XL
More Complications
Standing in the kitchen behind the stove, Yuka was feeling noticeably better than she had before, all of the earlier anxiety and conflict that had plagued her was gone or at the very least had subsided to the point that she felt less worried about their lives.
Even though she had kept to herself what exactly the problem was somehow the words of Nozomi, Kyou and Ryou had helped the woman to make up her mind and gave her more confidence for the future, the same went for the issue of having been rejected.
There were other companies out there and just as there were those that would dismiss her appeal at first glance there were also going to be those that would still invite her for a first meeting, she just needed to keep faith in that and give it her best, it would all pay off.
"It does sound a little naïve to believe in it but perhaps that isn't so bad after all, one does need something to believe. I just need to keep my faith, I can't allow to lose myself over something like this, there are people who depend on me." For them, she had to carry one, least of all she refused to let their faith in her go to waste.
"Mayu-chan just came back from school," Nozomi informed her as the younger woman also entered the kitchen, her long dark hair trailing behind her, having donned an apron as well she had been helping Yuka in the kitchen to make everything ready for tonight's dinner. "She's already gone to the living room to study with the others, I've got to admit that it's really nice to see all of them together studying together."
Looking over her shoulder Yuka had to laugh in agreement with her. "Yes, it's nice to see them all working together on the same thing. They'll help each other to understand and get further, they laugh when one of them gets it wrong but they do help to solve the problem."
"So, Yuka-san?" Nozomi asked as she stopped next to her. "Is it true what I've heard, are the twins really going to attend the same school as Mayu-chan does, next year?"
Ah, that was right, nobody had told Nozomi about it yet but then Nozomi remained unaware that the girls actually stayed at home instead of going to school. To Yuka, it meant that she was going to need to come up with a reason.
"Ah yes, you're right. Given that Mayu-chan and Saeko-chan are both going to the same school we thought that it might be better for them to also visit the same school. That way they would already have some people they know, otherwise, it might be a little scary for them to see so many new people. You know how a new school can be?"
Nozomi nodded her head agreement, accepting the explanation she got from Yuka. It was true, she had experienced it for herself how scary it just could be when a person went to a new school and there was nobody they knew. Going through that herself until she that fortunate day that she got to meet Yuka, a day which she made the first step to changing her life.
"I see, I understand that. I have to agree that it's likely better for them that way. I hope that much like I did that they'll also find a good senpai to look after them, to guide them through their time at school like you did for me. I really wish that they'll get to be that lucky."
Looking down at the stove, avoiding Yuka's gaze she blinked away a small tear quickly, keeping up the pretense that everything was fine. She really wished that those girls could find the same happiness that she had, there was so much for them to learn about.
"So if I may ask, when exactly will they be going? This next semester I presume?"
Shaking her head Yuka explained to her that it was going to be next year when the new school year was going to start in April. Then the girls would go to Mayu's school.
"Don't you think that's awfully long? I mean, wouldn't it be better for them to join as quickly as possible? Then again I can see why you might prefer for them to go next year. Will they be starting from the first year or can they simply transfer into the second year?"
"We'll try but it's likely that they'll have to start in the first year, the entrance exams are pretty hard so we've got to keep that in mind. Still, it might not be so bad for them to have to go through the first year. At least that way they'll get to spend more time with their friends," Yuka mentioned, they all knew that the girls would be going as first years but she couldn't just tell that to Nozomi, she felt awful having to lie to a good friend like her.
"Well I guess that makes sense as to why they're studying so hard, please let me know if there's a way for me to help them. It might not be much but I'll do whatever I can, so please?"
Yuka was a little surprised by that sudden offer but she gladly accepted it though she didn't think that they were going to need it anyway, Mayu and Saeko were already providing all of the material that they needed to study for so the girls already had a pretty good idea of what they needed to study for. Of course, having access to all of the homework that Mayu and Saeko brought with them, meant that the girls had plenty of material to practice on.
But before Yuka had a chance to say anything further she was interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing coming from the hallway. "I wonder who that could be?" she asked as she had no idea who could be calling them, well the only person that she could come up with was either Dai or Mako making a call to check up on the twins but then they had already called yesterday.
Leaving the kitchen for the moment she went towards the hallway, the phone still ringing. Picking up the horn and listening to the voice on the other side she was surprised. "Eh, Kouta? Is that you?"
Closing her books Mayu was of the opinion that this was enough work for today, she and the others had been at it for several hours now ever since she had gotten back from school. "I think this will be enough for today, I expect that dinner is going to be ready as well soon."
Next to her Nana and Ryou nodded their heads in agreement, closing their books almost simultaneously though. much to the surprise of everyone in the room. Kyou was still at it. She refused to close her book until she had managed to solve the assignment on her own.
"Ehm onee-chan, it's alright. You shouldn't keep hurting yourself to try and solve it, remember this is only material for the higher classes. It's alright if you can't manage to solve it by yourself, none of us have managed do it either so you shouldn't push yourself."
Kyou looked at them, an irritated expression on her face, and in response shrugged her shoulders. "I can't, I need to solve this so I can show that I'm a good girl. Oto-san and oka-san still won't allow us to go outside on our own, unless we show them that we're good girls they won't let us. I need to this so I can show them!"
"Kyou-san, do you honestly think that your parents won't let you go out unless you can do your homework properly? That isn't right, that isn't the reason why they're so cautious with you. You should know as well that bad people might still be looking for you," Mayu informed her quickly, yet she was also surprised that somehow Kyou had gotten the wrong impression for the very reason as to why her parents didn't want for them go out on their own. that said she had to admit that Kyou's determination was also somewhat admirable.
"Mayu's right, we have to be cautious as some people might still know about our horns. I don't like it any more than you do Kyou-san but for us, there's no other choice. You don't want to go back to being used for experiments again, do you? I don't want that, I couldn't take that anymore," Nana said, her body shivering as she mentioned the experiments she had undergone. Was it not obvious that it was for a very good reason that they needed to make sure that the wrong people would never about them, the surviving Diclonius?
"The life that we have these days, it's so much better than what we had before, I don't want to lose this life, my friends, my kin and my family... I can't bear losing it..."
"… Nana-onee-san is right, this life that we have is really good, onee-chan. While being able to go outside whenever we want sounds really nice, I don't mind staying inside all the time if it means that we can stay safe… I would really be sad if we ever got separated again… it scares me…"
After that Ryou fell silent as the mood inside the room suddenly became rather unpleasant.
"Alright then, let's just drop this," Kyou mentioned as she closed her book. "Now can we please go and do something to make me feel less depressed? I want to have fun."
They all agreed, with the direction that the conversation had gone to they all needed something else now to take their minds of it and towards something they would all find more enjoyable. Then again dinner was going to be ready soon which meant that either they would have to wait or pick something that was really quick to do.
"Let's just go watch some TV, maybe after dinner, we can have some fun. Maybe we sing?"
They all liked the sound of it but it was going to depend on whether or not Nozomi would have the time for it after dinner, lately, she was very busy with either her father or her own studies.
"I have to admit to being a little surprised to see you here, Kouta-kun. Honestly, you were the last person I expected to show up on our doorstep today," Dai mentioned as he walked back into the room carrying two mugs for the tea. "I don't know if this blend will be to your taste but you don't strike me as the person to go for coffee."
"Thanks," Kouta mentioned as he laid down the phone next to him, he had just finished his call with Yuka, telling her that he was going to come home a little later so there was no need for them to wait for him to show up.
"Pardon the intrusion but how did she take it? Judging by the look on your face it seemed that she didn't really appreciate it, well I can't say that I can blame her. Spending all that time in the kitchen, getting dinner ready, and then having you call her at the last moment." Dai had kind of hit the nail on the head with that, yeah Yuka had indeed been less than happy with being told that he would not be able to make it for dinner in time and that there was no reason for them need to wait for him to show up.
Ah well, it was not like he wanted to be here for the reason he had come. Kouta had wanted to be at home right now, enjoying a warm meal and getting to spend some good quality time with his family and to see their happy faces. Instead, he was stuck being here at the Hirano residence about to ask for information and help with regards to Anna.
"You could say that I'll need to make it up to her tomorrow. Otherwise, I might risk not getting dinner tomorrow, Yuka isn't quick to forget this kind of things you know."
"I'm not the person you should explain yourself to, she is, remember," Dai remarked as he handed Kouta one of the mugs. "So tell me, what exactly is that brings you here? Given that you came here straight from school without telling anybody gives me the idea that it must be a serious matter, and yet you didn't find it necessary to call me. So what is this about exactly?" He remarked before he sat down on the couch opposing Kouta, taking a sip from the mug before placing it back on the table followed by leaning back in it. "I'm really interested to hear it. So please?"
Taking a quick sip from the mug himself Kouta began to tell Dai about the girl he had come across, a girl who claimed that she was the daughter of the late Chief Kakuzawa and how she had approached him. He told Dai about the afternoon he had spent with her at a local café and that it had become clear that she was fully aware that a few Diclonius were still alive and well. Worse, he told him that Anna knew damn well that Kouta was connected to the girls and even talked about the photos she had shown to him.
Dai held up his hand. "Kouta-kun, please don't take this the wrong way but you've already told me this, remember? You called me about this a few days ago. Are you alright? It isn't like you to forget such a relevant thing, maybe I should go and call Mako to have a look at you.
"No, no," Kouta quickly mentioned, realizing that he must have looked like an idiot coming up with that story again. Had he really forgotten about it again, maybe the stress was already getting to him? "My apologies for making you listen to all that again, I'm sorry for it."
"No need to, you saying it again just shows that you're really troubled by it and that you care about the girls. To be honest, I'd be really angry with you if you pretended it didn't happen. Now I take it that this means that you're having trouble coming up with an idea on how to invite miss Kakuzawa into a conversation without putting others at risk?"
Kouta nodded, yeah that was indeed what was troubling him. He also explained that he wanted to hear more about her so he could hopefully learn what kind of person she was though sadly his first attempt with Arakawa had gone not quite as he had hoped for which was why he had come here. "That's what I want to find out. Can I trust her or will she betray me? I need to know if it's possible that she can help us."
"Can't really help you that much with it, I've had very little contact with her myself. Given that she the chief's daughter you can imagine that command was pretty quick to act, they did not permit anybody to speak to her, only those of the highest ranks were."
He leaned forward, reaching out for the mug on the table and having another tug of it. "The moment they heard that she was still alive they wasted no time or resources for that matter to get her into custody and they went through a lot of trouble to keep her there. You can imagine what must 've gone through their minds when they learned of her survival, it sure complicated the rescue operation, let me tell you that."
To Kouta, it was a bit of disturbing news to hear that Saseba had gone to such lengths and basically had led the girl, possibly even against her will or under threat. Even though Dai had refrained from using that word it was clear that he was making that implication, it made Kouta wonder what she might have been through at the hands of the government? No doubt they wanted to get some measure of revenge for what her father had done. But to Kouta it felt wrong, the girl could not be held responsible for her father's actions just as it was wrong to have her become the scapegoat for his crimes. "I won't judge her that quickly, not before hearing her story, at least she deserves that."
"I think that might the reason why she is so open to you, I can imagine what the poor girl must be going through with so many people already judging her just because of her father. Knowing you were likely rather open and kind to her might be to our advantage," Dai summarized, then he began to smile as an idea was forming in his mind. "This might get a little tricky, but it might just offer you what you want. I know that it's a long shot but just listen to what I have to say."
Upstairs in the house, Saeko was sitting on top of her futon, after dinner, she had separated herself from the others as she wanted some time alone, time that she needed for herself to think about what she was going to do with the letter she had received, and its content.
She had kept it from any of others mainly because he was scared that if the letter were to say any nasty things about her than that the rest of the family would also find out. "They can't find out, they just can't…" she sighed as she buried her face in the palms of her hands, this was not something she had asked for. Down at her feet, Saori was sound asleep, Saeko found herself envying her little sister for being able to rest and not have to worry about stupid things like love letters or others student bullying her. But as quickly that thought surfaced just as quickly it also disappeared and the young Diclonius could only wish for Saori to get better.
"It'd be nice if you could go out with us this summer, there's so much that I want to show you. You've seen only so little of what this world has to offer you…"
Saeko could do little but smile as she began to think about it, more than anything she wanted nothing more than for her little sister to be able to experience how much joy and pleasure there was waiting for her. Just following that line of thought was enough to make her think what the summer was going to hold for herself, it was only a few months away and yet it seemed to be so distant at the same time. It was still going to be a long time to spend in school, more time for her to enjoy being with her friends.
Her attention drifted back towards the letter that was still resting in her hands, guess there was no escaping to it any longer. If she wanted answers then she needed to open it. "I wonder… who's behind this? Why would they send me such a letter?" It kept troubling her that she had no idea of the identity of the person who had written and sent this to her.
"... Here it goes…" she whispered before taking a deep breath of air, closing her eyes for a second and then she began to gently open the envelope. By the time she allowed herself to breathe out she found herself staring at the open envelope, now there was no more going back, she had to read it now. Her hands were shaking, her palms sweaty, as she pulled out the letter and folded it open, she was feeling so nervous that she couldn't read it out loud. As her eyes went over the written words she felt that the anxiety began to wore off.
It seemed that her initial fear of this being a letter written by those girls was unfounded, she felt somewhat relieved that it was actually a love letter just like Yuzuru had said. Bringing up her arms she held it against her chest, trying to think of what she was going to do now about it. If this person was genuine about their feelings then she found it only normal for her to come and see them in person to give them her answer. They deserved that at the very least, but that made her feel rather nervous. "… What should I say to you…?"
Merely thinking about it made her blush a little, her cheeks warming up. Perhaps it would be a good idea to go and ask her friends for some advice as this was new to her, she had not given a response to the first letter which made her question if that person were to be disappointed if she would refuse to show up or give them an answer in return. "…I wonder… were you as nervous when you wrote down these words... as I'm when reading them…?"
She read through the letter a second time, paying great attention to each word as she wanted to avoid mistaking the meaning and feeling contained within this letter. It was possible, she knew almost next to nothing about love letters or how she was supposed to react to it. "… It feels... so confusing to me, I wish somebody could just tell me... what I'm supposed to do here…" She was going to have to talk to her friends about it tomorrow and get an idea but that did not take away that deep inside she was actually feeling happy, pressing the letter once more against her chest she felt a little excited about having received one of these although there was the ever present anxiety and doubt. "... I never thought that a love letter was so complicated... how do people even manage… I don't understand it... but I guess it's not that bad after all… still..." Lowering her gaze as she eyes rested on the letter she felt nervous about having to tell this to anybody but unless she wanted to get an idea on what to do next she was going to have to ask them for their opinion.
Kouta was shaking his head in disagreement, having just heard what Dai's plan was. "I'm sorry to say this but I can't agree with that, I'm really sorry Dai-san but I don't want to be a part of such a plan. It just doesn't sit right with me to go and basically trick her, we'd be no better than the people who've taken advantage of her before. I can't do that, I refuse to do so."
Dai nodded, leaning back in his chair. "You've got a point there but you can't simply ignore that we need to make the first move here. Least of all we've got to make sure that her aunt doesn't find out about this otherwise we're going to be in the shit up to our necks."
Kouta raised his eyebrows at hearing that being mentioned. "Her aunt? So she does have any family still left, what kind of person is her aunt for that matter? I've never heard of her before."
"Oh, believe me, you don't want to cross her. Honestly, that woman scares me and although I would prefer not to, I do have to do business with her because of my work. In the aftermath of the destruction caused by Lucy, a lot of blame was placed at the hands of the late Chief Kakuzawa for failing to keep control of the situation. Of course, you can imagine that all of the higher ups were not exactly thrilled when they found out what had happened at the DRI."
It felt like the same old story that Kouta had heard far too often in the last year or so, people within the government with their own schemes to further their own goals and power, taking massive risks at the expense of others, and when those backfired they would lay all of the blame on somebody else.
He had no mercy to spare for the chief and certainly not after he had learned for what the man had been responsible but it was also galling to him to think that those very same people who once conspired with him were so quick to wash their hands in innocence.
Likely those same kind of people were putting all of the blame with those surviving members of the Kakuzawa clan, without a doubt the young Anna would have faced the brunt of the accusations in due to being the chief's daughter.
He could well understand that her aunt was anything but happy about having to deal with the government nor could he fault her for being so hostile to outsiders. Then again he also needed to keep in mind that the chief or his son might not have been the only members of their family involved with had happened on that island.
"Dai-san, isn't there another way for us to go about this? I'd rather prefer one where we can stay honest and don't have to lower ourselves, I think that'll help us a lot more than getting the first move. Surely you can come up with something, right?"
"I'm open to any suggestions, I'm telling you that this isn't going to be an easy task Kouta-kun. Much less given you want to do it in a way that makes it that much harder to prevent this from going wrong, but I can see where you're coming from. I'll see what I can do, luckily we still got some time for this."
They stared at each other for a moment, trying to come up with a strategy that would not run the risk of backfiring on them, the last thing either of the two men wanted was for this to go horribly wrong. And it could all go horribly wrong, the potential consequences were massive.
"It would be best if it's just going to be you and her, the fewer people involved the less risk of somebody finding out. Though it's gonna be troublesome for us if she were to demand that she got to see one of the girls, God knows how she's gonna react."
"I want to avoid that, we first need to make sure that she isn't going to give them away but given that she already knows about them and hasn't told anybody does seem to be in our favor. I just hope that the people who made those photos for her also keep quiet."
"Hard to say for sure, if we're lucky then the one taking those pictures might not have even known why they were to take them in the first place, otherwise we need to pray that she paid them a good enough sum to stay quiet, otherwise we're going to be in a lot of trouble when this leaks out."
Yeah, there was that indeed and the main reason as to why they needed to be cautious in how to handle Anna, if they made the wrong move then it was going to be game over.
"I would have preferred to have another adult on this but I cannot say for sure on how her aunt would react, least of all if she's even aware of what her niece is doing," Dai remarked, his fingers tapping against his lip, he was weighing their options and trying to come up with an idea that was going to work well for them but one that would also not weigh heavy on Kouta's consciousness.
"It is a shame that Bando is out for the coming time, we really could have used him as a backup but we are going to have to make do without him." He sighed, honestly Bando had picked one of the worst moments to get himself hospitalized. Right now, when they could really use his assistance.
"Did something happen to Bando-san, don't tell me he got into trouble did he?"
Dai waved his hand gesturing that it was nothing serious, the last thing he needed right now was for Kouta and the others to get worried. "He did something really stupid, you know how he is. And he managed to get himself beat up pretty good I should add. Nothing serious though it certainly didn't do anything to fix that obstinate pride of his," Dai commented, draining the last of the tea. He played it rather casually as he did not want for Kouta to become worried. Bando had taken a bad hit and he was going to be out for a few months, well it was his own damn fault this time, he should have thought better than to run off on that wild goose chase.
"I'm glad to hear that, I'm pretty sure that Mayu would've been terrified to learn that he had gotten himself into some serious trouble. If it's possible could you give him my best wishes when you see him again? I know he doesn't hold much of an opinion on me but still."
"Don't worry, I'll give him your best wishes whether he likes it or not. Well, I think we should call it a day, for now, I doubt that either of us is going to come with anything that might help us tonight. Give it some rest and we'll talk about again in a couple of days. Till then do your best and try to avoid coming into contact with her."
Staring at the clock Kouta agreed, getting up from his seat and following Dai towards the hallway. It was already getting late, to think that a few hours had already gone past with the two of them just talking to each other. Upon reaching the front door he turned around and asked a question, "Is there anything you want me to say to Kyou-chan and Ryou-chan?"
Dai just smiled in return. "Just that their parents really miss them already, you can't imagine how odd it feels in not having the girls here. The house just doesn't feel the same without them. It's way too quiet if you know what I mean."
Kouta could well imagine what Dai meant with that, always having people around you and then suddenly not having them around must be an odd experience and one that he did not like. He would much rather be surrounded by the people he loved and loved him in return; his family. Without those people, any house would just feel empty to him.
"Take good care of yourself, Dai-san. I'll tell the girls how much you miss them." He waved the man off, being reminded how fortunate Kyou and Ryou were to have ended up with people who loved them as if they were their own. People who had turned out to be great parents. Leaving the house he turned left and headed back home towards the inn where, no doubt, an anxious Yuka was likely waiting for him.
"You too Kouta-kun, take care and I'll see you soon," Dai said underneath his breath as he watches the younger man disappear from his sight before closing the door. "I guess I'll head to bed, I'll need to get to work early and see what I can dig up about Anna."
Back in her own room, Mayu was staring at the clock that hung there, it was not as late as she had thought it was but it was good enough for what she was planning to do. Well, she had already taken Wanta out for a walk which meant that she needed a different excuse to explain why she was going out at a time like this.
"Mayu? Are you going anywhere?" A voice came from behind her, turning around Mayu was anything but surprised to see the familiar face of Nana staring back at her. Sure enough, the short haired Diclonius must have already figure out what she was planning to do.
"Mayu, don't tell me? You're planning to go outside on your own and check up on Mei-san's house, aren't you? Mayu, you shouldn't go on your own as it is too dangerous for you alone."
Nana stood there, waving her hands, making it clear that if May was planning on going out then she was going with her, and she would not take no for an answer. "If you go, then I'll go along with you, but I think that it might be better if you didn't go at all. You should wait until Bando-san calls you."
Mayu knew that Nana was right on that, it was better, and certainly more sensible, for her to wait until Bando were to contact her and inform her on what he had learned but it had already been a couple of days since Mayu had last spoken to him.
"You're right but I'm already getting a bit restless, I don't want to stay here doing nothing while who knows what's being done to Mei-san. You feel the same right?" She hadn't been able to do much for Mei at all over the last few days because she had been busy in giving off the impression that she was going to listen to what her friend had asked of her but now she was starting to feel restless.
"Mayu, I know how it must be like for you to feel so powerless. Believe me, I've been through that myself before, and I know what it's like. But because of that I also know that you shouldn't go out on your own, and without knowing what's waiting for you. So please, don't go. Stay here with me, please?" Nana pleaded with her, doing her best to make it as clear she could to Mayu that it was in her own best interest to wait a little longer and most of all not to go out on her own.
"…Nana-san… I'm really touched by you caring so much for me but you of all people should know that I can't remain quiet for that much longer. I'm scared that at some point she'll try to escape on her own and they'll catch her. Than… they… will…" Mayu stopped, not willing to say another word but Nana knew all too well what the terrible word was that was lying on the edge of Mayu's tongue. If Mei were to try and escape then those people could possibly kill her to silence the witness and perhaps also dump the body somewhere so it was never going to be found again. It was a horrible thought, never ever getting to see their friend again, not even having the chance to say their goodbyes to her.
Mayu dropped to her knees, her mind racing back and forth thinking about the terrible fate that could possibly await Mei, her body quivering in response as that thought started to drive her to despair. She didn't want to believe that this was even possible, she sobbed and cried as the desperation started to get the better of her. "… Nana-san… w-what… if… they… they couldn't… or can they… M-Mei-san… oh… she… might… don't…happen… so terrible… deserves… must… help… her… too… late… we… must…" The words that Mayu managed to get past her lips were beginning to make less sense as she kept forcing them out.
"Mayu, that's enough. You're only hurting yourself. Mei-san wouldn't want for this either."
Having seen and heard enough Nana stepped forward and sunk to her knees as well, wrapping her arms tightly around Mayu and squeezing her as tight as she possibly could. "Please get a hold of yourself, you don't need to be scared. I'm here for you, I'm your friend, and I'm not going to abandon you. I said it before and I'll say it again, wherever you go Mayu I'll go as well, I'll always be there at your side to help you." Mayu's head was resting on her shoulder, she could hear how Mayu kept on crying. Seeing Mayu like this made her feel terrible, it also made her feel very angry with the people responsible for this. There was no possible way for her to let Mayu go out on her own. Not tonight and not in the state that she was currently in, it was simply far too dangerous for Mayu to go out now even if Nana went with her. No, for tonight it would be better if she were to simply stay at home and get some much-needed rest.
"I'm here for you Mayu, I'll always be here for you, whenever you need me…" she whispered into the girl's ear as she closed her eyes. "I'm here…" They kept sitting there, no longer paying any heed to the outside world.
With all of the dishes and the kitchen finally cleaned up, Yuka had a moment to enjoy some rest for herself, the twins had gone along with Nozomi to do some singing practice upstairs while Mayu and Nana were last seen taking a bath together though she had no idea if they were finished with it by now.
"I wonder what's keeping Kouta so long, why did he have to go and visit the Hirano's anyway?" She let out a little sigh of irritation. Honestly, he could have gone just as well after dinner, at least that way Yuka wouldn't have had to go to the trouble of being cautious with the portions.
"Well, if there isn't going to be enough for you then it's your own fault for not calling me sooner," she said out loud, waving her hand around as if she was waving him off.
"What exactly is my own fault Yuka, I know that you might be a little upset that I didn't call you any sooner, and I'm sorry for that, but did I do something else wrong as well?" Kouta's voice came all of a sudden from behind her, she hadn't heard him entering the house and now he had heard what she had said out loud. She felt so ashamed about it and angered as well.
She jumped up from the floor. "Where have you been?! Do you have any idea what time it is?! Don't tell me you've been at the Hirano's all this time?! What have you been talking about that has taken so long?! Just how important was this, really?!"
Taking a step back Kouta was taken aback by the sudden ferocity that he was getting from Yuka out of nowhere, sure he had expected her to be a little upset, and he could understand that, but certainly, nothing that came even close to what he was being subjected to now.
"Woah there Yuka! Listen, I can understand that you're a bit irritated that I called you so late but why do you have to be so hostile about?" He took another cautious step back just in case.
"H-Hostile…?" Yuka mumbled in response as she heard him say the word. "What did you just say…?" She was dumbstruck, confused, and baffled by his sudden choice of words. She just stood there, staring at him, her arms were hanging against her sides but she didn't say another word. Her eyes didn't stray from him.
Somehow Kouta was starting to feel a sense of dread coming over him to the realization of how stupid that had been coming to mind. He should have given a bit more consideration to his choice of words as it seemed that he had really hurt Yuka with that one as he noticed a tear running down her cheek. He felt like a total jerk.
"Ah, Yuka… I'm so sorry." He immediately dropped to his knees, telling her how sorry he was for having been dumb enough to use such a word. "I didn't mean to hurt you with that, please, I'm really sorry. Please Yuka, believe me. I hadn't…"
He didn't dare to look up for fear of what he would see. If she hadn't been mad at him then he sure had given her a good reason to be so now and he fully expected to get it this time. It remained awfully quiet in the room, and for a moment he even wondered if she was still listening to him.
"… Was I... really being hostile to you… did I really make such an impression on you…?" Her soft, gentle, quivering voice shook him to his very core and the shame and anger he had felt earlier about his own stupidity reached a new low, he had definitely hurt her feelings.
He still wasn't sure if it was going to be a smart idea to get up but he couldn't stay like this for any longer, didn't matter if she was angry or sad but he needed to get up right now and look her in the eyes. He needed to set it right even if that meant getting his ass kicked by her.
Pushing himself up he froze from a moment as Yuka had remained where she had stood, even with her head cast down he could still see that her eyes were thick from the crying, her arms hung loosely by her side.
Shaking his head, he had to swallow, a thick lump stuck in the back of his throat at the sight that had greeted him. "... Yuka…" he gasped as he took a step forward and reached out for her hands. "I'm so terribly sorry for having said that…" he whispered to her, grabbing a hold of her hands and holding them tightly. "You didn't deserve that, least of all from me."
She didn't say a word but he could feel that her hands were trembling as her face turned away from him, avoiding his gaze.
"I don't want to see you hurt or crying for that matter. If you want to punch me in the face then go ahead, I deserve that…" he mentioned in her ear knowing fully well that if she were to strike out for him this instant that she was going to put all of her strength in it.
It did scare him, he knew that Yuka was in prime physical shape and that she trained and exercised on a regular basis. Not to mention that she had taken multiple courses of self-defense when she was younger, she would hit him hard if she wanted to.
They both kept silent for a moment, neither of them moving or saying another word until finally, Yuka broke the silence by turning her head and letting it rest on his shoulder. To Kouta, it put him somewhat at ease though he was still hoping for Yuka to say something to him.
As her hands let go of his hold she brought them up and grabbed tightly onto his shoulder.
Pulling herself up she whispered in his ear. "… Kouta… you… you… you…" And then she punched him as hard she could in his stomach. "Jerk!" He got his answer.
His eyes slowly opening he turned his head to look at the other presence in the room, he had already picked up the scent of a woman's perfume long before he had opened his eyes and he had heard the sharp clacking of her heels before even that.
"You're too fucking terrible at trying to sneak up on somebody," he growled, not even holding back with his tone nor did he give a damn about it just because he was in a hospital. Even so, by his standards, his tone could still be viewed as being mild. "So what possible reason could you have to get your sorry ass out here to see a messed up piece of shit like me?" Grunting he tried to get up, his body protesting with every move. His attempt was a bit clumsy as he had to make due with just his left arm, the prosthetic on his right had been damaged beyond repair and the doctors had seen fit to remove it. The arm stump a stark reminder of what had been taken from him.
Mako just smiled in return, she was used to this. "You've got such a charming way with words, Bando-san. So much, in fact, that I'm actually surprised that the nurses here haven't thrown you out yet." With her index finger tapping her lips Mako chuckled as she eyed him closely, she knew that she was teasing him but she just couldn't let pass such an opportunity. Besides with that grumpy demeanor of his, it would do well to have a little jab at him.
"So how are you doing, giving that you're able to make such vulgar speech again I think that you must be doing well. Perhaps I should ask them why you haven't been discharged already?"
"Tssst," Bando cursed as he lied down again, clicking his tongue "Obnoxious as usual, I can see where the eldest gets it from. Unless you came here for something useful, I suggest you get fucking lost and leave me alone. I'm not in the mood to have any of my time wasted by some kind of bullshit!" He turned around, grunting and cursing, but certainly doing his best to ignore her.
Letting out a sigh Mako knew that he didn't mean it like that, it was just Bando's way of making sure that people didn't get too close to him. "Trust me, it isn't and besides I'm not going to waste your time as right now you still need to rest. You won't be going anywhere and your recuperation is going to take a while. A long while, I should add."
"Tell me something I don't know, honestly what is it with you fucking doctors and having to say everything three fucking times! I'm not deaf you know! Now just spill it and get it over with!" he growled. "This place is starting to get on my freaking nerves, I'd much rather be stuck in your house with that horned shitty brat of yours than having to spend another fucking day in this disease-ridden shithole excuse of a hospital!"
Her eye twitched, oh she certainly found that to be a little insulting and she promised herself to make sure that the staff here would learn of this at some point. Bando was being rude not to mention downright ungrateful to the doctors who had worked hard to treat his wounds.
"You wouldn't say that if you knew in what shape you were brought here, it was a miracle that you hadn't died from blood loss or that your broken ribs hadn't pierced your lungs. Do you even have the faintest idea how long you were in the operating room? You're just ungrateful, you know that?" She left it at that, not going to waste any further effort in trying to make him understand that some gratitude was certainly in order.
"I only came here to see how you were doing, right now you're not going to be of much use to any of us as you can't even walk, let alone help anybody else," she mentioned, making it clear that there was no need for him to do anything but focus first on his own recovery.
"You certainly put us through some trouble, Dai's still worrying himself to death about you. He denies it of course but I can see it in his eyes. The next time you think about pulling out such a stun,t and you trouble my husband with your own stupidity, I'll definitely make you regret it." Leaning in closer she told him exactly what she would do to him and there was no doubt to be heard in her voice. "I do consider you to be somebody that can be trusted but I also find you to be a selfish, arrogant, jerk who doesn't give any consideration as to how his stupid actions might affect the people that actually care about him."
Pushing herself away from the bed she felt that there was no need for her to stay here any longer, Bando had seen to it that her mood had worsened and right now she felt more comfortable with the thought of just going home to her husband and son.
"Take care, Bando-san. I'll see you soon. Maybe then, you'll be able to restrain yourself even so that people can have a conversation with you." She closed the door behind her, not even taking a moment to wait for his reply, she didn't care for it. She wasn't going to visit him tomorrow either as she was planning to go and see her daughters, which was much more enjoyable than having to spend some time with a man like Bando and having to listen any further to his grumbling, ranting, or the other drivel that would come from his mouth.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch…" Kouta whimpered as he rubbed his hand across the spot where Yuka had punched him earlier, he had folded double after that blow and up until a couple of minutes ago, he had been unable to get back up.
"Man, I feel terrible. Oh, I might not be able to go to school like this," he said underneath his breath, shifting his weight he felt another surge of pain rise up. "Yuka, you sure got me good. I know that I said that I deserved it but did you really have to hit so hard?"
She had definitely not pulled her punch, not that he could blame her for it though that didn't make it any less painful for him. Guess all of that exercising she did really pay off, hard to imagine that underneath her somewhat delicate appearance there lied such strength. After that, she had, what looked like to him, stormed out of the room without even so much as looking back, guess she was still angry.
"My own fault, I guess that making it up to her is out of the question for tonight. Now I'm going to have to make it up for this as well. How am I even going to do that?" He wondered as now he had, even more, reasons to make up for all of this with Yuka but it was becoming harder to think of a way to do it right.
"That is going to be one big makeup present otherwise I doubt that I'm going to be able to stay in this house for any longer. Maybe I should ask Nozomi-chan if she has an idea?"
A knock on the door pulled him away from his thoughts, he wondered if it was Yuka standing on the other side? Perhaps she wanted to come in and talk about what had happened? Well, he certainly wasn't going to object to that though somehow, this might just be the opportunity for him to make up to her.
"Come in," he said, though as he turned to see who it was his eyes were wide as he saw that it wasn't Yuka at all who was standing there. "W-Why are you here? You should be in bed, you know."
"Onii-chan? Is it alright for me to come inside?" Kyou asked in a soft-spoken voice, looking carefully to her left and right as if making sure that nobody was there to see her going inside Kouta's room. "I still hadn't gotten the chance to make good on my promise to you, onii-chan."
Letting out a sigh Kouta couldn't believe his ill-fated luck, why out of all people did she have to come. It wasn't that he didn't like her company but with what had happened he much rather wanted to be alone to order his own thoughts. Right now, Kyou's presence ran the risk of escalating the situation when he was trying to come up with a way to defuse it.
"Come in, Kyou-chan. So what is it then-?" He stopped all of sudden, his breath caught in his throat as he saw what she was wearing; she wore little other than a black shirt that was far too large for her delicate frame, and one he felt rather confident of that it actually belonged to him, the way it exposed one of her shoulders made him feel restless. Thigh high white socks gave her legs a certain mystic appeal and finally to finish off the look was a pair of dark gray knee-high boots.
He quickly tried to look the other way but something about her kept his interested focused on the young Diclonius in front of him, honestly, there was going to be so much trouble for him if somebody were to catch the two of them like this. And should that certain somebody turn out to be Yuka then there was going to be Hell to pay for him, a world of hurt would rain down on him and bury him underneath an avalanche of retribution.
She took her first step in, the sharp clack of her heel stepping down on the woodwork could be clearly heard. A second step, a third step, and one final fourth step brought her right in front of him. The door slid tight, no doubt manipulated by one of her vectors. Smiling at him she sat down and held out her legs for him to see. "So, onii-chan, what do you think of them…? Do you like the look of them? I really wanted to show them off to you first. So onii-chan?" she asked him as she ran her fingers across the length of the boot.
She spoke again to him in that typical sultry voice of her, she nudged the inside of his legs.
Oh, why did Kyou have to come here dressed like that, he knew for certain that he was going to pay a fearsome price for this? Yuka was going to have his gut for sure this time, there wasn't going to be a present in the entire world that would enable him to make up.
"It's okay for you to touch them onii-chan." There was another nudge against the inside of his leg followed by another one, she was definitely trying to get a reaction from him.
The palms of his hands were sweaty, his breathing irregular. "T-They look really good on you Kyou-chan. P-Probably the best pair of boots I've ever seen. I-It definitely s-s-suit- ." His voice was already rather high pitched and the more she kept poking him with her boots the higher it got, right up to the point where he couldn't even manage to finish his sentences.
He was starting to go into a panic, there was no way that he would manage to avoid a fiery retribution if that door were to be opened by Yuka.
She leaned in closer to him. "Onii-chan, it's alright if you want to touch them and the rest of my legs as well. I still remember how you were looking at my legs when we all went to the beach, can't blame you, I do have really nice legs don't I, onii-chan?" she giggled as she asked him the question, which did little other than fuel Kouta's growing anxiety and panic.
He wasn't sure if he should just do as she said or refuse the offer, either way, he had to give her an answer and be quick about it before she would go another step further and make this unpleasant situation even more unpleasant for him.
He could pretty much imagine that his face had to be bright red by now, carefully he brought his hand up he got a hold of one of her legs and kindly pushed it away from him. "Yes Kyou-chan, they do feel really soft to the touch. Were these the ones you talked about before, the ones that you were looking so hard for to find?" Doing his best to keep a straight face he offered a silent prayer as he let go of the boot and therefore her leg as well. Forcing his mind and body to calm down he let out a deep sigh of relief but still doing his best not to let her notice it.
"Really?!" Kyou shot up straight, pulling her legs back. "You really mean that, onii-chan?! Really?! Really, really?! Really, really, really?! Really, really, really real for real?!"
He answered her each and every time she asked it, being as honest as he could be about them. Kouta did notice that the more he talked the calmer he got and also that Kyou was keeping her distance from him for which he was grateful, he always got nervous when she was this close to him. "Just one little question. Where did you get that shirt? It looks familiar."
"Ah, this one?" the Diclonius remarked as pointed at herself, her voice taking on a rather playful tone. "I got it from your room when we stayed here a while ago. My own shirt was dirty and I didn't have a spare with me so I got one of yours, onii-chan," she winked.
He cleared his throat. "Ah, okay. Well, that would explain why it looks so familiar to me, I guess you can keep it anyway. It sure looks a lot better on you than it did on me."
Kyou's eyes were wide open at hearing him say that. "You really mean that, Onii-chan?! Oh, thank you so much!" And she flung herself forward at breakneck speed, her arms locking around his neck as she squeezed herself against him as tight as she could.
Kouta was taken aback by the sudden speed, falling on his back his breath stopped as he felt something firmly being pressed against his chest; Kyou wasn't wearing anything underneath the shirt. "... K-K-K-K-Kyou…"
The following morning, there was a distinct, almost tense, atmosphere hanging around the house, for whatever reason that remained unknown to the other residents Kouta was doing his best to avoid Kyou. Acting like he was in a hurry he had not even taken the time to sit down with any of the others to enjoy breakfast before heading out, much to the annoyance of Yuka.
"I'm really sorry, but I really need to go no," he yawned as he rushed out the door, barely able to keep himself on his feet, after last night he had not been able to catch any sleep.
"K-Kouta," Yuka said as she called him out. Going after him she was quick enough to catch him before he could get through the front gate. "Are you sure that you should be going to school like this? You look terrible, you should stay in bed today. You can't go like this."
"I-I'fine, I'm just a little tired, that's all," he stammered, his puffy eyes betraying the apparent lack of rest. "I'll be fine, I can catch some rest after homeroom. You don't need to worry about me, now come on or we're going to be late for school."
Shaking her head Yuka showed him her watch and more precise the time that it was displaying. Reaching for his arm she was able to stop him from going any further. "We still have over an hour before we need to be at school. What's gotten into you, Kouta? Why are you so desperate to get out of the house? … I-Is it because of me?"
After that, Kouta was at a loss for words, it had nothing to do with Yuka. Where did she even get the impression that she was the one to blame for this. She had done nothing wrong, he just wanted to have some time away from the house so he could clear his mind and get some rest.
"... No… Yuka, it's not your fault…"
"Then why? Why do you want to leave without saying goodbye? Why don't you sit at the table with us? Why won't you have breakfast with us?" she asked him, wanting to hear an explanation for his sudden behavior, why he seemed so eager to get away from everybody, from her. "If you're upset with me because of yesterday, then I'm sorry, Kouta. I really sorry for having hit you… so, please… d-d-don't...l-l-leave...m-m-m-me…"
Confronted with the crying woman Kouta felt how the strength in her arms began to disappear, the iron grip that she had been holding him slacking, it was a painful reminder to him that a time like these Yuka, for all of her strength, could appear so frail. It felt like she could fall apart any moment as if the tiniest touch would be enough to shatter her into a thousand pieces.
"... Y-Yuka… I... " he tried to speak, to console her, to offer her words of comfort, yet it seemed that all he had done was to make her even more miserable. No matter his best intentions, all he had done over the past day was to hurt the woman he had come to depend on. With the state that Yuka found herself in at the moment, there was no way that he could leave, if he did then he would never forgive himself for that. Bringing up his arms he reached out for her, locking them around her back, and pulling her close to him.
Her body quivered in response to his touch, there was only one thing that he could do. Moving slowly, he carefully began to guide her towards the back of the house, where the two could have some privacy to talk about this. This was between him and Yuka, just the two of them.
"It'll be alright, let's get go to the garden and talk about this," he whispered in her ear, brushing aside a lock of her hair. Leaning back just enough to catch a glimpse of her face he found himself staring into a pair of tear-stained eyes. "Let's go, we both need this. What a way to start the morning, well I guess I've only got myself to blame for this. Some guy I turn out to be…"
As the two of them made their way towards the rear, a curious pair of eyes was closely following the two people until the couple disappeared around the corner. Peeking past the door Kyou was left with a forlorn expression on her face, she understood that what had happened was her fault. "... I'm… sorry…"
"Good morning Saekorin!" Yuzuka shouted as she could already be seen waving for her friends from across the street, Saeko found it pleasant to see both her and Azusa standing there at the corner of the street, waiting for her to catch up with them.
Crossing the street along with Hinami the two of them quickly joined up with the other two girls and greeted them, a few other words and topics of discussion were exchanged before the four girls resumed their walk to their school. Between the four of them, the talk was mainly about what the others had done yesterday and if they had managed to crack that difficult assignment for their homework, apparently some of them had given up and been only too keen, or desperate, to have the chance to copy the notes before their teacher would find out.
But as they drew closer to the school the subject slowly began to turn away from those boring topics and steered towards the big question that was on their lips, what did the letter say?
Saeko could sense their curiosity but she rather wished that they didn't or at the very least would have the patience to wait to ask her until their break when it was just going to be the four of them on the roof.
The last thing she wanted right now was for somebody else to hear, as without a doubt it would at some point be overheard by those three girls, and they were certain to take the fullest of this opportunity, perhaps they would even go after the person who had written it.
But then an even more terrifying thought emerged at the front of her mind, what if the person who had actually written this love letter were those three girls and likely right now they were waiting for her to appear school.
As in the distance, the familiar shape of the school's main gate began to appear fear took control of the young Dicloinus' heart and she stopped in the middle of the crossover. "N-No, I don't want that… I don't want that to happen… P-Please, don't let it be true."
The others stopped as well, looking at each other in confusion as they were unsure of what to make of this. Mirroring Saeko's reaction they too began to search though they had no idea for who or what exactly they were looking.
"Saekorin, are you alright? Did something happen? Did you see anybody?" Yuzuka asked her as she wrapped one of her arms around Saeko's shoulder and began to encourage her friend to keep moving as they were still standing in the middle of the crossover.
"Isuzu-san, we should get moving. We don't want to be caught in an accident now do we?" Azusa chimed in as well, it was better for them if they kept on moving if at the very least to stop people from looking at them as already some other students were giving them the odd glance. "Come on, let's get inside and then you can tell us what's wrong." Hinami nodded and together they quickly left the crossover and headed through the main gate and into the school building itself as well.
Hinami stayed with Saeko until Yuzuka and Azusa came back from their shoe lockers as they needed to get changed before they could go further into the school. When they came back they found that Saeko was still in the same condition as they had left her.
"So Saekorin, are you feeling any better, do you want to go to the nurse's office first?"
"... No, it's alright. T-Thank you for asking but I'm fine now. I just got a little scared about those three girls waiting for me… because… you… know…" she mentioned as she began to fiddle with her fingers, averting her eyes she kept her sight focused on the floor in front of her.
"We understand," Hinami mentioned as she kneeled down in front of her. "I'd probably feel the same if I were in your shoes but you don't have to worry about those three. I'll take care of them if they dare to harm you again, I promise, Isuzu." She reached out with her hands and took hold of Saeko's. "I look after my friends. Just watch me."
"We should be going now, class is about to begin. Saten-san, we'll see you again when the first break begins. Have a good day and take care of yourself. Goodbye," Azusa mentioned and bowed towards the dark haired girl who had to go to her own respective class, they were going to meet again in an hour or two again. "We should get going as well, Isuzu-san, please don't forget that you still need to change your shoes. Now do you want us to wait for you here or do you prefer to be alone for a moment? Either way, I'll respect your choice, Isuzu-san."
"… I-If it's alright with you then I'd like to be alone for a moment, I'm sorry…"
Nodding their heads Yuzuka and Azusa bowed and then left, though from their eyes Saeko could tell that it was with reluctance. She felt sorry for having to ask them to leave her alone for a moment but she needed it, being left on her own she began to sink back into her own thoughts.
The footsteps of somebody walking up to her pulled Saeko from her thoughts, she hadn't noticed this person until he called out to her. "Excuse me, young lady? Isuzu Saeko-san, I presume?" She heard somebody ask, blinking with her eyes as it dawned on her that this person was calling her. The voice had a nice feeling to it, looking to her side the first thing she was the boy's uniform of her school, then as she looked up she was greeted by an unfamiliar pair of brown eyes looking down on her.
"I have been waiting for you to come today. It's my sincerest pleasure to meet you. Ah, please allow me to introduce myself, I'm Miyamoto Kureto, from class 3A. I'm really glad to finally have the opportunity of getting to meet you in person, I hope you've received the letters I left you."
Author's note: Well folks, newest chapter for you.
I hope you all enjoy the chapter. If you spot anything or just want to have a talk feel free to contact me, as always I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts, suggestions, and opinions.
I'll be gone for most of the weekend as I've got the Santa Fe event here at Overloon, where Militracks focuses on German vehicles this one does on American and British vehicles. With any luck I'll have the distinct pleasure of hopping into a 30 ton M4 tank and have a little ride, fingers crossed. Needless to say the next 2 days will be, very, very, busy.
Not much else for me left to say so I'm going to keep this short, so take care folks and have a good weekend.