Hiruma Ameno ooi - Chapter 5

Hiruma Ameno ooi

Chapter 5: “The choice”

The moment he had left Tottori village Katsu had rushed at full speed to the north, with a nervous feeling of heading again towards Togakuchi village, but right before entering he would make a swift turn to the east, heading to his sensei’s academy on the moors. Maki and Momiji barely agreed with him going alone, but had to accept so they could keep an eye of Asuka’s minions through the night and the early hours of the next day. Just before the sun came out from between the mountains did Katsu arrive to the small cabin that was at the top of the first mountain, which was the entrance to the academy. A young apprentice monk in his bright yellow gown greeted him with a smile, opening the gates and welcoming him inside the patrol booth before the academy.

Monk: Togakuchi-sama! So good to see you again after all this time. You might not remember me… I used to be Aoki–sensei’s assistant.
Katsu: Yoshirou-kun! You’ve grown so much in these years!
Monk Yoshirou: I’ve become an apprentice now, after Aoki-sensei’s passing…
Katsu: What? Aoki-sensei died?
Monk Yoshirou: You didn’t… know? He died a few months ago…
Katsu: A few months? How did he…?
Monk Yoshirou: A poisoned arrow directly at the heart.
Katsu: Asuka…

The young monk nodded sadly. Katsu’s own breath fumed before him as he slowly tried to comprehend his sensei’s passing.

Monk Yoshirou: Nobody noticed until dawn when he didn’t get up. I found him lying on his bed with the arrow stuck right through his chest. That woman… as silent and deadly as a filthy snake…

Katsu couldn’t listen to another word, he turned back and ran as fast as he could, ignoring the monk’s distant voice calling out his name. He couldn’t believe it was happening, Aoki-sensei dead, his only hope had now been taken away. Asuka had planned it all that way, leaving him with no-where to run, but to her own vicious hands. He felt how the fear crawled up again from his toes to his spine, sending shocks through out his body that made him leap further and further into the woods. Maki and Momiji couldn’t see him this way, they couldn’t see their leader being terrified before the invasion; Katsu needed to slow down and find a place to absorb and face the awful news he had received in the moors.

Katsu walked slowly through the small pace between the Red Bridge and the village’s entrance; when he saw Yukari walking through the forest, searching for wild berries. Yukari lifted up her gaze from the bushes, and with a gasp of excitement, ran towards Katsu throwing herself into his arms. Katsu catched her gently, feeling how the fear slowly disappeared when holding Yukari in his arms.

Yukari: Katsu! What are you doing here? Is everything alright now?
Katsu: Well, sort of…
Yukari: Then why are you here? Why did you come back?

Yukari released Katsu from her embrace, looking at him with concern.

Katsu: Because I missed Kenta. And you, specially you. I couldn’t even stand a few hours apart from you.

Yukari smiled warmly at him.

Yukari: I missed you too.

Katsu took Yukari’s hands, holding them softly inside his own.

Katsu: But I can’t put you in danger anymore so, I just came to check up on you…
Yukari: So you’re not going to stay?

Katsu denied firmly with his head.

Yukari: Please stay. Kenta will be so glad to see you.

Katsu let go of her hands.

Katsu: I’ll only be a nuisance, like last time…
Yukari: No you won’t. You were never a nuisance, you helped us a lot and…
Katsu: Yukari, I only want what’s best for you. I only want your happiness, and if I stay I’ll make your lives miserable. 

Yukari now took Katsu’s hands firmly.

Yukari: Don’t say that. You’ve only brought us happiness and company, to Kenta and me. That’s why I want you to stay.

Katsu sighed, smiling back at Yukari’s smile.

Katsu: I… Alright, only if you mean it.
Yukari: I do, I really do… I guess… I just want to be with you…
Katsu: I want to be with you too.

Taking away his hands from Yukari’s, he slowly approaches them to her face, looking deeply into her eyes.

Kenta: Katsu-kun!

Katsu immediately takes back his intention of kissing Yukari, to kneel down and receive little Kenta in his arms, lifting him up into the air. Leaving Yukari totally blushed, afraid that Kenta might’ve seen them.

Katsu: I’m so glad to see you! Have you behaved properly, young man?
Kenta: Yeah, I’ve helped mom in everything! 

Katsu puts him down next to his mother, smiling broadly before the 4-year-old.

Katsu: I hope that’s true, or you’ll get a tickle attack.
Kenta: It’s true, it’s true! Right mom?

Kenta hides behind his mother’s legs, giggling. She gently caresses the boy’s bushy hair.

Yukari: Yes, he has been an exceptionally well-behaved little boy. Like always...
Katsu: I’m glad to hear that.
Kenta: Katsu-kun, let’s play the ninja game! Please, can we?

Katsu looks at Yukari for approval, and she nods smiling.

Yukari: Sure, I’ll head back to make dinner. But don’t stay after dusk, alright?
Katsu and Kenta: Yes, ma’am!
Yukari: Then I’ll see you boys back home.

Yukari walks towards the village’s entrance, swaying her berry-filled-basket happily as she heads back home humming.
Yukari is closing the pastry shop, as the sun melts down into the purple dusk.  Kenta is helping her bring in the smallest price signs back into the house, as she brings in the larger ones right behind him.

Yukari: Oh my, Katsu hasn’t come back from the construction site?

Yukari opened the door looking at the street, that started to light up as the dark night swelled down.

Yukari: Kenta, would you mind going for him?

Kenta smiled and ran out the door into the street, at full speed towards the construction site.

Yukari: Be careful!

Yukari closed the door, sighing and turning into the kitchen to put away the rest of the pastries. Twenty minutes later, the door opened and she heard Kenta’s clumsy shoes stepping in, she ran out the kitchen staring at the man standing behind Kenta in the doorway.

Yukari: Shin-sama?
Shin: Good evening Yukari-san, I came with Kenta so he wouldn’t have to come back home alone.
Yukari: Where’s Katsu?

Shin denied with his head slowly, stroking Kenta’s hair softly.

Shin: Well we chatted and he explained to me the reason for his resignation. I’ll miss the boy, but what to do if it’s his decision. I got worried when I saw Kenta thirty minutes later asking for Katsu-san. He doesn’t frequent any bars or anything, does he?
Yukari: No, he was supposed to come back home.

Yukari now clenched her apron tightly in her hands.

Shin: I thought so. I only heard him ask Ken where he could buy some sake for your pastry recipe.

Yukari took off her apron, and taking Kenta’s hand, she bowed before Shin in gratitude.

Yukari: Thank you so much for bringing Kenta home Shin-sama. I’ll go look for him at Azuma’s sake shop.
Shin: Would you like me to come with you?
Yukari: Not after you bothered coming here, I really appreciate it, but I’m sure I’ll find him there enjoying a bottle of sake. Don’t worry, and thank you so much.
Shin: Alright, see you tomorrow Kenta, Yukari. Have a good evening.

Shin walked out the door with Yukari and Kenta behind him, heading towards the centre of the village. When they arrived to Azuma’s sake shop, the owner told them he hadn’t seen Katsu. Yukari headed back home with Kenta, looking around for any sign of him.

Kenta: Where could he have gone to mommy?
Yukari: Maybe he wanted to buy some very special sake for mommy’s pastries, and had to go to a nearby village. But he’ll be back, I’m sure.

They finally reached their house, finding the door open. Yukari freezed, putting Kenta behind her.

Kenta: Mommy, what’s wrong? 
Yukari: Stay here Kenta.

Yukari walked slowly, peeking through the corner of her eye to see what had irrupted inside their home. She quickly made out the silhouette of a man lying on the living room floor, and was shocked to realize it was Katsu. She quickly ran inside, turning on all the lights; and finding Katsu lying face down with the skin on his back totally ripped and bloody.

Yukari: Katsu-san! Katsu-san, what happened?
Maki: Another unfortunate encounter with Asuka’s minions.

Maki came out of the shadows with Momiji along her side. Yukari looked at her with fright, and then to Katsu in deep concern.

Yukari: But… but he told me he would solve the problem he had with that Asuka person…
Momiji: It’s quite a difficult situation for him to carry on his own shoulders…
Yukari: Who is this Asuka anyway? And why is Katsu being attacked? Tell me, please.
Maki: I’m sorry, but we can’t tell you. Katsu-kun told us not to. 
Yukari: You jerk…

Yukari caressed Katsu’s cheek. Kenta entered running, sitting down next to him, looking amazed at all the bloody wounds in Katsu’s back.

Momiji: You think you can take care of him from here?
Maki: We need to catch those bastards and cut them into pieces… 

Maki walked out the door, with Momiji at her heels.

Momiji: Please tell him we’ll be back soon!

And the door slammed shut behind them. Yukari looked at Kenta, and he immediately ran to the second floor, coming a few seconds later with a dark wooden box.

Yukari: Please get me some water from the kitchen, and bring that bottle of sake we got at Azuma’s shop…
Kenta: Yes mom!

Yukari opened the box, taking out various rolls of bandages, a pair of scissors and a pack of medicinal herbs. She started cutting Katsu’s clothes with the scissors, and these disintegrated as she touched them, burning her fingertips.

Yukari: Ouch!
Kenta: What’s wrong mom?
Yukari: There’s something in Katsu’s clothes, be careful not to touch them.

Kenta put the bowl of water and the bottle of sake next to the bandages, and then knelt next to Yukari, simply watching. Yukari dampened some bandages in a mix of medicinal herbs and sake, and then put them on Katsu’s back.

Katsu: Ungh… my God…
Kenta: Katsu-kun!
Katsu: That stings… ouch.
Yukari: I’m sorry, but these wounds are really bad. They’re in deep past your skin and some flesh… 
Katsu: That’s because it’s a kind of acid… that can eat through anything. Asuka’s minions… followed me after I spoke to Shin-sama with some acid arrows.
Yukari: Thank goodness Maki-san and Momiji-san where nearby.
Katsu: God… agh…
Kenta: Katsu-kun is it really that bad? Why do those people have to hurt you?

Katsu turned his head to see Kenta, as the child looked at him very frightened. Katsu extended his arm to grab Kenta’s hand, grasping it tightly. 

Katsu: It stings a little, but I’m a ninja. These wounds will make me stronger. And those minions won’t know what hit them after I recover. So don’t worry, everything will be fine Kenta.

Kenta nodded approvingly, holding Katsu’s hands too.

Yukari: Kenta, it’s time to go to bed.
Kenta: But mom, I want to stay with Katsu-kun…
Yukari: Kenta…
Katsu: I’m gonna be fine, go have some rest. You’ll need it for tomorrow to play with your friends. Besides, I’m in your mom’s hands, so I’ll heal extra fast… ouch!
Yukari: Sorry, my hand slipped. Kenta, go to bed, it’s late already.   
Katsu: Good night, little man.
Yukari: Good night, sweetheart.
Kenta: Good night!

Kenta let go of Katsu’s hands roughly, and ran up the stairs to the second floor, slamming shut the door to his room loudly.

Katsu: What’s wrong? Are you mad at me?

Yukari remained silent for a few moments before answering, still covering the wounds on his back with bandages damped in herbal medicine.

Yukari: Yes, I’m mad at you.

Katsu rested his chin on his arm, closing his eyes and smiling. It was the second time she had ever been mad at him.

Katsu: Can I ask why?

Yukari closed her medicine box after putting in the rest of the bandages, the medicinal herbs and the scissors. More cold silence.

Yukari: You didn’t solve your problem. Those people are still after you, and that Asuka…
Katsu: I shouldn’t have come back in the first place. I’ll leave first thing in the morning; I was so stupid...

Katsu sat up, his back still stinging uncomfortably.

Yukari: It’s not about that! What did I tell you earlier? I want to be here with you. I’m worried about you. Because they hurt you and they… they might kill you.

Katsu turned his head to look at her, very serious and a bit angry.

Katsu: They won’t kill me. I won’t let them. That’s why I ran away in the first place…
Yukari: And what will you do? Spend the rest of your life hiding and running away from those people?
Katsu: No!

He had risen up to his feet, looking at Yukari with a furious expression. He closed his eyes, sighing and relaxing his expression.

Katsu: I can’t run away any more. I don’t want to. But I have to make a choice.

Yukari looked at him, bewildered, but still remaining kneeled on the floor.

Yukari: A choice?
Katsu: It all has an explanation…
Yukari: One you’ve been avoiding to give me, haven’t you?

Now tears were streaming down Yukari’s face. Katsu knelt down in front of her, holding her gently by her shoulders.

Katsu: I’m sorry. I just thought you weren’t interested in my past, but now I think it’s best for you to know everything.

Katsu gently wiped off the tears off her cheeks, making Yukari blush, and not being able to look directly at him.

Katsu: Why don’t you check on Kenta, and then I’ll tell you everything back in my room?

Yukari nodded silently, still wiping the tears from her face with her sleeves. Katsu helped her get up, and they both climbed up the stairs to the second floor.          

Yukari entered silently to Katsu’s room. He turned around from the window, to see her standing a few paces from him, her skin shinning bright in the moonlight. He extended his hand towards her, smiling.

Katsu: Come over here.

Yukari walked forward and took his hand; he quickly drew her next to him and embraced her. Yukari embraced him too, closing her eyes.

Yukari: I’m still mad at you.

Katsu smiled; laughing a little, while looking directly at her bright green eyes, touching her soft skin and then passing his fingers through her dark hair. 

Katsu: Don’t you want to continue our kiss for earlier this afternoon?

Yukari pressed her finger against Katsu’s lips, still smiling.

Yukari: First, you’ll have to tell me everything about that choice.

Katsu kissed her finger, before Yukari took her hand away to let him speak.

Katsu: And after that, you’ll help me make my choice?
Yukari: I’ll give you my humble opinion.
Katsu: That works for me.

They remained in each others arms, as the moonlight shone upon them, while Katsu told Yukari about his past with Asuka; about how they met, their past  relationship, and their training with Aoki-sensei at the Moors.