S-CRY-ed Fan Fiction ❯ Home ❯ Storytelling ( Chapter 2 )

Home

 

Chapter 2: Storytelling

 

By: Brynn Parker

 

----

 

Kanami Yuta's eyes fluttered open, the feeling of a someone's hand on hers waking her up from one of her many naps at the farm.

 

That's when she remembered her dream.

 

Her eyes got wide and she looked cautiously behind her. So many times she'd looked up to find that he wasn't even there at all...

 

She sat up quickly and he jumped back, a shocked look on his face. He didn't even look happy to see her...he almost looked sad... “Kazu-kun?” she said, reaching out her hand and touching his arm, “Don't you recognize me?”

 

How could he not? Kanami thought back at all the times Mimori had asked her if she wanted to cut her hair just a little shorter, and the answer that she'd given the older woman: at least he'd remember her hair. Mimori would just smile sadly and shake her head, but Kanami knew that Ryuhou's love didn't even think he was ever coming back. Mimori had left for other, less-developed parts of the mainland...they hadn't spoken for at least two years.

 

Kazuma scowled at the ground, not even wanting to look at her. Of course he recognized her...but at the same time, he had no idea who she was. Her voice was a woman's voice now, still high but with a melodic sound to it...her features had become more defined, and her body...he didn't even want to think of it. “I'm sorry Kanami...” he muttered, pulling away, “I gotta go...”

 

She closed her eyes and bit her lip, looking away from him. I won't cry...I won't! she thought, even as the tears began to fall. He was leaving her - again! “Fine! You always avoid everything anyway!”

 

The words flew from her lips before she even had a chance to think them through, and she suddenly felt like a little girl. Kanami blushed, but looked straight at him, ready to see how he reacted. Some of the other people at the farm were beginning to stare, but she suddenly didn't care; all that mattered right now was that she was not going to let him leave again.

 

And he didn't. Kanami smiled as he turned back around and grinned sheepishly, shrugging his broad shoulders...

 

I can't believe I just thought that! she said to herself. What am I thinking...his broad shoulders...

 

He walked back towards her, silently debating whether he should really be staying...what if he ended up hurting her...he shouldn't feel this way about her...she was like his little sister! But then she smiled and he couldn't help but return.

 

“So...how's it goin'?” he asked when he got closer to her.

 

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “You're avoiding the subject,” she stated, “Where have you been?”

 

He would've laughed if he hadn't seen the hurt look in her eyes. What had happened while he was gone...?

 

“Around...” he muttered, “Nowhere. It doesn't really matter, does it?”

 

She grimaced as if the words stung. “It doesn't matter?” she finally said, “Why weren't you here?”

 

The tension was slowly building...Kazuma suddenly realized that he should've left while he had the chance...he shouldn't have even come here...

 

“Answer me...” she said quietly, looking down at her feet. Her eyes suddenly swung back up to his, and he wanted to jump back after seeing the expression in them. This was definitely not the same Kanami...

 

All of his thoughts went right out of his head when she threw herself into his chest, hugging him tightly and beginning to sob. “Kazu-kun...”

 

He stood there awkwardly for a moment before slowly putting his arms around her and stroking her long brown hair softly, with a tenderness he didn't know he possessed. After a few minutes he pulled her away from him, his hands on her shoulders. “We need to talk.”

 

----

 

Kazuma told everything he could about what he'd been doing: fighting the people who misused their alter, and saving poor children like he and Kanami had been from gangs and the like. In the less developed parts of the Lost Ground they were still a big problem, and he was doing what he could to fix it...

 

Kanami shook her head, looking up at him. It was getting dark, the first stars beginning to appear. “You were doing what you could to keep me safe, weren't you?” she asked.

 

After a moment he nodded, looking into her eyes. “Kanami...I don't want you to think I was trying to run away from you; I was just doing what's good for you...”

 

“Can I judge what's good for me now, Kazuma?” she asked. He was suddenly reminded of Ayase Terada...the same calm surface with a fierce determination on the inside. They looked so much alike too...

 

“I...I g...guess...” he stuttered, a little surprised. She continued walking without him and he quickly caught up to her, catching her wrist in his hand. “What happened to little Kanami?” he asked quietly.

 

Her expression went from a frown to a smile with his touch, and she looked up at him, laughing a little. “Little Kanami?” she asked, shaking her head, “She grew up, Kazuma...and now she's just Kanami...” She slipped her hand into his own, pulling him to continue walking. “No...nothing really happened to me...everyone disappeared though...you and Ryuhou...and Mimori left a couple years ago...Tachibana and Cammy went away shortly before Mimori to establish a school in another town...Urizane and Elian left as well...” She stopped, wondering if she should tell him about Cougar.

 

It was already too late by the time they found him; why he'd been out in the country all by himself in the sickened state he was in was beyond any of them...but Kanami supposed it was because he was ready.

 

Ready to die.

 

“What about Cougar?” Kazuma asked, as she'd expected. She took his other hand and held on to him tightly, and he knew that the news couldn't be good.

 

“He's not in this world anymore, Kazuma,” she told him delicately.

 

He stared at her, confused, for a minute, before running a hand through his hair and letting out a sigh, smiling bitterly. “I guess I should've known...he was sick, right?”

 

Kanami nodded, surprised that he wasn't more upset, then continued walking, deciding to give him time to think about it.

 

The road wound up the hill and through more farmland before they came to where Kanami had been living for the past two years, a little house with just one bedroom, a kitchen, and a warm living room. Kazuma look around quickly when they walked in, taking in the humble surroundings with a pleased expression on his face. “So this is where you've been living all this time?”

 

“Just since Mimori left,” Kanami said, taking off her orange coat and revealing more of her porcelain skin. Kazuma tried not to look at her. She was so beautiful now...

 

“All by yourself?” he asked.

 

“I have guests sometimes,” she said, “Just some people passing through, “But usually I'm alone...” She walked into the small kitchen and Kazuma followed her in. “Do you want something to eat?” She asked, gesturing to the table.

 

He sat down eagerly, “Yeah, I'm starved.”

 

Things were already getting back to normal...or were they?

 

----

 

Author's Note: So this was a pretty much crappy chapter. I don't know what happened to what little writing skills I have, but I think they've flown away...urgh. I'm really not happy with this. Any reviews that were not anonymous will get personal replies.

 

mimori00: Sorry I didn't update sooner! I have major writer's block...

 

--Brynn