Unknown-chan doesn't own Recca no Honou. oTL
Several Damned Hours
By: Unknown-chan
Chapter VI: Seeking for Reason
"House rules?"
"Family rules."
"Oh…" was all Fuuko could utter at the moment as her brows met. She slumped down the bench and settled her purple eyes to the damp ground. "Okay, let's hear that."
"You have to obey me."
The fujin girl's head snapped towards the ensui wielder. A mass of purple bounced violently with the brisk movement. "What?" she mouthed the word for no sound came out from her throat.
"I'm the head cousin. You should keep that in your…" he paused, orbs of a light hue of blue glued to her face as he seemed to sift for a fitting word. "Brain?" he uttered in the most annoying way possible (yes, without any trace of emotion). Mikagami did not wait for her reaction as he continued, "My orders are absolute." and dramatically closed his eyes before turning his head away and folding his arms across his chest.
"That's one helluva rule!"
"So I've heard."
The new Mikagami girl brought her thumb to her lips and started biting the finger. So does that mean I have to follow every word of this former Antarctica resident? Her mind stayed put for but a few seconds before she managed to ask, "Is this some kind of briefing?"
Mikagami momentarily looked at her and replied, "Yes, and I'm here to tell you that we do not keep secrets from each other."
Her eyes widened exaggeratedly. "No secrets?!" the girl exclaimed in an unusual shrill voice. Purple eyes narrowed in suspicion before wrinkling her nose. "Really, now? Or…" she paused, giving him a wary look, and continued, "You're some gossip freak?"
"The hell I am."
"Whatever. Any more rules?" her voice emphasized the last word before slinging her left leg over the right and swinging it back and forth.
"You cannot bring your primate friends to the main house." He plainly stated. "The first person from the opposite gender as yours that will be introduced to the head of the clan must be married to you."
The statement almost knocked the breath out of her. "What the hell?! What… what… what kind of damnation is that?! How-h-how… stupid!" the wind girl stammered, purple eyes wide with shock.
Of course. What insane family would establish such kind of rule? However, there is some insane family following the seemingly absurd law.
And it so happened to be her family. Her "new" family, for that matter.
Fuuko's right hand flew to her forehead. "This is damn too much…"
"You shouldn't be so surprised. Our family is the conservative type." Mikagami interrupted, left brow raised, eyes closed.
"Conservative my ass!" she suddenly stood up and added, "This is just plain stupid. You know that, plain stupid." while massaging her temples.
"You are exaggerating, Kirisawa."
"Oh, you still call me Kirisawa, huh? I thought we're cousins now and being that, we're now on a first name basis, To-ki-ya." Fuuko delighted upon seeing the older guy flinch.
"Elated, are we? You still need to follow these rules, nevertheless unless you want to be punished. Severely, may I add." The head cousin retaliated all at once with his ever-sharp tongue. Mikagami slowly raised a brow at her, giving the action a somewhat dramatic effect. How he really hates taking the initiative to do things as such; especially explaining trivial matters to bullheaded and irrational primates although explaining really was the farthest thing he did. Dictating the family rules was more fitting if the need to describe what he had just done arises.
But then again, does he have a choice? That is purely his responsibility considering his position in the family. Yes, the head cousin. And yes, he hated that fact.
"Nee, Mi-chan…" Fuuko suddenly thought of asking something. "You said we don't keep secrets, right?" one might think she was only muttering to herself though it was partly true. She was actually speaking her thoughts out loud without even thinking. Mikagami chose not to answer, waiting for her to go on. "A while ago. Why were you so cold to me?"
Pulling one petal from some random flower she picked along the way, Mikagami Kaze pursed her lips in contemplation before diverting her attention to Azuma and Jinka who were walking a few paces ahead of her. A bit hesitant to speak, she decided to let her thoughts out once they have passed by the fifth store lining the busy street.
One… two… she started counting after passing by two different stores.
"Is there something you want to tell us, Kaze?" Azuma's mellow and collected voice pierced through her mind. Eyes of a lighter shade of blue looked up, particularly at her cousin's slender back though covered with the brown cape he wore earlier.
"Uh… where are we going again?"
"That's stupid…" retorted the crimson-haired lad. "We're going to get Fuuko to meet 'jiisan. And well, it follows Louie has to come too, right?" Jinka's hands were in motion before turning to Azuma for an affirmation.
The lad Azuma, however, did not make any effort to give any answer to his cousins but only contented himself to continue walking. He took a few steps ahead of the two and was seemingly leading them to the direction he wanted. Without noticing it, they have already gone past five stores lining the street and even turned towards where they supposedly left their other two cousins, Mikagami and Fuuko.
"You want to ask something and it's not simply about the direction of our destination." Azuma spoke without any warning, filling the short span of silence created on their journey. Jinka momentarily looked at the other guy before fixing his crimson eyes forward and stuffing his hands inside his pockets.
"Yeah…" was the girl's weak answer yet audible enough for the two of them to hear.
"Just be sure it's not something perverted."
"Perverted. Really now, Jin…" she wrinkled her nose, perceiving that Jinka was actually wearing a smirk though her blue eyes could not see it directly. "I believe that to be your department." She continued which earned her a mere shrug.
"Seriously…" Kaze spoke again, baby blue eyes never tearing away from the white boots she was wearing. "Did we do… the right thing?" she was evidently hesitant as her voice was quivering. Kaze came to a halt.
Little did she know, both Azuma and Jinka had already guessed her predicament. The two had stopped walking but neither made any effort to turn back at her. Silence met her question as her two cousins remained quiet for some time. It was long before she decided to raise her eyes to level with theirs, exactly at the same time the guys decided to look at her. Ice blue clashed with emerald and crimson almost at the same time. The stares her cousins were giving her were blank.
"We have agreed on this, haven't we?" Azuma asked, his usual smiling face turning to dead serious that Kaze almost swore she would be terrified if only she did not know him. "You even said we're doing the person a favor." His calm and now calculated voice added, as if he was suppressing some form of anger that would mean harm to anybody should it be let loose.
"Yes, I know but…" Kaze inwardly cringed when Azuma's evergreen eyes lightly narrowed. Knowing the lad almost all her life, she knew it was very rare for him to get annoyed and irritated even at the most extreme of things. However, she would rather die first than admit that she is actually scared of her own cousin.
"Are you starting to have doubts, Kaze? Whatever happened to you…" Jinka, who had been watching them in silence all the while suddenly, spoke. Kaze did not chance to have a peek at his face for he had already turned to the opposite direction and walked on further. Definitely, she wasn't related to him for nothing. Kaze was sure the redhead was slowly losing his temper.
Over what? Only because she had asked that?
"I'm not afraid. If that's what you're worried about, I'm not afraid. And I'm not backing out." Her tone was firm she almost sounded believable and so sure of herself. Kaze started marching on forward and intentionally bumped the two lads without stopping to wait for them. It sure was hard to keep her head high when Azuma and Jinka seem to be all against her. But then again…
Never mind. It really is hard being around men.
Author's Notes: I know…it took me a year or two before I updated again this story. But just to let my readers know, I haven't forgotten this story at all (yay!). I'm still busy at this moment but I will really do everything I can to update sooner (I'm getting impatient myself..hehe..) Anyway, my apologies to everyone who followed Tokiya and Fuuko here…XD