Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chap. 18

Shin and Nagi entered into a small restaurant a block from the movie theater and near the beachside. Shin didn't know what to watch, so he picked a standard comedy/romance movie. Nagi seemed to enjoy it so Shin didn't mind that. However, they haven't really talked aside from a few pleasantries and he realized that he had to get past that. They were on a date after all. Even if he had never been on one, he knew communication was essential. As they took their etas and waited for their orders to come, Shin frowned within himself. 'I should say something…I should say something…I SHOULD say something…'

"So how are you? With the Ohgami's I mean?"

There. That wasn't so bad, was it?

"Good." Nagi smiled, glad that the awkward silence was over. "Yugo and Alice have been very nice to me. But I can't stay there for long."

"Why?"

She shrugged impassively and lifted her arm a notch, "Well, I have to get out, find out what happened to me."

Shin nodded and before they knew it, the awkward silence was back. Shin however, was determine not to let it win over, "So where are you from?"

"Don't know. My aunt raised me since I was a child some years after my parents died." She took a sip of the water, "When I was sixteen, she got into an accident and… she didn't make it."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She nodded, "I was old enough to take care of myself at that point."

"Sounds tough."

"It is. But the one thing I've learned is to fight tough with tough."

"Sounds reasonable." He agreed. "I can understand that." And she could she that he really did. Shin had to be the same way. If he was to get along in this world, he had to push his limits and break past them. It was the only way he and Rei would get along safe. Or at least relatively safe in the world.

"What's your story?"

Shin seemed to tighten up and for a moment, Nagi was about to ask him to drop it. But he simply sat back and answered.

"Lost my parents when I was a kid. Raised by my older brother in an orphanage for a time until…"

"An accident?" she guessed.

Shin tilted his head to the side a bit, "He got a job in a company run by the Tylon Foundation."

"I've heard of Tylon. Weren't they some sort of weapons facility with zoanthropes?"

Yes. We didn't know about it at the time, but when we did, it was too late. We…I'd rather not talk about it.

In truth, he didn't quite know how to explain to her anyway. How could he tell her that he and his brother were transformed into zoanthope assassins and his brother died by sacrificing his life to save him? Zoanthropes weren't too popular nowadays, especially with all the breakouts that had been occurring recently.

"Yes, of course. Sorry for asking."

Shin excused it with a wave, "No need. It must have been hard to tell me about your life."

"I've had time to deal with it. Things like this happen."

Shin gave an affirmative nod. Nagi was really something. Despite all that had happened in her life, she had overcome her problems and forged ahead. It was something for him to admire and hoped to achieve. And she had this aura about her…

'Huh?'

Shin suddenly became distinctly aware of a strange aura that seemed to permeate around Nagi. Like a strange sort of power of some kind. 'Could she be a zoanthrope?' No. It wasn't like that. But it was something.

"So what abut Rei?" Nagi said, interrupting his thoughts as the plates came to the table, "What's her story?"

"Rei?" Shin said aback. "Rei…was a lost girl I…found some time ago, with the help of Kenji and Uriko. I saw her and remembered how my brother took care of me. I just felt that I should do the same with her."

"Really? Just like that?"

"Yeah." He lifted the glass to his face, "She makes me feel that I can be someone better. It's weird, I know. But that's how I feel. And I want to help her do the same."

"I see."

Ohigami Residence…

"Hey Kenji. Can we talk for a bit?"

Kenji was in the kitchen cleaning the last of the dishes when Uriko walked in on him. Drying his hands, "Sure. Where's Rei?"

Uriko lent on the kitchen wall, "She went home early. Said that she had something to do."

"Hm."

'Not going to make this easy, huh? Fine then.' She folded her arms, "Okay. We both know what I'm going to ask so I'll just come out and say it. What's going on?

Kenji stopped for a moment and simply stared away in silence. Uriko was quiet as well, knowing that his silent treatment is because he had something major in his mind and he was trying to find the right way to say it. After a long minute, her patience wore thin, but he quietly asked.

"Tell me."

Kenji's shoulder lifted for a moment and then lowered in a plaintive sigh. "It's Kohryu. He's alive and he's back."

"The robot guy?" Uriko asked. "But, I thought…Didn't you guys say that he blew himself up or something like that?"

"Yeah. That's what we all thought." The youth turned his head to the side and gave another sigh, "I guess we were wrong."

"Oh, so that's why you've been so moody." She took a step to him and stated, "You didn't tell Shin yet."

He nodded in response, "I'm waiting for the right time that's all."

The brunette girl gave a big sigh, causing Kenji to look at her in confusion. "What?"

"Well…I was getting worried that you was going to reverting or something."

"You was worried about me?" he replied, still slightly confused by her response.

"Of course you idiot." She replied frustrated. "I love you."

The words were out of her mouth long before she realized she said it. At first she thought that she had only said that in her mind, which alone would have been enough to make her blush. But the stunned shocked expression on Kenji's face told her otherwise.

"You…love…me?"

Uriko was frozen. She can't believe she said that. Out loud no less. Meanwhile, Kenji's face mirrored her expression, unsure that he had heard correctly, but certain that he heard nothing else. She loves me…? The two simply stared at one another for what seemed to be hours, not moving and barely aware that they were breathing.

And that's when the shaking started…

The pair soon exited the restaurant together and into the streets. He began to move with her on the boardwalk of the beach, gazing out into the ocean. It was a semi-cloudy night, but they were still able to see the moon in its half stage high in the sky. As he looked at the moon, his thoughts soon shifted to Rei. 'I wonder what she's doing now?'

"Hello. Earth to Shin."

Shin blinked out of his daze when he realized that Nagi was talking to him, "Huh?"

"I thought so. You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Nagi said as she placed a hand on her hip.

Shin blinked repeatedly, "W-What do you mean?"

The cinnamon-haired woman shook her head, chuckling lightly. "Oh why are guys so dense? It's so obvious."

Shin gave a slight frown and was about to ask her what she meant when a flash of white caught his eye. Looking across the street, he saw a little girl, dressed in a white ceremonial kimono. She seemed to be alone and staring right at him. But before he could discern anything, he blinked, as though something was wrong.

And that's when the shaking started…