Chapter 5

When Kazuma returned, Kimishima was in the kitchen filling a glass of water.

"How did it go?" Kimishima asked, hopeful.

"Just don't go there, okay. What were you thinking sending me on a rescue mission for someone who couldn't even pay their taxes anyway?" Kazuma questioned angrily.

"What?... oh gosh... I'm sorry Kazuma... I didn't know... It's just... I was trying to find a job for you so fast... I'm sorry."

"I said let's just not talk about, okay?" Kazuma said, anger rising and restraint falling away.

"Sure" Kimishima said, disappointed with himself.

"How's Kanami?" Kazuma said, worry returning.

"Well, I think you better go in there and see for yourself..." Kimishima said slowly, carefully trying to pick the right words.

"Why... what happened?" Kazuma replied, starting to panic.

"She's not doing too good. She's coughing, and she keeps breathing hard and crying..." Kimishima was cut off abruptly by Kazuma as he ran into Kanami's room.

Kanami could be heard from outside her bedroom door. She was coughing heavily and whimpering slightly. "Kazu-kun.. Kazu-kun... Kazu-kun..." she whispered his name over and over, panicking, as if the walls of the small room were closing in.

"I'm here Kanami..." Kazuma ran to her. "I'm here," he said again, soothingly.

"Oh, Kazu-kun!" she exclaimed, crying on his chest. Her tears were cold, like ice, as if at any moment they would freeze. "What's happening... am I... am I sick?" Kanami looked straight into Kazuma's eyes, as if she was searching for the truth in them.

"Kanami," Kazuma said slowly. He paused for a long time, struggling. How was it possible to tell an innocent little girl like that, one that he cared for deeply, one that he loved... that she may die? As if his thoughts hit Kanami hard on the head, she gasped loudly and continued to cry. Kazuma could feel his heart breaking and held Kanami tight to his body.

Kanami fell asleep soon after, Kazuma lay with her again with the same worry, only stronger now. The end was closer. Kazuma was overwhelmed with so much emotion, anger, sadness, rage, depression, that he couldn't breathe. Kanami... no... she couldn't... she can't die... no... she doesn't deserve this... he was suppose to protect her... he let her down... but he could live with letting her down... he couldn't live if she died... she couldn't die... this can't be happening.. this had to be a dream... A Dream

I was, dreaming. The person in my dream was overcome with extreme worry. He was reluctant to face the truth, because the truth was harsh, and cold.

And the person... not the same person... but a new person in my dream... he was... he was... cruel... he was... heartless... he was... laughing... and his name was...

Kanami sat bolt upright and screamed the name of a man that was familiar to Kazuma. Kouketsu Someru.

"Kanami," Kazuma whispered, shocked at this abrupt awakening, "where did you hear that name?"

"I, I don't know," Kanami said trying to concentrate. "I think Obason told me to stay away from the farm that day, the day of the explosion, because he was going to be there."

"Kimishima!" Kazuma yelled quickly and Kanami jumped. "Sorry," he said to her and gave her a small hug before jumping out of her bed and running to the kitchen.

"What is it?" Kimishima said, an expression on his face showing that he thought maybe something had happened to Kanami.

"Kouketsu Someru! He did this!" Kazuma shouted at him. Kimishima didn't seem to get what was so great about the name. "Don't you remember? Kanami wouldn't, because I don't think she ever knew, who Arana's husband was."

Kimishima gasped. "That's right! Didn't they run away with each other and get married without Obason's consent or something?"

"Yep, and then three months later Arana came back pregnant saying that her good for nothing husband was an abusing drunk." Kazuma remembered that day, because he and Arana had to make up an excuse for the bruises on Arana's arms and face when Kanami had asked about them. They had tried to hide the cruel truth from her. And now Kanami was in the middle of it.

"Didn't he work with construction, and explosives before he got fired?"

"It's gotta be him, Kimishima. Kanami said Obason didn't want her near the farm that day, because he was coming to work."

"Yeah" Kimishima scoffed, "He did a job alright. Just not what he was supposed to."

"That creep killed his own wife, Kimishima," Kazuma was now not only worried for Kanami, but saddened by the death of Arana, and outraged, "and his own kid. His own flesh and blood. And now he is responsible for what is happening to Kanami." Kazuma was shouting in rage at the top of his lungs.

"Calm down," Kimishima said, trying to keep calm himself. "Do you still know where he lives?"

"Yeah. And I'm going there. And I'm going to tell him that if Kanami doesn't pull through this, if he doesn't help me help her pull through this, I am going make him suffer the worst death ever. And then he is going to have to pay for killing Arana and her baby."

Kazuma went to Kanami's room to say goodbye, but she was already in a restless sleep. She kept mumbling his name and Kouketsu Someru over and over again, trembling. He tucked her in tightly and gave her a kiss on the forehead, and he was off. This may be the last time he saw Kanami alive, he thought to himself, as he walked away, blind sighted by the painful truth.

A/N: I'm sooooo sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up... so much has been going on... but I promise the next chapter will come soon... Tell me what you think of this one.