Disclaimer: It dances in the circle of chapter one.
Lots of commenting
Good. Keeps the author on track, which is always appreciated.
Eh… "gozaimasu"
is just a really polite word, sort of an ultra-polite version
of "desu" (to be). "Arigatou gozaimasu" is usually translated
as "Thank you very much," but literally it's just a very polite
"Thank you."
Well, enough of the
crappy Japanese lesson. On to the fic!
.-L-.
I'm not sure if things have improved at all after a few days. He still seemed a bit angry, but the target of it seemed… disconnected? I guess that would be the right word. Anyway, he only grew quieter, if that is possible, apparently putting all of his energy into training, but he doesn't seem as tired when he comes in to eat as he did before. Chouzu is also acting a bit strange, but I can't really put my finger on it.
I was dusting a mantle when something flew out from under the lamp that was on it. "Hmm?" I bent down and picked up a capsule with a number printed on it. "I wonder what this is… I don't have the sheet to tell me what's inside." I thought a bit about going outside and checking myself, but I shrugged and put it back under the lamp instead. "It's probably Tenshinhan's, so I wont bother it."
I went back to cleaning the house, quickly forgetting the little capsule before it was time to begin cooking the next meal for the boys. I cleaned up before going into the kitchen.
.-T-.
It took longer to begin my training every day, but as soon as I got into it, everything else blurred into the background even more than it had before. I often forgot that Chouzu was there, hardly recognized my surroundings, and had already missed a few meals because of it. I almost didn't even go to bed the night before. So, naturally, I didn't realize until after he had done it that Chouzu had taken and displaced all of Kushami's capsules around the house.
I looked around myself to make sure she wasn't within earshot before I questioned him. "Why are you hiding them everywhere?"
"What if she sneezes and tries to leave while you're training? You won't notice if she does, and you want to tell her, right?"
Since when has he been this conniving? "What makes you think that she'll leave as soon as she sneezes?"
"She thinks that you're getting annoyed by her," he said with a sad disposition. "And since you're forcing yourself to focus more, you're blocking out everything else out more, so you won't notice her if she leaves, even if she says goodbye."
I made another glance around instinctively when he said that, as if expecting her to come out of a room to do just that. Finding nothing, I inwardly criticized myself for the notion and sighed. "She's free to leave if she wants; I'm not going to keep her from doing those dangerous things. I already saved her once."
He made a disappointed sound and affixed his eyes to the floor. Then a slam of a door came that caused me to spin around. It was Lunch.
She looked a little puzzled before she gasped. "Oh! I didn't close the door too hard and interrupt you, did I?"
"No…" I shook my head. "That's fine, Lunch. We had just finished talking. When will dinner be served?"
"Oh, soon." She smiled again. "I made it earlier, actually, except for the soup. The rest of the dinner can just be reheated for a few minutes. I made it beforehand since the soup has a lot of pepper in it."
"You made it before the soup because of the pepper?" I guess Lunch is aware that a sneeze changes her, too. And that her other self never does the cooking.
"I better get to it!" She said, already going towards the kitchen. I crossed my arms and raised a brow.
Chouzu looked at me, then at the kitchen door that Lunch just went through, before getting one of those unusual smiles of his and flying to hover right beside the door.
I felt my third eye roll. "Now what are you doing?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he waited a little while before laughing a bit, and he raised a hand and pointed towards, or rather past, the door, and a small prick of light flashed on the end of his finger. Soon, I could hear a sneeze from the kitchen.
I scowled at Chouzu. "You moved the pepper in her face, didn't you?"
"What the Hell…?" Came Kushami's voice from behind the door, "I'm still here? Damnit…" There was a pause. "…Where are my bloody capsules!" She soon burst out of the room and stood before me, though her angered look changed momentarily to confusion when she saw that she walked right into my stare. When her growling face came back, she marched up right before me. "Tenshinhan! Did you take my capsules?"
"W-why would I do something stupid like that?" I yelled back at her.
"I-I don't know! You might have sold them or something!"
"Look, I'm sure they're somewhere around the house." I glowered at Chouzu, projecting to him mentally, using a threatening presence, Stop meddling with my business and… go finish making dinner or something.
"H-hai!" He quickly escaped into the kitchen to take Lunch's place.
Kushami sneered at me again. "What about my capsules, Tenshinhan?"
Well, I guess I have to tell her now… even though there couldn't possibly be a worse time. "Kushami… let's sit for a moment."
"What? Why?"
"Indulge me for a bit, will you?"
She looked at me suspiciously, but she decided to do as I ask and follow me to the couch. The incredulous stare continued as I sat for a few moments, trying to think of the best way to proceed.
"Kushami," I began, "You've become uncomfortable living here, haven't you?"
"That's one way to put it, I guess," Her gaze didn't lag a bit as she spoke.
"Have you grown tired of me?"
The question seemed to take her back a bit. "What? Where did you get such an idea?"
"Well, I suspected that it would happen sooner or later. After all, I do nothing but train all day, and pay no mind to you through most of it. It'd have to wear on your nerves sooner or later."
"Yeah, a bit, but you're going to do that regardless. It has nothing to do with you, Tenshinhan."
"Oh? And what does it have to do with?"
Her face contorted, as if regretting letting herself speak so quickly. "Well… perhaps it does have to do with you… but not as if you vex me; it is more the other way around."
"You assume that you are annoying me in stead?"
"To put it in a way, yes."
I nodded. "I can see where you get that. To an extent, it's true; you have annoyed me, in a way that I can't train as I have before, and you've become an object of worry from time to time."
"If I'm in the way, you can just give the word, and I'll leave." She said resolutely. I shook my head.
"It isn't necessary, Kushami. Really, such an action would end up causing me more anguish than allowing it to be avoided. I suppose that I should get to the heart of the matter, then. But first… how were you… able to sneeze again?"
She groaned. "The other night, when you told me how long I've been here, you reminded me about how long I've been taking that pill, and I've already had to up the dosage since I started taking it again twice since I was gaining a tolerance, so I thought it best to stop taking it for a while, unless I want to start trying to get a prescription strength version of it, which is just a lot of hassle and money."
"I see…" I heaved a breath, making sure that I would be in good composure to continue. "Kushami, you came here following me, and have been resolved in just staying by me. When we first met, you were trying to entreat me to live with you in Kame House, giving me flatteries that I had scarcely heard during my training before. Afterwards, your presence began to grow on me and… I didn't really realize it until you treated my wounds after that battle with Piccolo Daimaou… I…" I paused my confession a moment to look back to her face, which had dropped its analytical contours in favor of an earnest blush. Since such a sight was so rare and unusual for her, I found myself chuckling instead of finishing the sentence.
"What does that mean?" Her face turned back to her usual sneer, but there was still visible red on her cheeks. "Are you going to mock me and my behavior as stupid now?"
Still grinning, I spoke, "Not at all. I've just never seen your face look so soft before."
She made an audible "Humph," and turned her shoulder from me to look at the opposite wall. "Haven't you got something to say? Out with it!"
"You can't just force this kind of dialogue, Kushami." I gave a sigh. "Then again, I'm not exactly equipped with any sort of experience to say 'I love you.'"
"…What?" Her head shot back to me.
"I said that I love you. If you still wish to leave, I'll help you gather your capsules."
"Don't try to change subjects so suddenly!"
"What am I supposed to say, then?"
She bit her lip before saying, "You could begin by telling me 'why' you're saying this."
"You said that as if I'm trying to prank you. I'm saying this because… it's true. And I've wanted to tell you, but whenever it comes to me, I'm always inconvenienced somehow. I felt that if I didn't tell you soon, I would either self-destruct with the frustration, or you'd leave and force me to chase you."
Her face seemed full of skepticism again, but instead resolved to grin. "Fine then. Prove it."
"What?"
"Prove that you love me."
.-K-.
Tenshinhan now seemed bewildered, as if he never had to do such a thing before. Then, it became apparent that he had not, as all three of his eyes looked down to the floor in embarrassment. "I didn't expect you to make such a request…"
By now, I thought that I was overflowing with joy, but somehow it kept out of Tenshinhan's sight. I did intend to leave as soon as possible, but only because I thought Tenshinhan would prefer it. Of course, I knew that if he expressed any opinion otherwise, I would pounce quickly on it and delay my wanderings further. I didn't really expect the reason to be so large. Still, I tried to keep a distant disposition, trying to draw him out to say more.
He was really struggling with an answer, at times trying to mutter some form of proof, but shaking his head to negate each one.
"Well? Have you any proof?" I jeered at him, trying to provoke him even more.
His answer was a shot back up to my eyes with the determined look he often had while he fought. I was about to urge him more when he at once gathered both of my hands into his and forced a kiss upon my lips. My eyes must have been stuck open as wide as trays from the abruptness, even while he retreated as quickly as he advanced. I wondered what made him recoil so quickly before I realized that Chouzu had entered the room again to announce that dinner was ready.
"I'd… better get back to the kitchen." He said, trying to sulk back out with a nervous laugh.
"Chap!" I shouted at him, pointing a finger at him with a sort of authority, "You're not leaving! I'll probably have some questions for you as well!" I turned back to Tenshinhan. "What the Hell are you doing? Trying to confuse me even more?"
"Wha…? Did you dislike—"
"No, no, no. Don't go assuming stupid things. I told you when we first met that I was crazy about you, and I still am! But you've been sending me mixed signals. You seemed angry that I lied to you the other night, but you…" My hand moved upon its own accord to the shoulder that had been wounded before, remembering how he bound the wounds and grazed his hand across it from time to time, even while he "projected" his distaste.
He didn't seem to want to speak of it further now that there was an audience, which, I imagine, kept him from continuing before several times. After all, Chouzu has an impeccable sense of timing to come in just at the right moment.
I turned back to Chouzu. "And how long have you been in on it, Chap?"
Chouzu laughed nervously again. "Not long."
"You're the one that took my capsules, weren't you?"
"Err…"
"You can continue to interrogate him more through dinner," I heard Tenshinhan say behind me, with a voice that was more calm and normal for him to assume. Chouzu, thus released, sprinted through the door again. Tenshinhan and I walked to the door in a shared pace, but right before it, he halted and stooped to kiss my cheek. When I turned to give some sort of response to it, he ushered me into the kitchen ahead of him.
Yeah… I don't know. Don't read "Jane Eyre" before posting a chapter, I guess. It does crazythings to your writing.
