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Hello! I apologize for the super duper late update. But here's Chapter 8. It has been stuck in my tab for a few months and I thought I lost it. When I found it, I immediately edited it with stuff and yeah, it was finished. Finally. : P Hope you are still interested?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything except the storyline. You can blame me for the crappiness. : P

WARNING: Foul language, and tons of errors. : P Oh, there were a few laughs in this chapter but mostly drama. But the lulz is still there. Please do enjoy. : )

Chapter 8

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Kagura panted heavily as she dropped on the cemented ground. She managed to run a good three miles and she was thankful that neither her bastardic teacher nor her bastardic best friend tried to follow her. Because if they did, she would beat the daylights out of their bodies.

She put the flowers – three pieces of golden tulips — she had picked on the way in front of a gravestone and she sat cross-legged on the ground, not worrying about the dirt or the small rocks that dug in her thighs. "Sorry. This is all I've got. I'll bring something better next time." She apologized with a small smile.

She heaved a deep sigh before looking up at the angry sky. She frowned slightly. "Ah, Mami. Look. It's going to rain. Ha. Just like how it always rains in our hometown."

She let a small smile that was quite cold for her liking. "I miss hometown, Mami. Do you as well?"

She let a humorless chuckle and wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her palm. "I bet you do. It hardly rains up there, right?"

There was a thunderclap not far away. But she didn't even flinch. She was more used to thunder and lightning. Back in their hometown, it was always raining. Days without rain were very rare. Even cloudy days were rare. It was always raining. Morning to night, twenty four hours a day, and seven times a week.

"Should I go with my story, Mami?" She brought her knees on her chest and hugged them tightly. "Listen to me, okay?"

When she was depressed or very sad or very upset and very happy, she would always go here, in her mother's grave. It was the most peaceful place she could go to. It was quiet here. And here, she could let all her feelings and thoughts out by talking to her Mami. This place gave her a peace of mind.

"But I have to apologize… because I only brought bad news with me." She frowned the slightest bit. "But still, listen to me, okay?"

Another thunderclap was heard above. She burrowed her nose in between her knees and began her story.

"I met Kamui-nii yesterday, Mami." Her voice was so soft she could barely hear herself. She was somehow afraid that if she talked loud, her voice might crack. "I met him yesterday. I thought he was dead. But he wasn't. I am so happy."

Another thunderclap. And her eyes began to tear up again as the sky began to darken even more.

"How's that possible, Mami?" She asked with a sniff. She held her tears, not wanting to let them go. Not in front of her Mami. She was strong. She is strong. "How's that possible that I'm happy to see him? He left me, right? He left us, right? I should hate him. Right?"

She then burrowed her face in her knees to stop her sniffs. And she failed as she let a strangled choke she was so desperately keeping in the back of throat. "Kamui-nii… He… He hurt me… he hurt us. Then he left. Without a word. Without good bye. I hate him for that. I should hate him because of that. I have every right to hate him because of that."

She looked up to stare at the gravestone with emotions glinting in her blue eyes – anger for her brother, happiness that he was alive, sympathy for herself. "But then I was so happy that he's alive. And he still has that same idiotic smile on his face he has since we're young. Mami, I am so happy because I thought he would never come back. But I won't ever tell him that. He doesn't need to know anyway. Right?"

Her eyes dropped on the solid ground and glared at it as if it offended her or something. "I remember something he said few years back. He said I was weak. I was weak and he didn't need weaklings like me. And… And that he loathed it so greatly to have a sister like me – here she choked back a sob – that's why he left. Then yesterday… Yesterday I saw him. In front of my apartment as if waiting… Mami, he came back. But why?"

There was a flash of lightning above followed by a loud thunder. But it seemed she didn't hear that. Her face tilted upwards and her eyes fixated at the gravestone again. Her face was twisted in pure confusion.

"Why, Mami? I don't understand. Why did he come back? Why is he here… near me?" Her voice was nothing but a whisper. "Because I was now strong? Because I'm strong? Because I endured every suffering that I encountered? Is it the reason?"

One tear fell from her eye. She gritted her teeth and slammed a fist on the ground as hatred pulsated inside her like a wild beast. "But I'm still weak! Look at me, Mami! I'm crying right now! I can't even hold up my tears! I can't stop them! I'm not strong!"

She bit her lips when more tears fell from her eyes. She glared at the ground and slammed her fist on it again, not wincing at the pain she received in return. "Maybe… maybe if I was strong back then, then… then he wouldn't leave us. Isn't that right, Mami?"

She wiped the tears off her face. "Maybe, if I was strong back then, you wouldn't leave me as well, right?"

There was another thunderclap before the rain began to fall heavily. She didn't flinch nor wince when heavy drops of cold rain hit her body like liquid rocks. She was more used to it. Physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional pain she had suffered.

"Mami, am I selfish?" She paused to sniff. "Am I selfish to wish that I could keep the people I love? Am I selfish to wish that the people I love could be with me forever?"

There was a minute pause before she continued. Her whole person was now soaked under the rain. The heavy rain continued to hit her but she didn't seem to mind. What she wanted to do was to let all her feelings out, all her thoughts out.

"Mami, am I a bad girl? Am I not nice?" She looked up to stare at the gravestone again. Her eyes were wet because of tears and rain. But they were hidden behind her messy, wet bangs. "Am I not nice? Because if I'm nice, the people I love wouldn't leave me, right? If I'm nice, Kamui-nii wouldn't leave me. You wouldn't leave me. Sadist wouldn't leave me. Papi wouldn't—"

She sneezed. And shivered when a gust of cold wind hit her skin. She sneezed again and choked back a sob.

"I miss Papi already. He said he will come home soon. But he never pays me a visit. Maybe, he hated me as well, right, Mami? Because if he loves me, he will come home to see me. Right?"

She brought her arms to cover herself. The cold wind was hard to ignore now especially she was wet plus her uniform – which consisted of a blue miniskirt and thin white blouse with red ribbon – and the scarf around her neck weren't helping at all. If she just brought her purple parasol…

She was silent for a moment, as if she was forgetting something.

"Oh, Mami. You know Sadist, right? The idiot I was talking to you before? The one who was always fighting with me? The one who always annoy the hell out of me?" Her eyes fell on the ground and she bit her lip. "…The one who made a promise not to leave me but then he did break that promise? What an idiot. He's idiotic specie who keeps on messing my life."

She let out a cold chuckle, so cold that it was very out of character of her.

"I met him yesterday as well, Mami. But I can't tell if I am happy to see him or not. He's really annoying. I wanna beat all the idiocy out of him. 'Specially that smirk…"

She chuckled quite bitterly but was died down instantly by sobs and sniffs and sneezes.

"I thought Kamui-nii and Sadist were dead. I thought they disappeared… in my life. But they are not. And I hated them because of it. I hate them because they are still alive and… and breathing! I moved on, Mami! I survived without them! I can live without them! So why the hell are they here?!"

She punched the ground with her bare fist; the anger boiling inside her came back instantly. She punched the ground over and over again and as hard as she could until her knuckle began to bleed. But she didn't care. Her hands felt numb and she didn't wonder why.

"Do they want to ruin my life again?! I don't want them to ruin my life! Why do they keep on ruining people's lives, especially mine?! What did I do to them?! Do they hate me that much that they want to make my life a living hell?!"

She brought her hands to cover her face. Her shoulders were shaking, maybe because of the coldness, maybe because of her cries, or maybe both. She didn't even know. And she didn't bother to know.

"Don't they know that just by the sight of them pained me so much?! That just seeing them near me broke my heart?! I was torn between love and hatred, Mami! I was torn whether to hug them or to kill them! But what pained me more is that I don't know what to do! I want them in my life but I hated them as well I want to kill them myself!"

She was somewhat thankful that it was raining because at least, the rain could drown her cries and sobs. And she let her emotions out gladly.

"Mami, I'm so confused…" She crawled slowly to hug her Mami's gravestone. Her cheeks touched the cold stone and she winced slightly when a hard edge pierced itself slightly at the delicate skin, leaving a scratch. "I'm so hurt, Mami. I don't know what to do anymore, or feel, or think…"

She tightly shut her eyes as tears didn't stop from falling. She felt tired and exhausted all of the sudden, as if energy had left her body. She felt so hopeless under this rain, under the weight of her loneliness and sadness. She was so tired because of it. She was so tired and exhausted she wanted to sleep like forever.

"Mami, I'm sorry. But I think I cannot take this anymore. This is too much… Please… Please take all these pain out, Mami. I'm so tired having them inside me. They're killing me inside…"

She couldn't feel the drops of the rain on her body but she could still hear it from behind. But the sound of the heavily raindrops were distant and seemed so far away. But she didn't care. Not at all. Not that she was so close to her mother like this. She felt safe and secure… and loved.

"Mami, please, take the pain away. Take them away. Or just… take me with you."

Upon saying this, a thunder roared just above her but she, as usual, didn't flinch. She waited for a response although she doubted a lot that it will come.

But there was no harm in hoping for the impossible, right? Besides the impossible just happened and she witnessed it.

And the response given to her was the answer she least expected.

"Don't say things like that."

Her eyes widened at the sound of that voice. Her heart clenched involuntarily. In reflex, she turned and found someone standing just behind her. Looking up, her yes widened more if that was still possible as she realized who that someone was.

"Kamui-nii…!"

XX

"What the hell is this?"

"It is fried rice. Duh."

"And why the hell is it cold?"

"Because it is sweetened fried rice."

"…And what the hell is sweetened fried rice?"

"Why don't you just taste it to answer your freaking questions?"

Okita stared at the bowl filled with cold fried rice on the table like it would eat him or something. "It looks… carnivorous."

"Your imagination is the worst," Katsura muttered. "Just give it a try, new classmate."

"Whatever. It will kill me, that is sure," Okita closed is eyes and waved a hand dismissively. "Go eat this, butler. Now."

There was silence.

Before Katsura coughed and broke it. "You ordered your bastardic butler to follow my Leader."

Okita raised an eyebrow, not missing the unintentional or intentional word 'my' made accidentally or not by the ebony haired waiter. "Yeah? I may have forgotten…"

Katsura glanced behind and saw that the other customers inside the bar didn't need attendance anymore. Turning his focus towards his teacher – and classmate under the same master – he asked the question he was eager to ask. "What happened earlier, Gintoki? What happened to Leader?"

Gintoki choked in his tea. "What? What happened to whom?" He pretended he didn't know a thing.

"I'm talking about Kagura." Katsura answered. "And don't pretend you didn't know a thing. It is actually disturbing!"

"Oh…" Gintoki rubbed his cheek. "Well… She actually didn't tell me what's wrong. Maybe you knew?" The latter part was directed towards the purple head.

Takasugi merely shrugged. "I do not know, either."

"But she asked you something, did she not?" Okita responded, throwing his fiancée's butler a sidelong glance.

"…And how long are you standing there and watching us?" Gintoki asked with an eyebrow raised. Then he shuddered. "So, Kagura-chan is right. Your butler has a thing for me."

"Baka darou, Danna." (You are stupid, Boss.) Okita muttered as he began poking the fried rice with his chopsticks. "And we aren't just standing there. We are listening."

"Stalker."

"It is more like, we are keeping an eye of our possession," the bishounen answered calmly, withdrawing the chopsticks as soon as its ends began to melt due to the contact with the suspicious sweetened fried rice. "And me, stalking China? It is actually the other way around."

"I like your guts, kid." Takasugi stated with a smirk.

"Sorry, feeling is not mutual." Okita pulled something from the pocket of his pants. It was a plastic bag. "But anyways, I'm still waiting for your answer."

"Oh, that. Well, lil princess did ask me. She asked about when was the last time I saw Umibozu."

"Umibozu… What the hell is an Umibozu? Is it a shit or something like that?" Okita deadpanned but somewhere deep in his mind, the name was familiar, awfully familiar.

"Geez, Souichirou-kun, how could you marry Kagura if you don't know her that well?" Gintoki asked, picking at his nose now.

"Yeah, I remember you saying the same like with this kid before," Takasugi responded Gintoki with a smirk, amused.

"Umibozu was Kagura-chan's bald father," Gintoki finished.

"Oh, right. Now I remembered…" Okita deadpanned as he began putting said fried rice inside the plastic bag. Gintoki watched him incredulously.

"You know, you shouldn't be talking about Umibozu so casually especially in front of Leader," Katsura muttered softly, recalling Kagura's reaction hearing about her father.

The three casted him a glance, urging him to emphasize his point.

"Are you aware that her father didn't visit her for nearly two years now? It wasn't obvious but Leader loves her father so damn much. She even wanted to work so that her father won't work anymore, so that her father won't leave her again."

There was silence.

"Leader is so young but these unfortunates happened to her already…"

"Why are you so worried about her?" Gintoki stated. "You are her best friend, right? You should know that she is stronger than what you think."

"Gintoki…"

"Besides, if she wasn't strong, do you think she could punch the daylights out of you?"

Katsura laughed at this. "For once, you are right, sensei."

"And what do you mean by I am right for once?!" Gintoki retorted angrily. "And don't address me as sensei. I am looking older than you are even though we are just in the same age!"

Okita was ignoring those two who seemed have known Kagura — his own fiancée — very, very well and it stirred something inside him. Something he didn't like, not one bit. "Say, Takasugi…"

Said man turned at him.

"How'd you know Umibozu?"

XX

"What the hel— heck are you doing here?" Kagura spat, glaring at her brother who was standing behind her with a smile on his face.

"I am visiting our mom," he answered softly but Kagura still heard it.

She controlled herself. As much as she wanted to kill her brother, she couldn't… especially not in front of her dearest Mami. "You are doing that, huh? After you left!"

Kamui didn't answer. That was when Kagura realized that he was holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand and the other hand was for holding his parasol — a parasol which was the same as hers.

The older Yato kneeled down beside her, placing his flower beside Kagura's flowers. He put his parasol down so that he could intertwine his hands in a praying manner. He didn't flinch when heavy drops of rain soaked his whole being.

Kagura stared at him in shock. "…What are you—"

"Kagura is a good girl, Mami," Kamui whispered that cut Kagura off instantly.

"She is very brave and so courageous...

I'm very proud of her. I know you are, too, and our good-for-nothing father. She has changed... and it is for the best."

After that, Kamui stood up, picking his parasol and offering a hand to a stunned Kagura who was looking at him in shock. "Let's go home now, Imouto."

Kagura blinked, mentally thanking the rain that wetted her face. At least that damn Kamui wouldn't know that she was crying. She stood by herself and glared at him. "I don't know what you are up to but I know that you bring no good to me."

Kamui smiled his usual smile as he wiped his face dry – the gesture was useless because his whole person plus his clothing were both soaked in water. "Aren't you cold, sister dear?"

Kagura was indeed cold but she didn't show it. "Should you care? I am more than used to it—"

Kagura was pushed to Kamui suddenly. Realizing that his foolish big brother was holding her by the waist, she immediately pushed Kamui away from him with a tint of pink in her cheeks... and failed miserably. "Kamui– you bastard! Stay away–"

If only Kamui's hold on her tightened. "No, we are going home."

"No! Why should I go with you?! Let go of me!"

"I am your brother. You listen to me, sister dear."

"Never! If I do that... If I do that... If I..." Kagura choked a sob as she stopped struggling. It was pointless anyway. She bit her lip, refusing the tears. "...do that, I'll end up hurting myself..." She said it so quietly that Kamui almost didn't hear her. Almost.

Without words, Kamui pushed Kagura to himself by the shoulder as he clutched his parasol to keep them both from the rain. He began walking with Kagura by his side.

Surprisingly, Kagura did not do anything. Too tired and too confused to comprehend anything. She let her feet do their job as her mind drifted to oblivion.

Kamui caught her as she lost her consciousness. He lifted her effortlessly as he dropped his parasol on the ground. Heavy rain hit both their bodies but both of them did not flinch. They were more than used to the cold rain.

Kamui took a moment to adore his little sister's fragile and petite sleeping form being soaked by the rain. It was a beautiful sight. Her beauty only enhances by the flush on her pale cheeks and the reddened scratch there. She looked peaceful... and hurt.

Sighing, Kamui began his way towards his black car. He knew it will take a lot of time before she was healed from the injury of the past.

But he also knew he could help her.

And that was his plan from the very beginning.

XX

AND END! It was kind of long. Give me some ideas that you want to happen, ne? I think that will be awesome. Thank you for reading and reviewing! : P See ya again next time.

Read then Review. Sounds fun, eh?

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