A/N: Also, I just wanted to say I'm so sorry for the inaccuracy in terms of culture.

The first thing that I noticed was the cold needle going through my skin. I spasmed as I tried to scream in pain, but two arms held me down while another held my jaw closed. I could hear Akemi's voice pleading me to stop moving as the needle continued to sew through my cheek. Along with the stinging pain, I also began to remember what had happened previously before I passed out. The house burning, my mouth slit open, Tahei… The pain only became worse. Since I wasn't allowed to scream, all I could do was cry until I passed out again.

When I came to, I realized that I was rested on a futon. Akemi sat next to me, smiling as my eyes opened.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" she asked me. I kept silent, unsure of what to say. I couldn't feel anything. "I brought you some water," she continued, revealing the small cup in her hands, "just be careful when you take a drink, okay? You don't want to pull the stitches out."

"Stitches…?" I murmured, but as I said that, I realized what she meant as my cheeks became sore. As I sat up, I brought my hand up to my cheeks. I felt the texture of thread along my skin, as well as inside my mouth. Sitting up, I glanced over at a nearby mirror. I was shocked to see my cheeks trailed with stitches from the edge of my lips all the way to my ears. I wanted to react - I felt like I had to react - but my entire being felt to numb.

"We saw the fire," Akemi explained. "There was a crowd outside, but no one dared to come closer. Katsuchi (her husband) went in and found you, so he got you out before the fire got worse. We came back here, and… Well, here we are."

"And Tahei…?" I asked softly.

Shaking her head, Akemi answered, "We couldn't find him." As she noticed my sad expression, she continued, "Did he… do this to you?" I didn't answer. I kept my head down, trying to fight back the tears that slowly returned. "Well, if you need me, I'll be one room away, okay?" Within that moment, I was alone.

Two weeks had passed, and it had only been awhile before I began to leave the comforts of my room. Akemi kept up with her job as a tailor, and her husband worked in the market. I noticed that her children weren't there. She explained to me that they were going to stay at her friend's house until I felt more comfortable. With what? Exposing my face? Even I knew it— A distorted face like mine would startle a child. I also wanted to walk in the sun once again, but what would the people think of my face? I didn't want to disturb my home.

"Can you go out and get me something?" I asked softly.

"Sure," Akemi smiled, nodding, "what would you like me to get?"

"Fabric," I bluntly stated, "any kind is fine."

"Fabric…?" she repeated. When I didn't answer, she confirmed, "Okay, sure, I'll go as soon as I finish this kimono."

Eventually, Akemi did go out and get me plain white fabric. She asked me what it was for, but I refused to tell her about it yet. When she allowed me to use her sewing kit, I went straight to work in my room. I was a little unsteady at first when I worked on my project, but I was able to get the hang of it. Within a few hours, I had finally finished it.

As I walked into the next room, Akemi looked up to greet me a good evening, but then she paused as she saw the homemade mask on my face.

"Oh… What's that?" she asked.

"It's a mask," I explained. "You don't have to have your children away anymore."

"But—" she began, but I interrupted her.

"I never wanted this, but it has happened. Now, I want to readapt to life, and I don't want to be between your family. This is my choice. Please, don't object to it." Akemi just looked at me for a moment, unsure of what to say. I knew that she wanted to say something along of the lines of I don't "have to hide", but nothing came out.

Finally, forcing a smile, she said, "Well, if it makes you happy, then by all means, be happy." Happy? No, it didn't make me feel that way, but it might as well be one step closer to that feeling.

As the weeks passed, I regained a bit more of that happiness by playing with the children. I felt sad every time they asked what was behind my mask, even when they tried to take it off. It struck a chord when the girl said that I was "prettier without the mask". It didn't matter if this life in Akemi's home made me happy— My life would never be complete….

….. unless I settle things.

One day, while I explored the market, the old lady that ran one of the food stands approached me. I was a bit surprised, since no one except Akemi and her family approached me freely. Then again, the old lady didn't have a positive mood on her face, so I became curious as to what she wanted.

"Your husband," she whispered into my ear, "he's a samurai, is he not?" I widened my eyes. How could she know about him, and why now? "I saw a young samurai walking by awhile ago. He seemed to be walking towards that burnt-down house. That's where you used to live, correct?"

I felt my heart skip a beat. Tahei had returned. Did he go to reminisce of what happened at that house?

No matter. I had to settle things, once and for all.