The Bloody Jasmine • Samurai X

Chapter 4 | The Cold Wind

A few weeks after Kenshin and Tomoe left the Inn, things have been going up and down for Katsura. Since a large amount of suspicion was brought to his Clan, he was getting more worried by the day.

He has been assigning Mei to many assignments, and in all honesty, the brunette was getting exhausted. The female hitokiri assassinates over 25 people a week, which is quite tiring. Her suspicion of Tomoe was growing little by little every day, she didn't trust that black haired female at all.

Part of her wondered why Katsura asked Tomoe to be his sheath, when the brunette could've done that job perfectly. She wasn't jealous or anything, the thought had just crossed her mind.

Today, things were a little calmer than usual. Mei was outside, her attire different than usual. The brunette wore a violet coloured kimono, her hair was in a low ponytail as her bangs were pinned back, exposing her full face.

Mei listened to the silent chirping of the birds, the soft wind, the faint sounds coming from inside the Inn. She sat beside a plant and touched it, admiring the remains of the rain resting on it.

Mei smiled - Something she rarely did. She was surprised herself, the only facial expression she saw and felt, was blunt.

Of how much she doesn't smile, Mei found the feeling strange. She touched her face gently and felt water from the grey sky drip on her hand, re-wetting everything all over again.

Mei decided to take a moment of peace; Just for once - This was an opportunity not to be rejected, and Mei just wanted to cherish it.

'Just let me escape this war for one moment...one moment...'

• • •

Mei moved from outside to her room, quietly sitting on her futon as she stared at her lap. The female hitokiri placed her sword beside the window and occasionally stared at it, wondering why she was still in this Clan.

'What is this, Kenshin? What are we still doing here?' She sighed out loud, her expression slightly softening.

The brunette lied down on her futon and drowned in her thoughts, flashbacks of the day where her family was murdered right before her eyes appeared in her vision. Mei closed her eyes painfully, letting out a shaky breath as she felt her eyes tear up.

It's been a while since Mei cried, and she knew deep in her heart that she should let it out, instead of bottling it in and eventually bursting sooner or later.

The brunette's silent cries echoed throughout her room, but the drumming rain had blocked it from her ears. Mei had realised that after all these years, she bottled up so much pain, when she could've let her tears fall at any time she pleased.

In this moment, Mei wasn't the legendary female hitokiri - She was Mei Hayashi, a child who desperately needed a parent's love - A child who was going insane.

The young girl had witnessed and shed so much blood and pain throughout the city of Kyoto, she hadn't realised that killing was making her crazy.

She didn't realise that her sword was the reason behind everything, her sword was the thing that made her cold-blooded.

With one thought caught off guard by another, Mei's soft cries turned into slightly loud sobs. Mei curled up into a ball and covered herself with the blanket, trying to choke back her sobs.

Her teeth shivered as she felt the wind brush against her face from the slightly opened window, "G-God," She mumbled, "I-It's S-So C-Cold..." She shivered madly and closed her eyes.

As she drowned deeper in her thoughts, Mei took this cold wind as a representation of her personality - Cold.

Mei lied down on her back and took steady, deep breaths. The female hitokiri has soon stopped letting her emotions out, but felt she needed a certain someone for comfort.

But the question was; Who?

Even she didn't know, but oh how she desperately wanted to. Mei pushed her bangs from her face and took a close look around her room:

• A closet

• A door

• A window

• And her sword.

What else was there? The female hitokiri herself. There wasn't any decoration or slight colour, just a plain white room.

Mei got up and walked to her sword, gently outlining it's figure. 'Why did we leave, master Hiko?' She asked herself mentally.

She sighed, not a frustrated sigh, but a very saddened one.

Mei was confused on why this night, she decided to let out all her emotions. She never thought about these things. Even if she did, they would appear in her mind for merely a few seconds, then they would disappear.

'If only Kenshin didn't...go.' She thought.

The brunette remembered the times where the two of them trained together, how they always argued on who mastered the attack better, how they used to be greatly tired after walking for long hours.

Mei appreciated those moments - She admired Hiko Seijuro, she admired the fact that they left their master to use his technique to bring peace,

But she never knew she'd turn into an assassin.

She never knew that killing would be the way to bring peace, she never expected herself to be the hardened killer she is.

Chimamire no Jasumin.

The legendary female hitokiri.

Oh, how she hated that name. Mei always despised her assassin self, but on this emotional night, she realised how much her hate has grown.

'Tomoe...Tomoe Yukishiro...don't...please don't hurt Kenshin, I beg you. Don't...break his heart. Please don't...betray him.'

Even though her emotional state is critical, Mei's mind wondered off to Tomoe.

Her suspicion for the black-haired woman has been growing every time the Choshū Clan has an ambush.

She never really trusted her - Although she thought nothing of her the first few days she stayed at the Inn, but some of her actions makes Mei doubt her.

After many hours into the night, Mei started calming down and returning to her cold self, before deciding that she wasn't tired - And she would be on watch.

"It never hurts to be extra cautious."

And with that, she dressed herself in her assassin attire and tied her hair up, grabbing her sword and making her way to the roof.

終わり