Chapter 1: Watched

I was laying there in my bed that night staring at the ceiling in the darkness, and I couldn’t stop myself from going back to what happened earlier that afternoon after school. “What the heck am I??” I asked myself silently. If I were to be one of those girly girls that I see everywhere around me I would’ve broken down and cried and would’ve been suicidal by now because of all the confusion and desperation.

But I’m not. And all I want to do right now is run my ass out. Run as fast as I could to God knows where. I couldn’t care less the direction in which I would have to run as long as I was running. Run until my lungs burst. Either that or I would just love to be screaming out loud until I lose my voice.

But both of those options would’ve landed me in trouble considering the fact that it was now 3 o’clock in the morning and surely everyone needs their sleep. Especially since tomorrow was a working day and the Kais would definitely bust my ass if I disturbed their precious sleep time since they have to open up shop early and barely get enough rest to open shop the next day. Mom and dad run a grocery store down in Chinatown. *chuckle* It’s funny that a couple of Japanese have to work in a place called Chinatown. But since there were no Japantowns anywhere I suppose they’d have to make do.

I can’t imagine how or even believe that the kid I was cradling didn’t suffer any injuries. I mean, wasn’t I on fire? Did she also have what I have? Whatever it is that I have. But when I saw her in that burning house her skin was already damaged from the heat. So then, why is it that when she was in my arms she wasn’t harmed? Could it be that the flames that I was engulfed in somehow protected her from the flames surrounding us?

I let out a long and hard sigh and sat up abruptly in my bed. Sheesh… No matter how hard I try to run away from that particular incident, my train of thought keeps coming back to it. Like… oh, how do I say it? Like a brand new slingshot shooting its first ammo, for lack of a better example.

Arghh!! I can’t take this. I need to go somewhere to take care of this massive migraine I’m getting. I need to get out. So I got out of bed grabbing my favourite hooded sweater not bothering to change my shorts into something long and warm for the chilly weather outside. What’s the point anyway? I couldn’t freeze to death if I was buried in the South Pole much less freeze to death here. I climbed down the stairs carefully to avoid making any loud noises so that I wouldn’t wake my parents up.

I would never want to cause too much trouble for them. They were the only family I ever liked over the years of being in the system. I was sent to some nice families before and quite a few of them were filthy rich but after a while all of them sent me back because I was too quiet and I have an odd personality. They labeled me as ‘emotionally absent’.

But the Kais were different. They didn’t even look at my file. They just took one look at me and they adopted me just like that. At first I thought, here we go again… But I was really surprised at how comfortable I felt in their home and how I somehow felt like I belonged. Like I was their real daughter. That’s probably because they’re okay with how I am. They accept me like they’re own blood child and I like that. They appreciate the fact that I prize my privacy and silence. It’s probably just them being Japanese.

I even told them about how I can’t feel cold, that I physically can’t tell that something cold was touching me or that the surrounding climate was freezing. And they still accepted me into their family. And that was amazing not to mention respectable. But I wonder how they could’ve produced such a wacky, funny, loud, spontaneous, outspoken of a daughter like Mamoru.

“Where’re you goin Am?” suddenly a voice came from my back, speaking of the devil. “I’m just goin out for a walk if that’s okay. Why are you up Mamo-chan?” I asked Mamoru who was standing by the staircase, which was directly facing the front door, with her long wavy light brown hair all messed up, wearing quite a few layers of clothing. “Umm, uhh… well, I was just on my way out too.” She said averting her gaze with mine to the floor being somewhat a little afraid. Or maybe cautious. Maybe she’s scared I’d burst up in flames again. I wouldn’t blame her. Heck! I’d be wary if my sister were to be engulfed in fire and end up not being sent to intensive care in a coma or worst case scenario - dead.

“Let’s go together.” I said as I opened the door quietly. “C’mon sis… I don’t bite ya know.” I said again with a slight smile as a reassurance to her. She looked at me with questioning eyes and for quite a while stared at me in silence. At that moment I felt hollow and a little sad and also, somehow, a little disappointed because I was starting to feel like she was abandoning me.

Then, slowly, after what seemed like hours, she walked up to me outstretching her hands. I smiled more clearly and reached out to take her hands but was surprised when she pulled them back and stuck her tongue out to me instead. I almost laughed out loud but stopped myself since I realized that I was still inside the house and chased after her, closing the door softly behind me.

“Get back here, you!” I screamed running after Mamo-chan who was already far away running across the park that was situated across from our apartment building. “You can try to catch me. But you can’t..!!” she screamed back at me and laughed out loud and hard. Probably because she was relieved to find out I was just the same as before despite what happened that afternoon. Now my smile was as clear as the light of day. Relieved, too, that my sister didn’t decide to distance herself from me.

“Slow poke!! Told ya, you couldn’t catch me…” she called out to me still laughing. “Whatever!” I called back out to her. Mamo-chan took a seat at one of the many benches placed at the perimeter of the park and I made my way there.

I was walking towards her with the remnants of a smile still on my face although inside I was beaming like the sunshine. I couldn’t understand it myself as to why I’m so happy but then I stopped questioning it and decided to bask in it instead. The feeling of true and pure happiness isn’t something I stumbled upon frequently, so why waste it away by questioning it..?

****************************************

They were so busy running around foolishly that they failed to realize that I’m among their presence… They also failed to realize that the clouds have gathered in the sky just waiting for the time to pour out their droplets of moisture. Nevertheless, an opportunity is still an opportunity. It’s too bad I was ordered not to take any actions. It would’ve been so easy to do it right now.

What were they waiting for anyway? Those big shots up there keep telling me to lay low. Wait. Watch her movements. Observe. I’ve been doing exactly that for the past five years and so far the only remotely interesting thing that has happened was this afternoon’s “heroic” episode and I have to say that I’ve seen more fantastical feats than that.

Of course I am a little hard to impress. And she was only just discovering her abilities. Years of experience and observing would do that to a person. But I’m not exactly keen on bragging about it. What’s there to brag about? I have no idea why I’m stuck with the job in the first place. I am the best in my profession – in combat – and yet I am denied the right to do so. What a waste of talent. And a waste of time.

Maybe those guys up there have no clue on how to proceed with this matter. I’ll show them a thing or two on how to take care of this. If only I were allowed so much as one syllable in the meetings. Psshhh… A bunch of old people couldn’t possibly know how to handle this. On second thought, maybe they do. Mah… Whatever. I just wish they’d get on with it already. My blood yearns for action.

It’s hard to imagine that when the time comes that girl would lead us to victory. Even with her boyish attitude and athletic build it’s hard to take in that she is more skilled than I am. And it’s even harder to take in that such a beautiful person would want to – and prefer to - act like a boy anyway. Tall, lanky, honey colored eyes that shines even in the dark from this distance, hair that’s so red it’s almost like fire itself. I guess it would be inevitable that she was born with it since her whole being embodies the very element that lead to her hair being described that way in the first place. Fiery.

Nonetheless, she was gorgeous in every sense of the word. So he didn’t exactly mind it that much that he had to continue on observing her.

****************************************

“I’m sorry if I made you feel weird Kohaku-chan,” Mamoru began. We were both looking at the stars that, somehow didn’t shine like they always do every other night. Maybe there were clouds covering them up. “Nah… It’s fine, really. I think anyone would a brain would have reacted the way you did. So it’s not your fault.” I told her, breathing in the night air that was, strangely, fresh considering that we were in the city.

“Although…” I started.

“What?” my sister asked me looking down from the sky to face me.

“How come mom and dad are so cool about it?” I finished. She paused for a couple of minutes with a sudden and clear expression of confusion etched on her subtly Asian featured face.

“Now that you mention it, they do seem unreasonably okay with the whole thing.”

“Yeah. I mean, even I’m freakin out here.” And then I looked down from the sky to face her too.

“Maybe they’re just too shocked to start reacting to it just yet.” She said to me her features starting to smooth away the confusion that conquered it just moments ago.

“Yeah… Maybe.” I said, still a little unconvinced.

“Hey, it’s raining. C’mon, we better get inside before mom and dad wakes up.” She said as she stood up and started walking back to our apartment pulling me up from my seat. “Whoa! No rush, sis.” I said with a chuckle. Mamo-chan just laughed.

****************************************

~OWARI~

Author's note: how bout it, huh? startin to pull you in? or do i need a few more chapters to grab your attention? anyway... hope yall like where it's going... hehe... let me know of yall's opinions alrite??

ja!!

-katsu-