Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ A Gift of Love ❯ Koi Koi Koi ( Chapter 2 )

Okay, now I feel foolish. After I wrote the first chapter, I was flipping through my old Shonen Jump (US) issues, namely June '03 (Ren's first appearance) and they call his weapon a Kwan Dao not a Glaive. My bad. I must have been thinking of Sailor Saturn.

 

Okay, from now on, it's a Kwan Dao. Not a Glaive. Kwan Dao, Kwan Dao…

 

One more thing: I know he's Chinese, but I'll still be using Japanese honorifics and such, because I don't take Chinese (despite the fact my school offers it). I kind of want to take it now :/

 

Final Words: Haha, I'm amusing myself with this chapter's title. “Koi” in Japanese has many meanings (at least six). I wrote “Koi” three times for carp, love/tenderness, and strength.

 

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A Gift of Love - Chapter Two: Koi Koi Koi

 

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“Play nice, you two,” Ren's mother called from the door.

 

“Yes mother,” her son grumbled as he looked at the small girl standing next to him.

 

“Ren-Niisama! Come play with me!” she cried, tugging lightly on his hand.

 

He glared at her and shook himself free. “I don't have time for your childish games. I have to train with Bason.” He turned and began walking away.

 

The little four year old gave a few whimpers, then began to cry, her volume getting so loud that the six year old she was with had to cover his ears. He quickly ran over to her and covered her mouth.

 

“Silence, you little pest!” he growled, and she obeyed. He rolled his eyes and sighed before removing his hand. “Fine, I'll indulge you for a little while, but that still doesn't change the fact that you're a pest.”

 

She didn't seem to hear the last part. Her eyes lit up and she grabbed his hand once more as she ran toward the koi pond on the far side of the yard. She knelt at the water's edge in her silk lavender pants and blouse, peering into the cloudy water at the plethora of fish swimming around before her. Ren stood behind her in a silk red top and black pants, his arms folded and looking around, obviously bored.

 

“Why am I always the one that has to entertain people?” he thought.

 

It WAS always him. His parents were always bringing people over so he could demonstrate his shaman abilities. After a while, he got sick of it. Just like how he was sick of the little worm in front of him.

 

“Hey, Ren-Niisama, can I feed them?” she asked.

 

He took a sack off a hook on a nearby tree and threw it at her. “Go crazy.” When he saw her intently feeding the fish, he slipped away to another part of the yard. Bason followed him in spirit ball mode.

 

“Bocchama, are you sure it's alright to leave her alone?” he asked, careful not to anger his master.

 

“I was alone at that age, and she can be too,” he replied. “She can't get into any trouble where she is now.”

 

He stopped in a clear part of the yard and began going through his martial arts forms. He was about to move onto his eighth form when he thought he heard a splash. Bason appeared in front of him moments later.

 

“Bocchama! The young mistress has fallen into the lake!”

 

“What?” he cried, turning to look behind him. He could almost see her little arms flailing about. “Then again,” he thought, “I didn't want her around from the start.” He almost resumed his pose when his own voice came into his head.

 

Why is everyone dead? Why are humans so dirty?

 

“Ren-Niisama!”

 

He flinched. He'd seen enough dead people to last a hundred lifetimes, and despite the fact that he may not have thought too highly of the little brat, it would be one more dead body he'd have to see. For his own selfishness, he didn't want that.

 

He threw off his shirt and bolted for the pond. When he got there, she was barely keeping herself above water. His body was frozen as he stared at her. She started going under. Without another thought, he kicked off his shoes and jumped into the water.

 

Bason watched and waited for his master to resurface, cursing himself for not having a physical body. Ren came up a few moments later with the small girl in his toned arms, panting. He sat on the stone around the pond, still holding her. She choked a couple of times, then began crying, but not as loud as before, partially due to the fact that she was against his chest. Every so often she'd say “Niisama…”, but he remained unaffected by her words, holding her only enough so that she wouldn't fall. Her small ponytails tickled his hands, but he refused to show any emotion.

 

She unexpectedly clutched his back, causing him to let out a small sound of confusion.

 

“H-Hey! Sto--,”

 

“Thank you Niisama!”

 

He looked at her. She was smiling that stupid smile again, even though her eyes were still red from crying.

 

“If Niisama hadn't saved me, I wouldn't be here right now. Thank you!”

 

He put her on the ground, mumbling a “You're welcome”, and began walking back to where he had been before the incident. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her following him. He ignored her.

 

As he got into a stance, he noticed that she had gone to sit on one of the rocks. At least she wasn't going to bother him. It was weird for him to have someone watching him as he trained. She didn't speak at all, just silently watched him for the two hours that he stayed out there. When he finally decided to go in and began heading towards his house, she didn't move.

 

He rolled his eyes and turned to her. “Come on, Pin-Mei, we're going in.”

 

Although the sun was setting, he could see her face light up. “Hai, Ren-Niisama!” She jumped off the rock and ran to catch up with him. He sighed again.

 

“Stop calling me Niisama. I'm not your brother.”

 

Her face twisted in thought. “Okay, Ren-Pyon!” she said finally.

 

He sighed. “That's even worse. Fine, just call me whatever you want. I don't care anymore.”

 

They walked in silence for a few moments. Just as he began to enjoy it, it was broken.

 

“Ne, Ren-Niisama?”

 

“What?”

 

“Can I have a Bason?”

 

The spirit and his master stopped. “What are you babbling about? You can't have Bason; I've had him since I was an infant.”

 

“But… But… Jun has one. I want one too!”

 

“Jun has Pailong, not Bason. Plus, he's a doll, not an integration spirit.”

 

“I want a spirit!”

 

He made a disgusted face and kept walking. “Ask your father for one. It's not my responsibility.” She waddled after him.

 

“He won't give me one!”

 

“Well, there you go. Nothing I can do.”

 

Pin-Mei stopped where she was and started crying again. “But I want one too!” she wailed. Ren whirled around and glared at her with dagger-like eyes.

 

“Stop acting like such a spoiled brat! Honestly! You're so annoying! Now I wish I had let you drown!”

 

The little girl was silent for a moment, then plopped down on the ground and cried again. He turned back around and walked quickly, eager to get far enough away from her so she could not be heard. However, that little voice inside stopped him, and he found himself in front of her again.

 

“What the hell is wrong with me?” he said to himself. He looked down at her. She was still hiccupping tears, the little baby.

 

“Stop crying,” he commanded. She immediately quieted down. “If you grow up a little, I'll take you to the cemetery after dinner and help you get a spirit.”

She stared at him. “Really, Niisama?”

 

“Yeah, but only if you stop annoying me.”

 

She stood up, a new resolve in her eyes. “Okay! I won't annoy you anymore! I promise!”

 

“Great…”

 

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“Hey, Niisama? What are you doing?”

 

“Lifting weights.”

 

“Oh… What's that do?”

 

“Makes me stronger.”

 

“Oh… Why do you want to do that?”

 

“Didn't you promise that you wouldn't annoy me anymore?”

 

They were in Ren's weight room; Ren on the machine, and Pin-Mei just watching. Now, she wouldn't leave him alone. Since he had helped her get her spirit, she insisted on following him everywhere. It took all his strength not to yell at her, especially at times like this, when his physical strength was being used.

 

“Sorry Niisama.”

 

“Whatever.”

 

He got off the machine and walked to the far side of the room to retrieve a towel. It was then that Pin-Mei finally made him snap.

 

“Ne, Niisama, what's that picture on your back.”

 

His hand clenched the towel. Suddenly, it was in shreds.

 

“Get out.”

 

“What?”

 

“I SAID GET OUT!”

 

“I don't understand, Ren-Niisama… Why are you so mad?”

 

“Aren't you listening to me?” He snatched his Kwan Dao from a rack on the wall and turned around, pointing it at her. “GET OUT.”

 

She screamed and ran out of the room.