His Light

Ch. III

Since then, the brothers have warmed up extremely to Sakumi. She'd make her desserts for them at least once a week.
When it was time to practice Ichirohiko would go get her and practically drag her back to his house. After half a year of being with them, she finally decided to tell Ichirohiko.
****************
"Hey Ichi?" She said as they walked to the front gate, "yeah what is it?"
"Can I barrow that?" she asked pointing to his hat
"What!"
"Just for a bit, please"
"Why? What for?" He asked gripping on to his hat. "It's a surprise" she said, "please~ I swear to bring it back as soon as possible" she begged.
Ichirohiko looked conflicted. He didn't want to give his hat to anyone. He only took it off to bathe or to go to sleep. He felt weird without his hat. But then he looked at Sakumi's blue, begging, eyes and sighed.
"Fine" he said pulling it off, "but you bring it back as soon as possible, I'm not leaving this house until I get it back"
Sakumi giggled watching him walk to his house, "you should let your hair grow out a bit you know" she said before walking out the gate, "maybe it'll look good on you"
***************
After a few days of not sleeping, Sakumi returned to his house with his hat behind her back.
"Sakumi" Iouzen called as he passed the front door, "if your looking for Ichirohiko, he's in his room"
She nodded with a slight blush on her cheeks, trying keep the hat hidden. "What do you have there?" He asked. She couldn't keep secrets from him, he helped her become friends with Jiromaru.
She made sure no one else saw and showed him Ichirohiko's hat, "wow! You did this?" He asked astonished and she nodded, "it looks really good, I'm sure he's going to like it more now" he chuckled and walked away.
After that she kept the hat in her sleeve until she made it to Ichirohiko's room. She knocked and said it was her. Ichirohiko pulled her into his room.
"Please give me my hat back!" He begged "I've been in here for almost a week"
"Okay but first close your eyes" she said. Ichirohiko looked at her questionably but did as he was told. Sakumi put his hat on his head and moved a full length mirror facing it his way.
"Okay, open"
Ichirohiko opened his eyes and saw his hat, "woah! It looks awesome!" He said staring at his reflection. His hat now had small tucks with brown buttoned eyes, "it looks better than before, thanks Sakumi" he said turning to look at her but saw her knocked out on his bed.
****************
Days after that, Ichirohiko wore his hat with much pride, making Sakumi blush the first few times he wore it, telling everyone how she tinkered with it making it better.
After walking her to the gate once, Ichirohiko finally realized that he didn't know where she lived. He tried asking once but she told him not to worry about it. He'd try again and again, but each time she'd either reject him or tell him to forget about it.
So one day, he followed her home.
**************
"I feel sore" Sakumi said stretching her arms up in the air. "A cold bath and you won't feel a thing tomorrow" Ichirohiko said as they reached the front gate.
"Sakumi" he called, "please let me see your home"
"No" she said flatly. "But why? You come to our home everyday but I don't know yours, I don't find that fair" he smiled as he came up next to her.
"It's not that it's fair, you just don't need to see my home" she said smiling slyly at him.
"Come on, please Sakumi" he pleaded like a child making the fox girl giggle, "bye Ichi" she said running off.
After figuring she was a good distance away, he walked after her.
~~~~~~~~~~
After about half an hour of following her figure he made it to a small forest. He stared at it in question and walked on, but lost sight of the sneaky fox girl.
He kept walking hoping to see her, but no such luck. "Damn, where is she?"
A sudden growl made him jump and face some bushes. His eyes widened when he saw bright blue eyes in the dark.
Then a figure came out of the bushes. "Damn it, Ichi!" Sakumi said, "I told you to forget about this" Ichirohiko's eyes widened when he saw the fox girl standing there.
"Did you lead me here?" He asked but Sakumi shook her head, "no" she said and started walking, "I live here"
His eyes widened and followed her, "live where!?" He called following her until they made it to a huge tree.
"Up here" she said jumping up and pulling down a rope, "come"
He followed her up and saw a treehouse, neatly kept with flowers arranged on the outside.
She opened the a door from under it and climbed in, helping Ichirohiko in. He saw fruits and vegetables and small hand made dolls made of twigs and leaves.
"How long have you been here?" He asked as she threw him an apple, "I don't know, I lost count" she said biting into her own apple, "I just decided to live here since papa left me with Nana, after a few years I decided I want to make this tree house" she explained.
Ichirohiko stared at her as she stood next to a window. The moonlight reflecting perfectly on her pale skin. After knowing Sakumi for almost a year or two, there's no he can let her live alone anymore.
********************************

The next day Sakumi walked to Ichirohiko's house. Hopefully he didn't say anything about her tree house to Iuozen and the others.
To her surprise, she saw Ichirohiko,  Jiromaru, their mother and Iuozen in front of their door. For a second, Sakumi felt her blood run cold in fear that they didn't want anything to do with her anymore.
"Sakumi" Iuozen called. There was a pause for a moment. Making it more 'dramatic'. Suddenly, he smiled big, "we welcome you to our home!" Sakumis' eyes widened, "what!?"
"From now on, we want you to live with us" His wife said happily. "you can make us your fruit special more often" Jiromaru said excitedly. "You don't have to walk so much to get to practice" Iuozen said.
"and most importantly" Ichirohiko said walking up to her and grabbing her hand, "You won't have to be alone anymore"

She was surprised that they were inviting her so kindly into their home. The tears just flooded her eyes without her knowing, and ran down her cheeks as she starred at him. Finally, she brought her free hand to her cover her mouth and Ichirohiko hugged her. Jiromaru ran over to them, bringing them in for a group hug.

*********************

Since then, Sakumi has stayed with them, and practiced along with Ishirohiko and Jiromaru. Her bullies left her alone after they found out that she was friends with Jiromaru and was practicing with him. She didn't want to be a student exactly, because then that would mean that she was choosing between Kumatestu and Iuozen. Which she won't do, and she told him too, to Jiromaru and Ichirohiko's surprise. Iuozen understood and let her practice along with his sons.

After a good few months, Sakumi was faster and stronger. Then one day she found out that Nana, didn't do business anymore and didn't know what to when not practicing. Jiromaru suggested that she open her own little sweets shop.

she actually liked the idea.

While it was being constructed, she asked Ichirohiko's mother if she could make a small garden somewhere in the, huge, background. She actually helped her plant seeds and water them while her small shop was being finished.

Once it was, Sakumi had few fruits, so she started with those. At first, no one wanted sweets from a 'half-breed' but then Jiromaru and Ichirohiko would come around and she would give the her desserts - for free since they took good care of her. After that, she a had a bit more customers.

Once she had enough money, she bought herself new clothes. Clothes easier for practicing and moving around in her shop - it's not exactly easy moving back and forth getting fruit ready in her shop.