November 23 2022
The Foreigner from a Distant World
CHAPTER 5
Loneliness
On a quiet afternoon in a Shogunate training area in Hanamizaka, the Tenryou Commissioner with Hachiman at his side together with an entourage watch the soldiers train. The elderly man occasionally makes comments while observing them with his veteran eyes. Hachiman's eyes are trained on those practicing their archery skills. He watches their arrows zoom to their targets with precision.
One of the soldiers jogs up to them, a young man called Ren who also happens to be the Commissioner's youngest son. A wide smile appears on his lips when he sees Hachiman. He pulls the younger boy into a brotherly embrace. The two became fast friends when they first met and had only gotten closer when the Commissioner would invite Hachiman to eat at the Kujo residence. The Commissioner sometimes sends Hachiman here to personally deliver orders and speak on his behalf.
"Father! Hachiman! What brings you so far from the Tenshukaku?"
"Am I not allowed to see my beloved son? I heard the fighting last night was especially fierce." Commissioner Horimoto asks with a concerned expression. Hachiman was the first person to know of the news last night as all messages sent to Commissioner Horimoto pass through him as well.
"Yes, but we pushed them back! We'll retake the Byakko Plains in a few months!" Kujo Ren exclaims proudly with a loud voice. His words seemed to convince the entourage as they all nodded.
"Even though the Cataclysm ended twenty years ago, the Shogunate still has not regained full control of Inazuma… I don't see us retaking the Byakko Plains unless something drastic is done…" Hachiman thinks to himself. He has come to this conclusion after studying previous battles and statistics.
"What of your older brother, Ken?"
"Nii-sama was sent north to Yougou to protect the Sacred Sakura roots. I heard that they were being gnawed at by monsters."
The Commissioner frowns deeply with the lines on his forehead folding into each other in response. "What? How could the Yougou Tengu allow such a thing on their watch?"
"I swear… If those three were still here, we would have reclaimed control of Narukami Island and the rest years ago." He curses under his breath and shakes his head. "Bah! Let us go back to the Tenshukaku, my day is ruined and only a cup of tea can fix it."
Hachiman moves and helps the old man to his feet and offers him his left arm which he accepts.
"Ren, we'll be taking our leave." Hachiman and the Commissioner were about to turn and go when he stops them.
"Hachiman, my comrades, and I will drink tonight as a celebration of our victory. I'd like you to come." The young man says with a hopeful expression but Hachiman slowly shakes his head.
"In a few moon's time. Perhaps when you retake and cleanse the Plains." Hachiman makes a small grin when he sees his friend roll his eyes and sigh. After saying goodbye, the company starts their slow walk back to the Tenshukaku and Hachiman listens to Commissioner Horimoto recount his stories and adventures from when he has still younger.
The next day, Hachiman is called early to the office and finally meets the only daughter of Commissioner Kujo Horimoto. Although his expectations were far from reality.
"Hachiman my boy, I'd like you to meet my sweet daughter Ako." The elderly man says and taps his daughter's shoulder as if to signal her.
"H-Hello…" The little girl says shyly and hides behind her father's leg.
"What the heck… This brat looks around eight or nine. I thought he said that we'd be the same age? Poor old man's mind must have wandered off when he told me…" Hachiman complains in thought.
"My daughter is rather lonely at our house so I thought I'd bring her along with me. Would that be alright with you?"
"Of course Commissioner. I am good with children so I do not mind." Hachiman bows obediently.
The child did not speak much but spoke excitedly about her two older brothers when asked. Hachiman would then listen to her open up about her hobbies and likes when he told her more about himself. He also shows her around his room, which is still the property of the Tenryou Commission, and the beautiful balcony overlooking the sea with her two female servants with them. To his surprise, the girl shows no fear of heights and admires the sight with wide eyes.
"I like to draw. And play instruments." Kujo Ako says over having lunch in his room. She sat and ate properly like a lady of nobility but still needs a few more years of practice.
"Me too. What do you play?"
"I miss my piano… I wonder if anyone in Inazuma has one. Probably not. Guess I'll need to import either from Monstadt, Fontaine, or Snezhnaya…" He muses in his mind.
The little girl gets up and runs to her bag on the other side of the room and returns shortly while carrying a woodwind instrument in her little hands. She sits down on the cushioned pillow right after the servants took away the plates.
"Oh, a Shakuhachi. Let's hear it."
The Kujo daughter starts playing and Hachiman soon realizes that she is just blowing air and pressing on the holes at random intervals. Regardless, he smiles and starts clapping as soon as she is finished with the two servants following suit. Children love being praised and Kujo Ako is one such child.
"Very nice. How long have you been practicing that tune?" He asks and she proudly puffs her chest.
"I made it up just now!"
Hachiman laughs and the little girl starts playing another new song again. Lunch break is finally over and he asks her if she would like to go back to the Commissioner's office with him. She refuses, saying that it's too hot there and much prefers his room where the breeze from the sea is the coolest. And so he leaves her there and goes back to work.
He would say goodbye to Commissioner Kujo and his daughter and promise to the latter to play with her the next day. Hachiman eats alone in the common hall away from his fellow officials. Though he has no problem talking to them about work matters, he feels as though they speak ill of him behind his back. And to Hachiman, this is nothing new.
"I guess trashy people will always exist no matter what world or timeline you're in."
After finishing his meal and taking two guards with him, Hachiman walked down the streets of Tenryou to the public library to borrow some books. Though he can undoubtedly use his authority and command a servant, he prefers to do it himself. Hachiman expected a certain Kitsune to jump at him from the shadows but it seems that she is still busy with her shrine maiden duties on Narukami Island as a whole. The two have not seen each other in seven days.
"Hm… I should have gone with Ren…"
The next day starts as usual and he meets little Ako and her father. Hachiman also ordered a new Shakuhachi of his own as well as guides and music books. In his spare time, he plays the instrument with her as well as teach her how to read and write. Ako would learn much from him and his skill with the instrument grows with each passing day. The Commissioner finds out about this and pays him generously.
The Tenryou Commission, a normally dull and serious place, would hear music from a Shakuhachi in the early mornings, the afternoon and at night.
"Come! I show you to my friends!" Little Ako says while holding his hand and leading him to Hanamizaka right after the day was concluded. Her two servants of the Kujo clan, twin sisters Sen and Shizu, follow them from behind. They go to a neighbourhood with many children playing in the street and yard. A woman hurriedly rushes to them and bows at the two.
"The Commissioner's daughter and his aide! To what do I owe this visit?"
"I'm here to play!" The little girl exclaims and runs off to her friends.
"She threatened to throw a fit so I relented," Hachiman shrugs with a small smile while watching the girl play with children of her age. "Anyway, what is this place? I've never visited this part of the city before."
"This serves as an orphanage and school to displaced children and I am its manager, Hidekuro Eirin. The little one occassionally comes here to play with her friends."
"I see. Do you mind telling me more about this place?" Hachiman and the two Kujo servants are led to gazebo in a beautiful garden and is served tea by the employees. As night set in, they had to go say goodbye and leave the orphanage. While he was escorting them home with guards at his side, they bump into Kujo Ren. Little lady Ako immediately runs to her older brother where he kisses her and lifts her up to sit on his shoulders as the two giggle and laugh.
Hachiman smiles at the wholesome and heartwarming sight. Though somewhere deep in the recesses of his young heart, he feels pain and longing for his loved ones somewhere out there in the sea of stars in the sky.
Kujo Ren, still clad in his training gear goes to him and places his arm around Hachiman's shoulder.
"Hachiman! You're just in time! Father is inviting you for dinner! Good thing I met you here otherwise I would have had to walk all the way up to the Tenshukaku!"
Kujo Ako also feels her brother's enthusiasm, kicking her little feet excitedly against his chest though he cared little for it.
"Hachi-niichan! Come! Come! I show you my drawings and new songs!"
In the face of it all, Hachiman has no choice but to accept.
"Okay." The two Kujo siblings break into smiles as they lead Hachiman into their dining area. Kujo Horimoto is pleasantly surprised at his quick appearance and his daughter hops down her brother's shoulder and sits on his lap. They all have a hearty dinner together and talk and laugh after it is concluded. To the insistence and hospitality of Horimoto, he spends the night at their household and borrows Ren's clothes after bathing with him at their outdoor bath.
Although he is separated by his sister, mother and father.
At least there is someone here who treats him like family.