Haru entered the hospital and went to the room that the women said. When he got there he was surprise to see the name on the door.
Ryomou Shimei
"Ryomou? But… why would they want Haru here? Is it a trick? Did they wish to harm Haru… or even Ryomou?"
Even though Haru didn't like what Ryomou did to Hakufu, he was still worried about her. She took a nasty beating when Hakufu was under the spirit's influence. He hoped she was ok and not seriously injured.
"Maybe Haru should go check on her… just to make sure she's ok."
Haru slowly open the door and looked inside. There was Ryomou lying in bed in a hospital gown fast asleep. Haru as quietly as possible went up to her bed; he saw that she looked better than yesterday. Haru felt relieved knowing she is ok. He saw a vase near her bed and he placed the flowers in them and took a seat next to the bed. Haru just sat there trying to figure out why the old couple brought him here and also where Hakufu could be.
"Maybe Haru is being paranoid; there could be no motive behind it. But then why bring Haru here? Do they know her? That would explain why they send Haru here and what room number she's in. But I wish Haru would know where Hakufu is, maybe Haru should go before something happens."
Haru thought hard on it till Ryomou suddenly sat up gasping which made him jump off his seat landing head first to the ground. Ryomou looked down at Haru who had a dazed look in his eyes, groaning in mild pain. Ryomou quickly put her eye patch on before speaking.
"You… you're the kid from before… what are you doing here?" She demanded.
"Um… Haru was walking around till Haru came to the Hospital and Haru thought to see how you were doing?"
"Is that so?" She raised an eyebrow.
"… yeah?"
"Ok kid, cut the crap and tell me straight before I have to beat it out of you." She threatened.
Haru froze in fear; he didn't know what to do. He was trying to find Hakufu but now he is in a room with the girl that defeated his friend… and then got her ass whooped by the same one but only because of the spirit. Haru was shaking and he couldn't move. Ryomou saw his nervousness and just sighed.
"Just forget it kid and leave, I'm not in the mood to see anyone. So just leave." She said.
Haru blinked before turning away and was about to go when he stopped. He couldn't go, not till he knew a few things.
"Why did you do it?" He asked.
"What?"
"Why did you attack Haru's friend? What reason was there for Ryomou going after Hakufu?"
"You heard what Saji-ecchi said, it was an order from my leader."
"That's what Saji said and Haru doesn't trust Saji enough to believe him. Haru wants to hear Ryomou's answer."
Ryomou just smirked at his little demand.
"Got to give the kid some points for his little gutsy demand on me." She thought.
"Ok kid, I didn't attack her just because Enjutsu-sama ordered it. In fact, it was supposed to be Kannei-san that was going to go after her but I wanted that job for personal reasons."
"Cause you thought she might be the Sho Haou?"
"Yes, I wanted to see if she was really the legendary Lords… guess I got what I wanted to know the hard way." She said with a small chuckle.
"Is Ryomou ok?" He asked with concern.
"I've been in pain before so this isn't new to me… and why do you care? I went after your friend, shouldn't you hate me?"
"Though Haru didn't like you going after her and did what you did, Haru was still worried about Ryomou. You took a bad beating and Haru thought you were seriously hurt. And Haru knows Ryomou isn't a bad person, just someone that has a big burden." Ryomou looked at him with a hard glare.
"And what the fuck do you know about my burden brat!?" She snapped.
"Because Haru knows the feeling. You feel like there is a great weight on your shoulders that you have this unknown source within you that seems to cause you nothing but trouble. Not knowing where or who to turn to when you need it the most. This feeling of dread that you may lose control anytime and causing not only grieve to you but those you care for. And the worst part is that if you go back to that… you may never come back. And that you may lose everything just because you were born with it, to be placed such a burden without being asked to have it. To feel so much a creature and less of a human. And the only question you can only ask is 'why' but knowing you'll never get that answer… no matter how much you want to know." Haru said solemnly.
Ryomou was shocked to hear him say that. He said all that she was feeling about her burden and even more so, as if he was in her shoes. And the look he gave when he spoke, it was as though he went through his own personal hell. The pain, the sorrow, the look of hopelessness, it was all there.
"… How… how can you… know?" She finally asked.
"Cause Haru knows what it's like to have a burden. Haru may not know what burden haunts Ryomou, but Haru does know it made her life a living nightmare at times." He said with a sad smile.
Ryomou didn't say anything. She couldn't help but wonder who this kid was and where he came from. He's not a Fighter that's for sure but yet he speaks of a pain that she herself knows. How can someone like him could even know this was both unreal and sad. Ryomou looked over to the window and saw the flowers in the vase.
"What's this?" She asked, pointing at the flowers.
"There for Ryomou, Haru hopes you like it."
"For… me?" Haru nodded.
"They're beautiful… thank you kid—I mean Haru-san, that's your name, right?"
"Yes. And Ryomou is welcome."
"And… thanks for stopping Sonsaku from nearly killing me. That would have been a real pain of dying by her hands… but what got me puzzled is how she got so damn powerful all of a sudden? Unless her spirit has finally awoken… which means Enjutsu-sama's being worried about her may not have been so farfetched. Which makes Saji-ecchi right too… fuck."
"Koukin and Haru will make sure that Hakufu doesn't go into that form again… or at least hope so."
"For your and all our sakes, I hope you can. From what the legends say about her ancestor, he was very strong and nearly undefeatable in combat. And having a loose cannon like that, she may be almost as dangerous as the Kanto Beast is."
Haru's eyes widened when she said that.
"The… Kanto Beast?"
"Yep, the killer that has murdered all those Fighters for years… wait, you never heard of it?"
"No… Haru has heard of it… and saw the damages it left… but Haru doesn't think Hakufu would be anything like that monster."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Cause the big difference between them is the Beast is a true monster while Hakufu is just overly excited for fighting."
"You really must like her a lot huh?"
"She's Haru's very first friend… she didn't see Haru as a broken and freaky person and actually wants to be a friend to Haru. Haru… never had a friend before her." He said looking down.
"Never?" He shook his head.
"For how long?"
Haru just looked away and didn't say. Ryomou saw that she must have come across a very touchy subject for him. Haru must have been through a lot and talking about it must be too fresh for him.
"Hey Haru-san, you don't need to say it if it's too painful for you. I understand."
"Thank you Ryomou. Haru has… been through a lot, but thanks to her and Koukin Haru's life has been a bit better. By the way, will Ryomou still go after Hakufu?"
"Nah, I'd rather stay alive, thank you. Dying isn't part of my plans for the future… at least so soon."
"Ok… well, Haru should leave now and let Ryomou rest. It was nice talking to you. Haru hopes you get better soon."
"Sure, maybe I'll see you around?"
"… Haru… would like that very much." He bowed his head and left.
Ryomou sat in her bed looking at the door Haru left and couldn't help but smile a little. She just had a rather unusual conversation with a strange kid that she barely knows and it led to some interesting things. She now saw him in a different light, from an annoying, freaky looking runt of a kid to a kind, sweet, and little gusty person who knows of her pain or at least understands it better than most. But that got her thinking, what kind of burden did he have that made him say those words and had that look from before?
"Haru-san isn't part of the Fighters fate so what kind of burden could he have? And yet he showed the look many have, the look of misery and total helplessness. What could have happened to that kid? Maybe when the time is right, I'll ask him." Ryomou said to herself.