A and K Chapter 74: Sort of a Reunion

As Kei awakens, a headache greets him.
Kei: (quietly, to himself) Drank too much…
He crawls out of bed, and quietly dresses himself so as not to awake Shigure.
Kei: (quietly, to himself) Still, a night of cuddling after a night of drinking was well worth it.
He exits the room and closes the door behind him. He finds that two people are already in the kitchen. Alexandria and Yui occupy the kitchen. He can hear them talking.
Yui: This...is how you make eggs, right?
Alexandria: Its exactly how Shigure showed me.
Kei: (Thinking) If they burn my house down…
Alexandria and Yui take notice of Kei’s presence.
Yui: Oh! Good morning!
Kei: Morning. How’s breakfast coming?
Alexandria: Um, good!
Kei: Oh yeah?
Kei walks over and checks the skillet of eggs. He takes notice of some egg shells.
Kei: Um, why don’t you guys just wait for Shigure?
Alexandria: Speaking of, where is she?
Kei: Sleeping.
Alexandria: Oh? You already knew?
Kei: Isn’t that the logical conclusion for this time of hour?
Alexandria: I suppose so...but, wait, how do you know?
Kei: Because I just left her.
Alexandria: ...wait…
Yui: Kei…
Kei: Don’t get any wild ideas, you two. We had a couple of drinks, and we cuddled the rest of the night, that’s all.
Yui: Still, that’s awesome! I’m glad the two of you are getting so intimate with your relationship.
Kei: (quietly laughs) Calm down, Yui. We’re just taking this slow.
Yui: Oh, I understand. So when can we expect kids?
Kei: (becomes serious) Aren’t you seriously jumping the gun?
Yui: (nervously laughing) oh, heh, guess I’m too excited…
Kei sits at the table and reads the paper. He sees Alexandria head for the door.
Kei: And where are you going?
Alexandria stops briefly.
Alexandria: I need to go pick some stuff up.
Yui: Should I accompany you?
Alexandria: No its alright, I’ll be back quickly.
With that, Alexandria leaves. Kei isn’t convinced. He heads to the door, but when he opens it, he finds a man standing there.
Man: Telegram!
Kei motions to Yui to bring him some money, and she does so. Kei hands the money to the man, and he hands him the telegram. As he shuts the door, Kei turns to Yui.
Kei: Listen, Yui, could you go after Alexandria? I don’t want her being out there alone.
Yui: I understand.
With that, Yui leaves the house to follow her. Leaving Kei in the room to himself. He opens the envelope and pulls out the telegram. He reads it quietly to himself.
Kei: (Sighs) I was worried about this.
Meanwhile, Alexandria finds herself in an abandoned field. She had put quite the distance between herself and the house. Yui follows at a distance. She watches as Alexandria finally stops. In the distance, Terra stands there.
Alexandria: Terra…
Terra: You foolishly accepted my summons.
Alexandria: Of course I did, you’re my friend.
Terra: I’m going to make you regret everything!
Alexandria takes a stance and Terra charges in. The two had begun to fight. Yui can only watch. She isn’t sure what to make of the situation.
Yui: Should I interfere?
The two exchange punches. They both block each other’s, from what Yui could tell, they were both holding back. Yui takes out a phone and calls the house. What she gets however, is Shigure on the other line.
Shigure: Hello?
Yui: Shigure? Where’s Kei?
Shigure: He stepped out. What can I do for you?
Yui: I need back-up, Alexandria’s in a fight!
Shigure: Alexandria’s in a fight? With who?
Yui: I don’t know who she is, but I think she’s the same age.
Shigure: We’re coming!
The phone abruptly hangs up.
Yui: ‘We’?
Yui simply watches on as Terra and Alexandria continue their fight.
Alexandria: Terra, stop.
Terra: I’ll make you pay. I’ll make you pay for what he did.
Alexandria: What who did? Kei?
Terra: Kei killed my father, and I’m going to take vengeance upon what he did to him!
Alexandria: Don’t you remember what he did? He used you against me. You, his only daughter, were just a tool to him.
Terra: Shut up! That’s not how he thought of me at all!
Alexandria: Then tell it to me face to face. Tell me he didn’t.
Terra can’t muster the courage to do so. Instead, she lands a direct uppercut on Alexandria. Alexandria stumbles backwards, Terra tackles her to the ground and sit on top of her stomach. Alexandria can only look on. Their eyes meet face to face.
Alexandria: This is who you want to become Terra? Don’t you remember all those times we shared?
Terra hesitates, not sure how to respond.
Alexandria: Weren’t you there when Kei and Michel fought? You remember what he said?
Terra becomes wide-eyed. She recalls the memory.
‘Michel: I don’t give a crap about that little girl. She’s weak. She lost.’
Terra: (Thinking) He did...say that about me…
Alexandria: We want you. We want to help you.
Terra looks at her.
Terra: Why? After everything I’ve done?
Alexandria: How many times do I have to tell you? You’re my friend.
Yui: (Thinking) Alexandria needs help!
Yui rushes out and Terra immediately catches sight of her. She backs away.
Alexandria: Terra, wait! She’s a friend!
Alexandria stands up and Yui stands behind her.
Terra: Friend?
Alexandria: She’s Kei’s sister and…
Terra: Sister?
Alexandria: Please, Terra, all we wanna do is help.
Shigure shows up with Aria by her side. The two join Yui.
Terra: You called for backup?
Shigure: No, I-
Terra: (Interrupting her) You stay out of this!
Alexandria: Terra, please, be reasonable.
Terra: Reasonable? Why? Because you want me to?
Alexandria: Terra, if Kei really wanted to hurt your dad, why would he apologize?
‘Kei: I am sorry, Terra. I was trying to save your dad.’
Terra: How many times are you going to bring that up?
Alexandria: Do you wanna know what Kei told me? What he had to say about him?
Terra: What? How much of a loser I was? How much of a creep my dad was?
Alexandria: ‘I want you to know that I did everything I could to stop him from going through with this Alexandria. I don’t relish in taking my opponent’s life.’
Terra: (Looks away) …
Alexandria: Your father used you, and he used me to get to Kei. We didn’t want to see your father die, we wanted to help.
Terra: ...I need time alone.
Terra runs away.
Alexandria: Terra, wait!
Before Alexandria can move, Terra had already vanished. Alexandria looks down, disappointed.
Shigure: Are you okay, Alexandria?
Alexandria: I’ll be fine.
Yui: I’m sorry about all of this, Alexandria.
Alexandria: Its not your fault. Terra’s dad was going crazy when Kei was forced to fight him to save me. I’m probably the only one in the world who could understand her. I want to help her.
Yui: And you will. But if we keep pressing her, she’ll come to resent it.
Alexandria turns back to Yui.
Alexandria: Why would she resent me?
Yui: Well, its like this. For two sisters, like it was for Rie and I, I kept pressing Rie for information on a certain topic. She eventually got really mad at me.
Alexandria: What was the topic?
Yui: I swore to never tell after she finally told me. So I have to keep it a secret.
Alexandria: I understand.
Shigure: We will rescue her, Alexandria, but you shouldn’t go to these sorts of things alone. What if it was a trap?
Alexandria: But-!
Shigure: No buts, young lady, go back to the house now.
Alexandria quietly walks back to the house with the others behind her. Meanwhile, Kei enters into a local cafe and sits in a booth by the window. A man sits opposite him, as if he had been expecting him. He wore a white-collared button-down shirt. His orange spiky hair was slicked back. His green eyes stared a hole into Kei. His face was scarred. Like a diamond shape had been cut into his face. The top of the scar was above his lips and went to just underneath his nose. The bottom of the scar was below his lips and went down to his chin. He places his arms out on the backside of the booth as he gets himself comfortable. He crosses his legs. He wore Khaki pants and black loafers. It was almost as if he had gotten dressed for the occasion.
Kei: Been a long time, Kazuhiro.
Kazuhiro smiles, and a low raspy voice responds to him.
Kazuhiro: Ditto.
Category:Novel Chapter
Category:A and K