Rainbow Within the Darkness

Episode 4

Chapter 7 "The friend formation"

The moment Xian snapped from nothingness, he smiled and moved making Hase's hand slip away from his waist. Perhaps it was just to Marica's eyes but Xian himself felt a little empty and dissimilar so he look back at the guy beside him. After a while, Hase smiled assuring his presence, that made Marica flinch a little, and again hold back to Xian's waist. They both took a chair and sat in front of Marica, as if ladies readying to gossip.

"What do you guys wanted to ask?" The young lad began as she took a peek into Hase's hand. Still, that hand was on Xian's waist albeit sitting in different chairs.

That question of her attracted Yumi's ears and so, she stood up from her seat, grabbed her chair and positioned herself in between Ran and Xian, forming a circle formation. After sitting with elegance, Yumi tapped the shoulder of the person sitting in front of Marica, facing her back at them.

That young lady looked back and she looks so pale. Her eyes are cimmerian but not too cimmerian. She has curly hair and reading her features, she does look like a girl version of Ran. Aside from her round eyes, the rest are like a copy of Ran's face.

"What?" Upon hearing her voice, shivers came up with Marica's body. Indeed ,even her voice sounds like Ran's but in a more feminine version.

"Come sit with us. Don't be so lonely puppy." Xian answered on behalf of Yumi.

"Really....Xian? Stop beeing so nosy. Leave Ran alone." That girl replied back.

"Just come here. Stop wasting Xian's time." Hase talked back.

Behind Marica's head said , 'aren't they wasting their time gossiping too?', but didn't talk for she doesn't want to come out as if Ran's informations are nonsense. For her, that thought was a contrary to what the real thing is.

"Tsk...fine." At last, the young lady gave up and took her chair, positioned herself in between Yumi and Xian, including herself to the circle formation.

After a little talk, they decided to introduce themselves to each other and so, Xian began with, "Just call me Xian. I'm just 17 and I live in Western subdivision near here."

"Hase." With his cimmerian, shivery eyes, the guy beside him said.

It was a little awkward so Marica immediately introduce herself and so, Ran was the next one. Ran blinked a little and said, "Ran. You already all know me." Of course, he was right. All of the five already knew him, however, Xian was about to mention Marica believing she hadn't yet knew him but eventually remembered that she does, and so, he silence himself.

After Ran comes Yumi. She smiled elegantly and introduce herself, "Ishikawa Yumi. I'm 17 too and I live in south subdivision." Marica, hearing her say that a little while tried to imagine Yumi's house. It must be huge, right? But still, she can't remember Yumi.

After Yumi comes the only person Marica hasn't know yet. She's the last person to talk and so, that girl, just like Ran and Hase didn't smile and said, "Verana Zamora. Just Rana is fine."

Upon hearing her name, Marica immediately got it. Rana was Ran's cousin. That cousin who loves scolding Ran when they're child.

It was a week after the young Ran friended the young lonely Marica. The chubby little kid really liked her and so, he invited her to his house. As a kid, that kind of invitation is nothing malicious. Just a simple meeting to play and to have fun.

When the young Marica finally, for the first time entered Ran's house, she rapidly felt the comfortableness living inside. The type of atmosphere wherein a house could be called home. Indeed, it was different, new but still likable.

"Let's go to mommy!" The young Ran exclaimed upon entering too.

He grabbed her palm and pulled her. When they got in the starting step of the the staircase, Ran naturally slowed his steps. For some, that scene looks like he was taking care of himself but in reality, he just doesn't want the girl after her hurt hence slowed his steps. At young age, Ran already knew how to be kind, soft and delicate to ladies for he himself loves his mother too much.

"Ran....are we really fine to—"

"Don't worry, mom won't hurt you." That was Ran's reply to her thus, Marica kept her words to herself. Albeit not talking anymore, Marica still had the urge to correct Ran's thoughts. That instead of thinking Marica was afraid his mom would hurt her, he must rather think that what if it was Marica who'd hurt his mom? Right? But knowing Ran, he'll surely say 'it's fine' or 'no worries' and so it's better not talking.

After the last staircase, they both sighed in relief. In front of them was a long hallway and on each side lies a room. Ran smiled and pulled Marica, perhaps towards the room where his mother is, and when he was opening the door, someone talked behind them saying, "Where have you been this early in the morning? Why are you sweating hardly?" It was a young lady's voice and obviously, she was talking to Ran, stating her concerns through questioning.

Based on her tone, this little girl sounded old and yet her voice was like 5 years old child exactly like Ran and Marica's. That intrigued Marica and looked back just like what Ran did. When finally saw, it was indeed a little girl. Marica awed her mouth, slightly parting her lips away. And on her side was Ran who was smiling ear to ear.

"Rana! Look, I brought my friend!" He exclaimed in joy and soon after slowly dispatched his smile. It was because Rana didn't smile and he felt Marica hide in his back, seemingly a little afraid.

"Next time, tell me if you're going out. Are you crazy? What if something happened to you? What will we gonna do?", That Rana girl continued.

Ran again smiled and pulled Marica upfront making her in between the both of them. "See? She's beautiful, right? She's a good friend, Rana! Do you want to be friends with her too?", He muttered as if selling a good and one of a kind thing.

Of course, anyone would think, who wouldn't befriend that beautiful young child? Especially when he introduced her in that kind of way, I'd definitely befriend her however, Rana isn't just anyone, she have her own thoughts, own perspective hence, he ignored the young Marica and coldly replied, "I don't need a child to compensate for your mistake, Ran. If you won't follow my advice next time, ready yourself." That's what she said but in reality, isn't she just threatening Ran to follow her advice or rather her command? Isn't that a bit menacing?

"Okay...I will, next time." Ran, with lower voice replied and at last, Rana let go and eventually left them alone. But before that, it seems like this Rana has an allergies to the outside people for she didn't even spare a glance at Marica.

Very well that she didn't do so or else, the aftermath would be more terrifying. "Ran, who is she?" Hesitation after hesitation, Marica couldn't no longer keep her mouth thus she can't help but to ask.

"Oh, Rana? She's my cousin. She lives with us." That's all he had to answer and Marica again kept quiet as they enter the room in front of them.

When Ran finally opened the door, a woman sitting on the side of the bed welcomed their eyes. The woman was facing her back on them, seemingly watching the outside through the wide and tall see-through glass window just a meter away from her. The room was indeed a big room but upon finally seeing the everyplace, Marica couldn't help but to notice something indifferent. It's just that the room was field with color pink and nothing symbolizes a couple leaving here. For herself, isn't it unnatural to see a room for a husband and wife like this? Or maybe his mom never had a husband to begin with.

"Mom!" Ran exclaimed getting the woman's attention.

When she looked back on their way, the confused eyes of her immediately turned happy. Especially when she saw that Ran brought a friend with him.

Ran let go of Marica's hand and went to hug his mother. Indeed, it was a beautiful sight. A mom and a son sweetly hugging each other. A thing that Marica doesn't often see. As she watch them lightly, a small piece of jealousy showed up on her heart but eventually dispersed for she herself knew it wasn't something voidable.

"Who is this friend of you?" That sweet looking woman uttered and as she talk, her aura became even more sweeter.

"She's a friend, mom! My forever friend!"

And that was the first time Marica met Ran's mother. As the days passed by, their meetings became more frequent until Marica herself became similar to a daughter to that woman. However, even after coming back and forth, in and out of their house, it seems like Ran's father wasn't living on the house for she only saw him thrice. Nonetheless, Marica no longer cared for the moment besides, what's taking her attention was Rana's unchanging attitude.

Now, seeing Rana like this, it seems like she never changed. Hearing her forbid Xian to gossip anything involving Ran, Marica surely concluded that the Rana before was still the same, caring to Ran as ever and yet never wanted to involve herself to other's business otherwise it is needed. Indeed, that kind of cousin was like a royal servant to you but a nobody to others or rather doesn't want to be somebody to others. With that thought, might as well think that perhaps Rana blended with them for the sake of Ran.

"Now that we're all here, why not form a friendship, right?" It was Xian who began.

Of course, knowing her attitude, Rana grunted loudly and contradicted the offer, "Why would I befriend a girl I barely know?" Obviously, that opinion was for Marica. However, Hase calmly gabble back, "Aren't you forming a friendship to know each other? Why the latter?"

"Really? Hase....you forming a friendship is just ridiculously inconceivable!" Rana provoked Hase.

"What Xian wants is what I want. If you disagree with him, them leave. However, can you really leave? Ran's with us." It seems like all of them had the same thought when Hase said it. It was because they all flinched in unison.

"Tsk! Did he ever said he is friends with anyone of you? You guys are making up conclusions without basis."

"Aren't you being too guarded up front, Rana? He already said it's fine if you go."

Rana was taken a back. It wasn't because the words she last heard was quite harsh, it was because the words came from Marica herself. And she can't help but to exclaim in exasperation. "How dare a person like you say that to me? Aren't you the one who left then why come back?" Her eyes are glaring at the young lad in front of her. Eyes with anger flashing through while the other one was staring back unreadably and when she said those words, it intrigued the class's attention.

The crowd went silent and their attention was on the circle formation on the back. When they saw Rana's unnatural discomposed posture, they immediately thought of the same thing. 'Rana had lost her grip'. For being in the same class for how long it is, they all knew how one in the class get angry, tired, sad or happy, etc, etc. And even when they're not attached to themselves that close, they're not that stranger to others either.

"Rana...what happened?" One finally spoke his query.

Upon hearing his voice, it was like Rana partially calmed down. "I hate people who can't stand on their ground. A person who left smiling shouldn't come back all mighty and proud, especially when what left your departure was sadness and resentment. I can't shut my mouth right now. For some time, look at yourself in the mirror and ask, did your arrival really made someone happy? Did it really gave advantage to Ran—" She was still in the wave of untamed emotions when somebody cut her off, "Rana, let's go." And that guy was the guy before. The person who spoke after the long silence.

That guy glanced upon Ran who was looking a little worried and uncomfortable and said, "Ran, I'll bring her to the rooftop for a while. Come and get her later." Aftermath grabbed Rana with gentleness as Ran nod in silence. Rana was still furious, but still, that didn't stop him to take her away from the chaotic yet silent suffocating crowd.

When they're gone, everyone sighed in relief and eventually stopped caring. They went back on their own businesses while the remaining people on the formed circle on the back was left silent.

Chapter 8 "A mistake to provoke"

To be honest, Marica didn't mean to sound that rude and mighty earlier. She just wanted to provoke Rana to accept the friendship faster, however, with her passed attitudes, she thought that in that way, it won't go far as what has happened. But now that everything became more and more awkward, she couldn't help but to blame herself for the aftermath.

Before, in everyone's eyes, Marica seemed unreadable but the truth is, she was slightly trembling in nervousness. When she saw Rana stood up out of fury, she already knew she will be wretched but she couldn't bring herself to apologize. She couldn't admit her mistake and what added more to her disheveled mind was the thought that what if Ran was more displeasured of her actions? And with that, the scene ended up with two person leaving and the rest remained.

"Marica....."

Hearing Ran say her name for the first time after a long time, she couldn't hide her daze and attentively lift her head. "Y-yes?" Stammering in the not so right time, huh?

"Leave Rana be. She'll calm down later. Besides, Crimson was with her." That's the only words she needed and she really did calmed down rapidly.

"But, I think you have to apologize later. Hmm, Marica?" Yumi commented. Hence, Marica nodded in reply.

"She must really hate you. I'm sorry with my words but it is the truth." Now, Xian shared his thoughts. For the brief time, it felt like Hase and Xian combined.

"Why?"

"It's because we only see that expression of her when things are in the verge of death. Meaning, she hardly gets mad even after having problems after problems however when you said those words, she immediately got enraged. Perhaps you did something that made her like that?" If things aren't like this, perhaps anyone could say Xian was just being nosy again, however things aren't fine and indeed, this time, he sounded so sincere and real.

"I don't really know. But I feel like it have something to do with Ran." Everyone nodded in approval.

On the other side, Ran couldn't help but to ask himself, 'Don't they see me sitting here? Talking as if I can't hear them!'

After that brief moment of silence, they finally started to converse, talking about childhood as if nothing chaotic happened minutes ago. And when the teacher after teacher came to classes after classes, they all went according to what should normally happen. Until the lunch came and unnoticeably ended, the things are still normal. But before that, when the five of them was eating in the cafeteria, they saw two figures meters away from their table eating comfortably. One was facing his back against them and the other one was eating, looking straight at the guy and seems like they're talking.

Marica stared at them while Ran and Hase continued to quietly eat. On the other hand, Xian and Yumi couldn't help but to elegantly be dragged in a deep conversation. They looked like a couple from a far but Marica couldn't care more.

Unconsciously, she stared at the two people afar and she was shaken a bit. It's just because when she focused her eyes on them, she saw that the girl smiling and laughing comfortably was the gloomy Rana. Out of habit, she tug the shirt of the person beside her and without even sparing a single glance, she uttered, "She's smiling, isn't? That's unusual!"

A long silence followed afterwards and Marica seemed confused and so, she looked back. Now that she remembered who's the person beside her, embarrassment fullfiled her inside and immediately removed her hand tugged on his blazers. She then apologize repeatedly and later stopped in a halt when a shadow of smile briefly flickered on his lips. "W-what...you...you smiled!" She unconsciously screamed as if won a lottery.

"No, I didn't." Ran lavishly denied.

Now that she heard Ran denied her accusation lazily and seriously, she started to doubt her own eyes and forthwith seized her own delight. Maybe she was just mistaken and so she silenced herself again.

Putting that aside, Xian and Yumi couldn't help but to watch Ran and Marica do their thing in front of them. For Yumi, she looks as if enjoying the scene while Xian was just looking at them and then briefly takes glances at Hase who's busy eating his food beside him. While feeling his glances, Hase refuse to take a look back at Xian. Indeed, he wants to have fun by ignoring him a while and coincidentally, when Yumi finally called out to him, Hase immediately took a glance at her, leaving Xian in daze.

"Hmm?" He hummed coolly, his eyes were passing the Xian who's staring at him intently as if catching his attention desperately but couldn't do so due to Yumi's involvement.

"Stop eating your food, will you? Can't you talk?" She muttered elegantly.

Hase chuckled intentionally. "What do you want me to talk about?"

"Anything...gosh, you're so quiet. I wonder what made you like Xian? Befriending a nosy talkative guy is so ironic." When Yumi mentioned the word 'like', Marica was intrigued but when she heard the 'befriending', she was again confused and went back to doubting. Indeed, this circle of friends is not that understandable. Pure of confusions and hypothesis.

"I just like him. There's no reason to and there's no reason not to." Hearing Hase say that, Xian felt a little pang of pain on his soft heart and reprimanded, "Then find a better one."

"Yumi's fine, right?" Still, Hase continued to burn Xian's patience.

Seeing the situation, Marica blended too. "I'm available too." She jokingly said expecting to be turned down immediately but on the contrary, Hase replied back saying, "See, I have many volunteers." While looking straight at Xian only.

As if blood rushing towards the heart, anger flashed at Xian and soon enough, a displeasure was plastered on his face. Yumi smiled teasingly, Marica laughed a little, Ran stared flatly and Hase was smiling ear to ear at Xian while Xian was on the verge of crying out of fury.

"I... I'm... don't find another. I'm enough. I think I'm enough." Lost in his thoughts, Xian immediately took back his words. Hase, then chuckled and his laughter was cooly performed making other people take a glance at him. He ignored the stares and brush Xian's hair through his fingers, "Of course. I was just teasing you." And chuckled again.

When the lunch was done, they went back to their class. Throughout the whole time, Xian and Hase visits their seats of friendship once the teachers are gone and if not will stay on their seats until they're free. While they do that patiently, Rana goes to Crimson to avoid them, Ran stays on his seat quietly while Marica and Yumi chats if the teacher isn't looking. The series of scenarios happens circularly like that until the clock reached it's end, signaling that the class is over. When walking out of the school building, they decided to go home all together and so, they waited for Rana near the gate.

While waiting, Marica finally had the urge to ask, "Who's this Crimson guy?" Her question was vague and directed specifically to no one however, to ease her curiosity, Yumi answered on behalf of whoever among them, "We don't know too." And yet even answered, her confusion increased more and more.

Why don't they know? Isn't that too unbelievable? Questions after questions but Marica couldn't voice out her queries. When Yumi saw her chaotic expression, she smiled as if she expected that reaction already. And answered again. "At first, we thought he was Rana's boyfriend. I mean, he cares a lot of Rana and he's the only person who could tame her bravely. However......"

"However?"

"However, his eyes were not full of intimacy. It was rather unreadable. Plus, he never called Rana of any couple call signs before. Even if his voice sounds so sweet and caring to Rana, and empty to us, we still can't find a proof of whoever he is. Even if he always smile, laugh and totally jolly, he is not open to anyone and even if we interrogate Rana, it's undoubtedly hard to make her talk. Until everyone was tired of it and eventually let go." After Yumi's explanation, she nodded. No wonder why it felt so normal when Crimson took Rana away from the room. They're indeed close but no one really knows the real thing is.

Marica looked at the guy beside him and wondered. Is it really possible not to know a person's background within that long years? Perhaps, Ran knew something but decided not to tell anyone? Rather drowning on her own questions, she clenched her hands and ask, "You don't know anything? Really?"

"I do know everything but I won't talk. I promised, that's why." DANG! Ran hit the fatal part. Marica silenced that promise thingy topic and went after a new topic. "Yumi, what are your plans this upcoming weekend?"

"Nothing of that sort." She meant to say was she had no plans itself.

"Okay...how about you guys?" It was Xian and Hase whom she was asking.

"Maybe stay at home." Hase replied.

Of course, no need to ask, wherever Xian goes, Hase tags along and so, Marica clapped her hands and responded, "Let's go to Mount. San Marcos!" Clearly, she was inviting them all but Marica didn't ask Ran anymore. It's because wether he agree or not, she'll force him still.

"I'll come!"

"Yes, of course. I'll come too."

Now, that's it is settled, Marica roamed her eyes and softly stopped before Ran's person. "Ran, please make Rana tag along. So I can say my apologies." Now that she's talking to Ran, her voice changed again and became more gentle.

"Okay."

After hearing his answer, three meters away from them comes a scintilla of two person standing side by side. Surely, these two were Rana and Crimson. When Rana saw them outside the school gate staring at their direction, she immediately hold onto Crimson's blazer.

"Relax, Rana. You'll be fine. I'm here." As his gentle voice enter her ears, Rana began to feel at ease. Indeed, no need to worry because Crimson is on her side.