Asami leaned off the wall. “What mission?” The two stayed silent. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll just tell someone else.” She turned on her heels and walked down the hall.
“Wait!” Mari yelled. “We’ll talk.”
“Mari, you don’t have to. Call her bluff,” Kou said, still sucking wind.
“It’s fine, Kou. She’s serious.” Mari could make out a self-satisfied smirk on Asami’s face. “We went upstairs to get my crucifix back.”
“You’re lying. How could you lose your crucifix? It’s practically glued to you!” Mari’s head lowered.
“I just did.”
“You’re pathetic,” Asami said. Mari’s head jolted back up. “You lose the one thing you hold close to you and have someone else help you do the dirty work to get it back. You must want to me here permanently getting your blood drained, but I guess you would like that.”
“That’s way out of bounds, Asami!” Kou stood up and leapt in front of Mari. “That’s your friend. You don’t talk to her like that!”
Asami scoffed. “I don’t have any friends as pathetic as that. How do you lose something like that?” She turned around again. “Try not to get yourself in trouble dealing with her, Kou. She can barely stand on two feet as is.”
“Ignore her, Mari.” Kou said once he was sure Asami left their presence. “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” When he turned around, he was greeted to a sobbing Mari.
“I’m sorry, Kou. She’s right. I shouldn’t have bought you into this.”
“Sorry? I should be thanking you. That was a lot of fun.” Mari bit her lip and balled her fists. “At least you can thank me now, right?” Mari walked past him without uttering a word.
“I was serious. Come back. I want to hear that thank you.”
—
“Nothing beats a full meal after a dangerous expedition.” Kou stuffed more noodles in his mouth. Mari had yet to touch her bowl. “Come on Mari. You need to eat. I didn’t bring you here after seeing Asami to mope around.” Kou grabbed the pair of chopsticks by her bowl and tried to put them in her hand.
Mari casually looked down before slumping down in her chair.
“Come on, Mari. Perk up.” She said nothing. “He reached across the small table and grabbed her hand. Looking at the blood-stained crucifix in her palm, Kou couldn’t help but be glad that we went for it. The look of glee that was on her face was something that he will never forget.
“You know, people really would gravitate to you if you let them,” Kou said finally.
“I don’t think so.” Mari finally spoke. “Ever since I’ve been here, I’ve pretty much been on my own. I really only have you now.” She ran her fingers over her crucifix in an effort to calm herself down.
“That’s because you push people away. If you really gave them a chance, you’ll see that they’ll come to you. They want to be around you. You should notice that more often. You convinced a Master to give you your crucifix back, and then hugged him. To top it off, you’re alive afterwards. Hell, even Asami still stays around you, and she hates you now.”
“Hates?!” Mari slumped into her chair with her face in her hands. Kou gave out an audible sigh, wishing he could take that sentence back.
“That Master was right. You’re too sensitive.” Mari gave him a harsh glare, but Kou’s face remained unchanged. “Mari, you have two more bites and you’re out of here. You got to be tough. I don’t want you ending up like some of the others that become corrupted by power.”
“I won’t.”
“Stop pushing us away then. People really are attracted to you. Why we’re attracted to someone like you, I have no idea.”
Mari’s eyes lowered before giving Kou a hard punch on the shoulder. “Tough enough for you?”
“See what I mean. I just don’t understand why. Punching people for no reason,” he groaned, rubbing his hurt shoulder.
“Hey Kou?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.” Mari finally grasped her chopsticks and dug into her bowl.
Kou smiled. Feeling her finally warm up was all he needed.
Crucifix 