Freesia

The flower that kills Lillium

Chapter one- Origami Hands

She tugged once more on the black hair tie trying to force the red hair into it. She was running late and didn't have all her homework done, and she hadn't slept well, and... who was Kahoko kidding? It was just a crappy day. Under the tension she applied to the hair tie it abruptly snapped. It smacked her hand, and allowed her red hair to tumble down her shoulders carefree once again. She cradled her hand, whimpered slightly. Then her golden eyes saw her watch. Panic filled her system and ignoring the pain in her hand, began sprinting down the street.

"Not again!" groaned Hino, Kahoko as she traveled down the street to school, "I don't have time for this and I'm so late! AAGGGGHHHH!!!" she tripped over her feet and dumped all of her books all over the concrete. She whimpered slightly, 'Yes, it's a bad day.' she thought miserably. Quickly she gathered up her books and papers trying to push her hair out of her face.

In front of her a gentle voice said, "Here,Hino-san." a slender hand offered a thick brown hair tie.

Kahoko reached to take it, "Oh-" then she saw the white jacket and the elegant face that was with it, "-thaaaaAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKSSSSSSSS! Yunoki-sempai!" she gaped jumping up from the ground.

Azuma continued to lean out the window of the car, offering the hair tie, "Bad day?" he inquired with an unusual expression of concern.

She took it startled and grateful that he wasn't taking the opportunity to make fun of her, "um...Thanks...uh... yes. I'm running late."

"Would you like a ride to school?" he inquired opening the car door.

Kahoko was inclined to say no, but saw someone sitting in the car on the other side, "Sure."she answered before she knew what had come out of her mouth.

Carefully Yunoki slid over to the middle seat, and Kahoko clambered in shutting the door, "Thanks."

"My pleasure." Yunoki caught the driver's eye in the mirror, "Go on." he said quietly. The driver nodded and pressed his foot on the gas.

The car began to move, Kahoko looked at the other person in the car. It startled her to see it was a female, not of the Yunoki family. She looked at the upper class man,"Yunoki-sempai, who is-" she asked looking at the the brunette girl seated on the opposite side.

He looked at the girl as she concentrated working with some paper, "This is Lujin." he answered simply and gently reached up and tucked a couple locks of floating hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"Lujin?" Hino inquired.

Azuma sighed, "That's all." he watched the little brunette fight with the paper, "There's no last name or anything. I'm afraid she doesn't remember much. Or if she does, doesn't have much of a way of communicating it."

"How did you meet her?" Kahoko asked.

Yunoki looked at her sideways, "I found her near the beach badly injured."

Hino stared at him, "Really?"

He nodded, "She doesn't remember or say much, but-" he smiled, "She's far from uninteresting."

"Nee." a random arm stretch out in front of him, "Nee." said the girl again offering a blue origami flower.

Kahoko took it gently, "Thank you." she smiled warmly accepting the flower, "OH! I have just the thing for it!" she rummaged quickly through her bag and pulled out a safety pin. Carefully she pinned the elegant flower to her bag, "There!" she smiled, "I'll wear it everyday."

Lujin grinned at her, "Wii."

Azuma laughed, "Wii is sort of her expression of happiness." he shrugged, "It's good enough."

"Wii?" she looked at Lujin.

"WWWWWWWWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!" she giggled.

Hino laughed unable to ignore the warm feeling she had gotten from the strange girl.

The vehicle began to slow and driver announced, "Yunoki-sama we are here."

"Thank you." nodded the violet haired male, "Lujin stay, Hino-san trade spots with me? My guard can be quiet mean at times, and I'd rather get out first to save you the trouble."

She smiled, "Thank you... Yunoki-sempai." she slid over and allowed him to be by the door.

He nodded. Carefully he placed his hand on the latch and pulled. There was a 'click' and the door opened. Azuma stepped out of the car first, and pleasantly greeted his guard who were all giggling over him. He was feeling particularly grateful that he had been able to convince Kahoko that it was safer if he got out first, as they were in a particularly hormonal mood.

"Yunoki-sem-" they all stopped as he extended a hand back to the car, "Come on out ladies." he smiled. He winked at Kahoko, "It's safe."Silence fell, as a slender pale hand touched Yunoki's. Gracefully he pulled the person out carefully, and the girls stared. "There you are Hino-san." he grinned, "Several minutes early to school."

The red-head beamed at him, " Thank you so much for the ride...oh! And hair tie!" she smiled gently hitting herself on the head.

"You are more than welcome. "he turned back to the car, "C'mon out Lujin."A ghostly pale hand grasped his long slender one. In plain view of the entire Yukino fanclub he pulled out a dark brunette girl,"Are you alright, Lujin?" he asked sweetly.

The young woman blinked her violet eyes at him, then looked around her as if confused. The brunette hair was razored and all the random loose hairs were pulled back in a clip or two. Azuma had given her his extra blazer, tie, shirt, and found pants that had to belong to someone smaller. His would have been much too large, after all Azuma was probably a whole eight inches taller than her.

"Lujin." he said again catching her attention.

She looked at him.

Azuma pushed his hand into his own pocket, and pulled out a pair of glasses.'Azuma, our guest is blind.' his grandmother had said tartly, 'Here is a prescription pair of glasses for the child, please do not break them or she will be blind.' He looked down at her still watching eyes.

Her eyes looked back at him, and smiled something like a young child.

Carefully he clean the square frame glasses he'd pulled out, "Good." he nodded, pushing them on her face, "Can you see?"

She stared at him confused. Then took her hands and adjust the frame to fit on her face right, then looked around again.

"Lujin-chan." smiled Hino, and then pointing at her eyes, "Can you see?"

She looked at the ground for a moment then, back up smiling.

"Very good. Thank you Hino-san." smiled Azuma he gently ruffled her hair.

The guard stepped forward, "Yunoki-sama who is this?"

He looked good naturally at the girls, "Lujin." then remember what his grandmother had said earlier added, "She's my cousin staying at my home currently."

"Cousin?" gaped the girls.

"Yes," he chuckled softly, "She's a mute, so please be patient with her. Lujin?"

Hino turned and looked at him, 'B-but she just spoke...' she thought worried.

Lujin turned and looked at Azuma, and then almost as if hit my a thought began rummaging through the white blazer. A large smile appeared on her face as she pulled out a piece of paper. Her long fingers straightened the paper then she offered it to the girls.

"Whats this?" asked the red head in a flat tone.

"It's so Kawaii!" giggled the brunette accepting it, "Thank you so much. Look at it! It's a dainty little flower!"

Lujin's eyes seemed to widen in happiness.

The green haired girl looked at her, "What a lovely origami flower."

"She's been making them since she arrived here." Azuma smiled, "I have an entire vase full of them." he chuckled brushing his hair over his shoulder.

"Really?" asked the red head, then turned and stopped.

Lujin brushed the thick brown strands of hair out of her face as she continued to offer a little origami rose to her.

The red head smiled gently taking the flower, "Arigato..." then as an after though, "Lujin-chan."The little brunette pulled out one more flower and offered it to the green haired girl, she to took it.

"Well Lujin, let's go." he offered a hand, "Hino-san please come too. I need a word with you, about my missing sheet music."

Hino's eyebrow raised at him, then suddenly she understood his meaning and answered uncertainty, "Sure."

Luji's violet eyes stared at Yunoki's hand. She looked at her own hand, then at Azuma. She looked a little frustrated. Apparently she was not sure what he wanted. So when she was completely confused, she stuck her hand back at him. Her face turned into a serious expression.

He laughed softly at her and offered his hand again, "Let's go Lujin. We need to get to class or we'll be late."

She clasped his hand, clearly about to examine it, when Azuma drug her off.

"Well it was almost there." chuckled Hino taking Lujin's other hand.

Lujin looked up at Hino and clutched her hand, and smiled at the red-head.

"Almost." agreed Azuma leading them to the door, "I'm afraid there are somethings she doesn't always understand."

One of Yunoki's fan girls looked at another girl, "She seems a little...off." she commented twirling a strand of her straight hair around her finger.

The guard all nodded at once, "Really off. You think she's okay?"

"I hope?" commented another.

Yunoki heard their comments as he opened the door for Kahoko and Lujin, 'I can't really expect her to really understand can I?' he thought, then looked at Kahoko. He laughed quietly at the brunette hugging Kahoko's arm, "Lujin."

She looked at him.

He let go of her hand, "You need to keep being quiet, alright?" he offered her another piece of origami paper, "And you must let Ms. Hino go to class."

She nodded, and took the shinning paper, still not letting go of Kahoko.

"Thanks so much Hino." he smiled offering his hand again to Lujin.

Hino nodded, "I'm glad too. But hey, are you feeling alright? You're not yourself today. " she commented.

Azuma sighed, "I wish I was alright." he admitted, then quietly, "I worried about Lujin. My grandmother does not like her."

Kahoko nodded, "She wouldn't get rid of her would she?" she inquired looked at the girl.

"No." Azuma said, "But I'm not sure why there is so much prejudice toward her. Even, my sister is uneasy around her." he laughed, "But I won't worry about it too much. Lujin certainly keeps me smiling." he patted her on the head, "Let Hino-san go Lujin."

Lujin looked sad, then looked at Kahoko, "Nii?"

The violinist gently patted Lujin on the head, "Be good okay? I'll see you in a little while."

"Mii?" she asked cocking her head as she gently let go of Hino's arm.

Azuma smiled, "Why don't we meet for lunch?" he offered his hand to Lujin again.

"That'd be great, everyone else can meet her then too!" she grinned, "See you then! Be good Lujin-chan!"

Lujin waved after Kahoko, then turned back to Azuma. Lujin looked at her hand then at Azuma's that he still held out for her. Then she reached out timidly and grasped his hand. She was pleased to discover that was what the flautist wanted, and gently squeezed his hand.

Azuma smiled and patted her on the head, "Very good. Now, please, you need to be quiet, all day. No sounds, not even to Hino-san, unless I give the go ahead."

She nodded still holding the paper in her free hand.

He began to lead her to class, 'I'm lucky she understands to be quiet at least...' even though it had already been a long day, he was grateful for her presence.

Lujin winced suddenly as he held tightly to her hand.

After a short walk her hand began to feel slippery to Azuma and he looked down and gaped at the blood trickling down her hand.

"What happened Lujin?!" he gaped letting go.

She brought her palm to her face. There was a large cut that extended from her fore finger to her elbow. It went through the white fabric of the jacket and the white of the shirt she was wearing. It was deep and bled heavily spilling crimson substance everywhere.

"Come quickly." he urged dragging her to the Infirmary.

She followed after him.

Behind them a male with long black hair leaned against the wall cuddling a matsume, it's long silver blade glistening with fresh red blood, "No effect?" he muttered softly, "How on earth can she not sense us? We're right here."

"That cannot be good." said another with black flaxen hair, "Normally if we are within five miles of her she'll be on guard and ready to slice us into ribbons." he sighed, "Where is her weapon anyway?"

"It's not good at all." sighed the first, "It means she's either half dead or Byukyuga's attack was more brutal than we realized."

"Do you really want to retrive her, now? With the blood loss she has experienced it could cause problems." the second said quietly.

The first grimaced, "No we'll wait. Perhaps we can finally convince Yunoki-sama that she needs to become involved. There are too many of these... things, just to fight alone."

"And with Byukyuga at the front of this-"

"It makes no difference. I will not let him destroy anymore of his family. He killed his own parents, he led those blasted murders to the front door, and let them almost kill his siblings. We're lucky that they're alive." the black haired male sheathed his sword, "She has a few weeks before we start pushing for her to remember."