Posted at 2013-07-15 06:36:23 — Link
Chapter 5 – Questions and Explanations
Mika was flooded with a million questions she was dying to ask Kaito, but no matter how hard she tried, her brain just would not get her thoughts together enough to form a sentence. Mika walked mindlessly down the road, Kaito every now and again having to pull her out of the way of someone going the opposite direction. In her mind-numbed state, she felt a hand grab her arm. She jumped slightly and then turned to face Kaito who had stopped her.
“We’re turning here,” he informed her indicating another street to the left.
“But my house is this way,” she replied pointing in the direction she was headed.
“If you think I’d let you go home to that empty house when you can’t even walk in a straight line, you’d be wrong.”
“Where else can I go?” she asked puzzled.
“You’ll find out once we get there,” Kaito said shortly walking down the street he had indicated.
Mika ran to catch up, curious about where in the world they might be going. Kaito turned into the driveway of a larger apartment complex. Mika hesitated slightly admiring the large expensive looking building, before she followed. He walked to the left side where the elevator for the apartments was located and pressed the button. They didn’t have to wait long for the beep that accompanied its arrival.
“Go on and get in,” Kaito told Mika who was still looking quite confused. He partly shoved her in, and then got in himself.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“Didn’t I already answer that question?”
Mika fell quiet after that. She still wasn’t entirely sure why she was here, but she didn’t seem to have much of an opinion in the matter, so she let the ride in the elevator fall to an awkward silence. It seemed like an eternity before they reached the floor that Kaito had pressed it was only after the elevator stopped that she realized they were on the eighteenth floor, the second to the top.
Kaito ushered Mika out first and then followed, getting out of the elevator right as the door closed. He then took the lead and headed right down the long hallway and continued until he reached the very last room. Kaito slipped the key into the lock and stepped through the door first before holding it open for Mika to follow. They both slipped off their shoes and stepped past the entry way.
She sucked in her breath when she saw the apartment. It was expensive, anyone could see it. It was rather spacious and directly across the room was a stairway that led to the bedroom. To the left was a small kitchenette, and near it was a low-to-the-ground table. On the back wall was a sliding glass door that opened onto a small balcony. And on the right was a couch that could sit at least three people which sat in front of a flat-screen TV.
He smirked at her reaction. “Well are you going to stand there gawking all day or would you like to come sit down?”
Mika walked to the little table and sat beside it, but not without shooting a glare at Kaito as she passed.
“Now, is that anyway to thank a person who just half an hour ago saved your butt?” he asked lightheartedly.
“Are you going to explain what happened today?” Mika asked straightforwardly.
“I might... It all depends on what you want to know,” he replied cautiously.
Mika began to open her mouth to begin her questioning. “But, before we get to that lets have some tea, shall we?” Kaito interrupted her.
Mika closed her mouth impatiently. Why is he avoiding this? She couldn't help wondering. Rather than making the situation better, she started thinking that this aversion was actually worsening the situation for Kaito. The more time she had, the more questions she could think of.
While he prepared the tea, Mika couldn’t help but stare around the room and take everything in. The apartment was clean, almost too much so for a teenage guy. During this free time, her mind began to wander back to the incident. What was that thing? What if I didn’t see what I thought I had? It was late in the day to begin with; perhaps my eyes were just playing tricks on me. That must’ve been it. However, no matter how much she tried to convince herself what she saw was an illusion, she couldn’t make herself believe it.
“Hey! Are you alive?”
Kaito’s voice pulled her back from her mind’s wanderings. She was surprised to see him sitting in front of her. She hadn’t even noticed when he had walked over.
“Oh... Sorry...” she mumbled as she took the cup.
Kaito watched her for a moment in silence before saying. “I’m sorry about what happened today. My carelessness is to blame for it all.”
“Why did you abandon me, just to come back and save me!? I don’t get you at all!”
He laughed slightly. “No, I don’t suppose you would understand. You never will. As to why I left you, I’ll leave that to you to ponder over. I have my reasons.”
“But you’re not going to tell them to me.” Mika filled in.
“Exactly.”
“Then...” she hesitated for a moment before continuing. “What was that thing that was there...? It transformed into some sort of demon, monster thing...” She trailed off again becoming unsure of what she had really seen.
Kaito didn’t look at her. He was debating whether to respond at all as Mika gazed at him intent on an answer. “You’ve already answered that question.”
“Why are you being so cryptic?!” she shouted in frustration, as she slammed her fist down hard on the little wooden table. "Oww," she muttered softly, shaking out her now throbbing hands.
Kaito chuckled. He couldn't help but be amused by her impulsive actions. “Fine then,” he held up three fingers, “I will answer three questions. Choose them wisely.”
Mika opened her mouth and then closed it again. After a moment of thought she finally asked, “What was that thing in the room?”
Kaito sighed. “I figured this would be the first question...” he muttered to himself. “The thing that’s been trying to get at you, the one in the room, it was a demon.”
“A...demon...?”
“Yeah. It’s what’s been controlling the others, all those that have come after you in the past couple of days.” Kaito watched her reaction carefully, but she showed little emotion as she tried to take in what he had said.
It just seemed so impossible. Demons, really? Suddenly the TV show and Kaito’s questions to her about demons made sense. But how does he know about them? She glanced at him a couple of times to gauge his reaction and to see if he’d explain more, but his face never changed as he watched her.
“Okay then,” she finally said. “Next question: Why was that thing, the demon, after me? I don’t have any special qualities that it would want. I’m just a normal person.”
“I can’t be entirely sure of that answer myself, but if I had to guess what motivated him to do this, it would be your scent. It seems to have attracted the demon, and that’s why he came after you.”
Mika laughed stiffly. “Well then, I guess I’d better take a shower more often, and wear a really strong perfume from now on.” She scoffed at the suggestion, but it really did scare her. If it was just her smell that had attracted that thing, what could she do to prevent this from happening again?
Even Kaito’s serious face broke at her remark and he smirked. “Probably wouldn’t hurt. You get one more question,” he reminded her.
Mika paused, and looked into her tea cup wondering what would be a good final question. There were many she wanted to ask, and they all flooded her brain, but one seemed prominent in her mind. “Okay, I’ve got it.” Her voice grew quieter with the next sentence. “Who are you Kaito? Why do you know all of these things?”
Kaito moved his head in a way that casted a shadow over his eyes. “That’s two questions.” This comment was made to seem amusing and relieve the tension in the air, but his voice was cold and all the humor was lost.
“Then just answer the first one.”
No response. Try as she might, Mika couldn't read his expression through the bangs covering his eyes though she could take a guess as to what he was going to say next.
“I’m sorry Mika... That’s a question that I cannot answer. You can ask another if you’d like, but I can’t answer that one.” His voice was intended to be emotionless, but Mika almost thought she heard a twinge pain in his voice.
“Then,” she spoke slowly and carefully, “can I make an assumption? Will you confirm it if it’s right?”
“Maybe.”
“You...” her voice was a whisper now, “are one of them... aren’t you?” It was the only thing that made sense. He knew about things that no one else did about these...these ‘demons’. His physical skill was way beyond that of a normal person’s, and he knew things and spoke in a way that seemed much older than a sixteen year old.
Again there was no response. He was frozen, his face still consumed by shadows.
“Then I’m right. You’re a-a demon...” Silence followed uninterrupted for several minutes.
Finally he spoke. “Are you afraid, now that you know what I am?” He looked up. His blue eyes blazed at Mika, almost pleadingly.
“I don’t really know what to think.... You protected me, and then abandoned me, just to get me back again almost like some sort of toy. Did you just want to mess with me or did you want to have me yourself?” The thought scared her, was she going to become the competition among demons?
“Relax, I’m not going to do anything to you. I’m not a savage like that minor was. I’m beyond such acts.”
He had that arrogant, better-than-anyone-else tone again. The one that Mika had now become so accustomed to, and suddenly she burst out laughing. Kaito startled and gazed at her warily, but after a moment, his eyes softened. “Demon or not, you're still you, and you still have that arrogant, egotistical attitude."
“But of course,” he replied with a smirk. “If I didn’t, I’d be just like all you humans. Of course, humans are probably a lot worse when it comes to attitude issues.”
They both laughed. Kaito finally relaxed in relief and they spent another few minutes joking around before he turned serious again. “Now that you know this Mika, you have to swear to me that you will not tell anyone else about this. Not even Ayako and Kana. This is strictly between the two of us. Do you understand?”
“Yeah, sure, but why?”
“Please use your tiny human brain for a moment.” He ignored her protest at this sentence and continued, “What do you think would happen if people around the school thought I was a demon sent from Hell or something?”
Mika was quiet for a moment and then said hesitantly, “Bad?”
“Yes, quite. Of course, that’s also considering that they believe that story, probably most wouldn’t and you’d be ridiculed. Everyone would think you’d lost it, and you’d be just another weird new student to be avoided and laughed at.”
“Bad,” Mika confirmed. “So do you have any powers or anything like in the myths? And are you as old as they say spirits-” Mika was interrupted by a huge yawn. She was reminded of the time and glanced around for a clock.
“It’s about three thirty or so,” Kaito answered her unspoken question.
“Can you read minds?” Mika asked suspiciously.
“Ha, no. It just doesn’t take a genius to figure that you’re looking for a clock, after being reminded that it’s late, or shall I say, early.”
“Oh...” she yawned again. Mika laid her head on the table she was sitting at. She intended for this only to be momentary; however, in a just a minute she found herself falling into darkness. Kaito watched her calmly as Mika’s breathing became deeper as she succumbed to sleep.
A/N ~ Dun dun dun... XD This chapter was also pretty fun to write, so is the next one. Well, I guess almost all of them are pretty fun, otherwise I wouldn't be doing this. :P Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? How many people have I lost on this chapter I wonder... If you can accept this one, then you should be good for the rest.
