Chapter XXV.

It was extremely late when I went to sleep that night, and just like on the previous day, I was unable to visit my mother at the hospital in the morning. When I had woken up, I only had the time to take a bath, get dressed and rush to school, if I didn't want to be late.

I was waiting in front of the gate for Shunsui and Gōjun to arrive when, I caught sight of Natsui, who was coming in the distance.

'Natsui!' I called out, cheerfully, waving at her, but the ginger-haired girl didn't seem to hear me. 

She had her head bowed and was dragging her feet slightly under her as she walked. She went past me without even noticing me.

'Natsui...' I said, grabbing her by one of her shoulder gently from behind. It was only then, that she showed some reaction. 

She turned her head around to look at me over her shoulder, and instantly, my breath caught. The ginger-haired girl seemed to be on the border of tears!

'Natsui… What is it?' I asked, my throat tightening.

I stared at her silent self for a minute, before I grabbed her hand and dragged her to a corner of the school. The moment we were out of everyone's eyes, the ginger-haired girl plumped down on the ground to cry in her arms as she sat in a ball.

'Natsui…' I whispered, and bowing down, I placed a comforting hand on her back, to ask her, softly, 'What's wrong? Did something... happen?'

She nodded, without lifting her head, and I sat myself down beside her on the ground, my heart filled with dread.

'What happened?'

'It's Tatsuhiro...' she said, and I held my breath, stiffening. It took her a whole minute to complete her sentence, informing me in-between sobs, 'He called me last night to tell me that he didn't want to see me again.'

My heart thumped. He broke up with her?! But why?!

Instantly, my mind drifted to a certain dark-haired girl, and I thought I knew exactly what happened. 

Hiyori Miyatsu!

I had no doubt that the ginger-haired girl had come to the same conclusion as me.

'Natsui, listen to me...' I said, encouragingly, and she lifted her head up at last to look at me. 'It is clear from this that he doesn't deserve you. He doesn't know your worth. He doesn't know what he's losing. He's the loser in the story.'

Somehow, my words seemed to cheer her up a little, and smiling despite of her tears, she sent her arms around my neck, hugging me.

'Oh, Hime!'

I sent my arm around her too, caressing the back of her head with my other hand, comfortingly.

Oh Natsui… This time, it was not the right person. But someday soon, I'm sure you'll meet with the man of your life, your soul mate!

***

Sometimes after dusk…

'Hime,' said Shunsui, and I looked up at him to see that he had come to stand by my side, where I was still sitting at the dining table.

'Hm?'

He exchanged a look with Gōjun. The latter had just finished eating his dinner too and had been about to get out of the table to go outside to smoke a cigarette with him.

Breaking completely out of my reverie, I closed my eyes and shook my head rapidly, to say, 'Oh yes, I'm going to clear the table immediately and take care of the dishes!'

I had been about to get to my feet on the spot when, the reddish-brown-haired young man bent down and sent one of his arms around the back of my chair to place his hand over my shoulder, while he rested his other hand on the surface of the table in front of me, thus preventing me from getting out of my seat. 

Our cheeks were almost touching.

'Say, did something happen?' he inquired. 'We've been noticing you since this morning. You've been off during the whole day. And your ginger-haired friend has been acting in a very evasive way today.' 

I looked up at his face again, then at Gōjun's, before I lowered my eyes to stare at my lap.

'It's Tatsuhiro Kume...' I whispered, dejectedly. 'He broke up with Natsui last night after we parted.'

I heard their breaths catch.

Straightening up, the reddish-brown-haired young man shifted in front of me to sit down on the edge of the table, and racking his hand through his hair in frustration, he muttered, 'Hiyori Miyatsu!'

I guessed that we have all arrived to the same conclusion. 

'That girl is a real poison!' he exhaled, sharply, before telling me, apologetically, 'And that guy, I would never have thought that he's such an as*****! I'm sorry, Hime. The moment you told me that she's going out with that Tatsuhiro Kume, I should have inquired about him. I didn't even know that he has a brother.'

'You're not to blame!' I assured him, and Gōjun seconded, 'You're not going to start inquiring about everyone!'

The reddish-brown-haired young man's jaw tightened, and placing a hand over my shoulder, he told me, with a serious look, 'Don't worry! I know how to deal with the Miyatsu type of girl!'

I stared at him, wondering what he was thinking to do.

***

Later, in the night…

Shunsui Shigeizumi and Gōjun Shoran were walking down a street in the city when the latter caught sight of Hime Kirigakure from afar.

'Wait!' Gōjun said to his friend, as he jerked to a stop, his hand shooting in front of the the reddish-brown-haired young man to stop him by his chest. The latter, as well, as the three girls in his company, stopped laughing mirthfully to look at Gōjun.

'Isn't it Hime over there?'

Shunsui gasped, his eyes going wide at him in amazement. 

'I can't believe it! Did you just call her name by her name?!'

'Will you be serious for a minute?' Gōjun groaned at him, and Shunsui followed his eyes to onto the dark-haired girl walking in the distance, to confirm, 'Yes, it's well Hime. She works close-by.'

'But she lives on the other side! Where is she going in that direction?'

The reddish-brown-haired young man was asking himself the same question when, an idea came to his mind, suddenly.

They had come to a stop right in front of his car, and smiling seductively at the girls accompanying him, he opened the backdoor to allow them in, while pointing out to Gōjun, 'It's dangerous for a young girl to be walking by herself like this in the night.' 

And resting his chin over the edge of the door then, he proposed, with a mischievous look, 'Why don't you follow her to ask her where she's going?'

Instantly, Gōjun looked at his face, stiffening.

'I would like to come with you, but she's supposed to be your girlfriend, right?' Shunsui added, with a teasing smile.

'Stop it already!' Gōjun muttered, giving him a small tap on the stomach, before he rushed into the direction that the dark-haired girl had taken.

He had to admit to himself that Shunsui was right on one point: it was not safe for a young girl to be walking about all alone at this hour. 

He took after her without informing her of his presence, though. He decided that he would simply follow her secretly for the time being to see where she was headed. 

On his side, Shunsui stared after his friend long after he was gone, a small smile lingering on his lips.

Even if he was as intrigued as Gōjun to know where the dark-haired girl was going and wanted to follow her equally, he knew that it was better for him not to do so, for he hoped that, perhaps, this would give his friend and the dark-haired girl the occasion to spend some time alone together. 

***

For two days, I had not been able to visit my mother at the hospital, and thereby, I was unable to visit the shrine either. I wanted to pray for Natsui. She needed it so much.

'Kami-sama...' I said, softly, in front of the Haiden, with my eyes closed, my palms pressed together, 'Please, forgive me; I know that it's very late. But my friend needs help-'

I became silent abruptly, my eyes blowing wide open when I heard a strange noise. A noise of movement. 

It came again, causing me to freeze completely. It seemed to be coming from inside of the Haiden!

My heart picked up speed.

What does this mean?

As I was staring at the double-door of the Haiden, out of the blue, it snapped wide open and three dark figures jumped out of it, groaning menacingly, making my blood run cold. 

Their groans were accompanied by the sound of the flapping wings of bats and other terrible sounds that seemed to emanate from a horror movie. By the same time, I was blinded by several flashes of light.

IT'S AN ONI JINJA!!! 

Terror coursing through my veins, I flung around and took to my heels instantly, screaming my lungs out as I ran like the wind.

Just as I was about to reach the torii at the head of the stairs, I dared to take a look behind me to see if I was being pursued, but almost immediately, my head snapped back around when I saw something appear on my way from my peripheral view. I only had time to see that it was Gōjun before I hit into him head-on.

Everything happened very rapidly after that. 

Gōjun lost his balance when I hit into his chest, and we both toppled from the head of the staircase. In a reflex, he wrapped his arms around me, especially around my head, protectively. 

We tumbled down the stairs, the background blurring around us. 

When we finally came to a stop, I opened my eyes slowly to see that we had ended our course at the foot of the staircase onto the street. I was lying on top of Gōjun. The latter still had his arms around me. While I only had a few scratches, he was more terribly wounded. His head was in blood and he was covered with bruises.

'Gōjun!'

I sat up to stare at him, frantically.

His eyes were closed, but he was not unconscious. He pressed them more tightly shut for a few seconds, before he opened them, and sat half-up to spit out the blood in his mouth.

At the same time, three familiar male voices came, calling out our names from the staircase. 

I looked around at the three young men who were descending down the stairs at full speed, rushing down to meet up with us. These, were none other than Satori Hasegawa, Aruto Hidaka and Shuji Toriyama! They had covered themselves with dark blankets and had flashlights in their hands- the lights that had blinded me! Satori Hasegawa was also holding a camera recorder in one of his hands, while one of his two friends had in his possession a tape recorder- the source of the terrible sounds that I had heard!

The three boys had passed themselves for Oni to scare me!

'Are you alright?!' they exclaimed at Gōjun with affright. 'We're really sorry! We didn't think that she'd panic so much! We didn't think that somebody might get injured!'

'You bloody b******s!' Gōjun snarled at them, and jerking to his feet, he fisted two of the young men by the front of their T-shirts. 'What took over you?!'

I jumped to my feet on the spot. 

He seemed ready to beat them to the pulp. 

The three young men were terrified by the expression on his face. I stared at Gōjun, frantically, dead afraid for his health. I was sure that he was not feeling well at all with all his injuries. 

'Gōjun, maybe you should sit down...' I said, my voice barely coming out, but he didn't hear me.

'Listen, Gōjun! It was not our idea!' the three young men stammered. 'We only did what Hiyori has asked us to do!'

My breath caught.

Hiyori Miyatsu! She was very much aware of the conflict opposing the three of them- in particular- to the scholarship students; she has decided to engage them, knowing perfectly well that they wouldn't refuse to take on me. 

Gōjun's eyes tightened at them, his expression becoming even more menacing.

'If she asks you to jump in a well, will you do it?!' he demanded, releasing them in shove, calling them puppets. 

The three young men stumbled backward and fell to the ground.

'Just leave! But don't you think that I'm going to let you off that easily! I'll see you tomorrow at school and you'd better not be absent!'

Springing to their feet, the three young men ran out of sight.

Gōjun's knees gave out under him, at that moment, but before they could touch the ground, I reached out for him to support him. I held him by the waist, keeping his arm carefully around my neck.

I knew it! He's feeling less well than he wants to show! He's been forcing himself! 

'You have to sit down!' I told him, my throat tight in deep worry. 

I led him to the staircase. He could hardly walk, or even stand on his two feet. Given my small size, I found his weight crushing, and had difficulty to support him. I had taken only a few steps forward with him when, we almost fell to the ground, but, fortunately, he caught himself onto one of the legs of the torii with his hand.

I looked at his face, apologizing in embarrassment.

We had managed to reach the staircase by now and I helped him sit down on one of the steps. I was extremely worried about him. I felt responsible for his state. Not only did he fell down because of me, but he wouldn't have been this injured, had he not protected me with his body.

'You need to go to the hospital immediately! I'll call an ambulance!'

Without losing a minute, I took out my cellphone and saw that it was still functioning despite of the number of bumps that it had taken. But even before I could press one button, he snatched my phone from my hand, telling me that there was need to call an ambulance; his injuries were not that severe.

I stared at his face, my heart palpitating. His head was not bleeding anymore, but he was holding his abdomen with his arm. I feared that he had a broken rib.

'The hospital is only a small distance away. I'm going to take you there myself!'

'No, it's alright. I really don't think it's necessary for me to go to the hospital.'

My eyes widened at him.

He doesn't intend to go back home just like that, does he? He needs medical care!

'Alright, there's- there's a pharmacy around the corner of the street. You wait for me here! I'll just be back!'

Without any delay, I ran for the said-pharmacy and bought everything that I thought would be useful, before I rushed my way back to where I had left him. As I was approaching the shrine, I almost feared that he had left without saying anything and, as such, I was relieved to find him still waiting for my return. 

Sitting myself down next to him, I started to work on his injuries. By the time, I had finished, I found him watching me with a cynical look.

'You don't know any first-aid, do you?'

I cringed, and had to admit, with an awkward smile, 'I fear that I have used too many bandages!'

He resembled a mummy that has just came out of its sarcophagus!

Letting out a heavy sigh, he started to take off some of the bandages, and I watched him work for a moment. After he was done, unexpectedly, he picked up a piece of cotton, damped it with some solution, to run it over my bruised chin. 

I winced and looked at him in surprise.

'Aren't you going to take care of your injuries?'

'Oh, my injuries are only superficial!' I answered, waving my hands from all sides, half-panicked, half-embarrassed. 'Nothing to fret over!' 

Holding my gaze, he caught one of my hands in his, causing me to freeze. 

He started to clean my bruises for me, and I watched him in silence.

'I'm going to call a taxi,' I murmured, when he announced to me that he had finished.

'That won't be necessary! I've already called my driver!'

Just as he was saying this, a car appeared in the distance and it pulled up to where we were.

I see. He too has a driver like Shunsui.

'Come! I'm going to drop you home!' he told me, getting to his feet, and I stood up to support him. Once we were inside of the vehicle and driving in direction of my home, something occurred to me.

'Say, Gōjun,' I said, timidly, 'what were you doing at the shrine?'

Has he been following me?

'I was with Shunsui when I saw you.'

My eyes widened.

That's what I thought! He was following me… But why? Was he worried about my safety?

'You went to the shrine to pray for Mizoroge, didn't you?'

My eyes grew wider for a second. 

Lowering my head then, I nodded.

'Idiot!' he muttered, flicking me at the forehead. 'Couldn't it wait for tomorrow?!'

I rubbed my skin, moaning, 'Itai!'

Thank you for reading!

Glossary

Itai - "ouch"

Oni jinja - demon shrine

Oni - demon