Colors of the Heart [Iwase]

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And the rain continued to fall.

With a coffee cup in one hand, Setsuna watched the raindrops that slide down the glass panel before her. The female teacher looked peaceful in her position; her chin rested against the back of her palm. Oh, it's not that she liked it when it rains (although she doesn't exactly dislike it when it rains as well), but there was something that drew her to watch the raindrops like that.

Colors of the Heart--that's what the cafe is called. It's actually one of the new establishments within the Alice Academy, and only popular among the adults. They made excellent coffee, and the place was very well made. Instead of walls, they had glass panels instead so that their customers would be able to enjoy the view. After all, the cafe was built inside a flower garden within the Central Town. What's more, they played mellow music that relaxes their customer, but not to the point that they would fall asleep. A really fitting name.

Perhaps that's the reason why Setsuna went there--to relax. Organizing an event for the whole academy was tiring work, not to mention having to deal with elementary students all day. Setsuna is not one to complain though; she just needs a time off, even just for a bit. And she's so lucky to be there at the moment. The hydrangeas look perfect when it rains.

It's just a pity her students won't take interest in this kind of setting. They'd rather play their computer games or go wild with their alices. Still, Setsuna hopes that someday, they would value this kind of beauty.

Silently, Setsuna took a sip of coffee and shifted her eyes towards the bushes outside. There was nothing more relaxing than to see the soaked hydrangeas radiate their beautiful colors, and classical music in the background.

[||D e c a y . . .]

"So, which ones do you like?"

"Don't laugh, pink ones."

---

Ah yes, the old talk about hydrangeas with his old friends. They're much older than he was, but he can relate with what they're talking about. A mature chibi? Something like that. And because of that hydrangea talk, he's shown his girly side, by liking pink hydrangeas more than the others.

Heck, why is he even remembering it now? Well, it's because of the wet hydrangeas. They look.. nice. It wasn't like him to look at flowers, but they do, have a kind of Iwase Ken pheromone, making him attract to them in rainy days.

With a heavy umbrella and coat, he walked around the central town of Alice Academy, which he had been teaching for quite a while now. Being one of the youngest wasn't easy. He was too old to talk with the kids, yet too young to talk with the older teachers.

Trying to check out the new cafe: Colors of the Heart, in central town. The name happens to be the title of one of his favourite songs, which his favourite quote comes from. It has a nice meaning.

Opening the glass door, which made the bell rang, letting the cafe tender know that another customer had arrived. Ken closed his umbrella, with water still dripping at the end of it. He took off his coat and place them on the coat rack near the enterance. The classical music was nice to listen to in a quiet, rainy day.

He looked around, not surprised that there isn't much people inside. Yet something more interesting was inside..

"Sensei.. likes places like this?"

The twenty-year old asked with a smile, while tilting his head to the side.

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A familiar voice indeed. Setsuna looked up to see a Iwase Ken, one of her colleagues in the Academy.

"Ara... Ken-chan." She didn't quite expect to see him in a place like this. Setsuna really didn't think that a young man like him would want to spend his time there. "The coffee here is good," she answered.

Hey, she told herself, never question the power of coffee.

With that thought, she let out a small chuckle, then set her coffee cup on the table. "What brings you to this place? This cafe doesn't seem to take the liking of youngsters like you," she said. Somehow, that question made her feel older than she really is. And then she let out another soft chuckle.

"Wait, don't answer that," she joked in a good-natured way, "Anyway, would you like to join me for a cup of coffee?"

[||D e c a y . . .]

OOC: Block T_T

"What brings you to this place? This cafe doesn't seem to take the liking of youngsters like you,"

Being a short male sure is, not easy. Moreover, his face doesn't even show he's already a college student, which makes things even worse for him. He is, indeed a bit shorter than Setsuna. He let out a chuckle.

"Mou, this one's not a child anymore" He started, "but since this one is six years younger.. anyway, it's a pleasure."

Sitting down on the chair across the female teacher's.

"Which ones do you reccomend this one to try?"

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Setsuna let out a small chuckle again. "Oh, I'm sorry, I hope I didn't offend you, Ken-chan."

A recommendation. Setsuna looked down on her coffee cup to see, and her image was reflected from a pitch black liquid. She was simply having black coffee, which is quite popular to many. She didn't even have to go to Colors of the Heart to have this kind of coffee.

Let's just say she's embarrassed to say that she only went here for the black coffee. But hey, even though she's only taking regular black coffee, the recipe used in this cafe is simply remarkable. Setsuna, never question the power of coffee, she told herself once more.

"Sou ne," she started. "They say that the Cinnamon Caramel Iced Coffee here is good."

[OOC: BLOCK ]

[||D e c a y . . .]

The rain, once they start pouring they never stop. And it's always a hindrance when you have to go out to another place too. Not that Ken has anywhere else to go apart from his room and the cafe. There's nothing much to do when it's raining anyway. Besides when it does rain, the flowers bloom and rice grows. Not only that, he has more time for kohaku.

"Ja.. Cinnamon caramel ice coffee o hitotsu kudasai.."

He ordered. The cafe was warm, unlike what it was like outside. Of course it would be. The smell of coffee lingered the air, but it was nice, it wasn't sickening like the strong smell of perfume or anything.

The order soon came, and Ken started to sip the chilled coffee slowly. There was an awkward silence that made him look down to his glass of iced coffee, instead of the female teacher.

"Ano..." He started, as he look up to the female teacher once again. "Ko-- Computer, suki?"

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After Ken received his order, Setsuna fell silent and looked out the window to view outside. Raindrops pouring down never cease to calm her senses, add a wonderfully mixed black coffee and Chopin's music to that. She brought the cup in her hand to her lips and then took a small sip.

"Ko-- Computer, suki?" her companion started, making the older woman shift her attention back to him. Setsuna set her cup down and then smiled.

"Computers, ka?" she repeated. "Well, yeah, I guess I could say that... keeps me connected to my family. How about you?"

[||D e c a y . . .]

"Sou ne~ It helps me with my work as well..."

He said, smiling. Yet inside he was pretty angry at himself, for saying a different thing. The place was perfect. Not much people are here. In fact, it was only him, her and the waitress.

"Anou!" Started the boy once again. "Ko-- Confession.. I have a confession to make.."

Looking around the place, before reverting his attention back to the female teacher once again. Happy now, that he's able to say that much. Indeed when it comes to something other than this, he's got a lot more confidence. But now, all of them seems to recide away.

"Ore wa.. Kimi no koto... Kimi no koto... Ore wa... YUME GA MITTA!"

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"Ko-- Confession.. I have a confession to make.." the younger teacher said, then looked around the place. Setsuna did the same, looking around the place before settling her eyes to Ken. Okay, there was nothing significant around the place.

There were many couples though, but the raven haired teacher was too perplexed with Ken's action to even think about that.

"Ore wa.. Kimi no koto... Kimi no koto... Ore wa... YUME GA MITTA!" he blurted out next, which made Setsuna let out a small laughter. Ken-chan was acting pretty strange today.

Stopping her laughter, she repeated, "You saw a dream about me?" A smile formed on the older sensei's face. "You have been thinking about me a lot, haven't you, Ken-chan?" she said as a joke, then laughed a little bit more. Well, people say that if you see a person in your dreams, then most probably you think a lot about that person. But there's another side to that, and somewhat the opposite of the first statement.

"Or maybe it's the other way around," she started, "People say that when you see a person in your dreams, then that person is trying to tell you through your dreams that he or she wants to see you. Oh, maybe I wanted to see you," she said, but those words didn't mean anything, really. It was just interesting that Ken saw her in his dreams.

"Oh, I'm really sorry," she said, apologizing for already being off topic. "So, what was I doing in your dream?"

[||D e c a y . . .]

The twenty-year old blushed as the female teacher stated that he'd been thinking about her a lot. It wasn't false too. Setsuna-sensei was different than the girls he'd met. Although she was old, he could relate to her (and he could relate to almost anyone as long as they're older). She was just different.

Keeping quiet as his companion spoke about dreams. It was interesting, yet so true. Knowing that it was probably only him doing the thinking, he was still glad to hear that she'd say something like that.

"So, what was I doing in your dream?"

The dream? Oh yeah, he saw a dream. Although his original dream had nothing to do with her, since he was only playing soccer with his friends out in the elementary school's field. Might as well just relate to it and make up stories, so that it'd be easier to, well, confess.

"Anou.. Well.. This one and his friends were playing soccer.." He started, as he looked up to the female teacher, keeping his head low, but eyeing her. "And, anou.. You came along, and offered him a towel.. Then, well, this one used it to wipe his face. Very much like the time this one was practicing kenjutsu, that night. Do you remember?"

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"Yes! I remember that," the older sensei immediately replied. "That was the time we first... I mean, the time when met again."

It was that day when Setsuna learned the name of her companion right here, but it wasn't exactly the first time that they met. The first time that they met was actually after she came back to AA after taking care of her parents back at Toyama. She could clearly remember that day, but it wasn't exactly something good to remember. A strange fellow with strange clothes (yes, stranger than the average Alice Academy resident) came to the academy. He claimed that he wasn't from AAO, but he looked as dangerous as the AAO guys. Of course, the raven haired teacher has never crossed paths with the members of AAO, but she could only imagine the damage that they can cause.

That day certainly wasn't something worth remembering about, and so she shook her head slightly to get that thought off her head. A sigh escaped her lips, and then took another sip from her coffee cup.

"The starlit sky was really pretty that night," she commented, as if she was relieving that moment. "Thank you for showing me that, by the way," she said with a smile.

[||D e c a y . . .]

A slight smile formed on his lips, glad that the teacher remembered the day they gazed at the skies. Talking nonsense about destiny and joking around about making wishes to the stars. Nights like them only appears once a year. Nice if he could not miss every single one of them, but he'd already missed them a few times. Especially, memoriable, since he was not alone while watching this years. A single star in that night sky was accompanied by millions of others. And even though Ken only had one fine lady accompanying him, it was more than enough.

"Ah, yeah, your welcome"

He said with slight hesitation. Seeing the same smile that was displayed on the older teacher's face, his face turned red. Trying to hide that face, he looked down to his lap and grinned, looking up to the female teacher once more.

A sigh escaped from his lips. He really couldn't tell lies to her at all. His stiff shoulders relaxed as the sigh was let out. He took a sip of his iced coffee, the one that she had suggested he should try. Taking a good look the cup, which was still quite full. It's not like he didn't like it or anything. It was a delicious coffee that anyone would like. From young ages throughout the oldies. Then looking back at the teacher, his grin was already wiped off as his courage level is turning to zero.

"Anosa!"

Blurted the twenty-year old. Stiffening his shoulders once again, clenching his fist, but he kept his face cool. Rather than delaying things, it's best to just say them out in the first place, no?

"The real confession, that this one wants to tell is not that he had a dream about you. It's that he loves you!"

OOC: Yatto~

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Tucking strands of her stray black hair behind her ear with her left hand, Setsuna then brought her coffee cup up with the other hand to her lips once more, and took a sip of her still warm coffee. It was interesting--it had already been half an hour and her black coffee was still warm. The room temperature is quite cold too. Could it be the doing of the coffee cup?

But then again, she was inside Alice Academy; perhaps it was made using alices.

"...confession, that this one wants to tell is not that he had a dream about you. It's that he loves you!"

Eyes widened, the older sensei lifted her head up to look at her male companion; her coffee drinking halted. She was shocked, yes, but is this seriously happening again? To think that it hasn't been a week too!

During the Alice Ball (which happened roughly a couple of days ago), the young dean of the academy, Kurogane Tystriane, has confessed his love for the twenty-six year old Communication Arts teacher. Of course, Setsuna turned him down; although the two were only a few years apart with regards to age, Setsuna thinks, no, she knows that Kurogane is rather confused with his feelings for the older sensei. She had been kind--perhaps too kind--to the dean, thus stirring up the man's perception of her.

And this time, it's Ken-chan! That's why he's been acting strangely all of a sudden. But seriously, why does all of these have to happen in just less than a week?

Setsuna could only sigh inwardly, setting her coffee cup down on the marble table. "Ken-chan...."

Smiling, she looked intently at her male companion with all composure. "You see, Ken-chan, you remind me greatly of my little brother, Akihiko," she said, "I can say that I love you as well; I love you as much as I love Aki-chan. And that will never change."

Still having her eyes onto Ken, she put her hands down on the table, fingers locked. "I know that there's somebody whom Kamisama made only for you. I also know that I'm not that person, and I also know that if you find her, you'll be really, really happy."

Another small sigh escaped her lips. "Remember this Ken-chan... I'm always here to serve as your friend... or your oneechan, if you want."

[||D e c a y . . .]

"I know that there's somebody whom Kamisama made only for you. I also know that I'm not that person, and I also know that if you find her, you'll be really, really happy."

An invisible arrow hit Ken in the heart. His face turned pale, but he turned his earlier serious face to a smile. Although faint, as if he was about to cry, and his stance weakened from before, he kept his smile, looking more like a high schooler than his real age. He let out a sigh, though being very careful that no one would hear it apart from himself.

"Don't worry.." He started. "I was joking anyway. I like girls who's probably younger than me, only saying it because-- so I played a joke on you."

His earlier sad face was wiped off with a bright one, like the usual Ken. He took the glass of iced coffee and finished it, before placing the empty glass back on the table, and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"My bad." He said again, "Looks like you took it for real. You and I.. Saikou na dachi! Other than that, it's impossible, right? I'll see you again later."

Bidding good bye to the female teacher, as he got up from the chair. His heart was beating faster than before. Ken got his umbrella and went out of the cafe. Opening the heavy umbrella once again, so that he wouldn't be hit by the rain.

After getting far from the cafe, he started slouching once more, still holding the umbrella tightly. Letting out another sigh. Realizing that he had forgotten to use his usual format of adressing himself.

"Dame da, Kenzo." He said to himself with another sigh. "It's possible for me to cry in 5 seconds now. Five.. Four.. Three.. Two.. One"

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Yarareta, she said in her mind, putting her hand over her lips.

It all happened too fast. Turns out it was nothing but a pseudo-confession, and Ken-chan only did it for kicks. Needless to say, Setsuna was dumbfounded; she acted so unprofessionally and it was rather embarrassing, to say the least. For a moment, her cheeks turned pink, and then she burst out into a soft laughter.

"Ken-chan..."

But then the younger male decided to bid goodbye to the female sensei after he finished his cold coffee. It was still strange though, he seemed like he wanted to get out of that place immediately. Maybe he remembered that he needed to do something. Setsuna's simply let her hazel eyes follow Ken as he left Colors of the Heart and to the pouring rain outside.

Once again by herself, the raven haired woman sipped her coffee in silence, looking from behind the glass panes of the cafe, this time watching the young man that was just with her moments ago.

[||D e c a y . . .]

Tears rolled down the twenty-year old teacher's cheeks. He did say it is possible for him to cry in five seconds. And it was true. Having his umbrella over his head, the tears did not camouflage in with the rain. He looked up the 'crying' sky. The sky seemed to know when bad days are, and when good days are. He knew that much but he still chose today to be the day. Funnily enough, he was still smiling, although his eyes did show sadness as tears flowed out of it. That smile soon broke into a laugh.

"Aho"

Ken exclaimed to himself as he took a big sigh. Wiping his tears away, walking away from Colors of The Heart and to the center of the pathways. Where it was usually crowded, of course, since it was raining, it's not meant to be crowded, is it? The plants planted in the center, he leaned forward to observe the blooming flowers, whom enjoyed the shower of rain.

A thought came to his mind. Hopefully it would be something he could afford. Taking out his wallet out from the back of his jeans' pocket, he checked the amount inside and smiled. Slipping the wallet back where he got it from. Stepping into a flower shop, he spotted the flowers he was looking for. The morning glory.

Ordering a bouquet full of them, he told the shop keeper to send it to a lady sitting in a cafe called Colors of The Heart. Sitting down, drinking a cup of coffee. Exaggerating and describing her appearance, such as her hair style and color. He took the card and scribbled things on it before sticking it into the bouquet.

Soon enough, Ken re-opened his umbrella and walked out of central town, back to his dorm where he'd be sitting there, organizing his time table for the next day.

The shop keeper set out for her little delivery to Colors of The Heart. Finding a specific person that matched the details of which the young male teacher had stated. She gave the lady her bouquet of morning glories, accidentally dropping the card to the table, opened.

"For you with a full bloom. Ken akiramenaiyo"

Apollogizing her slight clumsiness, the shop keeper handed the bouquet over to hopefully, the correct person. Though she was sure that there is no mistakes, since she matched the details carefully before handing it over. Excusing herself, the florist walked out of Colors of The Heart, and back to her shop.