The Rise of the Ronin

The Star

He doesn't know how long they have until someone discovers Nami's lifeless body. Blood must have already swollen the wood on the floor and the smell of iron must be noticeable. He knows it all too well; it is frighteningly overpowering. He just hopes that the prostitutes are tired enough, and the clients drunk enough not to notice, or at least that they sleep so much that the two of them are already far away from there when they discover it.

Kasumi suspects absolutely nothing; it's evident by the beaming smile on her lips when she wakes up. She watches him shyly, her cheeks flushed, barely able to hold his gaze for a couple of seconds, but at the same time she's full of hope, so much so that it hurts his heart a little just to look at her. So much so that he ends up wondering once again what exactly happened to himself the night before.

In the end, he feels that he himself is more like Kokichi than he expected. Not because of the nature of their feelings for Kasumi, but rather because of what they are willing to do to spare her a truth that could hurt her. Though perhaps he is the only one truly safe in hiding so many things, keeping her ignorant of her own aunt's death, hiding the truth about her lineage from her. But, if Kasumi still doesn't want to know the truth about herself, he has no way of explaining to her that he has done this for her own good.

For that very reason, she will not say a word about it, perhaps until his dying breath. Lying to her to get a smile in return seems better to him than telling her the truth and causing her much more grief. After all, what could she possibly feel for a being like Nami other than despise? Seeking her approval was a waste of time from the start, for no matter what Kasumi did, she would never live up to her expectations.

When the first ray of sunlight touches the ground, Satoru and Kasumi are already riding on Oguri. The streets are deserted, just as he expected. There is no laughter, no horrified screams, nothing but the sparrows welcoming a new day. No one has discovered the corpse he left behind him.

"What happened for this village to end up like this? -asks Kasumi on the outskirts."

"They probably lost their homes to the civil wars. These women must have lost their husbands and this is the only way they found to survive. Some of them must even have mouths to feed... If I'm honest, it's not something that surprises me."

"It's not like Shinmachi, these women are not like the courtesans of the red light district."

"No, they're not courtesans. They are just prostitutes. Courtesans don't sell their bodies just like that, they entertain men in other more creative ways, this is nothing more than a desperate act... Word spreads fast during hard times, this has become a no man's land... that's why men carry swords, soon everyone in the rest of the country will. Farmers' lands will be taken, merchants suffocated by higher and higher taxes. Managing so much land is a difficult thing, the constant search for balance between the common people, merchants, nobles, is not something the Zenin clan is very good at... Not when they consider more than half of the population as inferior beings."

Kasumi turns away when the village is but a speck on the horizon. Perhaps, had she been in their shoes, she would have ended up the same way. Without a trade with which to make a decent living, without a plate of rice, or a relative who could help her... Perhaps she would have resorted to the same thing to keep her siblings alive.

The memory of Nami leaves her pensive, she remains silent for a while until he whispers in her ear.

"Feeling all right? Still in pain?"

"No, I feel much better... Although I still feel a little uncomfortable. These days... I usually stay at home... You know, to avoid accidents."

No idea crosses his clouded mind, Satoru releases one of the reins and brings his right hand to Kasumi's belly. She sees, embarrassed, Satoru's long pale fingers, his thick knuckles and clean fingernails. He reaches out and gently caresses the fabric, sinking his fingers until she feels his digits touching over her navel. His warmth soothes her little by little, yet at the same time leaves her speechless, a sigh lost between her lips. Kasumi senses the energy emanating from his palm, over his fingertips; it spreads across her abdomen like the small wave of a spring, it feels warm like the hot springs they bathed in together long ago.