The unveiling truth(Part 2)
"Geez.. I'm bored to death. You wanna do anything Onikui?" The tired looking Sugino asked Haruka while Rosalie and Youko were trying to think of an activity that they could do. Haruka just couldn't be bothered as he was still tryin to understand what Mu-chan meant.. "for some wounds and scars inflicted in the past cannot be healed by time!"
"I've got it!" Youko suddenly stood up and yelled, causing her half eaten cake to drop from her lap to the floor with a 'splat'! "Oops.."
After cleaning the mess up, she said, "We can explore this shrine on our own! Kan-chan is out somewhere while Rei and Reika is out for the opening of the Spring Festival. After all, we have to know this place since we have to stay here for some time…"
The five (including Mu), then started their tour around the shrine shine which was rather normal like any other shrines they've been in and so, became a little more daring and did something which they wouldn't dare to do if Kantarou, in his current mood was around..
They actually went.. into.. Kantarou's room!
"Until now I still can't believe he has a room of his own." Youko told the others as they started to look up and down for something out of the ordinary.
"Kyoto is Kantarou's hometown.. so I'm not really surprised, Youko." The kuro tengu replied nonchalantly.
"Lucifer.." Rosalie spoke quietly to Haruka with something in her hand. "Look at this.." she then handed the item over to Haruka when Mu jumped onto his shoulder.
Youko and Sugino, being curious, looked at it as well.
It was a picture, which had droplets of water on it but was still clear enough to see. Their eyes widened a little.
It was a picture of Kantarou and a girl who looked like Rei and Reika but her hair was at waist length and she was prettier than the two sisters.
They found a whole box of pictures by the window where Kantarou slept.
All the pictures were of Kantarou, the girl, a younger Rei and a younger Reika. But there was one, which had the shrine yard as the background when the cherry blossoms were in bloom and Kantarou, Rei, Reika, the girl, a man and a woman were in the picture. Behind the picture was a list of the names of the people in it.
The Tachibana family- Tachibana Shigure, head priest, father of: Tachibana Rei, Tachibana Reiya, Tachibana Reika.
The Ichinomiya family- Ichinomiya Kantarou and stepmother, Ichinomiya Saeko.
The gang became dumb and stared at the picture for a long time.
Just who is Reiya?
A distance away from the shrine, Kantarou was staring blankly at the lake where the ritual would be held.
During spring, the demon that slumbers in the lake would cause a flood in the regions of the village near the lake. Many had died over the years due to this, thus the need for the exorcism of the demon.
"I'm sorry, truly, I didn't mean to but still.. forgive me, Reiya" muttered Kantarou as he left.
"Ah I'm so full!" exclaimed the fox youkai
"Glad you enjoyed it. Though it was simple fare." Rei told the group.
Just as everyone was about to leave the dining room—
"Hey Kantarou, who is the girl by the name of Tachibana Reiya?" Sugino asked happily while hugging Mu.
Kantarou froze upon hearing that name.
"uh-oh… Reika told her sister worriedly.
SLAM! Kantarou stood up from the table and opened the sliding doors.
"She's.. gone.."
And he left with another bang of the door. Sugino then asked again, quietly this time, "What's up with him?"
Later that night, Haruka, being worried that his dumb master might do something highly idiotic, went to his room to check on him.
"Kantarou, I'm coming in now." The tengu then opened the sliding doors to find a sleeping Kantarou holding the pictures in his hands by the window.
Haruka sighed as he covered his master with a blanket. Just as he was about to leave he heard him muttering something in his sleep.
"I broke my promise to protect you."
