"Hitomi Ikeda!?" Aya snapped. She turned around to leave, but was tugged
back but a gruff arm. "Let go of me! I do not want to stay here if she is!"
"You are staying," Suzumi ordered, "or would you rather be killed?" as she saw three men in black suits run by. Aya quickly entered the house, and Suzumi closed the door.
Eyeing Suzumi strangely, Aya asked, "Who are you?"
"Suzumi Aogiri," Suzumi replied briskly and walked away, followed by Hitomi, who whispered something in Suzumi's ear and went to her room.
"Please, sit," Suzumi gestured, pointing at a chair. Aya willingly sat down, and Suzumi asked, "I presume you know why you are running from these men?"
Aya nodded, "Yes, I do."
"That saves me a lot of explaining, then," Suzumi sighed briefly, and continued. "Hitomi Ikeda, is a Tennyo like yourself."
"What?" Aya was surprised. "How is that possible?"
"I do not know. All I know is that she is, and she shows great power and...she is her own enemy..." Suzumi answered. "She does not know she will eventually, probably, kill herself, for those wounds she has, like your brother, Aki. His wounds penetrated into Hitomi as well...This is where the trouble begins."
Aya nodded and finished Suzumi's statement, "Hitomi will want to commit suicide, killing herself."
Suzumi nodded, and brought two cups over, filled to the top with steaming tea. "Thank you," Aya said. "But...where do you come in?"
"I have some Tennyo blood, telekinetic powers, you see," Suzumi answered. "Yuuhi and I must protect Hitomi, but the legend did not state your presence, so possibly, the legend focuses on you, but the problem is..." Suzumi paused a moment to sip her tea. "The problem is that Hitomi only turned fifteen, so it confuses me that normally, powers emerge during the sixteenth year, but now, it is not."
Aya wrinkled her face and then said, "It is irrational that Hitomi is a pure-blood Tennyo. Are you sure that she is not like you?"
"In the beginning, I thought that she might have temporary powers, and they would die out soon, but they are still raging on, and it seems like her cuts won't go away, just like Aki's," Suzumi explained.
"It is very strange, don't you think," Aya continued, "that Hitomi and I could be pure-blood Tennyo's while there was one legend with one Tennyo?"
"The Tennyo that resides in you, is the original Tennyo," Suzumi clarified, "while I do not know what or which Tennyo could possibly be in Hitomi. She has not come out yet, so I do not know."
At that moment, Tooya came out, and didn't say a word, he just left. He stole a quick glance at Aya, but just kept a straight face. Before Aya could say a word, Suzumi said, "That is Tooya, he is working for us undercover at the Mikage House."
"Oh," Aya answered silently.
A lout blast of music suddenly erupted from the hallway, and the two could hear Hitomi shouting at the top of her lungs, "YUUHI!! YOU ASS! YOU COULD 'A DEAFENED ME!!!" Then there were muffled words and again, Hitomi was shouting, "DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN, YOU HEAR? OR YOU'RE DEAD!!" and again was a loud blast of music, and Yuuhi screamed and the door opened, closed, and Yuuhi's footsteps. Then the door opened again and closed, and another shuffle of footsteps followed Yuuhi down. "YUUHI, I'M COMING TO GET YOU!!!"
Yuuhi ran around the kitchen, Hitomi breathing heavily, one hand over her left ear, and holding a bat she had apparently stolen from Yuuhi's room. "You're going to PAY."
"It was an accident!!" Yuuhi squealed, lying horribly.
"Yeah, and so was this!" Hitomi swung the bat at Yuuhi's head, and it whiffed the top of his hair, for he ducked in the nick of time. Then he ran outside, closely followed by Hitomi. Suzumi and Aya heard screams and the bat hitting trees, bushes, and Yuuhi's knee...
"Yuuhi is...umm...a very strange person," Aya finished.
Suzumi laughed and said, "Yes, he truly is."
"You live together?" Aya questioned.
"Yes, he's my brother-in-law," Suzumi sighed. "My husband...died in a car crash."
"Oh."
There was a long pause, tea sipping, and banging and screaming going on outside.
"I'm sorry," Aya said. "I lost my father, and my mother, kind of."
"Hmm, it's okay," Suzumi whispered as she finished off her tea. "I'm going to get those two inside, I'll be right back." Aya nodded, and Suzumi left and went outside.
"YUUHI! HITOMI! COME HERE NOW!" Suzumi shouted.
The two came and stood in front of her, like two soldiers.
"Yuuhi, apologize to Hitomi and promise her you'll never blast the music in her ear again," she ordered.
Yuuhi, who was sulking, turned to Hitomi, who had her arms crossed and she back turned to Yuuhi, and he through gritted teeth, he said, "I-am-s-s-s- orry, Hi-Hitomi."
"And...?" Suzumi forced.
"And...I'll-never-do-it-again," Yuuhi finished.
"You're not forgiven," Hitomi rudely said. "But it's nice to know it won't be happening again."
"Now, you two, inside, now," Suzumi said.
"Hey!" Yuuhi shouted. "Doesn't she have to apologize to me for hitting me?"
"No," Suzumi simply stated and left, Hitomi and Yuuhi both glaring at each other. First Hitomi went in, and slammed the door in Yuuhi's face, but Yuuhi pried the door open and Hitomi, who had been holding it shut, ran off.
"No more fighting," Suzumi called out as Yuuhi ran down after Hitomi. "Now, you will need a room to stay, we will work out all the details tomorrow."
Aya nodded and followed Suzumi to an empty room with a single Tatami mat in the center and a pile of blankets and two pillows. "It's not much, but you only need to sleep here, so, it should be okay," Suzumi elucidated.
"Arigato," Aya politely said. "When will dinner be ready?"
"Yuuhi will be preparing it, so soon, I believe," Suzumi replied. "I will call you to dinner."
Aya nodded and closed the door. She turned around to find both Yuuhi and Hitomi in the room, looming over her. "Hitomi's told me all about you," Yuuhi commented. "She say's you're a real bi-"
"Don't dare say it," Aya said. "I'm as tough as Hitomi, and I have...have nails!" She showed Yuuhi her chipped, lightly brushed with pink nails.
"I've seen scarier," Yuuhi said.
"Scarier than this?" Aya asked, making a horrible face, showing three fangs and she pulled her cheeks down, making red scratches. Yuuhi fake screamed and slapped Aya straight across the face. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR??!!" Aya huffed.
"For this," Yuuhi replied, making the face, causing Aya to slap him.
"Hey, you two!" Hitomi interrupted. Aya and Yuuhi stopped slapping each other, their cheeks red. "Now, if you will, Yuuhi, go prepare dinner, Aya and I will...get closer." A wicked grin grew across both Aya and Hitomi's faces. "GO!" Hitomi shouted, when Yuuhi did not move.
Yuuhi sulked out and called back, "Whatever you two are going to do, I'm not going to like, am I?"
"We'll see..." Aya shouted.
When Yuuhi had started chopping and listening to music again, Aya and Hitomi screamed and hugged each other. "You think that grudge we just held will make Yuuhi think we're enemies?" Aya stupidly asked.
"No, duh!" Hitomi sarcastically responded. "Shhh! Someone's coming!"
The two fell silent, and the door moved a crack and slid entirely open. There standing, was Tooya, his hands in his pockets. "What do you want?" Aya asked rudely.
"Nothing, just seeing where the screaming was coming from," he replied.
"Well, you found out, so go away," Hitomi retorted.
"Fine," Tooya said and closed the door.
"Who was that?" Hitomi asked.
"Suzumi said his name is Tooya, and he is working undercover for Suzumi, I think, with my family," Aya answered.
"I see," Hitomi said, and eyeing the look on Aya's face, she grinned. "You think he's cute, don't you?"
Aya's eyes bugged out, she was good at that, "NO! No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are!!"
"NOOOO!!!!"
"AYA LOVES TO-"
Aya clasped her hand over Hitomi's mouth; Hitomi was smirking in Aya's direction. "Now, no, I do NOT," Aya lied.
"Hmph, va vi," Hitomi said through Aya's hand.
"DINNER!!" Suzumi called, and Aya let go of Hitomi, and they grudged out again and pretended they hated each other.
"Mm!" Aya complimented. "Smells good!"
"Thanks," Yuuhi said, but Aya just grimaced.
The five sat down, Tooya sitting alone in a corner and the others sitting squished together. They had rice, Miso Shiro, fried Salmon, and some dry Curry. Aya and Hitomi glared at each other all through dinner, Suzumi stared at the food only, Yuuhi listening to his music, until Suzumi snatched his headphones off and forced him to eat in peace, and Tooya, coming over once in a while to get food, but otherwise sitting in the darkness.
Dinner was finished and everything was cleared up, Hitomi forcing her way into washing the dishes again. She had tucked her necklace inside her thick sweater so nobody would see it. Suzumi was standing next to her again, and they were alone.
"About your necklace," Suzumi stated. "What is it?"
"I don't know," Hitomi replied, washing a large porcelain plate. "A possible symbol?"
"Not likely," Suzumi countered. "The legend-"
"Everything is always about the legend. Do you really believe the legend is true?" Hitomi vulgarly barged in.
Suzumi sighed. "It is not the matter of a legend, it is the matter that the legend is wrong, yet the legend is right."
"In what?"
"In everything, the rebirth of a Tennyo from a difference class, but the meeting of both pure-blood Tennyo's was not a part of this legend. Where it comes from, I do not know, but why it has happened is clear."
"How?" Suzumi did not answer, so Hitomi asked again, louder, "How?"
"To put it simply, she is here to kill you, or your Tennyo will kill you," Suzumi sadly inclined.
Hitomi, on hearing the news, dropped the bundle of chopsticks she was washing, and dipped her head low. "Is, is it true?"
"I do not know," Suzumi replied. "The only thing we can do is not let you release your Tennyo. If your Tennyo comes out, the consequences and actions are always irreversible."
Hitomi sighed and said, "I don't even have a clue as to how this whole system works, but why does this Tennyo want to come out?"
"To return...to heaven," Suzumi simply uttered.
"Heaven!?" Hitomi replied, picking up the chopsticks. "I don't even know my place on Earth, and then my body, or my spirit Tennyo wants to go to Heaven!?! What am I supposed to do about it? I can't control it, and anyway, these are all filth and lies!!!"
"Don't say that!" Suzumi retorted. "You cannot say anything about what you do not know, and you surely do not know the Heavens, let alone the legend."
"Well, maybe if I knew the legend, I'd have a better understanding of the purpose of the Tennyo and my purpose on Earth!"
"Hitomi, you will understand when time comes, your powers have shown themselves too early!" Suzumi's face was turning a shade of bright red.
"Show me the legend, and I will understand, I swear!" Hitomi said.
Aya emerged from the hallway, and clearly confused, asked, "What's going on here?"
Before Suzumi could answer that question, Hitomi raised her hand out to silence Aya, but instead sent a great shock at her and Aya flew back and hit the wall. She made a small noise, like an "Unh!" and fell unconscious.
"Aya!" Suzumi cried, but Hitomi restrained her and demanded, "Show-me-the- legend."
"No!" Suzumi shrieked, and pushed Hitomi's hand off her forearm.
"SHOW ME!"
"NO!" Suzumi rushed over to Aya and was about to help her up, when Hitomi came up to her and pulled out the necklace. "I have a right to know what's going on here. If I am the legend, and if it's my destiny, I have to know what's going on!" Hitomi hollered.
Suzumi brushed away her hair and firmly replied, "If you must, then you will..." Hitomi smile triumphantly. "...on your sixteenth birthday." Hitomi opened her eyes and shouted, "MY SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY!? That's eleven and a half months away! By then, I could be dead, did you realize that!?"
In the middle of helping Aya up, Suzumi stopped and said to herself, "That's right," and in a louder tone, said to Hitomi, "You're right. Tomorrow, we will, review it tomorrow."
"Great," Hitomi sarcastically retorted and went back to washing the dishes.
In the middle of washing Suzumi's favorite china plate, a gloved hand grasped over her mouth and pulled her back, causing Hitomi to drop the plate with a crash. The man injected a needle into a blood vein in her neck and Hitomi fell unconscious, the man carrying her away and out of the house.
"You are staying," Suzumi ordered, "or would you rather be killed?" as she saw three men in black suits run by. Aya quickly entered the house, and Suzumi closed the door.
Eyeing Suzumi strangely, Aya asked, "Who are you?"
"Suzumi Aogiri," Suzumi replied briskly and walked away, followed by Hitomi, who whispered something in Suzumi's ear and went to her room.
"Please, sit," Suzumi gestured, pointing at a chair. Aya willingly sat down, and Suzumi asked, "I presume you know why you are running from these men?"
Aya nodded, "Yes, I do."
"That saves me a lot of explaining, then," Suzumi sighed briefly, and continued. "Hitomi Ikeda, is a Tennyo like yourself."
"What?" Aya was surprised. "How is that possible?"
"I do not know. All I know is that she is, and she shows great power and...she is her own enemy..." Suzumi answered. "She does not know she will eventually, probably, kill herself, for those wounds she has, like your brother, Aki. His wounds penetrated into Hitomi as well...This is where the trouble begins."
Aya nodded and finished Suzumi's statement, "Hitomi will want to commit suicide, killing herself."
Suzumi nodded, and brought two cups over, filled to the top with steaming tea. "Thank you," Aya said. "But...where do you come in?"
"I have some Tennyo blood, telekinetic powers, you see," Suzumi answered. "Yuuhi and I must protect Hitomi, but the legend did not state your presence, so possibly, the legend focuses on you, but the problem is..." Suzumi paused a moment to sip her tea. "The problem is that Hitomi only turned fifteen, so it confuses me that normally, powers emerge during the sixteenth year, but now, it is not."
Aya wrinkled her face and then said, "It is irrational that Hitomi is a pure-blood Tennyo. Are you sure that she is not like you?"
"In the beginning, I thought that she might have temporary powers, and they would die out soon, but they are still raging on, and it seems like her cuts won't go away, just like Aki's," Suzumi explained.
"It is very strange, don't you think," Aya continued, "that Hitomi and I could be pure-blood Tennyo's while there was one legend with one Tennyo?"
"The Tennyo that resides in you, is the original Tennyo," Suzumi clarified, "while I do not know what or which Tennyo could possibly be in Hitomi. She has not come out yet, so I do not know."
At that moment, Tooya came out, and didn't say a word, he just left. He stole a quick glance at Aya, but just kept a straight face. Before Aya could say a word, Suzumi said, "That is Tooya, he is working for us undercover at the Mikage House."
"Oh," Aya answered silently.
A lout blast of music suddenly erupted from the hallway, and the two could hear Hitomi shouting at the top of her lungs, "YUUHI!! YOU ASS! YOU COULD 'A DEAFENED ME!!!" Then there were muffled words and again, Hitomi was shouting, "DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN, YOU HEAR? OR YOU'RE DEAD!!" and again was a loud blast of music, and Yuuhi screamed and the door opened, closed, and Yuuhi's footsteps. Then the door opened again and closed, and another shuffle of footsteps followed Yuuhi down. "YUUHI, I'M COMING TO GET YOU!!!"
Yuuhi ran around the kitchen, Hitomi breathing heavily, one hand over her left ear, and holding a bat she had apparently stolen from Yuuhi's room. "You're going to PAY."
"It was an accident!!" Yuuhi squealed, lying horribly.
"Yeah, and so was this!" Hitomi swung the bat at Yuuhi's head, and it whiffed the top of his hair, for he ducked in the nick of time. Then he ran outside, closely followed by Hitomi. Suzumi and Aya heard screams and the bat hitting trees, bushes, and Yuuhi's knee...
"Yuuhi is...umm...a very strange person," Aya finished.
Suzumi laughed and said, "Yes, he truly is."
"You live together?" Aya questioned.
"Yes, he's my brother-in-law," Suzumi sighed. "My husband...died in a car crash."
"Oh."
There was a long pause, tea sipping, and banging and screaming going on outside.
"I'm sorry," Aya said. "I lost my father, and my mother, kind of."
"Hmm, it's okay," Suzumi whispered as she finished off her tea. "I'm going to get those two inside, I'll be right back." Aya nodded, and Suzumi left and went outside.
"YUUHI! HITOMI! COME HERE NOW!" Suzumi shouted.
The two came and stood in front of her, like two soldiers.
"Yuuhi, apologize to Hitomi and promise her you'll never blast the music in her ear again," she ordered.
Yuuhi, who was sulking, turned to Hitomi, who had her arms crossed and she back turned to Yuuhi, and he through gritted teeth, he said, "I-am-s-s-s- orry, Hi-Hitomi."
"And...?" Suzumi forced.
"And...I'll-never-do-it-again," Yuuhi finished.
"You're not forgiven," Hitomi rudely said. "But it's nice to know it won't be happening again."
"Now, you two, inside, now," Suzumi said.
"Hey!" Yuuhi shouted. "Doesn't she have to apologize to me for hitting me?"
"No," Suzumi simply stated and left, Hitomi and Yuuhi both glaring at each other. First Hitomi went in, and slammed the door in Yuuhi's face, but Yuuhi pried the door open and Hitomi, who had been holding it shut, ran off.
"No more fighting," Suzumi called out as Yuuhi ran down after Hitomi. "Now, you will need a room to stay, we will work out all the details tomorrow."
Aya nodded and followed Suzumi to an empty room with a single Tatami mat in the center and a pile of blankets and two pillows. "It's not much, but you only need to sleep here, so, it should be okay," Suzumi elucidated.
"Arigato," Aya politely said. "When will dinner be ready?"
"Yuuhi will be preparing it, so soon, I believe," Suzumi replied. "I will call you to dinner."
Aya nodded and closed the door. She turned around to find both Yuuhi and Hitomi in the room, looming over her. "Hitomi's told me all about you," Yuuhi commented. "She say's you're a real bi-"
"Don't dare say it," Aya said. "I'm as tough as Hitomi, and I have...have nails!" She showed Yuuhi her chipped, lightly brushed with pink nails.
"I've seen scarier," Yuuhi said.
"Scarier than this?" Aya asked, making a horrible face, showing three fangs and she pulled her cheeks down, making red scratches. Yuuhi fake screamed and slapped Aya straight across the face. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR??!!" Aya huffed.
"For this," Yuuhi replied, making the face, causing Aya to slap him.
"Hey, you two!" Hitomi interrupted. Aya and Yuuhi stopped slapping each other, their cheeks red. "Now, if you will, Yuuhi, go prepare dinner, Aya and I will...get closer." A wicked grin grew across both Aya and Hitomi's faces. "GO!" Hitomi shouted, when Yuuhi did not move.
Yuuhi sulked out and called back, "Whatever you two are going to do, I'm not going to like, am I?"
"We'll see..." Aya shouted.
When Yuuhi had started chopping and listening to music again, Aya and Hitomi screamed and hugged each other. "You think that grudge we just held will make Yuuhi think we're enemies?" Aya stupidly asked.
"No, duh!" Hitomi sarcastically responded. "Shhh! Someone's coming!"
The two fell silent, and the door moved a crack and slid entirely open. There standing, was Tooya, his hands in his pockets. "What do you want?" Aya asked rudely.
"Nothing, just seeing where the screaming was coming from," he replied.
"Well, you found out, so go away," Hitomi retorted.
"Fine," Tooya said and closed the door.
"Who was that?" Hitomi asked.
"Suzumi said his name is Tooya, and he is working undercover for Suzumi, I think, with my family," Aya answered.
"I see," Hitomi said, and eyeing the look on Aya's face, she grinned. "You think he's cute, don't you?"
Aya's eyes bugged out, she was good at that, "NO! No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are!!"
"NOOOO!!!!"
"AYA LOVES TO-"
Aya clasped her hand over Hitomi's mouth; Hitomi was smirking in Aya's direction. "Now, no, I do NOT," Aya lied.
"Hmph, va vi," Hitomi said through Aya's hand.
"DINNER!!" Suzumi called, and Aya let go of Hitomi, and they grudged out again and pretended they hated each other.
"Mm!" Aya complimented. "Smells good!"
"Thanks," Yuuhi said, but Aya just grimaced.
The five sat down, Tooya sitting alone in a corner and the others sitting squished together. They had rice, Miso Shiro, fried Salmon, and some dry Curry. Aya and Hitomi glared at each other all through dinner, Suzumi stared at the food only, Yuuhi listening to his music, until Suzumi snatched his headphones off and forced him to eat in peace, and Tooya, coming over once in a while to get food, but otherwise sitting in the darkness.
Dinner was finished and everything was cleared up, Hitomi forcing her way into washing the dishes again. She had tucked her necklace inside her thick sweater so nobody would see it. Suzumi was standing next to her again, and they were alone.
"About your necklace," Suzumi stated. "What is it?"
"I don't know," Hitomi replied, washing a large porcelain plate. "A possible symbol?"
"Not likely," Suzumi countered. "The legend-"
"Everything is always about the legend. Do you really believe the legend is true?" Hitomi vulgarly barged in.
Suzumi sighed. "It is not the matter of a legend, it is the matter that the legend is wrong, yet the legend is right."
"In what?"
"In everything, the rebirth of a Tennyo from a difference class, but the meeting of both pure-blood Tennyo's was not a part of this legend. Where it comes from, I do not know, but why it has happened is clear."
"How?" Suzumi did not answer, so Hitomi asked again, louder, "How?"
"To put it simply, she is here to kill you, or your Tennyo will kill you," Suzumi sadly inclined.
Hitomi, on hearing the news, dropped the bundle of chopsticks she was washing, and dipped her head low. "Is, is it true?"
"I do not know," Suzumi replied. "The only thing we can do is not let you release your Tennyo. If your Tennyo comes out, the consequences and actions are always irreversible."
Hitomi sighed and said, "I don't even have a clue as to how this whole system works, but why does this Tennyo want to come out?"
"To return...to heaven," Suzumi simply uttered.
"Heaven!?" Hitomi replied, picking up the chopsticks. "I don't even know my place on Earth, and then my body, or my spirit Tennyo wants to go to Heaven!?! What am I supposed to do about it? I can't control it, and anyway, these are all filth and lies!!!"
"Don't say that!" Suzumi retorted. "You cannot say anything about what you do not know, and you surely do not know the Heavens, let alone the legend."
"Well, maybe if I knew the legend, I'd have a better understanding of the purpose of the Tennyo and my purpose on Earth!"
"Hitomi, you will understand when time comes, your powers have shown themselves too early!" Suzumi's face was turning a shade of bright red.
"Show me the legend, and I will understand, I swear!" Hitomi said.
Aya emerged from the hallway, and clearly confused, asked, "What's going on here?"
Before Suzumi could answer that question, Hitomi raised her hand out to silence Aya, but instead sent a great shock at her and Aya flew back and hit the wall. She made a small noise, like an "Unh!" and fell unconscious.
"Aya!" Suzumi cried, but Hitomi restrained her and demanded, "Show-me-the- legend."
"No!" Suzumi shrieked, and pushed Hitomi's hand off her forearm.
"SHOW ME!"
"NO!" Suzumi rushed over to Aya and was about to help her up, when Hitomi came up to her and pulled out the necklace. "I have a right to know what's going on here. If I am the legend, and if it's my destiny, I have to know what's going on!" Hitomi hollered.
Suzumi brushed away her hair and firmly replied, "If you must, then you will..." Hitomi smile triumphantly. "...on your sixteenth birthday." Hitomi opened her eyes and shouted, "MY SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY!? That's eleven and a half months away! By then, I could be dead, did you realize that!?"
In the middle of helping Aya up, Suzumi stopped and said to herself, "That's right," and in a louder tone, said to Hitomi, "You're right. Tomorrow, we will, review it tomorrow."
"Great," Hitomi sarcastically retorted and went back to washing the dishes.
In the middle of washing Suzumi's favorite china plate, a gloved hand grasped over her mouth and pulled her back, causing Hitomi to drop the plate with a crash. The man injected a needle into a blood vein in her neck and Hitomi fell unconscious, the man carrying her away and out of the house.