Chapter 4: Even Rhetorical Questions Need Answers
I woke up too late that morning. Van and Merle had already gone to the village without me. I quickly hurried to eat my breakfast and made ready as soon as possible. I had a long run ahead of me. The village was quite a while from here.
Maybe it would be exercise, too. I haven't ran for a long time. As soon as I could get outside, I ran all the way to the village.
Van and Merle were visiting some of the sick people, while children crowded about them. I got there, panting breathlessly. "Hey, look! There's Hitomi!" Merle cried, and the childrne turned their heads to see.
"H-hi." I said, still breathless. Van went over to me. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah." I gripped his arm to avoid falling over. "You got the nerve to leave me behind, huh?"
Van held up his hand while a little girl offered me a glass of water. "Thank you," I smiled at the little girl, who laughed and ran away. I gulped it all down quickly.
"As I was saying," I looked at him with a frown. "You and Merle had all the gall to leave me in- in that dungeon and let me run over here wasting my precious breath! How dare you?!"
"Oh, c'mon, Hitomi, you're overacting." Van dug his hands in his pockets.
"The problem is you're undereacting." I balled my fists playfully. "Want me to kick your ass?"
"I wish." Van looked silly. Then we burst into laughter. Shucks.
"So," I put my arm around him. "What's the action?"
"We're visiting some sick people in here. Want to come?" Van held out his hand and I clutched it.
We entered one house wherein an old woman lay sick in bed. "Lord Van..." the woman cried weakly. A woman was taking care in about her early thirties looked at him and asked. "Master Van, who's the little lady? Your girlfriend?"
Oh, no... another one of those. Van blushed ten shades of red. "No. But I wish she was." He turned to the old woman to talk to her.
I looked at him, stupfied. "Huh?" The woman laughed. "Ha, ha. That Master Van, he's always kidding. Don't mind him much, miss."
But I was looking at him, his face kindly and compassionate as he talked to the sick woman. What did he mean by what he said-- "But I wish she was."?
After some more minutes, Van faced me and said. "Well, that's just about it. I'll see you sometime soon." He was talking to the women.
"Goodbye, Lord Van. May the gods be with you always."
After stepping out of the house, Van called out. "Merle, let's go home!" Merle waved to the children. "Bye, kids! See you soon!" The children cheered. "Bye, Merle! Bye, Master Van! Bye, Hitomi! May the gods be with you always!"
After the village was out of sight, I asked him. "Hey, um... Van, what did you mean just awhile ago-- in that old woman's hut?"
Van's eyes widened. "Oh, that's nothing." Merle grinned.
"Why, Hitomi? Are you hoping for anything, let's say-- BEING LORD VAN'S GIRLFRIEND?"
I blushed. "No! What makes you say that?"
"You're turning RED!" Merle said in a singsong voice. Van grinned sheepishly. "Cut that out, Merle."
Then Van faced me. His eyes were burning through mine. "Look, Hitomi. Aren't you my girlfriend? You're a girl, and you're my friend... so, technically, you're my girlfriend!"
(Have I heard this phrase somewhere?)
"Yeah, right. So you're my boyfriend... 'cause you know, vice- versa?" I said, giggling. Merle looked on in confusion.
"What's that?" she asked, almost yelling. "I don't get it!"
Van and I looked at each other. Blushing, Van wrapped an arm around me. I leaned on his shoulder and put my arm around his waist.
"See, Merle... we're boyfriend- girlfriend, aren't we, Hitomi?"
"Yes, we are. Got that, Merle?"
"Fine."
*OWARI*
__
A/N: Oh, yeah, sure, whatever!
I woke up too late that morning. Van and Merle had already gone to the village without me. I quickly hurried to eat my breakfast and made ready as soon as possible. I had a long run ahead of me. The village was quite a while from here.
Maybe it would be exercise, too. I haven't ran for a long time. As soon as I could get outside, I ran all the way to the village.
Van and Merle were visiting some of the sick people, while children crowded about them. I got there, panting breathlessly. "Hey, look! There's Hitomi!" Merle cried, and the childrne turned their heads to see.
"H-hi." I said, still breathless. Van went over to me. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah." I gripped his arm to avoid falling over. "You got the nerve to leave me behind, huh?"
Van held up his hand while a little girl offered me a glass of water. "Thank you," I smiled at the little girl, who laughed and ran away. I gulped it all down quickly.
"As I was saying," I looked at him with a frown. "You and Merle had all the gall to leave me in- in that dungeon and let me run over here wasting my precious breath! How dare you?!"
"Oh, c'mon, Hitomi, you're overacting." Van dug his hands in his pockets.
"The problem is you're undereacting." I balled my fists playfully. "Want me to kick your ass?"
"I wish." Van looked silly. Then we burst into laughter. Shucks.
"So," I put my arm around him. "What's the action?"
"We're visiting some sick people in here. Want to come?" Van held out his hand and I clutched it.
We entered one house wherein an old woman lay sick in bed. "Lord Van..." the woman cried weakly. A woman was taking care in about her early thirties looked at him and asked. "Master Van, who's the little lady? Your girlfriend?"
Oh, no... another one of those. Van blushed ten shades of red. "No. But I wish she was." He turned to the old woman to talk to her.
I looked at him, stupfied. "Huh?" The woman laughed. "Ha, ha. That Master Van, he's always kidding. Don't mind him much, miss."
But I was looking at him, his face kindly and compassionate as he talked to the sick woman. What did he mean by what he said-- "But I wish she was."?
After some more minutes, Van faced me and said. "Well, that's just about it. I'll see you sometime soon." He was talking to the women.
"Goodbye, Lord Van. May the gods be with you always."
After stepping out of the house, Van called out. "Merle, let's go home!" Merle waved to the children. "Bye, kids! See you soon!" The children cheered. "Bye, Merle! Bye, Master Van! Bye, Hitomi! May the gods be with you always!"
After the village was out of sight, I asked him. "Hey, um... Van, what did you mean just awhile ago-- in that old woman's hut?"
Van's eyes widened. "Oh, that's nothing." Merle grinned.
"Why, Hitomi? Are you hoping for anything, let's say-- BEING LORD VAN'S GIRLFRIEND?"
I blushed. "No! What makes you say that?"
"You're turning RED!" Merle said in a singsong voice. Van grinned sheepishly. "Cut that out, Merle."
Then Van faced me. His eyes were burning through mine. "Look, Hitomi. Aren't you my girlfriend? You're a girl, and you're my friend... so, technically, you're my girlfriend!"
(Have I heard this phrase somewhere?)
"Yeah, right. So you're my boyfriend... 'cause you know, vice- versa?" I said, giggling. Merle looked on in confusion.
"What's that?" she asked, almost yelling. "I don't get it!"
Van and I looked at each other. Blushing, Van wrapped an arm around me. I leaned on his shoulder and put my arm around his waist.
"See, Merle... we're boyfriend- girlfriend, aren't we, Hitomi?"
"Yes, we are. Got that, Merle?"
"Fine."
*OWARI*
__
A/N: Oh, yeah, sure, whatever!