beauties of night

Part 3 Forbidden Love

After that day, Sakura came every day. I climbed up the mountain to see my sister but... Later she became the reason.

After a long time, I had known that she was unable to speak. That was why she didn't talk back to me while I talked a lot. I told her about my daily life, my sister, my family. She was a good listener. She was smiling all the time even I told her my boring daily life.

We were not friends. I didn't know what we were. I had been asking myself that do I only cherish her or don't I want more than this. What would she think of me if I tell her to take a step forward. My chest felt heavy every time I thought about that. I didn't know what to do. If sis Asa was by my side, I could ask her about girls.

Finally, I decided to tell her how I feel at the summer festival.
"Sakura, I have fallen in love with you since the first day I met you."
"It's too simple."
"Sakura, I like you."
"It's too short to express my feelings."
"Sakura, let me stay by your side."
"It's not bad."

I practiced a lot before I confessed her. At the evening, I waited her at the bridge which was between the town and the mountain. It became late but she didn't appear. I worried extremely but I didn't know where to find her. So, I waited as late as midnight. I didn't give up and waited till the morning. The sun that was glowing, looked like making fun of heartbroken me. I ran to the mountain and looked for her. But I didn't find her.

"Can I cry even though I am a man? I can't suffer anymore. Sakura. Where are you? I am searching for you. Please come back to me. If you don't want to listen to my boring stories, I won't tell you anymore. Just come back to me." I shouted as loud as I could as she could hear me.

I couldn't stand anymore. I fell to the ground. I felt so wretch because I thought I might never see her again. I fell asleep by hoping that she would wake me up. When I woke up, she wasn't there. My clothes was dirty but I didn't want to go back home. I was sitting at there until the sun mocked again. I couldn't bear it anymore and I went back home.

When I got back home, my mother worriedly hugged me and said
"I have been worry about you. Where are you going? I have been waiting two nights."

I couldn't control myself and cried in my mother's chest. She gently rubbed my messy hair and said
"Tell me everything. Don't swallow alone. I am your mother. Tell me. I couldn't protect my daughter but I want to protect you."

I told my mother about Sakura. My mother consoled me and told me to bring her home if I meet her again.

I climbed up the mountain the next day. And the next day. And the next.

It was almost a year that I didn't see her. A lot of things happened within a year. My father passed away after a long illness. Before he died, he told me that he was regretful all the time that he couldn't deny to grandfather and what he had done to his daughter. As the head of household, I joined the institution as one of the treasurers who paid money for killing demons. I could only go to the mountain at night because I was busy with my job.

I missed her so much.

Summer was back. Farmers got ready for planting paddy and people celebrated many summer festivals according to the place. My mother forced me to go to the festival. I accepted to go out but I went frustratedly to the festival because I haven't gone to the mountain today. The more festival was crowded and the more I was frustrated. I murmured
"Yamada Yoru, what is wrong with you."

While I was walking, I saw the back of a girl that looked like Sakura. Before I knew myself, I was following her secretly. She went into a lane and met a man. Even though I was not sure if she was Sakura, I was angry. I couldn't think of Sakura with another man. I breathed heavily and walked to them. I punched him in the face and ran off by grabbing her hand. I ran and ran and ran until I couldn't breathe. I worried to stop and face the girl. What if she wasn't Sakura. Would she slap my face? Uncountable thoughts were running though my head.

When my breath was coming in gasps, I stopped but I still seized her hand tightly. I hided my face by bending forward. She bent her back and looked at my face. Hesitantly, I looked at her face.

Sa...ku...ra...

I couldn't hold back any longer. I hugged her close to me and buried my head in her reddish-brown hair. And I whispered into her ear
"I won't let you go this time."

My tears were falling onto her shoulder. She lifted up my face with her both hands and looked into my eyes. She didn't said a word but I felt like what she meant. She stroked my hair and kissed my forehead, while tears coursed down my cheeks as well. I embraced her warmly and said
"Let's marry." She nodded her head. It meant yes? Right?

I brought her home and introduced my mother. My mother welcomed her warmly and asked me when we want to get marry. I answered
"Tomorrow."

My mother laughed and agreed. Our wedding was celebrated only with my dearest bride, my mother, maids and serving men of our home, and me. I was so happy that it was like an illusion. An illusion that I want to be wrongly perceiving forever and always.

It had been a year we married. My wife was more beautiful day after day. I can live all my life without eating by gazing her all the time. I had to travel a lot since I promoted to third treasurer. My wife took care of home when I was not home. My mother smiled with pleasure by looking at us.

One day, I had to go to royal palace because of uncle Yěmán's 17th wedding. It was a long journey. When I got back home, a great news greeted me. I shouted proudly
"My wife has a baby. My baby. We gonna have a baby. Our family gonna have a new family member."

The whole family was happy. Everyone took care of my pregnant wife. All my family loved my wife. Of course, there was no one who could stand my wife's angelic kindness. Not even me.

One autumn day, when the sun was shinning brightly, my son was born.
"Look at those little hands and legs. They are so tiny."
"Look! my son is grinning. It's so cute."

I named my son Yamada Aki because he was born in autumn. I admit that I am bad in giving name like my mother. Aki was so adorable that everyone wanted to cuddle him. We never heard Aki's cry. Aki was smiling all the time.

My life was more than enough with this family.

I thought my paradise would stay forever until an uninvited guest came to our home.

Unexpectedly, grandfather Wěi came to visit. He saw my wife and slashed her with his sword suddenly. My wife's shoulder was bleeding. Then he said
"Why is a demon here?"

When he knew she was my wife, he raged at us and yelled
"What a nonsense, a human and a demon are husband and wife."

To be continued...

Next Part : Part 4 Remorse

See you on 2 April