Ninja (Major Editing)

Chapter 9

Arata was very willing to stay by his sister, but she kept on pestering him about how he should go back to the base and said that she would visit if he showed her the way there. So he reluctantly agreed, leaving three days after their reunion.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked on the day of their departure, shouldering his bag that Yuki had retrieved from the place they were staying at before. "I can show you how to get there now."

"i know, but you should at least tell Haru that your sister will be visiting. I don't want to just barge in on him," his sister said.

"I'll come back as soon as I can then."

"And I will be waiting for you. I'm curious about your life there."

"He's the chef," Yuki cut in.

"That sounds like my little brother for sure."

Arata gave her a hug and said, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For saving me of course."

She chuckled. "No, that wasn't me. That was Yuki that saved you. I found her tending to your wounds when I was trying to get across the city without any family members seeing me. I mean, our whole family put together is really big."

Arata looked over at Yuki, who was looking away towards the distance.

"She's stronger than she looks you know," his sister added. "She was really worried about you. She probably went in and saved you herself. Try courting her."

He looked at his sister in shock. "What?"

"It's not a bad idea. You need to get a wife sooner or later. She's perfect for you after what I've seen for the past week."

"Nee-san, I barely know her. If I'm keeping the number of days right, I haven't even met her for a month."

"It's better than an arranged marriage right?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "Whatever you say," he mumbled even though he wasn't really going to court Yuki.

"I know what you're thinking, but I expect good news."

Arata gave up on the whole conversation about courting and started walking away, waving to his sister until she was out of sight. Then he glanced over at Yuki. "She didn't say anything to you did she?"

"Who? Your sister?"

"Who else could I be talking about?"

"She didn't say anything to me."

But he noticed that her cheeks were somewhat red. There weren't many girls he interacted with though, and he wasn't very sure of what that meant. He concluded that she was just hot because of the stuffy, humid air.

There was a span of silence and Arata decided to break the ice. "Thank you Yuki. You were the one who saved me wasn't it?"

She smiled at him. "It wasn't hard. You're brother is a baka."

He stiffled a laugh. "He actually is. But he can sure put up a fight."

"I knocked him out from behind."

"You did?"

"I told you he was a baka didn't I?"

"You sure did. But thank you anyways. I would have been dead by no if you didn't come."

"You welcome, Arata-kun."

Did she just call me Arata-kun, Arata thought to himself. But he didn't really mind that much, so he shrugged the matter off.

It took a break when night started to fall. It was the night of a full moon and Arata couldn't help it but to sit by a pond a look up at it. He was always fascinated by the moon. Yuki sat down next to him and passed him a piece of fruit that he rollled around in his hand.

"You should play your ocarina," Yuki said after she was finished with her food. "I think it'll suit the peaceful atmosphere here."

He shrugged. "Sure, It won't do us any harm."

He took it out and started playing, the harmonious melody drifting through the air. About a minute or so after, Yuki had fallen asleep with her head drooping down because the place was too calm for her. Arata finished off the song and laid her head on his lap. Looking down at her, he had a sudden thought. "You're pretty cute," he whispered.

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I'm just going to end it there and consider it a short story. I just have to add on to it and edit some parts. It only feels like a introduction story though, so maybe I'll write another one to this if I can think of an idea. Or I won't...