Uryuu's evil intentions are revealed to another level! What'll our golden pair do as things get more complicated? Well, let's have more fun in this chapter!
BTW, thanks to those who've reviewed!
Let the Play…Commence!
It was only when Ichigo read the evening papers, sitting in the backstage, that he learnt of Karin's arrest. All the colours were drained from his face, making his gorgeous face with a heavy, pale make-up to be as white as bone china. The black crinkle-yarn gown he was fitted in made him looked like he was attending a funeral when just a minute ago, he looked like a queen of all the goddesses among the other models.
Orihime, with her hand fully recovered, was tidying the make-up chest when she noticed his strange expression. "Huh? You're not satisfied with this make-up?" She looked at different angles, "I think it's pretty good. Is it that you find the foundation too thick? You look really pale."
"I'm alright." He stood up; he had his pride at work. He had no idea of who was the enemy, or did that person have any animosity. However, choosing between fleeing from the spot now and being shot on the runway then, he preferred the latter; it was only better by a hair's breath. "Orihime, the pistol that I gave you…have you brought it with you?"
Orihime did not know why he asked that, but from experiences, she sensed an approaching danger. "Yes, I have."
"Keep a vigilant eye," Ichigo said softly. "If anything happens, just go without me, but don't go back home; hide at Urahara-san's place for a while. If there's none, then wait for me in here. Once the show's over, we'll go immediately."
It was the supermodel's most splendid show the audience had ever seen, gaining groans of love and hatred from the designers. Models should not put too much of their characters in shows, otherwise they would dim the glories of the designs, and that when other people wore them they might find themselves unable to shine as much as the models had. However, Ichigo's staunch will and divine beauty made the designs resplendent, and that none could bring out the same radiance from the same set of clothes. He was not displaying the designers' masterpiece, but mauling them heavily. After every show, no matter how on top of the world they were for having the supermodel fit into their designs, they also had an incurable hollow feeling in their hearts.
Or course Ichigo knew that. Normally, he would be extremely careful not to let too much of his glamour leak out and ruin the shows. But his mind was in such a taut state that he did not give a damn to it then. Under his overwhelming momentum, all the other models, designers and clothes faded into darkness in comparison.
After receiving the round of applauses, he rushed into the backstage. Silence without the sound of a fired gun did not mean okay; just a piece of rope could also simply finish the mission without making too much of a mess. "Orihime!"
"I'm here!" Pale like he was, she forced herself to be calm and waved at him, a piece of facial cotton in her hand. "What's the matter?"
"Forget about removing it!" He tucked her up. "We're going now!"
"H-Hey! Ichigo! You can't leave without taking off the dress ~ !"
Ignoring the shouts behind him, Ichigo cursed the long train of the gown that kept tripping him as he rushed into the car park. All he wanted was speed, and he did not have the patience to wait for the elevator.
"Is that our car?" Orihime stared at him breaking the window easily as if it was a thin piece of paper.
"Of course not." He opened the door successfully. "Just get in already!"
With just a hair clip, the car kicked into life. Orihime found it to be very surreal, as if she was now in a movie.
"Ichigo! We've just stolen someone's car!" She shrieked when she finally realized it as the car whizzed on the road.
He shot her a glance with ill humour. "You just comprehended that? Perhaps we'll even have to murder someone if necessary." He was still wearing the little hat with a fall of black gauze on his black-dyed head, making him look like a widow in black, yet leaking an aura of blood-lusty, murderous intent.
"B-But calm down, Ichigo ~ !" She shrilled an octave higher. "Be careful! We're going the contrary way!"
"No," The tires screeched from the friction as it turned into an alley. "The others are."
When they arrived at the Karakura Hospital, Orihime's legs were trembling vigorously and weak like jelly that she could hardly get off. Picking up the ends of the gown, Ichigo pulled out a gun which he has strapped on his thigh with a strap. "Take out your gun, Orihime. Be careful for not to be discovered."
She held it tightly at her chest and jogged to match his huge strides. She understood what he was going to do when he bent down and gripped the ends of the gown. "Don't tear the ends! The gown's extraordinarily expensive!"
"Shaddap!" The fabric could not withstand his strength and gave away easily. As his shins were exposed after he tore the train off, he could move so damn more conveniently. He knew the guards in the hospital were nearly impregnable, so the perils were not high. But Karin was now inexplicably sent to jail, if they put an end to the apoplectic father and turned the spearhead towards him…that would spell the end of the Kurosaki House.
If that was the enemy's aim, then his father's life was like a near-to-end candle, flickering in the winds. He looked at Orihime worriedly. He ought to have left her at a safe place—perhaps with his nursemaid, but as both his father and his make-up artist were fighting on the scales in his heart…he decided to let her stay next to him.
He slipped carefully without a sound from the emergency door into the corridor, reached to his father's special ward and spotted the few loyal men guarding the room. He finally let out a held breath.
"Who's there?!" Noticing awkwardness, some of them rushed out and took different fighting stances. "Freeze!"
"It's me." He finally took off the little hat and revealed his radiance before them.
At that time, Orihime finally caught up with him—climbed, literally—and wheezed heavily. Oh god…it was on the twelfth floor! She knew that it was possible for Ichigo to run all the way up without breaking a sweat—both for his athletic abilities and the high adrenaline level he was having now; as much as she detested her parents, she would still rush to them as Ichigo had now with the same intensity of anxiety. However, for her to run up to here…that was another story.
"The Young Master?" His father's loyal attendant, Kon, became high-spirited once he spotted Ichigo's arrival, which was now raising a commotion in the ward. Just a moment ago, every one of the guards was worrying about their future without their leader. The Young Master was like a strong vernal breeze, blowing away the heavy atmosphere of fear and depressing helplessness that has been brewing around and leaving not a trace behind. "The Young Master has returned!"
"Where's my father?" He asked emotionless as he patted Kon's shoulder. "How's he?"
"The Master is still in the ward…" Kon blew his nose in a piece of tissue and wiped off his agitated tears. "The doctor said that he has passed the critical phrase, though…"
Such a man that even death would be too good for him could live through the critical phrase? A cold, cruel smile appeared on his face as he stepped in.
Kurosaki Isshin used to be the arbitrator of the House with majestic power and prestige, yet now he was lying weak in bed. After all these years, he has aged way more than Ichigo had imagined. Illness has robbed his unyielding life forces away. Once the formerly-agile body collapsed, all that left was the ancient and limp shell, relying on those advanced machines that were keeping him alive and his faithful subordinates to protect him.
Ichigo sauntered to the huge bed, enjoying the feeling of looking down at his father—who has always been in the prominent position—for the first time. "Can you hear me, Oyaji?"
"I'm just having a stroke, but I'm yet deaf." His father opened his eyes to a crack. "How's it? It's really thrilling to be a Barbie Doll, huh? Humph, you're both really alike…you and that useless woman. Why weren't you being born as a woman, or turning yourself into a woman?" Although his voice was weak like sighing out the words, he still had a stubborn will that was very unyielding.
"Which 'useless woman' you're talking about? Taki? I've spared her." Ichigo ignored him and spoke in a plain tone. "I've long told you to do fewer illegal things; isn't this to be what you've deserved for? By the way, I'm happy to see that your heart didn't race too fiercely as I visit you this time." Staring at the man who has inflicted countless pain on him now lying in bed with a feeble body and soul, he did not even have a tiny sense of ecstasy of having a successful revenge. He has always wondered why his mother Masaki could forgive all his father's unforgiveable deeds, such as not coming to visit her when she was knocking on death's doors or even attending her funeral, bringing not a bit of happiness to her.
How much price had he given in exchange just to break away from his father…the day when he has just barely turned fifteen, came back as a memory, distant but still vivid…
* Flashback *
"You want to leave the House?" With a will strong as the hardest alloy, Isshin's made himself comfortable by sitting like an emperor in the huge grand bergère. "'Born as a Kurosaki man, die as a Kurosaki ghost.' Don't ever think that you can escape."
"I won't escape." His amber eyes shone brightly and strongly. "I've promised Mum that I'll never walk on the same Path of Darkness as you had."
"My company's a legitimate enterprise." Isshin crossed his fingers, staring hard at his only son who kept eluding from him as much as he possibly could.
"None of the legitimate enterprises in the world do drug-dealings." The fierce gaze did not make him quiver in fear.
Isshin was slightly taken aback; he expected this handsome and sagacious son of fifteen to argue on the matter of arms-production. He has never thought that he would even know his secret side-job. However, how much did he know?
"The Enterprise has no such dealings."
"That's just your statement." Ichigo stayed peaceful and calm as ever. After the grief of losing his mother at nine, he has never let his emotions take the better of him for once again. The tears have stopped in a screech and over a night, he was all tough and unyielding. "If I were you, Oyaji, I'd quit and let it go before it's too late."
"You, or those stupid accusations?"
"You can only choose one out of two." Still perfectly calm. "To you, I'll just be a threat from within if you keep me in. Even though Yuzu's dead—to you, she's also 'a piece of lousy rubbish' for being too lenient and soft, you still have Karin to inherit your kingdom. If you truly desire to name me heir to the throne—which means I must stay no matter what—then stop all your drug-dealings at once. I have no intentions to walk on the same path as you have, Oyaji."
"I claim my denial of your pointless accusations." Isshin hardened his glare. It was his signature fearsome glare that can even scare the most savage beast, but never his son, also known with a talcum-soft appearance but a diamond-hard will. After minutes of dead silence, the father finally said, "Alright; if you wish to go, get lost. However, if you dare to lay a hand on the Enterprise…I'll deal with you personally, be you my blood-and-flesh or not."
"I understand." He knew that his father was no idiot; he has inherited all of his intelligence, after all. It was better to let it go rather than keeping an untamed venomous snake by his side. However, if he understood his father well, things would not be this simple; and he was damn right.
"As for the proviso," The glare grew chilly cold. "You can't be a cop, so as a military man."
"And?" It would be too lenient if it was all.
"You can't be an employee of any companies—the Kurosaki House's no training constitution for them, so you can't be a boss too, in that case. You can—"
"Oyaji," Ichigo interrupted him. "Perhaps you should give me a list or something to let me know how many other jobs which I can't do?"
"Why not?" Isshin smirked.
* ~ 0 ~ *
A few days later, Ichigo was presented with a thick stack of list after he was called. "There're 365 different kinds of jobs in here. As I can see, there's nothing left for you to do than being a beggar. If you can't take that, you can stay."
Ichigo flipped through some of the pages. Hmm… "There's always the 366th, Oyaji."
"If you leave this ground, then never come back!" This time, Isshin really had his temper triggered. After some more procedures with the father signing the disowning documents as the ending, ten years have passed…
* Flashback *
He has never thought that he would return to this overbearing father's sides in the end.
The weak old man lifted the corners of his mouth to a mocking smirk. "To think that you'd do things to such extreme extents that you're even willing to dress in those sissy clothes just to escape from me…"
"Being a fitting model for women's wears is better than dealing drugs by a hair; at least it won't make me have a stroke and have my child in jail." He said plainly, using the exact tone he used to talk to his father those years ago.
"Karin's in jail? If that's her fate, so be it. I've also been in there; so what? If Yuzu's still alive…well, such a feeble scum's no better than you!" Agitated, he broke into a feat of coughing. The personal nurse rushed to his side and took out the phlegm stuck in his throat. He panted heavily for a while and looked at his son again with a pair of fierce eyes. "Do you think you could really escape from me that easily, huh?"
"I really had no idea that you'd be so thoughtful that you sent someone disguised as my agent to monitor me 24/7." Ichigo gave his father another of his signature cold yet cruel smile. "You knew that Tatsuki's parents are desperate for fees to get better medical attention for their illness, and you believed that threatening her by cutting the sources of the money would make her swear her full loyalty towards you? You don't really know my best friend since childhood well, Oyaji. She's pledged her constancy and devotion to me long before you knew it, and I've now freed her, in case you've yet realized it."
Yes, despite having a miserable childhood which he wished he had never had, he still made few childhood buddies for himself. Though he and Chad would put their lives on the line for each other, but the brawny Mexican did not count as one—they met when they were teenagers, as well as Ikkaku and some other named few. The one who fit all the above requirements was his agent Taki, or properly known as Tatsuki. Her parents sometimes had business with Isshin and would bring her with them, so very naturally, the two closely-aged kids stuck to each other like magnets. Since then, they have always watched out for the other, fooled around for a bit when adults were not looking, and even helped to improve each other's fighting skills as they brawled. It was not long that they even swore with a semi-solemn oath to "devote all they have for the other's sake". Though just as kids, they took it seriously; even up till now, inside the cold façades lay hearts of gold, always springing into action when the other was only in small troubles. It was something that none of the adults knew, or they simply regarded it childishly lame and overlooked or took it way too lightly.
It was reasonable for Isshin's face to darken. "She climbed onto your bed? Hn, I knew that women are untrustworthy. What I've never expected is that you'll be in a place that's completely out of my mind. There're only rubbish-like women." He could still move his hand to grab Ichigo's as hard as he could. "Why did you come? To mock at me as you've wished to all these living years, huh? You're now free! Get lost now! Don't appear before me again!"
The intrepidity that formerly made him cower in fear has all gone; the blow was nothing more than stroking to him. He pried off the thin digits gently. "I came back not because of you. I'm what I am now because Karin's 'saved' me, so I've returned to pay my debt. In fact, I'm also in your debt; it's you who gave me my life, after all, though it's all unwillingly." He turned around, "Let's go, Orihime."
For the first time, Isshin laid his eyes on her and a cruel smile appeared. "This…is the little pariah that Rukia's talked about? What can she do other than being a walking shield for bullets? Hmm…pretty good for a shield, if you ask me."
"…I'm glad that I'm like Mum more than you, Oyaji." Ichigo shook his head without an expression on his glacially gorgeous face. "You've cared too much that you're not the blood-son of the Kurosaki House, Oyaji. You're so afraid that people may say that the adopted would make the prestige of the House collapse, and you've paid all that your life has to maintain it."
"What do you know?!" The old man yelled as much as he could, but it was nothing more than a croaked wheeze. The electrocardiogram started to oscillate vigorously with the irregular beeping. "Get lost from my sight! Such a sissy like you is of no use to me! I'll never tell you anything! The Kurosaki House is better to be in rubbles than fall into your hands!"
Without another word, he left the ward. The guards, originally staying by his father's sides, followed him as if they were his shadows. They acted so naturally as if he has never left in the first place.
"Where're we going?" Orihime could not make heads or tails of it. The two guards were like robots, one minding the traffic and the other staring into the space with a blank face. Ichigo's expression was horribly dark as well, with his scowl deeper than she has ever seen. Strangely, she was not afraid in a single bit, but even rummaging her bag for facial cotton.
"Turn your face to me, Ichigo, so I can remove the make-up for you." He obeyed and she started to remove his eye shadows. "If you don't want me to ask, then I won't. It's just—it's really hard for me to bear it all, but I'll try my best to keep quiet."
Orihime's gentle hands and caring eyes…they made his tightened mind relaxed and even revealed the rare perplexity and weakness.
"Orihime, I've said to marry you…do you remember?" His voice was soft, filled with sadness.
Her face flushed red in a second and dropped her head, replying in a voice softer than a mosquito, "…Ye…Yes…"
"You never gave me your answer."
Oh, good Lord, must he really have to propose in front of so many outsiders? Her face flashed from red to white, glancing at the rear mirror to find that those two were still wearing a blank expression.
"Let me remove all the make-up…I can't answer you when you're so…" Her wipes started to get messy and rude.
"No, huh…?" His melancholy was so evident that it wrenched Orihime's heart tightly.
"Yes, Yes! I've even said that I'm willing to offer you my b-body…" Her voice dropped to an octave lower, wishing that she could bite off her tongue since she could see the shoulders of the robots trembling, and it was not because of the bumping car!
"Even though I'm a child born from Darkness?" His clear ambers looked straight into her smoky-grey glasses.
"So what Rukia's said is true." Frankly told, she was not too surprised.
"…You've guessed it?"
"Otherwise, how do you explain your agility? It's not as simple as you just had practices for a stronger body. And all those mysterious people you're interacting with?" Orihime sighed helplessly. "My dad's kind of a thug, a local bully who always took jobs to do. I left my home partly because I'm afraid of that kind of murky darkness…" She fell silent again.
"I'm afraid that I can never severe myself from that world." He was really upset, because he wanted to be with her but not with this identity.
"…Do you still remember that you've said, 'my house is your house'?" She slipped her tiny hand into his slender one. "I feel like that too, and perhaps…for the rest of my life. Kokudou isn't such a great deal…though I don't like you doing bad things…" Heat rose up from her chest to her neck, her cheeks and even her ears, and it was another new low octave. "It's because of you…so overbearing that you don't let me get married…you must bear the responsibilities…"
He pursed his lips and hugged her tightly. "Yes, I will. I didn't say that I love you, because it's a very irresponsible way of saying. I'll let you know how much I do love you with my actions in the rest of my life."
She smiled, holding the moved tears. She now felt assured with his words, knowing that he would stay by her side no matter what. Even though they were walking straight into Hell, she would follow him into it as if going to a carnival.
"If that's the case, then I don't have to buy a house now!" She beamed brightly. "Now I can use my savings to renew the kitchen—oh, build it from scrap sounds even better! I've always wanted to buy an all-in-one stove with stronger gas power and a better microwave oven (1)! Oh yes, we can also buy new cutlery, pans, utensils…oh yes! The new set of pots they're selling on television looks great…"
"Oh, shut it!" Such a romantic atmosphere a second ago…what is her identity; a romance killer? Before she could protest, he kissed her soundly, disabling her from saying another stupid thing…
When he saw Karin, he finally eased a little. She looked good, at least outwardly. Karin's eyes were large as saucers when Orihime waved at her merrily and Ichigo told her the news.
"Getting married?! What were you two thinking of, bringing some light to my dusky life in jail?!" Her voice's decibel nearly made the device malfunction, as if she was yelling straight towards them. "What the heck?! I was there thinking 'who are those two beautiful ladies that have come to visit me'! And once you come here, you bring me this news?!" Karin furrowed her brows tightly. "What're you doing here, Ichi-nii? You should've just run into hiding! Gone into hiding! How's the old man? He's not dead yet?"
"Passed the critical phrase, but still not too stable. Now you're here, who takes charge of things other than me?"
"There's nothing worthy to take charge of!" Karin pulled a long face. "Nothing, I tell you! We're prairie dogs that are driven straight into the traps! The Kurosaki House's no more!"
Ichigo thought for a while, "Actually, I still don't quite get what're your charges…?"
"Charges?" Karin barked a sardonic laugh. "Loads. Defrauding revenues, attempting to bribe administrators, owning arms privately, and they even unearthed a pack of heroin in my room."
"Heroin?!" Ichigo found it extremely unbelievable. It cannot be…he grew really pale as he felt like really breaking down on the spot with all the audiences. He has taken their parents' role in teaching his sisters to distinguish what is good and what is bad so they would never touch such hostile things, and now…she…! Oh god, all the hard efforts…!
"Have you gone mad, Ichi-nii?! I never had those things!" Karin screamed at an octave that cracks appeared on the glasses. "Haven't we not had enough of those abusers in America that I'm trying it myself to test it out?! Besides, I've never forgotten what you've taught me!"
Framing with planted goods. Ichigo scowled as his brain scrolled down the list of names.
"If you need to know, the list can be as long as the whole country of Japan." Karin groaned and rubbed her tired eyes. "Listen, you have to keep a weather eye, Ichi-nii! You're the only person in the Kurosaki House who can move around freely now! No matter how, you have to keep a low profile and never let anyone to notice any flaws in your actions, okay? Guide the entire House out of this murky world if you can. Remember: you should understand that your life now means a lot more than you've imagined! It's not only yours when you get married; in fact, you shouldn't drag your belle into this kind of hellhole. By the way, how are you keeping her safe, now that you've led her waist-deep into this mess?"
"She's now my responsibility; I'll keep her by my side always and none can touch her. Don't worry," He smiled gently at the anxious Karin on the other side. "I'll guard the house in your place and I won't let it fall apart. I promise I'll be safe."
Karin stared at him before letting out a weary sigh. "It's pretty like a curse to be born into such a family, isn't it?"
"Perhaps," His fabulous smile deepened, stunning even the cop who came in to tell him and Orihime it was time to leave. "However, it's time to undo it now."
Looking at her brother leading his girl out, Karin frowned and muttered in her heart. If I am the enemy, I need not trouble myself to do in the hard-to-deal-with Ichigo; just point a gun at his wife would suffice. Look at that sticky manner! If anything happened to Orihime, Ichigo would also be so-so. She sighed again, unable to undo the knitted brows.
"Your father doesn't like me, and now also your sister." Uh, being a daughter-in-law in this kind of family is hard.
"Leave Oyaji out of the picture; I have no intention to live with him, anyhow." He said plainly. "As for Karin, it's not she dislikes you; she's just afraid that you'll get into troubles."
Orihime fell silent. All the events have let her grow stronger. She found out that there was even a limit for "fear". When reached to a degree, the intensity would diminish, and in fact everything was not as scary as she thought to be.
"Can I have another gun?" She asked. "The one you gave me have only one shot."
"I don't want you turn into a murderer, with hands tainted with blood." Ichigo got serious. "It's a gun for the sake of self-defence. I promise I'll protect you, so don't worry."
She played with the gun with a pout when he was on the phone with Chad. The one he gave her was around the weight of the one Ishida bought for her. She was now quite confident in her marksmanship after practising an hour a day.
Perhaps I can never be as good as Rukia, right? She was a bit disappointed, but being a natural optimist, she was all happy in a minute. I will not be a burden to Ichigo; I will grow stronger, because I love him.
"Chad's setting out from Mexico tonight." He smiled. "I haven't seen him for years…"
"Chad? He's a Mexican? I can't speak Spanish…"
"Oh, don't worry about it." He said quickly. "He's half-Japanese going by the name Sado Yasutora, who's been living with his Mexican grandfather ever since his parents died. I called him 'Chad' because when I first met him years ago in a training camp, I mispronounced his name. Now I'm the only one who's allowed to call him that; you probably can too. Well, I'll tell you the story…"
They packed a few things into a light luggage and got into a luxurious car, departing for the place where Ichigo grew. When they arrived at the gate, Orihime's eyes almost popped out from sockets with her mouth catching flies. She knew that he came from an abnormally rich family, but she had never imagined the degree of extravagant splendour. It was such a gargantuan house—no, chateau is the word—that it was 10 minutes to reach to the main building from the gate by car!
"Stop gawking and come in now." Ichigo needed to pull her to proceed into the grand living room with the sparkling classical crystal chandelier above their heads. This…is really a place for human beings to live in?! Everything that came into her eyes was classical furniture and antiques. Every step that she took was soundless on the soft, thick carpet.
Can anyone tell me that this is NOT a dream?!
Another shock came to her—a huge team of black-clad men bowed to them wordlessly. It was something that you could only seen in movies. Orihime froze, "Err…ah…rise…"
"Who do you think you are; Empress Michiko (2)?!" Ichigo barked out a laugh, which startled the men more than by Orihime's words. The gorgeous but expressionless Young Master laughed?! "Well, just go; thanks for your great work."
Half of the day was filled with shocks as she went into her bedroom. The four-posted bed was so huge that she did not fall onto the floor after a roll. The sheets were so light and soft that she believed that it was the famous Chinese silk. God! There was even a curtain for the bed! Such…terrifying luxury! However, after the initial shock, she felt bored.
It seemed as if the lawyers have devoured Ichigo whole, bone and hair and everything, once he stepped into house for a meeting after another. He was so busy that he did not even have the time to have dinner with her together. Orihime felt cold and miserable as she lay in the huge bed all by herself. She had no idea of what the designers thought; the husband and the wife are in separate rooms! It was too abnormal.
How I missed our house in the busy noisy streets, with just two storeys and simpler rooms…
She coursed through all the channels and soon grew bored with nothing very interesting. A sudden appearance of Matsumoto Rangiku in one the channels perked her attention. The model was babbling on the scary experience she had of nearly disfigured after being robbed down to rags, which made Orihime thought if the robber she talked about was Ichigo. She scratched her head, believing that he should have totally no interest in her, no matter from what aspects.
Huh…Ichigo, Ichigo…when will you finish the meetings…?
Just as she was about to nod off to sleep, she felt a warm body get into bed, nudging closer to her. Out of half-reflex, she pulled out her gun hidden under the puffy pillows…
"Hey, wait! You wanna be a widow without even getting married into the family?"
All her sleepiness were gone in a blink as she threw her arms around Ichigo, tiredness written clearly on his face but still smiling at her radiantly.
"Hmm…you smell so nice…but I've got only two hours to sleep. I need to meet Chad at the airport…" He let out a heavy sigh with great regret. "I'm afraid that we'll really have to wait after the wedding…"
"Hey!" Orihime smacked his head. "Say that, 'I'm only marrying you because I want to have my own way with you.'! Hey!" She was a second too late; he was already fast asleep.
Alas, I have yet finished my sentence! Still, Orihime put her arms around him. It felt so nice to hug him…and they would have plenty of time to talk in the future…
However, when she saw that nobody was in bed with her in the next morning, a hollow feeling craved into her heart. Time really flew by fast. In the past two years they have known each other, she has gotten very used to following Ichigo to wherever he was going to.
She got off the bed lazily and began her exploration of the house. It was so quiet with so few people in here with this size. She found it strange and looked into the kitchen. The soup in the pot was bubbling, but there was no sign of the chief.
"Did you have a good sleep," A black-clad man came up to her. "Inoue-san?"
Orihime's brain started to race. There was such a huge rank of men like him yesterday, and they resembled each other in many ways. There was next to impossible to tell them apart. However, was he there yesterday? She was an artist, so she was quite sensitive to the tiny details and features of a person's appearances…
"The Young Master's returned. Please come with me." He took a step forward, but she noticed his tiny movement to reach into his pocket…she dashed. She knew she was in danger when she heard the whishing of the bullets and caught the smell of gunpowder.
She rushed into the kitchen, locked the door, and just as she was about to dash to the windows…she got tripped.
As she has thought, the chief lay dead on the floor with his eyes wide open. The blood was all clotted and started to turn black, meaning that he has been dead for some time. Her scream got stuck in her throat as she jumped to the wall on the other side, growing sick in her stomach.
What has happened? Why would it be like that?
There was not much time for her to think of so many things; escaping for her life came first. She ushered all her might to open the emergency window; oh, thank God, they followed all the fire emergency rules with the fire escape chute, though below it were full of men waiting for her.
Okay, now…calm down…keep your head cool, Inoue Orihime. It seemed that they wanted to catch her alive and in a whole piece, otherwise why kept so many trouble? These men, take the one just now as example, could have just shot me dead through the head and save all these troubles. Besides, I still have that single shot with me. If I plan it out well enough, I can still make an escape from this house, and even out of the area if lucky enough…
Damn, it has been some time since she had had her last haircut, and her locks grew fast; in just two months the ear-length hair have already reached to her armpits. Using the G-pen which she always kept in her pocket at all times as a hairpin, she pulled her hair into a random messy bun. She then took a breath, reached out carefully and descended slowly.
"She's there! I've got her!" Someone yelled as he ran to her.
They still did not know who was going to catch who, good grief! As she reached to the ground, that man reached out his hand to get her.
"Thank you," In that second's interval of his slight awe, she fired. Damn it, she missed it! She has planned to shoot the hand with the gun!
"I'm very sorry…I'm so sorry…" She took away his gun and said apologetically to the man, who was now in so much pain that he was rolling around on the ground. "I've just planned to shoot your hand…I'm really sorry! Remember to go to the hospital and have your wound looked after, okay?" After that, she ran across the lawn.
Those men, ordered to catch her, were now in confusion of not knowing to do what. They were ordered not to hurt her a little bit, so they had to use all their willpower to miss their shots by centimetres; they have been trained to have no misses in shooting. However, this strange little belle…saying that her marksmanship was excellent was obviously a lie, but she could still hurt someone, nevertheless. Gradually, they have fallen behind.
Orihime slowly grew tired from running. She needed to rest, but not her chasers. It was expected for men to have such stamina, but never her. She got to find a way to outrun them if she wanted to leave this place.
Although she spent most of her time indoors exploring the villa, it did not mean that she has not had a look of the outdoors. She has been to the balcony of her bedroom for only once on the first day and took only a brief glance, and she has somehow remembered the layout of this place. Geez, she was not an artist for nothing!
Hoping that her memory would not fail her, Orihime took an abrupt turn to the woods; why a place for human to live would have a wood itself was a mystery to her, but it was not time to think over such details; and it was not Hogwarts in the movies. She was only grateful that such an absurd thing saved her. Not caring a bit the surprised cry of the chasers at the change of her course, she ran a little deeper into the woods until she was quite certain that she could not hear anyone else other than herself.
Now that she was relatively safe, she took some precious time to rest a little. She was lucky that she was not wearing heeled shoes but simpler ones, or else she would have painful blisters that would further hinder her escape. Hiding in the thick vegetation, she tried to formulate the easiest shortcut from the woods to the front gate, but her sense of directions was…well, not too good, she had to admit, but time was running out.
She realized that she has run a little too deep into the woods, so she ventured back out a little to the paths, but still hidden well in the shadows of the trees. Good, the men did not dare to get too deep to here, so she started to walk. After long minutes, with the front gate getting clearer before her eyes, she dashed out, rejoiced. She could have made the last few metres if it was not the crazy choir of barking. She should not have turned to look; goodness! It was a huge herd of Doberman running towards her, and they all got white foam at the corners of their mouth with razor-like sharp teeth.
It was all over! Orihime immediately squatted down and hugged her head, whimpering. She would rather being bitten to death than disfigured by these creatures ~ !
"You'd better stay still, just like that." A voice, unnaturally calm, rang into her ears beyond the ring of dogs. "They could really kill with their bites."
She raised her head to come face to face with Ishida Uryuu. Wearing that fathomless smile, he pushed his glasses, passed through the group of tail-wagging dogs, pulled her up gently and pried the bullet-less gun from her tight fingers. "You're very brave and smart. To me, you're both Aphrodite and Athena at the same time. However, especially right here, there're dogs that are more loyal than any man you can find in this world. Yes, even more than man."
Explanations:
(1) By the way, Japanese nowadays rarely have microwave ovens in their homes, and hardly use it even if they have one. Strange, when it's practically the Japanese who invented this electronic appliance!
(2) Current queen to Emperor Akihito as in 2012.
Author Speaking:
Another cliffhanger! Everyone, get ready for the tense ride!
Kuroi Kokoro 09