Chapter Three

"This is a nice house you have, Kara." Ryuichi said as he helped me off of his bike.

"Thanks," I said smiling at him. "Mom, I'm home!" I said walking into the door.

All of a sudden. There was a loud crash in the living room.

Ryuichi had seen my face become white at hearing the noise.

We had gone to the living room where I saw my mom was knocked unconscious.

"Mom!" I yelled running to her.

"Get out of here Kara and call the cops." Mom said in a barely audible whisper.

I looked and saw my father in a drunken state.

"Get out of our house! You don't belong here!" I said angrily.

"Shut up bitch!" Yukishiro yelled about to backhand me.

His palm was stopped within inches from my face.

I looked and saw Ryuichi standing in front of me blocking Yukishiro's attack.

"Ryuichi," I said as I seen him in front of me.

"Who is this guy Kara?" Ryuichi asked looking deadly towards my father.

"My Father. He's supposed to be in jail after Mom had divorced him." I said looking at Ryuichi. I paused then asked, "how did you get out of jail!"

"Like this," Yukishiro said revealing a knife.

I felt my body move towards Ryuichi and Yukishiro. The sharp impact was almost too much to bare. As I was stabbed in the stomache.

Ryuichi had seen what happened. And with a blinding rage that came up out of him. He began punching Yukishiro into the ground. Soon Yukishiro was knocked out with blood dripping from his nose and mouth.

"Kara!" Mom yelled as she came towards me.

"I'm okay Mom. But we had better call the cops to have him be taken away again." I said holding my stomache.

Mom had called the police and told them what happened and that they also need to bring an ambulance.

"We shall be there soon." The officer said over the phone.

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The officers had taken Yukishiro to prison instead of jail. He was charged with one count of murder and two counts with attempted murdeer. Mom had gone with Ryuichi and I to the hospital.

Ryuichi had gone to the phones and had called Shuichi's house.

"Hello?" Yuki answered the phone.

"Yuki, it's Ryuichi. Where's Shuichi and Hiro?" Ryuichi asked.

"Just a second Ryuichi." Yuki paused then yelled, "Shuichi! Ryuichi's on the phone for you!"

"Hello?" Shuichi asked picking up the phone.

"Shuichi. Come to the hospital. Kara's hear." Ryuichi said.

"What happened!" Shuichi asked with a nervous tone in his voice.

Hiro and Yuki looked at Shuichi as they heard his voice change.

"Her father had escaped from jail. He had attacked her Mother and almost stabbed me. Kara had blocked his attack and now is here in the hospital." Ryuichi said.

"We're on our way." Shuichi said hanging up the phone.

"Shuichi? What's going on?" Hiro asked seeing his face with anger in his eyes.

"Kara's in the hospital. Her father escaped from jail and attacked her Mother. Then he almost attacked Ryuichi. Kara protected Ryuichi and is now in the hospital." Shuichi said angrily.

"What!" Hiro and Yuki both asked shocked.

They had left soon after.

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"Ryuichi. how is she?" Shuichi asked walking up to him.

"Don't know." Ryuichi said sadly.

"Karen-san? How are you?" Hiroshi asked sitting next to her.

"I'll be okay, Hiroshi." Mom paused then said, "as long as Kara's alright."

"Is there a Miss Karen here?" A doctor asked walking up to where Mom and everyone was waiting.

"Miss Kara is fine. She had just woken up. She had a puncture wound. But it wasn't too serious. We had stitched up the wound and gave her some medicine for her pain." The doctor paused then asked looking at Ryuichi. "Are you Mr. Sakuma?"

"Yes."

"Miss Kara asked to see you first." The doctor said. He had shown Ryuichi where my room was.

"Kara?" Ryuichi asked walking towards my bed.

I had opened my eyes hearing Ryuichi's voice.

"Are you okay?" I asked looking at him.

"I'm okay. Because of what you did today." Ryuichi said holding my hand.

"I'm glad," I said smiling.

"Kara. I'm glad you're alright," Ryuichi said kissing me gently.

"And I'm glad you're alright." I said smiling back at him.

"Shuichi, Hiro, and Yuki are here also with your Mom." Ryuichi said as he sat down next to me.

"Is Mom okay? I would have asked to see her first. But I didn't, cause I wanted her to rest." I said.

"She's okay Kara." Ryuichi said smiling at me.

"I'm glad." I said.

Ryuichi looked and seen how tired I looked. "She must be exhausted. Even though it wasn't a serious wound. She had lost a lot fo blood." He smiled and said seeing my eyes closed, "goodnight Kara."

I opened my eyes and saw Ryuichi walk towards the door.

"Ryuichi?" I paused then asked as he looked back at me. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Sure." He said smiling. "I'll be back. I'm just going to let your Mom and the other guys know how you are."

"Okay." I said smiling back at him.

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"So Kara's alright?" Shuichi asked looking at Ryuichi as he walked up to him.

"Yeah. She's just a little weak from the loss of blood. She's resting right now. I'm going to stay with her tonight." Ryuichi said.

"I'm glad." Shuichi paused then asked showing anger in his eyes. "Where is that bastard who hurt her!"

"I heard the police took him to prison." Ryuichi said. He had seen Shuichi's eyes fill with intense hatred. "Shuichi?"

Hiro and Yuki had looked towards Shuichi. Their eyes opened wide at seeing his anger.

"I'm going outside." Shuichi said leaving the hospital.

"He's really pissed off." Yuki paused then said, "the only other time when he was that pissed off. Was when the members of ASK had a problem with us."

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Shuichi had walked outside. He found a bench and had laid down on it closing his eyes.

"You alright?" Yuki asked walking up to him.

Shuichi opened his eyes and saw Yuki staring down at him.

"Yeah. I guess." Shuichi said sitting up. "I just can't help but think this is somehow my fault."

"Why do you think that?" Yuki asked.

"Because Kara had gotten hurt because she had gone out on a date with Ryuichi-san."

"Shuichi," Ryuichi said behind him.

Shuichi had gotten up and looked behind him.

"Ryuichi-san. I didn't mean it that way. I'm glad she was able to go out with you. And you guys are together. But-" Shuichi stopped as Ryuichi placed his hand on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault, Shuichi." Ryuichi paused then said smiling at him. "You had made us very happy. I have never been any happier besides singing on stage." Ryuichi paused then said, "the only one who's to blame is her bastard father."

Let's go back inside." Yuki said to Shuichi and Ryuichi.

"Okay," Shuichi said.

They had gone back inside the hospital.

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Ryuichi had gone back inside the hospital. He had gone to my room and saw Mom and I talking.

Mom looked towards the door. She smiled at seeing Ryuichi. "Ryuichi-san. Come on in."

Ryuichi walked in and sat down next to Mom.

"Kara had just fallen asleep." Mom paused then said, "she was telling me about what happened today. How you guys met and became together."

"Is it okay that we are?" Ryuichi asked looking at Mom. "I mean I am older than her. And I am happy I met her." Ryuichi paused then said blushing as he looked at Mom. "I'm really glad I got to meet Kara. I had fallen in love at first sight with her."

"It's okay by me. This is the happiest I've seen her. Except for when she hung out with Shuichi and Hiroshi." Mom paused then said, "Kara had a terrible childhood. It's the main reason I had divorced her father. He was always on a drunken rampage. When he had fought with me. I could handle the damage he did. But one night. He had gone after Kara as she slept in her room. He started calling her every name in the book and had slapped her around. She had begun to fight back against him. And that was when one of my worst nightmares had almost come true." Mom paused then said looking towards me, "we had lived in an apartment complex. We lived on the sixth floor in the building. He had grabbed Kara by the neck and had thrown her out the window."

Ryuichi's eyes opened wide at hearing what Mom had said.

"By some miracle. And I thank God everyday that she was spared any more damage. She had survived with the only damage done to her was a broken leg and wrist. But she had hit her head during the fall also. She has no memory of the incident."

"Then if she had no memeory of what happened. How did she know that bastard was her father?" Ryuichi asked.

"Because he had still lived with us until a month later when he was taken to jail. We had moved here and I had Kara transfer into a different school and changed her last name to my maiden name. And she had become best friends with Shuichi and Hiroshi during that year."

"I see," Ryuichi said. "I'm surprised she has gone through something that horrible. She seems to have a strong will. Especially with what she did today. But I'm glad she doesn't remeber that incident."

"So am I." Mom paused then said looking at Ryuichi and said smiling at him. "I'm glad Kara was able to have a dream of hers come true. I'm glad she could meet someone like you Ryuichi-san." Mom paused then said getting up. "I'll leave you two alone now,"she said placing her hand on Ryuichi's shoulder. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Karen-san." Ryuichi said back to Mom as he bowed to her.

Ryuichi smiled and had taken out Kumagoro and had laid it down next to me.

Ryuichi had leaned over and kissed my lips gently.

He opened his eyes in surprise as he felt my hand brush lightly into his hair. He pulled away and looked at me. He saw me smiling at him. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry."

"No," I paused then said. "I was awake the whole time you and Mom were talking. I just didn't open my eyes so you guys thought I was asleep."

"I see," Ryuichi said.

"Ryuichi-chan?" I asked sitting up and looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I was thinking since you were up the whole time." Ryuichi paused then said looking at me in the eyes, "I was wondering if you rememvbered that incident with that bastard."

"I had remebered that incident because I had a dream about it a long time ago." I paused then said, "that's why I had reacted the way I did back there. I didn't want Mom to get hurt by that bastard. I certaintly didn't want him to hurt you." I paused then said, "I would never be able to forgive myself if he did that to you. So I had to protect you from him with the only way I could think of at that moment."

"Kara," Ryuichi paused then said. "You didn't ha-"

He was cut off as I claimed his lips in a kiss.

Ryuichi's eyes opened wide feeling the passion of the kiss. "Kara," he thought returning the kiss with as much passion as I was giving him.

It had felt like we had exchanged our thoughts and feelings for eachother in the kiss. Ryuichi had ran his hand over my body as I opened my mouth to him intensifying the kiss.

Mom had walked into the room forgetting to tell Ryuichi something. But at the moment. She couldn't think of what it was as she smiled in happiness at seeing Ryuichi and I kiss eachother. She had closed the door quietly and whispered, "I'm glad for you Kara."

Shuichi, Hiroshi, and Yuki had seen Mom's expression.

"Is everything alright Karen-san?" Shuichi asked.

"Yeah," Mom paused then said. "I'm just glad Kara can be happy with Ryuichi-san."

"Me too." Shuichi said smiling back.

Shuichi and everyone decided to stay in the hospital for the night.