Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho and its characters. I do own Riya and other OC's of this story, though. And that includes the plot.
Warning: The characters might not be in their usual selves.
AT LEAST WE HAVE FOREVER
CHAPTER 7
I'll Never Leave You
After that conversation between Riya and Shuichi on the bridge a month ago, the two seemed to enjoy each other's company more often than not. A lot of people thought it was just for the project. But then they began to notice that the two usually have lunch together in the canteen, go home together and enjoy talking about a lot of things. They were really starting to become closer like what Shuichi really wanted for him and Riya ever since.
Unfortunately, not all people really appreciated that change going on between them. Among them were Ayako and her friends. And because of that, she somehow devised a plan to crush Riya's heart by destroying one important thing that the latter had kept for so long. In a way, she found out one of Riya's secret that was too precious to her. Her plan was to destroy it in front of her in order to get even somehow.
Their PE class was about basketball and it was held in the gym. All of them participated and Shuichi was too happy to see Riya was trying to participate even though his classmates were treating her differently. Anyway, not all treated her like that.
After that, they all headed to their classroom as soon as they were done changing their sports attire to their school uniform. It was also their free period after their PE class that's why they could do anything they want for an hour. Riya was walking alone through the corridor when Yukari approached her.
"Riya-sempai, good morning!" the blue-haired girl energetically greeted. "Sorry I haven't greeted you earlier. I was actually busy talking with my classmates about our project."
She smiled at that. "It's alright, Yukari-chan. You don't have to apologize on something like that."
"But you are the manager of the soccer team now. I shouldn't be ignoring you."
She just shook her head in slight disbelief but she remained smiling. "Alright, whatever you say."
"By the way, the coach said he wanted to see you after school. We'll also be having a welcome party later on so be sure to come." Yukari didn't even wait for her answer because the girl left in a hurry, leaving her still a bit surprised about the girl's announcement. And since she couldn't say no to that, she had no other choice but to agree.
Anyway, she doesn't have anything to do at home. It's better if she began hanging out with the guys from the soccer team. They seem to be nice people and she couldn't sense anything bad from them so it's alright.
But when she began to step closer to the classroom, she could feel her heart began to beat in an uneasy rate. It's as if saying that something will happen in there if she entered. She could already feel her hands freezing for some reasons. Even still, she has to know what would happen.
She heaved a few sighs when she reached the classroom's door. And after a few seconds of preparing herself, she opened it.
What actually 'welcomed' her sight was Ayako holding a small glass case familiar to her. Her eyes widened when she finally saw that it was the glass case where the Snow Rose was placed.
"Give that back to me!" she demanded before she could even think clearly. And that made her ran towards her seat where Ayako was standing while holding the case of the Snow Rose. But before she could even reach her seat, someone already forced her to stop running.
When she looked around to know who it was, she saw two guys holding both her hands as they smirked evilly. And then she looked at Ayako who was glaring at her.
"I thought I told you to stay away from Minamino-kun but you didn't listen. You two were always together for the past month ever since the two of you talked on the bridge," Ayako said.
But instead of looking at Ayako with pleading eyes just for her to return the rose, she countered it with a glare. "Then you should blame Minamino-kun for that. I tried to stay away from him but he's the one insisting on coming near me."
"That's because you're a flirt!" Ayako exclaimed out of anger beginning to consume her. "You should have stayed away from him no matter what he says or does. But no! You didn't."
The brunette looked at the case and then grinned evilly before she revert her gaze to Riya. And somehow, Riya got the message of that. "That's why I won't forgive you for it!" And then Ayako raised the glass case she's holding.
Riya's eyes widened when she managed to figure out what would Ayako do with the rose.
"No, don't do it!" she screamed but to no avail.
Ayako already did what she wanted to do. She threw the glass case to the floor hard that it caused the glass to shatter in front of Riya. And what's even painful for her was when she saw Ayako stepped on the rose, causing it to break apart, as well.
At the sight of that, Riya felt everything inside her was shattered along with the Snow Rose in front of her. Everything went blank when she saw that. She couldn't think clearly but there's one thought that ran through her mind over and over.
Her only source of faith in meeting Shuichi once again was already crushed. The only proof that a guy named Shuichi who changed her life and became her short-time friend… Now it was gone… And she couldn't feel anything else but pain…
Pain because she lost the only memory left to her by Shuichi, as if a part of her heart was lost as well.
And it made Riya close her eyes tightly and put the force on her hands being held by the two boys before she struggled hard to let go from their grip. She succeeded and then approached the shattered glass and rose on the floor, just beneath Ayako. She tightened her fist without noticing that tears began to freely streak down her cheeks.
"You should have listened to what I said, Miyuzaki," Ayako said with a victorious smirk on her face. "I found your little rose friend here that was somehow important to you. I don't know who the hell gave that to you, but at least I could get even with that. You're just a good-for-nothing outcast here, anyway. I warned you, didn't I? If you keep on coming near Minamino-kun, I will make your stay here a hell on earth. This is just the start."
But no one heard a word from Riya. All they could see was the continuous flow of her tears. And then they saw her stood up after picking a shard and a petal and closing it to her fist. Her bangs were covering her eyes; that's why they couldn't figure out what Riya was actually thinking.
"You're happy now, Kirisawa-san?" she asked coldly that somewhat gave a chill to Ayako when it was said. And then she looked at the said girl—her eyes were completely devoid of any emotions that made her even scarier. "I must say, you're really good at doing what you really wanted no matter how you'll do it. You could even get them whenever and wherever you wanted to in every method possible, even the worst ones. But have you ever thought that it would soon haunt you? The dirty tricks you're doing just to have everything you wanted… One day, it would soon haunt you anywhere. Just make sure you're really happy with what you're doing."
"Why do you care?" Ayako asked in an angry tone but Riya wasn't affected by it.
"Care?" she said sarcastically. "Who said that I care? I wasn't saying those words because I care. I was saying that because I hate you. I hate you for destroying the only memory that I've left from my friend. You might not understand this since no one dared to destroy something that's precious to you. Let me tell you something. You're the one who should call a flirt. And I want you to remember this. I'm the one who will be making your life a hell given me the chance because I won't back down. Not until you realized everything that you're doing. I'll make you pay for destroying one of my precious treasures," she added in an even colder voice before she turned and left with her heart engulfed in anger and pain even though broken.
She was not even mindful of the shard wounding her hand because of closing it to her fist. She tightened her fist while she was saying those words to Ayako. For her, it doesn't even hurt that much compared to the pain inside of her because of the loss of her treasured Snow Rose. Nothing would be able to fade that pain and put back the pieces of her heart that broke because of that loss.
When she went out of the classroom, she started walking fast and ran after some seconds. She just wanted to get out and away from that place. That was probably the longest running she ever did in her life. She didn't care if it was difficult since it didn't matter now.
She just needed to get away in order for her to cry over the loss of something precious to her ever since. Right now, that's the only thing that she cared about and nothing else.
Kurama was still standing at the door as he stared intently at the shards of glass and crushed silver rose on scattered on the floor. He still couldn't believe something like that happened to Riya. But the one thing he really couldn't believe in was the truth that was blindly lying in front of him all this time.
Unknown to Ayako, Riya and most of his classmates, he saw everything that happened. He was shocked to know a certain truth because of that but then he chose to remain composed. In addition to that, he was hurt… for Riya. He never realized that for the past five years since he last went to Hokkaido, he would actually meet the girl again whom he had given the Snow Rose as a symbol of their new found and short time friendship blossomed that one winter day.
Now he knew that Riya was the girl from that day. That's why she was so familiar to him. How could he have ignored something as important as that when it was already lying in front of him? He doesn't know if she was looking for him or fate brought her to him.
Whatever between the two, it doesn't matter. That must have been the reason why he was dreaming about her and that event back in Hokkaido. It was a preparation for him because he would then meet her once again.
I can't believe that I have forgotten about that. Now I guess she would hate me because of it, Kurama thought and then proceeded to go to the spot where the shards and the crushed Snow Rose were. But someone already touched his shoulder that made him stop before he could even crouch down to pick one of the rose's petals.
He then turned around to see who it was. And he was surprised to see the soccer team's captain Hondou Soujiro while his sister Hondou Yukari started picking up the shards and the crushed rose and placed it to a small box that she must have brought along.
He looked at Soujiro with questioning eyes. But Soujiro only stared at him with emotionless expression before he squeezed Kurama's shoulder and spoke.
"We'll take care of the broken pieces here. Right now, only you can fix what was broken in Riya-san's heart. Do what you must. This is your chance to renew everything that almost ended before," Soujiro said that baffled Kurama. The soccer captain's words somehow meant that he knew about him and Riya-san five years ago.
He saw Yukari stood up and looked at her as she smiled. "Onii-sama's right. Don't let everything end like the flower here that you gave to her before. Neither I nor Onii-sama could do anything to fix something what was already broken from the start. But we know that only you had the power to fix her heart. Help her pick up the broken pieces of her life."
Okay… It might be getting weirder by the second that passed but somehow, the siblings have a point. And if they really think that he could really help her pick up the pieces of Riya's life and glue it back together again, then he'll do it.
This was the only way for him to renew what has almost ended five years ago. Yes, he left Riya with a gift that time. But he never realized that he had also left a piece of his heart along with the Snow Rose. And he was happy to know that Riya had treasured that rose all these years, like how he had treasured his memory—that one single memory—with her.
With that in mind, Kurama ran and went out of the classroom in order to find Riya. He doesn't need to directions to do that. For some reasons, his heart knew where to find her. So even if she had to run and hide at the edge of the earth, he'll be able to find her… with the help of his heart.
Wait for me, Riya…
In the classroom…
Soujiro and Yukari were finished picking up the last shard and the parts of the crushed rose. They placed it in a box that Yukari brought and carefully closed it with the intention of giving it back to Riya when she returned.
As for Ayako, she could only stare wide eyed at the door where Shuichi came in and out right after Soujiro talked to him. And then she lowered her head before muttering something that was still loud enough to the whole class to hear.
"Why? Why? She's just a good-for-nothing outcast so why would he treat her and go after her like she's the most important person to him?" Ayako couldn't really believe it but the Hondou siblings could only stare at her nonchalantly.
And then they both decided to get out but then they saw a middle-aged man enter. They saw the man approached the wide-eyed Ayako and they were surprised to see him slapped the said girl's face.
"How long are you going to keep disgracing our family, Ayako? This is not how I raised you," the man said with disappointment and a bit of sadness evident in his voice.
Ayako only touched her left cheek which was slapped and then her eyes softened before she began to cry. The man who turned out to be her father hugged her gently and that was when she finally broke to tears. She cried hard; something that the class hadn't seen before.
The siblings finally decided to get out of the room and bowed to the teacher who was standing at the door before they completely left. When they reached the end of the corridor, they stopped and sat on the stairs.
"Onii-sama, do you really think it's a good idea to allow Riya-sempai and that demon fox to get close? He will probably be shock when he finds out about us and Riya-sempai being our mistress?" Yukari said softly.
But Soujiro didn't answer. That's when another voice came in and spoke.
"He already knew about me being a wielder," Yumi said when she appeared in front of them. "But it would probably take just a short time before Kurama finds out about the two of you and our mistress's true identity. The upcoming battle will decide their fate if they're really meant to be together. This is just one of the trials that they must overcome together if they want to be with each other."
Soujiro sighed before he stood up and faced Yumi. "But Captain, do you really think they could overcome this sort of trial?"
Yumi's face turned sober that made the siblings worry.
"I don't know. And I can't simply speculate on something like that. We'll just have to let them decide for that since it was fate that brought them together now. All we can do for them is to watch for what's about to happen."
They had no choice but to agree on that. But little did they know that by allowing Riya and Kurama to be closer than they were before would lead them to an unexpected story.
Soccer field…
Riya was panting heavily when she reached the tree beside the soccer field. She doesn't know why but it was the place that first entered her mind when she said to herself that she wanted to go to a place where she could burst it out. It was becoming too unbearable to her by the second that kept on passing by. And that's when she leaned her back on the tree and slowly sat on the ground. It was later followed by covering her face with her hands and sobbed hard.
She never ever thought that it would come to this. It might have been a simple rose for the others but no one really knew the value of that Snow Rose to her. It has become a part of her life ever since Shuichi gave it to her five years ago.
And now it's broken… just like her heart. She could feel it breaking even more by the second.
I'm sorry, Shuichi-kun… I'm really sorry I got careless, she thought as she cried hard; her shoulders began to shake due to that reason.
She couldn't tell how long she had cried but then she stopped and froze when someone spoke in front of her. The voice was so calming and gentle.
"You really don't have to cry all alone," the familiar voice said gently that made her stop and slowly removed her hands from her face.
Her eyes slightly widened at the sight of Shuichi in front of her. Her gently smiling face felt like it was more than enough to calm her down. But remembering the Snow Rose that was destroyed made her teary-eyed again. Along with Minamino Shuichi's gentleness, it would seem to be enough to crush her defenses and made her burst in front of him.
No one had ever seen her at that state after her father and brother's deaths except her mother. As much as possible, she would still endure the pain for as long as she could. But all of her strength seemed to have fallen down when her precious Snow Rose was destroyed in front of her. At that time, she felt that her heart was also destroyed along with it. And it was all that was needed to bring her defenses down.
Kurama was surprised and startled when he saw Riya burst out again. And this time, he knew that it would be long and hard. Perhaps the destroyed Snow Rose had made her completely crushed. And he couldn't tell why but there was only one thing that he wanted to do. He sat beside her and pulled her close to him. That way, he could muffle her cries and be able to embrace her in order to help her calm down.
It might not be enough right now but it was the least he could do. He needed to do what he could to ease Riya's pain at that moment. After all, he did leave her with just the Snow Rose and his first name five years ago. One day wouldn't be enough to make up for that long five years. All he has to do was to start now if he really wanted to make up for that. That was all he needed to do.
As for Riya, she was undeniably surprised when Kurama sat beside her and embraced her like that. Though it didn't stop her tears from falling, she was unexpectedly happy with that gesture. But she just couldn't understand why would he still follow her there and comfort her with his calm and gentle voice. As of now, that was all he wanted to know from him.
But after some seconds, no words came out from both of them. Kurama just continued embracing her while she was still crying silently with her face now buried in his chest. She couldn't help it since it felt so warm… the same warmth that she hadn't felt for a long time now. She thought it would only be a dream for her to feel that again.
But definitely, she was wrong. And the man who made that sort of dream come true was now beside her, comforting her. That made her finally stopped crying and lifted up her face to be able to look at Shuichi. And her heart melted at the sight of him smiling at her.
She frowned and her heart thumped when a familiar feeling rushed through her at the sight of that smile on his face. But when a sudden realization hit her, she couldn't let her mind believe in it.
I-it can't be… can it? It's not him… But was that what she wanted to believe in?
"I guess you finally realized it, Riya," Kurama said that startled her a bit and made her snapped out of her musings. "I'm sorry… that I forgot about our friendship five years ago. You really took good care of that rose, huh?"
With that, he mind finally believed in that realization that had hit her. The boy in front of her—beside her right now—was no other than the Shuichi she had met five years ago. So it's really true that the Shuichi from back them and Minamino Shuichi was definitely the same person.
"Why?" she whispered. "Why didn't you come back to Hokkaido after that? You just left me with your first name and that Snow Rose…"
Shuichi looked at him sadly. "I'm really sorry… that I'd forgotten about it."
"You're lying!" she snapped that surprised them both. "It's a lie! There's no way you would forget something like that. That's why I want to know the real reason for that. You said it before, right? The Snow Rose you gave me would be a remembrance of our meeting that one winter day. And just like you said, it won't wilt. It also symbolizes that our meeting that time won't simply fade away in time."
He looked at her for quite some time before heaving a sigh and chuckled. "You're still that same girl I met that time."
"You're wrong…" she immediately replied. "I was not that girl anymore… the same girl you met that time. Anything can happen in five year's span of time, Minamino-kun. And I tell you, a lot had definitely happened during that span of time."
"I know. Your eyes aren't as happy as they were when I first met you." She saw him sighed once again before looking at her. "I couldn't tell you why I haven't returned to Hokkaido; that's why all I could say is sorry. And you're right. I haven't forgotten about that one chance meeting. Not once. I don't really know why I have to lie about that."
"It's a secret you mustn't reveal to others and that includes me. Isn't that right?" He was surprised with that. Nonetheless, he nodded. He couldn't believe she would actually remember that one.
And then silence filled the air for some moments before she spoke.
"But really… I'm really glad that I found you, Minamino-kun."
It was late when she realized that her tears began to streak down her face again that made Kurama worry. And since emotions overwhelming her were becoming too unbearable once again, she covered her face with her hands before sobbing. She just then felt that he embraced her again but this time, it wasn't enough to calm her down. All she wanted to do was to cry and cry.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry… I shouldn't be… crying in front of you like this… But… But… I just couldn't take it anymore. I don't know what to do anymore… All I wanted to do was to cry…" Riya said in between sobs.
Kurama's embrace to her tightened as those words created a sharp pain through his heart. It was becoming unbearable for him to see her like this.
"It's alright. Just go ahead and cry all you want. I'm not going to stop you," he gently said near her ear. "Just go ahead. This time, I won't leave you and let you cry all alone. I'm not going to let you bear that pain all alone from now on."
Shuichi-kun… you really came back. Thank goodness. That thought made her cry and smile inwardly at the same time but he didn't see it since her face was buried in his chest. And because of crying too much before feeling a little calmer, she could feel her eyes slowly drooping. Kurama continued to rub her back gently that definitely made her calmer than she was earlier. It was soothing that she felt she needed to rest for a while.
"Say, Minamino-kun…" she called out, almost in a whisper. Kurama didn't say a word but he just turned and looked at her. "Would it be okay if I sleep beside you for a while? After all that had happened today, I felt like—"
"It's okay," Kurama responded. "Just take a good rest. And don't worry; I'll be here for you. I won't leave you."
"Thank you…" she whispered. And then she began to close her eyes slowly. "Can I ask… for one more favor?"
Kurama just showed a faint smile before speaking. "Sure, anything you want."
She breathed in and out a few times and voiced out her concerns. "Would it be okay… if I call you Shuichi-kun?" She didn't get any response to that and it made her continue. "Since that was the name you first gave me when I asked for it, I just thought that it would be better if I call you that way. If you want, that is…"
She could only feel him rubbing her back soothingly before he answered a few seconds of silence.
"I'm already calling you by your first name. So I guess it would be unfair if you don't call me that way."
With that answer, she couldn't help but to smile weakly. "Thank you… Shuichi-kun." And then she just felt he mind and her self being drifted away from that place. But then she knew that someone would be there when she wake up.
Finally, she found him. She finally found Shuichi…
…the boy she fell in love with five years ago.
And right now, she couldn't ask for any other gift than to let him stay beside her. That way, she could escape the tragic reality that might separate them both soon.
Kurama couldn't help but to smile at the sight of Riya peacefully sleeping beside him. He knew she had been tired because of what happened these past few days and it's quite relieving to know that he could actually calm her down like that. He might not have noticed it but it seemed like a dream come true for him.
Finally, they were together again. And he vowed at that moment that he'll always be with her and protect her no matter what happens. Not only because he promised it to Yumi but he was doing it for his own reasons, as well; reasons that might be indefinable for now.
While slowly and continuously brushing her long black hair with his fingers (which he really loved doing, by the way), he sensed that someone was approaching. And when he looked up, he saw Miss Ryuuzaki and Yukari coming towards them.
The teacher smiled sadly at the sight of Riya sleeping before facing him.
"Thank you for being with her, Minamino-kun. I guess she got so tired already with all those things happened to her."
"It's something I chose to do, Ryuuzaki-sensei. So there's no need to worry about it," he replied followed by a faint smile. "And you're right. She got tired that's why I allowed her to sleep. It's one way for her to calm down after all that has happened. Or at least that's what I thought."
"It's a good thing she had you as a friend, Minamino-sempai," Yukari commented with a smile and then she placed the box she was carrying beside him. He gave a puzzled look to the blue-haired girl. "It's up to you what you're going to do with it. I can't afford to throw something so precious to Riya-sempai; that's why I'm giving it to you."
He looked at the box beside him for some seconds since he needed to think about what Yukari said to him. After that, he revert his gaze to the two ladies.
"Thank you for giving this to me, Yukari-san." He looked at the teacher soon after. "Ryuuzaki-sensei, would it be okay if I stay here with her… just until she wakes up? I might not be able to attend class with this but I really need to stay beside her."
He saw the teacher stared at him for some seconds before she smiled.
"It's alright. I'll tell the other teachers that you're helping her calm down. At some point, they knew what happened to her so I know they'll understand that. Just take care of her for us, Minamino-kun."
He nodded as a response. With that, Miss Ryuuzaki and Yukari left them. He then looked at Riya with such gentleness in his eyes.
I'm definitely going to take care of you, Riya. And I won't leave you from now on. I promise…
And then he embraced her slightly tight before gazing at the clear blue sky. Now he could feel that a new day would be something to look forward to, despite the danger he was facing along with Yusuke and the others. He could feel that Riya could somehow give him a good omen about the next coming days of his life from now on.
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