Dream Star

In this place, one cannot hear the music at all. It must be due to the walls, " Take this, and head over to where s.h.i.+chiro is. It"s a not early, but we"ve been straying off plan right from the ambushes. Do your job Kasumi. "

A deep sigh pa.s.sed her lips; she didn"t want to leave him. But it seemed like he would not let her get any say on the matter, why would he? He"s still hiding things from her after all. When she saw the look on his face, Kasumi figured she would wait until he is ready to tell her everything. It didn"t sit well with her that they had to part, but there was nothing she could do about this. It"s his decision.

Using the secret pathway, she met up with s.h.i.+chiro with no problems; which leads to this present situation. This building is pretty isolated to be headquarters of any kind. But then again she should have suspected as much from the quarters of the dark army. Yes, this is the quarters of their enemy. She confirmed it with Kiryu on the phone, and apparently, they use places like this as a cover. "He should have mentioned that sooner," she deeply sighed. Then again, this is Kiryu they are talking about.

Her gaze fell on s.h.i.+chiro, who was experimenting with the huge computer they found. Considering how modern the equipment was in this room, Kasumi figured that this was a place others used a lot. But, what she did not understand was why there was only this one large computer. Only a single chair too, it felt odd to her. Yet, s.h.i.+chiro continued his work - bringing up several monitors with the tap of his fingers.

Her job would come much later, so Kasumi just crouched down on the ground and waited.

"Say s.h.i.+chiro, is it okay for us to be here?" Kasumi asked. In the previous proper fight against these people, not including the minor skirmishes in between, "Lila said last time that the darkness in this place is bad for normal people," but since they stepped inside, she didn"t feel any trace of darkness at all. Sure there"s still this ire and creepy feeling. However, there"re no signs of darkness.

"Normally it wouldn"t. But I had someone switch off the darkness. The singing may not reach here, but the sound waves bounce on the walls, so the effect is still in place."

Her sweatdropped, switch off the darkness? What, is it a contraption now that they can turn off by a switch? She supposes there is still something"s she doesn"t understand about the concept of "supernatural" powers. In the first place, a logical person like herself wouldn"t usually accept the fact that there are supernatural powers in the world. Even with evidence, usually, most people would turn away and not accept it, right? So how did someone who was taught the norms of society, get caught up in an unnatural phenomenon?

It"s because she met Teras.h.i.+ma Lila. Although Kasumi didn"t know about the girl"s powers then, she could tell that there was something about the girl"s aura that was odd. The power to draw people into her circle with her smile. Her kindness and charm aside, the first time she brushed past her. Kasumi felt a strong and powerful crus.h.i.+ng presence. A presence that is out of this world.

When she learned of the brunettes intelligence, it didn"t come as a surprise to her. Sure she was slightly taken back, especially judging from her friend"s att.i.tude regarding studies. But at the same time, it made sense. Beautiful, kind, talented, and to top it of intelligent. The perfect girl who wouldn"t want her? However, a part of her was afraid of her friend before. To think that such a crus.h.i.+ng and powerful presence belonged to a young girl. What would happen to her when she gets older? She was afraid to find out.

Her thoughts broke off when s.h.i.+chiro muttered some strange equation out loud.

"What?"

"Lila was mulling about that equation before. Did she ever get round to asking you?"

s.h.i.+chiro his head, "She didn"t. It must have slipped her mind. A lot happened afterward, so you can"t exactly blame her," he trailed off, "She has a lot going on now."

"Shouldn"t it bother you? That she forgot. After all isn"t physics supposed to be important to her as well? "

"That"s true. I"m sure if we asked her which one was more important. Between singing, acting, fas.h.i.+on, dancing, reading, painting, drawing, and physics. She would say with a bright smile that she likes them all," Kasumi noticed how tender the expression on his face was, and her gaze softened. Whenever it came to Lila, the guys in the G.o.d5 would make such tender expressions.

"You mean something like " It"s all number one to me. " "

"Yeah. But in this case, she would say number 2."

"Hmm why---" Kasumi paused in mid-sentence, realizing what he meant. " " Karas.h.i.+ma is number one. " Right?"

s.h.i.+chiro nodded, he reached over and flicked her forehead, "Ouch, what was that for?" she exclaimed. Kasumi rubbed the sore spot on her head. For somebody who supposedly does not have any arm strength, why do his flicks hurt?

"You really are acting strange, your brother and Wataru told me about it. But this is the first time for me to see it."

"I"m not acting strange, I"m just bitter," Kasumi defended herself.

"About Lila dating Karas.h.i.+ma?"

Kasumi nodded, she looked down at her feet, "s.h.i.+chiro, what will happen to Lila and Kiryu? I"ve always admired the love between the two of them. Their love story had so many complications, and yet the two of them still stayed by each other"s sides. No matter what happened, the two of them would stay by each other"s sides. So, why?" Kasumi exclaimed, "Why is Lila suddenly dating Karas.h.i.+ma?"

"You should know the answer to that better than me, how was she like when you went to see her a few months back?"

How was Lila like, she recalled the girl"s interaction with Karas.h.i.+ma and bit her lip, "She seemed happy, with Karas.h.i.+ma," she refused to admit it. But when s.h.i.+chiro asked her just now, an image of her friend"s happy face appeared in her head. That"s right, Lila was clearly happy with Karas.h.i.+ma, and she could tell Karas.h.i.+ma had been looking out for her too. So, what"s the problem here?

"But well, you"re not the only one who feels that way. It"s the same for the others, but even me who is Kiryu"s best friend isn"t bitter about Lila dating Karas.h.i.+ma," s.h.i.+chiro paused, "I honestly don"t know that guy well, and the rumors about him don"t help at all."

Right, right, Kasumi nodded at his words. Those rumors regarding Karas.h.i.+ma are terrible. Drug dealing, prosecution, scamming, thievery. There are many rumors about him. There"s a fine line between a rumor and the truth. But how does somebody distinguish the truth and lies? Especially those who don"t know Karas.h.i.+ma. A single rumor, fair enough. A few more, okay fine - but to this extent? There"s just far too many for her to dismiss.

"Tell me something Kasumi, why are you so against Karas.h.i.+ma? Just because of the rumors?"

"Those girls," Kasumi muttered, "When we investigated them, all of them had s.e.xual relations.h.i.+ps with Karas.h.i.+ma Haruka before. If that was it, then fair enough. Kiryu was the same; he had many s.e.xual relations.h.i.+ps with girls too. But at least those special relations.h.i.+ps weren"t abnormal, the types of things he did to those girls," she shuddered, "I"m worried about Lila, she doesn"t know her boyfriends hanyou nature at all."

"You saw the reports, the photos?"

Kasumi nodded, "I know I wasn"t supposed to look at the images, but I couldn"t help myself. I wanted to know what the adults found out about Karas.h.i.+ma Haruka," and the things she saw were horrendous. How can a man like that date Lila? How can she live with that kind of monster over her food every day? She fears for Lila"s safety.

"I see, but that"s still no reason to discriminate against him."

Kasumi looked at him, horrified, "Are you crazy? That man..."

"...was experimented on so many times. Do you know how many drugs they fed him, how many people tried to kill him? If he develops some loose screws, you really can"t blame him. I know it doesn"t excuse his actions, but since then Karas.h.i.+ma Haruka has suppressed his hanyou state. Whenever he does it with a woman, he"s not alone. There"s always his guard in the room; he"s never by himself - do you know what that means?" s.h.i.+chiro questioned, "Just in case something were to happen, somebody could knock him out. Karas.h.i.+ma, he never wanted that stuff to happen before."

"Even if it"s like that," she shook her head, "I can"t risk Lila getting hurt," Lila does not understand what kind of person Karas.h.i.+ma Haruka is. Her friend doesn"t know him as well as she thinks. If Lila knew this piece of information, even she would think otherwise about dating the man correct?

s.h.i.+chiro kept shaking his head; he looked at her with a disappointed look on his face, "Do you really think Lila is that type of person? The type who would judge people by their pasts?"

"No, but even Lila understands that dealing with dangerous people.."

"Lila will not care about that. Yes, the incidences are horrific, but if you were to tell her that news now. It would only make her more attached to him, Lila told me before leaving that she wants to help him. "His eyes are cloudier than mine and Kiryu"s, he"s in more pain than either of us. You may think this is me pitying him, but I genuinely want to help him and if our relations.h.i.+p were to change in the process, that just how fate works,"" s.h.i.+chiro quoted.

Kasumi"s eyes widened when she heard those words. She said nothing in reply, "That"s exactly like Lila," Kasumi thought. She could picture her best friend saying such words, Lila has always been a very kind person. Though her friend had a limit when it came to kindness, she wouldn"t dismiss those in need. Lila had a strange ability; she can differentiate between those who are genuinely kind and those who are fake. Those who are genuinely suffering and trying to change - Lila can tell who they are.