Chapter 3-The Happenings over Ice Cream

"Owwww," Rei moaned, "my damn head."

"Oh, don't move!" Kira shouted as she made a mad rush to his side. "You've been sleeping all day, and the doctor told me that you should be careful not to move one inch!"

"I'm hungry." He stated rather bluntly--a Rei characteristic that put Kira's troubled mind at ease. "What are you smiling for?" He added.

"At how silly I can be sometimes. You were mumbling some awful frightful things after the surgery and I was being silly enough to think about them."

"What did I mumble?"

"Oh…just things. Like…about Sei and Hakari and…"

"Hakari?" Rei interrupted.

"yes…are you sure you don't remember her from somewhere?"

Rei paused. He must have an answer quick so Kira's sensitive mind wouldn't pick up on his hesitation. "Funny…I thought she might have been my cousin." (lame-yet believable)

"Oh…um…" Kira seemed at a loss for words. She believed Rei-of course she believed him, yet…something seemed awkward. "Would you like me to get you an ice cream?"

"Haha, that's a random offer… but sure."

Kira jumped up at the prospect of getting out of that dreadfully dull hospital room, with the blood stained bandages on the only person for whom she lived.

She had gotten the ice cream from the cafeteria, but didn't feel like returning to that room. Instead, she left the hospital and ate the ice cream on the way to the corner shop she and Rei had gone to the day of his accident.

Hakari was working…but what should that matter? Hakari was nothing to Rei…

"How may I help you?" the she asked."

"One chunky monkey extra large ice cream with extra chocolate fudge." Kira responded.

Hakari scooped the ice cream without a smile or another word. Kira noticed that Hakari's forearms were very strong. With each scoop nearly every muscle visibly contracted. Her eyes followed the large, blue vein up her arm…until she noticed a large bruise just peaking from under Hakari's shirt sleeve.

"Oh my, that's a horrid bruise." Kira remarked.

"Ice cream tin fell off the shelf. It killed!" She answered, and made a weak effort to smile. She handed over the ice cream (and forgot the chocolate fudge/).

Kira paid, and began to leave the shop.

"Wait!" Hakari blurted with apparent severity, "is…is your husband alright? I couldn't help but notice his name in the paper."

"You know his name?"

"No…you…uh…you called him by it last time you were here. I was just wondering that's all." Hakari busily began cleaning the counters.

"Oh, he's not my husband; We're just together…Well, he's fine, thank you." Kira responded, and left. However she thought she heard a mutter: So he is seeing someone.

The ice cream was near melted by the time Kira reached the room, but Rei didn't seem to notice. He talked, between spoonfuls of ice cream, about leaving the hospital, getting on his bike, and the race this upcoming winter. Everything was as expected. She was Kira; He was Rei; and they were in love…She assumed.

The next day, Rei's room seamed brighter. A vase of flowers sparkled in the sunlight and shaded the chocolates nearby.

"from Harumi and Tatsu." Rei said, "I just saw you looking at them. You want one?"

"No, I'm fine." Kira absentmindedly replied. She looked at the handwriting on the card tied to the vase: there was no sender name.

"You look less than that. Kira, what's wrong?" Rei's eyes conveyed such concern that Kira had to try all she could to not blurt out: I think you're having an affair! But Rei seemed to get the message. "Kira," he sighed, " I've been thinking about Hakari, and I can definitely tell you have been too…but not in the way you assume I am; I really think she may be my cousin."

"Were you and your cousin close? How could you tell after all these years?"

"Kira! You are suspicious!" Rei shouted, seaming deeply grieved at her mistrust, "Yes, okay? My cousin and I were very close! She was always playing with my brother and me! And the only way I could tell her apart from anyone else was she had a small scar on her neck in a similar, if not same, location as the girl in the ice cream shop! That's what!…That's all I'm thinking of her as! Is this what you needed to know? After all this time and you still can't trust me? After all we've been through…" He ran his hands down his face and added, "Maybe it was all for nothing."

Kira was shocked; Was Rei trying to break up with her even though he wasn't seeing Hakari? "What do you mean, Rei?"

"I mean that I'm hangin' over Tatsu's for a while. I'll have a friend pick me up from the hospital. I mean you don't have to bother."