Chapter 3: Ai Wa Fukaku Itsumo

All of the women had gathered around Yahiko when dinner had arrived, for he looked much nicer clean. Iris had combed out his tangled hair, and though it was still spiky, it was very appealing. They giggled at his stories as Iris and Kayko had brought out the beef hot pots from Akabeko.

"Yahiko, dear, have you ever been to the Akabeko?" Iris asked, shooing the other women to their proper spots and taking a seat next to him.

"Nah. Where I used to live, we didn't use money for that kind of pleasures…" He said, placing his chopsticks into the pot.

"There's a young waitress there. She's about your age," Iris said, doing the same.

Yahiko placed a piece of beef in his mouth, halfway interested. "What about her?"

"Yahiko, dear, you're fifteen! You need to make some friends besides we girls from the brothels."

"I…" He looked back at the food, suddenly deeply infatuated with it. "I don't really…"

Iris placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're a good boy, Yahiko. You should have lots of friends."

He blushed slightly and looked guiltily at his lap. "Yeah… but… I've never really… I mean… I… never had any friends… I was always a bad kid to everyone else…" His chewed on his lower lip to keep his tears from staining his cheeks.

"They just didn't understand," One of the girls said, beaming at him. "Don't worry, Tsubame likes everyone. She even treats people like us with respect!"

Yahiko began consuming his food again, turning bright pink in embarrassment. "Wh-why wouldn't she like you guys?" He mustered through a mouthful of beef. "You're great people."

All the girls smiled ear to ear, looking thoroughly moved, to his surprise. After all, no one had ever thought much of them beyond their 'job'. He was one of the few people to treat them…

Like human beings…

Dinner was over by the time the sun had sank behind the horizon, and the group of girls and Yahiko sat together, laughing, talking, and drinking tea. He was enjoying the conversations wholly, but sleep was placing its spell upon him, fading him quickly. He didn't want to sleep yet, for it was almost the first time he had ever gotten to sit down and have a good discussion with anyone in… years!

Yet, slumber was soon lowering its curtain upon him, and his eyelids grew heavier with each moment. As Iris laughed at a joke that Kayko had told, he slowly fell against her shoulder, shocking her slightly.

He dozed quietly, and she smiled warmly at him. "I think I will stay with him tonight… You all should get to work…" She spoke softly as to not wake him.

The other girls stood and left. Kayko paused in the doorway and looked back at Iris. "You'll take good care of him," She muttered, not being heard.

The shoji clacked shut. Silence filled the air as Iris adjusted him into her lap. "Dear boy…" She whispered. She then shut her eyes and, running her fingers through his sable-colored hair, began to sing very slowly, and very beautifully. "Nakanai de hora… It's all right… te to te o awase… itsumo soba ni iru kara… hitori jyanai sa…chiisana sono mune ni… ooki na yume daite… yasashisa o daisetsu ni… sodatete yukou… donna toki mo… Yes, you'll be in my heart… kono ai kimi ni sasageru… tatoe dare ga se o mukete mo… ai wa fukaku… itsumo…"

Yahiko smiled in his sleep, and Iris sighed. It had been quite a long while since she'd been so happy. It was almost as if… her son was back from the dead.

"You know…" She whispered, pulling her shawl from her shoulders. "My son's name was Yasuo… and he was as sweet and wonderful… as you are…" She laid her indigo wrap over him as a make-shift blanket, then leaned back against the wall. "The heart begins to heal…"

Yahiko snuggled more deeply into the blanket, smiling widely in his rest. "Momma…" He muttered subconsciously.

"Itsumo…" Iris smiled as well, breathing in the silence. "Yahiko-san…"

Morning came sooner than expected for the two who had slept together on that floor in that room. Yahiko was the first to awaken, not quite ready to greet the sun that had penetrated its way through the rice-paper doors.

He wanted to doze some more. He had just had the most wonderful dream… about his mother… She was holding his little frame in her arms, and she was singing him to sleep. They were in a beautiful garden that shined more brightly than any other place he had ever seen with flowers of every lovely color imaginable. The grass was bright green and smelled sweet, sparkling with drops of dew despite the noon-time. The trees were perfect height, and perfect for climbing, and children were laughing and playing around him.

"Yahiko," She had said sweetly at the end of her song. "Mommy loves you. I want that to always be with you, okay?"

"Okay," He said, snuggling deeper into her arms. "I love you too… Momma…"

His mother smiled down at him, and Yahiko looked up to smile back. Then, to his horror, the sun had shadowed her face, so that only her smile and hair was seen. He couldn't look into her eyes… What color were her eyes! No…

He didn't care… as long as she was there. He threw his arms around her and snuggled against her chest. "MOMMA! I LOVE YOU, REALLY I DO!"

She still smiled, but soon he couldn't see it either. The sun set suddenly, and all of the trees became orange, brown, yellow, and red. Autumn had set upon them suddenly, and she was quickly disappearing into the shadows. His eyes widened, brimming with tears, and as he jumped for her, the leaves tumbled down upon him.

She was gone.

Now he remembered why he had woken up.

Yahiko turned to look at Iris, still resting quietly in her spot. His hand slowly rose and brushed her cheek, slipping a bit of her white powder away. The cleaned spot was in no need of powder. It was soft and like porcelain. Yahiko began to rub off more of it with his hands, working very gently as to not wake her.

After only a short few minutes, he had cleaned off her face, and removed the decorative combs from her silky hair. It tumbled down in long, glorious tresses, glossy and perfectly straight. He lifted her into his arms carefully and carried her towards her room.

"Thank you…" He said, laying her down upon the futon after entering. He pulled her blanket over her and set her combs next to her bed. He stood from his kneeling position and wiped his hands on his pants. "Iris…" He then left, closing the shoji silently.

"I suppose I'd better go look for another place to stay… I don't want to burden them anymore…" He lowered his head and walked out of the house, staring at his feet.

The sun was warm and comforting, and the air smelled like sakura. There wasn't a cloud in the cerulean sky, and everyone on the street was talking merrily with each other. It was the most peaceful day Yahiko had seen in a long, long, long time. He had never really noticed how happy everyone was, always being to wrapped up in his own misery to care. It was a good feeling that he had almost forgotten about.

The last time he had felt this great was when he and his mother and father went on a picnic when he was just a tiny child.

…and he cracked the first large smile he'd had in ages.

Walking down the street, he watched in wonder at the people and buildings, carts and animals on the path, seeing the entire city in a new light. A new day had dawned, and he was free… and now it wasn't so bitter.

He sucked in a deep breath of air through his nostrils, then let it out in a sigh through his mouth, the scent of cherry-blossoms still lingering in his nose. He chuckled merrily at nothing, and continued down the street.

…But as he passed a restaurant, one titled AKABEKO, he couldn't help but notice two young eyes peering out the front door at him. In a blink of an eye, they had disappeared, and he wondered to himself if maybe he had imagined it. Then, remembering what he was looking for, he bolted off in search of an inn.

Tsubame peeked out the door at his back, blushing slightly. "Yes… that's definitely the boy I saw with the Shuei Yakuza…" She whispered forlornly. "The poor boy… but… he seemed so happy… he's… really attractive when he smiles…" Realizing what she was saying vocally, she covered her mouth and decided it best to keep her tantalizing thoughts of handsome youth within her mind.

Just think of what Tae-san would say if she heard Tsubame talking like that about a Yakuza boy? 'No good, that boy,' is what. 'He'll just hurt you in the end. Best to avoid him, dear'. Yes, she could hear the voice in her head now, bouncing around repeatedly in her brain.

Yes, she'd definitely better forget about him. Tae-san was probably right anyways… but…

How could she forget what she had seen? Something…

…so…

…exquisite...

Yahiko turned and looked back behind him. "I felt like I was being watched just now… Damn, I'm getting so superstitious…" He pouted, mentally slapping himself, and continued on his way slowly, taking in scenery.

(A/N: The song that Iris sang is "You'll Be In My Heart" from the Japanese version of the movie. I got it off Anime Lyrics. Hey, I was listening to it... ; Thanks for the reviews. I LUV YOU GUYS! I'll try and update soon, kay?)