Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : Chapter 24 - OLD DREAMS

Jisho/Dictionary:
ANOOO… Well… Umm...
ARIGATOU /DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA… Thank you
BAKA / BAKERO… Fool / Stupid
DAIJOUBU… It is ok
DEMO… But
GOMENE / GOMEN NASAI… I’m sorry
HAI… Yes
KAMI-SAMA… God
MATTE… Wait
MIKO… Shrine attendant
MOSHI MOSHI… Hello (Phone greeting)
NANI … What?
OBAA-CHAN/OBAA-SAN … Auntie
OMI-AI … Love matchmaker
SENSHI … Soldier (in this case, referring to the sailor senshi)
SOU KA / SOU DESU KA… Oh… Is that so

In the Previous Chapter:

After much contemplation in trying to work around his “calculated risk,” Kamui Asano finally mustered the courage to call Rei Hino to invite her to the celebration party of his father--the new DLP leader and prime minister of Japan. Rei Hino regretted to decline the invitation but had to do so because her father already excused himself from coming.

Much to Rei’s surprise however, her father came to Hikawa Jinja, and seemed to reminisce about a few things. Ryoichi Hino then asked his daughter to join Kaidou-san in representing him in the DLP celebration party. Rei was very hesitant in going with Kaidou-san but her grandfather insisted that her father was asking a huge favor because her father was still trying to ‘save face and cannot face his rival yet.

Rei finally went to the celebration party with Kaidou-san wearing her mother’s special kimono. However, as soon as she arrived in the DLP celebration party with Kaidou-san, she saw that Kamui Asano had walked out of the ballroom leaving the Crown Princess, Suzaku-sama, alone.

In the meantime, Ami Mizuno tried to be patient with Soujirou Nishimura, who she thought at first was interested in knowing about her but he was interested instead on the “masterpiece” of having built such an extensive website for her that he had neglected her even as she left him in the snowy outdoors.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

Junigatsu. Futsuka. (December 2)

Kamui Asano’s exit caused quite a stir because there were a lot of people who looked, wondering why the Crown Princess was suddenly without any escort. But the Asano didn’t seem too worried with this situation, having had to deal with bigger crises on the country’s state of affairs compared to this. Junichiro Asano already saw from his son’s face that Kamui was not in a good mood at that time, and looked at his fair wife, who like him, continued to entertain their important guests without even considering the seeming distress of the Crown Princess.

Luckily, a kind gentleman was there to pick up from where Kamui left off and engaged Suzaku-sama in conversation. Rei was relieved to see that Suzaku-sama was immediately occupied enough for her to follow the trail where Kamui stormed off.

She was excited to know if there’s a possibility that Kamui may have remembered something upon seeing her with Kaidou-san, enough for him to storm out like that. But before all this, there would be a kind interruption.

“Rei-san… is there something wrong?” Kaidou-san asked gently, not letting go of her hand.

Kaidou-san! Rei forgot about Kaidou-san and he was just right there, holding her and escorting her all this time. For that moment, she had forgotten her purpose to come to this party--that is to be the chief representative of the Hino along with Kaidou-san.

Kaidou-san sweetly looked at her and waited patiently for an answer, while she tried to gain her composure in fending off her distress. But her grandfather’s voice reminding her about her father’s mission trailed in her ear.

“I am truly, very grateful to you… my daughter,” echoed Rei’s father’s voice in the other.

“Rei-san…?” Kaidou-san continued to ask gently, squeezing her hand as if he had felt it was shaking.

“Nothing….” Rei replied, forcing a weak smile, as she took one last look at the direction of where she last saw Kamui. “There is nothing wrong… Kaidou-san.”

Kaidou-san smiled. “That’s good, then. I think we should go and greet Asano-dono before we sit down to dinner.”

Rei nodded. She nodded reluctantly because there is nothing else she wants to do but run towards where Kamui had walked off. She wanted to know if he had remembered something… anything in his past… the past that included her which would probably be the reason that he had stormed off after seeing her with Kaidou-san. But this was no time for being selfish. This night was not about her.

“Kaidou-san!” Ono-san’s shrill voice interrupted as if on cue, arriving suddenly at the place where they were standing and surprising them both with such a seemingly ‘magical’ appearance. “It’s about time that you and Hino-san greet Asano-dono, isn’t it?”

Kaidou-san nodded and looked reassuringly at Rei, “Rei-san,” he spoke softly.

“Hai?” she replied, listlessly.

“If you are not ready to meet Asano-dono, then it is alright to tell me,” Kaidou-san spoke honestly, smiling encouragingly at Rei. “We can always… congratulate him right after dinner.”

“But is that proper, Kaidou-san?” she asked worriedly. “I do not want to be impolite.”

“It isn’t proper, Hino-san,” Ono-san stated curtly, her voice rising in irritation. “You will embarrass your father by staying here!”

Kaidou-san paused, and calmly adjusted his eye glasses with his finger. “Hino-dono himself told me that this was a special favor granted by his own daughter to represent him. And so, she can never embarrass him.,” he firmly told Ono-san in his stately voice. “Hino-dono and I are both confident whatever Rei-san decides.”

Ono-san’s mouth dropped open after realizing that she was just scolded by her own boss’s right hand man, that she uneasily combed her hair with her finger and indignantly continued, “Then… you do what you think is best now… Kaidou-san.”

There was no other recourse for Ono-san but to walk away after being told off like that. Rei was ready with an answer as she was not the type who would let such arrogant statements pass, but Kaidou-san’s reply was enough to put Ono-san in her place.

“Arigatou… Kaidou-san,” Rei said gratefully. “Let us now go to meet Asano-dono.”

Kaidou-san smiled and nodded. He heard her breathe a sigh of relief and tightly squeezed her hand to reassure her further as they walked towards the center of the room where Junichiro Asano stood along with his chief DLP officers.

Surprisingly, Junichiro Asano immediately took notice of their arrival and smiled… or he actually grinned happily as he saw them approaching closer and closer to him. Rei thought that this sharp contrast of expressions where all the officers around him were engaged in such poker-faced and melancholy dispositions was extremely strange. Even Kaidou-san’s disposition as he reached toward them changed, obviously noticing the suspicious faces that surrounded Junichiro Asano.

“Sugoi, Kaidou-san! I didn’t know that Hino-dono’s daughter would be this lovely!” Junichiro Asano immediately greeted, even taking the step towards them in order to bow first--which was quite unexpected. The prime minister has foregone all the necessary protocol by bowing to people who are more junior than him in status.

Rei and Kaidou-san were in shock for a moment and the mouths of the chief DLP officers surrounding Junichiro Asano also dropped. Then quickly realizing it, Rei bowed lower than she could and so did Kaidou-san only to see Junichiro Asano looking at them still grinning.

“H-how did you know, sir?” Kaidou-san asked, still reeling from surprise.

“From my secretary. He said that Hino-dono will send his daughter,” Asano-dono replied.

“Sou desu ka….” remarked Kaidou-san in a soft voice. “In behalf of Hino-dono, we are very happy to--”

“--Just as my wife said….” the elded Asano interrupted, still grinning. “You look very much like your mother.”

Rei smiled, blushing from flattery. “Arigatou gozaimashita,” she said gratefully, bowing again in total gratitude (as well as to hide her red face from him.)

“Sou sou… this is no occasion to keep bowing all the time, Hino-san!” Junichiro Asano scolded in a jovial voice. “As much as I am saddened by Hino-dono not coming to this party, I am very much honored that he has sent his beautiful daughter in his place.”

“I am very honored to come here, Asano-dono,” Rei replied. “We wish to express the greatest congratulations to you and we also look forward to the future of you as prime minister!”

“Hino-dono truly wishes he can come but he is engaged in an emergency so we also like to extend our apologies,” Kaidou-san added.

Junichiro Asano looked at Kaidou-san for a moment, his face now devoid of any expression all of a sudden and turning the atmosphere quite eerie. He nodded at Kaidou-san to acknowledge. But this in sharp contrast to how he treated his rivals daughter becuase he suddenly changed when he turned to Rei Hino and smiling happily at her stating, “I truly believe that, Hino-san.”

Thus, the cohorts that surrounded him now looked differently at her and she found them smiling at her as well. She now understood what Kamui has said of Kaidou-san in the earliest moments of their courtship -- that the DLP doesn’t trust him as his loyalties were clearly for Hino-dono. One such that was exhibited here.

In that simplest moment, a lot of things were immediately clear. In the world of politics, no action ever exists without a purpose. Even a simple celebration like this, every action, such as one’s attendance or one’s greeting matter. But while Rei can explain why Junichiro Asano and his faction do not like Kaidou-san so much, she cannot explain why his favor is so great upon her when they came to represent the same side.

“Well then, Hino-san… I hope that this is not a time for bowing. No need to bow again in front of me or else this will turn into another ceremony!” Junichiro Asano joked. “I hope to see more of you in the future and I hope that you enjoy this celebration.”

Rei nodded and smiled. “I definitely will enjoy myself, Asano-dono. Arigatou gozaimashita!”

Moving away from Junichiro Asano, Rei could not believe that this is the first time she had engaged Kamui’s father in a conversation. Junichi Asano seemed like a very kind and friendly man. He was without pretenses towards the daughter of his contender and made efforts not to turn the moment to be an awkward one, as her father had feared. Now at least, that mission was accomplished and she could not focus on her own mission -- to find Kamui Asano, who happened to still be in disappearance even during dinner.

The Imperial Princess, Suzaku-sama, found herself seated to an empty chair that Kamui’s mother, Aiko Asano, managed to fill by having the kind gentleman she was engaged in a conversation earlier stay in it instead.

Rei could not eat at all during that dinner as she concentrated on how to sneak out from Kaidou-san right after that, especially since he was very much attentive to her. Kaidou-san was making her a priority, denying all kinds of company to speak to when he saw Rei was out by herself. By all accounts, this was a good mark of a gentleman, especially of one Rei knew to have high aspirations for office and who she thought was like her father, forsaking all else just to be around the DLP.

But when there were only fifteen minutes to seven o’clock, Rei knew she had to be honest with Kaidou-san by telling him to go home ahead without her.

“Where will you be going, Rei-san?” Kaidou-san asked.

“It is personal.”

“A date?” he asked candidly.

Rei nodded and did so looking straight at him.

“Sou…” he remarked softly. “Then it is no problem for me to take you there at least.”

“Daijoubu...Kaidou-san,” she gently reassured. “It is already taken cared of.”

Kaidou-san nodded. “Please be careful then… Hino-san,’ he said, squeezing her hand gently.

Then she left and he lingered for awhile. Kaidou-san was in fact lingering to still savor the moment that he had gone to meet the leader of the DLP party with the scenario that he had wanted -- as one of the central figures of the DLP and with the woman he loves. Yet he knows that as soon as he steps out of this hotel, he would go back to reality that it is still Hino-dono who holds that distinction and that his consort’s actions just showed the fairest treatment of friendship.

The deepest feelings that Rei had reserved was for the Asano who seemed to have it all already… except for his last memories. Rei was hoping that Kamui Asano would keep his promise to see her at the skating rink at seven o’clock, just as he had said the day before, even when he had stormed out earlier.

She was frantic in asking for directions towards that rink with just a few precious minutes to go. So near yet so far. Very many turns and steps in reaching that great destination. Her heart beat faster when she had seen the sign leading to the skating rink and when she did open the door, she quickly glanced at her watch to see that it was exactly seven.

The door revealed the entrance where the skaters stayed before going on the ice. All around her, she saw a few bleachers that were all empty. And finally, the ice itself was empty.

7:05.

Her breath misted in front of her as she sighed in despair. And she felt the cold pierce through her silken crimson kimono.

Kami-sama… will he stand me up again here in the cold?

God was quick to answer because Rei’s phone rang immediately after that question.

“Moshi-moshi?” Rei answered, picking up her mobile phone.

“Hino-san… I can see you from here. You went to the other side of this rink.” It was Kamui Asano’s voice.

“Kamui-san?” Rei almost shrieked in relief that he had called.

“Just stay there. I’ll come to you.”

“H-hai…” she said, smiling. “… but where are you?”

“Look to your left.”

Across the ice showed another entrance to the rink where two figures stood. The other one was Nishida who stayed behind as soon as his young master stepped on the ice himself and was now walking towards her.

“D-demo… Kamui-san! Won’t it be slippery?” Rei asked worriedly.

“No, because I will be very careful,” he answered, sounding as contrary and fearless as the old Kamui as he walked on the ice with his mobile phone to his ear even though she could hear him clearly.

“I like this mobile phone you gave,” Kamui added. “It looks very old and I thought that it was broken but it still works!”

The renowned Yoshiki Morie was now beginning to lose his patience. It is probably the ninth time that his new talent was retuning his guitar in his studio and this is just the practice for his first song! Morie-san could understand the nerves of these new artists but he could not understand the obsessive-compulsiveness of this particular one.

Morie-san then tapped into the microphone in the control room immediately that the static immediately agitated the entire band in the recording room. “Sanjou-kun, what’s taking so long?” his voice boomed impatiently.

Sanjounin Masato then hastily tightened his guitar and smiled back at Morie-san. “Honestly, I am a bit… disorganized lately,” Sanjounin confessed.

His new band members around him groaned. This confession didn’t help. They already knew that their new artist was disorganized, having arrived three hours late for the recording session. They actually didn’t know why this didn’t sap the patience out of the great Yoshiki Morie, especially when they would only be playing in the background. Yoshiki Morie was intent to launch the new disorganized guy as a solo jrock act!

“What is it?” Morie-san then boomed some static onto the mic.

“Nan… desu…?” Sanjounin asked, surprised.

“What’s on your mind? What is stressing you lately?”

Sanjounin shrugged uneasily. “It is nothing. I--”

“--Sanjou-kun,” interrupted Morie-san’s booming voice on the mic. He was also looking stern and straight at Sanjounin from the control room. “Because this recording session is costing me a lot of money, I need to know the distractions facing my artists. Therefore, you must tell me. Right now.”

“Anoo…”

“It is only business.”

Sanjounin nodded and scratched his head. “Ever since that accident, I keep having these dreams about this girl…” he explained uneasily. “Every night, it is a different dream as though we have been meeting in another planet, under the stars… And although it seemed like a scene in the movie, it was as though hers was a face that had walked before me.”

“And it was destiny,” Morie-san continued.

“Uhh...Nani?” Sanjounin squinted in surprise.

“It’s a great song, Sanjou-kun,” Morie-san stated in a matter-of-factly. “Did anyone else write that? He then motioned to about three worried assistants behind him.

“A great song… Hai…,” Sanjounin smiled instead, feeling strange with his boss’s reaction.

“I wrote the lyrics and that will be your new hit song as Nephrite!” Morie-san grinned happily as though it was his own epiphany. “You have worded it so well that I cannot re-word it any further. It shall remain as is!”

Sanjounin smiled instead and nodded obediently, returning to test his newly tuned guitar.

“If that was your dream though, then why do you feel… “disorganized?” Morie-san continued. “It’s a good dream. Would you rather dream of other things?

His boss had a point. That actually piqued something inside of him. “Actually, no,” Sanjounin answered. “I actually did not want to wake up, except that….”

Morie-san waited for an answer but his new talent seemed “disorganized” in his thoughts again. “What is it, Sanjou-kun?” Morie-san asked curiously.

“Except that everyday I am hoping that I would run into her… in this world,” Sanjounin said sincerely.

Morie-san sighed loudly that it was heard in the microphone. “It is not impossible,” he assured his talent. “Channel all those words into this new song and I will make it a hit. It is possible that you will meet someone like her at least.”

Sanjounin smiled and nodded. That Sanjounin began playing again and even ended the recording session with a successful track made Morie-san feel that he was again the best jrock producer.

In the meantime, Sanjounin really felt excited with Morie-san’s assurance. Unlike Kenta, Kamui and Soujirou, he actually had more visions and flashbacks of his senshi that was manifested in dreams every single night. But like them, Sanjounin did not know what to make of these dreams. He did not know if these dreams were real.

They were only real before. Makoto Kino could attest to that, if she only had the determination to at least meet Sanjounin Masato. It was not that she didn’t try. There were a few times she tried to visit his apartment and did not find him there, due to his nocturnal schedule.

Minako once asked if Makoto could go with her to see Kenta, knowing that Kenta was still friends with Sanjounin. But Makoto relented, being afraid at the risk of not being remembered. She instead opened up three new cooking classes that would entail her to work at least 12 hours a day--making her very busy not to even think of Sanjounin again. At least she would not have to remember him or even see photos of him at her home.

That would be very possible if a renowned producer like Yoshiki Morie had not stepped in to make Sanjounin Masato a star.

“Maaa… what is it, obaa-chan?” Minako’s eyes glistened in excitement. “Tell me! Tell me!”

“First, stop calling me ‘obaa-chan’,” warned the stern lady in front of her.

“Ok, obaa-chan!” Minako exclaimed obediently.

The stern “obaa-chan” gave her a steely look to which Minako replied a sheepish, “Gomen.” This stern “obaa-chan” was actually Minako’s new omi-ai and was someone she found online with popular recommendations as a “highly trusted modern dating service.” True enough, “obaa-chan” dressed the part, looking like the very sophisticated woman in her 50s and with an office decked in red and pink colors of… love.

“Gomen nasai, Matsunaga-san,” Ami Mizuno, who sat quietly beside Minako, apologized. “Minako-chan is just very excited to see the matches you have for her.”

“Noooo! I’m excited for the matches that they have selected for you, Ami-chan!” Minako protested. “Matsunaga-san told me that she has a lot of good matches!”

Matsunaga-san squirmed. “Actually, I don’t have any for Mizuno-san,” she replied. “The characteristics that she chose were too idealistic. Can’t we lower the intelligence level a little bit?”

Ami blushed.

“Why?” Minako asked innocently.

“Well… it seems that those who have that high an intellect are not interested to… get married,” Matsunaga-san answered uneasily.

“That is not true! Ami-chan wants to get married!” Minako argued.

“I guess it is a rare occurence, Minako-chan….” Ami explained.

“Sou desu ne…” Minako sighed. “Then… what about me, obaa-chan?”

Matsunaga-san coughed. “The characteristics you gave me are too specific that it is impossible to find someone like that at this time,” she replied with much irritation.

“How so?”

“Look at these things you wrote,” Matsunaga-san pointed to the illegible writing on Minako’s new application. “Actor-model type, light-colored long hair, six feet tall with model build, low voice, likes noodles.”

Ami was completely dumbfounded with that list. Matsunaga-san is wrong. It is not impossible. Someone by the name of Kenta Maeda exists with those characteristics.

“How can you not find someone like that?” Minako asked angrily. “I thought you are the best omi-ai in Japan!”

Matsunga-san coughed. “There are a few things I cannot do such as magically conjure someone like this. And even if they exist, I have to check if their preferred characteristics match with yours. In other words, even if he were here, would he be willing to date you?”

“I guess you are not the best omi-ai after all!” Minako expressed angrily, now standing up and getting ready to walk out of that office.

“Please don’t be mad… it’s just the truth after all,” Matsunaga-san pleaded weakly. “Don’t you think it would be better if we just remove some characteristics or go with more realistic ones such as someone who’s kind, sweet and loves to give gifts?”

But Minako already made up her mind at that moment. Despite Matsunaga-san’s continuous pleading, here was one business that was lost as Minako already walked out of that office. A harassed Ami Mizuno managed to catch up quickly, dragging her heels in such hurried pace.

“Matte! Minako-chan!” Ami called out, motioning for Minako to wait for her.

Minako eventually slowed down as soon as they were a bit far ahead on the streets of Shibuya. There was a marked sadness in her face that Ami could not ignore.

“I don’t think she’s the best matchmaker. I’m thinking of finding somebody else,” Minako immediately spoke, giving Ami a weak smile.

“Sou…” Ami smiled back.

“But now that she put it that way, I have come to realize that all I ever know about Kenta-san was that… he is very handsome,” Minako heaved a huge sigh. “I never did find out about what he wants or if someone like him will ever like me.”

Ami immediately held onto Minako’s arm, seeing that her eyes seemed to be nearly welling in tears. “Well you have listed down all the characteristics that you want in a man and it just so happens that there is only one of him,” Ami told her. “But I am sure that there is somebody out there who will list all the characteristics that only you have and find that… there is only one of you.”

“Of course,” Minako responded cheerfully. “There is only one of me and that guy will surely be a lucky one!” She continued smiling for a minute then said, “Do you think that Kenta-san likes someone who is not as famous as he is?”

Ami chuckled. “It’s just like you, Minako-chan. You never give up. I am sure that if you just continue meeting with Kenta-san, he will remember….”

That last word trailed away softly when Ami saw a hugely familiar face coming to greet her. Just a few steps in front of her, Soujirou Nishimura was walking with a huge grin towards both of them. And the scary part was that this didn’t seem like a coincidence.

“Konnichiwa!” Soujirou greeted happily, agitating a surprised Ami and Minako.

“Soujirou-san!!” Minako exclaimed in disbelief. He was the only among the four of them that took the initiative to pursue one of them despite the recent loss of memories.

“Konnichiwa, Aino-san!” Soujirou grinned. “I got your name right, didn’t I? My website was very accurate.”

“Website?” Minako wondered.

“Anooo… what are you doing here, Nishimura-san?” Ami asked politely, huge sweatdrop hanging over her head.

Soujirou’s disposition immediately changed from being cheerful to being sad. “I have come to apologize for not paying attention to you,” he said. “I guess I’m just excited to discover that I did something worthwhile sometime ago. But there is no excuse for that. I am truly sorry.” He then bowed low to her, embarrassing the two women.

“Anooo… it is ok, Nishimura-san!” Ami exclaimed. “I understand. It is hard to lose your memories. And I only want nothing but for you to regain them back.” (This she truly wanted. It is rare for Ami to confess something like this.)

“Thank you, Ami-san! Can I call you Ami? I myself prefer to be called as Soujirou by yourself.”

“Sou...it is ok… Nishi-… Soujirou-san.”

“I have also realized one other thing, Ami-san.”

“What is it, Soujirou-san?”

“I realized that looking through the website, that you are probably the only other person in Tokyo Tech who is smarter than me….”

Minako stopped herself from giggling at that remark.

“… and the only one who’s as fascinating. But the data in that website is old data. My memories are like that old data. I am not certain if I can retrieve them again. So I was wondering… if you are willing to get started on new data.”

“I am lost!” Minako could not help but react. Huge sweatdrop mounted on her head. “This is too complicated!”

“What I mean is…” Soujirou Nishimura smiiled, staring straight into the eyes of a very enthralled Ami Mizuno. “Would you be willing to let me start again in getting to know you?”

As it continues in the skating rink apart from the DLP celebration….

Kamui walked slowly down the ice as his valet, Nishida, watched from the opposite side of the ice where Rei stood. He could see that there were mists of air from her mouth as she exhaled, waiting patiently for him to reach her. He could also feel his heart thump loudly as he could see Rei Hino was surrounded in a mist of white light and her red kimono now turned into a bright red gown that flowed down gracefully to the floor -- as though in a vision, which Kamui thought was probably the illusion caused by the brilliant snow before him.

She smiled when he had reached her, walking past the boundary of the ice in the skating rink.

“You stepped out of the room so suddenly, Kamui-san….” Rei said, smiling nervously. “I-I didn’t get the chance to greet you.”

“I was… I had to step out, Hino-san,” he answered, his heart thumping nervously at the sight of her. “Can I be honest with you about something and I hope that you keep your mind open about this.”

“H-hai,” Rei nodded.

“It was as if I saw a different version of you today… you were walking among all these people but only their eyes were faced on you as if you were….” Kamui paused and averted his gaze away from her for a moment.

“...as if you were like Suzaku-sama. A princess,” he continued.

Rei’s heart jumped. He had remembered! Only… it was too far back for him to have remembered. What he saw was a vision of her during the Silver Millenium, remembering the time that she walked down the steps of the Palace on the Moon as they were being introduced by Queen Serenity. This was not the memory that she wished he remembers at the moment but it is a start.

“A princess….?” Rei repeated, gazing happily at him with glistened eyes.

“You walked and I saw you and I just knew that…. “

I wanted you….

But Kamui did not want to risk saying that at that moment.

“…. what I mean is that I remember Kaidou-san distinctly,” Kamui said instead. “He was a man who played both the DLP and the SCP in deference to Hino-dono and I could not understand why you….”

Kamui paused again and stopped himself from saying what he had wanted to say. He struggled to speak and searched the right words but only the words in his heart lingered at that moment.

“… why you….”

“…why I…?” Rei asked softly.

“… why you chose to ally with him, Hino-san?” Kamui finally asked, with restrained irritation.

Rei exhaled. “He is loyal to my father and we only came here to represent him,” she answered calmly.

Kamui Asano’s reaction to Kaidou-san was the same as the day they first met and he did not have any reservations saying what he had in his mind about Kaidou-san. There was this part of his memory that he had retained.

“Sou…” was all Kamui could say. He looked at her calmly and tried his best to utter another word.

“He is a friend, Kamui-san.”

“I don’t like him, Hino-san.”

They both were surprised at stating their conflicting views in unison that they then both exhaled in disappointment.

Rei nodded in resignation and looking at Kamui sadly, she explained, “I do understand why you dislike Kaidou-san but like I said, he is loyal to my father. At first I thought that he was only after his own interests but his loyalty remained consistent all throughout. I have only realized that these past few months.”

Kamui sighed and walked a bit father from Rei to get his view on the skating rink. I understand that, Hino-san,” he told her. “In politics, that behavior is understandable, even though I do not agree with that principle. But it seems that it is more than that.”

More than that? Rei repeated in her thoughts.

“When I saw him with you, there was something in me that felt so heavy and then angry… and I cannot understand why,” Kamui said nervously. “Then I thought that this feeling would not have surfaced so powerfully if there were no logical explanation. And so I would like to ask you.”

Kamui turned to Rei. “What was it about you that would make me think that it is wrong for you to approach my father as a representative of Hino-dono along with Kaidou-san?” he asked helplessly. “Was there something going on between us?”

Rei’s mouth opened agape with surprise to be asked with such a direct question. Being direct was very much like Kamui although it appears that he is struggling with what seemed like an old persona of his. Still, she was not very brave to answer that because technically, nothing went on between them. Elis had disrupted them in the midst of their confession to each other that did not allow them to have something together officially. What was left was this seemingly hard courtship where a magical element got in between -- and that is very hard to explain.

Rei felt that she had no choice but to shake her head. “It is very hard to explain. I was hoping you would remember because…” she sadly paused, taking a moment to compose herself from this disappointed state. “…because if I had told you what I perceived, would you perceive it the same way? Would you still feel the same way?”

Kamui chuckled. “That’s what my mother said,” he replied. “And you are both right. These things are now new to me and I may not feel the same way if someone told me my past instead of me remembering the experience myself.”

“But I still know what I feel, Hino-san,” he continued. “I do not like him… I do not like Kaidou-san. I do not like seeing you with him.”

Rei became even more surprised at this blatant confession. “Why is that?” she wondered honestly if this came from a past memory or a new revelation.

Kamui gave her his signature smirk, the kind that he gave her when he was shrewdly certain of something. “Because I know him,” he replied. “His loyalty is to Hino-dono, not to you.”

“Sou…” she sighed. What a typical answer.

Kamui chuckled. “This is… quite a different date.”

“Date? We are on a date? Aren’t you with Suzaku-sama?”

“Are you jealous too, Hino-san?”

“Jealous? Too?” she asked in disbelief, wondering at the series of questions that Kamui is putting her under. “You were jealous of Kaidou-san? I thought that you were not inviting anyone as your date to this celebration which is why you asked me yet here you are with Suzaku-sama as well!”

“My mother insisted that I take Suzaku-sama because I told her that my invitation had declined. You said you cannot come because your father could not be present in this celebration yet here you are with Kaidou-san!”

“My father heavily insisted that I go with Kaidou-san to represent him, as his only daughter. We have not come together as a couple but you and Suzaku-sama--”

“--we have come together as a couple because my mother heavily insisted on it. We are in the same predicament, Hino-san!”

Rei stopped herself from answering, seeing that Kamui seemed quite irate and his voice was getting louder and sharper in tone. Kamui, on the other hand, mellowed down his disposition when he saw that she had stopped from replying and empathized with her disappointment. Yet he was secretly harboring some elation at her jealousy, however crazy that was.

“It is obvious that there was something going on between us before, Hino-san,” Kamui told her. “Nishida would not have brought me to you to help me remember. You must tell me if it is deeper than a friendship so that I have something to focus on in my thoughts.”

“It was….” Rei answered, sighing heavily.

Kamui exhaled quickly, reeling from that revelation. “How deep?” he asked again.

Rei tried to chuckle amidst her slight distress, “What can be deeper than that?”

Kamui chuckled. “You’re right,” he said. “I knew it.”

And then he laughed. Nishida who was far from hearing their conversation, being on the other side of the rink, could not help but remark, “Baka!” upon hearing his master’s sudden outburst.

“Nani….Kamui-san?” Rei asked, wondering and surprised.

Kamui smirked. “If I pride myself in being smarter than Kaidou-san, then I would be smart enough not to let go of someone like you.”

“Sou…” she replied and quickly turned her gaze away from him so that he would not be able to see her cheeks turn red. It was too late, though. Kamui had already seen her blush that he sighed because he hoped that she could understand that it was not a compliment to flatter her. It was a confession.

While this characteristic of being upfront seemed typical of Kamui, what Rei expected was something more. Kamui usually would prefer to do something about what he thinks is right and then say something about that later. This was because he didn’t prefer to be humbled with words and preferred to see results quickly. But Rei thought that this too could already mean something. She was getting too impatient waiting for Kamui to remember things one by one. Rei thought that this was the time to present him with that last artifact of remembrance -- the one that Kamui himself sent to her in order for him to remember.

“Is there something wrong, Hino-san?” he asked, genuinely concerned with her long silence.

She shook her head. “I just thought of something,” she answered.

“What was it?”

She smiled and gently shook her head at him.

Kamui scratched his head and smiled back, “What is it, Hino-san?” he asked again, taking many steps closer to her.

“It is nothing,” she replied again.

“Tell me, Hino-san,” he pleaded impatiently, taking another step closer that he now stood just a few inches in front of her. “What is it?”

“Well… I don’t know if you could understand… but maybe….”

Rei gently took Kamui’s hand, and he could feel the coldness along with the shivering. Kamui was looking directly at her. He thought that this beautiful miko was too strong to feel vulnerable but here she is, looking nervously at him. This thought strangely fascinated him as though he was the only one privileged to see this aspect of hers.

“There,” she told him, looking down at his hand, for she had handed her something.

“Mi-ko,” he said, reading from the fine calligraphy painted on the wood block that was placed in his hand.

Rei was expecting an immediate reaction--some sort of magic like the Hi stones that instantly stored their memories. Kamui anyway, asked Nishida-san himself to give this same wood block to Kamui right before he went to Elis, in order to help him remember. Kamui would not have done so if he didn’t think that it was not effective.

“Hino-san… what is this?” was Kamui’s initial reaction, along with a blank, dumbfounded stare.

Nothing.

There were no visions that interrupted his thoughts. No immediate flashbacks.

If that wood block can’t help him remember, what can? Rei was too overwhelmed to think of anything. She felt her chest to be so heavy that she can not utter a single word. And just like that, she felt the biggest feeling of helplessness knowing that it could be possible -- nothing can bring Kamui back to her.

“Hino-san--?” Kamui called to call her out of her trance.

But Rei already ran towards the exit, forgetting everything else, that she bumped into Kamui so hard that he felt an ache on his shoulder.

Nishida, realizing that his young master’s date was speeding away, ran across the ice and almost slipping in the process, called out, “Hino-san! Hino-san!”

But the door shut loudly before them before she could hear anything.

“What was that? Why didn’t you run after her?” Nishida asked his master in disbelief.

“I don’t know… she had given me this,” Kamui answered, showing him the wood block with the word, “Miko” on it.

“And?”

“I don’t know what this is, Nishida. Is this an important--?”

“--Baka Kamui!! You were the one who instructed me to give it to her in case something happened to you before you went to kill that huge monster!”

Kamui scratched his head. “What huge monster?”

“The message you sent me on text! The one where you said that she will be the one to save the world!”

“Nani yo…Nishida?”

“Never mind that then!” Nishida grunted. “Just earlier, I heard you say that if you were smarter than Kaidou-san, you would not let someone like her go! And what did you just do?”

Kamui’s cheeks burned of shame as he now looked towards the door where she ran.

“If you were yourself, Kamui, you would not just say things like that. You would just do it!” Nishida scolded. “And that girl is not one who knows how to chase after men! If you don’t do anything, she’ll fall straight into Kaidou-san’s arms!”

Kamui swallowed hard that he was shamed by his valet and that he now felt the biggest pain in his chest. It was called disappointment. She had ran away and he did not understand why his first instinct was not to go after her. He would’ve held her to understand her better if not for the riddles of past and present memories that come and go in his head. Now, he was left with nothing but a useless wood block.

“Oi… Kamui….”

Kamui could hear Nishida call him but he was now listening more to the beat in his heart. It responded peacefully with every step he took as he now walked past the exit hoping to find his miko.

Except that Rei Hino had been exceptionally fast. The adrenalin from all the emotion welled inside of her made her run like the wind even in her kimono. Past the many hallways and back into the hotel where the DLP were celebrating, she now stood in the lobby of the hotel.

Rei panted slowly as she now walked towards the entrance, hoping to get a cab back to her home as fast as possible. Or a quick magical teleportation as in this case that she was too desperate to get out of here. But before she could entertain any thoughts of transforming into Sailormars, an all too familiar face was waiting for her near the entrance of the hotel. Kaidou-san, it seems, had lingered too long than he was supposed to.

“Rei-san…” Kaidou-san called to her, looking very concerned. It was evident in her face that Rei seemed very distraught. “D-daijoubu desu ka?”

A single tear flowed from Rei’s eye that she gently wiped with her hand. She cannot control the rest of them from flowing. “Daijoubu desu… Kaidou-san,” Rei answered weakly. “Can you just take me out of here as fast as you can?”

Kaidou-san nodded and smiled. And then, he rushed immediately in front of her and quickly wrapped his arms around her. “I will,” he assured her, hugging her tightly.

It is at this moment of timing when Rei felt the most comfortable in the arms of Kaidou-san that it was also then that Kamui Asano was walking into the lobby to clearly see the consequences that led to his

lack of courage. There was a bigger pain in his chest, much bigger than disappointment. It was a pain that seemed to incense his feelings at that moment. It was as though this had already happened before.

Just then, the flashbacks that Rei was hoping for, happened for Kamui right at that moment. Kamui-san at first thought that Kaidou-san was locked in something more than an embrace with his miko--a kiss. But the scene had changed. The lobby of the Hilton hotel misted away. The sacred fire of Hikawa Jinja was in front of them. Two ravens flew past him with one flapping its wings so hard that it seemed to purposely hit him.

Kamui remained steady, trying to look impassionate. His lips were still. All he did was turn around and walk towards the shrine steps with hands in his pockets, trying his best to stay calm. The incensed feeling of anger was strong inside of him. Now he knew why he felt this way towards Kaidou-san.

Yet upon walking down the steps of Hikawa Jinja, he had gone into another place. This was the Tomesatsu. And it was only Rei Hino there… looking at the brightly lit sky where the fireworks looked as if stars melted gracefully into colored sparkles of dust.

“It is too late now, isn’t it, Kamui-san?”

He could hear her voice, yet Rei Hino continued to stay mesmerized looking at the sky without having her lips move.

“What’s too late?” Kamui asked.

“--she is really above all good standards. And Suzaku-sama would make a really good wife--” He heard her voice again despite her mouth eerily not uttering a word.

“WHAT’S TOO LATE, REI HINO?” Kamui asked angrily, impatiently wanting to know what she wanted to say.

“If you would just marry me instead… K-kamui-san….b-because….”

He bit his lip in constant impatience.

It was still.

Kamui was once again back in the same Hilton hotel lobby. New music played. Rei Hino and Hisato Kaidou were no longer in the entrance.

Apparently, this scene with Kaidou-san has happened before. It made Kamui angry then. It still made him angry now. From his memories, Kamui can only deduce that nothing between them is certain. Rei Hino had told him before that it is already too late.

It may already be too late. He could no longer make mistakes. His father is now the prime minister of Japan. Every step he takes, even that of choosing a bride, will be more crucial from now on.

What is certain now is that at least, there is someone with Rei Hino -- someone who will faithfully guard her side unconditionally. And that an Imperial Princess also waits for his answer.

Kamui sighed as he walked back to where they are celebrating the DLP’s new prime minister. If he could only remember what it is that Rei Hino said, then maybe, it would minimize his calculated risk -- and then he probably would make a more informed choice.

- tsuzuku -

chiisai noto:

Remember, Kamui = Jadeite. Kenta = Kunzite. Soujirou = Zoicite. Sanjounin = Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) Ok… I had trouble writing this part. It is too sad. I have trouble writing the sad parts always.