CHAPTER 16 – Klagelied [Elegy]
'Kei-san!'
Ran's voice was merely a whisper in the howls of the rain.
*
* * *
'Taka sensei.'
The little girl Kei smiled at the tall man before her.
He smiled back.
'Kei-chan.'
'Arigatou gozaimasu sensei…'
'Huh?'
'Sayonara sensei…'
'Where will you go?'
'Okasama…'
'Doushite?'
'I miss her sensei…I thought I'd go to her grave…ja ne sensei…Onegai, please tell Jin-kun I'd be back soon…I want to play with him…'
'Hai.'
The tall man smiled.
'Sayonara!' The little girl waved. 'Sayonara!'
* * *
Kei smirked flirtatiously. 'You want more?'
The brawny man nodded, his eyes mischievously twinkling under the low- wattage lights. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her intensely, lowering the straps of her red tank top.
*This is for Falke-sama* thought Kei, swallowing all revulsion for this new client.
* * *
'What must I do sensei?'
'Falke. Call me Falke. You are my new novice in this business. That is fine with you is it not?'
'Jin-kun works here too?'
'Hai.'
'What must I do Falke-sama?'
'You must get that man to buy our stocks. Do everything you can and anything he asks for you to do. Is that understood.'
Kei nodded obediently, as she pulled down her short skirt with all strength she could muster.
She was just fifteen this time…
* * *
'Aya-kun?' She smiled at him, panting, after she finished running half the track field.
'That was great,' commented Ran. He actually smiled, but it was too faint to be seen.
She smiled back. 'I wish I can do that forever…well I can't go on forever chasing my dreams.'
'Dreams aren't meant to be chased,' he said in a faraway voice. 'They're made to be turned reality.'
* * *
Two strides more to go before reaching the end of the racetrack. She heard the crowd applauding loudly for her. Finally she was free…free from her past, which haunted her for a long, long time…
Then Kei fell, feeling pain stabbing the side of her leg.
*
Into the arms of a stunned Ran.
Ran's burning glare was focused on Jin, who was too petrified to move. The gun shook violently in his hands. He seemed to not have believed what had happened.
From his distance Ran could read Jin's lips mumbling, 'iie…Kei-chan…' And these words unread…unheard…flitted out of his blood-drained lips, 'I never wanted you dead…it was all a lie…' And in the back of his head, more words swarmed…unsaid, 'how could you save this man's life…?'
But she was dead.
Ran barely noticed when Jin shot himself, although his eyes were locked on him. Defeated.
His eyes shifted to Kei, in his arms, as if sleeping…
A drop of tear rolled out of Ran's purple eyes, mingled with the rain, that it was visible no more…and no one knew he cried…
'Kei-san!'
Ran's voice was merely a whisper in the howls of the rain.
*
* * *
'Taka sensei.'
The little girl Kei smiled at the tall man before her.
He smiled back.
'Kei-chan.'
'Arigatou gozaimasu sensei…'
'Huh?'
'Sayonara sensei…'
'Where will you go?'
'Okasama…'
'Doushite?'
'I miss her sensei…I thought I'd go to her grave…ja ne sensei…Onegai, please tell Jin-kun I'd be back soon…I want to play with him…'
'Hai.'
The tall man smiled.
'Sayonara!' The little girl waved. 'Sayonara!'
* * *
Kei smirked flirtatiously. 'You want more?'
The brawny man nodded, his eyes mischievously twinkling under the low- wattage lights. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her intensely, lowering the straps of her red tank top.
*This is for Falke-sama* thought Kei, swallowing all revulsion for this new client.
* * *
'What must I do sensei?'
'Falke. Call me Falke. You are my new novice in this business. That is fine with you is it not?'
'Jin-kun works here too?'
'Hai.'
'What must I do Falke-sama?'
'You must get that man to buy our stocks. Do everything you can and anything he asks for you to do. Is that understood.'
Kei nodded obediently, as she pulled down her short skirt with all strength she could muster.
She was just fifteen this time…
* * *
'Aya-kun?' She smiled at him, panting, after she finished running half the track field.
'That was great,' commented Ran. He actually smiled, but it was too faint to be seen.
She smiled back. 'I wish I can do that forever…well I can't go on forever chasing my dreams.'
'Dreams aren't meant to be chased,' he said in a faraway voice. 'They're made to be turned reality.'
* * *
Two strides more to go before reaching the end of the racetrack. She heard the crowd applauding loudly for her. Finally she was free…free from her past, which haunted her for a long, long time…
Then Kei fell, feeling pain stabbing the side of her leg.
*
Into the arms of a stunned Ran.
Ran's burning glare was focused on Jin, who was too petrified to move. The gun shook violently in his hands. He seemed to not have believed what had happened.
From his distance Ran could read Jin's lips mumbling, 'iie…Kei-chan…' And these words unread…unheard…flitted out of his blood-drained lips, 'I never wanted you dead…it was all a lie…' And in the back of his head, more words swarmed…unsaid, 'how could you save this man's life…?'
But she was dead.
Ran barely noticed when Jin shot himself, although his eyes were locked on him. Defeated.
His eyes shifted to Kei, in his arms, as if sleeping…
A drop of tear rolled out of Ran's purple eyes, mingled with the rain, that it was visible no more…and no one knew he cried…