.:.
It had been a year since the country of Elcross, a place lush with lakes and rivers, had ended its twelve year war. To survive, the many villages on the island had either eaten each other, swallowing village after village and destroyed every other village in its path, or decided to join together to form larger clans until only three large factions were left. The war had ended, leaving most of the country desolate with smoke and ash. However, it was nothing a little time couldn't heal; for both the scars on the earth and on the people. But the thing about scars was that though they could heal over—so that they weren't the previous gashes and wounds they could've been—they never truly went away.
But today was a special day. The sun was rising off the tips of the long, grassy hills, and one lone monk was slowly making his way up a dusty path, head bowed under a large straw hat. In his hand, a bronze staff with ringlets clinked at every step he made. Lifting his free hand up, the young man wiped away at the sweat beading on his brow, making tinkling sounds as he moved due to the beaded bracelet clicking together on his wrist.
"Urgh," He groaned and adjusted his hat over his short and extraordinarily pink-colored hair, "What the hell is this… it's not even noon yet and it's already this hot? Shit…" The young man was dressed in long black robes with the traditional monk garb hanging over his neck and he whined, pulling off the hat to fan himself rapidly, "Damn it, Bon. I should've begged him harder to let me take the horse…" As he climbed to the top of another hill, his light brown eyes could see the wooden and mud reinforced walls of a large village only about another two or three mountains or so away. The slopes on either side of the path had also become steeper, land beginning to cake over with large dark green trees and small winding rivers. He sighed as a light gust of wind blew through his robes, cooling his sweaty skin. Then, he grinned.
Today was exactly one year since the first treaty had been made between the three factions and it was going to be his job to act as an envoy for his village, the Assiah clan, to finish signing the peace treaty this year as well. It was purely protocol, there was no real need to do so, but the villages had agreed to make it a tradition: that every year, they would send someone as a representative to each others' villages. He wasn't exactly looking forward to the ceremony, but it would be his first time visiting this particular area. And the fact that there were rumors going around—that this particular village he was visiting had beautiful women with skin that no other village could dream of having—only excited him further. His grin twisted upwards in a disgusting manner and he hastened his pace, suddenly very eager to reach the village.
"Just wait for me, ladies of Gehenna~" He skipped happily across the path in his straw sandals, "I'm almost there…!"
After crossing the top of another hilly mountain, the young man gasped in exhaustion and leaned onto his staff. "D-Damn… so… so far away…" He took in several breaths of air and raised a hand up to block the sun from piercing his eyes. The man with pink hair squinted, searching the area for a source of water to quench his drying throat. There was a small pool of water in the ravine to his right side and he frowned slightly, wondering if he should risk going for the water. The cliff looked a bit steep but there were a lot of trees to act as footholds.
"Hmm…" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. As he weighed his decisions, a flash of blue caught his eyes and he blinked when he found movement nearby the water he had been eyeing. A person wearing light blue robes had appeared from the thick trees—all lit up in the sun's golden light—and they knelt down by the water's edge, cupping their hands together to scoop up a mouthful. The man with pink hair smiled, watching the person, who had what looked like messy and short, dark blue hair, drink up the water hungrily. The sunlight that beamed up the forest in a golden light was engulfing that person in a beautiful glow and it made their skin look almost ethereal. The monk gasped and bopped a fist into the palm of his hand. Could it be? Perhaps… one of the women of Gehenna village…? He leaned over the edge of the cliff a bit more, hoping to get a better look, but instead, he felt his foot slip on a loose clump of soil. "Oh, shi—!" was all he could get out as he fell forward, smashing his rib cage against one of the thick tree trunks. The young monk tumbled down, barely able to breathe as he tried to recover from the first impact, and then felt his arm break against another tree as he crashed into it. Finally, his body slowed to a stop and he groaned in intense pain. The man let out a weak laugh, noticing that his arm was in an odd position. His ribs also hurt and it was getting a bit difficult to breathe. He sighed and closed his eyes in exhaustion.
G-Great. Now what? Was that the end of his adventure already? How pathetic… Was this… how he was going to die? Lost by the side of the road, barely able to breath? He heard a rustle of branches and the man opened his eyes a crack, finding that the girl he had been watching was now standing behind one tree and staring back at him with round and vibrant blue eyes. Wow… her eyes are pretty~ The man with pink hair vaguely thought and he chuckled to himself dryly. At least he had gotten to see the women of Gehenna at last…? No wait… now that he had a better view of the blue-haired person, he could see that their robes were slightly open at the front. And their chest was flat. Flat. The man with pink hair groaned and clenched his eyes shut. Great, it wasn't even a girl…? It was a guy? If it was a guy, then dang, Gehenna had some pretty cute looking guys… He heard the leaves rustle again and after opening his eyes, he found that the person had disappeared. The young monk sighed and then stared up into the canopies of the trees, watching the sunlight grow steadily brighter. Well… there went his only help… Now he really was doomed. Or not. Somehow, he didn't feel that scared. After all, he was close to a village and someone had seen him. Eventually, he'd be rescued. In fact, maybe that guy from before went to get help right now.
He closed his eyes, feeling his breath grow increasingly ragged. Might as well take a nap for now, right? At least… it'll be less painful, I suppose… The young man with pink hair closed his eyes again, this time attempting to sink into his unconsciousness. Suddenly, he felt something gently touch his broken arm. He must have dozed off for a few minutes because he didn't hear footsteps approach him at all. Then, he felt something warm and wet swipe across his lips and his eyes fluttered open in surprise. He found the boy with blue hair pulling away from him, lips slightly parted and tongue retreating from his lips, slipping back into his mouth.
What…?
W-Whaaat…?
Did this guy just… k-k-kiss him…? And with… tongue…?
The boy seemed to notice that he was awake and his blue eyes immediately grew wide in fright. He immediately leapt up to his feet and darted away into the trees again, vanishing from sight. The young man with pink hair gaped after him. What. Was. That…?
"W-What the hell? Get back here, you bastard!" He hauled himself up, feeling extremely lively all of a sudden, and he growled in irritation. I can't believe I got a kiss stolen away from me by a guy…! That's gotta be the weirdest and most s—wait. He paused and then looked down at his arm in shock. It was… not broken? The young monk moved it testily and then he patted his ribs carefully with his hands. "Woah… I'm healed…?" How was that even possible? He had been healed from that person's kiss? But something like this happening… it was unheard of…! His eyes shifted to the direction the boy had disappeared in, growing round in astonishment and curiosity.
Who is that guy…?
.:.
He finally arrived at the village gates, staff and hat all in hand. For some reason, they had been close to him when he got up and were placed a bit too neatly together to have fallen there coincidentally. He could only assume that someone had put them there. Maybe… that guy?
"You are…?" A soldier standing at the gate raised an eyebrow at him. The pink-haired monk grinned and saluted the other man in a friendly manner with two fingers.
"Hey there~ I'm from Assiah."
"Oh…!" The soldier smiled and jabbed a thumb towards the village, "We've been expecting you. Hope you find our home to your liking."
"I think I will." He chuckled, thinking back to the mysterious blue-haired person he had seen at the ravine. After asking for directions and thanking the soldier, he entered through the wooden gates and walked steadily through the dusty roads, heading towards the main house. There were quite a few villagers on the streets and he would smile as he passed several groups of girls who were staring shyly at him and giggling to each other. I think I can definitely get to like this place~ He smirked to himself giddily, noticing that the girls indeed had quite lovely bodies. But their beautiful skin still couldn't match up to that ethereal skin he had seen on the blue-haired boy… speaking of his savior, he was slightly disappointed to see that he was nowhere in sight. He had wanted to thank him (even though it was a bit odd to be healed by a kiss… from another male no less…) and maybe chat with him a bit. Maybe even become friends.
Oh well… maybe he's inside somewhere… I'll find him eventually~
He reached the main house, which was a two-story, stone-crafted abode with a fancily carved wooden door on the front, and he rapped on it lightly with his knuckles to announce his arrival. But just as the door opened, he noticed a flash of light blue from the corner of his eyes. The young monk whipped his head in the direction of the color and gasped as he saw his savior slowly making his way through the other villagers, holding a small basket in his arms. Ah…! It's him…! He was about to chase after but a deep voice greeted him cheerily.
"You must be the envoy from Assiah! Welcome!" A large man with a bushy beard chortled and smacked a hand onto his shoulder, "Come in! Come in! Let me show you to your room and I'll take you on a tour of the place. Then, we can discuss the ceremony…! I'm Horden, by the way. One of the chiefs of Gehenna village."
"A-Ah! Right, yes… n-nice to meet you, ha ha~" He laughed nervously. Wow, this guy was pretty huge…! His eyes darted towards the spot he had just seen the mysterious blue-eyed boy but his heart sunk when he found that the boy had disappeared yet again. The large man pulled him into the dark room before he could say another word and then led him up a set of stairs.
"What's your name, kid?" The man climbed up, steps trembling from every motion he made. The monk with pink hair smiled.
"Oh, I'm Shima. Shima Renzou."
"A Shima, eh?" Horden paused and then turned to eye him carefully. Finally, he smirked, "Damn, you guys were a pain in the ass back then." A bead of sweat ran down the pink-haired boy's head.
"Y-Yeah well… I wasn't really in the war, so I wouldn't know… aha ha~"
The man stared at him. Then chuckled, putting a heavy hand onto his head and ruffling his hair a bit too roughly, "You're a lucky one then. It's good that there are still young ones who weren't touched by the war. And now that there's finally peace, perhaps the next generation can forget…"
"Yep." Renzou's eyes grew a little darker and he smiled, "That's what I'm here for." The man smirked back at him and then nodded in the direction of the second floor, continuing up the last of the steps. Horden showed him to his room, which was composed of a simple cot sitting against one wall, and a small dresser for clothes and a wooden table with writing utensils, paper, and an oil lamp against the other wall. There was a small, open window where he could view the village. Renzou grinned out the window, watching the people scurry around with bundles of clothes, baskets, or pots in their arms.
"Hmm, it's nice~" He breathed in the air and sighed. Gehenna had a nice smell to it. Fresh like the trees and rivers that surrounded the village. It was also much more country-like than what he was used to. Assiah had more stones than trees, so it was an interesting change. Although… the downside was he would have to watch out for more insects, wouldn't he… In fact, there was a spider right on the window sill at the moment. Wait… a… s-spider…?
"Pyaaaaa—!" He screamed and leapt back, causing Horden to jump in surprise.
"W-What is it…?" The man grunted and raised an eyebrow at him. Renzou trembled and shook his head frantically, pointing at the spider.
"T-The… t-t-the… window… S-Spi-Spider….! Spider…!"
Horden moved towards the window and flicked the arachnid away with his fingers. "Um… better?" He turned towards the pink-haired boy curiously. Renzou sighed in relief.
"Y-Yeah… thanks…"
"BWUAHAHAHA—!" The bearded man suddenly burst out laughing, "Y-You're a pathetic man, Shima…!"
Renzou grit his teeth together and then hung his head to the side, "I-I just can't stand bugs, that's all…"
"PWUAHAHAHA! Scared of bugs, are you? WAHAHAHA…!"
"Just show me around the village now, will you…?" The pink-haired monk sighed. Horden eyed him, mirth still lingering in his eyes, and then grinned.
"Sure thing, I'll treat you to some of our famous dishes while we're out. What do you say?"
A smile spread across Renzou's lips at the promise of food. "Seriously? All right~" The two retreated out the room and started back down the stairs.
.:.
They were in the market place, which was bustling with the shouts of vendors and the clanging of ladles on pots. Renzou's eyes darted from store to store, eyeing all the vegetables and goods that he knew and all the ones that he also didn't know.
"Wow, you guys have an awesome place."
Horden handed him a stick with roasted meat on it, "Heh, I'm sure Assiah's place is pretty grand, too."
"Sure is~" Renzou took the stick cheerily and raised two fingers to his temple in thanks.
"Little twerp, getting all cocky."
The boy with pink hair laughed, "Well, I am an Assian after all~ Home is always the best… but I do like Gehenna, too." His eyes trailed across the vendors, looking for anything new that would interest him. And then he spotted him. The boy with blue hair was slowly walking down one of the streets, back facing him. Found him…! A smile lit up his lips as he watched the boy move across the street. As he continued to observe him, Renzou noticed a tip of something black and furry peeping out from under the boy's robes. Huh…? What is that….? A… tail? Is that guy a demon? Interesting… he knew that demons were quite rare nowadays—he didn't exactly remember why but, if that guy were a demon, it would explain how he had been healed… probably… after all, demons were known to have weird abilities and all that, weren't they? Or wait, were those only for the stronger types? So that guy was a strong demon then? Hmm…
"What're you looking at, Shima?" The bearded man grunted and peered in the same direction as the pink-haired monk. Renzou chewed off a piece of the meat and pointed a finger in the blue-eyed boy's direction.
"That guy." He spoke through a slightly full mouth, "The guy in the blue robe."
"Who…?" Horden raised an eyebrow at the street. Renzou frowned and pointed again.
"That guy over there. He's holdin' a basket and he's got somethin' like a tail sticking out from his clothes…?"
"Hm…" The large man stared at the street, a blank look in his eyes. Then he clamped a hand over the boy's shoulder, "Anyway, why don't I show you some of the other places?"
"Uh? Uh…" Renzou blinked several times, looking from the blue-haired boy to Horden in confusion. He didn't see him…? "O-Okay…?" As he was led away by the older man, Renzou glanced over his shoulder, watching the blue-eyed boy glide through the crowds of people like a ghostly apparition. No one seemed to give him a second glance.
Huh…? Did no one else see him…? No one except him? How strange… he definitely had to find that guy later and try talking to him…
.:.
The children of Gehenna were now all leaving their school, racing each other to get back home. Renzou sighed, slightly relieved to have been able to finally get away from Horden. Now, he could explore the place in more detail; maybe hit on some girls along the way and most of all, find that guy. It was bothering him. Why did it seem like no one saw him? He couldn't be a ghost, right? After all… firstly, he'd never seen a ghost before, so there was really no way he could suddenly see them now… and second, how could a ghost kiss him? Something ran into his leg and he blinked down, noticing that a small girl had accidentally smashed herself into him. Renzou kneeled down and helped her back onto her feet.
"Woah, you okay?" The girl shook her head and then gasped at him.
"No, I'm not! If I don't reach home fast enough, all the mystery presents will be taken away!"
"Presents?" He raised an eyebrow at the girl. The girl nodded vigorously.
"They're really cool! But no one knows where they come from. It's a mystery…!"
Renzou contemplated the new bit of information for a moment. Interesting… it was something to look into. His eyes turned back to the child and he chuckled, opening his arms in an inviting manner.
"I see…! Well then, would you like a little help? Just tell me where your home is and I'll get you there in a snap~" The girl stared at him with her large eyes. Then she smiled.
"Sorry, mister! My mum said I shouldn't randomly go to places with strangers. But thanks! I'll be going now!" And with that she ran off. Renzou froze. Then he laughed weakly, raising an arm up to rub the back of his head. Right… this was Gehenna… no one knew him here. He was too used to the kids back in Assiah all asking him to play with them and such so he just naturally…
"Haha… well… I'll be back home in a few days…" So he had to explore this place as much as he could before returning. Now… what was this about mystery presents? He followed after the children, smiling as they seemed to rush back to their homes with eagerness gleaming in their eyes. Maybe it was the adults? Perhaps it was a tradition for the parents to leave presents for their children after school or something…? That was a cute idea. He would've loved going to and coming back from school if his parents had done that…
As he continued his walk down the street, a yelp of, "Oh wow! Lookie what I got, bro!" from one of the yards caught his ears and Renzou glanced at the boys who were showing each other their gifts. There was a round stone in the young boy's hand and it gleamed a pretty purple and blue under the sunlight.
"I got one, too! Let's add it to the treasure hoard…!" His brother was grinning back and lifting a bright red stone up into the air before rushing into the house. Renzou smiled at the sight. So the presents were something like that, was it? He heard the sound of snickering and he blinked in surprise, not realizing that someone else was nearby. He turned behind him and frowned when he found no one there. The pink-haired monk heard a child laugh cheerily from another house and he heard the snickering begin again.
Huh? So whoever was laughing definitely had to be somewhere close… it kind of sounded like it was coming from… His eyes shifted upwards and he nearly jumped backward when he found the mysterious blue-haired boy sitting cross-legged in the tree looming over him. The boy's bright blue eyes were fixed on the horizon, likely watching the children, and the basket he had been holding from before was sitting beside him, balanced on the thick tree branch. As another child's cry of excitement reached his ears, he watched the blue-eyed boy grin and snicker to himself happily, revealing small and sharp canine teeth. Oh…! So, this guy was the one who was behind the mystery presents, was he~? Renzou smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, giving the blue-haired boy a knowing look.
"Cute. Real cute. You're the one behind all the presents, aren't you?"
The boy's giggles came to a stop and then he blinked in surprise. His blue eyes darted towards him, causing Renzou's breath to catch in his throat for a second, and then he proceeded to stare at him in an owlish manner. After a moment, the boy slowly got to his feet and then scooted across the branch to press his back up against the tree trunk as though attempting to dodge his line of sight. The pink-haired boy chuckled and watched the other boy pointedly.
"Yes, I'm talkin' to you, dude. Don't try to run away." He laughed as the blue-haired boy seemed to flinch in shock and then whip his head back and forth across the tree, as though searching for any other person besides him. Renzou sighed and moved closer to the tree, "Pfft, you're hilarious. What, you think you're invisible or somethin'?"
As soon as he took a step forward, the blue-haired boy seemed to gulp and then flail his arms wildly, looking incredibly confused. "Uwah…!" Renzou heard the boy exclaim and then the next second, the strange boy lost his balance.
"Oh, shit!" The pink-haired monk dashed forward and quickly caught the other boy in his arms. The guy was surprisingly light. "Hey, you alright there? I didn't mean to freak you out that much…" He felt the person's muscles tense in his hold and then the boy's head snapped up, trembling blue eyes locked onto his own light brown ones.
W-Wow… Renzou gasped at the color. It was really quite special… they seemed to twinkle in fairy-like shades of blue but there was also just a speck of feral red deep in the center of his irises… it was especially captivating this close up. Suddenly, the boy tried to wrench himself away. Thankfully, Renzou was able to tighten his grip on him fast enough that the mysterious boy couldn't run off again.
"H-Hey! Stop that…! Hang on a minute, don't run away again," He pleaded, keeping the other boy in his embrace, "I just want to talk to you. You're… interesting." The blue-haired boy seemed to freeze in his grip and then look back up at him curiously. Then, the boy's eyes averted to the side and his cheeks turned pink. Renzou felt his heart speed up a little. This guy was… cute!
"Uhh…" He heard the boy murmur softly and he smiled, quite liking the unique voice he had, "S-Sorry… about this morning…" Renzou blinked. Then he grinned. So this guy remembered him…! He chuckled and squeezed the other boy, feeling a strange giddy feeling bubbling in his chest.
"What're you sayin' sorry for? You saved my friggin' ass out there!"
"O-Oh…" He saw the boy's face grow a brighter red, "N-No… no problem… erm… I need… to go…" His blue eyes kept on darting away from him nervously. Renzou frowned slightly. Why was this guy so fidgety…? Then again, it was a bit strange to suddenly be grabbed like this and then kept in one place against his will for so long. But… before he let him go, he had to at least find out more…!
"Wait, just tell me what your name is before you go." The boy seemed to halt again, eyes growing wide. Renzou saw the boy drop his head down, bangs covering over his beautiful eyes, and then his body seemed to shake. The pink-haired boy swallowed. Woah, what? Why was this guy shaking…? Was he scared of him?
"Okumura… Rin…" Renzou suddenly heard the boy croak out in a barely audible voice. The pink-haired boy blinked. Then, a wide grin split across his face. Okumura Rin, was it? Awesome~
"Okumura Rin?" As soon as the boy's name left his lips, Rin's face shot up, eyes wide and looking slightly wet. Renzou felt something akin to a jolt of electricity rush through his body. H-Huh? Why did this guy look like he was about to cry? "O-Oi, are you okay…?"
After a moment of silence, the blue-haired boy let out a small laugh and a nod before sending him a sweet smile. "Yep. Thanks… thanks, erm…?" He was blinking up at him inquiringly in an adorable manner, eyes still wet.
Oh man, can I take this guy home~? So cuuute!
He chuckled and grinned back, "I'm Shima Renzou. You can just call me Renzou if you like~"
"Renzou?"
The pink-haired boy felt his heart soar and he nodded, pulling the other boy in a tight hug, "Yep~ Now we're friends, Rin…!"
"F-F-Friends…?"
Renzou nuzzled his face against the other boy's hair, nodding vigorously. "Yep, friends~ So tell me where I can see you again tomorrow, okay? Let's have fun together…! You can show me around the village and stuff and we can hang out." His chest grew warm, already looking forward to spending the day with the other boy and getting to know him better. Like asking him about being a demon and about his healing powers, and talking to him about what he liked to do, where he lived and what kind of family he had… this guy seemed like such a kind person, giving secret gifts to the village children. Where else would he ever find another person just as sweet…? He definitely had to get to know him better…!
He felt a hand push against his chest and he stared at Rin carefully, noticing that the boy's eyes had lowered and were fixed to the floor.
"Renzou, erm… I don't think… we should meet again."
What…?
"W-What…? Why?" The pink-haired boy asked, greatly confused and not understanding the other boy's request at all, "You don't want to hang out with me? Am I scary…? You don't like me?" After all, Rin kept on trembling as though he were frightened. That was odd though… he was probably the least scariest guy ever… after all, it only took one bug to turn him into a sniveling mess… Maybe it was the small scar at his temple that made him kind of scary?
Rin swallowed and shook his head, "N-No… you… just shouldn't… get too close…" His blue eyes darted upwards to his face for a second before jumping back to the ground, "I'm saying this… a-as a… friend… so… just forget you ever saw me." The boy pushed away Renzou's arms, which had loosened as he spoke, and then he pulled back, hand clutching over his chest tightly.
"Rin…?" Renzou heard his voice barely leave his throat. His arms were still open, in the position of being pushed away.
Rin gave him a melancholic smile. Then, after another second, the blue-eyed boy promptly turned, sprinting off into one of the foreign streets, tail whipping behind him.
Rin…?
.:.
Renzou was lying in his cot, hands folded behind his head and eyes fixed to the wooden ceiling.
I don't get it… I don't get it at all…
His eyes were scrunched together, still picturing the blue-eyed boy's last smile before running away from him again. He growled and turned on his side, eyeing the stars twinkling from the ink-black sky through his window. He had let Rin run away from him again. The first time was okay because he was still out of it. But this second time, he had the boy right there in his arms. And then, he just let him go so easily. Now there wasn't even the guarantee that he could see him again.
But… but he lives here, right? So as long as I ask around, someone should know, right…?
The pink-haired monk sighed and turned again, fixing his eyes on the wall of his room. Tomorrow he'd look for him again. There was just something odd about the guy… he couldn't just leave him be. That sad smile, the unshed tears in his eyes when his name had been mentioned, and the fact that no one seemed to notice him… there was something really really weird about that.
A thud from a room underneath him startled him and he blinked several times. After another second, another thud echoed from the walls and the noise continued at a steady pace. He raised an eyebrow at the irksome sounds.
What in the world…? Great… now how am I supposed to sleep? Renzou sighed and threw his pillow over his head. Well… he had to try. He had the feeling he would be going on a wild goose chase the next day and he needed energy for that. Good night, Gehenna. He mused to himself, thinking of how tonight would be his first night in this village. His thoughts drifted to the blue-eyed boy who was still a huge mystery to him and after remembering the boy's embarrassed expression, Renzou chuckled gently.
Night, Rin… wherever you are~
.:.
The market place seemed to always be bustling, but especially so since it was now noon time. He still had the rest of the afternoon before he had to return to the main house to make preparations for the signing ceremony. Purification and what not; weird ritualistic stuff that he really had no interest in doing. As for now, Renzou was spending his free time gorging himself on some of the vendor food on the side of the road, while keeping his eyes out for Rin. So far, he had no luck. Maybe the blue-haired boy was pointedly keeping himself out of sight…?
"Yeah, so… you sure you haven't seen him?" The pink-haired boy waved a stick of sautéed vegetables around nonchalantly. The man behind the vendor let out a weak laugh, eyes darting to and fro, and he shook his head quickly.
"Sorry, no… I-I've… never seen anyone like that here…"
Renzou stared at the man suspiciously. "I see…" He sighed and then smiled, "Thanks though. This is really good, by the way." The man grinned proudly, albeit a bead of cold sweat was running down the side of his cheek.
"Glad to be of service. G-Good luck… finding that guy."
"Yeah~ Thanks…!" Renzou grinned and waved at him. As he turned away, his eyes narrowed. There was definitely something going on here that was odd… the people that he met had all said that they had never seen or didn't know who Rin was. A few of the people had acted all nervous like the way that vendor had to his questions. However, most of the people he had asked looked calm which either meant they were super good at lying or they really had no idea. But how could they have no idea? Wasn't it only yesterday that Rin was walking around amongst all of them in the streets? Was Rin really that forgettable that no one could remember him? That wasn't a very likely possibility to him… what with that otherworldly skin, beautiful eyes, and adorable, sweet demeanor… How could anyone forget someone like that? So that meant people were lying? What for?
The young monk gripped his pink hair in annoyance. "Urgh… I don't know what to think…" He heard the sound of children laughing and his eyes lit up. Oh…! He hadn't tried asking the kids yet…! At least they would tell the truth, even if they didn't know. Renzou smiled and walked until he was in front of a house where a group of children were gathered in the front yard. He leaned against the wooden gates of the yard and grinned in a friendly fashion.
"Hey there~" The kids paused and then turned to him with round and curious eyes, "Mind helpin' me for a sec?"
"With what…?" A boy with his hair tied into a small tail at the end of his nape asked suspiciously.
"Who're you?" One of the girls, who had two pigtails bouncing on the sides of her head, giggled into her hands. Another boy, who had shortly cropped hair, blinked.
"Aren't you that guy from Assiah?"
Renzou winked, "Yep~ That's me. Anyway, I just need some questions answered. I don't really know this place too well, ya know. So I was thinkin' I should ask the ones who knew more, yeah?"
The children's eyes lit up. "Oh! So you need like a tour guide or something?"
"Do we get anything if we answer your questions?"
The pink-haired monk chuckled, "Sure, I'll uh…" He reached into the folds of his clothes, glad that he had bought a stash of candy from one of the vendors. He was planning on bringing it back to Assiah to share but… well, he could get more later. "You can have these if you answer all my questions!" The young man smirked when he caught the longing looks in the children's faces and he put the bag of candy away again. "Only when you answer my questions~"
The boy with a tail at his nape pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, "Well? Hurry up and ask them then!"
Renzou laughed and then nodded, "Okay, first question: have any of you ever seen a guy with dark blue hair and really pretty blue eyes? He's a little shorter than me and he's got pointy ears. I think he might have a tail, too. Oh, and two sharp teeth over here, like this." He lifted his fingers to his mouth to demonstrate. After receiving a few blank stares, the children suddenly smiled.
"Yep! I've seen him."
The girl raised her hand up eagerly, "Me, too! Me, too!"
"I know who he is, too…"
Renzou froze. Wow… they all saw him before? So the adults really were lying… how could these kids all see him and no one else see him? The boy with a pigtail tapped his foot impatiently.
"Is that all?"
"Oh! No, um…" Renzou licked his lips, feeling his throat slowly growing dry. Something weird was going on here… "Where do you guys usually see him? Have you ever talked to him?"
The girl shook her head. "Mum tells me not to ever talk to him or to look at him."
The boy with short hair smiled, "Oh, my mum told me that, too. But I still see him around. He's always everywhere."
"So… would you know where I might be able to find him?" Renzou asked slowly, heart thumping in his chest heavily. Why were the adults of the village so intent on keeping Rin away from their children? Even Rin told him that he shouldn't be too close to him and to forget him… but no matter how he looked at him, he was a good guy. There was really no reason for all this isolation…
"No…" The two children shook their heads. Renzou turned to the last child, the boy with his hair tied back. The boy was staring down at his feet, fists clenched. The pink-haired monk recognized that look. He knew. Renzou eyed the boy carefully and then smiled.
"Okay, one last thing, I'm gonna need one person to come take me around the place. But they won't get candy until after I've shown them around."
"Ehhh…" The girl and boy with short hair whined, "But we answered your questions…!"
"Hmm~ But not everyone answered my questions, did they?" He winked.
The girl blinked and then pointed at the boy with a pigtail, "Ah! That's right! Roy didn't answer the last questions Mr. Assiah had. Shouldn't he go then?"
"H-Huh?" The boy named Roy answered back in surprise. Renzou smirked. Bingo~ He handed each of the other children a handful of candy.
"That sounds fair. Alright then, you'll be showin' me around. I'm countin' on ya!" He winked at the boy who seemed to flush red in either anger or embarrassment. Then, his head bowed over in resignation.
"Okay…"
Renzou waved at the excited children and then pointed in one direction, "Right then, let's go to the market place first." The boy nodded silently and then began trampling down one of the streets slowly, back turned to him. Renzou followed after silently, keeping a careful eye on the boy. Right… so now he had to figure out how to get this guy to spill the beans. Hmm…
But it seemed like he didn't need to. Because as soon as they turned a corner into an alley, the boy spun towards him all of a sudden, fisting his fingers into his black robes. Renzou nearly fell backward in surprise. W-Woah! What the…?
"You…" The boy began in a low voice, "Why're you… looking for him?"
"W-Why? Well…" Renzou gulped and scratched at his cheek. Oh god, this was getting kind of creepy…! "I want to know him better… he seems like a good guy, so… is that bad?"
"It IS bad…!" The boy almost shouted, fist clenching tighter into his clothes, "It is bad…" Renzou heard the boy sniffle and he felt his heart jump in alarm. What the heck…? He bent down and pat the boy on the head carefully.
"H-Hey… you alright there…?" His eyebrows were drawn together in worry as he watched the boy wipe his tears away furiously with the back of one hand.
"Are you… one of the bad guys?" The boy glared up at him. Renzou blinked in shock. Bad guys…?
"Erm… I hope not?" He laughed back nervously. That answer seemed to satisfy the boy and his shoulders sagged.
"If you're not a bad guy, you're not going to take him somewhere and do bad things to him, right…?"
"What? Bad things? To who…? Rin?" Renzou blinked rapidly, feeling his mind grow more and more lost. Roy smiled softly.
"I-Is that his name…? Rin?"
Renzou stared at the boy carefully, "You know where he is but you never knew his name…?" The boy gulped and then shook his head slowly.
"I…" His voice lowered to a whisper and Renzou had to lean forward to hear, "I… only followed him that one time… never talked to him… and then I saw them… doing the bad things…" His eyes began to fill with water, "I… just wanted to know who was getting us presents all the time… so… but then… they… hurt me… and then told me to never tell anyone… to forget everything… but… there's no way I can forget that…!" He buried his face into Renzou's shoulder, smacking a trembling fist against the older male's chest as ferociously as his little body could do. The pink-haired monk's eyes grew round. What… the hell…? He was definitely talking about Rin but… what was this about bad things being done to him? What was he talking about? And then this boy was 'hurt' for finding out? Roy continued through reluctant sniffs, "I… it hurt so much… but then… he… he h-healed me… he's like an angel but… why do they keep doing those things to him…? It's not normal, right? It's not normal… you don't do that to angels…" His whispers trailed off. Renzou frowned and grabbed the boy by the shoulders, shaking him lightly.
"Oi…! Oi, kid…! Get yourself together!" The boy's eyes seemed to flicker towards his, slightly wide in fear as if realizing all that he had suddenly said. His arms raised up to block his face.
"D-Don't tell anyone I said all that…! Please… I don't want to be hurt again…!"
Renzou swallowed. Then he smiled reassuringly, "Of course I won't. I'm Rin's friend so there's no way I'd sell out someone who cares about him, yeah?" He squeezed the boy's shoulder comfortingly and Roy looked up at him, tears streaming down his eyes.
"Y-Yeah…" After a second, he sniffed and asked softly, "Mr. Assiah? You're gonna… save R-Rin… right?"
Renzou froze. Then his eyes narrowed and he smirked, a bead of cold sweat running down his neck. "Yeah… I don't know what's goin' on but… I'll save him if you think I need to."
Roy nodded and then tugged on his shirt. "I-I'll tell you… where he is so… come closer…" Renzou nodded and leaned over, ear turned to him.
"He lives… where you live."
Renzou felt a shiver crawl up his spine and he jumped back. "H-Huh? You mean… the main house?" Roy nodded. The pink-haired monk shook his head. "But… I haven't seen him there at all…?"
"C-Check… the basement." The boy gulped and then sighed, heaving out a great sigh as though he had just relieved a great burden. Renzou gave the boy a weak smile.
"Thanks… you really helped me, ya know? And don't worry. I'll take care of Rin for you, alright? I won't let any bad guys do bad things to him." He pat the boy on the head and pulled out the bag of candy, about to push it all into the boy's hands, "Here, take this. Oh but…" He paused, "Hmm, if people might suspect you… I guess I'll just give you a handful then. I don't want anyone to hurt you…" Roy smiled through his tears and nodded happily, taking his handful of candy.
"P-Please save Rin… and… t-thanks, Mr. Assiah. B-Be… be careful." And with that, the boy darted off, hastily wiping his eyes and returning in the direction they came from. Renzou remained glued to his spot, the words of the boy echoing in his mind. He ran a hand through his hair and he laughed dryly. What was he getting himself into…? But… it seemed like something bad was happening to Rin…
"Only one way to find out…" He climbed to his feet and pat his knees of dust. Then, he left out the alley, slowly making his way back to the main house. I'll just have to find Rin…!
.:.