I don't know many details but I prefer not to ask. I don't want to pry others' privacy and they won't like it either.
"...".
As expected. It's boring right now. I have nothing to do at all.
Meanwhile, Claude went back to his own dorm. Unlike the girls dormitory, the boys dormitory is one person every one small area inside a room of three people. He can rest assured to keep his secrets as he wants. The bedroom of the three persons room is covered with large furniture and curtains.
He took a receipt and bill out of his bag. He took it to his cabinet where it has keys needed to unlock. Tons of paper like what he holds is in one same place. He put it to safety and locked it in there.
There's also boxes of medicine piling up near his bed and readymade gallons of water.
There's a sudden call from his phone which he doesn't bring with him during class.
"Hello, mom".
"Yes. Am I still going there tomorrow?".
He furrowed his brows and grinned. "I understand. I'll be present there as the schedule says".
"Yes, mom. Don't worry, I'll be fine going there alone".
He put down the phone and his mom ended the line.
He sighed and noticed the hairpin which he has kept for years. Just thinking about its origin, he can't help but smile.
"There's so much I wanted to say to you. I wonder if you'll be able to understand and forgive me… Zi".
…
Saturday morning, Kaezi dresses up casually as Lucy and Elisha are already waiting for her. Kimi and Ian arrived just now and did their best to wear something comfortable.
"Is Claude not with you?", I asked.
They didn't reply as I knew the answer.
Claude did come back yesterday night but he didn't talk to us or reached out to us. None of us have no idea what is going on with him.
I feel suddenly lonely without him even though others are with me.
The two felt pity for me and glanced towards each other. Kimi sighed. He took out his phone and called him.
*toot- toot-*
"Claude?".
I gasped and had a joyful look on my face. Jeremy has arrived and cannot follow through our conversation.
Kimi put down his phone. He looked terribly sorry and said, "He can't come with us. He said.. he has something to get done".
…
Something suddenly weighed down on me. I don't know what it is but I keep seeing the scene where he cheered me up and worried constantly for him since last night.
"I understand".
Elisha pouts her mouth. "Come on. We can't have the fun spoiled with just one person missing?!".
She's right. There's no need to worry since we already have heard from Claude already.
"Let's get out of here", Jeremy added.
…
"Wow!", Lucy and Elisha express their awe after arriving at the amusement park.
"Ladies, please don't get separated from us". Ian said while using his phone.
"There's a lot of people today". Jeremy then looked at Kaezi who was also excited to have fun.
She pulled him to ride the one heck of a rollercoaster.
"You're going to ride something so exciting as a starter?". Jeremy with his pale reaction. His chills envelope his body to the very bones.
"Are you afraid, Jeremy?". Ian and Lucy trying to tease his guts.
"What do you take me for?! I'm not a scaredy cat".
That's one heck of bravery you got there, bro. I'll give you a thumbs up!
Jeremy saw my telepathy and gave me a pale looking weird face. 'It's not funny', it's what his face said.
He may say and put up a brave face but I've known him all my life. He's afraid of heights and doesn't dare to say it. But then he ended up crying after going up somewhere high. What a nostalgic memory it is~
"Come on! Let's play now!". I grabbed his hand and ran towards the rides.
A day like this is best to spend on fun things. We ride tons of rides, Jeremy secretly pukes there every time Elisha and the others occupy themselves with rides. We made an excuse to take a break and console my twin brother as he was exhausted and drained.
"Hang in there", I said with a smug face.
"Are you trying to pity me?!".
"Nope. I'm cheering you on from the bottom of my heart".
"..."
Jeremy gave me a stiff face and breathed heavily. He changed his expression so fast but was still sweating a lot. "Did you have fun?".
"Of course. It's the first time I get to spend this much fun with friends".
I smiled at him and he finally relieved himself from the exhaustion.
-to be continued-