Decent length chapter
There's some explanations on here. I'm interested in hearing theories that may come from these explanations xD There's a lot of hints of the questions asked from people in the previous chapter in here too. Let's see if people can spot them and create theories from those too <3
Chapter 7: And so the battle begins.The die is cast.The weight that had restricted her movement had vanished. When Rika came to being again, she had realized that Hitomi must have woken up and removed herself from the bed. The bed felt lighter than usual, adding more to that fact. Rika opened an eye cautiously, looking about the room to see if the guard was anywhere in sight.
She was alone.
She slowly rose from the bed, the lethargy of sleep induced lack of haste as she attempted. Feeling an uncomforting pain, Rika looked at the part of her that had hurt the most. It seemed that her right hand had been bandaged during her unconsciousness. That wasn’t the only thing though. She felt bandages around her lower abdomen and other parts of the body.
What, was she in a fight?
…
Obviously she had been.
Rika groaned softly, regretting that she rose from bed. Immediately, her left hand gripped her right hand, feeling for the severity of the injury.
What, was she stabbed by a dagger of a sort?
…
Obviously she had been.
“So I really did attack her…” Rika said quietly to herself, inspecting her bandaged hand by turning the palm towards her, and then turning it around for the back. “Wait, is she okay?!” urgency influenced her movements as she slid over and got off the bed, not caring for her aching body as she searched for the woman in question.
As she exited the room, she was met with a short beige-themed hallway, a few doors on either side of it. At the end of the hallway seemed to be a dead end, though Rika knew with closer inspection that it would be the stairs going down. The room she had just left seemed to be the bed room that the guard was referring to yesterday. Rika peeked inside the door to her right to find that it contained a washing machine and drying machine. She walked further down the hallway to inspect the door on the left side of the wood-panel hallway.
In it was yet another bedroom. It seemed untouched, to which Rika concluded that Hitomi must have never used it. Rika saw that the door a little further down on the hallway of the same wall seemed slightly ajar. Slightly enough for an eye to peek through to gaze at the contents inside without being immediately noticed… Curiosity of the layout of the house took over her head and she walked over silently to inspect. As she peeked through the tiny crack, she felt her breath caught in her throat. A light crimson flush rose in her cheeks at the sight she saw.
She had just discovered the bathroom.
With Hitomi in it.
Half-naked.
It was rather inaccurate to say such a thing however. Hitomi was wearing black jeans (which were unzipped) that seemed to flare outwards at the bottom. That, and she was in a black sports bra. So she wasn’t exactly half-naked. More like sixty percent clothed. Rika was thankful that Hitomi was only drying out her hair with a towel, with her back towards her. She would have died of embarrassment if Hitomi had caught her gazing.
Trying to remember her original purpose, Rika looked (or leered, however one would view someone staring at another like a peeping tom) for any signs of scars or bruises. Rika saw a long scar on the right side of the guard’s abdomen, it nearly escaped her eyes at first, but the faint red line contrasted against her light skin. There was another scar on her upper left arm, and there was what looked to be a healing scab on the front and back of her left shoulder, which Rika believed that she might have impaled her with something. Also, there were a few bruises here and there on her body, but the most noticeable bruise was that of her stomach.
Rika felt uneasy.
Maybe she should not have come with the guard. If she wasn’t so stubborn of finding answers, she might have never came with her. She might have never harmed her. She might have never fought her.
Nor she might never find her sleeping on her…
She felt her cheeks become tainted with a hue of pink at the thought again.
Why does this keep happening to me?! Sure, it’s not supposed to be much, but did she really have to go sleep on me that time? And second of all, now I’m leering at her like some kind of old man! What kind of manga clichéd romance is this?!Amidst her internal panic, she panicked all the more when the guard turned around and gave a rather odd expression, adding even further to Rika’s panic.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Rika nearly stuttered, opening the door so that she stepped inside of the bathroom. “The last thing I remembered was you looking beat up, so I became worried when I woke up…”
“Haha, nothing too bad. Just a few scratches here and there,” the guard chuckled, scratching her semi wet hair. Rika kept silent, her eyes began wandering over the other again, and she caught herself doing it when Hitomi raised a brow.
“I have everything you have. What are you looking for?”
“N-nothing… It’s just…” Rika looked off to the side, trying to look indifferent.
She must have turned really red, for Hitomi caught on to that and smirked, walking closer to the other woman. “Are you getting a fever?”
“Not at all,” Rika retorted, trying to sound nonchalant.
Then it came.
That haunting pulsation.
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Rika stepped backwards, turning around, afraid of that familiar sensation again.
Oh no… What if I attack her again? I have to leave…She felt like she was going to melt when Hitomi took her by the upper arm and brought her back towards her, bent down slightly, and touched her forehead to her. “Your temperature is really hot, you know?”
This wasn’t good at all. Rika seriously felt she would collapse under the pain of the pulsation. Though…Feeling Hitomi touch her again… Feeling Hitomi so close to her…Feeling Hitomi’s breath on her lips… She was losing the battle of temptation, wanting to touch those lips with her own…
Her eyes began flickering between dark brown and gold again.
Hitomi backed off cautiously, turning around, “I’m sorry; I was being too forward, wasn’t I?”
The pulsation was gone.
The corners of Rika’s mouth turned downwards as she lifted her hand, wanting to pat Hitomi, but drew it back and let it rest on her chest, unable to find a way to respond to that without also sounding too forward.
“Feel free to use the shower, there’s extra clothes in the closet of the bedroom you came out of. The bandages are waterproof too, so you don’t have to worry about those. I’ll be downstairs if you need me,” the guard said, taking her towel and then taking her leave immediately, not even looking at Rika as she went out the door.
“Hitomi…” Rika said quietly to herself, feeling like there was a heavy burden on her all over again.
This curse I have…Rika shut off further thoughts, shaking her head vigorously. Right now, she felt dirty and gross and in a huge need of a shower. Remembering the guard’s instructions, Rika went to search for clothes in the closet, finding casual wear to don after she showered. Then went straight to the bathroom, setting the clothes hanging on the rack and an extra towel she found in the closet as well.
I wonder… Rika thought as she washed herself in the shower,
why does it have to be me? Why did the spirit choose me? Was it because I happened to be nearby or what? Does it select a host at random or does it need requirements to be met? I have so many questions... And how does it take over my body? Are there certain requirements for that too? I don’t know… When I was at that dark beach, there was a moment where I felt powerful and could expand my reach… Was that when I was able to get my body back? I would love to ask the spirit right now about everything, but I doubt she would talk to me out of my request…What is it that she’s looking for? She said that Ayumi’s family took something from her… But how could we even find it if the original family was long gone? Did they pass down the secret of the item down? Or did they keep it to themselves? If they really did keep it to themselves… How could it ever be found…?And why did Ayumi receive all those scars, looking at the hand? Does she have something to do with the spirit as well? Does she also have something possessing her? Ugh… I need to see her…I really want to make sure she’s alright… Those scars looked very fatal… At this point, Rika finished with her shower and moved out of the shower stall, looking for the towel to dry herself.
I guess this means I have to sneak into the estate again? But now the family wants me dead…Rika became alarmed when the bathroom door opened, finding that there was a person other than Hitomi in the house.
“Ohhh, nice body you have there,” came the comment of a familiar face, leering up and down at the other’s naked body which had the towel drying her back side instead of the front side, giving the familiar person a full on frontal view.
Rika became flustered, but not with embarrassment.
She became flustered with anger.
“Oh shi—” Miki began, but couldn’t finish because a certain event interrupted her.
BAM SLAP BOP POW WHAM SNAP CRUNCH BASH SLAM KAPOW“What the hell was that for!? Aren’t we all women here?!” Miki yelled at Rika, rubbing her cheek with an ice pack.
“You were leering at me like some perverted old man! You so deserved it!” Rika retorted, fiddling with her semi-wet hair, sitting on the sofa, far from the shorter woman who was standing on the other side of the table.
“I wasn’t
leering at your body! I was
admiring your body!”
“Nee-san! That’s worse than leering!” Miyabi called out, sitting with boredom on a chair.
“Now now, can’t we all get along?” Hitomi raised both of her hands in a calming down sort of motion.
“Why are they even here in the first place?!” Rika looked at the guard, pointing at Miki and Miyabi.
“They came here retrieving you. You should go with them, you know. Nothing good will happen if you stay here with me.”
If she’s referring to the time I was possessed, then she DOES have a point… BUT WHY WITH THESE CRAZY STALKERS?!“I’m not going with a bunch of stalkers.”
“If you’re talking about the pictures, we weren’t the ones who took them,” Miyabi waved her hand dismissively. “Someone else did, and we snatched them away.”
“How could I believe you?” Rika gave a skeptical look, almost glaring at the perverted woman.
“You should have all the reason to believe us. We’re not the villains here. We were sent by Yuko-nee to retrieve you and take you under our wing for protection from the Shibata family. I have no idea why, but I’m sure Nee-san can explain everything,” Miki said, crossing her arms and giving a glare as she spoke.
Rika looked at Hitomi, who also happened to be standing, though near her. Hitomi caught Rika’s gaze and gave a nod, confirming her belief of the Fujimoto sisters’ story.
“You should do all you can to protect her,” Hitomi looked at the glaring sister. “Once my work time starts, I
will be an employee of the Shibata family, therefore, I will be an enemy.”
Rika looked up at Hitomi in an almost scared expression.
Was all that generosity before an act? She’s willing to come after me after her work time starts?! What kind of person is she?! Is she using me?!“Interesting glare you have there, you could be my sister too if you wanted to,” Miki mused, smirking at the death glare Rika was giving Hitomi.
“Like hell I would want to be related to you,” Rika almost growled. Miyabi and Hitomi raised their brow at the sudden hostility Rika gave off, wondering who angered her so much, Hitomi’s comment, or Miki’s comment.
“Nevertheless dear,” Miki placed emphasis on ‘dear’ much to Rika’s chagrin, “you have to come with us whether you like it or not. We’re your only hope if you want to survive,” Miki turned, as if wanting to leave the house.
Miyabi also got up from the chair, walking briskly along to where Miki was standing, “We should return quickly. I have a feeling that the spies know where you are and are coming this way right away.”
Rika hesitated, but arose from the sofa, stretching slightly. “So be it,” she walked over as well, taking a few glances at Hitomi as she passed her by. But then, she turned and faced Hitomi, bowing to her.
“What’s with the formality?” the guard raised a brow.
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
“That? Haha, no problem,” the taller smiled, to which Rika found herself smiling back.
“You know what? You two make an interesting couple,” Miki smirked as she crossed her arms.
“Couple?” Rika and Hitomi asked in sync, Rika flustered of embarrassment now and Hitomi with yet another bemused expression.
“Oh, clueless? You two make me giggle,” Miki placed the tips of her fingers to her mouth to stifle a laugh.
“Nevertheless…” Hitomi diverted the topic, “I’ll walk all of you out of the door.”
With that being said, the group maneuvered over to the entrance of the house, just out of the wall gates in silence.
“Now is where I’ll stop. You all have a good trip, kay? And uh… Don’t kill eachother?” Hitomi chuckled as she scratched the back of her head sheepishly, watching Rika and Miki glare at each other rather contemptuously, almost blowing Miyabi away with their cold wind.
“How nice of you to say so,” Rika looked away from Miki’s piercing gaze, escaping the realm of shadows the two had created for themselves whenever they looked at each other.
“Indeed,” Miki agreed, then turned to look at Hitomi, staring at her with a strange glint in her eye.
“Uh…” Hitomi blinked, “What are you doing? Undressing me with your eyes?”
“Maybe~” Miki replied in a singsong voice, “But I have to say, even though you remind me of those feminine guys in manga, I must say that you’re hot.”
“Thank you?” Hitomi raised her brow for the umpteenth time today.
“You’re welcome.”
What transpired afterwards made Rika’s eyes widen in shock.
Miki had walked closer and raised herself on her toes to give the guard a brief kiss.
That wasn’t what bothered Rika though.
Miki had kissed Hitomi on the lips.
That’s what bothered Rika.
Miyabi had a look that claimed ‘Dear gahh, not again,’ placing her face in her palm as if such a stunt was a very strenuous and repetitive one.
Hitomi still looked like she had been run over by a car when Miki pulled back.
“Now that’s the expression I’m looking for,” the chopstick woman grinned.
“You just did that just so you could see a reaction?!” Hitomi and Rika yelled in sync.
Miki ran for it after they said that.
“Ugh… I’m seriously going to strangle her when I lay my hands on her…” Rika glared at the fleeting figure.
“Oh?” Hitomi looked at Rika, “Were you jealous when she kissed me?”
“N-no I wasn’t!” Rika looked away, trying to hide the crimson in her cheeks.
“Not going to tease you anymore, but you really should go,” the guard smiled, patting both Miyabi and Rika on the shoulder. “I wish you luck. The people that the Shibata company dispatches are good at doing what they do best.”
“Don’t say anymore,” Rika sighed, remembering the firing squad which started it all. “Goodbye, Hitomi. Hope to see you out of work…” Rika said cautiously, remembering the fact that the taller would act like those hitmen after her once the time strikes her working time.
“Have fun, Rika.”
Without evil, there is no good.Rika did expect something extravagant since she heard that the Fujimoto family ran a dance school, but this is anything but extravagant.
It was like a freaking mansion, a la traditional Japanese-style. Complete with the small fish-infested pond in the backyard garden with a bridge over it. Rika felt obligated to even be polite to the house keepers that passed by her, astounded by how wealthy the family was. When they had arrived, Miyabi immediately ushered her to a large room, a traditional tatami matted room which seemed like it could double as a gymnasium.
Well this was a dance school after all.
Rika fiddled with her thumbs nervously as she sat on the crimson cushion at the low mahogany table formally, wondering about this ‘Yuko’ that she had to meet.
“Don’t be nervous. Nee-san is a good person,” Miyabi looked up at Rika.
“I don’t know why I’m afraid…” Rika shifted nervously, “Is she an old woman or what?”
“Well… She IS pretty old… But she’s pretty so it’s all good,” Miyabi seemed to struggle for words as she said that. Particularly at the part where she was mentioning Yuko’s age…
Then, someone came in.
A woman in a traditional beige kimono. Though she wasn’t exactly what Rika thought she would be… Yuko had short brunette hair that bounced in waves at her ears and her eyes seemed oddly slanted. That and she had a rather noticeable beauty mark (if she thought of it as a mole, Rika thought that would be rude) below her lips.
“I have to say… Your older sister is uh… quite the looker?” Rika whispered to Miyabi.
“No silly! That’s Kei! Our head house keeper!”
“Oops?” Rika laughed nervously as the housekeeper called Kei sat down with them.
“Somehow, I receive the feeling that my first impression wasn’t good…” Kei smiled widely, Rika and Miyabi noticing a slight vein on her forehead.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for my words to sound mean to you!” Rika panicked, waving her hands incredibly fast.
“That’s okay, you can call me the Ayumi Hamasaki of this house,” Kei grinned widely, as if expecting Rika to agree.
“That’s a big insult to Ayu!” Miyabi waved her hand dismissively.
“And I’m freaking here! Sorry, I had another class to attend to,” came a loud voice, walking towards the table with as much haste as one could in a kimono.
This woman had almost waist-length wavy hair. In fact, because of the way the blonde curls flared out, Rika could have sworn the woman could be half-lion with comparison of her hair to that of a lion’s mane. Her face seemed kind, though her eyebrows, given the correct angle, could make her also look like she could say ‘this is your cue to run away before I unleash my anger on you’ sort of quote.
This time, she was sure that this person was this Yuko that the sister talked frequently of.
“Alright, Ishikawa-san…” Yuko huffed as she sat down formally across the table, “I have many things to talk to you about…”
“Good, I have many questions.”
“Lovely. But you don’t go interrupting an old woman trying to cross the road,” Yuko said hastily in a slightly angry voice, complete with a stare.
“Oh so you’re admitting that you’re old now?” Miki piped up, sitting Indian style on the cushion at the side of the table.
Yuko bent over in a laugh, but then composed herself immediately, making Rika giggle and the other sisters laugh.
“Psh, I’m only 34.”
“
Only 34? You could be Miyabi’s mother if I wasn’t her sister,” Miki chuckled. But then was silenced as Yuko smacked her upside the head.
“As I was saying…” Yuko coughed into her fist, “One of your questions must be about the spirit’s origins, so let me start…”
“Alright,” Rika began listening intently. Miki and Miyabi had also lent their ears in curiosity of why they were to retrieve this woman.
“There is a popular folktale called Angel’s Cloak, you see? Once upon a time, there were tennyo—celestial maidens—bathing in a river. A fisherman saw their hagoromo—feathered robes—hanging on the tree near by. Seeing how it was made of the finest silk the earth has to offer, he took one of the robes, hiding it away. Eventually, the tennyo finished bathing, putting on their hagoromo and flying back to heaven, save for one tennyo who couldn’t find her robes. As she wandered, she ran into the fisherman and asked him “Have you seen my hagoromo?” to which he denied ever seeing it. Then the fisherman made her marry him and then she had to bear his children, against her will. Then one day, the maiden heard her children sing a folk song telling of the location of the robes, so she went and found the robes and immediately returned to heaven, leaving her children and husband behind.”
“Wait so…”
“Yes. That maiden is your ancestor, Rika.”
Don’t let feelings cloud judgments.“Hitomi-san, what took you so long?” Kagami had his fingers interlaced in front of him, waiting impatiently for his worker to return.
“Can’t we talk later? I’ve been in a rough fight,” the woman sighed, hands in the pocket of her black suit pants. Meanwhile, she wore a black blouse with white pinstripes and a small dark green tie. Still looking the part of a body guard.
“A rough fight with who?” Kagami sighed, believing this could be another one of those gang fights which gangs would find Hitomi appealing enough to try and capture, only to have Hitomi beat them all up.
“…With the celestial maiden.”
Kagami’s eyes widened in exclamation.
“As you told me, Ishikawa transformed. Her eyes and her hair color changed, along with her entire body in general. And she spoke in a new voice, and with a personality that did not reflect Ishikawa’s at all. That personality called herself “Maki” and demanded the location of her celestial robes.”
“Celestial robes and?!” Kagami came closer, becoming obsessed with anticipation.
“I fought her.”
“Did she show any abnormal powers in particular?”
“She had the power of levitation. And it seems that most of her magic is based on incantation like a western mage of European folklore. I think ‘Gravijira’ is her spell trigger, for whenever she said that, the following sentences said afterwards would become reality. She, at first, utilized her own tattoos as her weapons, but then used a real sword against me.”
“And?! And?!”
“I failed to capture her. That’s all,” Hitomi sighed, “Can I leave now?”
“No, I’m giving you long-term missions now,” Kagami went over to his office desk, pulled out a drawer, and then took out a folder.
“…Oh gahh…” Hitomi looked at the thick folder.
“It’s not much really. I’m simply asking you to do two things. First thing. On the days assigned, you are to watch over Shibata Ayumi. And the second to-do, you are to act like a surveillance camera to Ishikawa Rika, watching her every move, and try to capture her should she transform into the maiden called ‘Maki’ as you claimed her name was. Are these missions clear?”
“I’m supposed to watch one and keep an eye on the best friend? What am I, a baby sitter?” Hitomi raised a brow at her chief.
“Pretty much. Yes. You should realize that this is vital to the plan. You ARE being rewarded generously for this, you know.”
“A plan? What was the plan?” Hitomi sat down on the chair in front of the chief’s desk.
“We just need to have this maiden in our lab. We have to study her. If it’s successful, we can put the project into motion.”
“Oh ho, there’s a project now? I better be paid well for this. That and you also promised that you would restore my memories for this too.”
“Of course, of course. I will brief you more of this tomorrow though. Right now, you are to, under your terms, ‘babysit’ Shibata Ayumi for the time being. Call me when she awakes.”
“Nn, understood.”
“So basically, are you going to do all of this?” Kagami held the folder in his hand, emphasizing it.
“Indeed. Missions accepted.”
Keep your friends close.“A day passes and you are still not awake?” Hitomi pulled a metallic chair close to the bed which the bandaged Ayumi resided in.
“If you are in a coma, then we really are in trouble, aren’t we?” Hitomi rested her elbow on her knee and then rested her head on her hand.
“Hmm… Shibata Ayumi eh?”
She felt sort of embarrassed for speaking to herself, but didn’t care since no one was around to hear her.
Hitomi didn’t really care for the details of her job and the like, but can’t help but feel curious as to why Ayumi received such horrendous amount of lacerations upon her body from looking at something like a mummified hand…
What was that mummified hand anyway?
“So the best friend is gifted with supernatural power while the other is gifted in injury? I wonder why is it that the one gifted in injury is ‘the great leader’ while the one gifted in power is ‘the great calamity’ Hmm?”
Hitomi sighed again, remembering a few details of what Kagami had told her in the past. “A classic conflict, isn’t it? Friend against friend…”
She then looked over at the window on the other side of Ayumi’s bed, staring at the sky above.
“I’m deeply intrigued by this conflict too… I’d love to see which one lives and which one dies…”
Nothing answered her in return.
“This war will definitely come soon… I can sense it…” A smile came upon the guard’s lips.
A smile that was not kind.
A smile that was not good.
A smile that was not serene.
It was a mischievous smile.
A
scheming smile.
“I’m definitely going to enjoy this…”
But keep your enemies closer.<3
Topic: Our Cursed Gift II [NON SEQUEL] Chapter 22: Another side: Another Story (10/6) (Read 84522 times)