A/N. Sorry guys! It has been, like, FOREVER since I have updated. I know you don't wanna hear it, but I've been SUPER busy. Writers say that a lot, but I have been! And I'll try to update maybe… once every two weeks? Maybe more? I want to get on a regular schedule for you guys.
Special thanks to-!
EternalFalsity – I'm glad you loved Catching Fire! I've seen it… 6 times by now? Haha. I'm glad that you enjoy the story!
For My Personal Pleasure – Yes! I updated! Forever ago! And here is a new update! Hah. I am so glad that you love the story :D I shall try to keep it up!
Thank you my dear reviewers of Chapter 8 :D
Anyway, here is chapter 9! I'm going to just go to the chapter now :3
Chapter 9
Kaoru's POV
The next morning, I wake with a start, sweat dribbling down my brow and my heart beating erratically. Sighing deeply, I get up and go to the bathroom, looking at my rugged appearance in the mirror. My dyed black hair is damp and sticking to my forehead, I have bags under my eyes, and I look paler than usual. Must be from the nightmares.
Last night was a new thing for me. Sure, getting nightmares must be a normal thing for small children, especially people going into the Games. I guess I just never really thought of myself as being one of those people who has nightmares.
I dreamt of terrifying things. Cato, the brute from District 2, chasing after Hikaru and I, catching my big brother and running him through with a sword. Then me, standing there, frozen in shock, bound by a promise that I had to keep.
"Promise me that if Hikaru dies, you won't just give up. Promise me that you'll keep trying so that you come back home to me. Promise."
Tamaki's words ring in my ears and I close my eyes, gripping the counter of the sink in the bathroom.
In my nightmare all I could do was stand still, listening as Hikaru's cannon goes off, signaling that my brother had died.
The one thing I truly lived for had died.
"Kaoru! It's time to get up dearie! Another big, big, big day has come!" Renge's voice sounds through my bedroom door, wafting to the bathroom and I jump, running a hand through my hair.
"All right! I'll be out in a minute, just let me shower first." I call back out to her, indeed getting myself a pair of fresh, clean black training pants and the training shirt for District 12. A big 12 is even on the back of the shirt. Then I take a quick shower to get the sweat off of my body, glad to be cleansed of the filth. Once I'm dressed and ready to go, wearing brand new leather boots that I don't care for much, I stand in the full body mirror in my bedroom, looking over my appearance.
Prepped and ready to leave the room, training outfit on, clean and cut.
The tell-tale signs of a true tribute.
Shaking my head, I just exit my room and make my way down to the dining car, in which Hikaru and I get to eat before we have to go train for the day.
When I arrive to the dining room, Hikaru and Nekozawa are already there chatting it up, while Renge must be somewhere "powdering her nose." Hikaru looks up from his plate of sausage and rolls and grins, waving for me to come over and join them. Like the good little brother I am, I do indeed join them, sitting down on the empty side of the booth.
"Morning Kaoru! How'd you sleep?" Hikaru asks, shoveling a bite of sausage into his mouth. He must be eating this all up. The juicy, gourmet food. Back at home I would try my best to cook well, but the rabbit would always be too dry, or the duck would be overcooked.
Shrugging a bit, I pile some eggs on my plate. "I slept all right." I mutter, deciding to not mention the nightmare. "What about you?"
Hika shrugs a bit, pursing his lips. "Eh, I'd say I slept well. I didn't really have any dreams, that was a plus."
I nod in response, taking a bite of a buttered, soft roll. This food really was delicious.
Nothing particularly exciting happens while we eat our food, except for small talk and different tactics to stay alive. Mostly basic stuff, since Nekozawa was already drunk off his rocker. Such as when building a fire, only do so when absolutely necessary. Keep it contained to make sure smoke is hidden, that kind of stuff.
After Hikaru and I have stuffed our stomachs full of food, it is about 9:45 in the morning. Training starts at 10.
"I should be leading you two boys down to the training center then!" Renge says excitedly, taking a hold of my hand and Hikaru's hand, practically dragging us out of the door. I'm not exactly sure what's up with this lady, but I'm getting used to her. Somewhat.
When Hikaru and I finally get down to the lowest floor, the basement area, we finally get down to one giant room that is sectioned off into different stations. A different station for each and every different skill.
"Have fun you two! And learn lots!" Renge says before exiting.
"That was fun." Hikaru says with a grin, looking over at me.
" Of course it was. Life with Renge is a party." I say sarcastically, and Hikaru and I walk further into the room.
Though it isn't 10 yet, we are the last tributes to arrive. Everyone stands around in a circle around the instructor, who will give us the basic rules, then leave us to do as we please.
She tells us that we aren't allowed to fight with one another, and to be sure to go for some practical training things, such as how to build a fire or deal with sickness and infection.
Great information, I tell you.
Once the actual training commences, nearly every tribute goes over to the weapons, mostly consisting of the Careers. Go figure.
Hikaru chooses to go to the camouflage station while I go to the knot tying station, paying close attention to each different knot skill. They could be crucial when building a snare.
Though I act like my full attention is on the task at hand, I keep an eye on Hikaru to make sure he's all right, in which he's just painting his arm. I'll have to go check it out when I'm done here. I also keep an eye on the Careers, who seem to have been watching me. Fantastic.
I had learned to tie at least 4 more new knots, in which I'm grateful for. I know how to tie things which is useful, then it kept me preoccupied. So I didn't think of things that have been going through my head recently. Most of which were all about Hikaru.
Shaking my head, I stand up and brush the dust off of my training pants and head over to Hikaru, smiling a little. "Hey, Hika." I greet, breathing in deeply. "What are you doing?"
Hikaru looks up from his work, grinning at me. "Kaoru! Look what I did." He says excitedly, taking his hand and putting it up against a tree that had been stationed there. It matches the tree exactly and I applaud him a little, nodding my head.
"That looks great, Hikaru." I say to him, nodding again. "How'd you learn to do that?"
"Well whenever you'd go out and hunt, I'd stay home with mom. Learning things with medicine, cleaning, drawing, anything!"
"Well you're great at it. Want to go to another station with me?"
"Sure, just let me wash this off and I'll be ready."
With that, Hikaru washes off his hand, then he and I head to the fire building station. Nekozawa had told us to steer clear of our strong suits, so Hikaru didn't go to the weightlifting and I didn't go to the archery area.
Though we did ignore some of what Nekozawa said. Hikaru actually does outstandingly at hand to hand combat, and he hugs me as soon as he says that he did well. I of course hug him back, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach.
I fly through the edible plants test without blinking an eye, and I ignore another thing. The glares of the Careers.
Gamemakers had arrived early on this day, the first day. They wore deep purple robes, sitting up on an elevated platform. They were there to watch each tribute carefully, gauging their weaknesses and strengths.
When it comes to the meal times, Hikaru and I got to eat on our floor for breakfast and dinner. But for lunch we had to go to the gymnasium and eat with the other tributes, which wasn't too bad. The Careers kept to their own group while the other tributes stuck to their own groups.
Hikaru and I seemed to be the only tributes that actually enjoyed one another's company.
The first day seems to fly by, and then suddenly it's the second day.
The first thing I really notice when I walk in to the training room on the second day is a small boy, who has deep mocha skin and short, sort of frizzy black hair. He was the smaller tribute from District 11, named Rae.
He was watching me from behind the net, and when he saw that I had noticed him he hides, making me smile a little. He seemed to be pretty skilled, actually. He did a pretty decent job on the edible plants test, and he was nimble.
Directing my thoughts elsewhere, I think back to Nekozawa and Renge, who, believe it or not, weren't fighting as much. Nekozawa had ceased his constant attempts at hitting on me, so Renge relaxed, They have been working together, actually, to make sure that Hikaru and I are formed into suitable tributes.
The second day flies by just as quickly as the first, if not quicker, and then we're to the third day. At about 5:00 p.m. on this day, we will be evaluated on our skills. We will eat supper, then find out what our scores are.
They don't waste any time here.
Hikaru and I repeat stations we had been to previously, wanting to make it seem like we weren't that skilled at anything but what we had already done. We eat lunch, then comes the time when they start calling tributes in.
It goes in order by district, so 12 is slated to go last. And I'm guessing that the more masculine, buff tributes will go first, since guys go first usually.
Sitting back in the room to be called in, Hikaru and I make small talk about nothing in particular. It feels nice to finally be able to talk to him again. To just… BE with my brother.
By the time Hikaru is called into the training room, the whole room has cleared out and I'm left alone, sitting in the corner. Sighing, I hug my knees to my chest and close my eyes, waiting in a tense silence to be called back.
"Kaoru Hitachiin, District 12."
I hear an automated voice start, and it scares me to the point that I almost fall out of my seat. Pulling myself together, I get up and walk in to the room, swallowing thickly at the sight of the Gamemakers.
"Kaoru Hitachiin, District 12." I repeat what the automated voice had said and bow a little.
"You will have 10 minutes to show us your chosen skill." Misuzu Sonoda, the head Gamemaker, tells me.
I nod and grab the sheath of arrows, slinging it over my shoulder, then take a hold of the bow.
I cock an arrow and purse my lips in distaste, frowning. The string is much tighter than what I'm used to at home, I'll have to get used to it. Then there is barely anything for me to shoot at that actually has value, in my opinion.
Rolling my eyes, I aim for a dummy and miss the thing completely, licking my lips in frustration. Of course I'd miss, I need to get used to the bow. I cock another arrow and shoot at the bull's-eye, actually hitting it, just not in the center. I repeat this process a few times until I get a hang of the bow and feel like I can put on a decent performance.
Biting my lip in concentration I aim for the dummy again, shooting it directly between the eyes. Turning around quickly I send another arrow straight through a different dummy's heart. Shoulder-rolling forward, I shoot at one of the lights that was far up on the gymnasium ceiling and focus, shooting it directly in no time at all. Laying down and rolling, I hop up and shoot at the bull's-eye, making a bull's-eye. I repeat the process with the 3 others that were around the room, doing cool flips and turning around with excellent precision.
Grinning at my own performance, I look at the Gamemakers, wanting to point at what all I've done and say, "Look! Aren't you proud of me?" But when I see them, anger surges through me. A few are nodding in approval, commending my shooting. But most of them, about 17 out of the 20 are fixated on a roast pig that was just taken in to the room.
I can understand them being hungry, after sitting here for hours, but my life is on the line. And I am NOT going to just sit here while they ignore me to feast upon their stupid roast pig.
Pulling an arrow out of the quiver I cock it and send it flying, going right about the Gamemakers' food table. A few of them squeak and back up while other's just stare in disbelief at my perfect shot.
I shot the apple right out of their damn roast pig's mouth.
When I was sure I had their attention, I put the bow back on the hook, along with the quiver, and smile menacingly.
With a mock bow and sarcasm dripping in my tone, I say, "Thank you. For your consideration."
With that, I turn on my heels and walk right out of the gymnasium without being dismissed.
