Deai 2
Part iii
The mountains are dark tonight. There will be a storm. Ou-tenkun looked aloofly from his cozy seat within a mesh of maple leaves.
Dependence
It's best to befriend yourself. No matter what conflicts you get involved in, the other party is always someone you know well.
Feeling himself filled with unusual anxiety, Nentou paced the room.
The woman had not returned for three days. He was secretly afraid that his feeling of apprehension was actually predicting what would happen.
Tightening his fists, he came to a decision and picked up the phone.
***
"I don't think we can leave tonight." Youzen looked thoughtfully at the storm leering at them from outside the window.
Luckily, the group had managed to huddle into a small cabin within the woods. At Youzen's suggestion, they gathered up some firewood and shut the door tightly for the approaching storm. Winter was not always kind.
***
"He's late." Ryuukitsu looked worriedly out the window toward the darkening skies.
Placing a reassuring hand on Ryuukitsu's shoulder, Dakki laughed, "with him there, you don't need to worry." Ryuukitsu nodded gratefully.
"Come to think of it, I never properly thanked you for convincing the president to accept Taikoubou into KU. With his grades, it would not have been otherwise possible."
"You underestimate him."
The two looked at each other with the same thought, but decided to change the subject.
"When do you plan to do it?" Dakki's grave tone reflected Ryuukitsu's expression.
"I don't know… I'm afraid…." Ryuukitsu tried hard, but seemed unable to placate her emotions.
Sighing, Dakki placed a hand across her friend's shoulders. "You can't run away forever, unless you ..."
The doorbell rang.
"Yes?" Ryuukitsu peered questioningly out the door.
A blazing head of orange hair and a face that was almost entirely buried within made an attempt to speak some sort of salutation.
"Aren't you…" Ryuukitsu couldn't guess what he would be doing at her house. How did he find her anyway? "Do you have a message from Genshitenson-san?" Her heart started to pound… very quickly.
"Uhh… yes… no… I mean, he's on a business trip, won't be back for a month or so." Nentou managed to blurt all the words out in a single breath and congratulated himself silently.
"Oh." Ryuukitsu's face hinted of the same disappointment that she showed when he related similar news to her on their first encounter.
Feeling a strange desire to comfort her, he clumsily dug out a piece of paper from his pocket. "This is his cell phone number. He usually takes a break around six in the evening…." He didn't know what else to say. He felt himself instantly transforming into a five-year-old in front of this woman. She had a strange commanding power over him, and he couldn't run from it.
Watching him, Ryuukitsu felt a smile twitching on her lips. She accepted the piece of paper from his hands.
"Thank you." She said gently, tilting her head a little to look into his hidden eyes.
Feeling a rush of heat approaching his face, Nentou nodded hurriedly and half escaped via Ryukitsu's gates. Snow had already started to descend at an alarming rate.
"Seems like your attractiveness hasn't ebbed since college times, especially to younger men. Such an adorable…uhh…." Dakki covered her mouth immediately, but her burst of laughter was still heard half way down the block. Slightly flushed, Ryuukitsu closed the door in hopes of constraining the volume level. "He lives with Genshitenson, I'm not certain of his identity yet."
"Well then," Dakki laughed slyly, "that means I still have a chance! He's quite handsome you know?" Dakki poked at Ryuukitsu with her elbow.
"We're not in high school or college anymore." Ryuukitsu tried to make her stern reminder sound the way such comments were meant to, but failed miserably as she collapsed into laughter. That man, whoever he was, made her feel very comfortable, like she had a bond with him. She felt very happy and relaxed when she was talking to him.
Perhaps this would be a relationship she could pursue… finally.
Without warning, another shadow loomed over her, this time taking a definite shape.
***
The wind and snow howled outside the windows, trying constantly to force their way in. It looked like the sky was falling. Despite that, Bukichi and Kihatsu were fast asleep already, cuddling in a corner fairly close to the flame.
Suddenly feeling an inexplicable uneasiness curdling in his stomach, Youzen shifted a little closer to the fire.
The sight of a trembling hand caught his attention. Following the hand upward, he stared into the shivering eyes of Fugen. They were screaming for help, as if an invisible horror was about to devour him. The smile that usually lingered around his gentle lips was nowhere to be scene. There was only a vacuum of fear around him.
Feeling another gaze, Youzen followed it back to Taikoubou, who was looking intently at Fugen. His body language told Youzen that he wanted to walk over and comfort Fugen, but something was holding him back. Smiling to himself, Youzen edged his body slowly until he was only a foot away from Fugen.
Please don't come near me… Fugen's round eyes brimmed with tears, making him even more transparent than usual. Please… don't hurt me….
His mouth opened in an attempt to scream, but no sound came out. Youzen reached toward Fugen….
A jacket wrapped tightly around Fugen's body as Taikoubou sat down between him and Youzen, as if oblivious of Youzen's stare.
When he felt the hand wrapping around him, Fugen curled into an even smaller ball than before. The fire was reaching at him viciously, to swallow him into its heart, then to scatter his remains into the same abyss that faced him every second of his life. But the hand did not push him into the fire. It held on to him tightly, protectively, and comfortingly. The hand was very warm, no, the owner of the hand was very warm. Fugen sank into this temporary sanctuary and drifted into a dreamless sleep, the first in many years.
***
A small head peered over the heavily snow-covered hills, struggling to raise itself from the snow that was piling mercilessly onto his little body. It was a hopeless fight. He was only nine after all.
As he collapsed into the deadly blanket of snow, a thought persisted in his mind, trying to keep at least his mind active.
I have to find him, the thought told him. He's in grave danger and I'm the only one who can warn him.
But… I can't… he told the thought helplessly as he felt his body growing numb.
Very soon, he was nothing but a small inconspicuous mound among many other such mounds forged by the snow.
***
He'll be back… he'll be back… he'll be back… storm… snow… freezing cold….
"Damn it!" Hiko gave up on positive thinking and stormed out the door. How dare that child defy his father like this!? Hiko thought indignantly.
I'll have to give him teach him a good lesson in discipline when I drag him back! He thought angrily.
I wonder if he's wearing nothing but his tank top again. I bet he is. Damn that child, he just doesn't know how to take care of himself at all! I should bring a jacket with me… was his next thought.
Two second later, his figure blended in with the snow that was still pouring onto earth, in search of his only son.
***
Hmph, idiot father. I SAID I wanted to be the one to visit mother's grave first.
Nataku paced aimlessly in the subsiding storm while juggling various plans of one day beating his father in reaching his mother's grave, most of which included some form of physical brawl with his father.
The snow did not frighten him. Besides, it was subsiding a little. When he had the race to his mother's grave with his father he could barely make out the structures on the streets he passed. Now at least he could see that he was approaching KU.
Damn.
He just fell into a pit cleverly disguised by the snow. One of these days I'll blow all this snow into the next galaxy. He swore as he struggled to get himself out.
***
A stub- of dependence
Readjusting my fears,
And my prisoner.
Preview: Fugen's secret? Youzen's secret? Ryuukitsu's secret? Who doesn't have a secret!? (someone answers: Bukichi! A: ~_~ wise guy… )
A's Babblin: Wahahaha…. Gomen ne mina-san! I'm really sorry for the number of breaks and the apparently (ok, very obviously) disjointed conversations and strings of information you were presented with in this chapter! I just have to bring out the character so I could get the story rolling. ^^ Take heart though, because this is most of the important characters. Some may (?!) still come out later in the story, but I don't need to be concerned with them right now. If you don't know already, then I'll tell you this is the way I always write. But hey, I had a fan service scene right??? Ho ho ho… ::everyone stares at her coldly:: Ok… I'll go now… ::hides::
Part iii
The mountains are dark tonight. There will be a storm. Ou-tenkun looked aloofly from his cozy seat within a mesh of maple leaves.
Dependence
It's best to befriend yourself. No matter what conflicts you get involved in, the other party is always someone you know well.
Feeling himself filled with unusual anxiety, Nentou paced the room.
The woman had not returned for three days. He was secretly afraid that his feeling of apprehension was actually predicting what would happen.
Tightening his fists, he came to a decision and picked up the phone.
***
"I don't think we can leave tonight." Youzen looked thoughtfully at the storm leering at them from outside the window.
Luckily, the group had managed to huddle into a small cabin within the woods. At Youzen's suggestion, they gathered up some firewood and shut the door tightly for the approaching storm. Winter was not always kind.
***
"He's late." Ryuukitsu looked worriedly out the window toward the darkening skies.
Placing a reassuring hand on Ryuukitsu's shoulder, Dakki laughed, "with him there, you don't need to worry." Ryuukitsu nodded gratefully.
"Come to think of it, I never properly thanked you for convincing the president to accept Taikoubou into KU. With his grades, it would not have been otherwise possible."
"You underestimate him."
The two looked at each other with the same thought, but decided to change the subject.
"When do you plan to do it?" Dakki's grave tone reflected Ryuukitsu's expression.
"I don't know… I'm afraid…." Ryuukitsu tried hard, but seemed unable to placate her emotions.
Sighing, Dakki placed a hand across her friend's shoulders. "You can't run away forever, unless you ..."
The doorbell rang.
"Yes?" Ryuukitsu peered questioningly out the door.
A blazing head of orange hair and a face that was almost entirely buried within made an attempt to speak some sort of salutation.
"Aren't you…" Ryuukitsu couldn't guess what he would be doing at her house. How did he find her anyway? "Do you have a message from Genshitenson-san?" Her heart started to pound… very quickly.
"Uhh… yes… no… I mean, he's on a business trip, won't be back for a month or so." Nentou managed to blurt all the words out in a single breath and congratulated himself silently.
"Oh." Ryuukitsu's face hinted of the same disappointment that she showed when he related similar news to her on their first encounter.
Feeling a strange desire to comfort her, he clumsily dug out a piece of paper from his pocket. "This is his cell phone number. He usually takes a break around six in the evening…." He didn't know what else to say. He felt himself instantly transforming into a five-year-old in front of this woman. She had a strange commanding power over him, and he couldn't run from it.
Watching him, Ryuukitsu felt a smile twitching on her lips. She accepted the piece of paper from his hands.
"Thank you." She said gently, tilting her head a little to look into his hidden eyes.
Feeling a rush of heat approaching his face, Nentou nodded hurriedly and half escaped via Ryukitsu's gates. Snow had already started to descend at an alarming rate.
"Seems like your attractiveness hasn't ebbed since college times, especially to younger men. Such an adorable…uhh…." Dakki covered her mouth immediately, but her burst of laughter was still heard half way down the block. Slightly flushed, Ryuukitsu closed the door in hopes of constraining the volume level. "He lives with Genshitenson, I'm not certain of his identity yet."
"Well then," Dakki laughed slyly, "that means I still have a chance! He's quite handsome you know?" Dakki poked at Ryuukitsu with her elbow.
"We're not in high school or college anymore." Ryuukitsu tried to make her stern reminder sound the way such comments were meant to, but failed miserably as she collapsed into laughter. That man, whoever he was, made her feel very comfortable, like she had a bond with him. She felt very happy and relaxed when she was talking to him.
Perhaps this would be a relationship she could pursue… finally.
Without warning, another shadow loomed over her, this time taking a definite shape.
***
The wind and snow howled outside the windows, trying constantly to force their way in. It looked like the sky was falling. Despite that, Bukichi and Kihatsu were fast asleep already, cuddling in a corner fairly close to the flame.
Suddenly feeling an inexplicable uneasiness curdling in his stomach, Youzen shifted a little closer to the fire.
The sight of a trembling hand caught his attention. Following the hand upward, he stared into the shivering eyes of Fugen. They were screaming for help, as if an invisible horror was about to devour him. The smile that usually lingered around his gentle lips was nowhere to be scene. There was only a vacuum of fear around him.
Feeling another gaze, Youzen followed it back to Taikoubou, who was looking intently at Fugen. His body language told Youzen that he wanted to walk over and comfort Fugen, but something was holding him back. Smiling to himself, Youzen edged his body slowly until he was only a foot away from Fugen.
Please don't come near me… Fugen's round eyes brimmed with tears, making him even more transparent than usual. Please… don't hurt me….
His mouth opened in an attempt to scream, but no sound came out. Youzen reached toward Fugen….
A jacket wrapped tightly around Fugen's body as Taikoubou sat down between him and Youzen, as if oblivious of Youzen's stare.
When he felt the hand wrapping around him, Fugen curled into an even smaller ball than before. The fire was reaching at him viciously, to swallow him into its heart, then to scatter his remains into the same abyss that faced him every second of his life. But the hand did not push him into the fire. It held on to him tightly, protectively, and comfortingly. The hand was very warm, no, the owner of the hand was very warm. Fugen sank into this temporary sanctuary and drifted into a dreamless sleep, the first in many years.
***
A small head peered over the heavily snow-covered hills, struggling to raise itself from the snow that was piling mercilessly onto his little body. It was a hopeless fight. He was only nine after all.
As he collapsed into the deadly blanket of snow, a thought persisted in his mind, trying to keep at least his mind active.
I have to find him, the thought told him. He's in grave danger and I'm the only one who can warn him.
But… I can't… he told the thought helplessly as he felt his body growing numb.
Very soon, he was nothing but a small inconspicuous mound among many other such mounds forged by the snow.
***
He'll be back… he'll be back… he'll be back… storm… snow… freezing cold….
"Damn it!" Hiko gave up on positive thinking and stormed out the door. How dare that child defy his father like this!? Hiko thought indignantly.
I'll have to give him teach him a good lesson in discipline when I drag him back! He thought angrily.
I wonder if he's wearing nothing but his tank top again. I bet he is. Damn that child, he just doesn't know how to take care of himself at all! I should bring a jacket with me… was his next thought.
Two second later, his figure blended in with the snow that was still pouring onto earth, in search of his only son.
***
Hmph, idiot father. I SAID I wanted to be the one to visit mother's grave first.
Nataku paced aimlessly in the subsiding storm while juggling various plans of one day beating his father in reaching his mother's grave, most of which included some form of physical brawl with his father.
The snow did not frighten him. Besides, it was subsiding a little. When he had the race to his mother's grave with his father he could barely make out the structures on the streets he passed. Now at least he could see that he was approaching KU.
Damn.
He just fell into a pit cleverly disguised by the snow. One of these days I'll blow all this snow into the next galaxy. He swore as he struggled to get himself out.
***
A stub- of dependence
Readjusting my fears,
And my prisoner.
Preview: Fugen's secret? Youzen's secret? Ryuukitsu's secret? Who doesn't have a secret!? (someone answers: Bukichi! A: ~_~ wise guy… )
A's Babblin: Wahahaha…. Gomen ne mina-san! I'm really sorry for the number of breaks and the apparently (ok, very obviously) disjointed conversations and strings of information you were presented with in this chapter! I just have to bring out the character so I could get the story rolling. ^^ Take heart though, because this is most of the important characters. Some may (?!) still come out later in the story, but I don't need to be concerned with them right now. If you don't know already, then I'll tell you this is the way I always write. But hey, I had a fan service scene right??? Ho ho ho… ::everyone stares at her coldly:: Ok… I'll go now… ::hides::
