The next two weeks at Suichi Nakamura high was not the best for Tsukasa, despite the fact that everyone besides Stephanie and the Sohmas seemed to treat him nicely. He felt as if he were being watched all the time and Sakura along with Stephanie ignored him every chance they got. On Saturday, the end of his second week in Kyoto he walked into his apartment, threw down his school bag, and then flopped onto his bed with a heavy sigh. The cell phone on his bedside table rang and he reluctantly reached over slowly to pick it up.
"Hello" he replied wearily, "Grandfather!" he exclaimed his eyes becoming wide and he sat up straight, "Uh no, not yet. I know" he nodded, "Yes I have. I located someone. Well it's been kind of difficult. I can't exactly" he stopped as he listened to the older man on the other end of the line, "Yes sir. I know. Okay. I'll try. How is mom? Good. Well I'll finish up here and I'll be home as soon as I can. Tell her I love her. I miss you too. Bye" he clicked the phone off, "Man" he sighed again pushing his other hand through his hair, "Now what?"
(Next Scene)
Later that afternoon Stephanie had picked up Sophie from school and was heading towards the town library with her sulking sister behind her.
"But you said that we could go to the park this afternoon" Sophie complained as she followed her.
"We will Soph" Stephanie reassured her, "I just have to go find a book. I promise we will spend the remainder of the afternoon there."
"But what's so important about this? What's it for?"
"I'm doing research on something" Stephanie replied after hesitating a little, "And it's very important. Can you at least give me some time to go look for the book?" she asked turning around and looking at her imploringly.
"Okay" Sophie relented, "But not too long."
"Okay" Stephanie nodded with a smile as she turned back around and continued in the direction of the small building, millions of visions entering of her head.
The first time she had read the cat's journal she had found herself in a dream located in an unoccupied village that apparently had been under attack recently. She had seen after that a small group of children hadappeared and then suddenly awoken back in her bed. Several days had passed since she had read the journal until the night before. She hadn't even mentioned the dreams to Katsuya yet because he had been preoccupied with his mother's pregnancy and training at the dojo as of late. The dream the night before had been lengthy and filled with many familiar faces, one of them, which made her avoid Tsukasa Nakagami even more so all morning. So now here she was at the library planning to find a book of Kyoto family history to aid her in her quest for answers to her strange dreams.
The two girls entered the library and Stephanie looked up at the signs, which marked off each section. When she found the one marked History she turned to her sister.
"Okay my section is right here" she said gently, "Why don't you go look in the Children's Book section until I'm done all right?" she suggested.
"Okay. But don't be too long" Sophie added.
"I won't be" Stephanie nodded and then Sophie ran off leaving her sister alone to make her way to the History section.
Stephanie moved along the many shelves of history books, looking up at them and following the titles with her hand. When she came to a medium sized burgundy book her hand touched the cover just as another did and she turned surprised to see Tsukasa Nakagami standing right next to her with the same stunned expression.
"Mr. Nakagami?" she replied her eyes becoming wide at once.
"Miss Kamiya?" he said and then saw that his hand was still on top of hers, "Oh sorry" he removed it.
"What are you doing here?" she asked a bit accusingly.
"Well" he began to look around him, "I'm in the History section so obviously I was looking for a book on history. What about you?"
"I uh. I was just leaving" she moved away.
"Wait a minute" he stopped her, "Didn't you want that book?"
"It's okay. You can have it" she shook her head moving out of the section.
"Wait!" he called following her into the next section, "Wait a minute! Hold on!" he grabbed onto her arm gently, "What's your hurry?"
"Let go of me" she said in a scared tone and he let her arm go at once.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
"You didn't" she shook her head again and averted her eyes.
"Well it's obvious that I did something to make you upset."
"No, I just don't want you to talk to me" she replied as Sophie came over.
"But" he began.
"Steph" Sophie said in concern, "What's wrong?"
"We're leaving. Let's go" Stephanie replied taking her sister's hand and hurrying away from his confused expression towards the door.
Tsukasa stared at her retreating figure and then shook his own head.
"Damn it" he muttered, "Not this time" he frowned grabbing his coat from the front and heading for the door himself, "I'm gonna get to the bottom of this once and for all."
(Next Scene)
Stephanie and Sophie arrived at the park and Sophie ran to play with her friends while her sister sat on the ground taking a deep breath. As he walked towards the park Tsukasa saw her and stopped himself taking a deep breath.
"Okay" he told himself, "Here goes nothing" he moved forward.
As he approached her Stephanie saw him from the corner of her eye and stood up at once.
"Mr. Nakagami" she replied, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to talk to you," he said simply.
"I told you I don't want to talk to you."
"Well you're gonna have to" he replied irritated moving in front of her.
"Get out of my way" she replied as she tried to move forward.
"No I'm not moving."
"Fine" she turned around, "I'll go this way then" he shook his head, leapt over her and landed in front of her once more, making her take a step back, "I said get out of my way!" she demanded.
"And I said I'm not moving!" he shouted back.
"Lower your voice please" she hissed.
"Not unless you agree to talk to me."
"Fine" she frowned crossing her arms, "What do you want?"
"First of all, get off your high horse."
"Excuse me."
"I don't know what your problem is with me or better yet why those people who seem to be your friends have a problem with me too, but I want it to stop. I didn't do anything wrong to any of you but ever since I got here I have been treated as if I were some kind of criminal."
"That's not true" she retorted.
"Oh let's take a look at the evidence shall we" he said angrily holding up his right hand, "One" he counted off one finger, "On my first day here I helped you with the problem with your locker. Everything was fine, we introduced ourselves to one another, and then all of a sudden you got weird and then practically ran towards the classroom" she averted her eyes slowly as he went on, "Two, I was introduced to the class and then during the entire session I got two guys making angry eyes at me and you and your friend who sits next to you ignoring me completely unlike the rest of the class. And then three, and this is one of my favorites. I am trying to dodge two people I have no interest in talking to and when I duck into the bookstore where your friend is working, at first she gives me a rude welcoming and as I hide, I wonder if she is going to turn me over to them. But she doesn't. Instead she sends them on their merry way and as I get up to thank her she viciously tells me to get out. She practically throws me out of the room, closes the door, and locks it behind her" Stephanie stared at the anger in his eyes, "And finally four, for the rest of the time since I've been here that hasn't changed and today you're running away from me again. Now I want to know why. I mean what I could have done to all of you to make you avoid me like the plague?"
"You wouldn't understand" she shook her head.
"What wouldn't I understand? Try me. Is this the way they treat people who come from America? Did they treat you this way?"
"No of course not."
"Then I don't understand. Why am I being treated like this? What did I do to you or to them that is so terrible huh?"
"You didn't do anything."
"Then why am I being treated like an outcast by you people?"
"You really don't know do you? Or are you just playing dumb?" she said accusingly once more with her hands on her hips.
"What?" he threw up his hands, "What are you talking about?"
"Their last name is Sohma and I am dating one of them. Does that ring a bell?"
"Sohma?"
"That's right."
"Okay. So?"
"Do you not see where I am going with this?"
"Not really. But maybe you can make it a little more clearer."
"Their last name is Sohma, your last name is Nakagami. Do you understand?"
"And this has to do with our last names is that it?" he replied and then realized with a frown as she nodded slowly, "Okay" he stated angrily, "I see. I think I get it now" he moved away placing a hand over his mouth briefly, "You know before you go making accusations" he turned back around, "I want you to keep something in mind. A little saying that goes something like this. Innocent until proven guilty. Maybe you should consider that" he turned once more from her and walked away leaving her feeling a little guilty at how the conversation had turned out.
(Next Scene)
In fact she felt so guilty that she couldn't sleep at all that night, repeating his words over and over in her head. When the sun rose she too rose from her bed and left the house quietly heading once more for the library. As she walked into the History section her heart pounded guiltily in her chest as she saw Tsukasa sitting at the long table that stood at the end of the section in a dark corner. She moved cautiously towards the table. He looked up and frowned slightly as he looked back down at the book he was reading and jotted some notes down on his pad of paper that was next to him.
"Miss Kamiya."
"Mr. Nakagami" she said slowly.
"What are you doing here? I thought you didn't want to talk or associate with me?"
"Well I've been thinking about what you said yesterday."
"And?"
"You're right" he looked up, "I shouldn't be judging you. It's not like me and I apologize. But it doesn't mean that I can associate myself with you anyway."
"I respect that" he nodded, "And I accept your apology. However are you basing this on my last name? Because if you are I got news for you" he stood up to return his book to the shelf.
"What?"
"Nakagami isn't the name I use in America."
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, I don't go by the name Tsukasa Nakagami" he crossed his arms as he leaned against the shelf, "I go by the name Tsukasa Kim. Nakagami is my father's last name. But I have been living with my mother since my parents got divorced when I was two years old. I only use it here because it is my real last name. I don't like using it, but I have no choice. It was the only way I could come here."
"But if you're a Nakagami, then you know all about the Sohma family don't you?"
"Of course I know about it" he replied sarcastically, "Believe me I wish I didn't if this is the reason for all of this."
"I don't understand then, what are you doing in Kyoto?"
"That's my business. But it has nothing to do with the Ushidas revenge against the Sohmas. That is the reason why you are avoiding me isn't it?" he looked at her directly and she averted her eyes, "It took me awhile to figure that out last night after our conversation. But that is the reason isn't it?" he repeated as she turned her head away from his eyes, "You don't have to tell me it is, I know it is by your reaction. But I can assure you that I am not here on their behalf."
"I can't believe that" she shook her head.
"Why not?"
"I just can't" she looked at him face to face.
"Do you know who I was dodging that day I ducked into the bookstore?" he asked.
"No."
"The Ushida brothers."
"Why were you dodging them?" she asked surprised.
"Because I was trying to avoid them trying to coerce me into the whole deal."
"What deal?"
"You know. The deal. The whole Ushidas revenge against the Sohmas deal. Which is crap if you ask me."
"You were trying to avoid them because of that?"
"Yep. I have spent half of my life trying to avoid it."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to be any part of it. It's stupid. It's ludicrous. It's childish. I could say a thousand things about it. The bottom line is, it's not worth my time."
"And I suppose you don't do anything that is not worth your time then" she replied angrily at the familiarity of his response, "Unless you get something out of it that is?"
"What? Where have I heard that before?" he thought out loud, "No" he shook his head, "You're missing the point. It's not worth my time because going after someone who did nothing to me, isn't right. You understand?" he paused, "I think this whole concept of a family going after another for thousands of generations is dumb. One family is cursed that is true. But the other one is too. Do you know how?"
"No."
"Because each generation has dragged their children into the whole thing making them believe it's the end all and be all. And starting the whole vicious cycle again. Now I ask you does that make any sense?"
"Not really" she shook her head.
"Not only that, they have dragged the Nakagami family into it. And the Nakagami's are raring to go. All except one. And that one is me. My mother and my grandfather taught me better than that. My last name Kim also symbolizes something. Where as the Nakagami's are loyal to the Ushida clan the Kim family were the Sohmas most trusted allies. So I'm torn. But I choose to go with the Kim side because the Nakagami's are nuts. So I don't blame you for hating me."
"I don't hate you. I just can't trust you."
"Why not?"
"Because you're related to him."
"Who?"
"Someone I have tried to forget. Someone Kaye and the others have tried to forget as well. Someone with your last name."
"My last name?" Tsukasa replied with a nod of his head, "He wouldn't happen to be around the same age would he?" he raised his eyebrows as he crossed his arms.
"I believe so."
"Uh huh" he moved around, "Let me take a guess here, a wide stab in the dark. He wouldn't be about this tall" he indicated with his hand, "have short dark hair, wear glasses, and have piercingly blue eyes would he?"
Her eyes became wide as she turned her face.
"And his name wouldn't be Seitarou Nakagami would it?" he emphasized the last two words.
"I uh" she said nervously.
"I see" he nodded his head in frustration as he leaned against the bookcase with his palms resting on the books, "Now it's all becoming clearer. What did he do this time?"
"Uh."
"Was he here recently?" he turned to look at her.
"About a month ago" she nodded.
"Mhm. Well I'll say this much for him. He has the gift" he replied sarcastically, "In timing" he sighed, "I guess he did something pretty bad?"
"You could say that" she nodded again.
"Well for my own sense of justice, could you tell me what he did exactly?"
"Well um" she hesitated.
"I don't want all the details. Just something simple."
"Basically to make a long story short, he kidnapped me for a whole week and tried to get me to tell him information about the Zodiac members."
"You were with him for a whole week alone?"
"Mhm."
"Yep. Yep. That sounds like my cousin all right" he shook his head furiously.
"Your cousin?"
"That's correct" Tsukasa nodded bitterly, "Seitarou Nakagami is my cousin."
(Till Next Scene)
Authors Note: Hey guys! Hope everyone had a great Christmas and holiday! Hence the reason this chapter is so late. I also decided to change the chapters around recently so the title for this one changed and the next one will be the title I had intended for this one. Also it will be shorter. See you all later tonight for the fourth chapter!
Next Chapter:
A Trust Gesture
Now that Tsukasa has discovered the truth about Seitarou's involvement with his problems in Kyoto he sets to prove to Stephanie to learn to trust him.