Fully bandaged, the girl sat idly on the bed, staring out at the window to look at the side of a building. She heard voices, a few foot steps and the click of the door to her room, then sensed the pressence of people. She barely heard what the nurse was saying as she just stared at the building. She finally decided to turn to see who the visitors were. A pretty couple.
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Crisis 11
Dog & Girl Pt.2
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"I'll introduce ourselves first," Zero started off, seeing the girl had not much of a reaction, "my name is Zero Kiryu, and this is my wife Yuuki Kir-"
The girl couldn't help but let out a small giggle as the other girl started pinching Zero's face, saying, "I am not your wife. You idiot, introduce us properly..."
A slight angry looking Yuuki cleared her throat and started again, "this is Zero Kiryu as you know and I am NOT his wife. I'm Yuuki Cross."
"I don't know you two," the girl said weekly.
"The place where you were hurt belongs to me," Zero stepped in and said, "as the owner of that Love Hotel I believe I deserve to know certain things. I was caught up in your mess and too am suffering in my business."
The girl's already frail body shook, "I've already spoke to the police."
Zero sat himself on the side of her bed, his gaze not looking away from her, even though there was no eye contact between them as of yet, "as a personal favour. I'm begging you. I understand the experience may be traumatic but wouldn't telling someone be a nice way to release some emotions. This will be the last time you repeat these words to anyone. I promise."
The girl couldn't help but be caught by Zero's ernest gaze. She shook her head.
Zero didn't let the girls sight wander from him, locking it with everything he has, "I'm a cruel person I know. To push you to tell me your sadness as a cure to my curiosity. However, I persist."
The girl made a movement as if to shuffle away from Zero. She glanced around the room, avoiding his gaze but whenever she took a sneak peek at his face, she would find him staring at her, with a un-readable, yet somehow demanding expression. Even though she could only see him with one eye, he was still seductive.
A tincture of relief surged through Zero as the girl began to speak to him; as of Yuuki from the side who only watched, "my name is Belinda Gazel. If I tell you everything, will you be able to help me?"
Zero took hold of Belinda's hand, giving her reassurance, "I may not be the police or a lawyer or a doctor, but I have a heart that wants to help. Is that good enough for you?"
Watching from the side, Yuuki suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart. The very phrase, I have a heart that wants to help, somehow felt nostalgic to her. She couldn't steal her eyes away from Zero again, just like before. Scary, what was wrong with her? She'd been resisting him for so long so why all of the sudden does these feelings crop up. Were they real? There was one thing she felt certain though, Zero Kiryu was more than seductive, he understood...pain.
Belinda felt something in this guy before her, so different that she was assured he's be able to help. She took in a deep breath and began her story, "my mother died giving birth to me. When I was around 8, my father was under a lot of pressure at work and taking care of me. Once, only once he broke down, got drunk and he..." Her eye began to get watery at the memory she was about to phrase with her mouth, "he hit me across the head. By the time I was in hospital, the doctors already said my eyes will go blind. I never blamed him. He gave up drinking, he gave up all his time, his friends, everything and devoted himself to looking after me after I was released from the hospital. He's a good father. He even bought me Bell, my guide dog. It was all fine. I loved Bell so much."
"Then how did you end up..." Zero urged on.
Belinda wiped her tears, "recently, my father has found a way to heal my eyes. I can see again. I was so happy until he said... he said once I can see, we'll have to sell Bell away. She's not needed anymore, money is more important. I couldn't accept it so, I selfishly ran away from home with Bell. Its unfair, Bell has always been besides me, supporting me. She's part of the family, I won't split with her."
Yuuki couldn't help but shake her head. Another selfish young girl though her love for Bell could be understandable.
Belinda continued, "I ended up not knowing where to go. It was my first time away from home. I don't really remember but, I just seem to have ended up at your hotel and kinda renting that one room. I think the manager of the hotel then pitied me."
"Yeah. I did a thorough investigation of that room after the incident, there were kind of records of it that a girl was using it permamently," Zero clarified. "So how did it turn so bloody?"
Belinda bit her lips, "father found wher I was. He came a few times round to visit, tried convincing me to sell Bell for my eye-sight. I wouldn't listen, that's how stubborn I was. Then before this time, he warned me when leaving, he'd do anything to get my sight back. I just didn't know it was like this."
"WHAT LIKE THIS?" Yuuki couldn't help but ask with a little anger, "too far."
"Yeah," Belinda admitted, tears started flowing out again, "I didn't know he'd kill Bell. I stabbed one of my own eye out in front of him to get him to stop hurting Bell, but it was all too late..."
There was silence in the room. Such a long pause that it was beginning to feel unnerving. Belinda's story was full of stupidity on the latter half of those involved yet pitiful at the same time. Yuuki was the one who felt the idiocy of the whole tale.
"Ridiculous," Yuuki couldn't help but blab out.
Zero turned to look at Yuuki, his expression still unreadable, "Yuuki are you alright?"
Yuuki sighed, "would anyone be, after hearing such a story about two ridiculously reckless and stupid father and daughter. Where the hell did communication come in? Was it worth me to see all that anyway, if I had to witness such horror, at least make it worthwhile, reasonable not like this..."
"Yuuki," Zero said, this time with more force, "I understand your thinking. But you can't blame anyone for their stupidity or reason. Communication... I wonder if that ever crossed us...we're kind of like strangers."
That last comment ticked Yuuki off. She felt a strong mix of emotions rushing through her, her mind in complete turmoil. Messed up and lost. Yuuki struggled to recognise these feelings. She didn't know why she felt angry that Zero seemed to be so nice to Belinda Gazel and could only end up shouting at him like she always did, this time she really had no good reason to. "Resorting to violence and then getting all sad and looking like she needs everyones sympathy when the main reason is because she wasn't truthful about her feelings... she's the worst. I'm the one who should be pitied, having to see that bloody scene, being scared and worried for a stupid selfish girl like that-
"THAT'S ENOUGH YUUKI," Zero shouted over Yuuki, "both of them are wrong, Belinda and her father, but if you ask me whose worse. its the father that didn't even try to understand his daughters feelings."
"So your going to help her?" Yuuki asked. "A damn girl whjo doesn't deserve it."
Zero pointed towards the door, "LEAVE. Don't embarass yourself anymore and just leave. We'll talk later."
Yuuki didn't wait another second, she ran out the door in time to hide her bursting tears. She was angry or upset? She didn't know.
Belinda quietly asked, "are you alright?"
"Yeah." Zero said, calming back down. "I'll help you," Zero offered.
Belinda gave a vivid smile, "Please. I only have father left in this world. He may think I won't forgive him but... I-"
"I understand," Zero said, hushing Belinda.
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Sitting alone on the bench outside the hospital, Yuuki furiously wiped her tears. Deep down she knew, probably all along, how she felt. She remembered the first time she met Zero, all the way up to now. From hating him to rejecting him to slowly getting used to him and his pace. To understand the tiniest bits of his inner heart and his life. It was a pathetic emotion, she was jealous of that Belinda Gazel because Zero held her hand. "But was it that simple," Yuuki couldn't help but whisper to herself, "there was something else that seemed to make me get so angry... something he said... it felt nostalgic... as if I've heard of it somewhere before."
Yuuki sat still for a moment. Her head clearing slightly. Zero, nostalgic feelings, recognising things he's said... "so weird... have Zero and I met before now?" Yuuki asked herself. "Couldn't be."
She felt a buzz in her coat pocket and reached in it for her mobile. She stared at the screen. It was a text from Sayori. She read and smiled for her friends sake, "Sayori, I'm happy for you too... but my own... is a mess - right now."
