Chapter 13

"H-Hey,wait a minute!"Tomoyo pulled away from Eriol's arms."You perverted oaf!You're not suppose to be here!You just threw me out of your house,remember?"

"Bi-jin,I didn't throw you out of my house.You left voluntarily.I tried to stop you."he shot back.

"Well,you didn't try hard enough!"she shot back.

"I know,and I'm sorry."He offered her his hand."Come on,let's go home."

"Home?"She echoed and took his hand."You're taking me to my house?"

"My house."he replied firmly.

"But I thought you can get a hundred geishas to replace me?"

"What good is a hundred geishas if I do not have you."he said softly.

She looked at him in surprise.

His eyes crinkled into a smile."Besides,no one's applying yet so I might as well make do with you."



The next day...

"Oh damn,Kaho!I thought you came here to talk."moaned Eriol as he pushed her away from him.

She smoothed her wrinkled clothes and leaned towards him."Yes,but let me show you first how much I miss you."She teased his lips with her fingertip lightly,and he let out another moan.

"Damn you're driving me nuts."He nuzzled her slender neck.He was certainly aroused now.He wanted her badly.

But then they both heard someone clear a throat behind them.They both turned to see Tomoyo looking at them with an arched eyebrow.

Eriol wanted to groan.Damn it!Why did he suddenly feel like a guilty philandering husband caught by his wife?

He sat up."I can explain-"

"What for?You don't owe me one.I'm just reminding you the courtesy of closing the door before you do some.."Tomoyo looked at Kaho in disgust."..bed exercises."She closed the door.

ERiol groaned some more and fixed his coat."This is all your fault!"He glared at the woman who shrugged helplessly.

"Eriol dear,I gave you a friendly kiss and it was you who pulled me down the bed.Like I said,I came here to talk and nothing more."she replied.

He scowled.He could remember that it was she who kissed him torridly and pushed him down the bed,and he merely responded-he's a man after all-yet he chose not to argue with her over it."What do you want to talk about?"he growled."Talk fast because I still have to talk to Bijin."

She rose."Sure,sure."She tugged on her skirt that hiked up awhile ago."Did you go on a target practice last night?"

He frowned."So the two idiots sang,hmm?"

"The man said he recognized you as the one who shot them."she said grimly."Eriol,you know that the last thing a peace ambassador should do is to go triggerhappy on people whom you do not have kinship with,least of all the Japanese."she hissed.

"I did not go triggerhappy,Kaho.I merely defended Bijin from those maniacs."He narrated to her the whole story.

She sighed."Granted,Eriol,but those men told the whole town a twisted version of your story,and between you and them,the people will tend to believe them more."

"Tomoyo can support my side of truth."he replied.

"The question is,will she do that for you?You know how much she hated us."she replied.

Eriol fell silent.

Kaho gripped his hands tightly."Leave this place at once,Eriol.It's for your own safety."

He remained unspeaking.

"The natives will surely kill you."she continued worriedly.

"I'll think about it."he said quietly.



Tomoyo barged into her room angrily.She was fuming mad,and it was all because of the Obake.

As if jeering,the horrible scene she witnessed awhile ago in Eriol's room rushed back to her memory.Her heart wrenched,but she didn't know why.All she knew was she hated the obake and the woman.

This was her first time to feel such pain.She knew from the start that Eriol was crazy about women,and was one of those pigs that thought that Kami-sama created women solely for men to enjoy.

Demo..

But..

It still hurts.

And that red-haired woman..

Oh god,she was jealous of her!

But she had no right to feel that way.

Who was she in Eriol's life anyway?

Just a geisha.

An object he possessed.

She bit back her tears and walked to the full-length mirror.She surveyed herself critically."I'm certainly every inch as pretty as that English woman."she told herself confidently.

She dug into her closet until she found a bunch of old-fashioned English outfits that Nakuru gave her but she never dared to wear.She took one out and placed it over her kimono.She again looked at herself in the mirror."I am beautiful."she told herself aloud.

"You certainly are."A voice spoke behind her.

Upon recognizing the voice,her voice burned in embarassment."O-Obake!"She tried to hide the clothes behind her but the twinkle in Eriol's eyes told her that she was caught already."Didn't your mother teach you how to knock?"

"Only when the door is closed."He gestured towards the slightly ajar door."Well at least I was able to watch your fashion show."

Her face turned hotter."WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"Your forgiveness."He knelt down before her.

"W-What are you doing?"stammered Tomoyo."Stand up!"

"Only when you say that you forgive me."he replied.

"Why should I?I don't care if you go to bed with other women as long as you keep your private affairs discreet."she replied.

"Ok,but do tell me you forgive me."he begged.

"Fine,you're forgiven."she said,rolling her eyes.

He smiled and stood up."Thanks Bijin.I have one more request,and that is,you grace the dinner table tonight with your presence."

"Not another dinner!"

"No,wait.This is a dinner just for the two of us."he said."And I want you to wear that gown tonight."He smiled serenely as he stroked the fabric of the gown Tomoyo was holding."This was the gown my father gave my mother back when he was courting her.This was my mom's favorite clothes."

Her throat went dry when he stroked her hand that was holding the gown as well.She didn't dare to look up.Instead she nodded."Ok,I'll eat dinner with you tonight."

She stifled a gasp when it was his lips that touched her hand.He looked up with a smile."Thank you,Tomoyo."He bowed and left quietly.

She smiled slowly."Y-You're welcome,Eriol."she whispered as she clutched the gown tighter.

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