Part Five : A Calm Day of Thought; Kaboku Sees the Truth in Friendship
Low clouds slowly moved over Tokyo as the day began to draw to a close. Businessmen and women were getting off of work, kids were outside playing before dinner, and couples were leisurely walking around the biggest park in town. While it was true that the day was ending, the weekend was just beginning. People walked and drove at a slow pace as no pressing appointments for the next day loomed over them. Mamoru, who was also feeling this sense of freedom, was sitting on a bench at the park reading a book and taking in the beautifully brisk weather. The weather was too brisk, he noted, and he looked up to see the low clouds continue moving over Tokyo. But no one seemed to mind the idea that it might rain; the freedom of the weekend was more pressing than rain. Mamoru looked up once again when he heard laughter, and he turned to see Kaboku playfully chasing Kaichuu across the park. He couldn’t believe his eyes as he watched the former Dark Realm resident having a good time in such a different environment. Mamoru watched curiously as Kaboku easily reached Kaichuu, and she dramatically turned and gave a look of horror. How was it that a person who was once so evil could change and become like the person Mamoru was watching? The sight was strange indeed, but Mamoru couldn’t help but smile as he thought about Kaboku’s drastic change. They stopped playing, and Kaboku intertwined his fingers with Kaichuu’s as they continued walking to a bench near the sand pit where many kids were playing on swings, slides, and merry-go-rounds. Mamoru was pulled out of his observation when he heard a female voice beside him. “Mind if I sit here?” The voice was dark and deep, but there was a tone of politeness to it. Mamoru turned and saw Shakaku with her own book in hand. Her black eyes regarded him gently, which was a dead giveaway for Mamoru that she had not seen Kaichuu and her boyfriend. “Hi, Shakaku,” Mamoru answered as he moved his book bag out of the way to give her room to sit down. Shakaku brushed her hair back with her hand as she sat down, opened her book, and began to read. However, Mamoru couldn’t read, and he watched Kaboku and Kaichuu for a few moments. Shakaku, noticing that Mamoru was preoccupied, looked up, and followed his gaze until she also saw Kaboku and Kaichuu. Her eyes instantly narrowed as she watched Kaboku stroke her friend’s hand and say a few words to her. Trying to ignore this, Shakaku opened her book once again, and she and Mamoru read in silence. This worked at first, as Shakaku had previously been quite interested in the book, but she could not regain the same interest after seeing Kaboku, her worst enemy, sitting together with Kaichuu on the bench. Once again, she tried to ignore this, and she continued reading. Mamoru, noticing the obvious tension around Shakaku, could not read as well, and he looked up from his book. He looked ahead, watching as Kaichuu and Kaboku sat peacefully on the bench on the other side of the park and talked quietly. Just watching Kaboku so happy made Mamoru glad that he had given him a second chance. But when he thought about Shakaku, he knew that she still wished that Kaboku had not been accepted on earth. Shakaku understood that Mamoru wanted to speak with her, and she also wanted to let out how she felt. She closed her book suddenly, and she turned to look at Mamoru. “How can I ever forgive him?” Shakaku asked as her eyes searched Mamoru’s for much needed advice. “I don’t know how you can,” Mamoru replied with a gentle smile. “Just take things as they come. You can’t really prove that he’s still evil.” Mamoru looked at Shakaku for a few seconds before he turned around once again to look at Kaboku and Kaichuu. “No one can change that quickly,” Shakaku reasoned as she also turned to look at the couple in front of her. It was true that Kaboku was a lot happier, and he had made Kaichuu the same, but she could not forget the time that he spent with the Dark Realm. “He lived there his whole life,” Shakaku stated quietly as she watched the couple talk; neither of them had noticed Shakaku and Mamoru’s periodic glances. “Why are you even allowing this, then?” Mamoru asked. He had wondered about that for a while now; if Shakaku truly hated Kaboku, then why was she letting him be with her best friend? “Kaichuu wanted me to promise,” Shakaku said as she looked up at Mamoru, “not to hurt him or do anything to their relationship unless I have proof that he has not changed.” While Shakaku did not like the feeling of being restrained, she knew that it was the most logical solution. Besides, it would be interesting to see how long it would take Kaboku to come out on his own. “And you don’t have that proof?” Mamoru asked as he sat back and put his hands behind his head. While he didn’t want to hurt Shakaku with this question, he felt that he had to ask. “No; if he is evil, he’s doing a good job of hiding it,” Shakaku said with a sigh. “That being the case, it makes me nervous. What if that’s it? What if he’s just a really good actor?” Shakaku’s dark eyes showed her true concern, and Mamoru sat forward. “Even so, two years of acting would make him, or anyone at that, change at least a little bit,” Mamoru said as he put a hand on Shakaku’s shoulders gently. “I saw a look of true gratitude when Usagi and I accepted him. If that was an act, it should win first prize in an acting competition.” These words comforted Shakaku slightly, but she couldn’t help but doubt. Shakaku turned her gaze from Mamoru as she felt someone looking at her. Sure enough, Kaboku was looking at her with a confused look in his eyes. Why was she not attacking him? Why was she letting him be with Kaichuu without saying anything? Shakaku narrowed her eyes slightly at him, and Kaboku turned from her intense look. Even as Kaboku talked with Kaichuu, he could feel Shakaku’s gaze looking at them, but she turned once again to look at Mamoru. “Just watching him here makes me sick,” Shakaku stated simply as she grabbed her book and rose from the bench. “You’re doing fine,” Mamoru said as he also got up with her. “And I think Kaichuu had a good idea by making you promise not to hurt him.” “I don’t know where I’d be without that girl,” Shakaku said with a smile as she looked over at her partner. “Chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin?” Kaichuu called to Kaboku from the kitchen. Kaichuu, as she liked to do, was in the kitchen making cookies, as she often did, and she knew that Kaboku loved them. Kaboku looked up from his Spanish book and into the kitchen where Kaichuu was busy getting the ingredients busy. “Oatmeal raisin, of course,” Kaboku replied as he looked back down at his work. He liked these times when he and Kaichuu could just sit around and do whatever they felt like doing. Today, Kaboku had some Spanish homework that he had to finish, and Kaichuu had decided to make some cookies, as she knew that Kaboku loved her cooking. “Chocolate chip it is,” Kaichuu said with a smile as she took out the ingredients. She didn’t look up as she felt Kaboku look up at her, but she smiled broadly when she did see the look on Kaboku’s face. “I know how much you love those,” Kaichuu said as she got out more chocolate chips. “Very funny,” Kaboku said as he dramatically rolled his eyes and pretended to get back to his homework. He smiled triumphantly when he saw Kaichuu put back the chocolate chips and get out the ingredients for the other type of cookies. Kaboku got back to his homework as Kaichuu sank back into the depths of the kitchen. Kaboku shook his head in frustration as he looked at the problem before him: 1. They had. Even though the class had gone over this type of verb conjugation; Kaboku still had trouble when he took his first shot at the homework. He looked up and into the kitchen only to find Kaichuu busy with her cooking. “How do you say ‘they had” in Spanish?’ he asked her. Even though they were in the same class, and Kaboku often scored better than Kaichuu, he still wondered if she knew. Kaichuu looked up for a moment to see if Kaboku was serious. When she saw that he was, she replied, “They hado.” Kaboku couldn’t help but smile even though he was in serious trouble. “I think I need to get Shakaku to tutor me,” Kaboku noted as he sat back in his chair. Kaichuu looked up once again to see if he was serious, and she was shocked when she found that he was serious once again. “That’s almost like committing suicide,” she warned him as she mixed her ingredients. “I know, I’ll have to wear protective gear,” Kaboku replied with a smile. The two were silent when they heard someone open the door, and Kaboku turned to see a tired and sweat-drenched Shakaku walk through the door with her gym bag slung over her right shoulder. When Kaboku smiled at her innocently, Shakaku did nothing in return as she walked to her room and slammed the door behind her. “Don’t take it personally,” Kaichuu said as she cleaned her mixing spoon, “that’s how she communicates.” Although Kaboku knew that Kaichuu meant well by saying this, he couldn’t help but think about how this was nothing except personal. “No,” Kaboku replied calmly, “I think this is personal.” With that, Kaboku stood up, set his Spanish book on the living room table, and walked slowly to the door of Shakaku’s room. He had never been inside it, nor had he ever been this close to it, and that uncertainty matched how he felt about asking Shakaku for this kind of help. It didn’t matter now as Kaboku lifted his hand to knock on the door. Just as he did this, the door swung open, and Shakaku was standing in front of the door as though she knew that he was there to ask her something. “What?” She asked as she raised her eyebrows at him. The two never talked willingly, and Shakaku wanted to hear what Kaboku’s reason was for calling upon her. At first, Kaboku did not respond, and Shakaku almost walked back into her room. “I was wondering,” he said as he saw her almost turn around to reenter her room. She stopped, turned, and raised her eyebrows at him once again. Kaboku almost lost what he was going to say again, but this time he knew what he intended to say. “I was wondering,” he said again,” if you could tutor me in Spanish.” Shakaku said nothing in response as she thought about this. Kaboku and Shakaku had trouble talking to begin with, and she didn’t understand how they would be able to stand each other long enough to be able to work together and have her teach him her native language. To begin with, she didn’t even want to share that part of her life with him; however, she didn’t express her opinion when she saw Kaichuu walk up, stand between her and Kaboku, and look at her with pleading eyes. Shakaku looked down at her friend for a moment, and she couldn’t help but notice the sincere look in her eyes. “Sure,” she said quietly, but the tension in her voice was noticeable. Without letting the two say anything else, Shakaku turned around and shut her door. Kaboku remained quiet, but he looked down at Kaichuu, who was looking at him reassuringly. “She’s like a dog,” Kaichuu said as a small smile grew on her face, “she can sense fear.” Kaboku also smiled, as it seemed as though that were true. Kaichuu walked back into the kitchen, checked to make sure that the cookie dough was well placed on the cookie sheet, and she put them in the oven. “Let’s go for a walk,” she said after she was done with the cookies. “I have a while before these are cooked.” Kaboku looked down at his homework, which he wasn’t going to be able to successfully finish anyway, so he nodded; a walk sounded nice to him at that moment. The two walked to the closet, grabbed their jackets, and walked out the door in order to enjoy the unnaturally brisk weather that Tokyo was experiencing. Kaboku smiled to himself as he watched Kaichuu skip down the stairs and wait impatiently as Kaboku calmly walked down to meet here. “You need to be happy,” Kaichuu commented on his steady strolling pace. Kaboku raised an eyebrow as he opened the door for her so that they could go outside. They watched as little kids played in the playground, and they grinned at each other when they saw one little boy steal a toy from another with a loud “No!” They also watched as three little girls played in the sandbox with their dolls, which they dressed and made pretty. “To be a kid again,” Kaichuu said as she watched the children with a bit of jealousy. Kaboku, however, did not share this opinion as he had his own different experiences as a child. He himself had been searching for a family since he was three, and the only person he even considered family at eighteen years of age was Kyuuteki. Kaichuu noticed Kaboku’s serious expression, and she smiled reassuringly. “I know,” she said as she touched his arm lightly. “But you’re happy now, aren’t you?” Kaichuu wanted so much for her boyfriend to be happy, and she knew that he was at the moment, but she also wanted him to feel better about his past. Kaboku closed his eyes for a moment as he thought about what Kaichuu said. He was happy now, and he had also been happy at the Dark Realm as well. But how long would he be on earth before he would have to leave again? “Look at Enzeru and Shakaku,” Kaichuu pointed out. “Shakaku doesn’t even know her parents since her mom had to give her up because she was raped and wasn’t prepared. And Enzeru was given up just because she was blind.” Kaichuu had a good point, and Kaboku understood that. Kaboku knew that he wasn’t the only person without parents as Kaichuu was also in the same pool since her parents had died of cancer when she was eight. But he still felt bad. “But they both have you to cheer them up,” Kaboku said, “I haven’t always had that.” Kaichuu stopped walking and looked up at Kaboku before saying, “You have me now, don’t you?” With that, the two continued walking in silence. They passed by another couple who was also taking a walk before walking by a father and his young son, whom Kaboku noticed were the same father and son that he met when he was looking for Sailor Phoenix at the mall. The little boy recognized Kaboku as well as he looked up to get a better look to make sure his suspicions were correct. The little boy was started for a moment when he noticed something; to his right and holding his hand was his father, and to his left was a guy that looked exactly like the other. When Kaboku noticed the boy’s gaze, he looked down to see the little boy beaming up at him. Remembering their last encounter, Kaboku looked away quickly, and he and Kaichuu continued walking. “Do you know them?” Kaichuu asked as she noticed the look that the little boy had given Kaboku. “No,” Kaboku said simply; she didn’t need to know when they had first met. Kaichuu accepted his answer, and they walked as Kaichuu laced her fingers through his. They walked a few more feet like this before Kaboku suddenly stopped. “What’s wrong?” Kaichuu asked as she turned to look at Kaboku. “I don’t know,” Kaboku answered, but the tone in his voice showed that he could clearly feel that something was wrong. He just hoped that he was wrong. But he was never wrong when it came to this, and he found that he was right when he turned around and saw a giant blue yajuu attack his look-alike while throwing the boy to the floor. Kaichuu also turned as she heard the boy’s scream. Before Kaboku could tell her anything, she started running back toward them. “Aquaria Crystal Power, Make up!” she yelled in order to transform. The yajuu, pleased that it was able to get its target, was quickly confused when it began to doubt that it really had Kaboku. There were differences that it noticed such as the absence of gray tips on his hair, and it knew that Kaboku was a lot stronger than this person. It turned its ugly, oil-created head as it heard what was unmistakably a senshi running in its direction. “Showing Stardrops!” she yelled as a sphere of water formed in her outstretched hand. The rain that fell from the sphere as it elevated above the yajuu burned, but it made the man feel calm and better as the creature released him. The man’s son was still crying as his father went to pick him up and comfort him. The two watched as Sailor Aquaria’s attack caused the creature to scream in pain, but when the attack was finished, the yajuu was still present. Taking notice of the two civilians, Aquaria told them, “Go on!” Fortunately, they listened to her as they turned around and left as fast as they could. “Water based,” Kaboku commented as he came up from behind Aquaria. His simple statement let Aquaria know that her chances at defeating this monster were slim, but she had to try. She began another attack, but the creature had different plans as it sent its own attack in her direction. Kaboku, with his faster reflexes, grabbed Aquaria by the shoulders and moved her out of the attacks range. “Aquaria Tsunami!” Aquaria yelled, enraged that the creature was almost able to get her. This attack, charged with enough power, sank deep into the creature’s skin, and it screamed as it was converted into its original oil state. Sailor Aquaria breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the yajuu turned quickly back into its base. She smiled as she felt Kaboku’s hand on her shoulder, and she turned around to face him. “See?” she said with a playful smile. “I did it all on my own.” Kaboku couldn’t help but smile as he tightly embraced her. She had had a close call, but he was just glad that he had been there to help her. Even if he himself wasn’t a Constellation, he was from a constellation, and he knew some tricks of the trade. “My cookies!” Aquaria said as she remembered that she had left her cookies in the oven; the two made their way back to the apartment after Aquaria detransformed. “Isn’t that Aquaria and Kaboku?” Usagi asked as she and Mamoru walked by the aftermath of the short battle. “That is,” Mamoru noted. “He must’ve helped her; she looks grateful for something.” Usagi silently agreed as she watched Kaboku pull Aquaria in to embrace her.