A CHANGED SMILE
By Shizuka-chan16
A/N- Say hello to my 10th fanfic to be published on this site (if you don't count the 2 I deleted), a story based on the youth with that creepy, innocent smile: Seta Soujiro. It's a story that's been on my mind for a while now, even though there are quite a few fics that have the same theme. But I decided on doing it anyway, so I hope it is unique among others that you all have read.
Teaser- Soujiro has left the Juppon Gatana and has wandered Japan for the past few years as Kenshin had suggested to him. But his travels come to an end when he finds himself in a place called Shiroki Village.
Chapter 1- A Newcomer
VASH! SHK! CLAK! ZIF!
All four men fell to the ground at once. Their impact to the wooded trail caused a small tornado of dry leaves to swirl up into the night sky. Everything was still now.
The figure responsible for this multiple defeat turned away and, in one swift motion, sheathed his sword. His long ponytail swishing like a horse's tail, he calmly continued down the pathway, disappearing into the moonlit trees. It was as if nothing had happened.
One of the men that he had felled opened his eyes and drew a gasping breath. Glazed eyes watched as this man retreated slowly into the darkness. Wincing, he ran his gaze down his arm to where his hand still clutched his sword. The blade however, was broken, shattered like glass.
His eyes closed. While his head came to rest in the dirt once more, he uttered a simple, gurgling, "It can't be."
The waving leaves slowly settled back down.
........
The rising sun found Hanahara Satomi opening her door to leave for work. But before she did, she hesitated for two reasons. One: she resented walking to the restaurant alone. Two: she resented working at the restaurant.
She reached up and tucked her short black hair behind her ears. Taking a deep breath, she started down the road. She couldn't avoid either. Her blue- green eyes darted nervously back and forth as she passed every house, every store. This action angered her. 'It isn't even safe to walk around out here with all those cursed rebels running amok.'
True, Shiroki Village was far from safe anymore. When the war ended and the Meiji government established itself, it brought a wave of terrorism with it. Some people just couldn't stand to be ruled in that fashion, and therefore sought to prove it. And for Satomi's hometown, it was a place to be taken over and virtually converted into a base for the bands of rebels. No villager who supported the results of the revolution was safe as they were brutally punished for their beliefs. Satomi learned to keep her mouth shut, though she longed to do something.
To her relief, no rebels targeted her on this cloudy morning. She reached the restaurant door and sighed. Perhaps today, there would be less drunken fools trying to make passes on her. Going inside, she got her apron.
A short time later, as the restaurant became more and more crowded, a young man walked through the door and took a seat in one of the booths.
In the kitchen, Tsuki called Satomi over. "Satomi-chan, we have another customer at the last booth."
Satomi nodded. "Okay then." She headed out the door and began to push her way to where her friend had indicated. As usual, she tried to ignore the men with sake who whistled in her direction.
Finally, after dodging numerous hands, she reached the booth and peered inside. "May I help you, sir?"
The man, who was perhaps barely older than she, looked up at her. He was a handsome young fellow who was wearing a blue kimono. He had thick brownish black hair that was kept in a long ponytail. And when he smiled, his dark blue eyes seemed to light up.
"Yes ma'am." He replied in a soft voice, one that struck Satomi as almost squeaky. "But I'd simply like some tea."
She smiled. "Of course."
She wheeled around on her heels to go retrieve his order.
Just then, a hand reached out and seized her by the arm, stopping her before she could take a third step. Her alarm was replaced with a scowl: she had forgotten about the drunks.
This man grinned at her feverishly, his breath wreaking as he pulled her to him. Satomi gritted her teeth angrily, "Let me go! I don't have time for this!"
"That's what you said last time, little girly." He told her, his voice slurred. "Patience isn't one of my traits you know."
Satomi felt a wave of panic rush over her, especially when she saw his friends crowding in around her. Everything inside told her to fight free, to knock their teeth out and send them scurrying out of the restaurant like a bunch of old rats. But no, she couldn't do that. It would draw too much attention, the last thing that this place needed.
Sneering, he yanked her against his chest and leaned down to kiss her.
"Let her go."
It was a simple statement, but there was something challenging in it that caused the drunk to pause and look up. Satomi's customer emerged from his booth, his gaze dark and angry.
The drunk and his friends began laughing. In this moment of distraction, Satomi wrenched herself free and took a step backwards. But the young man moved in front of her in a split second.
She blinked at this. "Sir?"
He smiled over his shoulder at her. "Don't worry ma'am. I'll settle this."
The man spat. "You? Settle what?"
"The nice lady here is trying to do her job." The youth said, staring at him straight in the eyes. "Kindly leave her alone since she obviously wants nothing to do with you."
But the man and his friends were too drunk to heed his words. To them, it seemed like he was beckoning them on. The drunk made a fist and reeled it back to punch. "Get out of my way!"
Satomi gasped. "Sir! Watch out!"
CLAK!!!
The youth blocked the blow to his head with a long piece of polished wood. It was a bokken, a wooden sword! Everyone watching in the room gasped.
The drunk stiffened in surprise. What was this that his fist had come into contact with?
"Leave here now." The youth warned, his voice staying soft and calm. "Or this blade of mine shall take the offensive."
"You rat!!!" The drunk reeled back another fist and struck again. The youth's eyes lit up for an instant as he leaned into the charge.
Satomi covered her eyes.
CRACK!!!!
The noise echoed throughout the restaurant. The chefs stopped cooking and the waitresses poked their heads out the door to see.
The drunk gasped and fell backwards to the floor, knocking down some of his own comrades like bowling pins. Satomi opened her eyes just as this young man sheathed the bokken into his sash.
His blue eyes burned down at them. "Kindly take your friend and leave here now."
Despite being intoxicated, they did as they were told, getting up and dragging to defeated one out the door with them.
Once they were out of sight, he smiled back at Satomi, who was staring at him in sheer disbelief. "Sorry about that ma'am. But I suppose people like that can't be talked to." He went back into his booth and sat down. "If I may, I'll have my tea now please."
Satomi shook her head to recover and nodded. "Oh.uh.hai." She started back for the kitchen to fetch his tea.
After a while, she returned to check on him, only to find that the booth was empty. Her eyebrows scrunched in disappointment. He had saved her and she hadn't even had a chance to thank him.
A/N- Say hello to my 10th fanfic to be published on this site (if you don't count the 2 I deleted), a story based on the youth with that creepy, innocent smile: Seta Soujiro. It's a story that's been on my mind for a while now, even though there are quite a few fics that have the same theme. But I decided on doing it anyway, so I hope it is unique among others that you all have read.
Teaser- Soujiro has left the Juppon Gatana and has wandered Japan for the past few years as Kenshin had suggested to him. But his travels come to an end when he finds himself in a place called Shiroki Village.
Chapter 1- A Newcomer
VASH! SHK! CLAK! ZIF!
All four men fell to the ground at once. Their impact to the wooded trail caused a small tornado of dry leaves to swirl up into the night sky. Everything was still now.
The figure responsible for this multiple defeat turned away and, in one swift motion, sheathed his sword. His long ponytail swishing like a horse's tail, he calmly continued down the pathway, disappearing into the moonlit trees. It was as if nothing had happened.
One of the men that he had felled opened his eyes and drew a gasping breath. Glazed eyes watched as this man retreated slowly into the darkness. Wincing, he ran his gaze down his arm to where his hand still clutched his sword. The blade however, was broken, shattered like glass.
His eyes closed. While his head came to rest in the dirt once more, he uttered a simple, gurgling, "It can't be."
The waving leaves slowly settled back down.
........
The rising sun found Hanahara Satomi opening her door to leave for work. But before she did, she hesitated for two reasons. One: she resented walking to the restaurant alone. Two: she resented working at the restaurant.
She reached up and tucked her short black hair behind her ears. Taking a deep breath, she started down the road. She couldn't avoid either. Her blue- green eyes darted nervously back and forth as she passed every house, every store. This action angered her. 'It isn't even safe to walk around out here with all those cursed rebels running amok.'
True, Shiroki Village was far from safe anymore. When the war ended and the Meiji government established itself, it brought a wave of terrorism with it. Some people just couldn't stand to be ruled in that fashion, and therefore sought to prove it. And for Satomi's hometown, it was a place to be taken over and virtually converted into a base for the bands of rebels. No villager who supported the results of the revolution was safe as they were brutally punished for their beliefs. Satomi learned to keep her mouth shut, though she longed to do something.
To her relief, no rebels targeted her on this cloudy morning. She reached the restaurant door and sighed. Perhaps today, there would be less drunken fools trying to make passes on her. Going inside, she got her apron.
A short time later, as the restaurant became more and more crowded, a young man walked through the door and took a seat in one of the booths.
In the kitchen, Tsuki called Satomi over. "Satomi-chan, we have another customer at the last booth."
Satomi nodded. "Okay then." She headed out the door and began to push her way to where her friend had indicated. As usual, she tried to ignore the men with sake who whistled in her direction.
Finally, after dodging numerous hands, she reached the booth and peered inside. "May I help you, sir?"
The man, who was perhaps barely older than she, looked up at her. He was a handsome young fellow who was wearing a blue kimono. He had thick brownish black hair that was kept in a long ponytail. And when he smiled, his dark blue eyes seemed to light up.
"Yes ma'am." He replied in a soft voice, one that struck Satomi as almost squeaky. "But I'd simply like some tea."
She smiled. "Of course."
She wheeled around on her heels to go retrieve his order.
Just then, a hand reached out and seized her by the arm, stopping her before she could take a third step. Her alarm was replaced with a scowl: she had forgotten about the drunks.
This man grinned at her feverishly, his breath wreaking as he pulled her to him. Satomi gritted her teeth angrily, "Let me go! I don't have time for this!"
"That's what you said last time, little girly." He told her, his voice slurred. "Patience isn't one of my traits you know."
Satomi felt a wave of panic rush over her, especially when she saw his friends crowding in around her. Everything inside told her to fight free, to knock their teeth out and send them scurrying out of the restaurant like a bunch of old rats. But no, she couldn't do that. It would draw too much attention, the last thing that this place needed.
Sneering, he yanked her against his chest and leaned down to kiss her.
"Let her go."
It was a simple statement, but there was something challenging in it that caused the drunk to pause and look up. Satomi's customer emerged from his booth, his gaze dark and angry.
The drunk and his friends began laughing. In this moment of distraction, Satomi wrenched herself free and took a step backwards. But the young man moved in front of her in a split second.
She blinked at this. "Sir?"
He smiled over his shoulder at her. "Don't worry ma'am. I'll settle this."
The man spat. "You? Settle what?"
"The nice lady here is trying to do her job." The youth said, staring at him straight in the eyes. "Kindly leave her alone since she obviously wants nothing to do with you."
But the man and his friends were too drunk to heed his words. To them, it seemed like he was beckoning them on. The drunk made a fist and reeled it back to punch. "Get out of my way!"
Satomi gasped. "Sir! Watch out!"
CLAK!!!
The youth blocked the blow to his head with a long piece of polished wood. It was a bokken, a wooden sword! Everyone watching in the room gasped.
The drunk stiffened in surprise. What was this that his fist had come into contact with?
"Leave here now." The youth warned, his voice staying soft and calm. "Or this blade of mine shall take the offensive."
"You rat!!!" The drunk reeled back another fist and struck again. The youth's eyes lit up for an instant as he leaned into the charge.
Satomi covered her eyes.
CRACK!!!!
The noise echoed throughout the restaurant. The chefs stopped cooking and the waitresses poked their heads out the door to see.
The drunk gasped and fell backwards to the floor, knocking down some of his own comrades like bowling pins. Satomi opened her eyes just as this young man sheathed the bokken into his sash.
His blue eyes burned down at them. "Kindly take your friend and leave here now."
Despite being intoxicated, they did as they were told, getting up and dragging to defeated one out the door with them.
Once they were out of sight, he smiled back at Satomi, who was staring at him in sheer disbelief. "Sorry about that ma'am. But I suppose people like that can't be talked to." He went back into his booth and sat down. "If I may, I'll have my tea now please."
Satomi shook her head to recover and nodded. "Oh.uh.hai." She started back for the kitchen to fetch his tea.
After a while, she returned to check on him, only to find that the booth was empty. Her eyebrows scrunched in disappointment. He had saved her and she hadn't even had a chance to thank him.