The Rose and the Thistle

"Will we meet again, someday?"
As she spoke, the young maiden's hands folded mechanically as if in prayer. The frail nature of her voice betrayed the swelling, desperate hope she felt within her as she made her final plea. Her vision became a blur as tears welled at the corners of her eyes. How pathetic, she thought, that the daughter of a high priest should cry so easily. Had she learned nothing in her time with him these past few weeks?

Stepping closer to her along the swaying grass, the samurai's hand brushed gently against Shizumi's cheek. A sound escaped the shrine girl's lips as the sudden touch jolted her from her thinking. As she met his warm, knowing gaze, she couldn't help but dawn a broken, bittersweet smile.
"You are a strong girl, Shizumi. I will miss both you and this village dearly, but I cannot stay. My path is that of a wanderer; I must go where I am needed. You will become a fine priestess, one day. Of that, I am cert

The words in my book suddenly become blanketed by darkness.
"Guess who~!"

The warmth of another body presses up against my back and I can feel the soft skin of two palms resting against my eyes. I smile. By now I'm well accustomed to this scene. The first time she surprised me this way, I think my reaction nearly scared her half to death. Thinking back on it now, it's kind of funny. Today, I greet my captor.

"G-good morning, Misha."
My eyes are flooded with light, the school library once again focusing into view. When I turn my head to look at her, I see Misha is wearing her trademark exaggerated frown.

"Aww~ How do you always know, Hacchan? Are you a psychic?"
I shake my head. "Y-you're the only one who does it, so it isn't hard to t-tell."
Misha grins. "Wahaha~! Oh well! Oh yeah, Hacchan, Lilly wanted me to find you. She says, are you coming to the tea room today? Well, are you?"

With a nod, I slip my bookmark between the pages of my book and carefully close it shut. Lifting myself from the wooden stool, I tuck the novel under my arm. Misha offers me her hand, and as I slide my pale fingers between the spaces of her own, they clasp each other tightly. Together with the evening sunlight pouring through the library window, glimmering off her chestnut hair, I feel a ray of warmth spreading up my arm and through my body inside and out.

At first, I was afraid to hold her hand when other students were around. I imagined all the stares and snickers I would attract from my classmates at the sight of me together with her. But Misha had been so fearless - no, careless. As if the rest of the world were invisible, and all that remained of it were the two of us. I think that part of her is really admirable, and even a little contagious.

Bidding Yuuko farewell on our way out, we walk side by side into the adjacent hallway. A handful of students dot the corridor here and there, but most of them don't pay us any mind. One girl looks up from her conversation and flashes us a friendly smile. I sink a little into Misha's shoulder. Contrary to my fears, both the students and the staff at Yamaku have been very supportive of our relationship. To feel so accepted by my peers is like a blessing.

"Hello~!"
It must be that Lilly is adjusting to Misha's booming entrances, as today her body only gives a subtle twitch before she rests her gentle eyes on the two of us.

"Hello again, Miss- that is, Misha. Did your search for Hanako prove successful?"
Misha giggles. "Yep! She was at the library, like always~"
"G-good evening, Lilly" I say to confirm my presence. "Sorry I'm late. I got caught up in a b-book again."
Lilly waves my alibi off with her hand. "Please, it's no problem at all. You can tell me about it while I pour us some tea. Misha, will you be joining us today?"

Misha's body sags. "Sorry~ Shicchan needs me at the student council today.   We've been way behind lately, so I really can't skip out." As quickly as it left, her demeanor brightens up again. "Next time, though, I promise~! I wanna play chess again! Even though Hacchan always beats me! Wahaha~!"

Suddenly, her face is close to mine. My heart starts to skip and bounce inside my chest as her arms wrap lovingly around my waist. It's the same way every time. My gaze wanders up into her amber eyes. Her expression defies any of her usual, washing over me with tender admiration. It's an unspoken knowledge that this expression is one that Misha shares only with me. The scene lasts just for an instant, but as she holds me there, in the doorway of the self-established Yamaku tea room, I feel like time has frozen still.

Her kiss rattles me out of my daze like an earthquake. Misha's soft lips press into mine, sending electric currents rushing through my veins. The clouds of whirling thoughts in my head seem to dissolve, leaving nothing but a blankness to be filled by the thrill of her touch. I melt into her, feeling so safe and alive that I hardly notice when she's pulled away from me.

"I'll see you when we're finished! Bye bye, Lilly~!"
And with that, she dances out of sight. I hold my book close against my chest as I walk to my usual chair, trying to recapture the feeling of that fleeting moment. Lilly's voice calls out to me from the counter as I take my seat.

"Things with Miss Mikado appear to be going well. Remember though, Hanako, that I am a class representative. Open displays of affection are unallowed on school grounds." I hear Lilly chuckle to herself over the sound of pouring water. My cheeks begin to burn, and I duck into my shoulders.
"L-Lilly! How did you... y-you heard?"

"I'm only teasing", she replies, "though you shouldn't be surprised. You of all people should know just how sensitive my ears can be."
I squirm in my seat. It's embarrassing, but at least I know that Lilly is wishing me the best. The blonde beauty strides gracefully across the room and places our drinks on the table.
"You know," she says, tracing her fingertips along her chair before settling primly into it, "since you've formed this relationship with her, I've seen quite the change in you, Hanako."

I blink at her. "Change?"
"Oh no, it's not a bad one at all. In fact, I think you seem much more happy. Perhaps you can't see it yourself, but there's a certain confidence about you, as of late. It's a far cry from the Hanako that I first met. That day, when you told me that you had decided all on your own to join the Book Club..."
The air in the tea room shifted as Lilly's well-bred speech trailed off into it. As she paused, she seemed to smile at something far beyond the academy walls. She turned that look to me, and when she spoke I thought that I may see her cry.
"You've grown so much. I'm very happy for you, Hanako."

I looked down into my teacup and saw my reflection staring back at me. Was it true? Over these past few weeks, so many things have happened so quickly. I've made some really great friends, and tried a lot of things I would have never done before. Misha is always trying to get me to experience new things. Of course it's scary a lot of the time, but when I'm with her, I feel like the world is at my feet.

I push the cup with my hand and watch my face ripple and shake. If that night had never happened, I wonder, would I have wandered so far out of my shell? What is it that came over me?

Even from the beginning, that day had been out of the ordinary. Waiting for the homeroom bell to chime behind the towering pages of my book, an unsettling silence was hovering over the room that morning. The explosive arrival of Misha that had become a homeroom ritual never appeared. To be honest, I was a little relieved; that girl was too loud, and it was always hard to focus on my reading when she was around.

From the chatter of the room, everyone seemed to agree that it wasn't anything worth looking into. She was sick, one said. She missed her alarm, said another. All likely to be the story, and in any case, it didn't have anything to do with me. Still, I couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right.

I had noticed that week that my classmate wasn't quite herself. She was noisy as always, and bubbly when spoken to. On the outside, she was no different than she ever was. But each day that I saw her, even in passing glances, it was obvious that she was trying. I could see it, clear as day. That's why, when Misha didn't attend class that day, I remember thinking it was strange that no one really seemed concerned. Had everyone else really failed to notice? I still wonder about it sometimes.

The day rolled on like any other. I had thought about bringing it up with Lilly, but decided against it. What good would it do? I certainly wasn't about to pry into someone else's affairs, much less someone I hardly knew. It was better just to keep to myself. That's how it had always been. It's what I knew.

That night, I was met with a familiar scene. Nestled under the covers of my bed, I could hear a muffled voice from down the hall. "Misha?", it said, followed shortly by a series of dull tapping. "I've got some medicine here, if you need any. I'll leave it by the door, alright? Hope you feel better soon." The sound of footsteps creaking away, and suddenly the person was gone.

I frowned against my pillow. Even if it was true that Misha had fallen ill, it sounded to me like a lazy attempt. If they cared enough to bring her medicine, why were they so quick to leave her be? I let my heavy eyelids close and buried myself into the sheets. It wasn't good to think so heavily about things that didn't involve me.

I couldn't sleep. After countless attempts at resting it away, the situation left me staring at my ceiling in the dark. At first, I didn't understand it. Why was I so bothered by it all? I had never spoken so much as a word to her, so what was it that was bothering me?

The answer sank into me all at once, like the final few pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. It wasn't that the cheery girl had seemed so troubled that passing week. Everyone stumbles from time to time, and seeing it had never gotten under my skin in the past. It was her response, I realized, as the unknown schoolmate had come to visit her just hours earlier. When that someone appeared to show her that they cared, Misha had said nothing.

I tried to shake all the silly, useless thoughts out of my head, but I couldn't let it go. That sharp, empty silence. Most likely, she was sleeping. Or maybe she simply hadn't heard them. That's what I tried to tell myself, but with every excuse, I felt a small sadness burning in my heart. It was only a hunch. The odds of it were astronomical. But maybe it was possible...

I had gone crazy. That's all I could think as I tiptoed down the hallway at an agonizing pace. Every squeak beneath my feet sounded like a firework, and I was sure that someone would swing open their door and find me out. I must have looked ridiculous, creeping through the halls so late at night.

When I finally reached her door, I froze. What was I doing? I should mind my own business, turn and slink back into bed. Even if I'm right, she'll probably think I'm out of my mind. Heck, that's already what I thought. But every time my head screamed at me to run away and let her problems be her own, I imagined myself on the other side. Rattling like a leaf in the empty hallway, I swallowed. I didn't bother to knock.

The words had probably sounded better when Lilly had spoken them from outside my own bedroom door.
"U-um... y-you don't have to h-hide. E-even if you f-f-feel like you're all b-by yours-self, you..."
I squeezed my eyes shut and forced the words out from my clumsy lips.
"You're never really alone."

It felt like years had passed, waiting for a sign of life beyond the doorway. It was a stupid idea after all. I waited for a howling laughter to cut me down from inside the room, or the bitter sting of her telling me to go away. Instead, I nearly jumped when her doorknob gave a click and a slow, cautious twist.

The Misha that emerged through a shadowy crack in her door was almost unrecognizable. Her bright eyes had become sunken and void of life, her bubblegum pink hair disheveled and unkempt. This was a girl I had never seen, a Misha that was utterly defeated. The sight of her nearly broke my heart.

She looked over me with an expression I couldn't place. Her eyes held a clear disbelief of what she saw in front of her, but she seemed neither pleased or bothered by the sight of me quivering at her door. Misha simply scanned me with her eyes, glazed with a heavy, burdened weight.

And then she smiled. It was the broken, bittersweet smile of a girl who thought she'd forgotten how; the kind you only read about in romance novels. It was the kind of smile that insists you smile with it. Misha invited me inside and closed the door behind us.

She told me of her troubles, that night. Of an old flame she felt hopeless to put out, and a friendship teetering on an unrequited love. The jealousy she felt, when her closest friend found happiness, and the self hate she harbored because of it. I think she felt beside herself, confiding in me with her emotions. I'm not so good at giving advice, but through the night, I listened. In the end, I think that might be what she needed most.

Hours had passed before we knew it. I still hear her voice sometimes, as I placed my hand on the cool metal of her doorknob. "Hanako?"
I turned. Sitting on her bed, I was relieved to see the smile that Misha wore was once again the one that suited her best. "Thanks."

With a sheepish nod, I turned again to leave.
"Hey... if you wouldn't mind..."
Misha fidgeted.
"Can you stay with me? Just for tonight?"

I sip the last of my tea. Lilly asks me if I'd like another cup, but after peering through the window, I tell her that it's getting late. As I help her clean, Misha bounces into the room.
"Hiii~! I'm all done with work!"
Skipping over to me, she holds out her hand.
"Hey, Hacchan! A bunch of people are playing karaoke~! It sounds like fun! Do you wanna go?"

Slipping my fingers through the spaces between hers, I clasp our hands together tight. "Mm" I nod. "Let's go".