7 | As She Strengthens Her Resolve
The passing sounds of student's chatter soon faded along with the setting sun. By the time a glimmering orange dawned into the infirmary, a masculine voice called out.
"Yamamoto! Your father has come to pick you up."
Yamamoto sitting slouched from his chair brilliantly smiled as he looked up. "Oyaji!"
Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, donning a fresh look while bearing a searing resemblance to the young Takeshi soon arrived before his son. He first glanced at the boy sitting on the chair then turning his gaze to the bed where a doll-like girl lied. After confirming his son was not injured, he threw out a light-hearted smile.
"So she will be my future daughter-in-law?"
Although surprised by the sudden remark, Yamamoto calmly brushed it off with another one of his sunshine laughs. It was crystal clear, one that had a mixture of youth and spring.
"Oyaji, have you ever thought of your retirement plan? You can go try out for comedy if you ever decide to hand TakeSushi down to me."
Tsuyoshi lightly scoffed at his son's comeback. "What is this oujo-chan's name?"
"Sawada Tsunami, my seatmate."
"That's it? Well, aren't you lucky to have such a pretty lady as your seatmate."
"I guess. She is quite amusing to watch."
Tsuyoshi widened his eyes with a small delight. He would never have expected his son to sprout such words from his mouth. Based on his understanding of his son, it would be a rare delight for him to even show a hint of interest to something other than baseball. His joy couldn't be contained any longer and soon the loud outburst of laughter erupted resounding within the room. There was only one person in his mind at this moment, his wife. It seems like his son is slowly healing after her death.
"Shhh…..Oyaji! You will be disturbing my seatmate!" Yamamoto caught off guard by his dad's actions hurriedly ran to press his short thin arms to his lips.
"Son, I am so proud of you. If you can bring her home twenty years later, we can work together in TakeSushi as a family of three…..or possibly four." Although his words were a bit muffled by the contact of skin, each word was clear with a hint of ambiguity.
Yamamoto not comprehending his father's words merely rolled his eyes. He didn't know his father had such a side to him. "Oyaji…"
"I think TakeSushi needs me, I will leave now! Stay safe and come back after making sure little Tsunami is fine." Sparing one final glance to Tsunami on the bed, he took off with a proud smile.
Yamamoto watched as the figure soon was covered by the white walls before lowering his head to watch Tsunami. His gaze flickering with interest as they trail down from her slightly fluttering long lashes down to her slim nose soon landing on her cherry lips. Watching her sleep so peacefully the thought then dawned down to him.
She has gotten a lot thinner recently.
His brows scrunched up at that point. The once slim figure transformed to a mere scrawny look. He truly wondered, how someone who grew up in an above average family could possibly be malnourished.
Thinking so, his mind went drifting to the many times when she would quietly heed his commands. Initially, he never thought that she would bother obeying him. Given her pride and air of loftiness, he assumed that she perhaps might have slapped his hands or get angry. Her sudden silence of obedience, therefore, amused him. From there, no matter where she went, his pair of eyes would just naturally fall upon her.
A lady groomed at birth will forever be one even after death. As such, her elegance couldn't escape Yamamoto's eyes. He found it odd and somehow amusing to decipher his seatmate's change.
Could this person really be the one amongst the rumors?
No matter how much she attempted to extinguish her presence; to him, she existed far more vibrant than any others. There was just no way for her striking blonde to be concealed within the other dull colors.
A trace of mirth entered his glassy hazel colored eyes.
The seat let out a loud screech when Yamamoto stood up but even then it couldn't disturb Tsunami from her sleep. Yamamoto stared at the young girl, eyes wiped from his previous mirth. He watched as colors were beginning to drain from Tsunami's face. Sweat dotting the forehead with clear droplets formed.
His brows crinkled as he motioned his hands to delicately tap on each droplet. Each drop had a cold touch to his hands and even worse Tsunami's temperature seemed to be slowly going on the decline.
Feeling a sort of unrest, Yamamoto nudged the fragile doll on the bed. His voice came at a hurried essence. "Tsu-" nami. But before his pair of tan hands could reach out, another pair of hands intercepted. It was swift like a snake slivering right out of the unexpected and a heavy bloodlust overwhelmed him within a moment. He slowly turned his head to meet the girl on the bed, body slightly shivering as his heart began to race.
He has never felt this way before and most certainly never seen this side of her. He saw the indifference in her eyes. He also saw the coldness seeping within her body and ironically, he felt cold sweat dripping down his back. What he never expected was for Tsunami's eyes to be glowing in a golden amber.
"!"
When Tsunami saw that it was just Yamamoto, she sucked in a cold breath of air as a mean to calm herself before gently releasing his wrist. As though she has taken everything back under her control, the orange glow soon dispersed. Tsunami bit her lips and dug her nails underneath her palms. Her erratic thoughts seemed to be even more unstable after her visit to his place again. She threw her first words upon waking up in a menacing cold tone.
"How long have I slept?"
No matter how hard Tsunami tried to hide her shudders of fright under her cool facade, it couldn't escape Yamamoto's eyes. He attempted to reach out once more but his hesitation made him retracted his hands. "Around eight hours. Are you okay?"
Tsunami's face revealed a bitter expression, one that puzzled Yamamoto. He narrowed his eyes as he lets one of his signature smile to be plastered on his face. "It's late, we should go home before it gets darker into the night."
Saying so, he lowered his body to pick up two similar schoolbags lying just near him and handed it to the girl whose mind has long drifted away. Tsunami shot him an irritated look while he happily accepted it with pleasure.
"Did my mother come?"
"Do you want her?"
Tsunami bitterly smiled while shaking her head. She looked at Yamamoto who shoved the two schoolbags to her hands then following his movements she watched as he turned to face his back at her with knees slightly bent at an angle. Confused she tilted her head with eyebrows scrunched.
Yamamoto laughed delightedly at her expression. "Climb on. The sooner I send you home, the sooner I can go home."
"I am not disabled. I have the strength to carry myself home." Understanding Yamamoto's intentions warmed her heart but she doesn't want to accept such actions of pity.
Raising his eyebrows, Yamamoto chuckled and nodded his head with agreement. "Alright. Try it."
Tsunami sighed at his provocation and removed the blankets covering her body. Getting up should be fine, why would there be a problem? However, she overestimated her current state of health. Just by sitting up and getting up with both feet on the ground made her body wobble with much fragility. Taking four steps made her muscles weaken at a much faster pace than climbing a staircase could. Tsunami soon found how she was unable to support herself. Her legs kneeled to the ground and soon was on all fours with the schoolbags collapsing along her.
A dense yet compact sense of horror filled her.
Yamamoto sighed as he walked over picking up the young girl. He hoisted her arms around his neck. "It's fine to be weak around me. I won't shame you for it. Putting a pretense of a strong facade will not encourage any act of respect."
Tsunami widened her eyes at his words. She felts an inextricable sense of shame drowning her heart in. For a young child very much younger than her to mouth such words, what is the use of an adult like her? Have two lives been nothing but just a playground for her to mature in?
"Hey, you can stand, right? I think we will take one day if we walk like this, I would rather carry you on my back."
Tsunami nodded her head as she stables herself. Lips pursed but her eyes were unable to hide its present guilt and grief. When the tiny yet somehow reassuring back was presented, her heart gave a tiny jitter. She couldn't feel as much thankful as she is now. Yamamoto Takeshi may be odd at times, but deep down he bears a kindness that resembles the warmth of a sun after rain.
They walked home together in the ombre color of sunset and night with one being carried and one doing the carrying. The lamps illuminated the way with lights and the houses were simply lit with a glowing light. Streets were empty but the occasional ringing of bicycles passing by would be heard. Two children with two hearts that pumped with signs of life soon arrived before a silver plate marked 'Sawada.'
Tsunami tugged on Yamamoto's clothes signaling for him to let her down. As she handed him his bag, she bowed as she sincerely voiced her gratitude and Yamamoto returned with a cheerful smile.
The night is long, the day was short. She, Sawada Tsunami will surely repay Yamamoto Takeshi back. Kindness is returned tenfold, the pain will be given back a hundredfold. This is what her teacher has taught...he was also the person who accompanied her through the depths of hell and eventually vanished in her past life.
The clicking of the door opened and Tsunami soon found herself embraced by the tender scent of vanilla. Nana peeked her head by the door and greeted with a worried face.
"Tsu-chan, why did you come back home so late?"
"I was busy taking care of the aftermath for the school festival that I promptly forgot about the time."
Nana gave her a satisfied nod as she went back to work on dinner. Tsunami took it as a sigh of relief that she won't be interrogated any further. She really has Yamamoto to thank for hiding her condition from her kaa-san. Everything must be maintained perfectly like before.
"Tsu-chan, dinner will be served soon. Hurry and wash up!"
"Okay!"
Taking a glance at her kaa-san who is busy with cooking, Tsunami gripped to the railings with both hands attempting to pull herself up the stairs one at a time. By the time, she has reached the second floor to her bedroom her kaa-san called out from the bottom.
"Dinner is ready!"
Tsunami knotted her brows with a serious look on her eyes but her voice was soft and nonchalant. "Kaa-san, can you leave my dinner in a separate plate? I will eat it later."
The door was opened and Tsunami used the little strength she had to move her body. After getting to the room, she let a loud sigh of relief. She relaxed her head by the walls as her eyes slowly closed. A scene of black consumed her thoughts and she thought back to what the Flames of the Night had said.
.
.
"So is our little game finished yet?"
The clanking of the teacups was set aside. The man with a tear-shaped tattoo gave a large prominent smile. His grin so wide that it gave Tsunami the urge to use a knife and stretch its marks past his ears and to his brains. She gave him a cold smirk and mused herself in his presence.
"Do you have a name? If not, surely I can name you after bastard."
The man hurriedly shushed the girl with his fingers that would constantly blaze in black flames. He shook his head in a worried manner and sighed tragically. "My dear lovely host, young ladies must not say such foul words. Weren't you raised in an aristocratic family? What happened to manners? Manners!"
"Manners are used for humans, I doubt I need to treat a parasite with manners?"
"I am happy for such compliment. Parasite is a word befitting of my nature."
"Ah...is that so. Then I wonder if the parasite will die if someone kills it?"
The man gave off several shrieks of laughter. As the tension in the air ceased to ease, he suddenly came to a stop as he flashed steps from behind Tsunami indicating a hush by placing his flaming index finger by her lips. Tsunami stiffened her body in response, eyes becoming murky with an indescribable mist.
The man gently spread his fingers covering the small jaw, pinching the little chin that soon turned red he lowered his head to whisper a string of hot breath.
Tsunami's eyes slowly became cold and her voice also followed by declining in its normal warmth. "Are you planning to silence me?"
The man chuckled and shot her a disdainful look. "No. In fact, if I do I will also be silenced along with you. Why would I do such a foolish thing? But it seems like my host is by far too persistent. I hate disobedient children but I am a gentleman so I decided to give you a week. I will multiply my hatred and anger by ten times starting today and after that from each day forth, the following dark energy will double. If you can endure by the end of the week, I will become your loyal dog but if you can't eventually my own flames will consume your soul flames."
Tsunami gnashed her teeth, her eyes flaring up a murderous gaze. A budding sensation of anger, frustration, and confusion bubbled within her. When she looked up to meet the moist black eyes glistening with joy, she forced a smile on her face.
"Why should I agree to such a disadvantageous condition?"
"Simply because I have the final say."
.
.
.
His words irked her and Tsunami desperately wanted to wipe off the smirk on his face. This is the second time she has felt such a strong urge to kill someone. The first time was for that person who murdered her family and framed her. The second time is for the man in front of her.
He took her life and crumbled it up simply because he wants to. He took away all her sensation and bestowed pain and madness simply because he wanted a pawn to abide by his will.
With a snap of his fingers, he sent her back to where she originally belong. Upon opening her eyes, Tsunami saw a thin beam of ray shining straight on her face and a tiny hand on top of her forehead. Perhaps the anger and fear from earlier lingered so her caution took control and signaled for her hand to grip the incoming harmless danger.
She didn't know what kind of expression she might have displayed but Tsunami can assume that it must've been something frightening since Yamamoto's eyes were flickering with fear along his slightly trembling body.
Such a scene ashamed her deeply. She has wished she could've controlled herself better. She wished she would have remained calm when facing such a case. However, she knew better than anyone how much frustration is bottling up inside of her.
When she remembered the feeling of the harsh stabs entering and exiting her body like countless prickling needles, what truly hurt her was the humiliation for failing her attempted revenge. She still remembered how when she was near death, her face was tainted with the smear of blood and tears. While repeatedly muttering 'sorry, sorry, sorry' all she could've done was lower the sound of whimper that came out of her mouth from the countless wounds that invaded her body left and right.
Her death might not have been a beautiful thing but she breathed a final breath of relief.
'At last, it has finally ended.'
That's what she had thought until the fast transitioning of the scene upon the opening of her eyes was in a room filled with white.
She feels helpless. Very helpless. What kind of body has she entered? What kind of world has she been rebirthed into? Why is she able to see humans painted with a surrounding black aura?
Flames? Why did she have two colored flames sprouting out of her hands?
So much question with no answer. So much confusion with no clarity and so much frustration that are waiting to be pent up.
Kami, why am I being punished with two lives? Is it because my soul is a sinner?
If so, let it be. She has become numb to the pain. It no longer hurts...at least not as much as the humiliation that she suffered from both lives.
As such, she is willing to give up her new life to take the bet on. My pride is not something that I can easily forfeit. My will is something that will remain even if I die.
She will not let anyone else trample on her any longer.
In the room surrounding her with the feeling of comfort, she remained guarded. Her eyes mirroring that of a predator and arms placed around her with alertness. She didn't know why every time she fell unconscious, her soul would enter another place. To prevent it from occurring, the only option is to stay awake.
Since she planned to forfeit her life, she will do it so that her presence will leave respect behind.
Oh my god...I am scared of how stubborn my OC will become in the future but for that I respect her. I designed her with the mindset that she is a warrior. Is she resembling one? Surely, she seems like a reckless beast. The next chapter will be released tomorrow and so forth until the beginning of the next arc.
