I Belong To You: A Kisshu And Ichigo Love Story

Chapter 21: A Special Child

"Kimi no kudake chitta yume no hahen ga boku no mune o sashite.

Wasurete wa ikenai itami toshite kizamareteku."

Hamasaki Ayumi, Moments Single

Translation:

"What you adored looked beautiful to you.

It became even brighter because you couldn't reach it."

_____

"Okay, so tell me then!"

Ichigo glared at Parfait with as much anger as she could muster. She was wet, freezing, and stuck in a cave that smelled like seaweed. Not to mention Parfait seemed fairly confident that they wouldn't be found for a long time. Needless to say, Ichigo was thoroughly annoyed by this time. Insulted too - what Parfait had said about Pai and Tart was awful, and she didn't understand it.

Ichigo asked, "Why do you think Kisshu should be with you? And why do you hate Pai so much?"

Parfait's face was cold in the semi-darkness. She looked at Ichigo with that far-away anger, as if seeing Ichigo, and yet seeing beyond her, into the past. Ichigo was sure she was remembering something, but she didn't know how it could possibly relate to what was happening now.

Then, in a very quiet voice - shockingly quiet, yet maintaining a strong intensity and a hint of bitterness - Parfait said to Ichigo:

"When I was very little, Kisshu saved my life."

Ichigo was shocked. Her mind had gone completely blank. She couldn't have spoken if she tried. Doubtless, it had been Parfait's intention to surprise Ichigo into being silent, so that she could keep talking. With barely a moment's pause, Parfait continued.

"If Kisshu hadn't protected me, I would've been murdered by my own father. It was too late to save my mother - Father killed her first - but when my Father turned on me, Kisshu appeared out of the storm and killed him instead."

Parfait's mouth twisted up into a smirk at the sight of Ichigo's horrified face. "Have I finally proven myself? Stupid girl, that was only the beginning for me. I never forgot him after that, nor did I forget what he did for me. I couldn't have - after that, I saw him almost every day."

Ichigo balked. After Kisshu had saved her, had he and Parfait become childhood friends? Did they share a bond of friendship that spanned from when they were little to now? Maybe at one point, Kisshu had even had feelings for Parfait. It was possible, if he'd known her for so long.

Parfait, seeing Ichigo's face as the thoughts flashed past, suddenly spat, "It's not what you think, you pathetic girl. I didn't speak to him again for ten years. It was only due to the charity of one of the scientists on the base that made it possible for me to see Kisshu all those years.

"After my parents were killed, the authorities took Kisshu and erased his memory of the event. He was - a special child - and they didn't want him traumatized by the fact that he killed someone at such a young age. So he forgot about my Father. And he forgot about me." There was no mistaking the bitterness in Parfait's voice now. Despite everything that had happened, Ichigo felt a surge of compassion toward the beautiful, cold alien. To have such deep feelings for Kisshu, and have him not even realize she existed...it sounded terrible to Ichigo. Horrible. And incredibly sad.

Parfait cut a glance at Ichigo that could've sliced metal. "You have no idea what I endured," she snapped, "watching him all those years. I was taken in by one of the scientists, but I had to work for my keep. So I was given a daily job of cleaning the facility where they trained these special children - the place in which Kisshu, Pai, and Taruto grew up. The facility was on a special base that was closed off from the outside world - the world in which I lived, before my parents died. I had only vaguely heard of the facility before I was brought there.