Chapter Ten

Exploration

Mizushima Kasumi’s Point of View

            Both the boys and the girl’s team were about to board a plane to enter the Junior Swimming World Championships in London. Our plan was to practice non-stop and cram any information was about our opponents before the actual competition began. Make friends . . . Go sightseeing . . . and maybe I could hopefully sneak some time so that Haruka and I could go look around . . . The London Eye . . . The Benjamin clock tower . . . the palaces . . . everything . . . anything . . . As long as I was with him.

            “Ticket please,” the female flight attendant asked me for my papers.

            I handed her my ticket, and she allowed me to pass through the ramp onto the plane.

            Here was how it was going to go . . . I actually have no idea. All I wanted to know was that I was going to sit next to Haruka, but . . . alas, that’s not all that possible, now is it?

            “Ano . . . Where are we sitting?” I asked, too lazy to reach for my ticket lying inside my small backpack.

            “Um . . .” Arisu began. “First class seats! Can you believe it?! I. Am. So. Excited, Girl!”

            “Excuse me, ma’am,” one of the flight attendants asked. “Please lower down your voice. Thank you.”

            “Gomen . . .” she lowered her head down in embarrassment.

            As we settled down in our seats, I ended up sitting next to Arisu; Haruka with Makoto; Rei with Rin; Nagisa with Gou; et cetera.

            Just as I had finished placing my small luggage over on the top, I noticed a young, pregnant woman, looking tired and distressed seemingly walking over to end of the boarding plane. Seeing how tired and weary she was, I took action of the matter.

            “Excuse me, ma’am,” I asked her politely as I stood up. “Would you like to take my seat?”

            She was taken back by my sudden offer and replied in hesitation and gratitude.

            “Arigato,” she smiled warmly. “There are rarely any kind people out there anymore.”

            I arose from my seat, and helped her sit down. After placing her luggage up in the bin in place of mine, I asked her for her seat number before leaving for passenger seat I took in place of mine.

            My seat was by the window. Sunlight was shining through the glass and gleamed upon the various people and items behind me. As the plane set off into the deep atmosphere, I saw the clouds from above . . . They were like an ocean of rippling waves of immaculate white. Some clouds were above the others, so it was as if your were floating on white waves while staring off into spaces of sky blue and white blotches of small clouds here and there.

            Since we were on a plane, we weren’t allowed to use the Internet, in fear of the plane’s transmission interference with headquarters. Grabbing my iPod out of my available backpack, I flipped it open and began to read Diamond no Ace, a manga about some guy playing baseball. I was already on the 94th chapter and was on my way to the most recent—Chapter 134.

            What seemed like hours became minutes became hours . . . and we soon arrived at our destination of London. After we had got off the plane and departed the station and through all the security checkpoints, we went outside. Outside, we could see the London Eye and Big Ben from miles away. This moment . . . was truly spectacular.

            “You’re too kind, you know,” Nanase talked to me for the first time since I switched my seat with the pregnant lady.

            “Hahaha . . .” I laughed. “Doubt it.”

            “Lies,” he replied monotonously.

            “Hahaha,” I giggled nervously due to the closeness between us.

            “Hey, you two!” Arisu called the both of us. “Nagisa and I are going to tour the city for a bit. The others already left in their own little clicks! You two go anywhere you want until six P.M. for swimming practice. Ja ne!”

            “Alright,” I replied quickly before she had the chance to leave before I could say anything. “So . . . Haruka-kun, where do you want to go?”

            He shrugged, not caring, “I don’t care where we go as long as I’m with you.”

            I blushed wildly before responding, “Okay, then . . . London Eye? After we put our stuff in our hotel room?”

            “As I said before,” he told me. “Wherever you go.”

            At that, we ambled our way to our hotel room with our basic English. After we had put our stuff in our own room, separate from the others. Soon afterwards, we explored the city, the both of us smiling and laughing like a couple the entire way through. Truth be told, I wished we were a couple. We acted and seemed like one, so couldn’t we truly be one?

            “I thought you said we would be going to see the London Eye,” Nanase told me bluntly, for we had seen the Big Ben and passed by the various castles where the kings and queens had lived. “Do you still want to go?

            “In fact, I do,” I informed him. “But . . . I decided to save that part for after we won the Olympics.”

            “So full of yourself, neh?” he stroked his ‘beard’ as if he were a wise man.

            “Hey!” I defended myself. “You’re the one who’s full of yourself!”

            “Ah,” he countered me. “So you think.”

            “Hmph,” I replied, turning my back on him as he then embraced me from behind.

            At this point in time, my face was completely red, or, at least I thought so anyway. He was so warm . . . cozy . . . sweet . . . kind . . . Was there anything bad about him to begin with?

            “Do you want a little dinner before we get back?” he asked. “I’ll make it this time.”

            “I don’t see why not,” I replied as we turned back, holding hands, to our hotel room . . . in the city of London . . . where love could possibly prevail over Paris.

~*~*~*~

Dear Readers,

Oh, my Kami! >.<

I am so very sorry for not updating for over a month.

At this point in time, I'm just hoping that everyone still remembers this book! >.<

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~FujiwaraYuko~