Beauty And A Beast

Chapter 16

Tzuyu

It's been two days since the wolf attack, meaning that tomorrow we get to leave this hell. These two days, Sana and I have been splitting up and searching the village for any food or weapons. The only thing we've found is a shirt for me to wear and some ridiculously small sandwiches. These people are just pathetic.

It's almost noon so I make my way to the house Sana and I have arranged to meet. I didn't really agree with this whole split up idea since I find it much more fun when Sana is with me, but she insisted that we'll cover more ground if we split.

When I arrive and cautiously walk through the door, looking around to see if anyone is watching, I go up to the rooftop of the house. Sana is sitting on the cement floor, her back turned on me and her brown wavy hair falling free on her back, moving slightly at the night breeze. I walk behind her and sit in front of her.

"No wounds, so I guess no unfriendly visitors?" I ask. She scoffs.

"I'm kind of offended you think I can't come out of a fight unscathed."

"Remember what happened in our last fight Minatozaki?"

She laughs, her tone full of challenge, "What, you here for a rematch?"

"Now, now, I'd hate to mess my partner up."

"What makes you think I won't mess you up?" Sana argues.

"You know you're still injured. Your stitches will tear if you fight me and I will have saved your life for nothing."

She remains silent, looking at the night sky above. And, when she talks again, her voice is barely more than a whisper.

"You never told me why you saved me. Why you didn't leave me."

I can almost hear her unspoken words echo in the defeaning silence of the night.

Leave me to die.

The answer to that question still evades me. I really don't know why I saved her. But I know that I couldn't leave her like that. I couldn't just let her die.

I look at her and she's looking at the ground this time, biting on the inside of her cheek and spinning the ring on her thumb. I give her some time before I ask what's troubling her.

"All right, what's wrong? Spill it."

She turns her eyes at me and then back at the ground. "I'm fine."

I scoff. "You're a terrible liar Minatozaki."

She turns her gaze to me again. And then, she's laughing loudly, throwing her head back in amusement. I can't do much other than sit and watch. Her laughter is too bright a thing to miss, I fear it's the reason the sun is hiding.

"You need to know that I'm a great liar Chou." she says between chuckles.

"I'd doubt it." I insist.

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

She leans towards me, a challenging look on her face. "Enlighten me then."

I point at her left foot. "You tap your left foot when you lie. I noticed it one time when you told one of your friends you hate my dimples. And we both know that's a lie." I finish with a grin while she stares at me.

"I didn't realize you watched me so closely."

I scoff. "Watched? Darling, I've never stopped."

She meets my eyes with an emotion I can't really decipher showing on those ocean eyes of hers. And then she looks up at the night sky, spinning the ring on her thumb again.

"I'm still waiting for an answer, you know." she mutters, and I know just what she is talking about. By the look on her face, I can tell there's no escaping the question this time. Only delaying it.

"We never got to finish our dance before the Challenge. In your room." I blurt out. Sana chuckles.

"Seriously? You know that's not an answer, right?"

"Well, let's do it this way. We dance, you get your answer. Or we don't and you can always wonder."

Sana huffs. "You've got to be kidding. Not this again."

"Yes, this again." I say as I get up and offer her my hand. "So, do we dance or not, Minatozaki?"

Sana sighs and gets up slowly. "Fine." she agrees and puts her palm down on my hand.

I hold her hand up, lacing our fingers, and use the other to put her hand on my shoulder, careful not to tear her stitches. I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

We step together, the lack of music not being an obstacle. Or so I thought.

"There's no music." Sana says flatly. I chuckle at her lazy tone.

"Well then, I guess we won't know when to stop dancing. How unfortunate." I show her a fake pout before dipping her towards the ground. Her breath hitches.

"You're tempting me to stomp on your toes Chou." she says breathlessly. I lift her up and we continue swaying in silence.

"So, how about the answer to my question?" she asks, her voice barely a murmur.

"Was it really so strange that I didn't want you to die? That I helped you?"

She hesitates. "Yes."

"I've told you before, killing isn't a hobby of mine. If I have a choice, I don't do it."

She opens her mouth as if to say something but then quickly closes it. I chuckle.

"Say what you want."

She sighs. "It's just that I thought you'd be a bit more like... you know, your father."

I don't reply immediately. It's not surprising at all that she would think I'm like my father after everything I've told her. That she would fall for my facade, the one my father had me create ever since I was young.

"Is that why you hate me?"

"I don't hate you." she answers quickly, perhaps too quickly for her liking because she gulps immediately after that.

"Oh, okay, so all your pressing knives to my throat and threatening to kill me is because you like me?" I tease.

"The fact that I don't hate you doesn't mean I like you."

We continue swaying silently, the only sound being our shoes on the cold floor and our slow breathing. That is until she interrupts the silence again.

"Would you have helped one of the others?" she pauses. "Like, someone other than Jay and Jackson who are friends of your brother?"

I chuckle and shake my head. "I don't think the sight of someone else dying would affect me as much as you do when you're alive."

Sana swallows. "You're a shameless flirt Chou."

"Just for you."

"And a shameless liar, it seems." she adds, making me chuckle again. I sigh and give her a challenging look.

"My turn to ask the questions, darling."