A/N Hi all,
I'm really glad to know that I have gotten some new readers to my story! It makes me happy to see that! I want to apologize to those who I didn't reply to in my last chapter. We were currently dealing with a hurricane so, I wanted to post as fast as possible. I had written them out but for somer eason, I must have picked the .doc document instead of the htm and when I looked on the site to see if the review replies had made it up there, they didn't. To make it up to all of you, I am going to do review replies for both chapters 4 and 5. So lets get on with the thank yous and there are lots of them lol
Avelyn Lauren: Thanks for the nice review. I will be sure to let you know when I update. You were the first person to ask me to let you know and that makes me feel special lol
Dillychic16: lol I liked ur review a lot! Imade me laugh! Here's the next chappy and I hope you enjoy this one. The staring is over lol
Hitomi21: Glad you liked it and here's the next installment
Chibi usagi2: Here's the next chappy for ya. I'm glad you like so much.
Hey Trace thanks for your nice reviews!
Lady Laran: Glad you liked my beginning. I can remember being worried when I wrote that lol. Hope you will continue reading
Dark faerie2 Well, the chapter was short just cuz it was an inbetweeny. That and I was suffering from a bit of writers block lol. I promis this one is much longer. Thanks for adding me to your favorite author's list! Once again, I feel special!
SabinBallZ: Thanks for the review. I gave you your wish and went on lol. Yes Van lives in a mansion. I wanted him to live there just cuz someday, I would love to live in a mansion lol. Also, all of the people he works closely live there to. Thanks for the suggestion though of having him live in an apartment. I can see where ur coming from
Paige Moonsword: Ur the best! I love my story to! Lol. I want to thank you again for all your help! Thanks a bunch for reviewing!
Aya_chan: Yep yep in NewYork. Thanks for so faithfully reading this and I'm glad you like it. I promis, soon there will be lots of intensity and fluff to! Anyway, hope you'll keep reading!
The-black-jinks: Thanks for your review and your wish has come true. 2 chapters for you to read first 5 then 6 lol
Well I think that's everyone, thanks to all of you for reading and I hope you will all click that little happy button and review me again! Your reviews make me update faster you know, lol. I'm just so happy that people are actually reading this. Anyway just a note to pass along. My computers being a bit… annoying so if my spelling and stuff is off, that's why. Thanks for putting up with this long author's not and now on with the chapter! Plzr/r!
Chapter 6
After the staring contest between Van and Hitomi had ended, she excused herself from the supper table and decided to go to her room. She had been tired from all of the traveling and just wanted to rest. The news about her going to Japan also came as a shock and she desperately wanted to know what was wrong with Folcan. She couldn't understand what would make him so sad. She couldn't help but think that he was jealous of his brother but, something inside was telling her that it wasn't the truth.
Van and Folcan had decided to go in to the sparring arena in the basement of the mansion. When they had lived in Japan, they had saw their father practice sword fighting. Both fell in love with this sort of sport so, they took it up. They had decided to go spar in the arena. Van could also see that there was something wrong with his brother and, he knew that Sparring would definitely bring out Folcan's troubles. Van would look at Folcan and ask him what was wrong, Folcan wouldn't answer and then, Van would pretend like he didn't care. Folcan would get annoyed and eventually tell him the problem. Even though Van was younger than his brother, he was quite wise. Folcan had known that and, respected his brother's opinions. The two had been sparring for about an hour before finally, Folcan decided to stop and talk. He looked Van straight in the eyes and said, "Van, she looks like her."
Van was taken back by his brother's statement. He understood his sadness now. Folcan had once fallen in love with a girl named Sora. She had been signed along with his brother to the record company. She was his everything. Folcan and she had been inseparable until that one horrible day. She was on her way to a concert over seas when her private jet crashed in to the ocean. When Folcan had heard the news, he was devastated. He vowed to never love anyone again and now, there was a girl that almost looked exactly like his long lost lover. He wasn't angry with Hitomi but, it made him feel more empty when ever he seen her. He wished that it was Sora but, he knew that she was never coming back and now, Van finally understood that. He began to speak in a serious but sympathetic tone.
"You think she looks like her don't you?"
"Yeah Van, she's almost a picture of her. It makes me hurt you know. She's so perfect and, I noticed something else."
"What?"
"I think you like her."
This was the second person who had said that to the young musician in the last few days. He couldn't believe his brother's words. Van had known that Folcan was very obserbent and, usually he was right. He wasn't sure how to reply to his brother's observation.
"Well Folcan, I don't even know if I actually like her, she just seemed so familiar."
"Yes she does, I think I might even remember her myself but, I can't put a finger on it. All I'm saying is, be careful. You don't know how long she'll be here and, I don't want you to loose someone close to you like I have."
"Folcan, just because you lost Sora, doesn't mean that you couldn't love again. You can't stop me neither you know. I don't even think I like her like that. She's just a sweet girl that's all."
"Then why do you seem so set on taking her with us?"
"Hello? Earth to Folcan? I need to figure out who she is de!"
Yeah but, you could have rescheduled that you know, it's not like she had to come with us just now. You know as well as I do that this tour will be huge for you and you're not going to have time to be with her."
"Folcan trust me, I'll have lots of time."
"If you say so."
Van looked in to his brother's eyes. For some reason, they seemed colder than usual lately. He had an idea why but was afraid to even bring up the question. Something inside him was compelling him to ask anyway.
At the exact same time that Van had been preparing to ask the question, Hitomi had been walking past the arena. She couldn't have helped but heard the two brothers talking. She knew it was wrong to but, she just had to be a peeping Tom and listen to what was happening inside the arena. She pressed her ear to the inner door and couldn't believe what she had heard next.
Folcan, do you hate hitomi? Are you jealous that she's here with me?"
"I don't hate her, I just hate how much she looks like my sweet Sora. I feel like I am stuck in a world where I can see someone that looks like my love but really isn't. It hurts me Van, you could never understand. I hate having to see her and how happy you seem to be when you two are around each other. I don't want her to leave, I think she's a sweet girl but, she and Sora were just too much alike. I'm sorry brother, so sorry."
Van looked down at the floor. He loved his brother dearly and hated seeing him so hurt but at the same time, wanted to know what his connection was with her no matter how Folcan felt. Before the two could say anything more, Hitomi burst through the door. Her face was red with embarrassment and she looked as if she would cry. She refused though. She walked over to the two men who were now sitting on benches. She stood in front of them both and began to speak in a tone that Van nor Folcan wished they could have ever heard.
"Look Folcan, I don't know who this girl is but, I wanted to apologize to you. I'm sorry I came here, sorry that I make you hurt when you see me. I didn't want things to turn out like this. I only wanted to find my past but, maybe now isn't the right time for that. Maybe I should go home and leave you all alone. That way, you will stop hurting and Van here, won't have to feel torn between you and I. My plans were not to come between your brother ship at all. I know you say you don't hate me but, I can't help but think it's a lie. You would probably just say that to Van to make him feel better. Anyway, I've said what I had to say and now, I wish to be excused to pack my things. I will be upstairs if anyone is looking for me."
She stormed out of the arena before Folcan or Van could say a word. They looked at one another in utter shock. Van was the first to speak.
"She was listening from out there you know."
"Yeah, I know. I also think that she missed most of the conversation. She looks really upset Van and, one of us is going to have to talk to her."
Van knew his brother was right but, now he feared that she wouldn't listen to him. He didn't want her to leave and, he was most positive that he and Folcan's relationship as brothers would never be ruined. Folcan was mature enough to realize that he couldn't just avoid Van or Hitomi for that matter. Van got up from the bench and began to walk away from his brother. He looked back and said, "I'll talk to her, sorry again that she looks like Sora".
Folcan just nodded at his brother and Van turned once again, walking toward the door. When he had left, Folcan sat staring at the walls. He knew that the reason for Hitomi's being upset was almost entirely his fault. He also began to think about Sora. In his heart, he knew that she would want him to love again but, he was afraid. He was using her though, using her as an excuse to run from an other real relationship. In that one brief moment, Folcan had finally come to a decision about the whole situation. He was going to find love again and, he would also go talk to Hitomi about what makes him so upset. He would tell her his story and, tell her of Sora. Maybe, this would help Van from loosing his chance to know more about her, and his past.
Van walked upstairs to Hitomi's room. He knocked lightly at the door, receiving no response. He knocked again but still no one answered him. He put his ear to the door to see if he could hear anything coming from inside the room. From inside, he could hear little sniffles and sobs. He couldn't help what he was about to do. He barged in to Hitomi's room and rushed over beside her. He sat beside the shaking figure who had been laying on the` bed. He reached out to move a lock of her hair out of her eyes and smiled at her slightly.
"Hitomi, it's alright now, you don't have to cry."
He tried his best to soothe the now loudly sobbing girl. He moved in closer to her and began to rub her back, making the sobs slow. Before he knew it, she had been sleeping. At that moment, he felt completely out of place. He knew he shouldn't have been in there with the sleeping girl but, he was afraid of leaving her alone again. He would sit on the other side of the room until she woke again. Van just did that and eventually, Hitomi woke with a groan. She lifted her face from the pillow and couldn't believe what she saw. There was Van, all the way across the room sitting in a chair, reading a book. She sat up straight and rubbed her eyes. Van smiled at her and put his book down when he had noticed her moving about. He walked over toward her bed and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey Hitomi, sorry about what you heard. It's not really what you think. Folcan had lost his true love in a horrible accident and, you and she look a lot alike. He just misses her is all and hasn't gotten the chance to get over it. He's not angry with you or me at all. You had missed the first part of the conversation anyway. My brother is happy for us you know, he thinks that it's brilliant that we're learning about how we link in this world of ours."
"Yeah but, him seeing me made him sad and, I can't help but feel that all I do is make others sad. My life has been full of hurt and pain and now, I'm being the one to cause it for people who hardly even know who I am. I hate all of this Van, I don't even know why you asked me here. I've made your brother sad, your boss hates me, I'll be in the way of your tour and everything. Why don't you just send me home and forget about all of this?"
"Because, I can't. I want to know Hitomi, I want to know why it is every time I look in your eyes, I see something that was once there before. I see someone who I felt I use to trust. If I don't get these answers now, I will be restless and, I know you want them to. Please Hitomi, stay with me? Come with me to Japan and help me find what I'm looking for. I also ask one more thing?"
Hitomi looked at him with that quizzical expression of hers trying to figure out what he was going to ask before he even asked it. She thought she knew what it was but, she was going to be totally wrong.
"Hitomi, let me help you. I want to help you get over your pain. I need to help you. Your helping me so much that, I can't just sit here and let you not benefit from this to."
Hitomi was taken back by his words. All of a sudden, her defenses kicked in. She looked at him with a straight face and, he knew what she was about to say would probably not be what he wanted to hear.
"Look Van, I don't deserve to be helped. I don't want to be for that matter. I was the reason that my father was killed and so, I want to suffer for it. I want no one to have to suffer my inner turmoil with me and so, I want you to leave me alone about it. I will go with you to Japan if you wish me to but, please don't bring this up. I don't want to talk about it. There's really not much of a point to that."
Van looked to the floor, unable to look at the girl before him any longer. He knew she was feeling so much pain but she just wouldn't let him in. He didn't want to push her away so for now, he would agree to letting her be about this but someday, he knew that he would save her from the darkness that was looming inside of her.
"Fine Hitomi, if that's what you want, I'll leave you alone. Just know one thing, I'm available to listen to you, It's the least I can do."
Hitomi just shrugged and said, "Yeah yeah, I know thanks."
Shortly after, Van excused himself from her room. She was left to think about his words. She couldn't understand why he wanted to help her so bad and when he had been soothing her, she had liked it. She giggled softly at the thought of him and, decided to go find Folcan to apologize for being so rude. They would be leaving for Japan in a few days so, she also had to prepare for the long journey.
She had found Folcan sitting in the library. She walked up behind him, tapping him on the shoulder which startled him out of his trance.
"Hi there, sorry for scaring you. How's the book?"
"Oh, it's fine thanks. Anything I can help you with Hitomi?"
"No actually, I'm here to talk to you. I wanted to apologize for seeming so rude today. First off, it was wrong of me to even be listening and also, to have burst in like that. Van has told me about Sora and, I'm really sorry for your loss. I think she would want you to find someone else though Folcan, I think she would want you to be happy."
"Apology accepted and, I know your right. I plan on trying to do just that. I was actually going to find you to apologize to. I over reacted a bit about this whole situation. I think it was just that when I seen you, I was taken back by how much you looked like her. I know that's no excuse though and, I'm glad that you can understand now. It's been 5 years since I lost her and now, it's time to move on with my life. I will always love her and she'll always live inside of me but, I need someone to love again. No one would ever take her place but, I need to be happy."
"Exactly, I'm just glad that you accept my apology for my stupidity. I really have to be going though, have to finish packing what I want to take to Japan with me."
"So your not going to leave?"
"No, your really sweet brother convinced me otherwise."
"I'm glad Hitomi, very very glad. Thanks for helping me today. You were the reason I even thought about moving on and the reason why I've made such a big decision. IT wasn't faire of me to be in the way of my brother's wishes and, there was no reason for me to be moping around about this. Thank you so much Hitomi, from the bottom of my heart."
Hitomi blushed. She wasn't sure what to say. She didn't think that someone like her, could help anyone at all. She only thought that she could cause pain to others, not happiness.
"You're your welcome Folcan, see ya later."
She walked out of the room quietly, leaving him to his reading once again. She went back to her room and decided to walk to the balcony. She sat there, now looking out at the night sky. She was fascinated by it's beauty. She couldn't help but hear Folcan's words replaying over and over in her mind. She couldn't help but wonder if it was time for her to move on about her dad. She wanted to let go but was too afraid to. She was so afraid to get close to anyone. IF she did, she would risk loosing them and Van and Folcan had been so nice to her. She wasn't ready to make the same quick decision that Folcan had made but, maybe just maybe, she could work on things. When she got to Japan, she would see how things went. From there, she would decide her fait. If she would take the chance and let herself come close to another or, if she wouldn't.
To Be Continued.
