More Than One Story...[111016 Loving You Forever]

[ShikyoxYaiba]

I'm loving the TanaShige... I really am. But the TakaGakiKame has me torn to bits. Risa's finally remembered everything, and I'm thankful for that, but... Eri. I think you're the only one capable of it Hammy. You've made her...well, evil to say the least. She's become so possessive and hardened that she's simply not the Eri I know and love. And Ai... -sigh-

Kuji brings up a good point though. Did Risa remember before or after this dinner? She could be putting up a front to hide that she knows the truth.

My expectations?  Wait, scratch that. My PREDICTION. (Aka, my imagination running wild here. It's trying to finish what you started, hammy! Don't pay attention to my rambling.) [bgcolor=#000000]Risa remembers. She remembers everything. I don't think the medicines will help now that she does. And I think that she'll notice that her prescription has increased - and she'll realize that it's Eri's doing. Risa will confront Eri, whereby everything somehow gets exposed. Risa feels betrayed by Eri, but doesn't exactly totally blame her, because she was right in the fact that Ai did leave her behind in her time of need. Confused, Risa asks for time alone and basically kicks Eri out. Eri, lost and heartbroken, wanders wherever her feet take her - near the hospital. She collapses on a bench and falls asleep...in the rain? What the weather like again? I forgot. Then Reina comes across her and...yeah, I'll stop there.[/bgcolor] *could go on forever* Hope I didn't say too much.

[JFC]

Guardian Angel
Chapter 9: When Night Becomes Day

The picture that emerged shocked her to the very core of her soul. In the dated photo were four girls in their teens with tear streaked faces. She recognized two of them immediately as her former band mates and proceeded to read the names beneath the picture softly, skipping over her own.

“Konno Asami, Ogawa Makoto…Takahashi Ai.”

“Ai-chan…AI-CHAN!”

Oshit...Risa did some searching...and her memory came back!

It doesn't matter whom you are with, it doesn't matter where you are going.

Do you know I'm still waiting here for you?

Sayumi curled her body in a tight ball and sobbed quietly into the sheets which accompanied her daily. Ever since Reina had left the country for the Morning Musume concert tour in Korea, she had been alone.

Awww...Sayu misses Reina!

It wasn’t the same without Reina’s comforting voice telling her stories about the clumsy performance of the newer members,

I'm sure those are pretty entertaining.

and how Jun Jun had finally confessed her feelings to a talent whom she had cooperated with on a stint as a voice actress for an anime.   

EEEEEEEEEEEEEH?!?!? 

"I should have told you this from day one. I like you, no, love. I love you Sayu."

Bringing her arms tighter around the patient's body, the unexpected caller continued.

"But I was too afraid to confess my feelings. I was scared of rejection, frightened that you would look at me differently if you knew. Then when I found out about your affections for Eri, I hated myself. Every single day I have regretted not telling you and thus losing my chance. If only I had said something earlier then maybe, things would have been different."

Reina? She's back!   

Wriggling around within the other girl's embrace, Sayumi lifted her arms to cup at the face of her admirer. Then pulling her nearer to herself, she gently planted her lips over the younger’s. Her actions stunned the shorter girl and this time it was her turn to freeze.

Omgass, omgass, omgass, omgass, omgass! 

what Sayumi said next shattered all reservations she previously had.

"It took me 2 years to realize what a fool I've been. I’ve chased after another for so long when all this time the person who loved me the most had been right here.

“I’ll leave. I’ll take the next flight out of Japan as I’ve promised.”

Standing a few feet apart were two women as they kept their respective lines of sight away from the other. With her arms folded across her chest, the taller dug her fingers into her arm and gritted her teeth with unwavering determination. What she had demanded of her former friend must sound harsh and cruel now but the end result would be for the best.   

“I’ve agreed to your terms, now give me your word that you’ll agree to mine.”

Whirling her head around rapidly, she narrowed her eyes and spat out vehemently at the one dressed in a black overcoat.

“This isn’t a transaction! It’s your only option if you care about Gaki-san as much as you claim.”

“I’m not bargaining. I’m begging. Let me see her for the last time. Because after tomorrow, she’ll never know I ever existed.”

Oooooooooooooooooh, I don't like the sound of this. 

The atmosphere hanging above this particular table at the posh French restaurant was awkward. None of its three occupants spoke until the waiter arrived to note down their orders. When he had excused himself to attend to another table, Risa finally started.

“I’m very honored that you would ask me along for the meal Takahashi-san. But I wasn’t involved in the decoration of the auditorium. Credit for its success goes entirely to Kame.”

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh...the three of them are together, but Aichan and Eri don't know...that Risa KNOWS!

Ai watched as Eri left the small establishment through its glass entry, causing the tiny silver bell hanging above the entrance to tinkle as she let the door swing shut behind her. Turning back to stare at Risa, Ai stretched out her hand so that it remained raised in the air space in front of her face.

“Trust me, Risa-chan.”

Eh? 

*ERI'S PHONE CONVO*

Oh mang.

...


...


This ain't good.

[Sukoshi]

HSD = Happy Sukoshi Day (cause reading HWTD made me a happy camper =D )

and now as for GA 9!  whoo it's like HSD x 2!!  

lol Risa googling mornign musume  that's such a sayu thing to do  
I'm surprised she didn't feel compelled to do some searching until now.  Darn that Eririn for being good at keeping her in the dark!  

Do you know I'm still waiting here for you?

Hammy san~ the sniffles are starting again  

I feel bad for Eri...even though she's kind of becoming evil...but it's sad that she's not enough for Sayu and Risa...

aww it's funny how Reina feels guilty over KameShige...cause I feel guilty over it too  
but TanaShige? or MichiREi or something  the two of them just melt my heart  love them together  

hmmm...should I also take a guess at what's going to happen?

hmm...I could see Risa wanting to stop taking the drugs all together.  After all Risa remembers Ai chan now and hasn't become crazy depressed again..so maybe she'll want to stop taking the drugs in hopes of remember everything.  And maybe while Eri is doing her evil plotting outside of the restaurant with the doctor man, Ai chan might be in there trying to convince Risa to go off the meds.

I really wish she would just stop taking the meds by herself, without Eri knowing...that way we can avoid KonaKaga's scenario 2 and 3  Just say no to those options! cause Sukoshi doesn't like them and will cry  and theory number 1 as well!  

and about TanaShige...I hope they get to be happy for more than 1 chapter    but I can see a terrible cat fight happening (between the cat and the turtle) if Risa ditches Eri.  oh Risa...don't ditch Eri!  She maybe evil and ruining your health..which might lead to your death or make you crazy like a loon but Sukoshi does not want the ending bit to theory number 1!

[strawb3rrykream]

  That was my face when I read that Gaki got her memory back. But if Gaki doesn't know if Sayu's ok....does that mean Eri's keeping her ALL to herself? I'm so relieved that she remembered Ai-chan~~~
Mmm, Sayu's in for a surprise~~ Gah, TanaShige is too cute. LOL That last line~~
Evil Eri here reminds me of Evil Gaki in ongakuSOUL's story. Because I can barely imagine either one of them being like this. But as wrong as it is, I like it. Hmm, but at least she isn't totally heartless, and at least allows Ai-chan to see Gaki~~ Damn, just mentioning their names together makes me all kyaa~ inside. And outside. Does Ai-chan have a plan to escape with Gaki and whisk her away to a beautiful tropical island where they can live happily ever after? Oh wait, that's just my fantasy~ My bad.
Now I'm afraid for Gaki's life, you know? An overdose could mess her up or even kill her.....NO, HAMMY!!! I hope Ai-chan can do something before Gaki gets hurt or worse.

[kRisZ]

Do you know I'm still waiting here for you?

ouches 

"Be my eyes. Even if I do recover my sight one day."

  that's very touching

“Trust me, Risa-chan.”

Runaway.?. I hope so 

Gaki-san belongs to me, for eternity.

lol kind of selfish thing but still hmmm


next chapter please 

[lil_hamz]

I was clearly out of my mind when I wrote this. Nevertheless, I hope you will have an enjoyable read ^^;


Pepper Keibu ~ Hawaiian Version


*drum drum tap drum drum tap*

The vision of a pair of razor sharp eyes fixated itself on the door of a rather rundown apartment complex. The glass double doors leading inside the building swung open and close whenever someone entered or left the structure situated at the corner of a shady district. It was the third day and by the look of things, they weren't going to get the man they wanted today.

The alert watcher continued drumming his fingers on the steering wheel of the vehicle he was sitting inside until the distracting noise emitting by his colleague grew too loud to bear.

"Will you stop that! It's annoying."

He snapped exasperatedly at the figure holding tightly onto a giant packet of chips.

"Want some?"

The other party remained oblivious and shoved the bag into the face of one very not amused officer. Tossing a handful of potato chips periodically into his already overflowing mouth, he continued chewing loudly.

"No."

His tone was anything but polite and glared hard at the untidy partner he was destined to be paired with. Ever since entry into the police academy, they were constantly grouped in the same team. Even after the greedy sergeant was once hospitalized due to a rather serious case of food poisoning, he never gave up roaming the night markets or devouring every tidbit and snack that he set eyes on.

Sighing to himself for being trapped with such a partner for the few years, the young lieutenant shook his head resignedly.
 
"Just keep your eyes open. We don't want to miss the creep."

"Hai! Will do."

When the younger shot his right hand up to the side of his head to salute the order, he ended up spraying crumbs in various directions inside the small sedan.

"Watch it! I don't want Tanaka Deka breathing down my neck if his car got infested with cockroaches."

Frantically brushing at his clothes, the older huffed angrily and stared slacked jawed at the figure now ripping open a zip lock bag and unwrapping the aluminum tin foil covering a hamburger.

"Do you have a black hole inside that stomach of yours?"

The disbelief laced his voice and his thick brows arced till they were almost slanted at an 60 degrees angle.

"My mother makes the best burgers. Want a bite?"

Unlocking the glove compartment, he reached for the bottle of pepper lying on its side while balancing the juicy burger with one hand.

Slapping his palm onto his forehead, the more serious of the pair sighed again. Audibly this time before turning his head to look out the window once more. He had to avert his eyes away from the sight of seeing someone stuff his face with junk food like he has never eaten a meal for the past week. He didn't need to be traumatized so late in the night, or early in the morning, depending on which way you looked at it.

The luminous numbers on the dash board read 2.35 am. Resting his elbow on the wound down window, he resumed staring at the exit, careful to not miss any movement around the area. A dark shadow flashed past the doorway, causing him to sit up straighter in his cramped seat. Leaning forwards, he peered intently at the suspicious figure shrouded in a long cloak.

"I think we have our man."

Whispering to his partner who was still in the midst of chomping down what was left of the homemade burger, the diligent cop pulled on the lever of the car door and slipped out silently. Seeing his senior's actions, the slower of the two scrambled to put down the greasy food and locate the gun he had removed from the holster strapped around his shoulder.

-----

"Why must we film so late at night? It's so eerie outside!"

The taller girl grumbled to her manager who was sitting in the front passenger seat.

"You should understand why we have to do this."

The man clad in a sharp suit glanced at his watch as he replied his charge. Subsequently, he turned his attention to the driver of the van, directing the way towards their intended destination.

"We could do the shoot in the studio. We always did it that way."

She twirled the ends of her long black hair around her fingers unconsciously as she reasoned with their long time manager.

"Don't be difficult Sayumi. It's about time we made something special for the fans. This
will be our first promotional video filmed overseas. I can't wait."

Rubbing her hands together excitedly, the one with short brown hair said.

“Let’s go shopping tomorrow Ai-chan. I heard Hawaii has some really nice malls.”

Tilting her head to look out the window, Sayumi watched the passing scenery change from swanky buildings to dilapidated houses.

“Eeeeeeeee, this places looks dirty.”

“We’re getting off here girls.”

The manager informed before opening the door and sliding out of his seat.

“Where are the rest of the crew?”

Takahashi Ai asked as she climb out of the vehicle after Sayumi. She had noticed that the van following behind their mode of transport was nowhere in sight.

“They had to pull over and replace a punctured tire. They should arrive shortly.”

-----

“YOU, STOP!”

Chasing the suspect down two streets, he was gradually gaining on the burly man and after taking a calculated estimate, leaped forward to tackle the armed robber to the ground. Behind them, the sergeant heaved heavily and pressed a hand onto his side. He was starting to feel a painful stitch forming, no doubt caused by indigestion of the food he had previously consumed.

“Kame, cuff him!”

Struggling with the robber, he dodged the knife whist holding down the agitated man who was twice his size.

“Ha—i…”

The reply sounded breathless and the police officer who was feeling sick strained to hold down the thrashing man with great effort. Within a minute, he was thrown off and fell to the side rolling some distance away.

“That’s for hurting him!”

Pouncing onto the man, Kame’s superior threw a heavy blow at the bearded man but got kicked away when he diverted his attention to check on his groaning subordinate.
Recovering quickly, he got on his feet and pulled out his pistol. To his astonishment, the robber was no longer alone. He had squirming in his grasp, a terrified girl.

Anyone living in this estate knew to stay indoors when night fell. To be roaming the streets at this time of the day was unheard of.

“Release her!”

Raising his left palm and facing it out, he tried to persuade the panting man to let the innocent girl go.

“Gaki-san.”

Wheezing loudly, Kame came to stand beside his partner and proceeded to take out his own weapon. The gun appeared to be wedged deep in the holder and Kame had to tug hard to release it. When he pointed it at the suspect, the dim street lamp illuminated the object in his hand for all to see and induced guffaws of laughter from the criminal. The dazed officer’s fingers were tightly wrapper around a bottle of pepper.

“What the hell Kame?”

Realizing that Kame wasn’t going to be of much help, Gaki decided to take matters into his own hands. Snatching the bottle away from the turtle, he twisted the cap open and sprinkled its contents in a wide arc around the area. The pepper powder entered the man's nose and mouth and he began coughing thus loosening his hold around the hostage.

Seizing the opportunity to rescue her, the lieutenant reached out to yank the trembling female into his embrace while whacking the butt of his pistol against the head of the lawbreaker. Clearly out cold, the lawbreaker fell onto the ground in an unsightly heap.

“Ai-chan!”

Michishige Sayumi, the other member in the duet ran up to hug and comfort her frightened team mate.

“I was so worried! Thank god you aren’t hurt.”
Ai was terrified and shaking. She couldn’t really remember what had happened except that she was roughly grabbed by someone as soon as she got off the stationary van. She could still feel the cold steel of the knife pressing against her neck and her knees felt weak as she recalled how she had barely escaped the jaws of death. She could very well have been dead if not for him.

“There they are! Our heroes.”

Dragging Ai with her, Sayumi led the way over to where the officers were standing over the crumpled form of the unconscious man. Observing carefully the one who so courageously saved her, Ai muttered shyly.

"Thank you for saving my life."

Transferring his gaze to the petite woman who had spoken, Gaki smiled at her kindly.

"We were just doing our job. The important thing is that you are safe."

With another bashful smile, Ai uttered softly.

“Would you agree to have dinner with me? I want to thank you properly.”

Scratching at the back of his head, Gaki grinned, embarrassed that a girl as pretty as Ai would take the initiative to ask him out.

“I‘ll be honored. By the way, I‘m Bruce Niigaki.”

“And who‘s the hunky officer?”

Speaking up in a coy voice dripping with sweetness, Sayumi enquired, fluttering her perfectly curled eyelashes at Kame.

“Eric Kamei, sergeant with the Honolulu Police Department.”

[Sukoshi]

lol hammy san, my poor fangirl brain!  I had this horrible idea that the Sergeant was a big "round" police officer that was a messy eater  and then it turned out to be my beloved Eric

I thought for sure one of them would be Reina but that sure got ruled out at the funny roaches comment    

Bruce Niigaki with his killer eye brows was awesome and Eric was cute  Sayu and Ai naturally cracked me up

Hehe that was a lot of fun!  I'm sure you can tell how much it made me laugh by the crazed amount of X D faces I used  I think it also did something funky to my brain cause I only know how to use that one emoticon and now I am hungry  Thanks Eric

[KonaKaga]

OMG LOL
Eric just kept eating and eating
Gaki's just amazed at how much Eric is eating He's too immersed in his food to pay attention to anything else
My favourite part would definitely have to be:

“And who‘s the hunky officer?”

Speaking up in a coy voice dripping with sweetness, Sayumi enquired, fluttering her perfectly curled eyelashes at Kame.

“Eric Kamei, sergeant with the Honolulu Police Department.”

[ringo-hime]

OMG.

Eric!! the hunky police officer 

[strawb3rrykream]

....ok, now what is this?

Now we know where the famous Thunder Thighs come from~ I could totally tell that GakiKame were the cops. Yummy TakaGaki~~~~ And Sayu...

[stefy]

Damn it hamzies!

You made me picture a fat guy Kame running clumsily o-o

OMG.. wheres the erase button? I need to get tt image outta my mind!!! xD

[Sukoshi]

lol stefy    I love it when hammy messes with your brain  unfortunately she got me too!  

take my advice...watch lots and LOTS of Eric Kamezou plus the 2006 sports fest!  It's the only way to flush the image out!  

(hammy san pretend you didn't hear me say any of this)  

[kRisZ]

lol Eri's image is kind of 

[JFC]

Pepper Keibu ~ Hawaiian Version

The vision of a pair of razor sharp eyes fixated itself on the door of a rather rundown apartment complex. The glass double doors leading inside the building swung open and close whenever someone entered or left the structure situated at the corner of a shady district. It was the third day and by the look of things, they weren't going to get the man they wanted today.

Cops on a stakeout?

"Watch it! I don't want Tanaka Deka breathing down my neck if his car got infested with cockroaches."

Yeah. Tanaka Deka will probably do something like slowly scratch a chalkboard to teach them a lesson about cleanliness.

"Why must we film so late at night? It's so eerie outside!"

The taller girl grumbled to her manager who was sitting in the front passenger seat.

...

"We could do the shoot in the studio. We always did it that way."

She twirled the ends of her long black hair around her fingers unconsciously as she reasoned with their long time manager.

"Don't be difficult Sayumi. It's about time we made something special for the fans. This
will be our first promotional video filmed overseas. I can't wait."

Ooooooooooooooh I think I know where this is going.

Tilting her head to look out the window, Sayumi watched the passing scenery change from swanky buildings to dilapidated houses.

“Eeeeeeeee, this places looks dirty.”

“We’re getting off here girls.”

The manager informed before opening the door and sliding out of his seat.

“Where are the rest of the crew?”

Takahashi Ai asked as she climb out of the vehicle after Sayumi. She had noticed that the van following behind their mode of transport was nowhere in sight.

“They had to pull over and replace a punctured tire. They should arrive shortly.”

Yeah...this is not good.

“YOU, STOP!”

...

“Kame, cuff him!”

Kame?

the robber was no longer alone. He had squirming in his grasp, a terrified girl.

Anyone living in this estate knew to stay indoors when night fell. To be roaming the streets at this time of the day was unheard of.

“Release her!”

Well, I guess now that girl will know to make sure she's not out alone in the streets in the middle of the night. 

“Gaki-san.”

Wheezing loudly, Kame came to stand beside his partner and proceeded to take out his own weapon.

Of course, where there's Kame, there's gotta be Gaki.

The gun appeared to be wedged deep in the holder and Kame had to tug hard to release it. When he pointed it at the suspect, the dim street lamp illuminated the object in his hand for all to see and induced guffaws of laughter from the criminal. The dazed officer’s fingers were tightly wrapper around a bottle of pepper.

“What the hell Kame?”

We seriously need a "facepalm" smiley for moments like this LOLZ.

Realizing that Kame wasn’t going to be of much help, Gaki decided to take matters into his own hands. Snatching the bottle away from the turtle, he twisted the cap open and sprinkled its contents in a wide arc around the area. The pepper powder entered the man's nose and mouth and he began coughing thus loosening his hold around the hostage.

Seizing the opportunity to rescue her, the lieutenant reached out to yank the trembling female into his embrace while whacking the butt of his pistol against the head of the lawbreaker. Clearly out cold, the lawbreaker fell onto the ground in an unsightly heap.

“Ai-chan!”

Michishige Sayumi, the other member in the duet ran up to hug and comfort her frightened team mate.

OSHIT! THE GIRL WAS AICHAN!!!

WTF WAS THE MANAGEMENT SMOKING WHEN THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A PV SHOOT IN THE BAD PART OF TOWN!?!!?

Observing carefully the one who so courageously saved her, Ai muttered shyly.

"Thank you for saving my life."

Transferring his gaze to the petite woman who had spoken, Gaki smiled at her kindly.

"We were just doing our job. The important thing is that you are safe."

Gaki =

With another bashful smile, Ai uttered softly.

“Would you agree to have dinner with me? I want to thank you properly.”

Scratching at the back of his head, Gaki grinned, embarrassed that a girl as pretty as Ai would take the initiative to ask him out.

Aichan =
Gaki =

“I‘ll be honored. By the way, I‘m Bruce Niigaki.”

OSNAP! BRUCE NII!

“And who‘s the hunky officer?”

Speaking up in a coy voice dripping with sweetness, Sayumi enquired, fluttering her perfectly curled eyelashes at Kame.

“Eric Kamei, sergeant with the Honolulu Police Department.”

ERIC!!!



DOUBLE-DATE! THEY MUST DOUBLE-DATE!!!

[lil_hamz]

Guardian Angel
Chapter 9: When Night Becomes Day


@Kuji-san: YAY!!! I get to ride with you *hops about with happiness* Exactly, I actually really like Sayu and Reina together. Even more than TanaKamei for some reason *ducks flying rotten eggs*

I think why I wrote the chapter this way is cuz I myself can't decide on who Risa should end up with. Both Ai and Eri are so awesome in their own way. I hate making decisions!!

@KK: As people say, when love turns to hate. In this case Eri isn't hating on Risa. She's just too important for her to lose. Oooh theories, I like reading them. I can't tell you which of them is right yet though. Or if any of them hit the nail on the head. You'll have to wait to find out

@Shiichan: Gaki-san remembered BEFORE the dinner. That's all I'm gonna say for now. Hmmm this prediction of yours is very interesting. But like what I've told KK, I can't reveal the plot yet.

@JFC: Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh...the three of them are together, but Aichan and Eri don't know...that Risa KNOWS! <--- This made me laugh really hard. It was a great comment and really funny

@Sukoshi-chan: Sometimes we tend to forget the simplest things. If it occured to Risa to search for answers sooner maybe things would have turned out different?

Oh Sukoshi, I have a feeling you would hunt me down after the final chapter is posted. 

@SBK: This question I can answer. Eri lied about Sayu too. As she didn't want Risa to know that had been an accident, she couldn't let her find out Sayumi was in a coma. I should be explaining this part in one of the upcoming chapters

@kRisZ: Runaway? Hmmmm.... <--- Doesn't answer properly


Pepper Keibu ~ Hawaiian Version

@Sukoshi-chan: What do you know, I'm hungry too! Who said a person who eats a lot can't be cute? Eric is supposed to be hunky. Sayu said so!

@KK: That's my fave line in the whole fic. I love it when Sayumi acts like this. It's even better when Eric's involved

@ringo-hime: Don't you want a piece of him? I know I do

@SBK: Was I so obvious? LOL, but it's great that you caught on so fast

@stefy: Eric isn't fat and clumsy? It was the burger's fault. And the chips. They made him get a stitch

@kRisZ: No matter Eri or Eric, they are both so lovable and cute

@JFC: Because the people running UFA have mud in their brains? It has been proven hasn't it?

[ShikyoxYaiba]

Egads, I'm terribly late to reviewing! Sorry, I was still kind of stuck on AX... ^^;

OMG! Eric's such a slob. xD Well you know, the buff guys also tend to be the ones who eat the most... This fic definitely put a smile on my face.

[lil_hamz]

@Shiichan: Are you feeling better? I heard you got sick for a bit. I look forward to reading more of your fics


I apologize for MIA-ing for so long. I hope you gals (guys?) enjoy this update :blush:



Midnight
Chapter 2


Fluttering her eyelids open, Sayumi saw a chandelier dangling from the ceiling. As the room gradually came into sharper focus, she remembered the previous day's events. She had finally met the person who had so gallantly saved her from the group of dangerous men. Everything was going exactly as planned. In no time at all, she would complete her mission.

Something was placed underneath her head and when Sayumi reached her hand around to touch it, she discovered the object was a pillow which emitted a faint lavender scent.

Despite all the horror stories I've been told about this place, they seem to treat people rather well.

A warm draft blew across her face and instinctively, she turned towards the heat. Bright orange flames were crackling in the brazier and although there was no other sound in the room, Sayumi could sense that she were not alone. Someone was watching her.

Training her eyes towards the other side of the room, the one lying in bed saw a woman standing by the window staring back at her. It wasn't the servant girl from before and from the way she was attired, Sayumi knew she was of noble birth.

Strolling up to her bedside, the woman leaned over and offered Sayumi a tin cup filled with a strange liquid.

"Drink this."

Shaking her head from side to side, Sayumi pressed her lips together and refused the drink which smelt of herbs. Herbs which she knew were not lethal. Yet Sayumi could not bring herself to trust this woman. Who was she and what motives did she harbor for dropping in like this? Her mother's familiar warning rang in her ears as Sayumi looked up at the woman with the doe like eyes.

A look of confusion swept over the woman's face and she took a step back placing some distance between them to ease the evident uneasiness of the patient. Then smiling at Sayumi, she assured.

“I would never hurt a friend of Gaki. I trust him with my life, just as you have trusted him with yours.”

After she had spoken, the woman paused to move forward again. Picking up a sheet of paper and quill pen lying on the desk nearby, she placed them on Sayumi's lap.

"Can you tell me where you are from?"

Once again her tone was comforting and Sayumi found herself unable to resist the oddly soothing voice which could in all probability calm any frazzled nerves. Scribbling several short sentences on the yellowish paper, Sayumi finished writing the background story of the imaginary character she had memorized for the purpose of her task.

Every aspect of it was flawless as great thought had been put into crafting a victim whom even the most heartless of men could not turn away. As predicted, tears started to form in her expressive eyes and the woman lowered them to match and hold Sayumi's gaze.

"You are welcome to remain in Sukonbu for as long as you like. I am Takahashi Ai.”

Nodding back at Ai to acknowledge and thank her for the benevolence she has shown, Sayumi thought to herself

Takahashi Ai, only daughter of the prime minister and future queen of the kingdom.

-----

More than a month had passed since the incident and Sayumi had done well enough to secure a job in the castle. As one of the assistants in the kitchen, her daily work included making regular trips outside the palace to purchase and replenish supplies that the royal kitchen needed. Not only did she have full access to the army's food provisions, she could move about without rising any suspicion to herself. This helped her spy on the training routine of the soldiers in addition to eavesdropping for secret information.

Her decision to get close to Takahashi Ai had paid off and now the bride-to-be of the prince and sole heir to the throne thought of her as a blossom friend, someone whom she could pour her heart and innermost thoughts to.

Isn’t that pretty?

Pointing to a random necklace hanging from a hawker's makeshift stall, Sayumi tried to evoke a reaction from the woman walking beside her. However, the elder’s response constituted of simply a faint smile. It was obvious something was weighing on her mind.

Studying her profile from the side, Sayumi couldn’t help but feel slight feelings of pity for her companion. She had never seen anybody look so down prior to her own wedding. Aren’t brides supposed to bask in happiness while radiating a healthy glow of aura wherever they went?

Shrugging off the empathy which had welled up within her, Sayumi pulled Ai along through their interlinked arms. Since the young aristocrat had called her out for a stroll in the bustling marketplace, she might as well make the best use of it.

The pair continued in silence with Ai’s thoughts a million miles away whilst Sayumi took in the sights and sounds of the bazaar. It went on like this for some time until Ai halted her steps hastily causing Sayumi to bump into her.

Peeking from behind the shorter woman, the raven haired beauty widened her eyes when she recognized the object, or person in this case, who had captured Ai's undivided attention. Niigaki was headed in their direction from the opposite end of the street and clearly, he hadn't seen them.

"A-i..my lady!"

Bending down on one knee, he bowed deeply to pay respects to the last person whom he had expected to see.

"Such formalities aren’t necessary. Haven't I told you that countless times?"

Getting up slowly, Niigaki replied in a soft voice.

"Your status is no longer like before my lady."

An unmistakable awkwardness descended on the trio after Niigaki's statement and he averted his eyes pass Ai to avoid looking at her face. Realizing that he was right, Ai lowered her gaze to the ground, trying her best to prevent the tears swirling behind her eyes from falling.

Why did she have to be the Prime Minister's daughter? Why did he have to be a loyal soldier of the kingdom? Why couldn't they shed their responsibilities and runaway together? Why did she have to fall in love with him? Why...

Noting their unnatural behaviors, Sayumi recognized that the relationship between these two went beyond that of casual acquaintances.

This piece of information could prove useful in the future.

So lost in her thoughts, Sayumi was jolted sharply out of them when Niigaki rushed up to cradle Ai in his embrace. Subsequently, he twisted his body to shield her from a man who had appeared out of nowhere banishing a dagger. In no time, the attacker was overpowered and pinned to the ground.

Recovering her wits quickly, Sayumi held onto a trembling Ai and tried to calm her down. Why she bothered comforting a member of the enemy state Sayumi didn't know. She only knew that she couldn't bear to see Ai so petrified. Curse her heart of compassion, why did she have to be both beautiful and kind?

Panning her vision to Niigaki, she noticed that his clothes were covered with a layer of dirt and dust. He must have gotten them dirty during the scuffle. Just as she was about to look away and focus back on Ai, she detected a patch of red near the lower portion of his shirt.

-----

"Let go of my arm!"

"NO!!"

Struggling to free himself from the woman's grasp, the soldier attempted to escape by bursting into a sudden run. Unfortunately, she had preempted his move and managed to hold him back by encircling her arms around his waist.

"ARGH! Let go of me NOW!"

The commotion coming from the hall caused the occupants already seated at the dining table to direct their gaze towards the entry of the banquet area. No sooner had they done so, the perpetrators of the noise stumbled inside entangled in a tight bundle.

"My prince, please tell your sister to release me!"

Ssexy beasting into her hand at how incredibly funny the desperate cry for help sounded, Sayumi’s laughter brought about a glare from the girl still hanging onto her prized catch.

"Why don't you continue after the meal? Dinner is about to commence."

Reluctantly, the female loosened her hold and sat down grudgingly.

"Who's that and why is she eating with us?"

Angling her head and asking rudely, the latest arrival demanded from her brother. Replying his sister with a smile, the youthful prince answered.

"Michishige Sayumi is a friend of Ai and a guest of the kingdom. She will be eating with us from now on."

If looks could kill, Sayumi would have slumped over in her seat and died an instantaneous death. It was apparent the princess hated her with a passion.

"What a terrible host I've been. I seem to have forgotten to introduce you to everyone Sayumi."

Standing up from his intricately carved chair, the prince began.

"This is Kamei. He is one of my best soldiers along with Niigaki. And this is my older sister Reina."

Bobbing her head to signal that she could comprehend what he was saying, Sayumi smiled to thank him for taking the trouble to make her feel at ease. So far, both Ai and the prince had treated her well although only Niigaki and Ai seemed to be able to understand her in spite of her disability in speaking.

At just seventeen years old, the prince demonstrated a maturity well beyond his years. This was drastically different from his older sister who was still pouting with her arms crossed. No wonder he would be crowned King as soon as he passed his eighteen birthday. The marriage between Ai and him was also slated to fall on the same day as the inauguration.

"Where is Gaki?"

"He wasn’t hungry."

Explaining Niigaki's absence before tucking into his food, Kamei waited for Ai's attention to shift from him before flicking his eyes to the person sitting next to her. Observing the manner by which she ate, Kamei watched completely entranced by every single one of her actions. He had never seen a woman as graceful and gentle as her other than Ai. She was certainly a world apart from the tigress sitting in the chair beside him.

I will make you my woman.

[strawb3rrykream]

It took me a couple lines to figure out what this was. It's been so long~ But I'm glad you're continuing it.
Wow, Ai-chan is the future queen, huh? Sexy~~ And Sayu is gonna use her. BUT THERE'S TAKAGAKI!!! Gaki saved her...but at what price?
LMAO at Reina and her clinging to Eri/Kamei~~~ Ooooooh~~~ Kamei likes Sayu!

"You are welcome to remain in Sukonbu for as long as you like. I am Takahashi Ai.”

@ Sukonbu!!!

[ShikyoxYaiba]

Unrequitted TakaGaki makes Shicchan a sad girl. I do wonder just how bad that scuffle might have been... That wound is probably why Gaki missed dinner... And well...throw some TanaKame into the mix, PLUS KameiShige... Oh my. @o@

But what really worries me right now is Kamei. "I will make you my woman." OH NOES. *worries about Sayu*

[JFC]

Midnight
Chapter 2

Despite all the horror stories I've been told about this place, they seem to treat people rather well.

Ah, the wonders of propaganda. Of course they would have been told nothing but bad stuff about the opposing side, that way it makes it easier for them to hate (and thus be willing to fight/kill) them.

"You are welcome to remain in Sukonbu for as long as you like. I am Takahashi Ai.”

Aichan! She's the one to whom Gaki first brought Sayu in the first chapter!

* JFC now wonders who's the "best friend" of Gaki's to whom Aichan's supposed to be engaged.

Sayumi thought to herself

Takahashi Ai, only daughter of the prime minister and future queen of the kingdom.

Oshit. Don't tell me Sayu's here to assassinate Aichan!?

Pointing to a random necklace hanging from a hawker's makeshift stall, Sayumi tried to evoke a reaction from the woman walking beside her. However, the elder’s response constituted of simply a faint smile. It was obvious something was weighing on her mind.

Studying her profile from the side, Sayumi couldn’t help but feel slight feelings of pity for her companion. She had never seen anybody look so down prior to her own wedding. Aren’t brides supposed to bask in happiness while radiating a healthy glow of aura wherever they went?

Don't tell me, lemme guess...the wedding to the prince wasn't Aichan's idea? Does that mean...

The pair continued in silence with Ai’s thoughts a million miles away whilst Sayumi took in the sights and sounds of the bazaar. It went on like this for some time until Ai halted her steps hastily causing Sayumi to bump into her.

Peeking from behind the shorter woman, the raven haired beauty widened her eyes when she recognized the object, or person in this case, who had captured Ai's undivided attention. Niigaki was headed in their direction from the opposite end of the street and clearly, he hadn't seen them.

Ooooooooooooooooooosnap! Aichan raburabus Gaki, doesn't she!?!

This piece of information could prove useful in the future.

I'm sure Sayu's going to be making comments/thoughts like this in upcoming chapters...it's gonna suck though trying to keep from disliking her for it, since she's just doing what she was trained for...PLUS the fact that she probably sincerely feels that she's doing the right thing.  

Recovering her wits quickly, Sayumi held onto a trembling Ai and tried to calm her down. Why she bothered comforting a member of the enemy state Sayumi didn't know. She only knew that she couldn't bear to see Ai so petrified. Curse her heart of compassion, why did she have to be both beautiful and kind?

Oh Sayu. It must really suck to be so kindhearted.

"Let go of my arm!"

"NO!!"

Struggling to free himself from the woman's grasp, the soldier attempted to escape by bursting into a sudden run. Unfortunately, she had preempted his move and managed to hold him back by encircling her arms around his waist.

"ARGH! Let go of me NOW!"

The commotion coming from the hall caused the occupants already seated at the dining table to direct their gaze towards the entry of the banquet area. No sooner had they done so, the perpetrators of the noise stumbled inside entangled in a tight bundle.

"My prince, please tell your sister to release me!"

Hmmm...this Gaki again? If so, it looks like he's got an admirer.

Thing is, it's the princess, so it's not like he can tell her to piss off.

"What a terrible host I've been. I seem to have forgotten to introduce you to everyone Sayumi."

Standing up from his intricately carved chair, the prince began.

"This is Kamei. He is one of my best soldiers along with Niigaki.

Ok, so the prince isn't Kamei.

And this is my older sister Reina.

And Reina's the princess.

Wait a sec...he said "older" sister?  So then...the kingdom must be a patriarchy, stating that only male heirs can inherit rule of the kingdom. Going to be interesting to see how Reina feels about that.

So far, both Ai and the prince had treated her well although only Niigaki and Ai seemed to be able to understand her in spite of her disability in speaking.

She still can't speak? What, is she mute or something? If so, is this part of the reason why she was selected for this mission in the first place (if one can't talk, then one can't accidently spill the beans about being a spy), or is she just faking it to keep up the sympathy from the others?

"Where is Gaki?"

"He wasn’t hungry."

Gaki's not there? He ok after stopping that scuffle with the nutjob in the market?

So it must have been Kamei that princess Reina was glomping onto.

Kamei waited for Ai's attention to shift from him before flicking his eyes to the person sitting next to her. Observing the manner by which she ate, Kamei watched completely entranced by every single one of her actions. He had never seen a woman as graceful and gentle as her other than Ai. She was certainly a world apart from the tigress sitting in the chair beside him.

I will make you my woman.

Ocrap. It's bad enough that Reina's glomping on Kamei and that she evidently doesn't like Sayu...but now Kamei's attracted to Sayu?

Not liking how he said/though that last line, either. Has me worried.  

This...will get uuuuuuuuuuuuugly.



And we still don't know the identity of the prince (to whom Aichan's betrothed).