Yuan II

Yuan burst through the door of his house.

"Quick, give me some food!"

It was around dinnertime, and Yuan's family has gathered around the table to eat. The corner where Hotaru usually sits at is strangely vacant.

"Oh hey, Yuan! Long time no see!" gushed Anjelica, "Where have you been?"

Wolfing down the food as fast as possible, Yuan said with a full mouth, "I've been living with Dad, and the food there is crap. How I've missed your cooking, Anna!" Yuan stuffed his mouth full of food, with a heavenly expression on his face.

Obviously pleased, Anna said, "Well, why haven't you been home all this time? It must have been a month since you last came home! We were beginning to get worried about you."

Gulping down his food, Yuan said tiredly, "Isn't it obvious? Hotaru's still after me for a fight, and I'm trying to avoid him as much as possible. It's kinda hard to avoid him if I come home now, wouldn't it? Especially since he practically lives here now…."

Yuan grumbled to himself as he stuffed more rice in his mouth, "What kind of sensei gets displaced in his own home by his pupil? Damn that Hotaru."

Anjelica looked at the clock thoughtfully. "Hmm, that's strange. Hotaru usually comes home around this time. I wonder where he went."

"He WAS coming home," sighed Yuan as he scarfed down more food, "I had the bad luck of bumping into him."

A collective gasp echoed around the table. "So what happened? Did he try to fight you again?"

Yuan rolled his eyes at Kirian, who asked the question. "What do you think? Of course that idiot started hacking away at me again, trying to get me to fight!" Yuan slurped loudly as he downed his soup.

Everyone leaned in closer. "So what happened?" Kirian asked.

Yuan wolfed down more food while asking for more rice. "Well, I had to fight him, you know. That bastard's so persistent."

A louder gasp resonated throughout the room.

"No…." Erian said.

"You wouldn't have…." Anjelica wailed.

"You don't mean….." Kirian gasped.

"You used it again, didn't you?" Anna inquired.

Yuan said between mouthfuls, "Hey you guys, don't look that way! I had to! If I don't use the Illusionary Eye on him, I can never escape so quickly."

"Honestly, Yuan, that trick's getting old," Anna said gravely, "One of these days, it's not going to work anymore."

"Yeah, I know," gulped Yuan, "But against that mindless idiot, it still has a few more uses." A look of glee crossed Yuan's face.

Yuan eyed the clock, and the loud clicking of chopsticks against his bowl accelerated. "I simply couldn't live with the fare I had for the last month… I need some decent food! And my Eye won't last for very long, so I gotta hurry up and finish before……"

A loud crash came from outside the Yuan house.

"Uh oh……"

"You're gonna get it this time, Yuan," Kirian said in warning.

"Huh?" Erian gasped.

"Ehh?" Yuan simply stared at the sight in front of him.

A very angry Fubuki burst through the door carrying a black bundle in one hand, and dragging a very wet Hotaru with the other. He threw Hotaru onto the floor in front of the shocked Yuan.

"Yuan, you need to instruct your pupils properly!" Fubuki raged, "Look what Keikoku did to my poor kitty!"

Yuan looked closely at the black bundle Fubuki was carrying, which suddenly moved. A pair of bright yellow eyes appeared, and emitted a very pitiful mew. Yuan recoiled away from the bundle.

"Ack, it's a cat!" Yuan leaned a bit closer, "Is it a cat?"

His puzzlement is well-grounded. The cat is missing large patches of its fur, and is engulfed in a cloud of black smoke. Its whiskers are mostly gone, and its tail seemed to glow from some embers that remained from a very recent fire.

Yuan stammered, feeling a bit guilty for indirectly causing the poor cat's distress. "Look, uh… yeah, sorry about that…I a-apologize on the behalf of Keikoku for…"

Fubuki cut him off abruptly, "An apology is not enough! Look at the suffering he caused! I demand that you punish Keikoku for this, so that he never does this again!"

Fubuki looked expectantly at Yuan.

Yuan nodded obediently, "Yes, yes, I will do that."

Fubuki still looked expectantly at Yuan.

"Whaaa, you mean right now?" Yuan looked at the inert, drenched Hotaru that was lying facedown on his dining room floor. "But it seems you've already punished him enough, doesn't it, Fubuki?"

"Enough? How can this be enough? I brought him back here for you to finish him off! How can this be enough punishment for my…"

"Yeah, yeah, ok, ok, I get it," even Yuan can get sick of listening to the same tirade every time. He thought desperately of how to appease Fubuki's anger, while preserving his ex-student's life. He launched a serious kick at Hotaru's midsection, who barely moved. He muttered in a strong, serious voice.

"Keikoku, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Apologize, Hotaru, Yuan pleaded silently. Maybe if Hotaru apologizes, Fubuki will calm down a bit, and will spare his life.

A while later, Hotaru said in a very disgruntled voice.

"…………"

"…………I hate water."

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