Konichiwa!
Thank you for all your reviews. You really inspired me to write this chapter.
Disclaimer: Ayashi no Ceres and Fushigi Yuugi are properties of Yuu Watase.
Chapter 4Meeting you again
"It has been a week..."
Aya sat beside Suzumi who sat quietly in the kitchen. Suzumi looked at her and tried to smile.
"Aya! You must be resting in your bed. You are scheduled to give birth this week, right? You must be prepared. You must have a lot of energy."
"It has been a week..." Aya repeated again.
Suzumi's expression darkened, "Aya, she will come back. Don't worry..."
"But...it's all my fault...if I only..." Aya found herself unable to continue.
"She will come back. Now, worry about your child first. Chidori would like to see her when she comes back, right?" Aya nodded and proceeded to her room. When Aya was gone, Suzumi sat quietly again.
"Did Yuuhi come home?" Aki entered the kitchen.
"Yes, about 3 in the morning. He just left a while ago," Suzumi answered, eyes focused in a certain spot in the kitchen.
"If this continues, Yuuhi will be sick!" Aki slammed his fist in the table, "Damn! Chidori, where are you!"
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"What's wrong Chidori?" Nuriko asked. They were doing the laundry.
"I thought I heard Aki's voice..." Chidori looked up and studied the weather. Sunny day.
"Aki? Voice?" Nuriko was puzzled.
"It might have been my imagination," Chidori continued her work.
"Who is this Aki anyway? Is he your boyfriend?" Chidori laughed.
"He's only a friend of mine."
"Chidori-neesan! Let's play!" Chiriko came running towards them.
"Chiriko, we still need to finish the laundry. Maybe later, okay?" Chidori patted the young boy's head.
"But..." Chiriko pouted.
"Later. Or else we are not going to have lunch under the Sakura tree," Nuriko threatened.
"Lunch under the Sakura? Yippee!!!" Chiriko started to jump like crazy. They watch him ran back to the house.
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"Where is this Sakura tree?" Chidori asked as they went inside. They have just finished the laundry.
"It is a tree in the park near here. Of course, there are many Sakura trees there but that one is in the middle and very memorable for us," Nuriko explained.
"I see.." Chidori said. They proceeded to the kitchen.
"Let's see..." Nuriko started opening various cabinets.
"What are you doing?" Chidori asked.
"Preparing for the picnic! Could you help me?"
"I am not a good cook...like...." An image of Yuuhi flashed through her mind, "you..." She shook her head to let the image vanish. Why think of him? He loves Aya and nothing could change that.
Nuriko didn't notice that Chidori's face darkened,"It is okay. Just help me with the ingredients."
"Okay..." she smiled and began taking out ingredients.
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"We are going to have picnic! We are going to have picnic!" Chiriko sang as they proceeded to the park.
"Stop it, Chiriko. Don't make it rain!" Chichiri covered his ears. Chiriko pouted. They reached the park and proceeded to the Sakura tree in the middle.
Chidori was astonished with the tree. It was really old. It was the biggest tree around. Its mighty branches supported the beautiful flowers.
"It is so nice, isn't it?" Hotohori walked beside Chidori. She blushed.
"It is," Chidori continued to stare at the tree, once in a while, stealing a glance at Hotohori.
"Chidori! Hotohori! Lunch is ready!" Miaka called even they were only a few meters apart.
"We are only here, no need to shout," Hotohori said as he sat down opposite Nuriko.
"Because, it looks like you two are wandering somewhere..." Miaka whispered to Chidori. Chidori blushed.
"It's not that..." Chidori said while Miaka just giggled. She sat down beside Nuriko, opposite Miaka and Tamahome.
When everyone was settled, they started to eat. "Itadakimasu!"
Numerous voices echoed through the air as they chat among each other. Chidori listened as Mitsukake lectured Tamahome on herbal medicines. Chiriko was having an argument with Chichiri on who will win the Soccer match that will be televised later in the evening.
"I think Hotohori likes you," Chidori was surprised to hear Nuriko's voice. She turned to her.
"Of course not!" Chidori defended, blushing in the same time.
"Aw come on! He's looking at you...intently," Nuriko continued to tease Chidori.
Nuriko was right. Out of the corner of Chidori's eye, she saw that Hotohori was indeed looking at her. Her heart started to beat fast.
"You do make a cute couple..." Nuriko said thoughtfully.
"Of course not!" Chidori defended herself again.
"Really???"
"Um..well...he's good-looking, cute, kind and has that nice smile on his face...BUT were only friends!" Chidori twirled her chopsticks.
"Aw! Say that again...after you are married," Nuriko giggled as she watched Chidori blush even more.
"We're just friends!!!" Everyone became silent as Chidori shouted, "Ah...it's nothing!!! hahaha!" she covered Nuriko's mouth when the latter attempted to say something.
They continued what they were doing as Chidori sighed. She looked around and noticed something. "Where is Tasuki?" she asked the still laughing Nuriko.
"Not here. He is so stubborn, you know!" Nuriko answered after regaining her composure.
"Because of me..." Chidori whispered.
"AHHHHH!!!" Suddenly, a figure fell down from the tree and landed flat on the ground.
"Omigosh! Is he still alive?! Help!! Call someone! Police! Doctor! Nurse! Any one!!" Miaka panicked because the figure landed beside her.
"Tasuki? Are you alright?" Tamahome approached the figure.
"Tasuki?" the others also approached him.
"Ouch!" Tasuki stirred and tried to get up but failed.
"We need to bring you to the hospital. I'll call the ambulance," Mitsukake ran to the nearest phone booth.
"You have a wound!" Chidori noticed a small cut in his arm.
"That's nothing," Tasuki said as he snatched his arm from Chidori.
"Don't be so stubborn!" Chidori shouted. Tasuki just stared at her. She got her handkerchief and wrapped it in his wound.
"Tha...thank you..." Chidori smiled as she heard Tasuki whisper those words.
"You broke about 3 bones in your ribs..." Mitsukake concluded. He just finished calling, "The ambulance will be here in a short while."
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"Yuuhi! Have you found her?" Aya greeted a very exhausted Yuuhi. He was a total wreck.
"No," he answered. "I'll go and find her again after I check Shota.," he walked towards Shota's room when...
"Ouch!...Ah!" Yuuhi spun around to see Aya clutching her belly.
"Aya! What's wrong? Help!" Yuuhi ran towards Aya and supported her. Suzumi, Q-chan and Aki arrived. Toya still hasn't come back from finding Chidori.
"I...I...think I'll...Ouch!" Aya shouted in pain.
"Q-chan! The car! Aki! Call Toya! Quick!" Suzumi instructed as she help Yuuhi support Aya.
"Aya, you'll be alright. Don't worry," Suzumi whispered as they went inside the car.
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"Good thing it wasn't that serious," Chichiri noted as Nuriko told them Tasuki's condition. They were in the waiting area of the hospital
"He never learns. How many times did we tell him not to go leaping from tree to tree. He is not a monkey!" Mitsukake said.
"He does think and act sometimes like a monkey," Nuriko commented thoughtfully. The others nodded.
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"Aya, hold on. Toya will be here," Yuuhi said as he watched Aya being wheeled to the Emergency room. Only Suzumi went inside with Aya.
"Where is Aya?!" Toya came running towards Yuuhi and Aki.
"She's inside," Aki pointed the emergency room.
"Aya, please be alright. Aya, please be alright..." Toya kept on mumbling as he paced back and forth.
"Aya will be aright. You will also have your daughter soon," Aki assured Toya. He patted his shoulder.
"I think I want to get something to drink," Yuuhi walked away. He tried to find a vending machine but with no success.
He approached a nurse and asked her, "Excuse me, where could I find a vending machine?"
"You could find some in the waiting area. Just go straight ahead," the nurse answered.
"Thanks," Yuuhi said as he followed the direction the nurse gave him.
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"I'll just buy something to drink," Chidori said as she went to the nearest vending machine. She hummed along the way.
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"There it is!" Yuuhi walked towards a vending machine. After getting his drink, he heard someone humming a very familiar tune. He turned his head to look at the vending machine to his right. He dropped the can he was holding.
"Chi...Chi...Chidori....?" He whispered. The pink haired girl turned to him and gasped.
"Yu..Yuuhi...?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------To Be Continued....
So what do you think? Please Review!!!
Mwuhahahahahahahaha!!! I'm sooo evil!!! Leaving a cliffhanger like that! I'm soooooooooo evil!!! That's the result of watching telenovelas .
Yeah, Chiriko is OOC. I'm sorry but he is the youngest so I want to make him a very jolly kid.