CHAPTER 9- DECISION
The next morning, Satomi was at work in the restaurant when Kazuma walked in. A wave of panic rushed over her. Was she about to make the right decision? What would his reaction be? She wished that Soujiro was somewhere nearby to protect her. But no, she had told herself before that she had to do this alone.
Kazuma walked up to the counter and sat down. He held out a mug for Satomi. "The usual, and quickly."
She pushed the mug down and stared into his eyes. "Ayabito, there is something I must tell you."
Kazuma frowned. He knew this wasn't something he would want to hear.
.........
"Like this, Eisuke."
The little boy sat in the grass, watching with wide eyes as Soujiro took a stance with the bokken. "Just like that? And you bend that knee too?"
"Hai, just like this. It's a good defense pose for really any number of attackers. You just need to practice defensive technique to use it to its fullest."
Eisuke smiled. He loved these lessons with Soujiro. The pony-tailed rurouni had become just like a father to him, just like Satomi had been like a mother to him. He had no regrets about coming to live with them. These people never yelled at him or hit him. They just treated him kindly and lovingly.
"I'm home!" someone shouted.
The two lifted their heads to see Satomi come running up the path towards them. She had a look of sheer joy on her face. Soujiro wondered what it was.
"Hi Eisuke, hi Soujiro-san!" she called, skidding to a halt before them. "Let's get dinner going!"
"Uh.okay sure!" Soujiro glanced down at the boy. "Willing to take a break?"
"Hai! I'm starving, Soujiro-sama!" Eisuke tailed them inside.
...........
That night, Soujiro tucked Eisuke into bed. "Sleep well, young one. Tomorrow, I'll make a sword for you and we can start sparring."
The boy smiled. "I can't wait. Good night, Soujiro-sama."
Soujiro blew out the candle and left the room. A rush of warmth greeted him. It felt like some kind of love. He never realized how happy he had become there in Shiroki.
He went outside and took a deep breath of the cool night air. Then, he looked around. Satomi had told him that she would meet him out there. He wondered what was going on.
"Soujiro-san, over here."
He turned to see her standing just outside the woods, still dressed in a blue and green kimono. She whirled around and beckoned for him to follow. "Come on!"
"Uh.okay." He jumped off the porch and walked after her. A few minutes found them at a moonlit creek. In the weeks he had lived in Shiroki, he hadn't seen it before. It was a beautiful sight.
Satomi was sitting on a log, waiting for him. Curious, he came up to her and sat down. "What's going on, Satomi-san?"
She looked out at the water as it bubbled over the rocks. Then, she beamed up at him. Soujiro had never seen such a brilliant expression on her face. His heart beat faster.
"Remember our talk last night?" she asked.
"Aa, I do."
"I thought about it and came to a decision." She turned and faced him full.
He smiled. "That's great. What is your decision?"
Satomi's eyes sparkled like the stars over their heads. "I called off the engagement to Ayabito Kazuma."
For the first time, Soujiro's eyes sparkled too. His words unconsciously slipped out. "I'm glad, Satomi-san. He doesn't deserve someone like you."
He inwardly gasped at his own words. Did he mean that? What the heck DID he mean?
His thoughts were cut off by a kiss. Satomi wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him until she was out of breath. When she finally pulled away, he stared at her wide-eyed.
Realization of what she had done came. Pushing away, she stood up and blushed. "I.I'm sorry, Soujiro-san, I."
He stood up too, his eyes locked on hers in an unreadable stare. His hands reached out and lightly grasped her shoulders. "Satomi-san."
He pulled her in and kissed her possessively. Satomi quickly closed her eyes and relaxed, basking in his embrace. She knew she had made the right decision.
The next morning, Satomi was at work in the restaurant when Kazuma walked in. A wave of panic rushed over her. Was she about to make the right decision? What would his reaction be? She wished that Soujiro was somewhere nearby to protect her. But no, she had told herself before that she had to do this alone.
Kazuma walked up to the counter and sat down. He held out a mug for Satomi. "The usual, and quickly."
She pushed the mug down and stared into his eyes. "Ayabito, there is something I must tell you."
Kazuma frowned. He knew this wasn't something he would want to hear.
.........
"Like this, Eisuke."
The little boy sat in the grass, watching with wide eyes as Soujiro took a stance with the bokken. "Just like that? And you bend that knee too?"
"Hai, just like this. It's a good defense pose for really any number of attackers. You just need to practice defensive technique to use it to its fullest."
Eisuke smiled. He loved these lessons with Soujiro. The pony-tailed rurouni had become just like a father to him, just like Satomi had been like a mother to him. He had no regrets about coming to live with them. These people never yelled at him or hit him. They just treated him kindly and lovingly.
"I'm home!" someone shouted.
The two lifted their heads to see Satomi come running up the path towards them. She had a look of sheer joy on her face. Soujiro wondered what it was.
"Hi Eisuke, hi Soujiro-san!" she called, skidding to a halt before them. "Let's get dinner going!"
"Uh.okay sure!" Soujiro glanced down at the boy. "Willing to take a break?"
"Hai! I'm starving, Soujiro-sama!" Eisuke tailed them inside.
...........
That night, Soujiro tucked Eisuke into bed. "Sleep well, young one. Tomorrow, I'll make a sword for you and we can start sparring."
The boy smiled. "I can't wait. Good night, Soujiro-sama."
Soujiro blew out the candle and left the room. A rush of warmth greeted him. It felt like some kind of love. He never realized how happy he had become there in Shiroki.
He went outside and took a deep breath of the cool night air. Then, he looked around. Satomi had told him that she would meet him out there. He wondered what was going on.
"Soujiro-san, over here."
He turned to see her standing just outside the woods, still dressed in a blue and green kimono. She whirled around and beckoned for him to follow. "Come on!"
"Uh.okay." He jumped off the porch and walked after her. A few minutes found them at a moonlit creek. In the weeks he had lived in Shiroki, he hadn't seen it before. It was a beautiful sight.
Satomi was sitting on a log, waiting for him. Curious, he came up to her and sat down. "What's going on, Satomi-san?"
She looked out at the water as it bubbled over the rocks. Then, she beamed up at him. Soujiro had never seen such a brilliant expression on her face. His heart beat faster.
"Remember our talk last night?" she asked.
"Aa, I do."
"I thought about it and came to a decision." She turned and faced him full.
He smiled. "That's great. What is your decision?"
Satomi's eyes sparkled like the stars over their heads. "I called off the engagement to Ayabito Kazuma."
For the first time, Soujiro's eyes sparkled too. His words unconsciously slipped out. "I'm glad, Satomi-san. He doesn't deserve someone like you."
He inwardly gasped at his own words. Did he mean that? What the heck DID he mean?
His thoughts were cut off by a kiss. Satomi wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him until she was out of breath. When she finally pulled away, he stared at her wide-eyed.
Realization of what she had done came. Pushing away, she stood up and blushed. "I.I'm sorry, Soujiro-san, I."
He stood up too, his eyes locked on hers in an unreadable stare. His hands reached out and lightly grasped her shoulders. "Satomi-san."
He pulled her in and kissed her possessively. Satomi quickly closed her eyes and relaxed, basking in his embrace. She knew she had made the right decision.