So I'm alive... there's really no excuse for my absence besides the usual "Oh school sucks and too much homework blah blah blah" except I never updated over summer either... Well I working a full time job at a hotel with crazy hours but- I'm sorry! Please forgive me T_T Here's a longer chapter...

Loco chapter 25

"Oh my! What happened?!" One of the nurses rushes up to us once Kinzo carries me through the door, sopping wet.

"Dummy fell into the pool." I elbow him sharply and he grunts but grins all the same.

"That's the third one this year. They need to properly light that area," mumbles one of the nurses with a sigh.

"Bring her over here and set her on this chair." She asks someone to fetch some towels, blankets and dry clothes while Kinzo sets me down carefully.

"I just need my wrist re-wrapped. It's no big deal," I tell her.

"And her shoulder was dislocated recently," Kinzo interjects.

I scowl at him. The other nurse returns with the towels and blankets.

"I'm going to help you change into this yukata behind the curtain," she tells me indicating to her right.

Kinzo is bare-chested with a towel wrapped around his shoulders when we come back out.

"See something you like?" I snort and sit back in the chair. The nurse rolls up my sleeve to look at my wrist. She probes it tenderly. I wince but let her do her job.

"It looks to be healing nicely and no extra damage was done. I'm just going to rewrap it in a splint and gauze and then we'll look at your shoulder." I nod, only half-hearing her words. I feel her slide the collar of my yukata down over my shoulder.

"No bruising. That's a good sign." She lifts my arm and moves it around. "Good movement. It looks like you're just fine. I recommend wearing your sling for a while longer though." Where is my sling anyway? Oh yeah, I took it off back when I was eating.

"You left this." My sling lands in my lap. I look up at Kinzo who had tossed it to me. "Figured you'd need it."

"…Thanks." The nurse helps me slip it on

"I'll have your clothes washed and dried and taken to your room so you can go and rest now."

"Oh, thank you." I stand up.

"Take care of yourself!" She calls after me. I wave and smile and notice Kinzo following behind leisurely.

"Something you need?" I ask once we're outside.

"Came to make sure you don't fall into any more pools." I whip my head around to glare at him before quickening my pace. He catches up easily and matches my stride until he's at my side.

"Are you always this annoying or am I just that special?" He laughs and shrugs.

"I've never met a girl like you before."

"With your charm and tact I doubt you meet many girls at all."

"That's funny, coming from you."

I look up at him with a glare and his grin catches me off guard.

I suddenly think of Rin and in my mind picture him smiling at me like that. Rin will never look at just me like that. God, I'm an idiot.

"What's wrong? Don't have anything clever to say?" I stay silent. Rin's eyes, his grin flash through my mind. The dream I had in the train. Dammit. I really do care about him.

Kinzo stops and takes my wrist halting me too. I look up at him. His expression is worried. Hell, this guy is obviously interested in me and I'm thinking about some other guy that I can never have.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"Let go."

"No." I glare at him.

"What do you mean no?"

"Need a hearing check? I'm not letting go, not until you agree to come see my band." I struck speechless.

"What?" He rolls his eyes.

"Do you want me to repeat myself?" I stare at him, my eyebrows scrunched together.

"Aren't you a little old to be in a garage band?"

"It's not a garage band!"

"So you have a studio?"

"Yes! Well, it's a converted studio. Used to be a garage…." I hummed at him and give him a look.

He sputters, "That's not the point! We have a gig in a couple weeks and everyone's going."

"I guess I can go…Now let go of me! You stubborn idiot!"

Kinzo finally releases my wrist and steps back to give me a victorious grin. I look away, my face flushing.

"Why?" I finally ask.

"You needed something to take your mind off of whatever you were thinking about… did it work?"

I roll my eyes and step around him.

"I gotta go… See you…tomorrow I guess," I mumble and walk away.

"You better look forward to it! It's going to be awesome!" I hear him shout behind me.

I flash him a smile and with that I sprint away before he can say anything else.

I feel somehow giddy as I walk back to the girls' rooms. Giddy why? I have no idea.

Something distracts me from my confusing emotions—what was that sound? A…snore? I cease pacing and listen. Definitely a snore.

I look around the courtyard and spot a form passed out against a tree. Upon closer inspection I see that it's Rin. What the hell…? There's a stupid grin on his face and a flush on his cheeks. Ah, he drank what Shura gave us. I pick up the can to look at it. His was some kind of cocktail. He passed out from just this? What a light-weight. And this is the idiot that I may have feelings for?

I roll my eyes and then they come back to rest on his face. I crouch down next to him. On a whim, I brush the bangs away from his eyes.

"Mm, Shiemi…" My hand drops. My eyes close and I smile bitterly.

"Come on, you idiot, let's get you to bed." I take his arm and pull it over my shoulder. "Wake up, Rin."

"…Wha? 'sthat you, Mio?" He grumbles something unintelligible. "What're you doin' here?"

"Taking your ass to bed, so stand up." He groans and stumbles to his feet, almost toppling me over from leaning on me too heavily. This would be a lot easier with two working arms.

"M-Mio, yer such a good frieeeend, y'know that?!"

"…I know. Now walk straight. Not much farther."

Somehow I manage to lead us to the boys' room. As silently as I can I slide the door open with my foot and pull Rin through. The hardest part is trying to navigate around the sleeping forms to the side of the room where the other exwires are. We finally get there and I basically let him fall onto the futon. He starts snoring again almost immediately. Hopeless idiot.

I retreat out of the room as fast and quietly as possible. I do not want to be caught walking around here.

'Mm, Shiemi…'

My stomach clenches painfully. I sigh and enter the room the girls shared. I do my nightly rituals before crawling into my futon, pulling the comforter up to my nose. It takes a while to finally get his voice out of my head but it when does I fall into a restless sleep.

The next morning I wake up on my own, a fantastic feeling after being woken up at the crack of dawn the past week. It's our day off today. I roll over on my futon and stretch my limbs, yawning before getting up to do my morning ablutions.

I throw on a loose tank and cut off shorts, comb and braid my hair and then head to the dining room for breakfast. I take my time and let my eyes wander on my way. Everyone's busy as usual. I wonder if it gets hot in those dark traditional clothes?

Inside the dining hall is more quiet, most everyone had already eaten by now. I do see Rin with the other exwires though, also getting a late start apparently.

I still wasn't too keen on Miwa and Suguro but I still nod at them and sit close by. "That's some crazy hair you got there, Rin," I tease. "Feeling ok this morning?"

"…Yeah. I don't remember last night."

"Somehow I got drunk and fell asleep," muttered Suguro.

I snort and giggle. "How the hell did you not notice you were drinking something alcoholic?"

"It's not like I would know, Honda!

"All right, I'm going," announces Suguro, standing up.

"To the Nightingale Room?" asks Miwa.

"Yeah."

He leaves the dining hall leaving the three of us in a slightly awkward silence until Shima walks up and greets us, well more specifically, Rin. I smile into my tea. He finally came around. I didn't think it would take much. I glance at Miwa, who is looking at Shima with a slightly affronted expression.

"Honda! Did you drink the cocktails that Shura gave us?"

"Mine was beer actually, and of course I did! I'm not to pass up free booze," I smirk.

"Spoken like a true yankee," laughs Shima. I punch him in the arm. Rin laughs.

"Renzooo!" A voice calls.

"That voice…" Shima's face barely has time to pale before he goes sprawling from dramatic flying kick by Kinzo.

"What the hell was that?!" cries Shima.

""What… I kicked you. What are you stupid?"

"You're the stupid one, dumbass!" retorts Shima. I roll my eyes. What was that saying? 'The one who calls others a fool is the true fool'… or something like that?

"Koneko! What're over there for? Come eat with us!" Shima's older brother—Juzo, I think—calls to Miwa.

Miwa gets flustered and stutters out, "Um… I…I'm finished eating!" before collecting his things and rushing out.

"What's with him?" asks Juzo. Shima shrugs.

"Who's this guy?" Kinzo asks suddenly gesturing at Rin.

"Oh! This is my friend Okumura. And this is Honda," Shima says, pointing us out respectively.

"Oh, right right. I'm Juzo, Renzo's big brother! And That's Kinzo. He's a moron. Renzo's the runt of the litter. And a real perv. Go easy on him."

"That's an understatement," I tease.

"Mio!" Whines Shima. I smile innocently. Shima's older brothers take seats next to us.

"How's your arm this morning?" asks Kinzo.

"…It's fine, just a little stiff." Rin and Shima look at us in confusion.

"Do you guys know each other?"

"We met yesterday. I wouldn't say I know him," I say, glancing at Kinzo.

"I'd say we're pretty well acquainted by now. You look pretty good in a wet shirt." He grins cheekily. Water spurts out of Rin's mouth, Shima gets a stupidly perverted look on his face and I'm too shocked to say anything and my mouth just hangs open. Juzo just smacks his forehead.

Kinzo bursts out laughing at our faces. "I'm kidding, princess. I didn't see anything." My mouth snaps shut and my face burns bright red. I glare at him fiercely and make an obscene hand gesture.

"So… what kind of relationship… do you two have?" asks Rin after a moment after wiping his mouth.

"No relationship!" I snap. "I fell into the pool last night after he pissed me off."

"You make it seem like it's my fault," Kinzo grins.

"It was your fault! If you had just left me alone, then I wouldn't have gone off into the dark and fallen in." He shrugs, still grinning like an idiot.

"Ok then… Okumura! Speaking of pools, it's our day off today, why don't we go? I'll invite Izumo if you invite Shiemi? You're invited too of course, Mio." Shima says with a smile with a boat load of double meaning. Why do guys even invite girls to pools at all? One word: bikinis. I give him a withering look.

"Unfortunatley, I've had quite enough of pools, so you'll have to go without me." I really just didn't feel like seeing Rin ogling Shiemi in her swim suit. I glance at Rin and his eyes are glazed over and drool threatening to spill over. I sigh.

"Am I invited?" Shura waltzes up and hooks an arm around Rin's neck. "Sorry to disappoint but you've got training to do, mister. Did you do it yesterday?"

"No… I don't remember anything after—"

"Yer slacking!"

"You're the one who gave us alcohol by mistake!"

"…Well, that's your fault for not training enough! You're gonna work extra hard today!"

"She really doesn't give up, does she?" Laughs Shima.

"Sorry Shima, I guess I can't go today."

"It's cool, man."

"Get a move on!" snaps Shura, smacking his back.

"Dammit, woman, I'm moving!" Rin shuffles off behind her, sulking.

I drink the rest of my tea and stand up as well. "I'm out of here too, guys. See ya later."

"Where are you going?!" Shima whines.

"It's my day off. I'm going to enjoy it, duh."

"How about I take you out? We could enjoy it together." He waggles his eyebrows.

Kinzo smacks Shima across the head. "What was that for?!" He demands.

"For being you."

"What's that mean?!" Shima cries. Kinzo winks at me. I flush and turn away quickly.

I leave the Shima brothers to squabble and go to find Shiemi and Izumo. Maybe they would want to hang out today. Girl time sounds really great.

I meander around the outside of the complex watching monks and exorcists rush around. If I were Shiemi, where would I be?

The garden, of course.

I make a circle back towards the kitchens at a leisurely pace staying outside and walking around the buildings. It's nice not having to worry about anything at the moment. This is really my first real day off since summer started. I sigh, of course I remember the whole reason why we're here- The eye of the Impure King. I guess as an exorcist, there's always something to worry about. Since there will always be demons. Thoughts of the mission bring me to the Myodha's internal issues. The traitor puzzle. My gut feeling tells me it's not Suguro's dad. It's just too damn easy. But then who would it be otherwise? And what would the motive be? I need to know more. It's killing me. Ugh, now I'll never be able to relax.

I find myself outside the garden. I peek inside and see Shiemi working on something. Someone calls for her insde and she rushes off. So much for a day off. I leave her alone and walk back inside to the kitchens and through the hallways. I have no clue where Izumo would be. The girl's a brick wall. What does she even do with her time off? Probably studies. I probably wouldn't be able to get her to hang out with me anyway.

Wandering through the hallways, I find numerous unused meeting rooms and sitting areas-just how big is the place anyway? I begin to hear voices coming up in one of the rooms. There are also a couple monks standing outside the room to stand guard I guess. Whatever is going on in that room it's important. I think I heard earlier that the heads of the families of Myodha were going to gather for a meeting today, this must be the room. I fein disinterest, despite my bubbling curiosity and walk past, ignoring their looks, and turn the corner. As soon as I'm out of their sight, I press my ear to the wall, hoping to hear something. Mumbling. I move further down the wall and the voices get slightly clearer. Something about Tatsuma Suguro and... recounting the incident. Which incident? I hear Todo's name so it must be the theft of the eye. I also hear the name of a Hojo and a Shima. I think it was Mamushi and Juzo. Do they have something to do with him? I guess that would make them the likeliest traitors if they did already know him. But what was the motive?! If it was one of them they would be betraying their families as well as their friends. But they would also have the most accessibility tot he Deep Keep. But Juzo seems like a pretty decent guy, one of those natural leaders. The Mamushi girl though... The only time I saw her was when she was about to attack the Shima's. Not really the best first impression of her. She was willing to attack them like that though. Is that motive enough? A family feud?

They're arguing again, their voices raising and becoming even more illegible. I huff and stand straight. I better not push my luck too much sneaking around like this. Who knows how much trouble I'd get in. It gives me chills just thinking what Shura would do to me.

I'm going to just go find somewhere to chill for now I guess. What would I do anyway if I did discover something anyway? Who would believe me?

Thanks to those who reviewed and started following me on my hiatus. It really means so much to me and UGH! I wish I was a better author to you guys!

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