Chapter 2
Ruka opened her eyes and looked around, spotting Tsuzuki as he turned towards her with frightful eyes.
He was tall and his messy brown hair moved freely in the wind as he was staring at something passed her.
She called his name, but she didn't get an answer as fire was suddenly surrounding them and Tsuzuki sank to the floor without moving anymore and she ran to his side, the fire not bothering her.
"Suki...Suki!" reaching out with trembling hands, her heart clenched as she couldn't detect a heartbeat.
"No...please," she choked on a sob when a terrifying laugh snapped her head up.
"Looks like you couldn't save him now, Tsuzuki-san."
No...he was going to be all right...
"Suki..."
"Suki!" she screamed as she shot upright, frantically looking around her before she realised she was in bed.
A nightmare, it had just been a nightmare.
Trying to slow her breathing, she scrambled out of bed as she noticed her brother wasn't sleeping beside her anymore.
Her desire to find him was bigger than the need to wash so she hurried into the small living room while calling his name, frowning when there was no answer.
Her little brother always came running when she called out to him and panic rose up in her as she remembered her nightmare.
She was about to run outside to look for him when her eye fell onto a note taped to the door and she ripped it off.
'gone to next town to sell flowers. Wait for me at sunset by the bakery. Aishiteru, Tsuzuki.'
Leaning back against the table, she held the note tightly in her fist as she tried to calm her erratic heartbeat, assured he was all right now.
Once she'd calmed herself down, she quickly washed and dressed so that she could go to him, knowing that if she left now, she might just intercept him on the way back.
It was a far walk, but she was lucky to reach the road at the same time a horse and wagon came by.
"Hey girl, want a lift?" the kind farmer asked and nodding thankfully, Ruka climbed onto the wagon with his help.
It didn't take long at all before they reached the town and after thanking him, she jumped off ungratefully before making her way towards the market.
Walking passed the various stands; she searched for the flower stand until she finally spotted him at the end of the row.
Making her way towards him, she anxiously quickened her pace as she saw her little brother was surrounded by a lot of people.
But stopped surprised when she noticed the people were buying his roses and other flowers like they were made of gold, she had no idea they sold so incredibly well.
She pushed her way through the crowd until she was next to her brother and he smiled at her before turning back to the crowd.
He was wearing the thick sunglasses I'd found in the river and although it made him look funny, they hid his eyes properly.
It always made me sad to see people treat him kindly when they couldn't see his eyes as he was really friendly while collecting the money he made in my old hip bag.
Eventually the crowd spread apart as a man in dark clothes approached us. He had piercing blue eyes and platinum blond hair as instinctively she moved closer to her brother as the man gave her the creeps.
Tsuzuki shifted beside her, clearly also seeming to feel this guy was bad news and she slipped a hand in his as he looked up to the man.
"Good morning, lad. What colour roses do you have there?" the stern face broke into a smile that made him more scary than friendly as he stared to her brother's sunglasses.
Tsuzuki shifted nervously before he seemed to snap out of the tenseness that had fallen over him and he reclaimed his hand to gesture to the flowers.
"I have almost every colour there is, sir," he answered politely and it amazed her how calm he could appear even though it was obvious to her that the man scared him.
She swallowed as the man looked over Tsuzuki's shoulder to the roses.
"I'd like to have two of every colour then, child."
Nodding Tsuzuki collected his order and wrapped them up with care while the man followed his every move, only looking up when Tsuzuki turned back to him with the bouquet of flowers.
"Here they are, sir," he shifted back when the man reached out for them. "That would be seventy cents, please."
Smiling proudly as he'd learned to hold the flowers back until after there was paid, she watched as the man pulled out an expensive looking wallet.
He took out a few coins and placed them into Tsuzuki's hand, closing his fingers around them and lingering for a moment before he pulled back.
"You keep the change, lad. Do you grow them yourself?"
"Yes, sir. Together with my sister," Tsuzuki nodded to Ruka with a smile that she immediately answered.
"Your sister, huh? That is nice. So what is your name?"
"Asato, sir."
Ruka blinked surprised as she knew he hated to be called by that name and usually introduced himself with our surname. He'd even gotten her so far that she automatically called him Tsuzuki, even in her own mind.
The man glanced at me for a moment before nodding. "I see, I will be seeing you around then, Asato-kun."
"What is your name, sir?"
The man stopped and turned to Tsuzuki with a smile that made Ruka want to drag her brother away from the man, but she suppressed the urge as it would be impolite.
"You may call me Semi," with that he turned around to disappear into the crowd with his bundle.
"What did he give you?" she asked softly once he'd disappeared and gasped as Tsuzuki revealed three silver and one golden coin.
Quickly putting it away into his hip bag so that no one would see, she shivered. Why would he gave given him so much?
"He's scary," her brother's voice snapped her attention back to him.
"Yeah, he gave me the creeps too. How's business doing?" she asked to distract him.
"Very good, I'm almost out of flowers," he showed her what was left and together they bound the few remaining ones together so that they could go home when a young girl in a beautiful dress ran up to them.
"Daddy, daddy look! He's got flowers!" she stopped in front of them.
"Can I have?" she tugged on her father's sleeve and the man glanced at the flowers.
"How much are they, lad?"
"Five cents each, sir."
"I'll take them all then," the man nodded and paid him before Tsuzuki handed the bouquet to the little girl.
"Thank you sire, have a lovely day."
"Yes, you two too."
Nodding they watched them walk away before Ruka slipped her hand into Tsuzuki's and squeezed it as her brother stared after them.
"Let's go home, Suki."
They walked in quiet back over the market, pausing only for her to buy some food for a few days before hitting the road.
"Ruka?" he eventually spoke up.
"Hmmm?"
"Am I a demon?"
She stopped and turned to him. "No, you are human just like everyone else."
She wished the question was a surprise but the truth was that it wasn't as he occasionally asked it of her when a depressing mood struck him and it was clear to her that he didn't believe her even if he nodded.
"But, if I am, then why didn't Mum and Dad want to have me?"
Daggers pushed through her heart at that question.
She didn't want to lie to him, but she knew the truth would make him believe more than anything that he wasn't human.
"Ruka? Why didn't they want me?"
"They didn't understand you, couldn't see past appearances," she finally decided on.
"Were they scared of me because of my eyes?"
"Wrongfully, but yes."
"But, can't they see that I'm not scary now?"
Tears gathered in her eyes at the sadness in her brother, but she refused to let them fall.
"No, they only see what their eyes wish to see. They are blind to the truth."
"For ten years? Why?"
"Because they are stupid and idiots."
"Isn't that the same thing?" he crocked his head at her confused and she laughed.
"Kind of. But they are both if they can't see how brilliant you are."
He nodded slowly before shuffling hesitant. "Ruka?"
"Yes, love?"
"Will you always be at my side?"
Smiling she pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly. "I'm not going to leave you, Suki. I'm never going to leave you."
She knew it was an empty promise but she needed him to know she would always be there and she'd do anything to make him smile again.
Holding her ten year old little brother close, she made a silent vow to never leaving him alone, ever.
