JUST BREATHE
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 6.
~*~*~*~
"I PASSED?!?! I passed Music?"
"Yes."
"ALL RIGHT! I PASSED MUSIC! I LOVE YOU, SIS!" Heidi shrieked in joy. Hilde held the cell-phone away from her ear while Meilei giggled beside her. They were in Meilei's room, getting ready to leave somewhere.
"I know."
"Well, I've got to go! Lots to do. By the way...what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Heidi asked.
"I'm going to the amusement park with Meilei and her family."
"UGH! I can't believe that you're getting chummy with Li! It will ruin my image!" Heidi groaned. Meilei, who overheard, giggled.
"Goodbye Heidi." Hilde said, quickly hanging up the phone. Meilei couldn't stop laughing.
"Actually, it's doing her good. Too bad I have to break off the truce next week." Hilde sighed, her eyes sad. Meilei winced.
"Hilde, this is bad. You know that." She murmured. Hilde collapsed into a chair and buried her head in her hands.
"I *do* know. But I promised Heidi."
"You're going to hurt him."
"I don't want to...wait! Who are we talking about?" Hilde asked nervously. Meilei smiled.
"Kojii."
"WHAT?!"
"Hilde, you like him, I know it." Meilei started. Red rose to Hilde's cheeks.
"I don't..."
"You do. And he likes you, too."
"We're just friends."
"Exactly! Which is more than he and Heidi were! And when she comes back, it's going to hurt him...and you." Meilei sighed. Hilde shivered.
"I don't want to...Meilei, promise me. After this all blows over, will you tell him? He deserves to know." Hilde pleaded. Meilei smiled.
"I will. Now come on! We have a fun day ahead of us, and I don't want to waste it here!" She giggled, dragging Hilde off of the chair and out of the room.
~*~*~*~
"I want to ride the Ferris Wheel!" Meilei cried, her emerald eyes sparkling. Her father chuckled.
"Like mother like daughter." He joked.
"Come on, Hiiragizawa. I want to see how brave you really are." Kojii challenged, pulling her away from the others. Hilde looked at him, alarmed.
"Huh?"
"We're going on the roller-coaster!"
"Oh. I've never been on one." She murmured. Kojii stopped and stared at her, aghast.
"What?! Where have you been?" He choked, dragging her off through the crowds, towards a the huge ride. Hilde watched nervously as several people stepped off the ride, looking sick.
"They're just weak-stomached." Kojii whispered as he saw her eyeing them. She smiled trustingly at him as he helped her into the vinyl seat and pulled the metal bar down over their laps.
"Ready?"
"I think so." She whispered.
After a few moments, the ride began and Hilde was lost in a jumble of dizzying dips, sharp curves, sickening spins and upside-down perspectives.
"So. Did you enjoy it?" Kojii asked as they both stumbled off the ride, un- steadily. Hilde grinned.
"Can we do it again?" To this, Kojii laughed and nodded his approval. After two more times, they finally agreed to find Meilei.
"So, how is it possible that you have never ridden on a roller-coaster?"
"I don't know. No real opportunity." Hilde murmured. Kojii stopped and leaned against a decorative lamp-post that stood in the road, simply looking at her.
"What?" She asked in confusion. His intense amber eyes bored into her sweet amethyst ones.
"How long is this going to last? This truce?" He asked. Hilde sighed.
"Truthfully?"
"Truthfully."
"About two more weeks. I go home for Spring Break, and it's all over. I'm back to my old self." She informed him, eyes downcast.
"Why?"
"Let's just say, I made a deal with a friend."
"Oh." Kojii somehow looked...upset, by this answer.
"So...no more nice-to-Kojii moments? And I suppose you're going to dump my sister, too?" He asked, none too kindly. Tears welled in Hilde's eyes.
"I don't know, Kojii. I really don't know." She whispered.
"What's wrong with you, Hiiragizawa? Why are you doing this to us...to everyone?" He asked sharply. Hilde bit her lower lip to keep it from shaking.
"I..."
"There you are! C'mon, Heidi! You're coming with me on the Ferris Wheel!" Meilei cried, running up to them and grasping Hilde's arm. Kojii's glare clearly told Hilde that this was not over, and she winced.
"Ok, Meilei...and thank you." She whispered. Meilei smiled and quickly lead her away.
~*~*~*~
Two weeks dwindled to one week, and then finally, one day.
Hilde sighed as she gazed around the room that her sister would be re- inhabiting in just over a week's time. Hilde had just finished packing a suitcase-full of her new clothes, because Heidi had refused to wear them.
*RING!*
"Hello?" Hilde asked, picking up her phone.
"ONE MORE DAY!" Came Heidi's shriek. Hilde winced and nodded silently.
"Aren't you excited?!"
"I suppose."
"Oh, come on, Shy-by! No more lies, no more acting, I can be me!" Heidi exclaimed. Hilde smiled.
"I can stop talking so much."
"Ugh. Silent-One. Anyway...I can run again! I don't have to sing!"
"No."
"Oh, great. Starting already? Come on, Hill! Relax a little."
"Easy for you to say. I still have to officially break off the truce with Kojii, say goodbye to Meilei, and think up a good excuse for your rather long attitude change." Hilde groaned, sinking down onto the bed.
"Easy. Just use the same excuse you used with Li-kun. Tell them the deal's over. Tell everyone if you have to." Heidi commanded.
"Again, easy for you to say."
"Well, if someone had kept up the act and left no suspicions..."
"I'm not you, Heidi!"
"And I'm not you, but I managed!"
"Well, I guess lying is easier for you than it is for me." With this, Hilde slammed down the phone, tears trickling down her pale cheeks.
"How can she be so calm about this?" She whispered, wiping the tears away angrily.
"What, dear?" Her grandmother asked, coming into the room. Hilde shot her a small smile.
"Nothing. What's that?" She asked, looking at the box in her grandmother's hands.
"Oh, just a gift. Open it!"
Hilde did as she was told and gasped as a lovely light blue traveling suit was revealed. The fabric was laced with lines of lavender and green, giving it a lovely touch of brighter color.
"Oh, It's lovely, gram! Thank you!" Hilde exclaimed, hugging Sonomi. The older woman laughed.
"You're welcome. But you had better finish packing." Sonomi stated, walking towards the door. Hilde watched after her with a smile.
*RING!*
"Hello?" Hilde asked, picking up her cell-phone once more.
"Heidi? It's..."
~*~*~*~
Kojii growled as he swung his sword around for the umpteenth time. His mind was full of the girl that had so captured his attention lately.
Had Heidi really meant what she had said? She did this as a deal with a friend? And why did she have to be so nice, that she had lowered his defenses and left him vulnerable to the pain she was now putting him through?
"UGH!" With an angry hiss, he swung his sword around his head and felt the sudden urge to strike it to something...anything! With a growl he grabbed a useless pillow off his couch and threw it into the air, slicing through it with his sword. The two pieces fell harmlessly to the floor, where he proceeded to stab them mercilessly, with no regard to the floor underneath.
"What is she doing to me?" He choked out, stabbing the pillow once more, before collapsing onto his bed. He dropped his sword to the floor, and then his eyes met with a piece of paper on his pillow. On it was a phone number, that he had snuck out of Meilei's phone book; it was Heidi's number, in fact.
He slowly picked up the paper and gazed at it, the numbers swirling together and forming the sweet face of the girl in question. There was no doubt in his mind, now. He had to end this, as soon as possible.
With a resolve stronger than steel, he reached for his own phone and dialed the number. It only rang once, then someone answered.
"Hello?"
Kojii's breath caught as Heidi's sweet voice rolled over the line.
"Heidi? It's...Kojii. I need to talk with you, please." He managed, running a nervous hand through his messy chestnut locks. There was a slight pause on the other end, as if she had been expecting this, then:
"When?"
"Fifteen minutes? At Penguin park, in the cherry-tree grove?" He suggested. There was another pause.
"All right. I'll be there."
"See you." Kojii muttered.
"Goodbye." She answered, hanging up. Kojii quickly grabbed his olive-green muscle-T and slipped it on, hurrying out of his room.
~*~*~*~
By the time Hilde reached the park, Kojii was already there, leaning against a tall cherry tree, and gazing off into the distance, his chestnut locks swaying lightly in the breeze. She slowly walked over to him.
"Hello." She said. His head turned and his amber eyes met hers.
"Hello." Was all he said, his eyes still boring into hers. She shifted uncomfortably.
"You needed to talk with me?" She asked softly, looking away. Kojii nodded, still unsure of exactly why he had just done this.
"What are you doing, Hiiragizawa?" He finally asked. Hilde looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Coming into people's lives and screwing them up. Why do you do it?"
"I don't mean to." She whispered, her tears returning. Kojii sighed.
"My sister really likes you, Heidi. And it would hurt her that you suddenly up and change, leaving her like a piece of year-old cheese." He stated. Hilde nodded, but said nothing.
"I mean, I can't expect you to treat me better, but at least spare my sister the hurt." He muttered. Hilde started.
"Hurt?"
"Yes, Heidi! *The Hurt*. It hurts people when you're nice one moment, and then the next you treat them like scum! I mean, I've had to deal with you hating me for no reason all my life, and suddenly you come with this whole new attitude of 'let's be nice to everyone'! And now, you're telling me that you are going back to the old way. What are you playing at, Hiiragizawa?"
"I...I didn't mean to hurt anyone..." She whimpered. His eyes, once steely, were now filled with pain.
"Well you did. You hurt me." He stated. Hilde looked at him in horror.
"You?"
"Yes, me! I have feelings, you know." He snapped, his eyes still hurt. Hilde choked on a lump of bile that rose to her throat and her body shook with sorrow. After all she had done, this was the outcome! She was the cause of his torment! It was her fault!
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She whispered, a tear falling from her eye. Kojii's heart melted and his face softened.
"Heidi...Heidi, don't cry. Please." He couldn't think of anything else to say. Sure, his sister had cried to him plenty of times...but that was his sister. This was the girl who had left him in a muddle of emotions the past few months.
"But it's my fault. I'm so, so sorry." She whimpered with her head down, as she clutched her fists to her sides. Kojii bit his lip and moved forward, placing a hand on her arm. With his other hand, he lifted her chin and wiped the tears away with his thumb.
"No...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that." He murmured. Hilde trembled at how close he was but couldn't move away. He stepped closer. Their eyes met and held each other, this time, relaying hidden messages back and forth that neither one could decipher.
"Heidi...I..." Kojii stopped as his body uncontrollably moved closer to hers. His eyes centered on her raspberry-colored lips and couldn't tear themselves away. With slow, deliberate movements, his face moved closer until they were just millimeters away from each other. Her lips parted, she uttered a soft sigh, and with that, Kojii lost control.
His lips captured hers in a deep, passionate embrace that caused her already muddled mind to spin even more. Her knees turned to jelly and she clung to his shirt-front to keep her balance. His hands found her waist and pulled her closer.
Then realization hit Hilde in the stomach like a fist. This was her sister's enemy! Heidi hated him, and when she returned, she would treat him as vilely as ever, maybe more so! And if he thought that she liked him...
With a cry, Hilde broke away, pushing herself back against the tree, a her fingers pressed to her swollen lips.
"No! No!" She moaned, her eyes wide and frightened. Kojii stared at her, his eyes flashing with hurt, anger, and confusion.
"This is wrong. Kojii, we can't." She stumbled over her words, searching desperately for some good excuse. Kojii's eyes hardened and his body stiffened.
"Fine. That's just fine. This never happened, Hiiragizawa." He hissed, brushing past her, then stopping abruptly as a small choked sob met his ears. Tears spilled down Hilde's cheeks, and her mouth quivered. She wanted to call him back so badly, to tell him the truth...but she had promised Heidi! She had promised!
"Avoid me, Li. Avoid me for the rest of the school year." She commanded. Kojii turned, his eyes full of stony resolve.
"Why? Why should I? Why shouldn't I take you right here and kiss you again? Why?" He asked harshly. Hilde trembled.
"Please, Kojii! Please!" She pleaded. Kojii gave her a disgusted look, then quickly walked back over to her.
"I'll do it, but if you're going to continue shoving me down like this, I'm taking you down with me!" He hissed, capturing her waist and crushing his lips to hers. Hilde whimpered and pressed back, knowing that this would be the last time she would ever see him. Hot passion poured from both of them, and his hands roughly trailed the length of her back. Again, she managed to get up enough strength to push him away.
"Go, Li! I never want to see you again!" She sobbed, turning and running from the grove.
Kojii watched after her, his heart breaking.
~*~*~*~
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 6.
~*~*~*~
"I PASSED?!?! I passed Music?"
"Yes."
"ALL RIGHT! I PASSED MUSIC! I LOVE YOU, SIS!" Heidi shrieked in joy. Hilde held the cell-phone away from her ear while Meilei giggled beside her. They were in Meilei's room, getting ready to leave somewhere.
"I know."
"Well, I've got to go! Lots to do. By the way...what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Heidi asked.
"I'm going to the amusement park with Meilei and her family."
"UGH! I can't believe that you're getting chummy with Li! It will ruin my image!" Heidi groaned. Meilei, who overheard, giggled.
"Goodbye Heidi." Hilde said, quickly hanging up the phone. Meilei couldn't stop laughing.
"Actually, it's doing her good. Too bad I have to break off the truce next week." Hilde sighed, her eyes sad. Meilei winced.
"Hilde, this is bad. You know that." She murmured. Hilde collapsed into a chair and buried her head in her hands.
"I *do* know. But I promised Heidi."
"You're going to hurt him."
"I don't want to...wait! Who are we talking about?" Hilde asked nervously. Meilei smiled.
"Kojii."
"WHAT?!"
"Hilde, you like him, I know it." Meilei started. Red rose to Hilde's cheeks.
"I don't..."
"You do. And he likes you, too."
"We're just friends."
"Exactly! Which is more than he and Heidi were! And when she comes back, it's going to hurt him...and you." Meilei sighed. Hilde shivered.
"I don't want to...Meilei, promise me. After this all blows over, will you tell him? He deserves to know." Hilde pleaded. Meilei smiled.
"I will. Now come on! We have a fun day ahead of us, and I don't want to waste it here!" She giggled, dragging Hilde off of the chair and out of the room.
~*~*~*~
"I want to ride the Ferris Wheel!" Meilei cried, her emerald eyes sparkling. Her father chuckled.
"Like mother like daughter." He joked.
"Come on, Hiiragizawa. I want to see how brave you really are." Kojii challenged, pulling her away from the others. Hilde looked at him, alarmed.
"Huh?"
"We're going on the roller-coaster!"
"Oh. I've never been on one." She murmured. Kojii stopped and stared at her, aghast.
"What?! Where have you been?" He choked, dragging her off through the crowds, towards a the huge ride. Hilde watched nervously as several people stepped off the ride, looking sick.
"They're just weak-stomached." Kojii whispered as he saw her eyeing them. She smiled trustingly at him as he helped her into the vinyl seat and pulled the metal bar down over their laps.
"Ready?"
"I think so." She whispered.
After a few moments, the ride began and Hilde was lost in a jumble of dizzying dips, sharp curves, sickening spins and upside-down perspectives.
"So. Did you enjoy it?" Kojii asked as they both stumbled off the ride, un- steadily. Hilde grinned.
"Can we do it again?" To this, Kojii laughed and nodded his approval. After two more times, they finally agreed to find Meilei.
"So, how is it possible that you have never ridden on a roller-coaster?"
"I don't know. No real opportunity." Hilde murmured. Kojii stopped and leaned against a decorative lamp-post that stood in the road, simply looking at her.
"What?" She asked in confusion. His intense amber eyes bored into her sweet amethyst ones.
"How long is this going to last? This truce?" He asked. Hilde sighed.
"Truthfully?"
"Truthfully."
"About two more weeks. I go home for Spring Break, and it's all over. I'm back to my old self." She informed him, eyes downcast.
"Why?"
"Let's just say, I made a deal with a friend."
"Oh." Kojii somehow looked...upset, by this answer.
"So...no more nice-to-Kojii moments? And I suppose you're going to dump my sister, too?" He asked, none too kindly. Tears welled in Hilde's eyes.
"I don't know, Kojii. I really don't know." She whispered.
"What's wrong with you, Hiiragizawa? Why are you doing this to us...to everyone?" He asked sharply. Hilde bit her lower lip to keep it from shaking.
"I..."
"There you are! C'mon, Heidi! You're coming with me on the Ferris Wheel!" Meilei cried, running up to them and grasping Hilde's arm. Kojii's glare clearly told Hilde that this was not over, and she winced.
"Ok, Meilei...and thank you." She whispered. Meilei smiled and quickly lead her away.
~*~*~*~
Two weeks dwindled to one week, and then finally, one day.
Hilde sighed as she gazed around the room that her sister would be re- inhabiting in just over a week's time. Hilde had just finished packing a suitcase-full of her new clothes, because Heidi had refused to wear them.
*RING!*
"Hello?" Hilde asked, picking up her phone.
"ONE MORE DAY!" Came Heidi's shriek. Hilde winced and nodded silently.
"Aren't you excited?!"
"I suppose."
"Oh, come on, Shy-by! No more lies, no more acting, I can be me!" Heidi exclaimed. Hilde smiled.
"I can stop talking so much."
"Ugh. Silent-One. Anyway...I can run again! I don't have to sing!"
"No."
"Oh, great. Starting already? Come on, Hill! Relax a little."
"Easy for you to say. I still have to officially break off the truce with Kojii, say goodbye to Meilei, and think up a good excuse for your rather long attitude change." Hilde groaned, sinking down onto the bed.
"Easy. Just use the same excuse you used with Li-kun. Tell them the deal's over. Tell everyone if you have to." Heidi commanded.
"Again, easy for you to say."
"Well, if someone had kept up the act and left no suspicions..."
"I'm not you, Heidi!"
"And I'm not you, but I managed!"
"Well, I guess lying is easier for you than it is for me." With this, Hilde slammed down the phone, tears trickling down her pale cheeks.
"How can she be so calm about this?" She whispered, wiping the tears away angrily.
"What, dear?" Her grandmother asked, coming into the room. Hilde shot her a small smile.
"Nothing. What's that?" She asked, looking at the box in her grandmother's hands.
"Oh, just a gift. Open it!"
Hilde did as she was told and gasped as a lovely light blue traveling suit was revealed. The fabric was laced with lines of lavender and green, giving it a lovely touch of brighter color.
"Oh, It's lovely, gram! Thank you!" Hilde exclaimed, hugging Sonomi. The older woman laughed.
"You're welcome. But you had better finish packing." Sonomi stated, walking towards the door. Hilde watched after her with a smile.
*RING!*
"Hello?" Hilde asked, picking up her cell-phone once more.
"Heidi? It's..."
~*~*~*~
Kojii growled as he swung his sword around for the umpteenth time. His mind was full of the girl that had so captured his attention lately.
Had Heidi really meant what she had said? She did this as a deal with a friend? And why did she have to be so nice, that she had lowered his defenses and left him vulnerable to the pain she was now putting him through?
"UGH!" With an angry hiss, he swung his sword around his head and felt the sudden urge to strike it to something...anything! With a growl he grabbed a useless pillow off his couch and threw it into the air, slicing through it with his sword. The two pieces fell harmlessly to the floor, where he proceeded to stab them mercilessly, with no regard to the floor underneath.
"What is she doing to me?" He choked out, stabbing the pillow once more, before collapsing onto his bed. He dropped his sword to the floor, and then his eyes met with a piece of paper on his pillow. On it was a phone number, that he had snuck out of Meilei's phone book; it was Heidi's number, in fact.
He slowly picked up the paper and gazed at it, the numbers swirling together and forming the sweet face of the girl in question. There was no doubt in his mind, now. He had to end this, as soon as possible.
With a resolve stronger than steel, he reached for his own phone and dialed the number. It only rang once, then someone answered.
"Hello?"
Kojii's breath caught as Heidi's sweet voice rolled over the line.
"Heidi? It's...Kojii. I need to talk with you, please." He managed, running a nervous hand through his messy chestnut locks. There was a slight pause on the other end, as if she had been expecting this, then:
"When?"
"Fifteen minutes? At Penguin park, in the cherry-tree grove?" He suggested. There was another pause.
"All right. I'll be there."
"See you." Kojii muttered.
"Goodbye." She answered, hanging up. Kojii quickly grabbed his olive-green muscle-T and slipped it on, hurrying out of his room.
~*~*~*~
By the time Hilde reached the park, Kojii was already there, leaning against a tall cherry tree, and gazing off into the distance, his chestnut locks swaying lightly in the breeze. She slowly walked over to him.
"Hello." She said. His head turned and his amber eyes met hers.
"Hello." Was all he said, his eyes still boring into hers. She shifted uncomfortably.
"You needed to talk with me?" She asked softly, looking away. Kojii nodded, still unsure of exactly why he had just done this.
"What are you doing, Hiiragizawa?" He finally asked. Hilde looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Coming into people's lives and screwing them up. Why do you do it?"
"I don't mean to." She whispered, her tears returning. Kojii sighed.
"My sister really likes you, Heidi. And it would hurt her that you suddenly up and change, leaving her like a piece of year-old cheese." He stated. Hilde nodded, but said nothing.
"I mean, I can't expect you to treat me better, but at least spare my sister the hurt." He muttered. Hilde started.
"Hurt?"
"Yes, Heidi! *The Hurt*. It hurts people when you're nice one moment, and then the next you treat them like scum! I mean, I've had to deal with you hating me for no reason all my life, and suddenly you come with this whole new attitude of 'let's be nice to everyone'! And now, you're telling me that you are going back to the old way. What are you playing at, Hiiragizawa?"
"I...I didn't mean to hurt anyone..." She whimpered. His eyes, once steely, were now filled with pain.
"Well you did. You hurt me." He stated. Hilde looked at him in horror.
"You?"
"Yes, me! I have feelings, you know." He snapped, his eyes still hurt. Hilde choked on a lump of bile that rose to her throat and her body shook with sorrow. After all she had done, this was the outcome! She was the cause of his torment! It was her fault!
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She whispered, a tear falling from her eye. Kojii's heart melted and his face softened.
"Heidi...Heidi, don't cry. Please." He couldn't think of anything else to say. Sure, his sister had cried to him plenty of times...but that was his sister. This was the girl who had left him in a muddle of emotions the past few months.
"But it's my fault. I'm so, so sorry." She whimpered with her head down, as she clutched her fists to her sides. Kojii bit his lip and moved forward, placing a hand on her arm. With his other hand, he lifted her chin and wiped the tears away with his thumb.
"No...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that." He murmured. Hilde trembled at how close he was but couldn't move away. He stepped closer. Their eyes met and held each other, this time, relaying hidden messages back and forth that neither one could decipher.
"Heidi...I..." Kojii stopped as his body uncontrollably moved closer to hers. His eyes centered on her raspberry-colored lips and couldn't tear themselves away. With slow, deliberate movements, his face moved closer until they were just millimeters away from each other. Her lips parted, she uttered a soft sigh, and with that, Kojii lost control.
His lips captured hers in a deep, passionate embrace that caused her already muddled mind to spin even more. Her knees turned to jelly and she clung to his shirt-front to keep her balance. His hands found her waist and pulled her closer.
Then realization hit Hilde in the stomach like a fist. This was her sister's enemy! Heidi hated him, and when she returned, she would treat him as vilely as ever, maybe more so! And if he thought that she liked him...
With a cry, Hilde broke away, pushing herself back against the tree, a her fingers pressed to her swollen lips.
"No! No!" She moaned, her eyes wide and frightened. Kojii stared at her, his eyes flashing with hurt, anger, and confusion.
"This is wrong. Kojii, we can't." She stumbled over her words, searching desperately for some good excuse. Kojii's eyes hardened and his body stiffened.
"Fine. That's just fine. This never happened, Hiiragizawa." He hissed, brushing past her, then stopping abruptly as a small choked sob met his ears. Tears spilled down Hilde's cheeks, and her mouth quivered. She wanted to call him back so badly, to tell him the truth...but she had promised Heidi! She had promised!
"Avoid me, Li. Avoid me for the rest of the school year." She commanded. Kojii turned, his eyes full of stony resolve.
"Why? Why should I? Why shouldn't I take you right here and kiss you again? Why?" He asked harshly. Hilde trembled.
"Please, Kojii! Please!" She pleaded. Kojii gave her a disgusted look, then quickly walked back over to her.
"I'll do it, but if you're going to continue shoving me down like this, I'm taking you down with me!" He hissed, capturing her waist and crushing his lips to hers. Hilde whimpered and pressed back, knowing that this would be the last time she would ever see him. Hot passion poured from both of them, and his hands roughly trailed the length of her back. Again, she managed to get up enough strength to push him away.
"Go, Li! I never want to see you again!" She sobbed, turning and running from the grove.
Kojii watched after her, his heart breaking.
~*~*~*~