Chapter 6

            The next day, Lisanna came back to visit before class started. When she came to the door to his room, she reached for the handle. I’m only here because I’m responsible for what happened to him. That’s all. Just that. Definitely no other reason.

 

            When the door opened, she found a human shaped bird in a robe perched in the open window ready to fly out.

 

            Hiro paused only for a second. “… Um, you’re early…. Got to go!” With a two-fingered salute he turned back to the outside. His wings of cloth flopped in the wind as he plummeted towards the ground.

 

            By the time Lisanna reached the window, Hiro had already landed, and was making his escape.

 

            “You idiot! You’re too injured to just jump out like that!” Wait. He is too injured to do that… Right? His knee should be busted… and his ribs… and just about everything else! How the hell did he manage that fall? Either he has a ridiculous pain tolerance, or ungodly recovery abilities!

 

            She thought to chase after him, but as he turned a corner, she knew the distance between them was too great. She would lose him. Sighing, the blonde placed a homemade lunch on his bedside table. I woke up way to earlier to make that. I swear, if he doesn’t eat it… Vile thoughts were interrupted by the five-minute warning bell. She made her way to the school building in a hurry.

 

            The days hadn’t been the same since Hiro’s fight with Kazuto. Even if it had been cheap shots from Hiro, no one had ever struck that prodigy before. It went without saying that it was a topic not to be talked about. However, the tension remained.

 

            Kazuto was pissed. He trained harder then ever before in class, and no one wanted to be his sparring partner. All his pent up frustration would be taken out on whomever he went up against. The class learned this quickly after his last three partners were hospitalized. However, they were lucky to not be put in the same condition as Hiro.

 

            Today would prove to be a different. When Lisanna reached the lecture hall, the constant scowl that had been plaguing Kauzto’s face was missing. Instead, he looked happy. He chatted up those around him, and seemed friendlier then he had ever been in the past. His training went back down to its normal level, which still outpaced nearly the entire class. Even sparring went smoothly, with Kazuto gaining swift victories without seriously hurting his opponents.

 

But something was off. When he went to leave at the end of the day, he took a different route then normal.

 

Lisanna followed him. Where are you going?

 

Rather then taking the path to the back entrance of the school like the others, Kazuto went straight south past the school building.

 

The hair on the back of her neck rose when she noticed he was heading in the direction of the medical ward. She decided to continue following him to quell her unease. I’m sure it couldn’t be…

 

            Her heart froze. Kazuto had stopped at the west wing and looked up towards an open window on the sixth floor. She could practically hear the sinister smile on his face as he turned and headed to his dorm. A ping of fear resonated in her stomach. What is he planning?

 

            Lisanna waited until Kazuto was out of sight, and then went into the medical ward to pay Hiro a visit. I need to tell him about this. He better be back by now.

 

            The blonde no longer noticed the scent of chemicals in the air. Her frequent trips had her used to them in no time. Nurses who recognized her waved as she passed them. A doctor accompanied by two nurses exited Hiro’s room just as she arrived.

 

            The doctor noticed the girl, and turned to speak to her. He was clearly irritated. “He’s resting now. Do you have any idea how much of a pain he is?! He was missing nearly the whole day! When he finally came back, he was covered in filth, and his bandages were ripped up! I had to get these two ladies to help me just to change them! You need to control your boyfriend better!”

 

            Lisanna’s face immediately turned red in both embarrassment and anger. “H-He’s not my b-“

 

            “I don’t have time to listen to your excuses right now. I have other patients to take care of, so deal with him!”

 

            She vented silently to herself as she entered Hiro’s room. The boy was asleep on the bed. He does look exhausted… I guess he doesn’t need to know. It’s probably nothing anyway… She looked over to his bedside table. An open lunchbox sat atop it. The contents were missing. Lisanna smiled. So he did eat it. She sat down on a chair by the window and just watched him for a while as her mind drifted.

 

            The squealing wheels of a stretcher passing outside the door snapped Lisanna out of her daydreaming. Soft beams of fading light made it seem as if the room was glowing. It’s late. I need to get back. She looked at the still sleeping figure on the bed. She reassured herself. He’ll be fine. She went home.

 

            That next morning, she did as the doctor asked, and left even earlier to ensure Hiro did not make a morning escape. As she neared the building, her feet took her outside the west wing, rather than the entrance. When she neared the area bellow Hiro’s room, she noticed a dark figure hiding behind a nearby tree. Kazuto did come! He must have seen Hiro leaving yesterday! He must think that he’s going to do it again today! Then again, I think he will too… Lisanna withdrew to the cover of some bushes beside her, and observed both Kazuto and the window above.

 

            Earlier then the day before, the window on the sixth floor was flung open, and protruding from its sill was an escaping patient.

 

            Hiro checked both ways before looking back into the room and doing a two-finger salute as if to say goodbye to someone who wasn’t even there.

 

That was probably for me. He’s intentionally avoiding me isn’t he?!

 

Hiro then jumped nearly ten feet out to a flagpole outside his window, corkscrewed down it, and headed north to the school building.

 

Lisanna sighed. So that’s how that crazy guy got down yesterday…

 

A game of follow the leader ensued with Kazuto behind Hiro, and in turn, Lisanna behind Kazuto. As they passed the school, Hiro turned east and headed for the back of the “lesser” boys’ dorm. When he drew close, he headed north again until he reached the tree line. Hiro walked along its edge and stopped in front of a tree and examined it before heading in.

 

Lisanna looked at the tree as she passed it. What’s with it? No time to check now though.

 

 She entered the woods behind Kazuto. Following the two boys from a safe distance, she carved a path through the forest to who knows where. Only, her distance didn’t stay safe. It was to late when she realized it, but she was no longer following Kazuto. The one in front of her was Hiro.

 

            She started to panic. Did Kazuto notice me? Is he coming up behind me? She checked her perimeter, but found nothing. Looking forward again, Hiro’s figure had not moved at all. Does he know I was following too? Her panic was ill founded though.

           

            Kazuto’s voice rang out from in front of Hiro. “Let’s finish this.”

 

            Hiro’s sounded as if he was bored.  “What are you talking about? I was not aware we had anything to finish.”

 

            “You know damn well what I am talking about! It’s time for us to finish our fight!”

 

            “We already had that. You won. It’s over.”

 

            “Like hell it’s over! I’m sick of your bullshit! Every day you slack off in class, and you pretend that you don’t have a clue how to fight well! It pisses me off! You held back in our fight the other week. I saw it in your body, in the way you moved, and in the way you took my blows. You’re stronger then you let on. I want you to show me that strength. Fight me serious Hiro.”

 

            This is bad! If Kazuto fights serious out here, he will kill Hiro. Sure Hiro is stronger than he lets on, but the difference can’t possibly make up the distance between them.

 

Then she heard something absurd followed by Kazuto’s laughter.

 

            “Ahahaha! You can’t be serious Hiro! That’s rich! Where do you come up with something like that! And here I thought you were a dull guy, but you can make a great joke!”

 

            Kazuto is right. This is crazy! She shook her head. But Hiro’s voice contained no indication of jesting. I heard it myself. “If we fought seriously, you would forfeit your life.” That had to be some kind of misunderstanding!

 

            Kazuto continued on. “Hiro, I think we both know that if I fought seriously, you would be the one to die.”

 

            Hiro’s response was serious. “I know. That’s why that is why your life would be forfeit.”

 

            “What do you mean by that?” Though he asked, Kazuto’s face showed he might know the answer.

 

            Hiro’s voice had a hint of bitterness in its tone. “If you were to kill me, do you really think ‘He’ would let you live?”

 

            Kazuto’s face grew pale as what he already suspected was confirmed. Calm down, I already knew about this, I prepared for this. Steeling himself, he pressed on. “Do you know why I followed you out here? I could have killed you anywhere, but I followed you out here. Why was that? I’ll tell you! We are in the middle of nowhere! Even ‘He’ won’t know what happened to you. I’m going to kill you out here Hiro, and ‘He’ will be none the wiser.”

 

            Lisanna drew in closer, abandoning the cover of her current tree, in order to hear better. Who is this ‘He’ they keep mentioning? What am I missing here?

 

            “Are you really so naive? Do you really think, ‘He’ won’t know what happened? Our location changes nothing with that man.” Hiro closed his eyes and turned his back to Kazuto. “If you really think you’re safe, then come kill me. I won’t fight back.”

 

            Kazuto drew his fist up and held it for several seconds. An intense yellow aura covered the hand.

 

Lisanna felt her palms get clammy. He might actually kill him! However, the silver haired boy did not.

 

Kazuto shouted in anger as he punched a nearby tree. The trunk shattered, and the canopy collapsed to the ground. The violent sounds stopped the nearby songbirds in the middle of their melodies. Morning light shown through the new opening in the green ceiling. “I don’t know why ‘He’ protects you, but don’t think that ‘He’ will be able to protect you forever Hiro. I will kill you.” He turned and left.

 

            After Kazuto disappeared into the trees, Hiro opened his eyes, and found them locked onto a blonde who was likewise transfixed.

 

            Shock was evident on her face. Lisanna began stuttering. “U-um… I-I was just…” She frantically searched the forest floor for something. Anything. Then she found it. “I was just looking for this!” Grabbing the mushroom she had located, she shoved it in her mouth and started chewing.  She spoke with her mouth full. “M-muy fav-it.”

 

            “That’s a poison mushroom.”

 

            His statement was rewarded with a shower of pre chewed mushroom paste to the face.

 

            The usually confident blond blushed hard in embarrassment. “S-sorry!”

 

            Hiro wiped it off and turned away. “It’s fine, so go home.”

 

            “Wait! What are you doing?”

 

            “I have to go somewhere.” And with that, he started walking away. The boulder should be close now.

 

            “Hold on! Where are you g-“

 

            Hiro took off in a sprint. She had no time to talk further, lest she lose him. Taking off after the boy, she quickly came to realize that he was fast. Really fast. She was lucky enough to reach a landmark in the form of a cracked boulder, but Hiro was nowhere in sight. This was bad. Where is he? She began to wonder around.

 

            Checking his surroundings, the brown haired boy confirmed that Lisanna had been unable to follow. Hiro’s face was downcast as he moved aside the small boulder by the river. Kazuto! You just had to make me think of that man! He made his way down the ladder.

 

It had already been over an hour, and Lisanna was still flabbergasted that Hiro had lost her, She had no idea what to do. The blonde looked around for a while longer, but saw no traces of what direction he might have gone in. Giving up hope, she turned around to go home. She stopped.  

 

            Here eyes widened as she looked around. “What way is home!?!”

 

            The trees hid the sun. Even if she climbed a tree to could see it, it wouldn’t matter. She had forgotten to look at the solar calendar today.

 

            The sun rose from a different direction each day. Until recent years, solar navigation was completely impossible. However, a brilliant young mind from another country had developed an algorithm for predicting which direction the sun would rise each day. Using it, people began to be able to navigate using the sun.

 

            However, Lisanna did not posses the knowledge on how to apply the algorithm herself, nor had she seen the calendar today. She realized she had made the worst possible mistake. Wandering away from the last distinguishable landmark, the cracked boulder. Now she had no idea where she was going. With no other options open to her, she picked a direction and began walking.

 

Hours passed by, and Lisanna felt like she was going in circles. What little light leaked through the roof of leaves above her was fading fast. She did not nowhere she had come from, or even what direction she was going. There were no points of reference to help her. Except there was one thing. A sound. She calmed her breathing to hear better. Water! That’s running water! With new hope, she headed in that direction.