CHAPTER 7

His world was spinning. Mamoru Nanami was as distraught as ever, surrounded by people he'd never seen before. He felt for his pistol in his pocket, but couldn't find it. The aching pain in his stomach was non-existent, but his fear was ever present. He couldn't make out faces, his anxiety blurring them together like a badly executed painting. All he could see was blobs of anatomy, and voices wrapping around him like Japanese snakes.

"Where is Kojima Naoki?" His voice broke through his haze, and a woman's face came into focus. She looked older than he was, her eyes dark with sadness, and wide with fear, her lips shaped like two sakura petals just above her small nose. Her most notable feature, however, was her bulging belly, and the perspiration forming on her brow.

"Please calm down, sir," she chided, "Naoki is not here."

"I need to see Kojima Naoki." He repeated, but his crystal clear vision was short lived. The world started to blur once more, he gripped onto something for support, hoping for the best. Akane was absolutely bewildered. She'd hoped Kohaku would be here when the damned soldier woke up, to explain that everything was going to be okay, but now that burden fell onto her shoulders.

"Please calm down." She tried again, but she could see it wasn't working. She could practically see the gears in his minds twisting, his dark eyes darted around the room, searching for a possible exit, but she knew he wouldn't run, he was far too dizzy for that. She had to get him to calm down.

"Hitomi!" She called, panic lacing her voice. The child with the golden eyes appeared in the doorway, her mouth forming a small "o" as she caught onto the situation.

Mamoru suddenly was hit by a wave of recognition, "Hitomi?" He asked, without thinking about it.

"I'm Hitomi, sir, but just call me Mi-chan. You need to calm down, please. You'll faint if you don't breathe." Hitomi took over, remembering when her older sister used to have panic attacks. The key to solving this problem was oxygen, and currently, she knew, the captain wasn't getting enough of it.

"Hitomi," he breathed her name out in relief, and lowered his hand, collapsing onto the floor as his legs gave way, "beautiful eyes."

Hitomi smiled, "that's the meaning of my name, yes." She said like she was proud, "what's your name, sir?"

"Mamoru." He spoke without thinking about it. He was just too overcome with relief.

"Nice to meet you, Mamoru-san. I'm Hitomi Matsuoka." She stuck out her hand.

"Your sister is going to die when she finds me." Mamoru exhaled, his chest tightening slightly.

When Naoki finally arrived home, she was buzzing with nerves. The captain was awake, she could barely believe it. She immediately darted toward the stairs, taking them two at a time, rounding the corner to his room, and stood in the doorway before she could register it. He was engaged in conversation with Hitomi, looking completely content. He turned to face her, his eyes going wide.

"Hello, captain," she spoke, her voice softer than usual, "I heard you've been calling for me?"

"You're Kojima Naoki?" He asked, taking in her figures. Her hair was medium length, cut straight, brushed to the right side. Her eyes were dark, but held intelligence, and mostly curiousity. "I thought you were an angel." He spoke without thinking about it, causing Naoki to giggle.

"Well, I did save your life." She said with a laugh. He managed a smile.

"She can't take all the credit for that," Kohaku appeared in the doorway, towering over the captain, "technically I saved your life."

"And you are?" The captain asked.

"Kohaku Nakamura, healer extraordinaire." She stated proudly.

"Nakamura, huh?" He asked, "I know your brother."

"Which one," she joked, "I have three."

"Yutaka." He answered simply.

"Yukata." She breathed his name out, "excuse me." She disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.

"Sorry about her," Naoki turned to the captain, "her brother is a tough subject."

"I can imagine," he looked at her, confused, "how did I get here? Last thing I remember was... the mission... and... I got shot?" He felt around for a wound in his stomach, for bandages, for something. Suddenly his face shifted.

"I have to get back!" He looked like he was going to jump up, "Minori! I have to get back to Minori!"

"Who's Minori, Mamoru-san?" Naoki tilted her head like a curious animal as Mamoru regarded her once more. She wasn't like the women from the Hiyokuna, none of these damned women were. The Nakamura girl was the complete opposite of Yutaka, if he was ice, she was fire, and this Kojima Naoki was like none he'd ever met. To say he was fascinated was an understatement.

"Minori is my..." he struggled to formulate the word in his mouth. He and Jun had always been discreet about their relationship, and for a good reason, but here, in front of this strange girl, he felt like he just might be safe, "girlfriend." He finally spoke.

"They have those in the Hiyokuna?" Noaki asked amusedly.

"Of course," he answered smoothly, "our relationship is simply a secret. Besides, you should know. Aren't you from the Hiyokuna, all of you?" He asked, referring to the women he'd seen.

"Sure, Kohaku, Akane-san and even Hitomi are from the Hiyokuna, but I am not, Mamoru-san." She answered, but she could see her answer only confused him more.

"Are you from another one of the islands? Perhaps one of the isolated supply stops in the mountains?" This time it was Mamoru who tilted his head, copying Naoki's actions from before.

"No, I was simply born in one of the Extra Judi Zones. My mother and father escaped the Hiyokuna after they found out she was expecting." Naoki explained calmly.

"That's... strange." He struggled to find the words.

"Better than being doomed to a life of being a Yōki. Would you sentence your Minori to that?" Naoki found herself asking.

"Of course not," he answered without a moment of hesitation, "besides, we're not exactly in that situation yet."

"Right," Naoki quipped as if she understood, "you're a captain. They don't exactly permit you to have children while in the line of duty."

"Yes," Mamoru shrugged, "that's still not it though. Anyway, how do you know all this if you aren't from the Hiyokuna?"

"I told you, my parents were. I was obviously raised by them. Ironically, I think our parents knew each other." She answered with a laugh.

"My family has no affiliations with the military, I can assure you." Mamoru said, confusedly.

"Your father is Nanami Ken'ichi, right?" Naoki asked.

"Yes?" He replied, still confused.

"My mother worked in fertility science, before she fled. Her name was Miyazaki Kumiko. She and my father adopted the Kojima name after they fled the Hiyokuna in fear of discovery." Naoki stated proudly. Her mother's heritage was something she was at least proud of.

"Miyazaki? I vaguely remember my father talking about a Miyazaki before I left for the military. It was quite the scandal when she left the Hiyokuna with a military sergeant." Mamoru spoke without thinking about it, but apologized soon after.

"You don't have to apologize, Mamoru-san," Naoki said with a smile, "that was a long time ago. And don't worry about your girlfriend. If she's anything like you, I'm sure she's a fighter."

"Thank you, Kojima-san," Mamoru replied with a laugh, "that's what I'm worried about."

"Nonsense," Naoki laughed, "and it's Nao-chan. I don't think anyone's ever called me Kojima-san." When she started walking down the stairs, she could hear Ayano and Kohaku's hushed voices conversing.

"What are we going to do with the captain, now that he's awake, Aya?" Kohaku asked, her voice sounding the slightest bit panicked, "we can't let him go. He might reveal our location."

"Yuichi will make sure that doesn't happen," Ayano assured, "we also can't keep him here. He's not our hostage. We saved him from dying, yes, but now that he's healed, he has no real reason to stay here. And besides, you heard him, he has a girlfriend to return to back in the Hiyokuna."

"But Aya," Kohaku whined, "I'm scared. I know Yui said he'd protect us. But this is a military captain we're talking about. How sure are you we can trust him?"

"I'm sure we can trust him," Naoki spoke up, and watched Ayano and Kohaku turn to her in shock, "I know I barely know him, but I feel we can trust him. He is not like the other soldiers from the Hiyokuna."

"And what gives you that idea?" Kohaku asked, unfazed by Naoki's confession.

"He told me, not in those exact words," she started, "when I told him about my family, he didn't react the way I thought he would. The way a soldier would. He didn't say my mother was a traitor for putting her needs above Japan's. He didn't call my father a traitor for refusing to give his wife up. He agreed with what they did. I asked him that if he and his girlfriend were in the same situation whether he'd do the same for her. He said yes, without a moment of hesitation," Naoki explained with conviction, "we can trust him, Kohaku."

"Despite that. He's a soldier. His first duty is to serve Japan, not keep the secrets of some group of girls hiding from the RPF." Kohaku reasoned.

"I actually agree with Naoki. His response was different from a normal soldier's. I think we can trust him, Kohaku," Ayano spoke up, "I say we let him go tomorrow. If he wants to, he can leave, it is up to him after all."

At this, Kohaku groaned like an unsatisfied child, "you're both way too naïve for your own good." And with that, she spun on her heels, and headed to Akane's room.