@oddy: You are exactly correct, and this will show that they are closer than they think they are
Chapter 8
Aika got Tomo exhausted halfway through the trip and left her in the stall as she checked on Reina with her head leaning on the glass. Aika tapped her on the shoulder, taking the other side of the stall, giving her a smile.
“Tomo-chan is so cute.”
“Yes, she is, I wish she can grow up to be beautiful.”
“I think she takes on a good role model.”
“Who?” Reina shook her head.
“You silly, you make a good role model.” Aika pointed at herself and shook her head.
“I feel so honored, but I failed at my own life.”
“What do you mean?”
Aika explained her past of being good student gone bad, it started with her first year of high school that she fell in love with a girl who was in a gang. She blindly followed her every place she went and not knowing what she had gotten into. By the end of the first year, she had to get bailed out fifteen times, by the second year, she had been sent into juvenile detention camp and finally she was on her own. During that whirlwind trip, she had kept her studies in check but lacked the attendance to graduate. So, she had found herself in a run-down apartment with cheap rent. In the end, she was getting stipends for her work in the community but barely enough to survive.
“Aika... why would you fall in love with a woman who ruined your life?”
“Because... I never expected that she cared for me and when she finally fell from her post, I knew what I had done wrong, and I met Tomo-chan.” Reina started to tear up as she looked over at the little girl.
“So, Tomo has been your model...” Aika nodded.
“I never wanted to be here, I was smart enough to get into any school I want but I wanted to be with someone, not like any ordinary person but a person who became the other part of my life, the things I couldn't fill, she fed me, let me stay with her, even...” Reina tilted her head.
“No... she took your thing?” Aika nodded.
“Yes, it was the last time I had seen her before she got arrested and put into jail, she knew she was running out of time, and I let her have my body. I felt happy but it made me feel empty inside knowing I would probably never see her again.”
“You gave up your own virginity to a woman you would never see again because you truly had those feelings for her?” Aika nodded.
“That is a big sacrifice, I never felt that close to anyone, many think that I am a lone wolf that is only there to satisfy my own needs. Reason why I developed myself to be this way and I had cared once before but I never truly understood why.”
“Reina... thank you for being a good friend and helping Tomo with her mother's murder, many would leave us in the cold but you took us in.” Aika bowed in front of Reina as the tears fell to the ground.
“I have to tell you something...”
“What is it?”
“When we visit Sayu... there is something that will come out and reveal my true identity... however I for one will want you to hear the whole story before you make your decision. Sayu and the niece of who we visited in the laboratory used to be friends.” Aika looked over at Tomo who started to wake up.
“Okay, I believe you in being honest, so I will wait on my judgment, however if it means to solve the murder, I have to stay because I want to make sure I know who did this, so Tomo can understand when she is ready to hear it.” Reina nodded towards Aika as she went back to Tomo.
“Aika-chan, do you have something to eat?” She shook her head as Tomo rested her head on the woman's lap.
Reina knew how Aika felt except she was Aika's lover's type, the thief, however she did it for herself and nobody else. When she befriended Sayu and Eri, she changed into a responsible person, worked at a convenience store, and made her money as Sayu and Eri worked on their experiments. Eventually, Reina looked in their textbooks to understand the material. However, the chemistry of Sayu and Eri was perfect, leaving Reina in the cold. She became lonely and had thought about botching the experiment but never had the nerve to harm Eri.
Until the one night after her shift was over, she had received a phone call hours earlier about Eri suffering from chemical inhalation. Reina ran over to the hospital seeing Sayu outside crying in her lab coat. She turned to see Eri coughing out blood as she managed to struggle in her breathing, Reina sat by Sayu but she went away from her as she sat there alone until the sun rise.
“Reina... come in...” Eri said weakly.
“Eri, what happened?”
“The chemicals got mixed up and caused a toxic smoke cloud, I told Sayu that something went wrong but the cloud consumed the room quickly and Sayu dragged me out.” Eri explained.
“Why? Why would someone do this?” Reina thought to herself.
“Don't worry, I'll be fine.” Reina looked at her watch and went back home as Sayu came back with flowers. With one glimpse, Sayu turned away from her and walked in as Reina took the train back for sleep.
Reina knew that many were envious of their achievement but Reina had an alibi because that night that she was working, a man came in to rob the place. She had fought him off with the broom as he shot toward the ceiling and ran away. All she wanted to do was to make Eri proud that she could become that person Eri wanted her to be, but that night set off her bad luck and the past came back to haunt her forever.
Topic: The Hooded Woman Part 2-5 6/5 (Read 11374 times)