Just where the hell have we been?
Umi-chan: First we had finals and it's our first year in high school so… it was hectic! Then we had writer's block and decided to take a vacation from writing over Winter Break (sweat drops) and most recently we've kind of been… preoccupied with our boyfriends/crushes. So I apologize to you all at once. But I can't promise how often we update, so please just bear with us. After all, we do have the end of the story planned out and we also have a sequel planned, so no worries!
Review replies done by Umi-chan:
Spirit of the Dead: Yes, evil cliffy… damn, I even forgot what the last chapter was about and that's not good /
Animeprincess1452: What happens next? Only God knows that… . ;;
Faerie-kittie306 animelover: Well duh Yuki and Akito are going to do something nice for their girls! I mean what kind of cheap jerks are they if they didn't! P
Konie Hime: Yes, plot development; we do have some of that occasionally.
Clover: Of course we'll update, we'll just be very slow about it.
Outcast Shadow: Wow, we love you too (happy dance) sorry for the long delay.
Tashi-Meh: We died… /
Mistress Nika: Dude! I went to Japan and I know for a fact that Kyou-chan and I have the names right.
Kiki: Sorry, I know it takes us a while to update but patience is a virtue (sweat drops).
Halo Marine1: Funky chicken! Yes, this can be a weird story... XD You know us? You must be our stalker!
Chapter Thirty: The White Day Onsen
(Midori's POV)
"What is it?" Pohli asked in her naive and carefree way.
I waited until Yuki was way ahead of us before I whispered to Pohli, "I got into a fight with Saki on Valentine's Day… she says I'm not allowed to be around Yuki anymore since Tohru likes him…" I stared down at the ground sadly when Pohli slapped me on the back and nearly knocked me over! "What was that for!"
Pohli was grinning from ear to ear. "I have an idea! Today's White Day, right? And Aki was telling me about how the Sohma's own a hot spring, so I think that after school we should all go there as a double date!"
I gave Pohli a blank look. How stupid can she be? This won't solve my problem at all… "B-but what about school and all?"
"Forget it! Meet me in front of the school after classes and we'll go!" Pohli slapped me on the back again, making me stumble, before running off to school.
I'm so screwed… Hm, that reminds me, I need to ask Pohli about the lighter she bought me… it disappeared a while back and I can't find it now.
Many, many hours later…Pohli, Akito, Yuki, and I were at the wonderful Sohma Onsen… but hell, it was nighttime and I still had yet to step into the relaxing hot water of the hot spring!
Pohli ran off somewhere, only Kami-sama knows where, but I bet she was out in the garden or something staring at a gnome since she can be so easily entertained and all. Yuki was avoiding Akito as much as possible and wouldn't even so much as look at the creepy head of the family. But as for Akito, I don't know where he is either…
So I was sitting in my dark room all alone when I heard a scream outside. Immediately I ran over to the window and looked out to see what was going on… maybe Akito was murdering some poor girl?
But after that it was very quiet and I leaned against the window frame, enjoying the stars and the cool night breeze.
I almost didn't hear the knock at the door because I was so busy daydreaming off in my own world. I answered it, thinking Pohli had locked herself out or something, but to my surprise it was Yuki.
Casually looking over my shoulder with his violet eyes to see if anyone else was around, Yuki returned his attention to me with a small smile. "Care to go for a walk with me?"
I nodded shyly and slipped my wooden shoes on so we could leave. He led the way and I remained two steps behind him, staring at his back the whole time. Yuki was wearing the white robe that was customary to be worn at the hot springs, so you could simply go for a soak anytime you wished. I of course was wearing a similar robe but I kept tightening it nervously just in case it decided to slip while I was around Yuki.
Yuki stopped suddenly and so did I.
"Midori?" Yuki called my name quietly.
"Yes?" Stepping forward I looked at his face curiously and he gave me yet another of his charming smiles.
Without answering, Yuki's hand slipped into a fold of his robe and he pulled out a small package and held it out for me. "I got something for you in return for your lovely chocolates you gave me on Valentine's Day."
"Oh?" I couldn't help but smile and pry the paper off the package. Inside was a white ribbon made of a very soft and delicate silk trimmed with lace. I inhaled quietly in awe of my gift and I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "Thank you, Yuki."
I looked up into his violet eyes and was surprised when he was leaning down, his face inches from mine. "Midori…" Yuki paused, with a worried expression on his pale features. He didn't continue for a few minutes because whatever it was he wanted to say was just too hard to say with ease. "Midori… I love you."
My heart started pounding, my throat tightened up to where I couldn't speak, and I felt like every breath inside of me was being taken away against my will. But Yuki put his hands on my shoulders… I wish he could have wrapped his arms around me and held me right then…
"I… I love you too, Yuki." I said almost as a whisper.
"I'm so glad." Yuki sighed in relief and suddenly the atmosphere didn't seem so tense.
I smiled warmly at him and it felt like I hadn't been able to do that before I ever met Yuki. He returned the smile and laughed slightly. "To see you smile brings me the greatest happiness, Midori." And with that he leaned in close to my face and kissed me softly on my lips. My face turned bright red and I couldn't help but giggle from all the happiness that was being swept over me like a wave. "Let's go back." Yuki suggested and we walked home in the dark, hand in hand.
(Pohli's POV)
So here I am, sneaking out of the small little room I'm sharing with Midori. You're probably wondering why I'm sneaking out, right? Well here's my issue…
I really like the hot springs and all, but I'm very sorry… There is just something wrong with the idea of hanging out in the nude with your friends instead of going to the mall. It just bothers me slightly. I know if I say 'hey Midori I'll be right back, I'm going in for a dip' she's going to want to come along and there's just no way. It was scary enough that she came into the bathroom while I was soaking that one time!
So I brought a couple of towels, a bite of normal food I stole from Jack before he ran away, and a lantern. I spent about an hour trying to climb out of the window before I managed to get out. I swear I only fell into a rosebush once and it didn't hurt that badly.
Ok, that's a really big lie. I screamed in pain and it obviously caught the attention of Midori since she came running over to the window to look out. I panicked and did the best thing I could. I blew out the lantern and stayed very still.
Thirty minutes passed before she left the window because someone knocked at the door and she finally moved away from the window to go answer the door like the good girl we all know she is. Ha, that's a laugh!
After climbing out of the thorny rose bush I managed to stumble down the pathway in the dark and I only ran into two signs. That's when I remembered I was still carrying the lantern and Midori's lighter that I just happened to be still borrowing. So I lit the thing and could finally see that I was about to fall into a large spring.
I walked as far away from the little houses and their lights as I could go through the little resort. And this was exactly where I wanted to take a bath. This little spring was about as natural as you could get. It's not like one of those nicely done up ones with pretty rocks and fences around it. It was a little abandoned one hidden by the thick brush like a special little hiding place waiting just for me.
I climbed through the bramble of bushes and trees, scraping my legs a little before managing to get to the tiny spring. At first I didn't want to even take my robe off. The idea of basically skinny-dipping in the middle of a place where anyone could be walking by just doesn't appeal to me. I'm sorry but it just doesn't.
Slowly I set my towel down along with Midori's lighter and the lantern. I quickly blew out the lantern hoping no one had seen me come in here.
I undid my robe and quickly got under the water, getting completely soaked in the steaming hot water. I poked my head out of the water to make sure no one was around peeking in on me.
It didn't look like anyone was around… There probably wasn't anybody around, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful about who you drop your drawers in front of.
I rose up out of the water a little more and slowly continued to come up out of the water until my shoulders were visible and I could sit on a nice handy little rock behind me. It was a really relaxing place after you got over the whole issues of privacy. Maybe tomorrow I'd join Midori in a bath.
Ok, well that's another lie too. I'm just not ready for that… yet.
Closing my eyes I began to zone out, forgetting the fact I'd have to go back to school soon, forgetting the fact that I could be seen at any minute, forgetting the fact that-
That's when I heard the crunch of someone stepping on a twig. I froze and lowered all of myself but my eyes under the warm water. Another twig snapped and I backed into a rock that was behind me.
I recognized the voice of my intruder and I tensed in fear. "Where could she be at this time of night? I just saw her coming this way."
There was only one person in the world I knew who could be incredibly happy and still sound pissed...
Akito.
I slowly slid under the water all of the way. I sat there.
And sat.
I sat some more.
And then the lack of air started to hit me.
I jumped up out of the water, gasping for breath and then I screamed loud enough to wake up the entire hot spring.
There right in front of me, about two feet away was a very, very ugly fat man. I stood there staring at him for about a minute while he stood there gaping at the fact that a blonde nineteen-year-old was in front of him in the nude.
I blinked before my brain kicked in. First, I brought my arms close to my body in an attempt to cover my upper half before stepping back into the water and trying to scramble away from the man while not showing any… goods. Then I screamed bloody murder again.
So now the guy was trying to get his hands over my mouth to shut me up, which only made me scream louder. "Shut up" He shouted and reached out to grab my face. I screamed one last time and jerked away covering my face.
"Get the fuck away from her" A voice shouted and I could feel the old fat man being jolted away. "Don't you even dare LOOK at her"
I heard the fat man scream and he started running away as fast as he could on his short stubby legs. The ground almost seemed to shake under the weight of each step.
For some reason, I couldn't move at all. I tried, I really did but I seemed to be rooted in place with my back to this new stranger and I felt vulnerable… afraid of what might happen to me.
I felt the warm water ripple against my back as the new stranger climbed in. I couldn't turn around… if I was going to get raped, for the love of god let me see the bastard so I can hunt him down and lynch his sorry ass!
As the stranger moved into the water I began to blush deeply.
Ever so gently I felt a hand trace my spine. I shuddered under the touch and the hand jerked back for a moment. I took a deep breath and waited. Goosebumps appeared on my skin because I could feel the stranger's hand hovering over my bare shoulders just daring to touch me. Please don't! I was crying on the inside.
"Shhh" They whispered into my ear"I won't hurt you. Please don't be afraid." I slowly turned my head so I could see whom my savior/assaulter was.
I turned blood red and slowly sank back under the water.
Akito was standing behind me, his face stony and expressionless unlike the comforting look I needed most right now.
I felt the water move again and a few seconds later I felt a towel being draped over my shoulders. Gently he rested his chin on my shoulder and wrapped his arms around me.
"Lets go home." And that's all he said as we got out and walked home together, hand in hand in the dark.
TO BE CONTINUED