Chapter 10

Edo was worried. The moment he turned on his cell phone, the first thing he saw was 10 missed calls from the same number. Asuka's number. He tried to call her back, but she hasn't been answering. Concerned, he decided to go to New Otani as fast as he can- only to find Asuka herself running towards that same hotel. She wore all black, giving Edo the impression that something serious had happened.

"Asuka!" he called. She turned.

"Edo?"

He ran towards her. "Asuka, are you alright? What's going on? What happened?" Edo asked, holding the girl's hands firmly.

"Edo… I'm… I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, hugging him tight. She buried her head on his chest, and let the tears come out at last.

He stopped himself from asking even more questions, despite the fact that questions in his head have been multiplying. He hugged her back and allowed her to just let it all out. He caressed her hair gently. "It's okay, Asuka. I'm here now."

Saying these words made Asuka feel all the more guilty. She cried even more. "E-Edo…"

"Sssh. It's alright, Asuka. Just let it out." He whispered, holding her even closer.

She sniveled. How could she betray someone so kind? "Oh Edo…"

Ring ring. Ring ring.

Asuka released him. Edo dug his hand on his pocket and brought out his cell phone.

Ring ring.

"I'm busy right now," Edo said to his phone. He didn't talk for a few seconds. Then he sighed. "I'm sorry, I can't right now-" his voice trailed off, and he looked like he was being scolded. "No, it's not that… but … no it's..." He sighed, "Alright, alright. Yes, yes I'm going. Bye."

Edo put his phone back in his pocket. Asuka waited for him to say something.

"Asuka… I... have to go."

"What?" her eyes widened. "But Edo, I need you! I really need you…"

"I know! I know! I'll be back in a few minutes, okay? Can you wait for a few minutes? Please?" Edo's charm never failed him. The look in his eyes almost made Asuka melt. "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can, alright?"

"But Edo… … Okay." She said finally.

"I'm really sorry about this," He said, kissing her softly.

The girl tried to smile. "I'll be waiting at 2510."

Edo nodded. Asuka watched him as he stepped inside his limo. When he closed the door, the limo drove away.

Edo… she thought. He never failed to make her feel so much better. She sighed and walked over to her hotel.

Asuka lay on her bed. She stared at her ceiling. How long was it since Edo said he was going to come back? A minute? 5 minutes?

More like 45.

It's been 45 damn minutes, and Edo still hasn't arrived. Asuka thought. She closed her eyes. She tried to organize her thoughts. If Edo were here, what would she tell him? What was her big problem anyway? Should he tell her the truth? Did she have the guts to?

It would hurt her if he didn't accept her. It would hurt him if he knew. But he had to know. He had the right to know.

"Then it's decided." Asuka said to herself. She has made a decision. The very moment Edo knocks on that door and comes into this room, she is going to tell him everything. Not just the events, but her feelings. Her feelings for him… and her feelings for Kaiser. Practically everything. She was going to clear her name. No matter what the outcome. She was going to do it.

There was the long awaited knock on the door.

Her heart skipped a beat. He's here.

"Oh my god…" she muttered to herself. It was easier said than done. Holy shit! What am I going to tell him? Where do I even begin? Where do I start? How will he feel about it?

There was another knock on the door.

"Coming!" Asuka called. She got up and ran towards the door.

She opened the door with a bright smile on her face, but it immediately faded when she saw who was outside.

"Hey," Hell Kaiser greeted.

There was a brief silence between the two.

"Listen, um… I'm really happy you came… I didn't think you'd come." He began.

"Oh… is that why you were so cruel?" she asked bitterly, "Is that why you acted like Hell Kaiser?"

"No… Asuka, you didn't need to see that."

"Then why did you want me to come?"

"Because…" his voice trailed off. He thought for a moment. "Because I thought that maybe you can help me overcome my fear."

"Fear?" she asked, "What fear?"

"Fear of being alone. Fear of being me."

Time suddenly seemed to stop for Asuka. Shock filled her. It was... fear? Fear was what kept Hell Kaiser from being the respectable man he should be? At that moment, Asuka couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Asuka," he began, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I just wanted to prove that I was strong. I was tired of losing, tired of everyone calling me names and treating me like trash. I feared that I would be nothing, so I strived to want victory and nothing else. But doing so shoved away those who I really loved… those who I truly trusted."

"Well, you didn't need to get involved in an Underground duel to prove that you were strong," Asuka retorted.

"I didn't have a choice, Asuka!" Kaiser roared, "Everyone ridiculed me. Everyone made fun of me. I started to doubt myself. I started to question my abilities. I had nothing. I lost everything! My career, my fame, my fortune, my pride... my dignity… everything. I even lost respect for myself!"

Asuka held his clenched fist. "Enough, Ryo. Please."

Kaiser softened. He laced his hand around Asuka's. "Your presence is soothing, Asuka. The beast in me is suppressed whenever you're around."

This was true. Asuka knew it was. When Kaiser saw her watching his duel, his angered expression had calmed down.

They stared into each other's eyes, as if trying to search for some kind of solitude in them.

To Kaiser, it was comfort.

To Asuka, it was reassurance.

They were suddenly lost in each other's gaze. Then, Kaiser leaned in and met his lips with hers. Asuka still had her eyes open, staring at Kaiser. Should she pull away?

She tried her best to break off the kiss. It was wrong. But Kaiser pulled her closer, more intimately. Her knees felt weak. She felt her ever-present thirst to be with Kaiser finally being quenched. Asuka's eyes slowly closed. She dared to wrap her arms around his neck.

He held her waist and entered her mouth hungrily. And she did the same. Their tongues tasted each other. Their heads shifted. Kaiser shoved her against the wall and kissed her roughly. And Asuka felt a rush flow through her body. Her hands ran through his hair.

And then the image of Edo flashed in her mind. Her heart sank. Asuka immediately pushed Kaiser away. She stared back at Kaiser, horrified. It was then that she realized there was someone watching them on the side. She turned her head to that direction, and her stomach churned.

There, standing before them, was Edo himself, too shocked to utter a single word, too frozen to leave.