(Disclaimer: Ikigami manga belongs solely to Mase Motoro, but Sasuke Mura and the other unknown characters I am writing about belong to me. The story is just based on the plot line of the manga. If this disclaimer is wrong, then please do not sue me.)
Chapter 6: A Promise to a Sister
At the ice cream parlor, Sasuke and Erin were eating their favorite flavors. Sasuke had strawberry and Erin had Mint. Erin licked her ice cream and sighed happily.
"This is the best," said Erin as if she were in heaven. Sasuke nodded in agreement as she ate her ice cream. Sasuke looked at Erin and asked, "So did Sakura Child have any problems to make her quit the singing world?" Erin shrugged.
"Not that I know of. She seemed perfect in every way," said Erin and licked her ice cream. Sasuke licked her ice cream as she thought to herself.
They suddenly heard something crash and looked to the side. On the table next to them, were two girls. One looked around twenty-three and the other looked around sixteen. The sixteen year old was standing up from her chair glaring at the older girl.
"Why won't you tell me?" the sixteen-year-old girl screamed. The other girl, who was wearing a hat and shades remained silent. The sixteen-year-old clenched her fist and screamed, "I never want to see you again!" With that, she raced out of the ice cream parlor.
Erin groaned and said, "She shouldn't yell in a public place." Sasuke nodded in agreement. She recognized the sixteen-year-old from a week ago when she went to the mall last and wondered why she would make such a scene. Sasuke looked at the remaining girl, who looked downhearted.
"I'm sorry," she heard the girl whisper.
Erin finished her ice cream and got up to leave. She looked at Sasuke and said, "I'm going to head home, so see you tomorrow." Sasuke nodded and waved goodbye to Erin.
Sasuke looked at the time and decided that she should leave too. Sasuke got up and walked toward the door. The older girl from the other table was also heading toward the door. Sasuke bumped into the girl causing her hand to brush the girl's arm. Sasuke flinched as he Soul's Eye activated. Sasuke could hear the beating of the girl's heart and saw the pulmonary artery of her heart. Within it was a pulsing pill. Sasuke pulled away from the girl.
The girl looked at Sasuke and said, "Sorry." Before the girl could leave through the door, Sasuke grabbed her hand making the girl look at her.
"Something wrong?" asked the girl. Sasuke looked at the girl seriously and whispered, "Ikigami." The girl's face became pale.
Sasuke and the older girl left the ice cream parlor and walked side by side. The girl was pale as she walked next to Sasuke. Sasuke looked at the girl and asked, "When did you receive the Ikigami?" The girl gulped.
"I received it today before my concert," said the girl shaken. Sasuke looked at the girl in shock.
"Are you by chance Sakura Child?" asked Sasuke. The girl nodded and said, "My real name is Natsumi Sato." Sasuke gave a small nod.
"Is the Ikigami the reason why you didn't perform today?" asked Sasuke. The girl, known as Natsumi, nodded.
"I just couldn't perform knowing that it would be my last," said Natsumi. Natsumi clenched her fist.
"I couldn't even tell my sister the reason why I couldn't perform either," she said. Sasuke looked at Natsumi.
"Do you mean that girl you were talking to at the ice cream parlor?" asked Sasuke. Natsumi nodded.
"I don't want to tell my sister such sad news. Besides, I'm dying for our country," said Natsumi. Sasuke stared at Natsumi and asked, "Do you want to die? Don't you have things that you still want to do?" Natsumi was silent as she clenched her fist.
"Sato-Chan?"
"I made a promise a long time ago," began Natsumi making Sasuke confused.
"When my sister and I became orphans, I began to work different part time jobs to help us survive. One day, on my way home, I saw a talent show contest. The prize was two thousand dollars and I couldn't let that slip, so I entered and sung for the first time thinking of my little sister. I won the contest and a talent agent wanted to write a contract with me. I spoke with my sister and she became excited about the whole thing. I agreed to the contract and started my career as Sakura Child. I promised my sister that I would make a big name for myself and take her to Hollywood."
A tear escaped from Natsumi's eyes and then she said, "I can't keep my promise to her now because I am going to die." Natsumi clenched her head as she burst into tears.
"I don't want to die. I want to sing and keep my promise to my sister!" she cried her heart out. Sasuke looked at the crying Natsumi and smiled as she pulled out a syringe of clear liquid from her bag.
"Then I'll help you," said Sasuke. With that, she shoved the needle into Natsumi's arm and injected the fluid. Natsumi didn't have time to react as she blacked out. Sasuke caught her and whispered, "I'll try my best."
Sasuke carried Natsumi to the "hotel" she used before after she operated on Yoshiro. She walked in making the man at the desk smirk at her.
"My, aren't you open," he teased making Sasuke confused. Sasuke pushed the button to a room with a seashell shaped bed and took the key from the man.
"Don't make too much noise," he teased again. Sasuke nodded as she headed toward the elevator.
When Sasuke reached the room, she entered the room and then placed Natsumi gently on the shell shaped bed. Sasuke opened her bag and pulled out all the necessary medical equipment. She then washed her hands thoroughly and placed a medical mask on. She opened the front of Natsumi's shirt and removed the front of her bra. Sasuke placed a hand on Natsumi's chest and activated her Soul's eye allowing her to see within Natsumi's body.
Please live.
Three hours had passed, when Natsumi began to awaken. Natsumi rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She looked at her surroundings and was shocked to see herself in a room decorated like a beach. Natsumi blinked in confusion.
"Where am I?" she asked herself. She suddenly realized that her blouse was open along with her bra and blushed. She closed her blouse immediately and screamed. Sasuke ran out of the bathroom with a medical knife and screamed, "What's wrong?" Natsumi looked at Sasuke with wide eyes.
Sasuke looked toward Natsumi and said, "I see that you're awake." Natsumi clutched her blouse tightly as she stared at Sasuke. Sasuke noticed the fear in Natsumi's eyes and looked at her medical knife.
"You don't need to be afraid of this, Sato-Chan. I was just washing it," said Sasuke. Natsumi clenched her teeth and asked, "What did you do to me while I was asleep?" Sasuke smiled.
"I saved you."
"Saved me?"
Sasuke gave a nod as she placed her medical knife on a nearby table. She approached Natsumi making her flinch. Sasuke sat on the edge of the bed and pointed toward Natsumi's heart.
"I removed the Nano Pill within you, so you are no longer bound to die by law. You'll learn my words are true when twenty-four hours have passed," said Sasuke. Natsumi gasped in surprise. Natsumi placed a hand to her heart.
"It's gone?" asked Natsumi in disbelief. Sasuke nodded. Natsumi bit her lip and looked up at Sasuke.
"Saving me is going against the law, so why did you do it?" asked Natsumi. Sasuke smiled and said, "You said that you wanted to live to keep your promise with your sister." Natsumi remembered her own words before she passed out and blushed.
"But how can I make a big name for myself when I just quit?" asked Natsumi nervously. Sasuke thought awhile and snapped her fingers. She leaned toward Natsumi's ear and whispered, "Take my spotlight."
The very next day, Natsumi's sister was walking down the sidewalk looking downward. She had discovered that her sister had received an Ikigami the day before when she searched through her sister's belongings. Natsumi's sister felt empty as she walked.
Why didn't you tell me sister?
Natsumi's sister suddenly heard singing and looked up only to see a group of people gathered in front. Natsumi's sister walked to the crowd and asked, "What's going on?" One of the people looked back at her and said, "The shrouded maiden from Sakura Child's concert is singing." Natsumi's sister blinked in confusion and began to push through the crowd.
Natsumi's sister made it to the front and saw a girl with a white coat over her head singing through a microphone. Natsumi's sister clenched her fist as she looked at the girl sing.
"Who is she?" she asked herself. Natsumi's sister listened to the song and her eyes widen in surprise. She remembered the song Natsumi was going to sing for the concert and clenched her fist.
"Sister?"
The girl removed the white coat off her head revealing herself to be none other than Natsumi. The people exploded into applause when they saw that it was Sakura Child. Natsumi winked toward her sister and said, "The one and only, Kimi." Natsumi's sister, known as Kimi, burst into tears and embraced Natsumi. Natsumi hugged her back as tears escaped from her eyes too.
"How can this be?" Kimi asked as she hugged her sister. Natsumi remembered Sasuke saying that she could tell the truth if she wants, but she also remembered Sasuke's moon necklace. Natsumi smiled and said, "I was saved by the Moon Child."