[One Shot] The Year of the Rabbit
Title: The Year of the Rabbit
Rating: T
Word Count: 4,395
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters used here. They belong to their respective owners, namely the creators of Eyeshield 21.
Summary: Mamori is heading towards a rather Chinese neighbourhood to look for a shop she must go to. But her journey there is not going smoothly, and she's about to have a few surprises that may change her views about a certain demon.
Notes: So Chinese New Year was last week and it's now the year of the rabbit. So of course, I couldn't pass the chance to at least WRITE something about the fact that it's now the rabbit year and Hiruma is famous for something rabbit related. I didn't expect a simple idea to turn out this huge though, and it took a couple of rewrites for me to be satisfied. But even then, I have my doubts that this is a good story, so I'm sorry if it turns out way too silly for your liking.
Also, I would like to see this little "universe" I created here as some form of Alternate Reality, and really not much related to the Eyeshield 21 canon universe. Only cause it's quite OOC and is just utterly ridiculous at some points.
But I really hope you guys appreciate the intent and enjoy this some how. Happy Chinese New Year and may the Year of the Rabbit bring much happiness and prosperity to you all! ^^ (As I am typing this, there are fireworks going on outside my house! Yay!)
~*~
The sound of her own footsteps echoed through the empty alley, a rhythm to Mamori’s sigh at her surroundings. Clutched in her left hand was a piece of paper with a drawn out map and instructions that would lead her where she was supposed to go. Even as she glanced at it she felt sure she might’ve taken the wrong turn somewhere, being as unfamiliar with the area as she was.
Deciding it was now utterly useless she pushed the paper into her pocket and took a good look around. The sky was now turning orange and it was bound to get dark soon. “This is bad,” she muttered to herself, finally reaching a narrow road that was lined with closed shops. She looked at the signs of these closed shops for any indication at all that she was getting closer to her destination but despite her prowess with kanji, these signs did nothing to help her as most of the Chinese characters didn’t make sense to her. “Well, this is what I get for coming to a Chinese residence.”
Giving up on the signs, she looked around to see if there was anyone she could ask for directions. Yet somehow on this weekday when business should have been bustling as usual, the street was quiet and deserted. The fact that no one was around made Mamori even more worried. Was something going on? Should she not be here?
As she took a corner, the sight of a man behind a gaudily adorned table caught her eye and she rushed towards him. “Excuse me!”
The man who looked to be around his late fifties smiled with crooked yellow teeth at the sight of her, waving at her to come closer. “Ah!” he cried. “Gong Xi! Gong Xi! Xin nen kuai ler!”
Mamori cringed nervously. “I’m sorry,” she said in Japanese. “I don’t speak Chinese…”
“Oh! Oh! You’re Japanese!” the man said happily, undeterred by Mamori’s obvious nerves. “Happy New Year! It is a good year! Come, I read your fortune!”
“Err…” Mamori was thoroughly confused by then and hastily swept a glance across the brightly colored table. She saw tarot cards; a crystal ball and other strange instruments that she didn’t recognize which made her feel like she should probably be running by now. But seeing as this man was the only one that could lead her to the right way, she swallowed her fear and faced him. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand, but I really need to-”
The man pulled out a seat, grabbed Mamori and forced her to sit down in front of the table. “Sit! Sit!” he cried, even though Mamori was already sitting, much to her disdain. The man sat across her as he held out his hand. “Come, it’s a new year! Let me read your fortune!”
Mamori kept her hands firmly on her lap. “I’m really sorry, but I don’t understand… the New Year was last month and I really don’t get why there’s nobody else here…”
The man laughed at Mamori’s awkwardness. “No! No! This is special New Year! This is Chinese New Year! Everyone is celebrating at the other area from here, or they’ve gone back to their homeland… or they just went to Yokohama!”
“Chinese New Year…” Mamori paused for a moment as she recalled what this means. “Oh! THAT New Year! For the Chinese calendar! The one that usually happens around February…”
The man nodded excitedly. “Yes! Yes! Now it’s the Year of the Rabbit! Good year! Good fortune! I can tell you all!”
Mamori raised her hand, shaking it to signal to the man that she didn’t need it. “I’m sorry but I don’t-”
Before Mamori could finish her sentence, the man quickly grabbed Mamori’s raised right hand and pulled it towards him. Mamori cried out in surprise and tried to pull herself away, but the man gripped her wrist tightly and began to quickly analyze the lines on her palm. “Oh…” the man began to talk to himself. “Oh, very interesting… You are a very strong woman… You know how to stand your ground and compromise… This will be very good for you in the future!”
“Please let go!” cried Mamori, panicking. But the man scrutinized her palm a further few seconds before releasing her. Mamori rubbed her wrist as the man smiled at her, though his smile was softer now, with an expression akin to admiration. Taking advantage of the moment, Mamori quickly asked, “Do you know where the Sweet Kee Bakery is?”
The man cocked his head a little, though that smile remained. Thinking that he needed more information, Mamori pulled out the piece of paper and placed it on the table in front of him. “I need to go here,” she said pointing out the shop. “We have a new transfer student in our class, a Chinese student. Her birthday’s tomorrow and I was told we could get some Chinese sweets from this bakery. Is it open? Can you show me where to go?”
The man nodded and pointed down the road to his right. “Keep walking until you see a post box. Turn right and once you pass the residential houses and cross another road, the shop will be there.”
Mamori nodded as she got up from her seat. “Thank you,” she said, bowing before she went on her way.
“The rabbit,” she heard the man say behind her, “is a very lucky symbol for you. It will protect you and have much significance, especially with regard to your future.”
Mamori stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the man, but he casually pulled out his tarot cards and idly shuffled through them. Tempted to prompt him further on the statement but thinking that she had already wasted enough time and should hurry, she merely bowed once more and rushed on her way.
Spotting the post box that the fortune teller had mentioned, she turned right. Though the houses were completely deserted she could hear the muffled sounds of drums and fire crackers in the distance. A little comforted by at least that much indication of human presence; she quickened her steps to get to her destination…
Until she heard a loud crash from one of the empty houses. Mamori stopped in her tracks looking furtively at the houses nearby, trying to find the source of the commotion. She was sure that it had been a window breaking, so she drew closer to the house where she felt sure the sound came from.
And the sound of gunshots rained within the house. Mamori screamed as she took a few steps back, poised to run, when the front door burst open. A man in a business suit rushed out, his arms arounda boy that looked to be 4-5 years old, crying uncontrollably. The man shouted at the sight of Mamori. “Ni zuo zhe li shen ma??”
Mamori blinked, confused at the sight before her. She was about to say that she didn’t understand what he just said when the man placed the boy who was sobbing in fear on the ground and pulled out a pistol from his side. He began to shoot whoever was inside the house. “Kwai tien, phau!” he shouted at the boy.
The boy shakily got up and ran straight towards Mamori, clutching on to her. “Jiu ming ah!” the boy cried.
Mamori didn’t understand a word, but her motherly instincts quickly kicked in. There was no time to worry about what was going on. She swept the crying boy into her arms and sprinted down the road as the sound of gunshots went on behind her.
Turning a corner, Mamori kept running as she looked out for any sight of a policeman, or a police station, or just anyone that could help her right now. More footsteps echoed behind her and Mamori feared the worst. Glancing behind her, she could see a group of men chasing after her. She gasped at the sight of the pistols in their hands.
To her horror, one man took a shot and it struck one of the fences, just inches away from Mamori. The boy in her arms began to cry louder and Mamori held on to him tightly. She took a sharp turn to her left, running down what she hoped was another alleyway… but was shocked to see that her path blocked by a fence.
Mamori looked around her and quickly dived into a corner where the trash was. Adrenaline still pumping through her veins, she quickly shushed the boy in her arms, prompting him to be quiet. The boy’s cries lessened, though he was shivering violently now. The footsteps of the men after her and the boy grew louder as Mamori tried to control her breathing and keep the boy calm.
She began to think that the only way to keep the boy safe was to keep him hidden between the trash, and she could lunge at the men and try to stop them. There was a high chance she’d die, but as long as the boy was safe… as long as they don’t hurt him…
She prompted the boy to let go of her, but he began to whimper and his sobs grew louder. The footsteps thundered nearer and louder and Mamori knew there was no way they could’ve missed the boy’s cries. She pulled herself away from the now loudly wailing boy, stood up and faced one of the men who had a gun pointed straight towards her chest…
The crack of a gunshot made Mamori flinch as she closed her eyes. But seconds later, she opened them again realizing she was okay. Furthermore the men before her were staring in shock at the sight of their fallen comrade. Even Mamori was surprised by this. Who shot him? Mamori looked behind her and saw nothing but the fence, but as she looked up she gasped.
A figure in a bunny suit toting a rifle sat on top of the fence, and in one swift movement jumped to the ground. Rifle still pointed towards the other men, the bunny moved forward, walking past Mamori and the crying boy.
The other men shouted angrily in Chinese and held out their pistols, ready to shoot. But the bunny took the first move and let down a rain of bullets on the men’s legs or arms that caused many of them to scream and fall to the ground. In an instance, many others in animal suits, a tiger, a horse and a monkey rushed forward to detain the men.
In her shock, Mamori took a while to realize the boy had rushed forward and was clinging on to her leg. She quickly bent down and began to comfort him as she lifted him safely into her arms. Then she raised her gaze to the bunny that was now approaching her. Mamori calmly watched him approach and couldn’t help staring at the bunny suit curiously wondering why it looked familiar.
“You really do know how to get into trouble, Fucking Manager,” said a familiar voice, followed by an even more familiar cackle.
Mamori gasped. “Hiruma-kun?!”
Hiruma pulled off the bunny head, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. He watched as a van screeched to a halt nearby and the earlier men who’d chased her were taken in by the others in animal suits. “Keh, at least we got here in time. But who would’ve thought that you’d get involved Fucking Manager?”
Mamori’s knees felt weak, thinking about what had just happened. “What DID just happen? Why are you here in a Chinese residential area? How did you get involved with this?”
“Someone hired me,” he said as he looked at the boy in Mamori’s arms. “A big tycoon from China, you could say. That guy received a threat, a blackmail you could say, and he had to leave his son in Japan to handle the issue. Then he received word that his son would be the next target, and so he hired me to handle it.”
Mamori knew well enough about Hiruma and his ‘second life’. For although she had never witnessed it herself, she had helped him on several occasions to gather materials he needed, like disguises or bags, or even helped treat minor wounds. But she wasn’t expecting to actually be a part of this. “Why you?” She looked at the other people in animal suits. “And who are they?”
“They’re also hired to work for him,” said Hiruma. “Top notch shooters, from what I know. And I was hired for almost the same reason... and I agreed cause that means that Fucking Tycoon would be indebted to me…”
“And you could add another slave to the long list that you have.” Mamori sweat-dropped, thinking how that would fit into Hiruma’s modus operandi.
Hiruma cackled. “You catch on well, Fucking Manager.” Hiruma raised his furry paw and placed it on Mamori’s back. “Now let’s go to the police station. That boy’s mother should be worried.”
With all that had happened, Mamori jumped a little when Hiruma’s paw landed on her back, but nodded as the sobbing boy had calmed down, and was staring at Hiruma intently. Without another word, they entered another van and rode down to the closest police station. Mamori had worried that the police mightreact badly to them, because of Hiruma’s reputation. But the police treated him well enough, and they even took down Mamori’s report. Once that was done, she stayed by the boy’s side till late at night. Hiruma came by occasionally to pass Mamori and the boy something warm to drink, though it amused her that he was still in his bunny suit. They boy seemed amused by this as well and he kept pointing to Hiruma eagerly and smiling happily at Mamori.
Just before the boy succumbed to the subtle lull of sleep, a woman rushed into the police station, looking around frantically until her eyes settled on the boy next to Mamori. “Wei Lim!”
The boy’s eyes snapped wide open at the sound of his name being called. “Mama!” the boy cried as he jumped up and ran into the woman’s arms. The woman burst into tears as she hugged the boy tightly, crying words that Mamori could only guess were of gratefulness and relief. Mamori could not help but smile tenderly.
The boy saw Mamori and said something rather quickly in Chinese to his mother. The woman then got up, and with her son’s tiny hand gripped tightly in hers, she approached Mamori. “My son said you protected him from danger?” she asked in fluent Japanese.
“Ah!” Mamori blushed, shaking her head. “It wasn’t a big deal, and it’s the most that I could do…” she trailed off as the mother bowed deeply before Mamori. This prompted the boy to do the same.
“Thank you very, very much,” she said as she got up, smiling at Mamori. “My family is indebted to you.”
“Oh no!” Mamori shook her head even more. “That really isn’t-”
“Just accept it, Fucking Manager!” Hiruma walked towards them, completely rid of his bunny suit now as he wore his usual clothes, though a rifle rested on his shoulder. “You may just need it.”
“Hiruma-kun!” Mamori hissed. “Why would I want that?”
“You were in that area for a reason, weren’t you?” Hiruma grinned at her.
The moment he said that, Mamori let out a loud gasp as she looked at a nearby clock on the wall. It was past 11pm. “The bakery! Oh no, I promised the others that I would buy those sweets! Now it’s too late!”
The mother watched Mamori curiously. “Sweets?”
“Oh… The Sweet Khee Bakery…” Mamori sighed. “A transfer student from China is having a birthday tomorrow and we were hoping to share some Chinese sweets and cakes with the class. That’s how I passed by your house and found your son…”
The mother nodded and pulled out her cellphone. She dialed and began to talk in Chinese, much to Mamori’s confusion. But Hiruma continued to grin as he said to Mamori, “Looks like you’re in luck.”
Finishing the call, the mother looked at Mamori with a smile. “I have called that bakery and requested that they send their best delicacies to your class. You study in the same place as Hiruma-san, right? I hope that’s all right.”
Mamori felt her jaw drop slight. “T-that’s more than enough! T-thank you!” Mamori bowed. “Thank you so much!”
“It is but a small reward for the greatness you have done,protecting my son,” the woman bowed once more. Then she looked at Hiruma and bowed at him as well. “And thank you for your cooperation. You and your girlfriend have helped my family greatly.”
“Girlfriend?!” Mamori sputtered. “N-no, you misunderstand! He’s not…” The mother looked utterly confused as Mamori looked at Hiruma and he looked back at her. He didn’t say anything to protest to what the mother had said and for some strange reason, he didn’t seem to mind at all. So with a sigh, Mamori just smiled weakly and said, “It’s all right. I’m glad your son is safe.”
“Thank you, Onee-chan!” the boy said in Japanese, smiling happily.
Mamori couldn’t help but smile as well as she got on her knees and hugged the boy. “Take care of yourself.”
The boy didn’t understand, but he nodded and smiled. And with that, both the boy and his mother left.
Mamori glanced at the time and sighed once again. “What an insane day it turned out to be.”
“Hey, Fucking Manager.”
“What is it?”
Hiruma stood before her, grinning down at her as he normally does, even on the field. “Since we’re close to the Chinese district and it’s Chinese New Year, want to see something not every fucking Japanese gets to experience?”
“Hiruma-kun, it’s late…” She stopped as she saw that eager glint in his eyes. It was strange to see it, especially after what happened today. It occurred to her that he would normally be a little more reserved or just go home and do what he usually does to avoid any suspicion on his ‘double life’. But seeing his unusual enthusiasm she took a deep breath and nodded. “Fine, but let’s not stay out too long. I’m really exhausted.
He cackled joyfully as they both walked side by side out of the police station. It didn’t take long for Mamori to notice that festivities were still going on near the main residence. The loud sounds of the cymbals and drums could be heard blocks away before they even arrived, and there were many red and gold lights shining from a distance.
This surprised Mamori. “They go on till this late!”
“It’s quite far from most Japanese residence so no one really notices,” Hiruma explained. “And besides, this is the biggest occasion for the Chinese. So of course they’re gonna fucking celebrate… for 15 days or so I heard.”
Mamori could not hide her awe as she finally got closer to the street. She drank in the sight of the Oriental lights, lanterns and colours of red and gold, of people dressed in new Chinese clothes of various colours. Loud music, cymbals and drums filled the air. Symbols of the rabbit in various forms, from cartoon Bugs Bunny cut outs to even rabbit motifs were on every sign along the street. Mamori soon noticed someone selling rabbit merchandise, from rabbit pendants, to even rings were laid out on the table. Mamori stopped to look when one caught her eye.
“Hiruma-kun, look! That tiny rabbit statue looks similar to the outfit you wore today! In fact…” Mamori looked at Hiruma suspiciously. “That outfit looked very familiar.”
Hiruma cackled in amusement. “Don’t tell me you forgot Sports Day, Fucking Manager.”
Pondering for a moment, Mamori soon realized what he meant. “Oh, of course! How could I forget? I couldn’t stop giggling when I saw you in it. What a strange thing to wear to be undercover though, and there were many of you in animal outfits.”
He shrugged. “We were all supposed to dress up as animals according to the fucking Chinese astrology. We walked around giving passer bys red packets of these fucking discount coupons so that the blackmailers wouldn’t notice us. Since I already had that bunny suit, I thought I’d use it again.”
Mamori nodded in understanding, though she looked a little concerned. “I’m glad you didn’t get hurt too, today.” She was referring to the many times Hiruma had been out on these missions and she was well aware of it. It often made her anxious for Hiruma’s safety and whether or not he would arrive the next day for practice. But he’d always come, kicking and shooting everyone as usual.
The salesman for the rabbit merchandise came up, and seemed on the verge of launching into his well-rehearsed salesman pitch to make more money… until he saw Hiruma. “AH! IT’S HIRUMA!”
Mamori blinked and turned to look at Hiruma who was grinning maniacally. “Oh, it’s you, Tan.”
The salesman shivered and quickly turned to Mamori. “Take anything you want but please don’t let your boyfriend blackmail me!”
Mamori sighed, not liking the fact that another person has seen her as Hiruma’s girlfriend again. “Hiruma-kun, you really need to stop all this.”
His eyes still on the salesman, Hiruma merely grinned. “Just pick what you want, Fucking Manager. This man owes me… Though that still doesn’t make the info I have on you invalid, Tan.”
The salesman swallowed as Mamori shook her head. She really didn’t want anything, but as she looked at the many rabbit merchandise, she was still drawn to the rabbit figurine that looked rather similar to Hiruma’s bunny outfit. Picking it up, she looked at the salesman and said, “Is this okay?”
“Take it take it take it!” he cried out, eager for them both to leave.
Hiruma sneered at what Mamori chose. “Keh, couldn’t you have picked something cuter? You’ve got no sense of what’s cute, Fucking Manager.”
“This is cute!” Mamori insisted as she gave it to the salesman to wrap it up in paper and give it back to her. She uttered a thank you before quickly pulling Hiruma away, hoping that his presence would not cause more trouble. But it really wasn’t easy as it seems as though Hiruma knew a lot of people at the Chinese residence.
To Mamori’s surprise, some actually wanted to challenge Hiruma to gamble, and she practically had to hold him back as she knew these men would be flat out broke by morning if he were dealt any cards. She was glad that he listened to her at the time, and they kept walking.
“Hiruma-kun, you know quite a lot of people here. Isn’t it dangerous?” Mamori asked.
“Keh, I know how to fucking handle the people here,” said Hiruma, though he eyed the people around them suspiciously. “Just enjoy yourself. As long as you’re with me, nothing will happen. And I’ll make sure the people here don’t lay even a fucking finger on you. Even what happened today, I’ll make sure you won’t get targeted, even if I have to dig up more blackmail. Just make sure you don’t tell anyone about this.”
Mamori nodded slowly. “All right…”
Hiruma raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? ‘All right’?” He cackled lowly in amusement. “Not going to tell me off for possibly putting your life on risk? Not going to make some insane plan to run off and never see me again?”
Mamori stopped for a moment, contemplating on his words. He was right; she should be very bothered by all this. She shouldn’t just accept this side of him so easily, and go on tomorrow pretending as if everything was all right. Yet why did she still feel safe?
Just as she opened her mouth to express this confusion, a loud bang suddenly filled the air, and it made her jump, remembering the gunshots just earlier this evening. But Hiruma quickly put his hand on her shoulder, pulled her to a corner, and prompted her to look up.
Colourful fireworks burst in the air and filled the night sky, one after another. Many people watched and gasped in delight at the many colours. Mamori could not help but watch as well, the atmosphere completely filling her. It was all truly a sight to behold and it seemed to invigorate her at the same time. All her doubts dissolved as each firework fades into the darkness, making her own emotions clear.
“Hiruma-kun,” she called out to him, his arm still wrapped on her shoulder. Hiruma turned to look at her and said, “Without a doubt, being around you can be dangerous and your methods are risky. You tend to cause a lot of trouble for me too. But I know you have your reasons, and strangely, I’ve accepted that. In fact, even after today I’m still glad to know you, and I know I’ll be all right if I’m with you.”
He grinned, obviously pleased with her answer. “Of course! You’re the woman I chose after all! The way you handled today just proved it! Though instead of running to that dead end, if you had kept running straight, you would have gotten to safety at some point.”
Mamori groaned. “Please don’t remind me! It was my first time to be caught in that situation and-” She was cut off as Hiruma had pulled her closer, and the next thing Mamori knew, his lips were pressed firmly on hers. Shocked, her first instinct was that of panic as she looked around to see if people were watching, but the fireworks were a great distraction. Feeling a little more secure, she returned the kiss.
The words “Gong Xi Fa Cai!” continued to ring through the air as the fireworks carried on. As both Hiruma and Mamori deepened the kiss, Mamori began to wonder if the fortune teller may be right about the rabbit and how it would protect her and affect her future. She thought about the rabbit figurine and of Hiruma and that maybe, just maybe, that fortune teller did speak some form of truth. The Year of the Rabbit would be a great year for her.
THERE IS AN OMAKE! CLICK HERE!
Rating: T
Word Count: 4,395
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters used here. They belong to their respective owners, namely the creators of Eyeshield 21.
Summary: Mamori is heading towards a rather Chinese neighbourhood to look for a shop she must go to. But her journey there is not going smoothly, and she's about to have a few surprises that may change her views about a certain demon.
Notes: So Chinese New Year was last week and it's now the year of the rabbit. So of course, I couldn't pass the chance to at least WRITE something about the fact that it's now the rabbit year and Hiruma is famous for something rabbit related. I didn't expect a simple idea to turn out this huge though, and it took a couple of rewrites for me to be satisfied. But even then, I have my doubts that this is a good story, so I'm sorry if it turns out way too silly for your liking.
Also, I would like to see this little "universe" I created here as some form of Alternate Reality, and really not much related to the Eyeshield 21 canon universe. Only cause it's quite OOC and is just utterly ridiculous at some points.
But I really hope you guys appreciate the intent and enjoy this some how. Happy Chinese New Year and may the Year of the Rabbit bring much happiness and prosperity to you all! ^^ (As I am typing this, there are fireworks going on outside my house! Yay!)
~*~
The sound of her own footsteps echoed through the empty alley, a rhythm to Mamori’s sigh at her surroundings. Clutched in her left hand was a piece of paper with a drawn out map and instructions that would lead her where she was supposed to go. Even as she glanced at it she felt sure she might’ve taken the wrong turn somewhere, being as unfamiliar with the area as she was.
Deciding it was now utterly useless she pushed the paper into her pocket and took a good look around. The sky was now turning orange and it was bound to get dark soon. “This is bad,” she muttered to herself, finally reaching a narrow road that was lined with closed shops. She looked at the signs of these closed shops for any indication at all that she was getting closer to her destination but despite her prowess with kanji, these signs did nothing to help her as most of the Chinese characters didn’t make sense to her. “Well, this is what I get for coming to a Chinese residence.”
Giving up on the signs, she looked around to see if there was anyone she could ask for directions. Yet somehow on this weekday when business should have been bustling as usual, the street was quiet and deserted. The fact that no one was around made Mamori even more worried. Was something going on? Should she not be here?
As she took a corner, the sight of a man behind a gaudily adorned table caught her eye and she rushed towards him. “Excuse me!”
The man who looked to be around his late fifties smiled with crooked yellow teeth at the sight of her, waving at her to come closer. “Ah!” he cried. “Gong Xi! Gong Xi! Xin nen kuai ler!”
Mamori cringed nervously. “I’m sorry,” she said in Japanese. “I don’t speak Chinese…”
“Oh! Oh! You’re Japanese!” the man said happily, undeterred by Mamori’s obvious nerves. “Happy New Year! It is a good year! Come, I read your fortune!”
“Err…” Mamori was thoroughly confused by then and hastily swept a glance across the brightly colored table. She saw tarot cards; a crystal ball and other strange instruments that she didn’t recognize which made her feel like she should probably be running by now. But seeing as this man was the only one that could lead her to the right way, she swallowed her fear and faced him. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand, but I really need to-”
The man pulled out a seat, grabbed Mamori and forced her to sit down in front of the table. “Sit! Sit!” he cried, even though Mamori was already sitting, much to her disdain. The man sat across her as he held out his hand. “Come, it’s a new year! Let me read your fortune!”
Mamori kept her hands firmly on her lap. “I’m really sorry, but I don’t understand… the New Year was last month and I really don’t get why there’s nobody else here…”
The man laughed at Mamori’s awkwardness. “No! No! This is special New Year! This is Chinese New Year! Everyone is celebrating at the other area from here, or they’ve gone back to their homeland… or they just went to Yokohama!”
“Chinese New Year…” Mamori paused for a moment as she recalled what this means. “Oh! THAT New Year! For the Chinese calendar! The one that usually happens around February…”
The man nodded excitedly. “Yes! Yes! Now it’s the Year of the Rabbit! Good year! Good fortune! I can tell you all!”
Mamori raised her hand, shaking it to signal to the man that she didn’t need it. “I’m sorry but I don’t-”
Before Mamori could finish her sentence, the man quickly grabbed Mamori’s raised right hand and pulled it towards him. Mamori cried out in surprise and tried to pull herself away, but the man gripped her wrist tightly and began to quickly analyze the lines on her palm. “Oh…” the man began to talk to himself. “Oh, very interesting… You are a very strong woman… You know how to stand your ground and compromise… This will be very good for you in the future!”
“Please let go!” cried Mamori, panicking. But the man scrutinized her palm a further few seconds before releasing her. Mamori rubbed her wrist as the man smiled at her, though his smile was softer now, with an expression akin to admiration. Taking advantage of the moment, Mamori quickly asked, “Do you know where the Sweet Kee Bakery is?”
The man cocked his head a little, though that smile remained. Thinking that he needed more information, Mamori pulled out the piece of paper and placed it on the table in front of him. “I need to go here,” she said pointing out the shop. “We have a new transfer student in our class, a Chinese student. Her birthday’s tomorrow and I was told we could get some Chinese sweets from this bakery. Is it open? Can you show me where to go?”
The man nodded and pointed down the road to his right. “Keep walking until you see a post box. Turn right and once you pass the residential houses and cross another road, the shop will be there.”
Mamori nodded as she got up from her seat. “Thank you,” she said, bowing before she went on her way.
“The rabbit,” she heard the man say behind her, “is a very lucky symbol for you. It will protect you and have much significance, especially with regard to your future.”
Mamori stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the man, but he casually pulled out his tarot cards and idly shuffled through them. Tempted to prompt him further on the statement but thinking that she had already wasted enough time and should hurry, she merely bowed once more and rushed on her way.
Spotting the post box that the fortune teller had mentioned, she turned right. Though the houses were completely deserted she could hear the muffled sounds of drums and fire crackers in the distance. A little comforted by at least that much indication of human presence; she quickened her steps to get to her destination…
Until she heard a loud crash from one of the empty houses. Mamori stopped in her tracks looking furtively at the houses nearby, trying to find the source of the commotion. She was sure that it had been a window breaking, so she drew closer to the house where she felt sure the sound came from.
And the sound of gunshots rained within the house. Mamori screamed as she took a few steps back, poised to run, when the front door burst open. A man in a business suit rushed out, his arms arounda boy that looked to be 4-5 years old, crying uncontrollably. The man shouted at the sight of Mamori. “Ni zuo zhe li shen ma??”
Mamori blinked, confused at the sight before her. She was about to say that she didn’t understand what he just said when the man placed the boy who was sobbing in fear on the ground and pulled out a pistol from his side. He began to shoot whoever was inside the house. “Kwai tien, phau!” he shouted at the boy.
The boy shakily got up and ran straight towards Mamori, clutching on to her. “Jiu ming ah!” the boy cried.
Mamori didn’t understand a word, but her motherly instincts quickly kicked in. There was no time to worry about what was going on. She swept the crying boy into her arms and sprinted down the road as the sound of gunshots went on behind her.
Turning a corner, Mamori kept running as she looked out for any sight of a policeman, or a police station, or just anyone that could help her right now. More footsteps echoed behind her and Mamori feared the worst. Glancing behind her, she could see a group of men chasing after her. She gasped at the sight of the pistols in their hands.
To her horror, one man took a shot and it struck one of the fences, just inches away from Mamori. The boy in her arms began to cry louder and Mamori held on to him tightly. She took a sharp turn to her left, running down what she hoped was another alleyway… but was shocked to see that her path blocked by a fence.
Mamori looked around her and quickly dived into a corner where the trash was. Adrenaline still pumping through her veins, she quickly shushed the boy in her arms, prompting him to be quiet. The boy’s cries lessened, though he was shivering violently now. The footsteps of the men after her and the boy grew louder as Mamori tried to control her breathing and keep the boy calm.
She began to think that the only way to keep the boy safe was to keep him hidden between the trash, and she could lunge at the men and try to stop them. There was a high chance she’d die, but as long as the boy was safe… as long as they don’t hurt him…
She prompted the boy to let go of her, but he began to whimper and his sobs grew louder. The footsteps thundered nearer and louder and Mamori knew there was no way they could’ve missed the boy’s cries. She pulled herself away from the now loudly wailing boy, stood up and faced one of the men who had a gun pointed straight towards her chest…
The crack of a gunshot made Mamori flinch as she closed her eyes. But seconds later, she opened them again realizing she was okay. Furthermore the men before her were staring in shock at the sight of their fallen comrade. Even Mamori was surprised by this. Who shot him? Mamori looked behind her and saw nothing but the fence, but as she looked up she gasped.
A figure in a bunny suit toting a rifle sat on top of the fence, and in one swift movement jumped to the ground. Rifle still pointed towards the other men, the bunny moved forward, walking past Mamori and the crying boy.
The other men shouted angrily in Chinese and held out their pistols, ready to shoot. But the bunny took the first move and let down a rain of bullets on the men’s legs or arms that caused many of them to scream and fall to the ground. In an instance, many others in animal suits, a tiger, a horse and a monkey rushed forward to detain the men.
In her shock, Mamori took a while to realize the boy had rushed forward and was clinging on to her leg. She quickly bent down and began to comfort him as she lifted him safely into her arms. Then she raised her gaze to the bunny that was now approaching her. Mamori calmly watched him approach and couldn’t help staring at the bunny suit curiously wondering why it looked familiar.
“You really do know how to get into trouble, Fucking Manager,” said a familiar voice, followed by an even more familiar cackle.
Mamori gasped. “Hiruma-kun?!”
Hiruma pulled off the bunny head, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. He watched as a van screeched to a halt nearby and the earlier men who’d chased her were taken in by the others in animal suits. “Keh, at least we got here in time. But who would’ve thought that you’d get involved Fucking Manager?”
Mamori’s knees felt weak, thinking about what had just happened. “What DID just happen? Why are you here in a Chinese residential area? How did you get involved with this?”
“Someone hired me,” he said as he looked at the boy in Mamori’s arms. “A big tycoon from China, you could say. That guy received a threat, a blackmail you could say, and he had to leave his son in Japan to handle the issue. Then he received word that his son would be the next target, and so he hired me to handle it.”
Mamori knew well enough about Hiruma and his ‘second life’. For although she had never witnessed it herself, she had helped him on several occasions to gather materials he needed, like disguises or bags, or even helped treat minor wounds. But she wasn’t expecting to actually be a part of this. “Why you?” She looked at the other people in animal suits. “And who are they?”
“They’re also hired to work for him,” said Hiruma. “Top notch shooters, from what I know. And I was hired for almost the same reason... and I agreed cause that means that Fucking Tycoon would be indebted to me…”
“And you could add another slave to the long list that you have.” Mamori sweat-dropped, thinking how that would fit into Hiruma’s modus operandi.
Hiruma cackled. “You catch on well, Fucking Manager.” Hiruma raised his furry paw and placed it on Mamori’s back. “Now let’s go to the police station. That boy’s mother should be worried.”
With all that had happened, Mamori jumped a little when Hiruma’s paw landed on her back, but nodded as the sobbing boy had calmed down, and was staring at Hiruma intently. Without another word, they entered another van and rode down to the closest police station. Mamori had worried that the police mightreact badly to them, because of Hiruma’s reputation. But the police treated him well enough, and they even took down Mamori’s report. Once that was done, she stayed by the boy’s side till late at night. Hiruma came by occasionally to pass Mamori and the boy something warm to drink, though it amused her that he was still in his bunny suit. They boy seemed amused by this as well and he kept pointing to Hiruma eagerly and smiling happily at Mamori.
Just before the boy succumbed to the subtle lull of sleep, a woman rushed into the police station, looking around frantically until her eyes settled on the boy next to Mamori. “Wei Lim!”
The boy’s eyes snapped wide open at the sound of his name being called. “Mama!” the boy cried as he jumped up and ran into the woman’s arms. The woman burst into tears as she hugged the boy tightly, crying words that Mamori could only guess were of gratefulness and relief. Mamori could not help but smile tenderly.
The boy saw Mamori and said something rather quickly in Chinese to his mother. The woman then got up, and with her son’s tiny hand gripped tightly in hers, she approached Mamori. “My son said you protected him from danger?” she asked in fluent Japanese.
“Ah!” Mamori blushed, shaking her head. “It wasn’t a big deal, and it’s the most that I could do…” she trailed off as the mother bowed deeply before Mamori. This prompted the boy to do the same.
“Thank you very, very much,” she said as she got up, smiling at Mamori. “My family is indebted to you.”
“Oh no!” Mamori shook her head even more. “That really isn’t-”
“Just accept it, Fucking Manager!” Hiruma walked towards them, completely rid of his bunny suit now as he wore his usual clothes, though a rifle rested on his shoulder. “You may just need it.”
“Hiruma-kun!” Mamori hissed. “Why would I want that?”
“You were in that area for a reason, weren’t you?” Hiruma grinned at her.
The moment he said that, Mamori let out a loud gasp as she looked at a nearby clock on the wall. It was past 11pm. “The bakery! Oh no, I promised the others that I would buy those sweets! Now it’s too late!”
The mother watched Mamori curiously. “Sweets?”
“Oh… The Sweet Khee Bakery…” Mamori sighed. “A transfer student from China is having a birthday tomorrow and we were hoping to share some Chinese sweets and cakes with the class. That’s how I passed by your house and found your son…”
The mother nodded and pulled out her cellphone. She dialed and began to talk in Chinese, much to Mamori’s confusion. But Hiruma continued to grin as he said to Mamori, “Looks like you’re in luck.”
Finishing the call, the mother looked at Mamori with a smile. “I have called that bakery and requested that they send their best delicacies to your class. You study in the same place as Hiruma-san, right? I hope that’s all right.”
Mamori felt her jaw drop slight. “T-that’s more than enough! T-thank you!” Mamori bowed. “Thank you so much!”
“It is but a small reward for the greatness you have done,protecting my son,” the woman bowed once more. Then she looked at Hiruma and bowed at him as well. “And thank you for your cooperation. You and your girlfriend have helped my family greatly.”
“Girlfriend?!” Mamori sputtered. “N-no, you misunderstand! He’s not…” The mother looked utterly confused as Mamori looked at Hiruma and he looked back at her. He didn’t say anything to protest to what the mother had said and for some strange reason, he didn’t seem to mind at all. So with a sigh, Mamori just smiled weakly and said, “It’s all right. I’m glad your son is safe.”
“Thank you, Onee-chan!” the boy said in Japanese, smiling happily.
Mamori couldn’t help but smile as well as she got on her knees and hugged the boy. “Take care of yourself.”
The boy didn’t understand, but he nodded and smiled. And with that, both the boy and his mother left.
Mamori glanced at the time and sighed once again. “What an insane day it turned out to be.”
“Hey, Fucking Manager.”
“What is it?”
Hiruma stood before her, grinning down at her as he normally does, even on the field. “Since we’re close to the Chinese district and it’s Chinese New Year, want to see something not every fucking Japanese gets to experience?”
“Hiruma-kun, it’s late…” She stopped as she saw that eager glint in his eyes. It was strange to see it, especially after what happened today. It occurred to her that he would normally be a little more reserved or just go home and do what he usually does to avoid any suspicion on his ‘double life’. But seeing his unusual enthusiasm she took a deep breath and nodded. “Fine, but let’s not stay out too long. I’m really exhausted.
He cackled joyfully as they both walked side by side out of the police station. It didn’t take long for Mamori to notice that festivities were still going on near the main residence. The loud sounds of the cymbals and drums could be heard blocks away before they even arrived, and there were many red and gold lights shining from a distance.
This surprised Mamori. “They go on till this late!”
“It’s quite far from most Japanese residence so no one really notices,” Hiruma explained. “And besides, this is the biggest occasion for the Chinese. So of course they’re gonna fucking celebrate… for 15 days or so I heard.”
Mamori could not hide her awe as she finally got closer to the street. She drank in the sight of the Oriental lights, lanterns and colours of red and gold, of people dressed in new Chinese clothes of various colours. Loud music, cymbals and drums filled the air. Symbols of the rabbit in various forms, from cartoon Bugs Bunny cut outs to even rabbit motifs were on every sign along the street. Mamori soon noticed someone selling rabbit merchandise, from rabbit pendants, to even rings were laid out on the table. Mamori stopped to look when one caught her eye.
“Hiruma-kun, look! That tiny rabbit statue looks similar to the outfit you wore today! In fact…” Mamori looked at Hiruma suspiciously. “That outfit looked very familiar.”
Hiruma cackled in amusement. “Don’t tell me you forgot Sports Day, Fucking Manager.”
Pondering for a moment, Mamori soon realized what he meant. “Oh, of course! How could I forget? I couldn’t stop giggling when I saw you in it. What a strange thing to wear to be undercover though, and there were many of you in animal outfits.”
He shrugged. “We were all supposed to dress up as animals according to the fucking Chinese astrology. We walked around giving passer bys red packets of these fucking discount coupons so that the blackmailers wouldn’t notice us. Since I already had that bunny suit, I thought I’d use it again.”
Mamori nodded in understanding, though she looked a little concerned. “I’m glad you didn’t get hurt too, today.” She was referring to the many times Hiruma had been out on these missions and she was well aware of it. It often made her anxious for Hiruma’s safety and whether or not he would arrive the next day for practice. But he’d always come, kicking and shooting everyone as usual.
The salesman for the rabbit merchandise came up, and seemed on the verge of launching into his well-rehearsed salesman pitch to make more money… until he saw Hiruma. “AH! IT’S HIRUMA!”
Mamori blinked and turned to look at Hiruma who was grinning maniacally. “Oh, it’s you, Tan.”
The salesman shivered and quickly turned to Mamori. “Take anything you want but please don’t let your boyfriend blackmail me!”
Mamori sighed, not liking the fact that another person has seen her as Hiruma’s girlfriend again. “Hiruma-kun, you really need to stop all this.”
His eyes still on the salesman, Hiruma merely grinned. “Just pick what you want, Fucking Manager. This man owes me… Though that still doesn’t make the info I have on you invalid, Tan.”
The salesman swallowed as Mamori shook her head. She really didn’t want anything, but as she looked at the many rabbit merchandise, she was still drawn to the rabbit figurine that looked rather similar to Hiruma’s bunny outfit. Picking it up, she looked at the salesman and said, “Is this okay?”
“Take it take it take it!” he cried out, eager for them both to leave.
Hiruma sneered at what Mamori chose. “Keh, couldn’t you have picked something cuter? You’ve got no sense of what’s cute, Fucking Manager.”
“This is cute!” Mamori insisted as she gave it to the salesman to wrap it up in paper and give it back to her. She uttered a thank you before quickly pulling Hiruma away, hoping that his presence would not cause more trouble. But it really wasn’t easy as it seems as though Hiruma knew a lot of people at the Chinese residence.
To Mamori’s surprise, some actually wanted to challenge Hiruma to gamble, and she practically had to hold him back as she knew these men would be flat out broke by morning if he were dealt any cards. She was glad that he listened to her at the time, and they kept walking.
“Hiruma-kun, you know quite a lot of people here. Isn’t it dangerous?” Mamori asked.
“Keh, I know how to fucking handle the people here,” said Hiruma, though he eyed the people around them suspiciously. “Just enjoy yourself. As long as you’re with me, nothing will happen. And I’ll make sure the people here don’t lay even a fucking finger on you. Even what happened today, I’ll make sure you won’t get targeted, even if I have to dig up more blackmail. Just make sure you don’t tell anyone about this.”
Mamori nodded slowly. “All right…”
Hiruma raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? ‘All right’?” He cackled lowly in amusement. “Not going to tell me off for possibly putting your life on risk? Not going to make some insane plan to run off and never see me again?”
Mamori stopped for a moment, contemplating on his words. He was right; she should be very bothered by all this. She shouldn’t just accept this side of him so easily, and go on tomorrow pretending as if everything was all right. Yet why did she still feel safe?
Just as she opened her mouth to express this confusion, a loud bang suddenly filled the air, and it made her jump, remembering the gunshots just earlier this evening. But Hiruma quickly put his hand on her shoulder, pulled her to a corner, and prompted her to look up.
Colourful fireworks burst in the air and filled the night sky, one after another. Many people watched and gasped in delight at the many colours. Mamori could not help but watch as well, the atmosphere completely filling her. It was all truly a sight to behold and it seemed to invigorate her at the same time. All her doubts dissolved as each firework fades into the darkness, making her own emotions clear.
“Hiruma-kun,” she called out to him, his arm still wrapped on her shoulder. Hiruma turned to look at her and said, “Without a doubt, being around you can be dangerous and your methods are risky. You tend to cause a lot of trouble for me too. But I know you have your reasons, and strangely, I’ve accepted that. In fact, even after today I’m still glad to know you, and I know I’ll be all right if I’m with you.”
He grinned, obviously pleased with her answer. “Of course! You’re the woman I chose after all! The way you handled today just proved it! Though instead of running to that dead end, if you had kept running straight, you would have gotten to safety at some point.”
Mamori groaned. “Please don’t remind me! It was my first time to be caught in that situation and-” She was cut off as Hiruma had pulled her closer, and the next thing Mamori knew, his lips were pressed firmly on hers. Shocked, her first instinct was that of panic as she looked around to see if people were watching, but the fireworks were a great distraction. Feeling a little more secure, she returned the kiss.
The words “Gong Xi Fa Cai!” continued to ring through the air as the fireworks carried on. As both Hiruma and Mamori deepened the kiss, Mamori began to wonder if the fortune teller may be right about the rabbit and how it would protect her and affect her future. She thought about the rabbit figurine and of Hiruma and that maybe, just maybe, that fortune teller did speak some form of truth. The Year of the Rabbit would be a great year for her.
THERE IS AN OMAKE! CLICK HERE!