Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : Chapter 23 - Perfect Match
Jisho/Dictionary:
ANOOO… Well… Umm...
ARIGATOU /DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA… Thank you
BAKA / BAKERO… Fool / Stupid
GOMENE / GOMEN NASAI… I'm sorry
HAI… Yes
HONTOU...Really
KONNICHIWA… Good afternoon
KUSO…A cuss word
MATSU/TOSHIE… Matsu is a famous historical character who is wife to a lord, Toshie Maeda. She was known to be wise and powerful, even taking over Toshie's duties when he was off at war.
MIKO… Shrine attendant
MOSHI MOSHI… Hello (Phone greeting)
NANI … What?
NADESHIKO … Perfect woman (Japanese perfect picture of a submissive, beautiful woman)
OJII-SAN… Grandfather
OMEDETOU… Congratulations
ONEE-SAN… Big sister
SOU KA / SOU DESU KA… Oh… Is that so
TADAIMA… I'm home!
In the Previous Chapter:
Kenta, Kamui, Soujirou and Sanjounin all wonder why they can't seem to remember what has happened to them in the past few days. The "accident" has caused many disturbances in their [present] lives.
Kenta Maeda did remember that he signed as a lead in Youji Take's play but could not remember his lines or that he had rehearsed with a cheerful girl named Minako Aino. He hesitantly took back his modeling stint under Kin beer once again. On the day that Minako Aino suffered under Take-san's directorial domination, she collapsed under tense pressure from the loss of her crush and also from a very badly ruffled costume. She thought that she had dreamt a very handsome vision of Kenta Maeda, not knowing that it was the real one who captured her.
Sanjounin Masato was finally discovered, not by Makoto Kino, but by the coolest rock producer in all of Japan -- Yoshiki Morie. It seems that the "accident" has caused him better fortune. It even gave him a waking vision of a young woman calling out to him from the crowd and from it thus named his new band under Morie-san as "Nephrite."
Rei Hino had invited Kamui Asano to the Tomesatsu Jinja for her first attempt to help him remember, but Nanako Asano, Kamui's mother showed up instead. Nanako Asano gave Rei an offer -- help Kamui remember what has happened in the next 3 months. If she fails, Rei could no longer see Kamui again. Rei later took on the challenge and asked Kamui to meet at the Sumida River. Before she came there, she passed by the Parliament building to see her father and met Kaidou-san and his daughter. Kaidou-san was so concerned with Rei walking in the cold and made her ride in his car to go to the Sumida.
The meeting with Kamui at the Sumida ended in utter disappointment with Rei thinking more of Kaidou-san's kindness rather than that of Kamui's coldness.
(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)
………………………………
Juichigatsu. Sanjunichi. (November 30th)
Today was a day for contemplation. A rest day to juggle between one's toxic schedule and one's determined efforts to ease the disappointment caused by the "accident."
Kamui slouched on the huge sofa of the Asano living room and leaned back to puff circles of smoke towards the chandelier. He did that in between the times he looked at his mobile phone -- the old one that the miko of Hikawa Jinja had given him and wondered… Would she think it fresh that I call her?
In between that, he wondered why she had given him a worn-out phone anyway.
Kamui's faithful valet, Nishida, who was ever so faithful by his side by being "promoted" to be Kamui's 'assistant' (as recommended by Aiko Asano herself) grunted at the sight of his now affirmed boss becoming a couch potato and doing nothing.
Nishida also didn't approve the events that had happened recently. The first being that he had let Rei Hino out in the cold at the Sumida. The next one where he had insisted to meet Yuuka Tominaga just to tell her that he remembers her well and would no longer get back with her. (Well, this one got some of Nishida's approval except that he had to see Yuuka Tominaga begging again….) The third was that Kamui met with Suzaku-sama… twice.
Kamui reasoned that Suzaku-sama was lost to his memory and she deserved much respect being an Imperial Princess when his own father expected this match to work. It did not escape Nishida's notice that the reserved princess now outwardly showed her fondness for his young master. If there was no Rei Hino in the picture, he would not have minded that because the Imperial Princess was quite the nadeshiko herself where Rei Hino seemed to be only in appearance. Suzaku-sama was docile and submissive. Having been schooled in K.O university, the best in Japan, and traveled all over the world as a princess, she was of course very knowledgeable and intelligent. And very agreeable.
Rei Hino was obviously not very agreeable. That was what Nishida thought intrigued Kamui to Rei because Kamui didn't want a geisha for a wife. Kamui had once remarked that he what he wanted was a "Matsu for a Toshie." In short, a beautiful deputy by his side not just an attractive consort.
"Stand up, lazy bakero!!!" Nishida shouted as he couldn't help himself.
Kamui was startled for awhile and then calmly put down his phone and puffed some smoke upward again.
Nishida rushed briefly to stand in front of his master and restraining himself, he said, "You can't just sit here all day."
"I have no schedule for the rest of the week until the 15th of December for the first party held by MP Hanaoka," Kamui said and yawned soon after.
"Any other … things?"
"Suzaku-sama said she'll meet me later to treat me out for good Vienna coffee."
Nishida coughed. "And the others?"
"Others?"
Nishida raised an eyebrow. "Kamui… you baka…."
Kamui sighed. He held the phone up and looked forlornly at Nishida. "She hasn't called or texted me back." He then slumped back on the couch to puff more smoke in the air.
There seemed to be progress at least for Kamui obviously seemed crushed at disappointing Rei Hino, but for him to slouch in despair in his sofa all day? "This doesn't seem like you at all," Nishida commented.
Kamui sighed again. He raised his head up and then stretched over to kill the cigarette off in his ashtray. He rested his elbows on his knees and looked at Nishida. "Calculated risk," he told Nishida.
"Nani?"
"I remember taking risks, Nishida. It was no problem for me," Kamui answered. "But I can't take risks on things I don't know about. Calculated risks are risks you can manage. I can't take anymore than that because now that I can't remember things, I…."
Kamui lowered his head and paused to restrain the hurt in his chest. "I don't want to mess anything up again," he confessed.
Nishida sighed, feeling a bit sorry for him. "You didn't mess anything up, Kamui."
"I have this deep feeling inside that somehow I am partly to blame for what has happened… that at least all of us… Kenta-kun, Sanjou-kun, Soujirou… wouldn't have all ended up in the same place just like that if we did not have a hand in it."
Nishida nodded.
"And right now… all I know is…." Kamui grabbed the old mobile phone and sadly looked at its screen. "She did not text or call."
………………………………
She was busy thinking of all kinds of devices as to how she would approach Kamui Asano. Although he was less busy, it seemed very hard to approach him. He was always engaged in a meeting with Suzaku-sama, who was, it seems, as determined as her to make him recover all the lost memories.
Well… maybe not as determined as her. Rei was certain that she was even more determined! Yet what was it that she was doing that was not enough? The few times that she attempted to meet Kamui, he could not remember her.
The only person probably happy here is Yuuka Tominaga. His memories of her were not lost. At least Kamui was certain that he and Yuuka are over! Now, all she could do is get back his memories before spring.
Mattaku…. by spring? What if she fails by then? Rei's almost fainted in despair just thinking about it!
RING!
Her phone, the red one… was ringing… with a call from… Nishida?
"Moshi-moshi…"
"Hino-san?"
"Hai….Kamu… Asano-san?"
"Anooo…."
"Kuso….Kamui!!" Now, this was the voice of Nishida talking, obviously irate.
"Gomen!" Kamui immediately bounced an apology. "Because you haven't called--"
"BAKA!" Nishida… once again.
"Gomen!!! Ano…." Kamui apologized again. "That is why I called. And…."
"It is… very good to hear from you again, Asano-san," Rei answered cheerfully and impatiently, trying to stop herself from sounding too enthusiastic.
"Really? I am so glad…."
A long pause, followed by a gentlemanly expression of, "Itte!" ( Nishida, on the other line, had bounced a pillow off Kamui's head to stop him from sounding too wimpy.)
"There is a gathering of all DLP members at the Hilton Hotel this Friday afternoon. It is a celebration of my father's appointment as prime minister--"
"Omedetou, Asano-san."
"Arigatou gozaimashita! I wanted to ask if you could come with me as my…."
Another long pause. (He was able to catch the next pillow that Nishida threw at him again.)
Kamui coughed. "Hino-dono is also a DLP member. We would be happy to welcome you both in that celebration."
Rei heaved a heavy sigh. "My father… is not coming, Asano-san. I had overheard from Ono-san that he has honorably excused himself from this event. But he is sending Kaidou-san in his stead."
"Sou…." Kamui's heavy sigh can be heard loudly from Rei's end. It would be impolite to ask Hino-dono's daughter to come to the DLP Party if Hino-dono himself would not be there.
"That is quite sad. So then…. would you like to meet after?" Kamui proposed.
"After?"
"Hai… after the DLP celebration. Maybe we can meet around seven o'clock at the Ice Skating Rink beside it?"
"Hai."
"Huh?" Kamui was very surprised at the very quick reply.
But she was only happy that he could not see her blush and hoping that he didn't think that she was too desperate. "Hai," she repeated. "I shall see you there at seven o'clock."
There was a long pause right after and only Nishida noticed it. On the other line, Rei heard a loud thud because on Kamui's end, his phone had fallen to the floor after Nishida had hit him with another pillow because apparently, Kamui had not noticed that he was wasting time grinning to himself.
"Hai… as you said… I shall see you at the Skating Rink," Kamui said calmly after he had composed himself.
It was too bad that he wasn't able to see her smile as she hung up that phone -- the very first smile after these months. It would've been a fair accomplishment.
Yet Nishida seemed a bit worried. Pacing himself a little towards his young master, he leaned over and said, "That solves one problem. At least we would not create an awkward situation where you have to bring your father's daughter's rival to his own celebration."
"And what is the other problem?" Kamui inquired, still smiling.
"The Crown Princess herself is downstairs, expecting for your invitation to this event," stated Nishida, sighing. "And you have no excuse to give her."
Kamui quickly realized what Nishida had meant and his smile also immediately disappeared. "It is natural that she will be invited to the prime minister's celebration, of course. She is the crown princess."
"Not the invitation from your father," Nishida corrected. "The--"
"--I know…" Kamui shrugged. "Should she really come to this with me on her arm?"
"You did spend a lot of time with her more than this other one."
Kamui raised an eyebrow. "You confuse me, Nishida," he said. "All this time, I thought you were against this whole relationship with Suzaku-sama."
"I am only playing devil's advocate."
Kamui chuckled. "I don't remember that you were like this before, Nishida!"
"That is because you were not like this before as well. You always made firm decisions," Nishida stated. "I think you are the confused one."
"Kuso…."
"…."
"You obviously know what happened, Nishida. Just tell me and I will do what logically should follow right before that accident."
"Baka… You know better than to ask me that."
"Then why can't you tell me?" Kamui asked, sounding helpless.
"Because you might not like what had happened before," Nishida answered promptly, without hesitation. "You may like this new life of yours better. There is a great possibility that you would not return to who you were before that… 'accident.' But no one else should influence your future. You should make that decision yourself."
Kamui nodded to denote that he had understood and smiled weakly at Nishida. "I am going downstairs and face her myself, then," he said, completely resigned to his fate.
"It seems that what you would be doing is... "what logically should follow?" Nishida chided.
Kamui shrugged. "Calculated risk," he replied, smiling.
………………………………
Ami Mizuno felt a little bit uneasy as two hours passed and Soujirou Nishimura, who sat beside her, still remained focused on his laptop, playing on some computer language she does not understand. The people at Tokyo Tech passed by and could not help but give a strange look at them because they cannot understand why they sat at that bench in the cold.
Ami still felt comfortable in this temperature, thanks to three layers of clothing, a warm heated muffler and well… Soujirou Nishimura. She found out that although he could not remember her, he was still his very weird self, and that was something she could draw on should his memories return.
In fact, right now, Soujirou was busy fixing his website… his website of her.
"I am quite amused that I have built such an extensive website," he told her earlier. "It even has an easily updated calendar! I am just so good at these things!"
Well… never mind that the very obvious things still reminded Soujirou of himself.
"I still cannot fix this code, Mizuno-san!" Soujirou stated helplessly. "There seems to be an error which is why I can't upload some of your previous photos!"
"Anooo… " Ami began, twitching uncomfortably. "… Why are you still doing that?"
"Mizuno-san… a good masterpiece that I have built like this cannot just go to waste!" Soujirou replied, his eyes fixed on his laptop. "Can you look at that? I am the highest ranked graduate of this university! I can't let anyone down!"
"But Nishimura-san… this is a website about me!"
"Sou desu!" he remarked happily and proceeded to type madly onto his laptop.
Ami sighed and felt very dejected. It seems that Soujirou would not be able to detach himself from his project. The very sight of her only reminded him of his "masterpiece." Oh well, she thought, it was good that he was at least committed to excellence.
Much like herself. But this time, she stood up and walked away from Soujirou Nishimura, feeling like the biggest loser because she walked away unnoticed. Only frostbite could gain the attention of Soujirou Nishimura until he successfully compiles that piece of code in his masterpiece.
………………………………
Junigatsu. Futsuka. (December 2)
Coming home from her last class that afternoon, Rei Hino was surprised at the specially parked black Toyota Prius in front of Hikawa Jinja. As soon as she reached the top of the stairs, Phobos and Deimos stood perched on the torii posts, whistling peacefully. Even with the defeat of their last enemy, Elis, those two would remain restless with any unfamiliar or unwelcome visitor such as the new mailman who would flirt with their priestess. So there must be some kind of strange power here to have overcome her two guardians.
Indeed there was because as soon as Rei opened the sliding door to their living room, there knelt her ojii-san with his visitor, calmly sipping his tea.
"Your daughter is here now, Hino-dono," her grandfather said. "I will have to go now and tend to the Sacred Fire before it runs out."
Hino-dono nodded and bowed low to his father-in-law in a kneeling position while the latter reciprocated with a bow standing up. Then he continued to kneel there and sip his tea without looking back at her.
"Hino-dono does not usually stay long to take tea when he comes here," Rei's grandfather whispered quickly as he walked past her. "I tried to make tea just how your mother did."
"Arigatou… ojii-san…" Rei whispered back, gratefully, before walking forward and kneel on the pillow where her grandfather knelt, to face her father.
"Tadaima… " Rei greeted with a short bow.
Her father nodded. "It's quite cool, isn't it?" he commented.
"Hai," she answered, feeling so strange for her father to make small talk.
Her father sighed, releasing some mist through his mouth, as he looked around the living room. "It's been a long time … to be here," he softly remarked, glossing through his surroundings once more.
Rei nodded and could only guess what her father meant. There was clearly a brief sense of nostalgia there about these surroundings that seemed strange to him yet are just too familiar to her. But just like her father, he quickly snapped out of it and after sighing once more, coughed to return to his stern demeanor.
"I want to ask for a favor of you," he told her.
"What favor is that, father?"
"Tonight is the DLP Celebration to honor the new head of the DLP Party… the new prime minister…" he coughed for a moment, genuinely having difficulty to say it. "… Asano-dono."
"Hai," she quickly answered, being familiar with the event herself.
"I have excused myself from this celebration because I think that it is not yet the proper time to face him. Therefore, I am sending Kaidou-san in my place and I also want to ask that you accompany him as well. He shall arrive here later to pick you up at seven in the evening."
"But father… " Rei immediately reasoned without flinching. "Being there with Kaidou-san will make them all think that we--"
"--We can let people think what they think but it is not like that at all unless you have accepted his proposal," Ryoichi Hino interrupted. "The fact is that I would like to send a solid representation to this celebration as much as I can and you, as my daughter, would be the best representative. You were even present when I defended my Succession Bill so everybody knows who you are."
"I thought Kaidou-san always represented you, father?"
"In political functions, that is enough but this is a celebration. It would be better to send you, my own daughter who bears my name."
"Sou…" she sighed.
A small pause because Ryoichi Hino saw the obvious hesitation on his daughter's face. "Won't you ask me why I would not rather go myself, Rei?"
"…."
"My ambition to be the next prime minister was great enough that I worked myself up to be who they called as the best contender to Asano-dono. I have shifted from the DLP to the SCP and even went back to the DLP where Asano-dono was one of the few who actually welcomed me. But in the end, these steps backfired at me."
Ryoichi Hino's voice softened and his eyes glazed at her with humility. "I intend to face Asano-san when Parliament opens in the new year but meeting him at a celebration is rather difficult at this point."
Rei was obviously not convinced to go. The simplest motivation was that Kamui will see her there with Kaidou-san! At this point however, she heard her grandfather call her name and hearing the distress in his voice immediately welcomed this break and excused herself from her father's presence.
So she ran out there and only found her ojii-san patiently waiting by the torii post where Phobos and Deimos still whistled peacefully.
"He obviously cannot tell you," her grandfather immediately muttered.
"Cannot tell me what, ojii-san?"
"He was able to say it earlier… that the tea I made is nearly like how your mother used to make it… but only nearly," her grandfather said. "I would say this was the most honest thing I have heard Hino Ryoichi-dono say."
"Nani?"
"I think what you he cannot say is that he is a sore loser and that is right!"
"Eh?" Rei can't believe her ears.
"Look at your father there trying to drown his sorrows in tea believing that's how your mother's used to make it for him. That's from a man trying to cope up with a huge loss, only now it is larger than life. He has sacrificed everything in order to become a prime minister and ended up losing it to a man who didn't seem to sacrifice anything for it."
"Wouldn't you say, Rei-chan… " her grandfather continued. "… that Junichiro Asano still has his pretty wife and his heir always by his side, eh? Yet your father now sips tea in our house … alone."
"Sou ka…." Rei said with complete honesty, as this is probably the time that she felt the most sympathy for her father.
"Then you must know what you should do then, Rei-chan?"
Rei nodded, smiling weakly.
Her grandfather nodded and smiled back at her.
That thus, Rei walked calmly to the living room and accepted to do what her father asked. Her father then immediately thanked her-- a very formal and immediate greeting of "Arigatou." And then he proceeded to say that Kaidou-san will be coming shortly in an hour to pick her up and issued another request to give a formal congratulatory greeting in his behalf to Asano-dono and his family.
And before she knew it, it was over. Her father stood up so quickly that she immediately rose to her feet and bow back at him. "I am truly, very grateful to you… my daughter," Ryoichi Hino said humbly, bowing for the second time. He tried to utter another word but quickly changed his mind and rushed out of Hikawa Jinja, walking briskly down its stairs after giving a short bow to his former father-in-law.
"You did the right thing," she heard her grandfather say immediately, jilting her in surprise as to how he seemed to have emerged miraculously in that living room in a few minutes. "Don't even think of changing your mind. You must prepare now."
Rei didn't even have the time to change her mind because there were only a few hours to prepare for such a very formal event. Kamui himself is there. That was enough motivation. But that itself presented another problem. What should a "contender's daughter" wear that is appropriate to congratulate his rival on this occasion?
The formal dresses she had were already something that they had seen before and even if that wasn't an issue, they seemed … too much. (As it turns out, fashion was always an issue in politics especially for women who wanted to impress the top politician's son.)
Fortunately, her ojii-san had all the answers that day. He was lugging around a huge crate covered in brown cloth and laid that box in front of her, just as she was sitting contemplating on her 'fashion' problem inside her room. Her ojii-san gently unwrapped the cloth and opened the wooden box's lid as carefully as possible.
"I have been preparing for the perfect time that you should wear this, having it ironed and washed regularly as though it would be anytime soon but …" her ojii-san chuckled. "… That engagement ceremony of yours isn't coming along any day now, eh?"
Rei laughed softly along with her grandfather so as to mask the fact that he was … quite right.
He then gently took out from that box the most magnificent kimono that Rei had ever seen. It was of the richest crimson color with patterns and embroidery of sakura and dragons. The symbols on that kimono were a mixture of power and grace that were so elegantly laid on a long garment of silk.
"Your mother would be very proud if you wore this tonight," her grandfather announced proudly.
"Demo… ojii-san… are you sure it is alright?" Rei asked, reeling from shock and wonder. "I mean… would it be good for this occasion?"
Her grandfather smiled. "Of course. Your mother wore this on the day she headed the winter ceremony in the Emperor's Palace and it was that day that your father decided that he would marry her."
"Sou…" Rei muttered, smiling to herself. Well… that sounds just about right for the occasion. If this kimono is as magical and did the same effect for her mother, then it would do the same effect for Kamui Asano!
And so Rei was happily focused on donning on that kimono that Kaidou-san was not someone she was thinking of at that moment. That was until Kaidou-san himself was present at her door, looking so pristinely handsome and mature, with a bouquet of casablanca lilies in his hand.
What has changed about Kaidou-san? Rei asked herself as she took that moment when he had appeared. Kaidou-san had said nothing as he calmly handed the bouquet of her favorite casablanca lilies to her. If there was anything about those casablancas, of course, that was a trademark that belonged to Kaidou-san. Not Kamui.
"I had hoped that these would make you happy even as you are forced to join me in this event," Kaidou-san smiled as he told her. "But I think that you should know that Hino-dono is very lucky to have a daughter like you. I hope my daughter would grow up to be the same."
"Arigatou…." Rei muttered. She was really touched.
"Risa-chan wishes to say hello to the 'pretty onee-san,' by the way," Kaidou-san continued. "I was lucky enough to see her today even for a moment."
Then Kaidou-san remained silent during the entire ride to the Hilton Hotel. He was devoid of any other compliments for her. On previous days, she would have wished for this day when his compliments on how she beautiful she looked to him made her uncomfortable. Rei was thinking whether that kimono was actually that magnificent.
But maybe Kaidou-san had a lot of things in his mind as well, as he had given a slight mention of only seeing his daughter for a moment. Yet despite these things in his personal life, the gentleman that he was, Kaidou-san gently offered his hand to escort her all the way from the car to the entrance of the Hilton. Kaidou-san's hand was trembling through the entire time, probably thinking of how to behave as a good "contender" to the triumphant Asano clan heading his current DLP party.
"It will be alright…. Kaidou-san," Rei smiled as she reassured him, squeezing his hand. "I will do my best to assist you in this."
Kaidou-san smiled. "I am glad that we are together in this, Rei-san," he said. "Even if this is just one time."
There was that brief moment that they had both enjoyed -- truly a rare occasion -- when the successor of Ryoichi Hino went to the most important gathering of the DLP Party along with Ryoichi Hino's only daughter and heir. And that they went there in full solidarity to represent the head of the Hino faction in the DLP, as though this was a perfect match.
Ono-san who was at that party, completely forgotten without Ryoichi Hino, had not realized that it would only take this simple action to put Kaidou-san and Rei Hino together. She was in shock just looking at them together and wondered how this had happened without her express knowledge. It seems Ryoichi Hino had deliberately left her out from this and successfully managed to put these two together as he had intentioned it to be.
But she was not the only one who realized it. At the center of the ballroom was of course the head of the winning DLP faction and his son. Nishida who stood by both of them the entire night was a witness to the highly astonished reaction of his young master as Nishida traced the source of his young master's stare towards the other end of that ballroom.
Nishida's eyes were of course still covered with his signature shades but he could clearly see the beautiful nadeshiko in her brilliantly crimson kimono walking by the arm of his young master's former rival.
It was then that Rei realized that among the many stares at her, the strongest gaze had come from the center of the room, from the place where the object of her coming to this celebration stood. But Kamui had long been staring at her in what now seemed like a mixture of shock and disdain.
But why is Kamui looking at her that way? Is it possible that he now remembers?
Rei quickly released her hold on Kaidou-san's arm when she had this thought. But only a few steps in rushing forward to Kamui to explain, she saw Kamui sigh and immediately walked briskly out of that room.
Nishida who was behind Kamui immediately whispered a "Gomen nasai" and quickly followed his young master before he could quickly disappear.
Rei actually had the same intention as Nishida in following Kamui but stopped in her tracks as the people before her dispersed and it was then she saw that Kamui had left a very surprised Crown Princess behind--Suzaku-sama, whose hands remained clasped in shame because her escort had walked out, leaving her.
- tsuzuku -
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chiisai noto:
Remember, Kamui = Jadeite. Kenta = Kunzite. Soujirou = Zoicite. Sanjounin = Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) I think I would only have a few chapters more because it's just too much suffering to continue on this guess work. I didn't want to work on an amnesia arc previously but I thought that having the shittenou awaken in the present time realizing who they were and having no complications just doesn't make sense with the original story. So here we are, with them not remembering that one important aspect… but you'll soon know why. The epilogue looms.