This is a revised and rewritten version of the story, HOMRA's New Stray ; renamed to Home Sweet HOMRA. I will eventually delete the old version of the story and will only continue with this one. If you have any compliment or critique, please drop it in the reviews so that I may improve in my writing.
Didn't edit much in this chapter…
Disclaimer: K is owned by GoRa and GoHands, I only take credit for my OC, Shishio Harumi.
CHAPTER 5
It was a dark room, with a single fluorescent light dangling down from the middle of the 8-tatami room, much like a dojo. Shouts echo from the wall, indicating the effort of the child in middle of the room, swinging down the bamboo sword she wields in her small hands. "Ha! Ha! Ha!" she shouted every time she swung down the shinai in a constant rhythm. A woman, half hidden in the shadows, stood behind the child and was watching earnestly at her every moment.
"Harumi-chan, strike down faster and with more precision." the woman's voice called out. It was a melodious and sing-song voice, soothing to the ears.
"Hai-t!" I shouted in my 9 year-old voice, bringing down my shinai as instructed. I don't know why but I wanted to please her badly.
"Very good Harumi-chan. Soon enough, you'll be as good as me," the woman said as she patted my head affectionately.
I looked up at her with a huge grin adorned on my face, beads of sweat glistening on my forehead. Despite being tired, I was happy. Truly happy. I tried to make out the woman's face but it was too dark and I could only see the jet black hair cascading down on her shoulders.
Suddenly we were no longer in the vicinity of the dojo, but standing on top of a hill in front of a tall tree. I knew it was autumn from the crisp copper leaves falling off the tree that sway and twirl gently in wind. The crimson sun was setting at that moment, dyeing everything in its magnificent red.
"Beautiful autumn," the woman spoke, her hair blown across her face from the breeze, still preventing me to see her face, "Beautiful red autumn. That is your name, don't forget that Harumi… the child of red."
I made a grab for her when she suddenly disappeared from my sight and the world around me drained of colors, leaving me alone in a void of darkness. I wanted to shout, to scream out to her… but who was she? As sudden as her disappearance, flames encircled me. I cringed at the heat of the flames that was threatening to devour my tiny being.
'CLANG!' a prominent sound of steel clashing rang through the air. The woman was several feet in front of me, fending off an attacker with a bloodied sword in hand. She turned her head towards me and I gasped at stream of red running down her face. Her blood.
"Harumi…," she whispered my name, "No matter how hard the journey seems… go on with a smile. Live on my beloved."
"MOOOM!" I shouted out with all my might, just as the flames consumed me.
XOXO
I sat up in a frenzied rush, throwing the blanket to the ground. I was breathing in labored pants as if I have just ran a marathon and the sweat-soaked shirt I was wearing in replace of a pajamas was sticking to my skin. I ran a shaky hand through my reddish hair until it reached the end slightly below my shoulder, an attempt to calm my nerves. It has been a while since I dreamt of mom and most of the time it was the sweet memories I shared with her that I dreamt of. Not this nightmare.
The only times I ever had such terrible dreams was when something bad was about to happen. I pushed that superstitious thought away as I got up and made my way down to the bar, needing a warm drink to calm myself. Quietly, I made my way to the kitchen and switched on the kettle.
Hands trembling, I reached for the cup of tea I made and then gasped in shock as it slid through her shaking fingers, spilling the hot tea on my bare skin before crashing to the floor and breaking. Almost boiling, the tea was hot enough to cause serious burns and the shock of the pain made me cry out sharply.
"Something wrong?" a husky voice called out in concern.
I turned to see the red king standing at the stairway, still drowsy from his sleep. But he became fully awake when he saw the broken shards of crockery around me. And where my fingers were covering my left forearm where the burn was beginning to throb painfully. He came towards me and carried me easily to the sofa despite my protest, "M-Mikoto-san! I'm fine, j-just go back to sleep."
Setting me gently on the sofa, he went about cleaning the mess I made. I took that moment to study him as much as the dark setting allowed me to. He was intimidating... but kind. He was a man of little words, always in a lazy attitude but he was attentive and protective to us, his clansmen. And he's muscular too. Ah, yes he is… I noticed that when I was pressed against him during the baseball incident few weeks ago… Wait, what?! Why am I thinking about this now?! I blushed to myself for conjuring that piece of memory. And he's also… lonely. He had this… look in his eyes every time I see him. He is constantly surrounded by his clansmen and yet… he is lonely. Just like you.
"Lemme see your arm," Mikoto suddenly inquired, breaking me out of my reverie. I obeyed. He dealt gently with my burn, dressing and then bandaging it with the first-aid kit he gotten from under the kitchen sink.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you," I apologized.
"You didn't. I wasn't sleeping well myself," Mikoto told me softly. "Go back to sleep if you can before its morning."
Back in my room, I gently touched the bandage the red king applied for me. Warmth was still lingering from where he touched me. And he's warm. This is gonna be the one of the longest nights I had.
XOXO
"Good morning, Harumi-chan," Totsuka called out cheerfully as he entered the bar, "Did you sleep well?"
Kusanagi who was behind his precious bar, made death-like sweeps across his neck, a warning to the executive member. Too late.
I shoot him a scowling look. Did that answer you? I turned back to wiping, sorry; I amend, back to torturing the already-sparkling-clean tabletops.
Totsuka was taken aback by my sour mood and looked at the bartender for an answer who shrugged helplessly. Since the opening of the bar, HOMRA members and costumers avoided talking and crossing paths with me, fearing my invisible wrath. Yata and Kamamoto had learned that the hard way. They bustled into the bar arguing about god-knows-what and asked for my opinion. One hard look at them was all it takes to shut them up. Even Anna avoided me.
Not only was I deprived of sleep but every time I dozed off, it was that nightmare playing through my head. Again and again like a broken video stuck on an endless repeat. Finally, I gave up the idea of sleeping and sat in my bed, watching the first light of dawn.
"H-Harumi-chan?" Kusanagi called out tentatively. He must have read something in my face because he winced. "Why don't you take a day off and have some fresh air outside? You must be tired or something, right?" I considered his option for a moment and nodded. Within minutes, I changed and took my coat and was out of the bar. Kusanagi left out a sigh of relief as the door closed behind me.
"What's wrong with her?" Totsuka poked at the bartender, curious for an answer.
"I wished I knew," Kusanagi sighed again. "She didn't say a word since this morning, just shooting death stares to everyone that talked to her or even look at her."
"Do you think she's on her er… period is it?" the younger male suggested.
"…perhaps."
XOXO
I took a deep breath as I walked along the empty streets, not caring to where I was going though I decided to avoid the crowded areas since I was in no mood for the company of people. I felt sorry for the red clansmen as I took out my frustration on them. But then again, having lack of sleep always put me on my worst mood. I opened my mouth and began to sing the song my mother used to sing me to sleep when I was still a child. Back when she was still alive.
The sun has gone from the shining skies,
The dandelions have closed their eyes,
The stars are lighting their lamps to see
If babes and squirrels and birds and bees
Are sound asleep as they should be.
The squirrel keeps warm in his furs of gray,
'Neath feathers, birdies are tucked away,
In yellow jackets, the bees sleep tight
And cuddle close through the chilly night,
My baby's snug in her gown of white.
The squirrel nests in a big oak tree,
He finds a hole in the trunk, you see,
The robin's home is a nest overhead,
The bees, they nest in a hive instead,
My baby's nest is her little bed.
I let out a soft sigh as the last of the melody slips past my lips, the dark clouds hanging around me lifted if not a little.
XOXO
"Ne ne… Kusanagi-san!" Shouhei suddenly exclaimed as he barged into the bar.
The older male sighed dramatically, "What is it Shouhei-kun?" The black cloud namely known as Harumi, has just left hours ago, leaving the bar in a blissful peace and yet…
"Remember the gang we broke off last month? You know the one with the human trafficking?" Shouhei said.
Kusanagi pinched his nose bridge as if the gesture would help him recall his memory, "Ah yes, that one. What of it?"
"It seems like their up and about again. And this time, they're into selling girls out for prostitution"
The male immediately tensed up and his lips pursed into a grim line. He had this bad feeling in his chest that he couldn't shake off. He got his phone out and searched for that one number he had in mind.
XOXO
I strolled about the streets aimlessly, oblivious to the shadow creeping behind me. I was just about to pass an alleyway when I felt a hand clamped onto my wrist and pulling me into the alleyway and pushed me roughly against the wall. I started to shout for help but my assailant pushed a pad the size of a small pillow against my face. I immediately lashed out at him but the sickly sweet smell of chloroform was already in my mouth and nose. The man got my hands in a wrestling hold and pushed the pad back on my mouth and nose. My legs gave out and I slumped onto the hard ground, dropping my phone I had in my pocket. The last thing my foggy mind remembered was the phone ringing, showing Kusanagi's caller ID and I slipped into unconsciousness.