A/N: Sorry it took so long guys. I'm in the last stretch of school and I don't have time to breath or write. But nonetheless, here is chapter two. Please read and review. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Samurai Champloo.

Chapter 2

The next morning, Fuu woke early, as she always did. The sunrays illuminated her small home, leaving hazy sun light everywhere. She looked over at Mugen's stretched out body. Only half of him was still on the mat. 'He sleeps like abigbaby'she though as she rolled up her futon and headed towards the door.

Mugen heard Fuu's movements, but did not stir. 'I hope she makes some food'he thought as he pretended to snore. Fuu walked out into the dawn. She shivered in the cold air that always accompanied the rising sun. She took in a deep breath, allowing the freshness of the young day to wash over her. After yesterday, she wasn't going to allow anything to ruin this beautiful morning, especially not her houseguest.

Fuu soon headed out towards the teahouse, leaving Mugen to fend for himself. After about twenty minutes, Mugen realized Fuu wasn't coming back.

"Bitch, she could have made me something to eat." He mumbled as he walked out the shack and towards the spring. After his bath, Mugen also walked to the teahouse.

"Good morning Fuu," Mrs. Kyoto said happily as Fuu walked through the door. "How was your evening?" Fuu knew she thought something was going on between her and Mugen, and she was expecting to hear about how great her night of wild, passionate sex was.

"Awful," she replied. Mrs. Kyoto's face dropped upon hearing Fuu's response.

"But why, didn't that nice young man make it to your house?" She wiped down a nearby table as she waited on Fuu's answer.

"Yes, he did. That's why my night was terrible. Why did you tell him where I lived? He's such a pain."

"The poor thing didn't have anywhere else to go and I figured since you two already knew one another, you wouldn't mind housing him." She lied.

"Yea right," Fuu whisper. "I don't want to talk about him. I'll just get to work." Fuu walked to the kitchen, before Mrs. Kyoto could respond and readied the restaurant for the day.

'Man I'm hungry,' thought Mugen as he advanced on the teahouse. He rubbed his stomach attempting to sooth it's rumbling. Besides the fish Fuu has made him last night, it had been days since he had a decent meal. 'I hope this joint got dumplings.'

Once he reached the teahouse, he kept walking till he got to a nearby alley. He turned down the narrow strip, and hide behind some carts. He watched as a mysterious man wandered by his hiding place. The man had been following him since he left Fuu's.

'Who the hell is this guy,'Mugen reached for his sword as the man slowed his stride to search his surroundings.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the man said just before Mugen could swing his weapon.

"Oh yea, just what are you going to do about it?" Mugen felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He hadn't had a good fight in weeks and was itching for some bloodshed.

"I have a message for you, Mugen." The man stared at Mugen with an animal blankness. Like he was seeing and not seeing him at the same time, almost like he was looking through him.

"How the hell you do know my name?" Mugen advanced upon the man slowly.

"That is of no importance, but what I have to tell you is. It is very essential that you listen carefully and remember every word I tell you."

"Fuck that, I don't do well with instructions." Mugen lunched at the man with full force, throwing his body in his haphazard manner. The stranger easily dodged him. Mugen stood, confused at the man's speed. Before he could regain his bearings, he felt a hand around the collar of his jacket and was forced to the ground.

"Now listen, you incredible idiot," the man spat at Mugen. "You must listen to every word I tell you." Mugen tried to lift himself off the ground, but found the man stronger than expected.

"Get off me," Mugen continued to struggle against the man's weight.

"Shut up, fool." The man's fist crushed into Mugen's face, hard, knocking him out.

Mugen woke in a strange room. The cracks in the walls allowed strikes of sunlight to paint the floor around him.

"My head is killing me." He whispered to himself. He tried to move, but soon realized he was bound. "What the hell?"

"You had to be difficult," a voice said from an unknown corner.

"Where the hell am I? Untie me so I can beat your ass." Mugen screamed into the seemingly empty room.

"Be quiet, boy. I tried to be civilized with you, but I see you have no capacity for civil encounters." The mysterious man from the alley emerged from the shadows.

"Who the hell are you?" Mugen asked.

"Just think of me as the messenger. You have to remember everything I tell you, Mugen. Now is not the time to be brash and foolish. I realize this is difficult for you." The man sat in front of Mugen, just outside of his reach. Mugen smirked at the man.

"I see you're not an idiot." Mugen was sure he would come too close and he could overpower him.

"I try not to be. Now, we have some interesting things to talk about, boy. This concerns Fuu and Jin." Mugen's eyebrows twitched in interest in hearing his friends' names.

"Then why aren't you telling them?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Because you are the one I was instructed to talk to. Fuu is not in any real danger at this moment in time, but if you do not corporate, she will be killed." The man allowed the gravity of his words to settle in Mugen's minds.

"So, sucks to be her." Mugen replied after a few seconds of silence.

"I know that 'fuck the world' attitude works on other, but I have it on good authority that you care more than you put on. Now, we have a way that you can save the girl, but all that relies on you, Mugen."

"Listen buddy, I'm not her freaking keeper, if she's gotten herself into some shit, oh well. It's not my problem."

"She really is beautiful, you know." He said as he stared off into space. "She bathes in that spring nearly every night, she always walks home naked. It's quite a sight. She so unaware of her surroundings, she thinks no one is there, watching her when she sleeps, eats, we even know the exact day she menstruates. It would be a shame is she happened to drown one day after working so hard in at the Kyoto's teahouse or if that quaint little shack was to catch fire with her still inside. It would be just dreadful if she were repeatedly raped before being brutally murdered by some crazed lunatic. I would hate to see anything like that happen to such a promising young women."

"I swear to god, if you touch on strain of hair on her, I'll fucking chop you into little pieces, you fucking dick." Mugen's anger was boiling. The man smiled.

"I see I've struck a chord and here I was thinking you didn't care. You know, you can prevent any of those terrible things from happening to her."

"I don't want anything to do with you. Let me out of here. She won't need saving, cuz I'm gonna kill you right now." Mugen spat at the man. His eyes moved frantically, as he tried to free himself.

"You don't seem to understand, I am only a messenger. I am not the one they will send to kill her. If they don't hear from me, they will kill her. Believe me, even if you kill me, you might as well have done it yourself." Mugen felt his frustration build. He knew the man was right. There was no way he could save Fuu. He didn't even know who he was protecting her from.

"Fine, what do you want from me?" Mugen mumbled in a rare moment of defeat.

"Good choice, Mugen. You must find Jin and kill him. When you separate this head from his body, only then will Fuu be safe. There is no other way to save her."

"Is that it? I've been wanting to kill him for years." Mugen said.

"So we have a deal?"

"Sure thing." The man moved to untie Mugen's hands and feet, but stopped just before touching him. "Oh, and one more thing, you have to wait for the right moment to kill him. He must not know of your plans or the girl, but she must accompany you on your search. Just think it'll be like old time." He untied Mugen's hands first, and they were soon wrapped around his neck.

"You little shit, I still ought to kill you, fuck what happens to Fuu. Nobody puts me in a corner. I told you I don't do directions. I can give two fucks if you kill that annoying little bitch and as much as I'd love to slice that pompous jerks melon off his shoulders, I wanna do it on my own time." Mugen freed his feet with his other hand. He pushed the man into the wall behind them, lifting his body off the floor.

"I hope you reconsider." He gasped.

"Fuck you," Mugen said before punching the man in the nose and dropping him to the floor. Mugen left the man clutching his face on the floor. Shortly after he left, another man entered the small room, in a dark blue kimono.

"You think he's serious?" He asked.

"No way." The man said as he lifted himself off the ground still holding his nose. The blood flowed freely down the front of his shirt. "He talks a good game, but he won't sacrifice the girl. Jin's as good as dead. Tell the boss we're good to go, Ren."

"Yes, Toru."

"Can a man get some grub around here?" Mugen yelled as he walked into the small store. Fuu's temperature immediately rose when she heard his voice.

"Just ignore anything stupid he says, Fuu." She whispers to herself as she makes her way towards the unruly pirate.

"Do you have any money, Mugen?"

"No, but you do."

"Yea," she said smiling. "I do and none of it's for you."

"Come on Fuu, I'm starving. Think of it as pay back for all those times I saved your sorry ass." Mugen kicked his feet up on the table and threw his hands behind his head in his usual manner.

"Get a job, you bum." Fuu said as she walked away from him. Mugen's eyes followed her as she walked towards the back.

"Nice ass." He said as she disappeared behind the curtain leading to the kitchen.

"I see your friend has come back." Mr. Kyoto said while putting the finishing touches on another order. "Did he order anything?"

"No, he doesn't have any money." She said as she picked up the order.

"Give him whatever he wants, dear." Mrs. Kyoto informed her.

"Are you sure about that? His stomach is a bottomless pit. He'll probably eat everything here."

"Yes, I'm sure." She smiled mischievously. She gently pushed Fuu towards the front.

"What do you want, Mugen."

"About time, I thought I was going to have to beat some food out of you."

"Shut up, before all you eat is my fist." She said cocking her hip to the side. A move Mugen definitely noticed.

"Somebody's hostel this morning, you must still not be getting any. You know, I can fix that." He picked his teeth casually.

"Ugh, order something now. I'm tired of looking at you." Fuu crossed her hands across her chest in frustration.

"Fine," he looked down at his menu, scanning it. Fuu watched him as his copper eyes bounced across the menu. She found herself getting lost in the rough contours of his face. He was very handsome, when his mouth was close. She watched as his biceps jumped under his jacket as his slender fingers followed the words on the page.

"Like what you see?" He asked, catching her staring.

"No," she answered too quickly.

"Yea, ok. Keep telling yourself that. All you have to is ask."

"What do you want, jerk?"

"Give me this," he pointed at something in the menu, never taking his eyes off her.

"Fine," she said as she attempted to snatch the menu from under his finger. Mugen grabbed her hand before she get pull it away.

"You know, I'm totally down for some hot and heavy stuff. I would just love to squeeze those juicy melons of yours." Mugen wink at her as he let go of her hand. Fuu's checks flushed as she picked up the menu.

"You are such a perv." She muttered as she walked away.

Once Mugen discovered that he could have anything he wanted, he ate pretty much everything they made. No matter how much food was on the plate he had just finished, he always had room for more. By the end of the evening, he had eaten everything at least twice.

Mugen sat pondering what the mysterious man said to him. Something told him that he was serious. He knew that if he didn't kill Jin, Fuu would be killed. His mind searched for a different way to save her. Although he had wanted to kill Jin when they first met, after their time together, he had lost the urge. The thought of killing him didn't feel right, even if it meant saving Fuu.

"How the hell am I supposed to find him anyway?" He mumbled to himself.

"Find who," Fuu asked as she plopped down beside him.

"No one." He lied.

"Don't lie, Mugen. Are you trying to find Jin?" the excitement in her face disgusted him.

"Go away," he hissed.

"Touchy, now who's hostel?" she smirked.

"Shut up, bitch. I'm not hostel, I just have a lot on my mind." He rested his head in his hands. Fuu sensed that he was stressed about something.

"What's wrong, Mugen?" she asked hoping he would open up to her.

"Nothing, I'm fine." He shot her down just as she expected.

"Ok, whatever." She gave up and continued to clean the teahouse.

Fuu knew that Mugen was worried about something and for Mugen to be worried meant that it was big. She knew that he wouldn't tell her what was bothering him, so she pushed it to the back of her mind.

The next day, Mugen racked his brain for a reason to find Jin. He knew that if he just blurted out he wanted to find him and wanted Fuu to go with him, she would want to know why.

"This is stupid," he outburst, jerking Fuu from her sleep. The teahouse was closed today and she had slept in.

"What's going on?" she mumbled, wiping the spittle from her mouth.

"Nothing, go back to sleep." She obeyed.

Mugen's once again allowed his mind to be consumed with the problem that lay before him. Feeling overwhelmed, he got up and went outside. The fresh air calmed him a little, but it was short lived.

"Mugen, how good it is to see you." Turo stood with his back to Mugen, skipping rocks across the spring.

"What do you want?" Mugen walked towards him, clutching the handle of his sword.

"Calm down, I'm only here to talk." He handed Mugen some pebbles when he reached him. "I hope you've changed your mind about our previous conversation."

"I'm thinking about it." He admitted.

"Good to hear. Now I realize it might be difficult for you to just uproot her from her life and go looking for a man and you have no idea where to begin. So my employer has made things easy for you."

"Oh yea, how so?" Mugen tossed a pebble across the spring, harder than he meant to.

"You must be gentle," Turo said as he watched Mugen's pebble sink as it hit the water. He tossed one of his own and it glazed across the water like a shooting star.

"Whatever," Mugen whispered.

"We have narrowed down Jin's location, but we cannot get close enough to be certain of his exact whereabouts. So to make things easy for you, we will place a fake bounty on his head and make sure she knows about it. We assume she likes him a little more than you, and will insist on finding him." Mugen winched at his words. Fuu's devotion to Jin always bothered him. She never spoke of him the way she did Jin. She swooned over him like he was some kind of god. Mugen pushed those thoughts from him mind before they could grow into something ugly.

"So where is he?"

"We have him with in the vicinity of Mihara. When you find him wait till the moment is right to strike him down."

"How am I supposed to know when that is?" Mugen ran is fingers through his unrulely hair.

"You'll know," With that Turo walked away leaving Mugen standing alone.

"I hate this!" He threw the remaining pebbles as hard as he could into the spring.

The next day Fuu moved about the teahouse doing her work as she always did. She hadn't seen Mugen all day. A part of her wanted to look for him, but honestly, she was relieved to have some of her privacy back. Although she wouldn't admit it aloud, she kind of liked having him around again. It reminded her of the most exciting time in her life. Not only that but, something about Mugen being so close just felt right. Regardless of all this, Fuu had grown to appreciate her alone time, something she hadn't had a lot of since Mugen showed up, so him being MIA wasn't such a bad thing.

"Have you heard about that samurai with the huge bounty on his head?" A frail looking old man with about fifty percent of his teeth missing whispered to his equally aged companion.

"You mean the one with the glasses," Fuu's ears twitched when she heard this. "I hear the want him dead or alive." The old man slowly brought his chopsticks to his thin lips after his words. Fuu continued to help the other customers but maintained a close distance to the gossiping men.

"They say some of the meanest, most cut throat mercenaries are after the reward. I even heard that this guy is so tough, they plan on going for the kill when the find him. Serve up is head on a silver platter." Fuu dropped the rice bowls in her hands when she heard this. She covered her mouth in fear. Tears began to sting the back of her eyes, threatening to fall.

"What else do you know?" She blurted to the men, ignoring the alarmed faces of the people around her.

"Young lady, what business do you have with this kind of thing?" The thin lipped man spoke barely audible.

"Just tell me." She demanded, pounding her fist into the table.

"Ok, I know better than to go against an emotional woman." He laughed, winking at his friend. "They say this guy is wanted for some terrible crime. Unfortunately, no one seems to know exactly what that crime is, but whatever this guy did must have been big, because in all my seventy-five years on this earth, I've never seen such a hefty price on a man's head."

"Do they have any idea where he might be?"

"It's rumored that he was last seen somewhere around Mihara, but no one knows his exact whereabouts. This guy is very careful. Why, do you know him?" The old man's question was asked in vain. Before he could fully finish his last words, Fuu was rushing out the teahouse.

"Fuu, where are you going?" Asked Mrs. Kyoto, but her words fell dead on the floor, missing the fleeting ears of the young waitress.

Fuu had to find Mugen. She couldn't let Jin die. The tears streamed down her face without shame. She had no idea where to find Mugen, but she was determined to do so. They had to find Jin and warn him, help him, something to stop this madness. Mihara was where those twins lived. She gathered that's probably where Jin was in hiding. But she couldn't think about that right now, first she needed to find Mugen.

She headed towards her house, hoping to find him there. When she advanced on her target her chest burned and her lungs felt like they would explode, but she couldn't slow down.

"Mugen!" she yelled into the hazy darkness as she burst through the door.

"Where's the fire?" His voice sang out to her from the darkness. She couldn't see him, but he was there.

"Mugen, where are you?" She moved inside the house. Her movements were so frantic she tripped over many things before she made it to Mugen.

"Whoa, what's your problem?" Mugen knew what was bothering Fuu. She knew. He knew she was going to ask to find Jin, to help him. He prepared himself to hear her speak the words her had been dreading to hear since Turo left him by the springs. He maintained his composure as she threw herself across his large body. Her tears hurt him.

"What's the hell, Fuu?" He pushed her off.

"Mugen, it's Jin." She looked up at him with glassy eyes. Her face was red with sorrow. Fuu buried her face in her hands. The tears shock her small frame.

"What about him?" Mugen asked, turning his back to her. He couldn't bear to watch her.

"They're trying to kill him. I heard these men talking about a bounty and chopping off his head." She spoke swiftly, clumsy. Her words were so close together, Mugen could barely gather meaning, but he already knew. He had to make his reaction believable. He couldn't be too eager.

"So what, that's his problem."

"He's your friend, Mugen." She pleaded.

"I can care less, he's a big boy. He can take care of himself. I can't run and find that pussy every time someone wants to kill him." Fuu felt her anger grow as she listened to Mugen's words.

"How can you say that? After everything we've all been through together. You can't mean that? Jin would not hesitate to save your sorry ass, but you can't even do this. You can't even warn him of danger. Well fine. If you won't help me find him, I'll do it myself. I don't need you." Fuu stood on her feet with her head held high. She bumped Mugen, hard as she pushed pass him.

Mugen's head was spinning as he watched Fuu slam the door behind her.

"Shit," he muttered as he went after her. "What do you plan to do exactly, Fuu?" he yelled at her once he was close enough.

"That's not your problem, remember." She continued to storm away, aimlessly.

"Would you stop?" He grabbed her arm, spinning her to face him.

"Let me go, Mugen. You've already told me that you won't go. I have all the information I need to find him." Mugen could see the tears she was fighting to hold in.

"So what happens when some jerk tries to have his way with you, or steal every penny you have? What then? You're not gonna be much help then? With your luck, you probably won't make it to Jin alive."

"Why do you care?" she spat at him. Mugen couldn't answer her. He didn't know why he went after her. He didn't know why he was even upset that she might die if he didn't kill Jin. He didn't even like Fuu. She was annoying and whined constantly. So why was he standing here, gripping her shoulders, trying to convince her to stay.

"I don't," He spat viciously, dropping his hands from her. Fuu felt her heart drop to the bottom of her stomach. She wasn't expecting him to say that. She didn't know what she was expecting, but she always thought Mugen cared in his own way. Fuu turned on her heels and walked away.

Mugen watched her disappear into the setting sun. He stood there, as the purple blanket of nighttime spread over the sky. The stars looked down on him in pity. He was so confused. Never in his life has he had to think about anyone else, or even cared to. Mugen had been on his own. Now, he wanted to save both Fuu and Jin, but his pride wouldn't let him go after her. His pride wouldn't let him look for Jin. He just stood in the middle of the road, staring into the blackness of night, hoping for a sign. His prayers were soon answered.

"Well that didn't go well." Turo's form began to materialize before Mugen out of the darkness.

"What the hell do you want?" Mugen instantly grew angry.

"Temper, temper. That attitude of yours is what got you into this mess. You were supposed to make it believable, not drive her away. At the rate you're going, she's never gonna let you turn her into a real woman."

"Why would I want to?"

"You don't have to lie to me. I know what I see and you are not fooling anyone but yourself, but now is not the time for that. Go after her, and find Jin. If you don't, it won't matter if you admit how you feel to her, she'll be dead before dawn."

Mugen attacked him before he realized what he was doing, but just as before, the man dodged his movements and pinned him to the ground.

"This again," he laughed as he pushed Mugen's face into the dirt beneath him. "You don't learn do you? Go after the girl, or I'll rape her right in front of you. I'll make you watch as I run my hands all over that milky body of hers. Force you to look as I run my fingers into the untouched flower between those lovely legs. You can watch her scream in agony as I rip that adorable innocence right out of her. Then just when she thinks it's over, I'll slice that beautiful throat of hers. The blood will run down her breast and you can watch as I lick it off her dying body." Mugen wanted nothing but to kill this man.

"I'll kill you." He screamed from the ground. "I'll kill you."

"Quiet, boy. The only person you need to kill is Jin. Now I'm gonna let you up, but if I need to remind you who has the upper hand again, I won't hesitate to do just what I promised you." Mugen stopped struggling. Turo lifted his body from Mugen's. Mugen stood, his face red with anger, but he knew if he acted on his feelings, like he always did, Fuu would die.

"Good boy," Turo said after a few seconds. "She's at the tea house." Turo left and so did Mugen.

"I already told you I don't need you." Fuu said as Mugen walked through the door of the teahouse. She pushed the chair she was sitting in so violently, as she stood up, it hit the floor it once stood on causing Mrs. Kyoto to yelp in surprise.

"Look Fuu," Mugen started. "I know you're mad, but you gotta calm down." Mugen reached to touch her, but Fuu pulled away from him.

"Don't touch me, Mugen. You've already told me how you feel, about Jin and me. I don't want to hear anything else you have to say."

"Too fucking bad," he yelled. His anger surprised him. "You are not going on some wild goose chase looking for Jin and you don't even know where he is."

"I do know where he is, Mugen. Like I said," she took a step closer to him, bringing her face within inches of his own. "I don't need you."

"You are so stupid," Mugen tossed his hands in frustration. "What makes you think you can make it to Jin alone? Huh? Answer me, and if you do make it, how the hell are you supposed to save him? I can't count how many times I've had to save you from getting killed by some jerk. So what makes you believe that you won't end up right where you always do?"

"I don't know, but I have to try. I won't just sit back and do nothing, knowing that people are trying to kill Jin, my friend." She placed her palms on her chest with her words. "Our friend, Mugen." Her words fell like whispered glass. Mugen stared at Fuu, feeling his anger slip away. He collapsed into a nearby chair, hanging his head between his knobby knees. The only sound was that of Mrs. Kyoto's tears and Mr. Kyoto attempting to sooth his wife.

"Come with me, Mugen." Fuu fell to the floor in front of Mugen, placing a soft hand upon his. "Let's find Jin and save him." Mugen knew he had to say yes. He knew that the people doing this would kill her if he didn't, but if he went, he would have to kill Jin, and she would hate him anyway. There was no way out.

"Fine," He whispered in defeat.

That night, Mugen and Fuu stayed with the Kyotos, preparing what supplies they could find and carry for their trip. Mugen estimated that Mihara was about a two-week journey, if they stopped every night to rest. Fuu wanted to head out immediately, but Mr. Kyoto convinced her to stay till morning so that they could say goodbye to her. When they met Fuu, it was like the gods had given them a second chance. They had a daughter again.

"Fuu," Mr. Kyoto knocked lightly before entering the room where Fuu sat staring at the stars. She turned, smiling as he walked towards her.

"They're beautiful."

"Yes," she watched as the starlight twinkled in the old man's brown eyes.

"I like the think that Akiko is smiling down on me when I look at the stars," Fuu saw the sadness creep into Mr. Kyoto's face.

"I'm so sorry about your daughter." Fuu gently rubbed his arms.

"It's alright dear," they sat in a comfortable silence for a while before he spoke again. "She was such a beautiful young woman, much like you." He smiled at her. "Her name meant bright star, and boy did she shine. She was such an infectious creature, one couldn't be sad around my Akiko. I miss her terribly." A single tear rolled down his face, leaving its path in the creases of his tired face.

"She was so brave," He said, staring at the stars again. "When she was going. Not once did she complain or get angry. Her mother and I did enough of that for her. She only smiled and continued to shine till the end." Fuu listened to the man, she had become to think of as a father, reminisce over his daughter.

"I see that same spark in you that I did in Akiko. I like the think that she's here, in you. You have the same drive and determination that she had, and I am just as proud of you as I was of her. I know that your friend means a lot to you, and it is very brave and honorable of you to want to help him. You are such a caring soul. You give others the push they need to be the person they are meant to be. You do that for your friend, Mugen."

At this, Fuu huffed in disbelief. "Whatever, he's meant to be a jerk, nothing I can do will change that." She hugged her knees close to her body as the night air moved across the sky.

"He might surprise you, Fuu. You can never judge a book by its cover."

"Now you sound like Mrs. Kyoto." He laughed.

"I guess I do. She sure is something else"

"That's an understatement." She joked.

"Yes, she tends to get a little out of control, but she might have a point here."

"Are you serious," Fuu turned to him in shock at his words. "Mugen is not what you would call that type of man. Besides, I'm not his type."

"What do you mean?"

"He only goes for big boobed floosies. Not girls like me, a fact he's made very clear to me." Fuu had repressed all her feelings of inadequacy for sometimes, but being around Mugen has only drugged them up.

"Have I ever told you how Mai and I met?"

"No,"

"Well, I must say, we we're not best of friends, in fact we hated one another."

"Really," she was astonished. They were so in love, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yes, really. Mai and I grew up together and fought like cats and dogs. In her eyes, everything I did was wrong and everything she said was wrong to me. We bickered for years. It wasn't till we were 16 that I realized I was in love with her. She was to marry this puffed up rich guy who knew her father, of course I mean, Mai's father owed him a favor, Mai was the payment. I was coming home from the field, I helped my family by working for the local farmers. She was sitting under a cheery blossom tree with her back to me. I knew it was her, she has a distinct birth make right here." He placed his hand at the nape of Fuu's neck.

"The wind was blowing, revealing it to me. I greeted her in my usual manner, with malice and content, but she said nothing. I knew something was wrong, but it was just too wrong to care, I mean after all we hated one another. But something told me to sit next to her and I did. I sat down and she turned to me, surprised. When she did I saw the most beautiful face. A face even the angels envy. She had tears glistening off her face and her nose was red, like a little red tomato."

"She looked at me, and I stared at her, lost for words. I couldn't explain what I was feeling to myself. It was like a hidden door had been thrown open and all the love I was hiding behind anger and arguing was flushing in. Right then, I knew that I loved her and that I always had. We kissed for the first time that day, under our cheery blossom tree."

"That's beautiful," Fuu whispered.

"I know, but what's interesting is that Mai refused to admit it meant anything for two months. It wasn't until she was about to become Mrs. Puffy rich guy, that she came clean. Her father, surprisingly, was ecstatic. Apparently, he knew, well before we did, that we were meant to be together."

"I know what you're trying to do and it won't work." She smiled at the old man affectionately.

"Well," he said standing. "You can't knock an old man for trying." He moved to leave the room, but stopped just before the door. "You know Fuu, some stories don't end the way they seem they should." With that, he walked out the door, leaving Fuu very confused.