CHAPTER 2

Dear Shinomori Aoshi,

          It's been five years, do you still remember me? I'm sure you do. By the way, I'm going to come to Japan again immediately. I missed my birthplace, so I want to visit it, just to drink some cups of sake. I'll invite you to go along with me.

          See you in Japan!

                                                                                 XXX

                                                                             Yue Ling

Aoshi read that letter twice before he softly squeezed it in his hand. It seemed just like a common letter, but it was not when Yue Ling was the one who wrote it to him. It must have an implicit meaning behind the explicit words

          Yue Ling.

That name echoed in his mind again and again. He had buried the memory about her for almost five years. Now it reappeared again. Was it a symptom of something?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KYOTO, present

"So, this is Kyoto, ne?"

A young lady walked hesitantly and looked around her carefully, trying to find a place.

          "I don't know this place so well," she mumbled softly in monologue, "but I'm sure it must be around here."

Then she stopped in front of Aoiya. She observed that building once again, just to make sure that it was the right place she had been looking for. With a bit doubt she stepped into that place

          "Welcome, miss. Can I help you?" a lady there asked her politely.

          "My name is Asakura Kazuki. I want to see Shinomori Aoshi, please," she replied.

Omasu examined her from he hair to her feet.

          "Oh, you must be the person he told before," said Omasu. "Aoshi-sama will meet you. Follow me please."

Omasu led her to Aoshi's office room.

          "Aoshi-sama, there's a guest for you," said Omasu as she knocked the door.

          "Let her in," replied Aoshi from inside.

          "Please, miss," Omasu slid the door opened and let her in.

          "Thanks," she replied politely in a light smile.

She stepped in and Omasu closed the door back. She bowed to Aoshi politely before she walked closer.

          "How are you, Aoshi-san?" greeted Kazuki as she smiled lightly. "Nice to meet you again."

For a moment their eyes were locked on each other's. In appearance, she did not change much, still beautiful and dangerous. But now she looked more mature.

          "Sit down please," said Aoshi.

          "It seems that everyone here has already known about my arrival. That lady said that you'd told about me."

          "I told them that you're a person from Shanghai who would be in duty for Oniwabanshuu during you're in Japan."

          "What? You told that?"

          "Yes. You wrote in the letter that the reasons you came to Japan were because you wanted to 'visit my birthplace' and 'drink some cups of sake'. Who would believe that ridiculous reasons?"

          "So, what do you think, huh?"

          "I know you must have something to do here. That's why I told my friends that you'd be in duty for Oniwabanshuu. If it'll make you easier, you don't have to tell me what you will do. Just please be comfort to join Oniwabanshuu, like five years ago."

          "You know me too well."

          "How long will you stay in Japan?"

          "As long as I can," she replied. "I wanna stay in Japan forever if it's possible."

          "Yue Ling, is there something wrong with you?" asked Aoshi, knowing well that she did not hate to live in Shanghai.

          "Perhaps," she hissed softly. "That's the reason I come here. I have to do something to make it better."

Aoshi soon realized that something must have happened to her in Shanghai. But he caught a sign from her not to ask anything more.

"Now tell me how about you," she asked in return.

          "Quite much change maybe."

          "I notice that. You look more charming now."

Aoshi stared at her, a bit irritated with her statement.

"Why did you say like that?"

          "Because it's what I notice," she smiled. "Honest."

          "Yue Ling, I think you quite much change too."        

          "Perhaps. I'm thinking not to be a slayer anymore here. In Shanghai maybe I can't do that, but I want to start a new page here. So, from now on, please don't ever call me Yue Ling anymore. It's just my codename. Moreover, it was the name I used to be five years ago during that brief affair."

          "Fine, Kazuki," Aoshi nodded. He knew it was the only way for the, forgetting what had happened five years before and starting with a new page. "Welcome to Aoiya. I'm glad too have you as my workmate again."

          "Tadaima!" a cheerful female voice greeted Aoiya as she came in.

          "Okaeri, Misao-chan," replied Omasu.

          "Why is so silent here? Where're the others?" asked Misao.

          "They're out."

          "Aoshi-sama is too?"

          "No, he is in his office room. But you'd better not disturb him, because there is a guest there."

          "Guest? Is he the man who will join Oniwabanshuu like Aoshi-sama told?"

          "Correction, our new member is a young woman."

          "What? A young woman?"

The door of Aoshi's office room was opened. Misao turned around and saw that young woman come out of that room. Misao was startled, looking at her in disbelief just like Omasu before. She saw Misao too, so she bowed to her.

Aoshi came out after her. He said something to her, but not loud enough for Misao to hear that. She nodded and smiled lightly to him. Just a glimpse Misao saw that there was a flash of emotion on Aoshi's face as she smiled to him.

Misao was a bit shocked, but she was not sure that it was real or just her imagination for it was only seen in a wink.

The nights had fallen upon the land. But Misao had not slept yet. She just laid down on her futon without being able to fall asleep even for a while.

          Asakura Kazuki.

Aoshi told it was her name. Her first meeting with Kazuki left a mysterious foreboding in her heart. That was why Misao was so worried.

          Maybe you're only jealous.

She remembered Omasu's words. True, she got angelic beauty that no man could deny her appeal. And maybe Aoshi too.

Misao admonished herself of what she thought. Even she was not sure whether it was real, she might be a bit annoyed with the sight of emotion that Aoshi had showed to Kazuki. Anyway, Aoshi never chose wrong person. Kazuki must be a professional in her work. Yes, her eyes showed it. Misao shuddered as she remembered the moment when their eyes met each other. Her gaze was like the gaze of an angel of death. Even her goddess-like beauty could not hide her deadly sharp gaze. Misao tried to get rid of that thought from her mind and go to sleep.

Misao slowly opened her eyes as she heard the faint sound of flute in the morning. She needed a few seconds until she really awoke from her short sleep. She did not even remember when and how she could sleep last night.

Then that sound of flute became clearer. Someone was playing a flute, but who? Misao got up and walked to the window. The sound of flute was coming from the garden. She opened the window and saw a girl sitting there. From her long raven hair, Misao soon recognized her. It was Kazuki. She still wore a

Chinese dress, but now it was in blue colour of Oniwabanshuu uniform.

Misao came out from her room and went to the garden.

She was sitting there, playing her flute when Misao found her in the garden at that bright morning. Misao stepped closer as the melodious sound of flute was in the air.

          "Asakura-san."

Realizing that someone watched over her, Kazuki stopped playing her flute and turned around. She found Misao standing behind her.

"Ohayou," Kazuki greeted her with a light smile. "Sorry if the sound of my flute has woken you up."

          "Ohayou. That's OK. I was just surprised for I never heard sound of flute in Aoiya before," said Misao, a bit stuttered.

Misao stared at her in silence.

          "What's up?" she asked as her lips curled a light smile, noticing that Misao was staring at her.

          "Nothing," Misao replied in smile too. "May I chat with you?"

          "Chat? Sure, why not? I think we should be friends."

          "Sure." Misao replied and sat beside her, "Asakura-san,..."

          "Just call me Kazuki," she interrupted.

          "OK. You can call me Misao. Well, do you like Aoiya?" asked Misao, starting the chat.

          "Quite much. It's a bit different with my place in Shanghai."

          "Kazuki-san, if I may know, why do you leave Shanghai? It seems that you lack of nothing there."

          "Lack of nothing? Why do you think like that?"

          "Seeing your posh appearance, everyone should know that you're from a rich family."

          "Yes, but it's not what essential. I just try to find something I never found there."

          "You're versatile and have everything. What else haven't you found?"

          "The meaning of life."

          "Meaning of life?" Misao asked. "Kazuki-san, you know, lots of girls would be willing to die to be in your position. I was too. Sometimes I wish I could be like you in some case."

          "You have a life with friends who care about you and someone you love. Sometimes, I want to have a normal life and love like that too."

          "However, I don't believe you can't have a love as you want. With the appeal you have, every man would yield and kneel down to get you."

          "It's just like an illusion, for love can't survive in the world where I am."

          "It's not proper for a girl like you to be in that world. Why do you prefer that life?"

          "Maybe it's a cruel and terrific world, but once I ever liked it. Because the fact is that I have ever been in that world. I can't hate it nor regret it."

Misao gazed at her. Kazuki spoke almost without expression.

          "Well, never mind," said Kazuki, finishing her story. "Anyway, I'm glad I can share this story with you."