Bittersweet chapter 28

yo yo yo guess who's back. For now anyway. Another chapter whilst I'm in Egypt. No one was here in the wifi bar is I used it all. Lol. Love ya!

filler chapter I'm thinking with some lols. Bye!

It had been yet another week after the last, and everyone, even Yoshiki was in school at that time. Ayumi had read the book with interest, but most of it was irrelevant towards her bloodlines specific curse. She had told Yoshiki about the meeting afterwards, once he had got home from work, but had left the last line Ai had dropped to herself.

"Yoshikazu. Takamine. The Crazy Torched Guy. Lavender."

At first Ayumi had no idea what she was talking about, but after going home and thinking for a very long time sprawled across her bed, the identity of the Crazy Torched Guy suddenly dawned on her. After Yoshie had died, her spiritual energy had cursed the Yagahori line from the principle, Takamine, and further on. That meant that every descendent would live the same fate of being tortured and controlled by the spirits. She knew he must be related to them, as Ai had hinted, but where did he come in? As far as she knew, Yoshikazu didn't have any children, and he was the son of Takamine. Perhaps he was brothers with Yoshikazu, but it didn't really matter as long as it was clear he was in the same bloodline as them. However, one question still bothered her mind, refusing to go unanswered. Why was the man burning down all the high schools in the area? Maybe he was looking for certain pupils, pupils that were involved with spirits or the cause of his bloodline...Ayumi didn't really have time to think much on the way to school with Yoshiki, never mind look up the schools burnt down by him, so she soon let herself forget about it as she settled back into the normal school routine. Although upset that she could no longer do her nursing course, Naomi was still happy especially around Satoshi and her friends, and knew for a fact both Ran and Azusa had passed the exam (with flying colours) and were coming into school soon but they didn't state what day exactly. The four walked happily to class, Ayumi managing to narrowly avoid the stare of the bullies, clinging to Yoshiki's protective arm. First lesson was in their normal class, 2-9 , as usual, and Yoshiki wasn't expecting anything unprecedented to happen in the forty minutes it lasted. He should really learn to expect the unexpected...

"So..." said Naomi, pushing Yoshiki into the corner of the corridor, away from the others, who were in a conversation about the Crazy Torched Guy. "How are you...Yoshiki!"

"Um, good..."

"Or should I say, Knight-kun?"

"Eh?"

Naomi chuckled to herself as the teacher let the class in, returning Yoshiki's suspicious yet confused glances with blank looks, though she really, really wanted to tell him. He didn't know exactly who they were to Yoshiki, but maybe Azusa had dated him once, who was she to know?

"Ahem." the teacher cleared his throat as the last few pupils sat down. "I'm glad to announce we're welcoming two transfer students to group, from the sadly burnt down St cross girls school in this area."

Satoshi raised an eyebrow at Naomi, who nodded back to him to clarify. Ayumi muttered to herself; why did that school sound familiar? Sure it had been on the news and stuff, but there was just something else.

"...I think their due any minute-

"NOOOW!" yelled Ran, bursting through the doors, looking strange in the girly Kisaragi sailor suit, yet oddly sweet and cute. A few boys exchanged interested glances across the room, but no one spoke.

"Ran, calm down..." Azusa ran in behind her, breathless. All the boys were staring at them now, totally transfixed by their beauty, especially the more girly of the two, Azusa. Her uniform fit more snugly than Ran's, hugging her hourglass figure grandly. A boy at the back wolf whistled loudly, making her blush slightly. Yoshiki almost did a double take in his seat. How was she still here? How...

As the teacher introduced the two girls to the class, Yoshiki cursed under his breath, avoiding possible eye contact with Azusa. Ayumi felt a strange connection with the purple haired girl, like they were friendly towards each other, but if the other girl felt that too, she didn't glance at her to say so. Actually her eyes were on Yoshiki, which made Ayumi feel, if anything slightly annoyed. After taking another good look at them, she recognised them to be the girls in that café...

"...Thank you, now onto the register."

As Azusa slipped into the spare desk beside Yoshiki, that had once been Morishige's, she smiled at him and said.

"Nice to see you, Knight-kun!"

Yoshiki tried to ignore her, but he really wanted to know, a) How did she escape heavenly host? b) How did she have his number? And lastly, c) WHY WAS SHE HERE?!

"How...what...goddamnit,why?"

"We'll talk later Kishinuma." she replied with a wink, making all the boys behind her, and Ran, glare at him with jealousy. Ayumi, now slightly upset, tugged on the sleeve of his shirt cuff, making him turn towards her with a frown. But if softened when he saw the anxious look on her face.

"Azusa is nobody to worry about," he assured her, shifting on his seat. "I actually have to talk to her, but i need to talk to you afterwards, is that okay?"

Ayumi nodded curtly, she did trust him a lot after all, and after all he'd done to get her, he wouldn't cheat on her now, surely. Plus he was allowed friends that were girls, Naomi was a girl, and he was pretty friendly towards her anyway. Yoshiki returned her nod with a lazy grin, making her heart beat just the tiniest bit faster. Satoshi meanwhile, kept exchanging glances with Naomi, after he suddenly realised who 'Knight-kun' really was. Kishi, of course, he had thought to himself, how did I not see that before? Haha, Satoshi was definitely going to tease him about that now! For Yoshiki, the lesson went very slowly, and he almost burst out of his seat when the bell rang, grabbing Azusa roughly by the arm and striding out of the classroom before anyone else could. A few boys made comments about him after he left, but it passed and everyone left the class room as per normal, apart from a few sniggered and sneers aimed in Ayumi's direction. Not wanting to be alone in the walking direction of the bullies, she grabbed onto Naomi's arm and followed her and Satoshi, as well as Ran, the purple haired girl towards the hall. Yoshiki stopped when he was finally alone in a deserted corridor, breathless from running so fast. Azusa was about to say something when Yoshiki rudely cut her off.

"No, me first. Explain!'

"Explain what?" she retorted adamantly, backing away from him slightly.

"How did you and Ran escape?"

"Oh rights, of course you were going to ask that, as expected of you Knight-kun..."

"Please just get on with it, I need to be with my girlfriend!"

Azusa raised a perfect ginger eyebrow, since she didn't know that Yoshiki had been dating.

"So you got with Shinozaki then?"

"Yup," he said proudly. "Now explain."

"Geez don't be so harsh Yoshiki, all we did was-"

"Shhh, talk quickly now, or I'm going to get angry."

"Fine!" she shouted, crossing her arms."When I found Ran again, she came up with this crazy plan of following you and your friends, since you had the best lead on escaping. I didn't want to go along with it.."

"Then why did you?"

Azusa blushed at his harsh tone. When did he become so mean? Before, in Heavenly Host he had being really deep and kind, he had listened to her, now, he was just...cold.

"It was our only option! Actually thinking about it, you wouldn't of escaped without us!"

"How come?"

"Ran found Naho's notebook!"

"No," he corrected her "Ayumi found it."

"No she didn't!" Azusa huffily insisted. "Ran gave it to her whilst in a moment of possession, that's why she knows Ran but doesn't remember her."

"Carry on."

"We just followed you. We met the ghost girl shortly after you guts appeased Sachiko and she let us through the barrier. That's all."

"Okay."

He was about to walk away, his hands in his pockets as per usual, but she tugged him away at hi shoulder. Not many girls could reach him since he was quite tall, but Azusa d was also tall, for a girl of her age.

"Please, why are you being so cold? I thought you'd be glad that I'm not dead!"

"Of course I'm glad your not stuck there still!" he said, making Azusa surprised by his sudden change in tone. "It's just...weird, you know?

"Yeah. Can I still call you Knight-kun still?"

"You only used to say that when-"

"Let's forget all about that, I think it's for the best.",

"Alright. I'll see you around."

Yoshiki slid around the corner, his eyes peeled for his petite girlfriend. The only thing on his mind was protecting Ayumi from those rough girls, and his mind seemed to just clear it's self from Azusa-related-thoughts. Azusa was completely the opposite. Even when Ran brought her her favourite drink at break, she still couldn't snap out of the strange daze that had captured her.

"Maybe we shouldn't of come here..." she mumbled into her hands when she was sitting with Ran of course, and Naomi. "I feel like we...no, I just...don't belong."

"Don't be silly Wife, of course we should be here,' Ran consoles her with a hug. "We have drama next so it should cheer you up."

Naomi felt sorry for the two girls, having your school burnt down wasn't exactly fun, and the transfer was scary and unknown. Naomi secretly reckoned that Yoshiki was giving Azusa a hard time settling in, for whatever reason and that was upsetting her a bit.

"Look, if there's anything you want to talk about, Azusa, you can always talk to me."

"And me Wife, of course Ran will help you in anything possible ever!" Ran declared.

"Thank you both." Azusa thanked with a grateful smile. "But I'm okay now, don't worry."

"Wife," Ran whispered in her ear. "Do I get a reward?"

"Um..." Azusa tried not to laugh at Ran's oddly weird, seductive tone and shook her head. "I don't know what your thinking but it's not going to happen!"

"Aww..." Groaned Ran who knew she would say that anyway. She would always say that. "Boo. Let's go to drama Wife..."

As they walked across the hall, several boys were eying Azusa, winking at her, which made her blush again. Her last school had been all girls, so she wasn't used to the attention they were giving her. One boy, egged on by his mates, came up to her and wrote his number on her hand, making Ran absolutely fume in jealousy.

"Your not going to call him, are you Wife?" Ran asked urgently, a look of horror in her small round eyes.

"Probably not. I don't even know his name Ran."

"Phhheeeewweee!" exclaimed Ran with a toss of her lavender coloured hair. "Stuff you boys, my a Wife isn't going anywhere!"

"Can't you just call me Azusa..." she muttered as they left the hall, a few boys raising eyebrows about the 'Wife' part.

"No because one day...you will, well in my opinion that is always correct, Azusa, you are my wife!"

Azusa looked at her friend half heartedly. Although she loved her best friend very much, she didn't have feelings for her the way Ran did to her, but she never said it, for she was afraid of hurting Ran. She wasn't sure what Ran was planning, but Azusa knew at one point she had to tell Ran she wasn't her 'wife' and that she didn't like her that way. She hoped it wouldn't be anytime soon.