Bloody Roar III: Reunited by Chance, a Reflection of the Past
By Tiger5913
Chapter 9
A Pang Of Longing
Watching her approach another,
Makes a jealousy flare up inside.
However, no angry words or threats
Escapes his mouth; but that doesn't mean
He won't fight for her to come back.
"This is nice weather, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I agree."
Sitting upon a bench that was out on Uriko's front porch, the two of them were leaning against each other, watching the sun set into the darkening sky. It was two days after the fighting incidents in the park, and they were relaxing, healing up from their injuries. Surprisingly, no one had bothered Kenji about what had happened to him on the trip, although he promised himself that he would come clean that evening.
"Uriko!" a voice from inside the house called.
"Do you need me to help you with something, Mother?" she inquired, getting up from her comfortable position.
"No, but thank you for the offer. Matt is on the phone for you!" Mitsuko answered.
"Oh… okay."
Reluctantly, Uriko stood up while Kenji asked curiously, "Who's Matt?"
"He's… a guy that I know," she told him; that part was the truth, after all.
"Oh…" the ninja fell silent, sensing her unease.
Quickly turning away, the young woman went inside the house and into the living room. Picking up the receiver from the table that the phone was on, she greeted timidly, "Hi."
"Hey Uriko," Matt said back. "Uh, I know that this is kind of short notice…but are you available now?"
"I think I have a little time, but I kind of have company over…" she answered truthfully.
"Come have a quick dinner with me?"
"Um…"
"Please?" he persisted.
"I-I guess so," she said finally.
"Great! Pick you up in twenty minutes?" he questioned.
"Yeah, sure."
"Well, I'll see you then."
"Bye…" she said softly.
Matt hung up.
Man, I hope Kenji won't mind if I leave for a little bit… the brown-haired girl thought as she replaced the receiver back onto the phone.
Walking into the kitchen, she saw Mitsuko preparing a meal and told her, "Um, Matt's coming in twenty minutes to pick me up for dinner… is that okay?"
"That's fine with me," her mother answered, then jerked her head toward outside. "But you better tell him also."
"Yeah, I know… I'll talk to you later, Mother," she said, and started going back out onto the porch.
"Hey," the ninja greeted, smiling at her, still sitting on the bench. "Back so soon?"
"Hi, um, yeah…" she hesitated.
"What's wrong?" Kenji asked, his smile disappearing.
"Nothing really," Uriko replied. "But…is it all right with you if I leave for a little bit? I'll be back in about an hour or so."
"Oh, sure… but you didn't really have to ask me…" he answered with a stiff smile.
He doesn't care… I-I guess we're over then… She sighed and then grinned, trying to hide her disappointment. "Whew, um, I thought you'd feel like I was ditching you or something."
"No way, I'm fine," he assured her, forcing a smile.
"Well… I'm going upstairs to change," the young woman said. "Talk to you after I get back?"
The blue-haired teenager nodded.
"Thanks," she said, giving him a quick hug before going into the house.
Damn, I should have asked… he cursed himself silently. I feel like such a freaking coward.
His hand slipped into the pocket of his blue jeans and pulled out a small red pouch. Fingering it, he looked down at the bag for a few minutes, then heard footsteps nearby. Putting it away, the ninja casually sat back as Uriko ran out of the house, dressed in a black vest over a white shirt paired with black leather pants. Glancing at her, he smiled, remembering that as one of her favorite outfits.
"Hi again!" she said to him cheerfully, and then twirled around. "Do I look okay?"
Of course, you have true inner beauty constantly emitting from you… Out loud, Kenji replied sincerely, "As always."
Grinning widely at him in response, the two of them looked at each other for a silent moment. The short period was interrupted by a loud honk of a horn and Uriko turned to see Matt getting out of his car. As he shut the door and started walking toward her, she sent a faint smile in Kenji's direction before silently waving good-bye to him. As soon as she wasn't facing him, the young woman ducked her head, hiding her solemn expression.
Looking up at her date, a thin smile spread over her lips as she greeted, "Hi there."
He smiled. "Hey, ready to go?"
"Yeah," she replied softly, nodding.
Opening the door to the passenger side, Matt gestured toward it and she ducked her head, sitting into the cushioned seat. As soon as he went around to the other side and got in also, he started the ignition and the Kenpo student looked back at the ninja as they drove off. Watching her forlornly, Kenji let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand absentmindedly through his hair in slight frustration.
"Matt is a bit unfitting for her," a voice nearby remarked.
Turning his head to look at Mitsuko, he answered, "I-I can't really comment; I don't know him very well, after all." And if I did, I'm sure that we wouldn't get along…
"You still like my daughter," the woman stated somewhat matter-of-factly.
I still love her, yeah… "You're right, Ms. Nonomura, I do."
"And this isn't a petty feeling, I take it?" she questioned. "You are serious about Uriko, aren't you?"
"Yes, of course." The blue-haired teenager said in a low tone of voice, although there was passion in his words.
"Then do something about it."
"She seems contented with Matt," he narrowed his eyes with the emphasis on the name. "…Still, you're right. I can't sit idly by and not do anything."
Mitsuko smiled warmly. "Good luck. Although I don't think that you'll need it."
Nodding and smiling back gratefully, the young man said, "Thanks for the encouragement. I appreciate your vote of confidence."
"You're very welcome, Kenji. Well, I am going to step out for a little bit," she told him, shutting the door. "Keep the door unlocked if you go inside, all right?"
"Okay," he replied.
After the boar zoanthrope walked down the pathway and disappeared around the corner, Kenji was left alone. Thinking silently to himself for a few moments, he took out the pouch again and glanced at it tentatively. All of a sudden, he heard something creak and a soft mew reached his ears; knowing whom it was, he smiled and glanced around the area.
"Kineko?"
Upon hearing her name, the black kitten jumped into the ninja's lap and purred as she rubbed her head of soft fur against his callused fingers.
"Hey there…" he greeted softly.
Kenji started gently scratching the top of her head and Kineko mewed her approval.
"What do you think I should do, huh?" the mole zoanthrope questioned rhetorically in a soft tone of voice. "You think I have a chance with her?"
Looking up at him with her jade-yellow eyes, the cat purred her response.
"We've known each other for a pretty long time…" he said. "But I think our separation has left quite a gap…"
Kineko glanced quizzically at him, then made a swift gesture with her head, as if saying, "So?"
"I wonder if her feelings for me have changed…" Kenji wondered, then felt a bit disgusted with himself. "I can't expect Uriko to wait around for almost three years and restrict herself from other guys… I don't want her to be a recluse or anything like that… she deserves her freedom…"
"Mrrowll…" came from the black kitten.
I need to find out… I have to do something about this, he decided, letting Kineko hop down from his lap before getting up. The red pouch clutched tightly in his hands, he turned and headed into the house.
*****
Well, breaking up with him went all right, I think…
Standing on the bottom step leading up to her porch, Uriko hesitated briefly, glad that Matt was understanding with her decision. A small smile coming to her face, she went up to the door, and unlocked it, escaping the tiny rays of the afternoon sun; going inside, she was surprised to find the house dark. Finding a lamp in the living room with her eyes, she flicked on the switch and light enveloped the area.
Hmm, I guess Mother's out with Alice or something… she guessed when she saw that the room was empty and the whole place was quiet. I hope Kenji got home okay… is he mad at me?
Sighing, Uriko walked pass the living room and flicked on several more lights around the house, then headed toward the stairs. Climbing them, she soon reached the top and turned on the hallway light overhead as well. Going across to her room, the brown-haired girl twisted the knob and pushed open the door. Stepping inside, she closed her eyes and yawned, stretching out her arms over her head.
She reopened them after a moment, staring into the darkness. All of a sudden, little flames ignited atop several small blue candles aligning along the walls of her room, dimly enlightening its surroundings. The fiery flames flickered in the air, bending and wavering to the direction of the breeze she had caused when she entered the room.
Just then, a couple more candles lit up across the room, sticking out from the decorative scenery; curious, she crossed over to her desk. Getting a closer look, Uriko saw that it was a white sheet of paper with words written on it. Curiously, she picked the note up and read the contents:
Uriko,
I hope you didn't think that I was ditching you when you found me gone from the porch. I had something really important to do. But speaking of importance, I feel that I really need to tell you something, although I will hopefully phrase it better in this letter than verbally. I don't think it'd be very appealing if I stuttered every few words, heh…
When I left, I was afraid that we wouldn't be so close anymore. However, after the fight in the park the other night, I discovered that I don't feel any different about you than the way I did three years ago. I hope that this won't interfere with you and Matt's relationship, but I have to let you know that I still love you. I mean, deeper than the just-friends kind.
Remember that time you were thrown a surprise party on your fifteenth birthday? After Alan and Jenny announced their engagement, you and I went outside and found Long and Jane sitting together. Jane made a comment about toasting us on our own engagement, and as I stammered back my answer, you looked at me all surprised, but there was still compassion in your eyes. I've been thinking, could now be the time that I can attempt to have our bond become stronger…?
Love,
Kenji
Her eyes widened slightly after she read the letter and the paper fell silently from her hand to fall onto her desk. Hastily going over to her bed and sitting on it, Uriko placed her palm on her forehead, making sure that she wasn't hallucinating. Shutting her eyelids, the young woman breathed deeply as her heart was pounding fiercely.
"Are you alright…?" A low voice asked gently with concern.
Jerking her head toward the direction of the sound, her eyes shot open to spy someone appear from behind the inside of her door. Pushing it slightly closed, the shadowy figure slowly walked over to her, hands folded behind their back. Stopping a few inches away, Uriko saw the light from a candle beside her flicker upon Kenji's face, revealing his solemn features. She nodded her reply, unable to answer him verbally.
"I hope you're not mad at me…" he said quietly.
She tried to laugh, but coughed instead. "No… why would I be? I care about you so much after all…"
"Am I… pushing you in any way?" the ninja questioned timidly.
"I… no, of course not…"
Looking intensely at the young woman, he sat down beside her. "…How do you feel?"
"What?"
"You know my feelings… I'd like to know yours," he explained. "If that's all right to share…"
Her eyes watered slightly.
"Detest me that much?" Kenji kidded weakly.
"No way, I don't." She said firmly. "I-I still love you too…"
A bit of surprise was shown in his eyes. "But what about…"
"Matt?" Uriko asked. "We went out for a short while, but I ended it tonight… it wasn't anything really serious. Erika introduced us."
"I hope I don't offend you when I say that I'm glad it wasn't serious," the ninja admitted timidly, then cleared his throat. "Uriko…"
Meeting his eyes, she inquired softly, "Yeah?"
"I-I have something to ask you…"
"Go ahead, I'm listening," the brown-haired girl said warmly with a lighthearted smile.
"About what I said in the letter…" he started. "Did that scare you?"
She hesitated, then answered honestly, "No, it doesn't. I'm a bit surprised, but I'm not scared off or anything like that…"
"I'm glad that you're not," he told her sincerely. "Because… my next question is… Um, I…"
"Don't be nervous; you can ask me anything," Uriko assured him, taking a hold of his hand with her clammy one and squeezing gently.
Without saying anything, Kenji reached his free hand into the pocket of his dark denim jeans and pulled the furtive velvet pouch into view. Slipping his other hand out of hers, he opened the red bag and looked tentatively inside. Letting the object inside fall out onto his lap, the Kenpo student sucked in her breath when she saw that it was a small black box.
"We won't proceed through the actual event until we're both ready," he said to her softly. "…But I, I want to ask if… if you…want to be engaged to me… and vice versa as well…"
As her eyes widened, one of the young woman's hands went to cover over her mouth. She had kind of sensed that he would be asking her a question like that, but to have it actually happen…
"If you don't want to, Uriko, I understand," the blue-haired ninja told her quickly, not wanting to pressure her.
I should have waited… damn it… he thought to himself after silence had fell between them, and sighed as he lowered his head. But soft, slender fingers caught the peak of his chin and slowly lifted his face back up. Kenji met her gaze, staring into the depths of her light brown pupils as she replied quietly, "Yes…"
"…What?" he stammered.
Giving him a shy smile, Uriko repeated, "Yes. I want to, Kenji."
"R… R-really?" the blue-haired teenager asked.
The Kenpo student nodded her confirmation, then her smile widened as she slipped her arms around his neck, linking her hands together and hugging him to her tenderly. An ecstatic shout formed a lump at the base of the mole zoanthrope's throat, threatening to escape, but he kept it down, and tightly hugged her back.
After a long, slow moment, he pulled away slightly from the embrace while she looked quizzically at him. Taking a hold of the dark-colored box, Kenji faced it toward her as he snapped open the lid, revealing the contents inside.
Glancing down, Uriko was met by a small circular object. In the darkness of the room, she could still catch a faint glimmer off from it, despite the weak lighting of the candles. As her eyes emitted her own personal source of light, she saw a stone of beautiful sapphire resting clearly in view. While the rest was buried amongst the black velvet surroundings, the young woman faintly spied a glint coming from the golden band.
Lifting her eyes up from the object, she whispered throatily, "W-where did you get such a beautiful ring?"
"I bought that before encountering Xion for the first time," Kenji informed. "I-I got the ring with the intention of keeping it until… I worked up the nerve to ask you what I just did…"
She sucked in her breath sharply and smiled timidly. "Wow… I can't believe that someday, we'll… we'll be…"
"…Married…" he finished quietly for her softly, smiling back as he grasped her left hand gently and slipped the ring onto the fourth finger.
Uriko glanced down at the symbolic object on her finger; the moment he put the ring on, their relationship was bound more tightly. Staring into the depths of the blue crystalline sapphire, she could see their strong commitment confirmed. Looking up into the warm brown eyes of her fiancé, the young woman smiled and threw her arms around his waist. Returning her embrace, Kenji smiled as well, gently stroking the long thin strands of her auburn-colored hair.
"What do you think the others are gonna say about this…?" she asked into his shoulder softly.
"I'm not sure, Riko…" he answered with uncertainty. "But I bet Yugo will have a really drastic response. Either that, or he'll be whooping."
The seventeen-year-old female giggled. "Alice would probably ask about our health insurance or something!"
The ninja laughed.
"I'm sure that Mother would ask us about our future though," Uriko said seriously. "I am going to college in September and I will be starting work next week."
"I'll go take a test to receive a diploma," he told her. "That should be the equivalent of graduating. What's your job?"
"Assistant to the vice-president of a computer company," she replied. "Hey, my supervisor may need another one; want to apply?"
"Sure."
Uriko grinned. "We'll go tomorrow."
After nodding his confirmation, the two of them smiled as they slowly leaned toward each other. Just before their lips met, a loud shout coming from downstairs interrupted them; "Uriko!"
Pulling back with a disappointed groan, she responded, "I'm in my room, Mother!"
"Actually, it's Alice!" Her sister informed. "Everyone else is here, including Aunt Mitsuko. Can you come down?"
"All right…" the Kenpo student replied, rising from the bed and pulling Kenji up with her.
"Should we tell them?" he asked as the couple approached the door.
"Not right now," she answered. "Let's wait until you tell us about what happened to you at the capital…"
"Oh, that's right," the ninja said. "I owe you all an explanation, don't I."
"Well, it'd certainly be appreciated," his now-fiancée remarked. "I do not want to be left in the dark any longer."
"Don't worry, I'll tell what happened," he said.
Smiling, he quickly pecked her on the cheek as they went down the stairs, hand in hand.
End of Chapter 9