The Kagaijin Chronicles: Tsuyoken Ch. 02

"You have such a kind, soothing soul about you," I continued, feeling encouraged by her lowering her guard to the point where she could chat so casually with me. "I saw it every day when I watched you sitting alone outside with the wild animals of the campus. You can't fool animals when it comes to character. They have ways of sensing when people don't mean them any harm. Your very essence exuded that spirit, and as a result, they were perfectly comfortable, and even happy to be near you, just as I was... and am."

"They didn't seem to mind my being there, and I couldn't help imagining that they were all my friends, and that we were simply enjoying some quiet lazy afternoons together, as all friends do," she said, her face reddening slightly. "It's not as though I can really talk to them, although some of the other students asked me if I could. It just sort of happened. I wish it would happen that way with people. I'm always so ashamed of my lack of real friends; I just don't have what it takes to attract any."

"Oh, but you do, Yumi! You just don't know how to, that's all. You only lack self-confidence, and a sense of self-worth. You're not incapable of making friends; you're just too disappointed in yourself to think you deserve them."

"I don't understand this at all," she sighed, wiping a stray tear from one of her eyes and laughing uncomfortably. "What makes you say such comforting, understanding things? It makes no sense. You could have chosen a much prettier, more self-assured mate. I still don't see how any of those silly things you said - not to mention exaggerated - could make someone fall in love with me."

"You will in time," I said hopefully. "But while we're on the subject, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to ask you a similar question. Why did you think so much of me? I rarely was able to even talk to you, much less give you a chance to get to know me. It was so very difficult to persuade you to open up to me, and I was certain I was coming off as pushy or intrusive."

"I don't know if I want to talk about that," she laughed nervously, shaking her head and pulling the blanket up a little higher over her face. "But I guess it's only fair. I think it is appropriate to say that I admired you. Here you were, an accomplished archaeologist, and yet you took time away from all that to teach us about your travels and the history behind what you investigated. I got a glimpse into the life of a real archaeologist, and I found him to be exciting, handsome, and for some unknown reason, extremely kind to me. What really won me over though, was the dog."

"Dog? I don't own a dog," I replied, nonplussed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the dog you rescued from those fourth-years! Don't you remember? A stray had wandered onto the campus, and some of the rowdier fourth-year boys had been drinking, and they came across it. They began kicking it and laughing when it made yelping noises. They were positively cruel," she exclaimed, frowning angrily as the memory was recalled from its place in her mind. "I was still trying to figure out the best way to get them to stop when I saw you come leaping out of one of the first floor classroom windows and take off across the greens toward the group of idiots. You smacked one on the side of the head," she laughed, offering me the first genuine bit of laughter I'd heard from her since I brought her home. "They were so spooked that they ran off at once, and you just picked the dog up as gently and reassuringly as if it were your own pet, and it immediately calmed down when it was in your arms. That was when I knew that you were a kindhearted person. I wanted to be like you. That's why I enrolled in your class, even though all the other students said yours was so much harder than the other professors' classes on similar topics."

"I remember that!" I exclaimed, sitting up and staring at her incredulously. "That incident with the dog was years ago! Do you mean to tell me that it took you that long to enroll in my class?"

"It wasn't as easy as it sounds, Sensei. You were teaching only the higher-level courses, and I was still a freshman. Besides, thinking back to how I was then compared to now, I doubt I could have made myself enroll then anyway. It took a lot of resolve I didn't even know I had just to do it when I had all the prerequisites."

"And all that time your opinion of me didn't change! How remarkable!" I cried, scratching my head. "To think that I missed out on two or three years' worth of time with you because of a silly circumstance like course requirements. Still," I added, turning and gazing at her with renewed admiration, "I'm thankful that I at least met you when I did. It was quite easily the best thing to ever happen to me."

She didn't reply at first, but she did offer me the most barely discernible of smiles. My heart leapt like a gazelle into my throat, and all at once I felt giddy with pleasure. Perhaps there was hope after all. Perhaps I hadn't completely ruined things!

"Akaya... I mean, Tsuyoken... san?" she asked quietly, shaking me from my reveries. I turned and gazed at her as though nothing could tear me away from her attention.

"What is it, Yumi?" I asked her, resisting the urge to seize her in my arms and hold her against me with the promise of never letting go. "Anything you want, just ask, and I will do everything in my power to give it to you."

"I was wondering if... well, I mean, maybe it's kind of silly, since I'm still not sure how I really feel about you yet, but well... would you like to... um... you know?" She was blushing furiously and twiddling her fingers in an agitated manner, and she was purposely avoiding eye contact.

I stared blankly at her, unsure of just what this "you know," was that I was supposed to know. "Would I like to what?"

"Well... if you still want to, I was hoping you might be willing to... oh, I can't say it!" she covered her face with her hands and laughed shrilly.

My face lit up as I realized what she was trying to ask me, and my mouth spread into a slow, wide grin. "Would you like to make love again?" I asked her, lifting back one edge of the covers to view her face, and making a magnificent effort to resist the urge to laugh. "Is that what you're trying to say?"

She parted her hands just enough to peek out at me from between them, and she curled up into an even tighter ball. "Y-yes please," she squeaked, apparently surprising herself by her own boldness, and quickly covering her face again. "Oh, I'm so embarrassed!"

Laughing wickedly, I threw back the blanket and pounced on her, pulling her hands away from her face and pinning them to the bed, eliciting a squeal of fright from her. "Never," I said quietly, staring hungrily at her surprised expression.

"Wh-what?" she asked breathlessly, her face exhibiting a perplexed, hurt look. "What do you mean?"

"Never," I repeated, "has a man ever received a more welcome, more charming invitation." I released her hands from their tentacled restraints and instead grasped her flushed cheeks as I tenderly bent down and gave her a gentle, honest kiss. She relaxed her legs and, tentatively at first, lifted her arms and curled them around behind my neck.

Perhaps we still had a few details to work out, but in my opinion, it was safe to say that my princess was home at last, and never would any prince try harder to make his own princess the happiest woman alive. Regardless of what happened tomorrow, Yumi was mine today, and for now, that would do.