Always

We often disagreed and fought, didn’t we?
But you understand me more than anyone else.

You showed me that I have a place to feel safe,
and that we haven’t changed much from when we were kids.

+++

and Kaidoh Kaoru have been neighbors and friends and… squabbling partners ever since they were young.

When they were kids, their parents had introduced them. , being the cheerful girl she was, put a hand out for a shake. And Kaoru, being the shy boy he was, extended his own to reach for hers, he gave it a little shake and hurriedly withdrew it. was amused by the streak of thin pink lines that surfaced across his cheeks, and then more when she called him ‘Kaoru-chan!’

As the two got closer, Kaidoh opened up to her (well, you see, that’s how the childhood friend thing works). He didn’t say much, and he didn’t need to. It appeared that the two shared a telepathic link.

They had their fair share of disagreements too. Kaidoh, though a serious and usually calm boy, was often enraged by ’s lack of appreciation for food. Kaidoh was a food person, he enjoyed his food thoroughly. He was raised like that; having meals with his family, the greetings, the food; it also helped that his mother was a great cook.

However, thought food was a great evil! Yes, though she was young, she was very concerned about her weight and things like that, she thought all food made her fat, and she should just eat as little as possible.

“Not if you eat the right kind of food,” Kaidoh would always tell her in that low and seemingly nonchalant voice.

But deep down, he cared. Please let eat well. Please let appreciate the food she eats; appreciate the effort put into the harvesting process, the purchasing process, the preparation process and the eating process. It’s not difficult. After all, food was meant to be enjoyed.

“Food is wrong!” would retaliate.

“You’re stupid,” Kaidoh would scold her bluntly.

Then would scowl at the boy, cross her arms, and start hauling rude comments at the boy, ‘You glutton!’ ‘Too serious!’ ‘Such a scary face!!!’

There are some people who show their concern through fighting and quarrelling.

+++

and Kaidoh Kaoru were in different classes. They did not eat lunch together, or go home together.

Outsiders often wondered how the two could still remain such close friends. Even if they are neighbors, they were all grown up now, had had more experiences, and had made more friends. Shouldn’t they have drifted apart? Especially when their friendship was stemmed from naïve memories of the past?

… What the both of them felt wasn’t friendship anymore.

It was love; that deep, tender feeling of affection.

The pair just hadn’t realized themselves.

The two had that telepathic link, which told them never to give up on their relationship.

Chance was just waiting by a corner.

+++

and Kaidoh Kaoru are complete opposites when it came to food. But, it didn’t stop from trying to prepare Kaidoh’s favorite yam soba.

She had been to the Kaidoh residence countless times, and a few times she was lucky enough to catch Hozumi-obachan by the stove, preparing the dish.

The girl scrutinized the older lady meticulously; from cutting the tororo potato, to washing the soba, and even to the most minute detail of how to boil water. (Okay, she’s not that much of a cook). Hozumi-obachan understood what was trying to do, and would slow down a little when the girl tilted her head curiously.

 

At this moment, was standing in front of her kitchen stove with the essential ingredients by her side. She didn’t have a bamboo basket for the soba like Hozumi-obachan did, but she guessed a bowl would do.

She was confident. Really, she had watch Kaidoh’s mother prepare it so many times already!

hadn’t learnt that you need more than just watching to know how to cook, for one; you needed hands-on experience, which was what she lacked.

She boiled the water, and then washed the soba noodles (ready-made ones, she knew she didn’t have the skill to hand make them yet), after that, she cut the tororo potato.

As much as she thought she was taking extra care of cutting because knife cuts hurt, she wasn’t aware of another hazard that she might face. With all her attention on the potato, her right elbow hit the boiling pot of water beside her. It spilled. was agile enough to get out of the way, but not enough to avoid it fully. She scalded her fingers.

All of the sudden, she heard violent knocks on her door.

“What a bad time…” sighed inwardly. Not knowing what she should do with the burn, she blew it and hurried to the door at the same time.

Kaidoh was there.

“Kaoru-chan!” the girl exclaimed, shocked at his abrupt appearance.

“Are you okay?” he hissed.

“Huh…?” the girl replied, more taken aback by how Kaidoh seem to know… all the time.

“I was studying and I heard you scream,” was the boy’s answer. That earned an even more puzzled look from .

Kaidoh just wrinkled his eyebrows and took hold the girl’s fingers. Despite his usual disposition, he led gently to the sofa.

Like this was his own home, Kaidoh headed swiftly to the kitchen and grabbed hold of the first aid box.

Finger by finger, Kaidoh spread the antiseptic cream slowly and evenly over them. gazed at the careful attention that she was being given. She thought over what Kaidoh had said about the scream. She didn’t scream; everything had happened too quickly. She realized now, though, that she was indeed overwhelmed by the accident as she shook in fear.

Still, the fact remained that she did not scream at all, not an audible scream at least. And even if she did, it made no sense that Kaidoh would have heard. She was in the kitchen, and he was probably in his room.

The girl snapped out of her thoughts as Kaidoh placed his hand on her shoulder, stopping her trembling momentarily.

That soothed her.

“I needed that! Thanks Kaoru-chan!” she perked up, and grinned at the boy.

Kaidoh glanced at her face, her lips still quivering. He blushed, and moved forward to give her a quick hug.

Immediately, his cheeks became crimson red, and he walked towards the kitchen, hands in his pockets.

looked dearly at her neatly bandaged fingers, “Thank you, Kaoru.”

+++

“You tried to make yam soba?” Kaidoh hissed as he stood by the stove with ’s apron on him, it looked strangely fitting. just nodded meekly, a little embarrassed at her attempt now.

Kaidoh stirred the noodles in the pot one last time, and then poured the contents into two separate bowls. “There,” he held out one of the bowls to the girl, as she accepted it thankfully.

“Guess you’re a much better cook than I am,” the girl laughed, slurping on her noodles, it wasn’t as good as Hozumi-obachan, but it was still delicious.

Kaidoh hit the girl lightly on the back of her head, “Next time you want yam soba, I’ll cook it for you!”

… …

Actually I wanted to make it for you… …

… …

“Kaoru… Actually…”

“I know,” softening his gaze, looking at the other, Kaidoh’s lips curved upwards slightly, as he went back to his noodles.

+++

Your love,

wrapped me in support.
And now,

I’m happy in my everyday life.
I thank you…
…always by my side.

Whether it was something plain,

or something embarrassing.
Without saying anything
you’d treat me kindly
I thank you…
…always by my side.

Your love
protected and guided me.
And because of those things,
I live the way I do today.
Thank you,

And I love you.

//Summer. 16^th Oct ‘06.

Edited by Kashii