Onihunter Yuna

79 Cleaned

Boom ... Boom ... Boom ...

Yuna slowly woke up. Sleepy, she opened her eye, which adjusted to the lighting conditions. She found herself in Yoshiro's place. Apparently it was already morning, because sunlight came through the skylight.

Boom ... Boom ... Boom ...

She wanted to move, but then noticed strong arms that were wrapped around her. Her ear was glowing from heat. She could smell her mentor. His calm heartbeat thundered directly into her ear. She turned her head a little to look at him. He was still asleep, she suspected, since his eyes were still closed.

Had he been holding her all night long? In her chest, she felt a strange, warm feeling. Surprised, she caught her breath. Was this her imagination?

The huntress put her ear once more against Yoshiro's chest. Within seconds she could feel the warmth coming from his body. She looked at her bandaged right hand. Cautiously the girl clenched her fist. An unusual, dragging sensation, accompanied by a whirring pain sought its way through her body.

She laughed softly.

The blue-haired rubbed her cheek against Yoshiro's shirt. It was so soft. She could feel the fabric fibers. With the fingers of her left hand she stroked over the bandages on her right. The fine structure of the gauze hooked on the brittle skin of her fingertips. Yuna beamed all over her face.

She held out her hand and touched Yoshiro's face. She gently stroked along his jaw. His skin actually felt a little different than that of a human. The leather-like pattern was more than just a texture.

Yoshiro was startled and beat away her hand. "Ouch.", hissed Yuna.

Blinking, he looked at her. The glowing red eyes scrutinized irritated, then realization crept into them. "Yuna. Are you okay?"

"I feel fantastic."

"Really?!" He released her and she sat up. Her eye remained on the black streaks on his shirt. "Your makeup melt during the whining. Don't worry."

"Sorry."

Memories of last night flashed in her mind. Many confusing emotions swirled through her heart. Some were joy, other pain. There was longing and shame.

Apparently her emotional chaos reflected on her face, as Yoshiro watched her worried.

"Yuna?"

"It's so confusing. Hard to believe that I've lived only a few weeks without feelings, but now ... It's so confusing.", stuttered the blue-haired.

"Take your time to get used to it." The girl nodded. "I'll make us some tea."

"Okay." The Oni rose from the sofa and tugged his shirt. Yawning, he walked over to his cooking plate.

Yuna looked at her hands. She thought of Wataru. Immediately her stomach started to feel strange. Was she sick? Her hands became wet. She was surprised how extreme her body reacted to the slightest emotion. Did ordinary people remark that at all?

She missed him. She wanted so see him so bad. She wanted to apologize to him and most of all, she wanted to kiss him. Her heart leaped.

Hikari appeared in her thoughts. Instantly her feelings changed. In her heart throbbed something new. Hikari and Wataru together. Her friend fangirling all over him. The feeling became more intense. Was that ... jealousy?

Her thoughts wandered to her family. An increasing pressure weighed on her heart. Tears welled in her eye. She sniffed loud.

Her mentor turned his face to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just thought of something sad." She smiled while the tears ran down her cheek. "It's hard to believe, but it makes me happy that I can feel this pain again."

"Hm.", made Yoshiro. He poured hot water on the tea leaves in the cups.

Yuna thought of her sister. How Yui lay all alone for days in her bed. Her little, helpless sister. She sobbed and wiped her eye, but the tears wouldn't dry up.

Yoshiro came over and handed her one cup. "Here."

The girl reached for it, but jerked back immediately when she felt the heat of the vessel. "That's hot!"

The Oni smiled. "Of course. It's fresh tea."

Yuna took the cup with both hands and stared in disbelief while she felt how the heat moved over her skin. She smiled at Yoshiro, but her tears flowed on.

"This is so confusing.", admitted the huntress.

"Understandable. Your power no longer activates automatically. Now you have to figure out how to use it again."

She blew cool air on the surface of her beverage. "How?"

"I don't know. I suspect that it is related to how secure you feel, because in moments of security your power faded."

"And now for the silly, little girl?"

Yoshiro laughed. "My guess is, that your power initially manifested permanently because you've felt so hurt and helpless. When you started to feel secure, your power faded because it was not needed anymore. Somehow the kiss broke that mechanism."

"Hm." She wiped her nose on the hem of the T-shirt.

"Maybe ... with the necessary control, you could even reach a state in which you are invulnerable, but can still feel normally.", the Oni thought aloud.

"Are you sure?"

"I think it's possible. Someone with super strength can affect its intensity level through control. So can a Pyro-Oni regulate the heat of his flames."

"Sounds logical."

The huntress took a sip of tea. The hot drink slid down her throat and began to warm her up from the inside. It seemed like forever to her that she could feel anything like this.

He cleared his throat. "I know you wanted to go through your stuff today, but we can..."

"No! I want to do it. I need my phone and I want to go visit Yui. I need her favorite book from our stuff.", the girl interrupted Yoshiro.

"Okay ..." Doubting, he mustered his pupil.

"Please, Yoshiro."

"All right. Of course we can go visit Yui."

"Thank you very much."

"We should, however, put on different clothes."

Yuna grinned sheepishly. "I have nothing else here."

"We will surely find something with your old stuff."

"Okay."

Yoshiro changed his shirt and ran his hands a couple of times through his hair to loosen it up.

The girl wiped the residual makeup with a cloth from her face.

She thought again of Wataru and wondered how long he had been searching for her. Was he still out there looking for her? She felt guilty. He didn't deserve this. Not after all the things he had done for her. She sighed deeply. She wanted to be human again, now it was up to her to cope with all these feelings.

Once they were ready, they finished their tea and then went on their way.