Hitsuzen (Completed)

Chapter 12: The Quarrel

I told Mr. Ashiya everything as he sat us down for dinner. It seemed like everyone had been so worried about me ever since they heard the news. He even said my mom and dad had been trying their best to bring down the underground yakuzas that had been chasing us but to no avail. “They could be more powerful than we originally thought,” Mr. Ashiya said as he was the one explaining their efforts to save us now.

            “That’s why there’s no one here right now but me. When we were able to get some news that you were in Izumoshi, we sent all of the workers to your grandmas place immediately because we knew that’s where you’ll go for certain. I guess they didn’t make it in time,” he added.

            “Mr. Ashiya, why did my parents lie to me about my grandmother being dead?” I asked in all seriousness, meeting him by the eye. Mr. Ashiya had been a trusted employee by my parents, having to serve the family for 30 years already. I’m quite sure he knows the reason. My dad tells him everything after all.

            He looked at me as if he’d been dreading the moment I asked him that but then he stared at his food, took a deep breath and started saying, “They just wanted to get their daughter back.”

            “What? That is…” I wanted to say “that’s ridiculous” but based on the expression on Mr. Ashiya’s face, he wasn’t kidding.

            “But…why? I don’t understand!” I said frustratingly as I stared at him in pure confusion.

            “You just won’t leave your grandma back then. You had been with her for so many years not because your parents have no time to take care of you but because you just won’t leave your grandma. When you finally reached the right age to go to high school they thought they have to take drastic measures and told you that lie,” Mr. Ashiya explained with pity on his face.

            “Exactly, I was already on high school then. I’m sure I would have understood already. They didn’t have to hurt us both like that,” I said angrily, tears started to flow from my eyes. Mr. Ashiya can probably tell how I feel already because then he just docked his head and said, “I apologize on your parents’ behalf. They became selfish.” I don’t know what to answer anymore so I just chose to keep quiet and say nothing.

            I laid awake on my bed that night thinking what I’d done in my afterlife that made me deserve every horrible thing that’s happening in my life right now. “I was probably a very evil politician who only cared about myself,” I said aloud as that thought passed on my head. I want to go home. I want to confront my parents about grandma. I want to have my life back. I want all of this to end. When will it end? I thought to myself. Frankly, I’m getting so exhausted. I feel like I’d rather face our enemies than to keep running. Since when did I become such a coward? I asked myself.

            I was in the middle of moping alone by myself when I heard voices shouting from outside my room. “I don’t understand why you keep avoiding me! If you don’t want me to become your fiancée fine, but your treating me as if I don’t even exist and how do you think will that make me feel?” It sounded like Haruka. It sounds like she’s really upset, no, she actually sounds like she’s crying.

            “Say something!” She added after awhile, sounding angrier than ever. I don’t want to hear this, Haruka is a really great girl and I don’t have to see the face of who she’s talking to to figure out who it was nor listen even further to find out what they’re talking about. It’s pretty obvious.

            “Will you fix yourself up? You look pathetic.” I heard Shuichi answer her. Ouch! Wrong words, wrong words Shuichi. I thought to myself and just like expected I heard Haruka’s footsteps running away from the scene her cry echoing everywhere.

            That’s it! I can’t just stood there and not do anything. She might be a stranger to me but no girl deserves that kind of treatment.

            “Haruka wait!” I said as I opened my sliding door. Shuichi looked at me shockingly as I met his gaze when I came out of my room but I don’t have any time to deal with him, I want to find Haruka first.

            I passed the confused gaze of Matsuru and Ryota as I got out of the house. They probably just started to figure out something was happening.

            I followed Haruka’s trail as I continued to call out for her name. Her footsteps were evident that she ran towards this flower field. There’s also a path of squashed flowers that screams somebody stepped on them, I knew for sure Haruka came that way.

            “Haruka! Haruka!” I screamed at the tope of my lungs. It’s the middle of the night, the soil was wet from rain, clouds block the light that’s coming from the moon so it’s quite dark out. If I don’t find her, I could end up getting lost in this darkness. 

            “Haruka! Answer me! Where are you?” I screamed desperately. Luckily that time, I got a response, unluckily, it wasn’t the type of response I was expecting…it was a scream.

            “Haruka? Haruka!” I screamed back desperately. I was shaking now, that scream sounded like it was struggling. If that was Haruka, she’s probably in danger.

            Without thinking if something will happen to me, I ran hastily to where I heard the scream. I need to see Haruka, I need to find out if she’s safe.

            “Haruka!” I screamed. Adrenalin was racing to my body now, I can feel myself sweat and my heart palpitate faster and faster as I ran.

            “Haruka!” I yelled aloud again and that time I heard her. “Fiory, help!” She said desperately. Her voice didn’t come out distinct. It was as if something was blocking her speech.

            I ran faster and faster and the next thing I knew, something hit me in the head so hard that I ended up in the ground in just one splat.

            It took awhile for me to open my eyes and when it finally did, I could see feet surrounding me everywhere…people. But my vision is hazy and I know they’re talking ‘cause I can hear voices but for some reason, I can’t make out what they were saying. It was like mumbling. I felt somebody touching me then, it was like someone was lifting me into the air. Then…there was nothing but darkness.