So, one of you asked about Kurumu and I had already written the draft of this so I thought I'd do this first since the next chapter and the chapter on Kurumu do not have to be chronological. Therefore, I will start with Kurumu's Redemption and then continue with the story.
~Beach house Resort~
"So this is where Gin senpai and Sun live?" she thought to herself. Completely humbled by how Gin could settle down in a place this calm, she approaches the door.
"Don't you even dare take another step," a menacing voice pierced the air.
Fear overtook Kurumu and she fell into a state of paralysis. "I have to break free of this... I have to apologize for my mistakes," she thought. "My powers should be able to negate the effects of this. If only I could concentrate on breaking this illusion".
"Stay away from Gin!" the voice warned. The sudden increase in emotion allowed Kurumu to escape the confines of the illusion. As she opened her eyes, she saw Sun wrapping both arms around Gin to protect him from her.
"Look, I just wanted to apologize for... hurting you," she apologized.
"Hurting him? You almost killed him if it weren't for Moka!" Sun shouted.
Kurumu took a step back as though she were physically punched by her words. "Have I changed so much that I could kill someone without judgement?" She walks up to Sun slowly and wraps her arms around her.
"S-stop, what are you doing?" Sun stuttered confused and scared. She begins to sing and the soundwaves tear at Kurumu; however, she continues to embrace her. "Impossible! How could she survive those cuts," she cursed in her mind.
When she felt the weight around her lift, Sun pushes away Kurumu. Those attacks from her voice had dealt a huge amount of damage to Kurumu and she had finally passed out from the pain. Although, she was bleeding and very badly cut, she smiled peacefully in her sub conscious state for the first time since the day Gin had almost died because of her.
"Oh no... What have I done?" Sun whispered. A creak on the old wood was heard outside the door.
"I heard crying and shouting, are you okay Sun," asked the voice.
"I'm fine Marin-sama," she said slowly as she regained her composure.
She moved Gin to the other side of the bed and laid Kurumu beside him. Seeing her wounds made her weak to the knees because it reminded her of Gin's. Putting aside her anger, she closes her notebook and begins to sing. As if watching a sped up version of a movie, Kurumu's wounds begin to heal. Her injuries were intensive and took all her power to keep her vitals stable. After hours of intensive care, she wobbles to her feet and collapses on a chair in exhaustion.
"You... are forgiven," she mumbled incoherently.
~Seaside Resort~
Gin turns over and awakes alone. He knew that it would take a while for Sun to believe he was completely in love with the place. He stared out at the sea, listening to the calm waves. Most people who misunderstood him, would think that he moved here for the half naked women on the beach but he didn't care what they thought of him.
"Gin... would you like you're breakfast up here or downstairs?" asked Sun with a smile.
"Down there will be nice... I'll accompany you," answered Gin. "How is our child? Is Marin-san still playing with her?"
"Yes... Marin-sama loves her very much," she replied with a smile and reaches for Gin's arm.
They walk outside towards Gin's favourite table. "I love this table so much. Gives a nice view of the sea," he said playfully.
"Is that the only thing you like about this seat?" she hinted at the women's change room a few steps from the table.
"I-I, Kurumu-san! I see you came to visit,"Gin stammered as Sun's stare intensified. Luckily, Kurumu walked up to their table with breakfast.
"Breakfast is served," she mumbled completely humiliated.
Sun smiled in contempt as she noticed Kurumu's dislike of her new job.
~Flashback~
"I'll do anything. Just accept my apology," Kurumu begged.
"You know, apologizing is just words. If you really feel sorry for what you did, prove to us that you do," Sun wrote on her notepad.
"Anything..." she said quietly.
~Seaside Resort~
"I still can't believe you managed to convince her to work here while you are recovering for having Michiko (the child of Sun and Gin)," Gin whispered in her ear.
"Well... she did say anything," she wrote.
~Later that Night~
Kurumu scrubbed as hard as she could but the stain wouldn't come out. She had chipped a few of her nails already and although it was nice to be forgiven, she couldn't stand doing this for an extended period of time.
"Hello ma'am, is it too late for a drink?" a stranger asked.
"Yes. We are just about to close but..."she looks up at the man's face and gasps. Although, she was one hundred percent sure he was human, he looked absolutely amazing to her. She regains her composure, and finished her sentence. "... I guess I could serve up one more drink".
"Thank you... May I know the name of the beautiful waitress?" the man asked.
"Kurumu Kuruno," she turned and said.
"I'm Yasu Hachirou," he introduced himself polietly.
"What would you like Hachirou-san?" she said with false curtesy. This man was stunning but was wasting her time.
"Surprise me" he answered.
She begins to make her drink and the growing curiosity of this man overcame her senses. When she returned with the drink, she couldn't help but stare. "What do you do as a living Yasu?" she asked.
"I am a chocolatier. Not a famous one but no one has said they hated my chocolates yet," he answered humbly and modestly as his face goes red.
Kurumu stares at him with interest. This man she had just met in the last minute, reminded her so much of Tsukune but something more that Tsukune lacked. She couldn't put her finger on what it was but she stared intently at him, hoping that the answer would reveal itself.
"Thank you for that drink. Here is my number..."he said as his face goes red but not from the wine. "If you want to buy some chocolate that is".
He pays for his drink and begins to walk out of the bar. Over the next few days, he continues to show up for a drink at the same time near closing. Kurumu loved the smell of him because it always had a scent of rich chocolate.
~A week later at Seaside Resort~
Kurumu had put on perfume and makeup tonight waiting for him. For the past week, their relationship together had become closer. She watched the clock as it hit eleven o'clock.
"He's never been late before... I wonder if anything bad happened to him?" she thought. The hands of the clock reached eleven thirty and her legs became tired from standing behind the counter.
"I guess he just isn't coming tonight... maybe I should call him," she said to herself. She reached across the counter for a phone and reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. She had never called but what she didn't expect on the other side was a young woman's voice.
"H-hello? Can i help you," asked the young woman's voice drenched in worry. "Did something happen to Yasu?"
"I-I'm not sure ma'am. It was just strange that he never came by the bar where I work so I was worried about him," Kurumu answered truthfully.
The voice at the other end of the phone paused. "I-I think it would be best if you come here... maybe we can look for him together," the voice spoke monotonously with a barely controlled voice.
"Yes, I am worried about him too. Are you his sister or mother?" Kurumu questioned.
"No, I am his fiancee," the voice answered and began to cry.
Kurumu dropped the phone in horror and shock. The only man she thought could ever replace Tsukune was about to be married. She couldn't believe it and began to cry. She had finally found a suitable chosen one and once again it is ripped out of her grasp. "It hurts so much. How can I lose another chosen one again?" she thought.
"Hello? Are you still there?" asked the voice at the end.
Kurumu swallowed and replied in a calm voice. "Y-yes, I'll be there right after I close the bar". She hangs up and begins to clean up. "I have to help her. I can't just take someones fiancee from them. I've changed," she thought. "This is my redemption. I will prove I can think of other people's happiness before mine".
She closes up the bar and shouts up the stairs. "Marin-san, Sun-san, Gin-senpai; I'm going out for a bit". She hops into Gin's car and takes off down the road.
~30 minutes later~
"He lives so far away from the bar... yet he still comes to visit me after work," Kurumu smiles at the thought but it quickly fades away and is replaced by sadness.
"Hello, can you please tell me where Yasu lives?" Kurumu asked a stranger pulling down the window.
The old man was completely in shock at the beautiful woman in front of him. He shook his head, too afraid to say anything.
"Do you know any Yasu Hachirou?" Kurumu tried again.
"No, we don't but we do know a Hibiki Hachirou. He's the nice man at the top of the hill. Very well mannered man and an excellent chocolatier," an old woman appeared beside the old man.
Kurumu was upset with herself for believing that a random person in a bar would tell her his full name. "Thank you for helping," she acknowledged the the old couple beside her car.
~Hachirou Estate~
"Wow. Not famous my foot!" she cursed as she stared up at the mansion in front of her. The house was perfect for her. The grass was perfectly trimmed and the flowers were in full bloom. She walked up and knocked on the door.
"W-who is it?" a voice asked on the inside.
Kurumu recognized the voice from the phonecall earlier. "Hi, it's Kurumu Kuruno from the bar," shouted Kurumu. "I was hoping I could help you find your fiancee before he got hurt".
The woman's tone changed from a stuttering voice to a rich, charismatic voice. "Of course, thank you".
She opens the door and sees a woman in her mid 20's with a body of a model. She walks inside and immediately detects something strange about the mansion. She stared at the woman, but she was human. "As long as she isn't a monster, she can't hurt me anyways," she thought.
"Do you have any idea where he is and how I can help look?" Kurumu asked sincerely.
"It's all right. I know where he is, come I'll get you a cup of coffee while we talk," she said with a smile. The strange feeling inside Kurumu vanished and she followed the woman.
~Hachirou Estate: Kitchen~
"Mmmph!" said the gagged and well bruised man.
"Shut up Hibiki or should I SAY YASU!" screamed the woman and tore off the duct tape. She pulls out a knife and with amazing dexerity throws it at Kurumu which barely misses her head because she ducked.
"My my, you are fast," the woman said with a enraged look.
"Stop this Masami! Don't hurt her. I'll go back with you if you let her go!" Yasu begged.
"No! As long as she still lives, you might go back to her. Was I not beautiful enough for you? I gave you everything!" Masami shouted.
"Beauty from the outside isn't always everything. It's the beauty on the inside that counts," shouted Yasu
"Shut up!" she screamed as she clubbed Yasu over the head with the dull side of another knfie she pulled out of her dress and covered her ears.
Picking herself off the ground, Kurumu dives at Masami. A large object rips through Kurumu's shoulder. Doubling in pain, she instinctively backs away. As she glares back up at the woman, she pulls out yet another knife and passes it from hand to hand.
"Dammit! How many of those knives does she have?" Kurumu cursed. She picked herself up and pulled out the knife from her shoulder. Without another thought, she charged the woman with the knife. "
