Is It Okay To Have Dinner With The Spider

【十八】LROECS

She sat by the public garden forlornly, watching as the sunflowers began to bloom close. Meanwhile, night time drew closer and the sun started falling away. The grass was so green and the flowers were so bright, why did they have to turn dark when the light faded away? Was their life nothing if there were no light? Even the shadows could not exist without the light. I learnt that too late. It only makes sense that I have no purpose of living if my light has died away, she gave a sad smile, How cruel for me to terminate my own light.

The thought took an emotional toll on her body and she started shaking, tears running down her cheeks by themselves. Reina hugged her knees and rocked herself, trying to calm herself down but it didn't work. She started crying, and then her gravelly cries turned to strained demonic screams. The pain washed over her like a tsunami, drowning her in painful tears. It felt like it wouldn't go away, clinging on to her bones like weed. Why won't it go away?!

Reina's quivering fingers reached to her pocket, barely within her control, and fished out the cannabis bottle. But it slipped from her fragile hand and crashed to the concrete ground, cracking to a thousand pieces. I can't do anything!

Sometime in her quakes, she stopped screaming and then her eyes almost closed. The hospital. I have to get there. It's my only hope of surviving. There may be no chance, but I still can't dismiss it. She found the strength in her to get up and move. Sniffling, and willing her tears to go away, she got up and made her way to the hospital, a kilometer away. Can't I just die?

"Don't die!" She heard Tetsuki tell her and she stopped. Those had been the last true words he'd said to her, before the whole ordeal. Don't die? Reina burst out laughing.

"This is the Spider you're talking to," Reina grinned, "Of course I won't die. I've survived for this long, haven't I?"

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The road softly rumbled beneath their feet, under their Honda sedan. It was an old car, yet it worked like a jet, like it had just come out of making. Tokuze smiled; he'd kept his car pretty well conditioned and was not intending to get a new one anytime soon. His son, on the other hand... The father glanced towards Tetsuki, who sat quietly beside him. Tetsuki had gotten his driver's license not long ago, and had been saving up for his own car. Maybe he could just get it for him as a birthday present.

"Has Isaki told you anything about Chika?" This seemed to be a usual question asked almost everyday. Tokuze sighed.

"Nothing besides that he's been doing well in the hospital. Suffered a concussion, a spinal injury and a few minor wounds. But it wasn't severe for any of them, which has me surprised. Apparently he'll be out of the hospital by next week," he replied nuetrally; he didn't want to seem too emotional in the sight of his son.

Tetsuki nodded. "That's good then. I still don't understand why we couldn't visit him earlier. I have things to talk about you know." There was something edgy in his voice that Tetsuki couldn't keep out of his voice. If Chika was still the rash bonehead he knew, then Tetsuki was pretty sure he knew the exactly what had caused the injuries.

"Oh right, and she gave me a huge pile of stuff to bring to him. She'd no time so I had to go pick it up just now. Still don't get why Chika needs all this stuff if he's going to be back in a few days." Tokuze sighed exasperatedly. "Sometimes I still don't get women."

The car stopped in front of the hospital at the car park and Tetsuki carefully stepped out of the car, surveying his surroundings. It was pretty empty, considering it wasn't the weekend yet.

"Let me get that bunch of stuff from the car. Tetsuki, you go without me for now. But I'll be quick," his dad called from the boot.

"Yeah." Tetsuki walked towards the large entrance. All he could think of was how he was going to beat up Chika's ass. It was just as he reached the exact middle of the entrance steps when he heard a voice. No, more accurately; a sharp cry. Snapping his head around, his eyes narrowed and focused.

That voice... Why did it sound so much like her? His heart thumped loudly in his ear and he raced down the lawn. The corner was so close, maybe she really was there. Spider! Spider! Where have you been? Seriously. I've been waiting for you for so long. You don't have to hide from me, you know. It wasn't your fault. Spider- Tetsuki rounded the corner and paused, breathing heavily. The alley beside the hospital was empty.

"Tetsuki? Let's go in already!" The pair trudged into the hospital.

Spider, I missed you a lot.

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The tears stung in her eyes, her lips couldn't find the correct words. Why had he seemed so much like Tetsuki? His way of walking, his build, his hair. Her shaking breathing slowed and the hand over her mouth let go. I was dreaming, of course that wasn't Tetsuki. I killed him, remember Reina? She clouded the thought and pushed it away. Reina couldn't bear to think about him.

The thought dawned on her that she'd no idea who had stolen her away from the opportunity of seeing Tetsuki again. Reina jerked her head up and scowled, wanting to give whoever had done it, a peace of her very upset mind.

Her eyes shaped round and shook with shock. "Hi-Hikado?!"

The muscular man nodded, his dark sunglasses bobbing along with his spiky hair. "It's him in the flesh," Hikado smirked.

Reina glowered at him and jumped up. "What do you want with me? I told you, I'm never becoming you test subject or whatever!" Her spider sprouted from her back and pointed dangerously at him. Hikado: the merciless man who spared no one, the one who turned scrawny humans into superhuman monsters of every kind. He was evil in human form.

"Calm down, Reina-chan." His voice was as slithering as she remembered. The way he said her name made something run down her spine; he was the only one who ever found out her history and her name. He had been her foster father, first and foremost. "I'm here to make a trade. A trade that I know you also want."

"I want nothing from you," her scowl deepened and her spider legs drew closer to his chest. "Do you hear me?"

"I hear you. But I suggest you think twice about this, dear Reina. I can fix you. All you have to do is help me take back my mens' loyalty from Uzuki. That dirty shrimp is getting my underwear all bunched up just thinking about it," he snarled, a face that Reina hadn't wanted to come across ever again. "I'll bring you back to normal, but I need you to do defeat Uzuki. That's all. Reina, I know you want this. And you know that I know how much you're suffering with that poison of yours."

"Why should I help you defeat Uzuki? For all I know, he rescued me from prison," Reina sneered at the man, who merely chuckled.

"You don't really know the whole story do you? Uzuki was the one who organized the masked men to target you. He's waiting to bring you down, Reina. And you know where they're coming from? Yes, that's right. They used to be my men. My superhumans who I could command at will. Now he's taken them away from me and are using them to kill you. He was behind the fight with Tetsuki as well."

Reina steeled and her response was immediate. So she'd been right. Revenge had never tasted quite so close. "I'll help you."

"That's definitely the best choice," Hikado's mouth stretched into a grin.

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CLOSER