Fan Fiction / Magic Users Club Fan Fiction ❯ Violet Midnight ❯ Unveiled ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3 ? Unveiled

They talked about many things that night : their favorite foods, what kind of music they liked, and other things. The topic then turned to something he`d not expected to talk about (with her anyway) ? Magic!

"Are you serious?" She exclaimed, trying to be quiet.

For some reason` he thought to himself before replying , I feel that I can trust her with this secret…`

"Yes," he replied, "That's right. I didn't think you'd believe me?not many people would."

She smiled, and looked around carefully. "The truth is," Ayako said, after glancing around a little bit, and lowering her voice to a whisper, "Is that I've done magic before, too?Only a little bit. My favorite thing to do is riding brooms?its so much fun!"

"Wha!?" Takakura exclaimed. He hadn't expected this in the least. `But aren't the members of the Kitanohashi Magic User's Club the only people that can use magic!` He thought for a moment, then realized?if he had found the book on magic, there was a pretty good chance that other people may have found similar books elsewhere.

He went on. "That's amazing! Did you learn from a book? Or on your own? How long have you been studying? I'm sorry if I seem like I'm asking too many questions, it's just that I've never met anyone with the ability to do magic before! I mean, outside of our school club, that is."

She was quiet for a few moments, before looking down, the sparkle gone from her eye. "I had a teacher, once, But we don't talk much anymore."

"Oh…" Takakura replied. He felt a little embarrassed then, having pried a little too much. He couldn't help but ask more though?everything about her mystified him. "But…Why?" He asked, slowly.

She didn't answer. Instead, she looked to the shifting crowd of people. There were only a dozen or so people dancing, the rest had left, or taken to sitting by the walls, and watching the few people who were either sober or drunk enough to continue dancing do so.

"It's funny," She said after a while. Takakura looked to her. Ayako's eyes looked sad, as she went on. "How simple it seems to understand strangers, while those who are close to you are so confusing to understand, sometimes."

"What do you mean?" he asked, even though he thought he caught the drift of what she had meant. While he had just met Ayako, it seemed as though they had known each other for a long time. They had so many things in common. He did understand her, he thought.

"Over there, on the dance floor," she said, gesturing towards a couple leaning close together, dancing. "They seem to be in love, don't they? I mean, being so close to each other, and all. But who knows what they're talking about. If you look closely at her face, she's not happy. Who knows, maybe they're going to break up tonight, or something." Ayako and Takakura watched the couple. After a while, it became apparent that they weren't whispering sweet nothings to each other, rather, they were arguing very quietly?but still angrily?about something. Ayako spoke again. "So much is assumed before it is asked…"

"I see what you mean," Takakura said. The two of them sat in silence, and as the song that was playing ended, the dancing "couple" was no more. The girl stormed off the dance floor, and the man shook his head, and headed for the table with the liquor.

"And then there's that couple over there," She said, pointing to a man and a woman, sitting a few chairs away from each other. The man kept looking at the woman nervously, and the woman kept fixing her hair, and stealing glances at him. "They want to dance with each other, but neither is brave enough to just ask. I mean, what has he got to lose? It's not like they're friends already… Or anything."

"He's afraid, that's all," Takakura replied. "It's like a fear, or something. Trust me, those who aren't afraid of things like that are really lucky." She smiled a bit.

"You think so?" Ayako asked. Takakura nodded. There was a few moments of silence between the two of them.

"It"s strange…" Takakura started, then stopped. What am I doing? I can't just say…

"Hmmm?" Ayako asked, looking over to him with optimistic eyes. He didn't have a choice now.

"It's strange. Usually, I can never talk to anyone like this," Takakura said. "It's as though you're not a stranger after all." Ayako blushed. She seemed speechless, as she said nothing for quite a while.

The night wore on, and the dance floor thinned to quite a bit. Akane, Nanaka, and Sae sat in another corner of the office, Akane enthusiastically pointing out friends, while Nanaka and Sae pretended to pay attention, deeply immersed in a game of cards, They had given up mingling with Akane's older friends. The man who kept fixing his hair, and the woman that wanted to dance never did. The man who had broken up with his girlfriend was passed out near the bar, and the girl he had been dancing with left right after the incident.

Takakura couldn't stop looking at Ayako. `Ever since he mentioned her teacher` he thought, `She's been so unhappy…'

Ayako," he said, quietly. She looked at him. "You… You really cared for your teacher, didn't you?" Takakura saw her eyes fill with tears, as she turned away from him and stood quickly.

"I… I still do…" She said, her voice faltering. "It was nice to meet you, Takakura. But I think I should go…" She started for the door.

"Ayako! Wait, I'm sorry!" He cried, hurrying to his feet. She was already out the door. "Ayako!" He Yelled, and ran out the door after her.

As he entered the lobby, the door to the stairs was just slamming shut. He ran to the door, flung it open, and followed the sound of Ayako's footsteps upwards, for what seemed to stretch on for an eternity.

"Ayako, wait!" He yelled, his call echoing up and down the stairwell. He heard a door open, and then slam shut. He hurried up the last flight of stairs, then stopped in front of the door.

`Do you think she will actually want to talk to you if you open this door?` He frowned,, his hand on the doorknob. `Damnit Takeo, there's only one way to fix it. You have to talk to her.' He took a deep breath, and opened the door.

A strong wind hit him as he stepped out onto the rooftop. Ayako stood far away from him, and appeared to be looking out at the city. Hw closed the door quietly, and walked towards where she stood.

"Ayako, I'm?"

"Don't bother yourself with apologies," She replied. Her voice was different now?lower, and colder. "Please, just leave me alone."

Takakura considered turning away, and leaving everything unfinished. `Even if she is but a stranger,,, I have to make things right again.` He resounded, and went on.

"But, I'm sorry, Ayako," He said. "I know I don't know you, and you don't know me. But I do know that I did something wrong. I shouldn't have brought it up, but I did, and I got you mad and I`m?"

He was cut off by Ayako, who suddenly turned and hugged him tightly. It took him a moment, but he slowly returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.

The embrace felt so familiar, so comfortable. It's as though I have known her forever, Takakura thought to himself, sighing. It was now that he noticed that Ayako was a bit taller than him?by two or three inches. Her head rested peacefully on Takakura's shoulder.

"You do understand… Don't you, Takeo-kun," spoke a familiar voice. It came from Ayako, however it sounded just like another person whom he knew very well. Takakura froze, his face paling

"Aburatsubo…?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper.