Fan Fiction ❯ Chosen ❯ A Curious Meeting ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chosen...
Author: Byakko Rei


Disclaimers:

I only lay claim to the 'Yaiba and Suta' families. I do *not* own the other characters in this story... they belong to Erica Friedman. This fanfiction is a tribute to her original work, 'Shoujoai ni Bokuen: The Adventures of Yuriko'. Please go read about Yuriko and her friends here:

http://anilesbocon.shoujoai.com/snb.htm

Enjoy!


Prologue

Yuriko sat on the computer chair she wished hadn't become quite so comfortable. She still wore her silk pajamas, and on her feet were the new fuzzy pink house slippers Midori had given to her as a gift. Her slender legs crossed neatly, the one on top swung slightly which jiggled the slipper so that it dangled precariously on the end of her toes. She stared at an odd email displayed on Midori's, computer monitor.

The message was cryptically short:

'You have been chosen. I will meet with you soon.'

That was all. There was no name given. Her only clue was the e-mail address, which read: 'thewatcher@altworld.net'. Yuriko didn't bother to answer back; she instinctively knew the address would return a postmaster's rejection notice.

Yuriko frowned slightly, deleted all the garbage, then replied to the messages of importance. An hour later, she pushed away from the computer and ambled into the kitchen to boil a kettle of water. She absent-mindedly selected a tin of green tea leaves and tossed a small quantity into a teapot, then sat at the small kitchen table to review Kishi's newest assignment. She was about halfway through it, when the doorbell buzzed annoyingly to announce a visitor she probably had no desire to see.

Yuriko grumbled a bit as she wrapped a royal blue yukata around herself, then peeked through the peephole to see who it was. Her eyes rounded in shock and she hurriedly opened the door to admit her private martial arts instructor, Yaiba Shinbo.



Chapter 1
A Curious Meeting

"Good morning, Yaiba-san! Won't you please come in?" Yuriko invited with surprise. She bowed, took his jacket and motioned for him to have a seat on the couch.

"Good morning, Yuriko-kun!" Shinbo greeted congenially. His black bird-like eyes took in the contrasting personalities he identified in the room. He quickly catalogued the details and knew instinctively which belonged to each of the occupants. He committed them to memory. A home was generally a truer reflection of a person's personality than the one displayed for the public. He sat where his host indicated and smiled up at her affably.

Yuriko admired his powerful grace for a moment before laying his jacket on the back of the couch. She offered her guest some of her fresh green tea, which he politely accepted. She set the tea tray down upon the coffee table, then nervously perched on the couch next to him. As they chatted a bit about martial art histories, Yuriko began to relax and found herself telling him about some of her own 'on the job' predicaments. At length, she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes, realizing the reason for Sensei's visit had not yet been broached.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Sensei?" Yuriko asked curiously. She felt a sudden chill pass over her as Shinbo's piercing gaze focused upon her face.

"Yuriko-kun, I want you to meet me at the dojo at eight pm. sharp tonight. Come alone," the dark-haired man stated firmly. He downed the last of his tea hurriedly, then stood abruptly and bowed slightly towards her. "I must take my leave now. Thank you for the conversation and tea. It was delightful... just the way I like it!" His eyes crinkled around the edges at his student's expression which ranged somewhere between relief and perplexity. The diva's eyes were so expressive!

Yuriko showed her brief visitor to the door. "I'll be there, Yaiba-san... please come any time!" Yuriko smiled as the single black braid of hair disappeared under a black leather jacket.

"It would be my pleasure, Yuriko-kun," he responded pleasantly, flipping his cue out from inside his coat.

Yuriko watched her Sensei as he receded down the hallway and entered the elevator. When the elevator doors closed, Yuriko shuddered. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was definitely... off center. She shrugged the feeling aside and closed the apartment door. Once inside, she sighed heavily. Midori was due back around eight from an out of town fund raiser she had agreed to support by autographing each of her books sold.

Yuriko showered, then dressed in a pair of black slacks and a crisp, button-down gingham shirt. She threw her scripts unceremoniously into a cocoa colored leather briefcase and tossed an apple into it. She donned her own black leather jacket, then slipped into a pair of stylish black ankle boots. Yuriko headed for Kishi's office on the motorcycle she knew made Midori nervous. She laughed into her helmet as she thought about the author's patented tight-lipped expression of disapproval.


To be Continued....