Part Two
...The Miracle That Stands on Someone’s Sacrifice...

Ruka was sitting in the fencing room. The past few two days had rushed by in a blur. Thus far, all his plans had been fulfilled. “Why does everything seem so out of control still?” he pondered. This is what I wanted… This IS what I wanted…isn’t it? Thinking back upon it, he wasn’t sure.

“I don’t think we should see each other anymore.” Ruka had said, solemnly. He remembered Shiori’s face. She stared at him blankly, unbelieving, her eyes wide and vacant like a vast, unintelligible emptiness telling nothing. He hadn’t been sure how to react right then, not until her emotions finally began to manifest in her expression. “What do you mean?” she ventured to say, her voice weak and tremulous. “I mean that I want to break up… it just isn’t working out… can’t you feel it?” “No! It was perfect for me! I’m in love with you Ruka, and you said you loved me! How can you possibly say it isn’t working out!” Tears had begun to stream down her cheeks. It struck him that Shiori seemed much lovelier whenever she suffered, lovelier perhaps because she was sincere when in pain. She was never sincere otherwise. She could barely even fake it. “I know you’ve lied about plenty of things Shiori. I know you lied about the sword.” She was obviously surprised when she heard him mention it, the sword she had supposedly polished every day. “I didn’t leave my sword behind when I left Ohtori. A sword, to a swordsman, to a fencer, to a duelist, it’s like a part of his body. I took it with me. If you did, in fact, polish a sword every day, it certainly wasn’t mine.” “But then why did you…” “Ask if you had? I was interested in you. I was testing your honesty. I let that slide, but I still don’t feel right about the two of us.” He paused for a moment, for she had thrown her arms around him and was sobbing into his shirt. “How can you tell me this now?” she asked, “Forgive me, please, and let me have another chance!” Coldly, Ruka pushed her away. “We had our fun, but it’s over, Shiori.”

He abandoned her because she hadn’t been honest. But honestly, that wasn’t the reason at all. He couldn’t tell her the truth. He couldn’t tell her about Juri. He felt bad, but not too bad. After all, Shiori did have a reputation as a cruel, selfish person, and the time they had spent together had, on many occasions, served to validate those claims. And she had always seemed so insincere. Insincere… I was insincere, planting that sword so I’d have an excuse, a pathetic one at that. But it’s all justified…all for her. I’m sorry Shiori… A guilty smile came to his face. I loved the pretty way your eyes looked when I hurt you.

Juri got word of the breakup almost immediately after it took place. She felt relieved at first, but moments later, reflecting back on the news, she was unsure how to act, unsure how to feel. “I should be happy shouldn’t I?” she repeatedly asked herself. But she wasn’t happy, not at all, not when she knew Shiori was isolating herself in her room, sulking in her heartbreak. Shiori hadn’t gone to her classes for the past two days. Had she, she would have only been met with the dreadful, curious glares of her fellow students, been forced to listen to them snicker behind her back that she had got what she long-deserved, that Ruka was finally free, that he was too good for her to start with. Aware of all this, Juri convinced herself to confront Shiori. Perhaps she could comfort her, but then again, who was she to do so, she who had been so glad to know their relationship had ended, she who herself was just as miserable, just as alone. She was still alone. Shiori’s feelings for her hadn’t changed. So why did she still hope; hope knowing it was futile?

Juri nervously approached Shiori’s door, knocking upon it gently. “Shiori? Hello? It’s me Juri. I… I was hoping I could talk to you? Shiori?” But there was no answer, only silence. “Shiori. Please. Just answer me.” Juri said, leaning against the locked door. After a long pause she yelled for her once again, “I know your there, say something!” This time Shiori answered, her voice choking upon her tears, “God damn it Juri just leave me alone!” “Please, let me in, I just want to…” Juri began, but Shiori screamed back, “Go away! I don’t care what you want! Leave me be!” Juri could hear Shiori sniffling. She could hear the sound of tissues being yanked from their box. Then Juri banged against the door saying, “You can’t stay in there forever! You’ll have to come out sooner or later and face the harsh reality.” “You are my harsh reality!!!” Shiori yelled back. Juri was stunned. Something inside her seemed to burst with those words. Harsh reality. Shiori called out once again, “You are everything I despise about my life and this world, the plague that sickens me, the leech I can’t remove! I will never do what you want me to do or be what you want me to be! I know how you think of me! It disgusts me, how you think me! I’ll never run to you the way you wish I would! I can’t stand you Juri! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!!!” She said it all with such conviction Juri could feel tears forming in her eyes as well. “That’s not it Shiori. I’m sorry. But that’s not why I came. I just thought you…” “You thought wrong. Just go! Just go away!” Shiori screamed. “We’re not friends. Not since…” then she paused. Even she couldn’t bring herself to be that cruel, but the damage was already done. “I understand.” Juri said, inaudibly. As she walked away she felt as though something was weighing her down; like all of gravity was bent upon breaking her, set to dash her fragile body to the earth; bones, blood, and all. She wanted nothing more.

It was only moments later that she approached Ruka in the fencing room. No one was there, just them two, alone. He was sitting on a white fold-out chair looking away from her. “Just gotta get this over with.” Juri thought to herself. Why is this so hard?

“Ruka, I know about Shiori having lied to you. I know she can be stubborn and manipulative, even…” she paused. “…even heartless. At least it can seem that way at times.” I’d know. Ruka turned to face her. He had an arrogant look to him that she hadn’t, in the least, expected. “And your point is?” Juri halted. “Umm…” she stammered, “I just, I want…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it, after what she had told him before. She had some dignity, didn’t she? She didn’t want to let it go. But he was growing impatient and she blurted it out. “I want you to go make up with her. I want you to forgive her and take her back. She loves you. You should give her another chance.” Ruka appeared to be quite stunned at this. “I thought you said…” “Well I was wrong.” Juri interrupted, firmly. “I admit it. So let’s just move on.” Then there arose that same conceited look. Ruka chuckled, “I’m afraid I simply can’t do that Juri, though this whole display brings me more befuddled joy than you could possibly know.” “But why? We all make mistakes. Can you not spare her such retribution for just this one?” Still, Ruka shook his head. “No. I’ve lost interest. In any case, she meant little to me from the beginning.” “I don’t understand. What are you saying?” “That your friend’s selfish, pushy, egotistic, and even a liar, to boot. Sorry to say, but who would want a girl like that?” Juri was baffled. Somewhere, deep inside, a voice cried, I would… She blotted it out, covered it up with her anger, shouting, “You don’t know her Ruka! You don’t know her as I do! You couldn’t possibly understand anything!” “I won’t take orders from you Juri.” Ruka replied severely. He was walking away from her now and she called after him furiously, “What right do you have to make her suffer?” Ruka looked back at her, frustrated. “It’s nothing you should concern yourself about.” “How low have you sunk?” “What about yourself? Why meddle in the business of others and waste your breath on such a worthless person?” Then something inside her snapped.

She rushed toward him, her right fist ahead of her, but he blocked her punch easily, gripping her firmly by the wrist. With her free hand she aimed for him again only to have her other wrist seized as well. Then, still holding her, he pushed her up against the wall. “That aside…” he said, “…I think I’ll be going out with you next.” “Who the fuck do you think you are!?! You bastard!” She screamed. She battled with him, but couldn’t free herself. All the while she stared into his mocking eyes, fuming. It amused him all the more. He leaned in, very close to her, and murmured, “In fact, you’re in love with me, the captain of the fencing club, aren’t you?” Juri scowled at him like an angry lioness. “Don’t make me laugh. There’s a limit to insults!” Still her livid glare, her embittered words, could not deter his resolve. He pressed even closer to her, watching her shrink against the wall still pinned by him, a butterfly in a case. “Don’t constrain yourself.” “Who woul…” Juri began, but her words were muffled by his lips over hers, his tongue invading her little mouth, his body enclosed over hers forbidding any hope for escape.

He could not have his fill of her, feeding upon her mouth passionately while she wrestled to liberate her hands. When, at last, she did, she pushed him away as hard as she could and collapsed back against the wall. She was exhausted by her efforts, breathing heavily, too tired to contend with him any further. Then a startling glimmer caught her eye and changed everything in an instant.