The car stopped in front of the shabby building that Iori clearly recognized. Her body had long gone rigid since they entered the neighborhood she had avoided for years now.
Still, the sense of every calm within her told her that she was no longer in a state to feel anything but reflexive emotions…Handing the driver a bill, she stepped out of the cab when she heard a voice,“ It would be better for you not to go in there alone, young lady…” he said looking back at her through the separation glass, “ a respectable person like you shouldn’t be somewhere like this…”“Respectable, huh…” she mutteredShe wondered if he would still say that if he knew what she was about to do. What she had done in the past…“I don’t have a choice. And I promise to be careful.” Iori said with the sweetest smile.The older man sighed shakingWhile they were all trying to figure out where this building was and getting ready to head there, Jun was roaming the room andJun Stepped inside the room while everyone was in chaos and tried to think. What would he have done if he was Iori…“Iori is a very cautious person. And her self-preservation instinct is strong. She wouldn’t have gone there for you just like that without calling anyone…” Jun said pensively.Haruki lifted his head, “You’re right, this doesn’t sound like something she would do…”“If she thought that you were in danger, she would have called Rina before heading there,”“But we saw on the camera that Iori left the building alone. We caught her even taking a cab…”“Which means that she did go there, but, why?”“What do you mean?” Haruki asked“Why did she go there? She should know by no
Everything was a blur. From the moment Iori had been pried out of his arms was a complete blur.When he’d seen the blood coming out of the wound on Iori’s side, it all came crashing like a big wave. She was injured, she was bleeding… Iori was bleeding.Trying to put pressure on the wound, he kept calling out her name but her eyes never opened. Her face got paler and paler and the blood wouldn’t stop flowing out.In his frenzied state, he carried her in his arms while still talking to her, begging her to hang on and not leave him. Iori couldn’t leave him. She just… couldn’t.Bright light hit him on the face and he couldn’t see anything for a moment, then a group of people came running toward him with scrubs and a chariot and they pried Iori out of his arms before he could even utter a word.He watched as they loaded Iori into the back of the ambulance and he took a step forward when he saw someone mo
Iori opened her eyes then closed them back down. It was too bright; didn’t she close the drapes?She heard a chuckle from her side and turned this time opening her eyes more slowly as she looked at the person beside her.Jun was sitting beside her bed with a smirk on his face, “You have a terrible bedhead,” He commented and Iori reached for her hair groaning when everything hurt as she started moving.“Damn, the wrong comment to say,” Jun cursed as he stood up from his chair and made his way toward her straightening her bed and putting a pillow behind her.“Here,” He said softly, putting a glass of water in front of her lips and tipping it so that she could drink from it.Iori looked around after she hydrated her scratched throat realizing that she wasn’t in her room. This was a hospital room… and she was there because she got shot…Looking down to her side, she could only see the
Iori fiddled with her hands as she watched the garden through the window in her room.Jun went to call her brother and tell him about her doubt. It irritated her that she couldn’t do anything, she was bedridden, and even if she tried to make them believe that she was alright to move around. Convincing them that she was okay with a hole in her side was edging over to the impossible category of things she could accomplish with a few arguments.Sighing, Iori leaned back on the mountain of pillows Jun had propped against her and closed her eyes.Jun’s face immediately came to mind.He had been so earnest when he came to stop her, so honest and sincere. Iori’s heart almost broke when he had cupped her face begin her to stop.Iori’s eyes opened and she felt her cheeks flaming when she remembered that momentsShe had been so full of cold rage that had simmered inside her for years. She could barely register Jun’s words. The
“She’s not going to disappear if you let go of her hand, Kaoru.” Iori’s father said with a smile as her little brother sat beside her on the bed snuggled at her side.Iori smiled and her brother’s arm tightened around hers,“Whenever I get to see Iori it has got to be in a hospital bed! I’m not leaving her again, from now on I’m going to live with her!” Kaoru declared and she heard a caught coming from the general vicinity where Jun and Haruki stood.“You know you can’t live with your sister whenever you’re back in town anymore. I heard about you imposing on her and this can’t work out anymore, she doesn’t live alone after all…” Her father said reprimanding her brother.Out of the three of them, Kaoru is the only one whose relationship with their father didn’t suffer a lot. Probably because he was mostly out of town so Kazuma didn’t have many inter
Leaning down toward the small waterway, he scooped some of it and was about to splash his face when he heard his daughter’s voice behind him.“Good morning, dad,” she called out and he turned to see her approaching him with her wide beautiful smile in her red and white kimono that all the temple’s priestesses wear when on duty…She was carrying a towel in her hand and she handed it down to him when she reached him.“Isn’t the water too cold for you? It’s winter after all, you can use the indoors bathroom instead of the stream,” she complained and he gave her a smile after splashing himself with the cold water the shock effectively pitting his brain back into work and waking him up.“I like the cold stream. It wakes me up…&r
The silence that followed Kazuma’s explanation was unbearable. His daughter was looking down at the table her hands clasped together as they had been the whole duration of his tale and he couldn’t decipher her expression from across the table. She wasn’t looking up at him nor was she making any movement other than her breathing that reassured him of her presence. He had expected her to thank him, to cry for this was supposed to be her salvation. But there was none of that… She took a deep breath and sighed out looking up at him her eyes cool as the cold winter air that froze his bones waking him up that morning. She looked at him with a mixture of pitty and anger as she said, “What have you done?” She croaked out as if her throat was parched from hours and hours of screams and wails. “I did everything I could to provide you a better life.” He responded not understanding why his own daughter couldn’t understand what he had done for her.
Another peaceful day in the hospital, Iori was sitting there staring at her laptop stupidly. There just was something about a deadline that made even sickness and injury pale in comparison. Kimiko had insisted that they could extend the deadline until she was recovered. Apparently, the president was ready to delay their book release but Iori couldn’t let that happen.The release date was already too far away and she knew that the sales would be taking a hit if they delayed it anymore. Somehow, thanks to Haruki, they managed to keep her accident from the media, and anyone concerned would be told that she was hospitalized due to overwork.Seriously, she missed living in seclusion. Living under the spotlight was getting to her, it was too tiring and stressful. She missed living in the mountains. Where she was free to roam and no one seemed too concerned about what she did and who she was with…That is if she was still welcomed there…Sinc
“How…” She whispered,“I picked him up on my way from the airport. He made his way up the mountain on his own and waited for me to come and pick him up so that he could come in.” Her father explained and Jun smiled.“You went through all this trouble…”“Sorry I couldn’t contact you, there was no cell reception on the way and I couldn’t reach you or your brother,” Jun said coming into the room as her father made way for him and went outside,“I’ve missed you,” He said, “God you look so beautiful,” He added and Iori laughed throwing her arms around him.He was there, he came for her… Iori felt on top pf the world.“How have you been?” He asked her“Fine! How have YOU been! I was worried about you, how did things go?!”“I settled everything,” He said‘What did you exa
Iori leaned against the wooden walls of her room in the mountain estate her eyes on the scenery in front of her, the beautiful cascades of the mountain forest views as they peeked through the misty presence that always seemed to cover the mountain early in the morning left Iori breathless whenever she looked at it.Usually, this view was enough to make her feel so fulfilled and empowered that she could take on anything that may come her way. But these days she couldn’t help but note the loneliness that was taking root in her heart.Her mind kept wandering to Jun and wondering how he was doing, how his meeting with Tohru’s father went. Since he had contacted her to ask if she arrived well there had been no signal from him. It’s been three days since then. Iori’s phone had been taken away two days ago. Her aunt claimed that she needed to disconnect from the city and reconnect with the mountain spirits.In any other circumstances, Iori would
Iori stood beside Jun as he spoke on the phone her hand on his tense shoulders silently reassuring him."So everything is settled? How about Kokuro are they going to plead guilty?" Jun asked and waited for the answer,"If they want to settle things with money drag them on for a bit longer and make sure that they will be under our hands next time. Tabloids can be valuable in the trade for the long term, I don't want to destroy them. Just make sure that they take a big hit... a public one..."Iori sighed, Jun was out for blood, after both the tabloid and Tohru fell for his trap, he was playing with them like a cat playing with his meal until he falls hungry and devours them. Who knew Jun could be so ruthless in business, he surely seems to be his father's son.But, Iori was worried that this was more than that. She was worried that Jun was exercising his revenge in the most rightful way he could find, not even daring to admit to himself that he was taking h
A few days later Iori walked out of the elevator with her brother walking beside her. Haruki nodded at the slightly surprised secretary and they went straight for the office. Then they went inside without knocking.Inside, the president sat alongside Jun as they talked. Iori and Jun’s eyes met for a brief moment but Iori quickly averted her gaze from his. She wasn’t there to exchange gazes with him, she was there for a reason and she couldn’t afford to let her feelings for Jun be in the way of what she needed to do.“Iori, I know we had an appointment but I didn’t know that you were bringing a guest,” Satoru said with a welcoming smile his poker face ever-present.“Since I came to the conclusion that you can’t be trusted, our meetings can’t go on unwitnessed anymore so I brought my lawyer with me to ensure that everything is legal here,”“Don’t you think that’s
Jun guided Iori toward the side of the terrace and they descended down the stairs that led to the Japanese style garden.“No one will bother us here,” He said and Iori smiled up at him.Jun led her toward a bench where he leaned and spread his arms for her to lean on him and she obliged relishing in the comfort of his arms around her.“Are you cold?” He asked as she snuggled into him.“No,” Iori answered her eyes closed as she breathed in the scent of his perfume. A scent that became so familiar to that she would sometimes miss it at night whenever she’s alone.“Back then all I could think about was how if I hadn’t wanted to become a writer none of this would have happened” She finally said and Jun squeezed her tighter and she felt his protest before she heard it.“There’s no way that any of tat is your fault,”“I know now… But back then it was
“Where are you taking me?” Iori asked Jun as they walked toward the center of the room.Jun grinned at her and she looked up at him in confusion. A small smile broke on her beautiful rosy lips making Jun want to wipe the make-up off them with one fell swoop of his mouth.He had been trying to hold back since the evening started, but he was reaching his limits. He wanted her more than anything, so at least he could have her all to himself for a few short moments like this before she had to return to her duties.“May I have this dance?” Jun asked her extending his hand to hers.Without hesitation, Iori put her hand on his which made him inwardly smile. Iori never hesitated to take his hand anymore, no matter the reason, Jun was always sure that she would reach out back to him if he extended his hand.It may seem like a small gesture, but to Jun it meant much more than that. Iori’s honest and instinctive reactions to him
“I would like to announce approaching retirement from my position as the second clan leader,” Akagi-sama said and a wave of gasps filled the room.Iori felt calmness fill her, she knew this was coming and she couldn’t describe how nervous she had felt when Akagi-sama had told her about her plan when she arrived the previous day.She had agonized over whether she was ready or if she was going to be enough, but, when she felt the moment come, all f her doubts disappeared and she felt herself being surrounded by a calmness that felt ethereal.This is her duty, the role she had been ready for for a long time. There was nothing to be scared about, there was nothing to fear because she was born to be the mountain clan’s leader. More importantly, she was born to be the priestess of the mountains.“I had been the leader of the mountain clan for such a long time that I feel that it’s long overdue for me to leave my place to some
Silence reigned over the room as soon as Akagi-sama stood there in front of them her presence reassuring and welcoming, yet at the same time overwhelming and imposing.It’s been a long time since Iori felt as if her aunt’s presence was imposing to her. Her training and frequent contact with the older woman had assured that Iori doesn’t view her aunt like the others do.Rather than saying that Iori got used to her presence, it was rather that Iori began to look at her aunt like an equal and sometimes a rival. And without the respect that had been ingrained in her back when her mother was still alive, she would have overstepped the bounds with her aunt long ago.That’s because that’s how things were supposed to be in their case. They may be mentor and disciple, but they were also a leader and her successor. And a few clashes between them were inevitable.Iori knew that her aunt liked her, she even considered her like the daught
“I hear your talk with akagi-sama went well?” Haruki said as he made his way toward them with Rina by his side.They both looked like a couple out of a spy movie, both tall and elegantly dressed. Her brother and his fiancée may have a peculiar relationship, a relationship where it was hard to decide whether they were together because it was decided for them or because they were the only compatible people who could put up with each other. But there was one sure thing, they both suited each other to the point of it being even perfect to look at.“Gee, thanks for the support,” Iori mumbled under her breath and Rina laughed,“Oh come on Iori! We all know that no one is willing to confront Akagi-sama other than you. I face cold blooded criminals on a daily basis and I can’t stand to have a talk with that woman for longer than necessary. She sends chills down my spine every time she looks at me with that piercing gaze o