Hey, I'm back with the next chapter ^.^ and I'm still going to post this even if I get practically zil reviews but thanx to those who did!
Just a little explanation on the time issues—this is happening as Soujiro found Shishio and I just extended Shishio's stay so Soujiro and Kadori could have time 2 get ta kno each other. So I am using dialogue from the episodes, only changing them around a bit. But I'm not really gonna affect the main plot (Soujiro will go away with Shishio in the end and blah blah blah).
So anyway, on with the fic.
Disclaimer: I don't own Soujiro or Shishio! But I think we all know that. =(
Part I: The PastChapter 2: The Truth
"Have you heard big bro?"
"You mean that story about some anti-Meiji rebel hiding in our neighborhood? Yeah, I heard."
Soujiro was doing the rice barrels again. As he walked across the yard, Soujiro thought of what Shishio had told him last night.
If you're strong you live…if you're weak you dieHe listened to them talking about how the policemen couldn't find the bodies. 'That's because I buried them deep in the woods.' Soujiro thought with a smile. 'But tonight…Kadori is going to come.'
Through the rest of the day Soujiro managed not to get beaten up. Except for when he was thinking of Kadori's visit and they threw a wine jug at him because he wasn't listening. But Soujiro still smiled at them.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Soujiro sat huddled under a tattered spare blanket outside. 'Maybe she isn't coming after all…' he thought. Soujiro suddenly felt…sad.
A scuffling noise came from the wall. Soujiro sat up immediately. Kadori emerged from the top and whispered, "Look out!" as she jumped down. The jump proved a bit too much for her legs, and Kadori fell over on impact. Soujiro watched her as she dusted off her kimono (pink, again, in fact it was the same one as yesterday) and face. Then she ran over to him.
"You came." Soujiro said disbelievingly.
Kadori frowned at him. "Well of course I did. I said I was, didn't I?" Soujiro noticed her eyeing his blanket and surroundings.
Before she could say anything else Soujiro burst out, "Um…why are you wearing the same kimono?"
She looked surprised that Soujiro had been the one to start talking and replied, "Well my parents were angry with me ripping it and so they thought it would be punishment to make me wear it again. Something about 'losing my dignity because of a ripped sleeve'." Kadori giggled.
Soujiro only blankly looked at her. "Come on, Soujiro, laugh!" Kadori said. When he didn't she thought, 'Soujiro smiles, but he doesn't laugh. I don't get it…'
He stared at Kadori. She had a nice laugh. He never really heard anyone laugh before… at least for happy reasons. Soujiro briefly wondered what his laugh would sound like, and if Kadori would like it. Then the thought was gone.
Kadori said, "That reminds me…" she reached into her pocket and took out a bag of cookies. "I brought cookies. I baked them myself, but they should still be good. Do you want one?"
Soujiro looked at it, and then asked, "Cookies?"
Kadori took one look at his face and burst out laughing. Soujiro jumped at the sound, and cocked his head in confusion. 'Is she laughing at me?'
"I'm sorry……hehehe…Soujiro. It's just…haha…the look on you face……… hehe…it's like you never had…haha…a cookie." She said in between laughs.
Soujiro was about to open his mouth, and tell her he never did have one and what was so funny about that, when he heard someone yell, "Soujiro!"
Immediately he froze. Kadori was still giggling, and didn't notice the look on Soujiro's face. He grabbed her shoulders and said, "Kadori! Hide somewhere! Now!"
She looked at him, confused, and then heard a low growl that sounded like Soujiro's name. Kadori looked at the house, and then back at him. "Hide behind the tree!" Soujiro said. Kadori started as the door to the house slid open with a bang, looked at Soujiro, and then ran to behind the tree.
'But why did Soujiro want me to hide?' she thought.
Soujiro stood, hoping that they wouldn't find Kadori. He didn't know what he'd do if they beat her too.
"Soujiro! You were making such a racket out here! Can't you tell we're trying to sleep?" His stepfather grabbed a shovel and hit Soujiro with it. He fell to the ground, bleeding. Pain blossomed on his forehead.
'Smile,' Soujiro thought. He received another blow, and couldn't help crying out in pain.
"This'll teach you not to wake me up again!" He raised the shovel high.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Soujiro lay on the ground, listening as he heard the door slide shut again. He sat up, panting. Soujiro could feel his heart beating in his ears. He flinched, and slowly touched his forehead. It was bleeding. Soujiro struggled to stand up, and then he heard someone whimpering. 'That's not me,' he thought. He carefully straightened up and looked for the noise.
Kadori came out from behind the tree, and she was crying. "Soujiro…" she whispered.
His eyes widened. Soujiro had forgotten about her during………well…that. And now Kadori had seen the whole thing…Soujiro grabbed her by the hand and took her into the rice shed. She was crying harder now, and he didn't want to be heard again.
The moment he closed the door, Kadori said, "Soujiro…"again, and ran forward. She hugged him and started crying on his shoulder.
"Ah………"Soujiro said helplessly a few seconds later. Kadori was still hugging him and crying. His arms were pinned to his sides by Kadori's, but his hands stuck out awkwardly. "Uh…"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Shishio sat behind some barrels, watching them with narrow eyes. He had heard someone come in, crying, and he'd thought it was the kid, Soujiro. Boy was Shishio surprised when it turned out to be that girl again. But he really raised an eyebrow when the little girl hugged the kid.
Shishio thought he might almost laugh from the expression on the kid's face. It was helpless, shocked, embarrassed, and the blush on Soujiro's face told him that he was feeling very awkward, indeed.
He settled himself more comfortably and continued watching.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Um………Kadori…" Soujiro gulped. He twisted one of his hands around and tapped her on the shoulder. "Kadori…do you think you could um…let go? You're kind of hurting my back."
She immediately released him. Kadori sniffled. "I'm sorry Soujiro." Still crying a little, Kadori ripped off part of her other sleeve and started to wipe the blood off of Soujiro's face. He silently submitted, still feeling embarrassed from the hug.
Kadori said quietly, "Soujiro…why didn't you tell me that………that…"
"That my family beats me?"
Kadori (who had been inspecting Soujiro's arms) straightened. She looked right at him, slightly surprised at his frankness and relaxed tone. Her eyes widened when she saw that Soujiro was smiling. "But Soujiro…you're still smiling."
Soujiro sat down, leaning against a barrel. Kadori joined him, looking questioningly at him. He wasn't sure what to tell her. Soujiro thought of what he'd told Mr. Shishio the other night.
"Kadori…well…sometimes…if I did cry, or get mad, things would only get worse. If I keep smiling, they would just get sick of it and stop. No matter what…if I kept smiling…"
Soujiro lapsed into silence. Kadori, beside him, was quiet also. He sighed. Kadori probably wouldn't want to come back after tonight. Soujiro had been looking forward to it all day. He jumped as Kadori took the piece of kimono and tied it around his forehead.
She said softly, "I think that…it's wonderful."
Soujiro blinked.
"That…you can do so much work, and lift really heavy things…and you didn't know anyone, you had no friends until I came over the wall…even when they were mean to you…you could still smile. I could never do that. You're so strong. I think that it's…you're……… it's wonderful." Kadori looked up at Soujiro. He stared back.
"But… it might not be enough. Maybe smiling all the time doesn't make me strong enough."
Kadori frowned. "What do you mean?"
Soujiro said quietly, "In the end…only the fittest survive in this world. If you're strong you live. If you're weak………"
Kadori whispered hesitantly, "If you're weak…?"
"………you die………"
She stared at Soujiro for a bit longer and then looked at the floor. Kadori wondered why Soujiro would think that. 'Maybe…maybe…Soujiro really isn't happy all of the time. Oh, but I hope he's not unhappy when I'm with him. That would be awful,' she thought.
Shishio, from behind the barrels, was a little surprised. The kid had really taken his words to heart.
Soujiro wondered what Kadori was thinking. She was always surprising or startling him, but for some reason Soujiro felt quite relaxed in her presence. Only now she looked a little bit sadder and more serious.
After a while, Kadori asked timidly, "Do you want a cookie?" She held out one and gave him a small smile.
Soujiro reached out to take it, and felt something strange for a second. It lasted only for a moment, but it left Soujiro feeling unsettled. He ignored it, and glanced at the cookie. It was pretty crude looking; a plain circle. Soujiro hesitated, but he didn't want to disappoint Kadori. He tentatively took a small bite, and chewed.
Kadori watched him slowly chew it. She knew that her cookies looked yucky on the outside, but when she had first tried them, the taste was excellent. Her smile grew as Soujiro's eyes widened and he quickly wolfed down the rest of it. Kadori wordlessly held out another.
"You know…" Kadori said 5 cookies later, "I think you really never have had cookies after all."
Soujiro, who had just finished, replied, "They're so good! I really haven't had any. Did you really make them yourself?" Soujiro loved the taste. It was much better than the food his 'family' gave him.
She beamed. "Of course I did. So you really liked them? I can bring some more over tomorrow night."
For a moment Soujiro forgot about the cookies and fully digested Kadori's sentence. She was still coming? She was still coming! "Uh………that would be…really nice………"
Kadori didn't notice his surprise. "Okay then. I better get going. See you tomorrow. Oh, and you can have the rest of the cookies." She stood up and put the bag next to him.
Soujiro stood up. "Are you sure? I mean, you didn't eat any." Once again, Kadori had surprised him.
"It's okay. I can always make more." She suddenly looked sad again. "And… you might need them more than I do." Soujiro understood what she meant. Kadori was smarter than she looked. She understood that he didn't get well fed either.
"Well, bye Soujiro." Kadori smiled at him one last time, and (quietly) walked out of the rice storage shed. Soujiro's arm went up, as if to stop her from leaving, but he let it fall back to his side. Instead Soujiro picked up the bag of cookies.
"Kadori." He smiled broadly.
Thanks to:
bob you know who: well okay thanks for reviewing Rachel, lol it STILL counts!!!!!!!
silvrneko: of COURSE she's gonna end up a love interest. But that's not until later………
okay, please leave a contribution in the review box on your way out! Thanx and have a nice day ^.^
silent H
