Chapter 12
Rui carried Rinko to their room, although he's pretty drunk too. So Sayako guided his pace that he won't bump to a wall and injure himself or Rinko. Or the both of them. About her horrific side...it's gone now...she has cooled down and had forgotten her most recent threat.
When Rinko was laid down on her bed, Akira who was a bit drunk too went back with him to their dorm. The raven was too fast asleep that she didn't even bother to change.
Sayako saw an opening at this. She leaned down on her and started trying to read her mind.
A black haired toddler walks on the slightly damped soil of the playground. Her hair was kept in pigtails and a stuffed bunny is in her arms. The rain just stopped and the sun is slowly greeting the ground below but no matter how excited she is, as soon as she reached her destination, she halted. And then, stared at a girl on the swing. She's a pretty one with russet hair and autumnal brown eyes - that shines even with confusion. She looked at her, glaring, trying to scare her off so she'll run away from...she wants to be alone. But the toddler didn't. She just continued staring at her with innocent blue eyes.
"Won't you run away?" the pretty girl asked, resting her hand on top of the toddler's head.
"Why would I run?" the girl asked back in her high-pitch child voice. "You're not doing anything bad."
"Hmmp...you can only say that because you still don't know me..." the lady said in a hurt voice with a pained expression. "You might die soon...with my power...with my hands..." the toddler just turned her head to one side like she's a bewildered cat, exactly not understanding a single word from what she said.
"What...was that?" Sayako broke from her mind. She realized she was leaning too close. She was too absorbed with what she saw...in this slayer's mind. Since she saw herself. "...that wasn't a dream...nor her thoughts..." Part of her memories...? Fate...so this is how playful you can get...? Is there any conspiracy between you and Rui...? She chuckled. Coincidence or not, this girl was still brought here by him.
Argg...hungover, eh? My head feels like...like it'll split into halves. Rinko stood up, holding her head as she feels the throbbing pain with her blood rushing and ranging, hurting like hell. She walked ever so slowly, trying to balance herself and make her blurry and spinning vision a little better. She headed to the door of the bathroom. It's locked. "The hell..." she cursed. "Who's in there?" she hissed in a rude manner. As pissed as she is now, she might have shouted if she didn't warn herself. She knows the pain will worsen; she knows from a lot of experience. The door opened and Sayako came out, pissed off as well as she looked and walked pass by her. The president was rude...well she was too so she didn't mind. She went in and slammed the door – not caring how Sayako will react – to at least express herself but only caused more pain, which she was avoiding. She cursed again. Trying to build a shell of numbness, she hurried to the sink, brushed her teeth and washed her face. Quickly, she went out. Luckily, there's no Sayako who'll shout at her for what she did just a full five minutes ago - she already left.
She then undressed herself and quickly slipped into some casual clothes. She'll take a bath later and after she got some pain reliever from the clinic. She didn't hurry too since there's no classes anyway. And she left their room, not forgetting her stupid case for her bow - which will make her look like an idiot since there's no club activities today - hell, today is a holiday. For anyone who'll ask me of why I brought my case, I'll be prepared to break a face! She threatened beforehand. If they'll be any vampire right now, I'll reduce him to nothingness. Not even ashes like they usually become! I'm really pissed off right now...with this familiar pain! I know, those monsters really don't have any morals at all but at least...may they possess some fear of death...!Her own voice in her mind slightly threatened her. But she's serious about it. If ever that's possible.
Pace, pace, pace...silence, silence, silence.
Poke.
"I don't wanna talk with anyone right no-!" she snarled, turning around to see who it is. And saw Sayako and Fuyumi. "Eh?" she suddenly cooled down with unknown reason, yet the pain is still there so she winced a bit.
"Here." Fuyumi handed her a small bottle of pills, the pain reliever she's been dying to get just to give herself a little relief from what seemed like forever. "I knew you'll be like that so I hurried to the clinic when I woke up. I met Sa-chan along my way so we came back here together. You look worse than I've imagined." she was only answered with a grunt from the raven.
"That's what you get from drinking too much." Sayako calmly said, not minding the murderous aura around the suffering slayer. "Wine is good for the body. It's okay to drink but not when you got drunk."
"Don't lecture me...early in the morning," she said, a small flash of a delusion of her grandmother appeared in her mind. She said the same thing, too. At the last festival we were together..."Obaa-san..." with her expression, they knew that wasn't for the vampire lord. Sayako knows that, especially. She read her mind again, trying to get luck on her side but when Rinko's expression hardened, she was forced out.
"Don't start a fight." Sayako snapped, pretending not to know to whom this aho was really talking to. "Let's go the cafeteria and get you a glass water for that medicine." and they headed there. After taking a couple of pills, Rinko was back to her cheerful self...the fake her, that is. Fuyumi thought. Sayako left, saying she'll get back to their room and take a bath first, they agreed.
The silence that came almost killed them. It's quiet enough for the ticking of the wall clock and chirping of the birds to take over and be the only sounds present for this while. Even the staffs are gone. Actually, it's a miracle to have the cafeteria open at this time in the morning. Surely, it's the day where students would be with their family to visit the graves of their loved ones.
Sooner or later the chairs in the area would be occupied by some other students and staffs if the dinning hall isn't open yet with food. They both know they have to do something to being that infamous silence...but all they did was to wait for each other to say a word...waiting, waiting, until they both got tired of the thing they attempted to do.
"Umm-" they said at the same time as they gazed up to each other.
"You go first." Rinko said, leaning back with her forehands under her head. Fuyumi didn't argue with that.
"Will we...err...go? There?" she whispered the last word. Rinko didn't move an inch from her current position nor said anything so the brunette assumed she did not quite hear her. She was about to repeat when Rinko inhaled sharply then deeply exhaled.
"I won't go there." Fuyumi's eyes widened at that. The raven never missed a chance to go there and pray for them. But now, she's the one who refused to go. "We're in the middle of a mission."
"Are you saying that this stupid mission worths more than them?" she growled at her. Even without looking at her, the raven knows the brunette is getting irritated.
"That's not my point." she finally explained. "I've always think that death...is but a fleeting moment...that it's a natural phenomenon...so when they all died in an instant...I can't think about anything. I didn't know how to react. The reason of why I was sulking was...I hated myself for thinking so low about life." she paused...then thought, is this just fine? If I'll tell her this...she'll see right through me...well...I trust her...I really do...but-
"Then?" Fuyumi interrupted her thoughts. Her tone isn't that angered now since she got her best friend to talk.
"I did not fear death a single bit. I was always thinking that everyone would die. But...at that time...I was...desperately scared. Not for my life, though. But for theirs...I didn't want them to protect me in exchange for their lives. Otoo-san tried to run as far as his feet can go just to let us escape...but it was still in vain. When I visit them...I'm thinking of how our future would have been if only that time was just a dream...a gruesome nightmare. But it wasn't." she paused again, thinking of whether to continue or not. She continued, "I'm looking forward for the future." she stretch an arm in the arm as if there's something she wants to reach as she watches it with her gleaming sky-like eyes. "I have an ambition I want to grasp with my hands." Fuyumi frowned, knowing what that 'ambition' is. "I can't live locked up in the past. I have to keep moving on. That's why...every mission that's being assigned to me...I want to complete it...each mission is a step to the future I want...to my ambition." then she clenched her hand into a fist like she just grasped something.
"Fine, fine." Fuyumi stood up, the sound of her chair being dragged backwards echoed in the empty cafeteria. "I got it. Let's go back. You feel better now?"
"Yep!" she flashed a sun-kissed smile at her.
Buttoning up his polo, he waits for Rui to finish bathing. It wasn't a good morning. Although Rui got no hungover, he did. He just drank a little then there...it hurts. Or perhaps it's little for him. Anyway, he already took some pain reliever. He's better now. But...well...the day itself still isn't.
"Ready?" he heard Rui said from behind him. He turned around. The ex-human only wears that small towel around his waist. The water that hasn't dried off yet glisters as the sunlight strikes him. "You should hurry up."
"Say that to yourself." and he left, slipped out their room. Rui quickly clothed himself and followed him.
Rinko and Fuyumi were done bathing and getting ready. They didn't seem to be going out that day. Sayako wore her casual clothes but isn't really going either. They laid back on their beds until they heard a knock on their door. Fuyumi got up and opened it.
"Onii-sama?" she uttered as she let the two inside.
"Aren't you going?" Rui asked as he looks at Rinko. Fuyumi tiptoed that she'll reach his ear and whispered,
"She doesn't want to go. We're in the middle of a mission, she said." and she retracted back to her feet. "She already explained to me why, don't worry."
"So," Akira said by Rui's side, frowning. "we'll just do that today?" the two nodded. He snarled but said nothing. As soon as the four of them left, Sayako sat up, still pondering of why she's in that slayer's mind.
They separated into four location, thinking it would be faster that way. Rui's checking the faculty rooms, Akira in the classrooms, Fuyumi sneaking in some offices and Rinko searching for more informations in the library. It took them some minutes before they broke in the rooms since it's still morning so they're locked. It wasn't long before the students gathered up at the dinning halls in both dorms. By that, they were granted more opportunity and space to gather intelligence. By noon, the students left with their families although most did not and just stayed.
Rui entered the third year faculty room when he suddenly halted, noticing a familiar scent.
"Why are you doing this?" the girl asked. "Honou-san?" he turned and saw Maria standing behind him with tearful worried eyes.
"I need to." was all he said.
"Don't you trust Sayako-sama!?" she stepped closer to him scanning his purple eyes. He looked down.
"That's not it...I trust her but..." he looked back at her and shook his head. "Your ability is being restraint. right?" she jerked up, startled by the truth but immediately glared at him.
"I know." she braced herself, as if there's something hurting her. "But shouldn't you...stay loyal to her?"
"I am...that's why I'm worried to those who are not. They might suddenly let her down. You can't warn her like you used to." Maria looked up at him almost crying. "I want to do something for her, too."
"Understood. Just...be sure you'll stay who you are." he smiled at her, she smiled back. "She won't say it but...she needs you." he nodded.
Pacing along a hallway that leads to where the raven is as she thinks about the slayer's memory, pisses her off. She attempted to sleep but she can't. There's something more from what she saw...that would explain why at their first meeting, when that aho bumped against her, her scent was quite familiar. For her to remember it even a little bit like that, the girl must have messed with her before. If not, then what could it be? That's for her to find out now so even knowing that the slayer is in the middle of investigation she still wanted to go after her and read her mind. I'll clear this, once and for all. She thought as she pushed the double doors of the library and walked, nearing the raven who's sitting on a corner with a load of books and newspapers around her with every step.
"What are you doing?" she asked, pretending not to know. Rinko seemed to ignore her considering her eyes which are only focused on the text printed on a book. "There's no classes." she raised her voice so that the other will hear her clearer.
"Researching." she honestly answered without looking up.
"Researching what?" the sound of the chair beside the raven being dragged back as Sayako sat down echoed in the dead silence of the library.
"It's none of your business, you don't need to know." was all her reply. She glanced at her. "Oh...that vein again, eh?" Sayako winced and moved back away from her with the chair. "Why did you back away?" she sweatdropped.
"You don't remember anything? About last night?"
"Hn? Did something happen?" Sayako sighed. She glared at her. "What?"
"I guess you're an aho after all."
"What!?" she stood up, investigation and research forgotten.
"Nothing." she stood up too. "Anyway, it's already afternoon. You haven't eaten anything yet, have you?" Rinko nodded, her stomach groaned. Sayako turned her back and walked to the door with the raven following her. They headed to the canteen and Sayako ordered each of them a medium-sized ramen.
"What happened to you?" Rinko asked, slurping the noodles. "You're weird. You treated me a ramen.
"Hn?" Sayako looked at her.
"It's like you change. Is there anything you want?" Sayako choked at that. She did want to know something. "Figures." Sayako gulped down her tea.
"It's not like that. Why would I want something from you?"she glared.
"Then why? Don't tell me you suddenly turned to a princess or something." Sayako raised an eyebrow. The raven finished her ramen...then almost immediately laughed. "I get it!"
"HUH?"
"This is beauty and the beast!"
"What beauty and the beast are you talking about?" her lips curled shut as she waited for the slayer to stop laughing.
"Ah...ah...no, gomen. I'm wrong." a question mark popped up from Sayako's head, astray in the air. She's the weird one. She was about to ask her when Rinko burst into laughter again after slurping and slamming her bowl on the table. "It's not beauty and the beast. It's beauty IS the beast!!!" she teased, emphasizing the linking verb. Sayako tried not to get annoyed...but to no avail.
She stood up, leaving the canteen.
"I haven't paid yet. Just pay those bowls down." Rinko fumed in frustration at the vampire's statement. Actually, that's a lie. She paid their lunch already...she just said that for the heck of her infamous pay-back-time.
"Chotto matte kudasai, Sa-chan!!!" she shouted, running along the unoccupied corridor of the first floor. "I paid already!" she panted as she caught up with her. Sayako looked at her with a smirk of satisfaction.
"You. Paid. Already?" she asked with an equal stress to each word. "Good."
"Yep! I paid my bowl!" she flashed a toothy grin at her. Sayako's smirk flattened into a thin line as she frowned.
"Aho." she said as she walked away. It's not revenge at all. She just paid her own lunch. Rinko paced faster.
"Disappointed, eh?" Rinko teased as she bent and looked at Sayako from a lower perspective. "I didn't treat you because you didn't too~!" when I stupidly thought you did. She inwardly frowned.
"Wakatta, wakatta!" waving her hand like a napkin, she gave off an exasperated sigh.
"But if you'll promise to me that you'll treat me next time, then I'll pay that ramen for you." Sayako stopped her pace, smirking. But to Rinko's disappointment when she thought she's already winning, she continued to walk, thinking it's a bad thing to make a promise with a whiny fool. And besides, she still have a self-assigned task to do.
"Want to take a stroll?" she gently asked. "In the same place as before?"
"Same place?" she pondered for a while and then remembered where they talked – for the first time and probably the last – calmly a few weeks ago. "Sure! I like that place!"
Sayako absentmindedly grinned a genuine smile and led her out the school building. They later came to the similar place where there are the autumn trees, although it's a different part of the forest. Seeing a bench just under a tree, she skipped to it and sat down. Sayako stared at her childish grin before walking and sitting down before her.
"By this time you should be taking your naps." she heard a grunt from Rinko who flinched at what she said although she said it calmly without a teasing tone.
"R-right." Sayako turned her back to her as she took a book from her skirt's pocket and then, started reading. It did not take long before she caught Rinko's attention. "What's that?"
"A book." her tone was blunt, clearly irritating for the other.
"What title, I mean?" she babbled, pouting.
"Chicken soup." answered she blankly.
"Huwaaahh~!" Rinko beamed in delight, her eyes glistering as she tried to snatch the book, but immediately failed when Sayako dodged. "Oi,oi~! Share that with me! That's a cook book, ne~?"
Sayako rolled her eyes. "Chicken soup for the soul." she cleared, emphasizing the last three words. "It's an inspiratinonal book with a hundred and one stories, baka." and Rinko's hopes dropped down, back to her normal self as Sayako returned to reading.
There was a minute of silence until the raven curled into a ball, rested her head between her knees and leaned on Sayako's back. It was really silent. All she could hear were their breathings as the president's heart's steadily beats to her ear that's pressed on her.
When the minutes passed and Sayako assumed the other is peacefully asleep, she slowly turned and let the girl lean on her chest so that she won't be uncomfortable and occasionally wake up, ruining her plan. As the cool autumn wind breezed, – sending the brown and orange leaves on the ground – she concentrated, closing her eyes and let her mind wander into the other's.
"Won't you run away?" the pretty girl asked, resting her hand on top of the toddler's head.
"Why would I run?" the girl asked back in her high-pitch child voice. "You're not doing anything bad."
"Hmmp...you can only say that because you still don't know me..." the lady said in a hurt voice with a pained expression. "You might die soon...with my power...with my hands..." the toddler just turned her head to one side like she's a bewildered cat, exactly not understanding a single word from what she said.
"Um...nee-chan..." the toddler sheepishly muttered. "I just wanna know...why are you always in here?"
Sayako blinked several times before she figured out what the girl is talking about. Without even realizing it, she'd been wandering in that place with her wayward thoughts for days...or maybe weeks. She doesn't know. She's not counting the days...she won't. What does a week or two mean for someone who's immortal, anyway? If she'll keep tracks of the days it would make no sense.
"I've been just...confused. There are a lot of things for me to shoulder. I don't think I can bear them." without him..."You know...they want me to kill a whole race...they crave for it. And I admit, I want that too...but...I can't quite decide...okaa-sama have been one of them before...she was kind...I don't know if my judgment would be right...It's hard since they all have great expections of me..." with my own experience...they're counting on me... "It's like...I'm being torn apart..." she said, showing a weaker side of herself. There's no need to put up a tough front in front of a human child.
"N-nee-chan..." the girl muttered sitting down and trying to take a look at her pretty face since she can't when standing because the lady bowed – yeah, she did, without even noticing as the girl did so. "I-I don't understand." Hearing that, the lady started chuckling in a croaky voice...that's when she realized she's almost crying. There's no tears, though. She had enough that it seemed like there's no more tears left. Then she looked at the girl who winced when she rested on her hand on the toddler's head again.
"Of course! Y-you're just...a-an innocent child..." too naive...silly me! Why am I telling this to a child!?
"Sou ka!" the toddler beamed that she almost raised a questioning eyebrow. "Those bad guys asked you to kill!" the pretty lady flinched at hearing the word 'kill' and suddenly became afraid that she had scared the child...but looking at her expression glued on her face proves that she had the wrong idea. "B-by killing..." although she quivered at that. "It means you're hurting others, ne? Then...don't hurt the innocents!"
It suddenly became still as the lady stared at her with surprised tearful eyes which shines beautifully making the girl faintly blush. "Err...nee-chan? Isn't that...right?" the stranger laughed at her that she pouted.
"Then...what about the ones who aren't innocents?" she paused in laughing to give the girl some time to think, though she's not expecting much. Seeing like it's uncomfortable for the girl to have her hand on her head, she took it back. "Is it just fine to ki-...hurt them?" she continued, disguising the forbidden word that might scare the girl as the word she thought it really means. There's another silence again as the girl fiddles with her hair, pondering deeply. Sayako was close to sighing when the girl looked up to her again, brightly smiling even though, there are some lines on her forehead as she frowns, worriedly.
"Um...if you can talk with them...make up with them so no one will be hurt..." the pretty stranger laughed again, muffling the girl's hair instead of just placing her hand on her heads like she did a while ago. "Is that also wrong?" the girl asked, worrying more.
"N-no!" her reply made the toddler's worrying lines disappeared and showed the pretty lady a whole new smiling face. "But..." really naive! she stopped laughing and stood up, worrying the girl again. "That's not easy."
"Where are you going?" the girl stood up too, following the her when she seemed to be leaving. S-she did not like my answer! Doshii yo!?
"I'm going back." she smiled at the girl when she looked over her shoulder.
"To...umm...your home?"
"Y-yes." she hesitantly answered. That place isn't my home...it's a plain house.
"Will you...come back tomorrow?" she asked then cheerfully said, "Let's play!" the beauty sat before her and muffled her hair again making the girl's face bright with hope.
"I'm sorry...but," she sighed. "I won't be coming back again."
"EHHH~? D-d-doushite?" she gasped, stammering. "Is it b-b-because of m-m-my answer???"
"I need to go back. I've got a solution to my problem now." she tried to give a reassuring smile but failed with the lines on her forehead from her frown. But the child still brightened up.
"Honto ka? Ureshi!" she smiled. "I wanted to play with nee-chan...since she's so pretty...almost inhuman..." the beauty sweatdropped at that. She's not human. "B-but I'm glad I've helped you~!" then smiled wider. The pretty stranger smiled back, genuinely like a fully bloomed rose that for once, was free from thorns.
Sayako blinked twice and stared at the sleeping slayer. Her eyes narrowed at the peaceful sight. You were innocent...but not anymore...you're so easy to kill...not just hurt. She thought, snaking her hand around on her neck and pressing two fingers on her pressure points just under each side of her jaw, feeling the rush of her blood under the tender flesh. Her eyes reddened at the thought...
[red spider lily~forgotten memories]