DISCLAIMER: I have to pack. If I could, I'd fit FY in with all my other stuff, but I can't. And I can't really pack it since it's not mine.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: That entire teasing scene with Gesshin, Tasuki, Reijirou, and Nuriko was an excuse for one thing and one thing only: for Nuriko and Reijirou to punch Gesshin and Tasuki through a wall at the same time ^_^ Seriously, I'd been looking for a way to put that in since chapter 9. And I finally got to do it! ~dances with joy~
I have hereby joined the ranks of FY writers who have had their stories inexplicably not show up on the main page. Along with the greats such as Mouse and Roku-chan, I can now tell of my problems with the system. Last time I posted this story, it stayed up for about 20 hours before disappearing from all sight - you had to search my name to find the story. All in all it was kind of funny. ^_^ Didn't get it as noticed as some chapters, but I've had chapters that only got 2 reviews, so I'm definitely not complaining. But still, I wonder if there's a little green gnome that goes around, pulling random stories off the list ^_^ Wouldn't it be funny if there were? (Update: it got back on somehow. What is up with the system?)
Everyone who got through despite the problems, you all are the best. I'm gonna go down the list now, so bear with me for a minute ^_^
Bad Mikka-chan! Giving away spoilers in the reviews! I knew it was a bad idea to put up anyone past Yui and Tetsuya ^_^ But I still love ya. That site is www.kabalarians.com and they have an entire slew of names. (They have Karasuki! They have Tomite! They have Hikitsu! They have Tatara, and it fits him eerily well!) They have Kazeko, and it's pretty scary that the name I picked for myself fits me so well, at least by what they say. They have Mikka as well! And I promise I will at least look upon your genuine cuteness at some point when I'm not so busy ^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Yeah Lanen, I know it's moving a bit quickly. This is from the days when I was still learning to put a plot together ^^;;; Hadn't quite gotten the hang of time yet. And actually it's in their best interests that it's moving quickly, which sounds weird, and occasionally makes for awkward writing... But I didn't know any way to fix it ^^ Thanks for weighing in! CCs (constructive criticisms) are great!
Chibigreenwizardmon, I happen to agree with you. I don't believe any of the Seiryu were evil (except for the possible exception of Miboshi, and I wanna hold back judgement on him until I know his past), they just had some really bad *insert Tasuki-type word here* happen to them that messed up their judgement. So that's why I like the idea of everyone, and not just the Suzaku, being reincarnated: a second, third, thousandth, whatever chance at life. Actually, out of everyone so far, I'd say Gesshin has the worst life. Ya never know, right? ^_^
CLAMPraven, of course more're gonna show up! Their lives are in danger! They have to be rescued! ~Dramatic Superhero Music plays~ ~grins~ But first they gotta find them. And remember, one's dead, one's "the enemy", and two have already shown up, but aren't seen much because being five years younger than Reijirou of course they won't operate in the same social sphere. ~grins~ Extra note to Mikka: THE TWINS ARE COMING BACK WHEN THE TWINS ARE COMING BACK! Sheesh! (Actually, I forgot about the twins for a few chapters ^^;) But they ARE coming back!
Kai-Li, thanks for leaving notice! I am now going to use you as an example ^_^ Everyone, if you want to be notified about updates, be like Kai-Li here and leave your e-mail and what story/stories you'd like to be updated about. I'm not gonna assume that anyone wants an update, so if you don't specifically tell me so I'm not putting you on the list.
Kryssa, it was just luck - I'd read another review of yours on another story about five minutes before ^^ But I'm still stubbornly pleased with myself. (You wanna know where the Reijie-chan nickname came from? Mouse actually gave it to him ^_^ Seriously. It was amusing enough that I hadto write it in ^_^) And how did you figure out my weakness? Cherry-flavored candy! Oooh, if I get cherry lollipops, can they be cherry-flavored SqueezePops? Those things are the beeeeeeeeest, they're like lollipops in goo form, and pure sugar... Oh, dangit, now I want one! No! Saving... money... for manga!
SilverDragoness, insanity is good! ~grins~ I have a lot in my life.
Lib-chan, as I've said many times - hopefully I'll be able to update. As of right now I don't see why I wouldn't be able to, but I won't know for sure until I get down there. Oh, good time to put in my notice. EVERYONE: I'm probably gonna go back to updating this every other week, because I won't have as much time to proofread and HTML and everything. They keep you busy down there. And updates on the site are temporarily suspended, at least until I work out some way to cram THAT in as well.
And Ryu-chan, you were just a biiiiiiiiiiiit too early ^_^
And now, at LAST, on to the chapter ^_^
Reijirou's mind raced as they sat on the bench, Risako still crying softly into his jacket. She couldn't go back to her house in that condition, and he was fairly sure she'd stop him if he tried to take her. His immediate thought was that he should take her to his own home, where he and Nuriko could keep an eye on her, but he dismissed that almost instantly. What with explaining things to his parents and siblings, finding room for her, not to mention their reputations… it would cause more problems than it solved. But where, then, could she possibly go?
Then he came to his senses, which were still scattered by rage at her attackers, and the answer snapped into place. The Sukunamis! Of course! If she let him, he could tell Taka and Miaka the truth. Although they'd have to think of something to tell Naora-chan, it was the quickest, easiest, and most reasonable solution. He simply needed to call them and explain.
"Risako…" he said gently, tilting her head so he could see her face, "Risako, listen to me. Do you want to go home?"
She shook her head violently, not making a sound, her grip on him tightening and burying her face in his chest again.
"You have to go somewhere… We can't spend all night out here like this."
"W-Why…" she spoke, so softly he wasn't certain he'd heard it. "Why not?"
"For one, it will get very cold, very soon. Listen, Risako." He dislodged her death grip on his shoulders and carefully made her sit up straight again. "I'm going to call Taka and Miaka and ask them if you can spend the night at their place. Is that all right?" She hesitated a moment before nodding tentatively. "All right. Come on, let's go find a phone." He slowly stood up, holding her hands in both of his, and waited for her to rise to her feet. "Can you walk?" Again she nodded, but without hesitation. He smiled at her in the near-complete darkness and began leading her back to the park entrance.
Nuriko was waiting anxiously for them in the car, fidgeting and glancing at the entrance every few moments. When he could finally see them he literally disappeared from sight, only to pop in a second later next to Risako. "Are you all right?" he asked quickly, enveloping her in a tight hug.
"H-Hai," she whispered, leaning against him as she had Reijirou, looking as if she was trying to control her tears.
Reijirou spoke in low tones so only Nuriko could hear. "I'm going to call Taka and Miaka, take care of her while I'm gone." Nuriko nodded in agreement and began steering Risako to the car as Reijirou walked off in search of a phone.
Two stop lights and much self-chiding for not knowing the area around campus better later, he found what he was looking for. He stepped into the little glass box and closed the door, pulling his phone card out of his wallet. He slid the card through the machine and tapped out the Sukunamis' number, wincing when he glanced at his watch and realized it was past eleven. He just hoped he wouldn't wake Naora-chan up… To his surprise only one ring was allowed. "Sukunami residence, and whoever this is better have a damn good reason for calling this late and interrupting my grading."
"Taka, it's serious, trust me."
"Reijirou? Is that you?" Taka had significantly less interaction with him over the phone than his wife did.
"Yeah, but listen, this is a semi-emergency. Can Risako stay at your house tonight?"
"Semi-emergency, huh?" Reijirou could picture him, rolling up his sleeves and settling back in his chair. "What happened?"
"Short version: she was attacked by Ashitare's thugs. She's broken, sobbing, can barely talk or walk. She also refuses to go home."
A shocked silence met him over the staticy phone. He grimly waited for Taka to find his voice again. "Wh… what? Oh gods… Suzaku, this is… bring her here, bring her. I'll be waiting." A sudden click, a buzz, and Reijirou hung up without getting to reply. But an answer wasn't necessary; the most important thing at that moment was getting Risako to Taka's apartment. As soon as possible.
The trip back to the car took significantly less time than the trip out (having a set destination didn't hurt) and he reached it in just a few minutes. Nuriko was half-sitting in the driver's seat, one arm around Risako's shoulders as the girl slumped with exhaustion in the passenger seat. The seishi looked up when Reijirou's footsteps reached his ears, nodding silently at his counterpart and floating into the backseat. Reijirou slid wordlessly into the seat and put his key in the ignition, grinding the engine a bit out of anxiety and frustration. He gave the poor car a break and put it in gear, holding down the clutch and stepping on the gas.
They hadn't gotten very far when he felt Risako lean against him. He avoided looking down at her in surprise, keeping his eyes on the nearly deserted road. Instead he freed one hand from the wheel and put it around her shoulders, holding her tight so she wouldn't fall over. When he looked down at the next red light, she was sound asleep on his shoulder.
"The poor girl…" Nuriko whispered. "I can vaguely remember Miaka being like that… It must have been horrible."
Reijirou nodded grimly. "Must have been."
Taka answered Nuriko's intense pounding quickly, ushering them inside. Reijirou turned carefully to avoid hitting Risako's head on the doorframe and slid inside, Nuriko floating after him. "Do you have a guest room, Taka?"
The sensei nodded. "Yeah, follow me." Taka led Reijirou, carrying the sleeping Risako, down the hall to the last door on the right. He reached inside and flipped a switch, and the room was filled with light from a half-burned out bulb. "Really need to change that… Just put her down there, I'll see if Miaka can lend her a night shirt or something."
"Where is Miaka, anyway?" Nuriko asked.
"I think she's digging through her closet, the phone call earlier woke her up."
Reijirou flinched, but it had been a necessary evil. "Sorry about that, there was just nowhere else to take her."
"No, we're glad to help. After all that…" He shook his head and ran his fingers impatiently through his hair. "If it was anything like what Miaka went through, she must be going through hell."
"I think she is." Reijirou said quietly.
The room was silent for a moment, only the slight whirring of the overhead fan breaking the air. Taka glanced at the girl on the bed one more time, then sighed. "I'll go check on Miaka, I want the full story when I come back." He walked out the door, muttering under his breath. Nuriko could swear he heard something resembling "…make those bastards pay…" pass his lips.
"Ne, Reijirou," he asked idly.
"What is it?"
"What're we going to do?"
Reijirou's eyes narrowed to nearly invisible slits. His hand clenched into a tight fist as he watched the sleeping girl, unbidden images of her being brutalized by her attackers passing before his eyes. "We make them pay." His voice was low, almost a growl, startling the seishi.
"Ne, Reijirou, calm down." Nuriko grabbed Reijirou's hand and effortlessly pried the fingers open. "Look, you want revenge, and it's perfectly understandable. But they're not here now and losing your head isn't going to help us any." Nuriko placed his hands on Reijirou's shoulders and turned the slightly taller boy to face him. "So just calm down and help me think this through."
A heavy footstep drew their attention to the door. "Miaka'll be here in a moment with the nightgown, she's talking to Naora-chan now." Taka watched them steadily and soberly. "She woke up with the commotion, but it'll be all right. Why don't you two go sit down in the living room?"
"No." Reijirou pushed Nuriko's hands off his shoulders and sat on the bed next to Risako. "I'm not moving."
Nuriko and Taka stared at him for a moment, faces blank. "Well…" Taka said, "if you're sure about that…"
"I am."
Nuriko nodded silently, turned and left the room, drifting back down the hall. Taka followed seconds later, just as quiet, closing the door behind him.
The whir of the fan was nearly driving him crazy, but he refused to budge. The light threw strange shadows onto her face, making her look pale and washed out and flushed at the same time. Her sleep, so peaceful before, was being broken as she started to move a little, beginning to toss and turn, her face forming into nearly torturous expressions. The nightmares were clearly coming, and any moment he expected her to start crying out.
"Risako…" Reijirou hesitantly reached out, then steeled his nerves and touched his hand to her cheek. She'd kill him if he ever did this while she was awake… but now he was shocked to see she quieted under his touch. Her breathing returned to a normal rate, her arms tucked themselves around her body, and she turned on her side, curling up slightly. She looked so vulnerable, so completely unlike the Risako he'd gotten to know over the past week, and he had no idea what to do. "I want to help you… Please tell me how."
"It's not as simple as it sounds, you know." Reijirou's head snapped up to see Miaka in the doorway, something draped over her arm and a solemn expression on her face. He hadn't even heard her open the door. "You think she'll just wake up and it will be fine? You think she can tell you how to help her? You think you can help her?"
"Are you saying I can't?"
"I'm saying that there's nothing simple about this." She walked into the room and draped the nightgown over the back of the room's solitary chair, claiming a seat next to Reijirou and taking his hand in hers. "Much as it hurts to think about it, I went through what she did. More than once. It's never easy, there is no simple solution." Reijirou kept quiet. This topic was clearly bringing up painful memories for Miaka, but she made herself push on with a force that amazed him. "The worst was when I thought it really happened. With Nakago. I pushed myself away from everyone, especially Tamahome. I didn't think I could be with him any more. Only Amiboshi's, and yes, even Soi's, compassion saved us. And probably saved my life as well. She won't get over this that easily. And you won't be able to help her until she decides she needs your help."
"But… But… But she already decided!" he blurted out, unable to stop himself.
Miaka looked sharply at him, her stare penetrating into his mind. "Has she? She called you, yes, which is a large step in the right direction. But she was also desperate. She'll be scared to trust almost any male after this, as I was. But…" Her eyes softened, and she squeezed his hand. "Your heart is in the right place. This'll drive you crazy, but all you can do is wait for her. She'll come to you, if she wants to."
He sighed heavily and rubbed his face with his free hand. "How long will it take? How long will she be that way?"
"I honestly don't know… the conditions are so unusual, and she's normally a strong girl. But the fact it broke her this much means it was probably a lot worse than we think it was. Maybe the 'mission' will bring her back to herself, she might see it as her chance to get revenge." Miaka shrugged. "There's really no way to tell." Reijirou sighed again, and Miaka pulled him into a hug. "She'll get better. She's too stubborn NOT to. Besides," she gave a slight grin. "I'll be VERY upset if she doesn't."
He let himself crack a smile at her tone of voice, then glanced once more at Risako. "Do you think she'd mind if I stayed here awhile?"
"She probably would if you were in here when her were clothes off. Aaaahhh, ecchi!" She whapped him upside the head as he dropped the psychopathic grin he'd been making and laughed. "Out, out! Or I throw you out and into the wall!" She gave him a hard, friendly push in the direction of the door, and he stumbled that way, getting his feet under him and catching himself on the frame. "And if Naora-chan asks, just say that Risako-san felt sick and came here to rest. That's what we told her." Reijirou nodded and toppled out the door, closing it behind him and sitting down to wait until he could get in again.
The sunlight filtering through the half-closed blinds made Reijirou blink his eyes open the next morning. The walls seemed much too high, and they were the wrong color. The windows were in the wrong place. And the bed had gotten very uncomfortable. He shook his head slightly to try and clear away the last fog of sleep and the answers to all his questions became very apparent.
He was sprawled on the floor, still in the clothes he'd been wearing the day before, of Taka and Miaka's guestroom. There was a pillow under his head and a blanket over his body that he had no recollection of, and he finally decided that Miaka had tried to make him more comfortable. His shoes had also been removed and placed out of the way. He pushed himself up into a more or less sitting position and looked around for a clock.
It was pretty early, but he had the feeling he wouldn't get back to sleep again. Reijirou stood slowly, stretching his cramped muscles, working a kink out of his neck.
Risako was still asleep in the bed, covers pulled up almost over her head and twisted around her body. He wondered how he'd slept through her thrashing as he gently dislodged the blankets and sheets from their stranglehold and laid them straight again. Her face was quiet at last, her breathing soft and even. Whatever nightmares had come to her in the night had left, chased away by the morning's light.
He couldn't resist stroking her long, thick hair, gripping a handful of it tightly as the brutal images his imagination had dreamed up of her and her attackers once again presented themselves to him. He knew he'd get revenge, just to see her smile again.
But now she needed rest and peace more than vengeance. He shoved his makeshift bedding into a corner, where she wouldn't trip over it when she got out of bed, gathered his shoes, and left the room, quietly closing the door to not break her sleep. He heard muted voices down the hall in the direction of the kitchen, and paused outside the guestroom to try and get his hair to lie somewhat flatter before appearing in public, shaking out his clothes to chase away the wrinkles they'd acquired overnight.
THUD.
A small ballistic missile hit him in the bottom of the legs, knocking him off balance and nearly making him crash headfirst into the wall. He quickly braced himself against the wall with both hands, holding himself up by strength alone.
Wrapped around his knees was a petite head of light brown hair, large light brown eyes smiling happily up at him. For once, he felt like a giant instead of one of the shortest guys in school. "Reijirou-san!"
He grinned. "Hello, Naora-chan." He got enough balance to hold himself up for a few seconds, then bent over and pried her arms off his legs. He quickly picked her up to stop any protests, settling her on his hip as he'd seen Miaka do several times by now, supporting her behind her back as she wrapped tiny arms around his chest. "I see you're nice and awake this morning. Who all's in the kitchen?" He nodded in the general direction of the object of his inquiry, distinctly hearing more than one female voice and at least three male.
"We have lots of visitors today! Mama and Papa and Uncle Keisuke and Uncle Tetsuya and Auntie Yui are all here! And so are you and Risako-san!" She beamed at him, and he laughed, unable to resist her innocent charms. "But you and Risako-san were here all night," she said with perfect seriousness. "No one else was but you and Mama and Papa and me! Are you and Risako-san married, Reijirou-san?"
Reijirou stopped dead in his tracks, feeling all color rush from his face as he stared at the girl he held. "Wh-What did you just say?"
"Are you and Risako-san married, Reijirou-san? You spent the night in the same room, just like Mama and Papa do and Uncle Tetsuya and Auntie Yui do also! And I think you like her, so are you married?" Her expression was one of questioning innocence, but even so the color returned to his face in a flood. He could feel himself turning red as a tomato. Really quickly too.
"No, we're not married," he said a bit too quickly. "We're good friends. There's a big difference."
Naora giggled and latched onto him tighter. "You're my friend, too!"
He sighed with relief and vowed to wipe his face later at the avoidance of that subject. "You said your Aunt Yui was here? And Uncle Tetsuya? Can I meet them?"
"Hai!" she sang out happily. "They're in the kitchen! Let's run, that's fun!" He obligingly broke into a jog, hampered little by the giggling figure he was carrying.
They thudded onto the small linoleum floor and he quickly set her down. "Morning. Do we have any coffee here?"
Miaka nodded and pointed. "Pot's next to the refrigerator, mugs in the cabinet above. Help yourself, we have cream, sugar, and milk out." The miniature table was littered with the milk jug and empty cream packets, and a half-full bowl of sugar with a little serving spoon was next to the pot itself. He ignored the gaping stares of the two people new to him until he fetched himself a large mug of straight, black coffee. He had a feeling he'd need the caffeine.
Chairs from other rooms had been dragged in to make enough room for everyone to sit, giving the accommodations a rather cramped but homey feel. Miaka and Taka sat next to each other facing the door, where they could see anyone coming, or skipping out as Naora currently was. Reijirou quickly prayed she wasn't going to try and wake Risako as he took the empty seat between Miaka and Keisuke, nodding at the older man before taking a long drink of coffee that shocked his system awake enough to think. He set the mug down and took his first look at the new arrivals.
The woman was a bit taller than Miaka, though still shorter than he himself, with somewhat-long blonde hair that reached to her shoulder blades and intelligent blue eyes. Her hair was done up in a French braid and she wore a simple business suit, which made her appear calm, professional, and in control. But her eyes also held a hint of good humor and tolerance, if one ignored the completely shocked expression on her face at the moment. The man was wearing the same expression and looked to be around Keisuke's age, a little older than Taka. In contrast to his wife, he was wearing faded blue jeans and a beat up, comfortable looking leather jacket about the same color as his hair. A pair of aviator's sunglasses blocked his eyes, but his mouth was wide open in slack-jawed surprise. They were both staring straight at him, watching every move he made.
Reijirou fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair, feeling rather like a sideshow freak people paid to look at in circuses. "What? Do I have something on my face? Did I go half-bald and not realize it?"
The man recovered a bit quicker than the woman, hurriedly shaking his head. "No no no no no," he stuttered in a friendly voice, "but you look so much like… like…"
"Like him." The woman found her own voice and pointed at the door, where Nuriko was just drifting through.
He gave everyone a sunny smile, way too chipper that early in the morning. "Did they not believe you, Miaka?"
"We believed, we believed. I just didn't realize how… similar you would be." The woman - Yui - said, somewhat in awe. "Even after Taka… Gahhh, this is strange, talking to two of you at once!"
Reijirou grinned wickedly. "Wait 'til you see Katai and Shirai with Amiboshi and Suboshi, THAT'S gonna be hard."
"I don't even want to think about it," Yui muttered, letting her head fall to the table with a dull thunk. "Maybe we should make them get tattoos to tell them apart…"
"I don't think their parents would let you do that to them, dear." Tetsuya patted his wife's hand soothingly, then glanced up at Taka. Even with his eyes hidden it was clear he was being very serious. "Do you think Naora-chan will come back soon?"
Taka quickly shook his head, blue hair flying about. "Iya, we asked her if she wouldn't mind playing in her room while discussed 'boring, adult stuff.' That turned her off pretty quickly. And if it doesn't work, we can always throw her Keisuke."
Keisuke shot his brother-in-law a good-natured glare, then huffed and pretended to ignore him. "Reijirou, this is Kajiwara Tetsuya and Yui. Guys, this is Enomoto Reijirou. Hopefully you can remember all that." He grinned and settled back in his chair as Tetsuya clearly shot him a look.
Yui ignored Keisuke and reached over the table to shake Reijirou's hand. "So you're the one who got all this kicked off again. Well, can't say it's for a bad cause. Can we take some time and go over what we know, so Tetsuya and I are up to speed?"
Reijirou, Miaka, and Taka shared a glance, then all began talking at once. They immediately shut up and waited for the collision of words to die down, then the Sukunamis nodded at Reijirou to begin.
He launched into the story, trying to trim it to the essentials and leave out some things, but he kept getting confused and having to backtrack to explain things, so eventually he gave up and just talked. He began with how he was late to Taka's class and how Taka had called him "Nuriko" when he'd first seen him, the mugging where they'd met Miaka, and everything since then. Nuriko, Miaka, Taka, and even Keisuke once or twice interrupted to add in some other piece of the puzzle, supporting his story with their facts. He and Nuriko settled down into a one-talked-while-the-other-caught-his-breath rhythm at about the point where Reijirou had been attacked. Yui and Tetsuya listened intently, he with an unreadable expression, Yui's face growing grimmer and grimmer, her hands clutching her mug tighter as they went on. She gave an involuntary cry at the description of his attacker and what had happened to him, and Tetsuya put a comforting arm around her shoulder, leaving it there after she'd composed herself.
A soft bump reached his ears as Reijirou was describing Mitsukake's summoning, and he turned to see Risako, still wearing Miaka's night gown, leaning in the doorway. She smiled wanly at them, saying softly "Hello everyone."
Reijirou shot a glance at the rest of the people at the table, then shoved his chair back with some difficulty as it got caught on Keisuke's, crossing to Risako and gently pulling her around the corner and into the hallway. "Are you okay? How do you feel?" He tried to keep his voice down, trying to keep off the radar of the professional eavesdroppers in the next room.
She smiled a little, but crookedly, ironically. "Want me to be blunt?"
He nodded.
"I feel like shit," she stated, completely serious. "I feel tired and worn out and like I'm going to cry at any second. Does that answer your question?"
He grimaced. "All too well." He crossed his arms over his chest, scuffing one sneaker along the floor. He didn't know how to deal with her now. Her cheerful disposition was nearly gone, replaced by something cynical and slightly bitter. It was worse than the crying the night before, at least then he'd been able to hold her, comfort her. Now she looked as if she would rip him open before he could try, if she didn't collapse first. "Risako…"
She looked up at him, then edged by and into the living room, sinking onto one end of the couch and putting her hand to her forehead. "Do you know if they have any aspirin? Oh, I should call my parents…" Her voice dwindled off as she glanced at the phone, clearly not looking forward to that call.
He hesitantly sat at the other end of the couch, barely noticing as Yui's arm came out of the kitchen and snaked the door shut. He did, however, hear her tone of voice as she reprimanded several someones for trying to pry into business that definitely wasn't theirs. He tried to ignore it, however, concentrating on the girl near him. "Risako, I…" She simply watched him, face betraying no emotion aside from fatigue.
He sighed heavily. No matter how much he'd denied it the night before, told himself she'd already accepted him, Miaka had been right. The sheer trauma of the incident had burned its way onto her heart, and she wasn't ready to trust anyone, even a woman. "I just… hell, I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do," he finished up, mentally kicking himself for sounding like a moron.
"No, can't think of anything. Do you think the aspirin would be in the kitchen or bathroom?"
He gave up. It was worthless trying with her in this state. Better to let her calm down first, then try again. "I don't know, I'll go ask." He stood up and walked quickly to the door, his steps short and unnatural. The atmosphere of the room was weighing down on him.
"-you and Tetsuya gone so long, Yui-chan?" Miaka was saying as he stepped in the room. "It took so long for you to get back to me!"
Yui looked at Tetsuya with an embarrassed, sheepish smile on her face, and he took her hand and grinned. "I surprised her. I bought plane tickets for our anniversary. We had a second honeymoon, with no advance notice. Barely found someone to water the plants and bring in the mail while we were away."
"Awwww, how kawaii!" Reijirou couldn't help smiling at Miaka's expression and Tetsuya and Yui's lovey-dovey looks. "That's a great present Tetsuya, I'm sure you had a great time." If it was possible, the Kajiwaras' faces got even redder.
Reijirou cleared his throat to help them avoid further embarrassment, and Yui shot him a grateful look. "Risako wants to know where you keep the aspirin, I think she has a headache."
Miaka's mobile face lost the genki look, her eyes becoming slightly troubled and a small, worried frown creasing her mouth. "How is she?"
Reijirou groaned lowly in frustration and buried his head in his hands. "Just like you said. She won't talk to me now, I can't tell anything from her expression, she's not Risako anymore!" He smacked the wall hard with his fist, not noticing the small dent he made and the little plaster flurry that exploded from the site.
Taka frowned as well, getting up and walking slowly over to peer into Reijirou's face as well as he could. Reijirou didn't care anymore, Risako's new attitude took the life out of him, made him feel helpless and listless, wondering why it even mattered any more. He didn't lift his gaze from the ground as Taka frowned at the top of his head. "Reijirou, you and I are having a long talk, very soon."
"What the hell good will that do me?" Reijirou muttered cynically.
"Idiot. I've been there, remember?" Taka whispered fiercely into his ear, tapping him hard on the head for good measure. "I might be able to clarify a few things."
Yui cleared her throat rather loudly. "Umm, Miaka, Taka, you should probably know that you're going to have another visitor today." She glanced at the microwave clock. "Very soon, in fact. So you might want to tell Risako-san to move if she doesn't like being seen in night wear."
"Another visitor? Who?" Miaka queried, slipping out of her seat to grab the aspirin from one of the cabinets. "And why didn't I know about this before?"
"She called out of the blue this morning, and with that case later today the only time I could see her was when I with you. And I knew you wouldn't mind seeing her either."
"Again, who?" She filled a glass with water from the tap, then pressed both into Reijirou's hands. "Here, take these to Risako." She began ushering him out of the kitchen as Yui was talking.
"Morin, she's finally back in town. She hasn't been home since she left for college up north, and she wanted to see her old friends."
"Oh, Morin-chan!" Miaka paused in ushering to grin and clap her hands. "It'll be just like old times!"
"She also said she had a surprise for us-" The closing door cut off Yui's next words.
Reijirou shook his head and scuffed across the living room again in Risako's direction, presenting her with the aspirin and the water. She popped the cap and shook out two pills, then swallowed them quickly. "Thanks." Her face was still blank of all emotion, and Reijirou had to control an urge to shake her, hit her, do something to snap her out of that place she'd gone to where she wasn't herself.
He calmed himself down, taking a deep breath. "Yui says someone else is coming over, sounds like one of their old school friends. You might want to move if you don't want to be seen that way." Her direct look at him after he said that made him flush red again; she probably wouldn't mind anyone seeing her in a nightgown if she had no objections to him. Still, Reijirou himself was indignant with the thought of anyone else seeing her… He squashed that thought as the doorbell rang. "Last chance."
Risako simply shook her head, not moving from her position on the couch, as Miaka flew out of the kitchen, Yui hot on her heels, and past them for the door. She yanked it open, breathing slightly heavily and grinning widely. "Morin-chan!"
"Miaka-chan!" Another excited young woman stepped inside and gave Miaka a large hug, her dark blue hair waving behind her in a long braid. "And Yui-chan too!" Morin hugged Yui also, clearly excited at seeing her friends after such a long time.
"God Morin, you look fabulous!" Yui cried after they broke apart, taking her hand and twirling her around like a dancer.
Morin grinned, a mischevious twinkle in her eye. "Well being away from Miaka the Human Eating Machine helped I think. Oh, it's been too long!" She stepped forward to hug Miaka again. Miaka didn't seem to mind the slight tease.
"Yes it has! You barely called and never wrote, we thought you had forgotten about us!" Miaka pouted, looking surprisingly like she did in some of the photos scattered around the Sukunami apartment, from when she was in middle school and high school. Yui gazed directly at Morin, the teasing glint in her eye, but trying to keep a stern, serious look on her face.
Morin grinned sheepishly, quelling under her friends' looks. "Well, actually, I got really busy with classes and… things, and I never had the time to write postcards to my mother, let alone anyone else."
"Oh? What's so important that you forget your friends?" Yui mock-sniffed.
"A couple things. I got a diploma in graphic arts and advertising, for one thing, which takes a lot of effort."
Dad, want me to try and do some recruiting? Reijirou thought ironically.
"Oh yeah? What else?"
"Well, that's the surprise I told you about." She stepped backwards out of the door and made a gesture that Reijirou couldn't see from his vantage point. He hoped he wasn't intruding on some private reunion by simply being in the room, but he'd draw more attention to himself if he left than if he just kept silent. Morin entered the door again, a joyful grin on her face as she held up her left hand. Reijirou could vaguely see something glinting yellowish on her finger, but whatever it was sent Miaka and Yui into joyful squeals and a fresh round of hugging.
"Morin, I'm so happy for you!" Yui said. "What's his name? What's he like?"
Morin laughed and extracted herself from her friends' well-meaning congratulations. "I'm trying to tell you he's here now. He wants to meet you after hearing so much about you."
"Ahhh! Show him in, show him in!" Miaka glanced around, seemed to notice Reijirou and Risako again, and dismiss them out-of-hand.
"Hokusai! Don't worry, they won't tear you to pieces, they've always been like this." Morin grinned at her friends startled protests, then took the hand of the tall man that stepped through the door. "Yui-chan, Miaka-chan, this is Obinata Hokusai."
He grinned shyly, looking slightly overwhelmed, which Reijirou could in no way blame him for. He looked about as tall as Gesshin, much more thinly built but more along Reijirou's lines. His hair was slightly long and pulled back into a tight ponytail, with a bit of bangs in front that spilled into his dark brown eyes. He was dressed pretty casually, and had a friendly air about him. "Nice to meet you, Yui-san, Miaka-san." Yui greeted him enthusiastically as Reijirou noticed the gaping expression on Miaka's face.
Then it clicked. Oh shit. HIM TOO!
AUTHOR'S NOTES II: Heh heh heh heh heh... Cliiiiiiiiiiiffhanger.
I think I owe a short explanation about Morin. A few chapters ago I asked which of Miaka and Yui's friends was Morin and which was Fuu because I wanted to keep it straight and would have gone with general opinion. No one answered, so I was left to my own devices. Even the great Tasuki no Miko (who I worship) only identifies them as Girl#1 and Girl#2, so I just went with my original assumption - which is, that Morin is the shorter one, with blue hair, kind of chubby, which is why Yui makes the "you look fabulous!" comment (Morin slimmed down). If anyone wants to disagree with me on which is which, tough. 'Tis my story, I got no answer to my question, so this is the way things are.
And on that note, I maybe-leave you all for a few weeks. One, at least, but that's nothing new, but just in case... I love each and every one of you. I'll try my best to upload, and I'd be so grateful to get e-mails! Something to keep me in touch with the realm of FY obsession! I love everyone, and I'll see ya at my next posting... whenever that is.
