the last sky of the earth 73 - genealogy book

HINDI maintindihan ni Kourin kung para saan ang kabang nararamdaman niya nang mga sandaling iyon. Naroon sila ni Reiko sa rooftop at hinihintay na lang niya itong magsalita.

"You're really one extraordinary person, Rin Fujioka," umpisa ni Reiko.

Napakunot ng noo si Kourin. "Anongー?"

"I haven't seen my best friend smile like that in a long time now. Since you came, pakiramdam ko ay unti-unti nang bumabalik sa dati si Seiichi." Humarap si Reiko kay Kourin at bahagyang yumukodーjust as how a Japanese would do when they wanted to express gratitude. "Thank you."

Lalong hindi makapagsalita si Kourin sa nakita't narinig. Ilang sandali rin iyon.

"W-why? H-hindi mo ba nagawa iyon kay Seiichi dati?"

Nag-angat ng tingin si Reiko at hinarap ang prinsesa nang may lungkot sa mga mata. "He's the type of guy who'd rather keep it all to himself, Rin. I don't have any idea how to coax it out of him kahit sabihin pa na ako ang childhood friend niya. That's why the only thing I could do for him until now is to protect him by any means necessary. But with what happened a few days ago that made them kidnap him, sa tingin ko ay hindi pa sapat ang pagsasanay ko. I have to be strong for me to be able to protect him."

Kourin never realized that she would encounter someone with that kind of devotion to protect someone important to that person. Kung tutuusin, parang wala pa yata sa kalingkingan ng determinasyon ni Reiko ang determinasyon niya para protektahan si Seiichi.

"Stay by his side for now, Rin," pagpapatuloy ni Reiko. "Hindi ko alam kung anong gulo ang pinasok ni Seiichi nitong nagdaang mga taon para tugisin siya nang ganoon. Pero aalamin ko rin iyon. Right now, I want you to provide him the strength he surely needed to get out of this. Sa nakikita ko, ikaw lang ang makakapagbigay niyon sa kanya."

"A-ako?" gulat na usal ni Kourin sabay turo sa sarili.

Tumango si Reiko. "Ikaw... at ang taong muntik ko nang mapatay ilang araw na ang nakalilipas dahil sa pagpasok niya sa bahay ni Seiichi. I think his name was Takeru."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Kourin. "Si Takeru? Are you talking about Takeru Uehara?"

Nagkibit lang ng balikat ang dalaga. "I only know him as Takeru dahil iyon lang ang sinabi niya sa akin. He's proficient in firearms, though I can say that he's truly skilled in martial arts. Is that his expertise?"

"Martial arts, yes." Hindi maintindihan ni Kourin kung bakit tila napakadali para sa kanya na sabihin iyon kay Reiko. "Forgive him for entering the house all of a sudden. May mga kailangan lang siguro siyang malaman."

"I know that. He told me so. But he never told me what it was. Anyway, since hindi naman siya ang isa sa mga tumangay kay Seiichi, I let him go."

Nagpasalamat si Kourin sa narinig. Pero pagkatapos niyon ay hindi niya napigilang mapaisip nang husto.

Ano ang kailangang malaman ni Takeru sa bahay ni Seiichi?

xxxxxx

NAPAPAHIYANG nagyuko ng ulo si Takeru nang komprontahin ito ni Kourin tungkol sa ginawa nitong pagpasok sa bahay ni Seiichi nang walang permiso. Pigil niya ang mapangiti habang tila hindi mapakali ang binata na napakamot pa ng batok nito.

"I'm sorry, princess. It won't happen again." Napangiwi si Takeru sa nasabi. Bakit iyon ang lumabas sa bibig niya?

"Right. As if I would believe that," ani Kourin.

Napatingin naman si Takeru sa dalaga. This time, he saw the princess smiling.

"I know you think that Seiichi's house might have had some sort of an answer to all that's been happening lately. Pero sa palagay ko, tanging si Seiichi lang ang nakakaalam ng kinalalagyan ng sagot na iyon. Even the Dark Rose weren't able to find anything about that." Pagkatapos ay bumuntong-hininga si Kourin. "Why did you tell your name to Reiko, anyway? You don't usually do that to those who confronts you with a weapon."

Hindi kaagad nakapagsalita si Takeru. Maging siya ay hindi maintindihan kung bakit niya ginawa iyon. Pero alangan naman sabihin niya iyon kay Kourin. Para na rin niyang ipinahiya ang sarili rito.

"Does she happen to intrigue you in some way?" mayamaya ay tanong ni Kourin kay Takeru. Sapat na iyon upang makuha ang atensiyon ng binata. Tumango-tango siya. "Akala ko ako lang pala."

"What do you mean?" kunot-noong tanong ni Takeru.

Hinarap ni Kourin si Takeru. "We talked a while back. She was thanking me for taking care of Seiichi... and for making him smile again. But besides that, she said she couldn't help feeling guilty about being unable to protect him. Hindi pa raw sapat ang pagsasanay niya para maprotektahan ang kaibigan niya. She said she had to be strong so that she could protect him.

"Well, we're dealing with the Dark Rose. I can understand why she wanted to be stronger for that boy's sake." Hindi nagsisinungaling si Takeru sa pagsasabi niyon.

"By the way, back to the real issue. Why suddenly decided to go to Seiichi's house, anyway?" pag-iiba ng usapan ni Kourin.

Noon naman tila naalala ni Takeru ang isang pakay niya kung bakit naisipan niyang kausapin ang prinsesa. "I actually remembered something while I was guarding that boy at the hospital. It was something that... your brother ordered me to do."

Kumunot ang noo ni Kourin bagaman hindi siya nagsasalita. Nagpatuloy naman si Takeru.

"He said that I need to protect his best friend not just from the Dark Rose. I kept on thinking why, when he should've asked me to protect you ― his sister. I just need to find a solid reason why he would give me that kind of order." Huminga nang malalim si Takeru. "As you already know, I didn't succeed."

Kourin smiled. "Hindi pa siguro ito ang panahon para malaman natin ang tungkol doon. Though I must say, there's something about my brother's words that truly bothers me."

"And what might that be?"

"The words Ethereal Sky that he said to be the greatest clue that I need to realize my uncle's identity."

"You mean the uncle that you never knew about?"

Tumango si Kourin.

Sa sinabing iyon ng dalaga ay may isang ideyang umilaw sa isipan ni Takeru. "Lady Kourin, pardon me for suddenly asking you this. But... is it alright if you allow me to have a look at the Book of the Shinomiya Clan Genealogy?"

Talagang ikinagulat ni Kourin ang kahilingang iyon ni Takeru. Pero sandali lang iyon dahil agad niyang napagtanto ang dahilan kung bakit nito iyon sinabi. "Sinabi rin niya iyon sa 'yo, 'no? Ang tungkol sa 'uncle' ko."

Hindi na ikinaila ni Takeru ang tungkol doon. Tumango siya. "That book could've held the answer to that. I just had that feeling, even though I don't really want to rely on it."

Walang nagsalita sa kanilang dalawa nang ilang sandali. Pinag-iisipan nang husto ni Kourin kung pagbibigyan ba niya ang nais mangyari ni Takeru. Well, she could understand his reasons to ask her that. Tanging sa presensiya lang ng isang Shinomiya ipinapahawak at ipinapakita ang nilalaman ng librong iyon. If there were other members who wanted to discover the contents of the book, anyone from the Shinomiya clan ― with the permission of the clan leader ― should accompany that person.

Pagkalipas ng ilang sandali ay bumuntong-hininga si Kourin na kumuha naman sa atensyon ni Takeru. "I guess it can't be helped... since we're bound with only one goal in mind about this."

Sumibol ang pag-asa kay Takeru nang marinig iyon. "You mean..."

"On one condition. Kung ano man ang malalaman natin sa librong iyon, mananatili munang sikreto iyon sa iba hanggang hindi pa klaro ang lahat. At pakiusap lang, huwag na huwag mo akong isusumbong kay Ate Mari." Pinagdikit pa talaga ni Kourin ang mga palad niya na tila nagmamakaawa kay Takeru. She looked like a pleading kid.

The man couldn't help smiling at the cute sight. He rarely saw this side of the princess ever since the attack. "I'll take the blame if that happens. Don't worry." At titiyakin niya iyon.