This is just a random idea that suddenly struck me when I had nothing to do while waiting for our lunch break(we had our soft skill assesment and my turn was already finished so yeah, the free time?). As it's just random and I haven't proofread it, I can't guarantee you the quality but I enjoyed writing it so I hope you enjoy reading it too.

A Silent Murmur

"The curse would never be lifted. " Rikuo murmured in a hollowed voiced as his eyes bored blankly at the rippling motion of the sake against the enclosed walls of the cup that he was holding.

The wind brushed by ever so softly, letting the silver strands of his hair against the pale color of his cheeks. I clenched my hand tightly on my side, restraining the urge to tuck away his hair on the back of his ear. The urge was too much to the point that I felt my fingernails bit through my skin, screaming at me to just let it go, to give in to my impulsive desire but I knew to myself that I could not allow myself such selfish desire. I had no right , I never had.

The gentle rustle of the sakura leaves hummed in the stillness of the night, adding weight to the words that left the mouth of the man who was no more the cheerful and confident person I knew him to be. With a brusquely movement, he swig the sake down to his mouth, shoving it down to his throat with a forceful gulp that he choked even before the moment it got down to his stomach.

"Didn't I tell you to take it slowly? " I reprimanded in a gentle voice as I took away the cup from his hand. His eyes flitted over to me in a mere second, a mocking smile gracing his firm lips, before he leaned his back against the trunk of the Sakura tree and closed his eyes.

I let my eyes linger on his face, taking in every feature it possesses – and the bleakness that was embedded along with it. Or at the least, that was what my eyes were making me see. I felt my own lips slowly turning into a bleak one itself that I abruptly tore my eyes away from him and reached out for the bottle of sake clipped on the branch before us and poured its content on the cup. I extended my hand and let the rim of the cup touch Rikuo's lips.

His lips quivered slightly at the contact, followed by the gradual opening of his eyes. The moment his hand touched the cup, I immediately let my own slip away. He gulped down another one, but this time , he conceded to my words and took it more slowly.

" It doesn't really matter, does it? " I said as I stared straight into his eyes, finally giving him an answer to the invinsible question that was hanging on the end of his statement a moment ago . I felt my chest starting to burn, despite the coldness the night brings, and it was unpleasant. I knew with the next words that I would let go, the pain would just worsen, but I knew I had no choice but to continue, however heavy my footsteps are becoming with every steps I take." The curse would only take effect if you fall in love and marry a youkai right? I knew you Rikuo-sama, so that kind of situation would be impossible. If you worry about your son and the ones that would come after him, please don't forget that you have us, your Hyaki Yakou, to protect you and the next Nurarihyons to take over the title of Supreme Commander. Even if the future Nurarihyon would diminish to being a human, he would still be a Nurarihyon and nothing would change that. If he has gotten weak because of that, then as part of the Hyaki Hyakou that pledged our loyalty to the Nurarihyon blood, we only had to become stronger. But honestly, you still have a million years to live. You should not worry yourself over things like this. "

" Falling in love with with a yokai is impossible for me huh? " Rikuo chuckled, although there was no sound of humour laced on the tone of his voice. " Well, you might be right."

His confirmation - it pierced through my heart. The pain it was making me become aware of in severity right now, I deliberately tried to bury it in a solid mask of serene smile. It hurts, but I could not let it be shown to him.

" But I'm not talking about myself here. I promised my father that I would break the curse, and yet I failed him. I didn't want anyone from our bloodline to suffer the same thing that my father did. And yet I wasn't able to do it. Wasn't I a failure?"

'Our bloodline.' That's right. In order for Rikuo to let his bloodline continue for many generations, there's no other path for him to walk but the one that leads to the humans. It might be hipocrasy of me to feel a bound of relief that his heart was already tied up to someone whose name I could not bring myself to utter even in my thoughts at this time, but that's the emotions that was welling up inside of me right now. However, it would be real hypocrite of me if I would not admit to myself that the pain that was gnawing on me was greater in folds that could not even be counted.

" If two people truly love each other, no matter what, they would have to fight for their love. "

Rikuo's eyes probed deep into mine at what I said, as if he was trying to bare my soul. " If that is true, how did my father and Otome end up the way they did?"

" Sometimes, we had to sacrifice our own happiness for the sake of the one we love. I could not condemn Otome-sama for what she did. If I were thrown in the same situation as her, I would have probably done the same thing. "

Rikuo's jaw clenched and for the first time, his eyes sparked with an emotion- but it was something out of unforeseen anger. His hold on the cup had tightened that it almost seemed that it was going to crumble into pieces any moment now." You do not say that again Tsurara."

His calm yet somewhat threatening statement had taken me speechless that I could only give him a startled stare. There must also have been fear reflected in my eyes when his face softened and the fondness that has been missing from him since I found and joined him here had resurfaced on his face. " I'm sorry. I just don't like hearing the word sacrifice, especially if it's coming from you."

I shook my head, telling him that I didn't mind it although I didn't say anything. I could not say I'm sorry - it was the truth.

Rikuo regarded me for a moment and then he smiled - a smile that only a father could have given to his daughter. And I only realized why it was when he asked.

" Tell me Tsurara, have you already fallen inlove with someone?"

Rikuo tilted his face towards the sky, tearing his gaze away from mine. I was grateful for that, for I knew I would have bitten my tongue if he still had his eyes on me and I would have had answered him.

" I doubt that would ever happen. I believe in love, but it's just not meant for me. However, I knew that I have to raise a family of my own and getting married to someone would be inevitable. I have to carry on with that unspoken responsibility- it would be bad if the lineage of my ancestors would end up with me right?"

" Yes. It would be bad. The Nura Clan would be incomplete without a Yuki-Onna on it. Besides, it will be a pity if beautiful yokai's of your lineage won't grace this darkness of the yokai world. " A small smile lingered on Rikuo's lips, as if he was taking amusement at what he was saying. However, it eventually faded away as he tilted his head to stare back at me again. " Fall in love Tsurara. I want you to be happy, and I won't have a peace of mind if I knew that you only married someone just because you have to."

" Hey, why did the topic suddenly shifted to me? We're talking about you, not me." I let out a laughter that sounded too fake to my own ears, in a desperate attempt to wave off at where the conversation seemd to be leaning to. Coming from his own lips and hearing it with my own ears, I had always known that it would be this painful, but still, it's really a different thing when the actual pain is already consuming you whole.

" Right. " Rikuo agreed with a wistful tug on the end of his lips. He raised his back away from the trunk and with one stretch of his long hand, grabbed the bottle of the sake from where it was neatly stucked. Rikuo poured the sake onto the cup- the last of it- and he stared at me with his dark red eyes ,both terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time. Before I realized it, he put forward the cup to my lips and silently motioned me to drink the sake.

This gesture from Rikuo, I knew it was something that I could not decline him with. Without asking him anything, without giving any sign of objections, without making any excuses, I opened my lips and tasted the alcohol on my mouth.

" It's bitter." I commented as the last drop of the alcohol burned down into my stomach. It was sweet but I could not keep myself from thinking that it was still bitter afterall.

Rikuo withdrew his hand and uttered in his deep voice that diffused into the stillness of the night. " I know right."

His smile was warm, almost too warm that it almost seemed like I was seeing the exact opposite of what he was projecting. It almost seemed like he was going through the exact misery that I had all along. A smile that mirrored his own appeared on my lips. The wind whistled quietly, taking some of the sakura petals along with it...and drowning the soft murmur that uttered out of my mouth.

" Yeah. "

P.S - about my other two fanfics, I'll have it on hiatus until I'm already done with my job training. I really wanted to update it asap but I don't have the luxury for it right now. I'm really sorry. I need to focus on my training so that I would be able to pass it. I hope you guys understand me. Rest assured though, I won't abandon my fanfics. It'll just take time for me to update.:(