"SO IT was confirmed? Someone wanted to burn the shrine down? And because we're there, they attempted to kill us, too?"
Nanlumo si Kourin nang makitang tumango si Takeru. Sinasabi na nga ba niya. Kaya ang weird ng pakiramdam niya kanina sa shrine kasama si Raiden, eh.
Pagkauwi ni Kourin galing sa Shiasena Temple, sinalubong siya ni Amiko na agad namang nanghila sa kanya papunta sa study room. Naabutan niya roon si Takeru na seryoso ang pagmumukha. His expression immediately told her that something had happened that was beyond her knowledge.
She was right. Pero bakit?
May narinig si Kourin na bakas ng pag-aalala sa tinig ni Takeru nang itanong nito iyon sa kanya. But for one thing, he was one person she couldn't lie to. He would amount as a confidante to her, as well. Palibhasa, masyado itong malapit kay Kuya Hitoshi noon. Idagdag pa na madalas din nitong kasama si Tetsuya kapag may mga misyon ang mga ito na kailangang tapusin at wala si Daryll na mentor ni Takeru.
"I would be lying if I said I am," pag-amin ni Kourin at saka napatingin sa figurine na nasa study table niya. It was a Japanese woman wearing an elegant and regal kimono... and it was the image that she hoped she would become ― one day. "But why would they want to follow us and kill us? I mean, Raiden and I just visited the temple."
"As for that, we'll have to wait until Shingo is done interrogating the man."
Kumunot ang noo ni Kourin. "You mean... you guys took care of it?"
"Not me. I only watched. But Hotaru and Amiko did. Kana and Nanami resumed their mission right after that. By now, I think they already found those guys' hideout ー along with their other comrades."
Seriously, these guys took care of things way beyond what Kourin's mind could comprehend. Pero ganoon na sinanay ang mga ito. Dapat alam na niya ang tungkol doon.
"Who's in charge of the interrogation?"
"Daryll and Shingo."
Naku po! Mas malala. Kapag ang dalawang iyon pa man din ang nagsama sa interrogation, good luck na lang talaga sa utak ng ini-interrogate ng mga ito. Those two really had a dangerous way of interrogating their suspects.
"I wonder what made them decide to trail us..." pabulong na usal na lang ni Kourin. Sa ngayon, wala pa talaga siyang maisip na dahilan para sundan sila ni Raiden ng kung sino man.
Pero may palagay si Kourin na hindi ganoon kadaling masasagot ang tanong niyang iyon. "We can't afford to make another mistake."
"Don't force yourself to worry about this. Just leave it to us. Okay?"
Hinarap ni Kourin si Takeru. "You know, I felt even more worried for that. You can't just leave me out of it."
"What you should worry about for now is to adapt to your new life."
As much as Kourin hated to admit it, he was right. Kaya sa ngayon, pipiliin niyang alisin sa utak niya ang mga nalaman. But of course, that only means one thing.
Kailangang masiguro ni Kourin na hindi madadamay si Raiden sa gulong kinasasangkutan niya. Tama nang nadamay ang pamilya niya. Hindi na niya hahayaang pati ang mga inosente niyang kaibigan dito ay madamay din. Hinding-hindi na niya mapapatawad ang mga ito kapag nadamay pa ang mga kaibigan niya.
Tumango na lang si Kourin bilang tugon sa suhestiyon ni Takeru at para hindi na rin ito mag-alala pa. Pagkatapos niyon, nagpaalam na siyang pupunta sa kuwarto dahil gusto na niyang magpahinga. Pero hindi pa man siya tuluyang nakakaalis sa study room, alam na niyang hindi lang sila ni Takeru ang naroon. That person was hiding in the passageway on the other side of the bookshelf.
At mukhang wala pang planong magpakita kay Kourin ang taong iyon. If that was the case, hindi na lang niya ipapaalam rito na alam na niyang naroon ito. Tuluyan na siyang lumabas ng study room. Pero imbes na sa kuwarto ang tungo niya, sa isa pang tagong passageway sa pagitan ng study room niya at ng susunod na silid sa kaliwa niyon ang binuksan niya. Siya lang ang nakakaalam ng password papasok sa passageway na iyon. That place was made soundproofed, thanks to Tetsuya and Satoru who helped her with implementing the idea. Ang dalawa lang na iyon ang kasalukuyang nakakaalam ng tungkol sa passageway na iyon.
"You didn't tell her everything." Iyon ang unang narinig ni Kourin pagpasok na pagpasok niya sa passageway. At kilala niya kung sino ang nagsabi niyon.
Kourin also heard Takeru sigh. Moments later, she heard some noise inside the room. That was when she realized that the bookshelf automatically slid open and stopped for a few moments before sliding back to its original position, closing the passage leading to that hidden room.
Ang mansion kung nasaan nakatira ngayon si Kourin kasama ang iba pa ay katulad na katulad ng sa Shinomiya mansion sa Kyoto. From the outer design to the interior and even the passageways and traps ー na wala pa namang naipapahamak kahit papaano, lahat ay parehong-pareho. It was actually given to her as a gift from her father on her 10th birthday. At sa totoo lang, isa iyon sa mga ipinagtataka nilang lahat.
Bakit nagpatayo ang ama ni Kourin ng mansion na katulad ng sa Kyoto sa Pilipinas? Ano ang meron sa lugar na iyon para maisipan nito iyon?
Pero kahit hindi pa maintindihan ni Kourin ang rason nito kung bakit nito ginawa iyon, she took it as a chance para doon i-relocate ang base of operations nila. Wala namang problema iyon kay Ate Mari dahil isa pala iyon sa mga mahigpit na bilin dito ng mga magulang nila bago pa mamatay ang mga ito. That only meant alam na rin ng mga ito na posibleng mangyari ang trahedyang iyon.
This mansion had now became their refuge and the place for them to formulate their own counterattacks to those demons.
"It's better this way than to see her panic, Akemi. By the way, what made you come here?" narinig ni Kourin na saad ni Takeru.
So tama pala si Kourin. Si Akemi Mikazuki ang naroon. Isa ito sa mga pinsan niya sa ina at ang pinakamagaling na sharpshooter sa Shinomiya clan at kasabayan nito sina Mamoru at Chrono kung pagalingan rin lang sa sharpshooting ang pag-uusapan. Kuya nito si Ryuuji na kasalukuyan namang itinalagang tagapagbantay ng Flower Stone ng Shinomiya clan ― ang Purple Tulip Crystal. Simbolo iyon ng isa sa natatanging katangian ng angkan nila, since one of the meanings of purple tulip in the language of flowers was nobility. Doon din nanggaling ang isa sa mga nicknames ng Shinomiya clan ー "The Noble Shinomiya".
"Lady Mari asked me to check out on you guys. I see that you still haven't learned the language yet."
"I can understand Filipino, okay? I'm not just comfortable speaking it. It only reminds me of that boy from 3 years ago," Takeru said, his voice slowly becoming softer.
That boy? Hmm... Mukhang kilala na ni Kourin kung sino ang tinutukoy nito. Bukod kasi kay Kuya Hitoshi, may isa pang batang lalaki na hindi niya alam kung bakit hindi ito kumportable na makita o makausap man lang iyon.
"Are you sure it's about that boy? O si Lord Hitoshi ang tinutukoy mo?"
Bull's eye! To be honest, Kourin could tell that Takeru really hated it when that woman speaks directly to the point. Akemi was truly sharp in her thinking and her words.
"Alam kong hindi na tayo dapat magkamali sa mga ginagawa natin. Lalo pa't hindi pa natin sila nakikita. But I think you should be the one who should learn to adapt to your new life. The boy you're talking about could be our key in unraveling everything."
Natigilan si Kourin nang marinig iyon. Ano'ng ibig mong sabihin, Akemi?
"What was that supposed to mean?"
Walang nagsalita sa dalawang iyon nang ilang sandali. Then Kourin heard Akemi sigh. "Just stay alert. Our top priority is to protect the princess and the treasures that those guys are after. Sasabihin ko rin ang lahat kapag may solido na kaming pruweba ni Shiro at ni Kuya Ryuuji."
"The princess doesn't have to know everything for now, huh?" Takeru mumbled that Kourin managed to hear, luckily.
"For now..."
Ano ang mga hindi puwedeng malaman ni Kourin sa ngayon? Bakit hanggang ngayon, marami pa ring isinisikreto ang mga ito sa kanya?
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