A FIRE THAT BURNS UNNOTICED
Chapter 7 - But Then I Go and Spoil It All, By Saying Something Stupid Like...
The next days after Rei came back home from her stay at the Juban General Hospital were cold, but pleasant. The sun shone brightly and the skies were clear, and perhaps more importantly, the week passed by without a single Oneiros attack. That peace and idleness during her off days from school were very much welcome, as she could dedicate herself to practicing divinations and taking care of Hikawa Shrine alongside her grandfather and Yuuichirou.
Ah yes... Yuuichirou. Rei could no longer deny she grew fancy of him. And on that Saturday, she would give Yuuichirou a chance to show her a face of himself he never could demonstrate, usually due to her own stubbornness. As a friend, and perhaps even... As a lover.
After finishing a long and relaxing bath, Rei picked two dresses from her wardrobe, both hanging from wooden coaters. One was a long red ballroom dress, the other was an ensemble of a black tank top with a woolen mini-skirt with vinyl finishing. Both would be complemented with her favorite lime blazer.
"Hmm, does this make me look indecent?" Rei asked herself after briefly putting the second choice in front of her while checking her mirror. "Gosh, what am I thinking? Why would I care about what Yuuichirou... Ugh, what am I thinking again!? This is a date, and I'm sure he'll be dressed to kill as well. I'm going with what shows my best attributes."
For the first time she ever realized, Rei was considering Yuuichirou's opinion on something. She settled for the second option and then admired herself in the mirror. "Then again, no matter what I wear, Yuuichirou will praise me to no end... But hey, that's not a bad thing. Besides, I look awesome!"
Indeed, the mini-skirt showed and accentuated her curves, even when wearing the blazer and flat espadrilles. Fully geared, Rei felt powerful and feminine in equal measure. A few sprays of lavender and cherry perfume later and the heroine felt ready for a good time.
"Ready to go, Miss Rei?" the Guardian heard Yuuichirou calling for her, as soon as she stepped out of her room. When she turned around, Rei widened her eyes at the sight of Yuuichirou as she had never seen before - well-groomed and attractive as can be. He had tied back his long messy hair into a ponytail, and wore a well-fit ensemble of a powder blue button shirt with pulled sleeves, dark blue jeans, and brown dress shoes that were so shiny, they could reflect one's image through them.
Rei had to cover her cheeks with her hands to not show the stupid grin that formed on the corners of her mouth. "Whoa... Uh, hey... Yeah, I'm pretty much ready. But do tell me, what happened to the real Yuuichirou and where did you take him?"
For his part, Yuuichirou played along. "That guy is busy being a mopey busybody, so I took over instead."
The retort drew chuckles out of Rei, who no longer hid her contentment over how things were off to a good start. Yuuichirou looked so different... So mature, so confident, and yet without losing that frank and ingenue look on his face. And that perfume his body exhaled, that sweet smell of cardamom, wooden musk and spice... Even her core and her intimacies were shaken. If she could, Rei would melt on her legs and let herself drop to the floor in pure amazement.
"You look wonderful, kids!" Grandpa Hino greeted them as he walked on by the aisle. He appeared to be even more excited about that date than either part of the couple.
"Jeez, Grandpa! It's just a stroll down the city," Rei said, barely containing her embarrassment.
"Ah, don't worry, sir," Yuuichirou gladly reassured his old master. "It is as Miss Rei said, we'll see some stuff downtown, eat something, then we'll come back."
"Hmm, good to hear. I trust you can take care of business," he replied while wiping his chin and containing a giddy grin. "Well, have fun, and don't come home too late, alright? Now if you excuse me, I'll go pray for your fortunes."
It may have inconvenienced the couple for a short while, but both knew the old priest meant the best for the two of them.
"So, shall we go now?" Rei asked her partner for the evening.
"Sure!" He quickly replied. "I've got a surprise for you waiting just outside the Shrine's steps. Come on, let's go!"
A surprise? Rei thought to herself as she accompanied Yuuichirou outside. This was off to a great start... And something deep inside her told her things would get better.
(xx)
"Our ride is right over there," Yuuichirou answered while pointing to a plain white Honda Civic '94 Coupe parked right outside the dependencies of the Shrine. That was the surprise, and a pleasant one for Rei. It may not have been a top-tier automobile like the ones Touya had, but just by not needing to move around through Tokyo's ever-so-busy public transportation system would be just fine.
"Wow... Is that yours or..."
"Rented, of course," Yuuichirou clarified.
"Ah, okay, though I didn't even know you knew how to drive!" Rei affirmed as she made herself comfortable in the passenger's seat.
"Heh, yeah, I got my license last year," Yuuichirou revealed as he turned on the engine.
"That explains why you were so absent at that time," she commented, remembering the many times he spent so absent while she and the other Guardians dealt with Shadow Galactica. "So, where exactly are we going?"
"Hmmm... We'll see on the way."
That intrigued the raven-haired heroine. "Who goes on a date without knowing where to go to?"
"Hey, plenty of couples do that," the young man answered. "Go to town and seek all the pleasures and fun it offers. It was either that, or taking you to see Atsushi Onita take on Kintaro Kanemura at the Korakuen Hall. Do you know who either Atsushi Onita or Kintaro Kanemura are?"
"I have no idea."
"Good, and you're better off not knowing," he amusedly said. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you're tired of the usual stuff. Dinner, cinema and stuff... I was thinking of something different."
"Well, that's neat to hear!" Rei stated. "Not that I wouldn't have minded a cinema date. Speaking of which, the only time I argued with Touya when we were going out was about which movie we were going to watch one day."
"Really now," the young servant perched up in curiosity.
"Yeah, I wanted to watch Princess Mononoke and he wanted to watch Jackie Brown."
"So what did you agree?"
"In the first week, we saw Princess Mononoke and in the next one, we saw Jackie Brown. We got bored over each other's choices, though."
"Was Jackie Brown that bad? I mean, it was directed by the guy who made Pulp Fiction, it can't be that bad."
"Eh, not really... I mean, I wouldn't say it was bad, I guess I'm simply not into action movies."
"Fair enough," Yuuichirou concluded while making a hard turn. "That reminds me of the time I sneaked out of home to see Akira in the cinema. I was eleven at the time. Midnight showing, literally anyone could enter. I spent the next two days with nightmares, and my dad found out and grounded me for a week without food."
Now that was new to Rei. "Without food!?"
"He was a strict disciplinarian, and let's leave it at that. Let's not ruin the trip with such crap, alright? We're gonna look for a good time downtown. Speaking of which, we're pretty much there. Let me find a parking lot and then we set on foot."
Rei decided to keep quiet and not ask anything more about Yuuichirou's family. He was visibly upset over remembering that particular tidbit of his private life. Perhaps he has his own issues with his father... Like I do.
When Rei least noticed it, the unmistakable neon signs of the Shibuya district greeted and invited them to partake in the many pleasures they offered. This further stirred her curiosity and excitement, even in a subdued way.
(xx)
It was still the middle of the afternoon when Rei and Yuuichirou parked their car near the Tower Records building. They strolled across a few blocks, which included the iconic Scramble Crossing, and saw all sorts of inviting manners to spend their time. Restaurants, music venues, nightclubs, shopping malls, arcades, adult-oriented entertainment... the whole nine yards. A little bit of everything for everyone's tastes. Rei herself wanted a little bit of everything she was being tempted with, but of course, it would take forever to enjoy the delights of Shibuya's busy nightlife.
So she asked: "Hey Yuuichirou... What do you think if we decide where we go first with rock paper scissors?"
"Fine by me."
Facing each other, both made their call after a brief shake of their fists: "Jan... Ken... Po!"
Yuuichirou stuck two fingers. Rei just closed her fist.
"Ah-ha! I won!" Rei celebrated, then pointed to a somewhat cramped but inviting place with a neon sign above its entrance that flashed the word ECHOES. "Let's see... How about that karaoke bar over there?"
"Nice choice, Miss Rei!" He may have commended Rei's choice for entertainment, but deep inside he was aching with nervousness. He knew Rei was an accomplished singer, so he felt in the responsibility to keep up with her own vocal skills. But what if he sang out of tune? What if there were no interesting songs in the machine? Would Rei mind if he belted out something by Iron Maiden or Saber Tiger? Did that joint in particular have songs by Iron Maiden or Saber Tiger in the first place? Most likely not.
When he least realized it, he was alone in a booth with Rei, having rented it for a half hour. It sure looked bigger than what that narrow entryway showed, and well-furnished too, with long couches on the sides, and a large 40-inch TV set linked to a karaoke machine waiting at the bottom.
"The last time I went to a karaoke bar was almost two years ago with the girls you know," Rei chatted as they entered the cabin. "You don't know what is torture until you hear Usagi sing!"
"Heh... If you say so." He knew Usagi's clumsiness was a thing of legend, having even seen some occasions first-hand.
"I say so because it is so. Now let's see..." She choose an easy one: Stay With Me by Miki Matsubara. By singing, Rei felt comfortable enough to lose her body into a cadenced dance as she sang along and followed the lines.
"You have a wonderful talent for singing," Yuuichirou complimented her, as expected. "Not only that, but even with an audience of one, you sure had some nice stage presence. I always thought you should try your luck in an idol talent contest. You'd win for sure!"
"Ahh, maybe I should!" Rei took that praise with gusto, especially since he didn't go overboard with it. "But then again, I think I'd be unfair competition to Minako. She's the one who wants to be a pop star!"
"Huh. That I didn't know."
"Now come on, big guy. It's your turn. Let's see the artistic side of you!"
Egged on by his partner, Yuuichirou dry-gulped and went to the panel to choose his song. Rei expected he would sing some shrieky hard rock tune, which would break his voice in nervousness and tone-deafness. She closed her eyes and prepared herself to cringe as hard as humanely possible.
"Oh joy! They have it!" Yuuichirou exclaimed as he pressed the confirming button. When Rei opened her eyes, she saw etched on the screen the title of an unmistakable classic: Kimi no Itsumademo by Yuzo Kayama.
And it was not only the choice that surprised Rei... The man could actually carry a tune! Yuuichirou did his best, and it showed. It was like he sang it and meant it for her... She wanted to believe that was the intention, and how could it not be? By the time he finished singing and turned around to Rei, he saw her with her mouth agape as if spooked by a ghost.
"Umm, Miss Rei, are you alright?" Yuuichirou concernedly asked.
"My goodness... I'm... I'm speechless, seriously." Little by little, Rei opened a smile that denoted her pleasantness. It was all Yuuichirou needed to see to know he did well enough, and for that he finally released a sigh of relief.
"Say, how about a duet now?" Yuuichirou suggested.
"Sure thing!" the Guardian promptly agreed. This time, as if in synchrony with one another, they both chose a song in English: Don't You Want Me by The Human League. Rei and Yuuichirou sang and moved around like a rehearsed number. There was no more space for subduing and shame, especially since they were alone in that room.
"Hah... This was great fun!" the raven-haired girl commented. "We have time for only one more song, though... What will it be?"
After some pondering, Yuuichirou snapped his fingers and made his choice at the machine. But for some reason, Yuuichirou put his microphone back to its holder, then walked back to where Rei was sitting.
"Hey, why aren't you singing?" Rei asked.
"Because the intention here is not to sing," Yuuichirou answered as he turned towards Rei, offering a hand to her. "Would you give me the honor of dancing with me?"
"Umm... What!?" She really wasn't expecting that to happen. In fact, her mind went blank for a little while, leaving her at a loss for further words and actions.
"Eh, I guess I came on too hard?" Yuuichirou embarrassedly said as he looked away. "In that case, I have to apologize, Miss Rei..."
"No, no, don't apologize!" Rei quickly justified, having just realized what had happened. "I mean, you didn't do anything wrong, it's just that... I don't even know how to dance."
"Neither do I, actually," Yuuichirou spoke once more, feeling a bit better. "But well, if you don't want to, I won't insist. Let's go do something else, shall we?"
Without saying anything else, both checked out and paid for their time at the front lobby. Yuuichirou thought he already ruined his chances with Rei, who felt like she was unnecessarily curt to him as well. Outside, they simply stood beside one another, too afraid and awkward to speak to each another. At least at first.
"Hey, if it makes you feel better," Rei broke the silence as they left the place, "I also refused to dance with Touya for that same reason. You really wouldn't want me to step on your toes every two seconds or so."
Yuuichirou chuckled ever so briefly at that remark. That was enough to lighten the mood between them. Not everything was lost, and they knew it.
"Say, since you don't dance, how about doing something else to spend that pent-up energy you've got?"
"Hmmm... Depends on what you are planning to make me do."
"Oh, I know something we can enjoy! Follow me."
(xx)
After about ten minutes of walking through tight streets and alleyways, Rei was uncertain as to what exactly Yuuichirou was planning as a time-spender between them. The seedy food joints and love motels in the way just made her feel more uneasy. Her mind only felt more calm when they entered what appeared to be a large arcade. At first, the heroine thought they were going to partake in one of those games that she never bothered to learn to play... But Yuuichirou himself did not seem to stop at any particular cabinet. Instead, she followed him to a larger backroom away from the electronic devices, where a row of sports-related activities. Bowling alleys, baseball batting cages, basketball hoops, electronic punching bags, the works.
"How about a competition between you and me?" Yuuichirou asked while pointing to the row of batting cages.
"You bet!"
Both then paid for their own times and entered adjacent cages. The idea was that a ball-launching machine pitched balls towards them, and each player would have to hit as many valid balls as possible, without fouling or missing swings. Three missed hits meant they would lose the game.
"I take it that you chose this game because you can beat me easily in it," joked Rei. "Am I right?"
"You are right in a way. I was a member of the Sendai Gakuen team that reached the finals of the 1989 Koshien Summer Tournament."
"Really?"
"Yep... I was the flag-bearer! BWAH-HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
It was so sudden and unexpected, she couldn't help but laugh at that quip. "Oh, for the love of... Pfft-HAHAHAHAHA! Seriously!"
"Heheheh... Okay, I never played at Koshien, but I was the starting second base at my high school in Nagano. I once had aspirations of playing baseball professionally. Then I grew up... And even if I was successful, my sweet old man would never let me join the pros anyway."
Once again, Yuuichirou has thrown some shades about his family life, and Rei couldn't help but wonder what kind of issues he must have had with his father. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask more about it?
"Alright, how about we raise the stakes for this game?" Yuuichirou commented as they picked up their bats. "Whoever wins... Choose the place where we will eat later on. Deal?"
"Deal!" Rei answered as she put up her helmet and stepped to the plate. For a moment, Rei skipped a heartbeat waiting for an indecent proposal. Thankfully, that was not the case.
What seemed like an unassuming game took on fierce competitive shades as both Rei and Yuuichirou hit their pitches with such force, they could have been stadium-traveling home runs in an open-air setting. Not a single ball was tossed that went without being hit, and the electronic scores just kept increasing. This, and the sheer impact of the hits, drew the attention of pretty much everyone that passed by the sports games area, and even some people outside of it. Soon, the place was jammed to witness the couple blasting ball after ball.
"Tired already, Miss Rei?" asked Yuuichirou as he hit yet another dinger.
"No way in hell!" Rei answered effusively while also hitting one of her own.
Even their trading japes and the increasing hooting and hollering of witnesses did not break the couple's concentration as they raked hit after hit. The employees were even worried they might break the cages or the machines with a pop.
"Sudden death time!" the speaker automatically warned once both scored a hundred hits, signifying that any missed ball would mean an automatic loss. Both Rei and Yuuichirou were already at their physical and mental ends, but by no means were ready to relent and lose.
Soon after, the machine threw a fastball toward Yuuichirou. As if on instinct, the young man simply blocked that pitch by putting his bat across his face. The ball gently fell at his feet ahead of him.
"Huh!? Can you actually do that?" Rei asked herself. Distracted, she did not notice the slow pitch that was thrown at her, which hit the iron net behind her.
"The winner is Mr. Kumada!" the arcade's usher announced. Soon after, a mix of cheers and boos could be heard from the arcade's corridors - There clearly was a share of onlookers that were cheering on Rei to win that derby!
"What the crap!?" Rei complained to the employee. "He didn't even try to strike the ball! How is that fair?"
"Miss Hino, a bunt is still counted as a hit, as long as the ball falls within fair play area," the usher calmly explained. "And that is exactly what happened after Mr. Kumada bunted the last pitch thrown at him. That is basic baseball knowledge."
"Uh, fine... I concede defeat," Rei stated as she shrugged and put on her blazer. She knew next to nothing about the intricacies and deeper rules of baseball, other than the fact that they were supposed to hit the thrown balls with bats.
She turned around to leave her cage, and saw Yuuichirou basking on the glory of that moment alongside the contingent of guests that cheered for him during the match. At that moment, he saw himself once more as a teenage sports idol, whose accolades at the plate were recognized by his peers. It reminded him of a time where he was appreciated by someone, and even if he knew that moment would pass, he would enjoy it for all it was worth.
Still, a fair number of people who cheered on for Rei made themselves present to congratulate the young heroine.
"You guys rock!"
"Yeah! You two should try going pro someday, you'd make it far!"
"Seriously, the Yomiuri Giants are in dire need of good hitters. You gotta sign up with them!"
"See that, Miss Rei?" Yuuichirou commented to the many compliments they heard on their triumphant way out. "Looks like you found a talent for baseball!"
Turns out he was right. Despite losing, Rei had one hell of a fun time, and got herself praised in equal measure. All in a sport she had barely even played before!
"Well, can I confess you something?" the young servant spoke once more as he tied his hair back again. "I was going to ask for a kiss if I won, but then I thought... It wouldn't be fair to make you oblige to some random result. Do it when you feel like doing it, okay?"
In other times, she would have felt creeped out by that statement, but at that moment Rei felt a mix of relief and admiration. "Sounds like you are finally realizing how relationships work! And I gotta say, I like how frank and straight to the point you are."
"Heh, gosh... Thanks!"
"So, where are we going now?"
"I know the perfect place right here in Shibuya. But we need to be quick."
A sigh and a wipe on her forehead later, and Rei once more followed Yuuichirou through the tight streets of inner Shibuya. This time, she was confident that they were going to a more peaceful place.
(xx)
After ten more minutes of walking through the tightest alleys, the couple saw themselves in a wide busy street of the district. It was significantly colder than before, thanks to the sun setting, and the movement of people appeared to increase significantly.
"Is it gonna take long?" asked Rei while she tucked in her blazer further.
"Not at all, Miss Rei," he answered. "It's right across the street. But it will take five minutes or so to reach the summit."
"Summit?"
"Oh yeah, and if we are quick, we'll get the next elevator, so come on!" As he said this, Yuuichirou grabbed on Rei's hand to guide her towards a tall building right across the street as he had stated. As luck would have it, they managed to enter the elevator just as it was about to be filled with people.
Once they reached the twentieth and final floor, they stepped out and saw right away a large restaurant that specialized in Southeastern Asian cuisine. The smell of spices, meats and vegetables that emanated from the kitchen area and the tables enticed Rei's senses, especially her grumbling stomach.
"Oh wow... I wasn't expecting anything particularly fancy, you know," Rei amusedly commented as they took their seats, "but I do love me some Asian treats!"
"And check it out... We can see the sunset from here!"
Indeed, the last sunbeams could be seen and felt through the restaurant's large windows. The sun hiding behind the Tokyo skyline, and the sky showing shades of purple, pink and yellow as the night fell, was such an awe-inspiring sight that many more people besides Rei and Yuuichirou stood by to admire the last vestiges of that busy Saturday.
"That's why I told you we had to be quick to reach here," Yuuichirou added. "So, what do you think?"
"Marvelous..." She was enchanted to the point of speechlessness. Yuuichirou really thought of everything for that particular evening.
"Good evening!" Greeted a smiling waitress decked up in a bright red ao dai. "How may we serve you?"
"I'll have the shrimp and fish dumplings," Rei requested. "No sauce, please."
"And I'll have a big bowl of beef noodle soup," said Yuuichirou.
"A serving of Banh Bot Loc without sauce, and a large Pho Bo," repeated the waitress while annotating the order on her notebook. "Got it. Anything to drink?"
"Ramune!" Both answered in unison, which amused the waitress as she annotated that as well. She then excused herself to place the order at the kitchen.
Curiosity then got the best of Rei, but at the same time, she felt like she didn't want to ask much about his family. "You really know what I like, but in all these years we have been living together, there are some things I never got to learn about you."
Yuuichirou felt somewhat flattered to see Rei becoming interested in him like that. "Sure, go ahead."
"For instance... When is your birthday?"
"It's November 30," he answered. "Why?"
"You're a Sagittarius..."
Yuuichirou just hummed along. "I never paid much attention to horoscopes, even if they do get it right once in a while."
"There's more to horoscopes than your day's fortune," Rei explained. "For instance, they can explain part of your personality. And really, the Sagittarius traits fit you well."
"I imagine Aries people are headstrong, and have a penchant for showing off and getting mad over the tiniest of things," Yuuichirou joked.
"Whaaaat!?" Rei feigned offense. That rising inflection showed she wasn't really serious. "Watch it, buddy, or I'm gonna dump you right there."
"Then you'll walk all the way back to the Shrine," he casually answered.
When did he get so courageous to speak like that to me? "Oh dear... You got me. Fine, forget the dumping. Besides, yeah, Aries people are kind of impulsive. Just so you know, Sagittarius men are also quite jumpy in their conclusions, and want to do things their own way."
"Huh, that actually makes some sense," Yuuichirou pondered, coming back to the times he embarrassed himself in front of Rei over skipped conclusions. "That's because I always had a strange desire... To die for someone."
"Huh!? How so?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know it sounds outright stupid," he said as he waved his hand. "It's just that... I always read those old tales, and watched those movies and anime where the protagonists sacrifice themselves to save the person they love the most, and they gain the appreciation and gratitude of everyone around them. You know, stuff like Cyrano de Bergerac and Ashita no Joe. Ah, what would it matter, I'd be dead and I wouldn't hear anything, anyway."
Rei found that confession both amusing and worrying. "Yuuichirou, hear me out... You don't need to kill yourself to gain people's appreciation. First of all, as you said, you would be dead. And second of all... People already appreciate you, and would suffer a lot if you died."
"Oh? People like you?"
"Eh, well..." He got her. "I would... I'd hate to lose the best worker our Shrine ever had!"
The long-haired man chuckled. He was going to comment on something more, but right at that moment, their orders arrived. But the "damage" was already done. Being bold served to bring out a side of Rei he never thought he would see when interacting with him.
"Humble thanks for the meal!" both spoke before digging in their respective orders.
"See? There's the Aries impulsiveness at work!" Yuuichirou joked as he saw Rei wolfing down three dumplings right away.
"It's hunger, silly!" Rei explained with her mouth full, holding back to not laugh and choke. "You're one to talk, slurping those noodles so loudly, even grandpa could hear you across the city!"
"In the end, we are more alike than we thought," he said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"Heh... I guess so."
Indeed they were, judging by the long and lively conversation they would hold over their dinner.
(xx)
"Well, it's getting late," Yuuichirou reminded after they paid their tabs. "Shall we go home?"
"Alright."
In silent steps, the couple walked back to where Yuuichirou had parked his rented car. They held each other's hands all the way from the building's entryway to the parking lot.
"Phew!" Yuuichirou spoke in relief as they arrived home. "Back home again, alive and in one piece."
Rei chuckled. "You made it sound like a grueling experience."
"Heh heh, guess I did..."
"Can I tell you something?" The girl asked coyly.
"Sure, go ahead."
Rei sighed away her anxiousness before speaking. "I loved the time we spent together. We got to know each other in a way I never even thought possible, mostly because... I admit it was because I refused to see you in any other way, and... I'm very glad we got to do it. And, yeah, that's it."
"I'm so glad you enjoyed it just as I did!" He also gathered al the courage he could muster and then addressed Rei once more: "There is more you want to tell me than that, is there not, Miss Rei?"
"You're right. There is." He had her wrapped around his finger, and the heroine did not know how to get out of that rut. "It's just that... Umm... I'm... Afraid that I'd hurt you. More than I already do. I mean, what if we really hit it off and... We don't work it out?"
For a short while, Yuuichirou just stood there, silently glancing towards the star-studded sky. "You know where the word Passion comes from? It's Latin for suffering. And I'm willing to suffer all that is needed to reach your heart. It doesn't need to be tonight, but someday... I wanna hear you tell me that sweet phrase a girl tells her beloved."
"Yuuichirou..." Rei couldn't be more charmed, even if she tried.
"That phrase... You know what I'm talking about..." She knew well what he was referring to. "I believe it can't be thrown out like a curse or a greeting. It has to be spoken with sincerity, with meaning. And if someday you find it in your heart that I am to be honored with it, don't hesitate to say it. Just be honest with what you feel, and I'll accept whatever answer comes in good stride."
They then looked and smiled at each other. A cold wind blew, but not only their hearts warm their bosoms, but they sought further warmth in each others' arms. The moon, the stars, and perhaps the souls of countless wandering souls, were about to witness the sealing of the feelings that Rei and Yuuichirou held for each other for so long...
In the corner of her mind, Rei recalled that strange encounter with Jadeite within her own mind. That fierce enemy that once was her lover had told her to be true to her feelings in her current life.
Then she came back to herself. Entrenched in her arms was a man that, much like Jadeite, she had never thought to have any intimacy for a myriad of reasons... But her heart preferred otherwise.
That embrace. That exchange of looks. Those lips yearning for each other. It was exactly what she wanted... Exactly what she sought for.
"Thank you, Yuuichirou..." Rei spoke as if moaning in pleasure. "For everything, really."
"Don't mention it, Miss Rei."
And then the unthinkable happened: From inside her pocket, Rei could feel the vibration of her communication wristwatch, which she hid in case of emergency. Danger was afoot in Tokyo and she, as Sailor Mars, needed to attend to it. It could not have come in a worse time.
"I... I need to go," Rei spoke with trembling lips.
Yuuichirou just couldn't believe what he just heard. "W-what!? But... But why?"
As for Rei, she just couldn't find a proper explanation or excuse that didn't include the words Sailor Guardian in the middle. All her anxiety let her do was stammering and fumbling. "No, no, uh... Listen, it's just... Ugh, what I mean... I'll tell you later! See ya!"
And so Rei ran, leaving the young man behind like he just got dumped.
"Aw man... Just when I was gonna..." In his discontent, Yuuichirou just went to the Shrine's front porch to sit down and lower his head. "CRAP!" He shouted as he slapped his own face with both hands.
"Well, well, well," the raspy voice of Grandpa Hino sounded from afar and grew louder as he approached the young shrine servant and sat beside him.
"Y-y-yikes!" Yuuichirou backed off a little. "Where you spying on us all this time!?"
"Oh, spying is such a strange word," the old priest replied with "I prefer the term catching wind. I felt your presence from afar and came to have a look, that is all. I saw you two lovebirds sharing that tender moment and then Rei breaking off to do whatever. Don't be so hung up on it, young man! She most likely heard the call of nature and ran off to relieve herself."
The long-haired man did not really believe in what Rei's grandfather affirmed, but preferred to remain in silence and nod along.
"But from what I have seen, you two have hit it off just fine," Grandpa Hino continued. "It doesn't need to end with that big kiss under the moonlight like in the old stories, you know. I could sense my granddaughter felt comfortable. Peaceful, perhaps, as if she found something she needed and sought for a long time. Call it a hunch, call it paranormal intuition... But I feel this is the first step towards you and Rei being together for good. And as you know, I fully support it!"
"Wow, you honor me with your approval, master," Yuuichirou commented with a bit of fluster. "I hope you are right."
The conversation would have continued if not for the sight of a uniformed man who walked towards the Shrine's front porch in wide steps. Grandpa Hino could feel an aura of uneasiness around the policeman.
"Excuse me, which one of you is Yuuichirou Kumada?" the officer quickly asked the two men.
"I am," Yuuichirou answered while getting up. "Can I help you with something?"
"Please come with us to the Juuban Police Department. You are the prime suspect of an assassination attempt against Touya Minamimoto."
Thought it would be easy like that? Guess again! We have reached the halfway point of our tale and things will take a turn for the dramatic and the supernatural now.
Once more, my eternal gratitude to all of you who are still following and come by to read this. Especialmente mi querida amiga litakino1987 :D
Next chapter: What exactly happened to Touya? And how will Rei react to that accusation towards Yuuichirou?
Greetings from the Hospitaller Knight.