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juuichi 


eleven 




Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


 

    They’d left while it was still daylight and all the while the eyes of soldier and prisoner alike stuck to them as they watched him help her into the passenger seat of his new shiny black Buick, a gift complementary from his Captain. Those eyes watched them drive away, exiting the barbed wire iron-wrought gates. The swirling green pastures and hills of the countryside had drawn her attention and he glanced at her once more before focusing entirely on the road. If only for a couple of hours, he wanted to stop wrestling with himself. He wanted for a moment just to forget, drink, and have a good time with a pretty girl.

     He’d gotten his orders. He would be deployed to the island of Iwo Jima within two weeks’ time. Of victory, he was confident but nonetheless, the pre-battle nerves had him jittery. He’d taken her out once last week to be measured at a tailor and unbeknownst to her, had commissioned the making of a dress for her. A dress that she now wore. A pretty canary yellow, it popped brilliantly against her skin tone, bringing a sunny warm glow to her. Small green, red and yellow polka dots made up the fabric. She wore small dusty pink heels, giving him an inward sigh of relief at the sight of her legs and ankles once again in them. To match the color on her feet, he’d had short gloves of the same color made as well and purchased a straw hat adorned with pink flowers. All the colors a the suggestion of the tailor upon seeing her that day. 

    Coming to a stop, he couldn’t help but steal another glance at her. She was simply radiant. She clutched her delicately gloved hands in her lap as she continued to look out of the window. Reaching for her hand, he forced her gaze away from the window finally and their eyes met. She didn’t say anything but her fingers slowly tightened on his as the car once again began to move. 

 

*** 

 

    Don’t trust him, Bea. Don’t do it. By now, it was a never-ending mantra spin wash and repeating in her mind but damn her heart how fast it beat when he looked at her. He had this way of looking at her that made her feel like she was the only woman in the world… like she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. What frustrated her was the mixed feelings… the mixed emotions. It angered her. Confused her. Why did it have to be him? Of all people her heart could have chosen why did it have to be a soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army? 

    Biting down into her lip, her teeth stabbed the flesh, pain making the small cut burn. This was the same man who two weeks ago pulled out a gun and aimed it at her. It made no sense… no sense why she couldn’t bring herself to kill him… kill herself…put herself out of this misery. The ride was silent as the familiar views of Shanghai met her and her heart twisted painfully in her chest. Memories of marquee lights, booze, cigarette smoke, and Joe’s laughter played out before her. The sweet sound of Jazz and Big Band…Blues and even Gospel. The sounds of her people now… no more. Passing armored military trucks and personnel, they stopped at a checkpoint. The driver rolled down his window. 

    “State your business.” 

    “I’m escorting First Lt. Matsuda to a dinner, sir.” He handed him his driver’s license and soon a tap on the back window made Ichiro roll down the window. The soldier eyed him, took in his uniform confirming his rank, and glided his eyes over to her. Saluting him, the soldier stood at attention. 

    “Enjoy your evening, sir!” He didn’t reply but saluted him before rolling the window back up as the car continued on. The drive was now a bit tense as she’d withdrawn her hand from him and not squeezed them tight.  

    “Where are we going?” She asked, eying the rickshaw drivers as they ran past them. 

    “Someplace private.” Is all he said, his tone final. They rode for a little while longer before the car pulled up to what looked to be a private estate. Mouth dropping open, she turned to say something but he’d already gotten out and shut the door. Coming to her side, he opened the door and extended a hand. She accepted and allowed help out of the car. The door behind her was shut and soon the car began to drive away. Swallowing, she began to walk up as he’d started ahead of her. Finally catching up to him, she gasped as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close as they entered through the stone arch entranceway. They met guards who only saluted him, allowing them passage further into the property.  

    Coming up the short stairs, he rapped on the door. Soon, it opened to reveal a Chinese woman, dressed in an elegant qipao. Her red lips smiled at their arrival and she moved aside, welcoming them in. The inside of the house was immaculate and she couldn’t help gasping at the massive indoor waterfall and courtyard. 

    “Welcome First Lt. Matsuda. Your date is beautiful.” Her Mandarin was saccharine and the sound of it made her homesick. 

    “Is it ready?” He asked, ignoring her compliment. 

    “Yes, of course. Everything you requested has been completed.”

    “Good.” The woman led them up the stairs into separate quarters of the home, in a much more European style than before. 

    “Please, enjoy your evening. Dinner will be served on the balcony.” Leaving the two of them alone, she tried to catch her breath as she took in their surroundings. 

    “Make yourself comfortable.” He called ahead of her, leaning against the balcony railing. 

    “Whose house is this? Where are we?” She asked, looking around once again. 

    “You have a way of trying to ruin moments between us don’t you?” He, dare she say, teased, turning humored eyes towards her. 

    “I-I just wanted to know. I have a right to know.” She stuttered, eying her feet. 

    “It’s a friend’s property.” He answered, lifting her chin. 

    “O-oh…” 

    “Relax, Beatrice.” But she couldn’t relax, not as he stood in front of her looking and feeling just as he did back at the Oriental Pearl. He’d chosen to leave his cap in the car, only wearing it upon greeting the military checkpoint. His hair had started to grow past his ears again and he’d taken advantage of the length, smoothing it back with gel. He wore some cologne, possibly the same cologne he’d worn those years ago because the scent of it had her mouth watering. 

    “It’s not the Oriental Pearl but it’ll do. Come, let’s sit.” She let him pull her towards the table. Pulling out her chair, he waited until she sat to seat himself. 

    “Why are you doing this?” She asked, watching him pull out a slim cigarette case. Opening it, he wasted no time lighting it. 

    “Need I a reason?” 

    “So now all of a sudden we’re on a date with absolutely no explanation.” 

    “Isn’t this what you wanted? Did I mishear you?”

    “What?” He blew out smoke and sighed. 

    “You wanted me to be honest about it…the feelings I have for you.” Her heart slammed into her throat. 

    “So here we are.” 

    “I….I don’t understand you.” 

    “What is there to understand?”

    “Put out that damn cigarette so I can see your face!” She quipped, drawing a humored little smirk. 

    “If you want one, just say so.” He quipped back, intentionally blowing the smoke in her direction. Huffing, she pursed her lips and crossed her arms. Crossed they remained as a servant came to fill their empty glasses with water and place fresh warm bread and butter on the table top. 

    “Stop pouting and uncross your arms.” He ordered as he broke a roll. 

    “Don’t order me around. I’m not one of your little toy soldiers.” He spread a thin layer of creamy whipped butter and ate quietly, those eyes of his stabbing little holes all over her body. 

    “Stop staring at me. It’s creepy.” Finishing the bread, he got up and came to her side. 

    “What are you-” Taking her arms, he broke them apart and forced them down on either side of her. 

    “Ow…” Letting her go, he resumed his seat and lifted his water to take a sip. 

    “I know you have wondered why. Why you.” She did but hell would freeze over before she asked that. 

    “You oppose me.” 

    “I’m…I’m sorry?” At her confounded expression, he laughed for the second time she’d known him, the sound of it both foreign and delightful to her ears. 

    “You don’t listen to a goddamn thing I say. I like that.” 

    “You’re insane.” She reached for her water. 

    “Don’t ask for honesty if you can’t handle it, Bea.” 

    “Whatever.” His voice was smooth and pleasant and that distinct rasp chipped away at her heart piece by piece. With a sigh, she sat back with that trademark purse on her lips. 

    “What drew me to you…besides the fact that everybody told me not to mind you…” 

    “What was it?” He asked, reaching across the table for her hand. 

    “Probably just how you looked at first.” His lifted eyebrow expressed interest. 

    “You just…you looked confident. Powerful. A man’s man.” She was surely stroking that ego of his and she watched the antisocial son of a bitch eat it up.

    “The vodka you prefer told me that.”

    “Did it?”

    “Mmhm.”

    “Mm.” His thumb had begun to stroke her hand. 

    “You can tell a lot about a man by the way he drinks. Some drink with company. Others like you, are content being by themselves. And men like you drink cowboy-style they say back home. Hard. To the point. All in one.” Impressed at her observations, he agreed with them by his raised eyebrows once again. 

    “Impressive.” He complimented, letting the servants place their first course on the table. Pulling her hand back, she began to lift her spoon, the fragrant tomato bouillon nearly making her drool. Blowing gently, she looked to see him staring at her again, like a creep… again. 

    “What’s wrong with you?”

    “You.” He didn’t say anything else, dipping some of the fresh bread into the soup. Things had grown quiet as they ate and soon the second course came. Fried fish with cucumber. 

    “How did you come to Mukden?” He asked, dipping the fish in some sort of sauce. 

    “How else? I was kidnapped.” 

    “Details.” He elaborated, forking a cucumber. 

    “My brother woke me to Japanese soldiers invading people’s homes and forcing everyone out. They rounded up everyone and those who made a fuss they shot.” He was quiet now, eyes intense on her as she continued, 

    “They killed my brother while he tried to protect me…” At that, to her shock, he looked solemn. 

    “I’ll never forgive what you did to him.”

    “I didn’t do anything to him.” 

    “Your people did.”

    “Don’t punish me for what ‘my people’ have done.”

    “No, I’ll punish you for almost shooting me at the command of your Captain or whatever the hell he is.” The once pleasant night had turned sour and tension had rose up between them. 

    “You want details of how one of your soldiers raped me? Will that get you off? Sick bastard.” The second course forgotten, she scooted her chair to get up. 

    “We can never ignore what we are to each other. No matter how much we play dress up.” He made it to her quicker than she’d walked away and grabbed her hand. 

    “Beatrice,”

    “Get off of me!” He grabbed her arms now, forcing her to turn. He wrapped his own around her, tight enough that she could not break away. 

    “I’m a soldier first. That’s what I do. I follow orders. If I don’t, then what good am I to my country?”

    “I don’t care! You would’ve killed me if he had given the order. Right? And then where would we be? You’d be hugging my corpse and I’d be laughing at you from hell.” For the first time, she felt him physically grow still, his muscles tight and stiff. 

    “The days of Oriental Pearl are gone and so are Ichiro and Bea. They died right along with it.” He didn’t argue or put up a fight, just dropped his arms to release her. 

    “I’m done being your little doll. Take me back.” Storming away, she left him standing there hands now closed into fists. 

 

*** 

 

    I felt so many emotions that night. Regret tore into me with such a vengeance that it left me breathless. For the first time, I regret everything I’d done. The suffering, the misery, the pain I’d inflicted upon others. The lives I’d taken. All of it threatened to suffocate me. Fury. It infuriated me that someone had taken advantage of her; my pretty perfect little slice of Holiness. I was supposed to taint and muddy the waters of her purity…and yet someone else had viciously ripped it away from her. From us. My own brutal assaults on defenseless women smothered my lungs and I wasn’t aware that I was hyperventilating. 

    Trying to take in a breath but failing, dizziness smashed into me. Her approach towards me seemed in slow motion but her hands soothed the fire in my skin, and the sweat on my face, neck, and arms. The words that came from her mouth nice and slow coaxed the breath to return. I wheezed heavily until even that slowed and my breath returned to normal. I’d held onto her and didn’t let go, pressing my face against her soft neck, an askance of penance. I wanted her arms to close around me, give me the forgiveness that I wanted so badly but she didn’t, keeping her touch away from me. 

    The ride back to the camp was somber and neither one of us spoke to the other. Upon entering my private barracks, she’d hastily taken off the dress I’d purchased and left it crumpled up on the floor, the shoes tossed carelessly away from her. She went behind the partition, blocking my view of her. And I, I undressed in the quiet and got into bed, turning my back to her as I tried to find sleep. 

 

*** 

 

    What good was a soldier anyway? Was misery, death, and murder at the expense of others really at the benefit of one’s country? 






Chapter End Notes:

 

A/N: THIS CHAPTER WAS SPICYYY BOYYYY. MAN. So much goodness in here to discuss lol. Here we have the begininng of the 'change' if you will... the much MUCH needed character development in my poor male protaganist because sooner or later I was gon strangle him LOL. This whole enemies to lovers/ love-that-I-hate-you trope is what I'm here for and it is PAINFUL to read the two of them... but you are rooting for them LOL. UGH. HOW CONFLICTED ARE WE Y'ALL Lol. THEY CONFLICTED AS HECK. 

*sigh* 

I hope you guys enjoy these updates hehe. I gotta go to sleep so I can get up for work tomorrow...today (0:20 am as I'm writing this whew chile) 

Love you! 

sunhalo~ 

 

Pictures: 

BEA'S DRESS (dude did that. I'm just sayin) 







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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.