Dear readers, this could very well be one of the ending chapters to this long and messy story that anyone hardly reads anymore. I'm working on another story right now, and this story has been on two to three years already. So I think that the story line is getting a bit weak and lame here and there, and irreparable huge gaping holes in some parts, so yeah. This definitely isn't the last chapter but the last is coming very soon. So, read and review and tell me what you think! Cheers (:
Chapter 15: Fear
He could taste the sweet metallic tang of blood in his mouth. As his gingerly probed the cut with his tongue, a few more droplets fell down his throat. His right cheek was burning with an imprint as if all her fingerprints were etched into it, throbbing. "How dare you!" she screeched, "How dare you!" Her face livid and full of resentment.
Yahiko turned his gaze to look at the girl in front of him. How could he have been so blind, to fall for such a girl with so many flaws and a heart of stone? How could he have been so deaf to the bitter remarks that he once thought were a sign of her affection? "Listen Mio," Yahiko raised his hand tiredly to signal at her, " I've told you many a time that I'm not your boyfriend anymore. So stop harping on me."
"Shut up brat, I told you I was coming, and the next thing I know, you're having sex with this girl right in front of me!" Mio spat. "We weren't having sex! We weren't even touching each other, stop twisting lies Mio!" Yahiko protested to no avail. He was standing behind Mio whilst Mio was standing in between him and the deformed lump in the alley corner. With her fangs bared, Mio took up the small dagger and lunged at the lump. The lump let out a wail in despair and put out arms to defend herself.
Yahiko jumped in between the attacker and the victim, grabbing the knife and tossing it into an open dustbin. "I said not to hurt her, she has nothing to do with this," Yahiko said quietly, challenging Mio to meet his gaze. "Feh! This girl is nothing but a piece of trash, even the girls in America that are not virgins are of better worth than this animal!" Mio tossed her hair and walked out the alley without turning back.
Yahiko turned his attention to the huddled girl at the corner. "Sanzou, are you alright?" He asked gently. Tsubame shuddered at his voice and turned her head to face the wall, "Go away." Yahiko walked slowly to her and stretched out a hand. "Get up Sanzou. You're hurt, and it's dark. I'll get you back to your house."
"No."
Yahiko looked at Tsubame exasperatedly. Eventually, after a few long minutes of mutual silence, Yahiko hauled Tsubame up and carried her out of the alley on his back. "What are you doing!" She gasped when she felt his arms wrapped around her waist as he hoisted her up. "Getting you back home. At the rate things were going, you wouldn't have gotten back until next year," He said shortly, "Address?" Tsubame told Yahiko her address and he grunted back in a noncommittal way.
Tsubame could feel her heart beating wildly against Yahiko's back. Her cheeks were hot and it wasn't the weather. She wrapped her arms around Yahiko's frame tightly and placed her chin on his right shoulder. "Thanks," She whispered into his ear softly. Yahiko could have froze.
"Class, you will be doing an assignment in pairs for the English project," Sensei announced to class 2-A. "I am sure that you have all read Flour Babies?" The class muttered in agreement. "Well, that I'm sure nobody will disagree when I say that this class would be doing just that!" Class 2-A groaned in unison as the final part of the announcement was read out. "Everybody will be paired up as a mother and a father to a 'baby' and you have to, I repeat, you have follow your budget set to you, which will include the petrol charges, food, rent, etcetera. Do you understand? You will have a presentation at the end of the two-week period starting from now. Give your babies a name, a sex, features like black eyes and red hair. Don't forget to change their diapers too!"
Sensei read the names of the pairings off a list of paper. "Himura, Kamiya. Seta, Makimachi. Sanzou, Myoujin—" A loud cough was heard from the back of the class. "Yes Sanzou?" she asked. Tsubame stood up and spoke up clearly, " Sensei, I do not get along well with Myoujin, so I am hoping that I could have a change in partners?" Sensei gave a wry smile and scanned her eyes over the whole class, "I know I'm usually quite lenient with such things, but for this project, there will be no switching of partners. This decision is final."
A small wad of paper hit Tsubame's arm as she sat down. Opening the crumpled piece, she saw a small not written hastily in a messy handwriting, "You don't like me, I don't like you. Let's get this over and ace it." Tsubame turned her attention to Yahiko who upon spotting her gave his trademark grin. Tsubame stuck out her tongue and blew a wet raspberry across the room, scrunching up her face for added effect. Yahiko smirked and resumed attention to the teacher.
The school bell pealed through the classrooms only moments later when sensei had finished reading the list of pairs. After handing out the worksheets they were to complete and the flour babies, she released them. Yahiko felt his phone vibrate in his right pocket. He flicked it open and saw the unknown caller. "Hello? Myoujin speaking."
"Yahiko? It's me. And I'm back." Yahiko stopped in his tracks. Who was this person? "Who are you?" he asked curiously, but the person on the other side just gave a wild laugh. "You'll see very soon Myoujin." And the phone line went dead.
"So… Myoujin. You going to do this project or what? I haven't got all day," Tsubame called out as she walked up to the sauntering boy about to leave school. "Fine, whatever," he replied in a flat tone. It had been a afternoon since they had gotten the baby and Yahiko still hadn't talked to her.
"Meet me at two in the mall today. I'll buy lunch for the two of us okay?" Tsubame called after the boy. She saw his spiky hair rustle the wind just as he turned and gave a large grin, " You haven't thanked me yet!" Tsubame smiled back and popped a small bow.
Yahiko was ravenous as he walked towards the mall. He had not eaten since he had left school and his stomach was protesting with no food filling it up. As he pushed the door open, the cold air greeted him in a rush. He looked around before finally spotting Tsubame at one of the benches around the large fountain in the centre of the mall. He walked over casually and picked up one of the Styrofoam boxes, which he guessed contained their lunches. Flipping it upon he made a face when he saw the food. "Fish and chips? I was thinking more of bento boxes. This wouldn't take me more than 10 bites." Tsubame smiled at him cheerily, " You are always welcome to buy some more food at your own expense." Yahiko raised his eyebrows and sat down dramatically with a sigh. "I come to the mall to meet you with the 'baby' and all you can say is your won't feed me? I thought you said you would pay for lunch," he gave a mock whine. Tsubame looked at him sternly and replied, " I was not the one who walked out of school without the baby. Be happy before I stuff the fish into your face."
Yahiko held in hands up with mock fear, "No, my wife, I wouldn't dare!" Tsubame laughed and squirted tomato sauce on his soggy fries. "Eat," she ordered. Yahiko grinned and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw her laugh. Damn you feelings.
Half an hour later, Tsubame pulled out a small notebook and the flour baby. "Okay, first things first. We need to name this baby and decide whether it would be a boy or a girl, and then, we need to decide what our occupations were so we could see if we could provide for the baby. Got it?" Yahiko nodded and replied, " Well, I say it should be a boy named Taku. And sensei wrote on the worksheet that you were uh… doctor," Yahiko scanned the worksheet and yelped when he saw his own occupation, " garbage man!" Tsubame gave hearty laugh and said through teary peals of laughter, "Well, since I'm the doctor, you can quit being a garbage man and look after Taku whilst I go out and earn the money!"
Yahiko glared at Tsubame and crossed his arms, "No way! You give up your job to look after Taku and I'll earn the money. Besides, I can't cook."
"I'll teach you," Tsubame offered. Yahiko stared at the girl in front of him mutinously, " Ick!"
"What about a round of scissors, paper, stone. The loser takes the baby and winner will be the breadwinner." Yahiko nodded and gave the signal, " One, two…two and a half! Ouch! You didn't have to hit me for that!" Yahiko defended himself against a whack on the head from Tsubame. "I'll say it, you idiot! One, two, three!" Tsubame glared back and Yahiko. "I WIN!" Tsubame yelled out happily, earning herself glares from other people around the area.
"So, angry girlfriend on the prowl?" Tsubame asked curiously as she sipped hot coffee. She had bathed and had brought fresh clothes and a towel for Yahiko. She was sitting outside the bathroom waiting for Yahiko to come out. She heard the water stop and the curtains open. "I would rather not talk about it," Yahiko replied sullenly from behind the door. He dried his hair and pulled on the shirt. Tsubame on the other hand sipped some more coffee and changed her seating position. She had not expected Yahiko to carry her all the way home from the back alley at the mall even when she could walk perfectly fine. And now, her legs were trying to de-cramp themselves.
"Uh. Sanzou?"
"Yes?"
"Pants are too small." Came the small reply. "But those are the biggest pair in the house!" She called out exasperatedly, "I don't have anything else!"
"Well, you can't expect me to go home in my underwear and a towel wrapped around my bottom can you?" came the scathing reply. Tsubame giggled and tried to imagine Yahiko going up the bus and trying to pay the bus driver while holding his towel up. "And take that image out of your mind!" He snapped as if he could read her thoughts. "Well, hold on. I'll go out and buy a pair now. Size?" Tsubame asked through the door as she got up from her position. "Large. And thanks, Sanzou." Tsubame gave a smile and trod down the stairs to get her wallet and she was soon out of the house.
Yahiko heard the footsteps fade and he stared at himself in the mirror and gave a small laugh. "Take that image out of your mind, huh?" He asked himself softly. He ran a hand through his damp hair and looked at his toes as if he was trying to wiggle them without moving his muscles. "Never was like that with her," he whispered and felt his cheeks burn and his heart skip another beat.
"I'm back!" A voice sang out albeit slightly muffled through the door. Yahiko shook his head and snapped out of his thoughts. "If you're so into singing, go join the choir. Don't spoil my ears, Sanzou." Tsubame on the other hand had gone into a shaky rendition of one of her favourite songs. She knocked the bathroom door and Yahiko stuck his hand out to retrieve his newly bought pants. Tsubame, on the contrary flung the door open and started singing in front of Yahiko in her pyjamas. Yahiko immediately wrapped his towel tightly around his waist and sat on the rim of the bathtub, looking at Tsubame cynically. Was this girl for real?
When Tsubame sang closer to Yahiko, with her brush in her right hand as a makeshift microphone, Yahiko instinctively grabbed hold of her tiny waist and pulled her in. " Hey Myoujin, I was just singing! Oh yeah, take your pants," Tsubame protested and held the pants in front of her face, letting only her eyes peek over the top of the pants. "You haven't thanked me yet," Yahiko said throatily, challenging Tsubame to match his stare. Tsubame, slightly thick as she was, smiled brightly back at him and put the pants on top of Yahiko's towel and smoothened it out. "Would you like a present? Or a movie?" Tsubame gave a genial smile.
Yahiko felt his heart lurch when he felt the fabric against his pelvis. You have no idea what you're doing to me right now, Sanzou, he groaned inwardly. Yahiko looked deeply into Tsubame and cupped her cheek with one hand, using the other to press the small of her back, drawing her closer to him. "Uh, Myoujin, what are you doing…" Tsubame said softly, but her own body refused to back away from the boy.
And then, Yahiko went in for his kiss. Their lips melded like a key to a lock. Tsubame was simply surprised. She tried to break away, yet her brains refused to work. Soon, she felt herself drift off under Yahiko's pressure. Yahiko on the other hand half expected Tsubame to slap him and was fully surprised when the other party wrapped her arms around his neck. He gave a small smile and broke off, leaving Tsubame looking very confused.
Yahiko grinned when he saw her face, all flushed and hot. "You're welcome," he said simply. Tsubame felt her heart beating wildly and quickly unwound her arms from his neck. "I don't know what you're playing at, but don't do that again," Tsubame said, hoping that her voice would stop shaking and the smile on her face could be wiped off. Yahiko grinned and held up the pants before pulling it on from underneath the towel. "Like what you see?" Yahiko smirked when he saw Tsubame staring at him mutely.
Tsubame snapped and stalked out huffily from the bathroom grumbling, "Stupid boy, think you're all that and whatever."
"So what happened outside the mall has nothing to do with me at all," Tsubame asked Yahiko who was sitting opposite her on the couch. Yahiko looked up from the papers and replied curtly, "No."
"Then why did she try to hurt me?"
"Old stuff. She has no right to hurt you, and I promise you I won't let that happen again to anyone."
"Myoujin, do you think you could try to be more specific? I mean, she tried to hack me to death with that blade of hers!"
"Listen. She's an old girlfriend of mine back in America. Went to the same school, she was popular, I saved her life, blah blah, and she started using me for my money. Except, I was thick enough not to notice. Eventually, she got herself pregnant, trying to 'save' me from a gang I was in. I paid for her abortion and I kind of fell into depression. So I started smoking at 15, but gave up after a while. It just wasn't the way to solve this thing, you know? And now, she's back on my tail, in Japan. And all she wants is my money. She has threatened me that she would tell my parents that I got her pregnant, and that I smoked and did drugs, and laid around with people. Not such a big deal, huh?" Yahiko looked at Tsubame and gave a bitter smile. "That's life in America for you, babe."
Tsubame looked dumbfounded and her legs were still hurting. The scratch on her arm was not making her feel any better either. "Why don't you tell your parents?" She asked quietly. Yahiko looked at her incredulously, " Have you been listening to what I just said? She'll blackmail me in the end! My parents would disown me!" Tsubame stared at Yahiko and shot back a retort, "No. You listen. They are your parents, and you haven't even done anything wrong, I'm sure they would accept you for what you did and what went wrong, right? I mean, they are your parents after all. Are they not the ones that brought you to America in search of a better life? If not, then why would they even bother? Think about it, Myoujin. Just use your head for once in your life and think. They bring you to America and they know that with your constant moving around and what not, there will definitely be some bad stuff happening to your social life right? So why would they not forgive you?"
Tsubame crept up to Yahiko who was sullenly staring at his feet again, with his hands cradling his face and placed an arm round his shoulders. "Stand up to her, Yahiko. You're worth so much more than what you think you are." This time, Tsubame took both of his hands and covered them with hers and stared into Yahiko's eyes. She placed her forehead against his and looked down on the hands she was gripping onto so tightly.
"Face your fears."
And the tears coursed down his cheeks in a silent stream as he hugged the lithe girl tightly in his arms. Tsubame, he whispered.