Chapter 7: The Flame Caster
Recca brought Riiya to an amusement park and went on rides with him. Fuuko followed to pick Riiya up.
"When are you going to listen to me?" Fuuko scolded. "I already told you not to meet this nut head so frequently!" she pointed out to Recca.
"What did you just say?" Recca yelled.
"See? He's too dumb; he can't even understand what I just said!" Fuuko said glaring at Recca.
"You want a piece of me?" Recca dared, casting out a little amount of flame. Riiya's eyes widened seeing Recca's flame for the first time.
"He could do the same," he thought.
Fuuko also flickers wind around her. "Bring it on, match boy,"
Riiya sweatdropped.
Recca and Fuuko start to fight. Riiya sighs heavily; suddenly he notices a group of people approaching...and...They're policemen.
Riiya got alarmed and his mouth froze.
"M-m-m-mom..." Riiya called lowly and tried repeating.
"Shut up, brat! I'm busy!" Fuuko shouted.
"COPS!" he screamed and runs away.
Fuuko and Recca were surprised. They run as fast as they could try to escape from cops or their secret will be revealed. It's almost hopeless for them to get away until Recca thought of pulling Fuuko to a narrow corner. When the cops are about to pass them by, Recca faces Fuuko to hide their faces. They check up if the cops are already gone.
"Whew...that was close," Recca said, catching his breath.
"Yeah..." Fuuko agreed, also catching her breath.
Recca looks at her and before they knew it, their eyes met. They're stiffed for quite some time, only staring at each other's eyes. Fuuko then broke off and pushes Recca gently off her.
"It's getting late," she said.
"Right," Recca agreed.
They walk down the streets, silence all over them.
"Fuuko..." Recca called lowly. Fuuko suddenly gasps; Recca looks at her, confused.
"I totally forgot about Riiya!" Fuuko screamed.
Recca's eyes widened in surprise. He became serious all of the sudden; he pulls her.
"What are you doing, standing by? Let's go find him!" he persuaded.
Riiya, on the other hand, reached home after all the runs that he just did. He fell asleep right after changing clothes, tired. It turns out that Riiya knows the way from where they were before. He recalls when Tokiya brings him around the city on their first days in Tokyo and Riiya preferred walking than using the car.
It's already sunset. They still haven't found Riiya. Fuuko is crying in worry. Recca couldn't do anything but watch her in pity.
"Hey, stop crying now. Why don't we try calling your house?" he suggested. "Riiya has a good sense of direction. He might have known his way home and got there,"
Fuuko looks up at Recca and nods. They went to the nearest phone booth and called her home. Riiya answered it. Fuuko cried in delight.
"You darn kid! You made me worried!" she scolded with a shaky voice.
Riiya sweatdropped.
"Hey...what are you crying for now, mom? I'm alright. Dad just arrived and he has foods with him. Come home now, okay?" Riiya convinced.
"Who's crying? I'm angry, you little brat! I was worried sick!" she screamed, still teary.
Recca smiled weirdly at the people who're going to use the phone after Fuuko. He looks at her and smiles.
"But I'm glad you're fine..." she said. "I'll be right there so don't eat my share or you'll be dead. You hear me?"
Recca sweatdropped.
After the call, Recca walks Fuuko home. She keeps sighing in relief.
"I'm so glad he knows his way home," she said.
Recca smiles at her.
"He really thinks much older than his age," she said.
"You have a good and smart kid, Fuuko. You've done a great job on him," Recca complimented. Fuuko looks at him and smiles.
Suddenly, the thunder roared and heavy drizzle falls. Recca pulls her instantly to a sheltered shop.
"Why does this happen when I really need to get home?" Fuuko complained.
"This drizzle really warns about a heavy rain that'll come," Recca said.
Fuuko's face fell in hopelessness.
"I want to go home..." Fuuko said.
Recca looks at her sadly. He looks around and smiles.
"Hey, my house is just around this place," he claimed. Fuuko looks at him.
Recca looks at her smiling, trying to encourage her.
"I got a good idea. Why don't you stay at my house for a while? And when the rain faints, I'll take you home. Instead of staying in here...we'll get fever after a few minutes," he said.
Fuuko didn't respond.
"Hey, it's not like I'm not going to return you. It's just that I don't want you to catch a cold. Tokiya and Riiya will get worried," Recca said.
Fuuko looks up at him. He smiles at her.
"Ok then," she said.
Recca takes off his polo and puts it on Fuuko's head to cover her. Fuuko just started at him in astonishment. He prepares himself for the run they're going to make.
"Well, let's go?" he said handing out a hand to her. Fuuko places her hand to him. Recca hold it tight and they ran all the way to the next 3 streets, Recca's street.
Recca and Fuuko stay by a waiting shed to rest for a while.
"We're almost there," he said and looks at Fuuko. He began to mesmerize at Fuuko.
"I think we should go now, Recca. I'm cold and my head hurts. I..." she looks at Recca and notices him staring. She breaks their stare by walking past him.
"Let's go," she said.
"Uh...yeah," he agreed.
Fuuko and Recca rushes to the street where Recca lives. But then Recca suddenly slows down. Fuuko looks at him.
"We're almost there, Recca," she said.
Recca had his head down and he looks at her.
"I don't know why...but...I feel so happy when...you're near me," Recca said. "I can't keep myself from looking at you...I..."
Fuuko's eyes widens.
"I...I...I feel lonely when you leave...when you return to where he is...I feel angry..."
Recca approaches her slowly. Fuuko moves away her head to avoid his stare.
"When I'm this close...I want to hold you...When you turn your back on me...I want to pull you and face me...When you look at other people...I want to touch your cheek..."
Recca holds her cheek and moves her head to face him. Fuuko feels her emotions swirl in her heart. She wants to cry.
"...and tell you to look at me...look at me only..."
Fuuko's tears fall along with the heavy rain that falls freely on her. She closes her eyes tightly, shaking her head hardly to brush his hands away because her hands are stiffened along with her body.
"Don't do this, Recca. You're engaged! I'm married!" she screamed.
"I know that," Recca said and looks at his engagement ring. "but...when I'm alone...I can't keep my mind from thinking about you,"
Fuuko froze completely. Recca gently pulls her close to him, hugging her tightly.
"I don't know if this is all because I haven't seen you for a while...but in this situation...you know what I feel?" Recca continued.
"I don't wanna let go, Fuuko."
Fuuko caught a cold in the rain, along with all the mixed emotions that surround her, and fainted. Recca rushes her to his house. He immediately called Shadow to come. Shadow then rushed to his house. Fuuko may have been feeling very bad, but she definitely heard everything that Recca wanted to say.
After treating Fuuko for a temporary condition, Shadow helped Recca clean and dry Fuuko's clothes. Recca stayed beside her.
"I'm sorry, Fuuko...it was stupid to be so emotional in this situation," he whispered.
Fuuko avoided Recca since that time. She always ask Tokiya to pick Riiya up and she keep herself from passing by the park grounds or anywhere that's related to Recca...but fate truly is cruel.
One day, Riiya got fever that's why Recca came to their house instead. After taking care of him, he got tired and rested for a while on the living room but he fell into sleep.
Fuuko came home and found him sleeping on the living room. She was alarmed but seeing that he's really on a deep sleep, she approaches him and sits beside him. She recalls all the words that he told her. It was very touching.
"I guess it's all worth sacrificing for you," she whispered.
Fuuko smiled seeing Recca's sleeping form. She gets closer to kiss him on the forehead, and then he stirs up awake. She gasps silently in surprise of his sudden wakening.
Recca cuts her up but pulling her to kiss him. Fuuko was startled. She is actually kissing the man who gave her first kiss, her first born, her...first love.
She is about to close her eyes attempting to return the passion when she suddenly notices her son watching from a few steps away. She breaks off instantly and holds her mouth in guilt. Recca sits up to see what made Fuuko break off and sees Riiya startled from behind. Riiya runs to his room even with a weak health.
"Riiya!" Recca called, chasing the upset child.
Recca caught Riiya and tries to make him face him. Riiya is too depressed; he suddenly casts flames to Recca's body. Recca screamed in pain and rolls around to stop the fire. Recca catches his breath and looks at Riiya.
"Rii...ya..." he called lowly.
"Go away...go...away," Riiya said scared as well as sad. "I HATE YOU, HANABISHI-SAN!" he screamed running to his room and locks up.
Recca looks at his hand in confusion. He looks at Fuuko when he noticed her come. She was startled and her head are shaking.
"Fuuko," he called as he stands up.
Fuuko runs away. Recca chases her and holds her up when he catches her.
"Let me go!" she screamed.
"Fuuko, I just want a talk!" Recca reasoned, holding her up.
"Let me go!"
Recca's eyes widened when he recalled the same incident back on his 17th birthday celebration. He once had a dream of having a one night stand with someone.
He forces her to face him. Fuuko is crying.
"It was you, isn't it?" Recca said anguishly. "It was you...on that night..."
Fuuko shakes her head continuously.
"Let me go, Recca. Please don't make this hard for me. I...I don't want to feel hurt anymore," Fuuko begged.
Recca holds her face. Fuuko's tears continue to fall. She closes her eyes and brushes his hands away. She goes upstairs to Riiya's room.
Fuuko knocks at Riiya's room desperately.
"Riiya...please open the door," she begged with a shaky voice.
"Go away!" Riiya yelled from inside.
"Please let me explain, Riiya." Fuuko said. "Please...open the door,"
Fuuko couldn't stand her emotions anymore; she fell on her knees sobbing. The door suddenly opened. Fuuko looks up at her teary son. She pulls him gently to hold him in her arms.
"I don't hate you, mom." He said.
Fuuko raises his face to her.
"Please be honest with mom. I will listen," she said smiling weakly.
Riiya rests his head to her chest and cries out. Recca watches Fuuko and Riiya from behind.
In Fuuko's face expression and Riiya's ability to cast flames, Recca is positively sure that he is Riiya's real father. He is the only one who could give birth to the flames of the Hokage.
Recca is too spaced out and even though he's not the type who is very emotional, Recca went to his mom for comfort and advice.
Shadow, on the other hand, was too surprised about the news that Recca said.
"If that was what Fuuko had reacted then he definitely is a Hokage's son," Shadow said.
Recca is sitting in front of her as if the world is on his shoulders. Shadow smiles wearily.
"It's your choice, Recca. Fuuko decided to free you on her own will, but seeing that you're pretty upset with the fact that your family is with Tokiya, I can say you're falling for Fuuko..." Shadow stated. "Recca..."
Recca looks at her.
"Choose who your heart longs for," Shadow advised.
"But...she begged me to give her up..." Recca said anguishly.
"For what you had told me, I can still see the love Fuuko has for you," she said. "A woman can beg a man to give her up. Remember: she begs but not cry..."
"Her tears are all for you, Recca. How can she be hurt if she doesn't love you?"
Recca holds his head down. Shadow stands up.
"I want you to do a wise decision, Recca...don't think of them this time. Think for yourself," Shadow said and goes out of the room.