A/N: Hello. I hope you are not having a bad day because this update is not really a feather tickle. I have used the third person perspective for this chapter only because I think it underlines the importance of the events in this chapter and maintains a hold on the graphic part of the story. As always, I hope you like this chapter.

Feedback: ScriptAngel – Thank you for your review. I know what you are saying and as the writer, I wanted to get done with this chapter as soon as possible. Hence, the early update. I am looking forward to your feedback with this one.
neha borkar – Thanks you for your review, Neha. It's my responsibility to present all the aspects of this story to the best of my abilities and I had to write this. I hope you appreciate the speedy update.

Theme: Echo by Jason Walker – word to the wise, don't listen to this song if you are feeling lonely. Phew.

Disclaimer: I do not own City Hunter or its characters, nor do I own any of the songs mentioned here.

You Will Find Me

Kenji Kato hated school, despised it. School was a waste of time. He never understood half of what the teachers were saying nor did he want to. The only reason he hadn't dropped out of school yet was a promise. He had made the promise to a young woman who had rescued him from police brutality and become his guardian. At first, he was hesitant to trust the broad, but he knew anything was better than being hunted by the police night after day. And damn, the broad breathed new life into him. She and her old grandparents never had much for their own selves. Yet they always seemed to have enough for juvenile delinquents. The old man and his wife were amiable, wise and very loving. The broad was gentle, sweet, generous and (Kenji later realised) beautiful. She was not pretty in the conventional sense. Heck, fifteen year olds had better butts and tits. When it came to the broad, Kenji was least interested in her body. She was the other type of beautiful. You could spend your whole life looking at her face which was always radiant and peaceful. Her eyes were black but full of tidal dreaminess. And when she laid a hand on your shoulder, told you that everything was going to be okay, you fell in love with her. Kenji did have a crush on his Sensei, but he would never say so aloud. He knew that she loved Makimura Keiji and that he loved her back. The way they sometimes looked at each other made you wonder if you could ever be in love with someone like they were. He had the iron resolution and sense of justice of a samurai. She had a kind heart and a radiant smile of a goddess. To Kenji, she was an occasional goddess. He had a crush on her, alright, but there was no attraction between them. He never had the desire to touch her or tell her sweet nothings. He only wanted to serve her, protect her and not be treated like the brother she never had. Getting ready for school at 8:00 am on the 31st of the third month, Kenji is not aware that his first love has begun to die slowly in the kitchen.

Byounkai High School has a bad reputation for their under qualified staff. It was a mystery to teachers from other elite schools when a 20-something teacher from Byounkai received the Best Teacher Award in the district two years in a row. If they could see how hard she worked, they would give her a presidential medal for her service to the nation. She never took a sick leave. She never faked an illness for temporary leave. She worked relentlessly for the betterment of her students and the society in which they lived. Many a times, her efforts would go to waste. But the number of reformed children graduating Byounkai High School was higher than the ones who never changed their ways. All thanks were due to Saki Nogawa.
She has to teach algorithms to class 10-A today. Algorithms are easy, she thought, getting her students to study them is difficult. Moreover, she was not feeling quite like herself today. An uneasy sensation spread through her body and a pressing congestion thickened near her heart. It was 4 in the morning when she woke up and the house was not going to clean itself, nor was the kitchen going to cook food on its own. She tried to dismiss the aura of impending doom which followed her in every room. By the time breakfast was over, Saki could barely stand. Her legs felt alright down to the knees, but it seemed that her calves had been dried of all their density and strength. She stands to carry the dishes when breakfast is over and fails miserably. Her grandfather grips her hand before she can fall.
"Saki, are you alright?", he asks.
No, she isn't. This moment on, she is never going to be.
"I am fine, Sofu", she says.
Saki might be heroic when it comes to her own suffering. She is not stupid enough to jeopardise her health. If she doesn't look after herself, who will look after the world?
"I", she begins, "I don't feel very good though"
"What happened, Oneechan?", Fuka asks.
"Nothing, dear. I will just lie down for a while. It will be alright"
"No, no. Saki, don't go to school today. Stay at home. You are not well", her grandmother holds her, checking for fever.
"I am...", she knows, "...not fine. Sorry. Kenji, I will write a letter for my leave. Will you give it to the Principal?"
"Yes", he says.
Her grandfather says,
"I will write the letter. You go to your room, child. Kids, hurry up if you don't want to be late for school"
Jetsu asks before going to retrieve his school bag from the boys' room,
"Is Oneechan okay?"
"She will be. Get your bag", Kenji says.
The Nogawa household is a bit surprised this morning. Their pillar has never looked so ill and tired.

In her room, Saki is having trouble lying down. She tells her grandmother,
"I don't want to lie down. It's making things worse"
"How?"
"I feel like I am sinking"
"But you must have some rest", her grandmother pleads.
"Yes", she says, "I will sit in the backyard"
The old woman holds her granddaughter's hand and walks her to the backyard. She asks,
"What is wrong exactly? Are you hurting?"
Saki drops into the chair, out of breath,
"It feels like something is inside me. It is rising from my stomach to my throat and I can't breathe properly, as if I am sea-sick"
"Oh Buddha. Saki, let's go to a doctor"
"I will be fine. I just need some rest"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Sobo. Do you mind going inside? I will try to take a nap"
"Sure. Call me if you need anything"
"I will. Thank you", she says.
Her Sobo leaves with a peck on the grandchild's forehead and a prayer. Saki is relieved to be left alone in her dinky old backyard. The rocking chair is relaxing. It is not helping her sickness though. She feels that her sudden disease is a warning. Something is going to happen. Something she might not like. No amount of medicines can rid her of this dreadfulness. Only one man can and she wonders where he is now.

"Aniki, don't forget the cake!", Kaori calls.
"I won't"
Hideyuki jimmies the key and opens the door to his Volkswagen. His sister calls again,
"And don't be late!"
"I won't"
He waves at her before getting inside the car and riding away. Today is a wonderful day, he believes. But he hates this weather. He says bitterly,
"It's going to rain"
Hideyuki understands the importance of rain but not its beauty. He loves sunny days. They remind him of Saki's smile. That priceless smile is what he is driving to at 3:00 pm in the afternoon. School is out at 2:30 pm and Saki is home by 3:15. If luck is on his side today (which he feels it really is), they can have a quick private conversation before she enters the house. It is not Friday nor is it a holiday, but he needs Saki today. It is Kaori's twentieth birthday. Hideyuki has to perform a fatherly rite and he will need a ton of courage to tell her the truth. She might cry. She might even get angry for not being told this before. If he is to get through this, he needs that soft voice at the back of his head, urging him to go on because he is "...Hideyuki Makimura, my modern Hercules".
Today is going to be a milestone. Not only will he give Kaori her mother's ring but also tell her about Saki. He wonders if Kaori remembers her. She should. Saki Nogawa is going to be her sister-in-law. Tomorrow, after the play, he will bring Saki to his house. He has chosen his words for the rendezvous with the required contemplation. He recites in the car,
"Kaori, this is Saki. I told you about her yesterday"

With thoughts for the future on his mind, Hideyuki parks his car next to the Nogawa House's entrance. The rusty gate moans open and then shut. He knocks on the door. The Nogawas seldom close the door to their house. He knocks again and reaches for the doorbell on the right. The door opens soon,
"Hideyuki-kun?"
"Good afternoon, Nogawa-Sofu"
"Good afternoon, good afternoon. Come in, please"
"Thank you"
The old man calls to his wife and then to the children. He looks very pleased with the surprise visit.
"Children, look who is here!"
They come in running from their rooms and squeal in delight,
"Maki-aniki!"
He greets them all and asks Fuka to distribute the candies he has brought. A little girl is standing in a corner of the drawing room staring at Hideyuki. The old man looks from him to her, and says,
"That is Minako-chan. She will be staying with us for a year till her sister is out of jail"
Poor kid, he thinks and smiles at her. Nogawa-Sofu introduces Minako-chan to him. The smile on her face and her joy at receiving another candy assures Hideyuki that he is going to get along with this kid too. He soon finds himself looking all over and listening for Saki's voice. As if reading his mind, the old man says,
"Saki is at home today"
"Hm?"
"She wasn't feeling well this morning, still isn't"
"Where is she?"
"In the backyard"
"Excuse me. I will just, uh... ask Saki-kun if she is feeling better"
"She will appreciate it", he smiles.

Hideyuki is visiting the Nogawa House today because he wants to share the big secret with Saki. He wants to tell her that Kaori is adopted. He needs Saki to tell him that he should reveal this secret without fearing Kaori's reaction. Knowing that Saki is not well, he has decided otherwise. He enters the backyard and looks around. His eyes have to pass twice over the region to see her. She is sitting in the old rocking chair, a shawl thrown across her shoulders and her eyes closed in meditation. He grazes her eyebrows with his thumb and says softly,
"Saki?"
She starts at his voice and looks up in surprise. He is worried now,
"Are you alright?"
"What are you doing here?"
"I... I was passing by and thought I could drop by for a while"
"Good", she nods, "Good"
Her eyes have purple and red lines scarred over them. Her pupils are dilated and twice their original size. She is shivering and her smile is absent. He kneels before her,
"Saki, what's wrong?"
"I don't know"
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"I don't know what is wrong", she sniffs, "But something is wrong and I can't stand this sick feeling anymore"
"Did you go to a doctor?"
"I don't want to. It's not something a doctor can cure"
"Then what is it?"
"You won't believe me"
Now he is offended, and quiet tense to adjust his glasses.
"What is it?"
She rubs her face repeatedly with her palms and mumbles,
"Something is wrong. Something is terribly wrong. I was hoping to see you today because I thought it would make me feel better. You are here now but my sickness won't go away. It's awful. I am sweating and I want to hold you till I am normal again"
"You know I would never mind that", he says, "But today... it's Kaori's birthday. And I have to attend a meeting with a client in an hour. Is there anything else I can do for you? Please tell me"
"Stay"
"Saki..."
"Please", she sobs, "Something is not right and I-I can't let you go today. You must be with me. Something is wrong out there"
"You are just having a panic attack. Relax. Everything is fine"
"It is not"
"Look, tomorrow we will spend the whole day together. We will go to that aquarium, then we will watch Othello. And I want you to meet someone very important tomorrow"
"Who?"
"Make a guess"
"Hideyuki..."
"Do you think it's easy for me to leave you when you are clearly not feeling so well? Just today. After tomorrow, I am all yours"
"You...", she stops.
"I am going to tell Kaori about you"
"But you wanted to wait"
"I know. I just can't stand this anymore. Meeting you secretly, having to act so formal with you in front of your family… it's… you can say that I am being selfish by putting my own feelings before Kaori's future but I have thought about it a lot. My love for my sister would never die because of you. My love for my family comes from responsibility, companionship and blood. But my love for you comes from deep within me, from a place which I only know of as my soul and every new day, Saki, I love you like never before"
He continues while she cries,
"I want to marry you soon so that I can take care of you if you are ever ill like this again. And there are other perks, if you know what I mean"
She doesn't smile. He does and stands,
"I am sorry, I must go now. I will pick you up from here tomorrow morning. Feel better, okay?"
She doesn't respond and he starts to leave. He has to halt after the first step. She is clutching his hand,
"Don't. Don't go"
Hideyuki looks back. He has rarely ever seen her cry before. It's amazing that she looks adorable even when crying. He smiles and cups her face with both hands,
"Look at me. Come on. Look at me"
She does so with reluctance and he uses his most convincing tone,
"Nothing is going to happen to me. I am completely fine"
"No", she whimpers.
He sighs,
"Don't I have your love to protect me?"
"What if my love is not strong enough?"
"Don't be ridiculous", he frowns.
"Please stay"
"Saki, I don't know how much you trust what we have, but I believe in you and in myself. If something ever happened to me, I know you will find me and make everything right. Do you understand?"
She looks up,
"I will find you?"
"Yes. You will find me"
He leans forward, kisses her mouth for longer than usual and gazes at her in admiration. She stops shaking and crying when he begins to walk away. He is being looked at longingly as he walks out of her backyard and then out of her sight.

By the time evening comes, Saki's condition has worsened. She is too weak to sit upright anymore. Her family insists that she see a doctor. She refuses. They suggest bringing a doctor home but there is a storm coming. The sky is in mourning and the dark is becoming stronger. Saki is shut away from the world in her room. The rain tramples all over the windows while she lies writhing in pain. It's dismissed as a feeling first. She knows it is more when a terrible ache rises in her gut. A powerful force suddenly closes in around her. She tugs at the imaginary hands on her throat and gasps for breath. She is being choked and yanked. Another savage hurt ensues in her left shoulder, and she tries her best to call for help. The scariest part? The pain is not internal. She can feel herself being pummelled, thrown and beaten. Yet she can't scream. If Saki didn't know better, she would think someone was pushing her against a rocky pavement and landing brutal, beastly kicks on her body, throwing her everywhere like a rag doll. Now, just for now, she feels different. She feels hopeful and her fingers go numb with the pain. Her arms rise as if to strike the invisible attacker.
"AAAAAAAHHH!"
A shrill howl, which could chill the marrow in your bones, issues from Saki's soul. She is being stabbed. She can feel it. There's an object inside her back. She tries to reach around to touch it but there is nothing. The pain is crusading enough to make her bleed for eternity and yet, she is not even bruised. This pain will kill her! She twists and turns in mirthless agony but the pain stays. The smell of blood and rain fills her nostrils as she makes an impotent effort to crawl.
Almost there. She is pulled down halfway to the door. Her body is weighed with a fatal ache and refuses to cooperate.
"Sensei! Sensei! Can you hear me? Open the door!"
Her mouth is outstretched and taut but the words 'save me' don't come out. Another shriek does. She is hurting like hell, a foul stench of blood is suffocating her and the sharp object is still inside her back. As a last effort, she summons all her strength to grovel and fails again, crashing hard on the floor. Her body is a dying mess and her vision is blurred with raindrops. How can it be when she's inside? All the voices are passing away and her favourite one remains as a pitiful echo throbbing through her veins,
"...care of Kaori"
Tears drench her face when she begs through clenched teeth,
"Hideyuki"
His name regenerates a small fragment of life in her and she rises again. Her hand is very close to the glass of water on the study table. She could reach it easily if her lower body wasn't paralysed. Water could help. She's just having an out of body experience. Water might return her sanity.
'Saki'
The last echo dies and her hand goes limp, knocking the glass off the table and on her head. The water splashes over the fresh blood on her temple and flows red over her white face. Between the scattered glass, lies Saki Nogawa, bleeding and unconscious. Death could easily take her right now, the same way it took Hideyuki Makimura.
'Saki'