Chapter 11: Living Again

The agency building was exactly the same as Jun remembered it. The rooms, the equipment, the sets: it was just like it was two months ago before she left. What had changed, much to Jun's surprise, was the presence of several Beast models: she noticed one with fox-like tail and ears, another with a falcon-like beak and head feathers, another with webbed ears and a webbed tail and so on.

A smile formed on Jun's lips. Those girls were happily chatting with each other or with human girls. It warmed her heart to know that her efforts and Kazumi's death had not been in vain. Peace had been achieved between the two races and despite the last months of depression and coping with the loss of her beloved, Jun had witnessed over and over again the beautiful sight of man and beast living together happily.

A voice then caught her attention. A familiar one.

"Alright, we'll shoot the spot in a few minutes. You girls know what to do, right?"

Turning her head towards the left she quickly spotted the owner of the voice. A man in his late twenties with short brown hair, blue eyes, dressed in a light green suit, wearing black shoes and glasses. Tatsuya Yuasa, Jun's manager, one of the kindest men Jun had ever known. He had worked with her ever since her career began. Now he was briefing some girls that were about to take part in a commercial spot.

Just as he was done briefing and the girls left to prepare themselves, he spotted Jun. His eyes widened as he recognized her. "J-Jun…." was all he could manage, not believing the woman he had worked with ever since she first came here and later became the leading supermodel of the agency, had returned.

"Hi, Yuasa. Long time no see." spoke Jun with a soft smile, as she was walking towards him.

"You…. You've come back….." replied Yuasa, still utterly disbelieved. He thought that after what happened the last time between them, he would have never seen her again. And here she was, right in front of him.

A concerned look formed on Jun's face as shame and regret filled every inch of Yuasa's face. He was always known to be a very caring individual both towards his clients and his own wife and daughter. After Jun first became a beast, she tried to distance herself from everyone around her, afraid that she would sooner or later lose control. Yuasa had noticed the changes in Jun's behaviour and so he became very concerned for her well-being. Eventually that concern turned into love. He had become so infatuated with Jun, that when the Rebel Devil-Beasts attacked, instead of leaving with his family, he searched for her and eventually found her and confessed his feelings towards her. He would have even gone as far as abandon his family, to stay with Jun.

But on that day as Yuasa's wife and daughter were leaving Tokyo, their train was attacked by a devil-beast sent by those Rebel Beasts. Miracolously, Yuasa's daughter, Mayu, was able to call him at home and that allowed Jun to find out the location of the train crash, turn into her true form right in front of Yuasa's eyes, scramble off the site of the crash and slay the millipede-like beast who had crashed the train, saving Yuasa's wife and daughter in the process.

"Not here. In the locker room. Follow me." simply spoke Yuasa, gesturing for Jun to follow him in the locker room, where nobody would have interrupted them.

After getting into the room Jun asked "Y….Yuasa? Are you alright?" in a concerned tone upon noticing as her former manager's gaze shifted downwards, not managing to look her in the eyes due to the guilt of what he had done.

"F-forgive me….. for what i did that day….." Began Yuasa, closing his eyes "W….. what kind of man…... leaves his family when they need him the most, for someone else…." he spoke, in a voice full of regret and sorrow.

Upon noticing that he looked like he was about to tear up, Jun quickly dropped her bag and hugged him. He had always been for her, ever since she first came at the agency. He was always there to comfort her in her most difficult times, even after she had become a beast, the identity crisis she was going through, he was always there for her. Finding out Jun's true nature didn't matter to Yuasa. In his eyes, Jun was still the same gentle girl he knew ever since she started out several years ago.

"Dear Yuasa…. It's alright. Don't cry." spoke softly Jun, as tears started to fall from Yuasa's eyes. Now it was her turn to help him, after everything he did for her.

"No….. I…...I'm a horrible person….My wife….. My daughter….. They don't deserve me…" sobbed Yuasa, shaking in Jun's arms. And why shoudn't he? He had abandoned them. He had left them when they needed him the most. And for what? For another woman? Simply because he had let his concern for Jun turn into love? Maybe it was just the way he was. Sometimes being too caring and concerned for someone could lead to develop feelings impossible to control.

Jun was disheartened to see Yuasa, such a kind man, in such a state. Not once did he raise his voice against her: not when she would be late for her daily jobs, not when she woudn't show herself at work and not even when he found out her true nature. Such kind, altruistic men had become a rarity nowadays.

Not bearing to see him like this, Jun parted from the hug and spoke softly "No… You're not, Yuasa. You are one of the kindest men i've ever met." taking him completely by surprise. He thought that Jun would have scolded him after what he did. Instead there he was, for the first time being consoled by the woman he had shaped into the succesful model she had become.

"You were always there for me. You always helped me overcome my insecurities, my fear of being watched." she spoke in a reassuring tone, before she turned her gaze from his eyes, staring on the ground. "It was hard, you know. Becoming a Beast, finding out that i could enjoy hurting other people, people who coudn't even control their own bodies, their own instincts, people who had lost their humanity and coudn't do a thing about it." She then closed her eyes before concluding "Losing people i cared about simply because of what i had become." her voice becoming weaker with every word.

Yuasa could only listen in shock and sadness, as Jun mournfully recalled the painful memories from her awakening, the many people she killed, the fear of losing control of herself and the people she had lost. He coudn't even imagine what she had been through. Turning into something inhuman, powerful, monstrous and having to live with the actions that the alter ego could cause.

"T… that's why you tried to avoid those you cared about….. That's why you had all that trouble at work in these last months…." spoke Yuasa in a saddened tone, having finally learned the whole truth, while Jun simply nodded weakly.

"Every time i transformed, i felt my humanity slowly slipping away bit after bit. I was afraid that, sooner or later, i would have lost control of myself…" began Jun, shaking slightly, while putting her hands together on her chest "It was only because of you and other people i held dear, that i didn't lose myself back then. But many of them didn't make it…"

Yuasa, with a gasp, realised who, Jun was talking about. "K…..Kazumi…." he spoke weakly, hoping that he would not hear what he feared.

As soon as that name was uttered by Yuasa's lips, tears began to fall from Jun's eyes before she hugged herself and weakly replied "She…. She died in my arms….. and i….. i….. i…. coudn't…" her voice cracking more and more with each word until her words were replaced by cries.

Yuasa's heart sank. She had to watch as Kazumi, the person closest to her, died and she coudn't do anything about it. Then he realised it: no matter how much he tried back then, Jun's heart belonged only to Kazumi. Nothing would have broken that bond, not even him. Only death could have. And that was, tragically, exactly what had happened.

Yuasa could no longer bear to see her like this. Instinctively he pulled Jun into an even depeer hug before replying "Jun…... I tried to win your heart…. I wanted to make you happy…. But i didn't realise that it already belonged to someone else… Forgive me….. " in a soft tone, gentle tone as his tears added to her own. Once again, he was there for her. He was consoling her, just like how he did countless times during her career.

"Yuasa…. Thank you…." she replied softly before parting from the hug, their eyes meeting each other. Her sadness had dissappeared, now replaced by happiness. After what Akira told her the day before, her resolve had been restored. Now she could start again, knowing that, there were still people who cared about her. She could live again.

"Promise me one thing though." she began in a cheerful tone, while Yuasa replied "Anything." in a resoluted tone.

"Take care of your wife and daughter. I'd hate to see what happened to Kazumi and i, happen to them." she spoke, causing Yuasa at first to gasp slightly. Then a joyful smile formed in his lips and he solemnly vowed "I will, i promise. You will always have my gratitude for saving them that day." this time he will do things right. He owed it to Jun, to protect his family after what she did for them.

The two remained like that for what seemed like minutes before Yuasa spoke "But enough about that. I'm sure you didn't come all this way just to talk about the past." in a casual tone.

"You're right, i haven't. If it's okay, i would like to work here again." she replied happily, causing Yuasa to smile once again. "You have no idea of how happy i am to hear that." he replied with an equally happy tone. The agency just wasn't the same without her. Jun had brought the agency to the peak of its popularity when she was the leading supermodel.

"Can't wait to see the look on everyone's face when they'll find out you're back." he spoke happily, before he began to walk out of the locker room, motioning Jun to follow him. He then added "However it won't be easy to reclaim your popularity." in a distant tone, earning a puzzled look from Jun who replied "And why's that?"

Yuasa cleared his throat before speaking "You see, almost a month ago, a young woman was hired here. In spite of being her first time ever working as a model, she was so succesful that our ratings and popularity skyrocketed. When you left, coupled with the goverment crisis that was underway at the time, our agency was on the verge of collapse. And yet when this woman arrived, she literally saved the agency almost by herself. It still boggles my mind as to how she was able to do it."

This earned Jun's interest. Despite her beauty and her success Jun was always very shy and introvert. She was curious to know how this woman Yuasa spoke off, was able to reach such success and popularity in such a short time. So, she asked "By any chance, is that woman working here today? I would like to meet her."

"Luckily for you, she is. Follow me." replied Yuasa in a casual tone. He then motioned Jun to follow him until they reached one of the many sets where photos of models would be taken and then published in the monthly magazines of the agency. "There she is. And it looks like she's almost done." spoke Yuasa after they stopped a couple meters away from the set.

Jun's eyes and lips widened.

The young woman that stood in the center of the set was an ethereal beauty that had long white, almost platinum coloured hair that reached at her lower back, pale, smooth skin, piercing blue eyes, thin eyebrows and a very shapely body, with big, perfectly shaped breasts. She wore a white dress that both highlighted and complemented her volouptous figure and her pale skin perfectly as well as white high heels and she also wore a purple lipstick on her lips and had a purple nail polish on her fingers as well.

Jun was mesmerized. She had never seen a woman this beautiful in her life before. Everything about her, her perfectly sculpted face, devoid of any imperfection, her flawless phisique, her pale skin and her blue eyes simply was the vision of beauty.

"She….. She's beautiful….." was all Jun could manage, her voice full of fascination and awe. But it wasn't just the way she looked that bewitched Jun. It was the way she carried herself, the way she had posed. There was no insecurity, no second-thought, no hesitation. Pride, arrogance and confidence radiated from evey inch of her body. It really was a captivating sight: Jun had never seen another woman carrying herself with such confidence before, aside from Asuka.

"Aaaaand, we're done! You've really outdone yourself this time, Lisa!" exclaimed the photographer, after taking the last picture.

The young woman, now known as Lisa simply ran one of her hands through her hair before letting it flow on her right, before replying "I know, darling." in an alluring tone, causing Jun to gasp even more. Even her voice was beautiful, as alluring and provocative as her body and dress.

Then she spotted Jun and Yuasa on her left. With a smile, she walked seductively towards them before saying "Hi there, mister Yuasa. What brings you here?" while putting her left hand on her hip. "Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know what you were up to." he replied casually, trying with all of his might to keep his cheeks from reddening.

Jun's face stirred up a little as the piercing blue eyes of the pale beauty in front of her met her own light brown eyes but this time, not because of her beauty, but because she had sensed something in the woman in front of her. An otherworldy chill, a primal, suppressed bloodlust. She understood at that moment that the woman in front of her was not human. Yet, much like Akira the day before, her scent was not that of a beast, despite being similar.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the pale woman's voice "And who might you be?" she asked curiously with a soothing smile, relaxing Jun. But before she could reply, Yuasa beat her to it "Ah, i believe we have some introductions to make." with a formal tone. He then put an arm on Jun's back before saying "This is Jun. Jun Fudo. I'm sure you've already heard about her." causing Jun to gasp slightly.

"Ahhh, the one and only." replied the pale woman in front of them with a surprised gasp, putting one of her hands close to her mouth. Then a smile made its way on her lips again before she continued "Your reputation precedes you." Then she extended one of her delicate hands towards her before she delightfully introduced herself "My name is Lisa. Lisa Kamitori. It's an honor to meet you."

Jun hesitated for a few seconds before she returned Lisa's smile and took her hand in hers "Likewise. Yuasa has told me about you and how you were able to become succesful in such a short time." she replied cheerfully, before withdrawing her hand from the handshake. "I look forward to working with you."

Lisa smiled in delight as soon as those last words left Jun's mouth. Then she replied in a satisfied tone "So do i. And i believe you and i will get along just fine."

(Later in the same day, in the dusk)

(OST: Yu Yu Hakusho unreleased happy soundtrack: watch?v=D2UjVIfujPo )

Once again, Akira found himself walking in the streets alone, but this time with a bag of clothes in one of his hands. He then began to recall everything he and the others went through after lunch.

Akira, Kaim, Takeshi and the girls decided to take a ride in town. They went in all kinds of shops, trying and buying all sorts of clothes, showing Kaim some of the most beautiful parks and plazas of the city and even going at the arcades, where Akira and Kaim got their first taste of video-games.

Takae, Misaki and Kyoko, being girls after all, went all out in the shopping stores, trying all sorts of shirts, pants and shoes of many styles much to Akira and Takeshi's amusement. Even Kaim himself became interested in the plethora of styles of the many articles of clothing. He eventually bought a simple green shirt, denim-blue jeans and a pair of sneakers, much to Akira's surprise. It was surprising to see someone as calm and collected as Kaim, choose such a casual combination of clothing.

They then toured one of Tokyo's many parks and took many photos of themselves, before heading off to the arcades. And oh boy, was it the most fun part of the entire day. Akira and Kaim were both astounded at the many games they got to play there, from racing games, fighting games and even shoot em ups. They were astonished by the graphics and 3D environments those games offered.

(Flashback)

With a mighty roar, Takeshi punched a punching machine with all of his might. After a few seconds a score of 629 appeared on its screen, while Kaim and the girls watched in interest.

"Six hundred and twenty nine! What do you think of that, Akira?" He proclaimed in a smug, prideful tone.

The half-devil was not impressed, however. With a smug smile, he replied in an equally smug tone "Heh. Don't get too excited, i think there's something wrong with the machine. Here, i'll check it out for you." he then put one of his feet forward before he let out a savage roar and punched the machine. A whopping 916 appeared on the screen.

"Nope. Guess it works just fine." spoke Akira, smug smile still on his face. Takeshi and the girls could only watch in awe. The former then replied "Well, guess that there's always someone better." in a casual tone with a hint of dismay. He didn't imagine that there would be such a huge difference between their strength. Then Takae came alongside him and spoke softly "Awww, don't worry, tough guy. I love you the same." with a passionate look in her yellow eyes, causing a smile to form in his lips before they met Takae's own in a kiss, while the others watched with a smile.

Later Kaim found himself intrigued by a rock paper scissors gift machine. "Excuse me, but what kind of game is that?" he asked, while the others remained silent for a few moments.

"What?" he asked casually, while the others sweat-dropped. Even though he had awakened only a month ago, he still hadn't heard of one of the earliest games invented by humanity: Rock, Paper, Scissors.

"You mean…" began Akira with a bewildered look and tone "…. That you don't know what Rock, Paper, Scissors is?"

"No." he replied simply. Akira nearly face-faulted and the only thing that prevented him from doing so was Misaki chiming in. "Don't worry, i'll teach you!" she spoke to Kaim in a happy tone "It works like this: Scissors is beaten by rock, rock is beaten by paper and paper by scissors." then she pointed at the machine before continuing "And that machine kinda works like this: see those three buttons over there?" she asked Kaim earning a nod "When one of those lights up, you have to press your hand on it in order to move on with the game. More buttons will light up as long as you press the last one. But you must press the correct one, otherwise the game will end. And the more buttons you push, the higher the score will be. And, depending on the score, you'll get a different prize for it."

Kaim listened intrigued. Humans truly were creative in devising ways to pass the time. He then replied "I understand. If you do not mind, i would like to have a go at it." while the others nodded.

He then procedeed to shock the others by calmly pushing the buttons in the correct order for three minutes getting a very high score. He then watched puzzled as the machine rewarded him… with a plush bear.

"Woah….. how did you get such a high score?" asked Kyoko incredolous, as witnessing Kaim pushing those buttons for more than a hundred times.

"Yeah, share it with the rest of the class." added Takeshi in a casual tone.

"I guess having a calm mind helps with this kind of game." replied simply Kaim with a smile. "One thing, though. What am i supposed to do with this thing?" he continued while showing the plush bear he was rewarded with.

The others began to chuckle before laughing happily at Kaim's ingenuity. Then Takae replied "Simple. You keep it. As a reminder of today's memories." in her usual cheerful voice.

Kaim sweat-dropped. What was the point in playing a game and being rewarded with something that you didn't even want?

"Or you could give it to someone close to you as a present." added Akira.

"Oh, i see." replied simply Kaim. Who knows? Maybe keeping it for someone else in the future woudn't be such a bad idea after all.

And finally later….

"GET OUTTA MY TAIL, YOU WIMP!" Shouted fiercely Takae, her sharp teeth on display, while playing a racing game in a seat complete with brakes and an accelerator.

Akira and Takeshi sweat-dropped at the sight of an overly focused Takae, shouting every 10 seconds or so. The two then shared a look before the latter spoke "D-don't worry. S-she usually does that. And not just at the arcades no…." in an awkward tone.

"And i thought, i was the one who could get carried away… " he mused with an awkward tone. Then an idea popped in his mind and he asked Takeshi in a joking tone "Is she like that in bed too?"

"Believe me, you don't wanna know…" was all Takeshi could reply with a nervous face, recalling at how rough his girlfriend was at bed, causing Akira's face to turn pale. He was beginning to see a bit of Miki in Takae due to both girls having a tomboyish attitude.

"FASTER! GO, FASTER, YOU STUPID CAR!" Shouted Takae once again with an even fiercer, excited tone as only one last lap remained.

"Come on, Takae! You're almost done!" encouraged Misaki, cheering up for her friend.

"One last lap to go!" exclaimed Kyoko as well.

Kaim on the other hand was fascinated. For some reason, watching an usually sweet natured girl like Takae, show such ferocity and determination was captivating. He could see in her eyes a fire that many demons lacked.

But then the fire dissappeared as soon as Takae finished the final lap at 1st place.

"YAAAAYYYYYYYYY! I WOOOOONNNNN!" She exclaimed, in the cutest, girliest voice one could think of, the complete opposite of her attitude just a few minutes prior, while jumping happily and throwing her arms upwards. Akira and Takeshi both smiled: despite her otherwordly appearance, Takae was still a girl at heart. So it was only appropriate for her to sound so cute when she was celebrating.

"YOU DID IT, TAKAE!" Exclaimed Misaki, happy at her friend's success.

"YOU'RE THE BEST!" Added Kyoko as well, equally as happy.

Then Kaim came towards the girls and spoke cheerfully "Wondrously played, Takae." causing her to smile happily at his compliment.

(End Flashback and soundtrack ends)

"Man, i didn't have such a good time in ages." mused Akira happily, while walking on a sidewalk with buildings on his left, returning to the last place he left his cart shop. Right now, he was having the time of his life since he and Miki first became a couple. He had found everything he was looking for: friends he could rely on and spend time with, a job with which to earn some money and a world of peace. If only Miki could see him now: an honest man, living an honest life. By day, that is.

Then he realised. The only thing missing in all of this, was Miki, the love of his life. She was everything to him. He would have died for her, to keep her safe. But it wasn't mean to be.

"Miki… if only you could see this….." he mused again to himself this time with a saddened tone. He still remembered it like it was yesterday, the rampage he went on, when he slaughtered all the humans who murdered her with his bare hands. When he was done, nothing but a gigantic pool of blood, body parts and organs remained. And at the center of it, was Miki's severed head. He began to tremble as he recalled picking her head up, hugging it and cry and scream to the sky in anguish and despair for hours. It was the breaking point for him: his soul had been shattered by the events of that night. Only his hatred for his former best friend, Ryo the one responsible for all of that, prevented him from committing suicide.

But now, destiny had given him a second chance. After 20 long years of war, he was living again, he was feeling again. He had found new friends, new comrades-in arms even. People who had suffered just as much as he did. And this time, he will do anything to protect them even if it means giving away his life once again.

But then a familiar, beautiful voice came from behind "Akira? Is that you?" causing him to gasp. He then turned around and his eyes widened before a soft smile formed on his face.

"Jun….." he spoke happily, recognizing the woman in front of him. Even though she was now wearing a more casual attire composed of a jacket, a purple long sleveed shirt, black pants and shoes and carrying her usual bag in her left shoulder she was still just as attractive as the day before.

She returned the smile before asking cheerfully "How are you doing? Didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Oh, i'm fine. Just went shopping with some friends before going to the arcades." replied Akira in a casual tone. "What about you?" he then asked.

"Well, i've went back to work." she replied, earning a surprised look on Akira's face. "Really? So soon?" he asked a little perplexed. Having seen just how much depressed she was the day before, he believed that she would have waited a couple of days at least before deciding to return to work.

"Yep. And i owe it to you." she replied, her voice taking on a grateful and joyous tone, causing Akira's surprise to turn into curiosity. "What do you mean?" he asked, interested.

Jun remained silent for a few moments, her smile disappearing. "You have given me faith again. You understood what i was going through, despite being a complete stranger to you." she replied at first with a gloomy tone, before it quickly faded away and her smile returned on her lips as her brown eyes met Akira's own "Yet, you came to me. You talked to me. You gave me a reason to live on again. Thank you."

Akira smiled softly, touched by what Jun said. He had restored part of her soul, he had given her back the resolve to go on. It was, after all, the least he could have done. He could not bear to see her in such a weak, broken state.

"Don't mention it. It was the least i could have done." he replied happily at the sight of Jun's smile. "Plus, you really should smile more often. It brightens the world." he added joyously.

A blush made its way on Jun's cheeks before she hesitantly replied "You… you really believe that?" causing Akira to put his left hand on Jun's shoulder before he replied encouragingly "Of course i do! Nothing is more beautiful than a smile! And don't regret everything you've been through, even the moments filled with grief. They do not define who you are: it's how you were able to go through them all that made you the person you are today and the person you will be tomorrow."

Jun could only gasp in amazement, her eyes shaking before she smiled passionately. How could someone like Akira, someone who had clearly been through a lot, like Jun had, go on with such a soothing smile on their face? Regardless of that, being with him, talking with him, brought her warmth. He was such a nice, lovable and colorful young man. He had connected with her in a way not even Kazumi could.

"Akira…. You have no idea of how happy i am to hear that." she spoke in a passionate tone after a few seconds of silence, her feelings towards Akira growing even more.

"Jun…." spoke Akira as well, his voice equally filled with joy. It warmed his heart to see Jun like this, after everything she had been through. It almost was like staring in a mirror: in a way they were almost the same. Pain, tragedy and grief had befallen them. And now, by meeting each other they had regained the happiness that they lost.

But then an alarm sounded at Akira's clock. It was time to go to work.

"Damn….. looks like it's my time to go to work." spoke Akira, a little bummed out at being forced to leave Jun alone again. Noticing the dismay on his face, Jun put one of her hands on top of one of Akira's shoulders before speaking reassuredly "Don't worry. We can meet again one of these days."

This earned a curious look on Akira's face "Really? Then, if you don't mind me asking, when are you free in the next days?" he asked.

"Well, i do have a tight schedule myself, but if you don't mind, maybe we can meet up on Thursday." she proposed earning a nod from Akira "Mmmm…. Works for me." he replied after a few seconds of thought.

"I'll be seeing you then. Take care, Akira." she spoke, parting for now before she began to walk away.

"You too, Jun." he replied softly before Jun smiled and left, slowly dissappearing in the horizon. It was official. After years of pain, sorrow and war, he had begun a new relationship, ironically with his counterpart of another universe.

"Smooth Akira, real smooth." he thought to himself, before he began to head to his cart shop. Inside though, he was worried. Sooner or later she will find out that he's like her. He will not be able to hide his true nature from her for too long. He just hoped that she woudn't reject him after learning the truth. But for now he decided to keep his true side away from her.