AFTER SEVEN DAYS
by: Wednesday R. Adams
Part two
"I'm going to kill her," a petite blonde growled as she manoeuvred her car expertly in traffic. Her redheaded companion gripped the side window desperately as they sped up on the highway.
"I don't think you'll have the chance to kill her if you get us killed." She screamed in panic when they nearly collided with another car.
"Oh, no! I'm not going to die yet. I'll make sure I'll kill her first. Then we can see each other in hell. Then I'll kill her again." The blonde frowned in concentration as she encountered more cars along the highway. "Are you sure we're on the right path?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," the redhead replied breathlessly.
"Shit, Hana! What did she do to us?" the blonde asked brokenly. She just couldn't believe that this had happened to her. Tears blurred her eyes for moment but she stubbornly blinked them away. "This is such a shit!"
Hanamichi, the redhead girl, stared at her companion in fear. The earthen jar that Naoko had handed to her had contained some water that transformed them, Akira and him, into girls. She knew that Naoko was probably hoping that it would renew her relationship with Kaede, but she didn't think that Akira would be part of the transformation.
Akira was livid. She went ballistic and nearly ruined all the furniture in Hanamichi's house. As fast as her hysteria came, she calmed down and dragged Hanamichi out of the house and into her car.
"It's not that bad, Akira," Hanamichi tried to talk sense into the psychotic blonde. "I never knew your mother was a foreigner."
"She's German but she grew up in Tokyo. She met my father in one of their business meetings." Akira glared at the cars in front of them.
"Why are you living in Kanagawa when they're in Tokyo?" Hanamichi relaxed a bit when they slowed down as traffic built up. Brown eyes studied the petite blonde curiously.
Akira stole a look at the beautiful redhead. She smiled ruefully when she saw the distress on the beautiful face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Hanamichi smiled. "It's okay. I felt the same way when this first happened to me."
"I didn't feel anything when I changed," Akira said in wonder.
The redhead nodded. "I didn't feel anything too. Even during the time I reverted back." Brown eyes darkened in pain when memories resurfaced.
Akira noticed the expression. She stepped on the brake suddenly.
"Hey!" Hanamichi cried in outrage. "What did you do that for?"
"You don't love Rukawa anymore, do you?"
"What are you talking about?" Hanamichi turned away from Akira.
"Shit!" Akira muttered under her breath. She turned on the engine when a horn blared angrily at them. She briefly glanced at her companion.
Hanamichi felt the look but refused to return it. She closed her eyes in despair when the tension built up along with the traffic.
"You love him still," Akira stated. She laughed bitterly. "And I thought I had you all to myself."
"You do," Hanamichi insisted.
"Yeah. But for how long?" Akira turned to look at Hanamichi when the car in front stopped. "Forever? Or maybe until he's back?" She turned to the road again when she felt the movement of cars around them. "That won't take long. You're a girl again so he'll be back before you can say hello."
"I'm not like that, Akira," Hanamichi replied tearfully.
"What do you want me to think?"
"I don't want you to think about anything. All I want is for you to trust me."
Akira stilled at the simple statement. She glanced again at the hurt redhead before reaching out her left hand to grasp the redhead's hand.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm just insecure."
Hanamichi gazed at the blue eyes and smiled sadly. "So am I." She looked out the window again and tightened her hand onto Akira's. "I'm scared, too."
Akira operated the car around the traffic in ease single-handedly. She wisely waited for further words from the honest redhead.
"I don't know what I'd do if he starts liking me again," Hanamichi disclosed. "I love you. But I love him too. And I'm just so confused."
"It's okay," Akira reassured. "Whatever you're decision will be, I'll support you even if it'll kill me."
Hanamichi pulled Akira's hand to his face and kissed the fingers lovingly.
"I'm so sorry, Akira."
"Hey," Akira cupped the enchanting face gently. Looking if the traffic moved, the blonde hastily kissed Hanamichi's lips. "It's okay. Don't cry, baby, okay?"
Hanamichi nodded and pressed her face closer to the warm hands. "Thank you."
Akira's eyes warmed. She caressed the soft lips in circular motion. "We'll make it through this, won't we, baby?"
Hanamichi beamed at the blonde. "Of course!"
Akira stared at the back of Edward the butler in dismay. She was pissed off big time when she finally realized that she's only five-something in height. It wasn't much reassurance that Hanamichi's still around six feet plus.
"The whole place seems to be different from the last time," Hanamichi murmured. "I wonder where all the vases are."
"What vases?" Akira inquired with little interest.
"Kana-san had a huge collection of vases. It was all over the place the last time I visited."
"And when was that?" Akira growled.
Hanamichi blinked at the blonde. "Last year. During my first date with the kitsune."
"You met his parents on the first date?" Akira held Hanamichi's arm, making the redhead stopped walking.
Hanamichi nodded but winced when Akira's gripped tightened. "Let go."
Akira ignored Hanamichi's plea. "How well do you know this family? And how well do they know you? The way that bitch acted this morning, I bet you're pretty close."
"What is wrong with you?" Hanamichi cried. "I can understand you being upset about having changed gender, but I couldn't take any insult you'll give me for loving a man before you."
Blue clashed with brown in a silent fight.
"Oh! Isn't this a surprise?" A woman suddenly appeared beside Hanamichi.
The redhead broke her glare at Akira and smiled shyly at Rukawa Kana. "Hello, Kana-san."
"Hello, Hana-chan!" Kana's eyes glowed in happiness and her arms immediately enclosed the redhead. She kissed the flawless cheeks in a motherly manner. Afterwards, she cupped the beautiful face and smiled with enthusiasm. "You look much more beautiful than the last time."
Hanamichi blushed prettily at the compliment. Akira rolled her eyes at the obvious adoration of the redhead.
"Excuse me," Akira said to kana. The woman stared at her snobbishly, the same way Naoko did. This inflamed the blonde's usually calm temper. "I'm her boyfriend."
Kana raised an eyebrow at the declaration. Her attention was monopolized again by Hanamichi when the redhead cleared her throat.
"You see," Hanamichi started nervously. "This is Sendoh Akira. My boyfriend. Well now, my girlfriend."
Kana's eyes went back to the smug blonde. "Oh."
"We're looking for Naoko. Your daughter." Akira glared at the snobbish woman. "She's the one at fault here."
Kana's eyes turned to Hanamichi then to Akira again. After thinking things through, she motioned for them to follow her.
Akira slid her hold on Hanamichi's arm to her hand. "I don't like these people. Even the butler is a snob-nose."
Hanamichi tightened her hold in comfort. "You're a dent in their perfect plan, I guess."
"Don't you hate them?" Akira whispered and stuck her out tongue at Kana when she turned to look at her.
"No," Hanamichi admitted.
"They made us into girls," Akira accused.
Hanamichi gazed at Akira lovingly. "Didn't you say so yourself that gender doesn't matter?"
Akira rolled her eyes at the answer. "Yeah, I did." She looked at the twinkling brown eyes again. Seeing love and adoration, she just tightened her clasp, which the redhead replied to with a squeeze of her own.
Kana opened a large door. "Please wait here while Edward calls Naoko in." She faced the two and didn't try to hide the distaste in seeing them in intimate positions. "Hana-chan, please refrain from being too cozy with her."
"Why?" Akira inquired heatedly. "Does it bother you?"
Kana looked down at Akira. "I'm not comfortable with same girl-girl relationships."
"Oh?" Akira replied nonchalantly. "Do I look like I care?"
Hanamichi stared at the two nervously. She knew that Akira could be bitchy sometimes but she never saw her being disrespectful.
"Akira," she reprimanded softly.
"Did you say something, Hanamichi?" Akira made a tone on the Hanamichi.
Hanamichi sweatdropped. She sheepishly glanced at Kana.
Kana sighed. With a glare at Akira, she motioned for the two to sit. "Please have a seat."
"We're fine standing up," Akira retorted.
"Hana-chan?" Kana looked at the redhead.
Hanamichi shook her head. "I'm fine."
Kana glared harder at the smug blonde. She looked at the door when a young man made an appearance.
"Ken," she warned her oldest son when Ken paused to appreciate the two beauties in their family room.
"Hello," Rukawa Ken greeted suavely. His eyes flicked to Hanamichi then settled to Akira. "And you are?"
"Sendoh Akira," Akira replied coldly. Her blue eyes were glaring at the playboy.
Ken paused at the name. "The boyfriend?" he asked incredulously.
"You know me well," Akira said bitchily.
Ken's eyes twinkled with mirth at the fighting stance. "What happened?" he asked.
"You didn't know? I was thinking that this was all a family conspiracy," Akira growled and glared at Kana.
Kana ignored the barb and sat gracefully on a large couch.
Ken just laughed at the accusations. He turned around the room and nodded at the settees. "Don't you want to take a seat?"
"We're fine," the two girls said simultaneously.
"I see," Ken grinned. His eyes lowered to the entwined hands and it darkened partially.
Akira noticed the look and tightened her hold. She felt at ease when Hanamichi caressed her hand with her thumb.
"Hanamichi!"
Hanamichi and Akira turned to look at an older Rukawa. Hanamichi let go of Akira's hand and ran to Kiyomori's open arms.
"Hello, Hanamichi!" Kiyomori happily hugged the redhead. "You're beautiful as ever. But you're lighter."
"I haven't gained any weight yet since I got out of the hospital," Hanamichi admitted.
Kiyomori made a face. "Well. You better gain them fast." He looked behind Hanamichi and finally noticed Akira. "Let me guess," he said as he walked slowly to the blonde. "You're Sendoh Akira."
"How'd you know?" Akira's eyebrow rose.
"I made a background search on you," Kiyomori said softly. He nodded to Ken and Kana. "Hanamichi is part of the family."
"Is that why you made him into a girl again?" Akira uttered.
Kiyomori laughed. "No," he denied. "I'm afraid this was all Naoko's pranks. She has always been infatuated with the female Hanamichi." He studied the girl with unconcealed amusement. "But I don't think you're part of the plan."
"I bet," Akira muttered. She looked at the door when it opened again. A growl escaped from her when she saw who entered.
Naoko walked into the room regally. But it was not just Naoko but the fox himself.
Kaede wiped his eyes irritably. He was sleeping peacefully when his dear sister woke him up. He would have ignored her, but a mention that a redhead had visited made him rise from the comfortable bed. Hanamichi never visited him before. It was always them, his family and him, who visited the redhead during his time in the hospital. Kiyomori had wanted to shoulder the bills and medicines for Hanamichi but Naoko disagreed. Hanamichi was still a stranger to the family no matter what Kiyomori, Kana and Ken thought. In the end, it was Kaede who paid for everything. He was the only one in the family who had access to his own money without his sister knowing. The redhead was oblivious to all of the financial wheeling and dealing behind his back; he thought that Okina financed his hospital bills.
A nasty aura caught Kaede's attention as he fully noticed his surroundings. Foxy blue eyes met glaring blue eyes, but Kaede being Kaede ignored them. He turned to another pair of eyes.
"Hana," Kaede whispered in wonder.
Hanamichi fidgeted under the intense look. She looked at Kiyomori for help but the old man had walked to Kana and sat down beside her. Another call of her name made her look back at Kaede.
Kaede forgot everything but the redheaded girl in front of him. Like in a dream, he ran towards the panicking redhead. When Hanamichi was only a feet away, a fist collided with Kaede's jaw and sent him flying in the corner.
Hanamichi's jaw slacked as she stared at her boyfriend…err girlfriend. The rest of the family members had the same reaction as Hanamichi.
Akira breathed hard as she glared down the fallen fox. Her hand tingled with pain but she was oblivious to this as she looked at Hanamichi then to Kaede.
"You ain't touching her, Rukawa," Akira snarled softly. "She's mine. You hear me!" She turned to glare at every Rukawa in the room. "SHE'S MINE!"
Hanamichi turned beet-red at the possessive declaration. But her heart swelled two times bigger for Akira.
Kaede resembled a devil as he picked himself from the floor. With a look that scared even the fearless Hanamichi, he advanced slowly towards Akira.
"Who the hell do you think you are to claim her as yours?"
Akira was intimidated. She was after all only five feet something and lacking the muscles for a good defence against a rampaging fox. Even in her anger, she knew she'd break a lot of bones if she tried to fight Kaede.
Kaede's eyes were flashing murder but he sobered when Hanamichi blocked his path. Blue eyes blinked in confusion.
"What are you doing?" he asked incredulously.
"I'm protecting Akira," Hanamichi replied.
"Akira?" Kaede cocked his head to look at the blonde. He made a quick scrutiny before looking at Hanamichi again. "Sendoh Akira?"
Hanamichi bit the insides of her cheek to stop laughing. Kaede looked so funny when he's confused. She nodded slowly. "She's my Akira."
Kaede's darted from Hanamichi to Akira then to Naoko, who was now standing beside Ken.
"You did this," Kaede stated.
Naoko shrugged her shoulders. "So what if I did?"
Akira seethed at the shameless acceptance. "YOU BITCH!" she shouted.
Kana gasped at such vulgarity while the older male Rukawas had their eyes comparable to a gold fish. Akira was still a child after all in their books.
"Change us back, you…" Akira paused to search for a better word to describe Naoko. "Old hag!"
This time it was Naoko who gasped but in outrage rather than surprise. "And why should I?" Naoko snapped. "I have no concern for you."
"You slut!" Akira shouted again. "Neither Hanamichi nor I had asked you for a gender change. Do you honestly believe that Hanamichi will come back to HIM if you made him into a girl? Not while I'm alive!"
Naoko laughed eerily. "Oh, please! I have no need to do as you accused me of! Kaede owns Hanamichi's body and soul."
Hanamichi's eyes turned into huge circles. She faced Kaede with a questioning look.
Kaede narrowed his eyes as warning to Naoko.
"What do you mean?" Akira sobered at what Naoko had implied.
"Kaede paid for Hanamichi's hospital bills, in exchange Okina signed a paper that places Hanamichi in our family's care." Naoko looked coldly at Hanamichi then to the shocked Akira. "So technically Hanamichi is married to Kaede. What are you going to do now, nobody?"
Kaede moved then. He walked to Naoko and growled, "Shut up."
Naoko only raised an eyebrow at her little brother.
Akira stared at Hanamichi tearfully. "She's lying."
Hanamichi shook her head. "I don't know." Brown eyes were already brimming with tears.
Kiyomori stood up and calmly touched the redhead's arm. "Hanamichi, I'll explain…" He mentally wondered how Naoko knew.
"No need for that, otou-san," Kaede interrupted. He turned back to Hanamichi and inwardly winced at the hurt look. "Okina could not provide for your hospital bills. So I volunteered."
Hanamichi couldn't believe what she was hearing. All those times that she asked Okina about the bills, the woman would only reassured her that everything was being taken care of. She didn't know that she was practically sold.
Akira couldn't take it anymore. She walked out of the room and out of the house.
"Wait! Akira, please wait!" Hanamichi ran behind Akira and tried to stop her when she opened her car doors. "Akira, please listen to me."
"Why! So you can tell me that it's all over?" Akira glared at the redhead. "Spare me the torture, Hanamichi! I'd rather live without your goodbye!" With that the blonde slammed the car door and drove away.
"I'm not saying goodbye," Hanamichi sobbed as she watched Akira drive away. "I don't want to say goodbye." She kneeled down in despair as her dreams shattered once again.
The Devils was a small bar in the heart of Kanagawa. It's not famous but it was a common hang-out for college kids and future college kids. The interior was just plain red and black. And the tables were planted in black and white checker with red bulbs for lighting. The atmosphere was choking and claustrophobic, but college people seem to dig it.
The bartender in the Devils was getting worried at the little blonde in front of him. The girl arrived early in the afternoon and started ordering booze. He was accustomed to seeing foreigners but he never saw this blonde who talked like real Japanese.
"Hey, miss! You okay?" the bartender asked. He was wiping the counter top and eyeing the blonde closely. He had a feeling that he had seen her before but couldn't place where.
"I'm not okay," Akira replied with a hiccup. "They were married for nearly a year yet he didn't tell me anything. He lied to me!"
The bartender shook his head. Another broken-hearted fool.
"Scotch on the rocks," a large man motioned at the bartender. He put a bill on the table as he scrutinized the drunken girl.
The bartender nodded as he immediately made the order. He didn't take his eyes off the pretty blonde though. And he watched with eagle eyes as the customer made a thorough study on the girl.
"Here." The bartender placed the order in front of the man and silently willed him to leave the girl alone.
The large man didn't look at the bartender but made a pass at Akira. "Hello," he said. "Are you new here? I don't remember seeing you around."
Blue eyes stared unfocused on the man. "Oh! Hello!" she said cheerfully. She blushed as she hiccupped once again. "Sorry."
The man laughed softly. "You know me?"
"Stupid question," Akira replied.
The man smirked. "I have a place nearby, wanna go?"
Akira stared in shock at the man. "Are you kidding me? I thought you don't like people in your place."
"How'd you know that?" The man narrowed his eyes at the blonde. He knew he was popular and he had stalkers everywhere.
Akira covered her mouth in a coy manner. "Oops… I don't think Hikoichi will like it if I gave out his secrets."
"Hikoichi? Aida Hikoichi?" the man frowned. "You're from Ryonan."
"Yep," Akira boasted. She straightened in her seat before standing shakily. "Let's go! You said you're taking me to your place."
The man chuckled. He gently supported the small body as she moved away from her seat. He nodded in agreement at each question that the girl asked even when the questions made no sense.
Akira frowned adorably. "You're not listening to me."
The two paused in front of the large man's car. The large man faced Akira and smiled sadly.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm not looking for conversation tonight. I'm just looking for a good lay."
Akira smiled sadly. "You got ditched too?"
The man blinked. But he wasn't given any moment to answer.
"My boyfriend happens to be married." The blue eyes filled with tears again. "He didn't even tell me until now."
The man was disturbed at the pained expression. It was so out of place in the beautiful face. When the blonde started sobbing, he suddenly bent his head and kissed the girl passionately.
Akira responded immediately and let the man deepen the kiss. She knew that she'd be making a big mistake. But a stolen moment to forget the pain was enough to make her sleep tonight.
"We should go," Akira murmured. "I may like sex but I'm not an exhibitionist."
The man smiled predatorily. "Let's go," he said as he opened his car door.