JUST BREATHE
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 11.
~*~*~*~
"Honored Elders, I wish to call off my engagement." Kojii said in a strong voice. There were several shocked murmurs, but the Head Elder nodded his head.
"Your grandmother has spoken to me on this issue. I believe that she mentioned 'someone else'. May I ask who this person is?" The man questioned, his hard eyes on the young man's face. Kojii kept his face neutral.
"An old school...friend. I would like to pursue a possible relationship with her."
"School friend? Are you close to her now?"
"Not particularly. But I am trying." Kojii stated.
"She wouldn't happen to be known as, Hilde Hiiragizawa, would she, Li- sama?" The man asked. Kojii just barely kept his blush hidden.
"She is."
"Ahh. Daughter of Eriol and Tomoyo Hiiragizawa, close friends of your own parents. She is also your sister's friend. Yes, Li-sama, I believe that this would be a good match for you. We shall discuss it and you will return for our edict tomorrow." The man commanded, motioning the younger man out of the room. Kojii bowed respectfully and quickly left the room, a smile adorning his face.
"Well?" A young voice asked. Kojii looked down in astonishment to see Chang walking quietly beside him.
"Well, what?"
"You're smiling, Kojii. That could only mean that you are one step closer to getting Miss Hilde." Chang murmured. Kojii smiled wider.
"You are a smart boy, Chang. Yes, I have just requested that I be...freed from my arranged marriage."
"And?"
"They will give me their answer tomorrow. But aren't you supposed to be in school?"
"Miss Hilde let us out early today. But I have to go get something...and you are coming with me!" Chang announced. Kojii felt himself turn pale, but he followed the boy to the schoolroom.
"Hi, Miss Hilde. I forgot my book, and I found Uncle Kojii walking around, so I dragged him along to get it." Chang announced, entering the room and walking over to his desk. Hilde looked up from her work, startled, and then managed a weak smile at the man in the doorway.
"Hello, Li-sama." She murmured, watching as Chang retrieved the lost item, and quickly walked towards the door. He looked at Kojii meaningfully, and then left the two alone.
"Another set up?" Hilde asked weakly. Kojii shrugged.
"What else?" He asked, turning a chair around and straddling it, resting his arms on the back of the chair. Hilde watched him nervously and then quickly looked back down at her work.
"How long have you been interested in teaching?" Kojii asked suddenly, for no apparent reason. Hilde looked up, thoughtfully.
"For a long time, now. When I was a child, I used to get all my dolls and my siblings together, and I would 'teach' them, sometimes." Hilde's eyes grew dreamy at this remembrance. Kojii chuckled.
"I suppose Heidi *loved* that." He laughed. Hilde blushed.
"Actually, I think she did. It was my brother Yuki that hated it. I don't think my dolls liked it either. They tended to fall over, asleep apparently, during my lessons." She giggled. Kojii chuckled.
"So now you've won the hearts of the five 'kaijuu's', and are their beloved teacher. Who would have thought?" He asked, looking at her admiringly. Hilde blushed.
"What are you doing, now? I thought your parents were supposed to be running the country, by now." She reminded him. Kojii shrugged.
"I gave them a few years more of retirement. Dad loves his freedom, and mom loves Japan. I like it anywhere, so I'll stay here as long as I'm needed."
"And your fiancee's here." She added, as a bitter twinge entered her heart. Kojii winced.
"Hopefully, she won't be, soon. I have put in a request to end the engagement." He informed her. Hilde looked stunned and her wide amethyst eyes searched his.
"Why, Kojii?" She asked softly. Kojii frowned.
"Tell me something, Hilde. Would *you* want to be stuck in a marriage, where you could neither love nor respect your partner? Heck, I can't stand her." He muttered. Hilde caught her breath.
"No. My mother was nearly forced into a marriage once...her mother thought it would be for the best, but the man was simply horrid." Hilde shuddered. Kojii looked intrigued.
"Really? Do tell."
"I...I can't. I shouldn't." She whispered. Kojii frowned.
"Hilde..." His voice was warning her. She winced.
"His name was Robert. Robert *Roderick*. And he attempted to rape my mother, just to have her as his." Hilde finally murmured. Kojii jerked back, appalled.
"WHAT?! Shayla's father?" He choked. She nodded.
"He's the one. Heidi reminded me when she called me a last month." Hilde stated. Kojii turned confused amber eyes towards her.
"That would explain why I didn't like him when I met him. There was just something about the way he looked."
"I felt it too. His daughter isn't much better, it seems." Hilde commented, then slapped her hand to her mouth in horror. Her wide amethyst eyes betrayed her self-disgust of what she had just said, but Kojii laughed.
"You've got that right. I just hope the elders will let it go." He muttered. Hilde silently agreed.
~*~*~*~
"Honored Elders, I ask for your decision." Kojii said in a respectful, yet tense voice. There was a long pause, then:
"Li-sama, we have decided to grant your request to end your engagement." The head elder stated, his eyes steely, as always. Kojii bowed respectfully and quickly exited the room, his heart jumping madly.
"I'm free." He whispered, a familiar gleam coming to his eyes again. There was a shuffle near him, and Kojii looked up to see Deluce trailing after him uncertainly.
"Uncle Kojii?"
"What?"
"Is the bad lady going to try to marry you, anymore?" The young girl asked hesitantly. Kojii gazed down at his eight year-old cousin and then smiled.
"No. She's not in the picture any more, Dell." He murmured, using his own nickname for her. She gave a happy squeal.
"REALLY?!"
"Really." He murmured.
"HE'S NOT MARRYING HER! KOJII'S FREE!" Deluce shrieked, racing for the pavilion where her cousins were still taking their lessons. Everyone looked up in shock.
"Who's free?" Xiaolong asked, still not comprehending.
"Yayayayayayayay!!!" Ying-fa cried, throwing herself into her cousin's arms, her twin just steps behind her.
"Good going, old man!" Chang exclaimed, rising from his seat and allowing his book to fall, unheeded, to his feet. Hilde too, rose and clasped her hands together tightly. Soon, Kojii found himself smothered by five pairs of arms, trying to hug various parts of his body.
"You don't have to marry the bad lady." Akito crowed, as his cousin tried to pry him off his arm.
"Give him air!" Hilde laughed, her amethyst eyes sparkling. The children shared sly smirks and backed off immediately.
"Miss Hilde, this is everyone's celebration, not just Kojii's. Now do the right thing and hug him to show your congratulations." Deluce called, in a tone of voice that suggested she was talking to a child much younger than her. The two in question blushed.
"He deserves it." Xiaolong added quickly, as Chang motioned everyone to leave the premises.
"I'm sure he does." Hilde murmured, her eyes locked with Kojii's, as she moved forward and slowly slipped her arms around him in a gentle hug, laying her head down on his shoulder. For the first time since she had left him in Japan, Kojii felt the same rush of passion that he had felt the day before she had left. He quickly allowed his own arms to twine around her waist, and he held her close, neither one moving for quite some time.
~*~*~*~
"So? How is it going?" Heidi asked a week later, when she, Meilei and Hilde were talking on the phone. Meilei, who was on the other line, shot Hilde a glance and the other girl blushed bright red.
"Everything is fine." She murmured. Meilei snorted.
"*Now*. Kojii just broke off his engagement, and has been paying a lot of attention to your dear twin, lately." Meilei stated. Heidi gave a shriek.
"HILDE!!!"
"It's nothing! He is only being polite." Hilde rushed.
"Yeah. 'Being polite' is standing in the garden for half an hour, simply hugging." Meilei snorted.
"WHAT?!"
"We weren't there for that long. And I was just giving him a 'congratulations' hug." Hilde tried to explain. Meilei laughed eagerly, her emerald eyes sparkling with humor.
"That's what the children said. And that's why they took lots of pictures from grandma's sitting-room window." Meilei teased. Hilde choked on her gasp.
"Excuse me?!"
"I'll have lots of black-mail on you now, Hill! Send me some of those pictures, Mei!" Heidi exclaimed. Hilde turned even redder but said nothing.
"So...how long has this been going on?" Heidi asked cheekily. Meilei looked confused for a moment, her inherited naïve-ness kicking in.
"What do you mean?" She asked. Heidi groaned.
"I mean this Kojii thing."
"OH! Since you two switched places." Meilei commented.
"W-H-A-T?!?!?!" Heidi's shriek rang over the phone as Hilde slammed her end down. Meilei quickly followed suit and the two girls laughed.
"That was a good one, Meilei. She bought it." Hilde laughed, a bit weakly.
"I wasn't joking, Hilde. Stop lying to yourself please, and allow yourself the possibility." Meilei sighed. Hilde looked at her lap.
"What possibility, Mei? Kojii's free now. He has the chance to find someone he really loves. And I am sure that he will take it."
"And so am I. That is why I am preparing you." Mei said cryptically, wandering back to her room. Hilde watched after her, her eyes slightly blurred with tears.
Kojii was free now. And he was slowly slipping away.
Or was he?
~*~*~*~
"HE WHAT?!" An angry, deep voice shouted into the telephone receiver. The person on the other end must have said something upsetting, because there was a deep growl and the slam of a phone.
"He will pay. I have been cheated out of what was rightfully mine, too many times. I will not let it happen again." Hissed the deep voice. The phone was picked up again, and a number dialed.
"Kaho, love? I need some information on Hiiragizawa Eriol and his family..."
~*~*~*~
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 11.
~*~*~*~
"Honored Elders, I wish to call off my engagement." Kojii said in a strong voice. There were several shocked murmurs, but the Head Elder nodded his head.
"Your grandmother has spoken to me on this issue. I believe that she mentioned 'someone else'. May I ask who this person is?" The man questioned, his hard eyes on the young man's face. Kojii kept his face neutral.
"An old school...friend. I would like to pursue a possible relationship with her."
"School friend? Are you close to her now?"
"Not particularly. But I am trying." Kojii stated.
"She wouldn't happen to be known as, Hilde Hiiragizawa, would she, Li- sama?" The man asked. Kojii just barely kept his blush hidden.
"She is."
"Ahh. Daughter of Eriol and Tomoyo Hiiragizawa, close friends of your own parents. She is also your sister's friend. Yes, Li-sama, I believe that this would be a good match for you. We shall discuss it and you will return for our edict tomorrow." The man commanded, motioning the younger man out of the room. Kojii bowed respectfully and quickly left the room, a smile adorning his face.
"Well?" A young voice asked. Kojii looked down in astonishment to see Chang walking quietly beside him.
"Well, what?"
"You're smiling, Kojii. That could only mean that you are one step closer to getting Miss Hilde." Chang murmured. Kojii smiled wider.
"You are a smart boy, Chang. Yes, I have just requested that I be...freed from my arranged marriage."
"And?"
"They will give me their answer tomorrow. But aren't you supposed to be in school?"
"Miss Hilde let us out early today. But I have to go get something...and you are coming with me!" Chang announced. Kojii felt himself turn pale, but he followed the boy to the schoolroom.
"Hi, Miss Hilde. I forgot my book, and I found Uncle Kojii walking around, so I dragged him along to get it." Chang announced, entering the room and walking over to his desk. Hilde looked up from her work, startled, and then managed a weak smile at the man in the doorway.
"Hello, Li-sama." She murmured, watching as Chang retrieved the lost item, and quickly walked towards the door. He looked at Kojii meaningfully, and then left the two alone.
"Another set up?" Hilde asked weakly. Kojii shrugged.
"What else?" He asked, turning a chair around and straddling it, resting his arms on the back of the chair. Hilde watched him nervously and then quickly looked back down at her work.
"How long have you been interested in teaching?" Kojii asked suddenly, for no apparent reason. Hilde looked up, thoughtfully.
"For a long time, now. When I was a child, I used to get all my dolls and my siblings together, and I would 'teach' them, sometimes." Hilde's eyes grew dreamy at this remembrance. Kojii chuckled.
"I suppose Heidi *loved* that." He laughed. Hilde blushed.
"Actually, I think she did. It was my brother Yuki that hated it. I don't think my dolls liked it either. They tended to fall over, asleep apparently, during my lessons." She giggled. Kojii chuckled.
"So now you've won the hearts of the five 'kaijuu's', and are their beloved teacher. Who would have thought?" He asked, looking at her admiringly. Hilde blushed.
"What are you doing, now? I thought your parents were supposed to be running the country, by now." She reminded him. Kojii shrugged.
"I gave them a few years more of retirement. Dad loves his freedom, and mom loves Japan. I like it anywhere, so I'll stay here as long as I'm needed."
"And your fiancee's here." She added, as a bitter twinge entered her heart. Kojii winced.
"Hopefully, she won't be, soon. I have put in a request to end the engagement." He informed her. Hilde looked stunned and her wide amethyst eyes searched his.
"Why, Kojii?" She asked softly. Kojii frowned.
"Tell me something, Hilde. Would *you* want to be stuck in a marriage, where you could neither love nor respect your partner? Heck, I can't stand her." He muttered. Hilde caught her breath.
"No. My mother was nearly forced into a marriage once...her mother thought it would be for the best, but the man was simply horrid." Hilde shuddered. Kojii looked intrigued.
"Really? Do tell."
"I...I can't. I shouldn't." She whispered. Kojii frowned.
"Hilde..." His voice was warning her. She winced.
"His name was Robert. Robert *Roderick*. And he attempted to rape my mother, just to have her as his." Hilde finally murmured. Kojii jerked back, appalled.
"WHAT?! Shayla's father?" He choked. She nodded.
"He's the one. Heidi reminded me when she called me a last month." Hilde stated. Kojii turned confused amber eyes towards her.
"That would explain why I didn't like him when I met him. There was just something about the way he looked."
"I felt it too. His daughter isn't much better, it seems." Hilde commented, then slapped her hand to her mouth in horror. Her wide amethyst eyes betrayed her self-disgust of what she had just said, but Kojii laughed.
"You've got that right. I just hope the elders will let it go." He muttered. Hilde silently agreed.
~*~*~*~
"Honored Elders, I ask for your decision." Kojii said in a respectful, yet tense voice. There was a long pause, then:
"Li-sama, we have decided to grant your request to end your engagement." The head elder stated, his eyes steely, as always. Kojii bowed respectfully and quickly exited the room, his heart jumping madly.
"I'm free." He whispered, a familiar gleam coming to his eyes again. There was a shuffle near him, and Kojii looked up to see Deluce trailing after him uncertainly.
"Uncle Kojii?"
"What?"
"Is the bad lady going to try to marry you, anymore?" The young girl asked hesitantly. Kojii gazed down at his eight year-old cousin and then smiled.
"No. She's not in the picture any more, Dell." He murmured, using his own nickname for her. She gave a happy squeal.
"REALLY?!"
"Really." He murmured.
"HE'S NOT MARRYING HER! KOJII'S FREE!" Deluce shrieked, racing for the pavilion where her cousins were still taking their lessons. Everyone looked up in shock.
"Who's free?" Xiaolong asked, still not comprehending.
"Yayayayayayayay!!!" Ying-fa cried, throwing herself into her cousin's arms, her twin just steps behind her.
"Good going, old man!" Chang exclaimed, rising from his seat and allowing his book to fall, unheeded, to his feet. Hilde too, rose and clasped her hands together tightly. Soon, Kojii found himself smothered by five pairs of arms, trying to hug various parts of his body.
"You don't have to marry the bad lady." Akito crowed, as his cousin tried to pry him off his arm.
"Give him air!" Hilde laughed, her amethyst eyes sparkling. The children shared sly smirks and backed off immediately.
"Miss Hilde, this is everyone's celebration, not just Kojii's. Now do the right thing and hug him to show your congratulations." Deluce called, in a tone of voice that suggested she was talking to a child much younger than her. The two in question blushed.
"He deserves it." Xiaolong added quickly, as Chang motioned everyone to leave the premises.
"I'm sure he does." Hilde murmured, her eyes locked with Kojii's, as she moved forward and slowly slipped her arms around him in a gentle hug, laying her head down on his shoulder. For the first time since she had left him in Japan, Kojii felt the same rush of passion that he had felt the day before she had left. He quickly allowed his own arms to twine around her waist, and he held her close, neither one moving for quite some time.
~*~*~*~
"So? How is it going?" Heidi asked a week later, when she, Meilei and Hilde were talking on the phone. Meilei, who was on the other line, shot Hilde a glance and the other girl blushed bright red.
"Everything is fine." She murmured. Meilei snorted.
"*Now*. Kojii just broke off his engagement, and has been paying a lot of attention to your dear twin, lately." Meilei stated. Heidi gave a shriek.
"HILDE!!!"
"It's nothing! He is only being polite." Hilde rushed.
"Yeah. 'Being polite' is standing in the garden for half an hour, simply hugging." Meilei snorted.
"WHAT?!"
"We weren't there for that long. And I was just giving him a 'congratulations' hug." Hilde tried to explain. Meilei laughed eagerly, her emerald eyes sparkling with humor.
"That's what the children said. And that's why they took lots of pictures from grandma's sitting-room window." Meilei teased. Hilde choked on her gasp.
"Excuse me?!"
"I'll have lots of black-mail on you now, Hill! Send me some of those pictures, Mei!" Heidi exclaimed. Hilde turned even redder but said nothing.
"So...how long has this been going on?" Heidi asked cheekily. Meilei looked confused for a moment, her inherited naïve-ness kicking in.
"What do you mean?" She asked. Heidi groaned.
"I mean this Kojii thing."
"OH! Since you two switched places." Meilei commented.
"W-H-A-T?!?!?!" Heidi's shriek rang over the phone as Hilde slammed her end down. Meilei quickly followed suit and the two girls laughed.
"That was a good one, Meilei. She bought it." Hilde laughed, a bit weakly.
"I wasn't joking, Hilde. Stop lying to yourself please, and allow yourself the possibility." Meilei sighed. Hilde looked at her lap.
"What possibility, Mei? Kojii's free now. He has the chance to find someone he really loves. And I am sure that he will take it."
"And so am I. That is why I am preparing you." Mei said cryptically, wandering back to her room. Hilde watched after her, her eyes slightly blurred with tears.
Kojii was free now. And he was slowly slipping away.
Or was he?
~*~*~*~
"HE WHAT?!" An angry, deep voice shouted into the telephone receiver. The person on the other end must have said something upsetting, because there was a deep growl and the slam of a phone.
"He will pay. I have been cheated out of what was rightfully mine, too many times. I will not let it happen again." Hissed the deep voice. The phone was picked up again, and a number dialed.
"Kaho, love? I need some information on Hiiragizawa Eriol and his family..."
~*~*~*~