Crimso's Notes:
Today is a good day. I don't know why. I'm just in a happy mood today. …Things just seem to be going well right now. I actually said something grammatically correct in Spanish class! I actually did well in the class. My teacher says that I'm getting on the right track, and that it's good that I'm actually something some work in class instead of eating people's souls. (…Don't ask. It's a really long story). I still got a B on my test, though. …Why is it that I'm talking about Spanish class in Crimso's Notes about thirty percent of the time? …On another note, I got an A on the English Essay I thought I failed, so I feel good~. Well, that was yesterday, but I still feel good about it. (I'm in History, FYI. Let's see how the rest of my school day goes. I only have this and Science, so I think my good day shall continue.)
Notes: None.
~~~~X~~~~
Chapter Sixteen: Unrequited
The loud and rather annoying ringing of the phone woke Keiichi from his peaceful sleep, causing him to look over at it with drowsy eyes. Without thinking much, he got up from his futon and grabbed it, holding it to his ear. He wondered why someone would call him this early in the morning, when they knew that he was probably asleep. Giving a quick look to the other futon, he noted that Mion and Shion hadn't woken up from the sound of the telephone, thankfully.
"Hello?" he spoke into the telephone, his voice sounding exhausted.
"Ah! Keiichi!" cried the distinctive voice of his father from the other side of the telephone. "Sorry for calling you so early in the morning."
Keiichi blinked a few times after hearing the voice of his father. He had been missing for a while, after all, so it came as a surprise to Keiichi. "Ah, dad! Did something happen? You didn't show up yesterday, when you were supposed to come back," Keiichi spoke, though his voice was still a little worn from having been woken up so early. "I was afraid that you had gotten hurt. I suppose that's not the case, now that I'm hearing from you."
"Nah. Something else came up, and we're going to have to be here a while longer. You don't mind, do you?" his father's voice came from the other side. "Although we apologize for leaving our darling son all by himself! Oooh, you've become such a man! I remember when you were just a little boy, and you couldn't go anywhere without your mommy!"
Keiichi felt a little irritated. Like most kids his age, he didn't really like hearing his parents talk about how cute he was when he was little. "Well, anyways," he said, trying to draw the topic to something else. "When do you think you're going to be back, dad?"
"Ah, I do not know, my son! But your father will call you when we get a word on that." His voice suddenly paused, and talking could be heard in the background. "Ah, sorry Aiko. Well, Keiichi, I have to be going now. Please remember to buy more instant ramen so you don't starve! Well, good bye!"
"Yeah, goodbye," replied Keiichi as he placed the phone back down. He had already gotten more instant ramen when he got meat for Mion and Shion earlier. With a sigh, he lay back down on the futon. It was still a little early, so he could spend a little time lying down with his eyes closed, hopefully to wear down his exhaustion. It wasn't as effective as sleep, but it did help a little bit.
The twins were still sound asleep, even after the telephone ringing and the conversation he had had with his father. They were cuddled together, as usual, with their arms wrapped around the other and their bodies close together. They were both surely enjoying the warm feeling that they usually got from being together, the warm feeling that was also known as love.
After school, he decided that he'd start teaching them. Well, he really already had, for the most part, but he would start trying to do his best to describe things to them. It was sad, really. The idea of someone his age not being able to comprehend simple ideas like happiness was just heartbreaking. No, I can't think like that anymore. I know it's heartbreaking, but I have to stop thinking about that. I have to do something now. I can't just stand there and feel bad for them.
He got up after a few minutes of contemplating what he was going to do, stretching his whole body out. He gave once last glance to the twins to confirm that they were still asleep, and then made his way out the door and down the stairs. He sighed as he took out some instant ramen before starting the hot water for it. I'm really getting sick of this instant ramen. Keiichi sat down at the table, drumming his fingers on top of the table.
Pouring the hot water into the cup of ramen, he began to eat it without thinking. It really wasn't good at all compared to his mother's master chef skills, but he had to manage. His parents would come home soon, and then he could enjoy a good meal for once. Swallowing the noodles in his mouth, Keiichi thought about this a little. What would he do with Mion and Shion when his parents came back? He'd have to confine them to his room, which was something he certainly didn't want to do. It would be too similar to their previous life, in which they stayed in cells all day and did nothing. Sure, his room was a lot more comfortable, but he felt terrible forcing them to stay in one place. They were both curious demons who wanted to explore, and he was preventing them from doing that.
But it's for their own good. What the Sonozaki family was doing was not for their own good. They locked them up just to keep them away from their mother. What was the point of that, anyways? Why don't they just allow Akane to keep them? He thought to himself as he swallowed another mouthful of flavorless ramen. It's pointless. It was all just too cruel.
He finished his ramen and grabbed his bag. Mion and Shion would wake up soon, and would be surprised to find that he wasn't there. He thought about writing a note, but he wasn't all that sure that they actually knew how to read. It was possible that they hadn't been taught how to read all that much, and while they maybe knew a few things, it was likely that they didn't know anymore than that. He cringed at the idea, but then shook it off. Well, they'll assume I went out, I suppose. I think they know not to go outside when I'm out.
Sunlight hit the boy as he stepped out onto the dusty paths of Onigafuchi. He breathed in the fresh air, tasting it. He wished that Mion and Shion could be with him right now, enjoying the air, but there was really no option at the moment. Giving a glance to the window that connected the outside to his room, he made sure that Mion and Shion weren't visible.
Nodding in confirmation, he walked off and down the paths. It was getting rather hot, Keiichi noted. Summer was beginning, as it was early June, and soon enough the heat would engulf the village. Boy, I'm really looking forward to that, Keiichi thought sarcastically as his feet hit the path beneath him. I can't stand the heat. It's just… I don't know. Hot. What else is there to say about it? He brushed a small bead of sticky sweat off of his forehead as he walked on. He had to wonder if Mion and Shion would grow uncomfortable under the sheets of the futon when they snuggled with each other at night. It would be really hot underneath that sheet, along with having a whole person right next to you.
Keiichi opened the door to the school and walked in. Small children were running about, laughing and giggling as they went into the classroom. He wondered how they could be so cheerful, living in such a town. Rika and Satoko also showed almost no sign of being depressed by the state of their morbid town. Perhaps they were used to it, because it was there town, but there was also the whole case of the kidnappings. Were they even considering the fact that one day, they could be snatched up and killed?
He stepped into the classroom, and was not surprised the moment a bucket of water came falling down from the door. Ice cold water splattered all over him, and Keiichi had to admit that he actually enjoyed being trapped for once. The temperature of the water was a great contrast to the temperature outside, and it really did cool him down.
"Satoko, that wasn't much of a trap. I actually enjoyed the water," Keiichi informed her calmly as he removed the bucket from his head, placing it down next to him.
The yellow-haired girl's head poked out from behind a desk. "It was still a trap, whether or not you liked it!" laughed Satoko as she came out fully from behind the desk, a grin on her face just like usual. "And my trap was a great success! Did you see how much work I put into it?" she asked him, placing her hands on her hips as she observed the soaked boy. "It was hard, but I managed to do it. And now, sweet victory!"
"It was just a bucket of water," Keiichi commented as he gazed down at his shirt. His white vest was showing through, revealing the red shirt he was wearing beneath it. He really didn't mind all that much, though. "I don't see how it's any better than your other traps, Satoko. Do you wish to elaborate on this?" he asked, walking up to the yellow-haired girl with a challenging grin on his face. Nothing seemed special about that trap. It was just another bucket of water.
Satoko smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, what did you see when you walked in?"
The question was a little odd, but Keiichi decided to answer it anyways. "When I walked in, there were a bunch of children running and playing with each other in the hallway. And then, they ran into the classroom," Keiichi answered without thinking about it at all. Nothing seemed special about the situation, either. Children were running and having fun. What was strange about that, aside from the fact that it was probably pretty hard to be happy in a village like Onigafuchi? Of course, such a thing like how happy they were in a cursed village couldn't be related to her trap.
"Oh, but when they walked in, there was no bucket of water. When you walked in moments later, there was a bucket of water," Satoko reminded him.
"Ah, so you climbed up the wall and dumped it on my head when you saw me or something?" Keiichi replied as he looked up. It didn't make much sense, but he wouldn't put it past Satoko.
Satoko shook her head. "No, that's not it. There's no way for me to stand on thin air, Keiichi," she replied, rolling her eyes at the thought. There was silence from Keiichi, and Satoko began to impatiently tap her foot on the ground. After a few moments, she sighed. "I set it up within the time that the children walked in and the time that you walked in. I told them to tell me when you were coming so I could attach the bucket of water." She grinned proudly. "And that just goes to show how fast I am at making traps!" she boasted.
Keiichi was in awe of her speed. How could someone do something like that so fast? He didn't know what to say, so he simply patted her on the head to congratulate her wordlessly.
Satoko stuck her chest out with pride. "Thank you," she said.
Small footsteps could be heard from behind, and soon enough, young Rika appeared beside her best friend, smiling at the brown-haired boy before her with one of her cute looks. "Mii, Satoko always does her best when she sets up traps. She's really good, so it makes her happy when you praise her like that." Rika looked over to her best friend. "She may seem like she doesn't appreciate it at times, but she becomes very happy when you say things like that!" And just for added effect, Rika added on a "nipah," at the end.
As soon as that word came out of her mouth, Rena came dashing over. She scooped the poor blue-haired girl up in her arms as she brought her to her face, cooing over how adorable she was. "Ooh, Rika-chan is so cute! I could just take her home with me!" she cried out as she rocked the girl in her arms as if she were a newborn baby.
She let Rika down after a minute, and the blue-haired girl began to brush herself off. "Mii, I've always wondered what you would do if you were to actually take me home," she commented. "Would you throw me in the backyard with all the other stuff you brought home with you, or would you keep me with those broken old dolls you took home from the garbage dump last year?"
Rena scratched her head, contemplating that for a few minutes. Then, she opened her mouth, letting the answer everyone wanted to hear come out. "I don't know."
Satoko sighed. "So you don't even know what you'd do if you took me home?" she replied, placing her hands on her hips as she looked at the girl before her. She seemed rather irritated as she recalled all the times Rena had tried to take her home grudgingly. How Satoko and Rika could stand being picked up every second, Keiichi didn't know. It was just fun for Rena, and they knew that, but being picked up probably made them feel like children. Not that they weren't children, but it was treated them younger than they'd like to be treated.
It wasn't long before Satoshi and Takeru decided to join in on the conversation, with the two of them walking up to the group after noticing the commotion that was going on. "You should see Rena's collection of cute things," Takeru commented as she approached the group, a smile on his face. "Her garden and room are both completely filled with all the things she took home! I can't even count the number of things she took home."
Keiichi was going to comment how he wouldn't be surprised if Rika went missing one day with Rena turning out to be the culprit, but he realized it sounded a lot like the kidnappings and decided not to speak the thought at all. "That sounds a lot like her. How many dolls have you taken home? Do you have a lot of toy animals?" he asked her, glancing to the orange-haired girl to his right.
Rena nodded. "I have so many! My favorite, though, is this toy leopard I took home a long time ago! I named him Mr. Leopard." Her face quickly flustered with embarrassment. "I couldn't think of a name," she explained to them, so that they wouldn't get the wrong idea. Naming an animal the actual species of an animal was something that children did, so it sounded childish to do such a thing.
"I remember Satoko had a bear named Mr. Bear when she was little," Satoshi recalled, glancing over to his younger sister. "It was a small, tiny bear, but she loved it half to death."
Satoko looked down at her feet, her face slightly red.
"Hau…" murmured Rena, realizing that it really was something childish.
Takeru chuckled. "No need to be embarrassed, Rena!" he cried out as he patted her on the head. "Of course, I like it when you're embarrassed. You have this adorable little blush on your face and I can't get enough of how cute and pretty you look with it!" He winked at her. "Oh, but you look good without it too. You always look good, Rena."
The orange-haired girl looked down at her feet, trying not to show off the dark look in her eyes. "Hau… I'm embarrassed, Takeru-kun," she spoke in the best tone that she could fake. Keiichi managed to see her eyes, though, and the darkness within them. He knew that Rena just wanted to be Takeru's friend, and while she was flattered by what he said, she would rather that he didn't.
"Ah, speaking of which, Rena," Takeru spoke, giving her a somewhat serious look. "I want to talk to you for a little bit after school."
Rena nodded. "Okay, got it. My father wanted me to go to someone's house today, anyways, so Rena could spare some time." She glanced over to Keiichi. "Keiichi-kun, I know Takeru-kun has work, so I don't want to bother him. May I come to your place?" she asked him, a smile on her face.
Remembering his vow to teach Mion and Shion their emotions after school, he wasn't sure what to say to her. It would be rude to say no, though, so without thinking, he responded. "Sure. My parents are still gone, though, so it'll be empty besides us." That was a lie, of course. Mion and Shion would be there, but he couldn't tell her that.
She smiled. "Good! I've always wanted to see Keiichi-kun's house. So I hope you don't mind." She turned away to look into the forest green eyes of Takeru. "Of course, I'm going to talk to Takeru for a little bit like he asked me to, so if you could wait a little bit after school for that to be over… I'm sure it won't take too long."
Takeru nodded. "It'll only be a few minutes at the most," he replied.
"Yeah, if you could do that," Rena finished.
"Sure," replied Keiichi. He didn't have a problem with that. Waiting for a few moments didn't really matter, as he wasn't in a rush or anything like that.
"Then it's settled!" cried Rena with joy in her tone. "I can't wait to see Keiichi-kun's house, I can't wait! Hau!"
There was a twinge of jealous in Takeru's eyes, but Keiichi ignored it. Rena wasn't romantically involved with him, and it would never be that way.
~~~~X~~~~
The sun was beating down on the body of the two teenagers who stood outside the classroom. Rena was fidgeting a little from the heat, which was making her rather uncomfortable, though Takeru didn't seem to mind all that much. He was staring at her, a smile on his face. Rena really didn't know what to say to him, so she began to look around her. No one was there, as everyone had left aside from the two of them and Keiichi, who was waiting for them to finish so that they could go home together and spend a little time.
"Well," Rena spoke, not sure of what to say. Takeru staring at her and saying nothing was beginning to make her feel a little uncomfortable. "What is it Takeru-kun?"
Takeru smiled. "Rena, I want to speak to you about something. It's very important, so please listen."
Rena looked curious. "Okay then, Rena will listen, but remember that Keiichi-kun is waiting."
"Of course," the boy responded. He didn't say anything for a little bit, as his eyes were focused on the girl in front of him and nothing else. She really was beautiful. "…Ahem, so Rena, you all ready know how I feel about you, I'm sure. I make it obvious, don't I?" he started to speak with a cheesy grin on his face. "But that's all done on purpose. I wanted you to know right away how I felt about you. I'm not embarrassed." He clenched his fists. "So that's why I want an answer, Rena."
Rena blinked. "An answer?" she asked, though deep in her heart she already knew what he was asking of her. She just didn't want to answer.
"Yes, an answer." Takeru stared at her with firm, serious eyes. "Rena, please tell me if you feel the same way that I do. I'm tired of just flirting around. I want to be with you for real."
Rena looked down at her feet and shuffled them uncomfortably. She didn't want to have to respond, to have to give an answer to him. She knew for a fact that she didn't feel the same way that he did, but what was she to say to him? Surely she couldn't tell him the truth and admit that she just wanted to be friends with him, but she really didn't like him and didn't want to be in a relationship with someone she didn't actually care for romantically. She began to grow nervous. She was taking a long time to respond, and Takeru would grow suspicious.
She wanted to tell him yes, to lie and say that she did like him, but she had recalled what Keiichi had said to her before. Being in a relationship with him and pretending to like him was more painful than just rejecting him. If he were to find out that she really didn't feel the same way and that she was only dating him to make him feel better, then it wouldn't be pretty. But still, what was she to say? She didn't want to say no. It would hurt him beyond belief, and she didn't want to say yes and hurt him.
…Maybe… maybe if I date him… then I'll grow to like him. Rena clenched her fists as she thought about that. If she accepted him, even though she didn't have similar feelings, then she could perhaps grow to love him overtime. The romantic moments they would share together would surely ignite some kind of flame in her heart, wouldn't it? Then he wouldn't find out that she didn't like him when she accepted him.
"Yes," responded Rena, pain in her heart when she said it. "…I feel… the same way, Takeru-kun," she lied.
A huge grin spread across Takeru's face, and he walked over to her and pulled her in a tight embrace. "I'm glad," he whispered as he held her close, not reading the expression of sorrow on her face. "I'm so glad, Rena. I thought that you didn't like me, but I guess I was wrong. …I'm… so happy now, Rena."
Rena felt tears well up in her eyes at such words. She wanted to turn back, but she couldn't now. She had already told him that she liked him. She couldn't just tell him that she lied! He was so happy about her supposedly returning his feelings, and yet, she really didn't. She tried to brush the tears off, to fight them, but it was really tough for her to do so. She had lied to her friend about something, and he would be hurt.
No, I'll grow to love him, won't I? Rena thought. I… will… I'll love him… someday. I think I'll love him too…
Shock filled Rena when she felt Takeru's soft lips gently touch her cheek, kissing it gently. People usually felt something from kisses, like their heart beating or a warm feeling in their chest, and yet, Rena couldn't feel that. She just felt pain. There was no beating of the heart, and there was no warmth. It just hurt.
"You'll be my girlfriend from now on, right?" whispered Takeru as he held her. "I promise I'll love you forever…"
Rena nodded without thinking. "Yeah… and… I'll do… the same," she responded.
Takeru pulled away from the embrace, smiling down at the girl in front of her. He couldn't read the pain in her eyes, as she was rather good at acting. Though on the inside, Rena felt as if that happy façade would crumble in a matter of seconds. Takeru didn't seem to notice, though, as he caressed her cheek lovingly. "Thank you, Rena. I'm done now. Are you sure you don't want to come to my place instead?"
The orange-haired girl looked down. "…I don't want to disturb your work. You told me you had a lot to do today."
"…You're right about that," sighed Takeru as he placed a single hand on his forehead, rubbing it gently. "Well then, how about if we spend sometime together after school tomorrow? Just the two of us."
"S-Sounds good," Rena replied.
"All right. Tomorrow it is."
Rena looked up into his forest-green eyes filled with intense amount of love in it. It startled her, and if anything, made the pain in her chest worsen. She had to get out of there and away from Takeru before her emotions got the best of her, unveiling the truth and upsetting him beyond belief. "Well… tomorrow then. I have to go, because Keiichi is waiting, but thank you. See ya!" she said as fast as she could. She whipped around and began to walk back to the schoolroom, unable to take the hurting feeling any longer. She couldn't believe what she had just done.
"Bye!" called Takeru, watching as his girlfriend departed. As he watched her, he placed a hand on his heart, which was thumping wildly. It was such a good, warm feeling. The amount of happiness that was filling him could not even be described it was so great. He truly loved Rena, and now, they could finally be together. There wouldn't be anymore random flirting. He could actually be with her now.
Of course, Takeru was still completely unaware of the opposing feeling of pain in Rena's heart.
~~~~X~~~~
Rena and Keiichi arrived at his house shortly after the incident. Rena had tried to not speak a word about it to Keiichi, but there wasn't much she could do. The word would get out eventually among the friends, so it would be better to just tell him now. She sat down on one of the couches in the first room, one that was rather comfortable. She enjoyed it, though such a thought was hardly on her mind right now. She fiddled with a cushion on the couch nervously as she thought about Takeru.
His words of love had stabbed her in the chest like a sharp knife, creating unbearable pain, and the wound was still leaking. She was afraid that it wouldn't stop, and the blood would unveil her true feelings to Takeru at one point. She couldn't hide the lies forever, after all.
"Rena, you've been uncomfortable since after Takeru talked to you," Keiichi commented as he stared at her, worry in his blue eyes.
Rena could only nod. "…I have been." She didn't try to deny it. She had to pour out her secrets to someone, and Keiichi was the best person to do it to. Satoshi was the only other person her age (well, Takeru not included), and he wasn't the best to talk to when it came to love. He would just blush and look down at the ground. Such topics weren't really his forte. It would be nice to have a girl her age around to talk to about love, as people generally felt more comfortable talking to their close friends of the same gender about such things, but there weren't any. Satoko didn't understand love all that well, and Rika didn't seem to care all that much. Keiichi was the only person she had.
"Did something happen?" he asked her.
"…Takeru confronted me about his feelings," she told him instantly. There was no point in trying to hide anything, really. "He asked me for an answer."
Keiichi blinked in surprise. "And what did you tell him?" he asked.
Rena glanced to the ground. "…I didn't know what to say at first, Keiichi-kun. You know that I don't feel the same way about Takeru, and that I wish that we could just be friends without all this flirting and love. …But there's no way that I could tell him that I didn't like him. It would just be… too cruel." She sighed. "…So I lied."
The male's sapphire blue eyes grew wide with shock. "You lied? !" he cried out.
She nodded. "I lied. I didn't know what else to do, Keiichi-kun. I didn't want to lie to him, because I know that that's just hurting him even more, but what was I to do? Takeru would be crushed if I said no." Rena's blue eyes were tainted with suffering. "I know Takeru well. He's been through a lot. The last thing he needs is me telling him that I don't feel the same way about him. I know he feels strongly for me. It would hurt him terribly."
"But you just said it yourself!" protested Keiichi. "You said that it hurts more when you lie!"
"Of course it does!" cried Rena. "But I figured that I'll grow to love him through the romantic actions we have! The flirting was just flirting. I'm sure by his other actions that I'll fall in love with him, and then we won't have to be playing a game of pretend!"
Keiichi still wasn't satisfied. "But Rena, you yourself said that you didn't want to have anything romantic with Takeru! You don't want to love him! So why are you forcing yourself to grow to love him when that's not what you want? You won't be able to love him if that's what you want! It'll never turn into something like that!" he yelled out, trying to do everything he could to convince her. Rena wasn't seeing things right.
Rena shook her head. "I'm sure it'll grow to become that…"
"It won't! Rena, please listen to me!" protested the brown-haired boy. He couldn't stand to see his friend suffer in such a way. She was just hurting herself and her friend at the same time.
Rena ignored him. "Where's the bathroom, Keiichi-kun?" she asked him, completely changing the topic.
Keiichi sighed, realizing that Rena wasn't going to listen to anything that he was saying. She had already made up her mind, and he couldn't convince her even though he knew what she was doing wasn't right. "It's upstairs," he answered her with yet another sigh.
She nodded and left.
The brown-haired boy knew that her friend didn't want his love. She wanted to be his friend and nothing more, so why was she forcing this on herself? She said she would grow to love him, but she wouldn't because that wasn't what she wanted from him. She didn't want to love him, so she couldn't grow to love him. Her body would force her to reject his love. There was no way that a relationship like that could ever work out.
She's just… too kind. Keiichi felt bad for her. She didn't want to hurt Takeru, but saying yes was also hurting him. No matter what Rena was going to do, it would end up hurting Takeru in the end. There was no way she could escape the situation without doing damage to the both of them. Takeru would be hurt knowing that Rena didn't feel the same way, and Rena would be hurt knowing that Takeru had been hurt by what she had told him.
Poor Rena. Keiichi couldn't find a way to get out of such a situation without someone ending up getting horribly hurt. It was just a situation where no one could win.
And, most unfortunately, Keiichi was so absorbed in the topic of Rena and Takeru that he had forgotten about his plans for that afternoon. He was to teach Mion and Shion a little more about emotions. And unfortunately, he had told them that they could go anywhere they wanted. They weren't downstairs, which meant…
"…Who are you?" Rena's voice cried out from upstairs. "A demon? Why is there a demon here?"
Keiichi shot up, realization hitting him hard. The next thing he knew, he was dashing up the stairs, to where he heard Rena cry. He instantly recognized his mistake. He had been foolish.
The scene in front of him was rather surprising. Rena was standing across from Mion, her eyes wide with shock. She was completely confused as to why a demon would be there, and when she looked at her collar, she was even more confused. Only the Sonozaki family had demon collars with spikes on them, which meant that Mion was property of the Sonozaki family. Mion, on the other hand, was startled. She knew that she couldn't be seen, and now that there was an unknown girl that had spotted her, she didn't know what to do.
"Rena!" Keiichi yelled out, causing her to whip around.
"Keiichi-kun? Why is there a Sonozaki demon here? Did she break in?" she asked him, her eyes still littered with shock and confusion.
Keiichi sighed as he rubbed his temples. What was he to do now? "…Rena… come to my room for a moment. Let's sit down and talk. You shared your secrets, I'll share mine," he told her gently. Really, there was nothing he could do now. Rena had already seen Mion, and he had no choice but to tell her now. Besides, Rena wouldn't do anything too bad to him, would she?
Rena nodded once, glancing at Mion one more time before moving over to the open room, which was clearly Keiichi's judging by what was inside.
"Mion," he told the green-haired demon. "You too."
Keiichi sat down on his futon, and Rena decided to sit across from him. Mion, on the other hand, wandered over to her futon, and the orange-haired girl watched her the whole time. Mion ignored her vision and began to shake the lump underneath the futon. Keiichi was surprised to see that Shion was still asleep, though he figured that they probably just wanted a nap, as they were usually napping at this time of day.
"Nrrgh, what is it?" Shion's voice came from under the futon.
Mion glanced to Rena with uneasy eyes. "…Someone's here."
Shion shifted a little before sitting up in her futon, stretching her limbs out. Rena's eyes grew wide with shock when she saw the two of them together, realizing that they were both perfectly identical twins.
"…Rena, these are—" Keiichi began to explain.
"…I know who they are," Rena spoke before he could speak. There was some sorrow in her tone, and some in her eyes as well. "…They're Takeru's older siblings, aren't they? The ones that supposedly died." She gazed at them. "Takeru told me that his mother had twins that were killed before she had him. …They look just like him."
Keiichi was a little surprised that she knew already, but he figured that that made things a little easier for him. "Yeah, that's right."
Silence followed for a few moments. Rena was gazing at them, observing them with slight sadness in her eyes as they looked back at her curiously. "I'm surprised. Did Oryou-sama turn them into demons?"
Keiichi nodded. "Yeah. You see, Oryou never killed them. She… she took them down into the demon basement after they were born and turned them into demons. She's been keeping them locked up for years, and when I found them, they were in terrible condition." He sighed. "…They hadn't been fed in a long, long time, and they were being treated terribly. They… they said they hadn't been taken outside once, and that they weren't allowed to own anything." Keiichi felt bad about telling her all this. He felt like he was admitting a crime to her. "…But Rena, please understand! I couldn't leave them, I had to let them escape!" he cried out, scared of what she would think of him. "I swear! I'm not a bad person! Really!"
Rena turned to him, giving him a sad smile. "Did you really think I was mad at you?" she asked him. "I understand, and I think I would have done the same thing." She focused her vision back on the two twins. "What are your names?"
Mion fidgeted. "I'm Mion."
"I'm Shion," replied Shion.
"And my name is Rena," she told them both. "It's nice to meet you!"
The twins looked at each other, feeling a little uneasy. Was it really okay to be talking to this person, when Keiichi had told them not to let anyone else see them? Would this person send them back to the cold basement?
"Rena," murmured Keiichi.
"Really, don't worry," replied Rena, looking at him. "I won't tell anyone if that's what you're worried about. I think I know why you would take them. After all…" Rena paused for a moment, then allowing a huge smile to break out on her face. "…They're both sooo cute!" She ran up to the two of them and hugged them tightly, startling them. "I would have taken them home just like Keiichi-kun if I saw them first! Hau!"
Keiichi chuckled. "Rena, you're scaring them."
Rena pulled away, giggling a little. "Yeah, sorry," she said, gazing at the two of them, who both looked very, very confused as to why she had just done that. "Forgive me. It's a habit of mine, you see. When I see something cute, I have to take it home with me!" she explained to them. "And you too are both very cute, and very beautiful as well!"
Shion and Mion were having a hard time understanding why she would want to do that. It just didn't make very much sense in their heads.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Rena," spoke Mion with a smile on her face.
Rena seemed startled for some reason. "Yeah, it really is!"
The three girls all laughed. Keiichi was glad that Rena seemed to understand why he had taken the demons, and it seemed like she wasn't going to tell anyone about it. At first, he had been concerned, but really, who did he think Rena was? She was his friend, and friends didn't blab about secrets unless they were something involving murder. He had a good reason, and that was all that mattered.
"Well, I won't tell Takeru-kun, though I'm supposing you were the one that stole his demons before. You know, when we were talking about Kimiyoshi and the possible connection to the children kidnapping case?" Rena said to him.
Keiichi stiffened. He didn't like to think of himself as a criminal for stealing demons. Rather, he preferred to think of his actions as good. It didn't matter that he stole them, because he truly was helping them. He didn't like to be categorized with the people that stole demons for their own greedy needs. He was different from them, after all. "I suppose you could say that, but it was really for their own good. It's not like I wanted to sell them for a ton of money or anything like that," he replied as he gazed at the two demons now engaged in a conversation.
"I can understand that," replied Rena. "So don't worry about a thing. I won't tell him! You know, I would have done the same exact thing if I found them…" She paused for a few moments, a dark expression growing on her face. "But does Takeru-kun know?"
"He sure does," sighed Keiichi. "But he apparently hasn't done anything about it. They've been treated horribly, and he hasn't taken action to stop that as the heir to the Sonozaki family. Of course, I don't think he's involved with the demons all that much. They were both in horrible condition."
Rena sighed. "I know Takeru-kun well, and he really doesn't have much say in the demons. Yasuo-san is the one who takes care of the demons. He's Takeru-kun's father's brother, so his uncle. I don't know him very well, but he has this intimidating, dark presence to him." She stared at the two demons, a dark look plaguing her blue eyes. "He must not have been very nice to them. Poor, poor Mi-chan and Shi-chan…"
"Mi-chan? Shi-chan?" Keiichi repeated, a little confused.
Rena nodded, smiling. "I just decided to call them both that now! Aren't they cute names for the two of them?"
"Of course they are!" laughed Keiichi. It was so like Rena, calling someone something that sounded cute in her ears. He was glad that she didn't mind the presence of the two of them, and that she wasn't accusing him of doing anything wrong at all. She hadn't scolded him or anything like that, much to his delight. "You of all people would certainly make up cute nicknames for others! Of course, the demons themselves have decided to call me 'Kei-chan.'"
The orange-haired girl looked from the two demons to Keiichi, and then back again, and then back again. "It's kind of funny, though. I've never seen a demon with so much… emotion, before." Keiichi's interest immediately sparked when he heard her speak the word 'emotion.' "Demons don't have emotion. No demons do. The reason why they don't is because humans forced them not to so that they would comply with their orders. If they had emotions, they probably wouldn't listen to a request like 'go kill the little boy standing right there' or 'go steal that wallet from that poor old lady.' But these two seem different," she looked at them. "I've never seen a demon smile before. It scared me when Mi-chan smiled at me. It really did."
Keiichi was most interested in what Rena was telling him. Was it true that no demons had emotions? So it wasn't just Mion and Shion, then? Still, her explanation made sense. They couldn't feel bad for their victims when they killed them, nor could they feel a sense of guilt. Still, though, it doesn't mean they don't have them. "I know that these two clam they don't have emotions… but I know that's wrong. I'm going to teach them how to feel them."
Rena blinked at him. "Huh?"
"Watch," Keiichi said to her. He got up from his spot and went over to the drawer placed near the front of the room. Fishing around in one of the drawers, he pulled out a deck of cards. "Hey, Mion! Take a look at what I have!" he called to her, showing the deck of cards to her.
Instantly, a grin spread across her face. "Oho~. Did you want to challenge this demon here again? Do you think you can beat me?" she taunted.
Keiichi smirked. "I can beat you, because there aren't any marks on these cards."
Mion's eyes grew wide with realization. "Ah!" She cursed underneath her breath as she slammed her fist down on the floor. However, a smile broke out across her face moments later, one filled with her usual mischievousness. "Haha! Well this demon here could beat you anyways! I could beat you no matter what! I could beat you with a deck with tons of scratches on them, and I could beat you with a deck that was completely clear of any scratches! Bring it on!"
Rena was surprised. "Wow, she gets very excited when you speak about cards. Is it one of her hobbies?"
The brown-haired boy nodded once. "There's the proof, Rena, and now, I'm going to have to show them what it means. Bare with me if this doesn't work," he told her before sitting down on his futon, placing the deck of cards out before the two demons. Mion and Shion moved so that they were directly in front of it, staring down at it with excitement in their eyes, though Mion much more so than her sister.
"Mion," Keiichi said, surprising the green-haired demon. "Tell me, do you feel warm when you're playing games?" he asked her.
Mion shook her head. "I feel warm when I'm with sis, but not when playing games."
"Okay, do you feel anything in your stomach at all?" Keiichi asked, thinking of the excitement one felt within them. It wasn't quite the feeling of happiness, but it was pretty close.
She crossed her arms and thought about that for a little while, slight puzzlement across her face. It was hard for her, Keiichi knew, but she was certainly trying to come up with something. "Well, when I see the cards, there's this feeling within me. …I can't even describe how it feels, but it makes me want to play the cards, and then there's this spark… I don't know how to explain…"
Well, that was a start. That was probably the best way to describe excitement, Keiichi figured. It was hard for her, and it was pretty hard for him to describe it. "Well, you see, Mion, that's called excitement. It's something you feel when you really want to do something, I suppose." That was a terrible way of describing it, but what could he say? "It's when you're really eager to do something."
Mion titled her head to the side as she tried to comprehend what he just said. Excitement wasn't as hard to grasp as happiness or love, or any extremely powerful emotion such as that. "Oh, I think I get it. So, when I feel something like a spark in my body that makes me want to do something, that's called excitement?" She looked down at the cards. "…Ha, then I'm excited to play!"
A huge grin broke out across Keiichi's face, feeling victorious. "See, Rena? I'm going to do things like that until they both recognize their emotions. That's just a start, but I'm going to work to grasp onto other concepts, like happiness, sadness, and love. That's far away, though. I have to work on emotions that are a little easier to explain." He sighed. "I tried explaining love to them, but it didn't really work."
"Well, love is hard to understand sometimes." Rena looked a little dark as she thought about her situation with Takeru. "…You have to find something that you really feel love for and explain it. Like, I don't know, what I feel when I'm around my dad. I really love my dad." She then shook her head. "But that's a different type of love than some kinds of love. Like, there's also romantic love. That's going to be very hard to explain to her if she isn't IN love with anyone."
She was right when she said the best way to explain things was to use an example. He had been using the cards as an example of excitement or happiness, and he had been using the twins to explain the concept of love. The both loved each other. With some emotions, it would be hard. How was he going to explain that there were two types of love of her? Would they just not understand half of it? Rena was right when she said it would be complicated.
"But I'm ready for that. I've already taught her excitement," Keiichi told her, clenching his fists. "I don't want to talk about love to her right now, as that's complicated, but you see, with emotions like excitement, I can explain things to her."
Rena raised an eyebrow. "Wow, Keiichi-kun. You're good. Do you think you can do that?"
Keiichi nodded. "Of course I can." He turned to Shion. "Shion! Do you feel a spark when you see cards, too, or is that just your sister?"
Shion laughed. "Well, I guess so, but not as strong as her. She's got a real thing for cards, you know. Not only that, but any other games, like the thing you taught us yesterday. Tag, was it?" she spoke, recalling events from the day before. "But still, I think I know what you mean when you say there's a spark. I can feel it slightly, too."
"That's excitement," he explained to her.
"I think I understand, too," Shion spoke with a smile on her face. "Excitement, huh? It's a spark, kind of? And it's when you want to do something? I'll remember that."
Rena looked over to the boy next to him. "Wow, I think you can do it!" She then smiled at him. "Do you mind if I come over here again sometime? I think I could help out a little with them. I mean… they don't have any clothing aside from those kimonos, do they? I could get some more for them, since you're a guy and you don't have any girl clothing."
"That would be nice. I'm sure they're tired of their kimonos. Thanks, Rena!" cried Keiichi.
There was still a long way to go, but Keiichi knew that this spark he had taught them about was a good place to start at. They knew what excitement was now, and it didn't take him too much explaining. At this rate, he would be able to teach them emotions. Sure, there were more powerful ones like happiness and love that would take a lot of effort to explain, but he decided that he'd take things a little slow. The first key to their emotions had been discovered, and the first bolt unlocked.
He would just need to continue on from there.
~~~~X~~~~
Crimso's Corner V.2
Wait a moment, Crimso finished a chapter at 12:48:30 in the afternoon instead of three am in the morning? Yes, it's true. I swear that this is the first time this has happened. Well, I uploaded a chapter in study hall once, and one time in New Media last year for GED, but really, most of my updates are at two AM in the morning. Finishing in the afternoon is almost unheard of! I was going to upload this last night around two thirty AM, but I got really tired and stopped writing. It was one of those times where you just can't go on, you know?
And yes, Mion and Shion's development will be slow, but hey, at least there was something there. By the way, I love hearing predictions, so tell me what you think is going to happen with their development! Oh, and Takeru and Rena's relationship, too.
I don't have much to say, but please review as usual! I'm giving out another Rena plushie, but this time she has a different outfit. Yes, I know, lame, but you want one anyways! I really do prefer the outside of school outfits to the outfits they wear at school. Except for Rika. But otherwise, I think jeans look much better on Mion, and I prefer the dress Rena wears. Plus Keiichi looks cooler in his outside outfit. But I'm getting off topic. If you find typos, you can have some more food from Rena, but this time, double the amount that you had before. Yes, I'm not creative with this, but who cares?
I cannot make this any longer. I have somewhere to be in forty minutes and I must watch the new episode of Fate/Zero
~Crimso