Chapter 5- A Promise to Akira
As is turned out, Satomi was more than just a morning waitress. After lunch, children would come running through the woods to her house, ready to be schooled. She was a teacher.
Soujiro had gone with her that morning to work, just to keep an eye on her. He wanted to make sure that, in return for her generosity; no drunks or rebels could get their hands on her. However, the people had learned from the day before that he was one to avoid, and therefore so was the black- haired waitress.
Now, he sat on the porch, his head contently drooped, his sword leaning in the crook of his arm. It was a beautiful day. Peace was easy to maintain out here, a good walk away from the innards of Shiroki. And it had been a while since he could sit back and allow the gentle breeze to ruffle his thick hair.
He heard the door open behind him and lifted his head. "Hello Satomi-san. You have changed your clothes I see."
She blushed as she brushed the invisible dust off her silky blue kimono. "Well, I need to look proper with the children coming."
He blinked. "Children? Your children?"
"Oh no, silly." She shook her head. "The village children, my students. See, I'm their teacher on afternoons."
Just then, the sound of running and small voices caught his attention. Looking ahead, he saw dust rising up from the pathway that led into the woods. Immediately, he brandished his sword and took a stance. For all he knew, there could have been rebels coming.
Satomi placed a hand on his shoulder. "No need to be alarmed Soujiro-san. The Rebels leave them alone."
This shocked him. 'Rebels? The bloodthirsty terrorists of the Meiji Era don't harm children?'
"Hanahara-san!"
"Good afternoon Hanahara-sensei!"
"I brought some rice balls to share, Hanahara-san!"
A good dozen children emerged from the wooded trail, their dusty little kimonos flapping. All wore cheery smiles as they crowded around the young woman and the young man that stood beside her.
Satomi held up a hand to quiet them. "Everyone, I want you to meet Soujiro- san. He is new here."
They all bowed respectively, though some had to wait and see others do it first. "Hello Soujiro-san!" came a chorused greeting.
The rurouni bowed back. "Nice to meet you all."
One, a brown-haired boy of about 7, pointed at the bokken in his hand. "Is that a real sword, Mister?"
"Hai, it is called a bokken."
Soon enough, all the children were raising their hands, blurting out one question after another.
"Where did you come from?"
"Where did you get that sword?"
"Are you and Hanahara-san friends?"
"Were you the one who beat up those two drunks?"
Soujiro scratched the back of his head and laughed at it all. Finally, after watching with a smile, Satomi raised her hand once more. "Alright! Let's go inside and give poor Soujiro-san some air."
"Yes Sensei!" In an instant, they had all raced indoors, leaving Soujiro there alone on the porch.
Sighing contently to himself, Soujiro sat back down and returned to his restive stance. In the meantime, he listened to the lectures that Satomi was giving in her parlor.
"..Yes, Shiroki Village has a history as rich as the history of Japan itself. It was first established over a hundred years ago, when the Keimusho family first established a home here. Since then it has grown into a.."
A few hours later, "school" was over. Soujiro heard the door open behind him and quickly moved aside to allow them all through. Satomi had given them all papers to take home, papers that made all of the children smile..all except one.
One of the tallest boys was the last to leave, his head hanging low as he walked past Soujiro.
"What is the matter, Child?" Soujiro was quick to ask, noticing the sad expression all too easily.
The boy with sandy brown hair turned slightly to face him, his green eyes full of shame. "I failed another test, Soujiro-san. And I really did study for this one too."
Satomi was about to come outside, but paused when she heard this.
Soujiro held out his hand. "May I see?"
The boy gave him the paper. By this time, tears were building up in his eyes. "My father will be furious with me."
Soujiro read it over. It was on mathematics. Immediately, his eyes widened. "Wow, that does look pretty tough there."
"This will be the third time I have to take this grade home." The boy moaned. "What should I do, Soujiro-san?"
The rurouni simply smiled. "Tell me something. What is your schedule like at home?"
"I have to help with the crops this time of year with Father and my sister." He responded, wiping his eyes. "And then, I train with his sword."
"You train for combat? What for?"
"Because if I don't, then the Rebels could do something horrible to my family!"
Soujiro handed him back the failed exam. "I see. So when you do get a chance to study, it is only if you can fit it in."
"Yes sir."
"I'll tell you what." Soujiro said. "If any problems arise with the rebel terrorists, I will handle it. With that in mind, you can focus less on swordsmanship and more on your education."
The boy looked at him blankly. "You'll defend Shiroki?"
"That's what I'm here to do now." Soujiro told him. "I'll look after you all from now on. So don't worry about learning to fight when I'm here to do that."
The boy finally nodded. "Okay sir. I can have more time to learn math this way!" With that, and a respectful bow, he ran off to catch up with the other students.
Satomi came out on the porch to join him. "Soujiro-san, I think your advice will work on Akira-chan."
"There is really no point in anyone else learning the way of killing." He mused partially to himself.
Satomi took a seat beside him. "Have you killed before, Soujiro-san?"
He winced at this question and turned his head away. "Hai..I have."
She nodded with a grave expression. "I see."
Soujiro looked up at the pink skies, a color that signified the setting sun. "But I hope that, with this new life of wandering and the use of the bokken, that I will kill no more."
'He HOPES that he will kill no more? What on Earth does that mean?' Satomi wondered.
He seemed to read her mind and smiled. "However, with such horrid people spreading terror amongst the innocent in this village, I may need to use the aggression I once had. After all, I did just make a promise that I would handle the violence here."
Satomi smiled. "Hai, you did."
As is turned out, Satomi was more than just a morning waitress. After lunch, children would come running through the woods to her house, ready to be schooled. She was a teacher.
Soujiro had gone with her that morning to work, just to keep an eye on her. He wanted to make sure that, in return for her generosity; no drunks or rebels could get their hands on her. However, the people had learned from the day before that he was one to avoid, and therefore so was the black- haired waitress.
Now, he sat on the porch, his head contently drooped, his sword leaning in the crook of his arm. It was a beautiful day. Peace was easy to maintain out here, a good walk away from the innards of Shiroki. And it had been a while since he could sit back and allow the gentle breeze to ruffle his thick hair.
He heard the door open behind him and lifted his head. "Hello Satomi-san. You have changed your clothes I see."
She blushed as she brushed the invisible dust off her silky blue kimono. "Well, I need to look proper with the children coming."
He blinked. "Children? Your children?"
"Oh no, silly." She shook her head. "The village children, my students. See, I'm their teacher on afternoons."
Just then, the sound of running and small voices caught his attention. Looking ahead, he saw dust rising up from the pathway that led into the woods. Immediately, he brandished his sword and took a stance. For all he knew, there could have been rebels coming.
Satomi placed a hand on his shoulder. "No need to be alarmed Soujiro-san. The Rebels leave them alone."
This shocked him. 'Rebels? The bloodthirsty terrorists of the Meiji Era don't harm children?'
"Hanahara-san!"
"Good afternoon Hanahara-sensei!"
"I brought some rice balls to share, Hanahara-san!"
A good dozen children emerged from the wooded trail, their dusty little kimonos flapping. All wore cheery smiles as they crowded around the young woman and the young man that stood beside her.
Satomi held up a hand to quiet them. "Everyone, I want you to meet Soujiro- san. He is new here."
They all bowed respectively, though some had to wait and see others do it first. "Hello Soujiro-san!" came a chorused greeting.
The rurouni bowed back. "Nice to meet you all."
One, a brown-haired boy of about 7, pointed at the bokken in his hand. "Is that a real sword, Mister?"
"Hai, it is called a bokken."
Soon enough, all the children were raising their hands, blurting out one question after another.
"Where did you come from?"
"Where did you get that sword?"
"Are you and Hanahara-san friends?"
"Were you the one who beat up those two drunks?"
Soujiro scratched the back of his head and laughed at it all. Finally, after watching with a smile, Satomi raised her hand once more. "Alright! Let's go inside and give poor Soujiro-san some air."
"Yes Sensei!" In an instant, they had all raced indoors, leaving Soujiro there alone on the porch.
Sighing contently to himself, Soujiro sat back down and returned to his restive stance. In the meantime, he listened to the lectures that Satomi was giving in her parlor.
"..Yes, Shiroki Village has a history as rich as the history of Japan itself. It was first established over a hundred years ago, when the Keimusho family first established a home here. Since then it has grown into a.."
A few hours later, "school" was over. Soujiro heard the door open behind him and quickly moved aside to allow them all through. Satomi had given them all papers to take home, papers that made all of the children smile..all except one.
One of the tallest boys was the last to leave, his head hanging low as he walked past Soujiro.
"What is the matter, Child?" Soujiro was quick to ask, noticing the sad expression all too easily.
The boy with sandy brown hair turned slightly to face him, his green eyes full of shame. "I failed another test, Soujiro-san. And I really did study for this one too."
Satomi was about to come outside, but paused when she heard this.
Soujiro held out his hand. "May I see?"
The boy gave him the paper. By this time, tears were building up in his eyes. "My father will be furious with me."
Soujiro read it over. It was on mathematics. Immediately, his eyes widened. "Wow, that does look pretty tough there."
"This will be the third time I have to take this grade home." The boy moaned. "What should I do, Soujiro-san?"
The rurouni simply smiled. "Tell me something. What is your schedule like at home?"
"I have to help with the crops this time of year with Father and my sister." He responded, wiping his eyes. "And then, I train with his sword."
"You train for combat? What for?"
"Because if I don't, then the Rebels could do something horrible to my family!"
Soujiro handed him back the failed exam. "I see. So when you do get a chance to study, it is only if you can fit it in."
"Yes sir."
"I'll tell you what." Soujiro said. "If any problems arise with the rebel terrorists, I will handle it. With that in mind, you can focus less on swordsmanship and more on your education."
The boy looked at him blankly. "You'll defend Shiroki?"
"That's what I'm here to do now." Soujiro told him. "I'll look after you all from now on. So don't worry about learning to fight when I'm here to do that."
The boy finally nodded. "Okay sir. I can have more time to learn math this way!" With that, and a respectful bow, he ran off to catch up with the other students.
Satomi came out on the porch to join him. "Soujiro-san, I think your advice will work on Akira-chan."
"There is really no point in anyone else learning the way of killing." He mused partially to himself.
Satomi took a seat beside him. "Have you killed before, Soujiro-san?"
He winced at this question and turned his head away. "Hai..I have."
She nodded with a grave expression. "I see."
Soujiro looked up at the pink skies, a color that signified the setting sun. "But I hope that, with this new life of wandering and the use of the bokken, that I will kill no more."
'He HOPES that he will kill no more? What on Earth does that mean?' Satomi wondered.
He seemed to read her mind and smiled. "However, with such horrid people spreading terror amongst the innocent in this village, I may need to use the aggression I once had. After all, I did just make a promise that I would handle the violence here."
Satomi smiled. "Hai, you did."