A/N: Wow, I'm so sorry this took a bit long to get out, but I've
been incredibly busy. School, projects, and also boot camp *cringes* have
been keeping me occupied. Especially the boot camp part. Let me tell ya
somethin', even if it was just NJROTC boot camp, it was still a helluva lot
to do. I swear, I've got bruises all over my legs, and a robe burn behind
my right knee. I also suffered a horrible migraine, and spent one night
crying in my perfectly made bunk bed.
Well anyway, I really want to thank you all for your wonderful reviews!! I went from 12 to 28! *squeals* I'm glad you all like it! Well, enough stalling, here's chappie 6!
Disclaimer: Don't own it. 'Nuff said.
* * *
Sana wept quietly, trying to claw out the images of blood and limp bodies that were clouding her mind. The scene of two men stabbed to death was deeply engraved in her brain, along with the stench of the crimson liquid they shed. Her nose scrunched up in response to the musty smell lingering about her nostrils.
The young actress prayed that this wasn't happening, that maybe it was just another scene from one of her movies. But then again, she never liked playing a part in horror movies. They were always too brutal and gruesome for her, and usually wrapped her heart in a heavy curtain of depression. Just seeing actors smothered with corn syrup was enough to make her eyes water.
The real thing was much worse. Especially when she was the cause of the murder in the first place.
So there Sana stood, sobbing against her bodyguard's chest while clinging to his shirt, trying to blot everything out. But in spite of it all, being locked in his embrace was somewhat comforting, as her cries died out slowly. Maybe it was because he was so calm about it, his tranquility somehow relaxing her.
"Kurata."
Sana wearily tilted her head up to meet his gaze, her eyes red and swollen.
"Is he," she started, searching his expressionless face for an answer to her next question, "..on this plane?"
Hayama stared down at his client, slowly unraveling his arms from around her frail figure.
"Most likely," he replied honestly, taking in her pained expression.
"My friends are out there!" Sana yelled hoarsely, pointing to the wooden door behind her.
Hayama nodded, stepping over the corpse on the floor and seating himself in the pilot's seat.
"We shouldn't bring them in here," he claimed, automatically taking control of the plane. "It's okay. He won't attack them publicly."
Sana swallowed harshly, crouching down against the wall on her bodyguard's side. She watched as he controlled the mechanical bird with ease, dropping further and further down toward the L.A. airport.
"Where did you learn to fly?" she asked softly, resting her chin on her knees.
Without turning his head, Hayama responded to the choked question.
"My uncle was a pilot. I used to take lessons from him when I was young. My father always wanted me to be perfect in everything, so he encouraged it. He told me that a bodyguard must always be prepared for anything and everything."
Sana winced at his lack of emotion. She loved what she did, but how did he feel about his job?
"Do you like being a bodyguard?" Sana asked hesitantly.
"I don't hate it."
"It must be hard though," she confirmed, closing her eyes in thought. "Always being around your client every hour of every day, never being able to relax because he or she might get hurt while you're resting your eyes."
Her own eyes opened, as she stared at his profile. "Doesn't it get tiring?"
Hayama glanced sideways at the musing actress, while the plane neared the runway.
"Sometimes. But it's worth it."
Sana tilted her head to the side, furrowing her eyebrows.
"How?"
"My life," he started, as the aircraft bounced slightly as the wheels hit the pavement, "isn't that great, but at least I can protect someone's that is."
'How gloomy,' Sana thought as she rose to her feet. 'But noble. So he DOES care about other people..'
* * *
"Sana-chan, are you alright?"
Sana looked up from her seat near the baggage claim area in response to Aya's voice.
"I'll be fine," she declared, plastering a grin on her lips.
"I can't believe someone killed the pilots!" Fuka exclaimed, shuddering afterwards for effect.
"I can't believe we were on the plane when someone killed the pilots," Hisae chimed in, her eyes still wide with shock.
"I'm really sorry," Sana apologized quietly.
The young actress fell out of her chair, landing on the rough carpet brutally. She glared at her hair-stylist, scrambling into a sitting position.
"What was THAT for?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes at the paper fan clutched tightly in her best friend's fingers.
Fuka extended her arm, pointing the fan at Sana.
"For being sorry! It is NOT your fault!"
"Yes it is!" Sana protested. "He killed them because of ME!"
"That might be so," Fuka agreed, before continuing with her rant. "But it's not like you're ASKING him to stalk you!"
"Fuka-chan is right," Aya spoke, staring sympathetically at her best friend. "Whatever he does is his own fault for being a demented pervert. You have no control over this."
"Just let Hayama-san handle this," Hisae suggested. "It has to be one of the passengers on the plane, right?"
"It should have been," a cool voice interjected.
Sana stood up, wringing her hands nervously.
"What did the police say?"
Hayama leaned against the wall casually, his eyes scanning her worried features.
"They couldn't find any clues. There were no fingerprints anywhere. Not even of the knife used to kill them."
Sana wrung her hands tighter, staring at her bodyguard anxiously.
"So..so he's still around?"
Hayama gave a slow nod, turning his head to face the gate they came out of when they exited the plane.
"The police are questioning all of the passengers, but I doubt they'll find anything. I have a feeling this guy knows how to cover up his tracks."
"What do we do now?" Fuka asked, staring angrily at the floor.
Hayama shrugged. "We'll go to Kurata's cousin's house, as planned," he confirmed, leaning over to grab the last suitcase.
Silent filtered throughout the group as they began collecting their individual bags. The girls struggled with their suitcases, having to carry them themselves now.
Hisae straightened up, a duffel bag strapped across her shoulder and a suitcase held in her right hand. She took on a look of surprise as she spotted a man making his way to them.
"Gomi?" she called out, raising an eyebrow at the dark-haired man.
Gomi waved, stopping once he stood in front of her.
"Hey, Hisae-kun."
Hisae's face changed from surprise to fury as she narrowed her eyes at the tall man.
"I thought I told you to be here at noon! God, can't you ever be on time?!"
Gomi shrugged, smiling apprehensively. "Sorry, but L.A. traffic is the worst. Besides, I'm only fifteen minutes late!"
"That's fifteen more minutes for me to wait," Hisae replied saucily, immediately handing him her luggage. "You can carry these as an apology."
"Carry your own luggage, woman. I'm just the chauffeur today."
Hayama eyed the new stranger suspiciously as the two bickered.
"Who is he?" he asked Sana, taking one of the suitcases from her hand.
"Hisae-chan's boyfriend," Sana replied, still not used to having him carry her luggage.
"He moved to L.A. just after she started working with us," Aya told him.
"Since then, they've been having a long distance relationship," Fuka joined in. "But don't worry, they always act like this."
Hayama nodded, stepping in-between the couple. "We should go," he stated, walking toward the exit.
Gomi shrugged and slung an arm around Hisae's shoulders, which she shook off disgustingly. He smirked, following the bodyguard. "My van's out front."
* * *
"Mami-chan!" Sana squealed, running across the driveway to hug her cousin.
"Sana-chan, I'm so happy to see you!" Mami replied, hugging her back. "Fuka-chan! Aya-chan!" she exclaimed, spotting the other two behind Sana's shoulder.
Fuka grinned, winking at the raven-haired girl.
"In the flesh!"
The van's passenger door slammed shut as Hisae glared angrily at her boyfriend, who was unloading the trunk.
"I TOLD you it would be quicker to take the other route here. We could have been here in ten minutes instead of thirty-five!"
Gomi rolled his eyes, dropping his girlfriend's luggage roughly on the sidewalk.
"Ah, get over it. I got us here, didn't I?"
Hisae turned her nose in the air as she retrieved her suitcases and walked haughtily off to join the three other girls.
"Women," Gomi muttered, shutting the trunk. He turned to face the blonde bodyguard, who was gathering Sana's luggage. "So you carry her stuff? What a gentleman."
"You should try it sometime," he replied tonelessly, walking across the front lawn and stopping in front of the three story, red brick house.
"You have such a pretty house," Aya commented, gawking at the enormous building.
"Yeah," Fuka agreed. "It's huge. Does being a veterinarian make good money?"
Mami chuckled, running her fingers through her ebony hair.
"If you know how to do your job. It isn't just about nursing animals, you know. It's also about loving them and caring for them, as if they were your own children. I stop at nothing until they get better. I think that's why most people place their pets in my hands."
Sana grinned at her cousin, her eyes twinkling with admiration.
"I'm glad your dream of starting a career in America turned out so great. You always talked about moving out of Japan and becoming a pet doctor."
Mami shrugged, smiling nervously.
"Well, it was hard, but once I started, it just kept getting better."
"Let's go inside," Fuka suggested, walking eagerly up the steps. "I'm dieing to see the inside!"
* * *
"Sana-chan?" Mami asked, concern seeping into her voice. "Are you okay?"
Sana glanced up at her cousin's worried face as she poked the steak on her dinner plate with her fork.
"I'm fine. Just a little jumpy."
Mami nodded in understanding. That afternoon, everyone had sat down in the living room, and explained the story to both Mami and Gomi. Mami was beyond shocked, and kept asking Sana if she was all right. Gomi was just speechless, and stayed close to Hisae.
Sana sighed and slumped back against her chair, staring blankly at her plate.
"Take this."
The actress looked up at her bodyguard as he held out a silver cellular phone.
"It's my sister," Hayama told her.
Sana's face brightened immediately as she snatched the phone and eagerly put it to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Sana-chan!" a cheery voice rang in her ear.
"Natsumi-chan!" Sana grinned widely, fidgeting in her seat.
"My brother told me you were in L.A. I was hoping we could get together sometime! I'm a HUGE fan of yours!"
"I'm a fan of yours, too! My friends and I just love your singing!"
A chuckle was heard over the phone as Natsumi spoke again.
"Well, why don't we all meet for lunch tomorrow, around noon?"
Sana bobbed her head up and down, before realizing the singer couldn't see it.
"Of course! We'd love to!"
"Great! Akito gave me directions to your cousin's house, so I'll come and pick you all up. My treat, okay?"
"No no no no no! I could never make you pay for all of us!"
"It's nothing, really," Natsumi insisted. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Sana gave a slight chuckle and nodded. "Okay."
After they hung up, Sana handed the phone back to her bodyguard.
"Thank you, Hayama," she said sincerely, smiling with gratitude.
Hayama gave a curt nod before taking his seat beside her.
"Well," Sana started looking at the inquiring faces around her. "Natsumi-chan is taking us out to lunch tomorrow!"
* * *
A/N: Sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors, but I didn't have time to check. Please review!
Well anyway, I really want to thank you all for your wonderful reviews!! I went from 12 to 28! *squeals* I'm glad you all like it! Well, enough stalling, here's chappie 6!
Disclaimer: Don't own it. 'Nuff said.
* * *
Sana wept quietly, trying to claw out the images of blood and limp bodies that were clouding her mind. The scene of two men stabbed to death was deeply engraved in her brain, along with the stench of the crimson liquid they shed. Her nose scrunched up in response to the musty smell lingering about her nostrils.
The young actress prayed that this wasn't happening, that maybe it was just another scene from one of her movies. But then again, she never liked playing a part in horror movies. They were always too brutal and gruesome for her, and usually wrapped her heart in a heavy curtain of depression. Just seeing actors smothered with corn syrup was enough to make her eyes water.
The real thing was much worse. Especially when she was the cause of the murder in the first place.
So there Sana stood, sobbing against her bodyguard's chest while clinging to his shirt, trying to blot everything out. But in spite of it all, being locked in his embrace was somewhat comforting, as her cries died out slowly. Maybe it was because he was so calm about it, his tranquility somehow relaxing her.
"Kurata."
Sana wearily tilted her head up to meet his gaze, her eyes red and swollen.
"Is he," she started, searching his expressionless face for an answer to her next question, "..on this plane?"
Hayama stared down at his client, slowly unraveling his arms from around her frail figure.
"Most likely," he replied honestly, taking in her pained expression.
"My friends are out there!" Sana yelled hoarsely, pointing to the wooden door behind her.
Hayama nodded, stepping over the corpse on the floor and seating himself in the pilot's seat.
"We shouldn't bring them in here," he claimed, automatically taking control of the plane. "It's okay. He won't attack them publicly."
Sana swallowed harshly, crouching down against the wall on her bodyguard's side. She watched as he controlled the mechanical bird with ease, dropping further and further down toward the L.A. airport.
"Where did you learn to fly?" she asked softly, resting her chin on her knees.
Without turning his head, Hayama responded to the choked question.
"My uncle was a pilot. I used to take lessons from him when I was young. My father always wanted me to be perfect in everything, so he encouraged it. He told me that a bodyguard must always be prepared for anything and everything."
Sana winced at his lack of emotion. She loved what she did, but how did he feel about his job?
"Do you like being a bodyguard?" Sana asked hesitantly.
"I don't hate it."
"It must be hard though," she confirmed, closing her eyes in thought. "Always being around your client every hour of every day, never being able to relax because he or she might get hurt while you're resting your eyes."
Her own eyes opened, as she stared at his profile. "Doesn't it get tiring?"
Hayama glanced sideways at the musing actress, while the plane neared the runway.
"Sometimes. But it's worth it."
Sana tilted her head to the side, furrowing her eyebrows.
"How?"
"My life," he started, as the aircraft bounced slightly as the wheels hit the pavement, "isn't that great, but at least I can protect someone's that is."
'How gloomy,' Sana thought as she rose to her feet. 'But noble. So he DOES care about other people..'
* * *
"Sana-chan, are you alright?"
Sana looked up from her seat near the baggage claim area in response to Aya's voice.
"I'll be fine," she declared, plastering a grin on her lips.
"I can't believe someone killed the pilots!" Fuka exclaimed, shuddering afterwards for effect.
"I can't believe we were on the plane when someone killed the pilots," Hisae chimed in, her eyes still wide with shock.
"I'm really sorry," Sana apologized quietly.
The young actress fell out of her chair, landing on the rough carpet brutally. She glared at her hair-stylist, scrambling into a sitting position.
"What was THAT for?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes at the paper fan clutched tightly in her best friend's fingers.
Fuka extended her arm, pointing the fan at Sana.
"For being sorry! It is NOT your fault!"
"Yes it is!" Sana protested. "He killed them because of ME!"
"That might be so," Fuka agreed, before continuing with her rant. "But it's not like you're ASKING him to stalk you!"
"Fuka-chan is right," Aya spoke, staring sympathetically at her best friend. "Whatever he does is his own fault for being a demented pervert. You have no control over this."
"Just let Hayama-san handle this," Hisae suggested. "It has to be one of the passengers on the plane, right?"
"It should have been," a cool voice interjected.
Sana stood up, wringing her hands nervously.
"What did the police say?"
Hayama leaned against the wall casually, his eyes scanning her worried features.
"They couldn't find any clues. There were no fingerprints anywhere. Not even of the knife used to kill them."
Sana wrung her hands tighter, staring at her bodyguard anxiously.
"So..so he's still around?"
Hayama gave a slow nod, turning his head to face the gate they came out of when they exited the plane.
"The police are questioning all of the passengers, but I doubt they'll find anything. I have a feeling this guy knows how to cover up his tracks."
"What do we do now?" Fuka asked, staring angrily at the floor.
Hayama shrugged. "We'll go to Kurata's cousin's house, as planned," he confirmed, leaning over to grab the last suitcase.
Silent filtered throughout the group as they began collecting their individual bags. The girls struggled with their suitcases, having to carry them themselves now.
Hisae straightened up, a duffel bag strapped across her shoulder and a suitcase held in her right hand. She took on a look of surprise as she spotted a man making his way to them.
"Gomi?" she called out, raising an eyebrow at the dark-haired man.
Gomi waved, stopping once he stood in front of her.
"Hey, Hisae-kun."
Hisae's face changed from surprise to fury as she narrowed her eyes at the tall man.
"I thought I told you to be here at noon! God, can't you ever be on time?!"
Gomi shrugged, smiling apprehensively. "Sorry, but L.A. traffic is the worst. Besides, I'm only fifteen minutes late!"
"That's fifteen more minutes for me to wait," Hisae replied saucily, immediately handing him her luggage. "You can carry these as an apology."
"Carry your own luggage, woman. I'm just the chauffeur today."
Hayama eyed the new stranger suspiciously as the two bickered.
"Who is he?" he asked Sana, taking one of the suitcases from her hand.
"Hisae-chan's boyfriend," Sana replied, still not used to having him carry her luggage.
"He moved to L.A. just after she started working with us," Aya told him.
"Since then, they've been having a long distance relationship," Fuka joined in. "But don't worry, they always act like this."
Hayama nodded, stepping in-between the couple. "We should go," he stated, walking toward the exit.
Gomi shrugged and slung an arm around Hisae's shoulders, which she shook off disgustingly. He smirked, following the bodyguard. "My van's out front."
* * *
"Mami-chan!" Sana squealed, running across the driveway to hug her cousin.
"Sana-chan, I'm so happy to see you!" Mami replied, hugging her back. "Fuka-chan! Aya-chan!" she exclaimed, spotting the other two behind Sana's shoulder.
Fuka grinned, winking at the raven-haired girl.
"In the flesh!"
The van's passenger door slammed shut as Hisae glared angrily at her boyfriend, who was unloading the trunk.
"I TOLD you it would be quicker to take the other route here. We could have been here in ten minutes instead of thirty-five!"
Gomi rolled his eyes, dropping his girlfriend's luggage roughly on the sidewalk.
"Ah, get over it. I got us here, didn't I?"
Hisae turned her nose in the air as she retrieved her suitcases and walked haughtily off to join the three other girls.
"Women," Gomi muttered, shutting the trunk. He turned to face the blonde bodyguard, who was gathering Sana's luggage. "So you carry her stuff? What a gentleman."
"You should try it sometime," he replied tonelessly, walking across the front lawn and stopping in front of the three story, red brick house.
"You have such a pretty house," Aya commented, gawking at the enormous building.
"Yeah," Fuka agreed. "It's huge. Does being a veterinarian make good money?"
Mami chuckled, running her fingers through her ebony hair.
"If you know how to do your job. It isn't just about nursing animals, you know. It's also about loving them and caring for them, as if they were your own children. I stop at nothing until they get better. I think that's why most people place their pets in my hands."
Sana grinned at her cousin, her eyes twinkling with admiration.
"I'm glad your dream of starting a career in America turned out so great. You always talked about moving out of Japan and becoming a pet doctor."
Mami shrugged, smiling nervously.
"Well, it was hard, but once I started, it just kept getting better."
"Let's go inside," Fuka suggested, walking eagerly up the steps. "I'm dieing to see the inside!"
* * *
"Sana-chan?" Mami asked, concern seeping into her voice. "Are you okay?"
Sana glanced up at her cousin's worried face as she poked the steak on her dinner plate with her fork.
"I'm fine. Just a little jumpy."
Mami nodded in understanding. That afternoon, everyone had sat down in the living room, and explained the story to both Mami and Gomi. Mami was beyond shocked, and kept asking Sana if she was all right. Gomi was just speechless, and stayed close to Hisae.
Sana sighed and slumped back against her chair, staring blankly at her plate.
"Take this."
The actress looked up at her bodyguard as he held out a silver cellular phone.
"It's my sister," Hayama told her.
Sana's face brightened immediately as she snatched the phone and eagerly put it to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Sana-chan!" a cheery voice rang in her ear.
"Natsumi-chan!" Sana grinned widely, fidgeting in her seat.
"My brother told me you were in L.A. I was hoping we could get together sometime! I'm a HUGE fan of yours!"
"I'm a fan of yours, too! My friends and I just love your singing!"
A chuckle was heard over the phone as Natsumi spoke again.
"Well, why don't we all meet for lunch tomorrow, around noon?"
Sana bobbed her head up and down, before realizing the singer couldn't see it.
"Of course! We'd love to!"
"Great! Akito gave me directions to your cousin's house, so I'll come and pick you all up. My treat, okay?"
"No no no no no! I could never make you pay for all of us!"
"It's nothing, really," Natsumi insisted. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Sana gave a slight chuckle and nodded. "Okay."
After they hung up, Sana handed the phone back to her bodyguard.
"Thank you, Hayama," she said sincerely, smiling with gratitude.
Hayama gave a curt nod before taking his seat beside her.
"Well," Sana started looking at the inquiring faces around her. "Natsumi-chan is taking us out to lunch tomorrow!"
* * *
A/N: Sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors, but I didn't have time to check. Please review!