Chapter Thirty-Seven
Kyo briskly walked out to the garage, grabbed his helmet, and drove away on his bike. He was trying to suspend all thought until he left the area and was able to think logically without interruption, so he wasn't actually aware of putting on the helmet after he picked it up or starting the engine before driving off into the west.
-
Kyo sat beneath a tree not far off from the road, his bike nearby, helmet down at his side. He had quickly exited the valley and began climbing hills, and after about forty-five minutes or so, he had decided he was cool enough to think, so he found this spot, near the top of a large hill looking down into a small ravine below. What he thought wasn't very good.
He had attempted to strangle the woman he had attempted to help the night before. He had practically followed through on the supposed hollow threat he had made to kill her; sometimes life was a little too ironic. He hadn't really known what was going on at the time, he had just felt in danger. The longer he thought about what it could have been that had set him off, the less his memory could provide. He knew he had easily been able to grab her arm, so it must have been close to him, but what exactly it had been doing was a mystery still.
The sun had steadily moved across the sky as Kyo had sat in meditation, and now it was early afternoon. He really wished he had his sunglasses, since it was too warm to wear his helmet for protection from the sun's bright rays. He truly didn't care about the color of his eyes at the moment.
'I should leave,' was his only persistent thought. It had been, what, two and half weeks now? He was amazed he hadn't been found yet. 'Maybe they've given up? Maybe they're letting me go…maybe they just don't care?' but as much as he wanted to believe these conjectures, he knew they were just hopes. Who would let an investment such as him just pick up and leave. True, he had made it an expensive enterprise, but that wouldn't stop them.
He picked up his helmet and put on his jacket, which he swore at, since it was black leather and this was summer, but it was necessary for riding back. As he put on his helmet with both hands, he felt his thumbs trace the sides of his face, and it sent a familiar sensation through him. He had felt this before, not from putting on his helmet, but from something else more recent. Then he remembered Saya's arm. Had she run her hand down his face?
His journey back was much slower than the trip he had made that morning. What runaway doesn't loathe going back home, having acknowledged defeat? But it wasn't just that. He felt the desire to just keep moving west. The only reason he didn't was because he had foolishly left his duffel in the bathroom.
-
Saya had fallen asleep shortly after Kyo had left. She had heard the motorcycle drive off for the second time, and had secretly hoped it wouldn't be the last time, just like she had that other morning.
When she woke up again around noon, she found Kyo had not returned; everything was just as he had left it. As she moved slowly to go to the bathroom, trying to make every move as careful as possible to minimize pain, she saw a large black object sitting on top of the toilet. Kyo had left his bag! He would have to return now, since everything he owned (except his bike, basically) was in it.
Saya lifted it off the toilet seat so she could use the bathroom, and left it on the floor when she was done. It was fairly heavy, so she figured Kyo would understand since she would be unable to use the toilet as long as it remained on top of it.
Then, a thought hit her. No one knew what exactly he kept in the bag. Sure, there were clothes, and his medical bag, but it was awfully large to hold just those things, and it looked full. After around a half an hour of careful consideration, she walked into the bathroom, closed and locked the door, and turned to the bag sitting along side the bathtub. She picked it up, and, with great might, finally managed to set it back on top of the toilet seat. As she unzipped the top, she felt guilty. She had trusted Kyo enough not kill her ever since she met him, so why should she betray her trust in him now. If he had felt she needed to know what was in the suitcase, he would have shown or told her. Who knew, maybe someday he would show her of his own accord. She zipped up the bag, left it sitting on the toilet, just how he had left it, and went back to sit in his bed, hoping he would come home soon.