Ok so I haven't updated for a week, the ending in the last chapter wasn't exactly meant to be a cliffhanger but I guess some of you guys thought it was. I forgot again to add in the last chapter that I'll be making updates in my profile saying when I'll be adding new chapters.

There will some romance in this chapter but no lemons.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YYH, only the characters that aren't in the show.

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CHAPTER 8

As a ray of sunshine leaked through the shutters of the window, Kioko started to stir a bit. Her eyelids fluttered open; she looked around and tried to sit up. She winced when she felt a sharp pain around the right side of her waist. She lightly touched the wound and felt bandages around her waist. She buried her head in her hands trying to remember what happened those couple nights ago.

While she was trying to remember, Kai walked past her room when she caught the corner of his eye.

"Hey you're awake."

She looked at him.

"Yeah, hey how long have I been asleep?"

"About 3 days. What happened last week? You just collapsed an…an…all that blood. I took you upstairs and tried to heal the wound completely but that's not ordinary wound. I couldn't heal it completely so there's like two scars on the right side of your waist. I could only close up one of them and left no mark. But the other two could probably open up again if you do something rough like running or P.E."

"I don't know. I finished up locking up the Café, walked out in the back alley and saw these figures, I couldn't see their faces 'cause they hid themselves in the shadows," Kioko zoned off while she was explaining, "and what do you mean the wound didn't heal completely?"

"Why don't you take a look yourself," Kai started to help Kioko out of bed and helped her to the bathroom. He started unwrapping the bandages only revealing two thick ((in width)) scars scratched diagonally across the right side of her waist. To her it looked like cables coming out of her body.

"What are you gonna do about?" Kai asked.

"I don't know, Karen's coming over today for a short visit I shouldn't make her worry."

Karen was the landlord of the house Kioko and Kai lived in. She first came here as an exchange student from a wealthy family in America. Kioko recently found out Karen always went to Kurama's school when Kioko coincidentally bumped into her in the hallways. She's about Kai's and Kioko's age. Karen and Kioko have been close friends since they moved into the house and Karen considers Kioko and Kai to be her best customers.

"Look I gotta get to work, you sure you'll be fine on your own?"

"Yea, I'll be fine. I'm gonna get something to eat and probably sleep a little more."

"Okay, I'll see you tonight. I'll bring some take out. I don't want you to work or anything."

Kioko nodded and waved as Kai ran down the stairs and out the door. Kioko leaned over the bathroom sink; the only words that ran through her mind were Yusuke's words that night.

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"That must be Karen," Kioko walked to the door and opened door revealing a girl dressed in baggy black pants with a loose turtleneck sweater ((I got an obsession with turtle neck sweaters)).

"Karen! It's great to see you. Sneaking through the night I see…" Kioko said, observing Karen's outfit. "What did you want to talk about? Shouldn't you be at home preparing for the holidays?"

"Hey, yeah but I've been meaning to ask you if you and that total cutie Shuichi Minamino are……well……related."

Kioko wasn't surprised Karen asked her this since the majority of the school's girls had already asked her.

"No unfortunately we're not related, we just look identically like each other," laughed Kioko.

"Oh, that's okay, because I was wondering if you could try getting me a date with him on Christmas Eve," sighed Karen.

"Isn't Christmas Eve tomorrow? Sorry Karen can't help you on that."

Kai had walked pass the opening to the kitchen which Kioko and Karen had been standing.

"Who's that?" asked Karen.

Kioko looked behind her and realized that Karen was never introduced to Kai.

"Karen this is Kai, my friend and roommate," she gestured.

Karen eyed Kai slightly while Kioko thought 'Oh how easily Karen finds a new guy to crush on'.

"Are you two like……going out?" Karen asked.

Kai was definitely surprised at the question and was about answer when Kioko cut him off.

"Yeah we are," she shoved her elbow into Kai's gut, telling him to play along.

"Oh!" Karen said nodding, "I see. Okay…then…well that's all, I just wanted to ask you about Shuichi. Come by tomorrow I'm having a Christmas party," Karen waved as she ran out the door.

Kioko walked into the living room with Kai following her.

"Why'd you say that when you know it was a total lie? I could've answered for myself," Kai said raising his voice slightly.

Kioko had her back to Kai, "Because! Because…I know how Karen thinks and you don't! I…I…don't want to see you get hurt by her or any other girl." A single tear fell down her cheek. 'It's been awhile since I've cried like this'.

Kai was surprised at what she said. He never knew that she actually cared for him in that way. They both thought of each other as more of a brother and sister. He walked up to Kioko and put his arms around her, refraining from putting pressure on her wound.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

She turned around to face him and put her arms around his neck, bringing his face closer to hers, their lips millimeters apart. 

She whispered something to him, "If you're going to get hurt by a girl, I want that girl to be me. I love you, Kai."

He smiled at her and gently placed his lips on hers and pulled her closer to him.

Kioko nearly started to cry again, this was everything she wanted. To be loved again. As long as she was with him, she was happy.

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Okay if you think it's ending there, think again. It's just a little romance between Kai and Kioko. There will be no ending until we discover who the shadows were. So keep reading.