Chapter 10
Sanosuke leaned against a post on the veranda in front of Hikaru's room. It was already midday and he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep, worried about Hikaru's condition. The local doctor had been called for right when the sun rose, but no news came about the girl. He kept blaming himself for this whole thing, since he could've evaded her injury by staying quiet and hiding from the assassin. Suddenly the sliding door opened behind him, and the doctor came out.
"You can go in and see her if you want, but make sure she doesn't wake up. She needs sleep more than anything," he said as he took his leave. Sanosuke nodded and got up. He walked through the wooden frame and sat next to Hikaru. The girl was sleeping deeply as cotton bandages were wrapped around her eyes, blood visible through the many layers. Her chest rose and lowered in a syncopated rhythm like a small child who just finished crying. How could he let this happen? Wasn't it bad enough that his Genpuku wasn't celebrated? Why did he have to be the hero? Hikaru's groan snapped him out of his deep thinking. He quickly focused his vision on her. She was trying to shift around, arching her back in the process so all of the blood began to rush to her head. Sanosuke placed a hand on her stomach and began to push down on it gently so she would subconsciously move down. He sighed and stared at her face after withdrawing his hand. Why did he have to be so gun- ho?
Soon the light of day began to fade, changing the reflections of the bright light from a pale yellow, to an orange, and later to the candlelight red. The birds had gone back to their nests for a night sleep, leaving the owls and bats to watch over the clouded night. The gates were locked and lanterns around the gardens turned off. But one candle still shimmered in the night coming from the blind girl's room. The shadows played against the paper covers of the frames as the flame flickered here and there from the heavy breathing of both children. Footsteps then began to echo resembling rising drums during the celebration of the sakura. They were soft at first, raised gradually, then back down again. They soon came to a halt and the frame slid open and Arata came in with another candle at hand. He smiled at the sight of Sanosuke hunched over sitting asleep over Hikaru, who still hadn't awakened. He walked up to him and kneeled, placing his hand on his shoulder. The soft touch awakened the young deshi and he looked up at his sensei in a sleepy state. Arata smiled at him and placed him on his back, Sanosuke soon falling asleep. Arata blew his candle off, and left it next to the other candle by Hikaru. He then carried the sleeping Sanosuke to his room, leaving both doors slightly ajar so some fresh air could enter both alongside rooms. He then yawned and returned to his room.
Everything became peaceful soon after, and a light rain began to fall. The humidity entered Hikaru's room like a plague, making the almost burned out candle turn off. The room became dense, almost like a condensed space. The air began to feel heavy and with the mixture of the smoke from the nearby candle, small droplets of dew began to form upon Hikaru's body. Mosquitoes and gnats began to feast upon the moisture in the room, biting the poor girl uncontrollably. Hikaru moaned, shifting one way and another, until in her own moving she awoke herself only to see pitch black. She placed her hands on the bandages on her eyes and tried to take them off, but to avail as the doctor tied them tight on that purpose. The buzzing and lack of fresh air made her become claustrophobic. Hikaru got up, wiping the dew off of her face. She began to try feeling her way, bumping into the slightly opened door in the process. The feel of fresh air against her face relieved her and she sighed, feeling a bit cooled. But it wasn't enough. She soon grabbed the edge with her tiny fingers and slid the door open with force. She became pleased, almost hypnotized by the fresh air that she began to take light steps forward reaching out to the pattering rain. But in her mesmerized state she forgot the step from the veranda to the garden and she fell with a loud thud on the grass.
Sanosuke sat up at lightning speed, a knock at his door. He rubbed his eyes to wake himself, then went to the door and slid it open. Seeing no one, he was about to close it and return to his wonderful sleep, until he saw a struggling shadow not far off. It was trying to get up, but it always slid back down because of the built mud. He wrapped his kinagashi tighter around himself and placed his seta and geta on. He then made his way to the small figure that had shivered down weeping. He placed a hand on it's back and it quickly turned over, startled. His eyes widened as he grabbed her arms and began to pull her toward him.
"No! Let me go! Who are you?" Hikaru yelled as she struggled from his grip. Sanosuke eventually won the battle as he placed himself on his knees and brought her to his chest, cradling her in his embrace. However, she didn't give up as easily. She began to beat against his chest, yelling and screaming for him to let her go, but he only shushed her in comforting manner.
"Sanosuke! Oniisan! Help me! Someone help!" She shrieked.
"It's ok. I'm here." Sanosuke's raspy morning voice came out of his throat. Hikaru struggled even more, trying to get away.
"Sanosuke! Let her go!" Shunzo roared as he dashed toward him. Sanosuke turned as his name was yelled and met Shunzo's fist. Sanosuke was sent flying across the air, landing and breaking the bamboo fountain. Shunzo picked Hikaru up and held her close.
"It's alright. Papa's here now." He said as he picked her up and began to carry her inside. Sanosuke looked toward him and began to reach out for them, but Shunzo's icy stare made him stay where he was. Hikaru and her father then went inside her room as he slid the door close.
Morning came soon after and Sanosuke was lying in bed. Thankfully Arata's room was on the other side of the house so he didn't wake up. But how was he going to explain about the fountain? Could he really put Shunzo at fault for any of it? Shunzo did take him in when he was in need. Sanosuke got up and placed his training vest and hakama on and made his way to the dining room.
"I will not my put my daughter at risk while some hooligan lives in this house!"
"You took him in. It's not my fault this I just happened to stumble upon a prodigy like him." Sanosuke stopped in front of the sliding door as it slammed open and out came Shunzo, dragging Hikaru by the arm. She held a bundle in the other one. Sanosuke stared at them in disbelief. Shunzo, catching a glimpse of him from the corner of his eye turned with a deadly look on his face.
"Keep your hands off my daughter, you hear!" He sneered at him then pulled Hikaru along as he walked briskly toward the opening gate. Arata walked up to the door and sighed, placing his hands inside each opposide sleeve. Sanosuke looked up at him with a guilty look, then back at the disappearing shadows of his family members.
"We must all be careful of our actions, especially you. You are in no position or age to be falling in love, understand? You have training to finish," Arata said in his serious upset tone.
"Will I see her again, shishou?" Arata looked down at Sanosuke and faintly smiled.
"Deshi. if fate binds her to you, then it will happen."
I want to thank you all so much for the reviews I've gotten! It's reviews that urge me to continue writing so keep posting! I'm sorry it look me about a month to post the next chapter but I've been caught up in Angel Sanctuary the manga along with writer's block for the past week. But thanks to quick thinking of a friend, she gave me an idea of what to do and my mind started to take off. I modified her idea so much that I ended up coming up with my own idea. It went from a meeting to this! So yeah. I'll stop rambling on now. anyways! I was looking over my story and I saw a couple of Japanese words in there. do you guys mind? I mean. does it bother anybody or should I just keep it the way it is? I tried to point out the meaning of each if you think to the relationships of each character to that one character or gave the meaning off later on in the sentence except with articles of clothing. Well. review again and tell me what you think! And if you see something wrong don't be afraid to tell me. That's the reason I'm writing in the first place! To improve! Well see you in the next 2 weeks or so! And thanks again to all of you that posted! (Oh yeah... I also made the font bigger because at font 10 in Times New Roman it looked like I barely wrote anything! Te he!)
Sanosuke leaned against a post on the veranda in front of Hikaru's room. It was already midday and he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep, worried about Hikaru's condition. The local doctor had been called for right when the sun rose, but no news came about the girl. He kept blaming himself for this whole thing, since he could've evaded her injury by staying quiet and hiding from the assassin. Suddenly the sliding door opened behind him, and the doctor came out.
"You can go in and see her if you want, but make sure she doesn't wake up. She needs sleep more than anything," he said as he took his leave. Sanosuke nodded and got up. He walked through the wooden frame and sat next to Hikaru. The girl was sleeping deeply as cotton bandages were wrapped around her eyes, blood visible through the many layers. Her chest rose and lowered in a syncopated rhythm like a small child who just finished crying. How could he let this happen? Wasn't it bad enough that his Genpuku wasn't celebrated? Why did he have to be the hero? Hikaru's groan snapped him out of his deep thinking. He quickly focused his vision on her. She was trying to shift around, arching her back in the process so all of the blood began to rush to her head. Sanosuke placed a hand on her stomach and began to push down on it gently so she would subconsciously move down. He sighed and stared at her face after withdrawing his hand. Why did he have to be so gun- ho?
Soon the light of day began to fade, changing the reflections of the bright light from a pale yellow, to an orange, and later to the candlelight red. The birds had gone back to their nests for a night sleep, leaving the owls and bats to watch over the clouded night. The gates were locked and lanterns around the gardens turned off. But one candle still shimmered in the night coming from the blind girl's room. The shadows played against the paper covers of the frames as the flame flickered here and there from the heavy breathing of both children. Footsteps then began to echo resembling rising drums during the celebration of the sakura. They were soft at first, raised gradually, then back down again. They soon came to a halt and the frame slid open and Arata came in with another candle at hand. He smiled at the sight of Sanosuke hunched over sitting asleep over Hikaru, who still hadn't awakened. He walked up to him and kneeled, placing his hand on his shoulder. The soft touch awakened the young deshi and he looked up at his sensei in a sleepy state. Arata smiled at him and placed him on his back, Sanosuke soon falling asleep. Arata blew his candle off, and left it next to the other candle by Hikaru. He then carried the sleeping Sanosuke to his room, leaving both doors slightly ajar so some fresh air could enter both alongside rooms. He then yawned and returned to his room.
Everything became peaceful soon after, and a light rain began to fall. The humidity entered Hikaru's room like a plague, making the almost burned out candle turn off. The room became dense, almost like a condensed space. The air began to feel heavy and with the mixture of the smoke from the nearby candle, small droplets of dew began to form upon Hikaru's body. Mosquitoes and gnats began to feast upon the moisture in the room, biting the poor girl uncontrollably. Hikaru moaned, shifting one way and another, until in her own moving she awoke herself only to see pitch black. She placed her hands on the bandages on her eyes and tried to take them off, but to avail as the doctor tied them tight on that purpose. The buzzing and lack of fresh air made her become claustrophobic. Hikaru got up, wiping the dew off of her face. She began to try feeling her way, bumping into the slightly opened door in the process. The feel of fresh air against her face relieved her and she sighed, feeling a bit cooled. But it wasn't enough. She soon grabbed the edge with her tiny fingers and slid the door open with force. She became pleased, almost hypnotized by the fresh air that she began to take light steps forward reaching out to the pattering rain. But in her mesmerized state she forgot the step from the veranda to the garden and she fell with a loud thud on the grass.
Sanosuke sat up at lightning speed, a knock at his door. He rubbed his eyes to wake himself, then went to the door and slid it open. Seeing no one, he was about to close it and return to his wonderful sleep, until he saw a struggling shadow not far off. It was trying to get up, but it always slid back down because of the built mud. He wrapped his kinagashi tighter around himself and placed his seta and geta on. He then made his way to the small figure that had shivered down weeping. He placed a hand on it's back and it quickly turned over, startled. His eyes widened as he grabbed her arms and began to pull her toward him.
"No! Let me go! Who are you?" Hikaru yelled as she struggled from his grip. Sanosuke eventually won the battle as he placed himself on his knees and brought her to his chest, cradling her in his embrace. However, she didn't give up as easily. She began to beat against his chest, yelling and screaming for him to let her go, but he only shushed her in comforting manner.
"Sanosuke! Oniisan! Help me! Someone help!" She shrieked.
"It's ok. I'm here." Sanosuke's raspy morning voice came out of his throat. Hikaru struggled even more, trying to get away.
"Sanosuke! Let her go!" Shunzo roared as he dashed toward him. Sanosuke turned as his name was yelled and met Shunzo's fist. Sanosuke was sent flying across the air, landing and breaking the bamboo fountain. Shunzo picked Hikaru up and held her close.
"It's alright. Papa's here now." He said as he picked her up and began to carry her inside. Sanosuke looked toward him and began to reach out for them, but Shunzo's icy stare made him stay where he was. Hikaru and her father then went inside her room as he slid the door close.
Morning came soon after and Sanosuke was lying in bed. Thankfully Arata's room was on the other side of the house so he didn't wake up. But how was he going to explain about the fountain? Could he really put Shunzo at fault for any of it? Shunzo did take him in when he was in need. Sanosuke got up and placed his training vest and hakama on and made his way to the dining room.
"I will not my put my daughter at risk while some hooligan lives in this house!"
"You took him in. It's not my fault this I just happened to stumble upon a prodigy like him." Sanosuke stopped in front of the sliding door as it slammed open and out came Shunzo, dragging Hikaru by the arm. She held a bundle in the other one. Sanosuke stared at them in disbelief. Shunzo, catching a glimpse of him from the corner of his eye turned with a deadly look on his face.
"Keep your hands off my daughter, you hear!" He sneered at him then pulled Hikaru along as he walked briskly toward the opening gate. Arata walked up to the door and sighed, placing his hands inside each opposide sleeve. Sanosuke looked up at him with a guilty look, then back at the disappearing shadows of his family members.
"We must all be careful of our actions, especially you. You are in no position or age to be falling in love, understand? You have training to finish," Arata said in his serious upset tone.
"Will I see her again, shishou?" Arata looked down at Sanosuke and faintly smiled.
"Deshi. if fate binds her to you, then it will happen."
I want to thank you all so much for the reviews I've gotten! It's reviews that urge me to continue writing so keep posting! I'm sorry it look me about a month to post the next chapter but I've been caught up in Angel Sanctuary the manga along with writer's block for the past week. But thanks to quick thinking of a friend, she gave me an idea of what to do and my mind started to take off. I modified her idea so much that I ended up coming up with my own idea. It went from a meeting to this! So yeah. I'll stop rambling on now. anyways! I was looking over my story and I saw a couple of Japanese words in there. do you guys mind? I mean. does it bother anybody or should I just keep it the way it is? I tried to point out the meaning of each if you think to the relationships of each character to that one character or gave the meaning off later on in the sentence except with articles of clothing. Well. review again and tell me what you think! And if you see something wrong don't be afraid to tell me. That's the reason I'm writing in the first place! To improve! Well see you in the next 2 weeks or so! And thanks again to all of you that posted! (Oh yeah... I also made the font bigger because at font 10 in Times New Roman it looked like I barely wrote anything! Te he!)