RIVALS INCARNATE

Chapter Fifty-One: Misinterpret

"They're sleeping with each other, aren't they?"

Osamu Sato's inquisitive nature acted up as he stood next to Yuko Amazawa, witnessing and watching with unreserved interest the unusual closeness displayed between Kyouhei Kurosaki and Ami Komatsu as they danced together, rather a little too intimately, on the dance floor from afar. Yuko and Sato were just about done with their own round of dancing a while ago and both had decided to idle near the small tables located further down the corner of the event hall, isolating themselves from anyone inside the place. They had chosen to stay blended in the background, preferring to keep their posts there so they could both observe the people around them just easily and get a whole view of the entire party scene taking place before them.

When Osamu had said those words out loud, Yuko was already in denial. She had noticed it too, way before she even heard his question, but she did not really want to acknowledge any of her suspicions. For her, that would only complicate her judgment. Although it was pretty obvious, Kyouhei and Ami were not much different than mere humans, so accustomed to their own foolish desires. And Yuko felt disgusted. She almost wanted to leave but she kept her ground as she ignored to answer.

Yet Osamu had no plans of letting the topic go as he casually leaned a little closer to Yuko's side and he whispered to her ear with a mischievous note in his voice, saying, "I do find this quite insulting, to be honest. But I hope you're not taking this deep in the heart, Shin-sama. I don't think they're that serious."

Yuko masked her annoyance, dripping sarcasm with her own voice as she uttered, "How can you say?"

"I just do," Osamu replied, smirking as he leaned back, "Anyone would speculate the same thing. They're not even trying to keep it discreet. You could just tell right away." 

"And you assumed you got it all correct 'cause you know enough about human emotions, body language, and relationships to come up with that theory, huh?" Yuko retorted back, partly mocking.

"It's not a theory," Osamu said, "And it's the truth."

"Well, I don't believe it," Yuko argued. Her eyes narrowing at Kyouhei when she saw his hand drifting down to the small of Ami's back. Are you enjoying that? Yuko suddenly felt the urge to cross the distance between them and whack Kyouhei on the back of his head. Don't be too smug.

"Don't tell me, you're still hung up on her, Shin-sama?"

"Amazawa," Yuko found herself saying, correcting Osamu's address to her without even blinking and looking away from Kyouhei.

"Huh?" The man asked anxiously.

"Stop calling me Shin," Yuko briefly explained, her gaze following the movements of the other two as they moved around the dance floor, "It should be Amazawa. We're in public right now."

"Right," Osamu said, realizing his mistake as he nodded his head then went back on talking about Kyouhei and Ami again, "But don't you think they're a little too showy now?"

Osamu was rather just humoring the entire situation but he was still keen to take note of the subtle sensual touches that Kyouhei and Ami were doing to each other. They could almost just make out right there in the center of everyone's attention and no one would have even blinked an eye at them. It was so obvious they had crossed the bounds of personal distance already.

"I know," Yuko said, gritting her teeth as she glared at the particular scene, "His hands have been touching her everywhere."

"Are you getting jealous?" Osamu asked curiously and did not even hold himself back anymore from voicing his queries out loud in a teasing manner that Yuko shot him a deathly glare immediately as she turned and looked at him with a sneer. Osamu chuckled and shook his head at her.

"You're losing your touch, Amazawa-san."

"I'm not jealous. And I don't care if they are sleeping with each other. Why would I be?" Yuko strongly denied, scowling at him with angry eyes.

"Doesn't seem like you're enjoying it either. You do know she's not Lady Aoi, right?" Osamu said, raising a brow at Yuko and she scowled harder as she looked away. She felt like walking out for a while. She needed some fresh air, but she knew she can't really leave. And she still had one thing to do at this party that needed her full attention.

"What do you mean?" Yuko found herself asking after a moment, pondering over Osamu's words.

"She might be her reincarnation, but she's no longer Lady Aoi," Osamu said with a faraway look on his face as he continued, "She's not like us. She doesn't have anything that resembles nor represents the Empress. She's just a mere human with the same soul. And that's the only thing she could ever be... A reincarnation. But she's not the real Lady Aoi."

"I don't get your logic," Yuko argued, shaking her head in disagreement, "A reincarnation is a reincarnation. Same or not, they are one."

"So does that mean you love Ami Komatsu too?" Osamu asked blatantly, his voice lowered as he turned serious, "Do you still feel the same way as when you have loved the Empress? Is it still the same exact feelings with this woman too?"

Yuko stopped and felt confronted. She really did not like where this conversation was heading to and her eyes ache while she watched the two dance slower and much closer. Why were they still dancing? When will they finally separate?

"Amazawa-san?"

"Stop asking me personal questions," Yuko angrily bit back. Her face turning into a glower and Osamu turned to look at her. He was observing. He already knew the answer to the question, he just wanted to hear a valid response from her. However, despite his efforts, Yuko would surely never admit it. But Osamu was unsatisfied. And he felt the need to probe some more. So even when he felt that Yuko was not feeling comfortable with his questioning, he still went on and asked again.

"Or is it not Komatsu-san that is bothering you?"

Yuko froze. And before she knew it, her body was already turning, facing Osamu with all of her attention focused on him. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Is it a wrong assumption this time, Amazawa-san?" Osamu remarked, his eyes shifting away and looking far ahead to something else that did not exist in front of him, but he was aware that Yuko was staring at him from the corner of his eye, "Or am I getting much closer to the truth?"

"What the hell are you saying?" Yuko was starting to feel irritated and she curled her hands into fists as she stood there, glaring at Osamu who seemed to not get a hint at all. He really should shut that nonsense blabbering mouth sometimes.

Osamu could feel the weight of her furious stare. She was affected, for some reason. But he still could not determine if it was because he got it right or thought it wrong. Yet her reaction was more than enough for Osamu to conclude that she was somehow a little concerned and conscious of Kyouhei Kurosaki. And it was not only because he was the reincarnation of General Rei anymore. Osamu wanted to ignore it at first, but somehow this time, he could no longer just brush it off.

He slowly moved his eyes and turned them in Yuko's direction again until he met her gaze. She was still glaring but the fury was already lost in those dazzling black eyes. She was trying hard to conceal everything underneath that cold, unbreakable exterior. But Osamu could see her defenses and walls slowly breaking around her. Her mask was slipping off. She could not look away and he was finally almost at the very tip of what really lies within her heart.

"Is he starting to mean something more to you?" he softly asked, his voice sounding gentler as he moved a little closer to her while holding that gaze she was giving him. Yuko's eyes went sharp, her jaw hardened, and she could not answer right away. I don't want to answer that. But she knew Osamu would eventually interpret her silence into something else if she did not say anything. So she quickly forced herself and took a deep breath as she spoke back.

"He's nothing more but a mere object of my revenge plan, Sato," Yuko replied, her words heavy and dripping with obvious contempt. Then she looked away and broke their stare, "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"That's so unusual of you, Amazawa-san."

Yuko paused and for a moment, she thought he was seeing through her and she bit back a response, trying to stay calm. She was caught off guard by his words, and it somehow hit a spot that she realized had been existing and she felt her heart raising. Then his hand suddenly moved to touch her lightly on the side of her head. His fingers grazed through her hair behind her ear, and then he whispered to her again.

"Shin had always been good at lying," he told her, "But right now, I don't think you're still as good as you were before, Amazawa-san."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------next chapter: Chapter Fifty-Two