The Accountant, Part 3
Shino would gradually calm down from her initial shock as she allowed Kirito to explain. While sitting on her office chair, the accountant listened attentively to the saucier as she learnt everything about him, such as Yui being his foster daughter, their people and home world, his life as an army captain and the emperor's chef back in Mizuho, his magical abilities, the great war that ravaged his country three years and eight months ago, and how they built a route between their respective worlds. When he finished his explanation ten minutes later, Shino rubs her temples and looks back at the former army captain.
"So, not only you and Yui were from a world where people can perform magic, but you two even fought in a war that determine the fate of humanity?" Shino asked.
"That's right." Kirito nodded with his arms folded.
"Wow. I never thought I would ever have a dual-wielding magic-using swordsman who was formerly the captain of an entire army as my co-worker." Shino said, momentarily tilting her head to the side and arching an eyebrow at him. "But why? Why are you telling me all of this when you and your people are prohibited in revealing too much of this information?"
"Because I want to share my story with you." Kirito said grimly. "How I don't want you and your mother to have the same fate as me and my father."
"Who is your father?" Shino asked. The saucier takes a deep breath before placing his hands on the sides of his hip.
"My father was formerly the second-in-command of the Mizuho Defence Army." Kirito explained. "And thirteen years ago, he and his wife took me into his family."
"You were adopted?" Shino said with her eyes widened.
Kirito nodded before continuing, "I was only nine years old when they did. And being the lonesome orphan child who wanted a new family back then, I quickly saw them as my father and mother even though I knew we were not related by flesh and blood. I can still remember all the times when he cared for me. But one year later, when our summoner failed to form a pact with the sacred beast who protected my people for generations, monsters from the wilderness attacked our hometown shortly after. My people managed to drive them off, but because some lives were lost that day, his superior banished himself out of shame. Thus, my father took over his role as the new captain of the Mizuho Defence Army. When he did, he became overzealous. He was so eager in wanting to prove to our emperor and the people of Mizuho that he could be a better captain than his former superior ever was. One who can defeat every monster in existence and keep every Mizuhan safe and alive. He was prideful too. So prideful that he wants either one of his children to be his heir and second-in-command. So only at the age of ten, me and my sister were enlisted into the army and went through his tough and rigorous training."
"That's awful." Shino murmured.
"My sister couldn't handle it after two years and wanted to quit. My father punished her for her weakness, but my mother and I protected her, and I vowed to him that I will train twice as hard on her behalf. And so, for the next six years, I spent my entire childhood doing nothing but training and fighting monsters alongside him and my fellow Mizuhan warriors. My mother could not bear seeing me throwing my freedom away, so she begged my father to stop being obsessed with training me to become the best. But he kept ignoring her. Realizing he is no longer the man she loved, she decided to leave the family, and my sister and I were heartbroken. But my father cared more about his reputation, and he was able to maintain it for eight years." Kirito lowers his head and narrows his eyes. "But as they say, the greater the ambition, the harder the fall."
"What happened next?" Shino inquired. Kirito looked back at her.
"One day, my father sent out a scouting party to a cave where one of the monsters' leaders known as the Skull Reaper is hiding. Half of them went in and never returned. But my father is confident that he and his strongest men in the army, including me, can defeat it and lessen the monsters' activity around our hometown." The saucier shakes his head. "It didn't go so well. Even though we were fully prepared, the Skull Reaper took us by surprise. And despite our strength and agility, it was just too powerful for us. As I see all my fellow Mizuhans who I've travelled, fought, and trained alongside with go down one by one, I yelled at my father to pull back. But he was too stubborn. He wanted to keep fighting, or at least die as a martyr. But just like what he did to my mother, I ignored his pleas, knocked him unconscious, and the last remaining Mizuhans risked their lives to get me and my father to safety." Kirito sadly looks down at the floor. "We got out of the cave alive. But the Skull Reaper still lives. And all our men died in vain. We did not return home and report back to the emperor as heroes, but failures. The best I could do was to get down on my knees and apologize to all my fellow warriors and the relatives of those who died." He lifts his head back up with a pensive frown. "But my father didn't do the same. He rather stayed silent and avoided speaking to anyone since, to the point that he even stopped talking to his own children. And eventually, he quietly left Mizuho, leaving me to take over his position. Looking back, I can tell deep down, he knew he lost everything. His wife. His reputation. His respect. But he just could not bring himself to admit everything that happened to us was his fault."
When he finished his explanation, Kirito lets his arms hang limply at his sides and asked the accountant, "Tell me Shino, are you going to stay quiet as well? Shun the people you loved and walk away? Will you make the same mistake as my father?"
As if his words had pierced her heart, Shino could feel tears forming in her eyes. And it did not take long for them to cascade down her cheeks and splash onto her lap. While weeping uncontrollably, Shino sniffled and respond hoarsely, "I…I don't want to…but how? How can I face my mother when…when…" The woman briefly hangs her head to catch her breath before looking back at him with a shriek. "When I murdered someone right in front of her?!"
Kirito widens his eyes as he fell into silence, only broken by Shino's ragged gasps.
"It's true." Shino managed to choke out before fighting back a hoarse sob. She wipes away her tears and explained, "Six years after my father's death…when I was sixteen…me and my mother went to a bank…and while I was waiting for her to make a withdrawal…a man armed with a pistol walked into the building and held everyone hostage, including us…not wanting my mother to die the same way as my father…I ran over and tackled the man…But when he came after me…" She takes a moment to gulp. "I grabbed his gun…and shot him…and when I look back at my mother…she was horrified…and so was I…"
Shino takes another deep breath before looking down at her hands with tearstained eyes. "Even though I've saved so many lives that day…it doesn't change the fact that I still took the life of someone…with these bloodied hands."
After curling her fingers into tight fists, she slams them down onto her thighs continuously, weeping uncontrollably and cursing herself for ever being born as the person she is.
"Mother…my poor mother…" Shino sobbed when she finally brought her self-beating to a halt. "First she lost her husband…Then her only child became a murderer…so why should I ever show my face to her again?!" She ended by sobbing in despair.
However, it quickly stops when Kirito kneels to Shino's level and gently places his hands on top of hers. The accountant slowly lifts her head up to see him frowning back at her.
"I'm sorry you went through such a terrible ordeal. And while it's true that it is difficult to deal with the pain of taking someone's life, you must find the strength to move on as well." Kirito said.
"Tell me…how are you able to move on from the deaths of your fellow Mizuhans after apologizing to their loved ones?" Shino asked.
"I didn't." Kirito shakes his head, much to Shino's disappointment. "I still carry the weight of what happened that day. And not just the deaths of those who lost their lives to the Skull Reaper, but also every Mizuhan who died under my watch during the war and every mission I led since then. I will never forget them."
"I see…" Shino said dejectedly with downcast eyes.
"But I think that is a good thing." Kirito said, causing the accountant to look back at him in surprise. "Because rather than pretending that it never happened, I'm making amends to the people whom I couldn't save by keeping their memory alive, and continuing to become a stronger person than I was before. If only my father could have realized it." Shino noticed his lips are slowly curving up into a wan smile. "And I believe that's what makes us human. To find the strength to overcome fear and pain. So let us work and find it together…Shino."
Shino continued gazing at Kirito with her eyes now starting to dry up from her tears. Although she found his words encouraging and comforting, she is admittingly still a little afraid of what her mother thinks of her since that day. However, he is right. She cannot make the same mistake as his adoptive father did. If she does not find the strength and courage to face her mother, and fully accept what happened that day, she will continue living in a life of agony and loneliness. She wants nothing more than to be freed of that.
"Yes…" Shino finally nodded in agreement. "Let us help each other…Kirito."
"Then you can start by opening yourself up to them first." Kirito said.
"Them?" Shino said in confusion.
As the man stood up, he held onto Shino's hand and help her get off her chair and up on her feet. He turned and opened the door with his other hand, revealing to the accountant that Asuna, Eugeo, Yui and Klein had been standing outside his room the whole time. Shino also noticed that the waitress had her right arm extended and a yellow circle formed in front of her hand.
"Hello, Miss Asada." Yui smiled at her after dematerializing her circle and lowering her arm.
"We heard everything from you and Kirito through Yui's magic. She used it to let us hear your conversation from the other side of the door." Klein said. Kirito and Shino both step out of the room together, and the saucier releases her hand as Asuna walks over and stands in front of her.
"Shino…" Asuna said softly to her. "If you truly want to be free from your pain, you must face your mother."
"What if she despises me?" Shino asked worriedly. The manager gently places her hands on the accountant's shoulders.
"No matter what happens, we'll all be by your side." Asuna reassured.
"Because you're a part of us." Yui added cheerfully. Shino could only stare at Asuna with a pensive frown for a few moments before she suddenly wraps her arms around the manager, pulls her into a tight embrace and buries her face on her chest. With a weak smile, Asuna returns the hug and rests her chin above her head. Wanting to show their support as well, Eugeo, Klein and Yui go over to her sides and they and Kirito place their hands on her back and shoulders, letting the despondent woman know that everything will be alright.
After Shino got a hold of herself, she reveals her mother's address in Los Angeles to all her co-workers. Knowing that Frankie was originally from California, and Dickson was a former police officer, Asuna requested them if they are willing to travel to the City of Angels and help her find and bring Shino's mother to Chicago, as well as doing some investigation regarding her accountant's past. To her delight, both agreed to help her, especially since the music store owner had been to Los Angeles several times before.
Things went normally in the restaurant for the next two days. Shino was able to focus on her work with no incidents of emotional outburst, and she even managed to have good interactions with her fellow co-workers during breaks, something which she had not experienced for a very long time.
On the third day however, when Shino arrived at Calhoun Plaza at her usual time, she noticed from the outside of the restaurant that while the lights in the kitchen are on, the dining area on the other hand is completely dark. The sign at the entrance still says closed and there is no sign of any customers or her co-workers as well. Did something terrible happen to them? And why didn't they open the place for business if they arrived early?
Nevertheless, Shino hastily goes over to the back of the restaurant. She slowly turns the doorknob of the backdoor, and to her surprise, it is unlocked. She steps into the kitchen and looks around to see it is deserted, worrying the accountant even more.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" Shino asked as she cautiously stepped forward.
"SURPRISE!"
Shino screams in terror as Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Eugeo and Klein all cried in unison while standing up from behind the kitchen window.
"AGH! Don't scare me like that!" Shino shouted at them.
"Sorry." Kirito said apologetically.
"It was my idea to welcome you like this." Asuna said sheepishly while rubbing the back of her head.
"Should we have whispered instead?" Yui asked softly.
"Never mind." Shino waves her hand at them. "Anyways, why is the dining area all dark? Isn't this place supposed to be open for business?"
"We closed the restaurant for the rest of the day." Klein replied.
"What? Why?" Shino asked in bewilderment.
"So that you can spend the whole day…with her." Eugeo said.
"Her?" Shino grew more confused as everyone entered the kitchen. When they are all now standing a meter away from her, Kirito turned to his right, walks over to the office door, and opens it to reveal a woman standing and waiting inside the accountant's workroom all along.
Shino froze and gaped at her. She was middle-aged, had black eyes, long black hair tied to two braids hanging in front of her shoulders and dressed in a plain blue and light gray long-sleeved sweater, a long black skirt that goes down above her ankles and black high-heel shoes.
When the accountant manages to regain control of her voice, she gulped and murmured, "M-M-Mother…"
The woman bows her head to her daughter with a frown. "Shino."
For a few moments, Shino was unable to speak again. She is finally reunited with the mother she abandoned after six years, and the sight of her immediately hits her with a strong sense of fear and anxiety. However, the accountant closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She cannot turn and walk away now. This may be her only opportunity to close a painful chapter of her life once and for all, and she must seize it. Shino looks back at her mother with her eyes are now brimming with tears.
"M-Mom…" Shino managed to choke out. "I…I'm so sorry for leaving you. It's just…since that day at the bank…after shooting that man…I was so afraid…" The woman wipes away her tears before continuing, "I don't know what you were thinking…what kind of person you now see me as after taking away a human life…but instead of trying to talk to you…I stayed quiet…I neglected you…and left the state after graduation without even saying goodbye…"
The accountant suddenly fell on her knees and hangs her head in sorrow, now begging forgiveness from her mother.
"Mom…I'm sorry! I'm sorry for ignoring you! I didn't mean-"
Suddenly, the distraught woman widens her eyes and cuts herself off when she felt a hand placed gently on her left shoulder. She slowly looks up to see her mother, now kneeling in front of her and biting down on her lower lip while unsuccessfully trying to fight back her own tears.
"P-Please…" Her mother pleaded. "Don't do this. There is no need for you to apologize."
"Why?" Shino asked. "What do you mean by that?"
"Because…" Her mother gave a harsh sob as tears rolled freely down her cheeks. "I should be the one who is apologizing to you…I knew you saved my life that day…But I was so afraid back then…I couldn't get over my shock…to tell you that you've done nothing wrong…Because of me…you suffered so much…thinking that your mother has disowned you…I…I'm horrible!"
As her mother continued sobbing, now consumed with guilt and grief, Shino wraps her arms around her and pulls her into a warm embrace. With her own tears rolling down her cheeks, Shino gently rubs the back of her distressed mother to comfort her.
"You're not horrible…" Shino sniffled. "I never thought you are…No matter what…you will always be my mother…"
Soon, her mother wraps her arms around her daughter as well and they both remained in their hug for a long period of time, not caring that Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Eugeo and Klein are watching them from a distance with warm smiles on their faces.
When both the mother and daughter have finally calmed down, Asuna fills up a pot with water and places it above the stove. The manager turns up the heat before moving aside to allow Shino and her mother cook their homemade Shoyu Ramen noodles together.
While the other staff members watch them from a distance, both Shino and her mother repeat the entire process Asuna and Kirito did three days ago. As they worked, they conversed and laughed over what they had been doing for the last six years to make up for all the times they missed. Her mother also showers Shino with praise for how much she had improved in her cooking skills since she last saw her.
When they reached the stage in making the soup, Shino and her mother added the same ingredients Asuna used three days ago into the bowl. But after putting in the soy sauce, chicken powder, green onions, ginger, and lard, that is when her mother momentarily walks back into her daughter's office to grab her container of the special ingredient that she used to make her homemade noodles unique from the rest. After returning and adding that special ingredient into the bowl with a teaspoon, Shino carefully adds 300 millimeters of hot water and stirs their soup well. Her mother later finished cooking the noodles and added them into the soup to complete their ramen.
The other staff members walk over to them and gather round, with Klein carrying a chair and placing it behind Shino. The accountant sits down and pulls herself towards the table. She looks down and stares at the bowl of Shoyu ramen noodles she and her mother cooked for a few moments, feeling anxious as she wonders if they have done it correctly. But she soon felt her mother placing her hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see the reassuring smile on her face. Shino smiled back at her before looking back at her food and picking up her cutlery. She scoops the noodles, takes a single bite, and slurps them down her throat.
That was when Shino froze for a few moments. Asuna, Kirito, Yui, Eugeo and Klein all looked worried as the manager leaned forward and asked, "Shino? Are you-"
The accountant suddenly looks down at her noodles again, not caring that a tear had splashed onto her food. She continued eating the noodles, as well as the Ajitama egg. Thanks to the addition of her mother's special ingredient, it tastes so much better than every other attempt she had made before. Even when all the egg and noodles are eaten, Shino places her cutlery down, picks her bowl up and drinks all the soup. When it is emptied, she places it down on the table and the woman sniffled as tears roll down her cheeks again. Her lips slowly curved up into a smile, and she turned to her mother and said happily, "It's exactly how I remembered."
Asuna, Kirito, Yui, Eugeo and Klein all perk up and smile in joy and relief.
"Alright!" Klein cheered.
"Hooray!" Yui cried happily while frantically clapping her hands.
"Congratulations, Shino." Eugeo said.
Shino grabs her mother's hands and stares at her with tearstained eyes as she said softly, "Thank you, mother."
Her mother simply smiled back at her and nodded her head before gently stroking the side of her daughter's hair. After releasing her hands, Shino now turned to Asuna and the others and bowed her head to them with gratitude.
"And thank you, all of you, for all your help."
"You're welcome, Shino." Asuna said as she and Kirito smiled at her.
"But that's not the end of it." Kirito added.
"What?" Shino asked puzzled.
"You see, your mother isn't the only one we brought over here." Kirito said as Eugeo took out his phone and called their friends.
"Okay, you may come in now." Eugeo said before hanging off.
"Who's coming in?" Shino asked Eugeo. The waiter stayed silent however as the backdoor suddenly opened. Everyone turned to see Frankie and Dickson stepping into the kitchen.
"Hello there." Frankie said, smiling and waving her hand at Shino. "Are you Shino Asada?"
"Yes." Shino nodded to the redhead. "Who are you?"
Frankie and Dickson both walk over to her, and the music store owner shakes the accountant's hand.
"My name is Frankie Foster. These guys told me all about you. It's nice to meet a fellow Californian." Frankie grinned.
"And my name is Dickson Godak." Dickson said to Shino as he extended his hand to her.
"Hello Dickson, Frankie." Shino said, shaking his hand as well. "It's nice knowing you two. Do you both come all the way from LA?"
"Oh no." Frankie chuckled as she shakes her head. "Dickson here runs the dojo of this strip mall, while I own the music store."
"These are the actual people we helped your friends brought over from Los Angeles." Dickson said, gesturing to the backdoor which is still left open. When Shino turned to the doorway, everyone could see a woman, a man and a child entering the kitchen.
The woman has shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes and dressed in a long-sleeved black suit, a jade necklace around her neck, a long black skirt and black high heel shoes. The man has slicked brown hair, black eyes, and wears glasses, a long-sleeved grey suit with a red tie around the collar of his white shirt underneath, grey pants, and black shoes. Lastly, the girl has long blonde hair tied to a ponytail, black eyes, and wears a pink tank top, light purple skirt, white socks, and black shoes. Judging by her height and physique, Shino guesses she is probably about 5 years old.
As Dickson, Frankie and her mother move aside, the couple and their daughter walk over to Shino and bow their heads to her.
"Hello there, are you Shino Asada?" The blonde-haired woman asked as she, her husband and her daughter look back at the accountant.
"Y-yes." Shino replied. "Who are you?"
"My name is Naomi Fechner." The woman smiled at her.
"I'm Jonathan Fechner." The man said while his wife places her hand on their daughter's back.
"And this is our daughter Tina." Naomi introduced her to Shino.
"Hello, Miss Asada!" Tina greeted cheerfully.
"I was working at the bank you and your mother visited six years ago." Naomi said, causing Shino and her mother to gasp.
"Asuna told me about your past. Thanks to my experience as a police officer, Frankie and I were able to find the bank where the incident happened." Dickson explained to Shino.
"I was pregnant with Tina when all of us were held hostage that day, and my husband was so afraid for our lives when he first heard the news. But you bravely fought that man and saved me and my unborn child. My biggest regret that day was not being able to thank you for what you have done." Naomi said, giving Shino a weak smile while her eyes are pooled with tears. "I am so glad that I finally have the opportunity to do so after all these years."
The couple and their daughter bow down to their savior once more as Naomi said, "Thank you, Miss Asada. Thank you for saving our lives, and our family."
"Shino…" Kirito said as he walks over to the accountant's side. Shino turned to her left to see him looking back at her solemnly. "All this time, you were punishing yourself, thinking that you have done a terrible deed. And I'm not saying you are wrong to do so. But at the same time, you also have the right to think about the people you saved. And you also have the right to forgive yourself. That's what we all want you to know."
Shino turned to her other co-workers, and they all nodded their heads in agreement. She looked back to her front as Tina now walked up to her. She watches her opening her sling bag and taking out a drawing she made. The girl hands it to the accountant and Shino gently takes it from her hands. The drawing was made with colored pencils, and it shows crudely drawn images of what appears to be Naomi, Tina, and Jonathan, smiling, and standing in a horizontal row with trees beside them and a sun shining in the sky. At the top of the drawing, Shino could also see the words that are clearly written to say, 'For big sister, Shino Asada.'
"This is for you, Miss Asada. You are our hero. Thank you!" Tina said with a cheerful grin.
This caused Shino to sob once more as her tears splashed onto the child's drawing. But this time, it did not take long for her to get a hold of herself and wipe away her tears before looking back at the girl with a weak smile. As she places the drawing aside on her lap, she slowly reaches her trembling hands out to the girl. Tina quickly grabbed hold of her hands, and the two simply smiled at each other as they enjoyed this moment of peace and happiness.
Business in Asuna's Baking Company went back to normal the following day. Shortly after breakfast service is over, a pizza delivery man arrived at the front entrance of the restaurant while carrying three large boxes of pizza. Asuna paid and thanked the man before bringing the pizzas over to one of the dining tables near the front counter.
"Our lunch is here!" Asuna called out to all her employees. Kirito, Klein, Yui and Eugeo excitedly walk over to their manager as she opens all three boxes to reveal what she has bought for them.
"Here you go, everyone. Just my way of showing you all my appreciation for everything you have done for me. They are on me." Asuna smiled at them.
"Arigatou, Asuna." Kirito said as he and Yui bow their heads to her.
"Alright! Let's chow down!" Klein yelled excitedly. But just before he could grab a slice of the Hawaiian pizza in front of him, Eugeo holds out his arm in front of him.
"Whoa, wait a minute! Where's Shino?" Eugeo asked, realizing that the accountant was not present in the dining area.
When they heard the kitchen door open, everyone turned to the doorway to see Shino stepping out. After closing the door behind her, Shino stares blankly at her co-workers for a moment before noticing the pizzas placed on the dining table. A wide smile suddenly takes form on her face before she asks, "Is that pepperoni? My favorite!"
Asuna, Kirito, Yui, Eugeo and Klein all smile and chuckle as the accountant rushes through the passage between the kitchen window and front counter and enters the dining area to join them. As Shino now stands beside Kirito, the two smile at each other before turning to Asuna.
"Nice of you to join us…Sinon." Asuna said to her accountant.
"Sinon?" Eugeo asked.
"I decided to have a nickname of my own since Kazuto and Ryoutarou have one." Sinon explained. "Why don't you and Yui have one too?"
"Nah, I'm perfectly fine with my real name." Eugeo said while rubbing the back of his neck.
"Me too." Yui said. "It's easier for Papa to call me by my real name whenever he needs me anyways."
"Yeah, I honestly still find that weird given the age difference between you two." Sinon said, arching an eyebrow at Kirito.
"What's wrong with being a guardian at a young age?" Kirito shrugged.
"I guess you really are more hardworking than I thought. I like that." Sinon smiled tenderly at him. Kirito briefly smiled back at her before Asuna clears her throat.
"Shall we get started with lunch now?" Asuna asked her employees. They all nodded in response before everyone looks back at the pizzas and shouted as they start grabbing a slice for themselves,
"LET'S EAT!"
Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey, LayLay lives, Christian Alvarez1, Suzuya Akabane and jorus7 for reviewing, favoriting, and following this story. Thank you!
Merry Christmas to everyone! I'll see you all in the new year!