So We Meet Again? (Discontinued)

XIX

"Seems like the fever has gone down" a twelve-year boy whispered after giving the number displaying on the screen of the thermometer a quick stare

"I am hungry" the little girl coughed as her brother was pulling her blanket up to her neck. A thunder light stroke itself in the sky forcing her to make an uncomfortable expression while looking at it from her window" I hate rain, thunder is scary"

"Alright how about I make some warm porridge and I will cuddle you instead of mom today" her brother stroke her hair with a soft smile, comforting her.

"No I want mummy you stink, big brother" that girl pouted. Her words stabbed like a sharp knife in his heart.

His eyebrows twitched in annoyance
"That is not a nice thing to say to someone who is making you something to eat" but his sister's tongue displaying is all he received in return.

He went out of her room and started to gather ingredients for his dish in the kitchen when he heard his mother's shrinking voice.

He left the bowl of rice soaked in water inside the sink and rush towards the scene while water droplets fell from the tap one after another into the bowl.

"What's wrong-" he reached the entrance of their house to see his mother tossed on the floor in front of him.

"Mother!" He ran to her"What's happening?. There was a man on their open door.

Suddenly he could feel his mother's fingers making a tight grip on his arm making him look at her.
"Kamui go inside, everything is fine" she got on her feet with the help of her son.

"But mother-" Kamui hesitated, he was having a distorted expression.

"Kamui, inside now!" She raised her voice. He could hear his mother's voice shaking. She slowly stood between her son and that man.

"And as I told you for the last time my husband isn't here, he hasn't been here for mo-"

"Yea yea that same old crap" that man scoffed. Kamui eyes got widened as he noticed a gun in his hand ." Boss isn't interested in it anymore "

"Moth-!"

"Kamui everything is fine sweetie go inside! NOW" his trembling voice got down by his mother's voice.

That guy lifted the gun "We all are tired of this shit so this time we are here for something else"

"Something else?"

"Well someone... like your daughter, you have one right, plus this brave young man" a devilish grin gradually appeared on his face. He pointed the gun in Kamui's direction."Listen up kid I have come here to end your and your mother's life and take your little sister with me, so any last wish before your death?"

Kamui could feel his feet trembling as he found himself getting face to face with a gun. He could hear his mother's trembling voice."No..no..no please "She was at the edge of begging"Stay away from my children, they did nothing wrong to him"

Kamui could feel his body getting numb. His eyes were focused on the tip of the shining pistol, his heart trembling as lightning cleaves the sky again.

"Your man should have known better before getting himself involved" grin on that man's face became diabolical as he pulled the hammer.

"Big brother? "Kamui's heartbeat stopped as he heard Kagura's voice coming out of the hallway

'Kagura please don't come '

He gathers his strength to rush towards Kagura to get her back upstairs. He took her on his lap with shaky hands and moved towards the stairs trying to get himself together. Trying to believe everything is going to be fine.

He somehow carries her to her room and locks it from the outside while all he could hear was his mother begging. He could see the terrifying look in Kagura's eyes before he shuts the door. Kamui quickly makes his way back to the stairs almost rushing into the room moments before a sound of a gunshot startles him.

But he was unharmed.

He turned his head in fear to see his mother standing in front of him with a weak smile while her blue garnish slowly coating itself in blood red.

"MOTHER!!"

Kamui unveils his eyes to stare at the endless sea, waves crashing into the shore.

Suddenly his ears catch up with a familiar melody of an instrument. Out of curiosity, his feet start moving on their own in the search of the source.

Each note of that music sinking him in his warm childhood memories of his mother playing this for him and Kagura.

He eventually stops to find Nene playing the music on her Koto on the porch. Nene stops as she notices Kamui in front of her.

"Kamui-san?" he can hear his name getting called in her voice.
"I am sorry, did I disturb something?" he answers back.

Nene shakes her head"Of course not, but what are you doing here?"

"Came out for fresh air, how about you?" Kamui gently sits next to her.

"I was just feeling a little down, playing the Koto always calms me down". Nene grumbles while playing with the strings.
Kamui's eyes hook something gleaming on Nene's hair. It is that hairpin he gave her the other day.

"I am happy that you like the hairpin enough to wear it"Kamui let out a half-hearted smile.

Nene shyly touches the hairpin "you noticed...."

"Yea it is making you look more beautiful than you already are" Kamui smiles, but it unhurriedly subsides away as he notices Nene's hidden reddish cheek. It kinda pinches his heart for some reason in a way he never felt before.

"Thank you" her response reaches up to his ear but he was unable to say anything further.

They stay in silence not knowing what to say further.

" Would you like to give it a try?"Nene breaks the silence hesitantly.
Kamui just nods as he is too jumbled up to find the right word.
He moves closer to her to hold her Koto. He gently touches the strings.

His fingers stroke the strings and with each note, his life starts to flash in front of his eyes.

How simple yet happy his life was, how that rainy night changed the complete meaning of his life.....

He gradually shifts his gaze towards her.

How moonlight is shining brighter than ever on her facing making her smile unable to be left unattended by his eyes.

How he is slowly feeling something familiar around her.

Nene notices Kamui's eyes on her. Their eyes meet and keep staring deeply at each other as if the time around them has stopped like always.

Kamui can feel himself coming more closer to her. The sound of her breath is all his ears want to listen to.

He only feels a mix emotion, fast heart and a warm tingling sensation.His eyes soften, leaning more towards her.

How he is so thirsty for revenge.

Kamui bites his lips with aggravation and slowly touches Nene's shoulder, making space between them.

"I am sorry, I need to go"
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"I can't wait to meet you, my soon to be wife"