Maybe this
Time
Chapter 2
Reikai no Hime
Note:
words in // are thoughts
A
big yellow door of Reikai swung forward. George the oni steps inside.
“Come
in,” a woman behind the curtain shadows said warmly. “George-kun, what
is up with Ningenkai now?”
“You’re
gonna love this news!” George blurted our excitedly. “Koenma-sama and
Botan-chan’s paths had finally crossed.”
“Well,
that is a good news,” the woman said calmly and although George can’t
see her face he knew she smiled. “You don’t need to tell me the rest of
the details. I could just guess wisely...”
“I
know,” George started. “That
I don’t need to tell you, your Majesty. You are too wise for me...”
“George-san,
you don’t need to flatter me...”
“I
beg to change topic, your highness,” George uttered.
“But can you still take the workload that Reikai is giving you? I
mean you are born to the sea not to a mountain of papers.”
“Oh,
that is okay,” She walked out of the shadows and her whole body was seen.
Her eyes glinted with sadness although her lips showed her happiness. She
was wearing a plain light aquamarine dress, which is made of velvet, and her
hair was blown loosely by the wind. “It is quite hard, I know. But at
least I can punish those fish-eaters a bit.”
George
seemed to be very stunned. “Are you serious, Marina-sama?” //Darn! I
have fish for dinner! //
“Of
course not,” she smiled. “I wouldn’t do that. Eating fish is a part of
everyday life, isn’t it, George-san?”
“Of
course, of course!” George fiercely shook his head ‘yes’. “A part of
everyday life, whatever...” / /Whew! I thought I’d end up in Hell...//
“You
seemed to be bothered,” the woman asked tenderly. “Can you tell me, what
is wrong?”
“Wrong?!
Um...nothing, nothing..." George blushed. // She is such a sweet,
caring woman… /
“Nani?”
“Oh,
I better leave, your highness,” George told her. “You needed rest. And I
have to...”
“Check
on Ayame-chan,” she continued. “If so, you may leave. Thank you for your
report for today, George-san...”
“No
problem, Marina-sama!” He winks and off he goes to the door, still
blushing.
“What
is wrong with that oni?” the woman sighed. She pulled her chair and fell
upon it helplessly. She breathes in and out and blinked her puffy red eyes.
“He
is right,” she moaned heavily. “I needed rest...”
The
stars outside sparkle so beautifully. It melts Marina’s heart.
//Koenma-sama...//
"What are those
sparkling little lights, Koenma-sama?" I.
"Those are stars," he quickly answered. "They are wonderful,
aren't they?"
"Yes they are! I never saw such wonderful light..."
"They are always there at night...except when there is rain. How come
you didn't see it?"
"At night, all fishes and other sea creatures tried to hide under the
water," I explained, leaning closer to Koenma. "We are afraid to
be captured by ningens..."
I stared at him affectionately. "You know Koenma-sama, you're not bad
for a husband-to-be..."
"Really?"
I leaned nearer to him again. "Now that I knew you...I think liked you
already, Koenma-sama," I sheepishly uttered, my pale cheeks turned
crimson.
"Don't you think things are going fast, Marine-sama? You have just met
me today!"
"Yes," I sighed. "But I feel I knew you for a
lifetime..." I held Koenma-sama's arms and wrapped around my torso.
"You are so
fervent!"
She sat back to the chair. “I felt much better now. Now that I know that I am sitting on Koenma-sama’s chair. I still miss him...” A fat tear rolled on her cheek. “I still...love him...
//I wanted to see him...I wanted to see if he is well...//
“But I can’t,” she sadly told herself. “I must accept that I can’t...”
//Eighteen
years passed. I can’t stand another day without seeing him. I just want to
him happy and alive... //
Her
eyes moved to her curtains’ direction. And saw great broad wall made of
bronze.
//It
feels so hopeless...I can never see him again...//
A
knock was heard on her office door.
“Who
is there?” she asked, drying her tears with a plain white handkerchief.
“This
is Ayame, your Highness,” she said strongly. “Can I come in?”
“Come
in then,” The door opened and it, revealed an extremely pale young woman
that is in dark blue kimono that made her complexion even more paler. Her
long black tresses are braided beautifully and her purple eyes appeared to
be somewhat cold.
“Ayame-chan...Can
I hear your report for today?”
“Oh
yes,” she nodded as she opened her notebook. “According to my report,
the family Li would be spending sometime in Meioh’s residence. As we all
know, Li-san’s only daughter is Botan-chan, a former Reikai ferry girl
who...”
“You
don’t need to explain her relation with Koenma-sama. I envy her enough
already...”
“Right,”
Ayame blinks then she proceeds. “But there is one, small problem...”
Marina’s
eyes enlarged. “What is it?”
“While
I was listening to their conversation,” she started. “I found out that
Mr. Li’s only daughter’s name is Meilin. That’s odd...her name is
supposed to be Liu Byakuren, not Meilin...”
“Maybe
they are not the same person,” Marina suggested and half-wished. “Li is
one of the commonest Chinese surnames. I encounter one almost everyday in
our papers...”
“But
we can’t be wrong,” Ayame replied. “Momoko-chan, who is in charge with
Li-san’s family confirmed that Li family would spending some time with the
Meiohs. Besides, Liu Byakuren has a brother named Mei Lin.”
“Oh,”
Marina sighed. “I am sure Meioh family just have gotten the wrong info
about her...”
“I am sure about that!”
Ayame agreed brightly. “I am really excited to see them together and to
see them happy after eighteen years! Sigh, at least they would have fun in
Ningenkai...oh, I am really happy for Botan-chan and Koenma-sama!”
Ayame
paused and noticed that Marina’s smile disappeared from her lips.
“I
am really tired, Ayame-chan,” Marina said coldly. “You may go now. I
need some time for myself...”
“Uh...okay
then,” Ayame walked to the door and pushes it out. “Goodnight...” she
said without looking back.
“Good
night...” a faint answer replied.
Ayame
smiled and the door closed.
//My
body felt heavier since Ayame came in. I need a break. //
She
leaned back to her chair again. //Koenma-sama, I wonder...are you alright? I
really miss you...//
Her
eyes became very heavy. She had finally fallen asleep.
"Marina-hime what
are you doing here?" Koenma asked.
"I was sent by your father, your highness," she quietly responded.
"Just call me Koenma, please..."
"Okay then Koenma," she smiled. "Pleased to meet you. Just
call me Marine...it's quite shorter that way than Marina-hime..."
"Right," Koenma chuckled as she shook hands with her. Eighteen
years passed. I could still remember the warmth of his hands when I first
met him. From that moment, I knew my heart already belongs to him.
"You
seem have a problem today Koenma-san," Marine noticed his depressed
spirits on his face. "You can tell me anything...I'm you're wife on the
blue moon..."
Koenma was a bit shocked when heard Marine's voice. "I know," he
mouthed sadly. "But please don't be angry when I tell you that..."
"You don't love me..." she completed as she sat on a beanbag chair
on Koenma's room.
"How did you know?"
"If I can feel the large bodies of ocean I can hear your ripped heart
too," she firmly explained. "I knew it all long before I enter
this room..."
"Oh...I'm sorry..."
"There's nothing to apologize, Koenma, I just love you as a
friend..." she grinned. "Let's just say I while I am talking to
you now I am watching a former ferry girl of you crying endlessly on the
park while running. She collapsed and a short man carry her along the
way..."
"You can see what is happening in Ningekai!"
"I can vision."
It is quite funny that I am sending George-san as well as the other ferry girls to search them and to watch over them. When I can vision them everywhere I go. But I never told this ability to anybody...except him...
"For
the third time Koenma-sama will you take her---"
"NO!" Koenma flaring responded. He quickly snatched his shimmering
sword out of its sheath and pointed it directly to my throat. I was going to
die.
"No!"
I wept as I forsaken his bouquet of sapphire-like roses. "Please don't
extinguish me!"
He caught both my sadness and fear. "Princess...Marina..."
teardrops ran down from his cheeks. "I won't..." he quickly turned
back his sword and strikes it without warning straight on his heart.
"Koenma-sama!" the entire crowd chorused.
Now
that I recall those moments, I just thought that it would be better if he
just killed be off completely instead of wasting my time here in Reikai. If
I had been wiser, I grabbed the sword and killed myself too. Maybe I could
also see him in our afterlife...
“Marina-hime,” Lord
Enma called me just after Koenma’s death.
“Yes, your grace...”
“You know that today
was supposed to be your wedding day...”
“I knew that,” I
said. “They said this is supposed to be the best day of my life...I was
wrong...it had been the most terrible!”
Tears rolled down my
cheeks.
Enma-sama cleared his
throat. “But aren’t you forgetting something...?”
“What is it, your
highness?”
“You still have to pay
me...” he said firmly. “For the second life I gave you...”
My stomach jolted. I
almost forget about that...
“I would do whatever
you order,” I forced myself to say those words. “Whatever pleases
you...”
Enma-sama grinned.
“Whatever? Okay then, I wanted you to finish Koenma’s work for him.”
“Finish his work?” I
asked. I knew that I would never return to the ocean again.
“Yes,” he told me.
“That is the only thing you have to do to repay me...”
“If it is so,” she
said. “I would do it...”
“Good,” he grinned
even wider. “I knew you would.”
And
that is it. I wouldn’t say ‘no’ to him. Or even if I did, I knew I
would be forced to because the next morning I can hardly see the sky. He
built great broad wall that is made out of bronze. I have no powers to
escape it.
“Daidoji, Reika,” I
paused as I read her record. “Definitely, she needed chance...she died at
the age of four because of leukemia...how depressing...she has to be
reincarnated,” I stamped her paper.
“Daioh, Koenma,” I felt
my whole body numb. Do I have to judge on where he has to go?
I picked up the paper. I
can’t be wrong. Prince of Reikai, Seven hundred and three years old...
supposed, there is no country called, ‘Reikai...’ Can a human live for
seven hundred years? He is recommended to go to purgatory---that’s odd, he
didn’t do anything wrong.
I don’t want his soul to
suffer there. He deserves better. I stamped ‘Saisei’ on his paper.
I
did the same thing to the ferry girl named Botan. I only hope for his
happiness. And I survive all of the workloads of Reikai because I believe
that I am doing this for him.
But
somehow I still lust for him...//
“Marina-hime!”
I heard a shout from my door.
My
eyes opened. That damn dream again! A new day had risen; a new mountain of
papers is also waiting outside.
Koenma-sama...tell
me, how could I forget about you...
To be continued...