My Stress Reliever

By Yoshiko Hatake

Chapter 7: Funeral Procession

Another chapter! Sorry for all the drama. I hope you guys will stick with this story to the end.

Cheers-

Disclaimer: I do not own Karin or Chibi Vampire as it's known in North America. I own Emi Sakuragi and Sarah Kotomii.

--

That huge beach house still haunted Ren. It stayed in his mind, it was so annoying. It was the first time that he ever thought about something other than women. He sighed and finally went to his parents.

And after some begging they gave in.

--

Today was the funeral. Emi was dressed in her black dress at the ready, standing by for the one person that would show up. Her grandfather.

A lone black Sedan showed up. Then the driver crossed over to the back seat door. He opened it and helped out the old man. He was a feeble and well into his days. Emi smiled and greeted him putting on the correct face when she got near. Ren stood in the safety of the hall where the funeral was to take place. He was wearing a black suit and a coat over it with glasses, and gloves, again.

He saw Emi come in with her grandfather, then heard the sound of more cars driving up. After seating her grandfather she rushed off to greet her other relatives. Ren guessed that only one person was most likely capable of getting the family there by force. He smirked as he observed the man from the back, where he stood.

Then more relatives filed in with grim and annoyed looks on their faces.

--

While everyone was gathered outside catching up with people. Emi stood beside Ren. Everyone else around them seemed to be wrapped up in talking about the death of her mother. A few tidbits of the women's conversations reached his ears.

"What a tramp. I bet you she was hanging out with that boy while her mother was dying."

"I heard she died peacefully, though. Good thing she didn't know her daughter was a whore."

"Disgusting. She even brings him here."

"I can't believe grandfather dragged us out here for nothing."

"Shh, they can hear!"

"I hope they can. Then they can burn in hell."

And once the group moved out of ear range due to a persistent aunt, Ren looked over at Emi.

Her head was down and again the scent of stress reached his nostrils. He sighed. He hoped it would go away eventually.

--

"Emi?"

The girl looked up at the vampire as they walked down a street back to her apartment. It was late afternoon. He still walked around with his coverage.

"Care to spend a week with me?"

"Where?" She asked, surprised. Hadn't he done enough for me?

"On that beach. Turns out my parents own that house. I got them to lend it to me for the week."

She nodded, then stopped walking when they were just a few feet from her apartment complex.

"I think I will go. I want to spread mom's ashes there too."

A slight pang of dread hit Ren. "Ah." He said.

"I'll pack, yea?"

He blinked a few times, she seemed so upbeat now. That might have been for the better. "We can pick up mom after I pack!"

Emi rushed off and Ren slowly followed after her, dreading the week. But knowing that a sweet treat was to await him in the end.

--

"Wah…it's huge!"

Ren surveyed the living room, the whole house had a simple decoration theme. It was clean cut and uncluttered. Emi ran out in front of Ren and spun around in the vast living room. The whole house was Westernized.

The corner of his lip hitched up when he watched her. But he was mentally slapped when the thoughts crossed his mind.

"You go explore. Don't get lost while I unpack." He picked up her two bags, and his one and walked down a hall with the bouncy Emi not too far ahead. He reached a room and opened it. That would be where he and Emi would spend the nights.

He set the bags down and carefully placed his clothes away in the drawer set. Then in the other one adjacent to the first he simply stuffed Emi's clothing away, not really caring what she would end up doing in the end.

When he walked out of the room he saw the urn that was set on the mantle. Emi's mom. He shivered slightly. Why humans wanted to be burned and then spread out, he would never know, nor did he really want to know.

There was a loud crash and Ren ran to the kitchen. There Emi was standing over some fallen pots. She bent down and picked them up before putting them away quickly.

Ren rolled his eyes and sighed, "Try not to break anything." he said in a dulled tone.

She nodded quickly.

"I'll go shower first then." She said, looking around quickly, before her eyes settled onto Ren.

He sighed, "I'll show you the way." he said and led her down a hallway to the bathroom that was across from their room.

--

It was later at night that Ren walked into the living room and saw Emi sitting there staring at the TV screen. She was holding the urn and not really paying any attention to the TV program.

He let out a sigh, "What's wrong Emi?"

She shook her head. He sighed again and took a seat next to her, his arms draped onto the back of the chair. "Something to do with your mom?" He asked.

She nodded her head. She did look adorable in moments like this. Sitting there, all curled up hugging the urn to her body.

"I can't go out there."

Ren's head turned to the window near by where the curtains had been pulled back. A full moon and a somewhat high tide. The water was pitch black and the moon shined a golden reflection.

"Why?" Ren asked.

"I can't throw her ashes out there."

"Ah."

"I can't part with them!" She lowered her head and a hiccup escaped from her.

"Ah."

"I know I'm supposed to empty the urn into the water. That's what they told me to do."

"Why not keep them all then?"

"No! I couldn't trap mom like that!"

There was silence that followed her last statement.

"Want me to do it for you then?"

She looked up at me, tear streaked cheeks, watery eyes, and all. "I couldn't!" She said and wiped the tears away with the back of her sleeve. "It would be too much trouble."

"No, no." Ren said, getting up, "No trouble at all." he said, though there was an edge of annoyance.

She let him take the urn out of her arms and she watched with a look of awe as Ren walked out of the house and towards the pier.

--

I don't know why, but I am stopping there. When my mom was cremated her ashes were thrown into the ocean as well. Her favorite beach, actually. I'm not sure how they do it in Japan, but I'll just say she got the ashes after asking for them or something? XD;; Sorry for my incompetence. I wonder if I used the word right. haha.

-Yoshiko