When strangers collide

[Kubotan]

Samantha slowly crawls into her bed, pulling the sheets up to her neck as she lies down quietly. She feels how the silken-soft pillow touches her smooth skin, it embraces her body and she suddenly starts smiling silently to herself. The feeling of comfort had almost been forgotten due to the hostilities she had received in Kusari. It is not easy being a foreigner around here and being a woman doesn't make things better.

A few hours passed, but for some reason she was still awake. She squirmed her body in all directions, trying to find a position where she could fall asleep in. Nothing seemed to work. Hideki was on her mind. Ever since she had seen him face-to-face on the landing pads of Kabukicho's hangar, he had left an unforgettable impression.

Finally she lifted her head up and performed a deep sigh. A few seconds later she jumped out of her bed and moved towards the wardrobe where she putted on some light clothes to conceal her figure. She didn't wished to be detected by any Hogoshans at this hour of the night. It could bring unwanted suspicion and potentially even endanger Hideki's life.

But she had to do it, she had to go see him.

Tiptoeing silently across the narrow corridors her pulse suddenly accelerated to imaginable levels as she heard two men laughing across the hall. She thought to herself in a half-childish way that she must become like Hideki, a stealthy nightwalker who remains in the shadows. Surprisingly it proved to work. Trying to desperately recall an earlier conversation she had with Hideki where he had revealed the location of his private quarters, she was certain of that she was on the right floor. After a few failed attempts to remember the exact room-number, she came up with the idea to signal him through the communications device she was given. She would then simply track the source of the sound.

A few repeated beep-like sounds were heard, she carefully listened where it came from and suddenly found herself infront of a door.

"This is his room." She whispered to herself.

As she was ready to knock on the door a strong feeling of regret overwhelmed her.

[color=#FF0000]"Maybe he will hate me for not listening to him?" She asked herself, becoming more anxious as each second passed.

"But I must see him." She quickly retorted.

And the knocking was heard...