'Ameonna!' I exclaimed, cheerfully as I uncovered my eyes and turned to face the female spirit.
She giggled. Then, noticing the sticking plaster over my right cheek, she asked me, her voice filled with concern, 'What happened to your face?'
Bringing my fists up to my chin, I turned slightly away, murmuring in a miserable tone, 'It's Heihachi who hit me.'
'What?!' she shouted in anger and fisted the dark-haired male by the collar of his shirt with both hands. 'Heihachi, how could you do this to her?!' she roared at him, with a threatening glare.
The latter began to panic. 'Wh-What?! I did it to save her life! Shun, please tell her!'
I bit my lower lip, stifling a laugh.
'He's telling the truth. I was just kidding,' I told Ameonna, in a chuckle, and the female spirit released the dark-haired male, her eyes narrowing at me cynically.
'Well, your joke wasn't funny! I have the impression that Hatsu is starting to rub off on you!' Heihachi snapped at me, vexed, and I chuckled again, in amusement.
'Ne, Shun,' called Ameonna. 'Do you think that you have a moment to accord me? I have something to tell you.'
She averted her eyes as she said that last part, blushing a little.
'Alright. I was just heading home. Let's have a tea together.'
She nodded, happily.
Something occurred to me then.
'Oh Heihachi, since Ameonna is accompanying back home, you don't have to do it anymore. I'm sure that Hatsu must be waiting for your return with great impatience!'
'Are you sure that it's okay for you, Shun?' he asked me, with an uncertain look.
'Yes,' I assured him, with a smile. 'I'll be with Ameonna. I won't be on my own.'
'Alright,' he sighed. 'Decidedly!'
Unexpectedly, he gave me a flick on my forehead. I stared at him in surprise, my hands going up for my forehead.
Giving me a meek smile, he began to stride away.
I watched him get out of sight, before I turned to face Ameonna.
'Heihachi is worried for you because of the serial murders of ex-convicts there have been recently, isn't it?' she asked and we began to walk together.
'Yes,' I murmured, looking at the ground.
'Shun, take care of yourself well, okay?' she told me with fervor.
I looked at the female spirit. She looked extremely worried.
'Yes,' I whispered, with a reassuring smile.
Since I wasn't looking in front of me, I bumped into somebody's shoulder at that moment.
As I looked around to apologize, I realized that the face of the blond young man I had just bumped into, seemed familiar to me.
'Oh, sorry,' the latter said, before his eyes settled on my face and his expression became filled with surprise.
'We've seen each other before, yes? I remember you! We've seen each other at Hanaori Resort!'
I remembered him only then.
The young man with the ice-cream in the lobby!
'I'm sorry again that I ruined your dress with my ice-cream that day!' he told me with an apologetic look.
'No. It's okay,' I said, timidly.
'I'm really surprised to see you again. Do you live in this town?'
I nodded.
'I see. On my side, I have come to visit a friend. I'm going to stay for a few days. My name is Hazuki. And you, what's your forename?'
'Shun,' I replied, politely. 'And she is Ameonna.'
I gestured towards the female spirit accompanying me.
Suddenly, there came a thunderbolt and it started to rain.
'It's not me!' stated Ameonna, gazing up at the sky, and the young man Hazuki gave her a perplexed look, before he declared, 'Oh, but you don't have an umbrella?! Here, take mine!'
He held out his umbrella to me.
I put my hands up in a panic. 'No. No. I can't take your umbrella.'
'I insist. I really want to get myself forgiven for your dress!' he said, opening it and handing it to me.
'But-'
'I'm only lending it to you. I'll give you my phone number such that you can return it back to me.'
Giving me his cellphone number very quickly, he scooted away right after.
***
A short while later, at the Hitachiin's family compound…
'So, what did you want to tell me?' I asked Ameonna, as we were seated at the low table of the dining room, sipping a hot tea.
It was raining cats and dogs outside by now.
Placing her cup down on the table, she gazed at her tea, her cheeks reddening.
'It's Yosunori,' she said, in a whisper, smiling shyly. 'He proposed me to go out with him.'
She flushed tomato red.
I smiled, filled with joy. I had noticed during the school festival that the two seemed to like each other a lot.
'What did you reply?'
She flushed even deeper.
'I said, yes.'
After half an hour of chatting, the rain had ceased and Ameonna said goodbye to me.
A few minutes after she had left, Tsunan came back home, calling from the entrance, 'Tadaima!'
I made for the genkan and found him sitting on the small step, taking off his shoes.
'Okaeri!' I greeted him, pleasantly, and he gave me a gentle smile, before he asked, 'How was your mission?'
Getting to his feet, he moved up to me, a small frown creasing his forehead. 'You've hurt yourself at the face. Do you want me to examine that?'
'No. It's nothing too bad. I'll tell you everything while we dine. I'm going to make curry.'
Taking his bag from him, I began to turn around.
'Let me help you!' he said, tagging along with me, and I nodded, cheerily.
'By the way, to whom belongs the blue umbrella in the genkan?'
'Oh, do you remember the young man...'
***
Later, on the other side…
Katsuya Hattori was sitting alone in a bar, having a drink when, he was approached by a certain person.
'Katsuya Hattori?'
The ginger-haired boy took a glance over his shoulder at the unknown young man standing behind him.
'Whom am I speaking to?'
A small smile tugged at the other male's lips. 'Let's just say that I am the guy who saw you try to push Shun Shutsuki off a cliff!'
Disconcerted, Katsuya straightened up in his chair. The ginger-haired boy's expression seemed to amuse the other male a lot.
'Calm down!' he told Katsuya and walking past the latter, he pulled out a chair to sit at the table with him.
'You and I, we are similar!'
Putting his elbows up on the table and intertwining his fingers, the young man rested his chin over the back of his hands, scrutinizing Katsuya with the eyes.
'I've investigated on you. When you were a kid, your mother was suffering from a very serious heart disease. The wife of her surgeon had the same illness. Your mother died before she could find a donor and the wife of Shosei Noriasu died on the operation table. Years later, you made irruption in the life of his only daughter, before you disappeared without any apparent reason. It hasn't been too difficult for me to reassemble the pieces of the puzzle to understand what happened. You wanted to kill Shizuka Noriasu to avenge yourself, eh?! But you couldn't do it.'
Katsuya jerked to his feet, angered.
After he had crossed Shizuka's doorstep to never appear in her life again, he had always avoided thinking of the girl. Because, he knew that he had wronged her. And, because, he was scared of taking consciousness of his real feelings for her…
How dare this sinister individual take her name like this? Especially, in such a disturbing context!
Leaving a note on the table, the ginger-haired boy flung around and began to make for the door.
'Wait!' called the other male. 'Don't leave like this! I had no intention of making you uncomfortable!'
'Of course, yes!' muttered Katsuya, who paused down to give him an accusative look.
Another smile tugged at the latter's lips.
'Alright! I admit it! Perhaps, a little. But I'm going to tell you a story too.'
He gestured for Katsuya to take back his seat.
Unwillingly, the latter came to sit down again. He wanted to know what the other male had on his mind; why he had accosted him.
'The story talks about a young man who had his younger sister for only family. Having no parents, he had practically brought her up like his daughter. One day, a despicable individual entered their small world and their lives were forever shattered. This vile individual had been arrested before for physical assault, but hardly did he come out of prison that he threw himself onto the young girl of the story and committed the same reprehensible action as on his previous victim.'
'The young girl couldn't stand the shock and she killed herself. The big brother has then killed that monster who did this horrible thing to his sister, such that he cannot start again when he'd come out of prison.'
'Now, tell me, Katsuya, if you had been that big brother in the story, what would you have done in his place? Would you have reacted differently or...'
'I would have done the same,' mumbled the ginger-haired boy, thoughtfully.
'Me too. So, can you see how we're both similar?! All this to say, let's talk about Shun Shutsuki!'
***
The next day, in the late afternoon, at the organization…
'Geez! You're not improving at all! I think that it's great time that you start to take your training very seriously and stop making me lose my time!' groaned Shirane and he gave me a punch on the head in annoyment.
Huddling in a corner of the backyard, I covered my head with my hands, breaking into sobs.
When the red-haired boy spoke again, he was standing behind me and his tone was softer, laced with guilt.
'Look! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have punched you on the head!'
I looked at him over my shoulder, sniffling, and he averted his eyes, mumbling, 'Don't- Don't cry!'
'Okay,' I murmured, shedding my tears. 'And I'm sorry. I know that you take martial arts very seriously; I promise that I'll put in more efforts in my training.'
'Good!' he said, seeming pleased and letting out a sigh, he walked away.
'Hello, there!' called Katsuya, who came up to me, at that moment.
'Hello!' I greeted him back, standing up.
'I was just about to leave. Shall I walk you home?'
'Well, Hatsu told me that we'll leave together...'
'He's with Master Kagami in his office. I think that the two are discussing about his future mission. It could take quite a while before he comes out of the master's office.'
The sun was going to set in no time now. I should probably leave now.
'Well then, okay. Just give me a minute.'
Grabbing my things, I sent Hatsu a text message from my cellphone to inform him that I was leaving with Katsuya.
***
Katsuya Hattori stared at the back of the red-haired girl, trying his best to hide his jubilating expression.
He couldn't believe that he succeeded to convince her so easily. The girl really wasn't doubting anything.
She doesn't deserve to be part of the organization.
She doesn't deserve to live after what she has done to those innocent people of her natal village.
She shouldn't be allowed to roam freely in nature.
I'm going to kill you, Shun Shutsuki, even if I have to leave the organization for that, even if I have to run from the authorities for the rest of my life and become a fugitive.
I'm surprised that I didn't do it earlier. That's because I wanted to stay out of blame. But now, it doesn't even matter.
You're a monster, Shun Shutsuki.
And today, you're going to die.
Thank you for reading!