Chapter 20: The Rabbit

*Kai*

[Meanwhile]

"Hey, Sou, are you alright? Your face is as pale as a sheet," Sayuri asked as we made out way back to the main part of the village.

Souta closed his hands into fists and turned around. "No, I'm not. I feel something bad is happening at Sehun's place. I'm going to go head back!"

Ava grabbed a hold of his arm. "Don't! You heard what Sehun said. It's dangerous. He would be safer if we stay out of his way."

"I may not look like it, but I can fight too," he said, staring right into her eyes. "I know that you wish to go too."

She took in a deep breath and lowered her head. "I do, but..." Ava gasped and raised her head as two hands clenched his shoulders.

"Come on, I know ya feel it too. Let's go and save the Opal cousins."

Ava glanced at Sayuri who gave me a slight smile. "If you wish to go, then go. Kai and I will go home. If anything bad happens, I'll go and bail you out."

Avala wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "Thanks. I'll be sure to come back safely."

"You better get going, Sou is going ahead of you," I said.

"Hey, Sou! Hold up! We can't just go charging in without a plan!" She glanced over at me even as she continued to run. "Kai, be sure to take Sayu home! If anything happens to her on the way, I'll come back and beat you up too!"

I gulped. Was the threat truly necessary?

Sayuri giggled as she watched her girlfriend chase after Sou.

I turned away. It was dangerous to be too close to her. My heart kept beating rapidly whenever I was alone with her.

Sayuri covered her mouth and let out a cough.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, smiling. Her long, slender, yet rough fingers interlaced themselves with mine. "Let's go, Kai."

"Uhh," I said as I moved my shoulders up and down. My heart felt like it was doing somersaults.

"You heard Ava, didn't you? Take me home."

"O-okay," I said, continuting to avert my gaze.

***

I sighed as I walked back home after taking Sayuri back home. 

I stopped at the front of the door and pressed my head against it. 

"Why does she love to tease me?" I mumbled to myself. I slapped myself. 

 'I need to focus on other things! Like Rena's health!'

I opened the door of the house and was instantly hit by the smell of milk and oats boiling. 

That's odd, did Mom decide to cook for once? Usually I was the one who did so.

I shut the door behind me and ran over to the kitchen to see what Mom was making. My breath left me as I saw it wasn't her. Instead, it was Yayoi who donning an apron in Mother's kitchen.

"What are you doing here?" Yayoi asked, pointing his oatmeal covered spoon at me.

I chuckled. "I should be the one asking you that. This is my home too, you know." The reason I came to Astora was so I could be closer to my sister.

Yayoi went back to stirring his pot of oatmeal. "So you're the brother she spoke of?"

I grinned. "Rena spoke of me?"

He nodded. "Yeah, she would tell me about her twin brother and how you would always send her letters about all the sights you saw while on your trips with your father."

Father... he was a good guy and so was Mother but...

"Though I thought that you were parents were divorced," Yayoi said, his face was bright red. "When I brought your sister back home they were making out in the living room."

I sighed. "Those two are a mess. I'm sorry that you had to see them in that situation."

"Kai!" said a little girl. She jumped into my arms to hug me tightly. "Help me, Kira and Kyo are after me."

"Found her!" yelled a ten-year-old boy with light blue hair and deep black eyes. He ran down the stairs toward us.

"Don't let her escape this time!" shouted an eight-year-old girl.

I held a hand out. "Halt! Stop this game. You're going to wake up our big sister. She's still recovering after her surgery. Not to mention that little Kite is probably napping." I looked at Yayoi for assurance on that last one.

He nodded as he turned off the heat on the stove.

Though why did they let Rena leave the hospital so early? I was originally told that she wouldn't be able to come home for weeks, if the operation was a success that is.

Kyo lowered his head. "Sorry big bro."

I smiled and let go of little Kumi. I ruffled Kyo's already messy hair. "Alright, just don't do it, at least not inside."

Kumi sighed. "I'm safe."

Kira ran over to the kitchen. "What's that delicious smell?"

"It's oatmeal I made," Yayoi said. "It's done but it's still hot, so let's wait for it cool down."

"Wah," Kira said, her mouth salivating. "If it tastes as good as it smells then I'll tell Rena to marry you in addition to her prince!"

Yayoi blushed.

I snickered. "You like Rena, don't you?"

The guy looked down. "I... I do."

She's only a beard to Sekin is what his sister had said. Was that true? The guy did blush around Sou earlier...

"Hey, once I return to Sanuri, if Rena and Sekin ever break up or if Sekin is badly injured, promise me that you'll be there for her."

Yayoi looked at me straight in the eye. "I was planning on doing just that. But, why would Sekin get injured?"

I pursed my lips. It was best that I didn't tell him about what was going on at Sehun's place.

I smiled. "You're an oddly nice guy."

The guy's face turned slightly red. "Don't smile like that. And you didn't answer my question!"

I tilted my head. "Why not?"

He turned his head to the side. "Your smile is identical to your sister's."

"Ohhh." I cleared my throat. "Well, for your information, I'm straight."

His face turned redder. "I am too! Gods, implying that I'm not."

"Well, Sekin does seem to think that you like him. I know that you're doing it for my sister but... I can't help but be suspicious, seeing you react like this."

He turned around. "Idiot!"

I snickered. "That's one lame comeback, try harder next time! I'll be in Rena's room if you need me!"

Kira tilted her little head. "Or you can end up with big brother," she said.

Yayoi glared at her. "No oatmeal for you!"

"Wahhh? No fair!"

I sighed and continued on my way.

The door to my mother's room opened when I arrived at the top of the stairs.

"Ahh, Kai," Father said, fixing his shirt. Mom was asleep in the bed.

"Dad...when will you and mom stop playing games? I'm tired of this. Every time that you're together, I think that perhaps we can finally be a family but then you ruin it. Then you two decide to meet again after some time and start the cycle again!"

"Kai," a woman with curly red hair said as she rose from the bed. "You got to understand that your father and I..."

"That you two suck as a couple? That you two are only lovers? Oh, I got that years ago." Tears stained my cheeks. My lips quivered, but words wouldn't come out.

I covered my mouth and ran over to Rena's room.

Rena was still fast asleep as if she were in a coma. I pulled up the seat by her desk and watched her sleep so soundly, without a care in the world. She looked as if she would never wake up...

Maybe she'll awaken if Sekin comes to kiss her.

The vibration of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts. I took out a blue phone, it was Sayuri.

"Hello?" I said, wiping away my tears.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "You sound sad."

I didn't answer right away, trying to regain my composure. "I'm fine... I just think that I might be coming down with that cold of yours."

Sayuri laughed. "Said cold seems to be returning with a vengeance." She coughed. Her coughs...they were similar to Rena's.

"You should drink something. Maybe make some tea with honey."

She chuckled weakly. "I'll be sure to tell Ava to make me some once she returns."

"Wait, there's no one at your place?"

"No. My parents and older sister are all at work right now."

"I see. If you'll like, I can go over to your place and make you some."

"No need to do that. You got your older sister to look out for. I can wait for Ava."

"Okay. You should tell her to call me when she goes over. I got several recipes which could help you."

She snickered between her coughs. "I doubt she would call you. Ava got jealous that we spent most of the day together."

My face turned red.

***

[The other day]

"Put this on," Sayuri said, putting a red tie around my neck. She was so close to me that I could smell the scene of lilies on her. Her red lips were but a few inches from mine.

Noticing this, she pulled away from me. Her face as red as mine. "How does it look?"

I turned toward one of the various mirrors. The tie for some reason made me look a bit more mature.

"It looks good, I think I'll buy it," I answered, blushing a little.

***

[Present]

"Why would she be jealous of me if we barely met the other day?" I asked.

"You got several good traits to you. You're nice and handsome. And while it doesn't matter as much, you're rich."

My face turned redder. She thought I was handsome?

"I...I see," I said, adjusting the collar of my dress-shirt.

"Kai?" a weak voice said. It wasn't Sayuri's. Glancing at the bed, I saw Rena staring at me with sleepy eyes.

"I'm here," I responded, holding Rena's hand.

"Huh?" Sayuri said.

"My sister is awake," I said.

"That's great!" Sayuri snickered.

"What's so funny?" I questioned.

"Nothing. I am just taken aback by how nice of a guy you are. Rena is lucky to have a brother like you," she said before hanging up. I never did get to ask her for why she called me in the first place...

"Brother, your face is red," Rena said, grinning. "Did you make a girlfriend already?"

I put my phone away. "N-no! Wait here, I'll go tell everyone that you're awake." I ran out of the room to cool myself off.

A nice guy? I am not nice... Is it nice to start developing feelings for someone who already has a partner?

I slapped myself. I needed to get those thoughts out of my head!

"Mom, Dad, Kyo, Kira, Kumi, Kite, Yayoi! Rena is awake!" I yelled.

Yayoi was the first one to run up the stairs. "She is?" He didn't wait for me to answer, rushing past me.

"Rena," Mother said, coming in. "You're awake already?"

"I told you that she'll be fine," Father said, hugging her from the side.

Mother smiled as tears ran down her face. Turned and hid her face in Father's chest. "Thank goodness she is."

A faint smile played on my lips. They almost look like a couple...

I shook my head. No, stop it. Stop fooling yourself...

"Kai, is something the matter?" Father asked, glancing at me as he let go of mother. Mother and my siblings went ahead without him.

I glared at him. "Pa... why did you marry my mom?"

Father smiled. "Is that it? You're still bothered by our relationship." He crossed his arms. "Well, out of all the women I've met your mother is the most interesting. She didn't reject me for who I was."

*Kuroichi*

I stood up from my seat at the back of the class. I had been absorbed in my drawing, while the rest of the class had been busy watching over the class rabbit.

I walked over to see why suddenly the rest of my peers had grown quiet.

I glanced at the center of the circle. A topaz blue-eyed girl was petting the down turned white ears of the rabbit.

"It's...dead," the girl said, tears falling on the white fur of the dead animal.

"No," yelled some of the other kids.

"Everything must die," I said.

The girl glared at me. "How can you say that?"

"Get out of here, weirdo!" some of the other students yelled.

I sighed. "Here, give me the rabbit. I'll fix it up."

"It's dead!" one of the students yelled.

The girl glanced around but in the end, she handed me the rabbit.

It was cold but its fur was as soft as a warm blanket.

Closing my eyes, I channeled some of my chakra into the rabbit. The tiny creature moved in my hands.

The entire class looked at me in disbelief.

I smiled as I held it out to them. "See, it's alive."

"That...can't be," said one of the male students.

"Is he from the cursed clan that lives at the edge of town?" suggested a girl.

I smiled. "We aren't cursed but that is my home."

The class dispersed away from me.

"Kuroichi," the teacher said, her hands were trembling. "What did you do exactly?"

I raised the rabbit up to her. "I revived it." I laughed. "The gods gave my family this power."

The teacher's eyes turned dull. "I...I see." She hurried away to do another task.

I lowered the rabbit and petted its ears. "Why is everyone..."

"Hand me back the rabbit," the girl from before said. "We should let it rest."

I handed her the rabbit. "Take good care of it...you should probably take it home or they might kill it again."

"Huh?"

I glanced over at the boy who had said, 'That can't be'. He glanced back up at me but quickly avoided my eyes.

"Someone poisoned it..."

She tilted her head. "Why would Andy do that? I don't mean to sound rude but out of the entire class the most suspicious one would be you. You never played with it."

I gave her a smirk. "Why would I kill it only to revive it?"

"To come off as the hero," Andy said, walking toward us. He gave me a sly grin. "However your little ploy failed. Your power is creepy. You're a freak."

I lowered my head. "You're ri..."

A slapping sound resounded across the room. The girl had slapped Andy. "Don't call him that, murderer!"

*Kai*

"Since that day your mother and I have been good friends. At some point your mother and I became more than just friends." He smiled. "That was when you were made. After you were born I asked her to marry me so that we could form an official family yet... Well, in the end, we were only good as friends and in bed."

"Did you want to get divorced?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Neither did she but we knew that we had to. Our marriage was a wreck. We hurt Rena and you with our constant fighting. I think things are better off as they are now for us. The other can come and go as they please."

I don't think that's right either...

"Thanks for taking the time to talk," I said with a slight smile.

He ruffled my hair. "Anytime, kiddo," he said, smiling. "By the way, I know that I'm not exactly the best source for advice, but if you ever have girl issues of your own, feel free to come to me."

I laughed nervously. "Okay." Perhaps advice was what I needed to deal with what I was feeling for Sayuri...