Chan Yoruyamatiha: Disclaimer is same as always... tsukemono...
(...pickles...)
Chapter 9 - A Day in Paris
Mitsumi, Yui, and I walked along the streets of Paris a while after we left Rose's mansion, enjoying the sights and attractions. It was great fun to walk and stare at the people, all of whom were speaking a language that we could not understand while staring at us three Asians.
I brushed my black hair back out of my face as the warm wind blew it around wildly. Mitsumi had no problem with the wind, as her hair was tied up in a tight-fitting bun secured with a shimmering pink ribbon. Yui smiled as his bangs blew over his eyes, tickling the canal of his nose and his eyebrows. The sunlight shone down brightly upon the three of us as we approached a quaint little outdoor cafe.
Mitsumi reached into her back pocket and drew out a translation book, her fingers scanning a page that she had bookmarked. Yui and I looked around at all the French customers sitting peacefully at small, polished, wooden tables under light-colored umbrellas.
"Whatcha wanna eat?" Mitsumi questioned us, waving a menu in front of our faces as we sat down at a small table beside a couple who were about to leave.
"I don't care," I replied, looking at Yui, who shrugged his shoulders.
"Me either," he said.
Mitsumi rolled her deep brown eyes before scanning the menu, trying to make sense of the French words and writings. A waiter came over, his gaze lingering on me before questioning Mitsumi. He looked about 20 or so, and had rich, colorful brown hair and eyes. He said something to Mitsumi in French, which I assumed meant, "What do you want to eat?"
Mitsumi communicated with him by pointing to an appetizing looking dish of some sort of noodles covered with Saanen goat cheese and parsley. She then counted three fingers on her hand, staring at the waiter to see if he understood.
The waiter yelled something to a coworker, and smacked a check down on the table. Taking a final last look at us, he marched away behind the counter, his eyes sharp for another customer who might be approaching.
"So Kaoru... How do you like Paris so far?" Mitsumi asked me, her eyes sparkling with pleasure and interest.
I smiled in response.
"It's beautiful. Being out of Japan is definitely a wake-up call, though."
Yui smiled at me shortly before pulling his wallet out. He groped around in one of the compartments before pulling out a single coin and laying it in my hand. I looked down in my hand and saw one yen.
"Wow, Yui. Have you ever been to Japan before?"
Yui nodded at me, and smiled at the memory.
"Yeah, it was several years ago, though. It was during the summer, so me and Xai-Lehn went to Tokyo with his mom and dad to mess around... It was fun, really..." he trailed off with his words, and his eyes seemed to lose their focus, as though he was becoming lost in some memory.
Knowing where this was heading, I moved closer to Yui and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing him close to me. With a free hand, I brushed his bangs back out of his face and kissed his forehead, causing him to blush.
"Whoo-hoo!!" exclaimed Mitsumi excitedly, frightening me temporarily. "You two have only been dating one day and now you're making out in public!!"
"Mitsumi, keep your voice down!" I warned, but remembered that most of these people could not understand the language that we spoke.
Yui shyly pried himself out of my grip as the waiter came over with our plates and set them down roughly in front of us. The waiter stiffened himself before sulking away, throwing dirty glances at us over his shoulder. I raised my eyebrow before turning my attention down to my food.
"He must hate foreigners or something..." I said softly through a mouthful of noodles.
"The French have a reputation for that, I heard from my pen pal in the United States. He said that when he went to France, somebody spat on him!" Mitsumi said, dabbing at her lips gently with a cloth napkin.
A short silence followed Mitsumi's comment, but it was not an uncomfortable one. Everyone was stuffing their faces with the delicious French cuisine, and no one spoke until their plate was clean. Yui was the first person done, so he excused himself to the little boys' room.
I watched Yui walk into the men's room and shut the door behind him before sipping my water. It tasted slightly polluted, but I hadn't room to complain when I compared it to what I had been living off of before I met Rose.
"Kaoru, where do you want to go after here? I know of a lot of great places," Mitsumi said, slurping up the last of her water in an unlady-like manner that made several women around her throw murderous glances in our direction.
I shrugged. I had almost no knowledge of what lay in this beautiful city. This was the first time I had never been out of Japan before in my life, and I had almost no knowledge of countries afar from Eastern Asia. Paris was great, though. It was a lot different from Tokyo in so many ways.
I heard a toilet flush and saw Yui walk out of the bathroom, ready to pay the bill and leave. Mitsumi and I rose and walked over to the cash register, where the waiter who had served us leered at us. He plucked in a few numbers on the cash register as Mitsumi handed him the correct amount of change. Instead of smiling and dismissing us politely, the handsome waiter simply took one final stare at me and waved his hand, signaling us to leave.
I twisted my face at him involuntarily, my feeling of dislike showing through. Unfortunately, he saw me making a grimace at him and whirled around, his eyes defiant and angry. Suddenly, my head started to pound and my blood ran boiling hot. I knew it then...
He seemed to sense it as well, and clenched his fists. We stared into each other's eyes for a split second before I lunged at him. He dodged at the last second, thinking that he was going to outsmart me.
Using the Ashura Warp, I was able to swiftly maneuver behind him without breaking a sweat. I quickly swung a chop to the back of his head, which he quickly parried. Shocked at how he could parry without facing me, I accidentally let my guard down, and paid for it.
His foot came back and hit me right in the stomach, and it hurt, especially since he was hearing dress shoes with low heels on them. With another lightning-fast movement, he slammed me against the hard, wooden register stand. I felt his speaking tone grow cold and icy as his free hand grasped a lock of my hair and pulled on it slightly, raising my head up.
"What the hell do you want, girl?" he whispered coldly in English, which I could understand, thanks to my mother's few years of home-schooling me.
I remained silent, knowing that that would provoke him even more.
"You bitch!! Answer me!!" he roared at me, yanking sharply on my hair.
I clenched my jaw and winced in pain, using all my might not to scream out loud.
"Kaoru!" There came Yui's voice. It was wavery and heated; he sounded mad...
"Stay out of it," growled the waiter, turning his fiery eyes over at Yui, who had begun to tremble. The waiter had blood-red eyes... That could only mean one thing.
"Yui, Mitsumi... Stay back!" I warned, before feeling the waiter kick me in the back of my knee.
"Shut up," he commanded to me, turning his attention away from Yui, who was still trembling with rage. "Are you going to tell me why you're here, or am I going to have to... persuade... you?"
Then, the waiter made the sad mistake of touching me where he didn't need to.
The next few seconds following that were hell on Earth. Yui exploded in fury and gave the waiter a piece of his mind. I was also quite angry, and it ended up that Yui and I were tag-teaming the waiter. Two on one was unfair, but it didn't matter this time.
"Unko! Don't ever touch her there again!!" bellowed Yui as he threw a hard, forceful punch right into the waiter's face, dazing him and nearly knocking him out. Mitsumi stood there, trying to reconcile with the frightened customers but it was no use. None of them could understand Chinese, Japanese, and most of them were not fluent in English.
A few seconds later, Yui had officially knocked out the waiter, who lay sprawled on the floor with a very swollen, bruised face. I stepped forward, pushing Yui aside, and prepared to kill the waiter. It was my duty to kill those who abused the power of Hadou.
I began to gather my chi, slowly at first, but then it began to quickly form around me in bright blue orbs. Carefully, I began to focus it on my hands, and it was then that Yui realized what I was going to do.
"Kaoru...?" he began, but I didn't answer. This shouldn't involve Yui. I would actually prefer that he not see what I was going to have to do...
"Shinkuu..." I began softly, as I began to focus the chi into one central orb. As soon as it was completed, I prepared to release it right into the unconscious form of the waiter, until I suddenly felt a jerk that lost me my concentration.
"Wha!?" I cried as I felt my feet slip and myself being jerked backwards. I looked over my shoulder and was shocked to see Yui pulling me backwards from the body of the waiter. His arms were locked around my waist, preventing me from escaping by using manual force. "Yui, let go of me! I have to finish this!"
His dark, innocent eyes suddenly turned stern and bold, quite a different take from his normal expression. I started, slightly shocked by his different approach.
"Kaoru, don't kill him... You can't kill him..." Yui whispered in my ear, tightening his grip on my waist and pressing me close to him. "I don't know what you're thinking, or what started this, but no matter how bad he is, you can't kill..."
"Yui, I have to!" I retorted, defending myself against this not-so-shy Yui. I knew that he was trying to protect me, but this had to be done.
"No, Kaoru! That's not the way!"
"Yui, let go of me!"
"No."
"Yui!"
"No."
I tried to wrench myself loose, but I soon found that Yui was a lot stronger than I had thought. His lean arms had more muscle under them than could meet the eye.
"Please... I have to do what I have to do..." I pleaded with him, while trying to find a way to escape him without resorting the Ashura Warp.
"Kaoru! Don't be a murderer!" he hissed, keeping his voice low. "I won't let you do this. This is something that you will regret later..."
I suddenly stopped moving, and my mind processed his words.
"We need to get out of here, Kaoru. The French police will be here any minute, and if we stay here..."
Mitsumi seemed to understand the situation, for she was waiting at the doorway, ready to run.
Taking a final glance over my shoulder at my failed mission, I felt Yui hoist me up into his arms and run out of the restraint boundaries.
It took about 20 minutes of solid running to reach a safe destination which was in the form of a small, grassy field on the outskirts of the city. At least we were safe from cops now.
Yui stood me on the ground under a large oak tree while Mitsumi collapsed onto the ground, her stamina completely drained by all of the running she had done. Yui also seemed weary; sweat poured down his face and he sat on the ground under the tree, his dark eyes watching my every move.
I felt ashamed of my actions. Oh, why hadn't I told Yui about my motives for killing? Why didn't he know that I killed people every week? How could he not view me as a monster?
I hung my head and allowed my sleek black hair to fall all over my face. I needed to talk to Yui by himself... but what about Mitsumi, my best friend? She should know the truth as well... but she could wait. Yui could not. He needed to know right now.
Biting my lower lip, I sank to the ground and sat on my knees, breathing softly, trying to direct attention away from myself. They didn't know why I had attacked that guy.
("They must really think I'm a psychotic nut now...") I thought to myself, glancing longingly at Yui, who had his slanted eyes closed tightly to keep sweat out of them.
* * * * * * * * * *
Later that afternoon, at about 3:30, I found myself sitting on my bed, ashamedly flipping through pages of a fashion magazine Mitsumi had lent me. Everyone else was outside training with Rose except for Mitsumi, who was taking a soothing bubble bath in the bathroom downstairs somewhere.
I felt so guilty for not telling Yui about what my ambition was in life. To kill every single person who abused the ancient art of Shotokan, and then to kill myself at the end... To live such an accursed life was shame itself.
The door opened suddenly, and then closed. I looked up from my magazine quickly, and my heart fell as I saw Yui walk in dressed in clean, fresh clothing with a troubled look on his face.
"Kaoru... Darling..." he began slowly before sitting down on my bed beside me, turning himself to face me.
"Yui... I apologize..." I spat out quickly, not wanting this to drag out any longer than it had to.
"Listen to me... I just want to talk to you..." Yui reached over and pulled me close to him. His fingers began caressing my hair, soothing out every thread lovingly, and I found myself almost purring in contentment. Strangely, he knew that this was the easiest way to relax me.
"Kaoru, I don't know what you were thinking today, but I was frightened for you..." he said softly and gently, making sure not to sound accusing.
"Yui... I can explain-"
"Wait, sweetheart, wait..." His voice was reassuring. "I want you to know that no matter what happens, I want you to be safe at all times... And today, I was scared for you. He could have really hurt you."
"I know, Yui, it's just that-" He placed a finger to my lips to silence me.
"I will let you explain, don't worry. After I finish what I have to say, you can explain all you want."
Silently, I nodded my head.
"I was puzzled at why you attacked him in the first place, and I was surprised at first. Then, I knew that you had to have a reason for doing that, so I didn't interfere for a while, but I had to, because I care about you."
My eyes began to water up as he said that.
"Kaoru... I just want to protect you from harm, that's all... And I don't want you to kill anyone else, because it will come back for you later," Yui said, giving me a gentle squeeze. I met his eyes as a flame sparked in my throat. I choked back a sob, but it didn't work. Faint memories of my mother and father came pouring through my mind, and I broke down in Yui's arms.
Gently, he stroked my hair before laying me down softly, supporting my head on my pillow. He awaited my response as he sat beside me silently.
I continued to cry for several more minutes, feeling completely emotionally dead. Yui did nothing but sit beside me and allow me to cry into the flannel fabric of his long-sleeved shirt. Emotions that I had always struggled to hold back came out in a constant flow of tears and wails; I couldn't stop them from coming.
After a while, I was able to calm myself down a little. I sat up slowly and stared down into my lap. I couldn't look into his dark, compassionate eyes. I wanted to, but couldn't. My actions ashamed me, even though I knew it was my duty. Oh, if only Yui didn't have to get caught up in them.
"Yui..." I began softly, keeping my tone soft and low so that I wouldn't sound brazen or harsh. "I really need to tell you about something you need to know about me..."
"Yes?" Yui turned my face up to his oval-shaped one. A serious look played about his handsome facial features, and it was then that I felt a strong burst of love for him that I struggled to keep hidden.
"I'm sorry for today... But if I explain, maybe you will understand why I acted as I did," I said, casting my eyes downward. I wished he would stop looking at me like that!
"Go on..." he urged.
I cleared my throat and wiped my eyes before continuing.
"Well... as you know, my dad taught me how to fight using the Ansatsuken martial arts. There is also a dark energy hidden within it, as you can probably guess since I'm here..." I paused indefinitely. "And... I killed my parents when I was little... So you see, I want to put a stop to the killing that people who possess the Satsu no Hadou commit... I circle the globe, coming encountering these kinds of people and finishing them off..."
I stopped and looking at Yui, who nodded his head slightly to show that he understood how this was connected to my actions of today. Sighing, I continued:
"And so today, I was just trying to do my duty. I have sworn to take his on my own, and I try to live up to that promise I made to myself when I was small. And this killing... it doesn't exclude me. When I'm done, my life's purpose will be lost, and I will kill m-"
Wham!
Before I could finish my sentence, Yui had clamped his hands over my mouth and pressed me down against the bed. My eyes widened in shock and I met his gaze. I could see him pale and his eyes grow wide and terrified.
"Kaoru... you must not do such a thing..." he stuttered, his hands releasing their grip on my mouth. I could tell that fear was causing him to quiver, and his hand was trembling. "I can't... I won't... lose you..." I could sense his vocal cords contract with emotion, thus causing him to lose his voice.
'Yui, I... I..."
The door opened. Yui and I looked quickly over to the door and saw Mitsumi standing there with her arms crossed.
"Tea time, lovebirds. We can continue this informative conversation over hot tea," Mitsumi said, hinting that she had overheard our entire conversation. She turned her back and headed down the stairs, leaving the door ajar.
Yui and I rose and also walked to the door. However, even as we descended the stairs, I could sense Yui staying very close to me; treating me as though I were a bomb that could explode at any given moment. A few seconds silence gave my mind a moment to rest, but as soon as I had pushed my worries aside, another problem even more important than the others emerged:
("My mission... Or my love?")
End of Chapter 9.
Chan: Well, it's DeNice's turn. Let's see what exactly he has in mind for this story! The plot is beginning to spike into different directions now. It's gonna get exciting from here out! Please review.
Chapter 9 - A Day in Paris
Mitsumi, Yui, and I walked along the streets of Paris a while after we left Rose's mansion, enjoying the sights and attractions. It was great fun to walk and stare at the people, all of whom were speaking a language that we could not understand while staring at us three Asians.
I brushed my black hair back out of my face as the warm wind blew it around wildly. Mitsumi had no problem with the wind, as her hair was tied up in a tight-fitting bun secured with a shimmering pink ribbon. Yui smiled as his bangs blew over his eyes, tickling the canal of his nose and his eyebrows. The sunlight shone down brightly upon the three of us as we approached a quaint little outdoor cafe.
Mitsumi reached into her back pocket and drew out a translation book, her fingers scanning a page that she had bookmarked. Yui and I looked around at all the French customers sitting peacefully at small, polished, wooden tables under light-colored umbrellas.
"Whatcha wanna eat?" Mitsumi questioned us, waving a menu in front of our faces as we sat down at a small table beside a couple who were about to leave.
"I don't care," I replied, looking at Yui, who shrugged his shoulders.
"Me either," he said.
Mitsumi rolled her deep brown eyes before scanning the menu, trying to make sense of the French words and writings. A waiter came over, his gaze lingering on me before questioning Mitsumi. He looked about 20 or so, and had rich, colorful brown hair and eyes. He said something to Mitsumi in French, which I assumed meant, "What do you want to eat?"
Mitsumi communicated with him by pointing to an appetizing looking dish of some sort of noodles covered with Saanen goat cheese and parsley. She then counted three fingers on her hand, staring at the waiter to see if he understood.
The waiter yelled something to a coworker, and smacked a check down on the table. Taking a final last look at us, he marched away behind the counter, his eyes sharp for another customer who might be approaching.
"So Kaoru... How do you like Paris so far?" Mitsumi asked me, her eyes sparkling with pleasure and interest.
I smiled in response.
"It's beautiful. Being out of Japan is definitely a wake-up call, though."
Yui smiled at me shortly before pulling his wallet out. He groped around in one of the compartments before pulling out a single coin and laying it in my hand. I looked down in my hand and saw one yen.
"Wow, Yui. Have you ever been to Japan before?"
Yui nodded at me, and smiled at the memory.
"Yeah, it was several years ago, though. It was during the summer, so me and Xai-Lehn went to Tokyo with his mom and dad to mess around... It was fun, really..." he trailed off with his words, and his eyes seemed to lose their focus, as though he was becoming lost in some memory.
Knowing where this was heading, I moved closer to Yui and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing him close to me. With a free hand, I brushed his bangs back out of his face and kissed his forehead, causing him to blush.
"Whoo-hoo!!" exclaimed Mitsumi excitedly, frightening me temporarily. "You two have only been dating one day and now you're making out in public!!"
"Mitsumi, keep your voice down!" I warned, but remembered that most of these people could not understand the language that we spoke.
Yui shyly pried himself out of my grip as the waiter came over with our plates and set them down roughly in front of us. The waiter stiffened himself before sulking away, throwing dirty glances at us over his shoulder. I raised my eyebrow before turning my attention down to my food.
"He must hate foreigners or something..." I said softly through a mouthful of noodles.
"The French have a reputation for that, I heard from my pen pal in the United States. He said that when he went to France, somebody spat on him!" Mitsumi said, dabbing at her lips gently with a cloth napkin.
A short silence followed Mitsumi's comment, but it was not an uncomfortable one. Everyone was stuffing their faces with the delicious French cuisine, and no one spoke until their plate was clean. Yui was the first person done, so he excused himself to the little boys' room.
I watched Yui walk into the men's room and shut the door behind him before sipping my water. It tasted slightly polluted, but I hadn't room to complain when I compared it to what I had been living off of before I met Rose.
"Kaoru, where do you want to go after here? I know of a lot of great places," Mitsumi said, slurping up the last of her water in an unlady-like manner that made several women around her throw murderous glances in our direction.
I shrugged. I had almost no knowledge of what lay in this beautiful city. This was the first time I had never been out of Japan before in my life, and I had almost no knowledge of countries afar from Eastern Asia. Paris was great, though. It was a lot different from Tokyo in so many ways.
I heard a toilet flush and saw Yui walk out of the bathroom, ready to pay the bill and leave. Mitsumi and I rose and walked over to the cash register, where the waiter who had served us leered at us. He plucked in a few numbers on the cash register as Mitsumi handed him the correct amount of change. Instead of smiling and dismissing us politely, the handsome waiter simply took one final stare at me and waved his hand, signaling us to leave.
I twisted my face at him involuntarily, my feeling of dislike showing through. Unfortunately, he saw me making a grimace at him and whirled around, his eyes defiant and angry. Suddenly, my head started to pound and my blood ran boiling hot. I knew it then...
He seemed to sense it as well, and clenched his fists. We stared into each other's eyes for a split second before I lunged at him. He dodged at the last second, thinking that he was going to outsmart me.
Using the Ashura Warp, I was able to swiftly maneuver behind him without breaking a sweat. I quickly swung a chop to the back of his head, which he quickly parried. Shocked at how he could parry without facing me, I accidentally let my guard down, and paid for it.
His foot came back and hit me right in the stomach, and it hurt, especially since he was hearing dress shoes with low heels on them. With another lightning-fast movement, he slammed me against the hard, wooden register stand. I felt his speaking tone grow cold and icy as his free hand grasped a lock of my hair and pulled on it slightly, raising my head up.
"What the hell do you want, girl?" he whispered coldly in English, which I could understand, thanks to my mother's few years of home-schooling me.
I remained silent, knowing that that would provoke him even more.
"You bitch!! Answer me!!" he roared at me, yanking sharply on my hair.
I clenched my jaw and winced in pain, using all my might not to scream out loud.
"Kaoru!" There came Yui's voice. It was wavery and heated; he sounded mad...
"Stay out of it," growled the waiter, turning his fiery eyes over at Yui, who had begun to tremble. The waiter had blood-red eyes... That could only mean one thing.
"Yui, Mitsumi... Stay back!" I warned, before feeling the waiter kick me in the back of my knee.
"Shut up," he commanded to me, turning his attention away from Yui, who was still trembling with rage. "Are you going to tell me why you're here, or am I going to have to... persuade... you?"
Then, the waiter made the sad mistake of touching me where he didn't need to.
The next few seconds following that were hell on Earth. Yui exploded in fury and gave the waiter a piece of his mind. I was also quite angry, and it ended up that Yui and I were tag-teaming the waiter. Two on one was unfair, but it didn't matter this time.
"Unko! Don't ever touch her there again!!" bellowed Yui as he threw a hard, forceful punch right into the waiter's face, dazing him and nearly knocking him out. Mitsumi stood there, trying to reconcile with the frightened customers but it was no use. None of them could understand Chinese, Japanese, and most of them were not fluent in English.
A few seconds later, Yui had officially knocked out the waiter, who lay sprawled on the floor with a very swollen, bruised face. I stepped forward, pushing Yui aside, and prepared to kill the waiter. It was my duty to kill those who abused the power of Hadou.
I began to gather my chi, slowly at first, but then it began to quickly form around me in bright blue orbs. Carefully, I began to focus it on my hands, and it was then that Yui realized what I was going to do.
"Kaoru...?" he began, but I didn't answer. This shouldn't involve Yui. I would actually prefer that he not see what I was going to have to do...
"Shinkuu..." I began softly, as I began to focus the chi into one central orb. As soon as it was completed, I prepared to release it right into the unconscious form of the waiter, until I suddenly felt a jerk that lost me my concentration.
"Wha!?" I cried as I felt my feet slip and myself being jerked backwards. I looked over my shoulder and was shocked to see Yui pulling me backwards from the body of the waiter. His arms were locked around my waist, preventing me from escaping by using manual force. "Yui, let go of me! I have to finish this!"
His dark, innocent eyes suddenly turned stern and bold, quite a different take from his normal expression. I started, slightly shocked by his different approach.
"Kaoru, don't kill him... You can't kill him..." Yui whispered in my ear, tightening his grip on my waist and pressing me close to him. "I don't know what you're thinking, or what started this, but no matter how bad he is, you can't kill..."
"Yui, I have to!" I retorted, defending myself against this not-so-shy Yui. I knew that he was trying to protect me, but this had to be done.
"No, Kaoru! That's not the way!"
"Yui, let go of me!"
"No."
"Yui!"
"No."
I tried to wrench myself loose, but I soon found that Yui was a lot stronger than I had thought. His lean arms had more muscle under them than could meet the eye.
"Please... I have to do what I have to do..." I pleaded with him, while trying to find a way to escape him without resorting the Ashura Warp.
"Kaoru! Don't be a murderer!" he hissed, keeping his voice low. "I won't let you do this. This is something that you will regret later..."
I suddenly stopped moving, and my mind processed his words.
"We need to get out of here, Kaoru. The French police will be here any minute, and if we stay here..."
Mitsumi seemed to understand the situation, for she was waiting at the doorway, ready to run.
Taking a final glance over my shoulder at my failed mission, I felt Yui hoist me up into his arms and run out of the restraint boundaries.
It took about 20 minutes of solid running to reach a safe destination which was in the form of a small, grassy field on the outskirts of the city. At least we were safe from cops now.
Yui stood me on the ground under a large oak tree while Mitsumi collapsed onto the ground, her stamina completely drained by all of the running she had done. Yui also seemed weary; sweat poured down his face and he sat on the ground under the tree, his dark eyes watching my every move.
I felt ashamed of my actions. Oh, why hadn't I told Yui about my motives for killing? Why didn't he know that I killed people every week? How could he not view me as a monster?
I hung my head and allowed my sleek black hair to fall all over my face. I needed to talk to Yui by himself... but what about Mitsumi, my best friend? She should know the truth as well... but she could wait. Yui could not. He needed to know right now.
Biting my lower lip, I sank to the ground and sat on my knees, breathing softly, trying to direct attention away from myself. They didn't know why I had attacked that guy.
("They must really think I'm a psychotic nut now...") I thought to myself, glancing longingly at Yui, who had his slanted eyes closed tightly to keep sweat out of them.
* * * * * * * * * *
Later that afternoon, at about 3:30, I found myself sitting on my bed, ashamedly flipping through pages of a fashion magazine Mitsumi had lent me. Everyone else was outside training with Rose except for Mitsumi, who was taking a soothing bubble bath in the bathroom downstairs somewhere.
I felt so guilty for not telling Yui about what my ambition was in life. To kill every single person who abused the ancient art of Shotokan, and then to kill myself at the end... To live such an accursed life was shame itself.
The door opened suddenly, and then closed. I looked up from my magazine quickly, and my heart fell as I saw Yui walk in dressed in clean, fresh clothing with a troubled look on his face.
"Kaoru... Darling..." he began slowly before sitting down on my bed beside me, turning himself to face me.
"Yui... I apologize..." I spat out quickly, not wanting this to drag out any longer than it had to.
"Listen to me... I just want to talk to you..." Yui reached over and pulled me close to him. His fingers began caressing my hair, soothing out every thread lovingly, and I found myself almost purring in contentment. Strangely, he knew that this was the easiest way to relax me.
"Kaoru, I don't know what you were thinking today, but I was frightened for you..." he said softly and gently, making sure not to sound accusing.
"Yui... I can explain-"
"Wait, sweetheart, wait..." His voice was reassuring. "I want you to know that no matter what happens, I want you to be safe at all times... And today, I was scared for you. He could have really hurt you."
"I know, Yui, it's just that-" He placed a finger to my lips to silence me.
"I will let you explain, don't worry. After I finish what I have to say, you can explain all you want."
Silently, I nodded my head.
"I was puzzled at why you attacked him in the first place, and I was surprised at first. Then, I knew that you had to have a reason for doing that, so I didn't interfere for a while, but I had to, because I care about you."
My eyes began to water up as he said that.
"Kaoru... I just want to protect you from harm, that's all... And I don't want you to kill anyone else, because it will come back for you later," Yui said, giving me a gentle squeeze. I met his eyes as a flame sparked in my throat. I choked back a sob, but it didn't work. Faint memories of my mother and father came pouring through my mind, and I broke down in Yui's arms.
Gently, he stroked my hair before laying me down softly, supporting my head on my pillow. He awaited my response as he sat beside me silently.
I continued to cry for several more minutes, feeling completely emotionally dead. Yui did nothing but sit beside me and allow me to cry into the flannel fabric of his long-sleeved shirt. Emotions that I had always struggled to hold back came out in a constant flow of tears and wails; I couldn't stop them from coming.
After a while, I was able to calm myself down a little. I sat up slowly and stared down into my lap. I couldn't look into his dark, compassionate eyes. I wanted to, but couldn't. My actions ashamed me, even though I knew it was my duty. Oh, if only Yui didn't have to get caught up in them.
"Yui..." I began softly, keeping my tone soft and low so that I wouldn't sound brazen or harsh. "I really need to tell you about something you need to know about me..."
"Yes?" Yui turned my face up to his oval-shaped one. A serious look played about his handsome facial features, and it was then that I felt a strong burst of love for him that I struggled to keep hidden.
"I'm sorry for today... But if I explain, maybe you will understand why I acted as I did," I said, casting my eyes downward. I wished he would stop looking at me like that!
"Go on..." he urged.
I cleared my throat and wiped my eyes before continuing.
"Well... as you know, my dad taught me how to fight using the Ansatsuken martial arts. There is also a dark energy hidden within it, as you can probably guess since I'm here..." I paused indefinitely. "And... I killed my parents when I was little... So you see, I want to put a stop to the killing that people who possess the Satsu no Hadou commit... I circle the globe, coming encountering these kinds of people and finishing them off..."
I stopped and looking at Yui, who nodded his head slightly to show that he understood how this was connected to my actions of today. Sighing, I continued:
"And so today, I was just trying to do my duty. I have sworn to take his on my own, and I try to live up to that promise I made to myself when I was small. And this killing... it doesn't exclude me. When I'm done, my life's purpose will be lost, and I will kill m-"
Wham!
Before I could finish my sentence, Yui had clamped his hands over my mouth and pressed me down against the bed. My eyes widened in shock and I met his gaze. I could see him pale and his eyes grow wide and terrified.
"Kaoru... you must not do such a thing..." he stuttered, his hands releasing their grip on my mouth. I could tell that fear was causing him to quiver, and his hand was trembling. "I can't... I won't... lose you..." I could sense his vocal cords contract with emotion, thus causing him to lose his voice.
'Yui, I... I..."
The door opened. Yui and I looked quickly over to the door and saw Mitsumi standing there with her arms crossed.
"Tea time, lovebirds. We can continue this informative conversation over hot tea," Mitsumi said, hinting that she had overheard our entire conversation. She turned her back and headed down the stairs, leaving the door ajar.
Yui and I rose and also walked to the door. However, even as we descended the stairs, I could sense Yui staying very close to me; treating me as though I were a bomb that could explode at any given moment. A few seconds silence gave my mind a moment to rest, but as soon as I had pushed my worries aside, another problem even more important than the others emerged:
("My mission... Or my love?")
End of Chapter 9.
Chan: Well, it's DeNice's turn. Let's see what exactly he has in mind for this story! The plot is beginning to spike into different directions now. It's gonna get exciting from here out! Please review.