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FluffandCrunch

The Buddy System

Nov 26th, 2012
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  1. It had been a simple enough idea; an inter-class event to promote interaction between students who otherwise may not have had opportunity to socialize with one another. Due to the varied disabilities involved, it was decided that something simple and low maintenance would be undertaken. A nature walk seemed like a lovely idea at first, something that almost all of the students would have the chance to take part in with little need for worry.
  2.  
  3. In order to ensure safety, the buddy system was implemented. Students were matched up to make sure that no one got lost, especially with Class 3-2's involvement and their predominantly blind student base. Nevertheless, Ms. Miyagi thought it would be good for her students to spend some time out of doors even if many of them couldn't enjoy the scenery. The teachers did their best to match students up that would be able to help one another, but one particular pairing did not end up as thought out as the others.
  4.  
  5. “Ms. Tezuka, what is it exactly that you are looking for?”
  6. “A tree.”
  7. “I imagine there are many trees around here. Will any of them do?“
  8. “No. I need the right tree.”
  9.  
  10. Rin and Lilly walk along one of the many forest paths that wind their way through the woods behind Yamaku. The path is well traveled, but Lilly is still careful with her cane, checking the ground for obstructions that might trip her, an errant branch or stone to roll a careless ankle. Rin stares up at the canopy of leaves, eyes squinted, as if trying to pick out one leaf out of the multitude that hang from the branches above.
  11.  
  12. Lilly tilts her head slightly, listening for the sounds of the other students. “Perhaps we should go back now. We don't want to get separated from the group.“
  13.  
  14. Rin stops and cocks her head to the side. “Group?”
  15. “Yes. The other students.”
  16. “They're not here. They left a while ago.”
  17.  
  18. Lilly clutches her cane tightly and stops in her tracks. “What do you mean?”
  19.  
  20. Rin looks around, studying the texture of the bark on a nearby tree. “Everyone was moving in the wrong direction. So we split up.“
  21. “But why did you bring me along?”
  22. Rin stares at Lilly and blinks as if the answer were perfectly clear. “We're buddies. We're supposed to go everywhere with each other.“
  23.  
  24. Lilly chews her lip for a moment before sighing. “Well, then, we should catch up to them quickly. Which direction did they go in?“
  25. Rin looks up and down the forest path. “I don't know. I wasn't looking.”
  26.  
  27. Lilly's shoulders tense, but she stretches them out, forcing the tension out. “And what exactly were you looking for?”
  28. “I already said. I was looking for a tree.”
  29. “Will it help us find the group?”
  30. “How can a tree help us find people? Can it give us directions?”
  31.  
  32. “Well, do you know how to get back to Yamaku from the tree?“
  33.  
  34. Rin looks around. “Yes. I did last time.”
  35. “Then I think we should find this tree of yours. I'd rather not be outside for very long.“
  36.  
  37. “Okay.”
  38. Rin starts walking down the path, leaves crackling under her sandals.
  39. “Um, Ms. Tezuka?” Lilly calls nervously.
  40. Rin turns back towards her. “Yeah?”
  41. Lilly taps her fingers against her cane, twisting it in her hands. “If you're going to take me along with you, I'll need you to lead me there.“
  42. Rin nods. “I know. It's this way.”
  43. Lilly sighs. “Ms. Tezuka, I mean to say, I'll need you to show me.“
  44. “That's what I'm doing.”
  45.  
  46. Lilly grips her cane tightly. “Rin, I can't follow you. Do you understand?”
  47. Rin blinks. “Oh. Oh, okay. Because you're blind.”
  48. Lilly sighs. “Yes, Ms. Tezuka; because I'm blind. I would rather not end up lost in the woods when it gets dark.“
  49.  
  50. Rin tilts her head back. “But if it gets dark, would that really be all that bad for you? I mean, you don't really need it to be light outside, do you?“
  51. “I simply would rather not wander about the forest at night. It shouldn't matter whether I can see where I'm going or not. I'd be lost either way.“
  52.  
  53. Rin looks in thought. “Oh. Okay.”
  54. She walks back to Lilly and stares at her for a minute. Rin tilts her head. “How do I do this?”
  55.  
  56. Lilly opens her mouth to speak, but closes it and grimaces a little. She knows about Rin's lack of arms, but how to put it delicately eludes her at the moment.
  57. “Is there...something I could hold onto?”
  58.  
  59. Rin looks down at her arms and at the tied off sleeves dangling at the end of her limbs. Holding one up, she drapes it over Lilly's hand a few times before she catches and holds onto it.
  60.  
  61. Lilly turns a little red realizing what she must be holding onto, but she steels herself and sighs. “Thank you, Ms. Tezuka. Please, we should be going.”
  62.  
  63. Rin turns and walks down the path, leading Lilly along with her trailing by the empty sleeve.
  64.  
  65. Lilly huffs at the circumstances. Lost in the woods with Rin Tezuka would be bad enough, but the idea of relying on her to get from place to place is a thought that could send nearly anyone into a panic.
  66. She didn't even want to be here on the class activity. The idea of a nature walk didn't appeal to her at all and despite her best efforts, Hanako hadn't consented to come along on such a large group event. Lilly had planned on simply skipping the event herself, but as Class Representative, she felt obligated to attend. It was merely unfortunate happenstance that she ended up with Rin as a partner.
  67.  
  68. “Ms. Tezuka?”
  69. “Huh?”
  70. “I was wondering where your friend Ms. Ibarazaki was?“
  71. “Emi? She didn't come along. She said that the idea of a nature walk seemed silly. She said why walk anywhere when you can run? She went to the track.“
  72. “Why did you come along then?”
  73.  
  74. Rin shrugs, leading Lilly past a few large rocks covered with moss. “I was bored with art class. I wanted to get away and I wanted to visit my tree.“
  75.  
  76. “The tree you spoke of? Why is it so important?”
  77. “It's a special tree. It's my Worry Tree. I go there when I'm worried. That's why it's called that“
  78. “Are you concerned about being lost?”
  79. “No, I know where I am.”
  80.  
  81. Lilly stumbles with her words. “Then why were you looking for it in the first place?“
  82. “Because...I needed to visit it. You looked like you needed it too.“
  83.  
  84. Lilly blinks. “Me? Why would I need to visit your tree?”
  85. “You seem worried.”
  86.  
  87. “Well, of course I am worried. We're lost in the forest. But you said you were looking for the tree before we were lost. I mean, before you told me we were...before I realized we were lost.“ Lilly bites her lip and holds her breath for a few seconds. ”Why are we going to this tree, Ms. Tezuka?“
  88.  
  89. “Because it's the Worry Tree.”
  90.  
  91. “I'm only worried because we are lost.”
  92.  
  93. “That's why we're going there.”
  94.  
  95. “But I was not worried until we were lost!”
  96.  
  97. “That's why we're going.”
  98.  
  99. Lilly tightens her hand, squeezing the sleeve in her grip. Talking with Rin is like running in circles, a dangerous prospect for someone without eyesight. It's why she tries to avoid the girl at all costs; it's too frustrating, too hard to get a handle on the person next to her. It's like the girl either has no sense at all of what she's saying or she has no tact whatsoever when it comes to a conversation. How can someone say so much and get across so little? For someone like Lilly, who's words are always chosen carefully and with reason and who can't rely on facial or body expression, it's almost unbearable to interact with a person like this, like having a conversation with someone who speaks an unknown language over the phone.
  100.  
  101. Rin leads Lilly on until she stops at the top of a small rise. “We're here.”
  102.  
  103. Lilly tilts her head, listening to the sounds of the forest, birds above her and the whisper of leaves rustling in the wind.
  104. “All right, now that we're here, what do we do?”
  105.  
  106. Rin turns towards Lilly and shrugs. A long pause follows and Lilly becomes uncomfortable.
  107. “Ms. Tezuka? Now that we're here what do we do?” she repeats.
  108.  
  109. “Oh. Sorry. I shrugged.”
  110. “You shrugged? You don't know what to do next?”
  111. “No. I just shrugged. It doesn't mean I don't know, it's just...I shrugged. It doesn't mean anything, not really.“
  112.  
  113. “You don't know where we are?”
  114. “We're at the Worry Tree.”
  115. “Where is Yamaku? Where is the group?”
  116.  
  117. Rin looks around, spying the trail and the trees. “Not here.”
  118. “Then why on Earth did you bring us to this place?”
  119. Rin shrugs. “I needed to go someplace else. To think.”
  120. “Why bring me along then?”
  121. “We're buddies.”
  122.  
  123. Lilly sighs. “Do you or do you not know how to get back to Yamaku from here, Ms. Tezuka?“
  124.  
  125. Rin stares up at the tree. It's a very long time before she answers. “I think so.”
  126. “You...think?”
  127.  
  128. “I needed to come here to think. I didn't know where I wanted to be, but I wanted to be someplace other than where I was. So I started to go there and there was the group. So I followed them because I thought we were all going to the same place. But then they all started walking in one direction but I knew it wasn't the right one, so I left.“
  129.  
  130. Lilly sighs. “And you just brought me along with you.”
  131. “Of course. We're buddies.”
  132.  
  133. Rin plops down at the base of the tree.
  134. “Are you sitting? Shouldn't we be going back?” Lilly asks, a worried tone in her voice.
  135.  
  136. Rin looks up at Lilly. “I'm not sure how to get back. I don't think I'm ready to know right now.“
  137.  
  138. “But you said if we found the tree, you could lead us back to Yamaku!“
  139. “I think...I do. I did last time, but now that we found the tree, I'm not sure.“
  140. “Are you not familiar with this place?”
  141. “I've never been in this part of the woods before.”
  142.  
  143. Lilly gasps. “You said you knew where we were!”
  144. “I do. We're at the Worry Tree.”
  145. “But you've never been here before!”
  146. “Neither has the Worry Tree. This is it's first time here too. It's first time being the Worry Tree.“
  147.  
  148. Lilly tries to hold herself together, smothering her expression of bewilderment and distress. “You're telling me that this is just a random tree you picked out for no reason whatsoever?“
  149.  
  150. “It wasn't for no reason. This is the tree that felt right.“
  151.  
  152. “Then why did you bring me here?!”
  153. “We're buddies.”
  154.  
  155. “No, we are not!” Lilly shouts frantically. “We are not buddies! We are lost in the middle of the woods and we have no idea where we are!“
  156.  
  157. The birds chirps away above them with Rin looking up from the ground at Lilly with wide eyes. “Are you okay? You never get loud.”
  158.  
  159. Lilly covers her mouth, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment, her expression tight and distressed. Lilly takes a calming breath before she speaks, her voice shaky and upset. “Ms. Tezuka, I'm...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for raising my voice. I shouldn't have done that.“
  160.  
  161. “It's okay. You don't sound like you normally do. Are you all right?”
  162.  
  163. Lilly hesitates, then sighs, her shoulders slumping. “No, I'm not. I'm lost and you're the only person who can help me and I do not like relying on others for aid.“
  164.  
  165. “It's okay. That's why we're here. We can be worried together.“
  166.  
  167. Rin looks around. “There's a rock you can sit on next to you.”
  168.  
  169. Lilly blinks in surprise, expecting a more upset response from the other girl after her own outburst. Unpredictable as always, Rin seems undisturbed by Lilly losing her temper with her. She feels out with her cane where the rock is and sits down, the cool stone slightly damp on the back of her legs.
  170. Lilly sighs and composes herself.
  171. “Ms. Tezuka, I'm sorry for losing my temper with you. I should not have snapped at you like that.“
  172.  
  173. Rin shrugs. “It's all right. I'm used to it.”
  174.  
  175. Lilly turns in Rin's direction. “Do people lose their temper often with you?”
  176. “They seem to.”
  177. “Do they...yell at you?”
  178. Rin nods. “Sometimes I say things and people get angry about what I say, but I don't know why they're angry. I'm not trying to make people upset, but I do things that make them that way and I'm not sure how to stop it. It's like trying to not think about something, but then whenever you try to not think about it it's the only thing you can ever think about, so that just means you're thinking about not thinking about anything at all and nothing ever happens when you're doing that except you think about the thing you shouldn't be thinking about.“
  179.  
  180. Lilly grimaces, trying to concentrate. “Who gets upset with you?”
  181. “Mostly Teacher. He wants me to do things I don't think I'm capable of doing. I want to do what he wants, but I'm not sure I'm the kind of person who can do those things and I don't know if I can be that person he wants me to be. I want to make people happy with who I am, but what if being that person makes me unhappy with who I've become?“
  182.  
  183. Lilly listens carefully to what Rin says, taking in the words slowly, cutting through them and trying to find the meaning below. “I...understand. I often have those worries as well.“
  184.  
  185. Rin looks up at Lilly and nods. “That's why we're here. You don't look like it, but you seem worried a lot.”
  186.  
  187. “Do I?” Lilly asks curiously.
  188. “Yes. Most of the time when I watch you, you seem okay, but sometimes you do things that look like your trying to act like people expect you to, like you're pretending to be someone. It upsets me when people do that, because I don't know what they're really thinking and I know what it's like to think one thing, do another and then have people act like you're doing a third thing all along.“
  189.  
  190. “You...watch me?”
  191. Lilly sounds concerned.
  192. “I watch a lot of people. I people watch.”
  193. Lilly sits on the rock, hands in her lap. “I didn't think I looked worried about anything.“
  194.  
  195. “It's not a lot. It just happens every so often.“ Rin looks at the blonde girl. “What do you worry about?”
  196.  
  197. “I don't really like sharing with people, Ms. Tezuka.“
  198. “You're not sharing with me. That's what the tree is for.“
  199.  
  200. Lilly hesitates before speaking. “I guess...I worry about everything. Everyone.”
  201. “That's a lot of worry. There is a lot of people out there. You should have your own tree. One may not be enough.”
  202. “I know. I try not too, but I sometimes can't help it. Sometimes I...“ Lilly falters for a moment. “I want to help the people close to me, but sometimes I'm afraid I can't be what they want me to be.“
  203.  
  204. “What do they want you to be?”
  205.  
  206. Lilly shrugs. “Friend. Caretaker. Sister, a good daughter, many things. I'm afraid of failing them and letting them down. I don't like letting people down, but I don't want to be a burden on them either. People become tired of burdens. I want to support them, to be useful, but....“ Lilly sighs. “Sometimes it would be nice to have a little support of my own.“
  207.  
  208. Rin looks up at Lilly, blinking away the sunlight filtering down through the leaves. “But you have lots of friends. People like you. I see lots of people talking to you and you're good at it.“ She drops her head a little. ”I have a hard time talking to people. I don't understand why they says certain things or what they mean. And when I think I do, I'm wrong and that makes things worse than they were to begin with.“
  209.  
  210. “It may seem like it, Rin, but I do not have that many close friends. Other than Hanako, there are only a few people I am close too.“
  211.  
  212. Rin thinks for a minute. “Oh. Right. Mystery Toilet Girl.”
  213. Lilly tilts her head. “Excuse me?”
  214. “The girl you're talking about.”
  215. “Hanako? Mystery...Toilet Girl?” Lilly ponders that and then gasps. “Like the urban legend? That's not a very nice thing to say, Ms. Tezuka,“ she says reproachfully.
  216.  
  217. “It isn't?”
  218.  
  219. “Not at all! It has terrible implications! I hope you've never said that to Hanako before....“
  220. “No. I didn't mean for it to be mean. Its just what I thought.“
  221. “You can't always say everything you are thinking. You could offend someone.“
  222. “Then what am I supposed to do?”
  223. “You simply have to pick and choose what you say so people don't become upset.“
  224.  
  225. Rin looks down at the dirt and grass beneath her. “I'm not very good at that. How do you know when to say something or not to say something if you don't know what will make people angry?“
  226.  
  227. “You should only say things that you wouldn't mind people saying about you.“
  228.  
  229. Rin's eyes go wide. “I wouldn't mind that at all.”
  230. “You wouldn't be upset if someone insulted you?”
  231. “It wasn't an insult.”
  232. “So it was...merely an observation?”
  233. “I guess. Why would I be mad at someone for saying something they thought they saw?”
  234.  
  235. Lilly shakes her head a little. “Maybe so, but it is a fairly uncouth observation, Ms. Tezuka.”
  236.  
  237. The two go silent for several minutes while Rin thinks.
  238.  
  239. “You're like a butterfly,” Rin says suddenly.
  240.  
  241. Lilly's back goes straight. “Excuse me?”
  242.  
  243. “You're like a butterfly. Colorful and pretty and people like to watch you when you float past. I like butterflies, they're the best animal. I wish I could be like them. They know what they are because they're not what they used to be. They don't have to be anything else for anyone, they're just a butterfly and that's good enough for them. That's what they are best at being. Butterflies don't try to be moths or caterpillars or cocoons or anything anyone tells them to be. I wish I could be a butterfly.“
  244.  
  245. Lilly is a little stunned by what Rin has said. If anything, it seems like a complement, but she's not sure. “Well, while I am...flattered, Ms. Tezuka, you should not feel the need to change yourself for anyone or any reason.“
  246.  
  247. “But what if that's what they want me to be?”
  248.  
  249. “You should only be what you are for yourself. You should not apologize or try to ameliorate who you are to please other people. You cannot live your life pleasing others by making yourself into what they want you to be.“
  250.  
  251. Rin looks up at Lilly. “But you said people want you to be certain things and you try to be those things for them. That's like being a cloud and getting pushed around by the wind. The cloud doesn't decide where it wants to go or what it looks like, all it can do is go where the wind tells it to, look like what the winds makes it. Shouldn't you be what you want to be and not what people want you to be?“
  252.  
  253. Lilly mulls over the words. “It's not the same.”
  254. “Why?”
  255. “I...I cannot explain. I have obligations I must live up to.“
  256. “So I should stay what I am right now?”
  257. “Well, no. You should always try to improve yourself.“
  258. “But what if I'm afraid to change?”
  259.  
  260. Lilly shakes her head. “Just because you improve, does not mean you are a different person. You simply become a better version of who you are.“
  261.  
  262. Rin kicks a rock away down the path. “I don't think I can do that. I'm not very good at being who I am.“
  263.  
  264. “Nonsense. I've often heard people speaking of your art. They say you have a real talent for it. That is something you should be proud of, a skill you rightly deserve admiration for.“
  265.  
  266. “I don't like painting.”
  267.  
  268. Lilly is shocked. “But they say you are so good at it. Why do something you don't enjoy?“
  269.  
  270. “Because...it's something I can do. I am good at it, that's what people think. But I do it because...it's easier to paint than talk. And because it's something I normally wouldn't be able to do.“
  271.  
  272. Lilly smiles. “I can understand the wish to do something like that. You paint for self expression, correct?“
  273.  
  274. “I'm not good with words, so I paint instead. But you can't see my paintings, so you don't know what I'm trying to say. That's why you got upset. I'm bad with words, so what I say isn't right.“
  275.  
  276. “Well, that's just the way things are, I guess. If that's the case, neither of us will have much luck understanding the other.”
  277.  
  278. Rin blinks. “I could describe them to you.”
  279.  
  280. Lilly tries not to, but she laughs just a little. “That wouldn't be much help.”
  281. “I could tell you what colors they are. I'm good at describing colors.”
  282. “I do not have an understanding of colors, Ms. Tezuka.“
  283.  
  284. Rin pauses. “What do you mean?”
  285. “I have been blind since I was born. I do not know what colors are. I know that the sky is blue and grass is green because I have been told that is what they are, but color is not a part of my world. It does not exist for me.“
  286.  
  287. Rin doesn't say anything for a very long time, enough time for Lilly to become worried. There is a slight shuffling as Rin stands up.
  288. “Where are you going?” Lilly asks, concerned. A worst case scenario would be for Rin to wander off without her.
  289.  
  290. That's why Lilly is so taken aback when she feels something pressed up against her, a pair of tiny, short arms wrapped half way against her shoulders. “Ms. Tezuka, what are you doing?”
  291.  
  292. From Lilly's chest, Rin speaks in a muffled tone. “I'm giving you a hug.”
  293. Lilly's cheeks turn red. “Why?”
  294.  
  295. Rin looks up at her, her large, eyes watery. “Because that's the most horrible thing I've ever heard!“
  296.  
  297. Lilly hesitates. “I do not want you to feel sorry for me....”
  298.  
  299. “I'm not feeling sorry. I'm feeling sad. I thought about what that would be like, to not know what colors are and it made me sad. That would be like being all alone in the world for me. And I thought of all the things I would want if I was all alone in the world and all I could think of was a hug.“
  300.  
  301. Lilly mouth hangs open, a flicker of sadness passing over her face before she controls it.
  302.  
  303. “We have a blind boy in our class,” Rin continues. “He makes sculptures. He's very good. I wish I could be like him. He doesn't need to see what he's making for it to be real. I wish I could paint without having to see it. Seeing the painting isn't as important as knowing what it is. Using my eyes gets in the way. People look at the painting and think about what it is, not what it's there for, what it's about. But if I didn't know about colors, then I couldn't paint and I wouldn't be able to say anything and that made me sad. I thought it made you sad, so I thought you would want a hug.“
  304.  
  305. Lilly puts her hands on Rin's shoulders and gently pats her. “It's all right. I'm not sad about not having colors. I can't be sad about not having something I've never experienced. It doesn't mean I don't have an idea of what they are like.“
  306.  
  307. “How do you have an idea of what they are like if you've never seen them?“
  308.  
  309. The two separate and Rin sits on the rock, Lilly carefully settling down next to her. “I may not know what they look like, but I know what they are. My favorite color is white. Snow is white and my favorite ice cream is vanilla and that's white. I like fur because it's soft and warm and I always think of white when I touch something fuzzy, so I like white the most.“
  310.  
  311. “Clouds are white.“
  312. “So I've heard.“
  313. Rin looks up at the sky. “I like clouds.“
  314. Lilly nods with a smile. “So do I.“
  315.  
  316. “So you don't like the color, but you like the things that it is?“
  317.  
  318. Lilly nods. “Yes. That's a good way to put it.”
  319.  
  320. Rin nods her head in deep, sage thought. “I do the same thing. I don't choose colors because they look good. I choose them because they feel right. Red is when you want to run away but there's nowhere to go. Green is that feeling first thing in the morning like your dreams told you the secret to everything and then it's all gone, but you still know it's there waiting for you. Blue is like you're underwater and everything is pressing in on you like a giant blanket and not in a good way. That's what colors are to me. I use them to tell myself how I'm feeling.“
  321.  
  322. Lilly smiles. “It sounds as if you take a lot of comfort in painting.“
  323.  
  324. “I think I do. I like doing it but not the reasons people think I do it. I don't paint because I want to be better at it or so people will think I'm good at it. I paint because it's something I want to do for me. If I was good at music, I would be the only person who heard it. If I could, I would be the only person I let see my paintings.“
  325.  
  326. Rin looks at Lilly. “You should do that. Do things for yourself, not for other people.“
  327.  
  328. Lilly turns away. “It isn't that simple.”
  329. “Why not? You told me that I shouldn't do things just to make other people happy. Why should you?“
  330.  
  331. Lilly remains silent, trying to find an answer that doesn't make her sound hypocritical. “I don't want to let people down.”
  332.  
  333. “I don't want to let people down either.”
  334. “People have expectation of me.”
  335. “They do for me too, what's the big deal?”
  336.  
  337. Lilly sighs. “I just do, can you understand that?”
  338.  
  339. “No. Why should you be something for other people but not me? You should be what you want to be. You're a butterfly, why should you pretend to be a moth for other people if they want you to be one? If you try and pretend, then they'll just be disappointed when they learn that's not what you are. And even if they think you are, then you'll be disappointed in yourself being a moth when you know you could have been a butterfly.“
  340.  
  341. Lilly takes Rin's words in, unable to respond.
  342.  
  343. Rin pops her head up. “I'm not worried anymore.”
  344. “Excuse me?”
  345.  
  346. Rin stands up from the rock, shaking her legs out to get the errant moss off her butt. “I'm not worried. I know where we are. We can go back.“
  347.  
  348. Without a word, Rin puts her sleeve in Lilly's hand. She grabs hold and Rin takes her down the path through the woods at a rapid pace. Lilly keeps up, trying not to stumble.
  349.  
  350. In a short while, they are at a rusty rear gate. Rin leads Lilly inside until she begins to hear voices. “Are we back at Yamaku?”
  351.  
  352. Rin shakes her head. “No, not yet.”
  353. Rin drags Lilly along until they stand outside the girls' dormitories, stopping in front of the mural. “We're here.”
  354.  
  355. Lilly takes a moment touching the wall for support. “Where exactly are we?”
  356. “The girl's rooms. This is my mural. I painted it. I wanted to show you.”
  357.  
  358. Lilly runs her hands along the wall, feeling the roughness of the bricks and the smoothness of the paint. She smiles thinking of it's size and how long it must have taken Rin to complete, especially without the use hands. “I'm sure it's lovely.”
  359.  
  360. Rin nods, watching Lilly carefully.
  361.  
  362. Lilly turns to face where Rin's voice came from last. “Thank you for leading me back, Ms. Tezuka.”
  363. “It's okay.”
  364.  
  365. The two are silent.
  366.  
  367. “Goodbye,” Rin says, turning around and leaving.
  368.  
  369. Lilly looks surprised at the sound of Rin's sandals flopping rapidly away.
  370.  
  371. ----------------------------------------
  372.  
  373. The next day, Lilly and Hanako walk arm in arm through the quad after classes. Talking about the previous day, Hanako stops at the sight of Rin Tezuka laying on the grass next to the stone path.
  374.  
  375. “What is it, Hanako?”
  376. “It's that girl, R-Rin. She's just lying on the ground....“
  377. “Is she all right? Ms. Tezuka?”
  378.  
  379. Rin peeks over at them, tearing her eyes away from the sky. “Hello, Lilly.“ Rin looks at Hanako. “Hello, Mystery....hello, Hanako.“
  380.  
  381. “What are you doing?” Lilly asks.
  382. Rin shrugs. “Nothing.”
  383.  
  384. “Shouldn't you be in class? Isn't the art club meeting?”
  385. “They are. I'm not. I'm skipping.”
  386. “Why?”
  387. Rin smiles. “I'm being a butterfly.”
  388.  
  389. Lilly hesitates, then smiles herself. “Good for you.”
  390. “What about you, Lilly? Are you a butterfly?”
  391.  
  392. Lilly's face turns maudlin. “I'm trying.”
  393. “That's good.”
  394.  
  395. Rin looks back up at the sky. “Clouds are white.”
  396. Lilly nods. “I know they are.”
  397. Rin nods back. “I like clouds.”
  398.  
  399. Lilly smiles broadly. “So do I, Rin.”
  400.  
  401. Hanako and Lilly walk off, leaving the strange girl to gaze at the passing collection of white fluff in the sky.
  402.  
  403. “Wh-what was th-that about?” Hanako asks.
  404. Lilly, still smiling, pats Hanako's arm wrapped around her own. “Just a mutual understanding between two very different people,“ Lilly says. ”Between buddies.“
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