Crying Night

Twelve: Good Night to the Past

After the book disappeared, I was overwhelmed. No amount of preparation could have prepared me for this. I knew what I had to do, but how should I go about doing it?

"Tsuki, sorry." Taiyou suddenly apologized.

"Why? It's not your fault this happened." I replied.

"But still. I could have told you back then! I could have warned you about--!" He looked down and clenched his fist, sitting on his knees.

I knelt in front of him, put my finger to his lips and placed my free hand on his clenched fist.

"No, don't say that. Even if you did, would I have believed you? I was a foolish child. I still am. Otherwise, I wouldn't have sought revenge against you." I looked Taiyou straight in the eyes as I admitted my naivety.

"Tsukki..."

We started leaning in for a kiss, but then we heard a "wow" like the ones you hear in anime in sexy scenes. The two of us looked at Teko with one eye as we realized she was still there.

"Don't leave me out of this moment!" Teko yelled and puffed out her cheek, "I like Tsuu-chan too!"

"Could you read the mood, annyoyance? Tsuki-sama and Taiyou-sama are lovey-dovey, you knyow!" Prul suddenly said.

Taiyou and I immediately pulled away and blushed. I forgot about them! This embarrassment would follow me for the rest of my life!

"Well, where were you, talking cat?" Teko asked Prul.

"I was here the whole time. I was planning to bring the book back from the Assassin Archives, but it decided to go back to sleep." Prul answered Teko's question.

"A book can't be alive! It's an inanimate object! How can it sleep?"

Prul leaped up and scratched Teko's face, "Didn't you hear the nyote? That the first holders of the Two Powers cast a spell on the book? Annyoyance, what were you doing?"

"Well, I was thinking about what will happen from now on." She sounded a little distant.

I mean, Teko seems like she isn't the type to think things through. She was also always ridiculed by two people, and she seems to make light of it. What goes through her mind when they all hurt her? How can she make light of all the pain? Teko's becoming somewhat of an enigma.

"Tekocchi doesn't sound like that..." I mumbled.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Teko asked, getting in my face once more.

"I mean, you don't seem to think things through. I just hope that Hoshi-onee-sama doesn't hate you, too..." I sighed.

"I don't think that will be a problem." Teko smiled and winked.

"Eh?" I didn't understand why she said that.

"Ah."

"Why did you say that? What do you know, Senaka Teko?" Taiyou interjected in our conversation.

"It's... a secret! I can't tell you quite yet." Teko laughed and put her finger to her lips.

"Even though you tell others' secrets so easily?" Taiyou squinted, "What makes you think that you can keep that secret?"

"I won't keep it a secret for much longer. I just can't tell you right now. After all of those revelations, I don't want to say another." Teko explained.

It seems like that was all that needed to be said. She did have a point. Today was already full of revelations. It was actually pretty considerate of her for someone who doesn't seem to think much about consideration.

"I'm sure that you guys need some time to think. I'll go on ahead back to my house." Teko stood up.

"O-ok." I stuttered as Teko walked towards the door, "See you later."

"See you later!" She waved, opened the door, and left.

As I heard the door slam, I realized I didn't have that sort of luxury. It was already almost midnight. Hoshi-onee-sama would surely be asleep, and I couldn't open the front door this late. She works so hard, so I couldn't wake her up like this.

So, I worked up the courage to ask a question I didn't want to ask: "Hey, Taiyou.... can I stay here tonight?"

Taiyou looked at me with wide eyes, almost like he couldn't believe this. Well, I couldn't believe I had to ask him, either.

"Eh? Do you mean... you want to do the thing lovers do?" Taiyou blushed.

I looked at Taiyou with confusion. I then glanced at Prul's location for a moment, but he had disappeared somewhere in this mess. It was then I realized what Taiyou meant.

"What is THAT about, perverted Taiyou?! Of course not, goddammit! I just don't want to wake up Onee-sama, and my house is rather far from here. I just want to sleep in a guest room, or the couch in here." I yelled at him.

That was embarrassing! Did he really have to say that?!

"No, I'll sleep on the couch. Get in my bed." Taiyou slouched.

"Huh? I..." I said when Taiyou walked to the couch, "don't want to, though?"

Taiyou stopped in his tracks and looked back at me, "What kind of host would I be if I let you sleep on the couch? At least let me do this for you." 

"It's kind of embarrassing, but I can only sleep on couches in other people's houses." I lied.

"You know when you lie, you blush a lot?" Taiyou pointed out.

"...I do?" I tried to find a mirror to see my blushing.

But then Taiyou started laughing, "Of course not! If you did blush when you lied, you wouldn't make it in the assassin business."

"What? You said that on a hunch?!" I yelled.

"Nope. After years of knowing you, I know when you lie." Taiyou said, still laughing.

"Hah, like you knew me well enough in the past ten years." I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I was watching you from afar. Seeing people confess to your always made me jealous." He admitted.

 "Oh, that's why you hugged me that day." I sarcastically said.

"True, but there's another reason besides jealousy: I was happy to see you again." 

I felt my face getting beet red. "Let's just go to sleep."

"You'll sleep on my bed then?" Taiyou asked.

 "FINE!" I yelled in embarrassment, then realized what he said.

"Well, good night." He smiled.

"Alright, you win. Good night." I sighed.

Defeated and tired, I made my way to Taiyou's bed and tucked myself in. 

It felt like that "Good Night" signaled the true end of my revenge. But there was still a lot to do and think about:

What is Teko's revelation?

How can we prepare ourselves for the times ahead?

Where will my fate take me?

And...

What will be at the end of everything: Hope... or despair?