Goto was deemed to have stabilised and was transferred to a private ward courtesy of Genji. Genji had asked the doctor to put Goto in a private ward. The reason he gave the doctor was that he didn't want anyone to disturb Goto. After having suffered such serious injuries, he didn't want Goto to regain consciousness in shock.
On the other side, the actual reason was he didn't want anyone to listen to their conversations. There were some things Genji wanted to speak with Chojiro as well as the things they should consider doing after Genji wakes up.
Kaiyo stepped into the ward with Chojiro after seeing the nurses leaving the ward. Having not left the hospital ever since she came into the building with Goto, she was still wearing her blood-stained clothes covered over with Genji's coat that was clearly bigger in size.
"Are you not uncomfortable?" Genji asked as he leaned against the window frame.
Kaiyo shook her head, indicating 'no', and took a seat on the couch in the private ward. "It's bearable," she answered. "Aren't you cold? You came here with only a suit jacket, but you have given it to me instead."
Genji looked down at his dark blue dress shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows before replying, "It's bearable."
Kaiyo's eye twitched; her words were thrown back to her. She thought about returning his coat, only to stop when she remembered that the inside of the coat must have been stained by blood.
Genji watched her stare at the screen of the monitor, showing the vital signs of the unconscious Goto. He then asked Chojiro—who was standing beside the bed—where the two Red members were.
"Last I had contacted Tarou-san, they are held in the warehouse we had at the other harbour. We had the workers leave work earlier and closed the area around the building. We had a feeling you would want to call Homura over."
Genji pressed his hand to his chin. Deep in contemplation, various thoughts seemed to cross his mind, seeing his expression changing drastically from a restraint frown to a look of contempt. With a smile on his face, his eyes lifted off the floor and in a low voice he said, "Good work. That was what I had planned to do. Tell Tarou and the other members to keep them there. Tie them—ah, wait..." he paused before crossing his arms on his chest, "since we are going to invite the Reds over, we can't treat their members badly. In hindsight, the other Red seems more mature and easier to communicate with." He was referring to Yata. He chuckled. "Give that beanie skateboarder guy some tea and snacks but keep the other tied up. Make sure he doesn't get out from his restraints."
Kaiyo hesitantly looked at Genji's expression. Watching his expressions changing made her worries grow. As said before, there was a reason why Genji was the youngest leader in the unnamed group's legacy and how he was able to manage the business and have it prosper to an extent at such a young age.
--Wits, brains, good social and ethical abilities, charisma, making good use of his connections, and patience.
--But when the patience thinned, his seemingly cheerful and kind side breaks away and the merciless side brews forth.
Kaiyo, "You... won't do anything harmful to them, will you?"
Genji's dark gaze settled on her, and she tensed visibly. "Why?" He voiced out. "Are you covering for them?"
Kaiyo tensed visibly, feeling the oppressing pressure set upon her just by his gaze. "No..." She looked away.
"There's a limit to how much I can tolerate." Genji pulled out a cigarette box, fiddling with the box since he was unable to smoke a stick as it was a hospital. "First was the guns situation. Accusing us to be like those dirty scoundrel groups from the underground without evidence. Does carrying a gun around means we are mindless killers? We have our own pride, yah know. At the second meeting, they were doubtful about this unstable partnership and implied that we may backstab them... Heh, hahahaha, now that I think about it," His chuckle was cold and sarcastic. His eyes looked towards Goto and continued on, "how controversial. This time, it's the other way around."
Genji looked over. "Hey Kaiyo-chan."
Hearing her name being called, her eyes looked back at the domineering male.
"I know that you have some connections with them that you want to keep a secret." Genji's expression turned dismal, but it hardened back a split second later. His next few words brought a shiver down her arms. "I won't ask you about it. For now."
Taking in a breath, Kaiyo opened her mouth. "What is it that you want to say?" She knew he had something he wanted to say, but he kept beating around the bush.
Genji smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "If your friends and family were threatened," Genji pushed off the window frame and stepped towards the ravenette, his eyes never leaving hers nor do Kaiyo cut the eye-contact, "or in this case, someone was heavily injured. What would you do in return?" He stood a step away from Kaiyo, standing diagonally to her right.
"Would you still," eyes half-lid, he finished, "cover for them?"
Kaiyo's hands resting on her lap balled into fists. She didn't know what to say. On one side Homura—or at least that Red member who stabbed Goto—was the instigator, so the bigger side of the Red Clan was not the main culprit. However, that person is still a Red Clansman, so the responsibility fell on Mikoto for recruiting someone like him. On the other side, from what Chojiro had said, Yata had tried to stop that instigator and protected Genji's people. This meant that there was more to the story.
As someone who had connections with the two groups, who should she side with? Or... Should she not side with anyone?
She was conflicted. If she sided with Genji, then Homura would know her connection with him. If she sided with Homura, then who knew what Genji would do.
--As much as she always cursed in her heart and at him about how she rather not meet and be acquainted with him by her Father every time, and said that his existence made her life worse, Genji was someone she had deemed as her friend in her heart for a while already.
Her thoughts ran wild and she could feel the torrent of emotions—crippling fear, anxiety, hesitation and others—making it hard for her to breathe. She didn't like feeling like this. It makes her nauseous and her head pound from the blood flow.
"I... I..." She couldn't put forth her words. Mind in disarray, she couldn't decide what to say and do. Her jaws clenched against each other. "Tell..."
--But it was only a matter of time that either group will know about her connections.
But the difference between the people's reactions will be if it came out voluntarily from her mouth, or found out by them and get misunderstood because they will think that she was a spy or whatnot. If the misunderstanding situation happened before, it would happen again.
--Who can she tell? What can she say?
But how would she explain about her relationship with Genji? She can't just fabricate out a lie.
Genji could see her expression twisting into a mirage of emotions and felt his heart twinge. Sighing, he brushed his fringe to the back and took a seat beside her, legs crossed.
Kaiyo felt his cold exterior aura diminish and the pressure on her body evaporated away. She looked towards him hesitantly, only to have her head pushed down slightly when a palm met her head.
"My bad, I have pushed you over the limits." The warmth from his palm seeped into her skin. "You must of have your reasons. If you really were someone who would side with the enemy, you would have already sold me out as the boss of this group, away." He patted her head twice before bringing his hand back to his side. Kaiyo then looked at him to see the ambivalent look on his face which stunned her.
--Why...
'Was he such a tolerant person? Why does he always, towards me...'
"Genji-san, I—"
"I say it's fine, so let's move on."
Kaiyo opened her mouth, only to close it back and grits her teeth together. With her head lowered, her eyes were covered by her fringe; hiding her woeful feelings expressed through her eyes.
Genji looked at Kaiyo for a few more seconds before tearing his gaze away and looking out through the window. After everything that had happened, time had passed, and it was in the later timing of the day; the sun was hours away from setting down. Looking at the birds flying in the sky, he thought that his life journey hadn't been an easy one. He wished to rest sometime, but he still has his own responsibilities and his people to care for.
He was snapped out from his trance when Chojiro let out a yell. "Goto-san? Goto-san! You're awake!"
Genji's head snapped to the bed and immediately stood up from his seat. With a few strides, he stood on the other side of the bed. Goto had opened his eyes. Although still a little dazed, he seemed to be able to recognise Chojiro. When he saw Genji standing by the bed, he tried to stand up from the bed, only to get pushed back by Genji's hand on his shoulder.
Genji, "It's fine, you don't need to stress yourself to stand. Sit back down, it's an order."
Goto quietly followed his order. As Chojiro used a pillow to prop behind his back, Kaiyo stood up from the couch and stepped forward, standing by the end of the bed. "You..." Goto remembered in his scattered consciousness that Kaiyo was there before he passed out from the pain in the ambulance. Kaiyo moved to the side of the bed; Genji moved to give way for her, exchanging place with her so she stood closer to the head.
"Are you feeling unwell anywhere?" Kaiyo asked, worry tinting her voice.
"Just a little headache..."
Kaiyo lifted her hands.
"But other than that, my injuries—!?"
Goto stared wide-eyed when he saw the pale yellowish-green aura coat her hand that was held close to his temple. As the warm aura met him, he felt the headache oozing away. At that point in time, his head was clearer and he understood how his stabbed wounds were gone from his body.
"She saved you. So I guess we are in debt to her now. Ah but, this," Genji pointed to Kaiyo's hands, "you have to keep it a secret. I vowed with my life, so you need to help me a little bit," he chuckled, "I want to live."
Kaiyo pulled her hands back after a few more seconds. "Please," she asked of him.
Goto's eyes blinked a few times before he finally reacted. He smiled warmly and bowed his head towards Kaiyo. "I'm forever grateful to you. If you need my help on something, just ask away, I will do anything. And this secret, I will bring it with me to my grave."
Kaiyo quickly waved her hands in front of her. "No no, you don't need to do this... I would still save you if it happened again."
Goto lifted his head, feeling that he didn't deserve such things from her who had saved his life. Since he knew the extend of his injuries, he had a faint feeling of how hard it was to heal him to his current extent. The injuries were healed fully, other than the phantom pain due to the psychological feeling of pain before he fainted and a headache, he didn't feel any other pain or discomfort. If it were stitches, he would still be able to feel the exertion on the wound, the stretch of his skin and the grinding pain of his flesh. But now, it was as if the torn flesh had mended back together to before it was sliced. He didn't feel like there was a gauze pad or bandages over his 'wounds'. It was perfectly clean.
Seeing the conflicted expression on Goto's face, Genji knew what he was thinking. He looked over to Kaiyo. He would have never thought that Kaiyo have this kind of ability. For the years that they know each other, they didn't know about it until Goto was placed in that dangerous situation. There is always a reason for hiding and keeping things secretive from others, and she must have her own. She had the choice to turn a blind eye and walk away as if she wasn't acquainted with them, but...
--She went ahead and saved him. To the point of risking people knowing about it.
His breath tightened at that thought. 'Why?' He wondered in his head.
Goto blinked his eyes when he noticed the jacket Kaiyo was wearing. He moved his eyes towards his boss, who snapped out from his thoughts when he felt a burning stare at his head. He realised what his subordinate was referring to with his eye signals. Genji then placed a finger to his mouth in a 'shhh' manner and a wink before waving his hand, indicating that it was fine to give it to her.
Goto blinked his eyes again before looking away, opting to not ask anything and forget about it. He sighed internally, somewhat feeling bad for his boss.
"Now that Goto is awake, are you okay with recounting the incident again?" Genji asked, "I would like to hear from your view."
Goto nodded his head. He then recounted the event to Genji. It was the same as what Chojiro had told them. They thought that the Reds wanted to speak with them so they chatted, only to have the other Red member attack first out of the blue using his ability and incapacitated Goto. Yata tried to stop that Red member but in rage, Chojiro struck Yata while Tarou went to deal with the other Red. Amid his hazy pain, he remembered hearing Kaiyo's voice yelling before falling unconscious after being laid on a hard bed.
"The events are aligned..."
Genji was hoping—internally—that maybe—just maybe—the Reds, or at least the Red that had lashed out, had a reason and it was the fault of his men. Because he didn't want to doubt Homura. But from what he had heard, it all fell on the other side. With a sigh, he stepped back and leaned against the windowsill again; crossing his arms across his chest.
Looking at his figure for a few seconds, Kaiyo asked with worry. "What are you going to do?"
Genji lifted his gaze before looking away to Goto and Chojiro. With a smile that says 'I'm a just person' he said, "What I have been listening to is only from our own point of view. I'm a benevolent person and we are a just group of understanding people. Let's get some opinions from their point of view, yes?"
They knew which 'they' their boss was referring to. The two Reds in their hands. Goto and Chojiro only stared at their boss who was 'smiling' a smile so wide that it hurts watching because the smile didn't reach his eyes. Kaiyo's expression wavered, feeling her heart sinking, and clutched at the edge of the coat's sleeves with her fingers.
Chojiro, "What will we do after we interrogate those two?"
Eyes half-lid, Genji smiled. "Like everyone always says, return the pain that was inflicted two times the harsher." He tilted his head to one side and looked over his shoulder, watching out the window and to the orange-red sky. "Looks like we have to see them again. It hasn't even been long since we last met. Do we call this fate?"
Kaiyo's breath halted from hearing the word 'fate'.
She felt a gaze on him and looked up to see it was from Genji. He wore an unreadable expression she couldn't decipher. He pushed off the windowsill and took a large step forward, closing the distance between her and him and placed a hand on her head. "Get going home. It's not good to stay out too late. After experiencing such a thing, it must have been traumatising. And since you don't want them to know about you having any relations with us, it is better for you to head home."
Kaiyo's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. "Genji-san... You..." Flickers of emotions rose in her eyes, swarming in her chest that was turning sour. "But—"
"This is our own fight, our responsibility. There is no need for you to butt in meaninglessly. You will only bring more troubles onto your plate." His voice turned cold, causing Kaiyo to stiffen. Seeing her reaction, Genji softened and he patted her head once before retrieving his hand. "I really appreciate your help. But know that this is something you can't butt into unless you want to reveal yourself."
Kaiyo's conflicted expression could be seen.
"Your brother is waiting at home right? Isn't your... Father, home too? Are you just going to—"
"He won't be home till the new years," Kaiyo promptly replied.
Genji's eyes blinked once. "Then that's good, at least you will get home safely today. I will get Chojiro to send you back." He could still see that she was thinking of going back with them and said, "I don't know what you're hiding, but that's fine. There is no meaning in you coming with us, so just head home. I will take care of this. Your appearance at that time and the help you have given, I will make sure none of us will say anything. So ease your worries and go back, Kaiyo."
"... Alright."
Although Kaiyo was told not to worry, she was still thinking a lot about it.
Kaiyo had sent a message to Rimu. He went over to Sakura's house after they had parted and was still staying over there when she asked about his whereabouts. This gave Kaiyo some time to think and filter out her thoughts.
Her mind was filled with so many decisions she wants to make but each route she thought of taking would end up with an end result she was not comfortable with.
"This is our own fight, our responsibility. There is no need for you to butt in meaninglessly. You will only bring more troubles onto your plate."
Cold and true, Genji's words surfaced into her mind. If she were to butt in, all the secrets she wanted to keep from both sides will be known.
Once the taxi reached the drop-off point of her building, Kaiyo waved goodbye to Chojiro, thanking him for bringing her home before exiting the car. She lifted her head to look up at the multi-storied house before walking into the small lobby.
As Kaiyo opened the door and stepped into her house. She pressed a switch and lit up her living room. A memory surfaced in her mind, overlapping with the current reality as she walked into the living room and stood behind the couch.
===
"Kaiyo," a soft voice called her name.
"! Okaa-san!" A young voice chirped happily as she turned and ran into the embrace of a woman.
The woman easily hugged the girl into her arms, carrying her. "Hahaha you're very energetic today. Did something good happen?"
"No, it's just been a while since I last saw you!" The young Kaiyo smiled cheerily before pouting. "You have been working, so we couldn't see you."
The woman giggled and patted the little child's head. "I miss you too little one."
"Hehe!"
Something glittered in her peripheral. Looking at the item, Kaiyo pointed at it with curiosity. "What's this shiny thing?"
The woman looked down at her neck, where Kaiyo was pointing at, and 'oh'ed. "This is a pendant." She held the pendant necklace at the end of it with one hand.
"Why is it a cross? Why are there so many colours?"
The woman giggled. "Lil' Kaiyo have a lot of questions today don't you?"
"It's really pretty!!"
Hearing her words, the woman's eyes went wide from surprise. "Haha, this is the first time I was told that this is pretty."
"Is it not pretty to you Mother?"
"... It is a reminder and duty, you can say," The women's expression looked somewhat melancholic.
"Duty?"
The woman rubbed at Kaiyo's head. "Duty to protect and take care of those people around myself, because I have the ability to do so. Be it if they are bad people or not because everyone deserves a second chance in life. But of course, if you deem that the person is undeserving of a second chance, then you will have to make a decision. Save or turn away. In the future..." the woman's lips curved into a remorseful expression, "you may have to make and take up such decisions.. Which I do hope you won't need to." She held up the pendant and Kaiyo's little fingers touched at its surface. The small beads on the cross seemed to twinkle in her eyes faintly, capturing Kaiyo's attention.
Kaiyo, "Why?"
"One day, you might find yourself in a stand-still, not knowing where to go and what to do because everything is teetering on the edge, almost about to be let loose." The woman's expression fell even more, but her eyes were spirited.
Just then, Kaiyo's eyes opened wider when she noticed a faint glow emitting from her Mother's figure; like the soft waves of the ocean, it coated her. The sight of the faint yellowish-green soft film surrounding the woman and her expression then was imprinted in her mind, with the words that she had shared with her.
"You will have to decide who you will want to stay with and what was kept being let known. Follow your heart, because sometimes the first choice you think of, is the best choice to do. The more you hesitate, the more serious the consequences will be later on in the future. That is the karma that is upon people like us who have this ability. You will come to know about it in the future."
"For now, you're safe..."
===
Who knew that at that time, the ability and power that her mother was referring to was her ability as a Strain. It was passed down ever since birth, and the ability only became more stronger since it became permanent in her eyes after her death...
Kaiyo lifted up her hands and stared at the sleeve of the coat she was wearing whilst standing blankly in the living room.
"I know that you have some connections with them that you want to keep a secret."
"I don't know what you're hiding, but that's fine. There is no meaning in you coming with us, so just head home."
She remembered how Genji had pressured her to tell him about what she was keeping from her, but in the end, he pushed her to go home instead. Multiple times in fact.
Her left hand turned and she looked at the back of her hand; imagining the image of the iconic crest on her skin that had appeared a few times before.
"This special procession is only bestowed upon someone, if that someone is a person the King trusts or feel indebted or grateful to. That is the requirement to conduct the procession."
Till now, Kaiyo have yet to ask Mikoto about the reason behind approving and giving her this special insignia. Time to time, she wanted to ask, but her fears were keeping her from confronting him about it. At that time... what was he thinking? What were the reasons behind it? It can't be just guilt and apologies. For such an extreme gift, there will always be a reason.
This gift too, improved her ability. She could faintly hear whispers of something when she have her left hand over her ear when the insignia was activated.
Her mind wandered to the day Mikoto and Kusanagi had helped her when she fought with her middle school bullies. It switched to the time they stayed in the bar after visiting their mother's grave on the anniversary. Although they were not close enough for anything, they helped her and were treated like good guests.
"I will take care of this. Your appearance at that time and the help you have given, I will make sure none of us will say anything. So ease your worries and go back, Kaiyo."
"I really appreciate your help. But know that this is something you can't butt into unless you want to reveal yourself."
'Genji-san...'
Kaiyo's head turned and her eyes landed at her hazy figure reflected on the television screen.
"One day, you might find yourself in a stand-still, not knowing where to go and what to do because everything is teetering on the edge, almost about to be let loose. You will have to decide who you will want to stay with and what was kept being let known."
Kaiyo's hands clenched into fists subconsciously. A scene flitted into her mind. The hand that had reached out to her under the drizzling rain. A hand with the dull faint colour of red she couldn't discern if it was real or not in her tear-filled hazy vision. She closed her eyes, feeling the beating of her erratic heart.
"Follow your heart, because sometimes the first choice you think of, is the best choice to do. The more you hesitate, the more serious the consequences will be later on in the future. That is the karma that is upon people like us who have this ability. You will come to know about it in the future."
'... Mother.'
The constricting and pricking feeling of her chest was overwhelming. But as the words from her past were rewinding in her mind, the feeling slowly subsided, leaving behind a faint feeling of its existence.
Taking in a deep breath, she slowly breathed it out through her mouth. Hand clutching the front of her shirt, she opened her eyes; brimming with determination and resolve.
"At least..."
--A portion of the truth should be spoken.
"Because they are them. Before everything falls again and I lose people close to me. Not like before..." Kaiyo looked towards her Father's closed room at the end of the hallway. "If not... it will repeat itself again..."
--Otherwise, the silence will cause another life again.
Putting her clothes to soak and wash, Kaiyo quickly changed out of her bloodied clothes and Genji's coat. Donning on a pair of black jeans, dark grey sweater and a mask, she pulled up her hood over her head.
Sending a message to Rimu to have him stay at Sakura's house because she needed to do something, Kaiyo pocketed her phone. Picking up her house keys from the shoe closet and throwing it into the air, she caught it back in her hand as the metal keys clinked against each other.
"Alright. Let's go."
--I hope this is the correct decision to make.
Two faces appeared in her mind. Eyes creasing, Kaiyo muttered, "Please don't run at each other's neck yet..."