_Chapter 5_
Yuzu Kurosaki was so desperate, that she really jumped of the roof-terrace in the 14th floor. It was all to much for her. She need help and didn't recieved any. But there was this short moment... This short moment Yuzu realized that she couldn't do it... and when she was able to grab the balustrade to hold herself. Hanging more than 150 feet over the ground, screaming in fear and horror...
Keigo, Hanataro and the other Shinigami ran out. Yuzu hold herself on the balustrade. She screamed. All three didn't think and grabled her arms to hold her and to pull her back. Yuzu's screaming became quieter when she got higher and Keigo could grab the belt of her skirt to pull her up and over the balustrade back on the terrace. The both Shinigami still hold her arms when she was back on the terrace and collapsed crying. The foreigner let her of but Hanataro still hold her arm while she collapsed and he tried to calm her down.
Everyone was shocked. Keigo looked down, the pavement 150 feet under them, maybe more, someone saw it. He couldn't believe it. This young, innocent person just tried to kill herself by jumping down here. But why?
"Oh, my gosh... are you okay?!" Keigo asked, still shocked.
Yuzu nooded and continued crying.
„WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?" Keigo screamed while she was accompained to a deck chair by the both Shinigami.
Yuzu continued crying louder: "I didn't want it! I have nothing to do with it! I'm innocent!"
"Yuzu, please..." Keigo beged and tried to calm her.
"Can I do something?" Hanataro asked.
„Yes, get her something to drink!" Keigo said and send both Shinigami into the kitchen.
Both went inside while Keigo turned to Yuzu again.
"Are you injured? Shall I call an doctor?"
„N... No, No... I..." she stammered. „Please, I'm innocent!"
"Yuzu, please tell me what you are talking about!" Keigo asked before he remembered all her frantic messages on his answering mashine. "Okay, what's going on? What happend? Sorry that I didn't listen to you before..."
Hanataro was in the kitchen and filled some water into a glas.
"Kurosaki-san will freak out when he finds out what happend!" Hanataro said.
"He told me to visit his sister!" the other Shinigami explained. "But when I arrived in Karakura yesterday evening, she was not at home!"
"By the way, why Kurosaki send you, too?" Hanataro asked curious.
"He said, he needs someone who knows pretty well about the world of the living. And because I remember my live before I died... he told me to contact his sister and Asano-san..."
Hanataro felt passed. Ichigo told him the same. Maybe Ichigo thaught that he will fail and send someone else. Hanataro avoid to say something and went outside to handle Yuzu the glass of water.
Yuzu took it thankfully and drunk it in one gulp. Keigo was unable to get anything out of her. But she seem to calm down slowly...
"I... just wanted to see my family again!" she said crying.
„By commiting suicide?!" Keigo asked shocked. "You will end up in the Rukongai, or however it is called, and you will be there alone and without any memory. This is no solution to get to your family. By the way... why they left you behind?"
Yuzu sobbed. "The... the... leaders of the Seretei... said... when the Shinigami and Ichigo where exposed to the rest of the world... that we should... wait. And look what happens. They thaught that the people will be able to understand..."
The three men listened attentive and sat around her. The whole 'Shinigami-Exist' story was the story of the year. Yuzu drunk the last drops from the glass and continued.
"... because I was not allways able... to see or feel ghosts, they thaught... that I won't feel any consequences. But now... I am able to see them, the ghosts, Shinigamis and Hollows.., pretty well..."
"Really? You're brother told me that you were not really able to the ghosts or Shinigami!" the foreign Shinigami explained.
"... Well... for some time... I am!" Yuzu stammered and became red. "When Ichigo, Orihime and Kazui were invited to Soul Society to flee from the mess, they took Karin, Chad, Tatsuki and Mizuiro with them to protect them."
"Oh, yes... I'm aware of that!" Keigo said slightly nervous. He was left behind and so he was the only one left the press could report about.
"Keigo, I swear... Ichigo wanted to take you with them." she explained. Keigo just answered with headshaking. "He doesn't know why you two alienated. He felt very bad because of that."
"Who believes it?"
"Seriously! When you break up the contact Ichigo was really wondered. He understood that you just needed someone to talk and to spend time with. And that you had so many problems at home..."
Keigo became still. All this painful memories came back. Yuzu wanted to drink more but than she realized that her glass was empty. Keigo took it and handed it to the foreign Shinigami. "Get her something hard from the refrigerator!"
The Shinigami lift up and went inside while Yuzu continued. Keigo hoped that he got something strong for her to calm her down.
"Keigo, Ichigo was really exited when you became so sucessfull as a Seiyu. Everytime you dubbed one of this foreign-language films or an anime he went to the cinema. And he watched every episode of 'Crime-Lab-Tokyo' to look for your appearence. We weren't even able to switch the channel... He didn't know your adress so he didn't know how to find you when everyone was evacuvated to Soul Society. He thaught that you will be spared from the scandal."
"Why I don't believe you?" Keigo felt like they where not talking about the real Ichigo.
"But it is the truth..."
While they talked, the Shinigami went into the kitchen as they told him to get something from the refrigerator for Yuzu. Exept for some bottles of alcoholic drinks the refrigerator was almost empty. But there was the big jug full of Gazpacho he saw inside.
„Hmm... What's that?" he murmured and took the jug to try some of the red soup. The unknown meal was pretty good: „Hmmmm... Tasty!"
Enthusiastically he took the jug out to drink more of it. He had no clue... what kind of drugs were inside...
On the terrace, Keigo, Yuzu and Hanataro were still discussing...
"Your brother was not really someone would call a good friend. I was already threatened just because I was talking to him... aww... let's talk about something different... So, your brother is the reason you tried to jump down 150 feet to kill yourself?"
"No... I made a mistake! A really terrible one!" she said and start to cry again.
"What happend?" Hanataro asked. "Your brother is really worried!"
"When... we lost the contact whyever... I didn't knew what to do now. The people gazed me and pointed with the finger on me... I... I became the town-witch. I couldn't even go out of the house without recieving any glares from other..." Yuzu start to cry again. Keigo could imagine how she felt. He felt the same. Because of that he went outside just for work now and nothing else. „Well... Than, some days later I... met this guy."
"Which guy?" Keigo asked.
"He was a foreigner. From Korea. He doesn't know our language so I helped him and well... He was so nice. And so sympathetic. I could talk with him about my problems and... and the sex was so..."
"I think we can spare this part!" Keigo said and became red. If Yuzu told him more, Ichigo would cut off his ears. "Okay... So what has this Korean guy to do with that? Oh my gosh... Did he abuse you?"
"No! No, he never beat me!" Yuzu said and lowered her head. "It's just so that... I... When he had to leave the Hotel he asked me for a place to sleep. And he took three friends with him. All of them from Korea, too! I was surprised but I was happy to have some guest. You know I love cooking for others... but... than... I found... a gun in his belongings..."
"A gun?" Keigo was shocked. "Why this guy had a gun with him? Wait a moment... Please tell me we are not talking about the four North-Korean-Terrorists the police arrested yesterday?"
Yuzu nooded and start to sob again... Keigo was horrified. Hanataro didn't understand everything.
"When I found out that he and his friends are... some kind of... you know, I wanted to go to the police But they threatened me and locked me up in my bedroom. The forced me to cook for them and let them sleep in my aparment. I couldn't run away. They would have killed me! I was a prisioner in my own apartment!" Yuzu told with tears in her eyes. She remembered all the horrible things of that evening again. "The next day, they left very early. I didn't knew why. That was yesterday in the morning!"
"The news told that they have been arrested yesterday evening!" Keigo remembered.
"Yes, when I saw it I got paniced. Maybe, they will tell the police that I let them in. Keigo they will arrest me and send me to prison for cooking for terrorists. I can't go to prison. I never did something wrong!"
Keigo hugged her after he heard the story and tried to calm down her. "Everthing will be fine! They can't blame you for anything! Terrorists are really case-hardened... They won't tell the police anything!"
"But... what if not?" Yuzu asked sobbing.
"Hmm... well..." Keigo tried to think about it. "Tell me... Do you know anything about thier plans?"
"No!"
"Do you know who was thier client?"
"No! I don't know anything!"
"That's good!" Keigo explained. "It's good that you know nothing. What did you did after you saw the news?"
"I... I took... everything they forgot... in my apartment and dumped it on the landfill because... I was so afraid. And than I went to the next phone booth and called you because I left my smartphone in my apartment. In the Soul Society, Ichigo was able to find out your adress and the number of your landline phone. He told me them... shortly before we lost contact. I took the next train and went here as fast as I could... Because... I didn't knew... Where else to go!"
Keigo was so sorry for her. It was terrible what happend to her. She was such a nice person. Unlike her brother she was always happy when Keigo dropped by the Kurosaki's. He had to help her and couldn't leave her alone now. He was not that kind of person who leaves someone without help. And Yuzu was not his own sister...
"Maybe... she could take a lawyer?!" Hanataro offered.
"Yeah... Yes, that's an good idea." Keigo said confident.
"I... I have no money to pay a lawyer!" Yuzu cried.
"I get you one!" Keigo said and thinked about. "What about... Toranosuke Mota?"
Yuzu roused when she heard that name and was really surprised. "What? The famous star attourney?"
"A star attourney? Is he so good?" Hanataro asked.
"He is one of the best lawyers in Japan! He's also well known for his hate for North Korea and his work for victims of thier regime. Someone like him would help you better."
"Would you really do that for me?" Yuzu asked and cried again, this time happily.
"What can I say... I can't leave you alone with your problems!" Keigo murmured.
"Oh, thank you..." she said and hugged him. "After everything my brother did to you..."
"Forget it! Your brother safed my live so many times." Keigo moaned. He didn't want to think about it. "You should eat something! That will calm you down. I also think that your brother won't like it when you commit suicide in my aparment just to get to Soul Society."
Yuzu stood up and followed him into the kitchen.
"I have no clue what I can offer you. I have nothing at..." Keigo stoped when they found the foreign Shinigami sleeping on the kitchen table. "...home. Instead of spiked Spanish Vegetable-Soup!"
Keigo looked after the Shinigami. He sat there with open mouth on the chair, his head laying on the table with open mouth. He was 'alive', but in a very very deep sleep. He just took a few gulps from the Gazpacho, but it was enough to knock him out. Keigo and Hanataro tried to wake him up... without sucess.
"What happend to him?" Yuzu asked.
Keigo saw the jug with the Gazpacho and put it back into the refrigerator. "He's okay! Let's take him out!"
Together with Hanataro, Keigo carried the sleeping Shinigami back on the terrace and placed him on the deck chair.
"What's going on with him?" Hanataro asked and start to examine him.
"He just drank to much Gazpacho!"
"Gazpacho? What is that?"
"A Spanish vegetable-soup! My Ex loves it. I spiked it with some sleeping-pills and some sedatives to prank her. Well, now we know that the pills also work with Shinigami." Keigo explained and went back inside.
"Sleeping pills?" Hanataro asked shocked. "What kind of sleeping pills?"
"I don't know! Something that contains morphine!" Keigo jelled from inside.
"How many?"
"Who knows... Maybe twenty!" Keigo jelled and came back with a towel for Yuzu. "Here, go and take a shower. I arrange everything with the lawyer!"
Yuzu sweept away a tear and smiled for the first time since she arrived. "Thank you!"
"And you come with me!" Keigo said to Hanataro. "You're colleague will not run away. I want to ask you some questions!"
Keigo changed his clouthes in his walk-in wardrobe. Hanataro meanwhile, sat on an intact corner of the burned mattress and told Keigo everything he wanted to know, while Yuzu was in the bathroom.
"I met Kurosaki-san for the first time when he came to Soul Society for the first time to safe Kuchiki-san. I'm member of the fourth division!"
"Fourth division?!" Keigo repeat while he buttoned up his shirt. "You are some kind of hospital-guys, right?"
"Yes! Our division is the weakest of all!" he continued. "Everyone just laughs about us. Kurosaki told me to contact you to look how you are. He thaught that his sister is safe!"
"One more prove that Ichigo is not always right!" Keigo moaned when he bind up his tie. "Keigo is so stubborn, I wonder about nothing anymore."
"Kurosaki-san was the first one who trusted me. Well I thaught, till this guy from the twelth division appeared. Nobody takes me seriously. Even in my own company I sometimes feel like the biggest idiot..."
"I know how you feel. I feel the same my whole life!" Keigo said when he realized that Hanataro seemed to be like a dead Shinigami version of him. Both were outsiders. When he left his wardrobe he stood in front of the Shinigami. "What do you say? Do I look seriously enough?"
"You look very good!"
"Good, I need to make a good impression. He is so busy, he chooses his cases by himself. I look what I can do."
"It's really honorable from you, that you help Kurosaki-san!"
"Well as I already said, I can't leave her alone with this. And whatever her brother did, or which trouble he triggered to me... We're in the same boat! We are both left behind here in this world to our destiny. And Ichigo would be really mad if I even didn't try anything!"
Keigo prepared himself to go. He took some money for the taxi and took the business card of the lawyer. Several weeks ago, when his name appeared in the 'Shinigami-affair' for the first time, a colleague from the dubbing-studio handed it to him. Keigo went back to the living-area just when Yuzu came out of the bathroom. She weared his bathrobe and her hairs were wrapped into a towel.
"How are you?" Keigo asked. Yuzu just nooded. "Okay... I'll be back later. You can stay here!"
"Is there something we can do?" Hanataro asked.
"Well..." Keigo murmured and lift up the broken phone from the table. "...You don't know how to repair a telephone?"
Hanataro just shruged and took the phone.
"Thank you! And keep an eye on Yuzu! Don't let her on the terrace again!" Keigo said smiling while he put on his shoes and left his apartment.
Keigo thaught about Yuzu, while he was in the elevator. Why they lost contact? He brother would never leave her alone. When he finds out what happend... he was pretty sure: Ichigo would kill the terrorists by himself, ban them to hell, find them there and kill them again. But now Keigo had to look after her.
When he left the elevator and walked threw the lobby, the housekeeper stopped him. She had her office next to the main entrace and seemed really upset.
"Asano-san... Is everything allright?"
Keigo was surprised. „Yeah! Everything is allright, Sakura-san! Why?"
"Well, some people from upstairs called me and told me that they smell smoke!" she explained. Keigo bit on his tounge. He was sure, it was because he burned his bed. "And later I could hear a loud scream. The scream of a woman. I ran out to look what happend but I didn't see anything. Do you know something about it?"
"A screaming woman!" Keigo knew that she talked about Yuzu, and decide to lie. "I'm sorry! I didn't realized anything!"
"Hmmm... That's strange! When I ran out to look what happend, this fell from the sky!" she said and presented him Yuzu's hairy, she lost when she hang down from his balustrade.
"Oh, that belongs to me!" Keigo said and became red. "I accidently dropped it. Thank you for picking it up!" Keigo said and took it to put it into his pocket. "Excuse me... But I have a very important appointment! Good bye!"
"Good bye!" the woman said and bowed while Keigo left and called for a taxi.
It was a very strange feeling. But it felt good to know that someone relied on him...
_Chapter 6_
A taxi stopped in front of Keigo, who sat down on the back-seat at quickly as possible.
"What,... you again?!" the taxi driver said. It was the same as yesterday. "There are almost 38 million people living in and around Tokyo, but I never had the same guest two times in two days."
Keigo just smiled and told him the adress, in the financial district of Minato.
"May I ask you something?" the taxi driver asked.
"Hmm..." Keigo looked up and realized that the driver gazed on him over the rearview mirror.
"You are that guy from TV, aren't you?"
"Yes! Yes,... I am the brother of the subway-killer! But don't buy this stuff. We just used another shirt and I won't turn your clouthes cleaner."
"Yes, but I don't ask because that! I mean, you are the Shinigami's friend, right?"
Keigo groaned: "Before you continue... I didn't knew, anything!"
It was a lie. Keigo knew everything. He let Ikkaku and Yumichika into his house and athough he never asked, he could imagine the most. When he found out about Ichigo's Shinigami-Live he wasn't surprised. Although he act like he was. He was not as stupid as everyone thaught...
"I just mean... when you are able to see spirits and Shinigami, why you..."
"I already told you that I don't know anything!" Keigo said louder and angrier. He tried to not to cry.
"Do you cry?" the driver asked when he saw that Keigo hold his eyes.
"NO!" Keigo calmed down immediately. "No, I just have dry eyes! Do you have some eye drops?"
The driver shook his head and was surprised. The only thing he could offer was a handkerchief. Keigo was embarrased to cry in front of a foreigner, but the memories came up again...
In his apartment, Hanataro was repairing the phone, while Yuzu sat next to him and fold her clouthes. She had changed and calmed down a little bit.
"How I could get into such terrible trouble?"
"Your brother is really worried about you!" Hanataro explained while he put the connected the cable back into the plug and placed the phone back on the table. He didn't knew it was right what he did. "When you lost the contact he paniced. He wanted to come personally. But it was too dangerous. The people would have recognized him."
"I understand! It wasn't his fault! How did that happend? How they found out about our family secret?"
"Who knows! Our investigators try everything to find the traitor. Do you suspect someone Kurosaki-san?"
"You can call me Yuzu!" Yuzu said with a nervous smile.
"Hanataro!" he introduced himself and put the phone back. He took of the horn and could hear the beeping in the line. He sucessfully repaired the phone. "Oh, Asano-san's phone is working again. I repaired it!"
Satisfied, Hanataro put the horn back on the reciever and turned to Yuzu, who was totally absent again while folding her clouthes. Hanataro settled down next to her and she start to sob again.
"Awww... they will put me into prison! There I will be burned on the pyre like a witch..." she cried and hold her face.
"No! No, your brother will never let that happen! And I mean... you didn't know that these people are terrorists."
"I... didn't knew! That's right!" Yuzu murmured. "So, I just..."
Yuzu became silent when she found a note in her pocket. Curious she opened the note, which was a hand-wrote message. Yuzu screamed when she realized that it was the target of the terrorists...
"What?"
"The... the... the..."
"What, what, what?"
"That... i... a... note..." Yuzu stammered. She just found a personal note of her criminal affair. „F... Fr... Frooooooommmm... One of them. Look at this... 'aghhh'... that is today... evening... Emirati Airways 1312 from Haneda... an airplane!"
"What is a airplane?" Hanataro asked, curious. In the Soul Society they didn't knew anything about airplanes.
"Yes,... today evening... In Haneda! It's... the flight to Dubai..." she explained fearfully and continued reading. "They want to blame the American's..."
"The American's?" Hanataro didn't knew what a American was. "Who are the American's?"
"The American's... They live in America!" Yuzu explained.
"Where is that?"
"On the other side of the world! They are the enemys of the North Koreans!"
"And now they want to blame them for a crime they commit themself? That's unfair..." Hanataro had no clue how serious the situation was.
Yuzu became paniced. Although they had beed arrested, it was possible that they had more members. Maybe a second team was going to fulfill the attack. In her mind, she saw horrible scenes. Of hundreds of deaths, burning airplanes... And she was fault... She jumped off the couch and grabled the phone.
"What do you do?"
"I have to warn them!" she screamed after dialing the emergency-hotline.
"Emergency call center!" a female voice said.
"Hello! Please listen to me: The North Koreans that have been arrested yesterday are going to blow up a plane to Dubai on Haneda Airport!" Yuzu jelled franticly before she hold her mouth.
"What? Who's speaking?" the woman in the phone asked but Yuzu hang off as fast as possible.
After this knee-jerk reaction she start to cry again. What did she did? Why she just drove to prison herself and register there? Hanataro tried calm down her. But she just cried more and more...
"Yuzu..." Hanataro said but she cried louder. He tried everything to calm her down. "Yuzu, please!"
She start to scream. Now it was Hanataro who had a knee-jerk reaction. He grabled her arms, pulled them away from her face...and kissed her...
Yuzu stopped immediately. For the climpse of a second she forgot everything and became silent. Her whole body relaxed during the kiss. The thaught, that she liked it. Hanataro realized something, too. But it was more like his heart start to race. He felt hot... And in his mind he saw her brother... and his mad face... took off her immediately.
When Hanataro get off of Yuzu the kiss took not even a whole second. With big eyes she gazed him and was silent for a couple of seconds... than she start to to cry again... Hanataro wanted to cry, too.
"When Kurosaki-san finds out, he will decapitate me!" was his only mind.
Keigo meanwhile, left the taxi when he reached his destination. He refused to tell the driver anything about the Shinigami, but he confessed to be able to see them. It was enough to turn the driver silent for the rest of the ride.
Keigo put on a pair off sunglasses and walked as inconspicuous as possible threw the mass of people on the plaza in front of the Tokyo Midtown. Toyko's highest building. Keigo looked up and was impressed. Everyone who had his office in this building was really sucessful. Such a sucessful star attourney could be only find in a office like this. Upset, but quietly he walked threw the wide, modern lobby of the building and asked for the lawyers office. The friendly woman from the information-desk told him to go to the 50th floor.
In the 50th floor Keigo left the elevator and walked threw the corridors. He went to the big glass-doors of the lawyers-office. There where many people in the office. Lawyers, secretarys, clients, a cleaner... everyone rushed around to do thier work. Nervously, Keigo went to the welcome desk and asked for Toranosuke Mota.
"I'm sorry, sir! Mota-san, is going to travel abroad today evening and told us to send everyone away." the woman told Keigo as friendly as possible.
„Oh, please. It's an emergency? It won't take long! Five minutes! Not more!" Keigo said. "Could you ask him, please?"
"Hmm... Okay, but I can't promise you that it works!" the woman said while she picked up the phone to call Mota's office. "What's your name?"
"Asano! Keigo Asano!" Keigo said.
The woman looked on him with big eyes. Some people near him turned in his direction to gaze on him.
"That's the guy who knows the Shinigami?" a man whispered to his wife next to him. He sat in an waiting area behind Keigo and looked on a photo of Keigo in a magazine.
It true, he looks better in TV!" she whispered back when she compared the Live-Keigo with the Magazine-Keigo.
Keigo turned and looked on them angrilly to show them that he could hear them. Both became red and hid behind thier magazines...
The woman at the welcome desk talked with Mota's secretary and seemed to be sucessful. "You are lucky. Mota-san is in a meeting right now, but after that he he has a little bit time for you. You can wait in his office."
"Thank you!" Keigo said relieved and followed her threw the modern corridors, with it's glass walls and polished marble floors that where so reflecting that Keigo could see himself like in a mirror.
She opened the glass-door to an wide modern office, with wide windows and a fantastic view over Tokyo, the bay and the harbor. Keigo was even able to see Mt. Fuji far away.
"Please, take a seat! Mota-san will be here in a couple of minutes!"
Keigo thanked her and bowed before she left and settled down on one of the two chairs in front of the desk. The opulent office was full of expensive designer-furniture and valuable modern art. Keigo knew that this lawyer just had the best and most sensational cases in politics, economy and the world of the stars. Maybe he was wrong here. He was not a star at all. He was a celebrity, but not as famous as his most clients. And this guy was one of Japan's best lawyers. But Yuzu would need him.
Curiously he looked around and watched threw the windows. That guy was on top. Than he saw a colourful piece of paper on the desk. It catched Keigo's attention. Keigo lift up from his chair to take a climpse of it. It was a booking confirmation for a Emirati Airways flight.
"Hmm... Dubai! Not bad!" Keigo murmured and sat down again. He remembered that his ex-girlfriend wanted to visit Dubai again.
Keigo frightened when the phone start to rang.
"Hello?!" he jelled.
Nobody seem to notice the ringing phone. Threw the glass-walls he could see that the most people were to busy with thier own work. The phone didn't stoped to ring. Keigo risked a view on the display. He didn't knew why? His curiosity caused so many trouble in the past, so he disliked it. But he couldn't stop it... and was shocked... The number on the display... was his ex-girlfriends mobile number!
Keigo picked up the phone...
"Hey, sweetheart!" she said with a surprisingly friendly voice. "I just wanted to tell you that I am so exited for our trip to Dubai today..."
"Akira!" Keigo said shocked.
"KEIGO?!" she screamed shocked when she realized that she talked to her ex boyfriend and hang off.
Keigo smashed the horn back and fell back on his chair in shock. That was horrible. And very disturbing for him. The lawyer, he tried to get for Yuzu, was the new boyfriend of his greedy ex. Immediately he looked on the booking confirmation again. Both were going to fly to Dubai today evening. First Class! Keigo sat down again and breathed deep. He got headache. He could imagine why she choose this lawyer as her new boyfriend. This guy had more money...
Keigo woke up from his dreams when he heard that someone opened the door. Keigo turned to see a big man with angular face, pale skin and thick brown hairs. Toranosuka looked better in TV or on pictures, too. With harsh view and raised attitude he walked threw his office. He didn't said any word till he finally sat down behind his desk. Keigo smiled abashed.
"So, this is the guy who feeds my ex girlfriend now." he thought.
"So, you are Asano-san. My secretary told me you have an important question!" the lawyer said with a voice that let Keigo frighten up. "So... I listen! What's your problem?"
The lawyer could imagine. He knew that Keigo was the ex boyfriend of his newest love interest.
"In TV he looks better!" the lawyer thought.
Keigo was upset and start to wabble. "Well... It's..."
"I don't have time till new years eve!" the lawyer said harsh.
Keigo calmed down again: "Calm down! This is not about this painted woman. It's all about Yuzu now!" he said to himself in his minds and took a deep breath. Than he start to look into the eyes of the lawyer.
"Yes, sorry! The woman at the desk told me you want to travel abroad... I need a legal advice!" Keigo said. "It's about a friend!"
"A friend?" the lawyer asked. Now he was curious. Was it a special friend?
"Well, friend is a bit exaggerated? She is the sister of a former classmate. She went into troble indecently and is afraid of the consequences.
„What kind of trouble you are talking about?" Mota asked and leaned back self-confident. His cold eyes scared Keigo.
Keigo thought about how to explain it: "Well... she... this friend... met a guy several weeks ago and invited her to her apartment. There she learned that he and his friends where members of some kind of... criminal gang."
"So, your friend was involved in criminal activities?"
"No! She wanted to talk to the police. But these people, they are North Koreans, threatened her. She was afraid of her live and they locked her up in her apartment. Than they left and she fled."
"But she didn't talk to the police by now?"
"No! She is totally distraught! She is too afraid, because she fears to be accused as thier accomplice." Keigo explained.
Mota looked on Keigo, unbelieving. "So, if your friend had realy contacts to North Korean criminals, there is no chance to avoid a prosecution for subsidy."
"PLEASE WHAT?!" Keigo asked shocked.
Mota start to grin spiteful. He didn't want to postpone his expensive luxury vacation in the United Arab Emirates because of his girlfriends ex-boyfriend and some kind of Shinigami-breed (he was pretty sure that the former classmate, Keigo was talking about, was Ichigo Kurosaki).
"So you friend, or whoever she is... didn't go to police yet everyone will believe that she was involved in thier plans and supported them."
"That's not true!" Keigo explained appalled. "She was hold as a prisoner in her own home..."
"Everyone can tell it." the lawyer moaned.
"But there is something we need to do?"
"Everything your friend can do now is go to police, to set herself and hope that the judge has a heart!"
"I can't belive it!"
"Or,... if we talk about the woman I think we are talking about, she shall ask her Shinigami-brother for help."
"Ichigo is in..." Keigo start till he bit on his tounge. He realized what the lawyer just said. „Please what?"
"So, we are really talking about Yuzu Kurosaki?!" the lawyer murmured. "In this case I really can't do anything. It's controversial that this woman is a human..."
"OF COURSE SHE IS A HUMAN!" Keigo shouted. "HOW DARE YOU TO TALK ABOUT HER THIS WAY?"
"Stop screaming! I'm not deaf! I mean it serious. We are talking about invisible creatures, that infiltrate our society in some kind of synthetic bodies to ban the souls of people to other dimensions..."
"When you say it, it sounds like it is a crime to send the soul of a dead one to afterlife. And we are talking about the daughter of the former captain of the tenth division. So she is some kind of aristocrat, or something else!" Keigo remembered very well because Ichigo's dad told it him proudly, when he, Tatsuki and Mizuiro learned about Ichigo's Shinigami powers.
"Don't interrupt me! Tenth division? So... you told the press that you don't know anything... but you know about divisions. It seems you know more than you tell. This creatures are monsters and not else. No court in this world will think different..."
Keigo lift up from his chair and made a fist. The lawyer lift up too, to look into Keigo's eyes but he punched him as strong as possible. In this moment, he forgot himself. All his anger and his frustration of the last days and weeks seem to focus on this lawyer. He screamed in pain when Keigo hit his left eye and his cheek. Surprised, the lawyer fell down and land in his chair dazed. Keigo shaked his hand and left the office. He didn't want to hear more...
"Was Mota-san able to help you?" the woman from the welcome-desk asked friendly when Keigo rushed out of the office.
"Oh, yes... I feel so much better now!" Keigo said with an wide grin on his face and an extreme friendly voice.
Keigo went into the elevator and slowly realized what he just did. In fear he looked on his hand. It hurt terribly. And a bruise start to appear on it. Than he watched his mirror image in the elevator doors in front of him.
„Oh,... my... gosh... I am like my sister!" Keigo cried and fell on his knees...
The memories came back... The problems in his family. His sisters outbursts he had to endure... Keigo took painkillers and sedatives regulary before he went to school. Maybe that was the reason he was always so shrill. So loud... and so annoying... But Keigo never care! He still doesn't. Now he need a pill. He took the little doze of pills from his jacket and took two or three... than he felt better...
He watched his reflection in front of him again. It looked like it was talking to him and called him a 'yunkie'.
When the doors opened again, Keigo stood up and left. He didn't want the people see him like this...
_Chapter 7_
Keigo left the building distraught and tried to get a taxi. He could feel the people staring at him. He knew what they thought...
...He is able to see ghosts!... He knows why Karakura was destroyed!... These creatures in the black kimonos, why he can see them?...
Keigo went into a taxi and told his adress to the driver before handling a 5.000 yen bank note to the driver. "And please... Don't ask me anything about, you know what!"
The driver was surprised and took the money before he start to drive to Keigo's address. He didn't ask any question as Keigo wanted. But he wanted to ask Keigo about the Shinigami-affair. When Keigo left the taxi in front of his house, he saw the golden designer suitcase standing in front of the office of his housekeeper. Angrilly Keigo stormed to the office...
"SAKURA-SAN, WHO GOT THIS SUITCASE DOWN HERE?" Keigo screamed loud and angrilly.
The housekeeper was sitting in her office and checked her make up in a little pocket mirror. She was so scared that the paint her cheek with her lipstick when Keigo shouted on her from behind. She shrieked and almost fell of her chair.
"Hey, why are you screaming?" she asked scared and stood up. "A young man droped it here five minutes ago. He said a woman will pick it up soon..."
"What?" Keigo asked and looked on the suitcase. "Was it a little black-haired shy guy? This size?" the woman nooded. "Tell the woman, that if she wants her suitcase back, she has to pick it up upstairs in my apartment and look into my eyes when she does. After everything I did for this hussy it's the least she can do!"
Telling this words, Keigo grabled the suitcase and rolled it to the elevator. Irritated, the housekeeper looked after him and watched Keigo when he kicked it into the elevator.
"You have lipstick on your cheek!" Keigo moaned before the doors closed and the housekeeper went back to her mirror to remove it.
Upstairs, in Keigo's penthouse, Hanataro found the envelope with the test-results Keigo got from the doctor yesterday. Curiously he opened it. As a member of the fourth division he was interested in everything medical. He took out the results and read them overwhelmed...
"...that we came to the final result..." Hanataro read before he became speechless. "...OH... WOW!"
When the door opened with a loud bang, Hanataro put the results back into the envelope and placed it back in the shelv where he found it.
"SHE CALLED? DIDN'T SHE?" Keigo yelled angrilly and smashed the suitcase down on the floor.
Hanataro looked at him and nooded. "Yes! Around 10 minutes ago!"
"And what did she said?" Keigo asked mad.
"Well... She asked for her suitcase. She said she is your girlfriend!"
"SO, NOW I AM HER BOYFRIEND AGAIN?!" he continued screaming and opened the suitcase to put some things from the shelv into it. "This ungrateful broad just don't want to meet me. No! If she wants the suitcase, I paid for, she has to meet me personally and look into my eyes!"
Angrilly Keigo closed the suitcase again and put it back next to the entrace. Together with some plastic-bags with some of his ex-girlfriend's clouthes.
"She called... So it means you repaired my phone?!" Keigo realized and calmed down. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome! What did the lawyer say?"
Keigo groaned and became red. He was afraid to tell the truth, especially to Yuzu. „Ehm... Unfortunately, not so good! He won't do it!"
"Why?"
"I don't know!" Keigo lied. He couldn't say that the lawyer refused because he punched him into the face. "But I can't tell it to Yuzu! How is she?"
In that moment, Yuzu came out of the kitchen. She weared one of his girlfriends expensive dresses. She was showered and looked much better than before.
"Hey, excuse me but I needed something fresh to put on!" she said and became red when she pointed on the short black dress she was wearing. "I found this one in your wardrobe and...
"Don't worry about!" Keigo interrupted her. "You know. You can have it! It's yours! You look wonderful in it!"
"Really? But... I thought it belongs to your girlfriend?" Yuzu asked.
"EX-GIRLFRIEND! She is my 'EX'! Don't worry about it! I paid it! So I can decide who get it! And I decide, it's yours!"
"Oh, thank you!" Yuzu said and settled down next to Keigo on the couch. "What did the lawyer say? Do I have to go to prison?"
"No, you don't!" Keigo murmured and thought about what to tell her now while he handed her the hairy back, she lost during her suicide-attempt. "He... refered me to a colleauge, who is an expert in this field. But before, it would be better to leave the city for some time..."
"Leave the city?" Yuzu asked while she bind up her hairs to a ponytail again.
"Yes..." Keigo didn't know what he said, but it was the only idea he had. "...we get some distance from all the stress and can think about how we go on. I need some distance from this city, too. I have a car... There is a nice little mountain-hotel near the Fujijama. I lived there when I was screening for a TV-movie. Pretty nice there, and very peaceful..."
"Oh, that sounds great. But... It would look like I am... flee?"
"No, it's not a escape! It's more like a 'short-vacation'!" Keigo explained. "Come on... I just pour my plants and feed my animals before we go!"
"Just one thing..." Yuzu continued while Keigo went outside. He stopped and turned to look at her. "...it seems... I came in a really bad moment. You have own problems and now I..."
"Yuzu, it's okay! Why are you sorry? Just because my greedy girlfriend left me, my producer threats to fire me and I almost burned down my apartment? Don't worry. You have nothing to do with that! That's all my own fault!"
"Why?" she asked wondered.
"I was never brave enough to ask your brother what was going on. It was really strange when I finally leared the full truth of your brother beeing a Shinigami. But I accept it. It thought it was pretty cool. Well... the people don't... but it will calm down. So, I go and pour jungle..."
Yuzu nooded and followed Keigo outside to help him. When they were gone Hanataro carefully took the test-results again to read it again...
Outside, Yuzu helped Keigo to unravel the garden hose when Hanataro came out and bowed in front of Keigo.
"Oh, Asano-san... do you want to talk about it?"
"What?" Keigo was confused and didn't know what he was talking about. "Talk about what? We just travel away! You can tell Ichigo that his sister is in trouble and wait here till your colleague wakes up. Come on, you and Yuzu could feed my chicken... I pour the plants..."
Keigo send them away to talk to his plants undisturbed while he sprinkled them with the hose. Keigo's wide terrace was full of various big plants. Keigo loved his plants because everytime he saw them he knew that a reason to stand up and pour them.
"Yeah... You are so thirsty. What you would do without me?..." Keigo said while poured one plant after the other. "...You are the proof that Arisawa was wrong: I am able to care for a plant. So green and so healthy... You appreciate what I do for you..."
Inside the hutch Yuzu filled some water into a bowl while Hanataro filled the feed into another bowl.
"Asano-san is talking to his plants?" Hanataro asked.
"Yes, some people do that..." Yuzu murmured and turned away from him. She was ashamed.
"Ehm... Kurosaki-san... ehm... Yuzu... because of that kiss...?"
"What? Yuzu asked and became red. "Just because... you surprised me and kissed me without my allowance? Do you regret it?"
"I...ehm... I don't know. Kuroskai-san will kill me when he finds out. But..."
"But?" Yuzu became red again. Her voice failed and her heart start to rush. "Ehm... I won't tell anyone..."
Yuzu turned away again. Is she getting a crush on him, or something?
On the terrace, Keigo passed the sleeping Shinigami. "...now look on this guy. Human-Morphine is working for Shinigami, too." he murmured before he sprinkled the Shinigami with the hose shortly. The Shinigami didn't react. "Oh my gosh... How much did he drink from this soup?"
Keigo realized that the Shinigami will continue sleeping for a few hours and looked after his plants again...
In his own small shabby apartment, the man Keigo called yesterday, walked up and down. Eagerly he stared n the phone waiting for a call. He recently just read something in the Internet...
Angrilly he picked up the phone. He had to handle this mess by himself and decide to call him... this guy from TV...
Keigo came back to his apartment when Yuzu checked her face in the mirror. Ready for thier trip to the mountains.
"So, the baggage is in the car." Keigo said. "We are ready so far..."
Keigo was interrupted when the phone start to rang. Keigo went to the phone exited. He didn't know the number in the display.
"Hello?!"
"What you again?" the man asked mad. "So it was you who called me!"
"Who are you? And what do you want from me?" Keigo asked upset.
"I wanted to ask you why you draged in my girlfriend into this Shinigami-affair?" the man asked angrier.
"ME? I never draged anyone into anything! And what do you mean with 'your girlfriend'? You are not the gut I just met in his office."
"Please, what? What do you mean with that?"
Keigo groaned again: "I want to tell you, that this ungrateful jinx got a new guy. He is more sucessful and has more on his accounts... Face up to that!"
Keigo was not in the mood to talk to this stranger now. He was pretty sure that this guy was crazy. The foreigner became angrier.
"Well, after I read this article in the Internet, you seem to be the ungrateful one."
"Internet?"
"Yes, on the web-site of the Tokyo-Celebrity-Star-Magazine. A big interview... with photos..."
"I can tell you that whatever the Tokyo-Celebrity-Star-Magazine is reporting is just a canard. You don't need to care about..."
"Really? So, we will see it!"
"Tell it to me personaly when you..." Keigo began before he realized that the other guy hang off. „Eh... Hello? He just hang off!"
Keigo smashed the horn back and turned to Yuzu again.
"Who was that?" she asked.
Keigo was going to say something before the phone rang again. Keigo went back to pick up the call.
"Hello!"
"ASANO!" his producer screamed angrilly. "THIS IS AN ABSOLUTLY DISASTER!"
"What? Why are you screaming?"
"The reports in the Internet! Reporters besiege the studio. This news are not very encouraging." his producer complained.
"What? What kind of news are your talking about?" Keigo asked while he took a tablet-computer from the shelv and opened the web-site of the magazine.
"I'm talking about photos, interviews and statements! Really incriminating stuff. The chanel and the studio terminated your contract without notice!"
"What?" Keigo asked in shock and dropped the tablet.
"You're contract is terminated!" the man repeat. "And your agent just told me that you will be edit out from the movie you screened!"
"They edit me out?" But... It's my first theatrical movie!" Keigo said sad. "What's going on here?"
"Visit the web-side of the Toyko-Celebrity-Star and look by yourself. I can't anymore and have to fire you. You'll be out of all synchronizations. In the worst case, the picture-studio will take proceedings against you for the costs of the additional scenes with another actor. They insist on that... Keigo, I'm so sorry. But I told you handle this mess. And now you see what happend! Good luck! You will need it!"
"Why I will need luck?" Keigo asked and picked up the tablet from the ground and googled himself. "What's goin..."
Keigo was shocked. He found it in the breaking news on the web-site of the gossip magazine. It was unbelivable.
"You see, what I am talking about?"
"Yes!" Keigo said in shock.
"Now you know why can't take it anymore. You have to gone threw that by yourself! Good luck! Might the Shinigami be mercifully to your soul!" his producer said before he hang off.
Keigo hang off and gazed on the display of his tablet...
It coudln't be true. Never! Where they got this photo. There was just one other copy... and he torn it today morning...
"Asano-san, what happend?" Hanataro asked.
"I... I... lost my job!" Keigo stammered disbelieving. "B... Because of that!"
Keigo turned around the tabled to show Yuzu and Hanataro the article. Both were surprised, shocked and also horrified.
"The 'Shinigami-Expert'! Nobody knows more about the unknown creatures as much as Japanese actor Keigo Asano!" Yuzu read louldy and took the tablet to read the article. The photo of Keigo and the others on the couch was on top of it. "The acress... Wait! Your ex-girlfriend, send it to the press?"
"I'm going to kill her!" Keigo hissed in anger. His mood was boiling over. His hands start to clench so hard that the torn up the upholstery of the armchair he was holding. "I can't believe that she told the press that I am some kind of Shinigami-Expert..."
Keigo snatched the tablet back from Yuzu and continued reading. The article told that Keigo already befriend the Shinigami when he was in pre-school. That he gave them shelter, supported them in thier missions and knew about the destruction of Karakura long before it happend...
"If I get her I will..." Keigo threatened before he handed Yuzu the tablet again and looked for his pills.
"Asano-san, Kurosaki-san told me to take care that you don't take any drugs anymo..."
"NEITHER YOU, NOR ICHIGO GIVE ORDERS TO ME!" Keigo screamed and took a pill before he threw the little doze into a mirror that shattered loudly when it was hit. Than he grabled the suitcase and the bags he prepared for his ex and left the apartment. "YOU WAIT HERE..."
Keigo smashed the door close so hard, that the walls vibrated. Yuzu found the damaged doze and read the description. She was shocked when she realized that Keigo was addicted to them...
On the road in front of the main entrace, a very expensive convertible hold on a free parking-lot. Keigo's ex-girlfriend and her new lawyer-lover came to pick up her suitcase.
"I'll wait here! I don't want to meet this guy one more time!" he said while he checked his face. The big bruise on his cheek was covered with a thick film of make-up. When he told her what happend she laughed about him.
"I don't believe you that he... was strong enough to cause that bruise. This guy isn't even strong enoug to carry his own body around..." she said scornful and handed her make-up to him. "Take some more. I can still see the bruise. I don't want that you to disgrace me. I'll be back in a few minutes!"
She left the car self-confident and went to the main-entrace to enter the lobby. She exepted her suitcase in the housekeeper's office. Keigo, meanwhile waited for the elevator upstairs...
PLEASE REVIEW!
I want to apologize for any grammar mistakes. I did my best in the translation, but many of the emotion from the German oringal got lost.