The Wait 2.0: Hurt
The man's footsteps against the marble flooring echoed through the length hallways, the clipped sounds alerting the guards flanking the entrance at the end of the hall to his presence. Upon noticing him, they stood at attention and bowed to their heads to him.
"Greetings, Lord Kohaku."
"Lord Makoto has been awaiting your arrival."
Wordlessly, he nodded and they each rested a palm on the pristine white wall. A light blue glow surrounded their hands, and then the towering, circular door slid open with a loud creak. The room revealed before him was pitch dark.
He entered nonetheless, and then the guards closed the door shut, enveloping him in darkness.
It was silent, and everything was still. The dragon could not sense any movements whatsoever. Makoto was most definitely here, however, and he was wasting time on another useless test of his skills. He should know better than anyone how capable the dragon spirit was already. Kohaku had proven himself exceedingly worthy of his position in the Shugorei by now.
"Do not be complacent."
Kohaku barely had time to react. He ducked to the left just as a sharp gust of wind sliced through the air where his head was before. He let out a growl and haphazardly sent a similar air cutter in the vague direction where the attack had come from. There was a very low chance it would actually hit though. He was wide open, and he was sure that Makoto could see his every move.
Kohaku was then attacked with a barrage of more wind attacks, leaving him no time to attack as he focused all of his attention on avoiding them and defending himself.
"You are too slow." The deep bass voice grated on the dragon's ears. Frustrated, he let out a loud growl, which failed to impress his chief at all.
"My lord, this is hardly a fair battle," Kohaku said through gritted teeth, grunting as he leapt away before a gust of steaming hot water burst through the ground beneath him.
"Real battles are never fair. Should you not know this by now?"
Kohaku was knocked to the ground when he failed to anticipate a wind cage that forced him down on all fours. The pressure was so intense that the flooring beneath him began to dent, and he gritted his teeth as he attempted to fight back. However, the cage was far too strong for him. No matter how much he tried to summon the wind spirits, they would not listen. They only obeyed the commands of the superior caster, and the superior one was not him.
Eventually the cage dissipated and the lights from the lamps hanging from the ceiling came on, illuminating the grand, large room. The floor that was dented slowly returned to its original state and the man got to his feet, dusting himself off. A sting on his cheek caught his attention and he raised a finger to it, only to discover that it was bleeding slightly. He wiped it off with his sleeve, the thin streak of red only irritating him further.
"That was a disappointing performance, Kohaku. I expect you to be training harder. You are hardly fit to lead a team the way you are now." The strong, powerful voice was accompanied with clipped footsteps that sounded through the quiet room. Kohaku gritted his teeth, biting out a rather begrudging, "Yes, my lord," in response.
Makoto descended down the stairs after placing a book that he had been perusing back on the bookshelf and seated himself at his desk that Kohaku was standing in front of. He was a man just slightly taller than Kohaku, sporting long, dark green hair that was tightly secured in a bun as usual. There were no stray strands of hair on his face, nor were his clothes wrinkled in any visible way. He was dressed in a black ornamental kimono, giving him a stiff air of formality wherever he went. Interlacing his fingers and resting his hands on his desk, he gazed up at Kohaku with an arched brow. "I believe there is a report overdue on your part."
Kohaku had been dreading this. He had already anticipated that Makoto was suspicious even since he got called to headquarters, and at this time of night. A wordless question sat on his tongue. Was Tadashi responsible for informing Makoto against his orders? There was no other way Makoto would have found out, since it was rare for Shugorei officials to check on the Mirror personally themselves, especially so now when it was nowhere near the time for the Mirror to open. There should not be anything strange enough to prompt the higher-ups to investigate further, and his shikigami situated near the Mirror had indicated no threat in particular.
"I noticed Tadashi's sudden increase in workload even though he seemed mostly done with his official duties here in the Shugorei for the month. It was only natural to deduce that something of grave importance had occurred for him to be willing to do more work at this time," was Makoto's next statement.
Kohaku clenched his fists, his gaze hardening. Makoto's ability to infer his thoughts infuriated him to no end.
"Is there any reason in particular you chose not to inform me earlier?" Makoto questioned.
"I wished only to confirm the facts before reporting to you, my lord," he replied evenly, attempting to keep his straight face despite the frustration boiling within him. The way things were now, once the Shugorei learned about the crack, it would be far more difficult for Chihiro to return home. Not impossible, but it would be cumbersome to have to get through the guards.
"Go on."
"I'm afraid to report that there has been a breach in the Mirror."
Makoto's eyes widened a fraction, but overall seemed rather unfazed by the news. He must have been guessing something along those lines, from the amount of work Tadashi had been allocated. He raised his chin, prompting Kohaku to continue.
"I am still unsure with regards to the cause of it, hence I tasked Tadashi with searching through past case files on criminal activities to do with the Mirror as a start. I inspected the Mirror and I believe the crack is not due to any faults with the Ancients' spell."
"Have you secured the area?"
"I have shikigami placed there to keep a lookout. So far there have been no particular incidents of concern occurring because of the crack."
"Not even, say, a human crossing over?" Makoto pressed.
"None that the shikigami have been alerted to," he answered.
"Why did you not think to notify us earlier so that we could tighten the security in the area?"
"I did not wish to alert the perpetrator if he were to attempt to do something at the Mirror following the crack."
The explanation seemed acceptable enough to Makoto, who gave a curt nod. "Alright. I will personally see to this matter. You may leave now."
"Yes, my lord." He turned to exit immediately, having no desire to remain longer in this place.
"Kohaku." Hearing his name, the dragon spirit halted in his tracks and spun around to face his superior once more.
"Yes?"
"I hope you will be able to keep control over your emotions during this period and not slacken on your training. Remember your responsibilities to the Shugorei and to your team."
A low growl instinctively settled in the back of his throat, his pupils dilating as he shot a fiery glare in the man's direction. "I did not think someone of your status had the time to mind my personal affairs."
"It is hardly personal if it affects your execution of duties in the Shugorei. You should know the gravity of your role here."
"Stay out of my private affairs," Kohaku snarled, baring his fangs, "Even if you are my superior you do not have the right to stick your nose where it does not belong. And if it appeases you, rest assured that I will not neglect my work here. If that is all, excuse me. I have other things to attend to."
With that, he turned on his heel and promptly left the room.
Chihiro clicked her tongue and frowned when another gust of wind blew in her direction, causing the paper on her notepad to flip upwards. Her pencil drew a long, ugly line across her sketch as a result. With a huff, Chihiro set her pencil down and took her eraser, carefully removing the blemish on her sketchbook.
She was a corner of the field once more, and had just finished playing a short game with the children before she had to sit down and rest. Her legs had gotten much better thanks to the ointments and creams that Kazune had provided her with to rub over her wounds, no doubt they were imbued with magical properties as well. They were healing at a remarkable pace. She didn't need the wheelchair today, though she still couldn't walk too fast. At this rate, Kazune said she would be free to go home the next day. All she could do now was cross her fingers and hope that her mother would not be too angry for her delayed return, and that the letter Haku had written would be able to allay her fears somewhat.
Seated with her legs propped up on the soft cushion of fresh green grass, Chihiro had her sketchbook resting on her knees and her stationery lying scattered around her like toys around a toddler. The weather was perfect for drawing outdoors, aside from the breeze that was a little too strong for her liking. It was creating a mess, and it was difficult to pin the pages down with her arm while she was drawing.
Initially, Chihiro had intended to draw the children in the field — after learning that she could draw, they had all been thrilled at the idea of being drawn by her. However, her hands and mind decided to draw something else. She would leave the children's portraits for later.
It was difficult to get it right. Chihiro's memory of her dream was fuzzy, at best. All she remembered was that she had met a beautiful woman in her dreams, pleading for her to help Haku. Kohaku.
She sighed. It was hard to get rid of her habit of calling him Haku. That was the name that had rang in her mind so fondly for the past twelve years, after all, if not his full name, the Kohaku River. Kohaku sounded strange, foreign. She doubted she would ever get used to it.
After erasing the ugly line, she continued her light sketch of the figure. She remembered the long, flowing blue hair at least. It was absolutely mesmerizing, the way her hair flowed like a tranquil and calm waterfall. Chihiro hoped she would be able to bring that out in this drawing, though she doubted any drawing would be able to do this fine woman justice.
Sora. It was a lovely name. It was also a name that made Chihiro's heart ache. She had seemed so broken and so desperate for someone to come to her aid. Her voice had been shaking, quivering with quiet sobs for the man she loved, then and till now.
How weird, thinking of Sora as if she were still alive. But then again, her appearance in her dream had seemed so real somehow, as if she were speaking to the person herself. Maybe her spirit had come to visit her, but if this was the Spirit Realm already, then did spirits have spirits too?
Chihiro released another frustrated sigh as she grabbed her eraser to erase and re-draw the woman's feet. They were dainty, but not this small...
Just then, she heard a small gasp behind her, startling her slightly. Her head jerked to look behind her shoulder, and she found a young woman who looked to be around the same age as her gaping at her drawing. She had medium-length, wavy pink curls that framed her pale face, and she was carrying a basket filled to the brim with what smelled like medicinal herbs. Chihiro recognized her as the woman who had called Shou away from the game yesterday.
"You... You..." She struggled to find the words. Chihiro shrank back, worried that she was someone with a phobia of humans or something. Maybe it was a bad idea to tell Shou that she would be fine on her own for the day. She didn't know any of the spirits living in this shelter, aside from the kids, after all. What if some of them turned out to be passionate haters of humans and decide to roast her or something?
"Is that... Sora?" The woman eventually managed out in a near whisper.
Chihiro slowly nodded, brushing off the eraser dust from the page and lifting it up so that she could have a better view. "It's supposed to be, but this isn't going very well."
The woman dropped the basket onto the ground, nearly spilling its contents, as she dropped to her knees next to Chihiro and gently grasped the sketchbook in her hands. Disbelief, sadness and shock clouded her soft blue eyes as she ran her finger along the half-drawn figure on the paper. "How?" she asked, turning to face Chihiro. "How do you know about her?"
"Shou told me," Chihiro replied, relaxing slightly when she sensed no ill-will whatsoever from the stranger.
"He can't describe people's looks for nuts, especially not women. How did he manage to describe Sora's appearance to you? This looks so much like her!"
"Shou didn't really tell me anything about that... I kind of... saw her?"
"Pardon? You're saying that you've seen her? You have actually met her before?" This woman's mouth was opening so wide Chihiro was worried her jaw might break soon.
"Technically, not in person, but I dreamt of her last night. Or maybe she visited me in my dreams. I don't know," she replied, hoping that she didn't sound too crazy.
The woman seemed to be believe that, and she lowered her gaze from Chihiro back to the drawing on the paper, before meeting her eyes once more. "You are... the human, Chihiro, yes?"
"Ogino Chihiro. It's nice to meet you." Chihiro held out her hand for a handshake, momentarily forgetting that spirits did not greet each other like that, hence prompting her counterpart to stare at her outstretched hand quizzically.
"You... have a nice hand..?" she ventured, just like Shou had, causing Chihiro to chuckle and take her hand in hers, shaking it lightly. "Humans greet each other like this," she explained, and the woman understood, shaking her hand firmly back. "My name is Sakura. I work here."
"Sakura... is it because of your hair?" she asked.
Sakura let out a small laugh as she took a lock of pink hair and twirled it around her finger. "Well, it's also because I was born under a cherry blossom tree."
"That's nice. It's a pretty name, and your hair has a beautiful colour."
"Thank you," she lowered her head modestly. "Oh, are you feeling better?" Sakura gestured to her legs.
Chihiro nodded and smiled. "I'm feeling much better now, thank you."
"That's good to hear. Kazune is one of the best doctors I know. The medicines and healing spells that he creates are the best."
"He creates them?"
"Yes. He was born with an amazing talent for alchemy. You're lucky to be treated by him, or maybe it's the other way around. Just yesterday I was talking to him and he wouldn't stop rambling on and on about how different the human body is compared to ours."
"It must be fascinating for him to learn more about it," Chihiro said in reply, her eyes dropping back to her sketchbook that was still in Sakura's hands. Sakura seemed to notice that, and sheepishly apologized as she returned it to Chihiro. "So, Koushou told you about Sora, huh."
"Yes, he did."
Sakura sighed, rolling her eyes. "And yet, he was the one who told me to keep mum about it. Honestly... If you don't mind me asking, why were you drawing a picture of her?"
"Oh, about that..." Chihiro pursed her lips and got back to re-drawing her feet while speaking. "I've been dreaming of her and hearing her voice lately. I don't know why. I've never met her before, but the dreams just seem kind of... real, somehow, and she keeps asking me to help Ha— Kohaku. Sorry if this doesn't make any sense," she hastily added, not daring to glance up at Sakura. She was probably coming across as a weird person. "I just wanted to draw her to see if it helps me make some sense out of all this. And she's also very beautiful— from what I saw in my dreams, that is."
"That's a little odd," Sakura commented under her breath. "I wonder..."
"Hmm?"
"Oh, nothing. I just... had a strange thought. But that's impossible." Chihiro noticed her shaking her head from the corner of her eye. "Your drawing looks exactly like how I remember her," she remarked, making Chihiro sigh. "Thanks, but this isn't quite right either. I just can't seem to get her features exactly the way I saw them in the dream. My memory of it is pretty fuzzy."
"Well, I think it's beautifully drawn, and you have a remarkable talent."
"Thank you," she smiled. "Was Sora a close friend of yours?"
"We were best friends. Practically sisters," was Sakura's immediate response. The tinge of sadness in her voice made Chihiro stop her sketching to listen to her properly. "It's been almost three years since she died, but I still miss her just as much. Sometimes I wake up and just stay in bed for a while more because I think anytime Sora will just burst into the room and drop a hot bun on my face to get me out of bed in the morning just like she used to. Or sometimes when Kohaku and Koushou come back from a job at the Shugorei, I wait for them at the entrance every time, hoping that by some stroke of luck they found a way to revive her. You know, magic and all." Her hands made some sort of gesture, in an effort to explain visually what magic was like to Chihiro, not that it really helped. Chihiro merely nodded and offered her condolences.
"I know what it feels like. My father died two years ago," she said, to which Sakura glanced up with wide eyes. "Oh, I'm so sorry for bringing this up," Sakura began, but Chihiro waved it off. "It's fine, I should be the one apologizing for bringing up Sora."
"There's nothing to apologize for. Even though no one says it, Sora has always been in our minds, especially since it's nearing her death anniversary. And then there's Kohaku to worry about... He's probably hurting the most out of all of us here in the shelter," she muttered.
"So I've heard," Chihiro agreed. "I wish I could do something for him. From what Shou told me, it doesn't sound like he's been dealing with this in a healthy way."
"What did Shou say?"
"He said Kohaku's been distancing himself from everyone ever since."
"It's true," Sakura nodded. "He just doesn't want to get hurt like this again. Although, it's not like he can help it. He's just like that — he can't stop caring about people, even if he tried to," she added rather drily. "It's just the front he tries to put up. But Koushou and I know better."
"That sounds a little more like the Haku I know," Chihiro smiled, before grimacing when she realized she had called him 'Haku' again. "I'll never get used to calling him Kohaku, I think."
This seemed to amuse Sakura, who couldn't help but chuckle. "Right, I remember the children buzzing over someone's incorrect addressing of our oh-so-mighty dragon spirit's name just yesterday during dinner."
"Ugh, I hope he doesn't mind too much." She slumped, burying her face in her hands. "This is so embarrassing. To think I was the only one who didn't know how much he hates that name."
"Don't worry too much about it. If he didn't look or sound angry when you called him that, he's probably fine with it."
"Really?"
"He's not the kind of man to tolerate these things," she said. "Even Sora got the silent treatment from him before when she addressed him that for fun. But then, it was Sora after all, so the silent treatment didn't last for more than two hours."
Chihiro's lips curved upwards into a smile. How childish. "The silent treatment?" she chortled. "Seriously?"
"Oh yes, the silent treatment," Sakura grinned back, shaking her head. "He has a childish side to him too. Just— don't mention it in front of him. He'll know that I was the one who said it. He hates it when I tease him about it."
"Okay."
"Well then," Sakura stood up, retrieving her basket and brushing off random grass blades that were stuck to her yukata. "I think I've spent too much time taking a break. I'm supposed to bring this to the kitchen and start preparing for lunch. It was nice talking to you, Chihiro. I hope we get to talk more in future."
There wasn't much a chance they would be able to talk again, since Chihiro was due to return home soon, but she smiled anyway and nodded. "Yes, we will."
Chihiro was idly wandering about the rather empty corridors in the shelter. Large, grey clouds loomed overhead, obscuring the Sun completely by now. The wind was stronger than usual and she felt goose bumps rising on her arms. The other spirits had long returned indoors, and Chihiro found herself relishing in the silence and tranquillity that she hadn't enjoyed in a while.
That is, until Shou's unceremonious appearance.
His sudden greeting behind her gave her quite a significant scare, causing her to gasp rather loudly and jump up, and she had to hold on to the wall to keep herself from falling. His arms had been outstretched to catch her in case she fell too, but they were slapped away by the peeved woman. "What was that for?" she asked with a huff, still trying to gather her wits about her as she continued to lean against the wall, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.
"I didn't think you'd actually get that scared," was Shou's nonchalant reply as he doubled-over in laughter.
"Of course I would! Who sneaks up on people like that? And you didn't even make a sound!"
"You're just not alert enough," he retorted confidently, but cowering immediately when she raised her hand for another slap. "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry... that you're such a mouse." He added that last line just to rile her up again and swiftly evaded the incoming slap from the woman. "Now now, Chihiro, there's no need to get so violent."
"You're impossible!" But even she couldn't suppress her laughter now. Shou was fun to hang around, even if he could be a giant tease.
"Great counter," he quipped sarcastically, before extending a hand to help her away from the wall. She merely glared at it, and reached out to slap it, except that he withdrew it away from her before she could and then she found herself falling forward. She would have fallen on her face, if it weren't for him catching her.
"Gods, are you falling for me, Chihiro?"
Chihiro held back the thanks that she was about to say. Righting herself and sending him a flat glare, she asked, "Are all spirits this deluded?"
"Do all humans live in denial?"
She made a strangled noise in the back of her throat, turning away and throwing up her hands in the air, utterly exasperated. "I give up."
"So I guess that makes me the winner of this argument, yes?"
"I believe you're supposed to be much older and by association, more mature than me,old man."
"I am more mature. Clearly, I'm doing a better job at winning your arguments with my wits. And," he raised his hand and not-so-gently flicked her on the forehead, "I'm. Not. Old."
She scowled at him, rubbing the sore spot on her forehead, but gave up attempting to hit him. He was part of the Shugorei after all. She was no match for her reflexes.
Giving up, she decided to stride away from him and at least make a dignified exit. Unfortunately, with the condition that her leg was in, she could only manage a relatively speedy half-limp that made her resemble a zombie more than anything.
Much to her annoyance, it only seemed to amuse Shou even more, who maintained his walking pace beside her and peered over at her curiously, experimentally calling her name in varied tones to get her attention. She kept her eyes averted to the opposite side to keep from seeing his smug face. She resolutely remained quiet, determined to keep up the silent treatment at the very least.
And being the clumsy woman she was, she failed to notice a stray piece of trash on the floor and slipped on it. With a yelp she found herself falling forward yet again, except this time it wasn't Shou who caught her.
Chihiro's nose made painful contact against something hard, and then she felt hands on her arms to steady her. "Chihiro?"
She jerked back and glanced upwards, only to realize that she had bumped into Haku. Hastily, she stepped back, brushing his hands off of her. "I'm so sorry!" She lowered her face and tried to discreetly rub her sore nose, but obviously it didn't go past the dragon spirit's notice. How hard was his chest, anyway? Did he have his dragon scales on under those clothes?
"Are you alright?" he asked, sounding quite concerned. She offered a smile and shook her head, saying, "I'm fine." At least he wasn't as big of a tease as Shou was. Although, when she looked up, she noticed the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. He was clearly amused by this.
A snort from her right caught her attention and she found Shou covering his mouth with a hand and trying to keep from making too much noise.
Mortified, she felt heat begin to gather in her cheeks. Of all scenarios to get into after that encounter with Haku the day before... Noting her pointed gaze at Shou, Haku asked, "Did Shou do this?"
In an instant, the blond sobered up. "It wasn't my fault! She tripped on her own!" he defended hotly. "Why is everything automatically my fault, huh?"
"Because I know just how insufferable you can be," Haku replied flatly. "Stop bothering Chihiro."
"She likes my company."
"No, I do not," she shot back.
"That's hardly the kind of thing to say to someone you like."
"Except for one thing: I don't like you."
"Dragon, I rather think she's been spending too much time with you. Feisty one, she is," Shou muttered, making Chihiro roll her eyes with a small laugh while Haku emitted a sigh.
"Shou, don't you have some errands to run? I believe Sakura was looking for you earlier."
"Sakura?" Chihiro swore she didn't just imagine the link pink flush on his cheeks as Shou said it. "Shit, okay, I'll be on my way. See you later, Chihiro."
Shou took to his heel and sprinted away, leaving the two behind and alone.
"If I didn't know better, I would think that Shou likes Sakura," she said.
"He does," was Haku's matter-of-fact reply. "But the both of them are a little too dense to realize that their feelings are mutual."
Chihiro let out a squeal before she could stop herself, earning herself a curious glance from the man. "S-Sorry," she muttered, turning away.
"What are you apologizing for?"
"For making that weird noise."
"That's a rather strange thing to be apologizing for."
"W-Well, I hope the two of them realize it soon," Chihiro said, suddenly feeling very awkward. Was he still upset with her about yesterday?
"Penny for your thoughts?" he questioned. She glanced up to meet his eyes, and couldn't help but smile at how he seemed quite pleased with himself for using human slang.
"I just... wanted to apologize for yesterday," she admitted. He took a moment to realize what she was referring to, and she felt him stiffen somewhat. "I didn't mean to bring up something that would hurt you, and I know this is a difficult period for you. I just wanted to know if I could do anything—"
"That's enough." His curt tone unnerved her more, but she nodded and halted her rambling. "Do not bring this subject up anymore. I..." he trailed off, perhaps not knowing quite what to say next.
"I know how you feel."
"No you don't."
"Yes, I do. My father, he—"
"Chihiro."
"Help him."
Without thinking, she blurted, "Sora doesn't want to see you this way." The woman immediately regretting it when Haku's pupils seemed to dilate slightly and his nostrils flared noticeably. She hadn't planned on telling Haku about this, but she couldn't ignore Sora, or that desperate voice. Whether it was real or not, she believed Haku needed to hear it all the same.
Haku remained quiet, though his piercing stare scared her. Nevertheless, she continued, "I know you're hurting, but you need to learn to face it and try to move on. Sora, she—"
"You do not know anything," Haku interjected sharply, silencing her quite effectively with his fierce tone. "Do not attempt to act as if you know my personal issues better than anyone else. My private affairs are of no concern to you, nor do I owe you an explanation."
"Kohaku, that's not what I—"
"I do not need sympathy or pity from a mere human, and do not for one second think that you are entitled to knowledge about me simply because you gave me back my name years ago. You have my thanks for that, but nothing more. This is my final warning: keep your nose where it belongs and do not broach this subject any further. You will leave this shelter tomorrow. Koushou will be in charge of bringing you home."
Having said his piece, he stormed off, leaving the dumbfounded woman behind, but not before adding one last thing over his shoulder:
"And this time, do not come back."
A/N: I have just created a huge jerkface in place of sweet ol' Haku. What on earth have I done?
I don't have time to edit this, so do pardon any mistakes that I may have committed! Thanks for reading and thank you to the people who sent me such sweet reviews! :') They have kept me going and it was nice to read them before taking my papers haha. Thanks again for making my days and I'll see you after my A'level exams! (:
