CHAPTER ELEVEN
Accident
He just watched them there, talking and sitting so close. He could see that they really felt something for each other. So, this was the only thing he could do as of the moment. Watch... Watch the person he's developing feelings for get close to someone who was clearly very special to him.
'It was all because of that stupid smile. If that didn't happen, my head wouldn't be in so much disorder right now.'
Yes, it all started when Jed gave Yuki that smile. It was then that Yuki admitted to himself that there was definitely something. Though he hated Jed's guts, he couldn't deny the fact that there was that strong attraction the first time he saw Jed's face. Then there was Jed's breakdown in front of him. At that time, he couldn't explain why he felt himself crush every time he saw Jed in pain. Then, there was that kiss. He knew that for Jed it was nothing, but Yuki knew that there was absolutely something there... Then, finally, the smile. It was like the final piece of the puzzle.
Ever since he met Jed, he couldn't stop himself from thinking of him. Of course, thoughts of Shuichi still flooded his mind, but it was not like before. He couldn't quite place it, but somehow, it was like Jed dominated Shuichi. As days passed, Yuki said to himself that it was only because of Jed's resemblance to Shuichi. He tried to convince himself that the only explanation for his feelings was because of Jed's likeness to Shuichi's attributes.
But, you see, it never ended that way.
Yuki thought of how cold Jed was on the outside and imagined how hot he could be inside. He wanted to be closer to Jed. Every time he talked to him, he could feel his heart beat faster. Every time he heard Jed's screams due to his nightmares, he wanted to destroy the damned door just to be there for him. He wanted to be with him. He wanted him.
Unlike before, he was brave enough to admit that to himself. He was already tired of denying it, so here he was now, accepting it.
But as he looked at the couple at the corner of the room he's in, he contemplates... Was it really a good idea to pursue these feelings? 'Just look at him... He looks so happy to be with that girl...'
"They look really great together, don't they?"
Yuki turned around and saw Kat sit beside him on the large sofa. Jed and the girl named Ren were sitting on the opposite corner, away from the group, and talking.
"Yeah, they sure do." Yuki replied as he sipped his drink.
Tatsuha approached both of them and started asking questions softly. "Are they a couple?"
Actually, Yuki was glad that Tatsuha joined the conversation. For the first time, he was grateful for his presence. This way, he could find the answers without revealing himself to anybody. Tatsuha could just do the asking, and he could just do the listening. So that was what he did, he listened... closely.
"Yep... they were." Kat answered the raven-haired man.
"What happened?" Tatsuha asked again.
Kat hesitated a bit, but sighed and simply answered the question. "You see, Karen is my cousI mean, friend. More of a family friend, really. She worked on computers and was a really great help to us back then. She was a self-acclaimed hacker and she worked with us. She helped me with all the hacking, while Jed do all the killing and sometimes, I also help him with that. Then, feelings evoked. Karen was the only girl Jed ever loved and, apparently, the only person he will only love."
Yuki removed his eyes from Kat as soon as he heard her words, but Kat was oblivious to his actions.
Then she continued, "They really loved each other. But of course, with our job, love doesn't come in nice pretty packages. There was this leader in a well-know gang. His right-hand was assassinated and the person who did that was Jed. The leader was furious with what happened so he decided to get back at Jed. They tried to kidnap me, but that failed, because I was well-guarded at that time. Then he kidnapped Karen because he found out that Jed and Karen were lovers. At first, Jed was agitated but, thankfully, he got over it quickly."
"Wow... if that was me, I don't think I would have that much time to think clearly." Tatsuha said.
"Exactly. But you see, Jed had a lot of self-control. He got me to tap into the gang's latest telephone conversations. I traced them so that I could give him the exact address as to where they could possibly take Karen. Then he charged."
"Charged, as in took the mission all by himself?" Tatsuha asked disbelievingly.
"Yep..." Kat answered as she sipped her martini.
"Wow... So I'm assuming he won?" Tatsuha asked again.
"Of course. You haven't even seen half of what that guy could do to people." Kat said.
"A real murderer." Yuki whispered to himself but Kat heard him.
"I know it was not something to be proud of but if that happened to you, would you really not do the same thing? What I mean is, if a person hurt someone you loved, could you really leave that person walk on the streets?"
Yuki remembered Aizawa Taki... He almost killed the guy because of what he did to Shuichi. He removed his gaze from Kat and looked at his drink. Of course, he understood...
Tatsuha saw Yuki became uncomfortable under Kat's gaze so he said, "So, what happened next? Why did they break up."
Kat looked at Tatsuha and continued her story, "Jed decided that they should be apart. He said that it would be best if they just went their separate ways. Jed wanted her to live a new life, away from illegal businesses. That way, there would be less complications in their relationship. That really crushed Karen but it was clear that Jed was in more pain than she was, but she still obeyed him. You see, even if Karen was a hacker, she was still in the same line of business like ourselves, so she was also very rich. She went to Europe to finish school because she stopped for a few years to try a new life. Now, she's a graduate of Business Management and is already the president of their family business in America."
"That was some story..." Tatusha commented.
"Yeah... It was..." Kat said as she finished her drink. At that moment, Fujisaki, who was standing right behind her the whole time, sat beside her and put his arms around her. Kat looked at him and smiled softly, "I just hope it won't happen to me..." Fujisaki just held his grip on her tighter and kissed the side of her forehead. He brought his hand to her head and pushed it softly to rest on his shoulder. Then he whispered to her, "Don't worry... It won't."
"You like him, don't you?" Ren asked the man seated in front of him.
Jed broke his gaze towards Yuki and looked at Ren. "What do you mean?"
Ren motioned her head in Yuki's direction and said, "Him. The sexy blonde guy. He's really cute, isn't he?"
"Excuse me? He's a guy!" Jed retorted. "Besides, he's a client."
"Oh, c'mon! I know you, Jed. The way you look at him, there's something there..."
"Could we just change the topic please?" Jed told her.
Ren smiled at her ex-lover and put down her drink. "Fine. So, how've you been?"
"The usual." Jed replied casually.
"Still nothing? Still no memories, whatsoever?" Ren asked as she put her hand over his.
Jed only shook his head and sighed to answer her question. Ren removed her hand from Jed's and put it on his shoulder then she rested her head on head on Jed's other shoulder. "Seven years... It had been exactly seven years and still no memory... There has got to be a way, Jed. You can't just live your life like this. You can't just live your life without having any clue on what your life was before. There has got to be a way..."
Jed shifted a little to look at Ren. Ren removed her head from his shoulder and looked at him too. Jed took her hand as he looked at it and caressed it. Then looked again at Ren with a sad smile on his face. "It doesn't really matter. I'm happy with my life right now and I don't plan to change any of it."
"So, you don't want to remember?" Ren asked him.
"Not necessarily. You know how much it hurt me whenever I had those flashbacks, well actually, the same flashback every fuckin' night. But of course, I still want to know who I was before I became Jed. I think about that everyday, but come to think of it, there is really no reason of doing so. I just have to let it be..."
Jed held her hand tightly but he felt something on one of her fingers. He looked at it and he smiled brightly at Ren. "Enough about me. I see you're planning to walk down the aisle."
Ren fixed her gaze on the diamond ring on her left hand and smiled at him. "Yeah... His name's Ryan. A big pain in the ass but, still, a person worth loving."
"So, when's the big day?" Jed asked her again.
"Two months from now. I came back to fix some things with the brotherhood before I go back to America to finalize the wedding."
"Oh, yeah... I miss those guys. So how are they?"
"Still strong and running but of course they miss the top duo assassins, especially considering the fact that Kat was supposed to head the brotherhood next year." Ren smiled at him.
"I know, but I think that wouldn't happen anymore. We promised ourselves that this bodyguard thing would be the last job. Besides, look at them." Jed shifted his gaze towards Fujisaki and Kat. Ren only smiled as she looked at them.
Jed furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. "Wait, if you're going to take care of your business in America and there is no way for Kat to take over her father's position by next year, who's doing the job?"
"My brother, of course! He's the only legitimate candidate so that the bloodline won't be eliminated."
Jed smiled as the realization hit him. Of course, it would be Jared, or better known as Red. The guy had been their agent for a long time and was also his best friend. He's pretty good at what he do and there's no doubt he'll do even better in regard to the wellness of the brotherhood.
Kat stood up and pulled Jed with him. "C'mon, let's go down. This could be like my bachelorette party and I want to dance all night." She removed her grip on him and said, "I'll just go over there to tell my cousin."
"Wait." Jed quickly grabbed her arm. Ren turned around and looked at him, confused by his sudden actions. "Don't regard to her as your cousin when those people are there. To them, Kat and I are still siblings. If you go there and shout 'cous', then they'll definitely question my relationship with her because I had her cousin as a lover."
Ren smiled at him and nodded in response. Jed let go of her arm and went out of the room.
They danced to every beat and to every tune. Every movement was perfect for the melody. It was no wonder why people started to look at their way. The couple danced gracefully on the dance floor, and, rather, temptingly. They really set the dance floor on fire.
Unknown to them, two amber eyes were watching them. The owner of those eyes was now clenching the glass of whisky in his hand, too much actually that it was already threatening to break into a million pieces.
"Give me that." Yuki turned his head to the direction where the sudden voice came from. Tohma merely smiled at him and got the whisky from his hand and put it on the table.
They were standing on the window of the room where they were at. It was a big advantage because the people they were observing had no clue that they were being watched. Both men had their backs on the whole crowd.
Ryuichi was now asleep, with his head on Tatsuha's shoulders while Tatsuha's arm was around the older man, also sleeping soundly. K and Sakano had already left saying that they had to be home to be with their families. As for Hiro, he went home right after the blowing of the candles because Ayaka, his wife, was already getting hysterical concerning her pregnancy. Kat and Fujisaki were also downstairs, dancing their butts off. Food was all over the place and so were alcoholic drinks. Thank God there were no broken glasses anywhere.
Seeing that it was only Tohma, Yuki returned his gaze to the couple on the dance floor.
"I never knew that Jed could dance that well." Tohma said as he sipped his own whisky.
"Me neither." Yuki bluntly replied.
"You like him, don't you?" Tohma asked as he fully faced Yuki.
Yuki was shocked of the sudden question. He turned and faced Tohma.
He could always deny it, but this was Tohma he's talking about. He knew him like an open book. He hung his head low, clearly avoiding Tohma's eyes and quietly said, "I... don't know..."
"You're feeling like you're betraying him, aren't you?" Tohma asked, but received only silence in response. "You have to move on, Eiri. For seven years, you had been so lonely. Maybe he's the one you need to be happy again. I know that would have been what Shuichi wanted for you."
At the mention of Shuichi's name, Yuki raised his head and looked at his brother-in-law. "But"
Yuki suddenly stopped at the sudden voice that came to the room. She was catching her breath as she spoke, "Wow, Jed. Who could've thought that a stoic person like you could dance that good?" Ren said in between breaths as she smiled widely at Jed. Jed only smiled at her comment.
'She could even make him smile like that...' Yuki grabbed his coat from the sofa and walked towards the door of the room. Tohma only watched his every movement with a sad expression on his face.
"Wait." Yuki turned around. He was already on the corridor of the second floor when Jed suddenly stopped him. He saw Jed get his katana and trench coat from the corner of the room and proceeded out the door when Ren blocked the doorway.
"Whenever you need anything, absolutely anything at anytime, you know how you can reach me." Ren said as she kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly. "Same thing here." Jed said to her.
After seeing that, Yuki closed his eyes and walked faster towards the stairs and out of the building.
'Why the hell is he in such a hurry?'
They were now traveling through quiet streets of Tokyo. Jed noticed that they've taken a different route, but he just followed the black car in front of him. Then he smelled something.
"The beach..." He looked to his left and there it was. He never knew that there was a beach in this part of the city, and an open beach at that. He stopped his motorcycle and removed his helmet. He closed his eyes as he felt the ocean breeze touch his face.
"What theWhat's he up to now?" Yuki looked at his side mirror and saw Jed stop. He stepped on the brakes and stopped for a few moments. He sighed deeply. He switched the gear to reverse and stepped on the accelerator. He stopped in front of Jed's motorcycle, turned off the engine and got out of the car. He leaned on the car and looked at the beach in front of them.
"What now?" Yuki asked without even looking at Jed.
Jed got out of his motorcycle and leaned against it, with the same position Yuki had. "Nothing. I just wanted to see the beach." Jed faced Yuki. "Why were you in such a hurry, anyway?"
"Look at your watch." Jed brought his wrist into view and removed the sleeve covering his watch: 4:15 a.m. No wonder Yuki wanted to go home, the sun would rise anytime soon.
He put both his hands inside his pockets and looked at the beach again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stay so"
"It was your birthday. It was understandable." Yuki said as he lighted a cigar and took a quick drag. Jed looked at him menacingly but Yuki disregarded it. "Don't even try."
Jed sighed and returned his gaze to the vast space before them then he hear Yuki's voice again, "Why are you so fond of anything that had something to do with water, anyway?"
Jed looked at him, confusion clearly seen on his features. "Whenever it rains, I can always find you before the window. When you're in the bathroom, it takes you hours to finish." Yuki quickly added, "Not that I'm complaining or anything. You wake up really early and I never ran out of hot water, so it's ok." Then he continued, "And now this. The beach. Why do you like it so much?"
Jed cocked his head back and faced the sky. "The rain are the angel's crying. Whenever I take a bath, I soak myself with water because it somehow let me fell that I am cleansed inside, or something. The beach... I don't know. I just loved looking at it."
"Not really the answers I was looking for." Yuki said.
"Yeah... I can get pretty weird explanations for" Jed suddenly stopped. 'Oh my god... It's happening again.'
But this time, it wasn't the usual blur. Everything was clear. Suddenly, he was in a different place and before he got there, the last thing he heard was Yuki's voice shouting his name.
He was standing under the light of a certain lamp post at the side of the street. It was like he was watching a movie, the only difference was he was in it.
It was late in the evening and it was raining lightly. A teenage girl and an elderly man, most probably her father, were walking with their arms hooked with each other. The girl pointed to an ice cream rolling store at the other side of the street. Her father smiled at her sweetly and nodded a couple of times.
"Kat..." Jed whispered quietly.
Swiftly, he found himself walking down the street. It was like there were two different persons in one body. Jed was trapped inside and the other one was the one conscious of their every movement. Jed noticed that that person was talking to somebody on his cellphone. Being in the same body as he is, he could feel that this person was happy and was contented. He also knew that the person he was talking to was very special and meant everything to him.
Jed settled into the body, letting himself be taken over but still be conscious with his surroundings.
Jed saw Kat's father stand under the lamp post. Then he saw Kat wave to her father and the man also waved back. Both of them looked incredibly happy and the other person in him was also happy to see them that way.
Then he saw something.
Someone was hiding in the bushes. He focused his eyes to see a clearer image of the moving figure. His eyes widened in surprise. That person was holding a sniper gun and the laser was pointed directly at...
'Kat's father.' Jed thought.
Then he heard the sound of gun fire three times.
And that was the moment that it was all clear... The accident. The damned flashbacks were all about the accident that made him forget all about himself.
Author's Notes:
Yey! Another chapter out! Yep, the accident.
First off, I just want to thank everyone who reviewed. I mean, at first, there were just three people who reviewed for this story but now there are so many of you! Thanks a lot!
I don't think I can make it in fifteen chapters... Maybe it'll increase. Maybe 16 or 18. I'm not really sure.
And oh yeah, if anyone of you guys have a friendster account just add me up: for all the support guys!
Well if you wanted honesty, That's all you had to say.
I never want to let you down or have you go, it's better off this way.
For all the dirty looks,
For photographs your boyfriend took,
Remember when you broke your foot from jumping out the second floor?
I'm not okay.
I'm not okay.
I'm not okay.
You wear me out.