I might need to rename this chapter "My Pathetic Attempt At Humor", or "A Classic Rumiko Takahashi Moment: brought to you by kumi-chan". Yup. (I should really keep my stories drama and suspense and romance, hm?)
I am a little afraid to see the reactions to this chapter… I may avoid reading my reviews for a while… I can't decide if you'll love it or hate it. BUT if you hate it don't stop reading because another big surprise is coming next chapter. Why does my story have so many surprises? BECAUSE IT CAN!
I will shut up and let you read and decide for youself…
Chapter 25: The Threat Of Forgiveness
"It's this way!" Rin said, pulling Hanako's arm.
"Uh, Rin, I don't really want to go to the hot springs right now…" Hanako murmured. She had remembered the way Kagome and Sango had stared at her scarred body, and Rin was only a small child and would not understand.
"Too bad! I don't want to go in all alone!"
Hanako sighed. She began to think of lies that could explain each scar on her back.
They arrived at a steaming water pit. Rin threw off her kimono and jumped in.
"C'mon Hanako-chan! It's really nice!"
Hanako looked away from Rin and then at the water. Yes, it sure did look inviting, but her own self-consciousness kept her away.
"Hanako-chan?" Rin coaxed. She looked at Hanako with her big innocent brown eyes. Hanako sighed. Rin wanted her to come in so badly. I guess it wouldn't hurt…
"Fine. Fine. I'll come in, but only for a moment…"
She knelt down and removed her white frock, keeping herself covered as well as she could. She peered at Rin. She wasn't even looking at her. She took the rest of it off and slipped into the hot spring. She smiled at Rin weakly.
Rin smiled back. "You don't have to worry about how you look. I don't care."
Hanako was quite surprised. She had read her like a book. She relaxed a little at her words and put her hair up. Rin stared.
"Why are you doing that?" she asked.
"I don't feel like getting it wet. So don't splash me, okay?"
Rin nodded. "Yup!"
They talked for a while about the most random things. Hanako had always been surprised at how well they got along, Hanako looking around seventeen and Rin being eight. She did truly love Rin. She didn't care about any of the things that plagued her every night and day. That was one of the best things about children: they were so innocent and knew nothing of the true sins of the world.
The cold wind blew over their heads and they ducked in further into the water, Hanako putting in an extra effort not to get her hair wet. What the two did not see was that it blew away Hanako's sash into the woods.
(…)
Sesshomaru walked through the trees by himself. Surprisingly, he was beginning to get sick of that. The cold wind blew through his hair, relieving him of the humidity that had been in the air all day. Something blew at his feet. He bent over to pick it up.
Wait… isn't this Hanako's sash that she uses to tie around her kimono?He turned to his side. He had remembered seeing Rin dragging Hanako somewhere in that direction. He would bring it to her. She was probably looking for it. And she most likely needed it as well…
(…)
"You know what I think Hanako-chan?" Rin said, washing some of the dirt off of her hands.
"What do you think, Rin-chan?" Hanako asked, leaning back against a rock, taking a bite out of a fruit.
"I think you should forgive Lord Sesshomaru, that's what I think."
Hanako spat out all of the fruit that had been in her mouth.
Rin laughed. "He obviously is sorry, Hanako-chan! He's just not going to say it out loud."
"And why not?" she asked, her voice sounding more stern since Sesshomaru somehow got on the subject. She reluctantly scooped her chewed up food out of the water, wincing while she did so.
"Because he's Lord Sesshomaru," Rin said, "And he would never do that. He's too scared of showing people how he feels or something." Rin smiled. "I will bet you anything that if you just smiled at him once, you would make his day."
Hanako laughed. "Yeah right, Rin-chan!"
"I dare you!"
They both laughed.
Eh, Hanako thought to herself, maybe things have been dragged on a little too long… maybe I should… forgive him…
(…)
Sesshomaru heard giggling coming from beyond some trees. That must be them, he thought, rolling his eyes. He never understood why girls were so strangely giddy. He pushed away some branches. He paused for a moment, not sure of what he was seeing.
Hanako and Rin were both sitting in the boiling water of a hot spring, laughing about who knows what.
He began to say something, but he stopped in mid sentence.
Hanako stood up from the water, completely naked before him. Drips of steaming water dripped from her neck, down her breasts and down every curve of her body. She exhaled slowly while smiling.
"I really should get out now, Rin-chan. There is… work to be done… I suppose…" she giggled. She unclipped her hair. She shook her head slightly and it fell down her back.
He raised an eyebrow, his cheeks becoming a bright pink…
Sesshomaru did not know what to do. His head had gone completely blank. He tried to cling on to the sanest thoughts inside of his head. He had an idea, to just walk away and pretend he saw nothing. That was a good idea. He walked backwards, not able to look away yet, but unfortunately, the bushes rustled while he moved. Rin's head shot around.
"Oh," she said, "Hi Lord Sesshomaru!"
Hanako's eyes shot open. She gaped at him, her face darkening into a deep red. He froze.
A loud, ear-piercing scream could be heard from far away…
Sesshomaru backed away from them.
"PLEASE, DON'T LOOK AT ME!" Hanako shrieked, throwing herself back into the water. She hugged her knees and screamed again.
Sesshomaru still decided to walk away and pretend he saw nothing. His ears still hurt from Hanako's screaming. He threw the sash behind him and walked through the bushes, at a much faster pace than usual. He wanted to get away as fast as possible. She was already mad at him, whatever she would do next was sure to be worse.
Only one thought was running through his mind: Whoa… what the hell was that…?
Hanako was almost entirely under water, all except for the top of her head, her eyes just above the surface, which were narrowed in anger and humiliation. Her hair whirled around the water. He had made her get it soaking wet. She growled, causing bubbles to rise to the surface of the water.
"Oh," Rin said, running over to what Sesshomaru had dropped. "This is your tie for your kimono, isn't it Hanako-chan?"
Hanako's entire face was twisted into anger. More bubbles.
F-FORGIVE HIM, she fumed, On second thought… I'LL KILL HIM!
(…)
It was dawn and the sun had barely risen. Sesshomaru stood staring at the rising sun. It had been so humid the past few days, and he could tell by the heavy vapor in the air that it would be the same today as well.
Hanako stabbed her last fish in the river for breakfast. She wiped off beads of sweat from her forehead, dropping her fifth fish into a basket. This would be quite enough for Rin, or perhaps even herself.
She rolled up her long sleeves and picked up her basket and began to trudge forward. She stopped in mid step.
Sesshomaru stood staring at the sky. Her anger flared.
Her hatred had begun to subside until the previous night. She shuddered at the thought. It had been so embarrassing and degrading and she just couldn't take it. She pondered why she didn't just leave and go back with Inuyasha again. No. She couldn't do that. She wouldn't leave Rin alone again.
But the other side of her was tired. Tired of being so angry. She was beginning so become sick of holding a grudge.
But what he did to me… is it really okay to just forget about it?
It couldn't be okay. What he did was completely unforgivable. She narrowed her eyes at him. He still hadn't noticed her standing there watching him. She could have thrown one of the dead fish in her basket at him and ran away and he never would have known it was she. She would have done it if it weren't her and Rin's breakfast. She began to walk away, still looking at him as she did so.
He turned around to see her there. She paused, her eyes never leaving him.
They exchanged glances for a long period of time, Sesshomaru wearing his same solemn expression, Hanako looking somewhat flushed.
Hanako remembered Rin's dare from the other night…
"I will bet you anything that if you just smiled at him once, you would make his day."
Hanako looked him straight in the eye for the first time in a while. She had forgotten their intensity, how beautiful they were.
She managed a weak smile at first, but them beamed at him with a glowing happiness and warmth that filled the rest of her face. She bowed to him.
"Good morning to you," she crooned.
His eyes widened.
She peered up at him, observing his surprised facial expression. He giggled to herself and ran off with the basket of fish. She thought it was funny to tease him.
Perhaps Rin-chan was right…
He watched her run off through the trees. She had smiled at him; a sight that he had not seen in so very long; a site that he had strangely missed.
Does that mean that she is no longer angry with me…? He wondered. He would try to talk to her today.