CHAPTER 8- NIGHT CHAT
A month passed. Soujiro kept fighting the Rebels. He would sometimes go out at night, purposely endangering himself so he could draw them out. His bokken didn't kill of course, but his ability to weaken terrified the Rebels. What if the people saw this and decided to revolt? The tension in Shiroki Village was growing.
As time passed, tension began to grow elsewhere- between Satomi and Kazuma. The young woman, though she had been able to put up with him for so long, was at the end of her rope. She wanted less and less to marry him, especially when he talked of working for the Rebels. But the time was fast approaching. She would soon have to marry him. The thought made her depressed often.
One night, she couldn't sleep. Getting up out of bed, she put on her sandals and went outside. Soujiro was there, back against the wall, his head drooping a little. Satomi walked up behind him. "Soujiro-san?"
He stirred and turned to look at her. "Oh, hello Satomi-san."
She sat down next to him. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you."
He shrugged. "I wasn't asleep. I was only resting my eyes."
"Oh okay."
"What's the matter? You don't look too happy."
She sighed wearily. "It's Ayabito."
Immediately, Soujiro's gaze darkened. "Did he hurt you?"
"What? Oh no, no!" Satomi saw him calm back down and looked up at the moon. "I'm just thinking about how I'm going to stand being married to him."
"Oh, I see." He looked down. "You know, no one's making you marry him. And you should never bind yourself to someone you can't stand being bound to." He smiled. "What's point of living when you can't enjoy it?"
She nodded. "You're right, as always."
They were silent for a long time. Then, Satomi spoke up. "Soujiro-san?"
"Yes?"
"Will you tell me about yourself?"
He visibly tensed. "It's not a happy story, Satomi-san. In fact, I was a totally different person at one time."
Satomi remembered the day he had attacked Eisuke's father. Perhaps it wasn't so hard to believe after all. Still, her curiosity got the best of her. "Please Soujiro-san. I just want to know about you."
Reluctantly, he nodded. "Okay then."
He told her his story. He told her about how his mother had died and how other relatives had taken him in. He told her about how they had abused and beaten him, how he had smiled to get them to stop, how Shishio had helped free him from their clutches and turn him into a crazed assassin, and how his greatest opponent, Himura Kenshin, had turned him around.
"He told me that I had to find myself out there." Soujiro concluded. "So, I set off alone to wander the land and do just that."
Satomi smiled. "So that's why."
Soujiro sighed. "So that is my story. I kept it from you because, well, I thought it would frighten you to know that I was that way at one time."
"Soujiro-san, the past doesn't matter." She told him. "It's what you are today that is important."
He smiled broadly. "Thank you, Satomi-san."
Satomi felt sleep coming and fast. She yawned. "Wow! That did the trick! I guess I'll go to bed now. Good night, Soujiro-san." She got up and headed back inside.
Soujiro watched her go before resting his head back on his knees. "Goodnight, Satomi-san."
As she pulled the sheets back over her, Satomi thought about what Soujiro had told her. Now, it was up to her. She had a decision to make.
A month passed. Soujiro kept fighting the Rebels. He would sometimes go out at night, purposely endangering himself so he could draw them out. His bokken didn't kill of course, but his ability to weaken terrified the Rebels. What if the people saw this and decided to revolt? The tension in Shiroki Village was growing.
As time passed, tension began to grow elsewhere- between Satomi and Kazuma. The young woman, though she had been able to put up with him for so long, was at the end of her rope. She wanted less and less to marry him, especially when he talked of working for the Rebels. But the time was fast approaching. She would soon have to marry him. The thought made her depressed often.
One night, she couldn't sleep. Getting up out of bed, she put on her sandals and went outside. Soujiro was there, back against the wall, his head drooping a little. Satomi walked up behind him. "Soujiro-san?"
He stirred and turned to look at her. "Oh, hello Satomi-san."
She sat down next to him. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you."
He shrugged. "I wasn't asleep. I was only resting my eyes."
"Oh okay."
"What's the matter? You don't look too happy."
She sighed wearily. "It's Ayabito."
Immediately, Soujiro's gaze darkened. "Did he hurt you?"
"What? Oh no, no!" Satomi saw him calm back down and looked up at the moon. "I'm just thinking about how I'm going to stand being married to him."
"Oh, I see." He looked down. "You know, no one's making you marry him. And you should never bind yourself to someone you can't stand being bound to." He smiled. "What's point of living when you can't enjoy it?"
She nodded. "You're right, as always."
They were silent for a long time. Then, Satomi spoke up. "Soujiro-san?"
"Yes?"
"Will you tell me about yourself?"
He visibly tensed. "It's not a happy story, Satomi-san. In fact, I was a totally different person at one time."
Satomi remembered the day he had attacked Eisuke's father. Perhaps it wasn't so hard to believe after all. Still, her curiosity got the best of her. "Please Soujiro-san. I just want to know about you."
Reluctantly, he nodded. "Okay then."
He told her his story. He told her about how his mother had died and how other relatives had taken him in. He told her about how they had abused and beaten him, how he had smiled to get them to stop, how Shishio had helped free him from their clutches and turn him into a crazed assassin, and how his greatest opponent, Himura Kenshin, had turned him around.
"He told me that I had to find myself out there." Soujiro concluded. "So, I set off alone to wander the land and do just that."
Satomi smiled. "So that's why."
Soujiro sighed. "So that is my story. I kept it from you because, well, I thought it would frighten you to know that I was that way at one time."
"Soujiro-san, the past doesn't matter." She told him. "It's what you are today that is important."
He smiled broadly. "Thank you, Satomi-san."
Satomi felt sleep coming and fast. She yawned. "Wow! That did the trick! I guess I'll go to bed now. Good night, Soujiro-san." She got up and headed back inside.
Soujiro watched her go before resting his head back on his knees. "Goodnight, Satomi-san."
As she pulled the sheets back over her, Satomi thought about what Soujiro had told her. Now, it was up to her. She had a decision to make.