"I'll stay." I spoke with such confidence. That sounded confident I think? I just mimicked how one of my classmates spoke one time.
"Oh," Xyla uttered. She stood up, taking her empty cup to the sink. "I see, didn't expect you to have an answer that quickly. You mustn't decide so recklessly though. Are you su-"
"Yes."
"You didn't let me finish." Xyla looked annoyed as she walked back towards the chair and sat in front of me. "Whatever... Do you know how to defend yourself?"
"Yes."
"Oh wait that's a dumb question, didn't I just give you a knife? Be careful with that by the way. If you cut yourself even just a little then that's not my fault," She remembered, but I'm not sure if what I did was proper self defense.
I only mimicked things I have seen and performed the movements. The reason I can probably do it is because I have never felt real fear, hence I don't hesitate with my movements.
"Still." Xyla's voice spoke in a concerned manner. "I don't think you should get involved with this for now. You see, you're too fragile. Too special. I don't know how to explain but you should be the one protected, not the one going head on."
"What do you mean?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion, chin propped up on my hands. "I can certainly protect myself. I don't know what you're talking about me being.. fragile? Special and being 'someone to be protected?" I seem to have 'snapped', but why? Nevermind, continue on. It's better to express my thoughts right now.
"I'm not saying you're weak but I just meant that you're too important right now to get involved further."
"You're being like Kaed-"
"Exactly." She cut off, then clapped her hands at the same time.
"Kaede... I'm not sure who he is to you but he's definitely important. If you get into a bad situation, heck if you get into a situation where you're in the risk of death waiting up your ass. How do you think will he react? Happy?"
Thinking about it again, she's right. That decision was very impulsive.
She gave me a choice if I wanna go head on or not but not she's telling me this? She does have a point but that just seems weird. Still... I really am being too impulsive.
...
"I doubt Kaede cares much about me." I closed my eyes and tried to shut down any thoughts. I felt like I needed a break.
"If you really think that, then you're dumb."
I opened my eyes again and looked directly at Xyla. I never thought that she could wear this kind of expression and tone of voice.
She said that sentence just now with such an abrasive tone, wearing an indescribable expression.
"If you think that he doesn't care about you, then you don't know him enough.
You're being very immature and uncaring, both with your choices and your thought process." She lectured, then stood up from where she was sitting. I understand.
Do I really?
"Come back here when you actually racked your brains out," Her stern, serious voice turned concerned and soft again. "Hey, I'm not being mean, or against your decision. It's just that... I want you to know the danger of what you're going to be involved in if you did so." Xyla added then left the room through the door that leads to the actual store.
I'm left here, sitting at a table with barely anything but a cat sleeping peacefully near a cup of coffee that has gone cold.
"I see."
But do I really?
Did I actually understand everything she just said? Do I even understand my choices? Have all the things I've been doing wrong?
I stood up, woke Kade up and put her back onto my jacket's pocket. I walked out of the back door and walked out the streets.
A cold, wet breeze washed my face softly as I took my sixteenth step. It just rained. I sat down on a bench and felt my rear get wet. Hmm... of course the bench is wet. Like I thought, it just rained.
Wrong choice. Another wrong choice. One after another. My head has started aching just because of all the thinking.
I looked forward towards the moon, it has fulfilled its duty as the light of the night. The sun, already planning to rise and start another day.
The crescent moon reminds me of Kaede a little since he's very mysterious. The moon, despite one giving light can still hide things that should be kept a secret at night.
Do I really know Kaede enough? Him, who I've been observing all my life since I woke up in the hospital. Was that 'kaede' up until now not his true self?
Enough with these thoughts.
I stood up and continued walking, planning to come back to my apartment. It has been a few hours since the 'visit' so I'm pretty sure they've already left. I sure hope that this decision is right.
When I arrived, I took a bath then packed my stuff in my luggage. I should leave this place. Even just me being back here in this place is dangerous enough.
I don't have a place to stay right now. And I can't ask Kaede to let me stay either, since I'm pretty sure if I did ask him then he would definitely agree without asking.
Even so, I don't want him to get even more involved with everything I've been caught in. If I get too near or close to anyone, especially Kaede. They'll also get involved.
Even if a Yakuza group is out to kill me and I just came back to my apartment that has obvious gun shots up the walls, I still need to look good and prettied up I guess.
Xyla would be proud.
I wore Kaede's black yet almost see through compression shirt and white loose pants just like before. I've decided that this will always be my outfit when it's mentoring day. The shoes.. I guess I'll just wear this one.
I reached for the set of shoes on my second luggage. The first one is personal items while the other is full of clothing Xyla gave me.
A black kind of shoe... that I don't know what's called but the only noticeable thing is the heel. I'll take it off later anyway when I wear my figure skates that I have on my luggage.
With both hands occupied by carrying pieces of luggage, I got ready to leave when I suddenly heard a meow.
Meow
Oh.
I looked back at Kade who seemed like she just woke up from sleeping on the bed. I quickly approached her and patted her which she liked. Then made her sit on top of one of my luggage.
"I'm sorry if I almost forgot about you."
Of course she didn't understand me so she just stared at my face intently. Probably confused with how I acted.
I already reserved a room in a hotel nearby and already paid through online for about two weeks worth. I think that would be enough time for me to do some stuff.
When I finally arrived at the hotel, I quickly checked in and sneaked Kade inside. I'm not sure if they allow pets here but I didn't bother asking since they may get wary of me. I gave her food then left the room as to not be late.
⁰-⁰
"Earth to little snow."
"Oh." I came back to my senses as a familiar voice called out for me. I've been in a daze all the time since.. forever. Nothing's still changed I guess, but right now I'm sure it's because I didn't sleep.
"In a daze again are we? Did you get enough sleep?" Yua asked me as she sat beside me who was sitting on the sidelines.
"I thought that Ms. Celene is teaching you your part choreography first?" I asked as I checked my phone for the time. I have certainly been in a deep daze alright.. thirty minutes have already passed and I didn't even notice it.
"Yes, already taught me about.. um, half of a half of the whole thing." She happily said while wearing a silly smile.
"You mean a quarter?"
"Anywayyyyy," She stood up and shushed my mouth with one of her fingers. "Ms. Celene's calling you now.. goodluck, she'll explain what we'll do to you herself." She then held out a hand for me which I accepted to stand up. I nodded at her and she smiled back.
I was already wearing my skates while I was sitting so I'm good to go. I entered the ice rink, that's still as cool and smooth looking even though it already has scratches because of us.
I quickly skated towards Ms. Celene who is currently sitting down in an Indian sit with her eyes closed.
"Miss."
With just one word to call for her, she instantly opened her eyes and smiled. She's in a good mood today.
"You might be thinking that I seem to be in a good mood today... And yes! I am!" Ms. Celene suddenly said with such enthusiasm. So much so that she might as well be the emotion Joy from inside out. "Hehe.. you won't expect what we'll do." She said with a smug look.
I kind of did.. but I should just act like I didn't see them practicing all this time.
"You'd be fighting each other," She said as she finally showed forward what she has been hiding behind her back since she stood up.
That explains the props Yua was holding. Ms. Celene then showed me a small wooden knife and a gun? No, it's actually just a toy.
"I choreographed this based on my favourite action movies! Of course you'd still be figure skating so It's not just purely fighting, it's a duet between you and Yua after all. But yet again, you're fighting." She then handed me the props.
"It has only been a few days since our first practice. Ms. Celene do you think I can do it?" I asked.
"You already know the basics from what I've observed and what Yua told me. Don't worry much about it, after all the tricks and movements you'd be performing isn't really what you usually see in actual performances. This choreography is perfectly made just for you, since you're very good with your jumps, balance and flexibility. Oh, also actually let me borrow those for a moment," She took the props from me, gave me a smile and moved away from me a to get some space.
I moved away too. "Look at me carefully. I'm not expecting you to learn all of this, your parts in just one go okay? I'll teach you step by step."
When she stopped talking, silence filled the environment. Not a sound from Yua, who I can see far away in the sidelines, from me or from Ms. Celene.
She started by posing in an elegant way and then..
Whish
Ms. Celene ducked down into a split as she slid forward then stood up while skating around, posing with her hands.
Quickly, as she moved, she turned her back and.. attempted a Salchow jump followed by a Triple Salchow, a Loop jump then a Toe loop, after a few seconds. I noticed that she changed these basic moves a little though, from the way it's executed to how fast or slow it should be.
Making it look like she seems to be dodging things, like a bullet while one just kept on dancing not caring about anything.
Then suddenly her expression that was just soft, unfeeling and cold turned serious, brows furrowed. Her whole mood changed and so too her manner and moves, as if getting ready to fight back.
Her dance, this dance that she choreographed especially for me. For both Yua and me.
It was elegant, beautiful, gorgeous. The flexibility she performed. Her look and the way her body moves. The emotions she conveyed through the dance.
I'm not sure if I could perform it as well as her though. After all, I can't feel emotions. How am I even gonna express them?
She finished the dance that which lasted about three minutes. Three minutes of total perfection. For me that is since I liked the concept of fighting while performing.
She posed one last time, stopping a few meters away from me. Panting, sweating yet she still had the energy to show me a proud smile.
Clap clap
It's perfect, especially the last part before the ending pose. Where It looked like I needed to glide across the whole rink.
One foot on the ground as I move, while the other up in the air. My eyes, closed with a peaceful expression. Welcoming the air, the breeze which crashes into my entire body. My arms, stretched out on my sides
It was beautiful.
I turned to Yua, who's sitting on the sidelines clapping. I clapped with her too.
"Ahhh!! That was great!" She yelled out.
"Little snow," Ms. Celene's voice called out, I turned back towards her and she's already in front of me, wiping her face with a towel. "What did you think? Yours are much harder to choreograph you know, and much harder to perform than Yua's. Can you do it?" She said in a tone, as if she was trying to tease me.
"It was beautiful." She looked shocked for a moment with my answer but maintained her smile. Her overflowing happiness might not be shown much through her face but her eyes are already tearing up a bit. "The moves looked so flexible."
"Oh yes, your body is very flexible so I think you can do it. Hehe, after all I'm the one that would teach you so like again, worries away- away." She gestured like she's shooing something away. "I can see your talent Hibiki. Don't waste it."
"Thank you." I don't really know what else to say since my mind's still stuck thinking about her performance, so I just thanked her. Thanks for the choreography, the compliment and most importantly that she became my mentor.
"Now then. Let's start!"