8- After storm...
Tuesday was
one of Denchu’s favorite because she started at 10 in the morning with
two hours of sport, then the afternoon was dedicated to fieldwork with her
favourite teacher: Mr Gourdan.
But that day was a damned one, because not only her score was bad during the
athleticism, but Mr Gourdan wasn’t back from his illness.
That was why Denchu dragged her feet to go to the laboratory; moreover she
didn’t prepare her exercise for the concoction of the day.
Her only consolation prize was that she didn’t have to be subjected
to Takeshi’s tongue-lashing: she woke up at seven to go the study room,
what excused her from breakfasting with Takeshi and the others.
Moreover, the sports lessons weren’t coeducational, so no over distractions,
what didn’t prevent her from failing her exam. I won’t have
to support him during fieldwork, Denchu thought, because placement was
free.
- Start
your concoction the way it was indicated in your manual, and with the measures
you found in the exercise you had to do for today, and I hope that everybody
did it! The teacher said with her nasty voice.
- Soojin, what were the measures of the exercise? Denchu murmured to Soojin.
- Well, I hope you did the exercise… Soojin was worried.
- Ok, don’t worry, I’ll ask to our fellows.
But Denchu barely asked to Merilu the results that Teacher Takchikawa cracked her book in the table:
- CHATTERING
IS NOT NECESSARY!
- I only asked a handkerchief for… Denchu tried to explain.
- You don’t have your own effects in addition?! Come here to correct
the exercise! She shouted her hoarse.
Denchu,
who weren’t used to be exposed in public such a way, was red-faced.
Moreover Takeshi was fixing her – like the others – but he didn’t
express a contentment feeling, like she would have thought. On the contrary,
he seemed worried about what would happened to her. Why is he doing such
a face, it’s ok, I’m not made of glass!
The shrewish teacher placed Denchu in front of the class and asked her to
start the preparation.
- I didn’t
do the exercise… Denchu confessed, lowering her head.
- Excuse-me? And look me in the eyes when you speak to me! The teacher got
angry.
Denchu turned her head toward her teacher and her expression changed suddenly.
- It’s you!! Teacher’s voice got hoarse.
Her lips
stretched to become a thin and long line across her face and her eyes changed
into snake’s one. The teacher was changing in front of the pupils, when
suddenly, a tentacle got out of her white coat to catch Denchu’s neck.
Pupils were terrified and rushed at the emergency exit at the bottom of the
class, leaving Denchu alone wrestling with the monster.
Yeah, go ahead, go away so that I can transform! Denchu hopped, half
breathing and suffocating under the violent grip of the devil.
The young lady succeeded to take out her make-up pen, but the devil spun around
her prey, to squash it against the wall, what leaded Denchu to let drop her
only way to release her power. No, no!
The young lady was panicked, she couldn’t slacken the tentacles that
strangled her. She was on the point to give up when Takeshi dashed over the
tentacles and ripped it up. The substance – what should have been blood
– flowed over the young man shoulder and burnt him. Acidic!
He raged.
Denchu caught her breath and throw away the inert thing that gripped her neck.
- TAKESHI, BEWARE!! Denchu yelled to the young boy who took his attention out on his burn.
Takeshi didn’t see it coming and another tentacle linked him to the monster.
- That’s it; give me all of your energy!
Takeshi started to be attracted toward the monster mouth that became larger
and larger. Denchu rushed to help the young men, but a tentacle stopped her.
That’s when Takeshi noticed Denchu’s pen, not far from the monster.
He expedited the monster job by getting nearer of it and took it over to launch
it at Denchu.
- HURRY-UP AND TRANSFORM! Takeshi shouted to Denchu, while hooking at the platform, to slow down the pull.
Denchu transformed for the first time in front of Takeshi
who fixed her: the blinding lightning enveloped the naked body of the young
lady and free her power to respond to the monster. The lightnings she threw
went right on the demon which let go Takeshi on the corner of the platform.
The young man couldn’t get off the ground.
Another lightning salvo came, powerful, concentrated on the demon’s
head that achieve it outright.
Denchu examined the lab, empty. Some bottles left on the Bunsen burner let
appear some disgusting brown mixtures with foul odour. Then, looking that
Takeshi didn’t move, she dashed on him, knelt down and put his head
on her knees.
A little blood filet was flowing out of his forehead, but he was breathing
normally.
- Thanks…
Denchu murmured.
- Mmmh, you’re welcome… Takeshi let out.
- And excuse-me for loosing my temper that often! I found what you did very
brave.
- For what? Saving your life? Oooh my head, it hurts! Takeshi got off the
ground painfully, his hand on his forehead, and stayed sit in front of Denchu.
- Not only… For not bearing a grudge against me… I don’t
know if I would have done the same, I think I would have let you bootstrapping
with the devil to swallow your pride, and maybe, after, I would have reacted…
I really have a bad temper! Denchu confessed.
- You would have let me alone with this monster?
- I don’t know, I guess, yes…
- You know, at the beginning, I was wondering myself if I must react or not,
I didn’t want you to be hold it against me once again, I didn’t
want to steal your victory, but seeing you in trouble, I…
- Here, take the aspirin! Denchu cut him, raising the blister pack. I always
have one on me, just in case! She said, red by her confessions.
- Oh, thank you, it will be useful, I think! And what will we say to the pupils?
- It’s Kaho who is in charged of those matters, I think she erased their
memories with Toya.
- And what is Kaho’s ability?
- I don’t know… With her help, our powers develop and get more
powerful. She improves our mental abilities, but she can do nothing more than
taking care of our education.
Denchu helped Takeshi to get off the ground and accompany
him to the sick room where she left him under the supervision of the nurses
who asked a lot of question to know where and when he got this injury.
The young lady where happy that Takeshi changed the course of conversation,
but what she made her happier – even if she would never admit it –
was the fact that she could speak to him again, without any rancour.
- All things
considered, I think Tuesday will stay my favourite day! Denchu said on her
way back.
~*~
- So, what
did you say as an excuse? Toya asked to Takeshi who displayed a wonderful
Mickey Mouse plaster.
- That there was a scum gang in front of the school who wanted to pinch my
stuff, and I valiantly defend me against them.
- You didn’t say the hold you’ve done? It could have been an epic
story: the knight with the Mickey Mouse plaster! Deshi made fun of him.
- Easy, easy, they only have that in stock! At least it’s not an important
injury… And they liked the story I told! Takeshi stood up for him.
- And you only won a ridiculous plaster! Deshi schemed.
- What are you talking about? Kasumi asked while she arrived.
- The way Takeshi won the hearts of… Deshi started when Toya interrupted
her with a jog.
- … Nurses! Toya continued.
Denchu just came and welcome everyone. She went to the mini-market near the boarding-school and her arms were full of bags.
- Did you
buy the Nutella? Deshi asked with enthusiasm.
- Didn’t have time… It was closing and I just took the necessary,
Denchu answered.
- But how can you forget that Nutella is Deshi’s survival kit? Toya
asked calmly, helping Denchu with the bags.
Deshi started to unpack the shopping and put away, helped with Takeshi who casted glances at the one who forgave him. The sun gave some orange pitch to the kitchen and wrapped Denchu of a heavenly halo: her hair looked like gold yarn, and the sun ray who went directly into her eyes outlined her brilliance, letting appear some gold nugget that warmed up her glacial look.
- Takeshi, are you aware of what you’re doing?
Takeshi were interrupted in his reverie by Deshi, stunned, who were looking at him putting the yoghourts in the cutlery drawer.
- It’s
normal that it don’t close! Don’t insist, you’ll…
Oooh, I understand! You’ve got something to tell me! Deshi betted.
- And if she told you something, would you tell me?
- Just worry about putting away the yoghourts were they belong, she just added.
Kasumi was unloading the dish-washer, helped by Satoshi.
She didn’t get the outcome of what she assisted the day before, but
it seemed that everything went right. She found Takeshi thoughtful –
as usual – and tender with Denchu, since they got in the boarding school.
The ginger didn't hope as much from Satoshi, but she hoped that his power
could help him to reach maturity so that he stopped see her as a "nuisance".
Satoshi, in his side, tried to catch her friend's look, and he succeeded not
long after:
- Observe how Denchu looks at Takeshi! He muttered, pretending putting a plate in place near Kasumi.
Kasumi observed Denchu’s look who seemed to be shy and worried. When Takeshi turned his head toward the young lady, she hurried to look away from him and to look at the empty bag on the table.
- What
happened today to you, boys?! Satoshi, you’re putting in place the plate
in the condiment cupboard! Deshi filled with consternation.
- Er, oh yes, the place has changed! Satoshi smiled stupidly.
- … Ok, ok! You won! Go and play to Zelda, I’ll take care of it!
Deshi said.
- Yeah, thanks, but I need Kasumi for that: she is my official wingman.
- Allright, so… Kasumi, go with Satoshi to play to the Nintendo! Deshi
blowed.
~*~
- At last,
Takeshi get along quite well, Deshi said to Toya.
- Yes, he succeeded to change her mind to his person. It’s kind of a
feat!
- If I could do the same with you, Deshi was ironic.
- Yes, but it’s not the same with me…
- Why not? Both of you have the same bad temper!
- Correction: Denchu has a bad temper, I…am mysterious, Toya said, with
this nonchalance air that Deshi burned for.
- Humpf… You’re quite presumptuous, Deshi grumbled with red on
her cheeks.
- Oh really? Toya asked.
While he was saying that, he came closer to the young lady, indulging his brown and dark eyes in Deshi’s. She felt her heart beat wildly. She wanted to break away and she knew he would never go that far, but she couldn’t move, hoping that he would swallow his ego and offer her a second of dream. Toya was now very close.
- It’s
funny, those red in your cheeks… Is it shyness or embarrassment? Toya
asked softly.
- I… no… It’s…
- Toya?
The young man stood up abruptly, Kaho stood behind those people.
- I’m
sorry to interrupt, she apologized, but Toya did you forget our last session?
- Er… yes, sorry, the young men mumbled. I’m coming right away.
Deshi was
looking at them going away, feeling a twinge of sadness. She was obviously
the only person who didn’t like Kaho in this boarding school.
“I’m sorry to interrupt”, you, fucking liar! You stole
me Toya each time we share a pseudo closeness moment, Deshi was enraged.
It wasn’t that difficult to understand Deshi’s feelings for Toya.
Since they knew each other, at age of five, Deshi had completely fallen in
love with his unreachable charism. And even if nothing happened between them,
she secretly hoped that she fancied him.
~*~
When Toya came back of his session, he had a serious look.
- What
happened? Takeshi asked.
- During the session with Kaho, we had a vision while we were concentrated
on the monarchs… Toya was getting darker when he talked.
“- We had”, gnagnagna… Deshi was exasperated.
- Shh… It can be important! Denchu informed her.
- We saw the city… entirely devastated… Evils invade it, and only
a few of us survived. We weren’t all there, Toya explained insistently,
looking gravely Denchu and Deshi. Then I saw an explosure, and then nothing.
- What did Kaho say? Deshi asked, shuddering a few because of Toya’s
words, but also because of the intensity of his look.
- That we had to find the monarchs as soon as possible because in this vision,
we didn’t find them so we couldn’t awaken their power: they died
before they could do anything.
- You saw the monarchs dying? Kasumi asked.
- No, it was Kaho’s assumption. According to her, only the monarchs
can save us, but we have to find them, otherwise… You know then what
would happen.
Everybody was shocked by this news: none of us continued
what they started. They thought about the solution that could bring them to
the monarchs, to the hope of a life without any fear of an uncertain end.
When she saw the sad look of Toya, Deshi couldn’t resist to come closer,
to reassure him, but when he saw her move, he avoided her and retired from
the room.
Is it because he saw me dying? She tried to comfort her in any way from the
disinterest of Toya toward her.
- He is awkward; he couldn’t say a word to reassure you.
Deshi turned toward Denchu who find the right word so that she can retrieve her smile.
- So, haven’t we some purchases to put in place? Deshi asked wit a smile on her lips, but misted over eyes. Oh gosh! It seems that lunch’s onions have impregnated walls… How strong they are!
Takeshi turned toward Denchu to end up with the same conclusion, but Denchu only glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, making sure that he understood the difficulties that her friend had with Toya, and protecting herself from her weakness.
- So, if
I sum up the situation: we have to find the monarchs to awaken their power
so that Earth will be saved from the evil… And we are the keys for each
monarch? Satoshi said.
- And once we retrieve them, what would happen to us?
- We will give our power into their hands, because we only are their messengers,
Denchu answered calmly.
- And we’ll continue to protect them, Deshi said, passing her hand full
of water on her face, so that the last tears disappeared.
- We… we could die for them? Kasumi was worried. I mean, aren’t
we anything else than their bodyguards?
- Don’t you think that it’s beautiful, Kasumi? To die to save
the messiahs who will save the world from a mesphistophelian destruction...
Deshi interfered evasively.
Kasumi put her head down, her body was agitating convulsively...
- NOOOOOO!! YOU... YOU LIED TO ME! I won't! I won'tbe cannon fonder, I won't end up like this!! I don't want those power anymore, give it to someone who'll be smart enough to have it!
It was
the first time that Kasumi would give up. Indeed, the fact that evils could
take human shape and attack to any moment had thrown her into a panic and
had broken the serenity that surrounded her.
However, she had to face powerful evils and unusual situations since the beginning,
but she trusted their abilities to make it through and Toya’s prediction
just shook her belief.
Satoshi always knew Kasumi as a tenacious and confident girl. He was now aware
of her frailty and her sensibility. Indeed, as she travelled with two boys,
the young lady had to show her temper to be heard and listened: she had to
override her friends biting remarks, specially the one from Satoshi for who
she had strong feelings.
Getting
conscious of what she just said, Kasumi had only one alternative to protect
herself against her friend’s disappointment… To flee!