Chapter Eleven: There's no Place like Home
"Ani san!" Ukiya Saemi called out as the already familiar AEGIS bus stopped beside their house. "Oka san, ani chan is home!" she gleefully ran inside the house and passed by their mother, who anxiously ran towards the door, trying to see what the commotion was all about.
"Shun!" her smile faded as she saw her son get off the bus with his childhood friend unconscious in his arms.
"Oka san…" Shun said, his eyes pleading for help. His mother understood him. She nodded towards inside the house and Shun brushed passed her as he entered the house and went directly in the direction of their room and placed Ruriko on the bed. He sighed and left the room. He encountered his little sister on his way out, her eyes confused and worried. He smiles and pats her on the head.
"Mou, neko janai!" Saemi objected, annoyed.
Ukiya joined the others who were gathered around the table.
"How is she?" Kaoru asked.
"She's still sleeping." Ukiya said, as he sat down beside her.
His mother went emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of cup "Tea anyone?"
Most of them nodded their thanks.
"We have only a night to stay over. Tomorrow, we leave. AEGIS knows we're here, I think." Shun said.
Megumi, who had been silent, nodded. "Don't underestimate them. They'll be here."
"All of you should sleep and get your rest." Ukiya's mom advised. "Saemi, help me take out the sleeping bags."
@--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ukiya looked at Ruriko sleeping peacefully. He was sitting on a small chair his mother placed beside the bed. His hands her placed above Ruriko's. Her hand still felt cold. He shuddered to think what would happen if Ruriko woke up….but….maybe it was better for her to be asleep like this…She does look more beautiful this way….
Shun blushed a little and then yawned. "It's going to be alright." He lowered his head until they were resting on his hands. "Daijobou….Ruri ruri…."
She woke up because the light was blinding her eyes. She looked for her son who told her he'd just turn off the light when he felt sleepy already. She rose to find her son already asleep beside the bed. She took a blanket and wrapped it around her son and patted his head. He is being just like his father. She smiled and turned off the light.
Megumi winced as the darkness sets in. Someone turned off the light and everyone was already asleep. Megumi tried to sleep but she couldn't. Her thoughts, no matter how much she tried to ignore it, came coming back, haunting her.
"Kageyama…" she couldn't take the thought of his disappearance away from her mind after the incident. Now she found out he was alive…It tortured her to know that he was alive. She stopped as she caught herself smiling at the thought of him in the hospital, almost paralyzed. There was anger swirling around her. Angry at how Kageyama used her and was constantly torturing her with his mere presence. Angry at AEGIS for getting her off the hook but deep inside she knew how they hated her for being a traitor. Angry at Ruriko, for being better and being weak enough to actually be possessed. Angry at the Izuka girl for just showing up and destroyed the hope for a new beginning…for bringing Kageyama. Angry at Kaoru….for what she said….before she could help herself, memories of their conversation popped into her mind.
"Why did you do that?" Megumi said.
"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked.
"You keep pushing the man you love into the arms of another woman. I don't understand."
"Of course you wouldn't understand…It is because you only think about yourself. That's why Ikusawa sempai will always be better than you. She knows how to make sacrifices for everyone. That's called being kindhearted."
"Kindheartedness?" Megumi repeated. "Not popularity…not intelligence…not richness, not even beauty…but kindheartedness?
Megumi winced at the memory. Most importantly, she was angry at herself. For trusting Kageyama like a fool, for being involved in this mess, for betraying everyone, for not being kind hearted like Ruriko, for being weaker than her and most importantly, for not being able to stop herself from thinking about Kageyama and her willingness to believe in him again.
There was so much hate and anger generating through her right now. She looked at her hands. She was afraid that with all this hate, a black gate would suddenly pop out. She heard footsteps around the room. She quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. The footsteps passed by the place she was sleeping in. She heard the door slide open and close again. Silence filled the room. Suddenly, an uneasy feeling passed through her. It was the same feeling she got when she was face to face with Kageyama in the WHK hall. Something was definitely wrong.
She arose quietly so as not to wake anyone up. She glanced around the room as her eyes adjusted themselves to the dark. She continued walking around the room. She looked at the direction of the bed and gasped. The moonlight coming from the window was more than enough for Megumi to make out a lot of tangled sheets and…nothing else.
She made a beeline for their sleeping leader. She grabbed his shoulders and shook them violently.
"What!" Ukiya asked, still groggy from the sudden break from peaceful slumber. He raised his head to be greeted by a creepy empty bed. He turned sideways to see Megumi, face etched in fear and worry. Based on what he could see, he knew what she was about too say.
Finding her voice, Megumi cried out. "She's…gone!"
@--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Notes:
Neko janai- Saemi always says this when Shun pats her head. Roughly means "I'm not a cat!"
Ruri Ruri- this actually came from Nadesico's Hoshino Ruri, who is called by many as "Ruri ruri"
P.S: I do not own Neadesico either!
"Ani san!" Ukiya Saemi called out as the already familiar AEGIS bus stopped beside their house. "Oka san, ani chan is home!" she gleefully ran inside the house and passed by their mother, who anxiously ran towards the door, trying to see what the commotion was all about.
"Shun!" her smile faded as she saw her son get off the bus with his childhood friend unconscious in his arms.
"Oka san…" Shun said, his eyes pleading for help. His mother understood him. She nodded towards inside the house and Shun brushed passed her as he entered the house and went directly in the direction of their room and placed Ruriko on the bed. He sighed and left the room. He encountered his little sister on his way out, her eyes confused and worried. He smiles and pats her on the head.
"Mou, neko janai!" Saemi objected, annoyed.
Ukiya joined the others who were gathered around the table.
"How is she?" Kaoru asked.
"She's still sleeping." Ukiya said, as he sat down beside her.
His mother went emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of cup "Tea anyone?"
Most of them nodded their thanks.
"We have only a night to stay over. Tomorrow, we leave. AEGIS knows we're here, I think." Shun said.
Megumi, who had been silent, nodded. "Don't underestimate them. They'll be here."
"All of you should sleep and get your rest." Ukiya's mom advised. "Saemi, help me take out the sleeping bags."
@--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ukiya looked at Ruriko sleeping peacefully. He was sitting on a small chair his mother placed beside the bed. His hands her placed above Ruriko's. Her hand still felt cold. He shuddered to think what would happen if Ruriko woke up….but….maybe it was better for her to be asleep like this…She does look more beautiful this way….
Shun blushed a little and then yawned. "It's going to be alright." He lowered his head until they were resting on his hands. "Daijobou….Ruri ruri…."
She woke up because the light was blinding her eyes. She looked for her son who told her he'd just turn off the light when he felt sleepy already. She rose to find her son already asleep beside the bed. She took a blanket and wrapped it around her son and patted his head. He is being just like his father. She smiled and turned off the light.
Megumi winced as the darkness sets in. Someone turned off the light and everyone was already asleep. Megumi tried to sleep but she couldn't. Her thoughts, no matter how much she tried to ignore it, came coming back, haunting her.
"Kageyama…" she couldn't take the thought of his disappearance away from her mind after the incident. Now she found out he was alive…It tortured her to know that he was alive. She stopped as she caught herself smiling at the thought of him in the hospital, almost paralyzed. There was anger swirling around her. Angry at how Kageyama used her and was constantly torturing her with his mere presence. Angry at AEGIS for getting her off the hook but deep inside she knew how they hated her for being a traitor. Angry at Ruriko, for being better and being weak enough to actually be possessed. Angry at the Izuka girl for just showing up and destroyed the hope for a new beginning…for bringing Kageyama. Angry at Kaoru….for what she said….before she could help herself, memories of their conversation popped into her mind.
"Why did you do that?" Megumi said.
"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked.
"You keep pushing the man you love into the arms of another woman. I don't understand."
"Of course you wouldn't understand…It is because you only think about yourself. That's why Ikusawa sempai will always be better than you. She knows how to make sacrifices for everyone. That's called being kindhearted."
"Kindheartedness?" Megumi repeated. "Not popularity…not intelligence…not richness, not even beauty…but kindheartedness?
Megumi winced at the memory. Most importantly, she was angry at herself. For trusting Kageyama like a fool, for being involved in this mess, for betraying everyone, for not being kind hearted like Ruriko, for being weaker than her and most importantly, for not being able to stop herself from thinking about Kageyama and her willingness to believe in him again.
There was so much hate and anger generating through her right now. She looked at her hands. She was afraid that with all this hate, a black gate would suddenly pop out. She heard footsteps around the room. She quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. The footsteps passed by the place she was sleeping in. She heard the door slide open and close again. Silence filled the room. Suddenly, an uneasy feeling passed through her. It was the same feeling she got when she was face to face with Kageyama in the WHK hall. Something was definitely wrong.
She arose quietly so as not to wake anyone up. She glanced around the room as her eyes adjusted themselves to the dark. She continued walking around the room. She looked at the direction of the bed and gasped. The moonlight coming from the window was more than enough for Megumi to make out a lot of tangled sheets and…nothing else.
She made a beeline for their sleeping leader. She grabbed his shoulders and shook them violently.
"What!" Ukiya asked, still groggy from the sudden break from peaceful slumber. He raised his head to be greeted by a creepy empty bed. He turned sideways to see Megumi, face etched in fear and worry. Based on what he could see, he knew what she was about too say.
Finding her voice, Megumi cried out. "She's…gone!"
@--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Notes:
Neko janai- Saemi always says this when Shun pats her head. Roughly means "I'm not a cat!"
Ruri Ruri- this actually came from Nadesico's Hoshino Ruri, who is called by many as "Ruri ruri"
P.S: I do not own Neadesico either!