Parang turista si Kourin sa nangyaring pamamasyal nila ni Raiden. Then again, all they did was walk around, window shop, and go to the amusement park. At the same time, they went to a hidden Shinto shrine.
At first, nasorpresa siya nang dalhin siya roon ni Raiden at makita iyon. Sa loob ng dalawang taong pananatili niya sa bansang iyon ay noon lang niya nalamang may Shinto shrine pala sa lugar na iyon.
"I was supposed to show this place to you two weeks ago. Kaya lang, masyadong maraming nangyari," Raiden said.
Kourin frowned at what he said. "A lot happened? Ano'ng ibig mong sabihin?"
Raiden nodded. "For one, hindi ka pinayagang lumabas ng mga guardian mo. Two, my grandfather came home. Three, my sister also came back home two days ago pero inumpisahan na naman niyang sirain ang araw ko ng walang tigil na pang-aasar niua sa akin. Kaya hindi ko muna siya kinakausap. And four..." He paused before sighing. "Someone attempted to burn this place down."
What? "Are you serious? Bakit naman nila gagawin iyon?"
"I think it's because they thought that there was no one guarding this place. And the Shinto priestess assigned here had also told me that day that this place had evidence of a murder."
Biglang nakaramdam ng panlalamig si Kourin dahil sa mga narinig niya kay Raiden. But as soon as she felt it, she also quickly felt arms wrapped around her. She just closed her eyes.
"You're scared again?"
Kourin just nodded because she didn't know what to say. It was as if words didn't want to come out of her mouth. Wala naman siyang planong sabihin kung ano ba talaga ang nararamdaman niya.
"Para namang pababayaan kita. Don't worry. I'll never let anything bad happen to you." Raiden's way of saying that was full of assurance.
But he didn't know that it only intensified Kourin's fear. A long time ago, the people she cared about uttered the very same promise. She didn't want to think that the people who told her those words once again would disappear one day. Hindi na niya gustong maramdamang muli ang kaparehong sakit dahil mukhang mauulit ang mga nangyari noon.
Kourin couldn't help thinking about that, especially since she was still in the middle of dealing with a five-decade-old war that those people had against the families who still believed in her.
Though for some reason, Raiden's embrace provided something for Kourin. And it was able to take away the fear that had engulfed her lately.
"You're taking advantage, aren't you? Nakalibre ka na naman ng yakap sa akin, eh."
She felt him stiffen as she said it. But soon he just laughed and released her. He was looking at her with gentleness in his eyes nang tingnan niya ito
"Are you okay now?"
Kourin sighed inaudibly. "So far. Thanks to you."
"You want to offer a prayer while we're here?"
Hindi na tumanggi pa si Kourin. And with that, both of them entered the shrine. They did so even though she was aware that someone was watching them. She knew some of them were those that she could trust.
But the others… she knew that they were people she somehow knew who would want her dead. Iyon ay kahit ibang katauhan na ang kanyang gamit.
xxxxxx
IF THERE was one thing Kourin learned from those who watched over her, it was to sharpen her senses to be able to feel her surroundings para maging madali sa kanya na malaman kung nasa panganib nga ba siya o hindi. She admitted she didn't have such skills before. Though she had been trained na gawin iyon, she never had a chance to put it to good use.
Until now...
"Rin, may problema ba?"
Kourin looked at Raiden when he asked her that. Yikes! She forgot that she was with him. Kung saan-saan na naman lumilipad ang utak niya.
"Nothing. Sorry." But she knew, it wasn't enough para matanggal ang pag-aalala ni Raiden sa kanya. He was her friend, after all.
The first one she ever made since she came to this country 2 years ago.
Kourin first met Raiden when he became her seatmate on her first day in Skyfield University's high school department. They were in their junior years at that time. And first, she thought he was also Japanese like her. Well, she only thought of that because of his name. The name Raiden means "thunder and lightning" in Japanese. Also, hindi common ang pangalan na iyon sa bansang iyon. But she was proven wrong about his ethnicity when he talked to her and introduced himself to her.
She should have avoided him because she was still hesitant to make friends with anyone especially when her situation was still considered chaotic at the moment. But Raiden never let her stay as someone who was friendless and alone. One thing led to another and the next thing she knew, they were friends. For real!
"You're done praying?"
Tumango si Kourin. She only prayed for one thing, anyway. At iyon ay tuluyan nang matapos ang labang kinakaharap nila. But then she knew it wouldn't come true sooner or later.
"You want to know your fortune?" she suddenly asked Raiden. But he just frowned. "Come on! Let's go there." And then she pulled him towards a part of the shrine where the fortune-telling stall was. There was also a place where good luck charms were sold.
This place truly captured the Japanese feel. It almost felt like home for her. Hindi niya mapigilang mapangiti dahil sa mga napapansin.
Moments later, the two of them picked up papers containing words related to their fortunes. They managed to have them after shaking a wooden cylinder containing sticks with written numbers near the end. That number determines which fortune would the priestess pick for them to have.
"Can you translate this?" Raiden asked Kourin as they left the stall. Raiden showed Kourin the paper on which his fortune was written. "'The one who perseveres to protect one's treasure will determine the path that leads to one's destiny.'" And then she faced him. "Wow! Ang lalim naman niyan. Do you have any idea what your fortune means?"
He noticed that Raiden seemed to be thinking deeply. But it was only for a moment. He faced her and smiled after shaking his head. "But I have a feeling it would be something grand."
"Halata naman, eh." And then Kourin opened the envelope where the paper that contained her fortune was placed. "Ano kaya ang nakasulat sa akin?" After taking out the paper, she immediately read what was written. "'The full moon will entwine two loves that longed and waited.'"
It was smaller compared to Raiden's fortune. But the idea alone was enough to hit her big time. She didn't know if she should be happy or she should be more afraid. Posible ba na ang taong iyon ang tinutukoy ng fortune niya?
"Wow ... It's like a good fortune for your love life, huh? Does that mean you're going to have a boyfriend?"
Hinampas niya sa braso si Raiden bago pa man niya mapigilan ang kanyang sarili. "Ano'ng boyfriend ang pinagsasasabi mo riyan? I haven't even started being a college student yet, and now you're looking forward to me having a boyfriend? My guardians would be scolding me if that even happens. Istrikto ang mga iyon pagdating sa mga ganitong bagay, kung alam mo lang."
"I don't think they would do that to you. Besides, I think they were just strict but they would never interfere with your personal life."
'Hay naku, Raiden. You really don't know what my guardians are like.' But at some points, she guessed that he was right. Her guardians were strict with her, but there was a big reason for that.
It was the reason that she and the others had all shared. And that reason? They were all afraid to lose something important again. That was why... they couldn't afford to make the same mistake twice.
"You know what? Let's just go home. Baka mamaya niya, kagalitan ka na naman ni Ate Yasha. Alam mo naman iyon kapag nanermon. Kulang na lang, basagin niya ang eardrums mo," biro niya. Kourin giggled as she pulled Raiden away from that place.
"Don't remind me. Lalong nakukulili ang tainga ko dahil sa kanya."
It was really fun for Kourin to watch Raiden get annoyed especially whenever his sister was in the discussion. Mahilig talagang mag-asaran ang dalawang iyon. Of course, it only reminded her of her relationship with Hitoshi. At that moment, she suddenly felt that she missed her slain brother.
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