Toda was a middle aged man who always had the most unhappy face. Moving his hands to support his back he looked just like he had just swallowed a big lemon.
"Is it a good day… To be Gohda's pet…? What do you want?!" The room was dim the window giving all the light available. Light reflected from parquet.
"Just came to see how are you?" She managed to sound polite, even as the man looked at her like the lowest form of life. He grunted. "I don't have patience nor time to your wise cracks, you see that I'm not fine, don't you…?"
"Yes, sir" She bowed down again so he wouldn't see her small smile.
"You Gohda's and Azuma's are so the same, always wanting something from others….!" He hurried to continue before Ayame. "Speak up girl…! What did you want?"
Ayame thought out loud. "…Where are all of your body-guards?
"Planning to kill me, girl? … I wanted to be alone… I don't want people to see me when I'm weak…"
"Not even your own…?
"Not even them… How does this concern you? … Oh, wait… I see…"
Toda paused grinning at her. "Oh, yes, quite obvious you would eventually end up here… isn't it Miss…"
"At least it's very likely…sir"
"…Maybe"
Rikimaru and Genbu arrived in the room. "Mr Toda…" Rikimaru said as he and Genbu bowed their head down.
"Like I was saying… Maybe I can help you…" Toda eyed Genbu shortly as he was a new one. "You are after a shadow… You knew that? …Have you ever heard the legendary killer, the red sparrow?"
"What's this…?" Onikage accompanied the group. "Telling ghost stories again, Toda?"
"It's not a ghost story…"
"It isn't? The legend is older than we all together…! Think he would still be alive…?"
"What do you wasn't Onikage? I don't remember my niece inviting you?"
"…What do I want, nothing… Tenrai send me to tell he has seen your old friend… nothing more…"
Toda tasted his tea smiling happily before turning his face to Ayame. "Sorry to disappoint you… It wasn't me. But you know, I almost wish… but, just almost…"
Everyone in the room stared at Ayame and Toda, halfway waiting her to pull a shotgun out of thin air and shoot the arrogant tea drinker. Maybe Toda sensed it when he snapped the pressing situation by saying: "Don't always blame me if you are so unpopular in this town… Now… get out! You… stay…!"
In the same time Sekiya had given up getting to talk whit Toda. Kiku was again playing on his nerves and revues to leave home. There was nothing he could do about it and had settled to sat on the terrace, alone. Genbu and Rikimaru returned to rest of the guests.
Ayame could talk Kiku to leave, but she had stayed at the second floor. There was also that damned ex-boyfriend of hers. Rikimaru was already worried had they gone somewhere to refresh the old memories. He heard his mobile beep. That was Ayame sending him a message that she wasn't going home whit them.
"What was it?" Genbu asked.
"We'll leave whit out her, I'll go talk to Kiku…"
Kiku was sitting whit some friends of hers as Wang Xaiohai stood in the background talking whit someone. She was pored.
"Miss.." Rikimaru leaned down to talk to Kiku.
"What Rikimaru?"
"Should we leave…?"
Kiku turned away from him having an arrogant look upon her delicate features. "Why?" She had away to stress the word over the limits of understanding.
How did Ayame handle her he wondered. She had been totally impossible the whole day. Then he had an excellent idea.
"You know, Kiku… Mr Wang is right now looking at you… no, no, don't look…! Look at me…" Rikimaru saw her wide smile and thought how easy it was to make teen girl happy. Kiku was completely forgetting that she suppose to be angry. "Rikimaru… What are you…?"
"Nothing can make you more beautiful in his eyes anymore than the fact that your spoken for…"
"I can't look… Is it working?"
"…He's looking at us, confused… poor-kid…"
"I think I'm gona plush…"
"Just look at me like you would be looking at him… Smile a little… look away from me… smile a little more… give me your hand…" He took a hold of her hand and lift her up from the couch. "And lets go, you first…"
Xaiohai had forgotten the conversation he was or had been in. Why did the bullet shields always got so lucky, he looked the two walking outside. Maybe he was just too young.
Genbu had seen Ayame at the pool and started looking at her.
When Rikimaru came back whit Kiku they couldn't see either one. He had hoped he could have send Kiku and Sekiya home whit Genbu but it seemed he was the one who was going home. So much for the good opportunity to do a little sneaking.
"Didn't you got it at the first time?! Or are you just too damn slow!?"
Genbu heard Toda yell.
"Pull shit! You have your self brake the deal many times Toda…You should show some respect to Gohda enough to…!"
"You! You! …nosy bitch!"
Genbu walked to Ayame ready to punch the life out of Toda.
"Genbu…!" Ayame luckily stopped him.
"…Go ahead…! Make this the day! Give me reason to throw it at you…!" Toda dared to shout as the loose train had been stopped.
"You are out of line Toda." Onikage appeared on the scene. Toda was annoyed to notice that he was still a round. Onikage walked barely to Toda's face. "What's your self Toda… You're standing on a slippery surface…"
Ayame and Genbu looked the two. Genbu wondered how could he do that when he was no higher that a hit man or was he. Toda grunted and hurriedly walked farther away from Onikage.
"You don't insult me in my own house, not even you Onikage, not this time…"
"Just putting you back to your place, sir… That's all…" Onikage pointed.
"…Ganda will show you out…! Don't show your face here anymore if you would be so kind…!"
"…Ganda…?" Ayame and Onikage asked almost in a same breath. "Wait!" Ayame yelled after Toda.
"See them out." Toda waved his hand for someone behind the corner of the house.
"Don't worry Ayame…" Genbu said coming forward. "Genbu will help you…"
Behind the corner slipped before their eyes a huge mass of one man. Well tanned, 2,5 meters tall and mean.
Onikage had to whistle and Ayame had a problem to believe what she was seeing, Genbu gulped.
Rikimaru throbbed the keys on the table at the threes corridor hall. Kiku had for some reason followed him there.
She circled the arm-chair before sitting in it, biting her lip.
"Why did you do that.. Rikimaru?" She put her leg over the other and the short, white dress rose unnecessarily up.
"Do what?"
"That thing, back at Yuki's party? Like we would … have…" She circled and rolled her eyes meaningfully.
"…Something going on?" He sat down. Kiku nodded smiling nervously. "…I shouldn't have done it…"
"Why not?" She leaned forward from her chair.
"…Kiku…"
"What?!"
She rose up. "Didn't you want to make Xai jealous about me, Rikimaru? Let's give him a real reason to be … jealous…"
Kiku jumped on him and he jumped back in the chair terrified. In result the whole armchair fell on it's side, gravity pushing Kiku on top of Rikimaru.
"Kiku…?!" He tried but all he got was a hissing and hesitated kiss.
"…Kiku!!" He fought for space between them. "…You don't really want to be doing this…"
"But I do…"
"… Wouldn't you just get of me, Kiku…?"
"Well I don't feel like it…!"
"Kiku? What's the matter?"
"Nothing is…! God! Why is everyone asking that when they tread me like dirt!"
"Where did you get that idea?" Did the girl really think they treated her like dirt, he thought. She was partially the princess of the house!
"Old news! … Don't you think I'm pretty? …Why don't you wanna love me? …You like Ayame more? Huh?"
"…You ask too many questions…"
"So it's true!?"
"What?"
"Please!! You and Ayame…? You know…" Her shyness act was quite funny when she sat on the older boys stomach.
"…No…!"
"…No?"
"No"
"…I know she likes you…"
"Really…"
"Yeah, really, wanna know how I know that?"
"…How do you know that…?" He saw no escape away.
"That will cost you, Rikimaru…" She grinned.
"Oh boy… Can't you just, get off me…?"
"Not just yet. Kiss me."
He rose up to his elbows and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "There…"
"A real one, please… Or I won't tell…"
"Tell what?"
Kiku slapped him.
"I just want you to leave me alone..!" He chuckled. "…Promise?"
"Yes, yes, I'll promise to leave you alone…" She was getting pored even as she didn't realise to be offended by his attitude.
"Good… Come closer…"
"This better be a real one…" She warned seriously smiling.
"Closer…"
Ayame opened the door. The two on the floor pulled back from each other. Kiku licked her lip figuring out her big sisters reaction. Ayame didn't even try to say it. She turned around and closed the door behind her.
"Damn…" Rikimaru covered his face.
"What? Can't stand the fact that Ayame has a thing for you…?"
Rikimaru laughed pitying himself. "She doesn't…. especially after this…"
"look, if she would hate you, you would be dead by now…"
"Hmm… Maybe she just ignores me then?"
"Didn't you see how she looked at us?" She paused and he remembered her coming in. "If she would have seen me kissing someone else on the floor like this… think what she would have done to that poor guy...?"
Kiku finally rose up like she had promised.
"Aren't you gona get up?"
"…In a minute…" He put his hands behind his neck as Kiku left.
Ayame hurried down the stairs. She hadn't wanted anything so much than the peacefulness of her own room. Now she wanted to get out of the whole house, frustrated.
"Hey Aya!" Tesshu stopped her.
"What Tesshu?"
"…This came from Toda…" He handed her a piece of paper.
"…Toda?"
"Yes, especially to you. No-one else has reed it, not even Gohda."
"…thanks…" Ayame scrambled the paper in her hand and headed her way to garage.
"Ayame?"
She turned to Tesshu.
"Where are you going?"
"…Out…!"
Ayame sat on her motorbike and opened the piece of paper she had crumbled in her pocket. She had pulled the envelope out too.
Ask Onikage, the paper reed.
My gods, she thought. Was the creep still after all of this. Little frightened she hanged her attention to the other piece. The envelope was old as was the writing on it.
There was a picture of family. Young parents were holding a child no more than five years old.
Ms Yukihotaru straightened her hair in the bathroom looking at the mirror. She heard something from the bedroom; aloud pam. It was a hotel room so it could have came from other apartment, but she thought to take a look in every case.
"Is that you Oni-hon…?"
"You better stay there Yuki…"
Onikage stood in the door way a hand gun pointing in his forehead. The one who hold the weapon walked in the room pushing Onikage back.
"You are not telling me everything… Oni…?" Ayame slammed the door shut making another pam.
"Like what?!"
She pulled the puled the safety trigger back. "…What's the matter whit you men…? She is nearly a child…"
"…nearly…? you weren't much older…"
"Tell me Oni, why don't I just shoot your head of? Can you give me a reason?"
"…Ask Jinnai…" He sighted sitting on a desk and giving up.
"What a hell that's suppose to mean?!" She pushed the pipe in his skin. "Damn you, I thought we had some kind of understanding between us?! …No?"
She was leaving when she still looked back on the door. "Next time we'll see…" He looked to be in pain and asking forgiveness, but didn't got it.
"..You'll be fighting for your life Onikage."
He watched to corridor and she walked away.
"Go ahead! Run after your Azuma, bitch…you…man whore!" Yukihotaru yelled cross the room. Stress in her voice came all too clear where Onikage heard it; the safety clock of another gun snack off.
Was it this what he eventually gained of woman?
Yukihotaru aimed the gun to his head whit shaking hands. "Yuki…?" He turned slowly.
"…You cheated me!!" She sounded hysterical. "And whit an Azuma, whit that god damned Azuma…!!"
"…It was long time ago…"
"How can I know that!? You probably…love her, adore her…!! Don't come any closer! She deserves to die as much as Tatsumaru! And all in the clan! They are nothing but vicious murderers! Don't…! come…! any closer!! Or would you die! …for her…!
The gun was inches away from Onikage's chest. "I said don't come any closer!!" She pulled the trigger.
Terrified she looked his chest, then the gun and then again him. He took his time to study the terror in her face.
The gun had been empty.
"I always empty my guns when I leave them laying around…"
Onikage pulled the gun of her hands in a one quick jerk letting the gun roll over the floor. He trapped the shaky figure between him and the fall. "…You knew the gun was empty, right?"
She gulped leaning backwards a pit. "R-Right…"
"So…" He gently put his hands to her waist. "Does the birthday girl want her present…?"
Ayame drove across the town She had stopped already at least a 20 night clubs and pubs door asking about Jinnai. No-one had seen him tonight or knew where he was.
Mr Zennosuke was getting out of Dr Kimaira's shop. Ayame was surprised to see him this late at night and alone in the street.
"Mr Zennosuke?" She stopped.
"Well how are you doing Ayame?"
"Good, no buts…" She smiled. "How about you?"
The old man showed a plastic bag behind his back "Fine, fine… I just bought some repairs from Kimaira… Hmmm… Ayame?"
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry, what I said the last time… about …"
"Oh, don't remember such an old thing… I have forgot it and so should you…" She lied about forgetting. Lately she hadn't got anything else reasonable to think about. "…I haven't thanked you…"
"…About what?"
"For sending Tesshu help us…"
"By all means…! You could have taken Genbu permanent as well… same you haven't got a room for him… maybe you should move in whit someone…?" The old man was as nosy as he was old, Ayame thought.
"Well, that's not very sumptuous… I had something to ask you about?"
"Yes…?" He quickly said as he noticed he had hit the nerve.
"Have you heard about the red sparrow…?"
"The red sparrow…? Of course, he's a living legend…"
"Living?"
"…Well…" He laughed. "That's what they say…" He tried to stop there. "…Evil spirit, a demon maybe, who was so fascinated by the way people lived that, nearly… turned a human to him self... You are not familiar whit the story?"
"How human?"
"…Human enough to die… Until it is again resurrected and born as a form of human child… But why do you wanna know that old story…?"
"…nothing important… I just had a little chat whit Toda…"
"…Really…If you don't mind me saying… you don't have to believe everything Toda says…"
Surely she knew that, but Toda hadn't been lying about the last matter. Should she have hoped that Toda was lying and had engorged her to kill Onikage who was shagging her niece or be happy that she had a lied to hold on to. "Well… I have to be going now, you want a lift somewhere?"
"No… I may be old but I'm not an invalid, I can manage… you go where you're supposed to go…"
She was starting to get tired of it. Only two hours and the sun would rise. She still stopped in a lonely pub and parked her motorbike. There was no bouncer so she just walked straight in.
She didn't believe she would pounce into Jinnai anymore and walked on the bar desk.
"And what shall you have, Miss?" The bartender asked his face in a happy smile.
"I'll…" She looked the man sitting next to her who seemed to recognise her voice and also looked up from his drink.
In a same blink of an eye Jinnai seemed to get she was after him and jumped up from his seat. Heading to the back door he knocked over several chairs including Ayame's. She fell on her back and it took some time before she got up.
Jinnai was forth of persuading if he wanted to get away so bad. Even if it wasn't the real Jinnai but the boyfriend.
Where had he gone, she looked wildly the back alley. The weak Jinnai's shoes echoed in the empty morning streets. Ayame wallowed the echo.
She ran behind the corner where he waited for her. Ayame received a strong punch in her middle stomach. Jinnai hadn't much time to do the next move when she already blocked it. Jinnai spoke like a hissing cat. "Leave me be!"
He used a three inch needle, pushing it at her side. Jinnai kicked her down on the street, his black cape fluttering and hurrying a way from the scene.
Ayame had landed on her back again and this time so recklessly that her jacket tired open against the ground. She tried to get up. The needle felt paralysing and she fell in a blurry unconsciousness.
"Omon?!" Ayame heard someone calling.
"Wake up Omon…!" Was someone calling her? Who was she who thought her to be someone else? Where was she?
Just a moment ago she had been chasing Jinnai's double. "Leave me be…!" He had beaten her. What was the use to finding the killer if she was going to loose anyhow. She admitted that obviously her mind, was somewhere else than whit her.
"Omon! Come on dear…!" She had no understanding why couldn't she see anything but the blackness. If I could just open my eyes, Ayame thought.
"Come away from hiding… That man promised to take you safe, please Omon…" I have to get out, she couldn't breathe. Someone weep.
"…Please Omon…make mommy happy… Come now, before he'll kill us all…!"
Ayame saw the blackness famishing and light poured in her eyes so fast it hurt her pupils. The dawning sky refraction above her whit the brick buildings. What was that she thought when her eyes got used to the light. She couldn't get the needle out as the head of it was too deep and tightly hold together by her
aching muscles. Come on Ayame, diminish the pain and get home, she made herself move.
The morning was rising also in the hotel room Ayame had left earlier that night.
"Do you hate me, Oni?"
She asked her voice soft and bleeding, playing at the golden necklace he had given to her. She laid next to him, his arm around her shoulders.
"Should I…?"
"…I almost shot you last evening…?"
"…I thought we had discussed enough about it... my dear…"
Yukihotaru wasn't quite convinced he being genuine. The man she shared a bed whit was in no case safe. She couldn't get a hold of his trace of mind, what made him scary. True she didn't wan to be wit an ordinary man, they were dull, but was it right for her to be afraid of her life all the time. The thing that irritated her was that she really cared about him. She who hadn't cared about anyone else but her self in a long time. "How can I make it up to you, my love?"
He wouldn't harm her, he thought, not yet at least. One thing he had notice whit people was that killing for free was a waste of time, skill and patience. "We have to set straight couple of things…"
"Like what?"
"I'm not angry about what happened…" He kissed her head and pleased her naked back to made his words a more meaning. He really meant that. Maybe he was falling love again for the silver headed girl. "I let you know first, if I'm going to kill you, Yuki."
"That's comforting… My uncle will revenge my death."
"And why do you hate Azuma's so much?"
"You'll tell her… I can't tell you… You already gave out too much…"
Ayame swallowed the pain-killers. Tesshu had removed the needle after all he was a doctor. Ayame had heard he had killed some of his patients, purposely, and lost his license. He hadn't gone to jail because of Mr Zennosuke's piles of money and layers. Jury called it was all a big coincidence and Tesshu didn't got trailed for murder.
Tesshu had closed the wound and told her she should stay in bed for the rest of the evening and maybe even tomorrow. She might have an concussion and dizziness so no riding whit the bike.
She heard Tesshu speaking behind the door.
"When?! Why didn't you page me Tesshu?" Rikimaru asked holding the handle to her door.
"Well, I'm amazed that who ever it was didn't just finish her there and then…" Tesshu said dead serious. "You'll better to go and see her while she still is awake…"
Rikimaru hurried to open the door and pursed in. Ayame sat on the window shield, waving her leg carelessly. Tesshu seemed to take much pleasure making a fool out of him.
"Hi… Ayame…?"
"Oh, Rikimaru…" Ayame throbbed to her feet on the floor trying to hide that it hurt.
"Shouldn't you suppose to be in bed, resting?"
"Yes… but… I'm fine" She said as he offered to carry her. "Really…"
She sat down on a chair. "Who could have believed that even the douple was such a bad bite, huh?"
Rikimaru hadn't heard it. "…What?" He said sitting down him self little confused. He had been afraid to find her laying on the bed nerveless eyes closed vegetable, never waking up.
Instead she was her usual self. Ignoring that she waked careful, sat careful and breathed careful. "Are you alright?" He asked.
"Yes…"
"Sure?"
"..I'm healing all the time… Soon I'll be just as annoying as I usually am…"
"That's good… So the douple did this to you?"
"Shamed to admit, but yes… Where's Jinnai? I haven't seen him since… the funeral…?"
"…Were they both there?"
"Yes.. or I'm not sure… I never really saw them together… in a same room or at the grave… Well, at least it's not Ganda…"
"No?"
"Too slow, too dumb… besides I'm not sure would he have fit in to the building…"
Ayame remembered the incident she had witnessed, before she left. Kiku was seventeen! He was eight years older! Not that it was totally impossible for them to have a relationship, was it? Kiku had crown up whit Rikimaru just as she. No wonder if she had feelings for him. So maybe it never had been written in the stars that Rikimaru would love her minute after minute, year after year.
Maybe he really wasn't that person she had hoped he was. How foolish that thought seemed now, a little girls day dream.
"So, you're thinking that Tatsumaru put up a hell of a fight and the other of Jinnai is dead or laying somewhere…?"
"Yes…"
Rikimaru thought it over. "We have to find him… I got a feeling its him or at least he knows something…"
"Kagami might know his whereabouts as she is living in the cellar."
"It's hard to find her…"
"It's not." She grinned.
"Tell me"
"Take me whit you."
"Ayame…"
"No ride, no treat…?"
"It's too risky…!"
"When did you become Mr play-it-safe… having some whit Kiku on her dad's house… Really Rikimaru?"
She rose up pushing herself up whit her hands.
"It's still too risky…"
"Don't worry, the drugs Tesshu gave me are already kicking in, I feel fine and I'm fine… You coming or not?"
Ayame sat in the car waiting Rikimaru. The door opened at the drivers side and Rikimaru placed a casing on the back window.
"Is that…?" She asked.
"Izayoi… Yes."
"So you are really going to kill Jinnai this time…"
They drive in the centre.
"Where are we going?" Rikimaru asked.
She looked over the streets not really looking.
"See that coffee house…'Le Figaro'?"
"Garan's place?"
"Let's go there"
Le Figaro was empty. Only Mr Garan who was short middle aged man mobbed the floor. Pored he looked at the door seeing who was getting in. "You…! Azuma's… Get out! I'm not serving you anything!"
Ayame saw the way to the back stage and pushed Garan out of her way. "Hey!" The man grabbed a sugar bowl over the table, but got knocked out before he had time to throw it.
Rikimaru put Izayoi down as he had hit the keeper whit it's handle. "So, where are we going?"
Ayame was already at the back room and had opened a hatch on the floor that revealed stairs down to the drain system.
They shattered here and there for a while seeing no-one. The rain pipe ended and they came into a junction. Ayame first, Rikimaru wallowing her like a shadow to the control room's door. "Come on in Ayame…!" Kagami yelled behind the closed door.
"How did you knew it was me?"
"Wild guess… And another one…? Kagami noticed the sword case Rikimaru was carrying in his hand. "…What do you want?"
"You know where Jinnai is?" Rikimaru got ahead of Ayame.
"Yes, why do you…?"
"That's Azuma business…" Ayame cut trough.
"Should have guessed…" Kagami took a map on the table between them. "I'm assuming… this concerns what happened to Tatsu…maru..?"
Like they had thought Jinnai was hiding in the rain system whit his companion, who brought him his food and supplies.
Kagami had market on the map where they should go. It was an underground hall where the five main lines crossed and got up to the water purifying-plant above. In the round hall was five doors, each between two pipes. Couple of hand strong cables crossed the room. They walked over the bridges that laid on the pipes.
"I won't leave whit out you…!"
"keep quiet, you… or they come here even faster…"
Jinnai laid on the mattress, his double sitting next to him. Jinnai looked pale and weak. His eyes covered in white clothing that had let the red blood throbs trough.
"They'll kill you…" The double sobbed desolately.
"They are already here… aren't they?"
The double saw the two Azuma's by corner of his eye.
"Yes, my master… they are here…"
They had sneaked in so silently that the two Jinnai hadn't noticed. Ayame and Rikimaru waited patient a the other helped the other up. Still they kept talking to each other, Ayame had to feel a pit sorry for them.
"What do you want?!" The double snatched stepping away from Jinnai's embrace. "Want to kill us…? I see…" He continued noticing Rikimaru carrying the ancient weapon.
"Why so silent Jinnai? Who's got your eyes?" Ayame judged Jinnai's bad shape. Tatsumaru had done it, she just knew it.
"I'll take the girl…you, take care of him…" Jinnai had made his mind and got closer to Ayame.
"Don't think so Jinnai…" Rikimaru stopped the man whit Izayoi's sharp baled on his neck. "Your mine"
"…Fine… get her…!"
The douple rushed after Ayame who let him fallow her out of the room. Jinnai looked them disappear thinking that it would end badly. "Well, Rikimaru is it?" He turned around quick, slapping the blade of his throat. He revealed a whip that had cutting lines. He had killed Tatsumaru or at least was one of them. No-one else used that kind of weapon.
"..Yes… if that is what you wanna know…!"
"Why…?"
Jinnai chuckled. "Out of sports of course…!"
Ayame hanged against the wall as the double hold her up on her throat. She tried to pry, but it didn't help.
"Why did you have to come and ruin everything?! I thought I warned you enough the last time, didn't !?"
He saw the poundage under the lifted shirt and squeezed the wound. "Didn't I!?!"
Ayame was suddenly throbbed down on he floor when on the other room carried dust and light that shacked the floor. The double was also laying on the ground his head spinning.
The double was rising up but Ayame hit his head on the floor. In great difficulties she managed to keep him down. "…Let me return the favour…" She had the needle with her and Jinnai made faces to get free. She hit it in his temple and Jinnai flowed nerveless.
The other room was quiet. Catching her breath she waited to hear some noise. She got up from the lifeless body nearly crawling in the room.
"Rikimaru?" She saw him on the floor and went to him. "Don't be dead… Rikimaru…?" She sobbed.
"I'm not…"
"Thank god… Where is Jinnai?"
"…He isn't here?"
She looked around. "No…"
"…Damn… That… fucking bastard…! God, that guy really gets me…"
Ayame searched him for wounds again and again just to make sure she hadn't missed a one small fatal cut.
"Did you know that the Gohda Tatsumaru killed… Motohide… Was Yukihotaru's father…?"
"Hmmm…" She said still looking. He only got the one big slash across his chest from shoulder to stomach that had cut the shirt and pit of flesh.
"Ayame… Are you okay?"
"…yes fine… fine, Rikimaru…"
She didn't bay much attention to his words. She would have to ask again what had he said. For a moment it had looked like a bad deja vu; the sad hall and body. Yet still something unnamed swim between them making them both feel troublesome when ever it was time to get silenced. It made them bits feel sick inside. Rikimaru is a live, she kept saying to her self, can't I just get over it.
Why wasn't he saying anything? Why wasn't she saying anything? He really had scared her. Was she allowed to say that? "You…"
Phone rang.
"Oh, is it yours?"
"…I dunno…?" He checked his pockets.
"It's mine…" She found her cellphone and waved it before answering it. "Yes…?" …What?"
She covers the mike looking worried. "Kiku has been kidnapped…!"
…to be continued!