Chapter 3:
The Truth between Friends
When they reached the dance floor the DJ started to play Here Without You by Three Doors Down. Perfect both Kasumi and Ryu thought. They started to dance in silence both thinking about what to say to each other.
"So where have you been all this time?" Ryu broke the silence.
"I could ask you the same" Kasumi responded "but if you must know I have been finishing up school. I want to make something of my diploma. I am done with this old tradition, I am done running and begging for forgiveness" she finished confidently. He looked down at a very changed Kasumi. She looked up at him with her beautiful big eyes and asked, "What? Am I being too harsh?"
"No" he answered "You are right the only reason you left was for Hayate and he has been chasing you down ever since. I just can't believe how much you have changed."
"In what way" she said smiling at him. He could not resist her anymore. Her smile was worth a million words. He did not know what to respond to her.
"I don't know" he said, "I guess you seem more confident and grown up"
"Well I was not going to stay your best friends little sister forever" she said jokingly "So how are you doing, did you meet anybody special?" She did not know why she asked that last question but she guessed that she did want to see and test him about them. He was caught off guard with her questions but he knew what response would be best.
"I have been well, you know with the Curio Shop and all. As for somebody I have met somebody" he said "She works at the curio shop with me but she is really great for me at this time"
"I see" Kasumi answered, "Well I am happy for you Ryu" she finished. Another woman she asked herself. There was no point in thinking about him she thought, I was right all along but she could not help but feel a stab in her heart when he was telling her about his new woman. The song ended and Kasumi looked up at Ryu and she stood on her tip toes and kissed Ryu on the cheek and she felt like her lips were on fire. "I really am happy for you" she said and walked away and left him alone in the middle of the dance floor.
Kasumi could not take it anymore. How stupid had she been, thinking about him all this time…wasting her time when he was in the arms of another woman. She needed to escape; she just needed to get out of there. She walked rapidly but calmly away from Ryu because she did not want him to see her agony. Kasumi opened the door to an outside balcony and even though the snow had stopped it was still freezing and the gust of wind hit her like a bullet. She shivered but it felt relieving for her after that heated talk with Ryu.
"A beautiful lady such as your self should not be freezing out here in the cold" an unfamiliar voice said as he placed a jacket around Kasumi.
"I am sorry for being rude but do I know you?" Kasumi asked in surprise.
"I don't think so" the tall handsome man replied to her "I am Henry, Helena's cousin" the stranger finished.
"Oh, well a pleasure to meet you Henry" Kasumi said, "thank you for the jacket but I am going back inside now"
"Well then let me escort you inside" Henry followed behind her.
"Thank you; please if there is anything I can do to repay your kindness let me know" Kasumi told Henry.
"Since you are offering; how about a dance?" Henry asked. Kasumi really did not feel like being polite right now but what should she do. Better a dance than something else she told herself.
"Sure, why not" Kasumi responded. They made their way to the dance floor.
Hayate was sitting by the bar now drinking Vodka and contemplating what he should do about Hitomi. Should he ask her to dance or just ignore her as he had been because of his cowardness in the past? Hum and I called myself a ninja he thought. Then either Hayate had not been paying attention or Ryu had really appeared out of nowhere.
"Hello, Hayate" he said as he ordered a double whisky.
"Mad much?" Hayate said "Whisky, you never drink that unless it something serious so what happen?"
"You are one to talk" Rye said looking down at Hayate's Vodka filled glass, "which on is that?"
"Just my third" Hayate claimed looking out into the dance floor "Ohhhh, I see now, its Kasumi right?"
"I don't know what you are talking about" Rye lied.
"Well I am talking about Kasumi dancing with that scumbag Henry, who's hand is going way to low in the back" Hayate said. Rye's head snapped towards the dance floor and he noticed Henry was a little too close for comfort dancing with Kasumi.
"Why would that bother me?" Rye asked knowing that inside he wanted to kill Henry at this moment.
"Listen" Hayate said taking another gulp of his Vodka, "You may be a super ninja but you can't hide it from me. I know you love Kasumi and I have known since we where kids and if you want to be with her I suggest you stop making up women you have meet at the Curio Shop and go tell her" he finished.
"Ohh, it's all fine when you tell other people to do something but you never take your own advice" Rye said angrily because hearing his feelings said out loud made him feel weak.
"What are you talking about?" Hayate asked confused.
"You are going to act like you don't know what I am talking about. Well if you must know I am talking about Hitomi and how you were completely different when we found you after you disappeared and you were not different because you where away but because of her. You may also be a ninja but everybody can tell you are tense whenever she is around and you try so hard to ignore and her and act like it does not bother you" Rye kept going, "Also two pieces of advice for you, if you love Hitomi so much don't dance around with Ayane like her presence does not bother you and lastly if you knew that I loved your sister then I suggest you tell your clan and Ayane to stop chasing her around the world because one of these days I might fight back for her"
Rye put his drink down and walked away; he was so surprised with himself. He had never talked to his friend like that but he had gotten to a boiling point when he could not take him being somber and yelling at people because he forced himself not to miss Hitomi for all that time. This party was just as he expected; pointless. He should have never come; it had just made things more complicated. He stepped outside for some fresh air.
Hitomi and Helena were talking about what had happen since the last tournament when Helena's soft voice was interrupted by Rye's voice. They both turned towards the bar and noticed Hayate and Rye in a discussion. They both looked at each other in astonishment especially when Rye was raising his voice as Hayate. They had always been the best of friends and to see Rye raise his voice was very surprising to say the least.
"I wonder what they are fighting about" Hitomi told Helena.
"Let's try and listen" Helena said, just as interested as Hitomi. After about two minutes of them talking Rye put his drink down and walked right past Hitomi and Helena.
"Wow, that was intense" Helena said "All I made out was Ayane, love, your sister and your name" she told Hitomi.
"What? No you probably heard wrong. They are probably just fighting about Kasumi's sentence and how Ayane is trying to kill but whatever it was, that was crazy. Hitomi finished.
"Yeah maybe you are right" Helena responded. Kasumi was walking towards the table when the man who had taken DOATEC over now appeared at the top of the stairs of the grand hall.
"Welcome all" he said "I am very glad to see you all made it safely considering all the snow however because of the snow, I think it is best you all stay here until it clears up because it has begun to fall once again and our planes cannot function in such weather. All of the staff is here at your service for whatever it is that you need so please ask. The party will be over shortly so you can make your way into your rooms at anytime you wish. Once again thank you for coming, it mean a lot to us all. Goodnight everybody" he finished and left. Everybody was a little confused but everybody was making their way to their room now. Kasumi made her way back to her table where her friends where waiting.
"Hey" she said "we have to talk"
"Ohh do we have to talk" Kokoro said "Let's go girls" All the girls made their way up to their rooms to talk in private. Hayate was left alone being the last one to leave the grand hall.