Chapter 6- Bruises
Kazuma cocked an eyebrow the instant he saw Soujiro sitting on the porch with Satomi. 'What is that about?'
As he walked up the road, he saw them talking and laughing cheerfully. The pony tailed young man was grinning broadly throughout the conversation. But it stopped short when he spotted that he and the young woman were no longer alone. 'Who is that guy?'
"Oh Ayabito-san, you're home!" Satomi chimed, standing up.
Kazuma stared at Soujiro. "Who's he?"
"His name is Soujiro. He's a new friend of mine."
She turned back towards the samurai. "And he is Ayabito Kazuma, my fiancée."
Soujiro's eyes widened for a moment before that smile returned. "Ah I see. Congratulations!"
Kazuma looked off to the side. "Yeah."
Satomi simply smiled, but inside, she responded in the same monotonous way. 'Yeah.'
An awkward silence followed. Then, Kazuma moved past Satomi and went up the steps into the house. "I'm starving. When's dinner?"
That was that.
...........
The days rolled on in peace. The rebels seemed to have quieted down for the time being. Talk of attacks came less and less.
"Heh, that's quite strange." Soujiro remarked one evening.
Satomi swallowed the rest of her rice. "What's that?"
"It seems that my services here aren't needed much anymore. It sure didn't take long to put them in their place, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"The rebels. I've only had a few run-ins with them over the past few weeks and they seemed to have begun to fade out of Shiroki already." His face was serious. "I thought they would put up more of a front."
Satomi leaned back on her hands and looked up at the starry sky. "Hai, you're right Soujiro-san. That is unlike them."
.........
Another school day came along. Once again, the children flocked to the Hanahara household, shoving toys and treats at both Satomi and Soujiro.
"Here Hanahara-san! An apple!"
"Soujiro-san, can I touch your sword?"
"Can I too?"
Soujiro laughed. It was uncomfortably cramped surrounded by little kids, but at the same time, he enjoyed the attention. Satomi smiled.
"Hey look, there's Eisuke." One spoke up.
The two grownups turned to greet the boy, but gasped instead. The little black-haired boy was bruised and tattered from head to toe.
"Oh my! Eisuke are you alright?" She ran to his side.
Immediately, he burst out crying and wrapped his arms around her. Soujiro watched in horror. He recognized that expression, a face of fear, desperation, and terror. It was the same expression he had as a child. Anger filled his heart. His eyes narrowed. He knew who had done this to Eisuke. He would make them pay.
After school got out for the day, Soujiro waited for the schoolyard to quiet down. Eisuke was the last to leave, escorted out by Satomi.
She placed her hands on his sagging shoulders and had him look at her straight in the eyes. "Now Eisuke, are you going to be alright? Maybe you should stay here for now." She sensed Soujiro was nearby, watching. This made her uneasy.
But the battered little boy nodded bravely. "I'll be okay, ma'am. Thank you for the bandages." With that, he bowed and retreated down the trail, turning for home. Soujiro darted out into the open to follow him.
"Soujiro-san?" Satomi called.
"I'll be back." He responded over his shoulder. She had never heard his voice so low, so menacing.
Kazuma cocked an eyebrow the instant he saw Soujiro sitting on the porch with Satomi. 'What is that about?'
As he walked up the road, he saw them talking and laughing cheerfully. The pony tailed young man was grinning broadly throughout the conversation. But it stopped short when he spotted that he and the young woman were no longer alone. 'Who is that guy?'
"Oh Ayabito-san, you're home!" Satomi chimed, standing up.
Kazuma stared at Soujiro. "Who's he?"
"His name is Soujiro. He's a new friend of mine."
She turned back towards the samurai. "And he is Ayabito Kazuma, my fiancée."
Soujiro's eyes widened for a moment before that smile returned. "Ah I see. Congratulations!"
Kazuma looked off to the side. "Yeah."
Satomi simply smiled, but inside, she responded in the same monotonous way. 'Yeah.'
An awkward silence followed. Then, Kazuma moved past Satomi and went up the steps into the house. "I'm starving. When's dinner?"
That was that.
...........
The days rolled on in peace. The rebels seemed to have quieted down for the time being. Talk of attacks came less and less.
"Heh, that's quite strange." Soujiro remarked one evening.
Satomi swallowed the rest of her rice. "What's that?"
"It seems that my services here aren't needed much anymore. It sure didn't take long to put them in their place, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"The rebels. I've only had a few run-ins with them over the past few weeks and they seemed to have begun to fade out of Shiroki already." His face was serious. "I thought they would put up more of a front."
Satomi leaned back on her hands and looked up at the starry sky. "Hai, you're right Soujiro-san. That is unlike them."
.........
Another school day came along. Once again, the children flocked to the Hanahara household, shoving toys and treats at both Satomi and Soujiro.
"Here Hanahara-san! An apple!"
"Soujiro-san, can I touch your sword?"
"Can I too?"
Soujiro laughed. It was uncomfortably cramped surrounded by little kids, but at the same time, he enjoyed the attention. Satomi smiled.
"Hey look, there's Eisuke." One spoke up.
The two grownups turned to greet the boy, but gasped instead. The little black-haired boy was bruised and tattered from head to toe.
"Oh my! Eisuke are you alright?" She ran to his side.
Immediately, he burst out crying and wrapped his arms around her. Soujiro watched in horror. He recognized that expression, a face of fear, desperation, and terror. It was the same expression he had as a child. Anger filled his heart. His eyes narrowed. He knew who had done this to Eisuke. He would make them pay.
After school got out for the day, Soujiro waited for the schoolyard to quiet down. Eisuke was the last to leave, escorted out by Satomi.
She placed her hands on his sagging shoulders and had him look at her straight in the eyes. "Now Eisuke, are you going to be alright? Maybe you should stay here for now." She sensed Soujiro was nearby, watching. This made her uneasy.
But the battered little boy nodded bravely. "I'll be okay, ma'am. Thank you for the bandages." With that, he bowed and retreated down the trail, turning for home. Soujiro darted out into the open to follow him.
"Soujiro-san?" Satomi called.
"I'll be back." He responded over his shoulder. She had never heard his voice so low, so menacing.