OreWaTensai: I'm sorry if I hadn't updated for a long time! School has started and I barely have time to write! Oh yeah, so that you wouldn't get confused, the journal entries in this chapter do not correspond to the journal entries mentioned in the previous chapter. I decided to revise the entries because when I reread Chapter Eight, I realized that Yomi was a bit too OOC in writing the entries. So I decided to edit the whole journal thing, to make it sound more real. Enjoy! (
Displacement
Chapter Nine- The Entries
-=- 2nd Entry, Day Two -=-
That morning, I decided to use my free time to visit the human girl in the hospital. I did not know exactly why I did so. I had no such affinity for humans. Yet there I was at her room door. I turned the doorknob and found the human already up and about. It seemed that her wounds were almost fully healed. She was standing by the window, leaning forward so she could see the outside. I coughed loudly to make known to her my presence. She jumped in fright and almost fell out the window. Deftly I caught her by the sleeve and pulled her in again. Once again I sensed that she smiled at me. I asked her why she smiled. She replied and tried to explain that it was an expression of gratitude. I said to her this: "You would feel gratitude for a demon? Are you aware that we can eat you anytime?" She said "I... I hope not. But maybe you wouldn't eat me at all..." I asked why she thought I would not eat her. Her answer was unexpected. She told me that if I had intended to eat her, I would have eaten her already. I gave her a slight smirk. This was a smart human. "You think you can trust me?" I said to her. She said that she had been taught that all beings are naturally good. This time, I smiled in amusement. Her naiveté was unbelievable.
"Have you ever met a demon?" I asked her.
She replied, "My grandmother met one once. She said that the demon wasn't evil. She said that not all demons are evil."
"Do you think I'm evil?" I said testily.
"No. I don't think so."
"Why?"
"Because you helped me. I guess that makes you a good person."
"Does it, human?" I said, advancing towards her.
I could tell that she was afraid. But she was holding her ground. "It does." She said.
"Why do you think so?"
"Because I... I like to look at the bright side of things."
I raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really now? Tell me, how old are you?"
"I'm fifteen... sir..."
"Fifteen... how young. Indeed how really young you are to be thinking such things."
"What is so wrong about being childlike?" she said defiantly.
"Hold your tongue, human. You are under my power now and whatever you do to displease me will be severely punished." I said softly. "Tell me your name."
"Hinata, sir..."
"Tell me, do you really trust me?" I said. I wanted to test just how far her trust can go.
"I don't know..."
"Then you are refuting yourself."
"No! Yes alright I trust you." She said, sounding rather confused.
"Come here." I said, motioning for her to come close.
She hesitated a moment but approached me slowly and carefully. I held out my arms.
"Would you consider coming close to me?" I said mockingly. I thought she would back out. But she didn't.
"Alright." She said her heart racing in fear. She stepped forward and stood inches away from me.
I smiled. I had never met anyone in my life who had been completely willing to trust me at first sight.
"You are brave, human. Don't worry I will not harm you." I said to her, as she stood several inches lower from my height.
"Why?" she said, suddenly apprehensive.
"You amuse me. It would be a shame to just kill you." I said, turning on my heel to walk away.
"Wait..." she called after me, "May I know who you are?"
"I am Yomi. The lord of this fortress."
I opened the door and stepped out with a smirk on my face. The human girl was a puzzle, and I could not help but be entertained by putting the pieces of the puzzle together. I could not understand how she could trust a demon like me, while all the other humans I have encountered had been so afraid. I shook my head at her. She was either pure hearted or just plain idiotic. That day, I realized from that encounter with Hinata that there were many things that I really did not understand.
I think I should already report her unauthorized entry into the Makai. She's just like a weed. Annoying, yes, but it grows on you. Over time you will find yourself attached to that irritating weed. That was what I was trying to avoid.
-=- 3rd entry, Day three -=-
I delayed reporting her trespass to the authorities. I wanted to question her, I wanted to talk to her, and I wanted to know more about her. I was curious; indeed I had not been that curious for a long time. This girl was amazing or should I say amazingly stupid? Before any duties that day even before breakfast, I had already entered her room. I found her sleeping peacefully in bed, her breathing rhythmic and steady. I stood beside her and touched her hand. It was warm. Her eyes snapped open in surprise.
"What, who— oh... I thought I was at home..." she said in a melancholy voice.
"It has only been two days. You are already homesick?"
"Well it's just that this is another world. And it's so far away from the world I know..."
I remained silent. "Were the wounds you received from demons?"
"Yes. Yes they were." She said, looking at her bandaged legs.
"They chased you?"
"Yeah, they... they wanted to eat me... I ran as fast as I could... but still they kept catching up to me..."
"And now you can still trust demons?"
She did not reply. It seemed that this time, she had been backed into a corner. I smirked at her.
"Answer me." I said simply.
"I... depending on the situation... case to case basis you know..." she said, fidgeting.
I walked to the other side of the room.
"Has anyone ever told you that you are either stupid or just plain innocent?" I said.
"Many people have said that... and it's irritating really..."
"Why is it irritating?"
"Because I want to trust people. I want to see the good in them. I don't believe that anybody is born evil. Everybody is essentially good."
"You might be wrong and you know that."
She bowed her head. "Yes I do know. But I'd like to believe that. I know it's true."
"Then you mean that I am naturally good but it is because of the instances that happened in my life that made me this way." I said laconically.
"Please stop questioning me. I don't like being cross-examined." She said, her eyes narrowing.
"Now we are starting to see the other side of you..." I said, gently fingering her hair.
"May I know when I am going to be allowed to go home?" she said coldly.
"Don't worry... you'll be home as soon as possible... or as soon as I please."
"What are you planning to do with me?"
"I told you, I am not going to hurt you..."
"To what extent does hurt go? As far as cutting off my arm?" she said in a shaking voice.
"Good heavens, no." I said pretending to be shocked. "Until tomorrow then?"
"Tomorrow?!" she exclaimed as I shut the door behind me.
I had not yet informed the authorities liable to humans like her who has wandered into the Makai. Once again, this fact bothered me. I do not deny that I was fascinated by her. Never in my life had I met anyone so innocent and yet can be so calculating. She was something I had never yet seen before. I planned to keep her here for a few more days...
-=- 4th Entry, Day Four -=-
That day I took Hinata to the topmost part of Gandara. I showed her the whole of my realm from our high perch. She seemed to be trying to contain her excitement but she failed miserably. I talked with her almost the whole day and I found myself growing fond of her. I had fallen into the trap I had forewarned myself of. The annoying weed was growing on me and it was growing all too fast. I found myself listening with interest to her humorous tales of life in the human world. I was enjoying her company yet I could not stop myself from doing so.
I realized something that day. All my life I had been searching for something I did not even know I was looking for. I was looking for a companion, I was looking for someone to love and understand me. My pride did not allow me to admit to such a thing. Yet I knew it was the truth. I knew I had been lonely all along. That was the reason why I could not let go of Hinata. It was the time when she had smiled at me that made me realize the emptiness in my heart. I wanted someone to appreciate me for who I am and she had done that for me without so much as a little doubt. Hinata was the answer.
But I knew that I cannot keep her to myself. She lives in another world. She knows a world that is entirely different from my own. I should let her go home. But a new fear gripped me. If I tell the authorities about her, they would erase her memory. She would not remember anything. She would not remember all of the things I had told her. She would not remember Gandara. She would not remember me...
I did not want that to happen. I was being selfish. I wanted her to at least remember that she had met me and that she had accepted me. I wanted her to remember... I wanted her to remember me...
That night when Hinata had gone to sleep, I thought of what I was going to do. To ensure her happiness, I must return her to her world. To ensure mine? I don't think that would ever happen. I wanted her to at least not forget. I arrived at a risky solution: I would have to return her to the human world without anybody knowing about it. It would be dangerous if I got caught but it was the only way. It was the only possible way.
-=- 5th entry -=-
Early that next morning I sent Yuga once again to get Hinata to the border between the human world and the demon world. With a heavy heart I bid her goodbye. She said goodbye so thankfully that I had to smile. She was too happy to be going home to realize that I was sad to let her go. I gave her a final goodbye, and she put in my handsome porcelain beads. She apologized that the bracelet was broken when she was being chased. I shook my head and thanked her for the small gift. I turned my back and retreated inside my fortress. There a dark shadow looming about me that day. I knew I would never see her again. But the fact that she would never forget about me was a great consolation. And most certainly, I would never forget Hinata..........
OreWaTensai: There, wasn't that long enough? I'm so sorry for not updating faster because as I said school has just started. I'll try my best to update as soon as possible! :)