The Unwritten Side of Him

Hi everyone, once again I'm back. I've been so busy since university started, even in the holidays. It had to take me being quarantined at home from H1N1 to make me write fanfiction now. (Don't worry, I'm not infected. Besides, you don't get the swine flu from reading my fanfiction.)

This story is birthed because my sister commented one day that Shinrei is possibly in love with Sakuya. In case many readers are now grabbing the edge of their computers screaming "NO WAY!", please recall the scene where Saisei and Shinrei were talking after Shinrei planted Yuya waterwyrms. Yeah, Saisei asked "Why did you choose Yuya to plant the waterwyrms? Was it because she looks too much like her?" 'Her' referring to Sakuya.

I noticed this small detail was never addressed in the rest of the manga. Perhaps Shinrei really didn't like Sakuya, but well, in case he really did like her… I'm here to write a short writeup to address what happened. Story takes place after the incident in the Red Tower, when Kyo disappeared.

It's not my best of writings, but hope you enjoy it.

The streets are bustling with activity. Today apparently, is market day. People thronged against each other to bargain and search for groceries for dinner. Children running around in their yukatas, screaming nonsensical wordplay. The sun is nice and warm, with occasional clouds adjusting the climate here and there.

Amidst it all, a bespectacled man walked calmly. Shinrei's silver hair was indeed an attraction to all, even a while ago, when everyone was fighting in the Red Tower. Now, after peace had returned to the country, with the death of sendai Aka no Ou, he has been busy with the reconstruction of the Mibu Land, as the chief architect. Just because the Mibu clan had not been an elite clan as it claimed to be, didn't make it any less… his home.

I can't believe it was all but six months ago… He thought, amazed at the progression of events. With Kyo's disappearance, everyone had gone back to their own lives, though each of them (himself included) with a small sliver of hope that he'll be back. Everyone had moved on, Keikoku (or Hotaru) had decided to travel as far as he could, to search for stronger opponents. Yuya had gone back to bounty-hunting, Kyoshiro married Sakuya and opened his own medicine shop.

Sakuya…

"Shinrei-kun?" that familiar voice entered his mind. He jerked his head up, to see Sakuya standing just a few metres in front of him. "It's really Shinrei-kun!" The oracle beamed. "I thought that I must be day-dreaming when I heard my name."

I called out her name? He chided himself.

"Sakuya, how have you been? I apologise for not being able to attend your wedding last month. I've been… busy." He looked away so that she couldn't notice how his eyes betray him.

"Oh no, Shinrei-kun. It's really fine, though I'm sure we would've loved your company." She smiled. "Out for a walk?"

"Yeah, things got a little complicated at the site, so I came out to walk a little."

"Must be tiring I guess."

"It's not as bad as you think." Shinrei looked at Sakuya. How she has still remained as beautiful, and still a little silly in her mannerism. Not at all like someone who is married. "How's Kyoshiro?"

Upon mentioning Kyoshiro, Sakuya blushed. "He's good, the shop has been thriving. It's really something that he always want to do."

"I really wonder whether that medicine box of his really work." Shinrei frowned.

"Perhaps one day, if you're ill, you can visit us." Sakuya smiled warmly, and then her eyes widened. "Not saying that you WILL be sick you know!"

He laughed lightly. "I get your point. Thanks."

There was a moment of silence before Sakuya said "Well… I better get going then."

"Yes," Shinrei smiled, somewhat sadly. "I shan't hold you up any longer."

The raven-haired lady turned back and walked off, leaving him standing in silence.

"Ah, sir, what can I get for you?" The innkeeper yelled at Shinrei from where he was standing, which is at the back of the inn.

"Green tea will do." Shinrei replied, taking a seat by the window. He looked out into the bustling city, his thoughts drifting away to many memories.

He still remembers how he first met Sakuya. When Fubuki personally came to him to assign him the task to protect Sakuya, he didn't think much about the mysterious oracle that caused the sendai Aka no Ou to persist in the pursuit for her. Rather, he was thrilled that his most-respected Fubuki-han trusted him enough to do the task. Fubuki asking him! A mere Gouyousei member. As long as he does his job well, he can be favoured in the eyes of Fubuki-han.

Then, on the first day that he was meeting her, he remembered so well. A silent girl of… maybe 16 or 17? She was sitting on the bed, her head was down. It didn't require someone with heightened senses to know that she was crying.

"Excuse me, you're the future-diviner, aren't you?"

The girl looked up in surprise, and almost half in horror. But her expression visibly relaxed when she saw that Shinrei was not the man that she feared.

"Yes… yes I am. You are… ?"

Shinrei nodded his head. "My name is Shinrei. I'm here to 'protect' you, in case your… friends try to save you." He didn't want to sound mean, he didn't realize that she was crying so hard, her nose was red.

"Oh! How rude of me not to introduce myself! I'm Sakuya, nice to meet you!" Her voice tried to sound light. He merely nodded. "Here, let me pour you some tea… Opps!"

Before Shinrei could stop her, she tripped over her own kimono and fell.

"Hahaha… how silly am I? Hahaha…" And she laughed.

How could anyone, given the captured situation that she is in now, still laugh like that? It seemed as if being captured was not a worry for her. Yet still, he could see in her eyes, the tinge of determination to leave the Mibu land. Although he knew that attempts like that are futile. The Mibu land is heavily guarded, and there's no way anyone can walk in or out freely.

From that moment he never thought anyone else could laugh like her. And from that moment he resolved to be slightly nicer to her. And also from that moment he actually looked forward to his duty to protect her, just to see her again. They chatted, and discussed about many things… even things about Kyoshiro. Shinrei knew about her budding feelings for Kyoshiro, even though she may not know it herself. It pains him to see her talk about him so happily like that. What kind of pain is it? It's nothing that he had ever experienced before.

Eventually he was caught up in Gouyousei work, and Fubuki allowed him to withdraw from his task. He never really saw her and talked to her much after that. So many things happened thereafter.

Saisei once had to point out to him whether his motive of shortening Yuya's life was just because she reminded him so much of Sakuya. He hastily denied it, but in actual truth… he don't really know the reason why he picked Yuya, whether it had anything to do with Sakuya. But it was so long ago… what's the point in remembering all these now?

"Oh Sakuya…" Shinrei sighed.

Hotaru frowned. "Who's Sakuya?"

Shinrei nearly jumped out of his own skin. "WHOA!!!" He exclaimed, drawing many stares from the neighbouring tables. Regaining composure and giving an apologetic look, he hissed at his half-brother. "Did you need to scare me like that?"

Hotaru didn't answer, but asked again. "So who's Sakuya?" Shinrei sighed. That's just his brother, refusing to answer crucial questions like these.

Hotaru narrowed his eyes at Shinrei. "You didn't answer my question, that's not very nice." He said emotionlessly.

Shinrei smacked his forehead, but chose not to argue with the confused man. "Sakuya is the miko that the sendai Aka no Ou captured in the Red Tower, remember?"

"Oh… Kyoshiro's woman." Concluded Hotaru lightly as he placed his order for a bowl of ramen.

His reply stung Shinrei in the heart. His heart wrenched at the thought, no, the fact that the woman he loved is with another man.

Shinrei looked at the table and realized that in his long trance of reminiscence, his green tea was already served and was getting cold. He drank it and rolled his eyes in extreme frustration. "I cannot believe that you can't remember her! She's the reason why the Mibu land got themselves into internal and external disputes!"

Hotaru gave a look of comprehension. "Ah, like Helen of Troy."

"What are you talking about?" Asked Shinrei, bewildered.

"She's some girl in Troy that made people go into war for her."

"What is Troy?" Hotaru shrugged, and Shinrei groaned again. "Really, you say the most stupid things."

(A/N: I must clarify here. It's not that Shinrei is stupid, just that people in those days have no idea there's a bigger place out of their countries, so when they mean global dominion they probably just mean the whole of Japan. How did Hotaru know about the Helen of Troy? Beats my sugar candy boots.)

"Here is your ramen, extra large!" The shopkeeper announced cheerfully, setting down the steaming bowl of ramen. "You can pay the bill later." He reminded his customer. Hotaru nodded blankly and ate.

Shinrei stared at Hotaru, not knowing how to start. But it didn't take long before Shinrei managed to allow Hotaru having the idea of what's really happening.

Hotaru sniffed. "Isn't she married to Kyoshiro?" He asked blatantly.

His half brother sighed in frustration. He didn't know if his brother's curt replies were good for him or not.

"Of course I know!" Shinrei snapped. Hotaru said nothing. There was a moment of silence between the two men, throwing Shinrei into his own thoughts. Finally Shinrei talked again. "You know what's so special about water?"

"I don't like water." Was the blunt answer, but Shinrei ignored it.

"Water cleanses, it purifies, it heals. But when the water is dirtied, it is useless."

Hotaru looked up from his ramen for the first time. He smirked. "That's true, especially when it applies to you."

Shinrei glared at Hotaru. "But Water is never stagnant," He retorted in his defense. "It is always moving, yet… it has no sense of destination. It doesn't know where to go."

Here he took a sip of green tea and stared at the half-full tea cup forlornly. "She is better off with Kyoshiro than with someone who never accomplished anything in the Mibu clan. At least Kyoshiro was known as the Red Cross Knight, I was known as the idiot Gouyousei who collaborated with his half brother to take down Mibu." He glared at Hotaru again. "So if she's happy, I'll be happy too. She doesn't need a person who got nothing in his hands."

What Hotaru did was something Shinrei never expected. He got up and yanked his hair.

"OOOWWW!!! What were you trying to do? Murder me?" Yelled Shinrei, flabbergasted at his brother's senseless actions.

"I have no idea what you were blabbering on about for the past 3 minutes," Hotaru replied simply, sitting down again to eat his ramen. "But I don't think you've done anything useless. Aren't you the chief ar-CHEE-tect in the project to restructure the Mibu land?"

"Architect."

Ignoring his brother's correction, Hotaru continued. "And your "I'll put my friends and loved ones before myself" attitude is stupid and detestable, just as usual. How can you ever be stronger than me?"

Shinrei sneered. "Looks who's detesting companionship, servant of Kyo?"

"Ahh… I'm just looking for fights. I feel nothing for the whole lot of them."

But there was a small, undeniable smile on the fire user's face that contradicted his claim.

And Shinrei knew that. "Liar." He called, half-smilingly. Shinrei stared at Hotaru's ramen. "You know, that actually smells really nice. Let me have a bite."

"No."

Shinrei frowned. "Must you be so stingy still? I'm your older brother! Show some respect!"

"What's not yours is never going to be yours."

"You miser!" growled Shinrei.

"Don't worry; it's not your fault."

"What my fault? It's-"

Shinrei then realised what Hotaru meant. Sakuya-san is never going to be mine, but that doesn't mean it's my fault that I wasn't competent enough. It was never anyone's fault.

To think my dumb brother helped me realize that.

"Thank you."

The orange haired man frowned. "For what?"

"Nothing. You're just your dumb brainless self."

Hotaru wrinkled his nose. "Such loving words. I should be older brother instead of you." Here he stood up. "I'm meeting the Shiseten for drinks. Bye."

Shinrei nodded and watched his brother leave the shop.

Thank you, Keikoku, or rather, Hotaru.

That's when Shinrei realized something important.

"KEIKOKU!!!!!!!!!!" screamed Shinrei as he dashed out of the noodle shop. "I am NOT going to pay for your ramen! GET BACK HERE NOW!"

But his half brother has disappeared into the streets of Kyoto.

I have no idea why Hotaru bothered to listen (he didn't really =P) but he did help Shinrei. Shinrei is a little out of character, I apologise for my lack of professionalism. But I'm sure the brothers' relationship has gotten better, although they still fought, which is why Shinrei is qualified to ask Hotaru for that bite of ramen.

Okay, I feel better now that I've published another story. Yes everyone, I'm still alive!