CHAPTER 10: The End
"So do you still want to kill us, Aya?" Yuko asked as they entered the Koneko no Sumu Ie.
Aya turned to her and sighed. "No. You completed your mission and have earned my respect. And.I'm sorry about your friend."
With that, he turned and headed for his room.
Ken stumbled over to the couch, removed his bloody bugnuk, and threw it onto the coffee table.
"You guys should go," he addressed the remaining members of Katzen. "Everything is my fault. I don't think I can stand to look at you right now."
Yuko sank down on the couch and told him tonelessly, "It's not your fault, Ken. It's my sister that killed her. Not you." Makoto started to cry, silently and Youji slipped an arm around her waist and tried to comfort her. Leela sat on the couch next to Yuko and tried to comfort her. Yuko's only response was to recoil from her touch.
Omi came in with a tray of green tea for each of them. When he offered a cup to each of them, the only one who took a cup was Leela. Sighing and setting the tray on the coffee table next to Ken's bugnuk, he sat with Yuko and Leela on the couch.
Ken stood and began pacing the room, angrily, "You know, Yuko, it was YOUR sister that killed her. This was your fault."
Yuko looked as if she'd been punched in the stomach. Torn between grief for her sister's loss and grief for Maki, she struggled to hold back tears. Leela put her arm around her, protectively.
"Ken-kun! What Satori did isn't Yuko's fault! She didn't know!" Omi cried.
Makoto cried harder, her face buried in Youji's shoulder. "Ken, please," Youji looked at him, shocked. He stroked Makoto's hair gently, hoping she'd calm down.
"Dammit, Ken. I'm sorry," Yuko said, not looking up. "You know.Maki loved you. And you loved her, didn't you? That's all she wanted, Ken. All she would talk about sometimes is how she wanted a lover she would die for and would die for her. You gave her what she wanted. If we didn't have this life, you would have gotten married, had fifteen children and moved to Hokkaido to live happily ever after. But you're an assassin, Ken. And so was she."
Ken paused for a minute, pondering her words. He knew she was right. But that didn't change what had happened and didn't justify it either. Add Maki to the list of people he'd loved and lost. "But your sister.," he started.
Finally looking up, Yuko was forced to look into Ken's accusing eyes, "I know what my sister did and I'm sorry, Ken. I can't fix what she did. I can't bring back Maki back. No one can. You know, Ken," Yuko stumbled over her words, unable to hold back her tears any longer. "I'm only here for two reasons. To stop Unagi and to find my sister. And you know what? Both my reasons are gone. Unagi is stopped because my sister is dead now. You and I killed her, Ken. And she killed Maki. And there's no changing it now."
Ken closed his eyes tightly, managing to keep his voice level. "I'm sorry," he said, still not looking at Yuko. "You're right. It's not your fault. And Maki was your friend."
Yuko nodded. "That's right. I've known her for over four years. But right now, I'm going to stop thinking about it before I drive myself crazy, and I suggest you do the same."
She then stood and Leela followed suit. Makoto stifled her tears and pulled away from Youji. He looked at her with sorrow apparent in his eyes. He didn't want her to go. He knew that if she would just stay with him, he would make her happy again.
As if reading his mind, Makoto leaned over and gave him a soft and long kiss on the lips.
"Thank you," she said, "for lots of things."
Leela thanked Omi for the tea, and the three remaining members of Katzen left the Koneko no Sumu Ie and split up, ready to start new lives out in the Tokyo night.
* * *
Morning came. Ken blinked his eyes and rolled over. There was a knock on his door.
"Go away," Ken mumbled, pulling blankets over his head.
"I have something for you," came Aya's voice.
"I don't want it." Ken said.
"Too bad," Aya said as he let himself into Ken's room.
Rolling his eyes, Ken sat up and finally saw what Aya had for him.
"Azaleas?" Ken said, taking the bouquet. "I don't understand."
"They came for you today," Aya explained. "The sense of flowers coming to a flower shop is beyond me.but they were addressed to you and they don't say who they're from."
With that, Aya walked out, leaving Ken to stare at the azaleas.
"Azaleas," he mumled to himself. "They mean womanhood. Fragile passion. 'Take care of yourself.'"
A tear rolled off his cheek and onto the flowers.
"So do you still want to kill us, Aya?" Yuko asked as they entered the Koneko no Sumu Ie.
Aya turned to her and sighed. "No. You completed your mission and have earned my respect. And.I'm sorry about your friend."
With that, he turned and headed for his room.
Ken stumbled over to the couch, removed his bloody bugnuk, and threw it onto the coffee table.
"You guys should go," he addressed the remaining members of Katzen. "Everything is my fault. I don't think I can stand to look at you right now."
Yuko sank down on the couch and told him tonelessly, "It's not your fault, Ken. It's my sister that killed her. Not you." Makoto started to cry, silently and Youji slipped an arm around her waist and tried to comfort her. Leela sat on the couch next to Yuko and tried to comfort her. Yuko's only response was to recoil from her touch.
Omi came in with a tray of green tea for each of them. When he offered a cup to each of them, the only one who took a cup was Leela. Sighing and setting the tray on the coffee table next to Ken's bugnuk, he sat with Yuko and Leela on the couch.
Ken stood and began pacing the room, angrily, "You know, Yuko, it was YOUR sister that killed her. This was your fault."
Yuko looked as if she'd been punched in the stomach. Torn between grief for her sister's loss and grief for Maki, she struggled to hold back tears. Leela put her arm around her, protectively.
"Ken-kun! What Satori did isn't Yuko's fault! She didn't know!" Omi cried.
Makoto cried harder, her face buried in Youji's shoulder. "Ken, please," Youji looked at him, shocked. He stroked Makoto's hair gently, hoping she'd calm down.
"Dammit, Ken. I'm sorry," Yuko said, not looking up. "You know.Maki loved you. And you loved her, didn't you? That's all she wanted, Ken. All she would talk about sometimes is how she wanted a lover she would die for and would die for her. You gave her what she wanted. If we didn't have this life, you would have gotten married, had fifteen children and moved to Hokkaido to live happily ever after. But you're an assassin, Ken. And so was she."
Ken paused for a minute, pondering her words. He knew she was right. But that didn't change what had happened and didn't justify it either. Add Maki to the list of people he'd loved and lost. "But your sister.," he started.
Finally looking up, Yuko was forced to look into Ken's accusing eyes, "I know what my sister did and I'm sorry, Ken. I can't fix what she did. I can't bring back Maki back. No one can. You know, Ken," Yuko stumbled over her words, unable to hold back her tears any longer. "I'm only here for two reasons. To stop Unagi and to find my sister. And you know what? Both my reasons are gone. Unagi is stopped because my sister is dead now. You and I killed her, Ken. And she killed Maki. And there's no changing it now."
Ken closed his eyes tightly, managing to keep his voice level. "I'm sorry," he said, still not looking at Yuko. "You're right. It's not your fault. And Maki was your friend."
Yuko nodded. "That's right. I've known her for over four years. But right now, I'm going to stop thinking about it before I drive myself crazy, and I suggest you do the same."
She then stood and Leela followed suit. Makoto stifled her tears and pulled away from Youji. He looked at her with sorrow apparent in his eyes. He didn't want her to go. He knew that if she would just stay with him, he would make her happy again.
As if reading his mind, Makoto leaned over and gave him a soft and long kiss on the lips.
"Thank you," she said, "for lots of things."
Leela thanked Omi for the tea, and the three remaining members of Katzen left the Koneko no Sumu Ie and split up, ready to start new lives out in the Tokyo night.
* * *
Morning came. Ken blinked his eyes and rolled over. There was a knock on his door.
"Go away," Ken mumbled, pulling blankets over his head.
"I have something for you," came Aya's voice.
"I don't want it." Ken said.
"Too bad," Aya said as he let himself into Ken's room.
Rolling his eyes, Ken sat up and finally saw what Aya had for him.
"Azaleas?" Ken said, taking the bouquet. "I don't understand."
"They came for you today," Aya explained. "The sense of flowers coming to a flower shop is beyond me.but they were addressed to you and they don't say who they're from."
With that, Aya walked out, leaving Ken to stare at the azaleas.
"Azaleas," he mumled to himself. "They mean womanhood. Fragile passion. 'Take care of yourself.'"
A tear rolled off his cheek and onto the flowers.
