DISCLAIMER: EVEN THOUGH I WISH I DID… I STILL DON'T OWN CHOBITS OR ANY CHOBITS RELATED CHARACTER… TT
Chapitre 2: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Thunder clapped outside as the rain continued to pour. Inside the well-lit house, Hideki stood gaping at the persocom lying on Minoru's couch. "Will someone PLEASE tell me what the hell is going on here?" Hideki broke the silence. Walking over to the unconscious persocom, he pointed to her. "Is this some kind of joke?"
"I was hoping you could explain that to me." Replied Minoru. "I found her lying on the ground this morning outside the study. I tried to run a diagnostics scan, but her system, much like Chi's, is too complex." Minoru motioned for Hideki to come behind the desk and view the computer screen. Hideki sighed and walked over behind Minoru and studied the screen. As they talked among themselves about data problems and Minoru trying to explain things to the computer illiterate Hideki, Chi walked over to the persocom. Looking first at the cables running from the pink and white data ports, then at her face, Chi smiled sadly at her 'dead' twin. She didn't know exactly what was going on, or why her twin was lying there, clad in the pale blue dress she was buried in those long months ago.
"Something isn't right…" Chi muttered. Closing her eyes, she called her twin's name.
"What is it Chi?" Freya appeared before her, her long ivory hair dressed with red tresses that matched her long, blood-red dress. She hugged her sister. "You seem worried."
"Chi is confused. I see you here… but I see you out there too…" Chi referred to the real world. "What are you doing in two places at once? Hideki said that no one can be in two places at once." Chi looked at her sister, confusion filling her eyes.
"Chi, my dear sister, I am only in one place. What you see out there is but a hollow shell. A body of only circuits and wiring. My memories, my heart, all rest within you." Freya stroked her sister's hair. "And here, I'll stay. That shell is of no use to me. It is broken, and so has my old dream. I shall remain in you, to help guide you on your journey through this life."
"Maybe we should just ask Ms. Hibiya…" Hideki suggested, snapping Chi back to reality.
"Hibiya residence, Chitose speaking." Chitose's voice filled the room. Apparently, Minoru was one step ahead of Hideki.
"Ms. Hibiya? Hi, I am Minoru Kokobunji and Hideki and myself would like to speak to you on a certain matter that would deeply concern you and your daughter."
"Is something the matter with Chi?" Worry and concern, though faint, was hard in her voice.
"No, no. Everything is fine with Chi." Minoru assured the worried friend.
"Chi is fine!" Chi echoed across the room. She walked over to Hideki and hugged him, knocking him to the floor.
"Hello, Chi, darling!" Chitose's voice filled with warmth as she greeted her child. "So, what is this important matter?"
"Will you just come over here right away?" Hideki struggled to his feet. "There is something…no…someone you need to see." Hideki looked at Chi, then at the persocom lying on the couch. It had only been a few weeks ago that he decided that, even if they are just persocoms, they were still people…sort of, and deserved to be called as such.
Minoru cocked an eyebrow at Hideki after Chitose agreed to come over and the connection ended. "Someone, eh? But that is to be expected from a nice guy like you."
Blushing, Hideki turned away for a moment, muttering, "Aw, shaddup."
"Hideki is blushing! Hideki is cute when he blushes!" Chi smiled brightly, causing Hideki to blush even more.
"Well, we might as well wait here for Chitose… She will be arriving soon. Would you like some tea?" Minoru asked Hideki. When Hideki nodded, Yuzuki and Chi both went down to prepare the tea.
As the two persocoms walked down the hall to the kitchen, Chi began her usual interrogation. "Yuzuki seems sad. Do you hurt Yuzuki?"
Yuzuki looked at Chi, shock apparent in her eyes. When did she notice? Sadness spread through her eyes. "Yes. I am hurting. Even though I am a persocom and I care as deeply for Minoru as he cares for me, I still feel as though I am letting him down."
Chi was saddened briefly as she responded. "Yuzuki… and Chi…both. We are persocoms." Chi knew how Yuzuki felt. There were times when she wished she were human. Times when she wished that she could prove to Hideki how much she cared for him. But she knew that if they ever completed their love for each other, something horrible would happen. Her other self, Freya, had warned her of this many times. After only a second, the sadness seen on Chi's face disappeared, and Chi looked as happy as usual. "Minoru likes Yuzuki for who Yuzuki is. Just like Hideki likes Chi for who Chi is! Hideki told Chi this!"
Yuzuki smiled brightly at the young persocom. But still… Yuzuki stopped the thought. Chi was right. Minoru did care for Yuzuki, maybe even more than she realized.
Minoru studied Hideki as he stood at the window, watching the rain outside. "Hideki… about what happened back then…do you ever regret it? The decision, I mean."
Hideki stared at Minoru for a second. "There are times when I wish that we had never met."
"Why?"
"She may be a persocom, but I can see that there is much more to her than that. Pain may be a part of her programming, but I see that, little by little, she is feeling more of it when she is around me. We do love each other, but I can't give her my heart and soul. And, don't think I am crazy for saying this, but I think she loves me more than she can show. I think she wants to prove how much she loves me, but her programming wont let her."
Minoru smiled sadly. "I think you are right. She truly does love you."
"Yeah, but I don't want to see her break because of that love. Even if we didn't meet, she would still feel the same. She would still go through the same pain. Damn it… I wish I could take away her pain." Hideki sighed. "I just don't want to lose her…"
Minoru looked down at the ground. "Hideki, remember what you said when dragonfly was here? 'She has a name! Don't lump her in with the rest!' Remember?"
"Yeah."
"That day, when Yuzuki tried to hack into the National Government Data Base, those words flashed into my head. I never told you this, but it made me question my own feelings for Yuzuki."
"…"
"I know you have heard my story about that day, but I do love her for who she is. I don't want to see her like that again. But since that day, I fear I have been acting differently. I don't know what it is."
"Perhaps it is because we are our own worst judges, especially when it comes to our own hearts and matters of love." Chitose Hibiya smiled kindly at Minoru and Hideki.
Sakura: Ok, ok. So this chapter isn't as good as the first, but I got writer's block about halfway through. And I know that Sumomo and Kotoko both haven't been mentioned a lot the first two chapters, but they both play key roles in the next one! Don't miss out on it! Oh, THANK YOU! Thank you very much for the reviews on the first chapter! I hope to see more reviews as time goes by. And a special thanks goes out to Rose, and Berry for helping me get the first chapter up and running! Thank you again! Miaow
