* Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies.
In Search of the Lost Sapphire
Chapter 2: A Smile amidst the Rain of Tears
There was a photo of a child crying over the corpse of his mother. Another was the photo
of a doctor helping the victims of the earthquake. He sighed and then put that photo aside.
The redhead gasped slightly when he looked at the next photo. He found himself gazing at
the most beautiful blue-sapphire eyes he had ever seen.
*****************
The photo in Kenshin's hand depicted a girl staring straight at him with her blue-sapphire
eyes. The background was blurred, because he had indeed set the focus on her alone.
She was sitting on the ground, her back leaning against the trunk of a tree. The girl had
thick black hair, hung freely over her shoulder. Her pretty face and her tattered clothes
were spattered with blood. In her hands she held a withered sakura petal.
He couldn't see it from the photo, but Kenshin remembered that the tree was dying. It had
no more leaves nor flowers on its branches. The dying tree, the withered sakura petal and
the blood… it was as if Death itself had come to that place, to claim the souls of all the
living things in that place.
But the girl on the photo had smiled! Her gaze was so intense, and one could see the grief,
the pain and the sorrow those eyes reflected. The shot was taken in one of the refugee-camps.
Kenshin still remembered the sorrow and the fear that hung in the air the day the great
earthquake happened. The grief on the faces of the Kobe citizens was forever engraved in
his mind. Yet, through all that, she had managed to smile, even though it was only a small smile.
The redhead kept gazing at the eyes of that girl. She had indeed smiled… I wonder how old
she was… maybe 10, maybe 11… As he observed those eyes more carefully he became
astounded by what he found. Wait... it wasn't just sorrow that I see in her eyes. In her eyes
I see… hope? You can barely notice it, but I swear there is a sparkle of hope in her eyes!
But how could it be? Kenshin thought further. How could she smile a genuine smile through
her pain and her agony? Was there any hope left for this poor little girl? She might have lost
her parents because she was alone at that time. But why did she smile?
Not able to find the answer, he finally put that photo aside and went over to the next photos.
He had made a few shots of her. She was really a pretty girl. If she's still alive, then I'm sure
she has become a very beautiful woman. Kenshin browsed through the rest of the photos
until the end and set them aside. Then he took the one portrait that intrigued him the most.
What a wonderful personality she must have had… That thought came into his mind as he
pondered over the photo. I think she was a very brave girl, a courageous one. She smiled
in the face of agony and misery. I don't think I could do the same if I was in the same
circumstances. And her eyes, oh how they are so beautiful! Blue as the sparkling of the
sapphire. I think it's quite uncommon for a Japanese to have blue eyes…
Kenshin relaxed as he rested his back on the couch. A soft smile appeared on his lips, while
his violet eyes never left her blue eyes even for a moment. Seeing those eyes makes me
believe that there is still hope in this cruel world…. That whatever you've gone through,
nothing could break your soul down as long as you still have hope. As long as you still
believe in hope…
He sighed as he closed his eyes, thinking about his life. I said I'm tired of this…. I've
had three women in my life, and it was my fault that they left me. Guess just like what
Tomoe has said, I've gotta learn from my mistakes. I meant what I told Misao, that if
I would ever find someone to love and who loved me in return, I want her to be my final
harbor…. Someday I will find my harbor, I'm sure of it. Just as long as I keep hoping
and trying…
Whoever you are, little girl, thank you for remembering me that Hope is still there. In fact,
Hope never leaves us. We are the one who leaves Hope and often forgets…. Then he got
up and went to his drawer. He took out an envelope and inserted the photo into it. On the
envelope he wrote an address. Afterward he left to take a bath.
***
Hiko Seijuurou had just gotten out from his Saab 9-5 sedan. The tall man with long black hair
had parked his car in front of his garage before he checked the mails in his mailbox. Beside it
there was a big trashcan. People who passed by his house often wondered why there was a
trashcan standing beside a mailbox.
He browsed through every mail, which were not just a few. "A large house with small bucks?
What a nonsense… And here's another one, 'Buy now and you'll save 20%'. Ridiculous! If I
don't need and don't like it, so what? Just some annoying advertisements…." Hiko grumbled
as he squeezed the papers in his hands and threw it into the trashcan. For that purpose
Hiko had bought a big trashcan to be placed beside his mailbox. He often got junk mails,
whether they were advertisements or love-letters from his fans all around the world.
Hiko Seijuurou, a 45-year old actor, was the heartthrob of girls all around the world. His
handsome face and his muscular body were one of the things that attracted those girls.
Born and bred in Japanese, Hiko had been a star for martial arts films since his young age.
Then one day an American producer saw one of his movies. That producer had been very
impressed with his skills in martial arts, especially with swords, that he decided to take
the young Hiko – at that time 18 years old – to America. And since then his life as a
Hollywood superstar had begun, with all the good and bad consequences….
"My dear and beloved Mr. Seijuurou, will you have a date with me, please??? Below is my
telephone…." Hiko read the letter loudly before throwing it into the trashcan. "Mr. Hiko,
you're such a sexy man!! I wonder how… Hmph! Ain't any stuff for kids…" That letter met
the same fate as its predecessor. "I wonder how the hell they got my address…. Do I have
to move again?"
Finally he got to the last mail. "Tens of mails and all of them are junk mails! Man, couldn't
they at least send me something that are worth to read!" The actor read his own name
on the brown envelope and immediately recognized the handwriting of sender. "Hmm…
interesting… baka deshi has sent me something."
Hiko went inside his house and took a jug of sake out of the refrigerator. He threw himself
on the couch and drank the sake. "Ahh…. Nothing beats cold sake! Now let's see what baka
deshi had for me…." He opened the envelope and pulled out a photo out of it. He observed
the photo carefully. Hmm.. a very nice photo indeed. Very sharp and clear… I've gotta admit
that I'm very impressed. Baka deshi has indeed good eyes…. Well, not everyday you get a
chance to take a shot like this. What's the story behind it this time?
Unknown to a lot of people, Hiko Seijuurou had a secret crush in photography. In fact, it was
from Hiko that Kenshin had learned the basics of photography. But unlike Kenshin, he wasn't
a professional photographer. Hiko only took his beloved Leica M6 to fill in his leisure time.
Kenshin was specialized in photographing people; he loved to freeze emotions on people's face.
It had always intrigued him how much just a single photo could tell you about people's life.
And he had 'good eyes' too. The redhead was called prodigy because he saw what other couldn't
or didn't see. Common things people often took for granted became very special when they were
captured by the lenses of his Nikon F4. His eyes saw right through what lied beneath….
Hiko thought otherwise. He loved solitary, something that his occupation as an actor would
never permit. The actor was far more interested to photograph animals and nature scenes
than to take a picture of a human being.
If baka deshi ever sends me something, that the photo must be very special to him. Or at
least he has an interesting story behind it. Hiko's thoughts were cut by the ring of the
telephone. He read the name showed on the display screen. Sighing with relief that it wasn't
another annoying fans, he took up the telephone. "Hello, baka deshi."
On the other side of the telephone Kenshin growled. He hated it when Hiko called him like
that. "Shishou, how have you been?"
"Couldn't be better, baka deshi."
"Are there any new movies?"
"Yeah, we just started the shooting of a new movie. And how about you?"
"I'm just fine. By the way, have you received my mail?"
"Yup, I've just opened it."
Quiet for a while. "And, what do you think of it?"
"Very nice shot indeed. Well done, Kenshin. It was a very unusual shot. Blood on her face,
her sad eyes… it's like she's a victim of war. I could feel her misery. But…" Hiko fell silent
for a while.
"Yeah? Then?" Kenshin said impatiently.
"Be patient, baka deshi!" Hiko scolded him. Then he continued, "She smiled. That makes this
photo very special." He paused for a while before continuing, "Her expression showed her
sadness and misery clearly. True that it was a sad smile, but it was truly a genuine smile. And
her eyes… I find them so strange, yet at the same time amazing. She had Hope in her eyes…"
Both men were silent for a while. "Well, quit being sentimental. Where and when did you take
this picture? And what's the story behind it?"
"You'd never believe it, Shishou…"
"Try me."
"Does the name Kobe disaster ring a bell to you?"
Hiko nodded. "Yeah, we were there when it happened." Then a realization hit his mind. "Don't
tell me you took this shot 10 years ago?!"
"Yes, I did take it 10 years ago…. It seems that I've forgotten about it all this time. Tomoe
dropped by a few days ago returning my box that was left at her apartment. The unprinted
roll was in that box…"
"… Well, send it to the World Press Photo."
"What?!! Shishou, are you kidding?!"
"When do I make jokes about important matters? Believe me, they'll love it. Just write a good
story, okay?"
"But I'm not worth it…"
Hiko sighed exasperatedly because of the stubbornness of his foster son. When will you stop
belittle yourself? "Well, up to you, baka deshi. It was merely a suggestion. It's your photo
anyway."
Kenshin fell silent for a while. "I'll see what I can do about it…. Shishou, thanks anyway. Well,
I won't bother you further. I'll hang up if that's okay with you."
"Wait…"
Kenshin frowned. "What's wrong?"
"How's Tomoe?"
His frown grew even deeper. "She's just fine, and happy, may I add. Next week I'll take a few
shots of their new house. Why did you ask?"
"Nothing. Just want to know, that's all. Say hi to her if you see her."
"I'll do it."
"What about you?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Come on, baka deshi! You can't be that clueless! When are you going to find a woman for
yourself? Or have you not gotten over her?"
"No! Don't get me wrong! It's just that I don't want to rush…. I want to take my time to find
the right person. I've told this to Misao, that if I ever find another woman, I want her to
be my last…. I don't wanna hurt anyone again. I think it's time that I think seriously about
this. The next woman to be my girlfriend will be the one to share my life with…" Kenshin was
silent for a while. "To be honest, I never thought about it before…"
"Did it take you three to realize that, Kenshin?"
Kenshin sighed. "I guess so. I'm a baka deshi after all, aren't I, Shishou?"
"Yes, you are indeed…" Hiko smirked. "Remember this, Kenshin, learn to make time for your
woman. More importantly, make her happy. You got that?"
"Yeah… I know."
"Okay, then I'll hang up. Take care, Kenshin. Bye."
"You too, Shishou. Bye."
Hiko finally put the telephone down. He sighed as he leaned on his couch comfortably, drinking
the rest of his sake. Time goes by so fast…. It seems like yesterday when I encountered that
little boy…. He was a defenseless and weak child back then. It's hard to believe that he was
ever that small. Now he's got bigger ideas, greater ambitions…. Higher to reach, but further
to fall...
A smile appeared on his lips as memories kept coming back to him. I still remember the first
day he arrived at my house in Florida. He was… I think 8-years old. He was so afraid and so
timid. It used to be he needed me. But now he's a grown up man. Now he's already on his own...
Kenshin, you can love without limit from deep in your soul. But to love means to be ready
to be hurt…. There is no sweet without bitter and there is no smile without tears, as there is
no love without pain. You can fly to the moon, as high as it seems. But the higher you fly,
the harder you can crush to the ground.
There will be times when you feel ten feet tall and times when you have it all. But when
the walls of your world come tumbling down, when your heart starts breaking and there's
no one around…. Just look over your shoulder wherever you roam, and remember that
you're never alone…
The images of little red-haired boy playing on his backyard flashed through his mind. The
first time he had gone to school. Tears he poured out because other kids from his class
had made fun of him. The heartache he had felt when a girl refused to be his date. His
first lesson in photography. His big grin at his graduation. His first girlfriend ever,
Makimachi Misao. Then Sekihara Tae and Yukishiro Tomoe.
Those are women who have colored his book of life. Now I wonder who's going to write
the rest of the chapters…. I can't stop him from living. I can't blame him for trying. I can't
stop him from loving and I can't keep him from crying. What I can do is just be there for
him. Just like what I have sworn on the day I decided to take him in. That he will never
be alone again, like he had always been in his whole life…
Hiko gazed at those piercing blue-sapphire eyes. That he will never lose Hope again…
like this little girl who smiled despite her overwhelming circumstances…. Yes, it was truly
a smile amidst the rain of tears….
- End of Chapter 2: A Smile amidst the Rain of Tears -
Author's Note:
* Hiko might seem OOC in this chapter, but basically I believe that's how he felt about
Kenshin even though he called him 'baka deshi' all the time. He cared about Kenshin
the way a father would care about his son. Anyway, some of Hiko's thoughts were based
from 'You're Never Alone', a song written and performed by Rick Price. In my opinion,
it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written.
Full lyric can be viewed at: http://www.soft.net.uk/aliciad/Tina/Rick21.htm
* I'd like to thank the people who have read and reviewed my fic. It's great to know that
you guys like it! I'll try my best…
- Jason M. Lee: you said it absolutely right! 'a picture is worth a thousands words'…
a very touching picture, isn't it?
- Fey2Kim: I won't say you're dumb. :-) I didn't know too what a/u and ooc was...
A/U means Alternate Universe. The same characters, but in a different world and time.
While OOC means that one's personality might be a bit different from the original
character (out of character), something like that…
- marstanuki: Well done with 'Flames of Passion'! I love it. Hope you'll post the next
chapter of 'Blind Marriage' soon… ;-)
- Gypsy-chan: What can I say, one of my favorite writers said that she liked my fic!
I'm very honored… I'll be waiting for further chapters from yours as well!
* I feel like I've forgotten something, but I couldn't quite remember what. Anyway, I hope
you liked it. Just ask if you've got a question, ne? And don't forget to review! ;-)