FicWad

Aiko Kobayashi quietly walked down the hallway of Redrun School for Girls, her head down and her black hair covering her face. Her books wee clutched safely in her hands against her chest. She was always quiet in school, only speaking up when called on or during a presentation to the class. She stayed hidden from the other students. After all, who wants to talk to the new girl?
Her small round face was pulled into a frown, her gentle blue eyes fiery with an unknown concern, her perfectly trimmed eyebrows knitted together. She almost walked straight into her only friend, Jessica Hertzel.
“Aiko!” She called, waving her arm wildly. Jessica’s brown hair was pulled back into two obnoxious pigtails that were woven into braids with hot pink strips. Jessica’s style was a little outlandish, but so was her personality. She was the complete opposite of Aiko. Loud, hyper.
“Oh, hi Jessica.” Aiko said quietly.
“Guess what?” She squealed in a high girly voice.
“What?” Aiko really didn’t care to guess what was what, but Jessica would tell her anyway so it was really no use.
“You know that really cute guy in our civics class? He was totally checking me out today!”
“That’s great.”
“You don’t care.”
“Yes I do, I just have other thing on my life right now.”
“Oh…I should have recognized the thinking face. What’s up?”
“Mr. Bensit is giving a test today and I didn’t study.”
“Aiko, you study enough for five people to get A’s on their tests. You’ll do fine.”
“But-“
“Chill out Aikie,” Jessica consoled, using her favorite nickname, which Aiko absolutely hated, but she was used to it. “You’ll do fine and continue being number one on the class roster.”
“I sure hope so…the test is next hour…I think I’m going to be sick.” Jessica stopped walking and gripped Aiko’s shoulders.
“Relax. Breathe. You’ll do fine. Now let’s go to class. If anyone is getting a bad grade, it’s me.”

****

Hayate hated Mondays. Particularly this Monday. The rain was pouring steadily down on the rooftop of the admissions building. The only sound was the gentle hum of the air conditioner and the occasional clacking of keys as the secretary typed information into the computer. Hayate leaned back in his chair, sipping a cup of decaf and looking at the large amount of text on the screen.
'I would love to come to Redrun School for Girls because I want to make myself a better person. I’m not the greatest student, but I know I can apply myself and become a good student at Redrun. I’m very studious and chipper.'
Hayate sighed and deleted the entry.
“Cassie!”
“Yes?”
“But Amanda Derry on the list for rejection letters. She didn’t meet the requirements.”
“Yes sir.” The clacking of keys could be heard and then the printing of a letter. Cassie’s swift footsteps were heard and then the door opened and Cassie’s face popped in.
“You need to sign this, sir.” It was odd to have an older woman call him sir, Hayate reflected, smirking slightly. He was only 20, just recently graduated Redrun School for Boys only a year ago.
“Bring it here.”
He had gotten the job almost instantly. The old dean of admissions retired just as Hayate was applying. He was an excellent student during school, studious but rowdy. The teachers all hated him, but he always made the top ten.
He didn’t know exactly why he chose this job. He had bigger ambitions. Maybe get out of Iowa and see the world, then come back to the US and become a renowned speaker. Or become a professional athlete and participate in the Olympics. But instead he was stuck in a small office with one very quiet secretary. Then again, he was only twenty. What he wanted to do later was his decision. What was stopping him?
“Sir? We need to mail this ASAP.”
“Yes, I know. Sorry.” He hastily signed his name and handed the paper back to Cassie. His mind always wandered, even when he was performing a simple task like signing his name.
The last school bell rang, letting the students free from their last classes of the day. Hayate got up and stretched. He needed to catch a certain girl who had made number one on the top ten for the last two years. Her essay still clung tight in his memory.
"I never knew how strong my father could be. Yes, I looked up to him when I was younger, but I never quite appreciated what he did for his family.
"I was born in Japan, on a small farm about twenty six miles away from Tokyo. We had a small home, nothing to brag about. We also had a ten acre farm that was my father’s pride and joy. He would spend hours out there, baling hay and shucking corn, harvesting rice and beans. He would come in every night smelling of fresh earth and sun. There was always a smile on his face when he would pick me up and twirl me around, then settle me in the crook of his arm and wrap an arm around my mother. 'Another meal for the table,' He would say.
"My mother grew ill about a month after my brother was born. She was bed ridden, only rising to nurse her son or to get her meal. She refused to eat in bed. 'The family meal should never be broken even in hardship.' Every day she would grow worse. My brother was put on formula. She was no longer able to get out of bed, although it hurt her.
"She died two months after falling ill. That’s when I saw the hero in my father. The day after the funeral, he was out in the field, doing the usual labor, although his heart was heavy. All he wanted was the best for his children, and he would do everything he could to give them the best life possible. He would rise before the sun, and return long after it had gone down. He and I would sit at the dinner table, my siblings in bed, and he would tell me what he would do for me. He told me when he had enough money; he would send me to America so I could receive an adequate education. So day in and day out, he worked. For every dollar he made, he would set aside two for my education.
"The day came when he was able to announce that he had enough. I remember it clearly. He came home from town with the biggest smile on his face. I hadn’t seen him so happy since my mother died. 'Aiko,' He boomed, 'You are going to America.'
"Since the day my mother died, my father never gave up. He worked until he was able to fulfill his promise to me. He is a modern day hero, my superman. His only kryptonite, is seeing his dreams fall to pieces. His dreams are his children, and hopefully, for him, I’ll be able to succeed."
She had signed it simply, with her name and nothing more.
Aiko Kobayashi





*****
The sun was shining brightly over the campus, and Aiko had to shield her eyes against it. However, the brightness invading her eyes did little to dampen the radiant smile on her face. Jessica came bounding out of the school behind her.
“See? Told you it would be fine. 100%. Not uncommon for our little Aikie.”
“Yeah, I know. I always overreact.”
“Always being an understatement. I say we go celebrate with a yummy hot fudge Sunday at Bennie’s down the street. I hear their ice cream is to die for.”
“Sure. I just need to go back to my dorm and change.”
“Oh me too. I’ll meet you back here in twenty minutes, okay?”
“Okay. Bye Jess.” Aiko began walking back to her dorm, humming a haunting tune from her childhood. Her mother had told her it was a poem, but the Japanese people had made it into a song to entertain the young children. She couldn’t quite remember the words to it, only the long, slow, hauntingly beautiful melody that always reminded Aiko of her mother.
“Ty-ger, Ty-ger burning bright…” She sang quietly. She looked up at the thick canopy of trees she had walked into.
“Excuse me, Aiko Kobayashi?” Aiko started at the voice. She turned slightly to see a man with thick black hair and daring green eyes. He was looking at her curiously through thin-wired glasses, his mouth set in a serious line, but also inquisitive.
“Y-yes, I’m Aiko. Why do you ask?”
“I must talk to you, just for a moment. My name is Hayate Ito; I am dean of admissions here at Redrun schools.”
“Is something the matter?”
“Oh, no. Nothing. I just must talk to you about your admittance essay? I’m thinking about proposing a new class to the board, which I would be teaching myself. I would like your input.”
“Why me?” Aiko knew she could write essays. She had always gotten top marks on them back in Japan, but she never knew it would be this good.
“Well, Aiko, you are too modest. Your essay was quite original. It was more like a story rather than an essay; I was hoping a creative writing class could b introduced to the curriculum.”
“Oh…but it was an essay, Mr. Ito. The letter said a personal account of life would do as an admittance essay. So I wrote about my home.” Hayate blinked a few times and straightened himself.
“That story is yours?”
“Yes.”
“Well, that’s even better. You were able to turn a memory into an essay. I would like to teach other students how to do that, in preparation for college, perhaps.”
“Oh…well…” Aiko had no idea how to respond. Herself helping to write a curriculum for a new class at Redrun? Impossible. She wasn’t that good. This was a cruel joke set up to humiliate her.
“Please, Aiko. I have ambitions in my life, and this would help me realize them.”
“That’s quite personal for someone you’ve just met, isn’t it Mr. Ito?” Hayate’s lips pulled into a smile and he began to chuckle lightly.
“It’s not personal if I decide to tell you, now is it?” Aiko was taken aback. This man was not only charming and smart, but she was finding him handsome and somewhat sexy with every passing minute.
“I guess not, Mr. Ito.”
“So, will you help me?” Aiko looked at Hayate’s outstretched hand then up at his gentle face.
“I will.”