Taking a break from writing Crow cos I wanna write more on Koumyou 😂😂😂
But hey, before that let's look at the tale of Kouran first. 😆
What could a single mother with barely anything on herself do to survive on her own with her child? That was a question that constantly harass her mind whenever she let down her guard. But what else could she do instead? There's no way, she could ever let go of this child growing in her womb. This child... was her last connection to the man she loved.
Kouran hastily wiped her tears that started flowing every time she kept thinking about the father of her child.
Tokou-san, where are you right now? What happened to you?
Without warning, she was hit with nausea and vomited. Kouran staggered towards a small boulder before she started to cry.
Why was it so hard for her to keep the one promise she had left?
Yet, she didn't regret leaving her hometown to come to this forest. She wanted to protect Tokou-san's child. Their child. And she didn't want to burden her father with her problems. It's enough that the townspeople were shunning her father due to her relationship with Tokou-san. If those people found out that this child's father was Tokou-san, her child would be in great danger!
A sudden shiver suddenly ran up her spine.
What if Tokou-san's disappearance had something to do with those people who caused him to be exiled from his office?
Kouran tried to get up and resume her journey but then found that her strength had left her.
"Ah, that's no good."
Kouran jumped as a sweet voice suddenly spoke out from behind her. She turned around to see a middle-aged woman looking back at her in amusement.
"What're you doing out here in this condition? Come along... let us head to a much warmer place."
For some reason, Kouran obediently followed the woman to her home.
xxx
"So how long has it been?"
Kouran blinked at the woman, as she smiled weakly... placing her hand over her belly.
"It's been four and a half months."
The woman sighed. "Yet, you decided to journey alone to this place in that condition. What would you do if your body become so weak because of this? Was giving birth to your child more important than your own life?"
Kouran shrugged carelessly. "It is... for me." Foolish as it was.
The woman sighed. "Very well," said the woman before standing up to head to the kitchen. "You can stay here until you give birth to your child. How about that? At least you no longer have to worry about finding a place to stay and how to feed yourself."
Kouran gasped aloud. "Ah! But we've only just met! I couldn't impose myself to—"
The woman just waved her hand at her. "Don't worry about that. It's all for the sake of that precious child, isn't it?"
Kouran bowed to her as she thanked her for her help.
"But please tell me who you are. After receiving so much kindness from you, it'd be rude for me to not know your name."
The woman just smiled at her.
"My name is Kanna."
xxx
The elderly-looking attendant let out a long sigh as he watched the woman placing a warm blanket over the sleeping girl. After he was sure that it was all right to approach the woman, he walked over to her and spoke out to make his presence known.
"Kanzeon-sama, are you sure that this is the right thing to do? And really, are you even capable of taking care of the pregnant young lady all by yourself?" Jiroushin spoke out as Kanzeon turned around to face him, reverting back to her usual appearance.
"Pfft! I can still do a bit—and don't I have you to help?" She sighed before glancing back at the sleeping girl.
"Besides... there's no way I could look away from this child. The mother as well." Kanzeon gave a weak smile to Jiroushin.
"It took him more than four hundred years to be reborn to this world, I should make sure that nothing would befall on either of them until then." Kanzeon placed a hand on Kouran's sleeping face. "I couldn't change the fate of the mother, that has already been predetermined hundreds of years before... but I could at least make sure that the child lives. For the sake of the many other lives this child would eventually encounter."
And she thought about a certain other child whom she had protected for a long time. The child, who was still waiting for their sun to come back for him. The child who already had enough sorrow and suffering to last him a lifetime.
She couldn't let that child continue waiting for the sun even longer...
Kanzeon shrugged. "Anyway, this wouldn't be the first time I did anything on my own like this."
Jiroushin nodded slowly. "That was true..."
"And it's not like anyone else had any rights to tell me what I should or shouldn't do," said Kanzeon again with a frown. Like back then with the incident with Li Touten. Not to mention what happened to the previous Tentei before. If she was to be reprimanded for all the little acts of mercy she had done all these times, the same should be done to all those who had planted the seed of that 'tragedy'.
.
Kanzeon perked up suddenly.
"Ah! What should I give to this girl to eat so that both she and the child could grow healthy?" She stood up and started to fidget around in excitement. "Should I bring over some of the peaches in my garden for her to eat? Konzen used to love those before! He used to eat those peaches in secret with that tiny kid in his office when I wasn't looking."
She grinned at the memories. "That brat used to act as if he didn't like it when I brought over some of the peaches for him. That adorable kid—"
"Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama!" exclaimed Jiroushin as he chased after the excitable goddess back to her heavenly palace.
xxx
So for the next five months, Kouran lived with the mysterious woman in a secluded hut in the forest. The woman 'Kanna' took care of her very well. Kanna-san often brought back some fruits for her to eat (and those fruits tasted so heavenly, even more than the ones she used to eat before) and once in a while they were able to eat some meat and grains. (Though it was most likely that those were prepared by the elderly attendant Kouran occasionally see coming to the hut, though Kanna-san never told her anything about him.)
She could feel the baby inside her growing up well. It must be due to all of the food and great care she had received thanks to Kanna-san. Because of that, she was eternally grateful.
Though, she worried about how she would eventually give birth to this child. Back in her old hometown, she used to hear tales of how childbirth is a painful process. And she was still very young! Would she be able to take care of the matter by herself (and Kanna-san?) all on their own without any other help?
"Don't worry about it. It'll be fine..." said Kanna one day when Kouran voiced her worries.
"I'll make sure you'll be able to deliver this child safely," said Kanna again reassuredly.
Kouran placed a hand on her bulging tummy, slightly cheered. "What should I name this child when he's born later? Kou? Kon?"
Kanna eyed her curiously.
"Do you think that it'll be a boy?"
Kouran looked up at her, slightly amused.
"Isn't that what you've also thought, all these times? I heard you speak about it once. You refer to my child as a boy..."
Kanna stared at her wide-eyed before smiling mysteriously. "Did I? Then maybe it would be true."
"Oh!" Kouran gasped suddenly. "I can really feel the child kicking hard! It must really be a boy!" exclaimed Kouran as she started to laugh tearfully.
Kanna placed a hand over Kouran's head. "I'm sure it will be..."
xxx
Five months passed by like a breeze and soon enough, it was time for her to give birth. Kouran clasped Kanna's hand fearfully.
"Kanna-san!" Kouran cried out as tears kept flowing from her eyes. "I'm scared! Can I really do this?"
'Kanna' massaged her hand before placing a hand on Kouran's head. "You'll be fine," said the woman reassuringly. "I told you before, that I'll make sure that you'll be able to give birth safely. You just had to push hard as you can until the baby could come out."
Kouran smiled at 'Kanna' gratefully. Then she wondered if she started hallucinating due to the pain of childbirth, but Kouran thought that somehow Kanna-san's appearance had suddenly changed. And the pain she had been feeling started to fade away mysteriously.
"Kanna... san?" she asked in confusion.
"Hush... my dear," said Kanzeon to her gently. "Just concentrate on getting the baby out."
.
After hours of excruciating period that felt like a bizarre dream, Kouran could hear the cries of a newborn baby finally arriving in this world.
xxx
Kanzeon wrapped the baby carefully with a clean cloth, before handing the baby to Kouran. Tears kept falling from Kouran's eyes as she gazed at the child with love.
"It's a beautiful boy!" gasped Kouran tearfully. "I wished... Tokou-san could see him right now."
"The baby looked a lot like you..." said Kanzeon as Kouran nodded her head many times.
Kouran started to cry again, as her face grew even paler. "Kanna-san, what should I do? What'll happen to this child?"
Kanzeon placed her hand on Kouran's pale cheek as she smiled sorrowfully.
"I've told you so many times, my dear. I'll take care of the child for you."
Sweat lined her face as Kouran frowned at the 'woman'. "Who... are you, Kanna-san? You're not... really... Kanna-san, are you?"
Kanzeon smiled weakly at the young woman. "Yes, I am not. My real name is... Kanzeon Bosatsu."
Kouran's tears kept on flowing down her cheeks as she held Kanzeon's hand tightly.
"Thank you... so much... Kannon-sama... for everything—!"
.
And just like that, the young woman named Kouran... breathe out her last breath that evening.