FicWad

Chapter Twenty-Four: Plea for Action:

Daiyu couldn't take it anymore. She walked out of her hotel room and pulled out her phone.

"Mama?" she asked. "Is Papa there?" There came a pause.

"Can you please put him on the phone?" Daiyu asked. Another pause came. The woman frowned.

"Mama, please!" she pleaded. The woman sighed.

"Thank you," she said. Daiyu had to wait again. She sighed and rolled her eyes. A man's voice came over the other line.

"Papa!" she said. She frowned as she listened.

"But…" Daiyu said. More words came out. Harsher, angrier.

"Come on, Papa!" This is your granddaughter! She's in danger here! Don't you care?!" she yelled. More yelling followed. His daughter sighed.

"I can't," she said. "I have to bring back my niece!" More shouting followed.

"But-!" Daiyu shouted.

Click.

She stared at her phone. Why did she think this time would be different? Didn't he care about his granddaughter? What if the kidnapper came back? How could he be so cold?

Daiyu happened to look up and see Tsuzuki standing across from her. She jumped back screaming.

"Gah!" she shouted. The shinigami smiled and waved.

"Yo," he said. Daiyu glared at him.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?" she asked. Tsuzuki calmly smiled.

"This hotel is in Chinatown, is it not?" he asked.

"Yes…" Daiyu said.

"Well, this is the place you will stay in Japan. So…" he said. The yaoguai snorted.

"What do you want? Did she send you here?" she asked.

"No," Tsuzuki said. Daiyu looked confused.

"Then why are you here?" he asked.

"I came to see you," he said.

"Why?"

"Take a walk with me."

"Why should I?"

Tsuzuki smiled. "You look like you could take a load off." Daiyu snorted at him.

"What do you care?" she asked.

"Come on," he said. "Can't be good for you to carry all that frustration, can it?" Daiyu frowned. She started whimpering.

Tsuzuki led her around the hotel garden. Neither spoke. The shinigami looked over his shoulder.

"How is home?" he asked. Daiyu snorted.

"Fine," she said. The yaoguai looked like a big spoiled child pouting. Tsuzuki sighed.

"What's wrong?" he asked. The yaoguai glared at him.

"Why do you care?" she asked.

"Just want to hear you out," he said. Daiyu didn't speak at first. She groaned aloud.

"It's my father. He doesn't care about her," she said.

"Kirika-chan?" Tsuzuki asked.

"Yes," she said.

"That doesn't sound nice," he said. Daiyu sighed.

"He never talks about her. It's like his own granddaughter doesn't exist to him. Mama doesn't want to interfere either." She threw back her head and groaned.

"I'm stuck here!"

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?!"

"Why are you trying to get closer to our daughter?"

Daiyu puffed up her cheeks. "She's all I have left of my sister." Tsuzuki turned his head.

"I'm the only one who cares," she said. "I will not let my niece get taken away." He put his hand on her shoulder.

"You can still see her," the shinigami said. Daiyu looked into his eyes.

"I don't want to lose her," she said.

"You won't," he said. "In fact…" Tsuzuki looked around for a moment. He leaned in close to her ear.

"Airi-san is going out to handle it right now," he whispered. Daiyu stared at him at first.

"How?" she asked.

"She didn't say how," the shinigami said. "But I trust her." The yaoguai frowned.

"Anyway," Tsuzuki said. "You can come and see Kirika-chan when you want. It will do her some good. Besides, we could convince your dad to talk to her sometime." Daiyu tried not to show her surprise.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. Tsuzuki shrugged. He took step one at least. Now, he had to hope that Airi would pull through. By now, Anna had started to ask questions. He had no idea how to dodge them anymore.