~ Author's Note ~
D.T: And this time, as a special guest, we have the author of NuraMago's most popular fic, the beautifully written Kurushii na Kokoro, DENNOOOOOOOOUUUU WRITER! *audience whistles, claps and cheers*
Dennou-san:Thank you very m-WAIT, YOU READ MY STORY? OH, GOD.
Rikuo: How do you do, Dennou-san? *bows*
Dennou-san:You're acting too polite, Rikuo-chan. Feel free to be more like yourself around me.
Rikuo: Rikuo-chan? O.o
Tsurara: OMG! It's such a pleasure to meet you! I can't tell you how happy I am to finally stand on the same floor as you! You're my inspiration! My idol! QwQ The greatest writer ever! I'm so honor-
Dennou-san:Now, now. You're exaggerating, Tsurara.
Tsurara: Am not!
Kana: Hope you enjoy your time here!
Dennou-san:I am, thanks~ :D
Kubinashi: Nice to finally meet you, Dennou-san. And it's a pleasure to say I'm a huge fan of yo-
Tsurara: *pushes him away* *w* Will you write another RikuTsura fic anytime?! Because I'm dying for-
Kubinashi: *pushes her back* Don't spoil my lines, bitch!
Tsurara: Piss of, dog!
D.T: ^_^; Disclaimer?
Dennou-san:D.T-chin doesn't own NuraMago~
*crashing heard in the background as everyone runs outside*
Rikuo: TT-TT And I worked so hard for that set . . . . . *glare from D.T* Light bulb helped of course. . . .
D.T: See you soon! *runs towards a fighting Tsurara and Kubinashi*
Dennou-san:I don't get what just happened, but anyways, please enjoy your stay, everyone!
D.T: Thank you to mTay77 for favoriting and pink-writer for following! And of course, the legendary Silver Gold Moonlight for being my beta! *crashes Tsurara and Kubinashi's heads together*
Ch. 18 – Baited Breath
Kana sat in a secluded table in the nightclub, thankful that most of her friends were giving her some space. Offering a faint smile towards Saori's direction, she heaved a sigh of content as the blonde strutted up to a handsome, rugged man and began seductively dancing with him to Rihanna's 'Please Don't stop the Music'. Jiro was flirting away with a group of giggling girls who seemed to be more amused by his clumsiness and jokes than his pathetic attempts at flirting. Natsumi had gone to the bar to get herself and her (Kana) a drink. Kiyotsugu had gone out for a bit, receiving a call from his dad.
Which left Kana alone for a few minutes to contemplate on the previous events.
Someone had come into her room, no doubt, and the shadow she'd seen could not be fake. Saori and the others claimed that they did not see anyone but that didn't mean anything. Assassins were talented people. If they'd be easily seen by a group of college students, they should've kissed their job goodbye.
Which meant whoever had come to kill her, had obviously been a professional. And she had a faint idea of who it had been – though if what she thought was true, SHE WAS AS GOOD AS DEAD.
Kana shivered but wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing them slowly. Goosebumps prickled her skin as she reminded herself she was safe. No one would hurt her. For NOW that is.
What if the person was still hiding in her house? The boys had checked the whole house but they'd not found a trace of anyone. She had to be content telling them it was a thief. If only . . . if only she could tell them all about her conversation with Rikuo Nura . . . the truth about (it took her a lot of strength to even think about his name) . . . Hikage Daito Ryu . . . maybe . . . just maybe . . . . . she'd be safer. Kiyotsugu could arrange a bodyguard for her. The police could protect her.
But Rikuo Nura's words still rang clearly in her ears.
"Can you keep a secret Kana-chan?"
Can you keep a secret? Can you keep a secret? A secret? A SECRET?
Rikuo Nura had trusted her. Otherwise, why would he tell her something so . . . important? Dangerous? Kana felt a warm feeling grow in her heart as her lips slowly curved into a smile, feeling fuzzy inside. His mass of thick, white hair, those entrancing red eyes, that seductive smirk . . . all those images flashed through her mind like the scenes of a movie. She'd never questioned why he told her that, how could he tell her that or the fact that the very secret could be the reason her life was in danger.
Because she was too much in love with him, even if it was unrequited love. One-sided love. Even though she'd been as close to him as very few women could've ever been. She could never forget that date. The feeling of his cold skin under her fingertips, the way he'd smiled at her, those grateful red eyes and most important . . .
That kiss.
Kana's heart broke out into a flutter of emotions as she rested her cheeks against the cool marble table, wishing for her blush to die down. Her friends were nowhere in sight – except Saori, who had her arms wrapped around that boy – and she'd die of embarrassment if they caught her in this state. But she couldn't stop thinking about that kiss.
Her hand instinctively flew to her left cheek, slowly tracing a line on it. The couple beside her was chatting over a few drinks. "Did you hear about Nura Co.'s board member, Hitotsume Nyudo?" said the boy. "Heard he was killed by Hikage Daito Ryu."
And Kana's images of Rikuo's were immediately shattered, a dark, hooded face entering her mind. Her skin grew cold and her hand immediately dropped on the table, making a small 'thud.' "Yeah," floated the girl's voice, filled with slight fear, "The people said it was a grotesque scene. Brr. This Hikage dude is some nasty business."
Kana put two hands over her ears, pressing them down as hard as she could. She wanted to drown their voices out, forget everything they'd just said. "Wonder what he looks like though," said the boy with a low chuckle "Heard no one's ever seen him."
And for some unfathomable reason, Rikuo Nura's image flashed into her mind.
"Kana-chan?" came a worried gasp from a familiar voice. Kana's head throbbed a little as she raised her head up from the table to gaze into Natsumi's worried eyes. "Are you alright?" asked Natsumi worriedly, placing the drinks in her hands on the table. "Do you have a fever?" as she said this, she put a warm hand to her friend's forehead.
"I'm fine," muttered Kana in a low voice, smiling weakly. For some reason, she felt uncomfortable and her head ached a little. "Just a little shaken from the previous events." It was a total understatement and even Natsumi knew it.
"Are you sure?" asked the green-haired girl. "If you want, we can drop you o-"
"No," Kana said quickly, taking in a deep breath. She was not going back in that house; not until her parents arrived by tomorrow. "No," she said in a more composed voice, now propping herself up and smiling a little, "I'm really fine."
Natsumi bit her lip, unsure of what to say. Somewhere, in her heart, she had a strong feeling that Kana was lying but she didn't have the heart to question her against it. Although she and the others had not seen anyone at Kana's house but she knew something was amiss. Kana wasn't one to make stories or over-exaggerate things.
Taking a small sip of her mocktail, 'Green Eyed Monster', Natsumi asked in a low voice, "Is something bothering you, Kana-chan?" The brunette, who'd been staring at the shiny marble table with a reminiscent look on her face, immediately looked up at her friend with wide eyes.
Kana inwardly shuddered, at a total loss of words. What should I do? "N-not really" she muttered, smiling awkwardly.
Natsumi's eyes slightly narrowed. There was no way Kana was telling her the truth. "You can tell me, Kana-chan," stated the cat-eyed girl, her voice firm "I'm your friend, aren't I? I promise I'll not make fun of you."
I'm afraid it isn't that easy, Natsumi,thought Kana, racking her brain for a suitable expression. Natsumi wasn't one to be easily quenched and she wasn't one to just make up lies on the go. "I just," Kana rubbed her arms again, trying to prevent the goose bumps from rising, "Am a little sad Nura-kun hasn't called me after that day yet." A half-lie. I think she can do with that.
Natsumi was not totally convinced but as Kana had thought, she did with that for the moment. "Yeah, that's kinda mean of him," scowled the dark-haired girl, taking an angry sip of her drink as a feeling of relief settled in Kana's heart. "As a man it's his duty to call a lady and ask if she enjoyed the date with him!" setting her drink, she narrowed her eyes and pouted ,"Guess he isn't that gentlemanly at all."
Kana could only nod, extremely relieved that the conversation had somehow shifted from her insecurities to Rikuo Nura's gentlemanly behavior. I have a very big reason to believe why he still hasn't called me. "Well," the brunette said, her mood a little better from before "There's no use worrying about that now, right?" She stared at her drink sadly, spinning the fancy straw in the pink-colored liquid. "Guess I was just his arm candy for one day . . ."
"Mou, don't say that!" whined Natsumi, flailing her arms around like an elementary-grader. Then, in an enthusiastic voice, she chirped, "I'm sure you'll get your man someday! And who knows, Rikuo Nura may even be thinking about you right at this moment!"
"That's very unlikely, Natsumi." said Kana, sweat-dropping.
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Somewhere, in the large hall of Kyuso Dreams, a disguised Rikuo, Ao and Kuro weaved through the large throngs of people, eyes darting around for a certain brunette. "Did everyone just have to come here today?" muttered Ao, totally disgruntled by the crowd.
"Patience, Ao," said Kuro, his sharp blue eyes darting around every single nook and cranny (visible to him). "We'll find her soon."
"Not in this crowd of people, no," muttered Ao, feeling annoyed as people bumped into the large man. He gave a scary glare to a young man who crashed into him and the man immediately scampered off like a rat.
"Keep on searching," Rikuo muttered, feeling a little unsettled by the glances a few people were giving him. He believed some were already starting to have suspicions about his identity. "She must be here somewhere. And besides, I must have a word with Kyuso."
So the three disguised men relentlessly searched through the crowded nightclub, waving off clingy drunk women that tried to push themselves on the guys. Well, Rikuo and Kuro did while Ao was left wondering why women weren't approaching him.
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Kana drummed her fingers restlessly on the marble table, watching as Natsumi entered the large mass on the dance floor. Her cat-eyed friend had, of course, relentlessly invited her to dance but the brunette had declined. Knowing the reason well enough, Natsumi did not push her too much and said she'd be back soon before going off to meet Saori. Kana was glad that she could stay alone since she wasn't really feeling in the need of company.
After draining her glass of the last of its delicious liquid, the brunette stood up as she made her way across the massive hall and towards the women's washroom. The washroom was located in a comparatively empty corner, quite far off from the tables and dance floor with only a few couples who were making out and a few guys who were smoking in the area. She turned the knob of the washroom and entered.
Only to regret it.
From inside one of the cubicles, flushed pants and high-pitched moans could be heard in addition to the thumping door. There was also an occasional scream or two with a hitch of breath. Kana froze near the doorway, her brown eyes widening by the second as she stared at the thumping door. A blush broke out on her face and she immediately walked out, slamming the door shut behind her.
Kami, that was embarrassing.
As she leaned on the door of the bathroom, cheeks flushed, she took in a deep breath to try and compose herself before standing up straight. As she took a few steps towards the main hall, she felt a cold hand grip her wrist.
And a thousand emotions broke into her heart. Kana froze – not wanting and wanting to turn back at the same time. Looking around, she saw none of the couples or men from before in the area. Sweat trickled down her forehead and jaw line and her knees started horridly shaking. And before she knew it – she screamed.
As loud as she could.
A hand was clamped shut over her mouth as she felt someone hiss in annoyance and pull her back, causing her to crash in a man's chest. Kana immediately started fidgeting and thrashing, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" screeched a male voice, as the man who held onto her roughly turned her to face him.
Causing Kana's breath to hitch in her throat.
Kyuso Raimon was a constant source of admiration for the youth, having created a successful business of a bar when he was only 23. People often wondered how he did it. Not to mention he was a board member of the stinking rich Nura and Sons. And an eligible bachelor for most women, even given his playboy status. Described as a "beautiful young man with long, silky blonde hair and charming personality" by Teen Vogue, he was present in the "Top 10 Richest Men under 30 in Hokkaido" list.
But now, from a close view, Kana felt he wasn't as beautiful as he was described to be. In fact, without his blonde hair, she thought he'd be rather ugly and disgusting looking. Quickly replacing his scowl with a smile – as if he never snapped at her – he playfully winked and asked, "Would you like to have a drink with me, pretty young lady?"
Kana felt her cheeks bloom into a light blush as she fidgeted a little, clearly not knowing how to answer. No one had ever asked her to have a drink with them before – even though she'd visited a nightclub thrice earlier. Thinking that refusing would be rude, she tried to smile and muttered, "Sure."
"Great! I know a place where no one will disturb us!" Kyuso prepped up as he dragged Kana to a bar, still holding her hand. Kana was certainly confused and nervous. Why did he just ask her out to a drink like that? He had lots of other women to play around with so why just . . . choose her?
Looks like Saori did too good of a job on her.
Kyuso made his way to a small, steel door which was at a deserted end of the corridor. On the way there, he called someone on his latest iPhone 5 but due to the loud music, Kana couldn't clearly hear what he was saying. But he was done talking within 20 seconds and smiled flirtatiously at her, before standing before the steel door. He put his eye in front of a small camera on the door which scanned his retina and the doors immediately slid open.
Meanwhile, Kana was deathly nervous. She didn't feel increasingly good about this. She really hoped he wasn't going to rape or bed her. Not like it'd be anything for him if she declined. He could have hundreds of girls on his feet in one single night. But that didn't really lower her fear as the door was pretty impregnable without his help and there was no one to hear her screams if he did try to force himself on her . . . . .
Calm down, Kana,she took deep breaths, Nothing's gonna happen. You're just overreacting. Though she did regret not refusing him.
As the doors slid open, the lights in the room immediately switched on, feeling the earlier dark room with a pale, white glow. It took a few seconds for Kana's eyes to get used to the glow but when she did, an involuntary gasp escaped her mouth.
"Liked it?" asked Kyuso, turning towards her with a triumphant smirk.
The brunette could not take her eyes off the place. It was a white room, surrounded with pale yellow neon lights that were neither too harsh on the eyes nor too dim to cause someone to crash into something. There were several rows and shelves in the room, stacked top-to-bottom with bottles of selected alcoholic drinks, most of them imported. There was a long table running in the middle of the room with comfortable sofa-seats on both sides. A few paintings of whiskey bottles hung on the walls. But besides these, the room was otherwise bare.
Kyuso asked Kana to take a seat while he took out three wineglasses from his cupboard, pouring out Sauvignon in them. The 20-year old absent-mindedly stared at the numerous bottles stocked on the seemingly endless shelves, not paying attention to the odd number of glasses her host had poured the expensive drink in. Despite its simplicity, it was a strangely peaceful, calm place to be in, highly contrasting with the noisy, chaotic nightclub outside.
Walking towards his guest, Kyuso offered Kana a glass while taking a sip of his own. "So what do you think about my place, Ienaga-san?" he asked, leaning on the sofa-seat while putting his hand inside the pocket of his white trousers. He put on a seductive smirk for effect.
Kana, who'd still been admiring the room, was a little startled when he suddenly spoke. Coming to her senses, she managed to squeak out a reply. "O-Oh, it's really pretty. Very," she searched her mind for a fitting word to say "Sophisticated." Yeah, that should do.
Kyuso raised an eyebrow and let out a low, kind of unpleasant chuckle which set the bad omen in Kana's heart aflutter. She stared at him with a half-scared, half-surprised expression before realizing . . . he'd addressed her as Ienaga-san. Which made her flinch. She bit her tongue, staring at the blonde-haired man with frightened brown eyes.
Could he be . . .?
"Why, you look like you've seen a ghost there, Ienaga-san," smirked Kyuso, walking towards her, causing her to shift a little. But the blonde man only raised an amused eyebrow at this. Leaning down, so that his face was inches away from her, he whispered "Could it be possible . . . you're AFRAID of something?" His minty breath made Kana feel nauseated and for a moment, she thought she saw a glint of cold malice in those playful eyes.
Kana willfully averted her eyes to the back of the room, her lower lip unintentionally quivering even when she tried to stop it. Her legs started shaking and cold sweat beads formed on her forehead, slowly trailing down her cheek in a taunting manner. The smirk on Kyuso's face grew even more and standing up straight, he chuckled, "Wish I could chat more with you, Ienaga-san, but there is someone who wants to have a personal chitchat with you." And it was then that Kana noticed the third wineglass.
A click was sounded and the noise of the steel doors whirring open echoed through the empty bar.
Kana gripped her knees as hard as she could, shivering, her manicured nails forming deep marks on the soft flesh of her knees. She bit down on her lower lip, almost to the point of drawing blood as footsteps were heard approaching her. Kyuso drew out from her point of vision and soon, the footsteps stopped right behind her shivering figure. She refused to look back.
The sound of the door sliding shut bounced of the walls.
Kana braced herself for a quick death. She knew she wasn't gonna live today. She knew she'd die. She'd known it all along.
She just hoped it would be quick.
However, instead of a bullet ripping through her heart or a knife slicing off her head, it was a familiar voice, deadlier than poison itself, which echoed behind her. "Glad to see you again, Kana-chan."
She remembered where she'd seen that mysterious car in the elevator before. In a magazine. It was a part of his collection.
She slowly turned back to gaze at the person; his malicious red eyes, staring right back at her.
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Blood was everywhere.
The crimson liquid tainted the carpet, spreading all over the embroidered material imported from Venice. The thick liquid slowly soaked her new shoes, as she stared at the lifeless body in front of her with apathetic blue eyes.
Her right hand was stained with the bloody knife she was holding.
"A . . . a . . . ah . . ." the person still seemed to have some breath left in him, as he slowly inched a hand towards the young girl. With tears staining her cheeks, she slowly walked towards him, gripping the knife tightly.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, before plunging the blood-covered stainless steel in the left side of his chest.
Tsurara woke up with a start, panting loudly, chest heaving up and down. Even with the AC on, sweat seemed to find an excuse to trickle down her forehead flawlessly. It was already 9:00.
She gulped as she swung her legs off the bed and stepped on the cold floor, slightly shivering due to the cold temperature. But she liked it like this. Cold and freezing, a temperature which could chill you to the bone. Maybe because she was from the mountains.
She stared at her Kingfisher Calendar, blue eyes fixed on a certain date; 27th July. Today.
The date had been circled with a red pen.
She had another job to do tonight.
Tsurara suitor's list
Gozumaru (6) – Nayrael, Silver Gold Moonlight, Ally My Life, Skylar Knightwalker, Fede 194, Vampire Princess
Jiro Shima (3) – Rose Rain 7, Night Dreamer, Mariseseki
Kubinashi (1) – The Crest of Anubis
Shoei (1) – Dennou Writer
CHALLENGE!
Can you guess the main antagonist in this story? Send your answer before Ch. 40 titled 'Main Antagonist = this' and get a major role in my next NuraMago fic!
Note: The main antagonist is NOT H.D.R.