PokeContestIkari Story: I Don't Want A Fighter
Chapter 9: Pension & Pacification
Haruka and Kasumi were still staring at the front door, stuck in stupor regarding what had just occurred. Slowly, they turned to one another, their eyes wide with shock and fright. Neither of them spoke for a while, until Kasumi finally whispered with trembling lips:
"What have we done..."
Haruka swiftly retorted after hearing Kasumi speak those words. "We did our job!"
Kasumi made her way over to the couch, Haruka closely behind, still yelling. "We did what we were supposed to do!" They both sat down, angrily glaring at one another.
"What the hell do you mean we 'did what we were supposed to do'? If anything, we did the complete opposite, because Shinji is absolutely furious at something that we initially instigated!" Kasumi clenched her fists. "Haruka, our job was to keep her mentally stable, and to be able to see clearly, and make correct choices."
"And you're saying we did that?"
Kasumi paused. "…could you not see the pain and anguish in that girl's eyes every time we saw her? Could you not see what that man has been putting her through? How could a sensible person not try to get her away from him? Although our job was under Shinji's control, Shinji ended up being the cause of Hikari's depression. Our job was to keep her sane, and getting her away from Shinji was most certainly the first step!"
Haruka took in every word that Kasumi said, and could not deny any of them.
"We may have done the job specified for Shinji, but we didn't complete the job any person of good will would do, which is to stop any pain that is occurring to someone…especially if that someone is just a little girl." Kasumi added.
"A poor little girl…stuck in something that I can't even imagine being in at her age. The whole world hates her for something that was completely out of her control, and the only people she can rely on are her bully of a husband, and two failures of bodyguards…and friends. The girl can only take so much, y'know? Anyone can only take so much…" Haruka pondered.
"Her mom was killed right in front of her…"
"And the whole world, having loved her before, hates her…and now she currently resides with a dangerous human being who she claims to love…"
...
"I think she truly loves him." Kasumi stated.
"You think?" Haruka responded.
"I've never seen anyone so…dedicated, y'know? Someone who, no matter what is thrown at him/her, will stay strong, and have faith in that one person who just doesn't give anything back. Hikari may be a kid, but she sure is one helluva strong one."
"Kasumi..."
Kasumi looked over at her ditzy yet lovable partner in crime with concerned eyes. They had completed many cases similar to this under Hikaru's hand, however, there was something about this particular debacle that just hit them heavy in the heart. Their actions were slowed, hindered, altered; overall, different to how they usually worked. Throughout this entire year, somehow, that little blue-haired girl had made her way into their fragile hearts, and twisted them in so many ways, good and bad. Instead of being acting bodyguards, they longed to be genuine protectors of Hikari's life and precious soul, for she was somebody very special…and they knew that was the reason why Shinji was so desperate to find a way to shelter her from the cold, unforgiving world that they lived in.
"I think…Shinji really loves Hikari too…" Haruka finished. "And…by us letting her act out in such a way at the fight club, really broke his trust for us, and her as well…I really think we are to blame here."
Kasumi looked over at Haruka, who was staring at the ground, hands folded.
"Our idea of justice, at the time, was so impressionable upon her, plus how forceful we were with her…how could she not give in? It was exciting, dangerous…and she, in the end, wanted to know what Shinji was doing, so..."
"We knew all along though…and we knew how perilous it was…yet we put her in that situation, that danger…"
"We let our personal desires for her get in the way of what we were supposed to do…you can't forget the look on Shinji's face when he walked into the fight club with Hikaru that first day, can you?" Haruka questioned, tightening her eyes. "How could we have possibly doubted for a second that Shinji would give his life for Hikari? That he would do anything just to know she'll be safe for one second?"
"Haruka, did you not forget that performance that he just put on for us a few moments ago?" Kasumi responded.
"But Kasumi!" Haruka immediately replied. "That's just how he...shows it."
"Shows what?"
"...how much he loves her." she whispered, putting her clenched fist up to her mouth.
Kasumi appeared incredulous at first, but then nodded her head, feeling the tears come to her. "How sad..."
"…we suck." Haruka stated. "We really, really suck."
Kasumi nodded again, not having the proper words to speak. Typically she'd be able to deter Haruka's usual dumb thoughts, however, everything she was saying was crystal clear, and frankly, embarrassing. Kasumi had taken a maternal role over Hikari, and actually hearing what she and Haruka had done to her for the past month or so was nothing a mother would even dream of doing to her child.
Haruka became more passionate with her words. "I mean that man…he risks his physical health every night just so he can be comforted with the thought that Hikari is in good hands...our hands. He sacrificed that, and here we are, trying to get her to go against him, when in reality, he's the one all of us should be fighting for."
"He just makes it so difficult for the average eye to perceive…" Kasumi pointed out. "He may be dark and scary, but no doubt…he loves her."
"It just doesn't seem…possible. He's just so…"
"Odd?"
"Yes, and terrifying. And he has a horrible way of showing how he feels. And—"
"Haruka, I get it."
There was a short silence.
"They are just such an odd couple." Haruka finished. "Yet…they were made for one another. There is no one else on this earth that could tolerate Shinji, and no one else on this earth that can tolerate Hikari."
"It's actually kind of inspiring."
"…Look what this has done to us, Kasumi." Haruka said, smiling a little at her best friend. "It's made us all soft and fuzzy."
"I was always soft and fuzzy, it was you who wasn't." Kasumi chided.
"What! I was always the soft and fuzzy one. You're just so cruel and mean and insanely jealous!"
"Please."
"…We make a great team though."
They both went quiet for a couple seconds.
"Opposites…" Kasumi pondered, "yet outlandishly perfect for one another."
"That seems to be the theme of this whole event." Haruka said.
"It's an idea that the world needs to become more accepting of, is what it is. It's something that is probably one of the more beautiful aspects of human nature. Being associated with someone who is the complete opposite of you is probably what makes us more whole in the end…at least, that's what it feels like whenever we're together." Kasumi said.
"And I'm sure that's how it is with Shinji and Hikari."
"...Maybe if we had just taken a moment to understand how transcendental and above our heads the situation is…"
"…things could have ended a lot differently?" Haruka finished.
"Precisely."
There was another short silence.
"Perhaps not all love stories are the cookie cutter type." Kasumi said.
"I'd prefer for them to not be so."
Kasumi smiled a little. "Me neither."
A longer silence followed the two young women's words of revelation. When Shinji had come to Hikaru, they could see the fear in his eyes, and even beneath the tough exterior they could see how much he cared for Hikari. Hikaru was a well-known master of manipulation, and like the snake he is, he easily made his way through Shinji's mind, and gotten him involved in his web of violence and debauchery. However, both Haruka and Kasumi felt that Shinji was aware of the many possible circumstances that could be put upon him, but obviously he did not care.
As long as his Hikari was safe wherever she went, he did not care about anything he endured.
"If only everybody could have realized this about Shinji before that terrible shooting took place. If only they had listened to the words that he was saying to them at the Grande Festival." Haruka wondered aloud.
"If only they saw that he, in the end, is only trying to protect Hikari." Kasumi responded.
"…I guess he is more of a husband than we initially thought."
"Every bit of this situation is a lot more than we initially thought, Haruka."
"Yeah…"
"…Perhaps we should go over there and apologize?"
Haruka looked over at Kasumi dubiously. "Do you really think that'd be a good idea? I can't imagine what has happened over there…and us being there would definitely exacerbate any initial anger."
"Haruka…we at least should have some self-respect, and respect towards them, and show them how sorry we are."
"…if you say so."
The two slowly rose from the couch, overwhelmed by their recent thoughts and discussion, the topics being beyond even their own comprehension. The atmosphere around them seemed different; dull, sluggish, and cold. Their movements were lethargic, and the small walk over to the Honkuros' house seemed longer than usual. When they reached the front door, they both hesitated. Kasumi looked over and saw the fear in Haruka's eyes; fear of Shinji, Hikari, and for the both of them as well. Gently, Kasumi took her friend's hand in hers, and flashed her a reassuring smile. Haruka gave one right back to her, and knocked on the door three times.
They waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
"Oh dear God…" Haruka whispered. "Please don't tell me something bad happened…"
Kasumi knocked three more times, and they waited longer.
And longer.
And longer.
And longer.
"Hikari?...Shinji?" Haruka carefully called out, pinching her eyes closed, expecting to hear screaming and yelling, or objects breaking, or punches being thrown…
...But again, silence.
"I don't think anybody is home…" Kasumi concluded.
"Should we call somebody?" Haruka asked.
Kasumi paused. "…do you remember what Shinji said to us that day we first met him?"
Haruka stopped for a second, putting her finger to her chin. When she remembered, her eyes widened, and her mouth went slightly ajar.
Then her face dropped with melancholy.
"Yeah…I do…"
Wanting to be cordial, Haruka and Kasumi took Shinji to a little coffee shop to discuss further matters of their "plan". Haruka and Kasumi ordered two lattes for themselves, but Shinji did not order anything. All he did was sit silently in his chair that sat opposite of Haruka and Kasumi, staring blankly at the door.
"So…" Haruka began.
Shinji crossed his muscular arms over his chest, huffing a large sigh. He did not look thrilled to be there; he never looked thrilled to be anywhere.
"Don't worry sir; Haruka and I are professionals. We'll take good care of Hikari." Kasumi said to Shinji with a warm smile.
Shinji grunted in response, looking at the ground.
"Is there anything we should know about her, just so we can make her feel more comfortable?" Haruka asked curiously, both of them taking out notepads and pens.
Shinji said nothing for a while, making Kasumi and Haruka frown.
"Come on, there has to be something. We're just trying to help." Kasumi said.
"I know, I know." Shinji said with irritation, looking up at the ceiling.
Kasumi and Haruka leaned in with curiosity, pens ready at hand.
"…She loves chocolate biscotti...so if you ever want her to shut up, just give her that, and you'll be set." He looked down at the ground.
"Oh that's great!" Kasumi chirped. "I love chocolate biscotti too!"
"Fantastic." Shinji replied obviously not as excited as the redhead.
"Anything else?"
Shinji paused again, and looked out the window to the sun; it reminded him of her. "She loves the stars...so it wouldn't hurt to take her out at night every now and then to just...y'know, look at them. I don't really know why she loves them so much, but I don't really care. As long as she gets to see them."
"Stargazing…" Haruka mumbled, writing down that exact word.
"She loves to read, so make sure you take her to the book store; I'll give you my credit card so you can get her any book she wants…and…just give her good company."
"Shinji, you can definitely count on us! She sounds like a really nice girl. It'll be a pleasure to be by her side for you." Haruka smiled at Shinji, hoping to instill her trust in him.
The two women were about to stand up, but they quickly sat back down when they heard Shinji speak up again.
"…Hikari has always been really easy-going. She doesn't like to be pampered, but at the same time, she hates feeling ignored; not because she's an attention whore, but more because she feels as if she's done something wrong."
"We'll make sure to take good care of her." Haruka and Kasumi spoke in unison. Again, they started to get up, but he started speaking again, this time in a more gentle tone.
"For as long as I've known her, Hikari has always been a people-pleaser; all she wants to do is make everybody happy." Shinji smiled a little, closing his eyes. "It wasn't hard for her...all she had to do was smile, and everybody in the room would smile back, or just stare in awe of her beauty." He opened his eyes, and they had hardened, and glazed over with memories. "But now…now…"
Kasumi and Haruka continued to stare at Shinji, their notepads now resting next to their untouched lattes.
"…I've taken all of that away from her. Now everywhere she goes, nobody will be pleased…nobody. I haven't seen that smile, or that look in her eye, for so long, and it's just not right. It's not right, damn it."
He looked at the two young women, a humble, broken man. "All I ask of you two is to make her smile again, even if it's just for a second. She has lived her whole life trying to satisfy everyone around her, and now she deserves all of the gratification she has been missing for all of these years. I've taken away any possibility of that happening by my own terms, and I don't think I'll ever be able to give it to her myself. It's just not in my being…but believe me, I've tried."
Haruka and Kasumi nodded once in unison.
"…that's all I ask." He repeated.
Then, after a moment of silence, he rose to his feet, and slowly exited the coffee shop, everyone's starstruck gazes on him as he did so.
"…She's in good hands." Haruka quietly said.
"Finally, she's in good hands." Kasumi responded.
They turned away from the empty house, and walked back to their respective homes in silence, without bidding one another adieu.
All they could do was think for the next 24 hours.
So you're all probably either really happy, really sad, really confused, or all of the above.
This story is pretty complicated, as well as the feelings I've been trying to emanate, and I wanted to put some ideas out there for you all to think about, regarding Hikari and Shinji's relationship, why Hikari is still with him, and why Shinji acts the way he does. I hope that this does some clearing up for y'all.
So I finally updated, yay! It's been like a year. Sorry. Being a senior and preparing for college is pretty uh…time-consuming. But I've gotten into 5 out of 9 colleges so far, and I'm waiting for four more! :D But enough about me.
I'm thinking maybe one more chapter on this story, just to wrap things up. Again, I hope that this has helped in the understanding of the story. And I'm sorry that it's shorter than others…don't want to put too many of my analytic thoughts in this. Haha.
And I changed my username!
Bye my loves ~
~AsanganiKalani