Chapter 33- "Just Be Alive"

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="95" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 46 WIDTH="91"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="46" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="91" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial" ><B>Ultra Symphony</B></FONT>  </div> <bR> <div> Chapter 33- "Just Be Alive"</div> <bR> <div> Sairai briskly stepped off the bus and stepped to the side of the door to allow a trio of young schoolgirls to pass, running and giggling. He watched after them, watching their skirts and ponytails bob up and down as they ran. Further down the block, a more petite girl rushed to catch up. "You guys! Wait! You don't know where we're going!" </div> <bR> <div> The other girls continued to run for a split second, and then they slowed to a stop. "It's just your house, Kimiko.", one of them said with confusion. </div> <bR> <div> "Yeah.. but...." Kimiko began, but then one of the girls began to whisper to her and point in Sairai's direction. Kimiko turned around, her shoulder-length brown hair swirling around her. She met eyes with Sairai, who immediately looked away in embarrassment.</div> <bR> <div> "Oh.. hi! Are you lost, sir?" Kimiko asked happily. </div> <bR> <div> "No, no thanks." Sairai said absently, frowning at what appeared to be a red-haired woman in the distance, coming out of a building. He knew exactly where he was standing; he'd stood here a million times before. Just across this parking lot he stood next to was his place of employment.</div> <bR> <div> And in the parking lot he'd been killed. </div> <bR> <div> He blinked a couple times. The woman was getting into a white car, and a tall man was getting into the same car. </div> <bR> <div> The girls were giggling, repeating his response to each other. He turned back to them for one second, and then began to walk across the parking lot. Kimiko called after him, giggling, but he was completely unaware of their presence. </div> <bR> <div> The car was pulling around another row of cars, and Sairai got a clear picture of the driver. He was tall, with rather spikey blonde hair, wearing a white shirt and black tie. </div> <bR> <div> "Ryosuke." Sairai said to himself. As the car pulled out of the parking lot, he got a tiny glimpse of the woman again, and his heart missed a beat as he saw her full, wavy reddish brown hair. </div> <bR> <div> "Ryosuke is in a car with my wife," he said to himself, more as an ironic statement than a real exclamation of shock. He stood there for a few seconds, unable to move. It was rather windy, and the parking lot was quite heavy in the way of garbage, as he noted upon looking down at the ground and seeing what looked like small, dead flower petals blowing around his feet.</div> <bR> <div> "What the hell..? He asked, as a series of the petals continued rustling on the ground. He looked over his shoulder suspiciously, but as he did, his eyes widened. </div> <bR> <div> The parking lot was stained in one large, uneven area, and on top of the dark stain was a huge pile of flowers. </div> <bR> <div> He slowly walked over to it, kneeling down, eyes wide. Most of the flowers were white roses, but a couple were red roses also. Ribbons were tied around some of the bouquets, but the majority were just lying loose. </div> <bR> <div> He felt tears coming to his eyes as he picked up one of the drooping, wilted blossoms. It had been at least a week, and no one had moved the pile of flowers.. it simply lay there, immaculate, untouched by everything except time. </div> <bR> <div> He heard something behind him, and he hoped to god it wasn't those schoolgirls again. He found himself getting to his feet and turning around. He was just about to say that he wasn't lost, and he didn't need help, when he felt his eyes meet those of Kimchi. </div> <bR> <div> She stood behind him, her hands behind her back. Her hair was tied back, and blowing in the wind, along with her black skirt. She immediately looked down, and Sairai found himself speechless.</div> <bR> <div> "They've closed it at 3:00 every day since you were attacked. It seems those monsters are attracted to nighttime kills or something, huh?", She asked as if she were asking what sort of coffee he wanted. </div> <bR> <div> "This.. this is where...?" Sairai asked, and Kimchi approached him, her eyes quizzical. She walked behind him, and touched the back of his head. He jumped, and she frowned. "There aren't even any stitches.." </div> <bR> <div> Sairai swallowed. Kimchi looked awful, as if she hadn't slept in days. He knew this should have been the first place he'd come when he regained consciousness. </div> <bR> <div> "No... no, they did a good job..." he stuttered. </div> <bR> <div> Kimchi's lower lids rose, and she snffed the air. "It's a lot more beautiful today that it's been the last couple days. You could see the chaos before, in every single person that walked by. But it's been awhile now, and I think people are beginning to forget." </div> <bR> <div> "Forget what?" Sairai asked, sort of out of it. </div> <bR> <div> Kimchi walked over and picked up the two red roses. She handed them to Sairai. "Everything. These are from Seshiru, Ryosuke's taking her home. Maybe you should show her you got them." </div> <bR> <div> Sairai blinked, and Kimchi suddenly grinned widely. "9 to 3 tomorrow... you gonna be here?" </div> <bR> <div> He slowly nodded. </div> <bR> <div> "Great, I can't wait... it's not the same without you.." Kimchi said, her voice cracking. She looked to the side and wiped her eyes on her hand. </div> <bR> <div> "I'm... sorry..." Sairai said. </div> <bR> <div> Kimchi snickered through her tears. "You didn't do anything. Hey, I'm probably just glad to see you... the bus is coming." </div> <bR> <div> Sairai blinked. "Wh..?"</div> <bR> <div> Kimchi pushed him in the direction of the parking lot exit. "Well, don't you need to get home??"</div> <bR> <div> "Oh, yeah... I guess so." Sairai said, turning around. </div> <bR> <div> "Sairai.." Kimchi called after him. </div> <bR> <div> He turned around, and she had a look of wistfulness on her face. </div> <bR> <div> "I won't tell anyone.", she said. </div> <bR> <div> Sairai frowned, and heard the bus getting close to the stop. He simply turned and ran like hell.</div> <bR> <div> Kimchi watched him run, and she giggled, as tears flowed down her cheeks. </div> <bR> <div> <I>I let him go again. Last time I let him go, he died. And now, he's going back to Seshiru. How easy would it have been to just tell him she's going to dinner with Ryosuke... that she's given up on him, left him for dead.. </I></div> <bR> <div> He got on the bus in the distance, and almost as an afterthought, he waved back to Kimchi. She lifted her hand and smiled. </div> <bR> <div> <I>I'd wished so badly that he wouldn't remember anything about Seshiru... but now, I know his secret... I alone know his secret. </I></div> <bR> <div> She sat down on the pavement, and remembered how she'd gone to the flower shop and bought 11 white roses, and one red rose. When she saw that Seshiru had done the exact same thing, she'd gotten flustered and pulled out the second red rose and given it to Seshiru, saying it was an accident at the flower shop. </div> <bR> <div> <I>The roses were red and white, just like Ultraman. Did you notice, Sairai? </I></div> <bR> <div> ***</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 34: Elevation!"><U>Chapter 34</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ultra Symphony"><U>Back</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>