Chapter 3: Starting Afresh
It has been an hour since the sun rose in the sky. And despite the bright rays of sunlight now shining through the gap between the curtains and into his bedroom, Shu only woke up for a moment to give a soft moan before he closes his eyes again, turns to the other side of his mattress, and snuggles against his pillow. It is thankfully Sunday after all, and it is the only day of the week when he does not need to go to work. And just like every other Sunday that came before it, Shu is planning to sleep much longer than usual and later spend the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing without a care in the world. As he drifts back to sleep, nothing will ruin this perfect morning-
"Shu Ouma."
Shu yelps and snaps his eyes open as soon as he felt Inori nudging his left shoulder and calling out his name. He groans as he looks up to see the girl kneeling in front of him.
"Inori…why did you wake me up?" Shu muttered.
"Your mother is cooking breakfast. You should eat it before it gets cold." Inori replied flatly.
"Did Haruka ask you to wake me up?" Shu asked, glaring back at her.
"No." Inori shakes her head. "I thought it is necessary for everyone to eat their appropriate meal before you head off to work."
"But I don't have to work today!" Shu cried.
Inori stayed silent for a moment. "I don't get it. I thought people need to work every day."
"How did you get that idea?" Shu asked.
"Everyone back in Matou Industries worked and trained tirelessly every day." Inori said.
"Of course, it has to do with Matou Industries." Shu murmured. He grumbles under his breath for a moment before finally giving up his trip back to cloud nine. He removes the blanket off him as he rises from his mattress.
"Fine! I'm up now! Thanks a lot, Inori!" Shu yelled in annoyance as he gets himself up on his feet and scratches his messy hair.
Inori stands up and bows her head to him in response. "You're welcome."
After grabbing a plain olive-green t-shirt and a pair of black jeans from his wardrobe, Shu heads to the bathroom with Inori following him from behind. He orders her to stand outside before locking himself in the room and spend the next ten minutes taking a warm shower. While standing outside and gazing at the door, the pink-haired girl suddenly heard footsteps coming from the staircase. She turns her head to her left and sees that it is none other than Haruka walking up and over to her.
"Where's Shu?" Haruka asked.
"In the bathroom cleansing himself, ma'am." Inori said.
"I see." Haruka glances at the bathroom door. "It's unusual for him to wake up early in a Sunday morning."
"I was the one who woke him, ma'am. He seems displeased with what I did though." Inori explained.
"Oh, don't worry. That's the same reaction I get too whenever I wake him up to go to work during the weekdays and Saturdays." Haruka chuckled for a moment before walking closer to Inori. She rubs the back of her neck as she explained to her, "Listen, even though you two just met yesterday, I want you to take good care of Shu. Sometimes I believe that the reason why Shu is the way he is now is because he never had anyone to interact with for a long time. Not even me could help him. So please, as your superior, try talking to him, and learn more about him as much as you can. Can you do that for me?"
Inori solemnly bows her head to her. "I will, ma'am."
"Arigatou." Haruka bows back to her before looking at the clothes Inori is currently wearing. "Did Shu lend his clothes to you?"
"Yes, ma'am." Inori nodded.
Haruka sighed inwardly. "Wait here."
As Inori looks back at the bathroom door, Haruka walks into her room. She goes over to her wardrobe and looks through her clothes until she found a smaller sized yellow shirt and a light blue skirt which she used to wear during her youth. After grabbing them, she leaves her room and walks back to the pink-haired girl.
"Here Inori. You can have this." Haruka said as Inori turns back to her. She extends her arms and hands her old clothes to her. "I used to wear this when I was in college. I think they will suit you."
Just then, Shu unlocks and opens the bathroom door to reveal himself all dried up and dressed in his new clothes. As Inori and Haruka turn to him, Shu frowns at his stepmother.
"Hello Haruka." Shu murmured.
"Good morning, Shu." Haruka replied before she turns away and walks down the stairs. "Your breakfast is waiting for you downstairs."
Shu and Inori look back at each other as the boy said to her, "It's your turn to bathe."
Inori took five minutes to finish her shower, dry herself up and change into Haruka's clothes. When she steps out of the bathroom however, Shu holds up his hand in front of her and orders her to get back in. Inori backs away from him as Shu approaches her. And when they are both in the bathroom together, the brown-haired boy closes the door behind them.
He grabs a spare toothbrush from the cabinet and applies some toothpaste on it. Realizing that Inori may not know how to brush her teeth throughout her time in the secret facility while he was waiting outside, Shu decides to teach her how and hands the spare toothbrush to her. After grabbing his own toothbrush, Shu tells her to watch as he reveals his teeth and shows her how he brushes them every morning. He now orders her to stare at herself in the cabinet mirror and do exactly what he did. As Inori did what she was told, Shu turns to the sink and fills his mug with water. He rinses his mouth thoroughly before spitting out the water into the sink and cleans his toothbrush. After putting his mug and toothbrush aside, Shu turns back to Inori. But to his shock, the pink-haired girl is still brushing her teeth so much that foam is rolling down the sides of her chin and spilling onto the bathroom floor. Shu orders her to stop and spit out the contents in her mouth into the sink. Inori did as she was told, and Shu grabs a clean hand towel before he stands beside her and wipes off the remaining foam around her mouth.
Shu and Inori later head down to the dining area where they see Haruka sitting at her chair and reading a newspaper. When she sees the two children coming over to her, Haruka puts her newspaper aside and gestures them to the food and drinks she had placed for them on the table. The cups are filled with fresh orange juice and each plate contains two sunny side up eggs and a few pieces of fried bacon. Shu and Inori grab and sit on their own chairs, and the three of them pick up their cutlery and eat their food.
After slicing off a portion of an egg with a knife, Inori picks it up with her fork and stares briefly at it. She inserts the food into her mouth and slowly chews on it.
"So, what do you think of my food?" Haruka asked Inori with a smile. After swallowing it down her throat, the pink-haired girl places her cutlery down and turns her head to her.
"It tastes…different." Inori replied.
"How so?" Shu inquired.
"Much softer and silkier than the substance we ate back in the facility." Inori said.
"What exactly did you eat?" Haruka asked apprehensively.
"They called it 'Graer weive'. When you eat it, it melts inside your mouth, but feels a little harder than your food." Inori explained to Haruka.
"I don't think I ever want to eat that." Shu winced.
"But it does provide us the right amount of nutrients to maintain a strong body." Inori said.
"I'll just stick to fruits and veggies for that, thank you." Shu murmured as he grabs his cup and takes a sip of his juice.
"Shu is right. From now on, you can forget about whatever they serve you back there and enjoy eating and drinking what we have to offer here. Thankfully, this island is full of places that serves all kinds of delicious food." Haruka said to Inori before turning to her stepson. "Why not bring her around the city if you are planning to go out today, Shu?"
Shu sighs and he places his cup down and turns his head to his stepmother. "That's exactly what I was going to tell you, Haruka." He said before turning to Inori. "Inori, as part of living your life free and normal, I am going to take you around the city today and experience what the outside world is like."
"But I already know what the outside world is like. Its terrain and weather are harsh, brutal-"
"No!" Shu interrupted her. "I meant what people normally do every day to spend their lives and time in this world!"
"Such as training? Fighting?"
"No!" Shu cried at her. "I meant shopping! Eating! And having peaceful walks to relieve their stress!"
"What is stress?" Inori inquired. In response, Shu groans heavily and buries his face in his hands.
'If only father was here. He would know how to handle her.' Shu thought miserably.
"Shu, please." Haruka said calmly as she places her hand on his shoulder. "Go easy on her. She hasn't lived like a normal human being for a very long time."
Shu removes his hands and lifts his head up as he looks back at Inori, who continues staring blankly at him. He lets out a heavy sigh as he reminded himself that he needs to get more information regarding his father from her after all. As he places his arms down on the table, Shu simply nods his head and replied to his stepmother, "Alright."
When the three finished eating their breakfast, Shu and Inori got up from their chairs and walk over to the living area while Haruka help bring the plates and cups to the sink and wash them.
"I need to go to my room to grab my jacket. Just sit on the sofa and wait." Shu ordered Inori while pointing at the couch. Inori nods her head and sits on the couch while Shu walks away and up the staircase.
After Haruka finished cleaning the cups and dishes, she puts them aside and turns around to see the girl staring into space as she sat there and wait. She chuckles and walks over to her.
"Come now, Inori. Don't feel bored while waiting for him. Why not watch some television while you're at it?" Haruka said before grabbing the remote from the coffee table in front of Inori. She aims it at the television and turns it on. The visuals suddenly appear onscreen, startling Inori as she flinches and widens her eyes.
On the television screen, both Haruka and Inori see a woman with gold eyes and long lime green hair standing alongside another actor dressed as a humanoid black bear in front of a forest backdrop.
"Oh, what do you know? Molly and the Magical Forest is on air." Haruka commented as she passes the remote to Inori.
"Why Molly! That is a beautiful dress you are planning to wear for tonight's Annual Forest Dance!" The bear said cheerfully to the woman with a Cockney accent.
"Why thank you very much." Molly smiled at the bear before twirling around to show off the tan long-sleeved dress she is currently wearing. "Mrs. Leap made it for me in her burrow for the last few days. It turns out great, doesn't it?"
"It sure does." The bear nodded.
"What about you, Horace?" Molly giggled. "Are you ready for tonight's dance?"
Horace's eyes softened as he sadly lowers his head. "Well…not really…"
"What's wrong?" Molly asked concernedly.
"I'm afraid that the other animals do not want to dance with me. I'm big…tall…and have claws and teeth so sharp that it can cut through any tree. Why would anyone want to go near someone who looks big and scary? Sometimes, I wish I wasn't a bear at all." Horace said sadly.
"Horace, don't say that." Molly said sympathetically as she gently grabs the bear's claw. "We should never wish to be something else. All of us are special in our own ways, and we should be happy with ourselves for what we are."
"How can I be happy with myself if I'm not as attractive as Thomas the peacock, or look small and gentle like Diana the beaver?"
"Horace…acceptance is not based on what you are born as. Acceptance is based on what you have done for others and yourself." Molly smiled warmly at the bear.
"Like what?" Horace asked. Suddenly, a beaver puppet pops up from the right bottom side of the screen.
"Like without your help, I wouldn't be able to finish fixing my dam in time before the dance!" The puppeteer playing as the beaver said to Horace in a high-pitched Lancashire accent.
"Diana!" Horace said happily to her.
"That's right!" Molly said cheerfully to Horace and Diana before a peacock puppet walks over to Horace from the left side of the screen.
"And without you…"
As the puppeteer playing as Thomas the peacock continue speaking, Haruka explained to Inori as her eyes stay fixated at the television, "That's C.C. playing as Molly by the way. She only started acting in the UK a few months ago and she and her show had already gained so much popularity among children and parents around the world. Seriously, a woman whom we don't know what her real name is, and becoming a popular actress in just a few months, it's like she's from another world or something." She finished with a chuckle as she looks down at her watch. "I better start cleaning my car."
As Haruka walks away and steps out of the house, Inori continued watching and listening to the television as all the show's main characters are now onscreen, surrounding Horace and Molly as they cheer the bear up with their words of praise and admiration.
"Aww, thank you so much." Horace said as he wipes his right eye. "I never knew how much you guys love me despite my appearance."
"You see, Horace? You don't have to look adorable and beautiful to be accepted by others. You are already admirable, just for being who you are." Molly said.
"I know that now. Thank you so much, Molly." Horace bows his head to her. Molly smiled and slightly lifts the sides of her dress as she bows back to him. "But there is still one more thing that makes me nervous."
"And what is it?" Molly asked in concern.
"I don't dance very well." Horace said nervously, causing Molly and the other animals to laugh. The woman gently grabs Horace's claws again and looks straight into his eyes.
"Alright. Just move along with me." Molly said to him. As the sounds of the piano began playing, both Molly and Horace move side to side for a few moments before they lift one of their arms together in the air. The woman twirls around elegantly before grabbing Horace's other claw again and they both move around in a circle together. They stop for a moment and lift one of their arms together in the air again before Molly releases Horace's claws and twirls around again. Horace holds up his other arm and Molly catches it as she stops twirling, and the two dancers move around in a circle once more.
Inori's mouth gape open as she observes how elegantly both Molly and Horace dance onscreen. Never once did she know how people are able to express their feelings just by holding onto each other's hands and moving around in circles. Maybe it is how both Molly and Horace are able to keep their balance as they move together. Maybe it is how smooth their body movements are as they lock their hands and arms with each other. Or maybe it is how both dancers never lose their smiles and eye contact as they enjoy their time together. Regardless, it is a form of expression that Inori never knew existed and how it can be conveyed without the use of violence and aggression.
While Inori is distracted, Shu is now walking down the stairs while putting on and straightening his jacket. When he reaches the bottom, he looks up and sees the girl looking amazed as she gazes at the television. Shu widens his eyes as he is surprised to see Inori displaying a different emotion for once. He turns his attention to the television as Molly and Horace are about to wrap up their dance.
With one of their arms wrap around each other's backs and the fingers in their other hands lock together, Horace leans forward and gently brings Molly down while the woman closes her eyes and throws her head back. The two of them stay in a stalemate for a moment before the bear pulls Molly back up on her feet. Both dancers back away and bow to each other as the music comes to an end. The other animals cheer and applaud as both dancers turn to them and give their bows again.
Shu holds his fist in front of his lips and coughed, getting Inori's attention as she turns around to see him. The boy lowered his fist and asked, "Shall we get going?"
Not wanting Inori to put on the worn-out pair of shoes she had been wearing since her escape from the facility, Shu lent her a spare pair of sandals he owned. After saying their goodbyes to Haruka as they walk past her and step out of the boundaries of the house, Shu and Inori began their journey to the city of Denpasar by foot. Usually, Shu would cycle his way to the city, but due to his bike not being able to hold more than one person, he decided that he and Inori should walk there instead. And fortunately, because today is a Sunday, they have all the time in the world for themselves anyway.
As they walk down the sidewalk and through the village together, Inori looks around and observes how its residents spend their time away. At the other side of the road, she sees a woman stroking a brush through one of the mats that are hanging over the balcony of her home. At the front yard of another house, Inori spots a man climbing up a ladder and begin using a pair of clippers to cut off some branches from his tree. Two women later walk past his home, and each carry a basket wrapped in cloth over their heads as they converse with each other. Finally, on the middle of the road, four boys are laughing as they kick and pass a soccer ball to each other, while two girls are swinging a skipping rope around in the air as a third girl jumps between them and over it. When they hear a honk, one of the boys quickly grabs the ball and all the children move to the sidewalk as a car slowly drives by them.
After making sure he had enough money to spend for the rest of the day, Shu puts his wallet back inside one of the pockets underneath his jacket and turns back to Inori.
"Alright Inori. Once we arrive at the city, the first thing we are going to do is take you to a barber to-" Shu frowns as he sees that Inori is not looking back at him, but now watching a man fixing his motorcycle on the driveway of his home. "Hello?"
Inori suddenly looks back at Shu and said flatly, "When we arrive at the city, the first objective is to take me to a barber. Understood."
"Yeeeeaaaahhhh. That's right." Shu said as he looks back to the front.
"What is a barber?"
"Someone who cuts your hair."
"My hair?"
"Yes. Your hair is incredibly long right now and that's not good for you. Then, when we are done with that, our second priority is to buy you some clothes. There is no way you can keep wearing that torn dress of yours, and Haruka and I can't keep lending you our clothes either. So, it's best for you to have your own. Ones that are actually comfortable, impressionable, perfect for your size um…" Shu looks over his shoulder and trails off when he sees Inori kneeling in front of a stray dog several meters away from him. The boy groans as he turns around and walks over to her. "Inori!"
After the dog barked cheerfully at her, Inori looks over her shoulder and asked Shu as he approaches her, "Shu, what is this creature trying to say?"
"How would I know?" Shu shrugged before glancing at the dog. "He does look happy to see you though."
"If he is happy, why doesn't he say so?" Inori asked as she looks back at the dog.
"What?" Shu asked perplexed.
"Shouldn't the dog talk? Just like Barnaby the dog on television." Inori said. Shu's face distorts into a scowl.
"Oh. Molly and the Magical Forest." Shu said before rubbing his temples. He extends his hand to Inori, and when the girl grabs it, he pulls her back up on her feet. "Look, you can't believe everything you see on television. And I'll explain to you why along the way."
Just as Shu turns around and they continue their journey however, one of the boys accidentally kicks the soccer ball over to the other side of the road. Another boy turns around and runs over to it. However, he fails to realize that a car is driving behind him and heading straight towards him in fast speed, causing the other boys and girls to gasp in horror. The driver widens his eyes, stomps on the brake pedal, and slams his hand on the car horn, trying to warn the kid to get out of his way in time.
"Idris, look out!" One of the boys shouted at him, causing Inori and Shu to turn their heads to the children. As Idris heard his name and the car horn upon picking up the ball, he turns around and screams with his eyes wide as the car continues screeching towards him.
Inori glances at the car before she swiftly runs over to the road and places herself between the child and the oncoming vehicle. Idris closes his eyes and turns his head away as he stood there, preparing for the worst to come.
"INORI!" Shu shouted at her in horror. But to the shock of him, the children, and the driver, Inori slams her hands on the car's headlights and uses all her strength to push the vehicle back, even as her feet drag across the road. After a few seconds, the car finally came to a complete halt, and Inori removes her hands from the sockets of the now broken headlights as she stands back up. Idris looks back to the front and drops his jaw to see the girl and vehicle only about six inches away from him.
"Idris!" One of the boys cried as he and the other children run over to Idris. As Inori turns around, she sees tears forming in Idris's eyes as he looks back at the boy who cried to him.
"Taufik!" Idris sobbed as he drops the ball and wraps his arms around his older brother.
"It's okay." Taufik said, hugging the younger boy back. "You're safe now. Everything is alright now."
As Idris continues wailing in their embrace, Shu runs over to Inori and cried to her, "Inori!"
The pink-haired girl turns around to see Shu coming over and placing his hand on her left shoulder.
"Are you alright?!" Shu asked anxiously and concernedly.
"Yes." Inori nodded. "I am fine."
Shu looks down and gasps in horror as he gently lifts Inori's hands up. Her hands are covered in blood that flow out from the large cuts on her palms which she received from the glass shards of the car's headlights.
"Oh my God, your hands are bleeding! We better…what?" The look on Shu's face suddenly turns from one of mortified horror, to one of utter confusion as the cuts on her palms quickly patch themselves up in just a few seconds, leaving behind the tiny glass shards that were pushed out from her wounds. Inori wipes off the shards and blood from her hands to fully reveal to Shu that her injuries are completely gone.
"I am fine now, Shu Ouma." Inori said, looking up at him. Shu continued staring at her hands dumbfounded until Idris, Taufik and the other children approach them. Taufik had his hands placed on Idris's shoulders as his younger brother stood in front of him.
"Ma'am…" Taufik said to Inori as she and Shu look back at them. "Thank you so much for saving my brother. I don't know what I'll do if you hadn't shown up."
"I could have died if it weren't for you. Thank you." Idris said as he, Taufik and the other children bow their heads to Inori with gratitude.
"You're welcome." Inori replied flatly as she bows back to them.
"Excuse me? Are you all alright?" The driver asked concernedly as he approaches Shu, Inori and the other children after coming out from his car. "I am so sorry. I tried to-"
Without warning, Inori whirls about, runs past Shu, and tackles the driver onto the road, causing the brown-haired boy and the other children to yelp.
As she sits above the driver, Inori violently grabs the collar of his shirt and pulls him up. The man trembled in fear as he looks straight into the girl's emotionless eyes.
"Inori!" Shu cried to the girl in horror.
"Please! I'm sorry! I lost my concentration on the road for a while! I never wanted to run over anybody!" The driver cried pleadingly to Inori. The girl ignored him however as she pulls her right fist and prepares to deliver a brutal punishment onto the attempted assailant. The driver turns his face away as he cried once more, "NOOOO!"
"STOP!" Shu shouted as he rushes to Inori from behind and grabs her wrist. Inori turns her head to the boy as he looks back at her with his brows furrowed. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"I am going to execute him." Inori said flatly.
"Why?!"
"Because he attempted to kill an innocent civilian."
"Inori! I told you before! Do not kill anyone!"
"But isn't death the appropriate punishment for anyone who committed a heinous act?"
"Who told you that?! The people at Mat-" Shu quickly cuts himself off as he does not want to publicly mention the name of the disgraced company. "Your previous superiors?"
"Yes." Inori nodded.
"Haruka and I had already told you! Stop following everything you learnt from them!" Shu scolded.
"I just thought-"
"Who is your superior now?!" Shu snapped at her.
Inori fell silent for a few moments before responding, "You and Haruka Ouma."
"That's right. So obey what I had told you. Do…not…kill…anyone!" Shu yelled. Inori nodded in response.
"I understand, Shu Ouma." Inori replied. Shu pulls her up and away from the driver who could only stare back at them in confusion and horror as he laid on the road. The boy bows apologetically to the traumatized man.
"I'm so sorry, sir." Shu said. He turns around and bows down to the children as well. "Sorry."
Not wanting to cause any more commotion, Shu grabs Inori's hand and hastily pulls her along with him as they continue making their way to the city.
As Shu and Inori keep travelling down the sidewalk and further away from the residential village, they eventually find themselves walking through a small forest filled with tall trees and grass growing on both sides of the road. Recognizing this as the road he usually cycles through to make his way to work and home, Shu knows that he and Inori are getting closer to the city. He closes his eyes and breathes heavily as he takes the opportunity to calm himself and move on from the incident back in the village by feeling the gentle breeze blowing through his hair and clothes. But his moment of peace was soon interrupted when Inori hears a rustle coming from the grass several meters in front of them.
"Shu!" Inori cried as she quickly runs past her asset and holds her arm up in him. As Shu stopped, Inori narrows her eyes as the grass shook harder. Believing that their assailant is about to come out, she gets into her fighting stance and prepares to make the first move.
A few seconds later, the source of the rustling leaps out from the grass, revealing itself to be a wild crab-eating macaque. The monkey momentarily takes a bite out of a fruit it had found from the ground earlier before turning its head to Shu and Inori. It hisses at the two humans before putting the fruit in its mouth and running over to the grass at the other side of the road.
As the monkey disappears from their sights, Shu lets out a sigh while Inori stands back up normally.
"You need to stop being paranoid, Inori. I already told you this part of the island is totally safe." Shu said to her.
"But it is my sworn duty to protect and watch over my superiors at all times." Inori replied.
"Fine, whatever." Shu shrugged as the two continue walking alongside each other. "Listen, Inori. I know the driver nearly got the child killed. But at least you saved the kid's life and that's all that matters."
"But shouldn't the driver face punishment for his actions?" Inori inquired.
"He would have if he did run over the child. Thankfully, you stopped him. So, not only did the kid gets to stay alive, but the driver can live to reflect on his actions and never make the same mistake again." Shu explained.
"But shouldn't he still-"
"He just needs to be more careful next time! That's it!" Shu said exasperatedly.
"How can you be sure the driver will never make a similar mistake again in the future?"
"Because…" Shu paused and turns his head away for a few moments as his cheeks turn red. He cannot believe he is about to say something cheesy and cliché to her. He sighs again and looks back at her. "Because humans are capable of learning from their mistakes and changing for the better."
"What do you mean? Are you saying people who committed offenses can change?" Inori asked.
"Yes." Shu nodded.
"How is it possible for someone who is bad to be able to turn good?"
"Well…You see…people are…complicated. They don't mean to do the things they did all the time."
"How is that possible?"
"Do you ever think why these people do these things in the first place?"
Inori stayed silent for a few seconds before shaking her head. "I guess not."
"Well, sometimes, people would feel so hopeless and desperate that they ended up breaking the law to get by. And sometimes, these people never learnt what's right and wrong throughout their lives. But if you can make them realize what they are doing is wrong, not only will they become better people, but you would have also saved their lives." Shu explained. "And isn't that your purpose? To save lives, even those who are bad?"
"Do you ever learn what's right and wrong throughout your life?" Inori asked.
"Of course I do." Shu said. "Well, before I got expelled that is. What about you?"
"I know that Matou Industries was always morally right, and all terrorists and criminals are always intolerably wrong." Inori replied.
"Why am I not surprised?" Shu muttered, turning his head away again. There was a moment of silence between the two before Shu looks back at Inori and concernedly ask another question, "What about before you were put into that facility? Did you have anyone else to teach you what is right and wrong before you were taken in by Matou Industries? You know, parents? Family?"
Inori remained quiet as she contemplates long and hard for any memories she had before the day she woke up inside the tank and sees Kurosu and Keido for the first time. However, her brows furrow as no matter how hard she tried, nothing particular came to her mind. She shakes her head and replied, "I don't know."
Shu frowns at Inori for a moment before the pink-haired girl looks back at him.
"Shu…if I am not allowed to kill anyone even if they are bad, then why was I trained to fight in the first place? What was the purpose of me becoming the perfect soldier to maintain order and stability across the world?" Inori asked. Shu stops at his tracks, and so did Inori. As the two turned to each other, Shu gently grabs her hands and looks straight into her eyes.
"Inori…you don't fight to kill people." Shu said solemnly. "You will fight to save lives and protect the ones you care for. Understand?"
Inori contemplated at him for a few moments.
"I understand." Inori said as she bows her head to him. Shu nods back before they turn and continue walking down the sidewalk.
"Come on." Shu said. "We shouldn't be far from the city now."
When they arrive at a junction, Shu and Inori both make a turn and walk through another small road. It would take them another ten minutes to reach the other side. And when they did, the two find themselves entering the lively city of Denpasar.
Inori looked at her surroundings in awe as she and Shu walk further into the city. Although she had been here for the last two days, she was so focused in completing her main objective that only now is she able to calm down and observe what the culture and architecture in this peaceful island really look like.
Everything in the city seem to have so much personality. The buildings are much taller than the ones in the village Shu and Haruka lived in, and each of them looks unique from one another based on its height and appearance. She sees all kinds of eateries and stores along the streets, none of them selling the same food and merchandise as the one built next to it. Trees and bushes are grown along the sidewalks, as well as the centre of the roads to separate the left and right lanes from each other. The roads are bustled with cars, trucks and motorcycles, and its people are standing and walking on the pavements doing all sorts of activities such as conversing with one another, talking on their cell phones, or carrying baskets of food and items over their heads as they make their way to their next destination. Inori never thought that for a small island mostly filled with tall trees and lush greenery, its largest city would still be vibrant with life, beauty, and personality.
She continues following Shu, and they walk across a few roads and along several streets until they eventually arrive at a small shopping district located in a less crowded part of the city. While there are still several people walking around the area, and a few cars and motorcycles would occasionally drive along the small roads between the horizontal rows of shops and eateries, the place certainly feels a lot more peaceful compared to the rest of the city.
"Here we are. This is where I usually do my shopping during Sundays." Shu said to Inori with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jacket as they walk through the district. "What do you think of the city so far?"
"It feels…vibrant." Inori replied.
"Aren't all cities vibrant?" Shu chuckled. "Anyways, now that we are here, let's take you to a barber to cut your hair. Thankfully, I know a good one around here."
They later arrived outside a small hair salon where a man steps out and walks away after having his hair cut. After the man walks past them, Shu and Inori open the door, causing a bell to ring as they step inside to see a middle-aged woman sweeping some hair away on the floor with a broom and into a dustpan.
"Oh! Selamat tinggal, Shu!" The barber happily greeted him as she paused her work.
"Selamat tinggal to you too, Mrs. Ferdinan." Shu replied as he bows his head to her.
"So, what will it be? The usual?" Mrs. Ferdinan asked.
"Actually, I'm not the one who needs a haircut this time." Shu said, gesturing her to Inori as the pink-haired girl stood beside him. "It's her."
Inori closes her eyes and bows solemnly to the barber as she greeted her, "Ma'am."
"Oh my, what a beautiful young lady you are." Mrs. Ferdinan smiled at her. "What is your name?"
"Inori Yuzuriha."
"Nice to meet you, Inori. Are you a friend of Shu?"
Inori slightly widens her eyes as she recognized the word which came out from the barber's vocal cords.
"Friend?" Inori said. Mrs. Ferdinan nods her head to her. "You mean someone who deeply cares for you, and provide you calm and happiness when you feel lonely, sad, and anxious?"
Shu panicked as he sees the barber looking back at her in bewilderment by her strange mannerisms. Not wanting the girl to embarrass herself further, Shu quickly places his hands on Inori's shoulders and turn her to the side, allowing Mrs. Ferdinan to see her long hair growing down to the back of her waist.
"A-as you can see, her hair is incredibly long. Can you cut it to a shorter and comfortable style of hair?" Shu asked.
"Hmm…" Mrs. Ferdinan rubs her chin as she examines Inori's hair for a moment. "I'll see what I can do."
As Inori sits still on one of the chairs, Mrs. Ferdinan grabs a clean coat and carefully wraps it around the girl's neck to cover her entire body. Shu sits on a nearby bench behind them as he watches the barber pulls a black steel trolley over and grabs a pair of scissors. Mrs. Ferdinan turns around and leans her head towards Shu.
"Seriously though, is she your new girlfriend?" The middle-aged woman whispered to him with a smirk.
"What?!" Shu replied softly and incredulously to her. "No! She's just a friend from school, really."
"But I thought you told me you no longer go to school." Mrs. Ferdinan said.
"School?! No! I mean um…ugh…" Shu groans as he lowers his head, causing Mrs. Ferdinan to chuckle. Inori curiously watches the display through their reflection on the mirror in front of her.
"Never mind then. I was just pulling your leg." Mrs. Ferdinan smiled at him before turning her attention back to Inori.
"Is there something wrong?" Inori inquired the barber as she stands behind her and gently strokes the back of her hair with her left hand.
"Oh, nothing at all." Mrs. Ferdinan chuckled in response. After holding up a huge portion of her hair with her left arm, she uses the scissors in her right hand to cut it off.
For the next ten minutes, Shu idly sat on the bench and watched as Mrs. Ferdinan uses her scissors to trim and cut off several unwanted parts of her hair. She uses a brush to wipe off the hair around the top portion of her cape before picking up a comb and a bottle of gel from her trolley. She uses them to stroke and maintain the front portions of her hair, forming a few large bangs in front of her forehead, and several more bangs hanging loosely at the sides of her head. Shu widens his eyes in awe as he gazes at Inori's reflection on the mirror and sees how much different the girl looks now than before. When Mrs. Ferdinan is done working on her hair, she carefully detaches the strap at the back of Inori's neck and removes the cape off her body.
"Ta-dah! What do you think?" Mrs. Ferdinan asked Inori. The pink-haired girl momentarily turns her head side to side while gazing at her reflection.
"It's…acceptable." Inori said.
"What do you mean acceptable?" Shu chuckled as he stands up from the bench and walks over to her side. "I think it looks gorgeous."
"I mean, it's acceptable enough for me to maneuver my head around easily while I'm engaged in comb-"
"Com-com-computer repairs!" Shu suddenly cried with a forced grin. "Right! This hairstyle is short and acceptable enough that those hair bangs won't get in the way of your sight while you're busy fixing those CPUs! Heheheheheh!"
As Inori and Mrs. Ferdinan look back at him in confusion, Shu lets out a heavy sigh and turns to the barber.
"Yeah, she is an expert in repairing computers. Pretty cool, right?" Shu said to her with a nervous chuckle. Mrs. Ferdinan rubs her chin again as she examines Inori's new hairstyle on the mirror.
"There is one more thing that will make her hair look even better. Give me a minute." Mrs. Ferdinan said before turning to her right and walking over to the counter and cash register at the other end of her hair salon. She kneels behind the counter, opens the cabinet, and quickly finds what she is looking for. She takes out a tray and closes the cabinet doors before walking back to Shu and Inori. The two children look at what is laid on the tray in her hands, which are several pairs of hair tubes in various designs and colours.
"This is my personal collection of hair tubes that I bought during my years in middle school. But now, you may pick whatever design you want for free. Go ahead." Mrs. Ferdinan coaxed warmly to Inori. The girl contemplates at each pair of hair tubes on the tray until she sees one that piques her interest. It is a pair of red tubes, each with large crosses around them. Inori gently places her finger on one of them and Shu and Mrs. Ferdinan nod their heads approvingly.
"Very well, we'll take that." Shu said to the barber.
"Red tubes to go along with your pink hair. That is a very good choice indeed." Mrs. Ferdinan remarked.
After grabbing the pair of hair tubes Inori had chosen and putting the rest back into the cabinet, Mrs. Ferdinan splits the back of Inori's hair into two separate tails hanging over her shoulders. She slowly inserts each tube through each tail, forming them into pigtails. As the barber backs away, Inori examines her new hairstyle once more on the mirror while Shu smiles at her reflection as he stands beside her.
"It's perfect." Shu said to Mrs. Ferdinan.
After Shu paid for her haircut, he and Inori step out of the hair salon and wave goodbye to Mrs. Ferdinan as she stood at the doorway.
"Goodbye, Mrs. Ferdinan! Thanks for your help!" Shu cried as he and Inori walk away.
"Goodbye, Shu! Bye, Inori! Take care of yourselves!" Mrs. Ferdinan responded happily while waving her hand back at them.
Both Shu and Inori walk down the pavement until they arrive at a clothing store at the other end of the shopping district. Now that Inori has gotten her haircut, it is time for them to buy some clothes for her.
Shu approaches one of the employees inside the store and asks her to measure Inori's body. The pink-haired girl stood still and spread out her arms as the employee uses a measuring tape to ascertain the size of her chest and waist. After writing down the measurements on a notepad, the employee escorts the two to a corner of the store where all the clothes that are the perfect size for Inori are displayed. After looking through a few clothing racks, they picked out several dresses, tops, skirts, and jeans which Shu believes will look good on Inori.
The two customers walk over to one of the dressing rooms, and Shu commands Inori to wear and show him dressed in each clothing. The girl goes into the cubicle and closes the curtain behind her before putting on the first set of clothes he had given her. A minute later, Inori pulls back the curtain, revealing to Shu that she is now wearing a tan sleeveless blouse with buttons and a long brown leather skirt that goes down to her ankles. Shu smiles as he sees how well the clothes fit on her body. However, Inori suddenly lifts her right leg up, tearing the skirt in the process. Shu widens his eyes and drops his jaw in horror as Inori places her leg down and shakes her head disapprovingly as the skirt is not appropriate for her in combat.
The next set she puts on is a light blue short-sleeved jacket with a plain purple shirt underneath it and dark blue jeans. Shu smiles again as the clothes fit perfectly on her, and he asks her to turn around. When Inori did as she was told however, Shu gasps again when he sees the back of her jacket had been torn in half. He asked how it happened and Inori explained that she accidentally used too much force to unfold the jacket. Shu quickly removes the torn clothing off her body, as well as other jackets, dresses, and long skirts from her cubicle that he knows the girl will tear while wearing them.
Inori continues wearing a few more sets of clothes and shows them to Shu. Thankfully, she did not damage them in the process this time and Shu puts them aside before ordering her to put on the final set of clothes he had gotten for her. As Inori closes the curtain in front of him to try them on, Shu rubs his nose and temples as he is starting to feel exhausted. But Inori soon pulls back the curtain again to show herself to her superior. Shu looks up and widens his eyes in awe as he gazes at her clothes. It is a plain sleeveless black dress that reaches down to her thighs and has one long red strip sewn vertically at the centre and another long red strip sewn horizontally and around the bottom of her chest. At the sides of the bottom of the dress, there are two dark grey pouches sewn on it, as well as two pairs of smaller red strips dangling underneath it. The boy continued gazing at Inori in the black dress until he manages to snap out of his thoughts and kneel as he helps tie the strips together, forming them into bows. He stands back up and ties the strip around the bottom of her chest into a bow as well to complete the look of her dress. As Shu backs away from her, Inori lifts her knees up and thrusts her fists. She turns her head to Shu and nods approvingly, causing the boy to smile back at her in response.
After paying for the clothes that Inori have tried on, as well as the ones she had damaged, the two teenagers leave the clothing store and head to the shoe store beside it.
As Inori sat on a chair and Shu stood beside her, an employee helps measures the girl's foot with a measuring device. He puts the device aside, walks around the store to pick several pairs of shoes for the two customers that would fit perfectly for Inori, and lays them on the floor for them to see. Shu and Inori look thoughtfully at every pair of shoes that are placed in front of them before the pink-haired girl points her finger at a pair of black boots. The employee helps put on the boots for Inori and the girl stands up and walks around the shop for a moment. She looks back at Shu and the employee and nods her head to them.
The last shop Shu took Inori to is a bags and accessories store which sells all sorts of pouch bags, handbags, badges, hairpins, and keychains. Feeling that the state of the black pouch bag Inori is currently carrying with her is also getting worn-out, Shu felt the need of buying a new one for her.
He looks through several pouch bags being displayed in a shelf at a corner of the shop until he sees one that is dark grey and has some designs sewn on it. One design is a red circle with three black lines crossed together, another is a blue circle with a large white star, and below them are three horizontal lines in red and green.
Shu grabs the bag, slowly removes it from the shelf and stares down at it for a moment before turning around and making his way to the counter. But he soon stops at his tracks when he sees Inori standing in front of a wall full of hairpins of various designs at the other side of the store and beside the counter. He walks over and stands beside her to see what she is gazing at. In front of her is a red diamond-shaped hair pin with pointed edges. Shu smiled as he turns to Inori and asked if she likes it. When the girl nods her head to him, Shu removes the hairpin from the hook and the two teenagers walk over to the counter.
After making their payment, Inori stands in front of a large mirror placed on the wall beside the counter on the left. As he stands behind her, Shu helps Inori clip the hairpin onto her hair fringe above the left side of her forehead. As Shu moves to the side, Inori stands still as she gazes at her new appearance, consisting of her new hairstyle, the new red hairpin on her hair, her sleeveless black dress they bought from the clothing store, the dark grey pouch bag Shu bought for her that is hanging above her left shoulder and at the right side of her hip, and the black boots they bought from the shoe store.
Shu gently places his hand on her left shoulder and said to her, "From now on, this…is who you are."
Inori simply nodded in response. "I understand."
Sovereign: I would like to thank Darth Necron, LayLay lives, ChrolloDiehauser and Allfather-Ford for reviewing, and MrDramcryx for favoriting and following. Thank you!
And since this will be my last story update before Christmas Day, I would like to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope to see you all again in 2023. :)