Post by Nobu Narukami on Dec 31, 2017 8:00:39 GMT -5
A Yumi x OC story. I've been wanting to do this for a long time, but it never seemed to happen, until now. It has taken me all year, but I'm finally ready to present a story, and on Yumi's birthday at that. I hope you can enjoy this. (No relation to the Yumi and Asuka shipping in my entry to the February Writing Contest. This is entirely independent.)
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After celebrating her birthday party with her friends in Gessen and genuinely having a blast with her closest friends, there was one more errand for Yumi to run. Seeing her boyfriend for the evening.
Yumi is well aware that romance and life as a Shinobi shouldn't mix, but being young was a curse as well as a blessing.
She met him shortly after the PBS incident, thanks to some machinations of Shiki's, who set up plans for a double date. Shiki invited Yumi, and a boy in invited one of his friends as well. That friend, is now currently the boyfriend Yumi was seeing.
It was awkward at first during the double date, because she was incredibly shy around boys her own age at that time. Thankfully, he proved to be just as awkward around women. Despite a few missteps, they actually hit off quite well, and discovered they had more in common than they had realized.
Mouths have passed since then, and her relationship with him is perfectly stable now, and they appear to be genuinely in love. He would soon become her first boyfriend. Although, on past dates, he was still pretty awkward, but was eager to learn how to be a proper boyfriend for her.
Now strolling through the snow covered streets, Yumi is very eager to meet her man for a romantic evening.
Tonight, Yumi wears a cream colored coat, with a white dress underneath, white gloves, black pantyhose, and brown boots. She's carrying with a parasol to keep the snow off while she walks to the meeting place.
She found her way to the park, where she was to meet with her boyfriend.
The snow appears to have let up, so she was free to close her parasol and wait for him to show up. She stood by the entrance, waiting patiently.
Moments later, her Shinobi instincts kick in and she felt a presence lurking around her. It seemed to be testing her. Yumi stands quiet, waiting for this presence to make itself known.
It slowly approached from behind. Footsteps quiet and subtle, quick and graceful. But, Yumi's Shinobi training allowed her gauge the threat of this presence.
"Must you always attempt to sneak up on me?" she asks, knowing exactly who the presence is. It stopped, directly behind her. But of course, there was no real threat at all. Instead of dangerous killer intent, this presence was pleasantly familiar, as always.
"You should know me by now. I'm not the best at casual greetings." said a gentle masculine voice.
"Yes. And it's also your way of saying hello, isn’t Haruo-san?" Yumi replies, turning her head and faces her beloved boyfriend, Haruo, with a warm smile.
Haruo is the same age as Yumi. He is tall and slim, has light skin, short, slightly unkempt purplish red hair and sharp azure eyes. There's a slight androgyny with his face, having some feminine features, but also still basely masculine. Still, he is quite handsome. He wears a black leather jacket, red scarf around his neck, blue jeans, and brown shoes.
As for why he attempted to sneak on his girlfriend, it was simply an odd habit he picked up from his childhood. He too is a Shinobi Student, and goes to a lesser known Good Shinobi School, by the name of Narukami Private Academy, and is also a third year.
"Did I keep you waiting, Yumi?" asked Haruo.
"No. I only arrived moments ago." answered Yumi, turning completely around to face him.
"That still means you waited on me. I gotta fix this habit." Haruo grimaces.
"Please, don't worry so much about it. You can't help being you." Yumi reaffirms him, "Now, you said you had a dinner planned for me."
"Oh yeah. I had some help, but I reserved a hotel for us to eat and… spend the night." Haruo mutters.
"Spend the night?"
"I told those idiots I just wanted to the dinner for two, not an overnight stay." said Haruo, referring to his underclassmen back at Narukami. They had to pull a stunt like this behind his back at the last minute. He picked the hotel to be sure, but he had no idea had to make reservations, so he left that part to his juniors since they're more knowledgeable about the modern world than him, which was a grave mistake on his part. Now he can't back out of the overnight stay, since it was paid in advance.
"Don't be mad at them. This just means we can spend the evening together for New Years."
"Yeah, you're right. Plus, it's your birthday, so that makes it extra special, especially in my eyes." Haruo smiles to his girlfriend.
"Haruo-san…" Yumi's eyes gleam with happiness.
This causes Haruo to blush, feeling somewhat awkward, "So, uh, shall we go?"
"Yes." Yumi nodded. Walking side by side & hand in hand, the two march to their destination.
A few minutes later, on arrival to the hotel in question, they are greeted by the desk clerk at the front, given their reserved key for the night, and showed to their table. The couple enjoyed the feast and each other's company to their heart's content. Yumi had removed her coat and folded it over her chair a moment ago. Her white dress reveals some of her cleavage, and the sight didn't go unnoticed by her boyfriend. As soon as her gaze met his, Haruo quickly averted his eyes away and tried to act as though his eyes hadn't wandered toward her. Yumi merely chuckles at this, finding his awkwardness to be humorous and charming.
"Is this place to your liking? I guess you would've preferred a place more traditional than a classy hotel, but the guys back Narukami recommended this place, so..."
"It’s fine, really. I couldn’t be happier just being with you." Yumi reassures.
"I… I see. I’m glad you like this place." said Haruo, somewhat relieved.
Although, he's also quick to pick up on the eyes and voices of the other guests, most of whom were adults. Some seemed pleasant, talking about young love and such. Others were dismissive of the presence of "children" being in a hotel like this. And some were even praising the beauty of the girl at this particular table, and most of those comments were from older gentlemen. He immediately sees Yumi looking rather embarrassed that people were talking about her and her date.
"It seems we're quite popular, Haruo-san." said a blushing Yumi.
"If you ask me, they're not good at minding their own business. Just ignore them." said Haruo bluntly. Yumi could tell Haruo is being aware of the things those people were saying, and he seems to be trying to ignore them. Still, even he feels annoyed and uneasy. Unbeknownst to her, for more than one reason other than the awkward feeling of being the topic of discussion among the nosy adults.
Despite loving her dearly, Haruo sometimes feels he didn't deserve to be with Yumi like this, wondering if she's really happy to be with him. All because of certain things in his past. Suddenly, as soon as he remembers his past, all he could see is darkness and shadow, and amidst the fog of darkness clouding his vision, the face of a certain man appears. A man he was, at a certain point of his life, bent on tracking and...
"Haruo-san? What's wrong?" Yumi's voice calls Haruo back to reality.
"O-Oh, it's nothing... really." Haruo lies, and then falling silent as he continued eating.
"I see...." Yumi is aware that he’s not being truthful with her. It’s clear to her that something was definitely wrong with Haruo. He doesn't like to share his feelings sometimes. She knows that, and would prefer it if he talk to her about his problems. But, since he’s feeling uncomfortable, she wouldn't press him on it. Not yet, anyway.
Within a few minutes, Haruo finished his plate of food, but doesn't seem satisfied yet. He notices Yumi is finished as well, but looks like she wants a little more.
"I’m gonna get another plate. Do you want one too?" Haruo asks. Since it’s her birthday today, he knew he had to be the gentleman and try to make this night as good as possible.
"Oh, well, if it isn't too much trouble, just something light. I don't want to eat too much before going back to our room." said Yumi.
"Alright. I'll be back." Haruo stands up from his seat, taking Yumi's plate and going to the buffet tables to pick out something Yumi would like.
Moments later, a middle aged man wearing a dark gray suit approaches her, "Excuse me, miss. Are you enjoying yourself alright?" he asked, in a gentlemanly way. He must be of the high class sort, given how fancy his suit looks.
"Y-Yes, I'm fine, thank you." Yumi bowed politely, but she couldn't help but detect subtle hints of his flirtatious intentions.
"I see." said the gentleman, "I must say, young lady, you're quite the catch for someone so young. Are you here alone by chance?"
"No. I'm here with my boyfriend. And he's currently getting food for me." Yumi answers. Hopefully, she can dissuade his interest without causing an incident. Unfortunately, mentioning her boyfriend doesn't seem to deter him in the slightest.
"Oh, that's a shame. If I was your boyfriend, I wouldn't leave a beautiful girl like you alone for a solitary second." the gentleman comes closer to her, invading her personal space, and gently putting his hand on her shoulder.
"P-Please sir, stop this." Yumi pleads. She could have easily beaten him in an instant for his actions, but she did not want to cause a scene, and hurting a civilian man goes against the ways of the Good Shinobi.
"Now, now. Don’t be shy. I’d like to be your new friend if possible." he grins, leaning closer into her, and pressing himself against her body. It didn't take long for Yumi to notice where his eyes have been wandering. It would only be a matter of time before his hand begin to wander from her shoulder to her chest.
"N-No…" Yumi whimpers, her eyes tearing up from embarrassment and fear. Should she act in self defense & clabber this perverted man, or just let him have his way? She's not sure what to do.
Thankfully, before anything could escalate, Yumi feels the pressure of the middle aged man's body leave her. One look, and she sees Haruo, returned just in time to be the Knight in Shining Armor.
"Haruo-san…!" a relieved Yumi whispers, her eyes still tearing.
Haruo, having witness this man harassing his girlfriend a few meters away, instantly closes the gap, and roughly pulls the man back by the shoulder. The boy's grip on his shoulder tightens to the point of almost breaking it.
"Ow! OW! Let go of me, you punk!" the man demands, only to be met with another vice grip on the shoulder.
"What you were doing… to Yumi…?" Haruo asks darkly. Yumi is the first to immediately spot the dark, murderous look in his eyes. His vice grip on the man's shoulder increased by the second, causing further pain. She immediately feared what would happen if she didn't step in.
"Haruo-san, stop it!" Yumi cries out, catching her boyfriend's attention. Now out of his trance, Haruo releases the man, who jumps away from the boy, both angry and terrified. By then, a crowd gathers around the three.
"Excuse me, what seems to be the problem here?" A waiter asks, as he maneuvers through the crowd.
Before anyone could say anything, the man speaks up first, "T-That ruffian just assaulted me out of nowhere! I demand you have security throw him out at once!"
"You…" the waiter exclaims. Rather than do as ordered immediately, the waiter examines the scene. A girl in tears, an visibly angry boyfriend, and the familiar man with a sore shoulder. With this absorbed, the waiter turns to Haruo, "Young man, is it true you assaulted this man?"
"Yes." Haruo quickly replies. This immediately makes Yumi worried about what could happen next.
The crowd begin whispering to themselves about what occurred.
"There, he admits it! Now throw his ass out already!"
"Is it because he was harassing your date?" the waiter asks, blatantly ignoring the man's demand.
"Yes… Yumi was being troubled by him." Haruo replies, sending a chilling glare to the middle aged man, who immediately recoils in fear. Everyone in the crowd went silent after Haruo's reply.
"And I can confirm this with you as well, miss?" the waiter asks, turning to Yumi. He obviously didn't want to call on her after what just happened, but in order to get the facts straight before proceeding.
"Y-Yes…" Yumi nods, "This man put his hands on me when I didn't want it… that's when Haruo-san came and saved me…" Yumi, while very reluctant to recall the harassment, is secretly very happy that Haruo came to her rescue, even if he looked like he was about to murder that old pervert.
"I see. Then, good sir, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."
"What? You'd believe a couple of brats over me?! A frequent and well paying guest of this establishment?!"
"And a guest with a reputation for harassing female guests in this establishment. Particularly, young women like this one here."
"Ah…!" the middle aged man gasps.
"I believe we warned you about this numerous times. Any more harassment, and we'll be forced to ban you from this establishment."
"Y-You can't do this! I am-"
"Sir, do not make this harder. We'll have security escort you out shortly, so please behave yourself."
"N-No!" in mere moments, security came and dragged the pervert away to kick him out of the premises, banning him from entering. The crowd soon begins to disperse, leaving Yumi and Haruo with the waiter.
"I'm terribly sorry for the trouble." the waiter said with the other waiters and waitresses behind him. They all bow their head to the young couple. "We'll make sure the rest of your evening here goes more pleasantly from now on."
"Don't bother. We're leaving. I don't want to spend a second longer in a place where slime like that are allowed to roam free." said Haruo, who grabs his jacket, and wordlessly marches away.
"We understand completely. Please, be well on your way." the waiter said as Haruo trots off, followed after by Yumi. "Miss, our negligence has caused you much grief, and I can't apologize enough for this."
"No. We caused a bit of a scene as well." Yumi, with her own jacket on, said calmly. She tries to be civil, but honestly she's very annoyed with this oversight. They should have banned that man from the start, instead of just giving him warnings.
"Yumi!" Haruo calls.
"Coming!" Yumi replies, before turning to the employees of the hotel and briskly bows her head, "Please excuse me."
With that said, she quickly joins Haruo and exits the hotel with him.
After that, Yumi and Haruo return to the park and sit alone together on a nearby bench, in awkward silence. The snow stops falling, and the night sky appears to be clear. This would be nice, if not for the uncomfortable tension in the air.
"It's getting rather cold out here." said Yumi, feeling tense.
" Yeah…" replied Haruo quietly.
"Maybe returning here wasn't the best option."
"Yeah… I'm sorry…" He said, remorsefully, "About the hotel… It was suppose a nice birthday dinner for you, but then that bastard came and… ruined it."
Yumi shakes her head with a smile, "It's alright. You saved me before anything bad could happen, so I'm very thankful."
"But, I let me temper get the best of me in that situation. If you hadn't called out to me, I would've seriously injured that man…"
"And it didn't come to that. The situation resolved itself. And I was getting full anyway, so leaving is of no consequence."
Haruo didn't respond this time. Instead, he remains silent.
Yumi lets out a long sigh. It's quite obvious this conversation was going nowhere. Not hard to imagine why, considering the incident beforehand. Just the thought of that degenerate man's touch both angered her and sent shivers down her spine.
As a ninja, she shouldn't be affected by something like this, but as a teenage girl, she can't help feeling distressed about the whole thing. The incident has passed without injury thankfully, so it would be best to collect her emotion, then to dwell on them.
Feeling calmer after a moment, Yumi looks to Haruo, who is currently staring straight ahead of himself, just like back at the hotel. It seems he's found something to occupy his thoughts, besides the incident earlier.
He does this sometimes, zoning out, and unnoticing of anything else around him, save for what was in front of him. It's another habit Haruo picked up in his childhood, but Yumi couldn't help but look upon him with a mixture of awe and worry.
His eyes are focused like a steel blade aimed dead straight toward a target. It is one trait she admires about Haruo; the ability to focus straight on a target he set his mind too. But, as admirable as Haruo's focus is, Yumi couldn't help but feel that he's focusing on something on a subconscious level. And that something is quite possibly ominous. A lot happened in the short period she has known him, and Yumi had an accurate guess as to what he was thinking about, and it saddens her greatly. It certainly explained why he zoned out before during back at the hotel, and it didn't surprise her.
It's not about the perverted man from earlier, of that the Gessen Shinobi is sure of. The only thing, or person, that would occupy Haruo's thoughts like this is…
"Are you really sure about me?" Haruo suddenly asks, catching Yumi off guard. It seems he's broken out of his trance when she hadn't noticed.
"Eh?"
"Going out with someone like me, I mean." he said, turning to her with a conflicted expression on his face, "I'm happy. The happiest I've been in years, but, given my… anger issues… and my history with your grandfather, I…" before he could finish, Yumi places her slender fingertips to his lips.
"Shh… that's all it is. History. You've moved passed it. I'm sure of it." she said, lowering her hand, "And you're issues don't bother me, because you're working hard to overcome them."
"…I hope so. Because, sometimes, I still feel it. The need to get revenge on him…" Haruo mutters darkly. Yumi's heart sinks the moment she hears those words.
She can only lament how cruel fate can twist its knots. It was only recently discovered that Yumi's grandfather, Kurokage had killed Haruo's parents during his long hunt for Evil Shinobi. And as it turned out, Haruo's parents were Evil as well. This all happened when he was still young, and he felt a burning hatred for the man who took his parents from him ever since. They may have been on the side of Evil, but to Haruo, they were his family, the best parents he could've asked for, and they were good people deep down, but Kurokage didn't seem to care. He killed them without remorse, and ever since then, the dark desire for revenge took root in young Haruo's heart.
After his parents' deaths, Haruo was subsequently was taken in by Narukami, but he didn't fit in there, because he preferred solitude to training with the rest of the class, and often got into fights with the other students, and additionally gave his instructors and caretakers a hard time as well. Despite all that, one instructor, Haruo's current teacher had done everything he possibly could to change the child's mind about his dark ambition and correct his behavior, but Haruo still rejected his teacher's efforts.
Eventually, the young Haruo would track down Kurokage with the intent to kill him and avenge his parents deaths, but was defeated soundly by the older and more experienced renegade. Surprisingly, despite being the son of Evil Shinobi, Kurokage chose to spare him, and Haruo barely escaped with his life. But, Haruo had a renewed determination to get stronger and a promise to eventually get his revenge.
Unfortunately, by the time he felt he was strong enough years later, he learned that Kurokage had passed away from illness, leaving his efforts to get stronger null and void. He felt his spirit crushed, his determination squandered, and his purpose in life lost. How could a mere illness claim that monster's life before Haruo could? It was this revelation that made him question the point of trying to get revenge on the man who killed his family. What would he have done after exacting his revenge? Become a renegade, or join the ranks of Evil like his parents? He never gave it much thought, and now that he had a chance to truly ponder, Haruo pondered what to do next with his life, until his teacher and some of his classmates suggested that he live the life his parents would've wanted for him. Instead of focusing on revenge, he could focus on doing good for the world as a Good Shinobi, and to not let anyone else fall into this kind of darkness. It didn't sound bad on paper, but to this day though, while he was doing remarkably better than before, Haruo still wondered how he can do good in the world, when he had such malicious thoughts on his mind and has been nothing short of a problem child for so long. Even now, he can still feel that dark drive lingering in his soul, and it is the source of his anger issues.
Yumi was initially dishearten by this news once it was revealed to her, and felt conflicted about whether or not she should continue to see Haruo. Even her friends in Gessen couldn't give her a straight answer on what to do. However, she could see that he was struggling with much more than her. His thirst for revenge, and an encroaching darkness in his heart as a result. It was scary, even for her. But still, despite his origins as the son of Evil Shinobi and the dark feelings & intentions he held for her grandfather, she found she couldn't bring herself to leave him. Not like this.
"Haruo-san, I can see a lot of my Grandfather in you." Yumi said gently, tenderly holding his hand. "When I look back on it, he too had the same darkness in his heart, like you do now. His desire to create a world without evil, and the hate for that same evil. Maybe, it was all eating away at him and it eventually killed him."
"And the same might happen to me in the future, and I might never find any peace." whispered Haruo. He still has nightmares every so often of the day his parents were killed, and how Kurokage had beaten him senseless, not to mention his cold stare and nearly killing him as a result of his foolhardy actions.
Yumi simply shakes her head in disagreement, "No. When we saw his spirit in the Kagura Millennium Festival, I believe he was already healed in a manner of speaking. He seemed at peace, especially when he was with us and until he had to go back to heaven."
"How nice…" Haruo grumbles after hearing that Kurokage was able to find peace in the afterlife, even after he killed the boy's parents.
"I know it may be hard to hear, but I speak the truth. Please, believe me when I say if my Grandfather can be healed, you can be healed as well. All you need is a little light in your world."
"Light…?" Haruo looks to Yumi, and he can see a gentle light all around her, chasing the darkness away from his soul. It was like being with her heals him. Perhaps this was how Kurokage's heart was supposedly healed, being with Yumi and the other girls in Gessen. Yumi has nothing to do with his old quest for vengeance, and she has every right, every reason to hate him for his desire to kill Kurokage, and yet she's willing to give him the time of day, to forgive his transgressions with her grandfather, to gently heal the brooding nature that followed him all this time, and to chase the nightmares away. Willing to even love him this much and show this much devotion.
He chuckled to himself, "Hehe… this my birthday gift to you, and you're comforting me about my past. That's laughably sad."
"Say what you want. I won't leave your side. I promise, I will help your heart mend, no matter how long it takes. I'll always remain by your side." said Yumi, with her most kindest, gentlest, sincere, and loving smile.
Seeing this angelic sight, Haruo felt as if his darkness can really be cured. He wraps his arms tightly around Yumi, hugging with the utmost affection. She hugged him back, filling him with even more warmth and love.
"Thank you, Yumi…" he whispers into her hear, taking in just about everything about her. The fragrant smell of her hair, the warmth of her body, the soft touch from her hands. Everything.
"My pleasure, Haruo-san." she whispers, further indulging him.
"There you are!" a familiar voice shouts. The couple turn and see that man from before approaching them, with a group of men in black suits behind him.
"You again…?" Haruo snarls, his mood turning sour at the sight of him. He releases Yumi upon seeing him. As did Yumi, who sends a chilling glare at the man. The mere sight of that lecher offends her to no end.
The man ignores this and says to them, "That restaurant was a fine place, my favorite place to be. But, thanks to you two, I'm forever banned from entering again. And here you are, having this tender moment, while I'm out in the freezing cold! How are you going to make it up to me, hm?"
"Absolutely nothing." Yumi answers, "You brought it on yourself, when you were warned about harassing the other guests, and you did so anyway. With me no less."
"And now you're trying to pass blame for your mistakes onto us, when we just defended ourselves. How pathetic." said Haruo.
"Enough! I'll make both of you pay for this!" the man growls, before turning to his henchmen "You lot! Restrain the girl, and teach that punk a lesson!"
When a collective nod, the thugs do as ordered. Or at least attempted to do so. Within mere minutes, Haruo and Yumi skillfully knock each and every guard out cold, only using a minimum of their Shinobi training to end the fight quickly and not draw unneeded attention. All that's left is their boss.
"B-But how…" he already thought Haruo was stronger than he looked, which is why he called his bodyguards in, but to think the girl could fight grown men just as well was very difficult to process.
"Listen up." said Haruo, strutting his way toward the man, "I don't care who you think you are. Don't ever approach us again. Otherwise, you'll get more than a sore shoulder." he warns, with yet another murderous glare, that sent a quick shiver down the older man's spine.
"Haruo-san, I don't think it's necessary to be so threatening." Yumi said coldly, "After all, I think he understands the consequences of his actions quite well. And I'm sure he'll know to keep what happened here to himself as well if he knows what's good for him. Isn't that right, good sir?"
"I-I'll remember this!" the man runs for his life. If he's smart though, he won't dare to pick fights with them again.
"Good grief…" Haruo mutters.
"An after dinner workout is quite nice." a smiling Yumi said.
Moments later, the dawning twilight sun would rise, shining upon the couple.
"It looks like the sun is coming up." said Haruo, seeing the run.
"We must have been fighting the rest of the night." said Yumi, "I think we should go home."
"Yeah. In that case, I'll walk you back home."
"Thank you." smiled Yumi.
The couple walk side by side, holding each other's hand along the way.
"Do you have any wishes for this year?" asked Yumi.
"Well, continuing to be with you is one thing." Haruo answers, "And then, hopefully, this darkness in my heart can be healed."
Yumi giggled to this, "Hehe, I have the same wish."
"I know it's a little late, but I'll say it anyway. Happy Birthday, Yumi." Haruo smiles brightly.
"Thank you very much." to show her appreciation, Yumi stands up on his feet and gives a Haruo a soft kiss on the lips, to which he happily reciprocates.
He has no idea when he'll be rid of, or if he'll ever pull away from the dark, but this light. For the time being, it is all he will need.
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And finish. Yay! I hope I didn't go overboard with Haruo's character. I wanted Haruo to have a connection with Yumi, and I had a lot of ideas to work with, and I eventually settled with this. Back in his heyday, Kurokage must've killed a lot of Evil Shinobi, and Haruo's parents being one of them can be a thing. It might not be perfect, but I like it. I may elaborate a bit more on this aspect if anyone is interested. I'd certainly like to continue this story.
By the way, before anyone makes assumptions, Haruo has no connection to Haruka. His name can translated to "Springtime man", but that's about it. It's coincidental.
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After celebrating her birthday party with her friends in Gessen and genuinely having a blast with her closest friends, there was one more errand for Yumi to run. Seeing her boyfriend for the evening.
Yumi is well aware that romance and life as a Shinobi shouldn't mix, but being young was a curse as well as a blessing.
She met him shortly after the PBS incident, thanks to some machinations of Shiki's, who set up plans for a double date. Shiki invited Yumi, and a boy in invited one of his friends as well. That friend, is now currently the boyfriend Yumi was seeing.
It was awkward at first during the double date, because she was incredibly shy around boys her own age at that time. Thankfully, he proved to be just as awkward around women. Despite a few missteps, they actually hit off quite well, and discovered they had more in common than they had realized.
Mouths have passed since then, and her relationship with him is perfectly stable now, and they appear to be genuinely in love. He would soon become her first boyfriend. Although, on past dates, he was still pretty awkward, but was eager to learn how to be a proper boyfriend for her.
Now strolling through the snow covered streets, Yumi is very eager to meet her man for a romantic evening.
Tonight, Yumi wears a cream colored coat, with a white dress underneath, white gloves, black pantyhose, and brown boots. She's carrying with a parasol to keep the snow off while she walks to the meeting place.
She found her way to the park, where she was to meet with her boyfriend.
The snow appears to have let up, so she was free to close her parasol and wait for him to show up. She stood by the entrance, waiting patiently.
Moments later, her Shinobi instincts kick in and she felt a presence lurking around her. It seemed to be testing her. Yumi stands quiet, waiting for this presence to make itself known.
It slowly approached from behind. Footsteps quiet and subtle, quick and graceful. But, Yumi's Shinobi training allowed her gauge the threat of this presence.
"Must you always attempt to sneak up on me?" she asks, knowing exactly who the presence is. It stopped, directly behind her. But of course, there was no real threat at all. Instead of dangerous killer intent, this presence was pleasantly familiar, as always.
"You should know me by now. I'm not the best at casual greetings." said a gentle masculine voice.
"Yes. And it's also your way of saying hello, isn’t Haruo-san?" Yumi replies, turning her head and faces her beloved boyfriend, Haruo, with a warm smile.
Haruo is the same age as Yumi. He is tall and slim, has light skin, short, slightly unkempt purplish red hair and sharp azure eyes. There's a slight androgyny with his face, having some feminine features, but also still basely masculine. Still, he is quite handsome. He wears a black leather jacket, red scarf around his neck, blue jeans, and brown shoes.
As for why he attempted to sneak on his girlfriend, it was simply an odd habit he picked up from his childhood. He too is a Shinobi Student, and goes to a lesser known Good Shinobi School, by the name of Narukami Private Academy, and is also a third year.
"Did I keep you waiting, Yumi?" asked Haruo.
"No. I only arrived moments ago." answered Yumi, turning completely around to face him.
"That still means you waited on me. I gotta fix this habit." Haruo grimaces.
"Please, don't worry so much about it. You can't help being you." Yumi reaffirms him, "Now, you said you had a dinner planned for me."
"Oh yeah. I had some help, but I reserved a hotel for us to eat and… spend the night." Haruo mutters.
"Spend the night?"
"I told those idiots I just wanted to the dinner for two, not an overnight stay." said Haruo, referring to his underclassmen back at Narukami. They had to pull a stunt like this behind his back at the last minute. He picked the hotel to be sure, but he had no idea had to make reservations, so he left that part to his juniors since they're more knowledgeable about the modern world than him, which was a grave mistake on his part. Now he can't back out of the overnight stay, since it was paid in advance.
"Don't be mad at them. This just means we can spend the evening together for New Years."
"Yeah, you're right. Plus, it's your birthday, so that makes it extra special, especially in my eyes." Haruo smiles to his girlfriend.
"Haruo-san…" Yumi's eyes gleam with happiness.
This causes Haruo to blush, feeling somewhat awkward, "So, uh, shall we go?"
"Yes." Yumi nodded. Walking side by side & hand in hand, the two march to their destination.
A few minutes later, on arrival to the hotel in question, they are greeted by the desk clerk at the front, given their reserved key for the night, and showed to their table. The couple enjoyed the feast and each other's company to their heart's content. Yumi had removed her coat and folded it over her chair a moment ago. Her white dress reveals some of her cleavage, and the sight didn't go unnoticed by her boyfriend. As soon as her gaze met his, Haruo quickly averted his eyes away and tried to act as though his eyes hadn't wandered toward her. Yumi merely chuckles at this, finding his awkwardness to be humorous and charming.
"Is this place to your liking? I guess you would've preferred a place more traditional than a classy hotel, but the guys back Narukami recommended this place, so..."
"It’s fine, really. I couldn’t be happier just being with you." Yumi reassures.
"I… I see. I’m glad you like this place." said Haruo, somewhat relieved.
Although, he's also quick to pick up on the eyes and voices of the other guests, most of whom were adults. Some seemed pleasant, talking about young love and such. Others were dismissive of the presence of "children" being in a hotel like this. And some were even praising the beauty of the girl at this particular table, and most of those comments were from older gentlemen. He immediately sees Yumi looking rather embarrassed that people were talking about her and her date.
"It seems we're quite popular, Haruo-san." said a blushing Yumi.
"If you ask me, they're not good at minding their own business. Just ignore them." said Haruo bluntly. Yumi could tell Haruo is being aware of the things those people were saying, and he seems to be trying to ignore them. Still, even he feels annoyed and uneasy. Unbeknownst to her, for more than one reason other than the awkward feeling of being the topic of discussion among the nosy adults.
Despite loving her dearly, Haruo sometimes feels he didn't deserve to be with Yumi like this, wondering if she's really happy to be with him. All because of certain things in his past. Suddenly, as soon as he remembers his past, all he could see is darkness and shadow, and amidst the fog of darkness clouding his vision, the face of a certain man appears. A man he was, at a certain point of his life, bent on tracking and...
"Haruo-san? What's wrong?" Yumi's voice calls Haruo back to reality.
"O-Oh, it's nothing... really." Haruo lies, and then falling silent as he continued eating.
"I see...." Yumi is aware that he’s not being truthful with her. It’s clear to her that something was definitely wrong with Haruo. He doesn't like to share his feelings sometimes. She knows that, and would prefer it if he talk to her about his problems. But, since he’s feeling uncomfortable, she wouldn't press him on it. Not yet, anyway.
Within a few minutes, Haruo finished his plate of food, but doesn't seem satisfied yet. He notices Yumi is finished as well, but looks like she wants a little more.
"I’m gonna get another plate. Do you want one too?" Haruo asks. Since it’s her birthday today, he knew he had to be the gentleman and try to make this night as good as possible.
"Oh, well, if it isn't too much trouble, just something light. I don't want to eat too much before going back to our room." said Yumi.
"Alright. I'll be back." Haruo stands up from his seat, taking Yumi's plate and going to the buffet tables to pick out something Yumi would like.
Moments later, a middle aged man wearing a dark gray suit approaches her, "Excuse me, miss. Are you enjoying yourself alright?" he asked, in a gentlemanly way. He must be of the high class sort, given how fancy his suit looks.
"Y-Yes, I'm fine, thank you." Yumi bowed politely, but she couldn't help but detect subtle hints of his flirtatious intentions.
"I see." said the gentleman, "I must say, young lady, you're quite the catch for someone so young. Are you here alone by chance?"
"No. I'm here with my boyfriend. And he's currently getting food for me." Yumi answers. Hopefully, she can dissuade his interest without causing an incident. Unfortunately, mentioning her boyfriend doesn't seem to deter him in the slightest.
"Oh, that's a shame. If I was your boyfriend, I wouldn't leave a beautiful girl like you alone for a solitary second." the gentleman comes closer to her, invading her personal space, and gently putting his hand on her shoulder.
"P-Please sir, stop this." Yumi pleads. She could have easily beaten him in an instant for his actions, but she did not want to cause a scene, and hurting a civilian man goes against the ways of the Good Shinobi.
"Now, now. Don’t be shy. I’d like to be your new friend if possible." he grins, leaning closer into her, and pressing himself against her body. It didn't take long for Yumi to notice where his eyes have been wandering. It would only be a matter of time before his hand begin to wander from her shoulder to her chest.
"N-No…" Yumi whimpers, her eyes tearing up from embarrassment and fear. Should she act in self defense & clabber this perverted man, or just let him have his way? She's not sure what to do.
Thankfully, before anything could escalate, Yumi feels the pressure of the middle aged man's body leave her. One look, and she sees Haruo, returned just in time to be the Knight in Shining Armor.
"Haruo-san…!" a relieved Yumi whispers, her eyes still tearing.
Haruo, having witness this man harassing his girlfriend a few meters away, instantly closes the gap, and roughly pulls the man back by the shoulder. The boy's grip on his shoulder tightens to the point of almost breaking it.
"Ow! OW! Let go of me, you punk!" the man demands, only to be met with another vice grip on the shoulder.
"What you were doing… to Yumi…?" Haruo asks darkly. Yumi is the first to immediately spot the dark, murderous look in his eyes. His vice grip on the man's shoulder increased by the second, causing further pain. She immediately feared what would happen if she didn't step in.
"Haruo-san, stop it!" Yumi cries out, catching her boyfriend's attention. Now out of his trance, Haruo releases the man, who jumps away from the boy, both angry and terrified. By then, a crowd gathers around the three.
"Excuse me, what seems to be the problem here?" A waiter asks, as he maneuvers through the crowd.
Before anyone could say anything, the man speaks up first, "T-That ruffian just assaulted me out of nowhere! I demand you have security throw him out at once!"
"You…" the waiter exclaims. Rather than do as ordered immediately, the waiter examines the scene. A girl in tears, an visibly angry boyfriend, and the familiar man with a sore shoulder. With this absorbed, the waiter turns to Haruo, "Young man, is it true you assaulted this man?"
"Yes." Haruo quickly replies. This immediately makes Yumi worried about what could happen next.
The crowd begin whispering to themselves about what occurred.
"There, he admits it! Now throw his ass out already!"
"Is it because he was harassing your date?" the waiter asks, blatantly ignoring the man's demand.
"Yes… Yumi was being troubled by him." Haruo replies, sending a chilling glare to the middle aged man, who immediately recoils in fear. Everyone in the crowd went silent after Haruo's reply.
"And I can confirm this with you as well, miss?" the waiter asks, turning to Yumi. He obviously didn't want to call on her after what just happened, but in order to get the facts straight before proceeding.
"Y-Yes…" Yumi nods, "This man put his hands on me when I didn't want it… that's when Haruo-san came and saved me…" Yumi, while very reluctant to recall the harassment, is secretly very happy that Haruo came to her rescue, even if he looked like he was about to murder that old pervert.
"I see. Then, good sir, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."
"What? You'd believe a couple of brats over me?! A frequent and well paying guest of this establishment?!"
"And a guest with a reputation for harassing female guests in this establishment. Particularly, young women like this one here."
"Ah…!" the middle aged man gasps.
"I believe we warned you about this numerous times. Any more harassment, and we'll be forced to ban you from this establishment."
"Y-You can't do this! I am-"
"Sir, do not make this harder. We'll have security escort you out shortly, so please behave yourself."
"N-No!" in mere moments, security came and dragged the pervert away to kick him out of the premises, banning him from entering. The crowd soon begins to disperse, leaving Yumi and Haruo with the waiter.
"I'm terribly sorry for the trouble." the waiter said with the other waiters and waitresses behind him. They all bow their head to the young couple. "We'll make sure the rest of your evening here goes more pleasantly from now on."
"Don't bother. We're leaving. I don't want to spend a second longer in a place where slime like that are allowed to roam free." said Haruo, who grabs his jacket, and wordlessly marches away.
"We understand completely. Please, be well on your way." the waiter said as Haruo trots off, followed after by Yumi. "Miss, our negligence has caused you much grief, and I can't apologize enough for this."
"No. We caused a bit of a scene as well." Yumi, with her own jacket on, said calmly. She tries to be civil, but honestly she's very annoyed with this oversight. They should have banned that man from the start, instead of just giving him warnings.
"Yumi!" Haruo calls.
"Coming!" Yumi replies, before turning to the employees of the hotel and briskly bows her head, "Please excuse me."
With that said, she quickly joins Haruo and exits the hotel with him.
After that, Yumi and Haruo return to the park and sit alone together on a nearby bench, in awkward silence. The snow stops falling, and the night sky appears to be clear. This would be nice, if not for the uncomfortable tension in the air.
"It's getting rather cold out here." said Yumi, feeling tense.
" Yeah…" replied Haruo quietly.
"Maybe returning here wasn't the best option."
"Yeah… I'm sorry…" He said, remorsefully, "About the hotel… It was suppose a nice birthday dinner for you, but then that bastard came and… ruined it."
Yumi shakes her head with a smile, "It's alright. You saved me before anything bad could happen, so I'm very thankful."
"But, I let me temper get the best of me in that situation. If you hadn't called out to me, I would've seriously injured that man…"
"And it didn't come to that. The situation resolved itself. And I was getting full anyway, so leaving is of no consequence."
Haruo didn't respond this time. Instead, he remains silent.
Yumi lets out a long sigh. It's quite obvious this conversation was going nowhere. Not hard to imagine why, considering the incident beforehand. Just the thought of that degenerate man's touch both angered her and sent shivers down her spine.
As a ninja, she shouldn't be affected by something like this, but as a teenage girl, she can't help feeling distressed about the whole thing. The incident has passed without injury thankfully, so it would be best to collect her emotion, then to dwell on them.
Feeling calmer after a moment, Yumi looks to Haruo, who is currently staring straight ahead of himself, just like back at the hotel. It seems he's found something to occupy his thoughts, besides the incident earlier.
He does this sometimes, zoning out, and unnoticing of anything else around him, save for what was in front of him. It's another habit Haruo picked up in his childhood, but Yumi couldn't help but look upon him with a mixture of awe and worry.
His eyes are focused like a steel blade aimed dead straight toward a target. It is one trait she admires about Haruo; the ability to focus straight on a target he set his mind too. But, as admirable as Haruo's focus is, Yumi couldn't help but feel that he's focusing on something on a subconscious level. And that something is quite possibly ominous. A lot happened in the short period she has known him, and Yumi had an accurate guess as to what he was thinking about, and it saddens her greatly. It certainly explained why he zoned out before during back at the hotel, and it didn't surprise her.
It's not about the perverted man from earlier, of that the Gessen Shinobi is sure of. The only thing, or person, that would occupy Haruo's thoughts like this is…
"Are you really sure about me?" Haruo suddenly asks, catching Yumi off guard. It seems he's broken out of his trance when she hadn't noticed.
"Eh?"
"Going out with someone like me, I mean." he said, turning to her with a conflicted expression on his face, "I'm happy. The happiest I've been in years, but, given my… anger issues… and my history with your grandfather, I…" before he could finish, Yumi places her slender fingertips to his lips.
"Shh… that's all it is. History. You've moved passed it. I'm sure of it." she said, lowering her hand, "And you're issues don't bother me, because you're working hard to overcome them."
"…I hope so. Because, sometimes, I still feel it. The need to get revenge on him…" Haruo mutters darkly. Yumi's heart sinks the moment she hears those words.
She can only lament how cruel fate can twist its knots. It was only recently discovered that Yumi's grandfather, Kurokage had killed Haruo's parents during his long hunt for Evil Shinobi. And as it turned out, Haruo's parents were Evil as well. This all happened when he was still young, and he felt a burning hatred for the man who took his parents from him ever since. They may have been on the side of Evil, but to Haruo, they were his family, the best parents he could've asked for, and they were good people deep down, but Kurokage didn't seem to care. He killed them without remorse, and ever since then, the dark desire for revenge took root in young Haruo's heart.
After his parents' deaths, Haruo was subsequently was taken in by Narukami, but he didn't fit in there, because he preferred solitude to training with the rest of the class, and often got into fights with the other students, and additionally gave his instructors and caretakers a hard time as well. Despite all that, one instructor, Haruo's current teacher had done everything he possibly could to change the child's mind about his dark ambition and correct his behavior, but Haruo still rejected his teacher's efforts.
Eventually, the young Haruo would track down Kurokage with the intent to kill him and avenge his parents deaths, but was defeated soundly by the older and more experienced renegade. Surprisingly, despite being the son of Evil Shinobi, Kurokage chose to spare him, and Haruo barely escaped with his life. But, Haruo had a renewed determination to get stronger and a promise to eventually get his revenge.
Unfortunately, by the time he felt he was strong enough years later, he learned that Kurokage had passed away from illness, leaving his efforts to get stronger null and void. He felt his spirit crushed, his determination squandered, and his purpose in life lost. How could a mere illness claim that monster's life before Haruo could? It was this revelation that made him question the point of trying to get revenge on the man who killed his family. What would he have done after exacting his revenge? Become a renegade, or join the ranks of Evil like his parents? He never gave it much thought, and now that he had a chance to truly ponder, Haruo pondered what to do next with his life, until his teacher and some of his classmates suggested that he live the life his parents would've wanted for him. Instead of focusing on revenge, he could focus on doing good for the world as a Good Shinobi, and to not let anyone else fall into this kind of darkness. It didn't sound bad on paper, but to this day though, while he was doing remarkably better than before, Haruo still wondered how he can do good in the world, when he had such malicious thoughts on his mind and has been nothing short of a problem child for so long. Even now, he can still feel that dark drive lingering in his soul, and it is the source of his anger issues.
Yumi was initially dishearten by this news once it was revealed to her, and felt conflicted about whether or not she should continue to see Haruo. Even her friends in Gessen couldn't give her a straight answer on what to do. However, she could see that he was struggling with much more than her. His thirst for revenge, and an encroaching darkness in his heart as a result. It was scary, even for her. But still, despite his origins as the son of Evil Shinobi and the dark feelings & intentions he held for her grandfather, she found she couldn't bring herself to leave him. Not like this.
"Haruo-san, I can see a lot of my Grandfather in you." Yumi said gently, tenderly holding his hand. "When I look back on it, he too had the same darkness in his heart, like you do now. His desire to create a world without evil, and the hate for that same evil. Maybe, it was all eating away at him and it eventually killed him."
"And the same might happen to me in the future, and I might never find any peace." whispered Haruo. He still has nightmares every so often of the day his parents were killed, and how Kurokage had beaten him senseless, not to mention his cold stare and nearly killing him as a result of his foolhardy actions.
Yumi simply shakes her head in disagreement, "No. When we saw his spirit in the Kagura Millennium Festival, I believe he was already healed in a manner of speaking. He seemed at peace, especially when he was with us and until he had to go back to heaven."
"How nice…" Haruo grumbles after hearing that Kurokage was able to find peace in the afterlife, even after he killed the boy's parents.
"I know it may be hard to hear, but I speak the truth. Please, believe me when I say if my Grandfather can be healed, you can be healed as well. All you need is a little light in your world."
"Light…?" Haruo looks to Yumi, and he can see a gentle light all around her, chasing the darkness away from his soul. It was like being with her heals him. Perhaps this was how Kurokage's heart was supposedly healed, being with Yumi and the other girls in Gessen. Yumi has nothing to do with his old quest for vengeance, and she has every right, every reason to hate him for his desire to kill Kurokage, and yet she's willing to give him the time of day, to forgive his transgressions with her grandfather, to gently heal the brooding nature that followed him all this time, and to chase the nightmares away. Willing to even love him this much and show this much devotion.
He chuckled to himself, "Hehe… this my birthday gift to you, and you're comforting me about my past. That's laughably sad."
"Say what you want. I won't leave your side. I promise, I will help your heart mend, no matter how long it takes. I'll always remain by your side." said Yumi, with her most kindest, gentlest, sincere, and loving smile.
Seeing this angelic sight, Haruo felt as if his darkness can really be cured. He wraps his arms tightly around Yumi, hugging with the utmost affection. She hugged him back, filling him with even more warmth and love.
"Thank you, Yumi…" he whispers into her hear, taking in just about everything about her. The fragrant smell of her hair, the warmth of her body, the soft touch from her hands. Everything.
"My pleasure, Haruo-san." she whispers, further indulging him.
"There you are!" a familiar voice shouts. The couple turn and see that man from before approaching them, with a group of men in black suits behind him.
"You again…?" Haruo snarls, his mood turning sour at the sight of him. He releases Yumi upon seeing him. As did Yumi, who sends a chilling glare at the man. The mere sight of that lecher offends her to no end.
The man ignores this and says to them, "That restaurant was a fine place, my favorite place to be. But, thanks to you two, I'm forever banned from entering again. And here you are, having this tender moment, while I'm out in the freezing cold! How are you going to make it up to me, hm?"
"Absolutely nothing." Yumi answers, "You brought it on yourself, when you were warned about harassing the other guests, and you did so anyway. With me no less."
"And now you're trying to pass blame for your mistakes onto us, when we just defended ourselves. How pathetic." said Haruo.
"Enough! I'll make both of you pay for this!" the man growls, before turning to his henchmen "You lot! Restrain the girl, and teach that punk a lesson!"
When a collective nod, the thugs do as ordered. Or at least attempted to do so. Within mere minutes, Haruo and Yumi skillfully knock each and every guard out cold, only using a minimum of their Shinobi training to end the fight quickly and not draw unneeded attention. All that's left is their boss.
"B-But how…" he already thought Haruo was stronger than he looked, which is why he called his bodyguards in, but to think the girl could fight grown men just as well was very difficult to process.
"Listen up." said Haruo, strutting his way toward the man, "I don't care who you think you are. Don't ever approach us again. Otherwise, you'll get more than a sore shoulder." he warns, with yet another murderous glare, that sent a quick shiver down the older man's spine.
"Haruo-san, I don't think it's necessary to be so threatening." Yumi said coldly, "After all, I think he understands the consequences of his actions quite well. And I'm sure he'll know to keep what happened here to himself as well if he knows what's good for him. Isn't that right, good sir?"
"I-I'll remember this!" the man runs for his life. If he's smart though, he won't dare to pick fights with them again.
"Good grief…" Haruo mutters.
"An after dinner workout is quite nice." a smiling Yumi said.
Moments later, the dawning twilight sun would rise, shining upon the couple.
"It looks like the sun is coming up." said Haruo, seeing the run.
"We must have been fighting the rest of the night." said Yumi, "I think we should go home."
"Yeah. In that case, I'll walk you back home."
"Thank you." smiled Yumi.
The couple walk side by side, holding each other's hand along the way.
"Do you have any wishes for this year?" asked Yumi.
"Well, continuing to be with you is one thing." Haruo answers, "And then, hopefully, this darkness in my heart can be healed."
Yumi giggled to this, "Hehe, I have the same wish."
"I know it's a little late, but I'll say it anyway. Happy Birthday, Yumi." Haruo smiles brightly.
"Thank you very much." to show her appreciation, Yumi stands up on his feet and gives a Haruo a soft kiss on the lips, to which he happily reciprocates.
He has no idea when he'll be rid of, or if he'll ever pull away from the dark, but this light. For the time being, it is all he will need.
________________________________________
And finish. Yay! I hope I didn't go overboard with Haruo's character. I wanted Haruo to have a connection with Yumi, and I had a lot of ideas to work with, and I eventually settled with this. Back in his heyday, Kurokage must've killed a lot of Evil Shinobi, and Haruo's parents being one of them can be a thing. It might not be perfect, but I like it. I may elaborate a bit more on this aspect if anyone is interested. I'd certainly like to continue this story.
By the way, before anyone makes assumptions, Haruo has no connection to Haruka. His name can translated to "Springtime man", but that's about it. It's coincidental.
{Spoiler}
After recently coming back to this, I started thinking I should expand it. I realized that it being so short barely gives you, the reader, time to get to know Haruo as a character. With that in mind, I decided I wanted to show more of Haruo's personality, and make it more believable that he has a grudge against Kurokage and has issues from his traumatic experience. That includes adding the man who was harassing Yumi.
Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this piece. Here's to another year with the Senran International Academy. Happy birthday to Yumi, and happy New Year to all.
After recently coming back to this, I started thinking I should expand it. I realized that it being so short barely gives you, the reader, time to get to know Haruo as a character. With that in mind, I decided I wanted to show more of Haruo's personality, and make it more believable that he has a grudge against Kurokage and has issues from his traumatic experience. That includes adding the man who was harassing Yumi.
Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this piece. Here's to another year with the Senran International Academy. Happy birthday to Yumi, and happy New Year to all.