Title: Between the Lines (Chapter One)
Main Characters: Mia, Kousuke, Sho
Rating: PG (subject to change in continuing chapters)
.:Note:.
I am pretty pleased with this chapter :] But, I know that all the references may not be correct. For instance, I just described Keio University from my imagination. As well as the bus stop and surrounding landscape. Nothing is as it is, so please excuse it if you know how it really should be :] This story is just for fun, so I did not specify everything. XD
 Chapter Two! CLICK!

——

At the bus stop, Mia switched her bag over to the other shoulder and looked at her watch. It was only 9:00 am, but sweltering outside. The bus should’ve come by now, she thought shuffling her feet. She had never been good at being patient. That’s why she always had her notebook. Otherwise she just fell asleep.

            The bus stop she was at had no benches, since it was in a neighborhood. Ms. Iitaka had offered to drive her to the University, but Mia had kindly refused, thinking of how she needed to learn to get around on her own.

            Annoyed by the heat that was making her hair wet with sweat, Mia threw her bag down and ripped the hair tie off of her wrist. She bunched up the mass of golden brown curls that was her hair and twisted them into a bun on her head. She swiped her sweaty bangs off of her forehead and picked up her bag just as the bus came. The doors opened and she stuck her head in.

            “Just one today?” the driver asked. Mia nodded and threw the coin Ms. Iitaka had given to her into the slot. The doors closed and she moved to the back of the bus, sitting down next to the window. “And where are we going today, Miss?” The driver asked, looking back at Mia through the mirror.

            “Ah… Keio University, onegaishimasu,” she replied. The driver nodded his head and told her that she would drop her off at the closest stop, but it was still a short walk until she would reach the university.

            Mia bowed her head thanks and looked around the bus. There weren’t too many people on the bus that morning. She had expected to see more people than there were, and even a couple students. But there were only about ten other people, and none looked to be students. But then she remembered the closest school was within walking distance and turned her head out the window, anticipating the rest of the day.

 

Papa,

            I have finally arrived in Japan. Actually, I’ve been here for about two days, but have been jet-lagged from the excruciatingly long flight here.

            Ms. Iitaka has been awfully kind to me and I am so pleased that I am in the care of her home until I get my own. I learned that her husband is usually away on business trips. The kids are still in school as well; Taro-kun and Sayuri-chan.

            So, in response to them being away at school, I’m on the bus to visit and confirm my registry at Keio University, the college I will be studying at. I can’t wait to see the campus. It’s supposed to be very beautiful. And even though I don’t stat going to the University until September, my heart is pounding. I’ll finish out that year, which is until Spring and then hopefully about another two years.

            I also need to get a job soon. I wonder

 

            The bus driver was calling back to Mia, telling her that they had arrived at the university stop. She hurriedly clicked her pen shut and stuffed it, along with her notebook, into her bag. She shuffled up to the front of the bus and stopped, looking around nervously. She turned towards the driver and mumbled “Ano…”

            “Something the matter?” he asked, leaning against the steering wheel.

            “H-hai, ano…how do you get to the University from here?” she asked nervously, hoping that her accent wasn’t too strange.

            The driver smiled at her. “It’s straight ahead. Just keep walking until you can take a left and you’ll find yourself there.”

            “Arigatou gozaimasu!” Mia said, bowing and smiling.

           The bus driver chuckled. “Iie, iie. Have a safe trip!” He waved as Mia hopped off the bus and re-shouldered her bag. She started walking right away, taking deep breaths. Her heart was pounding immensely hard and she was starting to wonder if going to the University so soon had been such a good decision.

            No, she told herself, shaking her head. You have got to do this. She looked at her watch. The bus ride had taken 45 minutes. Oh god, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut. I hope it’s even open to applying students.

            Mia forced herself forward again, turning left after about 10 minutes of walking. She gasped. Suddenly, she was facing one of the largest buildings she had seen since arriving in Japan. The campus was beautiful and spacious. There were some students walking around, too. She walked towards the entrance in awe. As she came to the door, she stopped, shaky again.

            Just as she was about to open the reach for the door, it opened to her. Startled, Mia jumped back. She felt herself trip over something and she started to fall backwards. She let out a strangled yelp and flung out her arms, reaching out frantically for something to grab on to. A strong hand grabbed hers and jerked her back up on her feet.

            “Oi, daijoubu desuka?” the hand’s owner asked. Mia looked up, still in shock. The face that looked back at her was that of a worries young man, that had a pretty nice face.  Tears started to trickle out of her eyes. The young man looked at her, worried more still at her tears. “Oi,” he grabbed her shoulders. “Oi, daijoubu?”

            Mia nodded, feeling pathetic. She lifted a shaky hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “Gomen. Daijoubu desu. I was just startled.” The young man let go of her, but by the look on his face, her words did not satisfy him.

            “Are you sure you’re ok? Your tears startled me.”

            Mia knew she shouldn’t have started crying, but falling had always been one of her biggest fears. “Hai. I’m fine, really. Thank you for catching me.” She bowed her head, thinking that this was the right thing to do, but the young man chuckled.

            “You can lift your head. I’m glad you’re ok.” She slowly lifted her head to see the young man smiling down at her. A smile twitched at the edge of her lips in response to his. “I’m Shimura Kousuke. Nice to meet you.” He held out a hand.

            Mia took it, a bit nervously and smiled fully. “Mia desu….. Brown Mia.” She grimaced at the sound of her name. It sounded funny compared to the Japanese one that had just been spoken.

            “Jaa… Mia-chan. Are you new here? I haven’t seen you around before.” Mia nodded. “Do you need any help around campus?” he asked.

            The offer pleased Mia, but she felt the need to turn it down. Like she needed to do this on her own. “Jitsuwa, if you could show me to the front office, that would be a big help.”

            “Oh, well then, it’s just inside this door, to your right. Would you like me to wait outside for you?” Mia was a little startled by the offer and looked at his face. For a guy, he had a pretty nice one. When she looked into his eyes, she saw something there that she had not seen in a really long time. She saw that he was a bit worried, but there was something else there and she couldn’t remember how to categorize it. It puzzled her.

            “Iie, you must be really busy. Demo, hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu.” She bowed her head and turned to the door.

            “Ne, Mia-chan?” She heard Kousuke call. She turned. “Do you think I’ll see you around campus anytime soon?”

            Mia smiled at her newfound friend. “Tabun,” she replied and went inside.

 

            After confirming her registration, Mia decided to explore the campus a bit. She went around to the back of the University and found a courtyard. The serenity of it took her breath away. There were no students around, which made the sounds of summer more distinct. Looking at the scene felt like a dream to Mia. She finally realized that she was in Japan.

            Her watch said 11:26am. Mia decided to sit down for a while and ambled over to a nearby bench. She dropped her bag as she sat down and rubbed her shoulder. It had started to hurt from carrying the bag around all day. She reached down and pulled out her notebook and pen and started to write again.

           

            -just how long it will take to find a well paying job and a cheap place to stay in. I’m just a bit worried for myself. I should find one before school starts.

            I just confirmed my registration into Keio University and my heart was pound the whole time. But I did it Papa! And along the way, I made a new friend, Shimura, Kousuke-san. Maybe we will be able to see each other again once I start at the Uni. He didn’t seem fazed by my accent, so maybe it’s not as bad as I had expected.

            The school campus is beautiful, Papa. You would love the architecture of it, I bet. I am so pleased to be able to come here. It’s all thanks to the partner, University of Maryland College Park. They put me here on a scholarship, so I am really grateful to them. And to Keio, no less! I hope that I can keep up with my studies here. It’s supposed to be one of the top schools! I hope that being in an American college for two years does not mess up my studies here.

            05-08-08 Mia~

 

            Mia put her pen down on her closed notebook that lied on her lap and breathed in the sweet, warm summer smell. It cleared her head of thoughts of her father. She wondered sometimes why she ended up writing to him, but that was just how it all started, the plane flight on Japan, her first letter to her dad.

            Her stomach growled, interrupting her thoughts. She was pleased for the distraction and was about to put her notebook and pen back into her bag and reach for the bento Ms. Iitaka had packed for her when, suddenly, a man ran past her. He was so fast that his wind blew her bangs around on her face, even more than the natural wind of the summer.

            He jumped into the bush that was near the bench Mia was sitting on, stunned. A few seconds later, a young woman came towards her calling out “Sho-kun! Sho-kun, where’d you go??” Her eyes were frantic and full of something else that almost scared Mia off of the bench. It was something close to lust, or love. But not the kind of love she saw between lovers.

            “Have you seen Sho-kun?” The girl asked Mia, her breath coming out hard.

            “Iie, gomen,” she said, although she had guessed that the person that had jumped into the bush might be him. The girl cursed under her breath and turned around sharply, running back the way she came.

            Once she was gone, Mia placed the notebook and pen to the side and went over to the bush. “Ano, that girl, was she looking for you?” She held out a hand and felt a warm, soft hand grab hers. She couldn’t help remembering Kousuke’s hand, and how his were so rough compared to this one. But this one seemed to have a strength that his hadn’t.

            The young man pulled himself up and when Mia saw his face, she couldn’t help but stare. She remembered thinking that Kousuke had been something to look at, but this guy was much more so. He was almost beautiful, with his chocolate brown eyes that were nearly the same color of his slightly bleached hair. His face was perfectly smooth with no blemishes and a slightly sharp edge to it. His lips were beautifully red and seductively shaped, perfect for his face. In his left ear was an earring and Mia liked how it looked on him. He also had a professional look that had not been present in Kousuke. Even though he looked young, it seemed that he knew a lot, like he wasn’t just a student.

           The young man looked back at her, scanning her face with a wary look on his perfect one. “I suspect she was,” he said looking over to the bench Mia had been sitting at. “I’m sorry, did I disturb you?”

            “Iie, I was just finished writing as you passed by and… jumped into the bush.” She gave him a questioning look. She wanted him to talk more; to see those sultry lips move and to hear the voice that came out of them.

            “Ah yes, about that…” he reached a hand to the back of his head and ruffled his hair, which settled neatly back into place.

            “I’m guessing you didn’t want to see her? I heard her call you Sho-kun…. I’m Mia. Pleasure to meet you, Yabu-san.” She used the term for “bush” instead of Sho-kun as she had before, for fun. His eyes widened in surprise and Mia wondered if she had done something wrong. But then his face relaxed and a shining smile burst onto his face as he started laughing.