Chapter 8
Hito opened his eyes to a new day. He couldn't remember falling asleep, but it felt good to get some rest after the long days. He stared up at the sky and kicked a leg up over the other, placing his hands behind his head. There was nothing planned that day. He could just relax all day if he wanted to. Hito hadn't had one of those days in a while. Hearing light breaths, he startled and sat up straight, reaching for the swords at his sides. As he turned to get them, he saw Shia, sound asleep. She was slightly curled on her side with one arm behind her head, serving as a pillow. Her other hand was placed a bit in front of her as if she was reaching for something. Her silky black hair was laid all around her in a messy way. Hito couldn't help but stare at her for a time. Her pale skin looked so smooth and his hand involuntarily reached out to touch her soft cheek. He caught it before his touch fell and snapped his hand back, feeling ashamed of himself. Forcing himself to stare in a different direction, his eyes always wandered back to Shia.
"You've changed so much..." He whispered to her, half talking to himself. He lay back against the wall again and looked at her in a side-glance. He sat back up quickly, realizing that his thoughts had ventured. Hito shook his head and stood up. "This is too much. Goodbye, Shia." He stated before jumping into a run. Houses seemed to fly by as his legs carried him quickly away from the girl. There had been too many things to get Hito as far as he'd come, and he wouldn't let a woman ruin it all. Picking up speed, objects on the side of the road flew by faster and faster. He felt like he was on the verge of losing his rhythm and tripping over his own feet, but he kept his rapid pace. 'I wonder where Osan is...' Hito thought. "No!" He forced himself into a quick stop and put his hands on his head. "What am I thinking? Osan isn't important, I just need to find a guy looking for an assassin somehow so I can get work!" Hito remembered how Cushen found him and looked back down the long road he had run. 'My swords!' He turned and ran back, remembering he had left his sword rested next to Shia.
After running his quick speed back, he stopped before coming into Shia's sight. She was sitting up against the wall rubbing her eyes.
"Hito? Where are you?" She looked at his swords, then looked around frantically. "You jerk!" Shia stood up and kicked one of his swords angrily.
"Hey!" Hito stepped closer so Shia could see him. "Don't kick that!" Shia looked to him and pouted. Her face puffed in anger and she quickly turned around. Hito ran over to his swords and picked them up, placing the sheathed weapons in between himself and his sash. Turning to walk back, he only got a few steps before Shia was heard.
"Where are you going? You aren't going to leave me, are you?" She ran up to him and tugged on his sleeve. "Hito, don't leave me by myself!"
"What, you want to come with me?" He asked with a half serious expression. She nodded up at him, but he only began to walk away again. "You're just going to get yourself killed."
"But I'll be with you, Hito! You won't let me die, will you?"
"Why does everyone think that I'll take on the responsibility of taking care of everyone? Look, I'm an assassin, not a babysitter. I kill, not protect." He said, slightly picking up his pace.
"But you can if you want..."
"And who says I want to?" Hito turned and jumped up onto a roof in a single leap, leaving Shia alone on the road with no way to get to him.
"No fair!" Shia whined, standing in her non-flexible dress. "You try jumping up there with a dress on! It's not easy!" Hito ignored her and continued walking across the roof.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvv
'I've got to have lost her by now...' Hito thought, sitting on a rooftop's edge. His feet dangled over the edge and he stared out at the horizon. It had been about an hour since the last time they saw each other. The sun was high in the sky, burning with a great brightness Hito hadn't seen in a long time. He kicked his legs up onto the roof and laid his feet flat on the edge, leaning back against the rooftop and staring up at the sky. The sun shined heavily on him, forcing him to close his eyes and raise his arm to block the light. The relaxing sun made him drift into a dreamless sleep.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvv
"Hitoooooo!" A voice called out. "Hiiiitoooooo? Where are you?" Hito sat up and looked around, being awakened by the voice. The sun was setting and footsteps could be heard below. He looked down and around before noticing Shia staggering along the road. Hito stumbled away from the edge of the roof to hide, out of the girl's sight. "...Hito..." She dropped to her knees and buried her face in her arms. Hito hung his head over the edge of the roof, watching her with almost fascination. "You jerk! Where am I supposed to go...?" Shia stood up slowly and looked around. A breeze picked up and she grabbed on to her kimono to try and keep in warmth. Looking around, she saw no place to find shelter in, so she kept walking down the road. Hito curled back onto the roof and stared up at the sky, wondering what he should do about her. If she stayed with him, she would be a distraction and get in the way. Though she would be company. That was something Hito hadn't had in a long time. Shia had nowhere to go. She would probably stop at an inn to sleep. But did she have any money? What if she was forced to sleep on the streets?
"Auugh!" He slapped his hands to his forehead and groaned. "Stop worrying!" He commanded himself, pushing himself to sit up. He didn't have any assignments, so he really had nothing to do. Swinging his feet over the edge of the roof, he stared down at the path Shia was walking on. The sunset turned the sky a pinkish red with a layer of blue above it. It was a wonderful sight. Shifting his head to the side, Hito looked to see how far Shia had gotten. She was pretty far down the road, but still visible. She looked to be walking into the sunset, making her look almost angelic. The sun ahead of her shined onto her figure, casting a long shadow and a glowing layer of light around her. Her beauty captivated him until he lost his balance and slipped off of the roof, landing hard on his side. He grimaced and stood up, trying to recapture what had awestruck him before. She was lost into the light. Suddenly worried, he began to run, not even knowing half of what he was doing. He was mesmerized. The sunset pulled him along the path, seeming to promise a great reward at the end. She was in sight again.
"Hito?" Shia turned around, hearing his thumping footsteps. Her voice shook him into reality and he looked around, confused as to what enthralled him so.
"What?" He asked, keeping his cool. Shia just shook her head and continued down the path. "So...where are you planning to go?" He had done it again. He couldn't stop worrying about things.
"Well it's not like you even care..." Shia sniffed, lifting her sleeve to wipe her eyes. Hito looked down to her with a sympathetic expression.
"Are you...crying?"
"No!" Shia slapped both arms to her sides and spit the word out like he had offended her. Her puffy red cheeks and quivering chin gave away the fact that she really was. "...I'm not crying!" Hito shrugged it off. She had changed so much. Built so much pride.
"Alright then." He tilted his head up to look at the blue sky. It was beginning to sink down, consuming the bright colors surrounding the disappearing sun. A few stars could be seen in the sky. Shia rubbed her eyes again, this time to rid herself of sleep. She slowed her pace and glanced over at Hito. He glanced back. He knew what she wanted. "...Yeah, fine. But it's only because I don't want you sticking around with me another night." He reached into a pocket and pulled out his wallet. "The Ryokan is right there." He pointed to a door and gave her some yen.
"Arigato, Hito-san!" She bowed, suddenly cheered up. Straightening again, she snatched the money and hurried off to the inn.
"Why do I do things for people...?" Hito whispered to himself, returning his wallet to its place. He jumped up onto a low roof and climbed up atop the inn's roof. The moon was becoming visible and more stars could be seen. Whatever it was in Shia that had captivated him before, the stars were doing it again. Each star twinkled with its own individual beauty. The crescent moon arriving in the darkening sky added to the effect. He sighed. "What have I done?" He asked himself, thinking back on the previous days. He had slain so many people just for the money. And he didn't even get the money. The world was a dirty, betraying place that he had become entangled with. He was part of it, and a large part at that. But Shia...Shia was caught in its depths for several years. But still, it had no grip on her. Though her mood was easily changed, and she would often become sad or angry, she could always be found with a smile. Even now. She hardly seemed like the same person, though her smile made Hito realize it was true. She was Shia. The only true Shia. His very best friend. And he had chosen to ditch her. All she wanted was to be in company and to be taken care of. But his nerves were easily gotten on and all he wanted was to get rid of her.
There was yelling and shouting below in the bar, but Hito, still gazing up at the stars, didn't notice them at all. He sat down and slumped his back, resting his elbow on his knee, then cupping his chin with his hand. The days of old were coming back again. Back when nothing mattered more than Shia. Before Hito had ever even touched a sword. Before he had witnessed the death of men. Back when things were perfect...
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvv
"Hito!" Young Shia called. Her little legs carried her to him. She threw herself at him in a vicious hug. "Konnichiwa, Hito-chan!" She smiled and tightened her hold.
"Konnichiwa, Shia-chan." Hito heavily blushed and hastily pushed her away. "Why do you always have to do that?" He pretended to be mad to cover up his red face.
"'Cause I love you, Hito-chan!" Shia smiled and giggled. She only meant as a friend and as a brother. Hito was her defender and best friend, so she considered him family. Hito didn't take it that way. He hardly knew the meaning of love, but his mother had told him that true love was a very special thing. Hito bit his lip and blushed even more.
"Don't say that, Shia-chan! That's bad to say!" He lied. He would always lie and trick her. She was so gullible that it always gave him a kick to play around with her.
"But mommy and daddy say that to me all the time." Shia stated, getting a bit worried.
"Then your mommy and daddy are bad people! If they love you, that means they wanna do things to you!" He scrunched up his face. "Don't worry, Shia-chan, I'll protect you. I won't let them lay a finger on you!" He lifted a finger into the air and pretended to be mighty and glorified. Inside, he was snickering, knowing that Shia believed him.
"Hito-chan..." Shia's face reddened as her eyes leaked tears. "Mommy and daddy...aren't bad people..." She said in between sniffs. Shaking her head, she ran back to Hito. "Why are they bad?" She sobbed, "I don't want them to love me anymore!"
"But," Hito started to feel a bit guilty. "Maybe they don't know what love means." He started to make things up again. "Maybe they just say it 'cause they want you to feel special. But they don't know what it really means. So maybe they aren't bad."
"Really?"
"Hai!" Hito nodded. Shia flung herself at him again, her arms flying around his shoulders and latching on. She smiled a great smile as tears of pain changed to joy. That was the good side to Hito's tricks. He was always rewarded at the end.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvv
Back then things were great. Things that mattered then had no place in Hito's present mind. And his worries now, his younger self had never learned to even exist. Things had changed so much. Both of them had changed. The cold of the night began to take affect, but the stars and moon kept bringing back memories. They flooded into his mind like a wild river. It finally got to a point where he could no longer handle it. He lay back and closed his eyes, forcing his thoughts out of mind. After several tries, everything was gone. His flooding memories, his confused feelings...all out of reach. Now he could sleep.
Hito opened his eyes to a new day. He couldn't remember falling asleep, but it felt good to get some rest after the long days. He stared up at the sky and kicked a leg up over the other, placing his hands behind his head. There was nothing planned that day. He could just relax all day if he wanted to. Hito hadn't had one of those days in a while. Hearing light breaths, he startled and sat up straight, reaching for the swords at his sides. As he turned to get them, he saw Shia, sound asleep. She was slightly curled on her side with one arm behind her head, serving as a pillow. Her other hand was placed a bit in front of her as if she was reaching for something. Her silky black hair was laid all around her in a messy way. Hito couldn't help but stare at her for a time. Her pale skin looked so smooth and his hand involuntarily reached out to touch her soft cheek. He caught it before his touch fell and snapped his hand back, feeling ashamed of himself. Forcing himself to stare in a different direction, his eyes always wandered back to Shia.
"You've changed so much..." He whispered to her, half talking to himself. He lay back against the wall again and looked at her in a side-glance. He sat back up quickly, realizing that his thoughts had ventured. Hito shook his head and stood up. "This is too much. Goodbye, Shia." He stated before jumping into a run. Houses seemed to fly by as his legs carried him quickly away from the girl. There had been too many things to get Hito as far as he'd come, and he wouldn't let a woman ruin it all. Picking up speed, objects on the side of the road flew by faster and faster. He felt like he was on the verge of losing his rhythm and tripping over his own feet, but he kept his rapid pace. 'I wonder where Osan is...' Hito thought. "No!" He forced himself into a quick stop and put his hands on his head. "What am I thinking? Osan isn't important, I just need to find a guy looking for an assassin somehow so I can get work!" Hito remembered how Cushen found him and looked back down the long road he had run. 'My swords!' He turned and ran back, remembering he had left his sword rested next to Shia.
After running his quick speed back, he stopped before coming into Shia's sight. She was sitting up against the wall rubbing her eyes.
"Hito? Where are you?" She looked at his swords, then looked around frantically. "You jerk!" Shia stood up and kicked one of his swords angrily.
"Hey!" Hito stepped closer so Shia could see him. "Don't kick that!" Shia looked to him and pouted. Her face puffed in anger and she quickly turned around. Hito ran over to his swords and picked them up, placing the sheathed weapons in between himself and his sash. Turning to walk back, he only got a few steps before Shia was heard.
"Where are you going? You aren't going to leave me, are you?" She ran up to him and tugged on his sleeve. "Hito, don't leave me by myself!"
"What, you want to come with me?" He asked with a half serious expression. She nodded up at him, but he only began to walk away again. "You're just going to get yourself killed."
"But I'll be with you, Hito! You won't let me die, will you?"
"Why does everyone think that I'll take on the responsibility of taking care of everyone? Look, I'm an assassin, not a babysitter. I kill, not protect." He said, slightly picking up his pace.
"But you can if you want..."
"And who says I want to?" Hito turned and jumped up onto a roof in a single leap, leaving Shia alone on the road with no way to get to him.
"No fair!" Shia whined, standing in her non-flexible dress. "You try jumping up there with a dress on! It's not easy!" Hito ignored her and continued walking across the roof.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvv
'I've got to have lost her by now...' Hito thought, sitting on a rooftop's edge. His feet dangled over the edge and he stared out at the horizon. It had been about an hour since the last time they saw each other. The sun was high in the sky, burning with a great brightness Hito hadn't seen in a long time. He kicked his legs up onto the roof and laid his feet flat on the edge, leaning back against the rooftop and staring up at the sky. The sun shined heavily on him, forcing him to close his eyes and raise his arm to block the light. The relaxing sun made him drift into a dreamless sleep.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvv
"Hitoooooo!" A voice called out. "Hiiiitoooooo? Where are you?" Hito sat up and looked around, being awakened by the voice. The sun was setting and footsteps could be heard below. He looked down and around before noticing Shia staggering along the road. Hito stumbled away from the edge of the roof to hide, out of the girl's sight. "...Hito..." She dropped to her knees and buried her face in her arms. Hito hung his head over the edge of the roof, watching her with almost fascination. "You jerk! Where am I supposed to go...?" Shia stood up slowly and looked around. A breeze picked up and she grabbed on to her kimono to try and keep in warmth. Looking around, she saw no place to find shelter in, so she kept walking down the road. Hito curled back onto the roof and stared up at the sky, wondering what he should do about her. If she stayed with him, she would be a distraction and get in the way. Though she would be company. That was something Hito hadn't had in a long time. Shia had nowhere to go. She would probably stop at an inn to sleep. But did she have any money? What if she was forced to sleep on the streets?
"Auugh!" He slapped his hands to his forehead and groaned. "Stop worrying!" He commanded himself, pushing himself to sit up. He didn't have any assignments, so he really had nothing to do. Swinging his feet over the edge of the roof, he stared down at the path Shia was walking on. The sunset turned the sky a pinkish red with a layer of blue above it. It was a wonderful sight. Shifting his head to the side, Hito looked to see how far Shia had gotten. She was pretty far down the road, but still visible. She looked to be walking into the sunset, making her look almost angelic. The sun ahead of her shined onto her figure, casting a long shadow and a glowing layer of light around her. Her beauty captivated him until he lost his balance and slipped off of the roof, landing hard on his side. He grimaced and stood up, trying to recapture what had awestruck him before. She was lost into the light. Suddenly worried, he began to run, not even knowing half of what he was doing. He was mesmerized. The sunset pulled him along the path, seeming to promise a great reward at the end. She was in sight again.
"Hito?" Shia turned around, hearing his thumping footsteps. Her voice shook him into reality and he looked around, confused as to what enthralled him so.
"What?" He asked, keeping his cool. Shia just shook her head and continued down the path. "So...where are you planning to go?" He had done it again. He couldn't stop worrying about things.
"Well it's not like you even care..." Shia sniffed, lifting her sleeve to wipe her eyes. Hito looked down to her with a sympathetic expression.
"Are you...crying?"
"No!" Shia slapped both arms to her sides and spit the word out like he had offended her. Her puffy red cheeks and quivering chin gave away the fact that she really was. "...I'm not crying!" Hito shrugged it off. She had changed so much. Built so much pride.
"Alright then." He tilted his head up to look at the blue sky. It was beginning to sink down, consuming the bright colors surrounding the disappearing sun. A few stars could be seen in the sky. Shia rubbed her eyes again, this time to rid herself of sleep. She slowed her pace and glanced over at Hito. He glanced back. He knew what she wanted. "...Yeah, fine. But it's only because I don't want you sticking around with me another night." He reached into a pocket and pulled out his wallet. "The Ryokan is right there." He pointed to a door and gave her some yen.
"Arigato, Hito-san!" She bowed, suddenly cheered up. Straightening again, she snatched the money and hurried off to the inn.
"Why do I do things for people...?" Hito whispered to himself, returning his wallet to its place. He jumped up onto a low roof and climbed up atop the inn's roof. The moon was becoming visible and more stars could be seen. Whatever it was in Shia that had captivated him before, the stars were doing it again. Each star twinkled with its own individual beauty. The crescent moon arriving in the darkening sky added to the effect. He sighed. "What have I done?" He asked himself, thinking back on the previous days. He had slain so many people just for the money. And he didn't even get the money. The world was a dirty, betraying place that he had become entangled with. He was part of it, and a large part at that. But Shia...Shia was caught in its depths for several years. But still, it had no grip on her. Though her mood was easily changed, and she would often become sad or angry, she could always be found with a smile. Even now. She hardly seemed like the same person, though her smile made Hito realize it was true. She was Shia. The only true Shia. His very best friend. And he had chosen to ditch her. All she wanted was to be in company and to be taken care of. But his nerves were easily gotten on and all he wanted was to get rid of her.
There was yelling and shouting below in the bar, but Hito, still gazing up at the stars, didn't notice them at all. He sat down and slumped his back, resting his elbow on his knee, then cupping his chin with his hand. The days of old were coming back again. Back when nothing mattered more than Shia. Before Hito had ever even touched a sword. Before he had witnessed the death of men. Back when things were perfect...
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvv
"Hito!" Young Shia called. Her little legs carried her to him. She threw herself at him in a vicious hug. "Konnichiwa, Hito-chan!" She smiled and tightened her hold.
"Konnichiwa, Shia-chan." Hito heavily blushed and hastily pushed her away. "Why do you always have to do that?" He pretended to be mad to cover up his red face.
"'Cause I love you, Hito-chan!" Shia smiled and giggled. She only meant as a friend and as a brother. Hito was her defender and best friend, so she considered him family. Hito didn't take it that way. He hardly knew the meaning of love, but his mother had told him that true love was a very special thing. Hito bit his lip and blushed even more.
"Don't say that, Shia-chan! That's bad to say!" He lied. He would always lie and trick her. She was so gullible that it always gave him a kick to play around with her.
"But mommy and daddy say that to me all the time." Shia stated, getting a bit worried.
"Then your mommy and daddy are bad people! If they love you, that means they wanna do things to you!" He scrunched up his face. "Don't worry, Shia-chan, I'll protect you. I won't let them lay a finger on you!" He lifted a finger into the air and pretended to be mighty and glorified. Inside, he was snickering, knowing that Shia believed him.
"Hito-chan..." Shia's face reddened as her eyes leaked tears. "Mommy and daddy...aren't bad people..." She said in between sniffs. Shaking her head, she ran back to Hito. "Why are they bad?" She sobbed, "I don't want them to love me anymore!"
"But," Hito started to feel a bit guilty. "Maybe they don't know what love means." He started to make things up again. "Maybe they just say it 'cause they want you to feel special. But they don't know what it really means. So maybe they aren't bad."
"Really?"
"Hai!" Hito nodded. Shia flung herself at him again, her arms flying around his shoulders and latching on. She smiled a great smile as tears of pain changed to joy. That was the good side to Hito's tricks. He was always rewarded at the end.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvv
Back then things were great. Things that mattered then had no place in Hito's present mind. And his worries now, his younger self had never learned to even exist. Things had changed so much. Both of them had changed. The cold of the night began to take affect, but the stars and moon kept bringing back memories. They flooded into his mind like a wild river. It finally got to a point where he could no longer handle it. He lay back and closed his eyes, forcing his thoughts out of mind. After several tries, everything was gone. His flooding memories, his confused feelings...all out of reach. Now he could sleep.