Chapter Four
looked up at him and felt her cheeks heat up. She didn’t know why she felt like a young girl who just had her first kiss. Yagyuu had kissed her rather gently, but at one time, it was deep. However, he never gave her a time for response. All he did was kiss her and she kept leaning into the bed. He finally let go of her, which made her fall with a 'plop' on the bed.
"Could I have my glasses now?" He asked, looking at the object in her hand.
didn’t say anything. She looked down at the glasses in her hand that now had her fingerprints on the lenses, then back to Yagyuu who was leaning on her. She knew she had a knack for initiating ridiculous things sometimes, but this had to be the most ridiculous. The only thing different this time was that she wanted more. She hesitated as she sat up a bit; not fully sitting up, but enough to be on face level with him again.
"What is it?" He asked.
She moved her hand and placed his glasses on top of his head. From there, her finger moved to his jaw and outlined it. She knew she was crossing the borders but she felt at a loss because he didn’t give her a chance to respond. "You didn’t let me kiss you back.”
He let out a sigh and put the palm of his hands on either side of her face after pushing her back onto her bed. He leaned down and just placed his lips on hers, waiting for her to do the rest. "That's not fair," she said, moving her lips away. "This is not a one way show."
To her surprise, he actually smirked and kissed her properly, and this time she didn’t hesitate in returning it. It was slow, nothing too passionate about it. It wasn’t like in cliché romance novels where they felt electricity run through them at the moment of contact or anything like that either. However, she couldn’t deny that Yagyuu Hiroshi was one hell of a kisser.
Yagyuu wasn’t too sure what he felt at the moment. He was kissing a woman that he did not like, voluntarily, at that. But a tiny part of him actually liked the feel of her lips against his. Then again, he could blame that it had been a while since he had kissed another woman.
The two had prolonged it more than they had wanted to. Before they even realized it, they became so absorbed into the kiss that they hadn’t noticed their arms moving on their own accord. 's fingers had tangled themselves in his hair, while his own hands were behind her back and holding her close to him. It wasn’t a kiss shared between two people that hated each other, but a kiss between a man and a woman who have been alone for a long time.
They two of them only came back to their senses when a cell phone rang, interrupting their moment. pulled her lips away and moved her head to the side while he stopped moving.
[RING]
[RING]
[RING]
The insistent ringing was the only noise that filled the suddenly silent room. didn’t say anything, reaching for her cell phone that was in her pocket and pulled it out, still in that position. "Hello?" she said in a shaky voice.
Yagyuu remained silent. He wasn’t sure what to do. He cursed softly for his action. He was supposed to be the sensible one out of the both of them. He heard her speak for a few minutes and then she hung up. She finally turned her head and faced him. "That was stupid," she said quietly.
"Yes," he agreed.
"Now get off."
The sound of the rustling of bed sheets from their moving was heard next. got off the bed after he did and just stood up. "Well, for what it's worth, you're not a bad kisser." She looked at him with a sly smile.
He shrugged the compliment off. "I'm leaving," he said, walking to the door.
stopped him. "Yagyuu-san. Thanks…"
Yagyuu didn’t say anything again. He just nodded and left. When he reached home, he trudged to his room, lying down on his bed. His mind drifted to what had happened the past few hours. A questioning look came upon his face at what she had said to him before he left. What did she thank him for? Apologizing? Or was it for the kiss?
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grumbled as she looked around the airport terminal. She never did like airports. They were noisy, always crowded with people pushing their way to either catch their flight or going to pick up their luggage. Currently she was waiting for a certain European man.
“I’m never coming to pick him up again,” she muttered, her eyes darting around the area.
“How cruel of you.”
spun around at that familiar voice. There stood , usual smirk on his face, amidst the crowd of Japanese people, making him stand out all the more. She walked up to him, glare on her face. “Took you long enough.”
“Is that all you can say to me after not seeing me for a week?” asked in amusement. He knew she wasn’t seriously angry with him. But it was so much fun annoying her.
“Whatever. Let’s get out of here. I don’t want to stay here any longer than I have to,” replied, already making her way to leave with or without .
The European easily caught up to her. “Hey, what’s eating you? You’re more irritable than usual.”
“I’m not going to be discussing anything here of all places,” said, quickening her pace to leave the busy place.
It didn’t take long for them to find a coffee shop and settle down in the far corner away from prying eyes. It wasn’t until they had their orders did the silence between them break.
“So do you want to tell me now?” urged as he cradled his cup of caffeine in his hands.
paused for a second, considering whether to tell her friend everything that had happened while he was away. However, she brushed aside her hesitation, remembering that this person was her good friend. She told him what had happened from the time of his phone call to present, leaving out minor the details.
By the end of the tale, ’s jaw looked like it would be permanently dislodged from his head. He could not believe what she had just told him. “You kissed Yagyuu Hiroshi?” A minute later that disbelief turned into a full-blown grin. “How was it?”
“!”
“What? You can’t honestly say you didn’t anticipate me asking that,” said, amusement shining in his eyes.
just rolled her eyes. She wouldn’t have expected anything less from the man. “You better watch it or else a certain half Brazilian and I will be having a little chat soon.”
“You wouldn’t!” nearly yelled in mock surprise. The smile on his face gave away that he knew she was kidding and just played along.
“Oh I don’t know. Jackal and I have become rather good friends while you were away,” mused with an innocent grin.
“I don’t know whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing,” muttered. “Hey wait a minute! We’re supposed to be talking about you here.”
“Are we? I thought we finished,” replied off handedly. She drank the last bit of her coffee, setting the cup on the table.
“You still haven’t told me how the kiss was,” pointed out. He was definitely not going to let that go. He wanted details. “At least tell me if he’s a good kisser or not.”
swore in her head. Now she wished she hadn’t finished off her drink so she could at least prolong answering that particular question. However, she knew that she couldn’t avoid it forever. would hound her for the answer. She fiddled with her empty cup for a second longer before nodding her head.
“Is that a yes he is a good kisser or no he isn’t?” pried, wanting a clear-cut answer from her.
nearly growled in frustration. “Yes, he is a damn good kisser all right?! Satisfied?”
“Immensely,” replied cheekily. “So, what now? You two together or what?”
“Not at all. I still don’t like him,” stated with a shrug of her shoulders. She looked at him and noticed his confused expression. She released a sigh. “Just because we kissed that doesn’t mean we’re a couple.”
raised an eyebrow. "Then what the hell happened, ?"
She let out a sigh. "I don't know," she mumbled. "I guess I provoked him again," she admitted, standing up. "I really missed you." She hugged him, changing the subject. "You and Seiichi both decided to ditch me when I was feeling lonely."
He returned the hug and they both started walking.
paused for a second. "?"
"Yes."
She hesitated, but turned to look at him. "I gave in my resignation papers yesterday."
looked at her with a somewhat shocked look. It was a complete surprise. "How did she take it?" He asked, referring to the headmistress.
"That crazy bitch didn’t even ask me to stay. She signed my papers and told me that I'm free and I don’t need to even give a leave's notice." let out a sigh, continuing to walk.
"You love kids."
"I do. I do," she agreed, moving her hair back that had invaded her eyes from the breeze. "I just don’t want to be there anymore," she admitted. "I want to start somewhere new. Also, I'm apartment hunting. I need a bigger and cleaner place. At lease, a place in a better environment."
whistled. "Wow," he whispered. "You decided all this while I was away."
nodded. “Actually I'm glad your flight wasn’t delayed. I have to check one apartment today and its price is reasonable. Want to come with me?"
He nodded.
An hour later, they both walked into an apartment. The first thing that hit them was the light that came in from the massive window. was in love. It was spacious, it had three bedrooms and a beautiful and cozy living room linked to the kitchen.
nodded in approval, but he frowned at one thing. ", it's rather huge. What would you need three bedrooms for?" he asked, rubbing his jaw in a contemplative manner.
"One of them is yours."
smiled. "You want me to move in with you?'
laughed out loud, surprising him. "As much as I love you, no. I would get nightmares for years if I ever walk in on you and Jackal," she said slyly making him glare at her. "One room is yours when your family visits and you want to run away."
"And the other?"
She crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. "I'm not sure yet, but having another spare room isn’t bad."
"So you're taking it?" he asked.
"I'm not sure yet."
watched her and asked another question. "Is it the money?"
She looked at him and walked to the door. "No, it's actually almost the same as the place I’m staying at right now. I still don’t know why its rate is good, but I'm not complaining."
crossed his arms and leaned against the door. "Go for it then. The neighborhood is nice, the price is right and it's much better than a studio," he encouraged her. He looked around. "Do you know who your neighbors are?"
shook her head. "The landlord said that it was mostly families living here."
thought for a second and then nodded. "Then this is a good opportunity for you as well. You can baby-sit in the comfort of your own home to earn money until you find a decent job."
actually liked the idea. "We will see," she said, walking to the hallway. "You know, I actually might like--"
was still in the apartment. "Actually might like what, ?" He asked, following her out, but he stopped when he saw her frozen. He knew life was full of surprises, but this had to be the biggest one in 's life.
Yukimura Seiichi and Yagyuu Hiroshi had just both come out of the opposite apartment followed by a little Sumi-chan.
“Seiichi?”
“Well, it’s been a while ,” Yukimura greeted with his usual smile.
“-sensei!”
The next second, was nearly tackled to the ground by the little girl. Once she got her bearings, she looked down at the brown haired girl, patting her on her head. “Sumi-chan, it’s nice to see you too.”
“Sumi missed you during the break, -sensei,” Sumi stated, a bright smile on her face as she looked up at the older female.
gave a slightly nervous laugh. “I did too, Sumi-chan.”
“Sumi-chan, you didn’t miss me?” asked with a mock hurt expression on his face. He pretended to sulk with a sad pout for emphasis. This little act effectively got the little girl’s attention in trying to placate her depressed teacher.
With Sumi occupied with that left with the two males who had been silent the whole while. She turned her attention to them. Yukimura still had his usual smile on his face while Yagyuu looked like he was about slam his head against the wall.
"Are you or moving in, ?" Yukimura asked. Somehow the sick smile that he had plastered on his face would not leave and wanted to wipe it off.
“I don’t think so," she automatically answered.
heard that. ", you said you’d think about moving in here. Plus, you liked it."
"I liked it – past tense," she said, not looking at anyone.
looked at and then at Yukimura. "Don't tell me you just changed your mind because of him?" He pointed at Yagyuu.
"Excuse me?" Yagyuu said, rubbing his eyes.
stood next to . "It has nothing to do with him," she said quietly. "I just changed my mind. I don’t want to live here anymore."
looked sharply at her. ", you cannot afford a better place. Especially, since you're unemployed at the moment. The other apartments sucked. There were prostitutes living across from you. I'm more comfortable with you living across two homos than prostitutes."
"Homos?" Yukimura asked, looking at them.
"Papa, what's a homo?" Sumi asked, tugging at her father's shirt.
Yagyuu looked down at his daughter and rubbed his jaw. "Will everybody please be quiet?!" He snapped, picking Sumi up with one arm. He looked at his daughter sharply. "Sumi, never ever repeat that word again," he told her, after everybody went silent.
"But, what is…"
"Sumi!"
Sumi's eyes widened and she pouted. She kicked him slightly, scampering out of his arm and ran to Yukimura and hugged his leg. "Papa, meanie!"
let out sigh, realizing this is all her fault. "Sumi-chan!” She said in an authoritative voice. "Is that what we taught you in class? Your papa only wants the best for his princess. Apologize to him."
Yagyuu, Yukimura, and paused.
Sumi didn’t move.
"Sumi, even if you're angry with your father, you're not supposed to show it in front of everyone." leaned down. "Come here and apologize," she ordered.
The little girl looked embarrassed, but she did as she was told.
Finally when things were settled, Yukimura turned to . "Unemployed?”
looked away. "It doesn’t matter," she said, walking to the elevator. "I'm sorry for the entire ruckus."
"." Yukimura stopped her. "I don’t know about him," he said, pointing at Yagyuu. "But, I know that Sumi and I would love to have you as neighbors, so please reconsider."
She didn’t say anything as she waited for the elevator to open. Once it did, she looked at him. "I'll think about it." She walked in. ", I'll wait for you downstairs," she shouted, leaving before him.
looked at Yagyuu. "Bad guy again?”
"This has nothing to do with me. You're both her friends so it's natural that you'll side with her."
crossed his arms. “What about you Yagyuu-san?" He asked quietly. "Shouldn't you be a friend now as well, after that?" He raised an eyebrow.
Yagyuu's glasses almost broke from his hard glare. However, he wisely chose not to say anything. "I'm taking Sumi out," he said flatly, taking her hand.
Once he was gone, Yukimura turned to . "Something tells me you're about to share something interesting with me."
smirked.
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wiped the sweat off her brow and plopped onto her sofa. After two weeks of fighting with herself and 's constant nagging, she had finally moved into the apartment opposite of Yagyuu and Yukimura's.
After two days of moving in, she had also finally finished cleaning. Now, she needed a job. When she moved, she had discarded half of her skimpy outfits and now she needed to shop.
questioned her move, but she said that she's been thinking of it for some time now. He asked if someone was involved in her decision, but she said no. This was her personal decision. She simply wanted to be treated better and respected. She definitely needed to do that if she was going to baby-sit for families in this building.
“Well, first things first: Got to tell the people in this building that I’m up for baby-sitting their kids,” said to herself. “Good thing that I was an assistant teacher for a kindergarten class. The only problem is how to let them know...” Just as she finished that thought, her cell phone rang. She rolled her eyes at recognizing the number. “Yes?”
“How cold of you. And here I was going to offer my congratulations on getting a new place by treating you to lunch,” Jackal said in a mock hurt voice. was able to pick up the amusement in his tone though.
“The only reason you know is because told you,” pointed out.
Jackal gave a light chuckle. “You got me there. So how about it? We never really got to eat the last time.”
“You sure it’s all right? Don’t you have work?” asked, wanting to make sure.
“I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t,” Jackal assured. “So are you up for it or not?”
“You know I can’t deny you. would have my head,” said, a grin playing on her face.
Once the two of them settled on a place and time, they ended the phone call to get ready. An hour later, found herself walking among the crowds in one of the busier parts of Shibuya. She would have taken the train but she figured walking would be good for her. Plus, it was a nice day out.
It wasn’t long before she made it to the designated restaurant. Waiting outside for her was the half Brazilian who was casually leaning against the wall. He straightened when she approached him.
“Right on time,” Jackal said with a smile. He gave her a gentle hug in greeting, which she returned. “Shall we head in?”
“Sure.” took the offered arm and together they walked into the restaurant. They didn’t say anything more until they were seated and their orders were taken. Jackal was the one who spoke first.
“So a little bird told me that you are living across from Seiichi and Hiroshi,” Jackal casually stated, taking a sip from his glass.
“More like a big blabber mouth,” muttered. “ doesn’t keep anything from you, does he?”
Jackal laughed at that. “He doesn’t tell me everything. He has his secrets and I have mine,” he said simply. “So how do you like your new place?”
“It’s a lot better than my old one I can tell you that,” replied in an appreciative voice. “Although since it’s bigger than my old place, I don’t have very many things in it.”
"I see," he said, thanking the waiter who placed their orders on the table. He unfolded his napkin and placed it on his lap as did the same. “So, any luck finding a job?"
ate her salad lightly and shook her head. "I haven’t worked on my resumé yet," she admitted. "First, I'm going to try and get the babysitting going. I'm going to try and create a poster so that I can hang it in the building."
"Oh," Jackal said. "Are you good at using Photoshop?"
"Nope," she muttered.
Jackal laughed. "At least you're honest." He sipped his drink. "Say, why don't you ask Hiroshi? He knows how to use it."
continued eating without making an expression. She finally looked at Jackal. "I'll work something out," she said, not even answering him.
Jackal let out a sigh. " was right. You two have issues."
almost stabbed her lettuce, but kept a civil face. "It's nothing," she said. "Now, let's talk about something more pleasant." She changed the subject.
He cut his steak and looked at her. "How is the dating scene?"
"Zero." She sipped her drink. She had sworn off alcoholic drinks for now, since that night. "I don’t have time, money, or tolerance."
Jackal smiled at that. "But, you're lonely."
continued sipping her drink and nodded. She smiled at him. "It would be nice to have someone who loves me just for me and not my family name, but I'm not that shallow. I can survive on my own."
Jackal smiled. He loved her honesty and how she admitted her feelings. He could imagine that a woman her age no matter how strong could get lonely at some nights.
They kept each other company for another two hours. Finally, he walked her home and she thanked him. went in and decided to see if she could work on her poster after changing into her pajamas. She looked around the empty apartment and felt… empty. It was times like this that she felt somehow not like herself.
She was alone in an apartment; all alone with no family, friends or roommates. She let out a sigh and stood up. She decided to pick up a shawl and walked out into the hallway and headed towards the open balcony that the floors shared. She needed some time to think.
She stepped out and smiled when she noticed that no one was there. However, she missed a corner where she noticed a gentleman crouched on the floor, smoking, leaning against the wall. She narrowed her eyes when she realized who it was, but decided to ignore him for now. She headed to the opposite side and watched her surroundings.
She didn’t know how long she stayed there, but she felt rather weird because the weather was warmer. Shouldn’t it be chilly now? She thought, looking around.
[plop]
crinkled her nose when she felt the drop of water on her nose. She looked up and noticed that that single drop had turned into numerous ones. It was so sudden that she couldn’t even move, the sudden wind, rain, and thunder astounding. She turned to take shelter when a loud [bam] stopped her. She stopped right in front of the balcony door and realized that…
"You locked us out," she heard Yagyuu say, who came up behind her.
held the shawl above her head as it poured on top of her. "I didn’t touch it, the wind did."
Yagyuu let out a sigh as the rain came down hard on him. He tried knocking several times, but he knew it was useless since the rainstorm was so loud that he doubted anyone could hear him. He felt the rain's drops fall lighter on him and he realized that it was holding the shawl above them, preventing them from getting him even wetter.
looked at him. "What could we do?"
He looked at her and took the shawl out of her hands. He held it above both of them and led her to a small corner on the side. The balcony was huge and a person can easily hide in its corner. It was a sheltered corner and he knew they could take cover for now. "Wait," he said, going in first. He looked to see if there was anything on the floor and then finally sat down. "Come here."
She hesitated, but followed. She had to lower her head a bit, but she finally got in and felt relieved when the rain stopped drenching her. She sat down and leaned against the wall.
All that could be heard was the sound of the rain and the occasional thunder.
hugged her knees and tried to stop shivering. She glanced at Yagyuu and found him with his eyes closed. "You and I," she said quietly, making him open his eyes. "We always wind up in a weird situation."
“It’s not like we’re purposely trying to end up in these types of so situations,” Yagyuu muttered, closing his eyes once more. He basked in the loud pattering of the raindrops. He always found listening to the rainfall relaxing. However, that peace didn’t last very long.
“So what are you doing here at night? It's late, don't you have work tomorrow?” asked innocently, making small talk to fill the silence with something other than the rain and rumbling thunder.
“Tonight’s one of those rare nights when I decide to ditch work the next day,” Yagyuu replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly.
Though he tried to be nonchalant about it, there was a hint of that tiredness that had so often heard from his voice when he went to pick up his daughter. It seems the stress was returning now that he had to return to work and care for Sumi at the same time. “So this is one of those once-in-a-blue-moon things that you do, huh? Didn’t think you would do that,” she mused, a smile playing on her lips.
“Everyone has them. I’m no different,” Yagyuu stated, opening his eyes and glancing at the pouring sky. “And you?” He asked, not even sure why he wanted this conversation to continue.
turned her head to him. “Me? What about me?”
Yagyuu released a small sigh. “Sumi has been telling me that you have not been showing up at school. Is that what was meant when said you are unemployed?”
“Oh yeah. I resigned from my position a few weeks ago,” reaffirmed. “Starting anew.”
“I see,” Yagyuu mumbled. “What will you do about money?” He asked, knowing that she needed it.
“Since this building has a lot of families living here, I’m going to try to start baby-sitting for their kids,” replied, hugging her knees tighter. “I’m sure that’ll tide me over until I find a job that would interest me.”
“A rather interesting proposition.”
looked over to the man next to her. “You’re not an exception either.” When she received a questioning look from him, she elaborated. “Just because we don’t get along all that well doesn’t mean that I’ll exclude you out of it. If you need someone to take care of Sumi-chan, all you have to do is ask.”
Yagyuu stared at her for a second longer before closing his eyes again. “I’ll hold you to that then.”
gave a soft smile at that. She rested her head on top of her knees. She was still trying to stop her shivering but to no avail. Yagyuu must have noticed her shaking form because a minute later he scooted closer, his side shoulders touching hers. Although he was just sitting next to her, she was already feeling a tad bit warmer, knowing that he cared even if it was just a little bit.
With the exception of the rain, silence reigned over them. However, it was a comfortable silence, the first that they ever had. In fact, it was probably the first time they were so civil towards each other.
let her eyes gaze around their surroundings, watching drops of water that continuously fell down. She would have kept on gazing if it weren’t for the sudden weight that made itself known on her shoulder. Glancing over, she was greeted by a head of brown hair. “Yagyuu-san?”
“Let me rest here for a bit,” Yagyuu mumbled quietly.
Although the rain and thunder were louder than his voice, was able to hear him clearly. “But you’ll get sick if you sleep now,” she pointed out, knowing from experience. Expecting some kind of retort, she was slightly surprised to hear light snoring instead. “Better not blame me when you’re stuck in bed.”
did her best to get comfortable without disturbing him. Once she was able to settle, she continued her dazing off, occasionally looking at the man resting next to her. Eventually her eyes remained on his sleeping form. She gently removed the hair that had plastered itself on his forehead from the rain. It was times like these that she wondered what they were. Acquaintances? Friends? Or were they categorized in something else all together?
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Yagyuu cursed his luck. After sleeping outside in the rain, he had caught a slight cold the next day. It also didn’t help that Yukimura had found the both of them together. He knew the blue-haired man would never let him live it down. However, he was grateful that he didn’t say anything.
He had spent most of the day inside when Yukimura finally joined him for lunch. "Here," he said, handing him a brochure.
Yagyuu looked at it curiously. "LASIK?" he read out.
Yukimura snatched the brochure back. "LASIK, an acronym for Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis, is a form of refractive laser eye surgery procedure performed by ophthalmologists intended for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. The procedure is usually a preferred alternative to photorefractive keratectomy, PRK, as it requires less time for full recovery, and the patient experiences less pain overall. Many patients choose LASIK as an alternative to wearing corrective glasses or contact lenses." (1)
Yagyuu took it back. "I can read," he mumbled, looking at it.
Yukimura crossed his arms. "You've been prolonging it for too long, so I think its time you go for it," he said, looking at his housemate. "Plus, with the constant eye rubbing, I'm surprised you’re not blind yet. It's apparent that your eyes can't handle lenses that well."
"I see."
Yukimura smiled. "That's settled then. I've booked your appointment for three weeks from today. You can’t wear lenses for ten to fourteen days." He walked to the living room and picked out a file. "I already showed the doctor your history and files."
"So that stupid checkup we went to two weeks ago was a setup?" He recalled, because he had thought it odd that Yukimura suddenly wanted to have his eyes checked, but he didn’t know why he was dragged into it as well.
"Yup." He smiled innocently. "I wanted them to check your eyes and see if it was appropriate for the procedure."
Yagyuu didn’t say anything.
Yukimura wanted to say something, but his phone rang, so he picked it up. "Hello?"
"Yukimura-san."
Yukimura tried to figure out the voice, but it was new to him. "Speaking and this is?"
"It's ."
"Ah yes," he said. "How can I help you, Mr. ?"
Yagyuu looked up sharply, worried that it had something to do with Sumi. He heard Yukimura speak with him for a few minutes and then he finally hung up. "Is it Sumi?"
"No, he's worried about . Apparently she's very sick with a fever and has no energy to move, so he wants me to check on her." Yukimura looked at him. "I have to go to work now, since my lunch break is over. Do you mind checking on her for me?"
Yagyuu wanted to retort something, but remembered last night. He rubbed a hand through his hair. "Even if I comply with your request, he said she's too tired to move. How is she going to open the door?"
"Ask the landlord on the first floor. 's already called him and told him that one of us will be there to get the key."
Yagyuu looked weary. "Is that alright?"
"Yes, put his name under emergency. Now stop asking questions and do as you’re told," he said, putting on his jacket.
Fifteen minutes later, Yagyuu found himself on the first floor. He saw the landlord and greeted him.
"Ah yes, you're here." The old man stood up. "I'm glad you came quickly. It just wouldn’t be good if -sama got sick and was not taken care of." He opened a closet and looked for some keys.
Yagyuu wouldn’t normally make conversation, but he always respected his elders. "You are rather fond of her."
"I should be," the old man answered. "She is 's daughter. The least I could do for an old friend is watch over his little girl."
Yagyuu finally made sense of everything. "I trust that she doesn’t know that this is her father's building."
"And I trust that you're a responsible young man," he said, handing him 's key. "You keep that for emergencies. -san told me to come to your apartment when I ever feel that she is unwell."
Yagyuu looked at the key in the palm of his hand. He didn’t know how he got stuck in all of this. Anyhow, he thanked the man and walked to 's apartment. He knocked several times at first, but got no response. "-san, I'm coming in," he announced, opening the door and walking in.
He looked around the place and noticed that it was a mess. It still looked like she was moving in. And she wants to baby-sit here? He thought wryly, looking around. "-san?"
He frowned when there was no response. He hesitated, but walked into her bedroom and found her lying on her stomach in the middle of the bed. "-san?" He said, walking towards her.
stirred slightly and turned to look at him. Her face was a deep flush and she looked really tired. “I'm so cold…" she whispered.
He touched her forehead and realized that she was burning. He checked her temperature when he saw the device lying on the bedside table and found it almost to be 40 degrees. He made up his mind and lifted her. "We're going to the hospital," he said when he felt her struggle. "You're very ill."
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It was late at night when he finally returned. He had an arm around and was helping her walk. He had offered to lift her, but she had declined. He had spent most of the day with her. The doctor had given her a syringe and she had to stay there for two and a half hours.
Once was in her bed again, Yagyuu made sure she was comfortable. He felt her forehead and noticed that it was still a bit warm. Heading for the bathroom, he grabbed a small towel and ran cold water through it. Wringing out excess water, he returned to ’s side and laid it on top of her forehead.
“Thanks,” rasped, closing her eyes, relishing the feel of the cool cloth.
“This is the second time you’ve gotten sick within the last few weeks,” Yagyuu pointed out, staring at her weak prone form.
“I have a tendency to get sick easily. My immune system isn’t as strong as I wish it to be,” replied in a whisper that was loud enough for the brunette to hear.
“If you know that, you should be more careful then,” Yagyuu lightly reprimanded.
She responded with a small scoff. “I usually am, but considering the circumstances, it couldn’t exactly be helped.”
Yagyuu didn’t say anything to that. He opted to glance around her room and noticed that at least her room was relatively clean. There were touches of her personality around the room, but otherwise it was rather plain. Eyes catching sight of the clock that she had, they widened in realization at how late it was.
He turned back around to who was still just lying there. He debated with himself whether to just leave her there or get someone to watch over her. His internal battle was put on halt when he heard her speak quietly.
“You don’t have to stay. Sumi-chan will wonder where you are,” said, eyes opening to look at him. “I’ll be fine.”
“You’re sure?” Yagyuu asked, wondering if she would really be all right.
“Yagyuu-san, I’ve been sick before and was able to take care of myself just fine,” insisted with a flat glare. She lifted her arm and weakly waved her hand, indicating for him to leave. “Go on.”
“If you are sure,” Yagyuu said, though there was still some hesitance in his voice. When he received a reaffirming nod from her, he just sighed. “All right then. I’ll lock the door on my way out.” As he turned around to leave, he heard her quiet voice.
“Thanks again. I really mean it.”
Yagyuu remained silent but gave a nod before leaving her room. He quickly made his way to the exit, making sure to lock it after closing the door behind him. He lingered by the door for a second longer before crossing the hall and entering his own apartment.
“I had only asked you to check on her. I didn’t think you interpreted that as spend the rest of the day with her,” Yukimura mused, a grin on his face. He was sitting in the kitchen area, cradling a cup of tea in his hands.
“I had to bring her to the hospital,” Yagyuu stated, weariness finally settling in.
“Is she all right?” Yukimura questioned, concern written all over his face. He had set down his cup and looked about ready to run to the female just across the hall.
“She’s fine, just slightly feverish,” Yagyuu informed quickly. “At least she assured me that she would be fine.”
Hearing that seemed to appease Yukimura for the most part but he still had a worried look on his face. “Maybe I’ll check in on her in the morning before I head off to work.”
“I’m sure she’ll appreciate it,” Yagyuu said before heading off to his room.
Yukimura’s eyes followed him until he disappeared, amusement twinkling. It seems that things are changing bit by bit, he thought. It’s getting even more interesting.
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It was two days later that was able to get out of bed without feeling like a dead weight on her feet. Over the past two days, she had received visits from both Yukimura in the mornings and in the evenings. Both of them had made sure that she was taking proper care of herself.
After she refreshed herself, she went about to make herself something to eat. As she went to open her fridge, she took note that there were a lot more things than she had last seen just a few days ago. They’re too good to me, she thought, a smile on her face. She owed them a lot.
took out a few things and decided something. She looked at her clock and realized it was early and she had a lot of time to plan a grand dinner. She went to her room to change, grabbed her stuff, and walked next door. It was Saturday morning, so she knew they were at home.
She smiled when she saw the smiling face of Yukimura; well, he tried to smile for her. She realized she probably had woken him up. "You're too pretty to be a grouch in the morning," she teased, pinching his cheek lightly.
His smile turned genuine now.
"Don't say anything," she said, placing her finger on his lips. "I'm inviting you all to my apartment for dinner tonight, alright?"
"Why?"
"Don't ask," she said, swinging her purse across her shoulder. "Just be there." She walked away.
As she walked out, she sent a text message to and Jackal as well. After a few seconds they both confirmed at the same time. "I have to feed five people," she said to herself. "I better prepare a feast."
Five hours Later, was busy setting the table. She was glad that she at least had decent tableware for guests when she did this sort of thing. She wore white crop pants with a multicolored halter neck that exposed her back. It wasn’t too revealing, but she was still feeling warm so she wanted to cool off a bit.
Yukimura and Sumi were the first to arrive. 's surprised look made Yukimura answer the question that she didn’t ask. "He's in the shower and asked us to go ahead."
"I didn’t ask," she mumbled, checking on the food on the stove. She had made rice with sautéed potatoes. A side dish of a special pasta chicken she was used to making. Also, she decided to try some Mexican dishes and ended up making tacos and finally she made some nuggets and french fries for Sumi because she wasn't sure she would eat the dishes she had prepared. Finally, the last thing she made was a salad.
"So, you're going to tell me what this occasion is for?" Yukimura asked, after putting Sumi in front of the TV.
looked at him. "What? I can't spoil you guys?" She glanced back at him with a sly smile.
Yukimura leaned against the table she was working on and watched her. "You can spoil me anytime you want," he flirted. "I'm just surprised you included his grouchiness in this."
looked at him wryly. "This is also my thank you to him."
Yukimura smirked. "Does he know that?"
"If he's smart enough, he'll figure it out." She took out a bowl for the salad's dressing.
Yukimura didn’t remark to that, but he said something else. "What are you two?"
looked at him. "Excuse me?"
"What’s your relationship with each other? It's very confusing."
resumed to what she was doing without saying anything for a few minutes. She finally looked at him. "We're acquaintances," she said quietly.
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you now?"
bent down to check on her tacos in the oven and nodded. "Yes, and that’s all I'm going to keep it as," she said in a final voice, indicating that he shouldn’t prolong the matter.
Although Yukimura looked like he was going to pursue the subject regardless of her tone, he didn’t get the chance to when there was a knock on the door. stopped what she was doing and hurriedly went to the door and opened it. She smiled when she saw both and Jackal behind the door.
“Hope we’re not late,” Jackal greeted with a big smile.
“You’re right on time,” assured, stepping out of the way to let them in. She waited until they were inside before closing the door. However, she stopped halfway when noticing that there was another person outside. She stared at him for a second before letting out a tiny smile and opening the door wider.
It wasn’t until a few seconds had past before Yagyuu entered the apartment, bowing slightly in greeting to his host. He didn’t say anything as she closed the door properly, just looking at her from the corner of his eye. However, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to say anything to her when a yell came from the kitchen area.
“, is the food done yet? I’m hungry!” whined loudly for all to hear.
She just rolled her eyes, releasing a sigh. “Well, you’re just going to have to wait because it’s not done yet,” she replied back. She shook her head in amusement at hearing the grown man whine like a child. She turned back to Yagyuu with an apologetic look. “Make yourself at home.” With that she returned to the kitchen before the European could do anything that would ruin the food.
Yagyuu glanced around and saw that it was a lot neater than the last time he was here just two days ago. It seemed like everything was magically put in order. He spotted his daughter watching some program about pandas on the TV while the others were in the general kitchen area. Since Sumi seemed to be rather enraptured about the endangered species, he decided to leave her be for the moment and join his peers.
“Did you make your famous cheesecake?” asked.
“What do you think?” responded, grin on her face. They let out a laugh when the foreigner cheered. “All right. You guys can go sit at the table and I’ll bring out the food.”
“We can help ,” Jackal volunteered, getting ready to do just that.
“No way! You guys helped me enough when I was sick. This is the only way I could think of to thank you,” declined. She gestured for them to seat themselves at the nearby table. The men had no choice but to obey her orders.
“Hiroshi, when did you get here?” Jackal asked the brown haired man when he noticed him standing off to the side.
“Right after you,” Yagyuu replied. “I’ll go get Sumi.”
Once everyone was seated at the table, came out with the dishes. She had to make several trips from the kitchen to the table, but was eventually able to bring all that she cooked. The others looked at the spread in appreciation.
“All right don’t hesitate. Eat to your heart’s content,” urged with a smile. With that, everyone helped himself or herself to the food.
“Good as always !” praised after swallowing a mouthful of the pasta chicken. “When was the last time I ate your cooking?”
“A long time,” said, putting dressing on her salad. “So enjoy it while you can.”
“That’s what I intend to do,” said before continuing to eat.
“If this is the way you always cook, then I’ll have to stop by often,” Yukimura said before helping himself with the rice and sautéed potatoes. Sumi nodded in agreement while munching on the nuggets.
Yagyuu remained silent but he did agree with the others about her cooking. As he continued to eat, in the back of his mind he began to wonder what other things she could make.
The dinner went by without a hitch, each enjoying the food and company altogether. To the amusement of , , and Sumi, Yukimura had decided to tell about some of the things during his tennis days, much to the embarrassment of Jackal and Yagyuu.
When everyone had their fill of the dinner, dessert was served with whipped cream and strawberries. Once again, received a round of compliments for her culinary prowess.
“You know what we should do? We should play some games,” suggested after the table was cleared.
“What kind of games?” asked as she set down a cup of after dinner tea in front everyone. “I don’t exactly own any board games or anything like that. Maybe a deck of cards but that’s it.”
“That’s all we need. We can play all kinds of games with a deck of cards,” said, excitement edging into his voice.
“Sumi wants to play too!”
“Sumi-chan, what kind of card games do you know?” Jackal asked the little girl.
“Go Fish!” Sumi replied happily. Everyone chuckled at the girl’s cuteness.
“Well, I don’t see a problem in playing a few rounds,” Yukimura commented with a smile. He looked over to his housemate. “What about you Hiroshi? Will you stay and play a few hands?”
Yagyuu thought about it for a second. He wouldn’t have to worry about Sumi since they lived right across the hall and she’d be well taken care of. However, as he glanced around at the expectant faces, he couldn’t help but cave in. He released a sigh. “Sure.”
“Great! Then it’s settled. After we help with clean up, we’re playing cards,” Jackal reaffirmed to everybody who nodded their heads. He saw that was about to protest. “Don’t even think of trying to weasel out of letting us help you. It’ll be faster if we all pitch in.”
looked like she was still going to protest but thought better of it. She smiled at them in appreciation. “Thanks. Now let’s get started.”
With all of them working together, the cleaning was done in no time. Afterwards they all settled in the living area when was able to find her deck of cards. They engaged in the only game Sumi knew so that she could play. However, some time along the way, she became tired and settled on the couch to sleep.
“Now that the princess is asleep, want to play something else?” suggested as he shuffled the cards.
“What do you have in mind?” Yukimura asked, curiosity glinting in his eyes.
“We could play—”
“No ,” Jackal cut in before his boyfriend could say any more.
“But you don’t even know what I was going to say!” said with a small pout.
“I do know and the answer is no,” Jackal said in a firm tone.
The other three just looked on at the two. and Yukimura had looks of amusement on their faces while Yagyuu had an upward twitch on the corner of his lips. When the two felt the staring pairs of eyes on them, they returned their attention to the group.
“Why don’t we just play a regular game of poker?” Yukimura suggested, obviously knowing what was going to suggest. “We don’t need to bet anything.”
“But it’s no fun if there aren’t any bets involved Seiichi,” pointed out.
“Just have a buy in.”
Everyone turned their heads to the one who spoke. Up until then, Yagyuu had been silent through the games, only speaking when asking for a card or saying “Go Fish.” So it was a bit surprising to hear him say anything, much less make the suggestion that he did.
“What do you mean by ‘buy in’?” Jackal asked.
“Everyone pays an amount to play and in the end, whoever wins gets the money,” Yagyuu explained simply.
“How much are we talking about here?” asked his interest piqued. “Not too much since we’re playing for fun too. A thousand yen?”
“That sounds fair to me,” said. “Is that all right with everyone else?” After receiving a round of nods they all pulled out the amount needed and placed it in the center. With that, dealt the cards and the game of poker began.
They only played one game, which lasted a good hour. In the end the losers watched as Yukimura collected his winnings with his usual smile. Apparently, it seemed that he had the best poker face among them.
“Yukimura-san, what’s your secret?” asked the blue-haired man.
“Don’t bother. It’s a natural facial expression for him,” Jackal responded. “Hiroshi and I should know since we’ve known him since middle school.”
“I can believe that,” muttered, staring at the still smiling Yukimura. He shook his head. “Anyway, we should be going. It’s getting rather late.”
“Yeah I got to arrange some things with the band tomorrow,” Jackal informed, standing up from his spot. Everyone else followed suit in standing up and doing a little stretch from sitting for so long. “Thanks for inviting us over .”
“I should be the one thanking you guys for helping me out the past two days,” insisted with a grateful smile.
“This was a lot of fun. We should definitely do it again,” said with a nod.
“I’ll consider it,” responded. She walked with them to door. “Thanks again.”
held her in a light hug. “You know I’d do anything for you.”
returned the hug, a soft smile on her face. “Likewise. Be careful.”
“Come on ! This is me you’re talking about,” said in defense.
“Exactly.” She laughed at the mock hurt look on his face.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he’ll get home safe,” Jackal said, tugging on the European’s shirt collar. With that they left, waving at the two remaining males on the way out the door.
turned to her neighbors, making her way back to them. “I take it you two will be off as well?” Both of the males nodded in unison. Yagyuu turned around and was about to pick up Sumi when spoke again. “Um, Yagyuu-san, may I have a minute with you?”
Yagyuu froze in place. He wondered what she wanted to say to him. He nodded in acquiesce, waiting for her to say what she wanted to say. However, she remained quiet, fiddling with the hem of her halter-top.
Yukimura looked at the both of them back and forth before a knowing smile appeared on his face. “Hiroshi, I’ll take Sumi back first,” he said, making his way to pick up said girl. He easily lifted the small girl in his arms and headed to the door. Craning his head back, he said, “It was a wonderful evening . I’ll talk to you later.” With that, he was out the door, letting it close behind him.
sent a silent thanks to the blue-haired man. Turning back to Yagyuu, she gave him a small smile. Out of all the people that helped her, she knew that Yagyuu deserved the most thanks from her.
“What is that you wanted to tell me?” Yagyuu asked when it looked like she wouldn’t be saying anything any time soon.
“I wanted to thank you properly,” said after a seconds of silence.
“The evening was thanks enough,” Yagyuu replied earnestly.
shook her head. “It’s not just for taking me to the hospital and staying with me the whole day. It’s… for everything else you’ve done for me as well.” She walked to the door and looked at him. She found him standing close and she casually leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
"What are you doing?" he asked, surprise in his voice.
"It's my thank you."
Yagyuu just let out a sigh. "You're thanking me with a kiss on the cheek? You already invited us for dinner."
watched him. "What? You want something more?"
Yagyuu looked at her wryly. "That's not what--" he began, but stopped when he felt her lips lightly on his. Somehow, he found her right in front of him. He looked at her and found smiling at him before moving in again. “Thank you,” she whispered again. She didn’t know what possessed her to do this. She didn’t even know why she insisted that he stay. She didn’t know why her body moved like that. And hell, she didn’t know why she kissed his lips lightly.
Yagyuu stilled at the familiar feel of her lips on his. He wasn’t sure if he should respond to this gentle gesture. However, it seemed that his subconscious was answering for him. It was a sudden move from the both of them again. He didn’t let it bother him though; he simply wrapped his arms around her waist, hands resting on her bare lower back. He leaned his head down, applying more pressure on her mouth while easing her into a more comfortable position since she had to tilt her head to kiss him.
in return wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, pulling him more towards her. She arched her back slightly towards him when he started to gently rub her lower back, making her shiver. She gasped at one point and froze for a second when she felt goose bumps rising from his light touch. She was so sensitive there that she needed a second to breathe. There was something different about this kiss compared to their past one. This time she was definitely feeling something within her that wasn’t there the last time. It was tiny, but there all the same.
After a minute, they broke apart but still stood close together. looked up at him with half lidded eyes. “You know, this is the second time that you’ve kissed me," she said quietly. "Will it be the last?" she asked, moving her finger ever so lightly across his lips.
He looked down at her dazed expression. He didn’t say anything. All he did was tilt her chin upward again and kissed her for the third time. didn’t hesitate. Her arms were secured around his neck, held on tight and she returned his kiss as if it was the most natural thing to do.
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July 14, 2007
Written by: DeVeliCious (Endless Dreamers) & Kurohane (Teniyume)
Edited by: Rikapyon (Teniyume)
(1) LASIK reference taken from here: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LASIK)