Transferred into Hakuou!? (Hakuouki Fanfiction)

Replay 17: Off The Side Road

I don't remember anything from that point onwards.

When I finally come to, I notice a familiar figure sitting right by the bed. As my vision clears, I realise that it is Souji. I try to get up from the soft covers but my arms are still weak. Souji feels me shifting around and turns to me, his face grim.

"You are really naive," he sighs in exasperation. "If anyone calls you to a hotel room there must be something weird going on." He looks at me, his green eyes twinkling in amusement. "And you walked right into their trap."

I search my brain for clues to what Souji is talking about, and come up with none. "What are you talking about? Who are you calling naive?" I ask, my temper flaring. It makes me dizzier instead and I take a few deep breaths to calm down.

Souji chuckles and ignores me as per usual. "Now that you are awake, let's go to the hospital." He stands up, stretching and yawning as if he had been sitting by my side for a long time. "Can you walk?"

"Couldn't you just carry me to the hospital instead?" My head spins again and I feel my tea coming up. "I'm not heavy too..."

Souji just laughs and walks over to the door, waiting as I slowly get up. I stumble before I reach the door, and he grabs me on my arm.

"T-thanks," I murmur, suddenly embarrassed to show him my weak side.

"Thank your father," Souji points out. "He begged me to follow you for fear of something bad happening, and he is right."

I don't have the energy to be shocked, so I just nod as he supports me to the lift. Surprised at his gentleness, I shift uncomfortably as we stand within the four walls without a word. When we reach the first floor, Souji tells the bellboy to get us a cab. The cab is outside the hotel in a minute, and we enter it. Silence fill the car until I decide to break it.

"I don't understand what is going on," I whisper to Souji. He glances at me, and I think he cannot hear me so I edge closer. "What is going on? Why did I faint? Why do we need to go to the hospital? And where are the directors of Exertainment Entertainment?"

As always, Souji chuckles in amusement. "One question at a time." He holds up a finger. "The directors of the agency wanted to rape you while you were unconscious." I wince and the side of his lips twitches. "Once you wake up you will have no recollection of it. They are planning to use you to get favours from different CEOs once you sign a contract with them."

I stump back to my seat, not believing a word he is saying. "It can't be..."

Souji's second finger moves up to meet the first. "They were using some kind of date rape drug on you." His third finger jerks up. "Date rape drugs may have some side effects, so it'll be better to let a doc check you." The fourth finger shoots up abruptly. "I've called the police and they will have their asses busted in jail."

While I'm trying to register all that information into my mind, the cab suddenly swerves to the left and I crash into Souji. His scent surrounds me--a surprisingly pleasant smell compared to his stinking personality. It is familiar--almost to the point of nostalgic, but I can't quite place my finger on it.

"So you're this kind of girl, kid? Never quite expected that."

There is a nagging feeling in my chest as I gaze into Souji's emerald green eyes in a daze. Shocked, I let out a weird squeak from my throat--I have my cheeks pressed up against his chest. Fortunately, only the driver sees it and I quickly regain my composure and buckle my seat belt. He chuckles in response and mumbles something about youngsters these days, causing me to turn deep red.

"It's not like that! Don't you misunderstand!" I sit closer to talk to the driver to be pulled back by the seat belt. I flinch and sneak a glance at Souji. He doesn't have any other expression on but amusement as always--and as always I want to wipe that smirk off his face. "Anyway, are you serious? They are...not going to offer me a contract?" I feel my heart sink along with those words. "They are...liars?" My vision becomes blurry and tears fall onto my lap. To think that I trusted them and they just wanted to take advantage of me!

The most important thing to me, however, is that my debut has been pushed back once more. How can they step on my dreams like that?

There is a long silence in the cab as Souji waits for me to stop crying. After a few minutes of weeping, the driver stops the vehicle and clears his throat. "Sorry for interrupting you, but we are at the hospital now."

I unbuckle my seat belt, wiping my face and reach out to open the door only to be grabbed on the arm. I look back and Souji is frowning.

"Have you lost your senses?" He asks. "If you open that door you'll be rammed over by cars."

I shake my head wordlessly and beckon him to hurry up. He opens his side of the door and steps out first. As I'm about to leave the car behind him, Souji turns around and sticks out his hand.

I frown at it. "You want me to pay you back for the cab?" My hand pats my pockets for money.

"Your hand," he says simply, further confusing me. "You're still weak."

My jaw drops in astonishment as my hand automatically finds a way to his. As soon as our skins make contact, my head bursts into pain. My other hand rubs at my temple and Souji pulls me to my feet, surprisingly gentle. Is it me, or is he actually acting like a gentleman to me? Who knows that he has this side to him?

"Thank you," I murmur under my breath, my heart skipping a beat. I peek at his face, searching for any emotion, but he does keep himself pokerface...For once, I want to know what he is thinking.