Rikku: Konnichiwa minna!! (Hello everyone) Like always, I have to make my thank-yous...
Hannah Kyouyama: Thanks for the tip, I'm not too sure if I'll actually dedicate this chapter to Ren and Pirika but in the end it'll all work out.
saber-kon: Arigatou!!
Rikku: Btw, I reposted chapter 1 because of some summary errors. Re-read it (the summary) for some story changes. As for this chapter, I think I might kick in the major dilemma and leave the Ren and Pirika moments for a little later- of course, these moments will be delightfully decorated with Ren's feeling's for Miho and 'someone's' well... 'anger'. Heh-heh, I'm having so much fun being evil! :) I don't want to spoil anymore so just stay tooned to find out!
----------------------------
Winter of Love
Chapter 11: Trouble in Paradise
----------------------------
Horo and I had both noticed Yoh and Anna's strange behaviour toward each other... what could have possibly happened? (Rikku: No dirty thoughts because that's NOT what happened.) Although this questioned drilled into our minds, we both agreed that it was best not to interfere.
Two weeks had passed since my little incident with Ren and I still never told Horo. Since then, Ren had stopped visiting the shrine and there was a very noticeable change in Pirika's attitude... almost like depression.
And I couldn't help but think...
Was this all my fault?
------------------------------
The next day had me surprised, as Ren had finally given into Pirika's demands and was found hanging around the shrine aside Horo like good friends- courtesy of Pirika's doing.
But...
If Horo found out...
There was no telling what he would do...
To Ren...
Or to me...
I attempted to quickly pass by the two and make my way toward the living room, as they were walking along the hallway, only to be stopped by Horo as he spotted me.
"What's the rush?" he asked, getting ahold of my wrist.
"Sumimasen...(sorry)" I smiled, my voice lowered to a small whisper.
"Something's wrong..." Horo observed. "I'll talk to you later though," he gestured to Ren. "I've got company at the moment."
"I'm okay- really." I replied, my smile soon fading as my eyes met with Ren's. He quickly looked away with a look of pain quite visible.
"If you say so." Horo frowned giving me one last observant glance before he released my wrist.
I bowed to the two and turned away, heading for the living room where Tamao sat. She had returned a few days ago, telling us she just needed some time alone, although it didn't seem like her depressed state had improved.
I plopped onto the couch with a loud sigh. Tamao looked at me sympathetically. "What's wrong?"
"Everything..." I answered, giving a small glance at Horo before he left outside with Ren.
Tamao, however, noticed this. "I thought things were working out fine between you and Horo."
"I don't really know myself now... I mean, everything should be working out... Horo's happy, and... and I should be too, but there are certain reasons why I just can't..."
"Well, I'm sure everything will work out soon." Tamao reassured.
"Thanks..." I replied, trying to grace another smile. "Um... Tamao?"
"Uh-huh?"
My mind filled with questions as I wondered whether I should ask a certain question to the younger girl or not. "Um... Tamao, why did you leave?"
Tamao quickly looked away. "I-I told you- I just needed time alone."
"And that wouldn't be perhaps because of a certain person... would it?"
"Um..." Tamao suddenly looked back with tear-stained eyes. "M-Miho...?"
It suddenly dawned on me that I was right the whole time about Tamao's little problem. I watched her pain-strucked face in guilt knowing that I had tried to patch things up with Anna and Yoh when I knew... the whole time... that she'd be hurt in the end. "Hai?"
Tamao moved slowly to the couch to sit aside from me. She opened her mouth to respond, only to be broken off as she wept into her hands immediately. "You... you all know already, don't you?" she cried in a soft muffled voice.
"Gomen nasai, Tamao-chan... (I'm sorry Tamao) I should have told you..."
"I-I can't help it..." she continued. "I can't control my feelings for him..."
"Well... I don't really what to tell you this but... Yoh... he belongs to-"
"To Anna, I know!" Tamao finished, sobbing even harder. Suddenly she pulled her face from her hands to look at me, "I know..." she repeated in a soft and sad voice.
I sighed knowing that nothing I could say was good enough. "Tamao-chan... we all have our issues and we just need to sort them out... on our own." With that said, I got up from the couch and left Tamao to think over her own situation.
-------------------------
Moments later, as I sat in the kitchen, engulfing a soda and being engulfed myself by the thoughts that swarmed my mind, Horo suddenly bursted in, breathing rapidly as a look of relief graced his face. "Finally, he's GONE!"
I chuckled a bit as my boyfriend made his way toward me. He took the seat next to me and place an arm over my shoulders, still breathing quite intensely. "I take it from your reaction, that Ren left?"
Horo grinned. "You betcha! Now I have the rest of the afternoon off to spend time with you without Pirika constantly nagging me now that I've done everything she's asked for!"
"Dear God..." I laughed, getting up and throwing away my empty can.
I turned back around to sit, only to be stopped as Horo got up too, a stern look crossing his face. "I almost forgot... there's something wrong... I've noticed it- is there something you should be telling me?"
I managed to place on a fake smile and wave it off. "Of course not! What could go wrong now that, finally, at this one point of my life, I'm on the highest peak of happiness- all thanks to you, that is."
Even if that was a lie, there was still one bit on truth in it. It was true, Horo made me feel the happiest of all... even though everything was going down the drain for me right then, I still felt a lot better knowing he was with me.
Before I knew it, Horo had pulled me into a tight hug. "If you say so... but, if there's anything wrong- don't hesitate to tell me. No matter what it is, in the end, I'll always have the same feelings for you."
These words made me relax a bit as I returned the hug. "I know..." I whispered. "I trust you."
Suddenly as bright flash came from my right. Horo and I quickly turned our heads to see what the source was. Unexpectedly, Yoh was standing there holding a camera and snickering. "Just a little addition for my new photo album."
Before Horo had the chance to leap on Yoh, he had dashed away quickly. I chuckled, although blushing madly, as a thought crossed my mind. "I guess our Yoh has gone back to normal."
------------------------------
An hour later found me a bit more relaxed and flipping through channels with another soda by my lips. "Nothing on TV seems to satisfy me..." I complained, flipping another channel.
The doorbell suddenly rang and although everyone clearly heard the ring nobody bothered to answer it.
"Can you get it Miho?" Ryou called from the kitchen.
I groaned. "Fine!" I placed my soda on the table and dashed for the door. Quite lazily, I slid it opened to reveal Pirika with what seemed like an awfully battered Ren. Just as soon as our eyes locked all the enthusiam I felt minutes ago washed away from me. "Oh... hi."
"Hey!" Pirika chirped. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought Ren back for another visit."
"I sorta noticed..." I mumbled. "Come in." I took a step back, allowing the two to enter.
Ren plopped himself onto the couch as Pirika made for the hallway. "I'm gonna go talk to my bro, okay?"
If Pirika left, it would leave me alone with Ren- which was the last thing I wanted to happen. "Um... actually-"
"Great!" Pirika interjected. "I'll be right back."
When Pirika was out of earshot, Ren suddenly spoke up. "It's not like I want to be here."
"Then stop coming over. It's that simple." I protested, feeling a twinge of anger enter my system.
"Why are you getting so mad? Besides, I told you, it's not like I have a choice."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "Oh please, you wouldn't be giving into Pirika if you didn't-"
"I don't like her!"
"Oh, but you have to like me, right?"
Ren quickly looked away. "You're different."
"Yeah, 'cause I just happen to be in a relationship! Didn't you think about that before you told me you had feelings for me?"
"I can't control my feelings!"
"But you had to tell me, didn't you? It's all that's been on my mind lately... why?"
"I don't expect you to return the feelings!"
"Well it sure seemed like you did when you first told me you had fallen for me!"
"NANI?"
Ren and I quickly looked toward the source of the voice. Standing before the living room were Horo and Pirika. Horo had a look of outrage and Pirika's jaw had dropped.
"Since when!?" Horo demanded from Ren.
"When did YOU get into this?" Ren shot back.
"I'm Miho's boyfriend, if you haven't figured out 'til now!"
"No..." whispered Pirika, her eyes filling with tears.
"Horo, calm down!" I yelled across the room.
"I was right... there was something wrong." Horo's eyes narrowed as he turned to me. "You said you trusted me but, then... why didn't you tell me!?"
"Horo..." I fought back the oncoming tears. "I knew you'd react this way..."
"But you couldn't tell me?" Pirika suddenly snapped.
"Oh, come on!" exclaimed Ren, rolling his eyes. "We all know how you can't control your anger!"
"So...all this time," Tears began to roll from Pirika's eyes. "you never liked me the way I thought you did. I-Instead... you liked... her."
Just like that, I had become everyone's worst enemy- even Horo's. Yoh, Anna, and Ryou rushed in at that moment. "What's with all the yelling?" Ryou inquired.
"Why don't you ask those two." Horo said bitterly, gesturing to Ren and I.
"Th-this whole time..." Pirika continued. "you, Ren... you had feelings for Miho.. all this time."
Yoh's eyes widened in shock, Ryou choked but Anna merely glanced at me.
I was completely breaking down. "You... you told me..." I looked to Horo for support. "you... you said, that n-no matter what happened... your feelings wouldn't change... Horo..."
Horo tried hard to looked away from me. "It's hard to live up to that now."
Ren looked at me sympathetically and then to Horo with a look of anger. "Horo, she turned me down by the way. She told me she loved you instead and that she didn't want to hurt Pirika... go easy on her."
"It's a bit too late for that." Horo muttered.
"Horo!" Yoh shouted in shocked.
I dropped to my knees with a tear-stained face. "Horo... doushite? (why)"
The shaman gave me one last glance before turning his back and walking away. Pirika wiped her tears quickly and followed suit. "G-gomen, Miho." Ren mumbled before taking off too.
I felt my world shatter right then as I cried my heart out. Yoh had walked over to my side, as did Anna and Ryou too. They didn't say much since there was nothing to say anyway. Anna knelt down beside me and place a reassuring hand on my shoulder just like how Horo used to...
How could I have lost all that happiness so easily...?
------------------------------
Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, Manta called me from the living room, telling me there was someone on the phone for me. "Funny..." I wondered out loud. "I don't usually keep in contact with anyone outside of this shrine except for Yohmei-sensei, who only calls when something important comes up..."
I took the phone from Manta's hand and thanked him before answering it: "Hello?"
"Miho?"
I recognized the deep and masculine voice immediately. My heart began racing as I looked around the room. Manta and Ryou had just left but I lowered my voice anyway. "W-what is it?"
"Is that how you should answer me? After all I taught you-"
"Okay... gomen nasai... father." (Rikku: Dramatic music starts playing Dun, dun, dun, dun!!)
"That's better." his voice hadn't changed after all the years. It was still cold and harsh. "Now... there were some things that were brought to my attention only days ago that I am very unpleased about..."
"First things first." I demanded, feeling a bit more braver than before. "How did you get this number?"
"Oh, I have more than just your number in my account." my 'father' snickered unpleasantly. "Thanks to that fool, Yohmei, I now know where you are, what you have been doing, and..." he paused to snicker once again. "Who you're with."
"Y-Yohmei-sensei?" I could hardly believe it. Now my father was on my tail once again...
"Oh, don't worry. He hasn't betrayed you. It's just, he had no choice in the matter. Thanks to a great breakthrough in my company's work, I have all the money I need, and Yohmei knew quite clearly that with all that money, I could easily have that filfthy village of his destroyed along with all its inhabitants. THAT is why he was force to tell me."
"B-but... you live in that village too."
"Not anymore, I have now moved a lot closer to my company's headquarters- Osaka."
"I assume that you must be VERY rich then, right?"
"Hai, but there's still something you must do for me."
"F-father..."
"Come over here to Osaka immediately. I have planned a meeting with your new fiancee- the son of Aoyama-san- also known as, the president of the most successful computer hardware company in Japan. (Rikku: Note: I made all of this up (obviously) and the last name, Aoyama is actually Motoko's of Love Hina.) His son is really looking forward to getting married, and I'm really looking forward to getting fifty percent of Aoyama-san's profits."
"F-fiancee? B-but... why? You're already rich now."
"There is no limit to money!" my father suddenly thundered. "Besides, I know all about that HoroHoro boy from that... what's it called?... Ainu tribe. What were you thinking? I want you to be happily married, and Kamui Aoyama will make you even more pleased than that cheap shaman could ever hope to."
"No he won't!" I cried, my eyes suddenly filling up with tears- even if Horo had turned his back on me now, I couldn't afford to lose him. "Don't talk about Horo that way because you don't even know him! I don't want to be with some rich guy and you're wrong... I know he won't make me happy because HE isn't Horo!"
"Ungrateful bitch!" my father swore. My eyes widened in shock. "I want you to be happy!"
"Then leave me alone!" I protested. "And don't even bother lying! Ever since my mother died, you turned to money. If I marry Aoyama-san's son, he'll only make me rich- and that's all you want. You don't care about my happiness. You know that as well as I do."
"You..." I could almost hear his knuckles crack in outrage. "You come over here and we'll talk. You will NOT disobey me and you WILL marry who I want you to marry- or else I will personally go over there."
Tears trickled down my cheeks as it quickly dawned on me that if he really came, he'd hurt the most important person to me... Horo. "A-alright..." I agreed once I had calmed down. "I'll go there as long as you leave my friends alone... I-I'll do what you want."
"Perfect. Take tomorrow's morning train so that you get here by the evening. Do NOT tell anyone where you're going and you will NOT go back on my wishes or else..." he snickered yet again. "And get ready too, because in only a few week's time, you'll be already married and making millions by the second."
CLICK
"Just like him..." I mumbled. "Not even a goodbye..." I hung up the phone and completely gave away. I fell to the floor and sobbed into my hands, much like how Tamao did, but even worse. "I-I have to leave... it's for Horo..."
I had more than one reason to leave now.
------------------------------
Rikku: I'll end it there even though I was going to write a bit more... oh well.
So, now all the trouble is put into place Miho will be packing her bags by the next chapter. But stay tooned for bigger surprises and a GOOD outcome soon enough.
Thanks for reading, don't forget to review!!! :)
Dewa Mata!
x-Rikku-x
Hannah Kyouyama: Thanks for the tip, I'm not too sure if I'll actually dedicate this chapter to Ren and Pirika but in the end it'll all work out.
saber-kon: Arigatou!!
Rikku: Btw, I reposted chapter 1 because of some summary errors. Re-read it (the summary) for some story changes. As for this chapter, I think I might kick in the major dilemma and leave the Ren and Pirika moments for a little later- of course, these moments will be delightfully decorated with Ren's feeling's for Miho and 'someone's' well... 'anger'. Heh-heh, I'm having so much fun being evil! :) I don't want to spoil anymore so just stay tooned to find out!
----------------------------
Winter of Love
Chapter 11: Trouble in Paradise
----------------------------
Horo and I had both noticed Yoh and Anna's strange behaviour toward each other... what could have possibly happened? (Rikku: No dirty thoughts because that's NOT what happened.) Although this questioned drilled into our minds, we both agreed that it was best not to interfere.
Two weeks had passed since my little incident with Ren and I still never told Horo. Since then, Ren had stopped visiting the shrine and there was a very noticeable change in Pirika's attitude... almost like depression.
And I couldn't help but think...
Was this all my fault?
------------------------------
The next day had me surprised, as Ren had finally given into Pirika's demands and was found hanging around the shrine aside Horo like good friends- courtesy of Pirika's doing.
But...
If Horo found out...
There was no telling what he would do...
To Ren...
Or to me...
I attempted to quickly pass by the two and make my way toward the living room, as they were walking along the hallway, only to be stopped by Horo as he spotted me.
"What's the rush?" he asked, getting ahold of my wrist.
"Sumimasen...(sorry)" I smiled, my voice lowered to a small whisper.
"Something's wrong..." Horo observed. "I'll talk to you later though," he gestured to Ren. "I've got company at the moment."
"I'm okay- really." I replied, my smile soon fading as my eyes met with Ren's. He quickly looked away with a look of pain quite visible.
"If you say so." Horo frowned giving me one last observant glance before he released my wrist.
I bowed to the two and turned away, heading for the living room where Tamao sat. She had returned a few days ago, telling us she just needed some time alone, although it didn't seem like her depressed state had improved.
I plopped onto the couch with a loud sigh. Tamao looked at me sympathetically. "What's wrong?"
"Everything..." I answered, giving a small glance at Horo before he left outside with Ren.
Tamao, however, noticed this. "I thought things were working out fine between you and Horo."
"I don't really know myself now... I mean, everything should be working out... Horo's happy, and... and I should be too, but there are certain reasons why I just can't..."
"Well, I'm sure everything will work out soon." Tamao reassured.
"Thanks..." I replied, trying to grace another smile. "Um... Tamao?"
"Uh-huh?"
My mind filled with questions as I wondered whether I should ask a certain question to the younger girl or not. "Um... Tamao, why did you leave?"
Tamao quickly looked away. "I-I told you- I just needed time alone."
"And that wouldn't be perhaps because of a certain person... would it?"
"Um..." Tamao suddenly looked back with tear-stained eyes. "M-Miho...?"
It suddenly dawned on me that I was right the whole time about Tamao's little problem. I watched her pain-strucked face in guilt knowing that I had tried to patch things up with Anna and Yoh when I knew... the whole time... that she'd be hurt in the end. "Hai?"
Tamao moved slowly to the couch to sit aside from me. She opened her mouth to respond, only to be broken off as she wept into her hands immediately. "You... you all know already, don't you?" she cried in a soft muffled voice.
"Gomen nasai, Tamao-chan... (I'm sorry Tamao) I should have told you..."
"I-I can't help it..." she continued. "I can't control my feelings for him..."
"Well... I don't really what to tell you this but... Yoh... he belongs to-"
"To Anna, I know!" Tamao finished, sobbing even harder. Suddenly she pulled her face from her hands to look at me, "I know..." she repeated in a soft and sad voice.
I sighed knowing that nothing I could say was good enough. "Tamao-chan... we all have our issues and we just need to sort them out... on our own." With that said, I got up from the couch and left Tamao to think over her own situation.
-------------------------
Moments later, as I sat in the kitchen, engulfing a soda and being engulfed myself by the thoughts that swarmed my mind, Horo suddenly bursted in, breathing rapidly as a look of relief graced his face. "Finally, he's GONE!"
I chuckled a bit as my boyfriend made his way toward me. He took the seat next to me and place an arm over my shoulders, still breathing quite intensely. "I take it from your reaction, that Ren left?"
Horo grinned. "You betcha! Now I have the rest of the afternoon off to spend time with you without Pirika constantly nagging me now that I've done everything she's asked for!"
"Dear God..." I laughed, getting up and throwing away my empty can.
I turned back around to sit, only to be stopped as Horo got up too, a stern look crossing his face. "I almost forgot... there's something wrong... I've noticed it- is there something you should be telling me?"
I managed to place on a fake smile and wave it off. "Of course not! What could go wrong now that, finally, at this one point of my life, I'm on the highest peak of happiness- all thanks to you, that is."
Even if that was a lie, there was still one bit on truth in it. It was true, Horo made me feel the happiest of all... even though everything was going down the drain for me right then, I still felt a lot better knowing he was with me.
Before I knew it, Horo had pulled me into a tight hug. "If you say so... but, if there's anything wrong- don't hesitate to tell me. No matter what it is, in the end, I'll always have the same feelings for you."
These words made me relax a bit as I returned the hug. "I know..." I whispered. "I trust you."
Suddenly as bright flash came from my right. Horo and I quickly turned our heads to see what the source was. Unexpectedly, Yoh was standing there holding a camera and snickering. "Just a little addition for my new photo album."
Before Horo had the chance to leap on Yoh, he had dashed away quickly. I chuckled, although blushing madly, as a thought crossed my mind. "I guess our Yoh has gone back to normal."
------------------------------
An hour later found me a bit more relaxed and flipping through channels with another soda by my lips. "Nothing on TV seems to satisfy me..." I complained, flipping another channel.
The doorbell suddenly rang and although everyone clearly heard the ring nobody bothered to answer it.
"Can you get it Miho?" Ryou called from the kitchen.
I groaned. "Fine!" I placed my soda on the table and dashed for the door. Quite lazily, I slid it opened to reveal Pirika with what seemed like an awfully battered Ren. Just as soon as our eyes locked all the enthusiam I felt minutes ago washed away from me. "Oh... hi."
"Hey!" Pirika chirped. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought Ren back for another visit."
"I sorta noticed..." I mumbled. "Come in." I took a step back, allowing the two to enter.
Ren plopped himself onto the couch as Pirika made for the hallway. "I'm gonna go talk to my bro, okay?"
If Pirika left, it would leave me alone with Ren- which was the last thing I wanted to happen. "Um... actually-"
"Great!" Pirika interjected. "I'll be right back."
When Pirika was out of earshot, Ren suddenly spoke up. "It's not like I want to be here."
"Then stop coming over. It's that simple." I protested, feeling a twinge of anger enter my system.
"Why are you getting so mad? Besides, I told you, it's not like I have a choice."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "Oh please, you wouldn't be giving into Pirika if you didn't-"
"I don't like her!"
"Oh, but you have to like me, right?"
Ren quickly looked away. "You're different."
"Yeah, 'cause I just happen to be in a relationship! Didn't you think about that before you told me you had feelings for me?"
"I can't control my feelings!"
"But you had to tell me, didn't you? It's all that's been on my mind lately... why?"
"I don't expect you to return the feelings!"
"Well it sure seemed like you did when you first told me you had fallen for me!"
"NANI?"
Ren and I quickly looked toward the source of the voice. Standing before the living room were Horo and Pirika. Horo had a look of outrage and Pirika's jaw had dropped.
"Since when!?" Horo demanded from Ren.
"When did YOU get into this?" Ren shot back.
"I'm Miho's boyfriend, if you haven't figured out 'til now!"
"No..." whispered Pirika, her eyes filling with tears.
"Horo, calm down!" I yelled across the room.
"I was right... there was something wrong." Horo's eyes narrowed as he turned to me. "You said you trusted me but, then... why didn't you tell me!?"
"Horo..." I fought back the oncoming tears. "I knew you'd react this way..."
"But you couldn't tell me?" Pirika suddenly snapped.
"Oh, come on!" exclaimed Ren, rolling his eyes. "We all know how you can't control your anger!"
"So...all this time," Tears began to roll from Pirika's eyes. "you never liked me the way I thought you did. I-Instead... you liked... her."
Just like that, I had become everyone's worst enemy- even Horo's. Yoh, Anna, and Ryou rushed in at that moment. "What's with all the yelling?" Ryou inquired.
"Why don't you ask those two." Horo said bitterly, gesturing to Ren and I.
"Th-this whole time..." Pirika continued. "you, Ren... you had feelings for Miho.. all this time."
Yoh's eyes widened in shock, Ryou choked but Anna merely glanced at me.
I was completely breaking down. "You... you told me..." I looked to Horo for support. "you... you said, that n-no matter what happened... your feelings wouldn't change... Horo..."
Horo tried hard to looked away from me. "It's hard to live up to that now."
Ren looked at me sympathetically and then to Horo with a look of anger. "Horo, she turned me down by the way. She told me she loved you instead and that she didn't want to hurt Pirika... go easy on her."
"It's a bit too late for that." Horo muttered.
"Horo!" Yoh shouted in shocked.
I dropped to my knees with a tear-stained face. "Horo... doushite? (why)"
The shaman gave me one last glance before turning his back and walking away. Pirika wiped her tears quickly and followed suit. "G-gomen, Miho." Ren mumbled before taking off too.
I felt my world shatter right then as I cried my heart out. Yoh had walked over to my side, as did Anna and Ryou too. They didn't say much since there was nothing to say anyway. Anna knelt down beside me and place a reassuring hand on my shoulder just like how Horo used to...
How could I have lost all that happiness so easily...?
------------------------------
Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, Manta called me from the living room, telling me there was someone on the phone for me. "Funny..." I wondered out loud. "I don't usually keep in contact with anyone outside of this shrine except for Yohmei-sensei, who only calls when something important comes up..."
I took the phone from Manta's hand and thanked him before answering it: "Hello?"
"Miho?"
I recognized the deep and masculine voice immediately. My heart began racing as I looked around the room. Manta and Ryou had just left but I lowered my voice anyway. "W-what is it?"
"Is that how you should answer me? After all I taught you-"
"Okay... gomen nasai... father." (Rikku: Dramatic music starts playing Dun, dun, dun, dun!!)
"That's better." his voice hadn't changed after all the years. It was still cold and harsh. "Now... there were some things that were brought to my attention only days ago that I am very unpleased about..."
"First things first." I demanded, feeling a bit more braver than before. "How did you get this number?"
"Oh, I have more than just your number in my account." my 'father' snickered unpleasantly. "Thanks to that fool, Yohmei, I now know where you are, what you have been doing, and..." he paused to snicker once again. "Who you're with."
"Y-Yohmei-sensei?" I could hardly believe it. Now my father was on my tail once again...
"Oh, don't worry. He hasn't betrayed you. It's just, he had no choice in the matter. Thanks to a great breakthrough in my company's work, I have all the money I need, and Yohmei knew quite clearly that with all that money, I could easily have that filfthy village of his destroyed along with all its inhabitants. THAT is why he was force to tell me."
"B-but... you live in that village too."
"Not anymore, I have now moved a lot closer to my company's headquarters- Osaka."
"I assume that you must be VERY rich then, right?"
"Hai, but there's still something you must do for me."
"F-father..."
"Come over here to Osaka immediately. I have planned a meeting with your new fiancee- the son of Aoyama-san- also known as, the president of the most successful computer hardware company in Japan. (Rikku: Note: I made all of this up (obviously) and the last name, Aoyama is actually Motoko's of Love Hina.) His son is really looking forward to getting married, and I'm really looking forward to getting fifty percent of Aoyama-san's profits."
"F-fiancee? B-but... why? You're already rich now."
"There is no limit to money!" my father suddenly thundered. "Besides, I know all about that HoroHoro boy from that... what's it called?... Ainu tribe. What were you thinking? I want you to be happily married, and Kamui Aoyama will make you even more pleased than that cheap shaman could ever hope to."
"No he won't!" I cried, my eyes suddenly filling up with tears- even if Horo had turned his back on me now, I couldn't afford to lose him. "Don't talk about Horo that way because you don't even know him! I don't want to be with some rich guy and you're wrong... I know he won't make me happy because HE isn't Horo!"
"Ungrateful bitch!" my father swore. My eyes widened in shock. "I want you to be happy!"
"Then leave me alone!" I protested. "And don't even bother lying! Ever since my mother died, you turned to money. If I marry Aoyama-san's son, he'll only make me rich- and that's all you want. You don't care about my happiness. You know that as well as I do."
"You..." I could almost hear his knuckles crack in outrage. "You come over here and we'll talk. You will NOT disobey me and you WILL marry who I want you to marry- or else I will personally go over there."
Tears trickled down my cheeks as it quickly dawned on me that if he really came, he'd hurt the most important person to me... Horo. "A-alright..." I agreed once I had calmed down. "I'll go there as long as you leave my friends alone... I-I'll do what you want."
"Perfect. Take tomorrow's morning train so that you get here by the evening. Do NOT tell anyone where you're going and you will NOT go back on my wishes or else..." he snickered yet again. "And get ready too, because in only a few week's time, you'll be already married and making millions by the second."
CLICK
"Just like him..." I mumbled. "Not even a goodbye..." I hung up the phone and completely gave away. I fell to the floor and sobbed into my hands, much like how Tamao did, but even worse. "I-I have to leave... it's for Horo..."
I had more than one reason to leave now.
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Rikku: I'll end it there even though I was going to write a bit more... oh well.
So, now all the trouble is put into place Miho will be packing her bags by the next chapter. But stay tooned for bigger surprises and a GOOD outcome soon enough.
Thanks for reading, don't forget to review!!! :)
Dewa Mata!
x-Rikku-x