AN: Hi! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year! Please be prepared for some repetition again !!! And thanks so much for your lovely comments !!! Between, I've put up another piece of mine – not original this time but another re-write of a manga that I have always loved – Itazura Na Kiss – under misc. (for those who are fond of that manga as well!).
Dark Phoenix: You're right,
it was quite obvious that Tsukasa was going to get the girl. With regards to the volume that Rui said
something to Tsukushi – I'm not too sure what you are referring to. What did Rui say to Tsukushi? If you mean the part when I mentioned that
Rui was meant to be the main character, it was not mentioned in the manga. I read it off the net. I thought it did explain a bit about the
discrepancies between the first couple of chapters in the manga and the
subsequent. The first few chapters
where the focus was on Rui, how mysterious he was, how skilled he was at
playing the violin, the way that he kept rescuing Tsukushi – first from being
raped and then from being beaten up – all these caused by the action of "big
bad" Tsukasa. Then the tone of the
manga changed completely. How Tsukasa
was actually a nice guy at heart etc etc.
I thought it was a bit strange, but admittedly that could also have been
part the author's plan for contrast? I
hope this chapter has enough RXT for you ? :)
Kaio: Thanks so much for your encouraging comments. I'm sooooooooo glad that you like this story. Here's my weekly update as per always !!! Unfortunately due to my hectic schedule, I am unable to update more than once a week. I do hope that it's fast enough and thanks so much for your understanding :)
W.Kathy: A new reader! Thanks so much for your kind comments. I hope this update is soon enough!
Blue: Thanks so much for your generous comments – really made my day!!!!! My decision to put up I.N.K on this website is partly due to your encouraging comments. However, I must say that the plot is (unfortunately) not mine for I.N.K. as per always, I simply added in my 2 cents worth of details and additional characterization :) I'm so glad that you liked it. With regs to the 2nd part of the story, I don't think I will be starting on that so soon. Partly because I don't really want to start something that I will take a long time to complete and at the moment I have façade to complete and I already find myself struggling sometimes to keep up with the weekly updates :) I'll let you know again when I finish façade! And thanks so much for your support – I really appreciate it !!! Keeps me writing … …
jestina : Yay … … Another new reader! Thanks so much for your kind comments and for letting me know that you've been reading this little piece. I guess all of us on this website hope that there are silent readers out there in addition to those who leave their wonderfully encouraging comments. However, sometimes it is hard to know, so it is really a red letter day for us when another drops by !!!! I'm glad you like this little obsession of mine with Rui. Hopefully after the completion of this, I'll be able to get him out of my system ;) !!!
Nana-chan : Yes, I know, it's quite aggravating sometimes when you've just finished a review, pressed the button and then poof! It all disappears !!! I know how tiring it is to re-type another comment so thanks so much !!!!! I read your comment with interest especially when you mentioned that Rui said that he loves her and gave her up for Tsukasa. Which part is that in the manga? Is it the part when he mentioned that he gave her up because it was Tsukasa and not for the politician's son? Yes, I certainly agree that his love for her is implied in the actions. With regards to him actually saying that he loves her – I thought it was in New York (as per this chapt)? However, I'm not sure and I would be sooooooooooooooo grateful if you could clarify it for me because quite frankly I've never read the manga either !!!! Thanks sooooooo much !!!!!
.:: Stacey ::. : Hi ! Thanks so much for your comments !! I know, sometimes that happens to me as well i.e. leaving a review that does not appear in the end !!!! At the moment, Rui is not really working for Ace. It's more of the type of "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" type of relationship. So Rui owes Ace a few favours because Ace was kind enough to teach him the hacking skills! Yes, I agree that he's biting off more than he can chew, but well that's Rui for you ;) I have to admit the part where Tsukasa pushed Rui and Tsukushi together was my own concoction. However, that's the only explanation that I can think of why Rui is starting to either allow himself to like Tsukushi more or to show it to her. Otherwise his actions would appear to contradict his previous attempts to bring his best friend and Tsukushi together. I was thinking – hmm … so let's see how is this possible … How if Tsukasa in a fit of depression pushes Tsukushi to Rui for "her own good"? How if he asked Rui to take care of Tsukushi on his behalf? How if Rui was already getting tired of all the problems T&T are having and the fact that Tsukushi is getting hurt is getting to him? How if his protective nature took over … … then the last chapter and this chapter popped up ;) I hope you like it!
just a teen: Hi hi! I was really wondering about your comment – the part when Tsukushi told Rui that she used to like him. When was this in the manga ??? Could you please clarify this further? Coz I actually never read the manga before !!! Thanks so much !!!
Lindkher : Loved reading your insight as per normal
!!! Quite frankly, before writing
façade, I never spent so much time analyzing Rui's character either !!! And I never thought this piece would get so
long – it's close to thirty chapters!!! I had written POV and then I was
reading some of the comments that I received and some asking me to write more
about Rui. So I thought – well, there
are so many gaps in HYD (disclaimer : just my opinion, so please don't sue me
anyone!) with regards to Rui so let's see why he acts this way … … Totally
agree with your analysis about Shadow's actions in this story !!! So sorry *a trifle embarassed* I made my
comments based on the character of Shadow in my mind rather than what I had
actually portrayed of her. You know the
type of forming the character in mind before the actions. When I "created" Shadow I was thinking of
what type of personality she should have to act in that way. Then it came to me - intelligent definitely
(otherwise she can't get into the "organization" and hence intellectually
stimulating), not strikingly beautiful but sweet in her own way, quiet,
independent, strong, one of her strongest points would be empathy, having the
ability to get others to open up to her (to be able to obtain information), yet
at the same time able to merge into the crowd (the skill every successful spy
needs). So she would be the type that
you would never notice unless she wants you to notice her and if she wants you
to notice her, you would not be able to remove your eyes from her. Then I thought she had to be compassionate
to be willing to help Rui. Perhaps, she
had a similar history? But I did not go
much further than that into the characterization, otherwise I could not have
gotten that chapter out ;)!!! I'm so
glad you caught the ambiguity and the potential for trouble. I added that so that to open up another
avenue that I could pursue if I decided
to in the end … … No plans yet … … :)
ToinKs: Hiiiiiiii!! Yes, it's actually Rui's fault. He didn't do his job as he was meant to and although he was pre-occupied he should shoulder some of the blame. I guess he hadn't counted on Tsukushi being so successful in her search for Tsukasa, but that was no excuse! I guess the manga never really elabourated on his relationship with Tsukasa, but I'm sure they both would trust each other with close to everything;) ! Thanks so much for your kind comments !!!
kensingtonkid: I do hope this update is fast enough !!!! Thanks so much for your kind comments !!! Yes, you're right, I think the bulk of the last chapter was my own creation – the behind the scenes thingy again! And our multi-talented Rui is accumulating even more talents as we "speak".
Angel72: Wow, thanks so much for your generous comments and it was really kind of you to say what you did about the number of comments !!! I would be lying if I said that I don't love getting comments. And I do believe that motivating comments do keep most people writing. However, I guess I don't refuse to write because of the comments i.e. I wouldn't refuse to update simply because I don't get a certain no. of comments or anything! It is great seeing what people think and what people feel about this manga though, and I'm sure you've read many of the wonderful, insightful comments that have been posted. I found many of them more interesting than the chapter that they were commenting on !!!!
Chapter 29 – New York (Part I)
"Where is she?" Was the first question that I asked the private detective that I had hired, ready to fire him if he was not able to supply the answer to this basic question. I agree that I may be a rather demanding employer with high standards, but his job was to keep a constant eye on Tsukushi's activities.
"In the park at this location," he quoted an address.
"Thanks. Remind me to give you a bonus." I quickly arranged for my luggage to be brought to my apartment and took the first available cab out to the said location. It was rather dark and I had to walk around the park a few times before I caught sight of her small figure shivering as she huddled up on a bench in a dark corner. There was something so desolate in her slumped posture that a lump came into my throat.
"… … so cold … …" I heard her mumbling to herself as I silently approached. "What am I doing here? I'm such an idiot!"
I cleared my throat, "yeah, only an idiot will be sitting alone in a deserted park in the middle of a cold winter's night, dressed only in a light cardigan." She jumped off the bench at the sound of my voice and spun around, those brown eyes widening in incredulity as they stared at me as if I were an apparition.
"Hanazawa Rui," she breathed as she continued to stare at me in total shock.
I gave her time to recover as I turned to look at the stars shinning brightly in the cloudless night, "I love the way the stars look in New York. Doesn't it remind you of the view from the stairway in Eitoku?"
"Why … why … why are you … …" she spluttered in obvious confusion. Much as I disliked to remind her of Tsukasa in her fragile state, I had to provide a convincing explanation.
"Went to Tsukasa's place. Did you see him?"
"Yeah, I managed to see him easily. He refused to return to Japan. I just wish he had informed me of his intention, he could have saved me a trip." To a casual observer, she seemed fine. Her voice was steady and there was a smile on her face, but I knew her better than that. Her inner turmoil was betrayed by the flash of pain in her eyes and the way her tightly clasped hands were trembling.
"So, what are you doing here?"
"Just sightseeing. This park is meant to be famous. And yourself? Why are you here?" She turned to me with an overly bright smile.
"I was worried about you … … thought you might be hiding somewhere and crying … …" Before I finished my sentence, her shoulders slumped forward as her brave façade finally crumpled. Her lips were trembling and tears welled up in those large brown eyes that stared at me helplessly, pain evident in their depths. Under my steady gaze, the long lashes fluttered shut as the tears finally overflowed and slid down her cheeks. I was not aware of actually moving, but she was suddenly cradled protectively in my arms. My heart was aching for her as I held her tightly, trying to soothe her as I stroked her hair and rocked her gently as her body shook with the violence of her sobs. The soft sounds emitted from her throat resembled those made by a dying animal. I could have held her forever, but I was worried that she would catch cold. When she finally stopped crying and was shaking less badly, I got a cab and brought her to my apartment. I noticed with some relief that my luggage had arrived.
"Here," I threw her a towel, a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. "Take a hot bath, you'd feel better and you need to warm up." I pointed out the bathroom and she silently obeyed me. In the meantime, I ensured that the beds in the master bedroom and connecting guestroom had been made up in line with my orders. When she finished her bath, I brought her to the guestroom and turned back the covers for her as she climbed into bed. I drew the covers over her as she simply lay there, exhausted and overwhelmed by the events of the day.
"I didn't know you had an apartment in New York," she suddenly said dully.
"There're lots of things about me that you don't know."
"I can see that." The light in her eyes had been replaced by pain and despair. Spurred on by an uncontrollable need to remove that pain in her eyes, I sat down on the side of her bed. Her eyes met mine.
"Go to sleep, you're exhausted." I placed a comforting hand on her head. That gesture almost undid her and I saw her biting her lips to prevent them from trembling.
"Rui, thank … …" her voice was unsteady.
"Hush, it's okay. Everything will be ok. I'm here. I'll take care of you." I gently stroked her hair as I repeated those words over and over in a low, reassuring tone, until the sound of my voice lulled her to sleep.
I sat there staring at her sleeping face, wondering at the strange hollow ache that I felt in my chest, and the overwhelming urge to hold her in my arms and protect her from the world. These feelings that suddenly sprang out of nowhere could not be normal – there had to be something wrong with me. Suppressing a sigh, I bent down and brushed my lips gently against her forehead before leaving the room. I had to get some supplies from the convenience store around the corner, and it was best to go now so that I would be back if she should wake up later.
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
"Good morning!" I looked up from my paper at the sound of her cheerful voice.
"Ah, you're finally up. You've slept for twelve hours."
"Geez, I can't imagine why … …" she began. "I didn't know I was so tired, but probably it's because I didn't sleep all that well over the past few days." I smiled at her, not wanting to tell her that she did not sleep well either last night. I was woken up a few times by her thrashing around in the bed although she had relaxed when I soothed her and held her hand. I ended up sleeping in a chair next to her bed with her small hand clasped firmly in mine, which explained for the stiffness in my neck and back this morning.
"Are you hungry?" I chuckled as her reply came in the form of a loud rumble emitted from her stomach. As per normal, she turned bright red. "I can't cook. So I bought these … …" Her eyes went large when she saw the spread on the kitchen table when I removed the covers.
"Wow!" Then a mischievous gleam came into her eyes. "You went shopping? The great Hanazawa Rui? I wished I could have seen it."
"Have some coffee." I quickly pushed a steaming cup in front of her as I took another for myself.
"Delicious!"
"Terrible stuff!" We exclaimed simultaneously and then looked at each other.
"You spoilt brat," she said as she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "This is great coffee! It's much better than what we get in Japan in the cafés. I wonder where you get your coffee from." I simply arched an eyebrow at her.
"Hanazawa Rui." I was taken aback by her suddenly serious tone. "Thank you. For all that … … that … …" she stumbled a little. "Thank you. Truly. Thank you."
"It's okay." I replied in a very patient tone as I managed to school my expression into one of mild boredom. "You have already said that many, many times. It's enough, I know." Then I swallowed and fought to maintain a neutral expression as those large brown eyes gazing into mine were suddenly shimmering with unshed tears and a tender, almost loving light shone in their depths. I clenched my hands to prevent myself from grabbing her.
Distractions, Rui, now! I mentally yelled at myself as I quickly picked up the newspaper, "Tsukasa's family is in trouble. Apparently the intended merger was unsuccessful. This is quite a bad set back. Probably explains his presence in New York and his reluctance to go back."
"It doesn't matter anymore," the sadness in those softly spoken words were tangible. "I'm rather … … tired … …" her voice trailed off and I looked at her profile as she gazed pensively out of the window. She sagged against the chair as if she no longer had any more energy to hold herself up. The shadows under her eyes contrasted sharply with the pallor of her face. So beautiful, the thought suddenly came unbidden to my mind and my heart clenched powerfully as I continued to look at her, so beautiful … … and so fragile. My heart was pounding and I found myself leaning towards her … …
She turned to face me, obviously struggling to force a laugh from those pale trembling lips, "I'm so sorry for getting all sappy … … This is so embarrassi … …" The rest of her words were cut off by my lips. I was blessed with a taste of heaven again as my lips caressed hers, slowly and tenderly as my fingers cradled her face lightly. When I gently pulled back, her eyes were wide open as she stared at me in complete shock and disbelief. Shit! Guilt coursed through my veins as I felt ashamed of myself for taking advantage of her in her vulnerable state.
Turning away, I managed to mutter, "What wrong with getting sappy occasionally?" My voice was deeper than normal. Pull yourself together, Rui! Don't scare her off when she has no one else to turn to but you. I chided myself as my mask fell in place. "Well, since you came all the way here, shall we do a bit of sightseeing?" I pretended that nothing out of ordinary happened as I looked out of the window and saw the inviting blue sparkle of the ocean waters. "What about going jet boating?" When I heard no reply, I turned to look at her. Tsukushi had not moved a single muscle and she looked as if a feather could have knocked her down easily.
"Urm … … urm … just … just now … urm … huh ?" She stammered incoherently. However, it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was asking about the kiss. I sighed mentally although I maintained the nonchalant expression.
"The kiss?" I smiled slightly. "No particular reason, I suppose I just felt like … …"
"No reason?" Her voice rose a little. "You … … NO REASON?"
I decided to change tactics and tease out of her funk, opening my eyes wide to simulate an innocently surprised expression, "Yeah. You mean I shouldn't?"
"You shouldn't! Friends don't kiss!" She started looking a little mad. "You should only kiss someone you love, not a pet!"
"A pet?" I chuckled recalling what I said about her previously. "Oh, you took that seriously."
"I mean, you should only kiss Shizuka." I froze for a split second.
"Oh, I keep forgetting about Shizuka when I'm with you." I said as I forced myself to relax with another smile that did not reach my eyes. Then I realized in surprise that I was just stating the truth. Why? Why do I worry so much about Tsukushi? Why do I do such irrational things when I'm with her? Why did I suddenly find myself rushing to New York when I … … I really don't understand myself sometimes … … I shook my head, frustrated.
"Er … Rui … …" Tsukushi's hesitant voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked at her with a small start of surprise – I did not realize that I had been verbalising my thoughts. Her eyes were wide and a slight blush was covering her cheeks. As our eyes met and held, I felt my heartbeat accelerate. I was drowning in those brown orbs… … The strange feelings that I felt yesterday were starting again and I felt the same impulse to hold her … … This could not be happening … … Her eyes widened as they gazed into mine and a light of understanding gleamed for an instance in them, before being replaced by an emotion akin to the panic that I was feeling … … THIS COULD NOT BE HAPPENING!
However, the recognition dawning in her eyes brought me back to reality. My mind raced madly as I tried to find a way out of the situation. However, it was a bit hard to think with those brown eyes fixed on mine. Deny it? Brush it off as a joke? No, she had seen the truth in my eyes. Admit it? No way, she wasn't ready. Confuse her. Keep her guessing. Yes, those were the best solutions that I had.
I quickly tore my eyes from hers and I stared at the ceiling blindly as I pretended to be deep in thought, "Hmm … … I wonder if I'm in love with you." Even I myself was impressed with the casually disinterested tone that I had adopted. Then I turned to her and flashed her one of my best smiles, although my eyes were guarded. "That must be it." I said in a rather flirtatious manner before sticking my hands in my pockets and strolling to the kitchen. "Oh yes," I looked back at her stunned expression, "your coat was dirty so I sent it to the cleaners. So pick one of my jackets."
"Oh … … Right … … Sure … …Get jacket … … Sure … … Ok … …" She walked to my room a little stiffly, still evidently in shock. I kept the smile fixed on my face. "Can I borrow this?" She came out a little later with one of my jackets.
"Of course … … Ready to go? It's been ages since I last did any jet boating. I'm really looking forward to it." I grinned widely at her and even started humming a little as I pulled on another jacket. Tsukushi stared at me as if she thought I had gone nuts. "Ladies first," I held the door open for her and she gave me a dubious look before she stepped out. I quickly shut the door and heard the automatic lock click in place. Then I quickly jammed my hands into my pockets, hoping that she had not seen that they were shaking from the strain of keeping up with my pretense … …