Chapter 2 Illusions of Grandeur

Running a hand over his face, he picked himself off the floor. Pacing once again to his closet, this time finally finding something suitable to wear other than his birthday suit.

"Man.. I REALLY need to do laundry." He felt a distinct feeling of de-ja-vu.

He thought while putting on his black boxer-briefs, and a pair of black socks. He sighed miserably, thinking about the event that took place what seemed only a few minutes ago. He'd never seen Kirie like that before. He started to piece together a plan, a way to approach the situation.

"Hmm..Well, I can't barricade myself up here for ever, I gotta go down there eventually.."
He dreaded the idea of a still angry Kirie.

Swallowing his fears, he slid into a pair of khaki shorts, grabbed a clean white V neck, and his brown house shoes.
He walked out of his closet, gently slid the door behind him, and sat on his bed, still trying to think of how to approach things. Not exactly sure how to place his next movie, Yukinari had never approached a situation like this before, never in his life. What was he supposed to do? Then the thought crossed his mind again.. "Whats to lose..."

Leaning on his elbow. "What the hell am I doing...?" He spoke to himself, trying to reinforce some kind of courage. "Sitting here isn't getting crap done!" Jumping off the bed, he stormed to the door with a new-found courage, in-fact he was so pumped up, he felt like he could take on a army of Kirie. As he opened the door ready to confront the trio of women downstairs, he realized that.. they were already there, well two of them. Lisa seemed missing. How long had they been there?

He wanted to shut the door, but instead his feet chose to move backwards in spite of what he wanted. Inviting them inside. First came Miharu, then Kirie whose face was hidden in a down-looking angle. Kirie positioned herself behind Miharu.
The room held a deafening silence for a while, until thunder roared in the background. The lights in his room faltered under the strength of the electrical storm - It was a bad one.

Yukinari looked at Miharu. He never looked at Kirie. Not that he didn't want too, but something inside of him shared what ever she was feeling. Something inside of him wanted to go back in time. Something inside of him was hurt... But why?

Before Yukinari's father left, he spoke to him. Of anyone, Yukinari's father knew of his sons troubles. Yukinari was always told, no matter what sadness, or grief you experience in life, you will always be given two-fold happiness in return. He was told to appreciate, and to believe in his struggle. That in spite of all the bullying, and torment he had endured over the years, he realized that Kirie had always been there for him. She had always sacrificed her own image to protect him, thats why she took up martial arts. So she could destroy anyone who dared go against him. This pain, this hurt that was embodied in him. It was all so foreign to him, all so new, yet it felt all so familiar to what he was feeling when he and Lisa had embraced one another.
His heart was in one place, but his mind in another.

He thought of Lisa that moment. "Is this what love feels like?" He asked himself. He looked at the two women that stood in his room, his eyes only met Miharu's for a moment. Truly not knowing what to do, as he lowered his head he spoke. "I - … I'm sorry." He looked up, raising his stare from the ground. "I didn't mean for things to turn out the way they did, not like this." He began rubbing the side of his arm as a way to release tension that was building up, hoping one of them would say something, anything.
"Wheres Lisa?" he then said. It was the wrong thing to say..

Miharu motioned to say something, but then she was pushed aside by Kirie.
"Of all things...Yukinari" Kirie took in a deep breath "Of all things you could say this very moment, you ask something as fucking dumb as that!" Pushing Yukinari to the floor out of sudden anger.

"Kirie! No! Stop it!" Miharu shouted as she reached for Kirie's arm, but it was a failed attempt to control her, Kirie snatched away with little effort.
Kirie reached down, grabbed Yukinari by the collar of his shirt and held him face to face. She was taller than him, so he was forced to stand tip toed. Smacking him viciously with her free hand. His cheek glowed red. He said not a word. He closed his eyes. Something wet had landed on his face. Then again. And again. They were tears
"LOOK AT ME!" She demanded. Shaking him. Throwing him to the floor, and mounting herself on top of him.

As he opened his eyes, his bravado, and courage seemed to dissipate, not out of fear, but sadness. A feeling of grief had overcome him from the sight of Kiries blood red eyes, her face torn in grief. She'd been crying a storm down there. What had he done?

"Im sor-" He couldn't finish his sentence, as another slap had interrupted him. She began to choke him relentlessly, Yukinari could only stare as his life was being wrenched from him but then Miharu intervened, tackling Kirie. They both went flying, Kirie had been driven into the edge of Yukinari's writing desk, knocking her out. Miharu screamed, shaking Kirie's limp body, hoping she'd wake up, her only response was a groan let them know she was still alive.

Yukinari lungs suddenly expanded greatly to a large intake of air that he thought he would never receive again, he coughed and rolled over on his side looking at Miharu vainly trying to wake up Kirie from her unconscious slumber. He reached out and grabbed her arm, she looked at him, stopped for a moment, then proceeded to hugging him. He hugged her back. "Oh Yukinari.." she cried "Why is all of this happening? Why is everyone fighting!"

She was clueless to human affairs, after all more than the majority of her planet was often void of relationships. But yet, she felt this pain, this confusion, this angst.. in her chest as well.
As Yukinari was helping himself to his knees, he looked over to Kirie, who was coming back to consciousness and groaning, Miharu tried to help but she was pushed away. Looking around the room eventually, lightly shaking his head in disbelief at the scene.
Then Lisa walked in. A flash of lightning brightened the room for a moment, like one of those effects in a horror film when the big bad makes his appearance.
As if on cue, it began raining much harder.

"Man, I HAVE to get out of this. How'd I even get into this anyways" Thinking to himself. He looked down for a moment. "Oh yeah."

"I'm s-" Yukinari began to speak, but was cut off by Miharu.
"Yukinari, I don't understand what is happening today but you have to fix it!" she exclaimed with a not-so-common serious visage. " You guys have are fighting and hurting each other! Thats not what friends-" She was then cut off by Kirie.
"Friends. Thats all we will ever be, well except for lisa." Venom dripped from the words.
"Hmph" Shrugged Lisa.
"Huh? Whats wrong with being friends?" Asked Miharu
"Whats wrong? You- Ignorance is bliss, I suppose." scoffed Kirie. Looking at Yukinari, frowning, "Its time for you to choose."
"Choose?" In synchronous from everyone but Kirie.

"I-I-.." Yukinari was cut off by Lisa, who had ninja'd her way to his side. Sitting by him and embracing him in a hug, she replied for him. "Yuki doesn't have to choose. We already know the answer, dont we?" Smiling coyly.

"I-I!" He jumped off and ran out of the room, and out of the front door. Not caring about the rain, or the thunder storm. Not caring for a given direction, he took the first route he looked. He ran till his legs gave out on him, cursing himself for his dilemma. punching the wet and muddy ground. If only he could be more brave. Truthfully, he never wanted to choose, as long as everyone could live in happiness the way things were, what's wrong? But then, it dawned on him. The inevitable. At some point being friends with the opposite sex can at times result in unquenched feelings. "Is that what Kirie meant?" She wasn't satisfied with being a friend anymore? Yukinari thought about all of the anime protagonist he often admired in the mangas he read, with their harems; and legions of girls flocking to them. He never really thought of the outcome of a love triangle, the strangled and mixed emotions. He never thought about what happened next. But here he is, a part of one, example given and point taken. At that time, Yukinari honestly wished he could have his girl phobia back. Life was much more simple back then. When he only had Kirie...

He came to realization, that he was soaked with rain, on his knees, presumably in the middle of nowhere, he stood up placing his hand on a tree for support as he leaned against it, his legs still weak and shaky. His mind still trying to find a viable outcome to end this mess. If he goes back, it might not be today, or tomorrow. But eventually, he will have to choose. Personally, he had a thing for Lisa anyways. Might as well stick to it now, after all he did back there, going back against that decision could mean god knows what, after all she is pretty dangerous with the black magic, and scary bodyguards.

Lightning flashed across the sky, and before he could hear the thunder, Yukinari's world... went black. He fell over, face first into the muddy ground, the tree he now laid by was almost split in two. Charred embers and bark was everywhere. Then the sound of the rain took over everything else.

A silhouette of a tall figure lied in the wait of a shadowy walkway.