The sun was shining brightly - as if it was May but not October. Its hot
rays sparkled on a lake's surface, danced on a waves' tops.
There was only one person who was listening to the water splash that early
morning. Rose colour-haired girl was staring at the lake. Its sounds
disturbed her. Listening to it, she was recollecting something bad - her
eyes were filled with tears - and something good - her face was lightened
with a serene smile.
The wind had turned the pages of the brochure that rested on her knees, and
the girl came round.
She got up and walked along the avenue. She was turning the pages, but
didn't seem to be reading anything. Deep in her thoughts, she hadn't heard
the rustle of the scattering leaves and the chatter of heels approaching her
from the heart of the park.
She thought it was all a sudden: the curl of the multicoloured leaves, the
book knoked out of her hand, someone's embrace...
"Ooops, I beg your pardon, charming lady!" There was a little bit sarcastic
voice she heard, and a heavy breathing almost at her face. " I'm pretty late
so I absolutely forgot to look around... but of course that's not enough for
the excuse."
Surprised girl stared at the one who was still holding her shoulders. She
hadn't objected, but her stare was considered as reproachful.
"Forgive me for this embrace too... But otherwise we could have fell
together. Don't you think that might have been much more ambiquous
situation? Well then, let me help you."  With this said, he squated to lift
the brochure.
The girl had descried him finally. Although the voice sounded like rather
coarse feminine, it was a boy. He was about eighteen years old. He acted
self-assurely, even imprudent sometimes - as if he was playing the game he'd
made up by himself and was surrounded by people who had no clue they were
players too.
He was dressed in an unusually colored grey and violet school uniform cut
out like a typical private school uniform and a black peak-cap putten awry
and cocked at a jaunty angle.
He erected, surveying the brochure. He was about four inches taller then the
girl, dark-complectioned and well-proportioned. Pushing his steel-colored
fringe off the eyes, he whistled:
"Hey... it's our Academy publicity prospectus! My article is somewhere here.
Are you going to enter?"
He glanced at the girl from under his naughty wavy fringe. Violet eyes of
the stranger looked into the girl's blue eyes unexpectedly and returned to
the prospectus.
"Yeah, enter.." The girl said in fascination.
"Then we'll meet again!" The boy ascertained gladly, giving her back the
brochure, and picked up his brief-case from the praved walkway.
"Ah, whatever... I'm going to be late...actually, I am already. Boku wa
Yurino Kage. If you'll ever be at the Ohtori Academy, look for me somewhere
at the high school. How 'bout introducing yourself?"
" Utena... Tenjou Utena."
"Interesting name..." He hemmed. He slinged his brief-case on his shoulder
and walked away. He made some steps and turned around.
"Bye, Calyx!"
Utena looked down at the book.
"Ohtori Academy?.."
* * *
Kage was sitting on the high school stairs. The teacher had drived him out
of the class for the 20 minutes lateness.
"Sure! I wish I could have a look at him missing the last excursion bus and
crashing around the city all that time..."
He had spent the evening at the bus parking and had been gazing at the stars
all night long in the park.
"A-ah, anyway, it's so hard to concentrate without having sleep and
especially meal..."
* * *
The wind blew, and few rose petals fell at Kage's feet.
Kage raised the head.
One more whirling rose petal of snow white color came down from somewhere
above.
* * *
Nobody ever believed he saw that. But he surely saw - that square area in
the middleair and the stairs guiding up to it.
He picked up his brief-case and walked along the street formed by the two
school blocks. He was approaching the mysterious structure unable to take
his eyes off it. Leaning his head back, he gazed at the place where the
slender train of the rose ploom descended from. He had been watched by
someone's attentive eyes, and he knew for sure that that were exactly green
eyes, estranged eyes of emerald color.
* * *
Dark-haired mistress of the rose bed turned the water on. Sparkling fountain
watered the red and white field of flowers.
* * *
The wind blew, and cold drops fell on Kage's face. He shuddered, but the
owner of the emerald eyes shuddered too. Standing at the edge of the arena,
she stared at the lonely figure far below her. Flashing drops hit her back
and legs, remaining ones dropped down at the feet of a man standing at the
road. He could not see her, but he looked up and felt her presence.
"Anshi."
The girl stepped back hastily and turned around.
"Akio onii-sama..."
* * *
Kage felt the chills down his spine passing off and the emerald gaze living
him. Rain-like drops from the cloudless sky seemed to him like the tears
suddenly.
* * *
"Who's there?"
"What?"
"I asked who had you been looking at."
"I just stared at that magnificent school."
"Really?" Akio stepped forward to stand at her side and looked down, but
nobody was there.
* * *
Kage felt the freezing and deathly coldness suddenly.
"Here you go, damned romantic, you've get pretty wet," he grumbled and
hurried to warm himself in the nearest foyer.
* * *
Akio's heart started to beat frantically - half because of seeing such a
distant ground, half because of something else, something incomprehensible.
But it was really deserty downthere.
"You're so bold to look from this high." He sighed."Come on, little sister,
I want you to pose for me."
"New painting?"
"Yep. I want to imprint you being free for the last time."
* * *
"Jesus Christ..." Kage sniffed, taking a seat on the bench behind the
rose-bush. "The entire Student Council!.."
"So... it's the 27th?" The blue-haired youth asked, making some note in the
large notebook with the Academy emblem.
"Yep, this year 27th of October." President Kiryuu confirmed.
"Why?" Haughty Arisugawa raised her eyebrow.
"Does it matter?" Saionji shugged his shoulders in irritation." This sort of
case worths putting your own business aside. However you may refrain... I'm
sure I'll win so you can even refrain from coming at all."
"The letter reads that 10.27 is a mystical and significent date for the Ends
of the World... yet I've got the feelling that its significence is obscure
to Sekai no Hate." Touga gave Miki the letter. "But the attendence is really
free."
"What nonsence are they talking?.." Kage wondered looking out of the bushes.
"Whatever, I'm coming." Juri took a look at the letter. "This is a chance to
win the Bride."
"Wow," Kage blinked in amazement. "Various crap is rumored, but if she's
gonna search the bride along with three guys, one should have something to
think about..."
"There are NO chances you have." Saionji grinned. "The Bride of the Rose
will be mine, and all the power will be mine as well."
" There's nothing written about the tounament form here..." Miki remarked
uncertainly.
"Exactly. That's why I suggest to refrain from shouting about one's
victory," Touga casted a sullen glance at Saionji, "and to prepare for any
ordeals."
* * *
"Ohtori Academy..."
Utena was reading the names of the articles authors. One of the last
articles was titled 'The Rose Kingdom' and was signed by Yurino Kage.
"The first thing to greet you here will be the hedge of the cream-colored
roses and only then - the stone rose at the school gates, the emblem of the
Academy..."
* * *
"Kage-sama! Kage-sama! Kage-sama!!!"
Stretching himself, he came out of the class.
"Is it true that you have birthday soon?"
'My God, he thought, where in the world they get such data sources?'
"Yep, that's true. To be exact, it's 27th."
"What roses do you like the most?"
"I like lilies... and white roses."
"And the odour?"
"What?"
"The smell, what's your fave smell?"
"I don't smell any fragarances. Can I come back? I need to finish the crib."
"...Then I'll choose the deodorant for you by miself."
"Hold it there, it's too expensive."
"Even for me?"
'Oh no...Kozue...'
" I  really have to go...but...wait..." He lingered but came closer then."
Hi you chemistry terror...I haven't heard your brother playing his grand
piano recently.Had he moved on his music class frightened by my old haunted
dorms?"
"Well... he's so busy...just like you."
"Busy doing what?"
"Will you take a walk with me?"
Clenching his teeth, Kage took Kaoru's arm.
"So?" He asked when they'd passed by the bunch of his classmates.
"That's how the rumours appear." Kozue remarked contentedly, turning round
the corner.
"Don't you know you stain my image being so inacsessible?.. What have you
asked about?"
"Miki."
"Oh, yeah. He buried himself in training. As well as Juri. Oh, and it's
quite impossible to get
Touga or Saionji out of their stupid kendo club. Whether they idols or not,
all of them are
cranks in a way..."
It was obvious that councilors' conversation accidentally overheard by Kage
was much
more important than it seemed to him. Something far global dwelled behind
it, but Kage could
not understand what exactly. He needed information to transform his vague
presentiment
into something more definite. If only he could learn more...
"Thanks," Kage let Kozue's arm out of his distracly. He felt chills coming
down his spine.
Emerald eyes were somewhere there."Break will end soon, and you need to
return to your
block yet."
* * *
Anshi knew for sure - he was somewhere there. She hadn't descried neither
his face, nor his clothes, but she was certain that she could recognise him.
She felt him as she had felt once already.
* * *
"O.K., if you want to get rid of me - you will," Kozue approached the
stairs. "I have attestation in biology in a week. Can I come?
"Sure."
"Then see you later! Anyway I don't need an exuse to come."
"Yeah..." Kage waved his hand after the girl running downstairs. The owner
of the magic gaze was very close, but obviously wasn't hurry to look around
trying to prolong the time of the exiting waiting.
The bell rang eventually. The corridor became deserted momentarily. They
remained tet-a-tet at the entire floor at the opposite ends of the corridor.
They turned around simultaneously and at that exact moment the corridor
plunged into the twilight - the sun had been covered by the tousled
dove-color storm-cloud.
Clasping her arms to her chest, Anshi stepped forward trying to make out the
young men standing in the shadows.
The light sparkled on his hair as if it was steel - he took a step too. But
before something could have happened...
"Anshi, there you are." Man's voice reached them from the shadowed
colonnade. "You're expected to be in your class."
" Yes, I'm coming!" The girl hastily turned around and dissapeared in the
colonnade's semilight. Chattering steps of the speaker followed her.
"Anshi..." Kage repeated, covering his eyes from the sun peeping out from
behind the clouds. "So that is your name...Greece flower..."

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