My heart still beating so ever quickly, I extended my hand to caress his cheek. The faded salmon scar etched deep into his soft skin was a reminder of what he had been through.
Such a kind smile hiding a mysterious past, I thought.
Just how far am I from knowing his life?
A tiny part of me felt wretched, for I never tried to ask about his life that it came off as a shock to me.
His fingers intertwined with my fingers.
I blinked. Almost forgotting he was watching me all this time.
"Yatsuga, I-"
"Don't speak," casually he pulled my waist towards him.
I burrowed my face gently onto his chest, hiding my embarrassment.
"Thank you.." I managed to whisper.
-
I woke up to the sound of cackling fire.
The muffled voices accompanied the background.
I sat up, rubbing my eyes.
"Speak of the devil," Kiyoka laughed.
I walked up next to them and sat on the log next to Kiyoka. It was still dark.
I wonder how long I was gone.
"Were you guys gossiping about me?" I faked a frown.
"Maybe?" Kiyoka raised on one eyebrow.
I pinched her side making her pout.
"Ow ow! Geez. Crab hands!" She frowned," it's nothing you have to worry about."
"Are you feeling better yet?" I gently placed the back of my palm on her forehead. It was the normal temperature.
She nodded with a smile.
"Thank you, Ayano. You risked your life to save me. I can't thank you enough!" she hugged my neck.
I returned her hug," Please don't say that. You are my bestfriend. I wouldn't want to lose you. Moreover, Yatsuga was there with me. He is the hero."
I gazed at him as I said those words.
Surely he didn't tell her what he did, didn't he?
"Well, how are you holding up?" Yatsuga spoke.
"I'm okay.." I blushed, remembering how his soft lips tasted like.
Suddenly, he lifted his finger to his lips.
I kept quiet, trying to hear any distinct sound other than the night and fire.
With a focus and mysterious look, he stood up.
Kiyoka and I looked at each other in confusion.
" We need to get going," he said.
With that, he stepped on the fire and put off all the flames.
"Stick to the west. From there we will go north."
We trailed behind him as he guided us.
"Do you know where we are heading?" I asked.
"Of course.Stick close to each other."
"Right," I replied.
I was anxious and scared at the same time.
A part of me was imagining the bandits watching us. Kiyoka however was much abnormally calm.
Just as my legs were starting to cramp, we found a forest vehicle.
Yatsuga simply walked towards it and opened the door, entering the unlocked vehicle.
There was a red marking on the tree next to it and a couple of other similar trees, perhaps indicating the driver that his car was there.
"Get inside." Yatsuga called out, starting the engine with a key already attached to it.
"Shouldnt we consider who this belongs to?" Kiyoka asked, going inside the back of the car with me.
"Not at the moment," He started the car and got driving.
"She's right you know, what if someone was finding food and came back to his car stolen.." I added, feeling a little guilty.
He continued driving before looking at the side of the mirror to look at my face.
"Then he should know better to keep his keys with him, no?"
I sighed.
I leaned back on the seat, taking a deep breath.
Everything is going smoothly so far..
Yatsuga seemed sure he knew the way. Maybe he really did.
"Who would've thought there's a vehicle laying around in nowhere?" Kiyoka remarked.
"We got lucky," I beamed, "maybe this is all because of Asami's stone." I held in it my pocket.
"Stone?" Kiyoka looked at me.
"Asami gave it to her as a good luck charm," Yatsuga replied to her.
"Waaa! That kind of reminds me of that one manga I read~" Kiyoka's voice got higher as she talked about it," The guy gave a purple magical stone to his partner out of love and to protect him from the evil. The stone would remained magical as long as they loved one another. It was so intense! I almost broke down in tears thinking the stone broke because he no longer was alive.. But his love for him had always been kept the stone which is why it broke and the love shared between them revived him!!"
"Uh.." I blinked, trying to keep up with her babbling.
"Hold on," Yatsuga paused, "His love for him?" he quoted her words.
"You heard it right.. She likes to read that kind of stuff" I made a pokerface.
"..."
"It's not my fault they are so adorable!" Kiyoka puffed her cheeks.
"Are you sure you are well? I think they may have fed you something back there." I joked.
"Ayano, you meanie! I am well, okay?! Anyway, all of this talking is making my bladder full. Can we please stop for a second?" Kiyoka pleaded.
"It's too dangerous to get out now, you know?.. I mean it's-" I advised her but was soon interrupted by Yatsuga.
"Go ahead. Don't take too long or go somewhere far. We will be waiting," Yatsuga stopped the car.
"Thank you! Ayano can be a jerk sometimes," she stuck her tongue out at me and got off to find somewhere to pee.
"Hmpf." I huffed.
"Why did you let her go? You know it's dark right now. We can't afford to lose her again," I sighed.
Suddenly, a cold knife touched my skin.
"Hold it right there." An unknown hoarse voice interrupted us.
It was the bandit that I stabbed.
B-but how..?!
I gasped, looking over at Yatsuga in the driver's seat.
"Obey us. If you try to attack any of us, I will slit her throat." The guy threatened, as a few other bandits gathered around the vehicle.
!!!
Yatsuga raised his hands in surrender.
And once again, we were back in the same place, tied.
Except now, there were three of us in the room tied with metal chains. Kiyoka, Yatsuga and I.
"Silly girl. You think you can escape from my hands that easily? That is cute." She shook her head, letting out a small giggle.
She ordered her men to do a search on Yatsuga and found a key and a walkie-talkie.
"My Lady! Look at this," One of the bandit cried, giving the key and walkie-talkie.
She took it and inspected them.
"Just as I thought, you took the key and freed the girls. And this? Too bad now it's broken." She took the walkie talkie and threw it onto the wall loudly.
Then, looking over to her men, raising on one eye,"Now, what do we do when someone goes against us?"
The buff one from the men grinned, walking towards Yatsuga while cracking his knuckles.
Yatsuga looked prepared as to what was coming to him.
"W-what are you going to do to him?!" I summoned my courage to say it.
The man landed a couple blows across his face and body.
Whack!
Doosh!
Thump!
Wham!
"Urgh.." The only word he managed to spit out.
He was bruising and bleeding. He held onto the chains tight.
The man continued thrashing him like a punching bag as Yatsuga remained motionless, as if accepting his fate.
"Stop it!!" Kiyoka shrieked seeing Yatsuga getting beaten up.
"Stop it at once! Please!!" I added, my eyes were flooding from holding back my tears.
Seeing him hurt pains me..
"Crying? When will women learn that crying isn't going to solve anything?" She cackled.
She walked around, humming to herself as the blows continued.
"Please stop hurting him!" I cried, "No more!"
Any more of it could really bring internal damage in him..
"Please!! I beg you. Starve me or do whatever, just enough!!"
"Tsk. Romance makes me sick. But fine, since you begged like a dog. I'll spare him for now," she ordered her men to stop.
"...."
"Ieyasu's men are weaklings like I expected," she hummed, seeing Yatsuga all bloody.
"H-How did you find us?" I stared at her.
"Oh? I thought you'd never ask. Thanks to your dear friend, we were able to track you down. "
I looked at her in confusion as she walked towards Kiyoka.
She reached down to the lower back of Kiyoka and pulled out a chip.
"Ooh, look what I found! It's a chip~ Guess what it does?"
My eyes slowly narrowed to Kiyoka's face.
Her eyes widened in fear and shook her head profusely.
"No no! I was set up!!"
"Ayano. The proof is here~ It was all her idea, sweetheart. Sorry to burst your bubble," Oriku pouted.
"What..?" I looked at Kiyoka disbelief.
"I didn't do it! Mnnff-!" Kiyoka's mouth was covered by one of the men.
"Hmm. Don't you remember the time when you and your other buddy dressed up for that-whatsoever-event it was?"
What the hell is she on to..
"Ever wondered why she didn't dress up as a bunny? She made both of you wore the bunny outfit that she made, didn't she?" Oriku riddled.
"What are you talking about..?" I interrupted her, nervously.
How does she know about all of this? ..
"Still not catching it yet? She personally came up to me, the day before the event. Told me all of her plans. Giving us the details of what you both will wear on the way home, makes it easier for us to track you down to your house. I was so close on getting you.."She looked at Yatsuga in disgust," but he came and interrupted my business.."
Kiyoka struggled to speak up while looking at me.
I was speechless and shocked at the same time. This was much painful than the hit that I got from Oriku.
All of this makes so much sense! She was so ready to make us the outfits! And her being weirdly calm during the escape..Just to trap me...How could she?!
"I'll leave you to decide," she ordered her men to let Kiyoka to speak.
"Ayano! I'm telling you this is all a set up! I don't know where she got all of these informations!" She bellowed across the room.
"Stop it Kiyoka. I don't want to hear any more of your lies! To think I'd trust you.." I muttered in between sobs.
My throat hurt from trying to speak up.
"Ayano, I'd never-"
"It makes so much sense why you wanted to stop earlier. You wanted me to get caught!" I accused her.
Every word she said only fueled the fire that was burning inside of me.
"We are friends, Kiyoka! What is it with you that you hate about me?!" I roared at her.
"Ayano-"
"Just shut up! Don't talk to me." I interrupted her in rage, in the same time surprised by my own outburst.
Kiyoka went silent from it. Probably not wanting to get me more upset than I already was.
"Backstabbing is common. You will find them within your own peers if you are not careful," Oriku smiled, as if satisfied with what she saw and then went out, while her men guarded the room.
I scooted as much as I can towards Yatsuga till the chain's limit reached.
Yet, I was still far from him.
At least I am much closer now, I thought. The only person who I can trust right now.
"Yatsuga.." I called him out.
He was facing down.
I wasn't sure if he was still conscious or not.
Seeing no response, I sighed.
"Don't worry.. I got it covered. Stay strong..for me." He muttered in between groans.
Just then, one of the men spoke to another.
"What's that noise?"
"What?"
"That noise, you fucktard."
"What?"
"Ugh. Whatever, I'll check it out."
Bang!
The guy fell flat onto the floor.
"What the fuck?!"
They ran to see what was up and more gunshots were heard, and suddenly the room was filled with many fresh corpses.
A large troop of guards entered the room.
"They are here with us. Roger that." One of them talked in their walkie.