The First Time I met Him
"Don't wonder off too far, okay, Yuuna?" A 24 year old woman said to the little girl with white hair which was neatly tied up with a red ribbon. Some of her hair fall to the sides of her little face making her look beautiful and cute. She wears a long sleeve white shirt with brown rims. She also wears a brown short cape with black ribbon, along with a black long skirt with white lace, white stockings and black simple shoes for girls.
"Yes, Okaasan! Bye!" Yuuna, the little girl with red eyes that she inherited from her mother said while waving to her mother then ran outside to meet up with her friends.
Yuuna is currently 4 years old and she already memorized some of the streets near her home so she can play outside by herself. Her friends are all boys. So they are going to play some dodge ball game.
"Oi, Yuichi! Hurry up!" one of the boys that stand near her house called out.
"Coming!" Yuuna replied. "I told you to just call me Yuuna." She said while half-heartedly punched the boy's shoulder lightly.
"Nah. You're a girl. It's better just to call you your surname. It's a proper thing to do. Oh, and my dad said that." The boy said while walking to meet the other boys. Yuuna following behind while grumbling to herself.
Yuichi Yuuna is her name.
"Yoo everyone! All's here?" Minoru said, the boy who was earlier with Yuuna. They were already on their meeting spot, not far from their houses.
The other boy replied, "Yeah. We're just waiting for you two slow pokes to show up." He teased.
"It's not my fault. Her legs are too short to walk faster than that." Minoru replied, while Yuuna frowned. She is the youngest of the group, but 2 of them are the same age as her and the others just 1 or 2 years older than her. And her legs aren't that short either!
"I'm not short!" Yuuna exclaimed while they kept walking to the place where they decided to play dodge ball.
"Yes, you are." Minoru replied.
"No, I'm not!"
"Lighten up you two. We're here!" one of the boys said.
The place is a medium size of field which was located near the docks. In fact, if they peer down to the side of the field, there's the docks already. None of them really mind to play here. But one thing is bothering Yuuna.
"Hey.. did we went too far from our houses?" Yuuna asked. A hint of fear was creeping in her voice.
"A little. It's not too far. Don't worry. I remember the way back." Minoru said calmly while ruffling her hair. Seeming to know that Yuuna was anxious.
Yuuna frowned again and swatted his hand away. She mumbled an 'okay' and they all ready to play dodge ball.
Meanwhile...
18 year old Dazai Osamu, one of the executives in Port Mafia, was walking around the port when suddenly, one of his subordinates was hit by a ball at his head. He was hit pretty hard which made him stumble a little. But otherwise he's okay.
Dazai took the ball into his hand. His subordinates thought that it was an attack. (Can't really blame them when you have so many enemies around). But Dazai knew better. Just like what he thought, a group of kids peer down from the field above. But what he didn't really expect was meeting her..
"Sorry! Our ball got away! Can we get it back, please?" Mamoru said from the field. Dazai look at them and spotted the little girl.
"Sure." He said, but he didn't do anything. Instead, he just stand there while holding the ball. The kids were confused.
"ehm.. can you throw it up here? We can catch it." Kouta said.
"Oh.. sorry, but I can't throw the ball. My arms are a little bit hurt when I used them to throw something. Can one of you get down here and get it instead?" Dazai lied and have a hunch of who is going to get the ball.
"I'm afraid of heights.." Mamoru said fearfully.
"The climb down is too steep.. I don't think any of us can do it.." Kouta added.
"I'll do it!" Yuuna said while quickly climbing down without waiting for the others' answer. She went down quickly but surely while standing on the narrow passage to go down.
"Yuuna wait!" Minoru tried to stop her. But Yuuna ignored him and concentrating on the task in hand.
Dazai watched the little girl carefully. When she was almost at the bottom, she was slipped. Well, that's what others thought. While Dazai saw the whole thing.
'Her leg went into the shadow..' Dazai saw it for himself. For a mere second, her foot went a little into the shadow. But she quickly covered it like she was slipped. 'A gifted one..'
"I'm here! Can I get our ball back please, Ojisan?" Yuuna asked nicely when she went near Dazai. Her face said it all. She was hiding something.
Dazai smiled slightly at her attempt, but he also smiled because of another thing. "Here you go." He gave her the ball back. "Say, what is your name, little girl?"
Yuuna seems hesitant and said, "Okaasan said I should not give my name to any strangers.." she said, but seemed a little guilty about it since the man already gave them their ball back.
"Is that so?.." Dazai said but smiled. "Your mother taught you well."
Yuuna smiled slightly at that, but she was interrupted when her friends called her. "Oi! Yuichi! Come back up! We need to go home soon!" Minoru said.
Yuuna was immediately frowned and yelled back. "I told you, call me Yuuna! I don't like being call Yuichi!"
"Doesn't matter!" Minoru said.
Yuuna grumbled, but bowed a little at Dazai before saying, "Thank you so much, Ojisan!" then went back up while climbing slowly but surely to the top. She already throw the ball to her friends so she won't need to hold it.
"Ready to go home?" Minoru asked her. Yuuna nodded when she reached the top. The other kids already went home when their family came to get them. Leaving behind Minoru and Yuuna alone.
But suddenly, a car parked near the field. The driver went out and said, "Young Master, it's time to go home." He said and bowed a little at Minoru. Minoru live with a rich family, but he never proud of it because he didn't feel he belong there. After all.., he is just an orphan..
"Be right there, Fukujima-san." Minoru replied. But Yuuna pushed him to the direction of the car. "Yuuna?"
Yuuna smiled slightly and said, "Just go home. Your family is waiting for you."
Minoru seemed uncomfortable about that though, "But who'll take you home?" Not that Fukujima doesn't want to drive her home, but Minoru's family are a bit tight about friends' rules, and they don't really like Yuichi's family. An old grudge between their late grandfathers as far as they know.
"I'll be fine. I can take it from here." Yuuna grinned. Minoru seemed unconvinced, but Fukujima is already waiting for him, and so does his parents. "I'll see you later."
"Bye bye!" Yuuna said, still grinning. Minoru waved from the window and then they drove away. When they were far enough, Yuuna sighed sadly to herself. She didn't really know how to get home from here. She never went out this far before. Not without a guardian or a friend.
"I see you need some help."
Yuuna turned around to the familiar voice and found Dazai standing right there.
Yuuna wiped her eyes with her sleeve and denied it. "I'm not."
Dazai wasn't that amused, but he really appreciate her attempt to stay strong in front of a 'stranger'. "Don't worry, I can take you home. Hold my hand."
Yuuna seemed skeptical, but she doesn't have many choice. So she grabbed his hand with her own little one and they both start walking to the direction of her house.
When they both finally reached Yuuna's house, Yuuna was too relieved to be suspicious about how this 'Ojisan' can find her home without her telling him. As soon as the bell rang, Yuuna's mother, Yuuki, went out and embraced her daughter. "Oh Yuuna.. where have you been? I thought you were lost. It's late already."
"She is." Dazai said while Yuuna looked sheepish. Yuuki studied her daughter for a while and the man before sighing. "Go on inside, Yuuna. We'll talk about this later."
Yuuna nodded and waved Dazai a good bye. "Bye, Ojisan! And thank you!" before went back inside.
Yuuki waited until her daughter's footsteps was unheard before turning back to the man. "It's been a while since I last saw you. How do you do?"
Dazai smiled slightly and said, "As good as I can be while being alive. How about you, Oneesan? You seem a little bit thinner." He said with a hint of concern in his voice.
But Yuuki waved that comment off, "I'm fine. As fine as I can be. Anyway, judging from Yuuna's interaction with you, she didn't recognize you."
Dazai chuckled, "I'll be more surprised if she did. She never saw my face before. She only knew my name and my voice. But it seems she didn't really remember my voice either."
Yuuki smiled slightly, "Yes.. it's been a while since you last called her. So, want to fill me in about how you met her earlier?"
Dazai smiled, "She was playing with a ball with her friends at the field near the docks. The ball hit one of my subordinates and I tricked them to come down and get it. So she did and retrieved it. I remember her younger photos, she hardly changed. And I got the confirmation when her friends started calling her name and surname. Wasn't that hard to put it all out together."
"And then her friends went home leaving her alone and you decided to bring her back? Thank you for your assistance, Osamu-kun." Yuuki smiled to her younger brother.
Dazai smiled back. "Not a problem. I enjoy my little time with her."
Yuuki sighed at that. "You'll have to visit her sooner or later. I have a feeling you will be reunited with her soon enough."
"Do prevent from thinking so, Oneesan. For you know my line of job is not safe for her to be around me." Dazai replied with a hint of warning in his voice. Yuuki glanced at her brother.
"I don't know, Osamu-kun. For you know my hunch is just as good as you."
"Then let's hope it's for the best."
Yuuki smiled. She and her little brother have so many resemblance with each other, especially their dark wavy hair. The only differences are her hair is long to her waist and her eyes are red. "Let's."
"Then I'll be taking my leave for now. Take care." Dazai said while turning his heels around to take his leave.
"Take care." Yuuki replied and then went back inside the house.
Dazai smiled and with a hint of amusement, he already knew who that girl was in the very beginning since he saw her.
Yuichi Yuuna, a daughter from Yuichi Yuuki and Yuichi Youhei.
And the niece of Dazai Osamu.