Tadashi Honjō caressed the unconscious girl's lips with his thumb, playfully.
'Oh Shun, how I love it when you plead me with these pretty lips of yours!' he cooed, with a sadistic grin.
Out of the blue, somebody appeared at the mouth of the dead-end and Tadashi looked up to see who it was, recognizing the blond male instantly.
'You again! Tsk, decidedly!'
Hatsu Sho staggered to a stop, stupefied at the sight of the demon holding himself there, and the red-haired girl lying in a small pool of blood on the ground in front of the latter.
Automatically, the blond male made a move to pull out his gun but even before he could, the demon had jerked to his feet and made a jump over the wall, vanishing.
His stomach twisting with horror and dread, Hatsu rushed up to Shun Shutsuki, lifting the upper-half part of her body off the ground to place her onto his lap, his hand coating up with blood.
'Shun! Can you hear me? Shun, hey!' he called, frantically.
***
Hours later…
I opened my eyes weakly, my mind dancing in confusion.
'Shun, you're awake?'
I looked at the person holding himself at my bedside, croaking out, 'Tsunan...'
In all of a sudden, memories of what happened with Tadashi flooded my mind and I sat bolt upright, my hand going up for my injury at the neck which had been looked to.
I broke into cold sweat, panting hard and shivering.
'Shun, calm down! You're in safety now!' Tsunan told me, urgently.
It took me a few minutes before I could speak again through my agitation.
'Is it you who found me?' I asked.
He looked deeply concerned.
'No. It was Hatsu. When I saw that it was getting late and you still weren't coming back home, I grew worried. I called Hatsu and with Heihachi, we begun to search for you. I asked them to leave such that they won't brusque you with their questions at your wake.'
'I- I see,' I whispered.
A terrible headache hit me at that moment and I lied back down, closing my eyes for a second.
'You should stay put. You've lost a lot of blood.'
I rolled onto my side, turning my back onto him. I didn't want him to see the afflicted expression on my face.
'Do you want me to stay with you for the night?' he asked me softly.
I was a bit surprised. It was unexpected.
'Yes. Thank you,' I murmured, gratefully, shifting slightly away on the bed to give him some place.
***
The next day…
I looked up at Tsunan as he entered the dining room.
'There you are! I need to change your dressing!' he told me and came to sit behind me on the floor at the low table, placing the first-aid box beside him.
I lowered the collar of my kimono to let him work, blushing a little.
'Thank you for taking care of me,' I murmured. 'But you really shouldn't have taken a day off because of me.'
'It's only normal.'
I glanced at him, giving him a grateful smile.
'I'm done,' he announced, when he finished doing my dressing.
'Thank you,' I whispered, putting my kimono back into place.
He asked me then, huskily, 'Shun, would you like to tell me exactly what happened yesterday with Tadashi?'
I took another glance at him over my shoulder, a lump forming in my throat. With a small nod, I began to tell him about it; my back still turned onto him.
'I was so destabilized that I couldn't do anything. I find myself so pathetic!' I moaned out with anguish.
'Stop it! Don't say that! You're far from being pathetic, Shun!' he contradicted. 'If only we had found you earlier.'
The strong emotions associated to the memory triggered an attack of cataplexy in me suddenly. Even before I could realize what was happening, I lost my balance and began to fall backward when something stopped me in my fall.
I realized that Tsunan had caught me in his arm, holding me into place.
'Excuse me. I'm sorry,' I said, tilting my head backward to rest it against his shoulder and looked up to meet his eyes.
'It's nothing,' he assured, not releasing me.
He- He smells so good!
I blushed again.
I had noticed it when he had picked me up in his arms in the Shinoda's dungeons, and especially, last night.
'I also wanted to apologize for having worried you last night. I should have called you to warn you where I was,' I murmured. 'In fact, I was with Shuko at her house.'
I began to tell him about my encounter with the girl and the troubles she was facing.
'She needs our support. And I think that we should also seek Ayame's help for her. After all he went exactly through the same thing with his dad.'
'Alright. I'll call him,' he agreed.
'Little scamps! I catch you billing and cooing! I conclude from this that I've been uselessly worried.'
Our heads snapped up at Hatsu's voice. The latter was standing in the doorway of the dining room, a mischievous grin on his face.
Becoming hyper-conscious, I straightened up instantly- having recovered my muscles control- and I shifted slightly away from Tsunan, holding my face in-between my hands, flushing bright red in embarrassment.
I stammered, 'We- We were not...'
'Don't be impolite, Hatsu! Also, what are these manners of entering without knocking?!' Tsunan scolded the blond male, getting to his feet.
'Hai! Hai! My apologies!' the latter said, putting his hands up pacifically.
Heihachi who was right behind of Hatsu, showed himself up to us, asking me, anxiously, 'How are you feeling, Shun?'
'Just okay,' I replied, reassuringly.
'You don't have to lie to us you know,' Hatsu told me, abruptly, becoming upset. 'I don't see how it could be going after what happened last night.' He gritted his teeth together, unnerved. 'That guy takes keen pleasure torturing you! What's the problem of that bloody Tadashi?! If he thinks that he can continue like this in all impunity!'
He slammed his fist against the side wall, making me jump; my eyes welling up with tears.
'Calm down, Hatsu!' ordered Tsunan. 'I'm as unnerved as you are for what he did to-'
Their heads snapped around at me suddenly as a small sob escaped my mouth. I tried to contain my tears but they just kept flowing down my cheeks uncontrollably.
Everyone was taken aback.
'Shun, don't cry!' murmured Heihachi, with a pleading look.
'Are you happy of yourself? You've made her cry!' the doctor reprimanded Hatsu who cringed away, his expression becoming awkward. Turning back to me, the blond told me, nervously, 'I'm sorry, Shun! I shouldn't have lost my temper!'
I shook my head. 'No. It's me who should apologize for causing all of you so much worry!' I croaked out, filled with guilt.
They gave me a soft look, sighing.
'Come on! Stop crying!' urged Hatsu as he moved up to me, and sitting by my side, he pulled at my cheek.
'Wh-What are you doing?' I asked, perplexed.
'I'm trying to make you smile! Isn't it obvious?' he replied and called for Heihachi to join him. The latter did the same as he did, pulling at my other cheek.
'Stop! You're going to tear my cheeks off!' I complained, struggling a little before I broke into giggles.
Taking a glance at Tsunan, I found him smiling tenderly at me.
***
After sunset…
Shuko's eyes went wide at us, as she came to answer the door.
'Good evening!' I greeted her pleasantly, presenting her the dish I was carrying. 'I've prepared you a curry. Tsunan has helped me.'
I glanced at the latter who was standing by my side.
'Hello, Shuko!' called Hatsu, who was right behind us. 'I present you, Heihachi!' He pushed the younger male towards her. 'Alias, Kōmori-san!'
'Oi!' mumbled the latter.
The brown-haired girl gave me a questioning look, and I giggled, 'It's a long story.'
'Hey, don't forget me!' exclaimed Master Kagami, who wounded his way to the front. 'I'm here too and I've brought lots of good things to eat and drink!'
'Please, come in!' the girl told us with a large grin.
As we begun to enter, her eyes suddenly fell onto the person who had remained quietly at the back all this while. 'Ayame,' she said, in surprise.
'Good evening, Shuko!' he greeted her, with a smile, pausing outside of the door.
She gazed at him, returning the smile.
'Can I come in?' he asked her after a minute when she didn't make a move to let him in.
She seemed to come to at that moment and she told him, very quickly, 'Oh, yes! Yes! Please come in! I'm sorry.'
She closed the door after him as he joined us indoors.
'Well, my mom has already gone to bed but please make yourself at home,' declared the teenaged girl as she turned to face us, averting her eyes.
Everyone knew that this was probably a lie.
I watched her with sorrow as she faked a smile here and there while we ate, putting up a front to reassure everyone around her.
Some times after dinner, Shuko didn't seem to even have the courage to hide behind her facade any longer and excusing herself, she got up from the table, moving away to seclude herself from the group.
Anxious, I started to get up to follow after her when Ayame stopped me, saying, 'Wait! I'll go!'
I nodded, sitting back down and following him with the eyes as he went after her.
***
Shuko Higaonna paused in the corridor and leaned backward against the side wall.
She couldn't understand her own feelings. On one hand, she was glad to see the others and spend some quality time with them. It made her feel as if her dad was still with her.
And yet, on the other hand, she felt a kind of emptiness in her heart whenever she thought of her mom.
She hadn't known that it was possible to feel both happy and miserable at the same time until this moment.
The tears she had been able to hold back till now, began to flow and she clamped her hand over her mouth to keep herself from making any sound.
In all of a sudden, she heard somebody arrive in her direction and panicking, she began to brush her wet cheeks dry, but it was too late.
Ayame had already caught sight of her crying to herself.
'Shuko!' he whispered, pausing down in the corridor to stare at her in shock. 'You- You're crying?!'
She opened her mouth to deny it or say something to reassure him but nothing came out.
'That's enough!' he shouted, angrily and grabbing her hand, he barged in Shiragiku's bedroom with her.
The latter was lying in a ball on the bed, her eyes swollen from crying.
'Ayame,' Shiragiku gasped out in puzzlement, sitting up.
***
We all jerked to our feet when we heard Ayame raise his voice, and exchanging looks with one another, we all rushed to see what was going on, finding the latter and Shuko with Shiragiku in her room.
'Naoto- Naoto is dead!' declared Ayame with effusion, balling up his fists. 'But Shuko- she is well alive! By abandoning her like you're doing, you're condemning her to a slow and atrocious death. Your daughter is suffering as much as you are. And even if we help her the best way we can, she still needs her mom, just the way you need her! You've got to take care of her and let her take care of you!'
We stared at Ayame for a minute, then at Shiragiku who was staring at him too, her eyes welling up with tears.
'I- I am terribly sorry, Shuko!' she sobbed, holding her stomach. 'I forgot that if I've lost my husband, you've also lost your dad. I promise you that from now on, I'll be there for you and I won't push you away from me anymore!'
Tears flooded down the brown-haired girl's cheeks and she rushed to her mom, sending her arms around her neck in a hug. They held each other, crying their hearts out; pouring out their grief.
It was so touching to see them like this that we all stood there for a moment, watching them with warmness, before Hatsu declared, 'It's not all that but Shuko has got school tomorrow and I think that we should leave these two together now. They've got a lot of things to catch up with.'
We all nodded.
After having put some order in the kitchen for the mess we had made, we came out of the house, appeased by the good turn of events.
'Shun! Wait!' called Shuko, out of the blue, as she arrived behind me and grabbed my forearm, causing me to stop.
I turned around to face her under the front porch, the others continuing to walk.
'Thank you for what you've done!' she told me, making me blush. 'I don't like to trouble anyone but it brings warmth to the heart to know that there are people who worry about me. Only those who are blessed have people who worry about them when they are in trouble.'
I glanced at the others who were waiting for me on the pavement, feeling less guilty for having caused them so much worry myself.
'I also realize that I never thanked you for having gotten rid of the monster of our living nightmares to Ayame and I. Know that, it counts a lot for me.'
The mentioned blond boy came up to us at that moment.
Saying goodnight to Shuko, I went to join the others, leaving the two to talk.
***
'Shuko!' said Ayame, hesitantly, 'I wanted to ask you if you'd like me to walk you home after school the days I'm not gone on mission.'
Moved, the brown-haired girl smiled at him, accepting gladly.
Thank you for reading!