Bound by Corruption by BelovedStranger

One Truth Revealed

AUTHOR'S NOTE: If any have read my story 'The Perfect Mate', I know I said in another A/N that I would not be updating another fic until I completed it, but since I am participating now in Stella Mira's Latin Challenge, there were several prompts that would fit PERFECTLY with this new chapter, and I wanted, needed, craved her tokens and banner. So here is an update :3 Hope you all enjoy and reviews would be lovely, for they encourage me to update at a faster pace. 

Prompts used for Stella Mira's Latin Challenge:

1.       Denuo: anew, again; a second chance

2.       Mendacium: lie, falsehood, untruth; counterfeit, fraud

3.       Nimis: very much; too much, excessively

4.       Oblectamen: delight, pleasure, source of pleasure

5.       Quirito: to shriek, scream, cry out

6.       Umectus: wet, moist, damp 

UNEDITED VERSION! My beta-sama is busy for a few days. Sorry >.<  NOW EDITED!

Kagome stared up at Sesshomaru in disbelief that only settled more firmly in her heart at his next words.

“It is possible.”

She stared up at the perfection that was his face, those strange markings slashed across skin that looked impossibly smooth and unblemished, pure alabaster without a hint of a mark from age or disease. His hair was like a waterfall of silver, catching the sun, reflecting it, and those eyes of his. They should have unnerved her—used to in fact—but they were far too beautiful in their unnatural hue, the pupil splitting the amber almost in half. She had to remind herself that even though he looked like a deity, he was anything but. Sesshomaru wasn’t perfect, was evil and corrupt in ways she couldn’t even imagine. What was more? He didn’t know her sister, didn’t know how strong and courageous Kikyo was, how kind and compassionate she was towards others.

Though her sister could be stern and focused, her personality usually serious, Kikyo was no liar. She would never tell her or their Obaasan an untruth, would never betray or hurt them—or anyone. Kagome’s eyes narrowed as stubbornness tightened her features. Sesshomaru didn’t know Kikyo. He didn’t even know her, and he’d been traveling with her for a few days now. He’d seen nothing but the worst in her, judged her by her human failings without even attempting to delve deeper to get to know the real her. Worse, he didn’t care too, so what would he know about her sister? Nothing. Something had happened to intercept Kikyo from reaching the village, and she was determined to find out what had befallen her—and prove Sesshomaru’s ridiculous claim false.

Kagome wanted to voice a heated defense of her sister to this demon, to inform him just whose reputation he was attempting to ruin, but bit her tongue in time to quall the likely argument that would transpire between them afterwards. Sesshomaru wouldn’t believe her, would discard her words as if they held no true value. It was times like this, when she really looked at him, that she realized just how naïve she could be. She wanted to change him, to show him that she was more than a pitiful human filled with darkness. Was she only fooling herself, being conceited to think she’d ever succeed in such an endeavor? But how could she not try? The familiar arguments flashed through her mind, but right now, she didn’t have the time or luxury to dwell on the matter. She had to find Kikyo, and just maybe she could show Sesshomaru that not all humans were vile, corrupt beings by showing him just who and what Kikyo stood for—the goodness in all men, women, and children.

Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she pasted on a smile and said, “Since we can’t know what happened for certain at this point, let’s go back to my village for our answers.”

After her own words, the smile fell from her lips, despair threatening to cripple her when she realized she would be forced to once again witness the carnage and destruction that had befallen her beloved home—her family and everything within the community gone.

Sesshomaru stared down at the small woman before him, noting how she quickly looked away from him, and it didn’t take a mind reader to know what she was thinking. Even the salty quality of her tears, the scent floating towards his nose on the slight breeze, gave her away, despite her efforts to shield her reaction from him. It took everything in him not to heave a resigned sigh at the realization that she was in tears—again. How many tears could one onna possibly contain? Surely she had wept enough for one lifetime if not two in these past few days? It didn’t make sense to him. Yes, her village, her home, her entire family and friends had been killed and destroyed. However, shouldn’t such circumstances fill any living being with hatred? To then cause them to desire to seek retribution?

And yet, in the aftermath where he had all but forced her to watch as her enemies fell one by one, bathing the soil in their blood, Kagome had not been soothed, had not even wanted their demise. She hadn’t even relished their deaths. What manner of human was she? She had even felt compassion for that Onigumo when she had known perfectly well that the man had been a part of her village’s destruction. He had seen her at her most pitiful, her most hypocritical during their association, which only fueled his sense of rightness in believing she only fooled herself to think that she was just a kind hearted miko. However, like now, he could see her sorrow over the deaths of the deceased, had witnessed her compassion for one who shouldn’t have been granted a seed of her worry.

Could he be wrong? Was there really some good in the world? He dug his claws into the palms of his hands in growing agitation. What he was learning from this onna clashed mightily with his hundreds of years of experience. Humans, any and all being that walked this earth, were filled with selfish desires, their souls tainted in darkness, and yet she had a light within her he had never seen before.

A new thought stiffened his spine. What if she was right? If she did truly possess a pure soul, his actions may very well extinguish something rare in this world. He couldn’t be wrong that the majority of humanity were corrupt creatures, some hiding behind veils of the righteous. He narrowed his eyes contemplatively at the woman before him before he moved to stand within inches of her, noting how her shoulders shook slightly with repressed sobs. Without preamble, he curled her close to his chest, offering not only the comfort of his body, but also took them to the skies with his youki cloud, soaring towards the place Kagome used to call home. If she truly was what she portrayed herself to be, then it was possible he possessed one of the very few phenomena this world had to offer—a human possessing an untainted soul.

A smirk slathered itself across his lips, more a baring of fangs as he tightened his grip around her, a silent warning to all that she was his possession, a jewel to be admired and treasured for its rarity. Without her knowing it, his plans had just shifted. Instead of bringing out the darkness within her, he would be further testing her pure nature just to be sure that what he was beginning to suspect was true. No, it was impossible to draw out her darkness if she didn’t possess it. He could taint her and extinguish her bright light, dragging her with him into the darkness, but why turn a diamond into a rock? No, he wanted her, wanted to bask in her pure light, to revile in the knowledge that he, a demon of darkness, was capable of possessing that which he had no right to even look upon, let alone touch.

He no longer looked forward to ravishing her when her soul blackened, to bask in each other’s darkness for a short time before tiring of her. What he wanted, craved above all things, was to instead ravish her while she yet held her illuminating soul. The ultimate perversion. A chuckle threatened to spill forth from his throat, possession like a living thing clawing at is gut as he was consumed with thoughts of taking the one pure thing from this world and having it for himself. Swiftly, he stifled the laugh, not wishing to upset the woman further or have her guess at his ulterior motives. A dark glimmer reflected from his eyes as his thoughts turned deadly, even more monstrous. Should Kagome fail his tests and prove his new suspicions wrong, she would pray for death before it was granted to her for causing him to doubt himself and thinking she was worth something.

He doubted she understood the precarious position she now found herself in, for a demon would pay, trade, and give much to possess a human with a soul such as hers. While he had no desire to sell her, he did wish to be the envy of all and to gloat to other miko and monks that she was his without them being able to do anything about it. Many from far and wide would come in search of her, to try and take her from him by force if he did not agree to sell her, and he relished the thought of many great battles to come. He’d fight and kill to protect her, and though he doubted he would be able to take her body covered in the blood of his enemies, he grew hard at the thought of taking her after he’d washed up when a battle was won, to lose himself in her silken softness and bright light. His victory, his prize, his conquest.

Soon, they arrived at her village, and he floated over the charred remains, gazing down at the blackened ground, and moved to settle before what he remembered to be where Kagome’s home had been. He did not release her, and she continued to hide her face against his chest, and he knew she had no desire to see the physical proof of her loss again.

Feeling more kindly towards her since he was beginning to believe he held something quite precious and valuable, he decided to show her compassion even though he had never actually felt such emotion. But he’d witnessed it often enough, was quite capable of emulating the actions and voice to deceive her. Lifting a hand to her hair, he stroked her black, silken stresses.

“We’re here, Kagome.”

When she trembled in answer, he lowered his head and nuzzled her temple, and whispered in her ear, his voice laced low, filled with understanding and empathy. “You’ve been through much in such a short amount of time. I know that your heart is filled with sorrow, and I have only added to your pain, but right now, it is not my intent to hurt you further. My only aim is assisting you to find your sister.”

She pulled away from him far enough to look up at him, and he obliged her by moving back slightly to meet her wet gaze. She searched is eyes as if looking for something.

“Do you really mean that?” she asked, her voice hoarse. “Why are you helping me? What could you possibly gain by helping me locate Kikyo?”

Thinking quickly, having already come up with this very excuse should she ever question his motives, he replied, “I left you at the village, alone with Onigumo. You were put in harm’s way, and now I seek to rectify my absence.” 

It seemed she saw far more than he had intended her to.

“Does that mean the contract is broken? You…you left without it being completed one way or the other.”

Almost gently, he answered, not wishing to cause her undue distress. “No, for I had never intended to leave you for long, and in fact, I was watching over you, so I wasn’t really gone. The contract is still in effect.”

“Then why didn’t I sense you? Why didn’t you save Onigumo?”

Figuring he couldn’t always get away with claiming he was not around when danger struck, and he’d be damned before he told her that he had instigated the ningen’s demise, he decided not to even try to go that route—to lie. He took a different approach, more truth than not.

“Must I save everyone who is in danger?”

Since saying such put him in an unfavorable light, he decided against speaking more on the matter and swiftly tried to turn her thoughts on different concerns. It wouldn’t do to turn her once again against him. There was only so much even she would take from him, he had no doubt, before she’d had enough, contract be damned. All he had left to keep her to her word and not break their contract, though she knew it would mean her death, was her sister Kikyo. She wanted her found, was desperate to find word of her, and she only had him to help her in that endeavor.

It was best she remember that, so he said, “Do you still wish to find your sister Kikyo? Only I can locate her for you, but if it is too painful to be here—“

She interrupted him. “No! I mean…” Her small hands tightened on his haori, desperation in her eyes before she forced herself to relax and calm down. “I still wish to find her. Thank you for helping me, whatever your reasons.”

Still, he could see that she was saddened that he had not saved Onigumo and it pissed him off. Why was she so obsessed with that worthless human male’s life? Especially after all that he’d taken from her. They were in the broken ruins of her village, an act led by Onigumo, and still she mourned his passing. Hopefully soon, she would forget the human. It couldn’t be soon enough to suit him.

Nodding his head, he took her wrist in hand as he had before, his intent clear in the gaze he impaled her with. She did not look away. Still, to make sure she did not succumb to her grief, he spoke.

“Keep your eyes on me. Do not look away.”

It was her turn to nod, understanding in her brown eyes, knowing he was attempting to stop her from seeing what remained of her home. Then her eyes softened, as if grateful for his show of kindness. Foolish mortal, he almost grinned. Brushing a small kiss of apology across the wound he had previously made that had barely stopped bleeding, he reopened the wound by sinking his fangs once more into her flesh. He felt the zing of her reiki, a small burn on his tongue, more erotic than painful, scented her heady aroma, and yearned to partake of her essence, but unfortunately, like last time, now was not the time for such pleasures. Besides, it was obvious she did not agree with his inner assessment as she did not find pleasure from his bite—for now. Later, he planned on showing her just how pleasurable his bite could be.

Her blood trickled on the ground, a waste that was unavoidable at present. Once again he began forming the words to the incantation, heard her voice whisper her sister’s name repeatedly, beseechingly. Energy left him as an unnatural fog surrounded them, the same one with strange, green flares of lightning flashing around them, the booming thunder almost louder than the words they chanted. Power pulsed around them, dark and sinister, but oddly enough, like before, Kagome’s reiki did not appear and flare in agitation, as if the woman before him trusted him completely not to harm her. Though she was foolish to continue believing in him after all he had done and said to her, Sesshomaru was nevertheless grateful that she did. If she was indeed one of the few pure souls that walked this earth, she would be his. He would never let her go.  

When the fog began to dissipate, Kagome looked around them hesitantly, not wishing to see the burned buildings and the villagers’ carcasses left in the open for scavengers; however, she had to know if the magic had worked this time. Though she had no idea what she was looking for, a gasp spilled from her lips as she blinked in confusion, looking this way and that. Huts were once more constructed, unburned, and villagers walked the dirty streets, talking and laughing, going about their day as if nothing had happened.

Behind her, the door flap to her home fluttered as someone exited the hut, and a familiar voice had her stiffening, her heart panging painfully in her chest.

“I won’t be gone long, Obaasan. Kagome, take care of things here while I am away.”

“Kikyo!” Kagome shouted, a sob choking any more words that might have come forth as she turned around swiftly, forgetting about the demon at her back as her beloved sister stood before her.

The older woman didn’t turn to her, didn’t act in any way as if she had heard her cry, and adjusted her pack and quiver of arrows on her back to a more comfortable position, before walking away.

“Kikyo, wait! It’s me, Kagome!”

Hand outstretched, Kagome ran towards her sister, and when she tried to grab onto her, her hand went through her elder sister’s back. Blinking in confusion, Kagome stumbled to a halt. First she continued to stare at Kikyo’s retreating back before gazing down uncomprehendingly at her palm. From the corner of her eye, she saw something white and black stand beside her, and Sesshomaru’s voice filtering to her ear.

“Calm yourself, aijin. That is not your sister, at least not anymore. She and everything around her, your entire village, is nothing but an illusion. My magic brought us into a glimpse of the past, just as I told you it would previously.”

Bringing her curled fist to her chest as her heart began to beat painfully, Kagome looked around herself, at her thrumming village, at the people who walked by without seeing them, before landing on her sister’s retreating form once more.

“It’s not real?” she whispered, before the truth of her words struck her like a blow.

Insane laughter bubbled up in her throat and a small chuckle escaped before she could stifle the sound, her palm pressed firmly against her lips. She wanted to laugh, to cry, to scream in despair. Of course this was all an illusion. Hadn’t she seen her village’s destruction first hand? Heard the death cries of the images of the people around her, seen their blood spill onto the ground? How foolish she had been to believe for one second that everything had been unreal, that she’d been stuck in some nightmare only to finally awaken to everything being normal, just the way it had always been.

“Right, of course,” she said when she had her laughter bottled up inside, knowing Sesshomaru probably thought that she had finally lost her mind, and perhaps she had. “We have to follow Kikyo, right? Let’s go before she gets out of sight.”

Before she could take one step, a large palm caught her left hip, an arm wrapped around her shoulders bringing her right side up against a lean, male body. Looking up at Sesshomaru’s profile, she opened her mouth to question him.

He spoke first.

“It will take too long to follow her on foot. Come.”

His youki cloud surrounded their feet, taking them to the air again as he flew over her sister, then something strange happened. With one command from Sesshomaru, in a language she could not place, Kikyo went into a faster pace, much faster. Though it seemed her elder sister continued to walk, time seemed to move at an accelerated rate. Her sister moved towards the neighboring village, but as soon as she was out of sight of her own, she veered off course, heading into the trees. There, a man met her sister. This was no ordinary man, for his hair had the same silver sheen as Sesshomaru’s, the same golden colored eyes she could not miss even from this distance; however, unlike Sesshomaru, this man had dog ears upon his head, signaling his status as a half-demon.

She felt Sesshomaru stiffen beside her, and she was about to ask him if he knew this man who looked so much like him, yet not, but the words never left her lips. In wide eyed disbelief, she watched as the man embraced her sister, saw how Kikyo wrapped her arms around his back, and allowed him to kiss her, deeply, passionately. Still in hyper speed, Kagome watched in silence as the man knelt, offering his back, and Kikyo’s willingness to be carried. Then they were moving quickly through the forest, and Sesshomaru raced after them. He, too, was silent. The significance of that was lost on her as they followed the couple who continued to speed through the trees.

It was only until the couple came to a small cove of trees, rocks forming a circle around steaming water—a hot spring. The beauty of their surroundings was lost on Kagome as she watched with growing understanding as the couple on the ground began kissing in earnest. Once clothes began coming off, Sesshomaru uttered another command which put time back to its regular pace. Kagome wished he hadn’t as feminine moans, heated cries for more, and male groans of pleasure echoed to her ears. Worse, Sesshomaru floated them down for a closer look.

“What are you doing?!” she shrieked, mortified, turning to bury her face against his ribcage.

“Mmm, Inuyasha! Please, more…” she heard Kikyo moan in a deep, throaty voice.

“Oh, God!” Kagome covered her ears with her hands, her mortification turning to horrible understanding as she realized what was happening only feet from her.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the sight of his half-brother, his father’s bastard, half-breed child. When he had first seen the insolent pup emerge from the foliage to embrace Kagome’s sister, he’d been shocked. He was not pleased to see Inuyasha. He couldn’t care less that the little bastard was a hanyou. Whether one was human, half-breed, or a full-fledged demon had never mattered to him. All were held contemptible in his eyes to some degree. No, why he truly despised the pup was because his great and terrible father died protecting him and his human mother when he’d already been wounded previously in battle from a far greater opponent that had felled his sire. If not for the human bitch and newborn child, placed in mortal danger at a time their father was not at his strongest, Inu no Taisho would not have met such an unsightly and embarrassing demise, killed by a human of all things.

Such an end dishonored the greatness that had been attached to his house’s name. Sesshomaru was fully aware that it was not a babe’s fault, that Inuyasha was not to blame for their father’s choice; however, every time he saw the brat or heard his name, he was forced to recall the shame and ridicule that now followed his family’s name, and he hated it, hated there to be any blemish to such an esteemed house—his house. In effect, he had nothing to do with his younger sibling. Sesshomaru didn’t deny the bastard’s bloodline, didn’t keep him from their ancestral home even though he was within his right to do so as heir and lord, for that would give more room for the gossips to wag their tongues, and he’d be damned if he’d give them one more thing to froth over. As Inuyasha had aged, Sesshomaru had rarely taken up residence in their ancestral home, and when he did, he kept as far away from his brother as he could.

He did not encourage brotherly fondness between them, didn’t want the mutt to look to him for guidance or protection. Thankfully, when Inuyasha aged, he desired to go out into the world, to travel, leaving the castle open for Sesshomaru to reside in at more lengthy intervals. In time it dawned on Sesshomaru that Inuyasha had not been happy in their father’s home. He’d been looked down on and subtly snubbed by other high-ranking demons for his hanyou state, had been gossiped and ridiculed about unmercifully. So he’d left when he was old enough to care for himself. Sesshomaru had not cared, still did not care that so many shunned him, both demons and humans alike. He didn’t even care if the boy thought his elder brother thought the same, that he was nothing more than a worthless half-breed.

Inuyasha was on his own, as he had been left alone as a child growing up, whose father—their father—had been too busy to take much interest in a son who was unable to show love and compassion to even his father and mother. 

Now, gazing at the coupling forms, Sesshomaru smirked, realizing this could be used as yet another test for Kagome, and the perfect opportunity to weaken the emotion ties she held for Kikyo. If he could make her rely only on him, trust no one but him, he would have that much more control over her life, her very existence. Finally, his brother could prove to be of some use to him, if unknowingly. It mattered not.  

He glanced down at Kagome’s dark head.

“Why do you look away, aijin?”

She sputtered before she could choke a few words out, amusing him greatly with her obvious discomfort and embarrassment. “You know perfectly why! They…They’re…”

“Having sex?”

His only answer was an outraged squeak before she stilled when her sister let out another womanly cry. Sesshomaru ignored the fornicating couple, his entire focus on the woman beside him, huddled against him as if she could hide from this revelation about her sister. Just to make sure she was completely aware what exactly transpired before them so that she did not attempt to rationalize the situation away later, he gripped the back of her skull, easily forcing her to face forward despite how she tensed and tried to look away.

Moving behind her, crowding her, he framed her face from behind in the palms of his hands, forcing her to look. He lowered his head until his cheek grazed her own, and from the corner of his eye, he saw that hers were clenched tightly closed. That wouldn’t do.

“Open your eyes,” he murmured silkily.

“No,” she whispered, barely loud enough to be heard.

Moving his hands, modifying his hold, he gripped her chin securely in his left hand while the other drifted lower, his fingers caressing her collarbone, pushing the fabric of her kimono aside so that he touched bare flesh.

“If you do not, I will take you here, beside the memory of your sister allowing my brother to fuck her.”

Too late he realized his mistake.

“Your brother?”

He’d succeeded in getting her to open her eyes, but instead of watching the now naked couple just feet away, she tried to turn her head, to gaze at him in wide eyed shock. He almost cursed. He’d had no intention of making her aware of his close association with her sister’s lover. It was too late to bite his tongue now. However, he had even greater desire not to deter their conversation. His strength was fast waning, the power of the enchantment taking its toll on his body. Even one as powerful as he could not spend limitless energy on such a high-powered spell without weakening.

He yanked her gaze forward just when both Inuyasha and Kikyo cried out. Sesshomaru spared them but a small glance, noticing the half-breed had finally entered his lover and began a quick, pounding pace inside the writhing woman. Going back to nuzzling his nose against Kagome’s temple, he whispered darkly in her ear, both threat and promise.

“Remember when I told you the next time you aroused me, offering your body in blatant invitation that I would continue until we are both sated whether you had a change of heart or not?” He felt her stiffen, either at his words or the image before them, he could not say, but continued speaking as if he whispered tender endearments to her.

“Despite my warning, you again incited my lust by rubbing your naked body against mine, stroking my erection with your own hand. I stopped then when you once more pushed me away without one word of complaint from me. Look away, and I will rectify my past actions in breaking my word, and take you now.”

His hand briefly caressed the swell of her breast, his touch gentle, nonthreatening, and yet the action was indeed sinister in its implications that he would use force if necessary, his touch capable of turning forceful and bruising if she made one wrong move. She tried to shake her head, and since he wasn’t sure if she would ignore his warning or not, he needed her to see this to drive home his intent, so he spoke again, his voice temptation itself.

“Perhaps I was wrong to break my word and leave you innocent…”

At his threat Kagome shouted, “No, wait!” before biting her lip, glancing at the moaning, squirming couple before them as if fearful her cry had interrupted them. Of course it had not, the illusion continuing, retelling the past as if it were happening today—now.

“Please, don’t. I—I’ll watch.”  

Kagome swallowed thickly, cringing at what she thought was a brutal pace the strange, silver haired man was inflicting upon her sister, pounding his male flesh over and over again into Kikyo’s womanhood. She was forced to watch as Kikyo performed an act Kagome had always been told was forbidden of most shrine maidens. What was more, they weren’t married, but that didn’t seem to stop them as Inuyasha began suckling at Kikyo’s breasts as if ravenous.

Remembering how it felt when Sesshomaru had touched her thusly and far too intimately, her body heated, her core pulsing with need to be filled, her womb clenching. Even her nipples hardened as her breathing turned into small pants for air. Oh, God! What was happening to her?! Horrified, Kagome realized that she was aroused by the sight of others performing an act she had only ever dreamed about participating in. She’d always been ashamed when she’d lain awake at night, her body burning for things she had no conception of understanding fully, fearing there had been something wrong with her, for a shrine maiden to have such carnal desire. Reacting to Sesshomaru, desiring to touch and be touched by him had only made her shame grow, and yet here Kikyo was, eagerly throwing away what they had been taught all their lives by their grandmother. They were not meant to partake in the pleasures of the flesh, at least not unless they survived to be middle aged and it was time for a younger woman to take over, to settle down with a man and bring new life into the world, to create another generation of miko and monks. Usually this was the older sibling’s task, not the younger’s.

“Why must I watch?” she asked desperately, wanting to look away, to get as far away from this carnal scene as possible before Sesshomaru realized her body’s betrayal.  

He nipped the shell of her ear, and she gasped lightly, feeling the tiny bite down to her toes, making her arousal worse. It was clear he was all too aware of her body’s response, but she was not alone in her growing lust. She could feel his erection blatantly resting against her lower back. 

“To make you aware of your sister’s deceit. To show you that it is no great sin to succumb to the pleasures of the flesh. Your sister understands this, despite her upbringing, that it is not wrong or something to be ashamed of. It is your turn to learn this lesson.”

Heart pounding, but not in fear, she opened her mouth to speak, though she was unsure of what she  would say in response to his words, but Kikyo cried out a feminine sound of completion and unrestrained pleasure, stopping the words before they reached her tongue. Wide eyed, Kagome witnessed how Kikyo’s lover reared back, giving her and Sesshomaru a clear view to their joined bodies and how he pounded into her a few more times before thrusting one last time, shouting his own release.

Her womb spasmed in need, but not for this stranger. No, she lusted after the man behind her, and without conscious thought, her body called out to his, her core weeping for his possession. Kagome refused to heed her body’s desire.

“I’ve seen enough!” she shouted, wrenching her head to the side and closing her eyes.

Sesshomaru allowed her to look away, a small grin curving his lips.

“As you wish, aijin. Let us fast forward through time to locate your sister’s destination.”  

AUTHOR'S NOTE: 

Just in case any has forgotten 'AIJIN' means 'lover' in Japanese.