He had a feeling that he couldn't shake and looked up. "I have a feeling we'll be having company for lunch, I think we may have to close the shop early today" he told her.
Sage looked confused. "Why Suichi-kun?" she asked.
No sooner did the words come out of her mouth Hiei set Izumi down in the chair. "Deal with her" he snarled and left.
He blinked and looked at her before looking at Sage.
"She is why" he said softly.
Izumi looked a little scared and confused. "What's going on? Why am I here and what is he?" she questioned
Kurama chuckled. "We'll have to go back to my flower shop for me to answer those questions" he spoke softly to her as if he was trying to soothe her fears.
She looked at him. "What is going on here?" she demanded.
Kurama and Sage finished their lunch. Kurama paid and the three of them set off back to the flower shop.
Once they arrived back at the shop Sage donned her apron and got back to work.
Kurama closed the office door and offered her the other chair that was there. He sat across from her and waited for her to be comfortable enough to tell her story to him.
Izumi looked at him. "Why did he bring me to you? What can you do for me that no one else can?" she wondered.
"Well I can listen to your story and I can offer you a place to stay until you are ready to get back to training" he told her honestly.
She nodded and looked out the window to gather her courage before talking.
"My name is Izumi Izawa and I have a younger brother named Kenji" she started. "Our mother was a whore by night and a waitress during the day. Our father was in the banking business, he was a banker. He rubbed elbows during the day and beat me and Kenji at night"
He showed no emotions on the outside but was surprised on the inside to hear her say such a thing. He wanted to hug her but didn't want to jepordize the trust that was starting to build.
She sighed before continuing. "I had asked my father once when I was five years old for martial arts lessons, weather it would be to defend myself and Kenji by hands or weapons. He heard but I hadn't heard anything until I was at least seven or eight. When he told me we got in I was excited and thanked him, thinking that would be enough for him but I was wrong. Since he had done something 'nice' for me I had to 'repay' him. How, you ask? Simple, but allowing him to have his way with me. Basically every night he would rape me, once he was done with that he usually went after Kenji and started hitting him" she told him bitterly.
He wanted to say he was sorry for her pain and humilitation she had to go through growing up, but he knew she didn't want his pity. He took her hand and gently squeezed it.
She watched him and squeezed his hand back. "Thank you for not saying 'I'm sorry' I'm tired of hearing that. That's all I ever hear" she told him quietly.
"I know it must've been very difficult for you to protect yourself and Kenji while growing up...but now you are grown up and you are free to eat more than you were able to before. You no longer have to limit how much you eat in fear of being beaten for doing so. Here's my advice to you: Take your hurt, anger, and frustration out on Hiei, he can handle it. Let your anger out through the sword, in your training, let Hiei see the fire and anger you have and it will make your training easier for you" he told her.
"I don't want an easier training"
"It won't be easy at first, Hiei will beat you into the ground, get up and shake it off and strike him again. He thrives on hatred and anger, he has a lot of it himself, show him how much you dislike the last chapter of your life and it will pay off for you"
"Suichi! Help!" Sage called.
He stood up and pulled his hair back and donned his apron to go help Sage, giving Izumi the time she needed to think and reflect what he had told her.
When he came back she felt a little better and looked at him and smiled.
"You're right, I will focus my negative energy on my training, giving Hiei everything I have to give through my sword" she told him.
He smiled as he was happy to hear it. "The offer still stands for you to stay tonight and as long as you need to" he offered her again.
Kenji went home after his first day of work. When he got there he was looking for Izumi so he could tell her all about his day at his new job.
" 'Zumi, I'm home" he called.
There was no answer. He went looking for her and couldn't find her. He started to panic.
Somewhere in Kenji freaking out the phone rang and he was quick to answer it letting the panic show in his voice.
"Izumi?! Is that you?! Are you okay?!" he practially screamed into the phone, failing to keep his emotions in check.
"Yes Kenji, it's me..calm down. Sorry I'm not home, I'm staying out tonight at someone's house, I will be home tomorrow. Did you find a job?" she asked him softly.
He felt better that she called and she was safe.
"Yes, as a dishwasher..I know it's not the best job, but at least it's a job" he told her.
"Good, I'm glad..and you're right, it is a job. See you tomorrow Ken" she said.
"Good night 'Zumi" he said hanging up.
He went to find something to eat with what little they had. He found ramen and made it.
Kenji had a strange feeling while he was cooking and his feelings were rarely wrong.
Just as Kenji was sitting down to eat his ramen there was a knock on the door. He didn't know many people and both him and Izumi laid low after the whole fiasco with their father, so he was pretty sure it was it father coming to get his revenge mainly on Izumi. But she wasn't home, she was safe with the guy training her, or that was his thought anyways.
He looked through the window and went pale. 'How did he know where we lived? Does he have a spy?' he thought to himself. "Go away" Kenji said from the other side of the door.
"Now now Kenji, is that ANY way to say hello to your daddy?" the man asked.
Kenji said a little prayer for help, he lped someone would come save him. At this point he was happy Izumi wasn't home, he for once was happy she was safe and sound. He on the other hand knew he was screwed...literally.