Just some notes before I start... This is actually the revised version of "Entrapment", though I changed completely the plot... That's why I haven't updated for a while... I planned to change everything, the story seemed to be getting too slow... I actually focused on Ren and Pirika's history, not on the plans the Mankin gang set for the two of them... However, I would like to make it clear that what should have happened in "Entrapment" happened here... Some details just sort of changed... I'm making this an AU fic...
Ages: Pirika, Tamao, Jeanne: 21, Ren, Yoh, Hao, Horo-Horo, Anna, Lyserg, Manta: 24, Jun, and Ryu: 28...
Those of you who didn't know, "itsumo" is the Japanese word for forever...
Please review and tell me your comments about the changes I made in the story... thanks...
Itsumo: A Thousand Paper Cranes
Summary: She was a girl who stopped believing in forever eight years ago... Making a thousand paper cranes, he came back to make her believe once again... AU
Pairings: Mainly Ren/ Pirika... Implied Yoh/Anna, Horo-Horo/Tamao, Jeanne/Lyserg... If you don't like the pairings, then don't read...
Disclaimers: I don't own anything in Shaman King... This is fanfiction, got that?
Rating: PG 13, just to be safe... Mild swearing, and all that stuff...
Pirika almost dropped the tray of tea she was holding the moment she saw him. Even though his back was facing her, she recognized him at once... Everything about him was strikingly familiar. The mop of messy hair the color of sapphire, the broad shoulders, the well-toned muscles, the well-built frame... She was positive. It was he, all right...
The question now was, what the hell was he doing here? He left eight years ago, without a valid explanation... He shouldn't have come back. After all, he wasn't supposed to come back. He should have continued ignoring their existence like what he had been doing for the past eight years... After all, he said so himself. He lived in a different world. They were nothing like commoners. Eight years... Without a word, without a mere hello... Nothing... Now he was back... He was here, just right in front of her... From the way he was talking to her brother, he was acting like nothing happened... Like he did nothing wrong... Acting like eight years meant nothing to him... Absolutely nothing at all... Who does he think he is anyway? He was nothing but an arrogant social freak who disappeared at one moment and reappeared the next... Just like that... Just like that...
How dare he... How dare he...
Never did she expect meeting him again... After all, it had been eight years... Eight years of no communication was all it took to convince her that this man had indeed deleted them... deleted her... from his memory bank... What harm would it do, anyway? He obviously had other friends... Influential and the most prominent people in the society... Unlike them... He was Ren Tao... The Heir to the giant Tao Business Corporation... A chain of hotels, resorts, and industries operating in the whole world, with millions of profits each day. He was a respected member of the eminent Tao Family, one of the few families considered Elite in the world... But to Pirika, Ren Tao was only an ordinary man... An arrogant jerk that couldn't do one simple task, great he may seem... He didn't know what it means to make a promise... He didn't know how to keep one...
It hurt at first... It hurt that this man whom she had admired had ignored her just like that... Had left her just like that... Yet as they say, time heals everything... Luckily for her, she got over it... She had eight years to account for that... Or better said, she thought she did...
Pirika was never wrong... However, for the first in her life, she wished she were...
"Pirika..."
Pirika glanced at her left shoulder to see Tamao looking worried at her. Tamao was her brother's girlfriend. All over the years, they grew closer... More like sisters. Pirika respected her. She was one brave woman who didn't give up when her first chance in love failed. Years later, Tamao found love in her brother. Pirika once joked that Tamao was a martyr bearing her brother's mischievousness. Yet she knew that they loved each other. They were a perfect couple. They were simply meant for each other.
"Are you all right? You looked pale..."
"Hai!" She managed a small smile. After all, she had to act normal... Civil... Or else someone would suspect something's wrong. "I'm just too tired lately..."
Tamao looked at Pirika once more, before offering a small smile herself. The blue-haired girl seemed different. Maybe it was because of stress... After all, the girl was working overtime so as to afford studying medicine at night. Oh well, she had to yell at Horo-Horo about this. "Okay. Come-on, we have to serve the tea before it gets cold, you know. Good thing Ren's back. It's been years since we last saw him..."
Pirika took a deep breath before following Tamao inside.
This would just be easy. It just involved acting normal and civil towards an arrogant jerk, and talking to him, if necessary. What happened to them was part of the past... Nothing more but the past... She had to let go of it.
Ren blinked for the fifth time that morning. Was it he, or Horo-Horo was just acting freakier than the usual lately? He had not seen the guy for ages. They should be catching things up, right? Yet, here was the Ainu telling a story about a cat who married an elephant, filed a divorce case against the elephant, and married the duck afterwards. Okay, that was really weird... Some things just don't change.
"Oh, here comes my lovely girl friend..." Horo-Horo smirked, earning a smack from Tamao.
"Shut up, Horo-Horo." Tamao cried, though there was a faint blush on her cheeks. She sat beside Ren. "Ren-san, nice to see you again."
Ren politely smiled back. "Just Ren, Tamao... No need for formalities. After all, we do know each other."
"Besides –san doesn't go well with his name, Tamao, you know what I mean!" The Ainu laughed notoriously once again. Tamao shook her head, ordering him to just keep his large mouth shut.
"Oh, look who's here, my dearest terrorizing sister."
"Shut up, Onii-san."
With the sound of that familiar voice, Ren turned around to see a pair of lovely aqua eyes... Those eyes he thought he'd never see again...
Pirika...
11 years ago... (Ren was 13,and Pirika was 10)
"Would you stop following me?" Ren turned around to see a blue-haired girl just behind him.
"I'm not following you!" Came the defensive reply.
"Oh yes you are."
"No, I'm not..."
"Aarrggh... What are you doing then?"
"I'm walking with you."
Ren obviously sighed. Why was he here with this annoying... kid? He was not a baby sitter for heaven's sake. "It's just the same, Pirika..." He started to walk again.
"Really?"
"Why are you so annoying?"
Ren suddenly regretted the words he said. He heard a whimper from the small girl. "All right, all right... I'm sorry okay? I was just having a bad day..."
Pirika sat near the pavement and hugged her knees. "You... always... have a bad...day..."
Ren softly smiled, and knelt down beside Pirika. He brushed a lock of hair away from the girl's eyes...
God... How he loved those eyes...
Eyes the color of a cloudless sky... So innocent, so pure...
The kind of eyes he could never have....
Pirika smiled back at him. "You should do that more often Ren-san..."
His amber eyes narrowed in confusion. "Do what?"
"Smile... You look cute when you do that!" Pirika smiled once again.
Ren faintly blushed. "Whatever, Pirika." He patted the girl's hair.
"Hey, watch the hair..."
Ren stood and offered his hand. Pirika gladly took it. "I'll take you home. I don't want your brother slicing me into pieces, you know..."
Ren didn't smile too often... To think of, he rarely smiled during the past eight years of his life... Maybe because he had left Pirika... He had left the only reason he smiled...
Looking at Pirika's eyes... They had changed... They were no longer the color of the cloudless sky. They were now deep blue... Eyes that showed pain, but had managed to make it through... Ren suddenly felt an indistinctive pang of guilt rushed through him. He was the reason why Pirika was hurt... He was the reason why Pirika's eyes were no longer the bright shade of blue...
He had caused her pain... And he had to do it again...
Pirika was not actually paying attention to the whole conversation. She smiled once in a while and nodded in cue. After all, her brother did all the talking. She just had to remind herself once in a while during the whole conversation that this wasn't one of her dreams again. This wasn't one of her fantasies... She was seeing his face again... Ren was really here sitting in front of her... Speaking of the jerk, she noticed that eight years had changed practically nothing in his appearance, except he was more handsome than ever. Ren Tao still wore an unusual haircut, strands of which fell to his amber eyes, producing a bizarre effect. His skin was tanned, a contrast to his hair. If he was feeling any emotion right now, he hid it very well. His face was calm, his breathing was shallow, and the aura that surrounded him confirmed his mysterious and quiet personality. His presence demanded nothing but respect. He had grown to what was exactly expected of him.
But Pirika had grown up too... She was no longer the sweet and naïve girl from long ago. She had changed... And Ren noticed that... Her blue-hair now reached her shoulders, and her aqua eyes were deep blue, not the usual bright color. The pain she had experienced was reflected in them. Her cheeks had the tint of roses and cream, and her red lips titled upward, complimenting the tip of her nose. Her chest had grown fuller, and the blouse and skirt she wore revealed her slender curves.
"So Ren, when will you introduce us to this "girl"?" Horo-Horo snickered.
Pirika snapped back in attention, Ren as well. This girl? Just what the hell was her brother talking about?
Ren shifted uncomfortably. Why did Horo-Horo bring up the subject this early? They weren't supposed to talk about that... yet. "I... I don't know..." He managed to reply...
"Oh come on, it was all over the news this morning..."
Ren closed his eyes. Somebody had to stop this Ainu from talking.
"The engagement of the Heir of the Tao Business Corporation and the only daughter of the owner of the Power Industries was formally announced this morning," Horo-Horo continued, mimicking a reporter's tone, "Jeez, pal, I can't believe it. You made it to the headlines once again!"
Pirika froze in shock. Those words took a whole minute before they eventually sunk in...
Ren was engaged?
He was getting married?
Was that the reason why he came back?
Was that the reason why he left in the first place?
Did she mean nothing to him anymore?
"Where are you going?"
Pirika felt a strong grip turn her around, only to face a certain Ren Tao.
Ren just stared at her, his cold eyes cutting into her being. "Where are you going?"
Pirika felt uncomfortable under that scrutinizing gaze. Why was Ren staring at her like that? "None of your business." She walked away at once.
As quickly as it happened, she found herself lost in his cold eyes,
Again....
"Where...are...you...going?" Ren quietly demanded.
Pirika snorted. Why was Ren being so damn persistent? She glared back...
Only to find Ren doing the same... After all, Ren wasn't the type who gave up easily.
"Look, why do you even care?"
No answer.
"Fine." Pirika turned away from him again.
"Where are you going?" Ren's voice was raspy, albeit calm.
Pirika closed her eyes. "I'm going home. I don't live here, after all." She muttered, not bothering to face him.
"Why?"
Why?
She should be the one asking that question, right?
Why are you doing this to me?
Why did you break your promise?
Why did you leave me?
Why did you go?
Why are you marrying her?
Why did you come back only to hurt me again?
Why?
Pirika smiled bitterly. She did not have time for self-pity, nor for breakdowns. Not here, not now, especially not in front of him. She turned around. "Why what?"
Ren continued to stare at her. A minute of silence descended the two.
There was that look again... Aaargh... Why the hell was he doing this to her? "Well, why what?" Pirika impatiently asked. "I don't have all the time in the world, you know."
Ren sighed, and turned his gaze away from her. "Never mind..." He left her alone afterwards.
Pirika blinked. What...was...that? First Ren asked a question, demanded an answer, and now...
Never mind?
What the hell was that?
Pirika shrugged. She never really understood Ren. She did not care anyway. Besides, she didn't have time to worry about him, to add him to her growing list of problems. She had enough, thank you...
Eight years was just enough...
Why the hell was he doing here anyway? He was engaged. So where was the girl? Why the hell was he here, and not back in China planning their wedding?
She just wished that whatever business Ren had here, he'd finish it as soon as possible, get back to China, marry his ever so darling fiancée, and then get the hell out of her life... forever... if that word still existed...
Then Pirika would be at peace, become a successful doctor, get rich, maybe marry a deserving man who doesn't break promises, and eventually become happy...
She would be happy when Ren gets the hell out of her life, forever, right?
Right?
Maybe she was too busy pondering her thoughts, that she did not hear the faint murmur hopelessly whispered in the air, filled with pain, utmost desperation, and overwhelming regret.
Why?
Why won't you listen to me?
Why won't you give me a chance to explain?
Nor did Pirika notice the crumpled sheet of paper, thrown carelessly on the floor; a remnant of what was once a beautiful, craftily folded, golden paper crane...
Well, what do you think? Please review... hope you all like it.... thanks....