Technostar: Palettes
“They’re closing in… the hurdles are there in the horizon of fate… waiting for the chance…”
Riko was humming as she walked her way to the school that morning. She sang along the piano piece her sister gave her before. As she focused her vision up, she caught a glimpse of someone she knew. The girl there was seemingly playing with her phone while she didn’t look at the road she stepped on. Surely, that said girl then unconsciously missed her step and fell with her face met the ground. Groaning soon echoed.
“Yoshiko-chan, are you okay?” worried Riko as she arrived near Yoshiko
“…Ah, Riko? Yeah, I’m fine.” Riko lend her hand “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Riko helped the girl stood up and they continued together to their class. After a while, Yoshiko noticed that the golden eyes girl was fidgeting a bit
“Huh? What’s up, Riko?” confused Yoshiko
“Ah, it’s nothing important, really. I-I was just curious about why did you ran so fast yesterday, that’s all…” Riko slowly turned to be similar to her older sister
“Yesterday? Ah, that one, huh? I was helping my aunt with groceries.” Riko took it that Umi was telling her the truth yesterday. Continuing a bit of their conversation, they then arrived at the class
The class is starting. Riko focused her sight onto the front even though she knew and surely felt the stare she got from the one beside her. “What is Yoshiko-chan doing?” “Is there something on my face?” thoughts kept on popping inside her mind but Riko still tried on focusing herself to the lesson. Well, she was also a bit happy that Yoshiko stared at her, though she didn’t know why.
That was the first trigger…
It was a pure admiration. Riko thought that it must be what defined the feeling she had inside this time. It was different from the affection she had for her parents and sister. It was more ambitious, more greedy, more thirsty, like there’s nothing that could satisfy this certain lack except this one existence. And that existence is none other than the girl who stared at her right now.
The way the blue haired girl helped her yesterday was really cool. She felt like her feet was swept away, unable to stand on her own, as if wanting to be held by that same girl. The warmth she got when her hand was being held by this certain girl surely was something she would gladly enjoy all her life. But…, what is this feeling again?
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The school ended. Students ran out from the class, some went to their respective clubs, some went directly to the school gate. Yoshiko? She was neither. There’s something that she felt a little bit today. She didn’t felt it yesterday but she felt it today. Why? She didn’t know. It wasn’t the first time she touched the redhair. But still, the feeling she got when Riko held her hand was something she never felt before. There’s something wrong here. Confused with the emotions unknown to her, she decided to went back home since there’s no use thinking about it in school and asking about it to the redhair is out of question, of course.
The thumping she had yesterday must be a lie. There’s no way she would finally felt what people said as love. Yoshiko, a girl who’s just 16 years old surely was not old enough to feel such complicated feeling like the one described in the book she read just now. Just how could she fell in love with someone she didn’t really know? There’s no way. However, there’s also a love in the first sight?? Hmmmmm… but she didn’t felt it coming at all when they met at the first time. Late-bloom? Might be, but still…
Then an idea came to mind. What about she went out of her way to confirm this feeling of hers? Yoshiko proceed to read the book more thoroughly this time. There, she found an answer. This is it. This is the one that she had to do. Now, all she had to do is to call her cousin…
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Maki had finally finished writing down her assignment and her back sure was getting a little bit sore. The tongue was also felt lacking a little bit sweetness. Her thought then went to the refrigerator which contained the tomatoes she bought this afternoon. Humming, Maki went to the kitchen before she was stopped by the ringing of Umi’s phone.
“Umi, your phone is ringing.” Shouted Maki to the girl who took a bath right now
“Who is it?”
“It’s Yoshiko. She called you twice already. Should I answer it for you?”
“Thanks, please do.”
Maki then answered the phone and greeted the girl in Japan “Hello.”
“Hello…, Maki-san? Is Umi-nee there with you?”
“Yes, but she’s still in bath. I don’t think she would finish soon. So, what’s up? Is there anything you wanted to ask her for?”
“Ah, no. Actually, it would be better if I ask you, Maki-san…” Yoshiko sounded a little bit nervous
“Me? Sure. Go ahead.” Firm answer as always
“T-The thing is…, I was reading this one book…” Yoshiko held her breath
“Then…?” Maki waited for the continuation
“W-Well, at first I was confused about the feeling I got whenever I’m with Riko or whenever I’m thinking about her. Then, the book told me that I might be falling in love…” Yoshiko’s beet red
Maki was a little bit shocked but she didn’t let it known by the other side of the call “Continue.”
“S-S-So, it says that I can prove it by giving her something she really loved. It also says if the person happily accept it and I felt that strange feeling again, then that is love.” Yoshiko concluded her explanation
“Okay, so you wanted to ask me about things Riko love, is that right…?”
“Y-Yes…”
“Well, since I trust you being you’re Umi’s cousin I will answer your question.” Yoshiko felt relief at the confirmation she got from Maki “Hmmmmmmm… Well, for starters, Riko loves piano. Maybe not just piano. She also loves viola and classical music. For food, I think she loves sandwich the most. I think that’s all I know…?”
“T-T-That’s more than enough, Maki-san! Thanks for telling me, Maki-san!!” Yoshiko felt so happy
“W-Well, it’s nothing really…” Maki felt a little bit embarrassed since the younger girl thanked her full force “However, remember this, Yoshiko.”
“Yes, what is it, Maki-san?”
“I don’t oppose if you got together with Riko or if you didn’t even have that intention as long as you didn’t make her cry. Remember that, okay? If I got the news that she cried because of you…, well, you’d better avoid that, okay?”
”Yes, Maki-san.” All that Yoshiko could muttered before Maki hung up the phone since she saw that Umi might soon finished her bath. Surely, the girl then showed up from the bath and asked about the conversation Maki had with her cousin. Maki, however, didn’t let Umi know, thinking that it’s a payback for yesterday. Well, it’s also to make things interesting if Umi found out later.
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“Now, what should I get for Riko?”
“A keyboard? No way. That’s too expensive. Not that piano is any better in that factor, too.”
“A keychain of piano? Isn’t it too plain?”
“C’mon, Yoshiko. You’re better than this. You must find the right gift for her, something that she would really like or it’ll not work.”
“Without the right present you will never find out whether this feeling is love or not, Yoshiko!!!”
“Wait a moment. Isn’t it strange for me to suddenly give her a present?”
“She might think I’m some kind of weirdo, right?”
“What should I do?”
Yoshiko’s mind is in serious confusion. It was the first time she gave so much thought about someone more than her family. Never before she felt the urge to do things to this extent for her friend. At this point, Yoshiko thought that maybe she didn’t really need to prove it at all… Maybe she was already falling in love with Riko without knowing…
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Riko felt it again. The strange pain she got from the time to time. The ache that gradually become frequent. She got it first when she was beginning to get closer with her first adopting father and mother. Well, Riko do knew that she couldn’t make it sounded as if she didn’t know what she’s feeling right now. And if her hunch was right, she might also know the reason and the ‘person’ who made her felt this way. She might already knew since there was no one but that girl. That girl with purple irises. The test that Riko ran finally sowed some result. Now she knew the real reason behind everything that happened before…
It was something that Riko never even wished for all her entire life. She always put it in her prayer that she didn’t need this ‘condition’ of hers. She’ll be just fine without it. But seemed like her fate didn’t want her to be happy that easily even though she did her best at faking her affection for the Nishikino’s. Even though she did her best at starting over again. “Just what is needed to make things not as complicated as this…?” Riko wondered inside her heart…
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There was something that almost none of the people in the world knew about Umi. That side of her. That not-so-normal side of her. That. The ability that she realized existed back then. The ability that always help her through so many things back then. Even until now. The ability that’s also owned by her precious one. Now, after so many months went out without a hitch, she felt it again. She felt the ‘sensor’ traced something Umi sure wouldn’t like.
“Let’s hope the reason is not Riko-chan…”