It was a partly cloudy, sunny day. An empty field with wavy grass and a forest behind it. Inside of the grassy place sat a young woman with green like hair tied in a bun, sat on a straight square blanket and eating a snack of triangle rice, while shutting her eyes to feel a breeze.
Another young girl shouts for her. "Nanaka!.. Hey Nanaka Hitoke! Where are you?!"
Nanaka looks back to see who it was that shouted her name to see it was the young girl, who is Nanaka's dear friend. A young pale girl with bluish black hair, in a pink kimono with red dots on the end of her sleeve, and has a small dot of a mole. "Over here Reina I'm here!" She waved her hand while shouting to gain Reina's attention.
Reina sees Nanaka "Hey, my uncle needs us for help for his Ramen shop. Some waitresses and assistance to clean up some mess that customers leave behind! Who better than you?"
Nanaka sighs out of annoyance 'My cleaning powers are needed again.' She said to herself in her mind. "Right! I'll make that place sparkle!" She announces while flexing her arm. Steam puffs out her nose.
The other girl rolled her eyes with a smile.
The two gathered up Nanaka's things, after she's eaten, and walks to Reina's uncles restaurant. Along the way, as they chatted. Nanaka spies a long haired man running quickly towards them, "What's up with that guy?" She asks and in a flash he shoves them away to get ahead and everything slows down. In Nanaka's vision she sees the man's face, looked about her age and really looked like he needed a shave with all those stubbles. The two girls tumble.
As they got up, Reina shouts out at the guy "You jerk, you can't do that to girls!"as she got up, the girl offers a hand to help up Nanaka "You okay?" Before Nanaka could reach out and speak, another man's voice shouts .
"Get back here you thief!" Up comes a man in uniform, although he's holding a sheet around his waist like a skirt dress. Look like he was chasing that scruffy guy because Nanaka saw he had a soldier's pants on. That soldier had two others accompanying him, one blowing a whistle.
With Reina's help, Nanaka gotten up while the two watched the soldiers go. "What was that about?" Nanaka asked.
"Looks like they were after the guy who pushed us, Good riddance. " Reina says while having her fists on her hips.
Nanaka laughed and the two continue their walk to the ramen hut. Along the way they could hear people talking/laughing inside of the restaurant, as well as some dishes being smashed that caused more laughter. They came closer to the hut, from the sounds they know something is up and the uncle needs them. Inside, the girls end up seeing a waiter on the ground and gathering plate shards as a group of men above him and laugh.
As they laugh at the man. feminine hands help the guy out. He looks up to see the two girls and the laughter ends when Nanaka gives them a hard glare. They gathered some of the shards in Nanaka's blanket and head back where Reina's uncle is brewing up more bowls of ramen.
Once he sees the two girls "Ah! Girls, I and (Waiter names) need your help with all these customers! Business is booming, but me and my two employees can't keep up!" He says while pouring a bowl "Hurry and take that trash out then get ready!"
Nanaka volunteers to take the trash out while Reina goes to be a waitress. She makes it out back to dispose of the shards into a huge jar that holds garbage. After she pours out the shards, Nanaka takes a deep breath. Then huffs with her fists on her hips and blanket in hand. When the wind blows. She looked like a superhero and the blanket is her Cape flowing. Dedicated to have the whole place be spotless.
She was about to head back inside, but stops once she hears bushes ruffle. After her head tilted, Nanaka steps carefully to the bush, thinking maybe it was a squirrel or other cute animal. She kneeled and call out for the critter "C'mon out I won't hurt you." Her suspicion was correct as a small leaping squirrel hops out. "Aww." She waves to have it come closer, which it does and Nanaka pets it after picking the little guy up. As she had gotten up to go back in, the critter squirms out of her grasp as soon a woman's voice was heard, calling the name Momo. "H-hey, where're you?" She looks down at her hands and sleeves of her clothing, looking all dirty. A moment of silence while staring. "Grr, stupid little." After her rant, Nanaka stepped in to clean herself.
Inside of the restaurant, Nanaka finished cleaning herself and to come out seeing Reina picking up a tray carrying bowls of Ramen. Nanaka wears an apron to help out in the kitchen, cleaning and cooking a fast pace.
A chime inside rings and the employees shout out welcome. Reina Sees it is the soldiers again, one wearing a different colored pants. Along with the soldiers was a man that carried a sword on his hip. Reina was surprised to see them again, but more shocked to see a person carrying a sword in this age. She gets nervous when she comes to their table to get their order. As they tell her, Reina kept glimpsing at the man with a sword as she was writing.
The samurai man had a thick goatee beard, pulled back hair that was long enough to reach his shoulders, and a green Japanese clothing. He looks up at her, glaring that he sees her paying attention to his sword. The samurai deep chuckled "Ahahahah, Don't worry girly. I won't do anything. You might be wondering how I'm able to carry a sword around, well these guys asked one scarface fella. Since he was busy, they asked me to fight this one samurai for 'em. Almost got the sucker, he got away though. Still got his sword!" As soon as he said that a soldier lifts up a sword wrapped in cloth and the sword looked long. "A swordsman losing his sword sounds pretty pathetic." Reina bows and steps away to give the orders to her uncle.
The girl rushes into the kitchen to find Nanaka setting things neatly while cooking food, merry. "Nanaka those soldiers from earlier are here and they brought a samurai!"
Nanaka froze from what she's doing after hearing that "I-I thought swords were banned!"
"It's because those soldiers hired him to help search for someone, so he gets a free pass. I swear, the government can do whatever they like."
While Reina said that, Nanaka peeks out a side window into the restaurant to see most of the customers were nervous and sat further away, while others stayed at their tables because the soldiers were there. "Well as long as he's being in check, things'll be fine right?"
"I guess."
"Just go back to work Reina" as her friend goes. Nanaka goes back to cooking, then setting plates on different tray layers. As she is about to lift them, a flash vision of that long hair guy comes to mind again. She blinks and shakes her head to get the thought of that guy out. She lifts the tray stack up and steps out to serve foods.
An hour or so of serving, Nanaka goes back in the kitchen, after serving food. She froze once she enters and everything inside was a huge mess of plates scattered. The organized setting was all in shambles, she grabs her hair in panic of what happened "It's like a war zone!" Claiming while setting things back in place. Noticing some of the plates she made was gone like something ate them. A sound of someone eating gave a clue. Nanaka grabbed a rolling pin once she notices something cloaked is munching food. Fearing it's a wild animal, like a boar, she held the rolling pin up, ready to defend herself as she stepped closer. In range, Nanaka held up her weapon "You dumb beast!" Shouting while she swung down and smashing the thing in the head.
The cloak slipped off and what she hit was not a boar. It was that long hair man now looking dizzy from her striking his head. "Ow~" He says in a pathetic tone. "Jeeze what was that for? Crazy lady." Cursing her while he rubbed his head.
"Y-you're that guy who pushed me! Who're you calling crazy?! You broke in here and ate all that food!" Saying back while aiming the utensil and shaking.
The guy got up from the ground "Mmm good point. Look, I can pay for it all-." As he was going to his pocket he just realized it wasn't his usual Hakama ( Japanese pants) and lost his bag of money. "Ah crap! My wallet!"
Not only was she mad for him stealing food, also breaking in and the huge mess he left. Fire of anger grows from Nanaka.
"Uh eh heh heh, is there another way I can pay you?" He saying while hands are up and breaking a sweat.
"Clean...Now!" She orders in a loud tone while raising a fist.
He salutes quickly "Yes Ma'am!" jumping to clean his mess.
As he was doing that, Nanaka sighed and went back to the pot where she was brewing some miso soup, Lucky the long haired thief didn't take any of it. She stirs it. "Hey, why not just go out to the front and order some food?"
The man was cleaning bowls in silence at first. "… because those guys are here..."
Nanaka tilted her head in confusion, then looks back at him when it was obvious. "They're after you. Why, just because you stole the guy's pants?"
"Heh, Well that's partially it, those guys are so strict for their uniforms. I really need to get my sword back." He whined
"Sword? are you with the government too?" She asked while looking back, more confused.
"Nah, it's just really important."
Hearing this, she rolled her eyes "Yeah 'cause that won't get you in trouble. Boys... What's your name anyway? Mine's Nanaka Hitoke."
"Nice to meet ya Nana-chan, I'm Hotaka!" With a big goofy smile, he replies to her.
Being called that causes her to feel uneasy "Chan?" He spoke to her so familiar, She sighed as she shrugged, letting it go.
After another while, Hotaka cleaned up the mess and Nanaka satisfied by what she sees "Hmm, not bad at all." As she gave him praise, Reina enters, gawked by seeing the long haired guy setting plates. "Calm down Reina. He's fine. Just made him clean the place after he stole food. He's no harm." she assures her while patting Reina's shoulder.
Reina grabbed her head "Ah, I've had enough shocks for today. first a samurai, now this guy again!"
"They still here? Wasted enough time, need to get my sword back."
Nanaka sighed "you still on about that?"
"So you're the guy? That samurai was right, you are pathetic. Stealing food, losing your sword, and being told what to do by a woman!"
"Are They here or not?" He asks in agitation which makes Reina raise her eyebrow. Nanaka hits him in the head with a ladle, something lighter than a pin.
Laughing at him, Reina tells "Yes, yes, they're still here. They asked for some beers, why I came back here. "
"That's perfect." Hotaka heads towards the back door. Getting halted by Nanaka yanking his hair.
"where do you think you're going?" The clean girl asks with irritated eyes.
"Yah! Going to get my sword back! I've already cleaned up. So let go!"
"he's right Nanaka, let the fool leave us alone!"
"How exactly do you plan on getting it back?" She asked in monotone and let his hair go for him to drop. "Just waltz up and take it?"
"I've got an idea, Just give the guys the beer. After I get my sword back, I'll be out of your hair" Saying as he gets up and runs out.
Nanaka pouted in annoyance"… Reina Give them their beers" ordering with her arms crossed.
"Gladly, to get that guy out of here." Reina says while pouring beers in mugs.
Outside, Hotaka crept against the building. Takes a peek around the entrance corner to see the soldiers and samurai chatting until he sees the waitress girl from before carry their beers to them. The group chugs their drinks. Hotaka pulls a small paper envelope out from a pocket in his vest. To leak out some pills he had inside 'only a few of these left.' While ducking away from people coming out, he flicks a pill into the beer the samurai was drinking,
The samurai smashes his mug down and gives a big gasp for air. "Bahh ~ nothing like a good drink-" His vision swirls and gets dizzy, face planting to the table.
Soldiers laugh. One of them comments "So much for a strong samurai. He can't even hold up one drink." The rest of them chug their beers. Unknowing Hotaka flicked in the same pills into their beers. They end up having the same result of passing out.
As soon they did, Hotaka walked in. Behind him stood Reina "No surprise you did this." She said.
He looks around for his sword. Until finally he finds it. As he lifts it up, the cloth covering it falls off. "Great, now I got this, I'll head out." Reina is satisfied and glad he's going to leave. As he goes out, Nanaka comes out and sees him go.
"Finally, he's gone. No need for him to be around, right Nanaka? … Um Nanaka? Hey clean freak!" Reina wonders what her friend kept staring out at. She didn't want to keep it too much in mind so she shrugged and goes to the passed out men. "Ah jeese, what do we do with these dumbasses?
"Just let them sleep there." Nanaka walks back to the kitchen, leaving her friend there.
After some more hours pass, the girls finished helping for a day and say bye to the Uncle. Nanaka stretched while groaning "What a day. Cleaning up after customers, making that food, and so many orders. Thank gosh, those soldiers and samurai left. Not causing any more tension."
"Yeah, we didn't even have to explain why the sword was gone, they just went up and ran out. Plus you got a new boyfriend." Reina says to tease Nanaka.
Nanaka response to the teaser "Ugh, and he just went and left; he didn't even say bye. I'm so heartbroken." The two of them laughed as they walk to their village. They got close to Reina's home, both saying their goodbyes as they separated.
The sky became dark, Nanaka looked up to see a full moon in the sky and was amazed how beautiful it looked. As she walked and staring at the moon, Nanaka was halted from a blocking in her path. That blockade in the way was a person, the samurai from earlier. Seeing who it was made her step back. "You know where he is." He claimed.
"What're you talking about?" She questions with a raised eyebrow.
"those soldiers might of believed you, not me so much. " he says while pulling his sword, hearing it shing frightened her.
Backing up more only to be halted again by a group of thugs. Nanaka yelped and jumped away from them, being surrounded, as they laugh villingly.
"I tried following their rules, got bored of it." The samurai referring to the soldiers, which the gang throws on the ground, wrapped in rope and looking beat up. "And you best tell where he went. Already asked 'yer pal." Reina gets thrown out as well and tied "She didn't say anything useful either."
"Reina! We don't know I swear, like what we told you before. We have no idea where Hotaka went! Eep!" She covered her mouth once she said his name.
When he heard her say Hotaka's name, the samurai smiled and stepped towards her with his sword ready in hand. "Looks like you're familiar with him." He stepped closer to her, which of course made her more nervous "I can use you to get him to come. Plus, we could have some fun." Samurai says while he slides his hand in the upper part of her kimono, to feel her breast.
She was about to slap him and jump away. Her arms were grabbed by the wrists, other gang members was the one's doing it, also they held her legs to prevent Nanaka from kicking and spread them. She looked up in horror at the samurai over her spread legs. Breathing heavily and curled her lips once he orders her to scream for Hotaka.
For her refusing, his grin grew wider and more wicked. "Bad choice, oh well. After you, your friend is next." His hands ran up her legs as her clothing skirt slipping open. "Soft lookin' Skin."
Tears start to shed from her eyes and breathed heavily as he was about to force her defloration. She shut her eyes. She hears a large bang , her eyes open once she sees gas everywhere.
"What?!" A man shouts followed by shing sounds.
Nanaka gets dropped to the ground.
She grunts on the impact, looking up and spinning her head around; she kept hearing more and more men yelling in pain, along with sounds of hard dropping. Nothing can be seen due to a gray fog blocking her vision. Everything became silent, not knowing what was going on was freaking her out even more. "H-hello?" A loud sound of two metal clashes the air, along with the fog instantly dispersing open in an instant. Ahead of her, she sees Hotaka and the samurai with their swords clashed together, sparks flying. Nanaka's breath was held and her heart skipped a beat.
The two jumps back away. Back at each other and sparks kept and blood fly as they continued. The samurai lands a scar leaving blow on Hotaka's arm. And a slash countering against the samurai. Samurai's opponent gets brought to his knee; Hotaka was blocking a slash down to the head. The samurai felt he had the upper hand, smiling wide. That smile started to curve down once Hotaka showed his own strength by forcing himself up. While the samurai was focused on keeping down the long haired man, a fruit smacks the thug samurai in the face which blinds him. As he jumped back in agony, the samurai wiped the goo off his eyes to end up seeing Hotaka leap ahead with his blade ahead. The back of the blade hit's the samurai firmly in the stomach. Followed by a naked foot giving a hard kick to the face, the samurai grunts at both and falls to the ground, passing out..
Turns out Hotaka wasn't alone, a small girl landed beside him. She had a ponytail and the side her head was partially shaved because of a large scar on the side, she wore a short dark green clothing, Wrappings on her legs, on her hip was a bag peeking out of out of a cloth belt. She speaks out "Can't really do anything without me, can you Hotaka?"
"Yeah-yeah, Thanks Makoto." He gives her a thumb up with sheathing his sword, long blade. Hotaka comes towards Nanaka to help her up "you alright?" His hand out to her.
Nanaka looked at his hand at first, then at his wounds and the blood scattered on his body. She took his hand to get hopped up to her feet. "Thanks...you're hurt." She hovered her fingers over his scars.
"I swear, he always hurts himself when he can't see. I told him it was a bad idea. Hey, what're you doing?! Who are you anyway?" Makoto says while untying one of the soldiers
"Who're you?" Nanaka asks while she stopped hovering her fingers and look at the girl.
Crossing her arms "I'm his wife!" Makoto claims
"What?! She's just a child!" Nanaka looks up at Hotaka in shock
"Makoto! Don't worry, Nana-chan." He orders his young friend. Back to Nanaka, He explains "She's just an old friend of mine, always saying that to every girl I'm with." Hotaka while having an annoyed face. Later going over to untie the others and using the same ropes to tie the thug and samurai up. Taking the samurai's sword and tossing it to the bushes.
Until the next morning, the soldiers took the samurai and his men into custody. Learning that Hotaka did save them, they took the search of him on hold. But still going to motor him. Hotaka and Makoto were invited to stay the night in Nanaka's home since they had nowhere to stay for the night, she repaying them for saving her.
"Ow ow ow!" Hotaka whined, he has bandages on where his cuts are being wrapped up.
Nanaka was his nurse who wrapped bandages on him, shook her head with a smile, hearing him whine so much "Oh, don't be a baby." Patting his bandage.
Instead of stubbles, Hotaka was shaved now "I' appreciate you bandaging my wounds, but did you really have to shave me?" He asked while he rubbed his smooth cheek and looking in a mirror. "I could've done it myself."
"When will that be? When you a full beard, like that samurai last night?" She sticks her tongue out as she was being sarcastic. "Oh, and about this hair, it seriously needs to be cut." She complained while lifting hid his hair. "People'll think you're a woman." And under her breath "or that's already happened."
"Hey!" She laughed from his reaction. All Hotaka did was first made a mad face to later, just smile, then to laugh as well. While they laughed, in the back sat Makoto with her arms crossed and pouting from jealousy.
Nanaka slowed her laughter down and look down to see he was still wearing that stolen clothing. "Geeze all this trouble just for some pants you took."
Hotaka became silent "It's not the pants they were after me for. . . Years ago, there was a rich man I use to work for. We were taking a walk down a city road at night and leaving a party. A same night I met Matoko...
-flash back-
A chubby man was laughing as he was walking with two men, laughing as well like they've been drinking. Hotaka was behind them. This time he was wearing traditional clean Japanese clothing, his hair was tied in a knot, his top was a closed red Yukata, he had the same sword, and was cleanly shaved. Along the way, a small homeless girl in rags was sitting in a corner and playing with a ball, she was bouncing it and it bounced away from her. She ran for it, getting in the way of the laughing men.
"hahahah- huh?" The chubby man says when he first sees the ball rolling out, followed by a small girl getting it. "Hey!" He sluggishly says "Out of the way girl, you're in the way!" He kicks her. "beh heh heh, pathetic thing."
Hotaka gasped as soon he kicked the little girl. About to stop him, only to be halted by the two men saying for him to let it go. Because the chubby man was the boss and rich enough to do what he wanted. Hotaka stood back, fist curling.
The girl started to cry and yelped on each kick given "D-daddy..." She said weakly.
Hearing this triggered the chubby man, getting more furious from what he heard her say. "Say what? Daddy?!" He kicked harder "Stupid little girl, you dare call me that?!" He beat her harder. "Come on fellas, help me show this brat to not say such things!" The two men that were at his side do as they were told and join in on mutilating her, Hotaka couldn't do such a thing.
Hotaka stood there in shock of seeing them do that to a little girl, his eyes shrunk in horror when they pull out their swords, ready to slash down at her.
"Should've not spoken such lies!" The chubby man shouts before he swung down his sword. In a loud ting the chubby man's vision was swirling from being drunk and hitting something hard. "Ugh- who? Hotaka?! What're you doin'?!" He shouts as soon he was finally able to see Hotaka's blade over his back.
Hotaka was on his knee and having his arm around the girl, protecting her as she cried. He was silent at first, as soon his chubby employer asked that question, Hotaka slowly looked back. His eyes sends a shocking feeling to the chubby and the two men as if a demon was right in front of them.
They back away in fear, the chubby man trembled at first, then got angry and with the men they charged yelling.
He stands after he left the girl on the ground. "Wait here." Hotaka turned around slowly, then dashing ahead of them. Decapitating the chubby man and slash at one of the man's belly. The other man's sword shatters as he gets flown back to the ground.
"Oof!" He grunts first ,"Ugh, You bastared! My sword! Oof" he grunted again when something large landed on his stomach, followed by Hotaka's red yukata.
"I quit." Hotaka announces. Going back to pick back up the little girl. She looked back at the chubby man's body. Sniffling, remembering he denied she's his daughter.
The man growled, then looked down at what's under the Yukata on his lap. Slowly lifting it. There he sees two dead eyes staring. He screamed and ran away.
Hotaka left while carrying the little girl in his arm, he looked over at her. Seeing her crying in his chest and a huge scar on her head the attack left, las she looked up at him once. He smiled at her while he placed his hand on her head. "What's your name?"
She sniffled at first "Makoto.."
xxxxxxxx
"So they're after me for killing one of the rich. Shows the government only worries about money. Me and Makoto has been together ever since, wandering around." As he finishes his story he looked back to see Nanaka bawling while she hugging Makoto
"Waaah! ~ you poor thing, how can life treat you so cruel!? Waaah!"
Makoto kept struggling to get away "Grr let go!" She couldn't escaped.
He just smiled as he watched. From that day the dirty rounin stayed with the clean freak.
End.