Chapter Two: Just Let Her Go
Disclaimer: I still don't own Samurai Champloo…
Jin made his way toward the room, only to stop at the sound of Mugen and Fuu's angry voices. His fingers gazed the wall as he pondered on whether he should go and stop their argument but he decided against it. They would quit soon enough, they always did, and then he could go to sleep.
"What the HELL do you mean, you're leaving?" Mugen yelled, reaching out to grab her wrist before she could walk away. Rage shot through his entire body, and anger seemed to swallow what was left of his heart.
"I mean exactly what I said, Mugen. I'm leaving!" she yelled back at him, trying to get away.
"Stop struggling and talk," Mugen said, "What's going to happen to you when you leave? Did you stop to think about that? You won't have me to come and save your sorry ass every time you get caught up in some kind of trouble, will you? What about your stupid search for that Samurai? You couldn't have given up all hope of finding this guy yet, have you?"
Fuu tried to fight back her tears and looked up at him, her brown eyes full of hate. "Since when do you care, Mugen?" she asked, lowering her voice to a cold harsh whisper.
Since when had he cared? Mugen didn't exactly know. Did he care? Of course not…she was a whiny-ass bitch who was always yelling at him for something. Why would he care about her?
"I don't," he whispered, just as coldly. "But you aren't leaving, Fuu. Not until we've found that samurai you're looking for, got it? I've spent too much of my time on this already to just give up."
Fuu wasn't listening anymore. She didn't care what he had to say. All she wanted was for Mugen to be out of her life, so she could move on, and stop dreaming and hoping for the impossible. She wanted to turn and run and she started to, but Mugen's voice stopped her once more.
"If you take one step away from here, Fuu, I swear I'll…"
Fuu didn't dare move from where she was standing before she crumbled down to the floor. She let the tears flow freely from her eyes. Her fingers dug into the end of her kimono.
Mugen didn't know what to do. A part of him wanted to slap her or kick her to make her shut up, but the other part wanted to fall down next to her and embrace her. He just stood and watched her fall apart. In great gasping sobbing breaths she began to talk again.
"Mugen, I'm leaving. I don't care what the hell you do when I leave. I don't care anymore. Just let me go. You're free, you shouldn't have any problems with that. It's what you wanted. Forget the stupid promise. It never existed from this moment on. But I promise you that in the morning, when you wake up, I'll be gone."
"I thought I just said—"
"Let her go, Mugen," Jin's voice said as he walked up two the two of them. "If she wants to go, let her go."
Mugen looked up at Jin. "Jin…I…she…"
"Let her go…"
Fuu looked up at Jin and smiled. She was grateful that he had come to her rescue. "Thank you, Jin," she whispered as she stood up and dusted her pink kimono off. She smiled up at Jin. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "You're a good friend. Goodbye Jin…maybe we'll meet again," she said, and then she was gone.
Mugen looked up at Jin, who was now cleaning his sword. "Why'd you let your girl go, Jin?" he asked.
"She's not my girl," Jin replied.
"Yes she is, and you know it," he whispered.
"Whatever Mugen," Jin said as he stepped into the room, "Just believe what you want."
"What if she gets hurt?" Mugen asked.
Jin laughed and turned to Mugen. "If you're so concerned about her, Mugen, maybe you should go after her. After all, it seems to me like something is different between the two of you…"