amielrox: So, Aki, how was your training going? What did Yoshiro teach you?

Aki: Oh, we were doing some sharpshooting and disarming training. Did you know Yoshiro could shoot a weapon out of your hand at a distance of 20 meters?

amielrox: Yeah, I know, because I created him...

Aki: But he can be so weird sometimes. He seems to think I'm this girl called Angel... Sometimes I wonder what he meant when he hugged me that day...

CHAPTER 4: MEMORIES AND HEARTBREAKS

For the past few days, Yoshiro and Aki have been living in a small apartment, occasionally visiting Yoshiro's parents. Aki never returned to the pub; she truly wanted to become a vigilante and have a life of adventure. Yoshiro and Aki were having sharpshooting training in a vacant lot near the apartment building.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three cans fell to the ground.

"Nice. That's very nice. You've finally perfected it!" said Yoshiro as Aki holstered her Crimson Bolt. Aki was now sporting a new look. She was wearing a white longsleeved blouse, rolled up; a red bandanna around her neck; a denim skirt; brown gloves, and cowboy boots.

Aki was feeling proud of herself. She always seemed to be determined to push harder.

Then, Yoshiro decided that it was time to go home. They started walking back to the apartment. Yoshiro was looking at Aki the whole time they walked.

"Yoshiro... is something wrong?" asked Aki.

"No, nothing's wrong." said Yoshiro as gazed upon Aki.

Aki blushed as Yoshiro was looking at her.

She then turned her head to Yoshiro and asked, "What?"

Yoshiro couldn't stand it. Every time he looked into Aki's eyes, he kept seeing Angel. Yoshiro finally looked away.

They arrived at their apartment, dusting themselves off. Yoshiro placed his hat on the coffee table and Aki untied the bandanna on her neck. Yoshiro sat down on his sleeping mat and kicked off his boots. Aki unzipped her cowboy boots and did the same. They sat down facing each other. They looked at deep into each other's eyes.

"I'm really proud of you..." said Yoshiro.

"Thanks." said Aki.

"I just can't believe it..."

"Believe what?"

"You're mastering in days what took me years to master."

"Oh, come on! I'm not THAT good."

"You are, Aki. You are."

"But you're such a good teacher!"

"'Good teacher'? I point out every single little error you make and correct it! I'm not a teacher, I'm a dictator."

"Maybe, but you're a sweet dictator..."

"I'm not sweet. I lose my patience every time!"

"What do you mean? You never lost your patience with me."

"Wait... Yeah, I didn't."

"See? You're a good teacher!"

"Admit it. You're a natural, Angel!"

"Huh?!"

"I- I- Aki, I mean..."

After that, their conversation died and they went to sleep not uttering another word to each other.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three targeting dummies get their heads blown off. It was the next day and Aki was training.

"Aki, you're supposed to aim at their weapon hands." said Yoshiro.

Aki was gripping her Crimson Bolt tightly in her hand. She was staring at the dummies she had just shot. She then glared.

"You seem a little tense today. Is anything wrong?" asked Yoshiro.

"No." replied Aki.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"You don't seem okay."

"I'm fine!"

"Tell me what's wrong, Angel- I mean..."

Aki then turned around to face Yoshiro. She glared at him.

"THAT is what's wrong, Yoshiro!" she said to him. "What's up with all this 'Angel' talk, huh?!"

"Why are you so upset about it?" asked Yoshiro, who was suddenly surprised by Aki's rage.

"...Are you gonna make me say it?" asked Aki

"Say what?" asked Yoshiro.

"... I... I...

Aki was turning red, both from anger and passion. Will she be able to confess to Yoshiro?

"...I love you, Yoshiro..."

Yoshiro stood silent. What would he say? His feelings suddenly started tumbling and ricocheting wildly in his heart. He wanted to walk away because it was Angel he loved, not Aki. At the same time, he wanted to hold her, hold her and never let go, hold her and tell her he loved her too. Somehow, he could feel Angel herself deep within Aki's heart.

Aki then grabbed Yoshiro's hand and held it in two of hers and said, "If you say that you love me too... I want it to be because you love Aki... not Angel..." Tears started to well up in her eyes.

What would Yoshiro do? His thoughts and his feelings collided. In a wild move, Yoshiro held Aki in his arms and said, "Aki... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I made you feel this way... But I was acting like this because... Somehow... I can feel you... deep down... I know you're there, Angel..."

Aki was torn. At the same time, there was a feeling deep down in her heart that was responding to what Yoshiro is saying.

"What the hell are you saying?!" yelled Aki. She was crying now. As she said that, it began to rain.

Slowly, the rain poured down even harder. Yoshiro and Aki were getting soaked in the rain.

Yoshiro was still holding Aki. He kept talking, "Try to remember! We knew each other seventeen years ago! Remember the geeky, friendless kid who used to sit in the corner while his classmates played soccer!"

Aki was mad now. "Seventeen years ago?! I'm seventeen!" she said. After she spoke, she suddenly had flashes of images in her head: A little boy with glasses and a little purple haired girl sitting on a bench, the same boy and girl sitting under an acacia tree, and then the same boy crying on the girl's shoulder...

"What day were you born?" asked Yoshiro.

Aki, regaining her composition, said, "The 23rd of November..."

Yoshiro then whispered, "One day after... I killed you..." Tears then began to roll from his eyes.

Aki then had a flash of another image. She saw the same boy and girl in a schoolyard. The girl was dead on the ground and the boy was running away, crying. The boy had a gun in his hand...

Aki wept on Yoshiro chest and held him closer. Suddenly, she pushed him away and ran. Yoshiro tried to chase her, but too late. Aki had already disappeared into the darkness of the night.

"Angel, come back! Angel! Angel! Angel!!" Yoshiro cried out as hard as he could but to no avail. Yoshiro fell to his knees and then lay down on his side, letting the rain soak him.

"What were you thinking, Yoshiro?! You idiot!" he thought to himself.

-end of chapter

Angel! Angel! Angel!!