Guild Master here again, again.
This is the prelude with Tsuyu's and Haru's past being revealed.
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"Sis! Sis!"
A small child that had rather large eyes and a wide mouth for his age was lost in the thicket as he had accidentally wandered off from where he and her sister were playing in the park. She told him to stay put while she went to the bathroom real quick and getting distracted by a cool looking bug and finding one distraction after another he eventually wandered into the neighboring trees without thinking. He realized far too late how far he had gone and in that moment he realized how unfamiliar everything was.
He started to panic as he began to feel like something was chasing him. The poor boy lost track of any and all familiar landmarks and couldn't even tell if he had been walking in a straight line or running in circles. It took what felt like forever for the boy till he finally tripped over himself and fell to the packed, dense earth and cut his knee slightly in the process. Being a kid lost in the forest was bad enough for other people involved; but being the kid itself was probably marginally worse than even that.
"... Ug… Big sis…"
At this point he was tired and hurting from his fall. He wanted to be with his family; not here where there was probably kilometers of forest keeping him away from civilization. Scared didn't do any justice in terms of describing his mood. He was terrified.
He laid there on his stomach crying for another few moments until something in the bushes in front of him began to push the leaves out of the way. There was something that was bigger than him coming through the bushes and it sounded huge by the amount of rustling. All he could manage to do was to lay there as still as possible and hope that it would ignore him. For what little hope he had now he just hoped that if it was a bear, wolf, or a big scary man that they wouldn't hurt him.
Twenty Minutes Later
"Sami! Where are you?! Sami! Please! Come out! It's your sister! Where are you?!"
A frog girl sprinting around the park was calling out for her lost brother with fruitless results. It was a stupid mistake, but she had gotten distracted by her phone and realized that she was sitting on the toilet for over ten minutes. She quickly washed her hands and returned outside to get her brother. The panic of realizing he was nowhere to be seen started to scare her badly. From scanning the neighborhood with her frog-like agility and asking bystanders about her brother she was running thin on the luck spectrum of things in locating him.
For the past two years or so she never failed in keeping to her word in making sure that her brother was her responsibility. There was little else she could do but return to the park and check the next possible area for her lost brother. Although quite mature and responsible as the oldest in her family, she was still just a child at the end of the day. She could feel the heart wrenching pain and stinging tears of her anxiety bend and almost break her as she wiped away her tears and steeled her will to keep looking for her brother. Reaching the park once more she was ready to go past the treeline and get her little brother back. The lack of sunlight and thick foliage made the space far more intimidating than it had any right to. For her there was no time. It was do or die for her brother and now was the time to act.
Her eyes happened to drift to the riverbank nearby and right there near the grassy shoreline there stood a man wearing a hat with what looked like fishing gear on with a boy next to him with a shirt and pants that looked just like her brother. They were clearly talking and fiddling with something in each of their own hands; from the side profile she indeed saw that it was definitely her brother. Had he been there the whole time? Who was the stranger who brought him there in the first place? After everything she went through she felt certain that this man was trying to take her brother and she needed to act now. She hopped the hand railings with ease and charged at the stranger with all her might right before launching herself at the man with her legs primed to send him flying.
Some Time Earlier
The leaves rustled and branches creaked as whatever it was searching through the growth was aware the lost child was there. He clenched his eyes shut and just hoped that wishing away the threat was enough.
"... Hey, kiddo; you ok?"
Rather than a growl or snarl, a human voice asked the boy if he was okay. The amphibious child managed to relax his eyelids enough to see that it wasn't some sort of wild animal or predator; but an adult wearing what looked like a fishing outfit with a billed cap covering his white head of hair. At first the boy thought it was just some old guy who ran into him in the forest while river fishing; looking closer it was clearly a much younger man who had a beard and facial hair that aged him from a distance. Still, he was at least thankful someone who looked like an adult was there to help him.
"The-th-th-th-"
"Whoa there, hold your horses. Let's at least get you up off the ground."
The stuttering boy was hefted off the hard earth and to his surprise; placed down on a dirt road that ran parallel to the river that the park he lost track of had been next to. The boy had his clothes shaken a bit to get rid of any loose dirt or twigs. Any leftover pieces of natural debris were simply plucked off. Now that he was much cleaner than before; the boy faced the man who was kneeling down low enough to match eyelines.
"Okay, now we're at least not as messy as before. Now, take a deep breath…"
He demonstrated by breathing in a full lung and the boy easily followed suit.
"... And breathe out."
With the release of the lungs the child felt a significant amount of his panic leaving him.
"Okay, good! Now, let's start over. Hi, my name is Nakamura Haru."
Haru offered the boy a handshake which he limply returned as he rubbed away his tears with his forearm. He took the returned greeting in stride and continued with his line of questions to figure out where this boy came from originally.
"Alright. So now; can you tell me what happened before you got lost? Take your time…"
Though it was mostly babbling and talking in circles, Haru could piece together that this child had been with his sister at the park before he wandered off into the grove of trees next to the park. Thinking that maybe it was the same park just over yonder he asked the boy his own question after waiting for the child to finish speaking.
"Well, thank you for telling me everything. I bet it was scary, getting lost. Huh?"
The boy looked like he was about to cry again as Haru offered the boy a sympathetic look that helped remind the boy he wasn't stuck in the wilderness by himself anymore.
"What you went through is scary for a lot of people. You were brave to at least not give up, remember that."
That did a lot to make the boy feel better and draw him further away from bursting into tears once more. Next came the bit that Haru was sure would make the boy feel rather stupid over the whole situation.
"By the way; was the park you were at a lot like that one?"
By literal definition of the statement, Haru pointed his finger at the park that was just short of about fifteen meters to his right. Turning to his left the boy indeed saw that he was in clear eyeshot of the same park he had gotten lost from. His face was glowing red realizing he got lost and broke into tears over less than twenty meters worth of distance from his starting point. In any case; Haru counted it as a win that it was only just that. There was only the matter over the kid's injury that Haru wanted to address.
Seven Minutes Later
The two newly acquainted individuals sat in silence at a park bench while waiting for the older sister to return to come pick up the boy. The child was still shaken by what happened earlier and so was just grabbing Haru's pocketed vest by one of the flaps and was rather adamant that he be allowed to do so. In his tackle box he carried around a small med kit in case an accident were to occur. He retrieved the container and got the necessary supplies out of the small red pouch. The boy didn't even have time to react to Haru cleaning and bandaging the cut as he was not only gentle but fast in administering first aid. For now the two were just waiting and peeking out of the corner of his eye it was obvious the boy was still rather upset over what happened and was sporting a rather gloomy expression. For now he thought that maybe getting the child to forget his current troubles was probably something that would benefit the situation.
"... Hey; wanna learn how to go fishing?"
The reaction from the child was instant. Like a lightbulb his eyes cleared up and looked up at the man with curiosity over the suggestion of fishing. Finding this to be progress Haru decided to not look a gifted horse in it's mouth and got to work helping the boy down to the nearby riverbank while still remaining visible enough to be seen from the park in case the sister did return in search of her brother. In no time at all both he and the boy were bonding over catching fish and placing them into a bucket for later release. Haru told the boy that he liked to see his number of catches before releasing them if the bucket got too crowded.
Twenty Minutes Later
"... So make sure you loop it there… Juuust like that. Nice! Gotta say, you got a knack for this."
Being so young probably made things easier for the boy to pick up new concepts and it seemingly was something the boy really did enjoy for some reason. Far away was the previous guilt and fear of being lost and separated from his sister. It was an improvement; still, it was hard to ignore that a young girl was possibly going insane out there somewhere searching for her missing brother. Again, gifted horse and whatnot. For now the simple distraction of a knot tying lesson provided ample distraction for both of them. Peering at the boy's handiwork it was indeed impressive that he was able to handle a hook and tie off the proper knot without fumbling with the sharpened piece of bent metal. Some adults he knew were far less capable of doing something similar.
"Alright, so next we-"
Suddenly, Haru was flung forward into the river water with impressive hangtime. If the boy hadn't been so shocked and shortly after mortified he would have found it rather hilarious that Haru had managed to look like he was still standing like nothing happened as he flipped like a stick through the air. With a large splash he disappeared into the deeper part of the river. Turning to the left the sister was there standing triumphantly as she reached for her little brother.
"Sami! Oh my goodness, thank-"
"Tsu! What did you do?!"
Three Minutes Later
Although back on dry land; Haru was soaked through and through as he wrung out his vest to get rid of the abundant water trapped in the dense material. Next to him on the riverbank the young frog girl who had jumped to conclusions and sent him flying for a surprise swim was kneeling with her head to the ground repeating her apology like a mantra with an occasional ribbit here and there.
"Sorry! Sorry! Ribbit! Sorry!"
"Like I said, it's fine. Just be thankful that I know how to take a hit; anybody else and they might have not been so unscathed as I was."
It did little to make the frog girl feel better about the whole ordeal. As it was, he wanted to make sure that she knew that she had taken a pretty extreme measure for what she saw. This was just his way to ensure she wasn't gonna send people flying with a kick in case this were to happen again in the future. Next time there might be a very real possibility that it was just a good samaritan doing a good deed. The girl doubled down on her apology and was even more mortified at her actions as Haru did the best he could to remove the water from his outfit without outright stripping in front of the children. For some reason the children were sitting on their knees in front of him; at no point did he ask either of them to do so.
"Really, it's not that big of a deal. Plus it was something you did out of love for your brother. Just be sure that next time you don't jump to conclusions."
Both children still had a look of guilt on their faces. It really wasn't that much of a deal for Haru to be sent flying into the river like that; mostly it was relief he felt that it was him and not some other poor samaritan the little girl kicked. He simply collected his discarded vest and hat while packing up his line and tackle after getting the children to stand up. Before taking off he wanted to make sure of one last thing before leaving the children to their devices.
"Can you two get home from here? Can your parents come pick you two up if necessary?"
They were a bit defensive when they heard the question of concern over their means of getting home. Subtle, but enough of a reaction that let Haru know that he must have struck a nerve by accident. The older sister simply looked up to the adult and wrapped her arm around her brother's shoulders. It wasn't him that they were worried about; rather it was like the older sibling was trying to console the younger sibling.
"It's fine, ribbit. We live nearby and walk to the park often. Thank you again, mister; for helping my brother…"
He figured that for now the affair was handled and seemingly the safety of the area warranted their independence. With soaking wet clothes he went back to his van and changed; he still wanted to spend his day off fishing and a temporary setback like this wasn't gonna stop him from relaxing.
Four Months Later
It was another day of snowfall and overcast in the same park he had come to fish in all those months ago. Since most young adults came home for the holidays business wasn't as dead as it could've been. Mostly students and young couples were the majority of his business as the winter months were now well into the winter season. To accommodate the frigid weather he was serving udon. Nothing too fancy; just something easy on the taste buds and good for the weather. Occasionally when things were dead he would use a large rubber squeegee on a long handle to remove the built up snow on his van; other than that it was just him and the spare stranger looking for a nice hot meal.
He had the liberty of taking his time cooking and out of simple boredom he was making more udon noodles. The folds of noodles were expertly pressed as the dough was well balanced and not too dense. One layer after another he folded and beat the dough with a wooden dowel. While he was distracted with that he felt that two more people were coming towards his van. By the sounds of it they were rather small and light. Curiously they were the only pairs walking nearby. He couldn't hear anything other than his cooking and the gentle breeze. The two voices stopped to check the menu for themselves and after going back and forth they made their decision unanimously. Haru had an excellent memory for people, and even without that anybody would recognize speech impediments coming out of the part amphibian family. The two bodies plopped themselves onto the seats by themselves without struggling much at all on their own.
"Excuse me? Can we have two chicken udon please?"
"Can you ask him to leave one with just the chicken?"
"No, Sami. You know what mom said; you have to eat your veggies too. Without them you won't grow up healthy."
The younger brother whined a bit but hardly argued with the executive decision made by his older sister.
"Coming right up!"
Like clockwork Haru moved around his cooking space and assembled the two childrens orders with a flourish. Both bowls were balanced on the left arm and the ingredients tossed and caught in each separate dish. By the end he had two gorgeous bowls of thick noodles steaming and ready to be served. Placing both bowls down in front of the siblings their eyes were magnetized to the delicious smelling broth. It was incredible to them that this one food truck chef used such sloppy looking assembly and ended up with bowls that looked even better than pictures of the same thing.
"Thank you!"
"Thank you!"
The kids were still looking at their meals with anticipation of the first bite. The older girl had to elbow her brother into praying first before they ate. With manners minded they dug into their bowls with initial excitement that was quickly reigned in by how hot the soup still was. Their first taste of the dish was unlike anything they had before. No bitterness, a lovely sweetness followed by the taste of the broth to wash it all down. Now hitting a pace with their meal they began to eat properly. Two glasses of water were given to the children by Haru after noticing how quickly they were eating.
"Ease up, kiddos; don't want you choking now."
With mouths full of noodles they reached for the water glasses and took a proper look at the man who made their meals. Haru had been turned away from them when they arrived while wearing a knitted cap and a long sleeved black shirt. From behind he was completely ambiguous looking, turned around and they instantly recognized him from all that time ago.
"Ith uh!"
Much to the sister's disdain and Haru's amusement the younger sibling forgot to swallow his mouthful and sent chopped up noodles all over the front of his jacket and countertop. Being a good big sister she grabbed a few napkins and began helping her brother clean himself and the countertop. Again, the familiar stream of apologies came back as if she had never stopped apologizing from last time.
Twenty Minutes Later
Now less than strangers and more like acquaintances they began talking and sharing information about one another. Haru reintroduced himself while the girl introduced herself and her brother as Asui Tsuyu and Asui Samidare. Oddly the girl wanted Haru to call the both of them as their nicknames since they felt that giving the man who found the young Sami in the small woods permission to be informal with them was the least they could do. He couldn't help but smile at the manners of these children. Whoever was raising them either had strict standards or led by example. It was just him and these kids for the entirety of the meal. Haru was smoking in his kitchen with a beer without a care in the world as he answered all sorts of questions the kids had about his job. From how he gets ingredients to cook all the way to stories of all sorts of things he's seen driving around the country. It was a pleasant enough time for them all before the girl's phone alarm went off. She looked at the alarm note and saw that she and her brother had to get home asap.
"Sami! Our TV special!"
"Oh yeah! Hurry!"
The two of them finished off the last few scraps in their bowls and leapt off with little difficulty on their own. Most would call this a case of unintentional dining and dashing, but Haru knew better and just waited a few moments while taking a seat on the steps leading up into his kitchen. Like esp the white haired man saw Tsuyu return in a mad dash towards him. She came to a screeching halt. The screeching part was what sent the layer of fresh snow that completely covered Haru's front side and even put out his cigarette as he was taking a pull. Honestly it was like a snowblower passed by and just covered whatever it spat at with crisp snow.
"Oh no! Nakamura-san, I-"
He held up his hand that was half covered in snow with the extinguished cancer stick still pinched between his forefinger and middle one. While speaking the snow that had stuck to his facial hairs made him look like an abominable snowman with no eyes.
"Remember what I said? It's quite alright. Just make sure to think things through before reacting."
There wasn't much damage since none of the wet stuff got in and mostly landed right on top of Haru. Standing up he just brushed off the white powder and all he had to show was a slightly damp shirt and beard.
"Now; I'm guessing you forgot something, eh?"
If anything he was just teasing the girl over leaping out of his stool without paying him. She blushed, slightly ashamed at her rash behavior. The older man just had a laugh and patted the endearing girl on her head and reassured her that there was no damage done. Unzipping the jacket she pulled out an envelope that had multiple large bills in it and a few smaller denominations tucked to one side of the paper pouch. Either she was stealing money from her parents or was given the money by them for her and her brother to use. It was more likely the second option going by the girls honesty policy so far. Putting two and two together he figured that the sore reaction from last time he mentioned their parents and the generous amount of allowance she possessed were clear signs that both parents were unavailable for a majority of the kid's time at home. Haru was asked for the price of the meal and with a small discount he gave her the cost of the meal; it was an odd fifteen hundred yen. The individual bills weren't there so she presented a larger bill to be broken down.
Haru graciously took the bill and returned to his cash drawer to get her change. Without her knowing he also retrieved a pen and piece of notepad paper and scribbled something quickly before returning to the girl with her remaining amount and the slip of paper that had his personal phone number on it. Tsuyu was rather confused by the slip of paper and without looking back at her he got back up for another beer.
"Ummm… Is this your number?"
"Yup. Since it's just you and your brother for the holidays I can't help but worry."
It shocked her that Haru was able to figure out that she was in fact home alone with just her brother for a few days. Her parents had been especially bust this past year and it was something she and her brother tried to muscle through with just the two of them. They were by no means neglectful or abusive. When they were together they all got along very well and cherished one another deeply. No amount of justifying couldn't take away the burden of not seeing one's family for a long time, especially for children who needed that presence to develop properly.
"Don't worry, you can take pictures and let your parents know that I offered to help. It's just too much for me to let some kids go home alone without an adult nearby."
Tsuyu was still a bit guarded since her parents were always telling her about how strangers were out to fool her if they approached her or her brother. No matter what, she was to say no and get away as soon as possible while using her alarm to make sure people knew that something was happening to her or her sibling. This was something that threw her for a bit of a loop. Not only did Haru offer his contact info without asking for hers in return; he told her to tell her parents and even send images of his existence to alert her parents of his existence. Without much else to go on she snapped about four pictures of Haru and his van as well as where it was parked in the neighborhood. Done with that she went home quickly with a wave to Haru that he returned over his shoulder. Being in a hurry, it didn't sink in for her that Haru wasn't looking at her when she waved goodbye.
That Evening
"... No Mr. Asui, I can guarantee that there is no malicious intent with… I understand your reservations but to simply walk away is just unethical. I don't mean to offend… That's the problem as well. How often have you spoken to your neighbors? Are you aware whether or not they didn't leave for the holidays? How many people does she have for reference if something were to go wrong?... No, not at all…"
Haru never had problems disarming others in a discussion most of the time as he was usually more amicable than most. When the call came in after sundown and with just him sitting by his lonesome doing business as usual he answered a bit more irritable than usual. He fell for conversational trap holes that didn't bury him, but rather made Haru stumble a bit and continue on to convince the parents that as a stranger he will maintain respectful distance and had no malicious intent for their unaccompanied children.
"... Very well, answer me this; how many neighbors are aware of their situation that you know you spoke to directly?... And how often do you keep in contact with them and vice versa?... So if I were to go over to that home right now; can you guarantee me that they are indeed there, readily available at any moment for the children?... Very well, give me that address and I will check for myself…"
Haru hung up immediately after the call and shotgunned his beer to alleviate some of his headache after speaking to such a stubborn old toad. Not a minute later the text came in and on foot Haru went in search of the home of the children's supervising family. It really was a short walk to the address of the home. Counting the street numbers he came to the number indicated on the text and saw what he had feared from the beginning. It was only about six thirty and it was already dark out, but sending evidence was imperative to ensure their children's safety. He snapped a picture and sent back a quick text for a return call soon. Walking back he was halfway back to his van when a new number was returning his call. Picking up he heard the voice of the children's mother speaking in a far more agreeable and gentle tone than the father started with.
"Good evening. Is this the phone of Nakamura Haru?"
"Indeed it is. I can assume that this is the matriarch of the Asui household?"
"Yes, you may. I just wanted to be the one to say that I greatly appreciate your concern and for allowing us your assistance in watching our dear children."
In the background Haru could hear the angry ranting of the father trying to get a hold of the family he asked for help with no avail. Not wanting to have the call interrupted, Mrs. Asui vacated the premises to properly speak to Haru. The mother and Haru went back and forth with small talk and quickly the mother was sharing information with Haru over her children's needs. Their medical cards, possible allergies, restrictions set in the household, etc. Haru just cracked open another beer and lit a cigarette as he listened to her by his lonesome.
"... Besides that, I think they should be alright on their own. Was there anything else you needed?"
"... Not really. Although after the baby is born I do hope that you and your husband make yourselves more present and available for your children."
A heavy pause as the mother was not taken aback, but rather startled that somebody she just talked to for the first time today figured out her and her husband's well guarded secret.
"Uh… H-how…"
"Families usually have one of two reasons for the parents becoming rarely able to come home to their children. One, you and your husband plan to move and have costs to cover. It's been far too long for that, so the other option is the most likely one. You and your husband have planned for another child and are getting a head start in the finances before they're born. Am I missing anything?"
"... Please don't tell the others; my husband and I want to be the ones to break the news."
The hammer couldn't have been more centered on the nail. Absent parents weren't always malicious or negligent of their children by nature. Most times parents have to work to provide and that usually leads into long hours or distant travel to accomplish that work. It didn't make it any easier for children who were somewhat left by the wayside for such reasons, but that was reality.
"You have my word. If anything were to happen you two will be the first to know."
Some more conversation lingered but eventually Haru and the mother hung up the call. This wasn't how he planned to spend his holiday, but the alternative was just too cold hearted for the festive season. Finding himself rather short-handed; seeing that he promised he would stay by the nearby park, he felt it necessary to get some extra eyes on this. He dialed a number and instantly he got a response.
"Diamond Quality inc. How may I direct your call?"
"It's me. Get me the dos's on several available op teams near my location."
"Yes sir, anything else?"
Haru just hung up without responding. For now he would have to keep an open ear for that night; at least until he got some help.
Three Days Later
For the most part the children and Haru got along amicably and after a few invites for Haru to come inside their home he politely declined their offers. As long as the kids were well monitored and well enough off there was no reason to overstep his boundaries. The kids had an easy enough time visiting Haru at his van since his van provided heating and wasn't negative temperatures twenty-four seven. During the day he would feed them with a secret discount that only the kids got in comparison to his usual customers. During the evenings the kids were good at getting home safely with Haru supervising them. So far it was no trouble at all; at least until the third afternoon rolled by. At his stall with the sun setting he got a call from a number he recognized to be from somebody he didn't want to hear from. He answered immediately and responded promptly.
"What is it?"
"Sir, I have a vehicle here that's been here since eleven hundred hours. We did a reference to the vehicle as well as facial recognition and it seems as though we might have a predator here. He's kept surveillance on the Asui household consistently in comparison to the other homes. How do you wish to proceed?"
"... Get someone creative to handle it. Just give them manager approval and leave it at that."
"Sir."
The call ended just as a lovely young couple stopped by Haru's van for one of his pies. They shared an apple cinnamon and by far it marked their romantic night as something worth remembering.
Nearby the Asui Residence
It was hours since he first arrived and it became harder and harder to contain himself. Years of restraining himself and beating off on the internet wasn't enough for the first time predator. He needed this once. He rationalized it and thought it was perfectly logical that it was only one kid. Kids go missing all the time; what's one more? Finding his window of opportunity was difficult as the neighbors were still active and he didn't want to risk the attention. After all, he didn't want to be punished over something that was just a one-time thing. What got him to reel back into reality was a tap on his window. Through the window he saw something that made his heart drop like a stone from the stratosphere. It took him a second to compose himself as he rolled down the window for the patrol officer who was standing out in the cold.
"Good afternoon, sir. How are we doing this holiday season?"
"Oh, very well! Thank you, officer."
He cursed the hitch in his voice as he greeted the policeman. It was the holiday season; why weren't the cops taking a break already?
"Good. We've been getting complaints about your vehicle being parked in a non-parking zone. Mind moving your vehicle?"
He breathed a sigh of relief since it seemed as though he was in the clear for now. In fact he was so relieved he failed to notice a subtle sound coming from the front and rear of his car. Not that the officer would have made him anymore unable to detect such a minor thing.
"Yeah, just gimme a sec here."
Grabbing the paperwork and ID necessary; he presented them to the officer. The officer then took the paperwork back to his cruiser to look up an id on the man. The predator didn't even have a speeding ticket on him with how well behaved in society he's been up to this point. Doing the math in his head he was certain that he was pretty much unable to keep the house he first chose as his target. Now it was just about getting out of here to replan for another one. The officer returned and gave the man back his id and paperwork.
"Well, everything seems to be in order. Just move your vehicle sir and we won't have any trouble."
"I'm so sorry. Thank you again."
It was done. He breathed a sigh of relief and took a moment to let his relief wash over him. This was short lived as just then the officer began to act odd towards him.
"Sir? Are you ok?"
He turned to the policeman and it was as if he was looking at someone who was having a heart attack. Before he could ask a question about the odd behavior; the policeman suddenly reached out to his neck and chest with a sudden desperation that he couldn't understand.
"Sir! Sir, just breathe!"
Now this was starting to freak out the man in the car. If he had more time to think about it he would have called one-one-nine for police brutality; what stopped him was a sudden bout of vertigo that began turning the world like a ferris wheel. He wasn't just losing his orientation with gravity; he was finding it hard to breathe. Just like the officer was worried about, he couldn't get enough air in his lungs to stop the choking sensation he was trapped in.
"Officer Hisui, calling in a code ten forty-three! I repeat; Ten forty-one on my location!"
He didn't know what the hell was going on as the sudden twitches and involuntary seizures rendered him unconscious. There was such a sensory overload that for the whole time he didn't notice that the officer's finger had flipped open to reveal a syringe through his index that he had stuck him with from the first moment he reached for him. The world was spinning and fading all at once as he just kept going dark.
Some Time Later
Being unconscious is an off experience. One moment you're in one place; the next you're somewhere else missing whatever amount of memory for a few moments. Waking up while being bound to a chair was a far less pleasurable experience. Unable to move around he jolted and rattled his cuffs as he came to. The stalker was in some sort of dark space with lights pouring down on him from above. It was like a high power spotlight was focusing all the light right down at him. The empty black space around him seemingly went on forever as he kept trying to figure out where he was.
"Where am I?! Hellooo?! Help me! Please!"
His hands were cuffed behind him and with some freedom of motion he realized that all that was keeping him tied to the chair was a single nylon strap; like something you would find in your car or on an airplane. Jolting up didn't help as the strap kept him down. From pulling on the strap he also realized the chair he was in was bolted to the floor. If only his quirk had some ability to cut the strap. Alas, it was only able to give him some x-ray vision through certain objects. Cursing his luck did little to help him with his predicament.
He was there for some time before another spotlight from above illuminated the only other thing he could see in this pitch black void. In front of him was a gorgeous woman with legs that went on for days and were crossed over one another with a slight tilt that made it look like the chair wasn't enough to do her figure justice. She wore stockings with black platform heels and had an outfit that covered everything except her arms and head. It was one of the most terrifying and simultaneously arousing things he had ever seen.
"... H… Who-"
The woman shushed him with an elegant finger. Her presence demanded his command and he found it harder and harder to not be attracted to her.
"Don't speak. Garbage like you don't have the right to use human words. Just make noises like any bag of waste would make; that'll make me happy."
She made eye contact with the confused man and it was then he felt the appropriate emotion finally rear its ugly head after all this time. Her eyes had a lovely shade of hazel, but anyone looking into them was certain they could see nothing but pitch black as they exchanged gazes with this woman.
"You certainly are a treat for someone like me. I couldn't believe that a child raper was caught and wrapped up for me to do as I please! I at least owe you that much thanks…"
He couldn't look at her anymore. Suddenly it was like she morphed into an inhuman mutant right before him. Whatever was about to happen; he was powerless to stop. In his stoicism, the woman began to speak once more.
"Do you know about the American film industry? It's quite the art form to see as a world without quirks. One film that I couldn't stop watching to this day was one such film that I feel is underrated as a piece of art."
This woman was crazy. Here he was trapped in a chair in a dark room and this disproportionately beautiful woman was spouting nonsense about American movies?
"What the f-"
What interrupted him was both a sudden blow to the left of his forehead and his eye suddenly feeling like it was stabbed. He screamed as his head was locked back and immobile. Pinning him was the same woman spouting about art and classic American cinema; her heel was simultaneously pressing down on his forehead while the stiletto was digging into the bottom of his eye socket.
"Do not speak… Until I allow you to…"
The eye was throwing off his vision as both his eyes were in completely different directions. Clenching his teeth he did whatever it took to end this torment.
"... Yes! I understand! Please! Release me, mistress!"
It wasn't even a reaction he meant to go for. It just came out of his mouth like vomit after a night of binge drinking. She held still for a moment and released his head out from under her heel. It took a second for the eye to reset. There was still the issue of her shoe still pressing down on his head, bending it backwards.
"Mistress? What fucking right do you have to even address me, you infectious germ?"
The belt came loose suddenly and with a harsh flip to the concrete the prisoner slammed painfully into the concrete faced down. He broke his nose and with the blood gushing out he turned his head to alleviate the offended injury. The insane bitch kept speaking as he just laid there in pain.
"As I was saying, before you fucking interrupted me, the film I consider to be the most influential was a film that referenced a serial killer who killed and tortured disgusting life forms that couldn't be more disgusting or foul if they tried. One of these skills was the most influential for me."
Her tone was suddenly excited as she moved the conversation into forbidden territory.
"In one scene there was a man who was gasping and sobbing after he was forced to fuck a disgusting slut to death with a special tool. Since then I have sought to capture that sensation for myself. Could you imagine? The desperation? The fear? The mental scarring?! Oh god, I was so wet watching that pathetic fuck broken…"
What felt like forever was finally over as he was allowed to turn his head back upwards. She didn't bother to hide the jagged knife that was protruding from her crotch. This was hell. It only got worse as she elaborated on what was to really happen here.
"My quirk lets me keep someone alive as long as I keep in physical contact with them. Although if I stop touching them they die if the injury is bad enough. My record was a disappointing thirty hours; do you think you're my golden egg for a new record?"
The blood wasn even able to hit the ground due to her quirk. The damage she did was still there as she not only used her tool to work over the predator; she bit off his tongue and nose with the pieces still being attached by a length of red elastic tubing after she did so. Her ability to preserve function was not able to keep the body completely intact. They wouldn't die of blood loss or organ failure or any other sort of mortal wound or medical condition. All this still wasn't able to block out the pain and gut wrenching pain that came with surviving with the life threatening conditions. If a skilled enough surgeon was able to attend the victim then perhaps there was hope to save them. There was no such reprieve for this individual. This was her first accomplished mission at the request of the infamous Nakamura. She set a new high of thirty-six hours with this new fuckdoll.
The Next Day
Haru had woken up to the early morning sun and was already dressed to get his shop all set up for the day. It was Christmas Eve and it was just another frosty morning for the food truck owner. The van was open and ready to go when he got a phone call just then from a blocked number.
"This is him… Good."
He hung up with less than seven seconds worth of conversation. Haru re-entered the van and was considering changing out his menu for something rather luxurious but affordable for his regular clients. He smiled to himself as he knew what he wanted to serve. He used tasteful and deliberate designs for his menu that day. Sometimes even he was someone who felt charitable at this time of year. He had no passerbys until around two pm; and even with his options they were hesitant to try due to the cost that was advertised.
The first people willing to humor him were also the first people that had passed by that day and with some discussion the girlfriend convinced the boyfriend to at least be somewhat spontaneous. They approached Haru's van with the intent to get some cheap sushi and sashimi out of it. They got the holiday special which only cost about two thousand yen. The advertised fish were rather luxurious and unfamiliar to the young adults.
After seating them and getting them some hot tea the thing that made them realize that maybe this was all the real deal was Haru reaching down below to retrieve a healthy and large Amberjack from out of nowhere. It wasn't as large as it could have been; though getting something as young and healthy as this one was one in a billion for dining experiences. Haru was not only blindingly fast, he deconstructed the whole fish right before them like he was packing a suitcase for an overnight trip. His casual body language with the sheer might of the fish on his wooden countertop was a spectacle to behold for the couple.
Haru first disabled the fish with a metal icepick and struck the fish square in the head. The nerves he struck immediately got the fish to relax immediately and render the sizable piece of culinary gold edible. The knife was his usual trusty knife that was used in all his cooking. The boyfriend scoffed at the choice of cutlery as he saw online that experts spend years using one large knife to get as clean a cut as possible as to not ruin the quality of the fish. It was certain that this guy was going to ruin this fish for both him and his girlfriend
Haru fileted the fish in a matter of seconds and put the removed spine and head off to the side for later. The girlfriend was amazed, but even more than her the boyfriend was far more impressed. From the video's he saw the cuts made by the sushi chef that broke down the fish with that massive knife took some effort and a steady wrist with the assistance of others he trained. Even then there were still visible signs where he stopped to adjust his cut to even out his trajectory. The filet Haru retrieved was so clean and flawless he could swear there was still some movement in the meat; like the fish didn't even realize it was dead yet. Haru got the dish assembled in no time and before serving the wooden boat filled with delicious sashimi; he first got some hot sake going for the couple to better open up their senses and taste the dish. They insisted that it wasn't what they ordered and Haru insisted right back that it came complimentary with the meal. Now committed they both took a piece of the sashimi each and bit into the first piece at the same time.
It was a rush of different chemicals in their brains as the fish was so perfect that it almost overwhelmed the couple right then and there. Sweet, savory, all the flavors that made sashimi forced the couple on their knees and made them submit to it's flavor. The scent was even clean; no foul smell lingering, just a scent that was almost equally pleasant as tasting the fish itself. The couple couldn't help but let their tears flow at the sheer perfection of the fish given to them. They were there for over an hour as they savored and indulged themselves in every morsel of the sashimi. The soy sauce and wasabi offered was even perfect. Perfect saltiness mixed with an herbal spiciness that was just right for the fish. By the end the couple were stuffed and refused the additional courses available for the same price as they didn't want to taint the memory of the taste they captured today.
Lucky for those two, they would never know the actual cost of the meal that day. It was rather unsporting to enjoy a meal that was well over eight figures with a simple price tag of two thousand yen.
Two Hours Later
Haru didn't have any other customers since the couple and was just taking his time deconstructing the rest of the fish. There was no reason to rush and it was just a leisurely activity for the chef. He had placed the edible organs aside and split the filets into unique containers specifically designed for long term preservation of proteins. They were not going to sit around for long, but it still helped in keeping everything as preserved as possible. After that matter was settled he moved to start breaking down the head. A familiar set of footsteps were crunching the snow outside the van; as expected the two children he took upon himself to watch for the holiday season came bounding up to his van from around the corner.
"Haru-san! Merry Christmas!"
With a simple bow of his head he acknowledged their presence. The snow was still fresh and plentiful for the children to do whatever they wished with it. Samidare wasted no time in making a snow angel in a fresh pile of snow with feverish excitement. Tsuyu was right behind her brother in finding something to do and fell into the task of building a snowman. She started packing snow into as large of a ball she could hold; with a decently heavy ball of frost the sphere was dropped into the snow and rolled around building up even more mass as it kept rolling around. The little brother was just placing the finishing touches on the snow angels with halos being carved above their heads. Noticing the newest project his sister was working on he asked for something to do so that he can help her. She asked him to start on the mid section which he dutifully began working on.
Meanwhile, Haru was boiling a kettle and getting a pot ready with some toasted barley grain inside a tea siv. Getting a boil he poured out the hot drinks for himself first and placed two more mugs to the side for when the kids were ready to take a break. A nice and simple hot beverage to keep the chill of winter out of one's bones. The kids were putting the final touches to round out the edges on their snowman's body parts. Once done the two of them tried to lift the mid section of the snowman onto the base with little success. Tsuyu was gifted with a higher level of strength typical of kids her age; yet still their ambition may have been just a bit beyond them as they were unable to heft the massive thing off the ground.
"Tsu, just keep pushing!"
"I'm trying!"
They were only able to rock it back and forth between each other as they kept up their fruitless efforts. It was christmas eve and they had yet to build a snowman during the season. With another heave that was counted down by Tsuyu; like a miracle, the mass of snow miraculously stopped being so heavy and got up off the ground. In fact, there was too little resistance as it was like the giant snowball was beginning to go higher than they thought possible.
"Aaand, there we go!"
Ah. Far from being a sudden burst of strength or loss of gravity; it was Haru who had left the van to help the kids get their snowman done. What was surprising was that in his hands it looked like it weighed nothing to him. Adults truly were something else.
"Alright! Who wants to put the head on?"
"Ooo, me! Pick me!"
There wasn't even a bidding war between as Tsuyu let her little brother have at it. The head was heavy for the boy, but he held on for dear life as Haru picked both the boy and the snowman's head all at once to give the boy the necessary height. The base structure was complete. The kids looked at it with pride as their hard work looked pretty good to them.
The day went on as the kids put rocks and sticks on their creation to give it some much needed life. Haru even gave them a carrot for the nose to finish off the snow sculpture. They all backed up and admired their creation. It was a snowman, indeed. For the kids they still felt like something was still missing from making it complete. Tsuyu tugged at Haru's pant leg to ask him a question.
"Haru-san?"
"Hm? What's up Tsu?"
"Do we have a hat we can use? It feels like he needs one."
"Hmmm… I see what you mean… Hang on, I've got a better idea."
Haru returned to his van to quickly retrieve a few things. The kids were rather curious as to what he had in store; they got their answer as Haru came back with his apron and a spare bandana. He gingerly placed the apron around its neck and tied off the back of the apron. Bandana in hand, he then tied off the headwear and gave everything a final adjustment. Both he and the kids took their time to admire how much better that was.
"Well, I always wanted an employee with a cool attitude."
"Yeah! He can- he could help you out and stuff!"
Sami walked right up to the snowman and began lecturing it.
"Okay, Mr. Snowman! Your mission is to help out Haru-san with everything, understand?!"
The snowman was dead silent. Sami took it in stride and just nodded satisfied with his pep talk.
"Anyways, c'mon. I made us some hot barley tea."
Like bear cubs they trudged through the snow right behind him and got on the stools for their much deserved refreshment. Above them the sunroof's built-in heater was on and helped to combat the numbness that the kids were rubbing out of their hands. They took off their hats and extra scarves to let their heads breathe as Haru now took the cooled tea and poured them a cup of tea each. They graciously took their drinks and sipped the almost hot tea while keeping it from burning their tongues. It was a painless affair since Haru already took care of that by letting the pot sit to cool it off a little. From below the counter he also retrieved a tin that revealed a medley of cookies that were frosted, had jam in them, or were baked again in honey for a crisp caramelized exterior.
"Ooooo! Wow, these look so good!"
"Haru-san, Where did you buy these?"
In a mocked offended tone he scoffed like a cartoon drama queen.
"You don't think I can't bake these myself; do you?!"
Tsuyu thought that for a moment she actually offended him and with a good laugh he told them it was just him joking. Still, he did elaborate that he indeed baked these earlier in the morning while he had the time to do so. The kids were happy munching on the cookies and indulging themselves on this beautiful christmas eve. Samidare was still chewing on his cookie as he asked Haru something.
"Hrru-sagh, oo u rnt hu-"
"Sami, you're spitting all over the table."
Ever the dutiful big sister she made her brother finish his chewing while wiping up the gunk that spewed from his mouth. Quickly swallowing and washing the sweet treat down with tea; Sami asked his question without the risk of choking on his food.
"Haru-san, do you want to spend Christmas with us? We wanna invite you to our house! It'll be fun!"
He was still a bit apprehensive over entering the private domicile of the family since he did say he would keep the necessary distance from their home out of respect for their privacy. However, leaving some kids alone with one another on a holiday meant for family was something he didn't want these kids to remember the holidays for. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and stewed over the idea. The kids were sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for his answer.
"..."
"..."
"... Sure, what the heck."
Christmas was looking a lot less lonely this year as the children cheered for their visitor confirming his attendance for the evening. He told the kids that he would have to repark his van to let people know that he was over at their home in case anybody came by. The kids were over the moon with the news already and just happily agreed to whatever he said. He began closing shop and to the bewilderment of the kids it was like magic seeing the van go from a restaurant to an actual van in a matter of seconds. He hopped in and told them he would see them when they got there and told the snowman to watch his spot while he was away.
At the Asui Residence
Coming in with the insistent children yanking at his arms he was the one to get them to slow down and remember to take off their winter wear before going inside. He didn't wear any layers himself so it was just the matter of tapping his boots outside before taking them off to prevent puddles. Both Tsuyu and Samidare bolted into the home as Haru took his time to observe the family home himself. There were a few decorations up here and there but it was sparse at best. It was a nice home seeing that both parents were providing financial support for their kids; but for how spacious the house was it did feel somewhat empty. Entering the living room it was like the rest of the home; decorated to a minimum. There wasn't even a christmas tree for the kids to admire. This didn't seem to affect them as much, but still.
"Haru-san, do you want anything? We can't cook, but we have other stuff."
Tsuyu was ever the considerate hostess and offered Haru hospitality immediately. Haru just shook his head and threw her a question.
"Hey, real quick. Are these all the decorations you have?"
"Mhm, why?"
A look of curiosity was enough to tell him that since the parents were working so often this was probably the best the two of them could manage before they took off for business during the holidays. Very much not neglectful, but it still kinda hurts to witness for himself. In an instant Haru pulled out his phone and dialed a number before speaking with short sentences.
"It's me, I need some holiday decorations set up for a home I'm at… No, that isn't necessary… Interior and exterior… I'll text the address…"
He hung up and turned back to the confused Tsuyu.
"Sorry about that. I thought that we could use some more festive cheer and had someone who owes me a favor. They'll be here shortly, so don't worry about anything."
Tsuyu trusted Haru's judgment and just nodded when her little brother came charging in with a gameboard that was most likely a complete mess inside with how the boy was hugging the box.
"Wanna play? I'm really good at this game!"
"Sure, I'm game. Tsu?"
"Okay!"
Thirty Three Minutes Later
"... Aaand that is my square. That many houses equals… Eighty-two dollars."
The trio that started the game became only two; Haru on one side and Tsuyu on the other. Sami was eliminated some time ago and was now cheering his sister off on the sidelines. Rather than give up immediately, she put up a fight and was just by the skin of her teeth surviving against Haru's properties that littered the whole board. She had a few assets, but was having a hard time trying to make a return on them since they were far fewer and focused on one part of the board. Now it was a game of attrition seeing that she still had disposable income to spare her own squares. She just needed Haru to get back to the part of the board with her properties to make him pay her ridiculously high taxes. As Haru finished collecting his money and grabbed the dice; the doorbell rang and let everyone inside know someone was there.
"Ah, must be the decorators. Here, Sami; take over for me."
"Huh, wha-"
"Yes! I'm back, sis!"
As much as he loved his sister; a dark grin split his face in half while imagining her downfall at the board that was already set up for him to win. Tsuyu refused to let her brother hold this over her head for the rest of their lives. She told him to bring it and between the siblings sparks were flying. While that delightful showdown was going on Haru opened the front door to see that the decorators were already starting on the front of the home and making incredible progress. The employee in front of him bowed to him as means to keep everything under wraps.
"Good afternoon! Are you Nakamura Haru?"
"I am."
"Perfect; sign here please."
With his finger he signed the tablet and let the indoor team come in with all the accouterments for holiday decorations. They set up their tasks in record time and got to work transforming the home into an ideal christmas wonderland. He returned to the living room where the kids were far too distracted with their game to completely notice the decorators working all around them. Seeing this as his opportunity to get his part of the holiday festivities done he returned to his van and began retrieving all sorts of ingredients from cold storage and got to work in the kitchen for dinner.
An Hour Later
"..."
"..."
"..."
"... I'm hungry."
Sami's stomach broke the tension that the siblings were engaged with since it was just a little while ago they ate cookies and nothing much else. In a rather impressive turn of events Tsuyu was slowly making a comeback and now possessed more money than before and was even able to force her brother to sell some properties. Her area was slightly bigger but still there was a deadlock for domination on the game board. She sighed and stretched her neck and back after sitting on the floor for so long in intense focus.
"Okay, let's see if Haaaa…"
They looked around at the unfamiliar aesthetics of their living room and couldn't believe their eyes. All sorts of decorations like garland, holly, a christmas tree with lights, and other accessories painted the entire space like a storybook. Even the light in the room felt different with a slightly warmer tinge. They almost thought they were in the wrong house for a moment. The two of them then saw Haru was fiddling around in the kitchen with the oven and stoves as the delicious and succulent smell of select spices wafted out of the kitchen. They carefully approached and saw that he had swapped out his earlier simple attire for plaid slacks and a red short sleeve button up with a plaid bowtie to bring the ensemble together. There wasn't a bead of sweat on him as he manipulated ingredients inside what felt like a sauna. He had what looked like breaded katsu of some sort before he caught the children peeking from their pseudo hiding spot.
"Hey guys! Did you have fun?"
They could only manage to nod as Haru went ahead and returned to the vat of whatever was creating all the heat in the kitchen. Careful in introducing the breaded meat he deep fried them in peanut oil without causing the oil to blow up in his face.
"Dinner's coming in a bit, so just get your hands washed and anything else you need to do beforehand."
Sami's growling stomach in reaction to all the different scents creating an aroma unlike anything he's had before. His sister walked him to the bathroom to wash their hands; entering the hallway it was just as colorful and festive as it was in the living room and kitchen. They let their eyes wander around and admired how decorations could drastically change the feeling of a home. They were understanding of their circumstances since their parents worked hard and would always make time whenever they could for their children. It wasn't that they were upset or disappointed in them; but sometimes they wished they could have something like this more often with all of them together. Inside the hallway bathroom Tsuyu helped her brother up to wash his hands and washed hers right after him. They returned to the dining table and saw a red tablecloth draping the surface. On the table there were plates and utensils ready to go.
Back in the kitchen the finished product of all his deep frying were these lovely chicken strips cooked so crisp the breading shattered more than it did break. This light and crisp exterior served as a vehicle for the tender and juicy chicken that it encased. Rather than balanced or mild, they had a slight kick to them that just didn't care for the person eating; it was delicious and it wanted you to know that. After that there was roasted chopped potatoes, mash with gravy, asparagus, salad, grilled squashes, etc.
Both children were seated and ready to eat. Anticipating a feast like nothing they've ever had; Haru delivered as he brought over each dish for the two siblings. After taking his seat and giving thanks with the kids they all took part in emptying the food little by little into their stomachs. The kids were completely floored by how good everything was and had to be reminded by the adult to slow down or they would risk choking by accident. It was still at an impressive speed these two were sucking up everything on the table. Since he also valued the idea of a balanced meal for kids he got the two of them to have decent enough portions of the vegetables. Only Sami was the stubborn one and after making a compromise of just one bite it was a new revelation that maybe everything Haru touched just tasted good no matter what.
After Dinner
Like a good host in someone else's house he got the kids to take part in games like charades and other similar party games. They had a great time just making ridiculous impressions and laughing at the silly messed up phrases he had them try and decipher. It may not have been the same without the rest of their family; but it was a pleasant enough distraction for the kids that they were able to forget about their troubles easily enough.
Midnight
Sami was heading down to the kitchen to get some water for himself. He yawned deeply and drowsily marched downstairs for a glass before going back to sleep. What made his ears perk was something rustling softly and footsteps that made him stop for a second to realize someone was in the house. Rather scared but curious, he inched to the slightly open living room door and peered through to try and catch a glimpse of the intruder. Whoever it was looked to be a slightly larger individual; from over his shoulder a bag that looked like it was already filled up with stuff was placed gently on the floor. What made the small boy switch from scared to elated was the subtle laugh the man made. It took a moment but passing by the christmas tree he could see that it was a large man; a large man wearing a great big red suit. He tried with all his might to be stealthy and swift as he leapt into his sister's room and scared her half to death with the sudden intrusion.
"Ah! What th-"
"Shhhh, it's me!"
She tried her best to rest her racing heart and get her bearings after being woken up so violently.
"Ugh, Sami. What? Another bad dream?"
He shook his head no and while shushing her and getting her to follow him downstairs; she was seriously hoping that whatever this was, was worth her waking up at this hour of the night. She followed her brother to the living room door and peeked through the same door right above him. Her heart also jumped as now it was clear there was a fat man in red with a beard similar to Haru's with far more hair and which reached his chest. He was also pulling things out of his bag rather than taking things and was putting them under the tree. The bag was drawn closed and hefted back over his shoulder; but before leaving he took a cookie and ate it before taking a drink of milk to wash it down. He gave one last laugh quietly and disappeared through the chimney, despite being far too big to squeeze himself or the bag through it. Sure enough, when the kids waited for a moment before they went over to check the chimney. What they saw indeed confirmed what it was they just saw. From out the window they saw something fly away while trailing sparkling light and say something as it flew away.
"Ho ho ho, merry christmas!"
The children were unable to contain themselves and began to leap and dance all over the room screaming their young hearts to their content.
"He came! Santa came! Santa was here!"
Meanwhile, unknown to the children, Haru was leaning up against the street side of his van while smoking. He saw the flying light and heard the jolly laugh and just took another drag. He pulled out his phone and called someone.
"... Good job."
He hung up and got into his van for his own night of rest. He certainly did his part in giving the Christmas joy that these kids were in dire need of.
XX Years Later
Finally at his destination; Haru got to work getting his business up and running before any students began to show up at his location. This day was beyond important for a few of the attending candidates he knew and he was here to make sure that they were at the very least properly fed before going in.
