Strawberry Penguin [ 27- 24th November 2012 ]

[caiyunki]

[13] - Who are you actually?


"Stop the fight!" Ai shouted with all he might, with all the energy and strength that were left within her the moment she reached the back shed area. She was astonished to find the outcome out of her expectations. There she found, the smaller sized Risa, hand on the front part of Miki's collar, pinning Miki on his back against the shed door, with traces of blood trailing at the corner of his lips. Except for the bruised hands that were supposedly a result from defensive actions, Risa had acquired no more other injurires. On the other hand, the one who was being pinned against the door was in a much more severe condition. Blood could be seen on his lips as well as flowing through his nostrils, eyes swollen. "What are the two of you fighting for?!" Ai continued, with her rather hoarse voice from the phlegm that sat at her throat. 


Risa release his grip on Miki and backed away a little upon hearing Ai's voice, giving Ai the chance to slip in between the two. "Strawberry, I'm not the one who had started it - it's " Risa pointed at Miki, only to have the pointed hand pushed away by Ai. Risa found himself silenced by the deadening stare had in her eyes. "I - "


"Say nothing, Penguin. Go away for now." Ai ordered monotonously. Without giving Risa any chances of explanation, she turned her back towards Risa, facing Miki this time round. "Are you alright?" Ai concerned as she touched the swollen eye gently.


Miki did not respond. Instead, he brought his right hand to face and wipe away the blood that were on the side of his lips.


"Your hands are dirtied from the ground. You are going to get your cuts infected by doing that." Ai held onto Miki's arm, an attempt to stop Miki from touching his cut lips.


An unexplainable sourness sank within Risa's heart. Unable to take the situation that were playing before him, he tramped away angrily, away from the pair and towards their secret place. The place where Ai sat to watch the stars whenever she had a sleepless nice. The place where Risa had received his first broken forehead from Ai from the broke wine bottle Ai had accidentally pushed Risa into it. The place where Risa and Ai shared their first kiss and subsequent kiss. The place where Ai threw the stone at Risa when Risa threw a strawberry at Miki. The place where Risa confused his feelings to Ai, only to back away when he took Ai response wrongly. The place where they made up and eventually got together officially. From Ai's special space till their special place. That was where Risa went when he was asked to go away by Ai.


"Idiot!" Risa shouted out loud as he gave the wooden lodge fence a tough kick. "Even for the fact that we are the couple, and she claimed that she does not have interest in that stupid Miki, she choose him over me!" With that, he gabe the wooden lodge yet another kick before stumbling down onto the ground and leaned his back against the fence. "It hurts more in here than the ones on my hand." Risa continued quietly, placing his palm at his chest.


"Wait here. I will fetch the first aid box." Ai informed Miki after helping him to settle down on the ground. She then went into the shed, where a spare first aid kit was kit. She took it with her and returned back to where Miki was.


After Ai cleaned the blood on his face away with the sterile saline, she headed next to his hands, where a broken knuckle on the right was.


"Was everything he said true?" Miki asked, breaking the silence between them as he looked sincerely into Ai's eyes, such that he did not even flitch in pan when the antiseptic solution was applied onto the knuckle.


Ai turned slightly, only to turn away again as the soft stares of Miki was making her guilty. "About?" Ai hesitated for a long moment before asking.


"You and him being an item." Miki spoke out bluntly. 


Ai looked down on the ground before giving a soft nod on her head.


"Are you serious, Ai?" Miki became worked up at the response, moving his hands slightly while Ai was still bandaging his hand. "What about me, Ai?" Miki vocalised.


"I'm sorry. . . Miki. . . I -"


"How well do you even know him in the first place? Do you really think that his name is Penguin? That's a stupid name to start with! And what, his backgrounds? Do you know about his backgrounds? Do you know where did he came from?" Miki bombarded. He was utterly upset and worried. Upset that Ai was not being truthful to him when he taught she was. Worried that Ai would be cheated off her feelings and safety by being with Risa, since to them, Risa is guy with no known backgrounds.


"I - "


"Do you even know that he can fight? You don't know, right?"


Ai shook her head lightly in response.


"What if . . .What if he a wanted convict that had ran away? Do you think it's safe to stay with him?" Miki continued asking. "And what about me? I have known you for years. And that penguin? Just months. . . You know that I really love you, don't you? Do you think it's fair for me?" Miki continued when Ai refused to answer her previous questions. When Ai still choose to remain silent, Miki became impatient. He grabbed Ai's wrist tightly, forcing her to look at him. "Look at me Ai. Didn't you say a year? A year? What happens to our 'a year' ?" Miki demanded.


"Miki. . . Just give me some time. . . " Ai unwrapped Miki's hands away from her wrist. "I need to sort out my feelings." Ai continued, in a rather down tone. "And. . . I'm sorry. . . "With that, Ai backed away from Miki and headed straight for the special place, where she knew Risa will definitely be there. "Say, who are you?" Ai demanded immediately the moment she appear at Risa's back. Risa turned back and looked up at Ai for a short moment before looking away from Ai again. "I am talking to you!" Ai raised her voice slightly.


Risa got up back onto his feet, back to an eye to eye level with Ai. "Haven't you made your choice over there? Your actions told me that you chose Miki over me, strawberry." Risa could not understand what had gotten up to his head, causing to say such things. But he guessed that the impact of Ai defending Miki when he and Miki gotten into the fight had made him like that.


"Penguin isn't your real name, was it?" Ai tried to ignore Risa's hostility and continued asking, hoping that would make Risa to come truthful to her. Risa looked away from Ai slightly. "Say, who are you? What's your background?" Ai continued in a weak voice.


"Does it matter? If I am from a wealthy family like what that Miki is, would you like me more?" Risa countered, believing the reason that Ai went defending for Miki was due to the latter's social status in the town. "I can so sure that I love you more than that Miki does! But what, you chose to defend him when he was the one who had initiated the fight." Risa continued. "And you said you love me too. . . But no, you love Miki instead right?" Risa finished, taunting Ai with his demanding eyes. Tears threaded around Ai's eyes, but they were as stubborn as their owner. Never to allow people to know about her real thoughts.


"Penguin? Ai-nee?" A third voice came participating into the conversation. The two of them turned away from each other and saw Erina standing at the back, with tears brimming at the edge of her eyelids. "The two of you are together? Why didn't you tell Erina?" Erina continued shouting through her tears.


"Erina!" Ai called out.


"If the two of you had told Erina, Erina will stop myself from falling in love with Penguin more, since Penguin belongs to Ai-nee!" Erina continued shouting. With that, Erina turned about on her heels and made her run towards the mountains.


"Erina!" Ai attempted to chase after, only find herself losing her consciousness with just a single step out to the chase.


"Ai!" Risa called out Ai's name for the first time as he rushed forward to hold her. "Wake up!" Risa patted lightly on Ai's pale cheeks, only to come to realise how pale Ai was in the whole view. Erina turned around upon hearing the commotion. When she did, she saw Risa, kneeled on the ground, with an unconscious Ai lying on his thighs.


"Ai-nee!" Erina ran back the same path and back to Ai's side. "I told you that you should stay in bed." Erina scolding through her sobbing. "Bring her back to the house, Penguin." Erina asked Risa.


'Even though you were not feeling well, you still came around to stop the confrontation between Miki and I. Why didn't you tell me about it, Ai. . . '




And it's up! It's supposed to be part of the last chapter, and therefore, it stands short alone as a chapter. Hope you don't mind it ^.^ heheheh


hehehehhehe. . .
and I'm moving on again heheh

[risa_ai]

Just broke my heart to pieces. Confusion and misunderstandings. Update soon!

[arisa03]

askdjsadksa RISA JUST TELL AI WHO YOU ARE. ;_______________________; And she didn't chose Miki over youuu. She chose you over Mikiiii. ;___; what is this misunderstandingu. ;___;

update soon! Please don't leave us in the dark too much. /creys in the corner ;__;
Poor Erina. ;___; Poor Penguin, Poor Ai-chan.

Oh Miki can go with his stupid dog. /shot.

LOL

[rndmnwierd]

Short updates close together, I like!

But still~! Ai! Risa! Erina! Miki! Argh! I need more~!~!

[caiyunki]

[14] - And I love you so . . .


" You! I can hear your intense conversation with Ai even from onside. Are you out of your mind or what? Do you even honestly like her? A simple question like who are you, and you can't answer her. Why did you further agitate Ai when she is not feeling well in the first place? You did that on purpose, didn't you?" The voice of Miki echoed repeatedly in Risa's mind. When Risa carried the unconscious from the fields back into the hut, he was immediately shooed away by Miki, who had snatched Ai away from his arms. "Get out of here! You don't fit to stay here! Get out!"


And here, Risa stand alone on street that leads him towards the market place. He had been on this street before, at times when Ai had decided to bring him along with Erina when Miki invited her out. 'Where can I go now . . .' Risa thought mindlessly in his mind as he wondered rather aimlessly down the road.  He reached his hand into the inner pocket of his shirt and pulled his royal badge out. "Why didn't I just tell her about this . . . " Risa asked himself quietly as he watched the badge spun around the ribbon that was attached to it.


"But I know I can't . . . " After a long moment of silence, Risa spoke again, responding to the statement he had just made. "And I had fallen so deep in love. . . and it is my first love. . . " Risa continued mumbling to himself. "How am I going to tell her that, in half a year time, I will have to leave and return back to my palace. . . As I have a marriage with someone I never knew to fulfil. . . " Risa continued sadly. "And I'm missing her already . . . " Risa finished, stuffing the royal badge back into the inner pockets.


"Does it matter? If I am from a wealthy family like what that Miki is, would you like me more? I can so sure that I love you more than that Miki does! But what, you chose to defend him when he was the one who had initiated the fight!" His last conversation with Ai rang in Risa's mind. "And to think I had said such means to her. . . Why didn't I think properly before I say anything. . . " Risa reflected in regrets. "I - I was at the wrong first, isn't that so?" Risa questioned himself. He sighed deeply once again.


--------------------------------------------------------


"This is weird. . ." Hitomi said to himself as the pair rode slowly on their horses. "We have been through the whole town. . . And we had yet to find the family that had once work with General Takahashi back in the Land of Penguin.. . " Hitomi continued. "And one of the residents actually told me that the family who used to work with General Takahashi lived near the mountains that runs better the two land. . . Why is it that - "


"I - " Kanon spoke out suddenly, breaking Hitomi's chain of thought.


"Yes Kanon?" Hitomi stopped talking to himself and turned his attention to Kanon.


"I - " Kanon was stuck again. He had so much difficulty in trying to admit his 'mistake' that happened a few days back.


"What's wrong, Kanon?" Hitomi prompted again. It was obvious to him that the younger guard had something important to inform him, yet something was holding the lad back.


"Actually . . . I - "


"Is that something that has to do with the Lady we are searching for?" Kanon nodded his head innocently, only to receive a loud response from Hitomi.  "Then speak! I won't eat you up or anything. . .But if you don't voice it out rihgt now, I'm not sure if I will really hold myself back to do so. . . " Hitomi threatened, in a serious playful way.


"Actually. . . About the family at the strawberry field near the mountains. . . I actually had not gotten a definite answer from her. " Kanon blurted up immediately, obviously buying the story Hitomi had cooked up with.  Hitomi grinned a little at the success of his little trick. "When I went over to the fields that day. . . I had only met a girl of my age. . . and she had drive me out of her sight the moment I start questioning her . . . so . . . " Kanon finished quietly.


"So you are telling me that there is a slight chance that the Lady we are looking for might be at that place, if that information was true. . ." Hitomi asked. Kanon nodded his head, gulping his saliva down his throat nervously. "So what are we waiting for? Let's head back over there!" Hitomi ordered right at the moment, halting the horse in motion and directed it in the opposite direction.


-----------------------------------------------------------------


"You are finally up!" Miki exclaimed when he watched Ai's eyes fluttered and opened slowly. "You have been out for the whole night!" Miki continued as he held onto Ai's rather relaxed fingers tightly.


"What happened?" Ai groaned in pain as she tried to sit up, only to be held back by Miki.


"You should rest more in your bed. . ." Miki explained. "Don't try to get down your bed today. . " He continued, ending his sentence with a closed lips and a slight smile.


Ai nodded her head lightly, following what Miki had just ordered her to do so. She laid her head pack onto her pillow. "What happened yesterday afternoon?" Ai asked again. "I don't remember a thing about it. . . not the events that had happened before I was knocked out. . . " Ai continued in her weak voice.


Before Miki could answer Ai, Erina, who was also in the room, stood up from her seat in an abrupt way. "Since Ai-nee is up, I will return to the fields to get my job done. . . " Erina curtly informed, before heading for the entrance and out of Ai's room.


"What happened to Erina?" Ai asked as her voice croaked.


"She has been this gloomy since last evening. . . I'm guessing she's just worried about you. . . And she doesn't knows how to show it, that's why?" Miki suggested. Ai nodded her head lightly. "Why don't you keep your eyes close and rest more. " Miki continued. And Ai followed suit just like a young child.


But as she kept her eyes close, blurred images began to form faintly in her mind.


"Penguin isn't your real name, was it?"


"Say, who are you? What's your background?"


"The two of you are together? Why didn't you tell Erina?"


"If the two of you had told Erina, Erina will stop myself from falling in love with Penguin more, since Penguin belongs to Ai-nee!"


Ai immediately had her eyes wide opened and sat up on her bottoms, heaving deep breaths into her lungs her mind accommodated to the newly refreshed memory . "What's wrong?" Miki concerned when he realised the anxiety Ai felt though her rough breathings.


"Where's Penguin?" Ai asked quickly, looking straight into Miki's eyes.


"I drove him out." Miki answered honestly.


"You drove him out? Why?" Ai questioned. It seems like she had gotten back her energy when she had got know of the fact that Risa was gone.


"Why do you still care about him so much when he's keeping so many things from you?" Miki confronted.


After a long moment of silence, Ai licked her dry lips, and piled her lips open. "Because I love him . . . And it is my first time I had fallen in love. . . It's the first time I had actually felt this way. . . And . . . "  And stopped and stumbled. "And I . . . I never . . . had felt something for you before. . . Miki. . . " Ai confessed.


------------------------------------------------------


"Sir, are you alright?" Risa was seated alone at one corner of the market places, at the steps that leads to the restaurant when someone had came over and asked him. Risa looked up from his daze and saw a girl in her late teens standing before her, hands rested on her knees and she bent over and checked on him.


"I'm alright. . . " Risa trailed off silently.


"I had noticed that you had been sitting alone here for the whole of this morning, staring into the space. . .Are you sure you are alright?" The girl checked again.


'To be more accurate, it had been since last night . . .' Risa thought silently in his mind. Without voicing out his thoughts, Risa nodded his head in response.


"My name is Aika. . . " Aika sat behind Risa on the steps without invitation. "And I worked at the florist over at that corner." Aika pointed over to her stall at the diagonal corner. "Had a tiff with your girlfriend?" Aika continued, catching Risa in surprise.


"How do you know?" Risa uttered in surprise.


"It's written all over your face, sir. . ." Aika explained.


"Really?" Risa muttered to herself. 'But it wasn't a tiff in the first . . . It was just me, accusing her blamelessly, without even giving her a chance to explain when I was too hiding my identity from her. . .' Risa continued in his mind.


"You know?" Aika started off. "Sometimes, it just takes a flower to hoax your girl back. Come over with me. . " With that, Aika placed her hand on Risa's wrist, pulled him out of his seat and towards her stall. "This. . . " Aika pulled out a red flower that looks like a strawberry fruit. "is call strawberry fields. All the girls here likes this flower as it means. . ." Aika leaned into Risa's ears and whispered the meaning of the flower into his ears. "All girls will be really glad to receive them." Aika pulled away and finished with a smile. "Together with some sunflowers, I'm sure your girlfriend will forgive you," Aika continued as she began to work on the bouquet with the flowers she had just picked.


When she was done, she handed the bouquet, that was made up of the yellow rice paper into Risa's hands. "How much are these?"


"These are free." Aika shone her tooth to Risa.


"Eh?"


"Cheer up!" Aika tilted her head and winked. "And I wish you and your girlfriend the best forever"


As Risa moved away from the stall, he overheard a couple discussing about something that had definitely caught his attention.


"Do you think the situation at the Land of Penguin is going to affect us? Like increased numbers of refuges moving in ?" The wife asked the husband.


"I'm not sure. . . I heard that the King has been in a bad health, and his unreliable brothers were all aiming for his seat, since his crown prince is away from the palace. . .. "  The husband replied.


'FATHER! Bad health? Since when? Is that true ? ' Risa panicked in his mind. 'I need to get back now! To Father. . . But . .  ' Risa looked down at the flowers in his hands. 'Ai . . . .'






A short chapter this time round.. . which means heheheheh

[risa_ai]

Which means a fast update soon, desho?!
I waaant. *pouts and whines*

[rndmnwierd]

Oh no! I really have no idea what Risa will do~! He should at least talk to Ai once more before he leaves. Need more~!~!

[arisa03]

NOOOO. RISAAAAAA, TAKE THE FLOWER TO AAAIII~ ;_______; you need to fix this shiz. ;_______; Unless... Unless.. they will forever be apart... until Yossie and Zukkie takes Ai-chan to the palace ;___; Update soon. /gawdmyheadhurtsjustnowOTL

[caiyunki]

[15] - Strawberry Fields - Never Changing Love.


"Kanon, you shall wait here for me while I check out the hut." Hitomi structured as he got off the horse he was riding.


"Okay . . ." Kanon nodded his head lightly. With that slight affirmation, Hitomi began to make his way down the pathway that will bring him to his destination.


---


"And I . . . I never . . . had felt something for you before. . . Miki. . . " Ai's voiced echoed into Miki's ears, catching him unguarded and in surprise.


"Why didn't you tell me right from the start?" Miki asked in a really quiet voice. He was rather hurt by the sentence Ai had just made. "I thought that . . ." Miki trailed off into silence and he remembered something Risa mentioned during their argument they had the afternoon before. "To the fact that she had never shown you her true self. . .


"I - didn't want to hurt your feelings, Miki. I know you have been really exceptionally nice to Erina and I . . . But . . . Except for the appreciation and gratitude for the time you had spent on us, I - I really felt nothing else." Ai felt like a heavy stone was lifted off her struggling heart when these words came through her lips. She had finally found the courage to put these puts to Miki. "I'm really - sor -"


"You don't have to, Ai. I was the problem. I should have read the clues you gave all these while. You were never comfortable when you were alone with me. . . " Miki trailed off into silence again.


"I - Can we still remain as friends?"


"I will be really glad to. . ." Miki answered.   'Even though I could not be the one that you like. . . I will still want to stay by your side, always be watching you, supporting you when you needed some, Ai. . . ' Miki continued in his mind. Ai pulled the blankets off her legs and prepared to get off her bed when Miki was off in his silence, in his world of thoughts. "Where are you going?" Miki snapped out of his daze and asked, when he realised that Ai was already at her room door and heading towards the main door at her full speed.


"I'm going to find Penguin." Ai answered with her back facing Miki.


"I will go with you!" Miki offered as Ai pulled the main door open. Miki expected her to move out of the house, but she did not. Instead, she stood at the door, rooted into the ground as her grip on the door handle tightens.


"Good Afternoon! May I ask if your are the owner of this house, young lady?" That was what Miki heard when the trotted nearer to the door.


Ai nodded her head lightly.


"Are you 25 years old ?" The questioning continued.


Ai nodded her head lightly again. An unknown fear grew wider within her. Something she had dread all these years to happen may have came. 'Say, please let him to be just a mere passerby, and not someone from the Land of Strawberry. Ai prayed silently in her mind. "I'm turning 26 this year though. . . " Ai added on quietly.


"Ah. . . If that's the case, are you by any chance, Lady Takahashi Ai, the daughter General Takahashi of the Land of Penguin?" The visitor asked.


Ai lifted her head up in surprise and gave the visitor her famous shocked face, slipping into moments of silence. By the time she had picked herself out of her shock, it was too late. "No - I'm not. My name is Ikuta Ai." Ai quickly replied.


"Lady Ai, Please do not deny. our reaction had told me that you are the Lady Takahashi Ai I've been searching for. First of all, let me introduce my myself. I'm General Yoshizawa Hitomi from the Land of Penguin."


"Ai?" Miki called out from Ai's back, causing Ai to turn around and look at him for a short moment before turning back to Hitomi.


"For whatever reason you are here for, I can tell you, I am not interested." Ai shot back and attempted to close the door on Hitomi's face, only to be stopped by Hitomi. The latter was way too stronger as compared to what Ai was.


"It seems like you do know the reason for my coming, Lady Ai." Hitomi spoke.


"No I do not." Ai lied. "But, I have no interest in anything that has to do with the Land of Penguin. That's why I had chose to take the last name of my foster family. " Ai continued firmly. "So please leave."


Hitomi rolled his eyeballs slightly to the upper right and cleared his throat. "I see. . . I will be back in another day then. I'm sure you will want to come back with me the next time I'm here." With that, Hitomi bowed and payed his respect to the future queen of the Land of Penguin, before turning around and made his way down the pathway he had came previously.


"You are from the Land of Penguin?" Miki asked when Hitomi was far away from their sight. Ai nodded her head slightly, giving no verbal response to Miki before dragging her feet towards the living room.


"They had finally came. . ." Ai muttered softly under her breath. Though it was soft, it was not remained unheard by Miki.


"You knew the reason for their coming?" Miki raised a key higher at the sudden realisation.


"I had found a letter that was addressed to me from my foster parents belongings not long after they had met with that accident. . . They were suppose to pass it to me when I turned 20. . . but they never had the chance to. If they were still around, they would have send me back to Land of Penguin when I turned 20. . . After reading the contents of the letter, I had decided to conceal the identity of Takahashi Ai within me and had took over Erina's parents last name as mine officially. Erina was still young back then . . . And my foster parents had never called me by my last name. They brought me up just like their own. . . " Ai began explaining her identity to Miki.


"Why had you decided to conceal Takahashi Ai ?" Miki asked quietly.


"Because, Takahashi Ai is betrothed to the throne prince of the Land of Penguin. There's no way I am going to get married to someone I never knew. . ." Ai bit her lower lips stubbornly. 'And definitely not after I had met Penguin . . .' Ai continued silently in her mind. "And to me, this is my hometown. . . I had no memories about my own family. I grew up here. I grew up as Ikuta Ai, the elder sister of Erina. I am no Takahashi Ai."


"Eh - "


------------------------------


"Why is it everything all about Ai-nee. . . " Erina mumbled unhappily as she dug the small shovel roughly into the soil. "Miki-nii likes Ai-nee. Penguin likes Ai-nee as well. . .No one likes Erina. . .. Why?" Erina continued as she pulled the shovel up and dug it into the soil again and repeated the set of actions and sentences again.


"You know what? You are going to kill that plant as you are destroying its roots with your actions." An unexpected voice came echoing into Erina's ears, causing the poor girl to jump up in surprise and screamed repeatedly at the top of her lungs.


"It's me!" A pair of small hands made its way to her mouth and covered her mouth, muffling the ear shrieking screams Erina was making. Erina turned around and stared strangely at the owner of the hands. "Do you remember me?" The deep voice continued as he pulled his hands away from Erina's lips.


"It's you? What are you doing over here again?" Erina raised her hand and gave the young teenager a tough smack on his head.


"I was just passing by this region. . . " Kanon explained and squatted down onto the ground. "Poor plant. . . You almost lost your life, do you know that?" Kanon spoke to the plant which was attacked by Erina during her fits of anger. "Looks like your roots are just inches away from the attack . . . " Kanon continued. "What is this plant?" Kanon looked up and asked Erina.


Judging from Kanon's behaviour, Erina found Kanon harmless. So she took her place beside Kanon and covered the portion where she had took out with soil. "These are strawberry plants. . . " Erina answered curtly.


"All of them?" Kanon was amazed.


"Yes, all of them"


"Wow. . .this is my first time seeing one. . . Though I had always read about strawberries on the books, I had never seen one, let alone to have tasted them before. . ." Kanon continued his amazement.


"Really? You are not local?" It was Erina's turn to be in interest of the foreign boy.


"I'm from the Land of Penguin. . . " Kanon answered without any guard.


"Land of Penguin? There's a place know as Land of Penguin? How is it like?" The studious side of Erina was turned on.


"Hmmm. . .It's much more cooler that what it is like over here?"


"And?"


"Kanon! Where are you?" Kanon heard his name being called. So he stood up from his position and saw Hitomi standing at the two horses, looking for his young subordinate.


"Sorry, I got to go. . . " Kanon looked down at Erina and informed before rushing towards Hitomi.


"Wait a minute!" Erina chased after. By the time she caught up with Kanon, the latter was already with Hitomi, both preparing to ascend onto their horses. "Wait! What's your name? My name is Ikuta Erina!" Erina introduced herself properly to Kanon as she stood face to face to him, back facing Hitomi. "Will you be - " Before she could finish her sentence, she felt a strong pressure attacking her acupoint on the side of her shoulder. Without knowing what had just happened, she fell into a state of unconsciousness, falling straight into Hitomi's arm.


"General! What are you doing!" Kanon exclaimed in utter surprise.


"Bring her back to the palace. She is going to help us a big good time in trying to invite Lady Takahashi back to the Land of Penguin." Hitomi explained as he carried Erina up to his horse before climbing up himself. "What are you waiting? Let's go, Kanon!" Hitomi shouted at the dazed Kanon who had his feet rooted into the ground. 


--------------------------------------


"So what are you going to do now?" Miki concerned lovingly.


"They know where I lived. I'm going to move, with Erina and Penguin. " Ai replied in determination. "Ah, Penguin! I got to find where Penguin is!" Ai rushed up from the chair and towards the door.


"What about the fields, Ai? They are your means of living." Miki reminded.


Ai pulled the door open. "Pen-guin?" Ai stuttered.


Risa was caught off guard by the sudden opening of the door. He had been pacing outside the house for a long time, having had not decide on how should he apologise to Ai.


"Come with me." Ai pulled Risa by his hands and into her room, closing the door after her and locked the door. Miki stood firm at his place for a few seconds, watching Ai's action upon Risa's return to the house, before deciding to leave the house for a few moments. After knowing Ai for a few years, he could jolly well guessed the plan Ai had in her mind. A royal family will not take a tainted women into their family, what's more, a future queen of the country. Ai's problem has an easy solution. Miki knew it.


Back in the room, Risa hid the flowers behind his back as he squirmed in his position in the room. "Where have you been all night? I heard from Miki that he -" Ai was silenced. Risa had pulled out the bouquet of flowers before Ai before she could finished her sentence. She could very well understand the meaning of the flowers. Sunflower - Adoration, Devotion. Strawberry Fields - Eternal Love, Never Changing Love. Tears welled in eyes puffy eyes.


"I'm - I'm sorry about what - " Risa was silenced by the softness of the Ai's lips on his. The suddenness of the kiss caused Risa to drop the bouquet he was holding onto the ground and wrapped his hands around Ai's waist, pulling Ai closer towards him. On the other hand, Ai wrapped her arms around Risa's neck as she deepens the kiss, bitting lightly onto Risa's lower lips.


"Ah . . ." Risa cried out softly at the bit. Ai pulled back and stared longingly into Risa's hazels orbs. "Penguin. . . can you do me a favour?" Ai spoke in a really soft voice just beside Risa's ears.


"What?" Risa replied with equal gentleness.


"Make me yours. . . "Ai continued in an almost inaudible voice, before leaning in closer to Risa for his lips.


"Ai, no . . . I can't . . . " Risa rejected immediately. 'I can't do such unfair things to her. . . I can't . . . ' Risa thought in his mind. "I - I - "


Ai pulled herself away from Risa. She had never expect Risa to reject her in this way. Tears were dwelling at her eyes once again. However, unlike the ones slightly before, these were tears of hurt. "Why?" Ai croaked. The sourness she felt at the tip of her nose intensified. "You said . . . that you love me, didn't you?" Ai continued. Tears had began to make their way down her cheeks.


"I - " Risa was still unable to acquire the courage to explain his situation.


Ai wiped the tears on her cheeks away with the back of her right hand. "You don't have to say anything. . ."


"I'm sorry, Ai, but I can't. . . I have to go. . . "


"To where?"


"I - I can't say. . . But I promise, I will be back for you, definitely." Risa tried to hold onto Ai's hands. But Ai had brushed his hands away even before Risa could reach her.


"You don't have to. . . just go . . . " Ai said rather monotonously. She was suppressing her emotions under the blank face she was trying to put herself through.


"I'm sorry. . . " Risa whispered for the one last time before reaching for the locked door, unlocked it and pulled it open. He looked over his shoulder at the Ai who had her head facing the floor. 'I will defy Father just for you, Ai. But you have to wait for me. . . ' Risa thought decisively before turning his head ahead, and raced out of the house.


When Risa was finally out of sight, Ai collapsed down onto the ground and began to sob like a baby. Her heart clenched painfully in her left chest, causing her to lose her breath. 'Why? Why give the promise of adoration when you don't intend to . . Why give the promise of never changing love, when you had already decided to leave?' Ai thought bitterly as her blurred vision focused on the bouquet of flowers that was lying on the ground the same way she was right now. 'Why?'





And It's here!!! hehehe.
I can't promise when will be next update though. . .since. . . uni work is using up most of my time now But I will try my best to, since I left it hanging at such a sad part. ..  .:X hehehe




de wa, until the next chapter!!

Ja ne!

[arisa03]

I just skimmed it a bit. But skwbdbdhfhdjsks NOOOOOO. You're destinied for each other anyway... But... But... NOOOO. -this is sorta like because of you OTL- i'll read fully in the morning after getting some sleep. I'll be back cai-san! Fdkansshdjdd.

Also, NEXT TIME MAKE HER YOURS RISA. you shall owe us smut cai-san!OTL

[rndmnwierd]

Aw man! How much easier would things be if he had just come clean to Ai. But I guess it would be less interesting then, lol.

So, Yossui was quite bold with her interrogation of Ai and subsequent kidnapping of Erina. Seems Kanon will have to do something and maybe Risa will help too, when he finds out.

Can't wait for next chapter, as always, you've got me rolling around in suspense, lol

[arisa03]

Oh dear. I just read it properly. OTL. Risa y u stupid. ;___; Ai-chan y u no understand?! ;______; Update soon! I don't know what to think of what will happen next! OTL. Will Ai-chan desperately get rid of her purity so she can save Erina and go with Penguin or.... go save Erina and then go meet Penguin? LOLOLOLOL. ;A; Good luck with Univ Work Cai-san and please don't leave us in the dark too awesomely. XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Don't fail! ; A ;!

[risa_ai]

AGPMDGPAMGPJGM!! WHAT IS THIS?! Didn't you tell ai that she's marrying penguin?! Didn't you ask penguin to tell ai everything?! *pouts*

[caiyunki]

[16] - I miss You


"Ai, What happened?!" Miki rushed into Ai's room as he asked. "I saw that -" Miki halted his sentence when he saw Ai, all collapsed on the group, covering her face with her palm. "Ai." Miki rushed forward to Ai and kneeled to the same level as her. "What happened?" Miki asked in a gentle voice. He did not managed to receive any response from Ai. Instead, he heard soft muffled sobbing coming through the covered face. "Ai. . . " He continued in his gentle voice as he brushed Ai's hair. Ai looked up at him with her teary eyes at the touch. Miki felt his heart melted at the sight of the vulnerability of Ai he had never seen in his life. "Don't cry. . . " Miki continued as he patted Ai's forehead.


Yet that one simple consolation made Ai burst into a huge fit of tears once again. She threw herself onto Miki's shoulder and began to sob into it. 'Why . . . Why does it hurts so much over here . . .. ' Ai thought painfully as she clenched her fist at her left chest. 'Why is it that he had managed to make me feel all these emotions that I had never felt before in all my life. He made my heart race. He caused the adrenaline rush each time we touch. He raised the heat of my body. And. .  .Now. . . He . . . ' Tears continued to pour out her tear glands as memories with the Penguin came flashing back to her mind. The fist at her chest tightened. "It hurts. . . " Ai cried out almost inaudibly as she buried deeper into Miki's shoulder.


"Hush . . . " Miki stroke the back of Ai's head gently. "Just cry it out, Ai. It would be less painful if you cry it out." Miki softly whispered as he nudged his chin on the top of Ai's forehead, allowing Ai to completely rest onto his shoulder.


Ai stayed in Miki's hold for a long 2 hours before she could calm herself down and stop crying. When she finally did, she pulled herself away from Miki and found the spot she rested her face was totally soaked wet by her tears. "I'm I'm sorry for that . .  ." Ai apologised immediately as she stood up to her feet with the intention to retrieve a towel from her wardrobe to dry the wet spot.


"It's alright." Miki stopped Ai right away, even before Ai could make her first step away from him. "It will dry up soon." Miki continued in a tender voice before pulling Ai back down onto the ground, right beside him. "What happened?" Miki concerned. "You had never cried so much this way before. . . " He continued.


Ai shook her head stubbornly. "Nothing happened. " She continued in her nasal voice.


"Did that Penguin - " Miki asked in a worked up voice. But before he could even finish his sentence, he was already being interrupted by Ai.


"We're over. .  ." Tinge of hurt could be detected from the nasally voice of Ai. "He left. " Came the short two worded sentence. Ai bit onto her lower jaw, trying to stop herself from bursting into tears again.


Silence persisted in the room for a moment before Ai felt a pair of warm hands wrapping around hers. Ai looked up and found Miki looking sincerely and gently at Ai. "Marry me, Ai." Ai pulled her hands back to herself straight right at the moment as shock filled her teary eyes. "I didn't mean that way, Ai. I know you do not feel the same way like I feel for you." Miki quickly explained. "But isn't this the only way to help you from the marriage with the crown prince from the Land of Penguin."


"I - "


"It would be just a marriage for the sake of the paper, nothing much else. " Miki added on.


"That would be so unfair to -"


Ai was interrupted once again. "I don't mind, Ai." Miki intercepted. "As long as it involves you, I will go all out just for you." Miki continued.


"I - " Ai was lost for words. She knew it was being unfair to Miki, yet the selfish part of her was asking her to accept, as she really does not want to be tied to someone she never knew, let alone to be someplace so far away where had had not returned to since infancy. "I - " Ai stuttered again.


"Don't probe so much for me. I really won't mind it Ai." Miki urged.


'But I promise, I will be back for you, definitely.' Risa husky voice echoed quietly in Ai's mind.


"Let's go Ai. Let's get Erina and leave this place immediately, before the people from the Land of Penguin returns again." Miki continued, failing to notice Ai's fading out. He held onto Ai's wrist and began to pull Ai out of her room, out of the hut. That was when Ai snapped out from her world of memories.


"Where are we going?" Ai blankly asked when she realised her surrounding was different.


"Get Erina. And the two of you shall stay with me for the moment before we get the paper work done, before the soldiers from the Land of Penguin get you." Miki repeated as he set his sight far away, searching for the presence of the young teenager in the wide strawberry field ahead. "Erina!" Miki called out loudly, hoping that would attract the attention of the girl. But no, Erina was not appearing, even after her name was called out for a couple of time.


Ai plied her wrist away and took a step forward. She was getting wary about the situation. The lack of response of Erina was starting to worry her up. "Erina?" Ai called out for the younger sister too. However, the response she had was the same as Miki. Just pure silence, except for the slight echoing of the voice. "Erina!" Ai furrowed her eyebrow when she still did not get the response from Erina.


"If the two of you had told Erina, Erina will stop myself from falling in love with Penguin more, since Penguin belongs to Ai-nee!"


The confrontation of Erina with Ai and Risa the evening before sounded in Ai's mind. 'Could it be? ' Ai thought worriedly in her mind. "I'm going to find where Erina is." Ai turned around abruptly and disclaimed to Miki before turning away again. She then head towards the mountains, the direction Erina had wanted to escape to before Ai had lost her consciousness the evening before.


"Wait for me, Ai!" Miki chased after quickly. "Do you exactly know where she is?"


"No! But I will find her! She's the only person I care left." Ai continued advancing ahead stubbornly, forsaking the fact her barely healed health and the coldness of the night ahead and headed straight into the mountains.


---------------------------------------


It was already night time when Hitomi and Kanon had reached the land of Penguin. The duo got off the horses they were riding and stood before the gates that will lead them into the palace while Erina was still out, lying forward on the back of the horse.


"Where am I?" Erina slurred as she asked. She sat up from her lying position on her chest and realised that she was not on the ground level - she was above the ground level. "Ah!" Erina cried out in surprise. The next moment, she came stumbling off the horseback and landed onto a pair of soft arms.


"Be careful, you are going to hit your head if you fall off the horseback in this way." Came the young boyish voice.


"It's you!" Erina wriggled to get herself off Kanon's arm. "You are not a good person!" Erina continued. "What's your motive for kidnapping me? Where am I?" Erina continued her questioning, yet to realised another personnel at the site.


"Kanon, she's loud." Hitomi complained.


"I understood." Kanon responded. With that, Kanon placed his finger on Erina's lips, hoping that would silent the older girl. Though that effort, Kanon had failed.


Hitomi shook his head lightly at the childish actions of Kanon. He stood forward and placed his arms over Erina's shoulder. "Young lady, you are in the Land of Penguin right now, and right before you, is the royal castle of the Land of Penguin. And no worries, we are no bad people. We are just bringing you here in advance." Hitomi explained vaguely. With his arms still around Erina's shoulder, Hitomi began to lead Erina through the gates, with Kanon following closely behind them.


"General Yoshizawa has return from his trip and request to see you, Your Majesty." Said the royal guard of the King.


"Allow him in." Ordered the King.


With the permission, Hitomi made his way into the courts, with Erina walking in between him and Kanon. "Your Majesty, we have found Lady Takahashi." Hitomi informed.


"You are Ai?" The king astonished. "I remember Ai to be 2 years older than my son, General Yoshizawa, but the Lady you have brought in seems way so much younger than Prince Gaki." The King continued.


"Return to You Majesty, This is not Lady Takahashi. She's the younger sister of Lady Takahashi." Hitomi explained as he bowed. "Lady Takahashi had refused to return with us. Therefore, I had decided to invite her sister over to the royal castle before going back to persuade her to return with us again." Hitomi continued.


"I see. . " The King trailed off in realisation. "What's your name, Young Lady?" The King asked.


"Who are you? Why should I answer you? And, who's Lady Takahashi? My sister is Ikuta Ai, not Takahashi." Erina rebelled, only to be nudged by Hitomi and Kanon painfully on both her side.


"Have some respect. He's the King of the Land of Penguin." Hitomi whispered lowly to Erina under his breath.


"Sorry for the disrespect, Your Majesty." Both Hitomi and Kanon bowed down in apology. "Her name is Ikuta Erina." Kanon added on.


"You're excused." The King forgave. "Erina, I see. You share some resemblance to the nanny of General Takahashi household. Are you by any chance the daughter of maiden Araso Yukino?" The King continued.


Erina looked away to her side, refusing to answer any questions that was posted to her.


"I guess you are exhausted from the travelling, Erina." The King turned to his guard. "Prepared the Royal guest room for this lady over here and send 4 maidservant to serve her needs." The King ordered.


-----------------------------------------


"Ai, it's getting late!" Miki called out behind Ai. It was already pitched dark and there were no lights in the mountains. Miki could only barely make up where Ai was from the silhouette he saw before him. "Let's get back first before continuing our search for Erina shall we? Perhaps Erina has returned back to the hut already?" Miki continued.


"I'm a really bad sister, aren't I?" Ai keep mumbling to herself.


The next thing Miki heard was a loud thud onto the ground. "Ai?" Miki called out as he made his way blindly ahead to where he felt Ai was.


------------------------------------------


Erina sulked as she sat on the king sized bed that were surrounded by a silken cloth. 'Where am I? Where's Ai-nee?'


"Lady Erina, your dinner is ready." Came the serving maidservant beside her, serving the tray of food before Erina.


"I'm not hungry. I'm not eating." Erina stubborn.


"What about this?" Came the same young boyish voice. It turns out that Kanon had been in the room for half an hour, watching Erina sulking all these while. Erina looked up and saw Kanon holding onto a black bag and offered to Erina.


"What's this?" Erina asked.


"Check it out yourself. I think you will like it." Kanon continued as he settled himself comfortably beside Erina.


Erina stretched hand into the bag and pulled out a green strawberry out of it. "I took it from the field before I left, since I had never tried them before." Kanon explained.


"These can't be eaten. They had yet to ripe." Erina sighed.


"Really?" Kanon sit up in attention, in surprise. "No wonder they taste so weird. They bit on my tongue." Kanon continued as he stuck his tongue, causing Erina to burst into laughter. "You are finally smiling, aren't you?" Kanon turned around and starred at the laughing Erina. "You looked cute with your laughter. " Kanon blurted out without realising.


Erina blushed at the compliment. She looked away from Kanon immediately and at the black bag she held in her hand. Silence sat between the pair before Erina decided to speak up again. "Why did you bring me here?"


"I don't know. . .It was General Yoshizawa's idea. He said it will be easier to invite Lady Takahashi back . . " Kanon answered honestly.


"Who is Lady Takahashi?" Erina pondered.


"Your sister?" Kanon replied effortlessly.


"Why do you want invite my sister back then?"


"She has an arrange marriage with the Crown Prince, that's why?"


"EH?!" Erina jumped up in surprised. "Impossible! Ai-nee has Penguin!" Erina objected.


---------------------------------------


"Ai. . . Ai . . ." Ai felt someone patting on her cheeks as she gradually heard her name being called. When she attempted to had her eyes open, the striking light of the room caused her to close her eyes once again. "Ai . . ."


"I'm up. . . " Ai answered with her eyes closed.


"You scared me. . .You have been out the whole night again ..  " Miki explained.


"Really?" Ai tried to sit up and attempted to open her eyes slowly again. "Where Erina?" Ai remembered.


Miki shook his head lightly in response.


Ai's anxiety for her sister was shown all over her face. "I'm going out to search for her again." Ai flipped the blanket off her legs and attempted to get off the bed. When she did, the first thing she saw on the ground, was a dying bouquet of flowers - the ones Risa had gave her last night. Ai bent down at picked it up. It was only a night without proper hydration, and the flowers are dying, with the petals threatening to fall out the bud at any moment. Ai's heart broke when she saw the flowers in its state. 'It's only a night, and it marks the end of the never changing love he promised. . .  .'


-----------------------------------------------


"Father!" Risa stomped into the King's bedroom hurriedly. That was his first destination the first thing he reached the palace.


"Risa?" The King was surprised to see Risa back in the palace. There was still half a year away from Risa's year away from the courts. "Why are you back so early? You looks like you had gotten so much skinner, My Son." The King concerned.


"Father are you alright?" Risa brushed the hand on his head away and began to check on his father. "I heard that you are seriously sick. Are you alright?" Risa continued.


"Where have you heard them from, my dear Son? Except for the flu I had acquired 2 months ago, I am in a perfect pink of health since you left." The King explained.


"Eh?" Risa responded. Rumours had complicated the situation and Risa had believed in it.


"But, well, since you are back, we shall go ahead and pull the wedding forward then, since it has been ages the country had any major celebration. " The King continued.


"Father, actually I have something to tell you . . . " Risa spoke up.


"What, My Son?"


"I want to pull off the wedding with the General's daughter. I don't want to marry her." Risa declared as he looked at the king with determination in his eyes. He was fixed and sure. He wanted only Ai in his life and that's all. The lingering thought of Ai's disappointment with him still haunts him. He promised he will be back for her. And he was determined to fulfil that promise, whether or not if there were any objections against his decision.






Update~~~~

yah. . . It's a short transition chapter. . .
Yuppps. Uni work is piling up like a mountain. . .so I will try to find time to write whenever I have the time to . . .
Writing really cheers me up, so . . .
hopefully next chapter will be quick, if not, it would be until the next week end already. . .
so yupps

de wa, til the next chapter then

[alwaysYou]

i like eripon and kanon interaction..lol
and rude eripon rox too..

i wonder what the king will react upon gakisan request..

Need more Strawberry Penguin AiGaki 

[rndmnwierd]

Oh man, this is turning into such a clusterfuck. When will Risa discover that Erina is here? I can't wait to see that reaction.

Why couldn't he have just been more honest with Ai~!~!? He should have known she'd say they were through or something like that!

[arisa03]

asdasidjssa ajdsa HITOMI GO BACK AND TAKE AI ALREADY ALKSDJASDKLASDS OR ELSE MIKI WILL TAKE HER~~~ that opportunist little I mean tall one alksjdklsadjklsad

GO KING TELL RISA YOU AGREE SO THEY CAN JUST BE TOGETHER klajsdlksadjsakldsasa /shot Okay done. OTL ;A; Cai-san update soooooooon ; A ;

[risa_ai]

DMAGDMGPGMPJPGMPJA!! YOU JUST WANNA KILL ME, DON'T YA?! YOU JUST DID! T_T Poor ai... Please! Don't let her marry miki! AARGH!! I'm gonna die of depression. YOU'D BETTER UPDATE FAST OR I'LL GIVE YOU CANDY!

[caiyunki]

[17] - Eh? IT'S YOU?!?!


"I'm afraid not, my Son. " The King replied slowly to Risa's request after a moment of silence. "I've already invited the daughter of the General back into the palace. And she is all ready and prepared for the union." The King finished.


"I refuse, Father." Risa rebelled. "Even if she appears right before me right at this moment, I'm still not marrying her." Risa continued stubbornly.


"You weren't like this before you left for your trip, Risa." The King realised. "You were the one who had promised that you will agree to the marriage if you were allowed to take the year away from the palace. Do you remember about that, my Son?" The King continued.


"That's - " Risa stuttered. It was rare for Risa to stutter in his speech before his father.


"I was right, ain't I?" The King spoke again. Risa hummed his lips tightly together as he looked away nervously away from the King's questioning stare. "Like it or not, Risa, you are going to fulfil that promise you had made." The King finished.


"But - " Risa tried to object, only to be stopped by his father stern warning.


"Risa." The King called firmly, signalling to Risa to stop whatever he had intended to.


"I'm not going to, Father." Risa finally acquired enough courage to rebel against his father again. "Father, " Risa started off. "I had not fallen in love with anyone before when I had made that deal. Now that I had, I am not going to let her go. I won't marry someone I had never even seen before in my whole life. If I have to marry someone, It has to be this girl of my interest, Father. "


"Risa - "


"And you know what, Father? She loves me back too, even when she does not know anything about my background." Risa interrupted, knowing what the King had in his mind to stop Risa's intention - the sincerity of one heart : To the extend if she really loves him, or was it because of Risa's status. "I'm going to speak to the general's daughter by myself when she arrives. Until then, I'm going back to where I had stayed for the past half year and bring the lady I'm interested in back." Risa finished with determination. With that, Risa turned away from the King and headed straight towards the door.


"Risa, wait." The King called out, stopping Risa in his steps.


"Yes, Father?" Risa turned around and faced his father who was seated up on the bed.


"It's really late right now. If you really have to leave, wait till the morning then. . . " The King informed. "I will prepare the horses to get you there earlier. . . " The King added on.


Without saying anything, Risa nodded his head in response and bowed in gratitude, before he excused himself out of the King's bedroom.


-----------------------------------------


"I need to leave this place. . ." Erina whispered to herself as she lied on the comfy soft layers of the humongous sized bed. "I can't let them force Ai-nee to come here with them . . . Ai-nee has Penguin. She can't marry the stupid Prince of this stupid land." Erina continued mumbling. "I need to find a way to get out of here... It seems like that Kanon guy would be guarding outside my room. It seems like..." Erina whispered to herself as she snuggled deeper into the soft pillow.


Just as Erina whispered to herself, a yawn of sleepiness caught onto her. 'Tomorrow... The first thing I am going to do tomorrow is to sneak out of this creepy place.' Erina decided silently in her mind. Just a minute later after that, soft snoring could be heard in the dead quiet room. The teenage had fallen asleep straight away after the whole day of events.


-----------------------------------------


After staying in the bed half asleep for the whole night, Risa snapped his eyes wide open the moment the first light shone into the room. This was the moment he had been waiting for the whole night - to be able to leave the palace once again and set on a journey back to the land of strawberry to bring Ai back with him. He hastily changed himself out of his sleeping attire and into one of his formal clothing before heading towards the room door. As he placed pressure on the doorknob, realisation struck him.


"Wait a minute?! " Risa panicky groaned as he gave the knob a further few fuddling. "Why is the door locked from outside ?" Risa asked in a loud voice, to no be in particular.


Unexpectedly, a reply was received. "I'm sorry, Prince Gaki. His Majesty had ordered us to lock your room door from outside late last night. His Majesty had ordered that, without his permission, Prince Gaki will not be allowed out from his room." Came a deep voice echoing from the other side of the door.


"What?! But-" Risa wanted to refute about the permission he thought he had received from the king last night, only to stop when he realised it was all part of his father plan to keep him in the palace. "Da-" Risa wanted to curse, only to stop when he realised it was inappropriate for him to do so. "What's your name ? " Risa questioned the guard.


"Sorry Prince Gaki. I'm not allow to say. The King had ordered that we are not supposed to make any deal with you in order to get yourself out." The guard replied honestly.


"But - " Risa banged roughly on the door.


----------------------------------------------------


"Hi, we meet again, Lady Ai." Ai opened the door, only to find Hitomi standing outside the door, with a smile on his face.


"What are you doing here again?" Ai asked in her hoarse voice, which had attracted Miki to come to the door from Ai's room.


"What are you doing here again?" Miki asked offensively. "Stop harassing my fiancée. Hasn't she told you to leave her alone?" Miki continued.


"Fiancée?" Hitomi tilted his head to a side as he looked at Miki in baffled. "If then so, why didn't you introduce yourself to me yesterday? Instead, this term is only valid today. Which means, high chances, this is a fraud." Hitomi calmly analysed.


"That - " Miki was lost for words.


"I was right." Hitomi smiled victoriously.


"Whatever about that, it doesn't matter at all. My decision is made. I'm not returning to the land of Penguin with you." Ai chipped it, stopping the little verbal war between Miki and Hitomi.


"Well. . . I suppose you were on your way to search for your younger sister when you opened that door. Am I right to say that, Lady Ai?" Hitomi turned the conversation around and began to use his ultimate weapon he had planned - Erina.


"How did you manage to - " Ai asked, as her eyes went wide staring at Hitomi.


"I'm sorry about that, Lady Ai. But I had taken the liberty to bring your younger sister back to the land of Penguin. " Hitomi crossed his right arm across to his left shoulder as he bowed.


"You what?" Ai raised a tone, with her eyes going even bigger than before.


"Since Lady Ai is going to get married to our Crown Prince, it is understandable that all her family members moved in with her as well. Therefore, I had taken the liberty to bring your younger sister back first without your consent, Lady Ai." Hitomi explained again, this time with a slight smirk at the corner of his lips.


"That's cunning!" Miki broke out in anger as he went straight into Hitomi, aiming for his shoulder. However, being one of the best fighter in the Land of Penguin, that little attack meant nothing to Hitomi. He had managed to dodge it even before Miki reached his hand on him.


Ai bit onto her lower lips, so forcefully that she had began to taste blood in her mouth. Dilemma was filling her heart. She pledged that she will never ever wanted to get married to the person she had never knew in all her life. Yet the fact that her sister was right in Hitomi's possession is swaying her determination. Tears began to linger at the corners of her eyelids.


"You better return Erina to us before I get the authorities from the Land of Strawberry to bring you behind the bars for illegal confinement of Erina!" Miki threatened. "I am the - " A pair of warm hands around Miki's wrist interrupted Miki from continuing.


"It's alright Miki. . ." Ai spoke in a soft voice. "You have did your best to help me. . . " Ai continued weakly as a single tear dripped down her rosy cheeks.


"Ai . . ." Miki called out softly.


"I'm going to send Erina back as soon as I reach there. . . I'm going to leave her in your hands . . . " Ai continued, giving Miki no chances to persuade her out of her decision.


"But Ai. . . "


"Say no more Miki. I had made my decision. Erina is all I have now. I want her to be happy forever. I don't want her to be confined in the palace for the rest of her life. " Ai interrupted again.


"What about that Penguin?" Miki asked, hoping that would make Ai sway about her decision.


Ai smile bitterly at the mention of Risa's nickname, trying to smile away the bitterness and pain she felt within her left chest. "He's not coming back. . .  Even if he is. . . We won't be able to be together. . . Never. . ." Ai whined in a really quiet voice. So quiet that no one could hear her at all. "I'm ready to leave. .  ." Ai turned to Hitomi as she swiped away the lone tear that dwelled at her chin.


----------------------------------------------


"Prince Gaki, you're back?" A familiar voice echoed into Risa's room, sending Risa springing up from his bed and rest straight towards the door.


"Kanon, is that you?" Risa asked in panic and excitement.


"Yes it's me, Prince Gaki."


"Unlock the door for me, Kanon. . ." Risa begged in his most desperate voice. Soon after, he heard the clinging sound of the keys around the door. Risa placed his hand on the door knob in anticipation. When the clicked sound was heard, Risa pressed the knobbed down and pulled the door straight open. Before he could get passed Kanon, he was pushed back into the room by the former already.


"Prince Gaki, you are not allowed to be out of your room." Kanon explained as he bowed in apology.


"Kanon, I have an important task to fulfil. . " Risa pleaded, knowing the younger was soft at heart.


"But, the King had. . . " Kanon hesitated. Catching Kanon on his off guard, Risa placed a pressure on the latter's pressure point, sending the younger into a temporary coma.


"Sorry, Kanon, I didn't mean to do this. . .But I really have to get back to Strawberry and tell her the truth. . " Risa mumbled as he caught the young boy from dropping to the ground and rested him comfortably on his bed. With that, Risa hurriedly made his way towards the door. He peeked out to the hallway, checking the waters was safe before making the first step out of his room in a sneakily way. "I'm coming Ai. . . "


---------------------------------


"Where is the entrance?" Erina mumbled to herself. She was been wandering around the palace all alone for nearly an hour, after Kanon had bided goodbye with her, quoting that he had a duty to fulfil, and therefore had to leave Erina alone in the guest room. Deep down within Erina, she was cheering. Finally, she had gotten the chance to sneak out of the designated room for her and begin her plan - escaping from the royal palace of Land of Penguin. Though the chance, Erina had totally lost her way in the palace. She could not remember where had she came from the night before nor the exact location of where she is right now. Whenever Erina spotted a guard around, she would hide her slender body behind one of the gigantic pillars they had all around the palace, hoping that would keep her away from the sight of the guards.


"Now, turn right or left?" Erina asked herself in a hushed voice when she reached the cross road once again. She sighed deeply as she closed her eyes, trying to figure out the way she had came from yesterday. "Left." Her guts told her that. Slowly and carefully, Erina took baby steps towards the left and hid behind yet another pillar as she checked for the presence of guards around.


It was amazing that she had managed to find her way to the gates even without having to know her way around the palace. It was already 2 hours since her departure from her room and she had finally made her way to the entrance she had came from the night before. Right before her, she notice a familiar back she had seen from the past, doing the same actions as her - checking out the environment while trying to hide behind a bush of plant. Erina made her way quietly to the back and smack hardly on the shoulder, causing the back to jumped up slightly. "Penguin?! What are you doing over here?" Erina asked in a hushed voice.


Risa turned around, with his right hand covering his mouth as he tried to muffle his cry of pain from the smack. When he realised it was Erina, he pulled his hand away from his mouth. "Erina? What are you doing here?" Risa asked as he furrowed his distinct thick eyebrows.


That earned his another smack on his shoulder. Risa squirmed his eyes close in pain. "I asked the question first. . . " Erina argued.


"That hurts. . . " Risa whined in pain. "I've already invited the daughter of the General back into the palace. And she is all ready and prepared for the union." The King's voice echoed in Risa's mind as Risa tried to snap himself out of his pain. 'Could it be that . . . Erina is the daughter of the General? If that's the case, this would be so much of an easier task to pull off the wedding. . ' Risa thought silently in his mind. "If the two of you had told Erina, Erina will stop myself from falling in love with Penguin more, since Penguin belongs to Ai-nee!" However, yet another voice of memory, Erina wailing out, echoing in Risa's mind made Risa shuttered. 'She said she had fallen in love me that evening, didn't she? If that's the case. . .would this hurt her even more? '


"What are you doing in here? Aren't you with Ai-nee? Ai-nee is in trouble! " Erina cried out in her hushed voice and had expected an equally hushed response from Risa.


However, that was not so. "WHAT?" Risa jumped out from the cover of the bush plant and stood on his feet, looking down at Erina in great surprise. "Ai is in trouble?"





Yes, I had left it hanging there. . 
I was not being Evil. . .It's just. . .I feel like it :X hehehe

@ alwaysYou : hahahahha . . . .I want more aigaki too hopefully there will be some labu labu after concert tonight. . .

@ rndmnwierd : Well now that Gaki had met Erina. . .. heheh. which means . . .

@ arisa03 : hehehe. Hitomi got Ai heheeh

@ risa_ai : I won't let Miki get Ai. It's a AiGaki fic in the first place. . HEHEH


Yah. . .sorry for the long wait (and short update?)
I have the next chapter all planned. It's just getting the time and motivation to type it out. . hehehe



just a teaser : Next chapter contains a wedding . . . With a slight twist . . . HEHEHE

De wa, until the next chapter !!




hehehe

[arisa03]

Caaaaiii-saaaannn~ You better update tomorrow! soon! They better meet next chapter! T___T GO YOSSIE EVERYTHING IS IN YOUR HANDS!