CHAPTER 8 - Verlassenen [Forsaken]
* * *
It had been three months since Sakura left for Okinawa to study. Her father got a good-paying job in that place and she was forced to leave. Ran did not say anything to hold her back, however, he did question why she had to leave and how long she would be staying there.
True, it had been painful to watch her go, but he had no other choice. Besides, his work was far too dangerous for her; he knew he would rather have her gone and safe than with him and in peril. Yet he did not deny the fact he loved her, more than he thought he would.
Then he met Kei. Perhaps it was the memories of his loved ones that brought him to consider meeting other people, to fill up the hollow in his heart at least. It was very unusual for him to visit the racetrack where Sakura used to run. He was thankful he did though, for Kei was there, the same girl who filled up his mind since the accident in the flower shop, where he saved her.
Where his deemed enemy kissed her.
'I used to be a good runner,' she was saying, while licking her ice cream. 'I used to collect medals when I was in Junior High.' She had so reminded him of Sakura. They used to eat ice cream together too while talking about her life. He could still remember…that was the time she got kidnapped…and he used her to accomplish their mission.
She grinned at him brightly. 'You?' she asked. 'How come you like the track?'
Her question caught him by surprise. He never thought he would meet another girl whom he would spill his guts to besides Sakura and Aya. 'People,' he replied.
She blinked.
He dismissed her question immediately. He did not want to talk to her about Sakura---not to HER. 'Why did you stop running?' he diverted.
'Weak leg muscles,' she said as if it didn't bother her much. 'I stopped to recover but I never did. The damage was too severe. With that I quit my Martial Arts lessons too, but that's okay.'
'How did you get that sickness?'
'Childhood problems…it's a long story,' she said. 'And I don't want to remember it now.'
* * *
*
'Shhh,' she silenced him, resting her finger on his bleeding lips.
He lifted his eyelids indistinctly and blinked at her. Until she woke him up, he lingered unconscious, still dangling on his chains.
'Na---'
'Don't say a word,' she interrupted as she ran a finger across his crimson cheek. Blood stained her index finger, but she remained unmoved. Her stare stayed straight into his…straight…deep…as if hidden meaning lingered beneath her hazel eyes.
Quietly as she could, she unlocked the manacles, which chained both his wrists. She had his head upon her shoulder to support his limp body. Then she repositioned him upon the wall behind him as she bent to release his ankles.
Then she cupped his cheek and caressed it with her thumb. 'I'll get you outta here…'
*
At least Ran had enough strength in him to stagger while leaning on Kei out of the dark basement. He did not know why he did so…trusting her was a big issue but with his current pace of mind, nothing else seemed to matter anymore.
Somehow she led him into a furtive tunnel, but he could not recount what exactly happened and how they got there. When his conscious brain suddenly started functioning a little properly, they were already treading their way into what seemed to be a damp inland waterway.
'Daijoubu desu ka?' asked Kei as she worriedly looked at him upon halting momentarily.
Exhausted he rested himself upon the tunnel's walls with his head upturned. The wounds from the lashes he got were stinging his back [which she had now covered with a white shirt], and pain dragged him out of moving on.
'Kei-san...' he practically whispered, staring at her directly in the eye. 'Why?'
'What do you mean?'
'This… Is this a trap?' His voice came out hoarse as he heaved a heavy breath.
'Iie…'
'Then why?'
'Why what?'
'You mean you are helping me?' he tried to clear out. Then suddenly he coughed out blood and started sputtering with his hand covering his mouth. His eyes squeezed shut; he gulped painfully, his other hand clutching his stomach, which had been beaten up badly.
She winced and turned away. 'Gomen nasai…'
'Kei-san…'
*
'KEI!'
An hour had already elapsed when Falke and the others found out about the unanticipated escape by Ran led by Kei herself. The fact had, at once, startled Jin; for it was not something Kei was capable of, much less intend to do.
Or so he thought.
Falke had been fuming wildly within the manor since the information had been sent to his dispatch. However it seemed he was not exactly surprised. 'Little girls…what can I say?' he had muttered under his breath as he trudged steadily toward the basement to confirm the unproven reports. When he had seen it for himself, his madness overflowed. Even Jin feared his master's sudden outburst of fury.
Anger burned steadily in Falke's eyes as he grabbed Jin by the collar and pierced Jin's eyes with his. 'Where is she?' he hissed.
'I do not know,' replied Jin, keeping his voice calm as possible. Kei had to be inside the manor…somewhere…
Yet the fact Kei had been spending some time with Ran had him alarmed. What if Kei had fallen for the redhead…? It wasn't beyond possibility…
Irately Falke flung Jin to the walls. Seething, he turned to his other men and fiercely breathed. There was still fire in his eyes. His face contorted like that of a furious lion's. 'I want that girl here, dead or alive…do not kill the man. We have to settle scores with his damned group,' he said through gritted teeth.
*
* * *
A black car parked amid the drizzle.
'Who are you?'
'Falke is my name, or so they call me…and you?'
'Kei…'
'Kei?'
'Hai…'
'What are you doing in the rain?'
'Nothing…'
'There's blood in your hands…yet no tears are in your eyes…'
'I know.'
'That is not good. Worry not, I'll take care of it for you.'
'Thanks.'
'You…you are alone?'
'I guess…'
'Do you have anywhere to stay?'
'Iie…'
'Then perhaps you might want to stay with me?'
'Why should I?'
'Because you are alone…'
No reply…
'I want to be your father…'
* * *
* * *
It had been three months since Sakura left for Okinawa to study. Her father got a good-paying job in that place and she was forced to leave. Ran did not say anything to hold her back, however, he did question why she had to leave and how long she would be staying there.
True, it had been painful to watch her go, but he had no other choice. Besides, his work was far too dangerous for her; he knew he would rather have her gone and safe than with him and in peril. Yet he did not deny the fact he loved her, more than he thought he would.
Then he met Kei. Perhaps it was the memories of his loved ones that brought him to consider meeting other people, to fill up the hollow in his heart at least. It was very unusual for him to visit the racetrack where Sakura used to run. He was thankful he did though, for Kei was there, the same girl who filled up his mind since the accident in the flower shop, where he saved her.
Where his deemed enemy kissed her.
'I used to be a good runner,' she was saying, while licking her ice cream. 'I used to collect medals when I was in Junior High.' She had so reminded him of Sakura. They used to eat ice cream together too while talking about her life. He could still remember…that was the time she got kidnapped…and he used her to accomplish their mission.
She grinned at him brightly. 'You?' she asked. 'How come you like the track?'
Her question caught him by surprise. He never thought he would meet another girl whom he would spill his guts to besides Sakura and Aya. 'People,' he replied.
She blinked.
He dismissed her question immediately. He did not want to talk to her about Sakura---not to HER. 'Why did you stop running?' he diverted.
'Weak leg muscles,' she said as if it didn't bother her much. 'I stopped to recover but I never did. The damage was too severe. With that I quit my Martial Arts lessons too, but that's okay.'
'How did you get that sickness?'
'Childhood problems…it's a long story,' she said. 'And I don't want to remember it now.'
* * *
*
'Shhh,' she silenced him, resting her finger on his bleeding lips.
He lifted his eyelids indistinctly and blinked at her. Until she woke him up, he lingered unconscious, still dangling on his chains.
'Na---'
'Don't say a word,' she interrupted as she ran a finger across his crimson cheek. Blood stained her index finger, but she remained unmoved. Her stare stayed straight into his…straight…deep…as if hidden meaning lingered beneath her hazel eyes.
Quietly as she could, she unlocked the manacles, which chained both his wrists. She had his head upon her shoulder to support his limp body. Then she repositioned him upon the wall behind him as she bent to release his ankles.
Then she cupped his cheek and caressed it with her thumb. 'I'll get you outta here…'
*
At least Ran had enough strength in him to stagger while leaning on Kei out of the dark basement. He did not know why he did so…trusting her was a big issue but with his current pace of mind, nothing else seemed to matter anymore.
Somehow she led him into a furtive tunnel, but he could not recount what exactly happened and how they got there. When his conscious brain suddenly started functioning a little properly, they were already treading their way into what seemed to be a damp inland waterway.
'Daijoubu desu ka?' asked Kei as she worriedly looked at him upon halting momentarily.
Exhausted he rested himself upon the tunnel's walls with his head upturned. The wounds from the lashes he got were stinging his back [which she had now covered with a white shirt], and pain dragged him out of moving on.
'Kei-san...' he practically whispered, staring at her directly in the eye. 'Why?'
'What do you mean?'
'This… Is this a trap?' His voice came out hoarse as he heaved a heavy breath.
'Iie…'
'Then why?'
'Why what?'
'You mean you are helping me?' he tried to clear out. Then suddenly he coughed out blood and started sputtering with his hand covering his mouth. His eyes squeezed shut; he gulped painfully, his other hand clutching his stomach, which had been beaten up badly.
She winced and turned away. 'Gomen nasai…'
'Kei-san…'
*
'KEI!'
An hour had already elapsed when Falke and the others found out about the unanticipated escape by Ran led by Kei herself. The fact had, at once, startled Jin; for it was not something Kei was capable of, much less intend to do.
Or so he thought.
Falke had been fuming wildly within the manor since the information had been sent to his dispatch. However it seemed he was not exactly surprised. 'Little girls…what can I say?' he had muttered under his breath as he trudged steadily toward the basement to confirm the unproven reports. When he had seen it for himself, his madness overflowed. Even Jin feared his master's sudden outburst of fury.
Anger burned steadily in Falke's eyes as he grabbed Jin by the collar and pierced Jin's eyes with his. 'Where is she?' he hissed.
'I do not know,' replied Jin, keeping his voice calm as possible. Kei had to be inside the manor…somewhere…
Yet the fact Kei had been spending some time with Ran had him alarmed. What if Kei had fallen for the redhead…? It wasn't beyond possibility…
Irately Falke flung Jin to the walls. Seething, he turned to his other men and fiercely breathed. There was still fire in his eyes. His face contorted like that of a furious lion's. 'I want that girl here, dead or alive…do not kill the man. We have to settle scores with his damned group,' he said through gritted teeth.
*
* * *
A black car parked amid the drizzle.
'Who are you?'
'Falke is my name, or so they call me…and you?'
'Kei…'
'Kei?'
'Hai…'
'What are you doing in the rain?'
'Nothing…'
'There's blood in your hands…yet no tears are in your eyes…'
'I know.'
'That is not good. Worry not, I'll take care of it for you.'
'Thanks.'
'You…you are alone?'
'I guess…'
'Do you have anywhere to stay?'
'Iie…'
'Then perhaps you might want to stay with me?'
'Why should I?'
'Because you are alone…'
No reply…
'I want to be your father…'
* * *