What happens when EK is scared to make choices that would decide the
succeeding six years of her life?! You get fast updates. ^^ I have
to choose my new school, and I'm between a rock and a hard place.
I've been looking for a good chance to introduce a certain fellow, and now I have it. Hope you enjoy, but don't expect any deviation from the triangle I've made. After all, this is White and Black. Sorry about this string of dialogue chapters. ^^
.............
As the small steamboat chugged through Tokyo Bay, Misao's braided hair blew with the wonderful sea breeze. Himura's ponytailed red hair fluttered beside hers. They leaned casually on the rails at the top deck.
"Misao-dono, could you please tell me more about this friend of yours?" he asked. "He seems to be special to you."
"Shinichi? What do you want to know?"
"Everything Misao-dono could tell sessha."
"Well," as she looked dreamily across the water, "he's stylish, he's intelligent, he's elegant, he's very gracious. He loves his privacy and quiet. Unlike most men, he likes books more than being with people. I haven't told you, he even reads French!"
Himura smiled in approval. "How do you know that you love him?"
Misao looked up to the wisps of clouds sailing through the blue sky. "I remember that I hated him a lot, the first time I met him. But slowly, surely, as he opened up to me, the day seemed incomplete if I did not see him. When I could not see him, I would dream of him, and our great walks through the woods, and those wonderful readings."
Himura asked again. "What about Aoshi?"
"Well, Aoshi-sama, I'll always love him, of course. But now, I love him as a brother. If you ask if I love him now like I did before-he changed all that, Shinichi did."
Himura smiled at this, then his face grew serious as he looked down at the frothy waves. "Misao-dono, what do you remember of Yukishiro Enishi?"
Her brows knit together, and her nose crumpled, as she thought deeply. Then she clenched her teeth. "He's your brother-in-law, and he brought down hell on you. That enough?"
"Aa." Himura lowered his head.
"....but I think I'm forgetting something about him, something very important...."
Himura seemed relieved. "You will remember eventually."
Misao pouted good-naturedly.
..........
"Yukishiro-san...Yukishiro-san..."
"You're mistaken, whoever you are," the prisoner mumbled drowsily, his back leaned on the prison bars. "Shiroyuki Shinichi. Arrested for smuggling." He added matter-of-factly.
"Yukishiro-san! Yukishiro Enishi -san, wake up, please. I am here reporting for duty," a youthful male voice implored.
The four walls of the cell spun furiously before his eyes. His head pounded heavily. For once Enishi noticed the untouched bed, and fumbled his way to it. But it seemed that the bed was moving farther away from him with each step. He opted to grab for the prison bars instead.
He noticed a blue hakama and gi standing behind them. "Ohayo, Yukishiro-san," it greeted.
He squinted to get a better look, and to focus his spinning view of the world on this new visitor. He was rather young, about as young as Misao, and undeniably good-looking. He seemed familiar, but he could not remember where he had met the young man.
"You have to start eating again, Yukishiro-san. You look awful," the young man continued, as he offered a fresh glass of water.
That was not far from the truth, the prisoner mused as he gulped down the water. His hair was all matted and tangled, and his eyes showed his severe lack of decent sleep. His cheeks betrayed the lack of nourishment. It was already the fourth day after his arrest, the sixth day after he saw Misao for the last time.
"Do I know you?"
"Seta Soujirou, at your service," the young man replied with a happy smile.
"Are you sure? You used to work for someone, yes? Someone already deceased?"
"Shishio-sama, hai. I'm freelance now. I get paid every once in a while for odd jobs. Bodyguard, spy, delivery boy---"
"I understand. Shinomori asked you to come here?" The young man's smiling face was getting blurry.
"Hai. He asked me to check up on you, and to ask what you might want done. He says he cannot leave the Aioya for any length of time."
The pounding and the spinning continued, and even grew worse with each minute. All he saw now was blue. He breathed heavily. "Are you ready for a long list, Seta?"
The young man nodded.
"First, check on the progress of Makimachi and Himura. I don't care how you do it. Then, check if anyone besides Shinomori has gone through my office documents. Then.. get a doctor....but no hospital. Then...."
Everything went blank and dark.
Three hours had passed when he came to.
He found himself in the bed of his cell, with the smiling young man sitting on the floor beside him. He immediately offered a bowl of miso soup and a glass of tea, served on an elegant tray. Enishi noted that the blanket, pillow, and sheets were softer than could be expected in a prison cell. He glanced at them in some surprise. They were his own, from his house.
"You'll be okay, Yukishiro-san," the young man assured him. "You just have to eat and get some sleep."
"Well, my charm still works on people," he smiled arrogantly at Shinomori, from under the covers, as he finished the simple meal.
"Do not flatter yourself, Yukishiro," Shinomori replied, his voice full of ice, behind the prison bars. "The police allowed this arrangement, only because the evidence is still inconclusive, and they go against your official testimony."
"What official testimony?" He quickly sat up and listened intently.
"You admitted to being the mastermind of the exchanges."
"I did NOT!" He slammed his hands onto the bed.
Seta quietly gave him a transcript of an interrogation that he could not recall happened. The interrogated shook his head in despair at the testimony. Fortunately for him, though, many of the answers were restricted to "yes" and "no", without explanations. The papers and the tall figure of the okashira began to blur before his eyes.
"The shock interrogation, I see. I've used it several times myself to get my way," he chuckled to himself. "It can be overturned by hard evidence against it, though. That is what Misao was supposed to get for me." His head began pounding again. "However, police are not known for effectively applying the shock interrogation. That would mean..."
"Does anyone want you dead?" the okashira interrupted.
"Aside from you," he smirked, "probably not. My enemies are mostly dead or in jail. I'm more useful to both police and mafia leaders alive."
Shinomori ignored the haughty comments. "Does your former organization want you?"
"It is possible. They didn't fire me, I quit. I do know that Wu is something of a bungler without someone over him." The remembrance made the room spin upside down. He lay back into bed.
"I'll check on that angle." Shinomori rose to leave. "I'll be back when I have something for you." He turned his back on him, and motioned for the blue-haired young man to follow, carrying the tray.
Enishi snuggled into the blanket, and said faintly, "Aa, anou, Shinomori...arigatou."
"That would be a first," the okashira remarked. "Yukishiro thanking somebody..." But as he looked behind him, he found the man already asleep.
...........
"I remember this beach," Misao commented, as Himura helped her off the rowboat from the ship. "You fought Enishi here, right?"
Himura only nodded in reply. His face told her that he was reliving a major turning point in his life.
"Shinichi said there was a house at the top of the island." She tugged at Himura's sleeves, and coaxed him to follow a small footpath. "Come on, Himura! We have to get back to Kyoto as soon as possible!"
They hurried along the route.
The ninja and the rurouni made short work of the few kilometers. Both were skilled at their feet, and they had no enemies behind trees to worry about. All the same, Misao had an eye to the left, and Himura kept his on the right.
"Just curious, Misao-dono, but what does this friend look like?" he asked as they reached the top of the island, with a large resthouse in view.
"Um, anou, he was tall, and he didn't like wearing hakama or kimonos. He was always in Western clothes, except for this one time at the sakura festival----he looked dashing then!"
"Could Misao-dono be a little more specific? Face, eyes, hair?" Himura inquired casually.
"His hair was always messy, his eyes narrower than usual...." she rubbed her chin slowly as she tried to recall.
"White? Was the hair pure white?" he looked intently at her eyes.
"Aaaah, I think so...yes, it was."
Himura stopped dead in his tracks, and held Misao by her shoulders.
"Misao-dono has been describing Yukishiro Enishi to sessha."
She was stunned. "Really?"
"Listen to me, Misao-dono." He then said distinctly, "Shinichi and Enishi are one and the same person."
"But Enishi is this obnoxious psychopath, and Shinichi is this wonderful gentleman...." She fumbled as she explained.
The rurouni smiled at her. "Misao-dono. People have many aspects to themselves. You have to accept a person for what he is, completely, good traits and bad, past and present. That is what real love means."
Something clicked.
Her mind went back to that chance meeting in Tokyo, when a tall and annoyingly obnoxious young man asked, "What do you want from me, weasel?" He wore his classy trademark Chinese silk jacket and trousers, the trademark purple glasses. The trademark snowy hair was hidden under a tasteful leather hat.
Her memory also returned to that night of the sakura festival. The elegant businessman she had grown to admire and understand, suddenly went berserk, demanding she come with him to Europe, to live with him. It took much of her courage to snap him out of his impulsive insanity then.
Himura was right. It was not so long ago, but she had forgotten. Not because of the accident, but because she chose to remember the good days.
In the words of a famous European playwright, her only love had sprung from her only hate.
"But I love Enishi-san for what he is now!"
"It does not change the fact that you have to know what he was before. The documents we will be retrieving? They might show what he used to be. Is Misao-dono ready to find out?"
WAS she ready to know how much Shinichi-no, Enishi--used to be involved in crime? Did she really want to know how cruel he used to be? Did she want to know how heartless he once was?
Did she really want to know the man she said she loved?
"Lead the way, Himura," she ordered.
.........
"My only love sprung from my only hate" is one line from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet".
Sorry about last chappie. I was on a musical high. I haven't seen the movie yet, but my brother got me the OST, and the music is absolutely great! I like musicals in general. My all-time fave is Les Miserables (although I have yet to see it for real; I only have the OST). I also liked Moulin Rouge a lot.
Sabbie---Really? That's OK. As I've told you, I'm rather a sucker for musicals, and Chicago is the newest movie musical to get it right. ^^
Dalisse---Thanks! I hope you liked this one too! As to who gets the girl, the choice is totally up to you. Don't let people force you to a particular match if you don't want to do it. A well-executed A/M is still a very nice treat!
CardMistressSakura---Finally, something we agree on! ^^ Of the Cell Block Tango stories, this is the ending I liked best: "Ya know, some guys just can't hold down their ARSENIC!" And the one with the warning shots...right into his head! I think that nee-san mumbling thing you mentioned was used in WTJC a few chapters back. ^^
Tesuka-chan-Yup, I like Hamrio Musica too! Looks with attitude-nice! ^^ Thanks for liking chap 13 and Chicago!
Chitchat-Thanks much for liking chap 13! Hope you liked this one too!
Mi-Thanks!
Tiian-No problem, I have the same problem with some fics I'm keeping track of. Many times a window stops running once I click to review, so I have to open another one. Annoying. Anyway, hope you keep reading! Thanks much!
Firuze-nee-san-Scary, the compliments. Hope the house is coming along nicely. Personally I like earth tones in a house, and open spaces, and wood. ^^ Best regards to the new site layout!
BittersweetKandy-Chapter so short? Sorry! It's just that the story is better said in dialogue now. The next few chappies will probably have the mixed type. Please don't check every day---maybe once every three days is fine. I do have other things to worry about, you see.
That's everybody! Hope to see you all again!
I've been looking for a good chance to introduce a certain fellow, and now I have it. Hope you enjoy, but don't expect any deviation from the triangle I've made. After all, this is White and Black. Sorry about this string of dialogue chapters. ^^
.............
As the small steamboat chugged through Tokyo Bay, Misao's braided hair blew with the wonderful sea breeze. Himura's ponytailed red hair fluttered beside hers. They leaned casually on the rails at the top deck.
"Misao-dono, could you please tell me more about this friend of yours?" he asked. "He seems to be special to you."
"Shinichi? What do you want to know?"
"Everything Misao-dono could tell sessha."
"Well," as she looked dreamily across the water, "he's stylish, he's intelligent, he's elegant, he's very gracious. He loves his privacy and quiet. Unlike most men, he likes books more than being with people. I haven't told you, he even reads French!"
Himura smiled in approval. "How do you know that you love him?"
Misao looked up to the wisps of clouds sailing through the blue sky. "I remember that I hated him a lot, the first time I met him. But slowly, surely, as he opened up to me, the day seemed incomplete if I did not see him. When I could not see him, I would dream of him, and our great walks through the woods, and those wonderful readings."
Himura asked again. "What about Aoshi?"
"Well, Aoshi-sama, I'll always love him, of course. But now, I love him as a brother. If you ask if I love him now like I did before-he changed all that, Shinichi did."
Himura smiled at this, then his face grew serious as he looked down at the frothy waves. "Misao-dono, what do you remember of Yukishiro Enishi?"
Her brows knit together, and her nose crumpled, as she thought deeply. Then she clenched her teeth. "He's your brother-in-law, and he brought down hell on you. That enough?"
"Aa." Himura lowered his head.
"....but I think I'm forgetting something about him, something very important...."
Himura seemed relieved. "You will remember eventually."
Misao pouted good-naturedly.
..........
"Yukishiro-san...Yukishiro-san..."
"You're mistaken, whoever you are," the prisoner mumbled drowsily, his back leaned on the prison bars. "Shiroyuki Shinichi. Arrested for smuggling." He added matter-of-factly.
"Yukishiro-san! Yukishiro Enishi -san, wake up, please. I am here reporting for duty," a youthful male voice implored.
The four walls of the cell spun furiously before his eyes. His head pounded heavily. For once Enishi noticed the untouched bed, and fumbled his way to it. But it seemed that the bed was moving farther away from him with each step. He opted to grab for the prison bars instead.
He noticed a blue hakama and gi standing behind them. "Ohayo, Yukishiro-san," it greeted.
He squinted to get a better look, and to focus his spinning view of the world on this new visitor. He was rather young, about as young as Misao, and undeniably good-looking. He seemed familiar, but he could not remember where he had met the young man.
"You have to start eating again, Yukishiro-san. You look awful," the young man continued, as he offered a fresh glass of water.
That was not far from the truth, the prisoner mused as he gulped down the water. His hair was all matted and tangled, and his eyes showed his severe lack of decent sleep. His cheeks betrayed the lack of nourishment. It was already the fourth day after his arrest, the sixth day after he saw Misao for the last time.
"Do I know you?"
"Seta Soujirou, at your service," the young man replied with a happy smile.
"Are you sure? You used to work for someone, yes? Someone already deceased?"
"Shishio-sama, hai. I'm freelance now. I get paid every once in a while for odd jobs. Bodyguard, spy, delivery boy---"
"I understand. Shinomori asked you to come here?" The young man's smiling face was getting blurry.
"Hai. He asked me to check up on you, and to ask what you might want done. He says he cannot leave the Aioya for any length of time."
The pounding and the spinning continued, and even grew worse with each minute. All he saw now was blue. He breathed heavily. "Are you ready for a long list, Seta?"
The young man nodded.
"First, check on the progress of Makimachi and Himura. I don't care how you do it. Then, check if anyone besides Shinomori has gone through my office documents. Then.. get a doctor....but no hospital. Then...."
Everything went blank and dark.
Three hours had passed when he came to.
He found himself in the bed of his cell, with the smiling young man sitting on the floor beside him. He immediately offered a bowl of miso soup and a glass of tea, served on an elegant tray. Enishi noted that the blanket, pillow, and sheets were softer than could be expected in a prison cell. He glanced at them in some surprise. They were his own, from his house.
"You'll be okay, Yukishiro-san," the young man assured him. "You just have to eat and get some sleep."
"Well, my charm still works on people," he smiled arrogantly at Shinomori, from under the covers, as he finished the simple meal.
"Do not flatter yourself, Yukishiro," Shinomori replied, his voice full of ice, behind the prison bars. "The police allowed this arrangement, only because the evidence is still inconclusive, and they go against your official testimony."
"What official testimony?" He quickly sat up and listened intently.
"You admitted to being the mastermind of the exchanges."
"I did NOT!" He slammed his hands onto the bed.
Seta quietly gave him a transcript of an interrogation that he could not recall happened. The interrogated shook his head in despair at the testimony. Fortunately for him, though, many of the answers were restricted to "yes" and "no", without explanations. The papers and the tall figure of the okashira began to blur before his eyes.
"The shock interrogation, I see. I've used it several times myself to get my way," he chuckled to himself. "It can be overturned by hard evidence against it, though. That is what Misao was supposed to get for me." His head began pounding again. "However, police are not known for effectively applying the shock interrogation. That would mean..."
"Does anyone want you dead?" the okashira interrupted.
"Aside from you," he smirked, "probably not. My enemies are mostly dead or in jail. I'm more useful to both police and mafia leaders alive."
Shinomori ignored the haughty comments. "Does your former organization want you?"
"It is possible. They didn't fire me, I quit. I do know that Wu is something of a bungler without someone over him." The remembrance made the room spin upside down. He lay back into bed.
"I'll check on that angle." Shinomori rose to leave. "I'll be back when I have something for you." He turned his back on him, and motioned for the blue-haired young man to follow, carrying the tray.
Enishi snuggled into the blanket, and said faintly, "Aa, anou, Shinomori...arigatou."
"That would be a first," the okashira remarked. "Yukishiro thanking somebody..." But as he looked behind him, he found the man already asleep.
...........
"I remember this beach," Misao commented, as Himura helped her off the rowboat from the ship. "You fought Enishi here, right?"
Himura only nodded in reply. His face told her that he was reliving a major turning point in his life.
"Shinichi said there was a house at the top of the island." She tugged at Himura's sleeves, and coaxed him to follow a small footpath. "Come on, Himura! We have to get back to Kyoto as soon as possible!"
They hurried along the route.
The ninja and the rurouni made short work of the few kilometers. Both were skilled at their feet, and they had no enemies behind trees to worry about. All the same, Misao had an eye to the left, and Himura kept his on the right.
"Just curious, Misao-dono, but what does this friend look like?" he asked as they reached the top of the island, with a large resthouse in view.
"Um, anou, he was tall, and he didn't like wearing hakama or kimonos. He was always in Western clothes, except for this one time at the sakura festival----he looked dashing then!"
"Could Misao-dono be a little more specific? Face, eyes, hair?" Himura inquired casually.
"His hair was always messy, his eyes narrower than usual...." she rubbed her chin slowly as she tried to recall.
"White? Was the hair pure white?" he looked intently at her eyes.
"Aaaah, I think so...yes, it was."
Himura stopped dead in his tracks, and held Misao by her shoulders.
"Misao-dono has been describing Yukishiro Enishi to sessha."
She was stunned. "Really?"
"Listen to me, Misao-dono." He then said distinctly, "Shinichi and Enishi are one and the same person."
"But Enishi is this obnoxious psychopath, and Shinichi is this wonderful gentleman...." She fumbled as she explained.
The rurouni smiled at her. "Misao-dono. People have many aspects to themselves. You have to accept a person for what he is, completely, good traits and bad, past and present. That is what real love means."
Something clicked.
Her mind went back to that chance meeting in Tokyo, when a tall and annoyingly obnoxious young man asked, "What do you want from me, weasel?" He wore his classy trademark Chinese silk jacket and trousers, the trademark purple glasses. The trademark snowy hair was hidden under a tasteful leather hat.
Her memory also returned to that night of the sakura festival. The elegant businessman she had grown to admire and understand, suddenly went berserk, demanding she come with him to Europe, to live with him. It took much of her courage to snap him out of his impulsive insanity then.
Himura was right. It was not so long ago, but she had forgotten. Not because of the accident, but because she chose to remember the good days.
In the words of a famous European playwright, her only love had sprung from her only hate.
"But I love Enishi-san for what he is now!"
"It does not change the fact that you have to know what he was before. The documents we will be retrieving? They might show what he used to be. Is Misao-dono ready to find out?"
WAS she ready to know how much Shinichi-no, Enishi--used to be involved in crime? Did she really want to know how cruel he used to be? Did she want to know how heartless he once was?
Did she really want to know the man she said she loved?
"Lead the way, Himura," she ordered.
.........
"My only love sprung from my only hate" is one line from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet".
Sorry about last chappie. I was on a musical high. I haven't seen the movie yet, but my brother got me the OST, and the music is absolutely great! I like musicals in general. My all-time fave is Les Miserables (although I have yet to see it for real; I only have the OST). I also liked Moulin Rouge a lot.
Sabbie---Really? That's OK. As I've told you, I'm rather a sucker for musicals, and Chicago is the newest movie musical to get it right. ^^
Dalisse---Thanks! I hope you liked this one too! As to who gets the girl, the choice is totally up to you. Don't let people force you to a particular match if you don't want to do it. A well-executed A/M is still a very nice treat!
CardMistressSakura---Finally, something we agree on! ^^ Of the Cell Block Tango stories, this is the ending I liked best: "Ya know, some guys just can't hold down their ARSENIC!" And the one with the warning shots...right into his head! I think that nee-san mumbling thing you mentioned was used in WTJC a few chapters back. ^^
Tesuka-chan-Yup, I like Hamrio Musica too! Looks with attitude-nice! ^^ Thanks for liking chap 13 and Chicago!
Chitchat-Thanks much for liking chap 13! Hope you liked this one too!
Mi-Thanks!
Tiian-No problem, I have the same problem with some fics I'm keeping track of. Many times a window stops running once I click to review, so I have to open another one. Annoying. Anyway, hope you keep reading! Thanks much!
Firuze-nee-san-Scary, the compliments. Hope the house is coming along nicely. Personally I like earth tones in a house, and open spaces, and wood. ^^ Best regards to the new site layout!
BittersweetKandy-Chapter so short? Sorry! It's just that the story is better said in dialogue now. The next few chappies will probably have the mixed type. Please don't check every day---maybe once every three days is fine. I do have other things to worry about, you see.
That's everybody! Hope to see you all again!