Anyone who get's the reference to a certain manga in this chapter is awesome! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter. It may be a while before I can update again, due to technological difficulties, but I'll try my hardest to figure something out. See you then, and thanks for reading! 3
"Please, Morino-sama—" I stutter desperately. It's over. It's all over. Something inside me wells up and bursts. I was so close to him…
Morino-sama's eyes blaze. "You insolent, little—!"
"Leave her alone!"
A hear the door swing open behind me, and I trip backwards. I hadn't realized how hard I was pressed against the door. I stumble back into Ryoshi's arms, and his embraces steadies me automatically, letting me turn to look at his face. His eyes are blazing as bright as his mother's, the green in each of their gazes reflected in the other.
Morino-sama's frown settles in. A moment passes as she stares down her son, almost in resigned disbelief.
"Do whatever you want to me. Just leave her alone." Ryoshi's voice is hard. He's not mad… But something unmovable—manly—fills his voice. Morino-sama seems taken aback, but only for a moment.
"You. Explain! Now," she growls, fury burning in her grey-green eyes like a violent storm.
Ryoshi relaxes his protective grip on my shoulders. He takes a deep breath.
"I never wanted to leave the Academy. I think you know that."
Morino-sama's fists clench at her sides. "I don't care about that. You're not in charge. I am. And you are never going back. Your recent behavior proves that to me," she says, her voice raised.
"You lied to me, directly disobeyed me, and violated my trust, all to sneak around with some maid!"
"Hey!" I snarl. "He didn't do anything!"
"You!" Morino-sama hisses at me. "You're the real problem here! What was the plan, hm? You were going to kidnap him, without my consent?"
"I'm not going to just stand by and watch you ruin his life because of something I did!"
"Ryoko—" Ryoshi tries to stop me, but I won't be stopped.
"My name's not Capulet," I spit at her. Pulling away from Ryoshi, I yank the blue wig off my head, letting my chestnut hair spill down over my shoulders.
"I'm Okami Ryoko. And I came because you took away… you t-took away…" my voice falters. Here it goes. It's now or never. I squeeze my eyes shut, summon all my courage, and yell
"You took away someone I love!"
Silence.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. The blood rushes to my face, roaring in my ears. I feel weak inside. But it d-doesn't matter… I have to keep going. I've come this far. I've got to be strong. Be like the wolf. Be like the wolf! He's yours. Take him!
"S-so I… I wasn't gonna let him get away." I breathe, the frustration inside swelling up at Morino-sama.
"And I won't let you take him again! I need… I need him to stay with me. So yeah… I came to take him away."
Morino-sama gawks at me, the anger faintly masked by shock. I've almost forgotten about the person who matters the most right now.
"Ryoko," A faint voice behind me says. My heart pounds louder.
"Is… is all of that… true?" His voice is filled with something wonderful, something like how the first words of a person who hadn't been able to talk their whole lives would sound. Something new and amazing and warm.
I blush, and hug my arms around my waist self-consciously. Still, I turn, and I look him in his eyes.
"Ryoshi… I—"
"I've heard enough!" Morino-sama's voice thunders. "That's all very nice, but I refuse to let a random girl take my son God knows where! I took him home for a reason, and I intend to keep him here! And he will be punished for his behavior!"
"Mom… please. Let me do this. I need to leave." Ryoshi's voice is steel, but I can hear the pain under it. He loves her a lot.
"You're being a foolish boy. You're hormones are overcoming your intelligence! And your character," she spits.
"What is your problem?" I exclaim. "He hasn't done anything wrong! If you love Ryoshi and you want him to be happy then why won't you let him go back with me?!"
"When will you learn," Morino-sama seethes, "that some things are none of your business! This is all your fault!" she cries, hands shaking.
"If only you weren't here!"
Morino-sama's face turns red, her mouth bares in a snarl, and she twists—a blur. My heart jumps.
There's a loud smack!
I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the sting of her palm against my face to set in. But it doesn't ever come.
Ryoshi stands in front of me, his left cheek an angry shade of red.
He slowly rubs it, and looks up at his mother.
"R-Ryoshi… I didn't mean to…" She stutters in shock.
"I promised to always protect her."
Ryoshi moved in front of me. He saw that she was going to hit me. He protected me. Even from his own mother.
"I love her. And I'll never leave her side. I hope one day you'll forgive me, and understand."
Ryoshi takes my hand. "We better go."
"Hey… Aragami didn't bring the bus yet. We can't just leave."
"Don't worry, I planned in case this happened as soon as I knew you didn't have a plan b) if you got caught. I'm always looking out for you." He smiles.
"You aren't going anywhere!" Morino-sama yells. "If you think I'm going to just let you—Aaaghhh!"
"Oh, pipe down!" laughs a familiar high pitched voice from over our shoulders, followed by the loud SLAM of a door. Ryoshi and I twist in surprise to see Amaterasu and Jared pressed up against Ryoshi's bedroom door. Inside, I can hear shouting.
What the hell… Did they barricade her in his room?!
"Us to the rescue!" Jared choruses, giving me a thumbs up. Amaterasu winces.
POUND! POUND! POUND!
"OPEN THIS DOOR!" Ryoshi's mother screams. "Who the hell do you think you are, you little brat?! OPEN THIS GODDAMNED DOOR!" Jared's body jolts with every bang.
"Why are you two still here?" Amaterasu grins widely. My heart jumps up and down like it's on a pogo stick.
Amaterasu laughs. She having way too much fun with this! What the crap even just happened here?!
"Come on, losers!" She shouts. "Run! Runrunrunrun!"
