Chapter 1: Himitsu (Secret)
Standard Disclaimer Applies
"...Oi, 'Kai?"
"...Nani desu ka?"
"...I'm bored. How long are you gonna stay in this library for? An hour? Two? 'Cause if that's the case, I might as well cruise the streets for some women..."
If it had been any other person besides Cho Hakkai being asked such persistent questions, it might have caused some sort of personal disturbance. Perhaps even a, 'please-don't-ask-any-more-questions-again-or-I'll-rip-your-head-off,' would be said in the nicest way possible, should the time come for such desperate measures. Or if you caught the person in a particularly bad mood, they might have bitten your head off.
But if there was anything Hakkai wasn't, it was violate; and the calm young man merely smiled like he always did while pulling yet another hardcover book from the library shelf. "I apologize for taking so long, Gojyo, but you're welcome to leave here and go about your business if it bothers you so much to be here."
That shut him up. "Nah, it's alright...call me if ya need me, alright? I'll be up front."
"...Domo arigatou gozaimasu. I really do appreciate it." Another false, overly courteous smile was on Hakkai's face.
"Take your time. There's still another hour 'till the joint closes, so you should be alright..."
In truth, Gojyo wasn't really itching to leave the library. Hakkai was his friend, his roommate, and his unofficial doppelganger; if Hakkai wanted something, then he was more than happy to comply. When Hakkai wanted quiet, then quiet it would be. When he wanted something from the store and couldn't find the time to get it himself, Gojyo would offer running to town for him.
But the silence had been stifling, and Gojyo really wanted to get to know the brunette. It had been over a year since he came to live in Gojyo's small, humble abode, (in his words, anyway), and life was going rather smoothly so far. The days had become rather drab; routine; domesticated; lazy moments of day-to-day activities that were just Gojyo's style. Hakkai cleaned, cooked, and did most, (or, rather bluntly put, all), of the chores, because Gojyo was just not accustomed to cleaning up after himself.
At night, they would eat dinner together, and sometimes on rare occasions even treat themselves to a restaurant; but soon thereafter, Gojyo would head to the bars to earn their income and probably bed some girl he would screw and probably never know the name of afterwards. And that was how their (strange) life went for a while.
Lately, however, things had begun to change, the wheels of time clearly taking an effect on both of their daily actions. Gojyo hadn't really meant to, but learning everything about his friend was now becoming more and more appealing as the days went by. Hakkai was becoming, oddly enough, more politely distanced from Gojyo—and frankly, it was beginning to piss the red-haired half-breed off to no ends.
Hakkai wasn't, of course, literally being distant—he was far too polite to do that--but his words were beginning to sound like he were speaking with a normal passerby on the street, and not the friend and whole-hearted companion Gojyo knew that he was. And it bothered Gojyo as much as it made him concerned, because it led him to believe there was something bothering his calm and smiling comrade.
But what is it? Gojyo kept asking himself the same question, over and over, as he reached the front of the library and sat at a table deep in thought.
The tray was placed beside him by the careful hands of the strange young woman who ushered Kenji inside. He did not pay much mind to her; yet she was smiling softly, as if amused by something.
"Here. I brought you some tea and a blanket for the night, as well...how long have you been standing outside in the rain? Do you need anything else besides what I have given you?"
Surprised that someone was showing him polite consideration, Kenji looked up into the bright green eyes of the one who had spoken. "No...nothing else, thank you. Miss, is there a...particular reason you brought me in here?"
"Well...you seemed so lonely there, so I thought out of common courtesy, I would perhaps keep you company...and..." She hesitated for a moment longer, finding the plush carpeting of the room suddenly very interesting. "...Not only did you seem to so desperately need it, but I was a bit curious, I suppose."
He, too, did not face this strange girl again, fearful of those expressive, perceptive spheres of jade exposing anymore of his soul than they seemed to already have. "Curious of what, if I may ask?"
The pale skin of her visage flushed. "You, I suppose...something about you was so mysterious, and I-I guess that was what influenced me to bring you inside."
There was an awkward silence, until Kenji finally spoke. "Miss...?"
"Hanabira. My name is Hanabira Kikyou..."
Only vaguely listening to the quiet response, Kenji cleared his throat. "Miss Hanabira...I cannot say that I blame you for your actions or anything of the sort, if that is what you seem to think. This one only asked your intentions because they seemed mysterious, for a brief moment."
"Please forgive me, then. It's been a while since anyone has come around here, and conversation with most has been rather awkward for me, lately..."
Surprising even himself, Kenji laid his hand upon the smaller one of Kikyou. "It's not a nuisance. Please, feel free to practice any needed conversation on me. I have a feeling this place will be my lodging for a while."
Her smile was much wider this time, lighting up all of her delicate features. "...Of course! As long as you don't mind staying, then I would be more than happy to lend you room and board in exchange for your company."
Kenji, too, smiled, though less enthusiastically. It had been a while since he had done so, after all. Nevertheless, there was a thought that, embedded in his mind, made him do so:
'She truly is like a bellflower.' [1]
The scent of burning wax candles—scented just lightly with the aroma of cinnamon—filled the air of the house as Hakkai stood by the stove, preparing dinner. At the moment, the house was quiet; Gojyo had left to take a shower after offering to help the verdant-eyed youkai do some cleaning and did so obediently once prompted, and Hakkai was alone with a book in the kitchen. Normally, such a silence would have been almost deafening in the past, but this, 'new' lifestyle—the one that Cho Hakkai now lived--had already changed his views on things.
He couldn't hold back the approaching smile—a genuine one—from spreading across his visage, reaching his twinkling emerald eyes. Yes, the person sharing room and board with him certainly became been an influence on him in the past year; and whether it was a good one or a bad one was an open subject to interpretation. Hakkai chuckled, more to himself than anything, as he placed some of the sliced vegetables into the pot for broiling.
In all due honesty, whenever Gojyo departed for the night to win some money at the bars and/or to try to bed a pretty girl, Hakkai couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit lonesome. The red-haired hanyou may have been loud, but his presence was expected; sometimes, if Gojyo wasn't home by the usual time, then Hakkai couldn't find the inclination to even sleep, let alone feel comfortable. Even so, he would sleep and wake up fairly early the next morning, though a bit wearier for the wear, ready to cook breakfast for his housemate and do whatever else would be needed that day.
At the moment, however, Hakkai knew that his friend was around, and felt much more secure knowing that much.
The boiling water was just starting to simmer lightly—and Hakkai, somewhere in the middle of his library book—when the faint sound of footsteps trekking across the lawn reached Hakkai's well-trained ears. The man placed down his book with a light sigh, and walked to the back patio door to investigate. Who in the Heavens' name could be walking around on the property this time of night? I swear, the young people nowadays are so rambunctious...
Well, now I'm sounding like an old man, aren't I? At least, I have a strange feeling that would be what Gojyo-san will tell me... A tiny grin made its way upon the male's slender features, even as he cautiously opened the door that lead to the backyard.
"Hello? Is there anyone out here?" Hakkai called into the empty night, his soft voice impaling the sullen darkness.
However, the only thing that replied was the unceremonious, 'Who,' of a perched owl.
"How strange..." Hakkai said quietly, more to himself than anyone else. "It may have been just a stray animal in the night, but I somehow doubt it. Those footsteps were light, but they made too much noise to be just a creature..."
"Ever the thoughtful one, aren't you, Gonou-san?"
Whirling around, Hakkai tensed when he discovered a silhouetted figure leaning against the back door. Even against the backdrop contrasting shades of moonlight and shadow, he could see that this person was clearly a male—not just from the voice, but from the piercing red eyes that were glaring in the darkness.
"But then again, I should have expected nothing less from a mortal turned demon...you truly are something else, Gonou-san."
There was something mocking about the way this man said his name—and Hakkai had to wonder something else about him, as well. "...How do you know my past name?"
The strange visitor chuckled, and walked out fully into the light. "That's a rather bold accusation...do not fear, Gonou-san. I am not here to hurt you, as your tense form seems to accuse; I came to speak with you about certain matters that you would know more about than anyone else, I would assume."
He was broad-shouldered and muscular; though it was difficult to tell beneath the foreign clothing he wore. Dressed in a dark, silk shirt that was tightly fit against his form, and dark, loose slacks, one would have to assume he was not from Shangri-La. But even more importantly than just his garb, this man had sharp, angled eyes, and long crimson locks tied back by a simple hair tie. If Hakkai hadn't known any better, or if the moonlight hadn't been so brightly shining, he would have almost thought of this stranger to be Gojyo, albeit dressed a bit strangely. Gojyo wasn't the type to wear such neat and well-tailored clothing...
Not that this is really the time to be thinking of such things, Hakkai quickly reminded himself, as he awaited the other man's next words.
"You may not realize who I am at the moment, but I'm afraid I do not have much time to speak with you...when your friend comes to look for you, that will be the time I must leave. But for now, I should have more than enough time to talk about...certain matters of importance."
"What, 'certain matters,' do you keep speaking of, if I may ask of you, stranger?" For once, Hakkai's politeness was not entirely serious.
"Please, call me Shouji. And I want to speak with you about my sister—well, my stepsisterI should say, since we were both born to different mothers. Does the name, 'Kanan,' strike a few chords in you, Gonou-san?"
Kanan... "How do you know of Kanan...?"
--Notes--
[1]: Kikyou's name has a special meaning that floats back to Kenji's thoughts: Hanabira is a word that means, 'petal,' while Kikyou is the Japanese equivalent of, 'Chinese Bellflower.' In this sense, Kenji is referring to her name being well-apt, for he sees her light and delicate features as being like a flower.
[2]: Although Shouji isn't REALLY Hakkai's blood-bound brother, he calls the youkai, 'little brother.' Does this mean that Shouji is older than Hakkai, you ask? And is he really Kanan's brother? Well, you might just find out in the later chapters...all you need to know is that from the way Shouji acts around Hakkai, you can assume that he said this word in a scathing way.
Oh, and if you're wondering what the first part of this chapter had to do with the actual storyline, it's a excerpt out of the book Hakkai was reading while waiting for the water to boil. As to what part it plays in the plot of this fic—well, that's open to interpretation...for now. I'm not spoiling the whole story for you people; you'll just have to find out for yourself what the significance of the novel is! (Hint: It does relate to this story's title...though that's not all there is to it.)
More on the characters, their relations, and personalities next chapter; although for these past chapters, I've been attempting to introduce everyone to just that. I hope you liked this chapter of Red Hardcover Novels, and will enjoy the next one as well.