Second Love

Plot: Wakana Nura has done everything in her power to uphold the Nura's Clan standards as the Nidaime's Second Wife. She'd healed Rihan's old wound from the betrayal of his first love, bore him an heir to the Clan and keep the Clan content and happy years after his death. Yet Wakana is still just a human. And sometimes, she couldn't help but wonder if Rihan had ever loved her at all or was he simply used her for the Clan's sake…

Chapter 9: Blood

"DAD..!"

Shigure Kawasaki, age 38 years old. Occupation: Tragedy Romantic Novelist. Throughout his entire years of living on this planet Earth, had never been hugged by anyone, let alone by a young boy twice his age.

Here he was, standing in front of his apartment's doorsteps with an incredibly handsome boy still holding him tightly and refused to let go even after a couple minutes have passed. Cold sweats were running down his spine in rapid speed. He sure hoped his noisy neighbour, Maria-san, a retired reporter for a famous tabloid newspaper, was not smoking outside on her balcony at the moment!

He could only imagine what vile news she would spread across the internet! It didn't help the fact that the two men who came along with him looked at them as if he had grown another head!

"Um, Nura-kun? Perhaps you got me confused with somebody else?" Shigure tried to pull him away, but Rikuo only tightened his grip on his arms.

"Nura-kun, could you kindly let me go? You're literally crushing my arms… Please?" Shigure flashed his best smile, all the while sweats were rolling down his spine.

There was a moment of silence before Rikuo finally released the man from his tight grip.

"Thank you very much," The novelist massaged his numbed arms, internally, he cried out in pain. "So, Nura-kun? What's gotten into you to suddenly hug me and called me 'dad'?"

"I-Indeed, Rikuo-sama!" Kubinashi broke his silence. "Never in million years would I'd thought Rikuo-sama to hug someone, let alone, a stranger in plain sight! I demand an explanation!"

Rikuo frowned slightly before quickly stepping back from Shigure, he crossed his arms. "I'd accidentally let the Daylight Rikuo temporarily got the hold of me. His desire to see you after all these years is strong, so it seems. Doesn't matter. Let's head back to the mansion now. Everything will be explained then. You too, come with us."

"Me?" Shigure blinked, still confused about what just happened.

"Yes, you. Now hurry up and move it," Night Rikuo ordered. His two companions wordlessly followed him back to the Nura Clan's Mansion.

The atmosphere at the Nura Clan's Mansion filled with thick tension between the Third, the novelist and the rest of the Clan members tailing them as they made their way to meet with the Sōdaishō.

For Shigure, it was like memory lanes of his former life. He remembered every little detail that had happened in the mansion before his unfortunate death. From his warm childhood to his marriage to both Otome and Wakana, to his son's birth which was the happiest moment of his life, and finally, the last few moments of his death and the regrets he'd left behind.

No. Pull yourself together, man. Shigure told himself. You're not that man. You're not Rihan anymore. You're Shigure Kawasaki; an incredible hot Romance Novelist who makes women all over the world wept with your tragedy love stories.

Preparing his mind for whatever to come upon arriving in front of the meeting chamber, Shigure couldn't help but feel nervous. His palms were sweating as Rikuo raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Come in, Rikuo."

His old man sounded calm as ever.

Rikuo opened the sliding door. "I've brought him over, as your requested, gran-" Rikuo's eyes widened at the appearance of his grandpa in his youthful form. He was smoking his favourite pipe while sitting with his legs crossed. There were few recognised faces in the room including Kejoro, Tsurara and Gyuuki.

"What are you doing in that form?!"

"Why are you getting so worked out about, kid?"

"Because the last time you were in that form was when we—"

"Well, whatever," Nurarihyon shrugged, ignoring his grandson's words entirely. Getting up on his feet, he stared at them — at Shigure with piercing eyes.

"So, you're the gentleman that I've been hearing reports about. The one, according to Kubinashi, who's constantly 'harassing' my daughter-in-law, huh?"

"Harassing? Kubinashi!" Kējoro scolded, which the headless youkai cowered slightly.

A sound of deep chuckles came from the Sōdaishō himself brought back the attention. Nurarihyon's deep chuckles turned into a full-blown laughter which worried some of the youkais who were eavesdropping.

After a while, Nurarihyon finally stopped laughing and turned completely silence. Eyes still glancing at Shigure, he said with a very calm voice.

"You're Rihan's reincarnation, are you not?"

All hell broke loose when everyone; including the ones eavesdropping, with an exception for Gyuuki and Rikuo, freaked out.

"S-Sōdaishō-sama?!"

"Rihan-sama's reincarnation? What's that suppose to mean?!"

"How did…you…know?" If Shigure was pale before, he's paler now. It was good that they knew who he was, but what worried Shigure the most was who told them?

"What do you mean 'how did I know'? What a stupid question. You're a Nura, are you not? My blood ran through your veins!"

"But Grandpa, he's not a Nura anymore... is he?"

"Not by name. But by blood he still is. Listen, whether you were born in different time- line or the fact that it's still hard for you to accept that you are still a Nura or not, is all entirely up to you. But to me, you will forever be my idiotic son — a child whom that incredibly attractive feisty woman and I had created with so much love and whom I'd lose nine years ago."

Shigure couldn't talk not could he moved. He was too stunned by the answer he did not expect to receive. Then again, he is his father, so he should have expected something like this were to happen. All the sudden, the novelist fell as if heavy weights have been lifted from his heart. He felt his shoulders trembling, which quickly went noticed by the rest of those who presented.

"N-Nidaime-sama?" Kubinashi tilted his head slightly. He gasped sharply when he witnessed teardrops flowing down on the man's cheeks.

The whole room went complete silence with an exception for the sobbing sound. All the sudden, the sobbing grew louder. Firstly Tsurara, then Kejoro and before long, one by one joined in with the cried as they gathered around their much loved Nidaime.

A party was being held in the Nura household in order to celebrate the return of their beloved Nidaime. Though, some were still found it hard to wrap around their heads that their once lost Nidaime-sama was now back as someone else who was a full human, the fact that he still regained his past's memories quickly shattered any doubts about him.

Before the start of the party, Tsurara and Kegoro had kept and locked any "Youkai Gorosshi" bottles they've had in order not to repeat the same incident on the night their Third went mad.

For Rikuo, he couldn't be any happier to spend time with his father. Even in Night form, the fact that he got to spend the time with him was something he cherished very much. If only his mother was here, his whole family would be complete.

Speaking of which…

"Say, old man. What are you going to do with Mum now that you're back to the Clan?" His question caused the rest to stop partying instantly.

Shigure raised an eyebrow. "You were so cute calling me 'Dad' before, and now you called me 'Old man'? Jeez. Talk about double personalities."

"I'm being serious here!" Rikuo's face flashed. On the background, he could hear both Zen and Kubinashi were hiding their chuckles behind their hands.

I'll kill them later.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Karasu Tengu poured more sake into Shigure's cup. "Wakana-sama will return to the household and everyone will live happily ever after!"

"No."

"N-No? What do you mean 'No'?!"

Shigure gulped on the sake. "No. I need more time before I could court her again."

"But Rihan-sama, she's still your wife! You don't need to court her if you just tell her the truth!" urged Kubinashi.

"I meant as Shigure Kawasaki. Wakana had said that as Rihan, I had been her first love. Losing me nine years ago must have been a hard hit on her especially when we had a little fight earlier that day and the fact that I didn't get to say 'I'm sorry'. I knew the feeling of losing your true love, I've felt that with Otome. Imagine how she would feel if all the sudden, the man whom she's starting to trust, revealed that he's the reincarnation of her dead husband. It would no doubt crushed any faith she had left for Shigure or any men, as a matter of fact. So no, I refuse to tell her anything even with the exceptional consequences. At least for now."

After the Nidaime's heartfelt speech, the party resumed. The members of the Nura Clan focused on spoiling Rikuo while giving Shigure some privacy to talk with his father underneath the Sakura Tree.

"Nice wind, isn't it?" Nurarihyon commented, looking above at the blooming Sakura tree. He sneaked a glance at the man sitting casually beside him.

"Aah," Shigure nodded. The awkwardness between them had broken earlier. Now they were back to their daily routines like in the old days.

"Rikuo has quickly grown. Soon, he would be taking over as the Third and lead the Clan to much brighter future. He may have won the hearts of the Clan members and gained deep trust from the rest of the regional Heads, even won the battle against our greatest enemy, but I still haven't let go of the Clan entirely to him yet. He still has lots to learn."

"Was it his choice?"

The Sōdaishō nodded. "We'd tried to pursue him in the beginning. But in the end, he'd made that choice himself. Wakana-san supports him regardless of the choice he made. That woman's a good woman and devoted mother. Just like your own."

Shigure fell to silence. Looking at his reflection on the cup. "Shigure never knew his parents. At an early age, he'd been living in the Orphanage home his whole life until he'd graduated High School and went to the University. He didn't have any close friends either; only a few acquaintances because some people found him to be very strange. Even then, when I think about it now, he kept on searching for the missing pieces of his past life. I couldn't remember who I was up until a few weeks ago. One morning when I woke up, I've found myself with Rihan's memories — two different souls in one body."

"It must be hard, huh?" Nurarihyon poured sake into the latter's cup. "You're home now. So there's no need to ponder about the past any longer."

"Yeah."

"Speaking of which, what's your real reason for not telling Wakana-san the truth?"

"You caught on it so fast, huh?"

"You're teasing your old man?"

That last remark made Shigure barked with laughter. Soon, he laid on the grass with arms spread opened and eyes closed.

"Been a while since I laid here," he whispered softly.

"Oi, you'll catch a cold if you sleep here. I ain't gonna pick up a grown man. My old bones couldn't take it."

"Kubinashi will pick me up soon enough, no worries." A loud snort came from the Sōdaishō.

"I guess… The reason why I don't want Wakana to know the truth is because I want to do the right thing this time. That day, partly it was my fault to be blamed that has nothing to do with the little fight Wakana and I had earlier in the morning. When I saw that little girl with Otome's face, I couldn't help but be reminded of her even thought I had been so happy and blessed with the life that I had then. I had bee a fool. I didn't even stop and thought for a bit it might be a trap. It was so unlike me to be caught off-guarded like that, yet I did. Pathetic huh?"

"You surely were," Nurarihyon sipped on the sake. "So then, what happened next?"

"Well, I'd spent twenty years with Otome living in Hell, which is not much different from living in the Living World. I've got to spend time with Mother in Heaven ever once in a while; a privilege especially for a hanyou such as myself. I've watched how everyone's lives been up to from a small pond in the garden of my house."

"Your mother had informed me about it. I am only able to see her in my dreams. She's still remained the feisty woman I'd married all these years."

"Spare me the details, old man," now it was Nurarihyon's turn to chuckle loudly.

"So what you're saying is that you want Wakana-san to fall in love with the current you, is that it?"

"Yes."

"Good luck on that. Just so you know, you're not the only one who cares deeply about Wakana-san. If you as much as hurt her or my grandson, I'll mercilessly use our family's traditional kick on you, understand?"

Shigure laughed. "Understood."

As they kanpai to each other's glass, the cherry blossoms petals that have been flowing down around them before they slowly developed Shigure in an angry twister.

"What—" In a far away distant, the two could hear a faintly familiar giggling sound which made Nurarihyon's eyes grew widened.

Yohime? His attention soon fell on his son and he let out a sharp gasp.

"Ouch, she always likes to do that, even in the afterlife!"

"Rihan."

"Yeah?"

"Look at your reflection."

The Nidaime quickly looked at his reflection. True enough, he was back in his old form!

"H-How did…"

"Yohime said only in full moon, will you regain your true form. She's said it's part of the disturbance that has going on the in the afterlife. It's affecting everyone."

"Sōdaishō-sama! Nidaime-sama! It's bad news!" Kubinashi and the rest of Rikuo's Hyakki Yakō rushed toward them. They stopped abruptly when they saw Rihan.

"Rihan-sama! You're back in your old form!"

"He'll explain later. What's the bad news?"

"Right, Sōdaishō-sama. We've received news from the Gozomaru and Mezumaru who are patrolling the area that Rihan-sama's apartment has been wrecked. It seems to be a work of a youkai."

"What!?"

"So it has begun," Nurarihyon frowned deeply. He quickly changed to his old form. "Rihan, I want you to stay with us from now on."

"But—"

"This is an order! Someone is after you and we still do not who or what. Besides, you're a full human now. You'll be helpless to fight against any youkai. Do you want Yohime's efforts to go to waste if you were to die for the second time?!"

Rihan backed down. He couldn't possibly win against his old man when it concerned his mother.

"Where's Rikuo?"

"He went to check on Rihan-sama's apartment with Yuki-Onna, Aoi and Kurotabō They'll meet up with Gozomaru and Mezamaru there."

"Kubinashi, bring Wakana here immediately. The rest, I want you to stand on guard and gather as much information as you possibly can. We'll teach the one who dares to mess with the Nura Clan's turf a lesson they would never forget."

"As you wish, Nidaime-sama!" Kubinashi quickly gets to work, dragging his surprised fiancée along with him. He'd never felt so alive now that the Nura Clan is completed once again!

Hiii! It's me again! First and foremost I would like to say thank you for your lovely reviews! Nothing makes an author happier than to reserve such good feedbacks from her readers ^^ Secondly, apologies for the late update. Been busy celebrating Eid Mubarak lol I think gained a bit of weight… and tomorrow I'll start working again sob sob.

Aaaanyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, especially the father-son moments between Rikuo-Rihan-Nurarihyon. Do let me know what you think!

Till next time, have a nice day, my lovelies!

*Youkai Gorosshi is a hardcore youkai liquor. Please refer to the manga vol 25 Chapter 210.2: The Third Going Crazy, for more details! ^^