Chapter Text
She had woken up cold.
Yesterday when the bitter frost of a weakening Winter nipped her skin, she had curled herself around that soft and worn cloth to keep warm. An old, kind neighbor had given it to her after hearing of her parents financial situation. That old woman had felt pity for her, seeing her shiver violently like a flower blasted by cold wind. So, the soft patchwork blanket that was worn from countless nights of use had fallen into the young girl's possession.
But it was gone.
She almost expected such.
Her oh so loving "parents" took everything from her. All the clothes, all the cleansing products, the old sandals, even the hair clips and accessories.
Everything. Taken and sold.
The money back from the pawn shops would be enough for gambling or alcohol, and each time, the two figures who took her in as parents would splurge on either of the two. Alcoholic gamblers. Great parent figures if you asked her.
Shaking from the cold, Harumi stood up, flinching immediately and grasping onto the wall next to her. The new, dark purple bruise on her calf ached. Her body was bruised and cut all over, but this particular injury hurt the most, fresh from the beating her "father" gave her for simply looking at him when he came home. Her "mother" hadn't even come back from whatever work she supposedly does, but she could care less.
Sliding open the door to her room (which doubled as a closet), she looked around. The kitchen was empty of all life and of any edible nutrition. Deeming it safe, she stepped out onto the dirt floor, her calloused, dirty, bare feet kicking up a small cloud of dust as she quickly ran out of the house.
"Harumi! Good morning!" One of the neighborhood's elders called out to her, causing her to abruptly stop in her tracks. He was holding a bag of groceries in his hand, the other held a colorful pinwheel of light blue and orange. Smiling and swiftly bowing to him, she darted out of the neighborhood and into the shopping district.
It was always busy, but even more so as the weekend approached. Today was no exception as people hurried around to gather their groceries. There were also many people just wandering around store to store, trying out foods and window shopping. There were a quite a few kids playing games between the crowds of people, and Harumi wished she could join them. But she had more important things to take care of. She manuevered her way through the crowds with ease, ducking into a ramen shop.
"Haru-chan! You've come back to help again huh?" The shop owner grinned delightedly at the young girl who simply nodded, pulling her beautiful crimson hair up into a ponytail. "I'm just about to open the store for the lunch rush, could you set up the tables please?" With a light smile, the young girl nodded again. Tying on an apron, she quickly started to wipe down the tables, trying her best not to be distracted by the noise outside. She saw kids run by briefly, colorful pinwheels merely blurs as they whirled in the wind.
Harumi sat on a chair at the bar, relaxing as she eagerly waited for her bowl of ramen. "You worked hard again as always Haru-chan." The shopkeeper praised, stirring the broth of ramen with a steady hand. "It's the least I can do for you, since allowing me to spend time here away from my parents..." The young girl's voice trailed off at the mention of her home life, her smile fading as she subconsciously touched the bruises on her legs. Sensing the girl's change in mood, the shopkeeper smiled as she turned around, presenting the girl with a bowl of steaming hot ramen.
"Eat up! I gave you extra pork for doing such a good job today." With a bright smile, the girl perked up, clasping her hands together. "Thank you for the food!" She chimed before picking up her chopsticks and soup spoon, dipping it into the warm broth.
Bringing the flavorful soup to her mouth, she sighed in content as she began chowing down, slurping up the ramen hungrily. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten so well for a straight week. As she shoveled a piece of pork into her mouth, the sound of the shop's curtains being pushed aside sounded in her ears.
"Welcome!" The shop keeper said, motioning to the customer to come in. "Sit wherever you like! You just missed our busiest time." Harumi continued on eating, scarfing down the egg. She paused, chewing the mouthful slowly when the customer pulled out the chair next to her. Looking up slowly, she took in the figure of a man sitting beside her.
He looked young. The long, greyish brown hair just barely reaching past his shoulders framed his somewhat pale face. He was wearing a cool, light silvery grey haori over a warm grey kimono. Feeling the young girl staring at him, he turned to look at her, and she jumped a little as her faded blue eyes connected with his bright grey ones. All in all, he was very... grey. Harumi brushed his presence off with a swallow, bringing more noodles to her mouth. He seemed bland. But there was no ignoring that air of kindness around him.
"Hello there! You seem to be enjoying your meal." He said, his voice smooth to the young girl's ears. She finished chewing her noodles and swallowed, nodding at his question. "Then... I'll have what she's having please." The man said towards the shopkeeper, who smiled at him. "Coming right up!" Smiling, the man looked back towards the girl, who was drinking the rest of the broth from her bowl. His eyes narrowing slightly upon noticing the bruising on her legs, but he said nothing when the girl set her bowl down, sighing contently with her finished meal.
"Here you are sir!" The shop owner's voice broke him out of his thoughts as she set down a bowl of ramen in front of her. "Thank you for the meal." He said as he began to eat. "And for you Haru-chan..." The man turned his eyes to see the shop owner setting down a glass of a pink liquid in front of the girl. The girl looked absolutely elated, chugging down the glass.
He blinked in surprise, analyzing the girl's overall appearance carefully before going back to eating his meal. "This is delicious." He remarked, beginning to drink the soup. "Thank you ahah! The recipe has been in my family for 80 years." The shopkeeper replied, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "So, what brings you around here?"
"I'm passing through here, but I came to see the rumors of a "Corpse Eating Demon," have you heard anything of it?"
Harumi set down her glass and looked curiously at the man. She'd heard her parents talk about it once before. They were in fact in the midst of a war, but she didn't understand what exactly they were fighting, or who they were fighting. She knew they were from space, but she didn't understand why they were here. The supposed demon was said to have been born from all the chaos created from the fighting, eating the bodies of the dead soldiers after each battle. The girl shivered. It was a bit frightening to hear about that sort of thing, but she was intrigued at the same time, even if it was a rumor.
"Oh yeah, I sure have. People have been saying that it's around the outskirts of the town in the battlefields out there. Pretty concerning if you ask me." The shopowner replied, taking the man's bowl and Harumi's glass to the sink. The man nodded thoughtfully, his hand on his chin. "I wouldn't dwell on it if I were you. Rumor or not, it involves the battlegrounds of those Amanto, and I would want avoid something like that." The shopkeeper continued, turning around, noticing the curtains of her store being pushed aside.
"Welcome–" She stopped, her kind eyes narrowing.
"HARUMI."
The girl froze, her eyes widening in fear. "This is where you've been? I thought your mother and I told you to stay at home when we're gone." The usually concerned question came out like a threat as Harumi's father angrily entered the store. "Don't think you're so slick, slippin away like that. My friend's have been telling me all about your shennanigans." The girl said nothing, frozen in terror as her father snatched her wrist, his grip vice-like as he sharply tugged her off the high stool. "We're going home."
"N-no."
Shakily, the girl tried to tug herself away, her eyes trying to signal the shop keeper. "Oi, dont be so harsh with her." The woman said, but her father snapped at her. "Mind your own fucking business." "Let me go!" Harumi cried, frantically squirming in the aggressive male's grip. "Shut it." He snarled, and he tightened his grasp on her wrist so much she thought if he held her any tighter her wrist would break.
"That's no way to speak to a child."
The greyish-brown haired man's voice sounded through the air, and he stood up. "Who might you be, butting into a family affair?" Harumi's father growled, glaring at the man. "Someone who can take care of a child." The man replied, and his eyes were cold and chilling as they seared into the other man's.
"Let her go." His voice was sharp.
Glaring into each other's eyes, Harumi's father dropped her wrist, but swung at the grey eyed man.
Catching his swing with ease, the man hit her father's face with his palm. Harumi stood, shocked as her father flew backwards and crashed into the floor of the shop, unconscious.
"Are you alright, Harumi?"
The voice of the man who saved her broke the silence of the air. She looked up, her eyes wide as she stepped closer to the man. His eyes were back to their gentle demeanor and looked worried as he earnestly searched for any more wounds on her.
"I... I'm fine..." She whispered, shaking.
What was going on?
Everything happened so fast. First her father entered the store, and he tried to take her away but... Now he was on the ground unconscious, blood coming out of his mouth. But this man, the man in front of her who worriedly looked for any other injuries on her whom she met no less than thirty minutes ago, saved her from him. Why? And now what? If she went back home, her father surely....
"You should take her."
The shop owner's voice was ragged as she took her apron off, pulling her hair out of its ponytail. "Harumi's better off with you, I can see that even without knowing your backstory or motives. You radiate kindness..." A tired smile graced the woman's lips. "Maybe she'll finally be able to have a chance at life. I certainly couldn't do it." The man looked at the small girl, who suddenly looked more frail than he thought. She was so young, so delicate, and she already had such an injustice brought upon her at such a young age. "I'll take care of the bastard over there, just... take her and go." Standing up, the man extended his hand to the crimson haired girl. She stared, wide eyed.
"What do you say? Do you want to come with me?" He asked, his eyes soft as he held his hand out.
Harumi's eyes glimmered. Staring at his hand, she raised her hand up hesitantly, pausing to look up at him. Seeing his reassuring, gentle eyes, she smiled brightly.
"Mhm!" With a smile, the man grasped her hand tightly, protectively. It was comforting.
"Well Harumi..." The shop owner smiled down at the young girl, who blinked up at her. "If you ever decide to come back... you're always welcome here." Feeling her eyes prick with tears, the girl nodded, quickly rubbing her eyes with her free hand. "Thank you..." She whispered, sniffing. With a nod, the woman disappeared in the back.
"Let's go now, we don't want him waking up." The man said lightly, gently tugging the girl out the shop and down the street. Everything seemed normal. Kids were running around laughing and playing. People were shopping, weaving to and from each store. The streets were still crowded. From somewhere behind her, Harumi heard a windchime.
"Oh, pardon my rudeness." She looked up, surprised to see his kind eyes twinkling at her with mirth. "I haven't introduced myself yet." Pausing, he slowed in his walking as he smiled at her. A rack of those colorful pinwheels spun as the wind blew, the colorful blurs that would've distracted her only a dash of color in her eyes as her eyes focused on his gentle grin.
"My name is Shouyou Yoshida. But please, just call me Shouyou."