KNY Fanfic: Priceless Smile

Chapter 76: Reminisce

     A lady is seen sitting down at a corner in one part of the streets of the Red Light District. She's hugging her knees as she secretly eats a piece of bun. Her long messy orange hair covering her face. After that, she caressed her stomach.

"I'm sorry, mother can't eat properly for you." She muttered out.

As the night falls, she bought another bun with the money she had earned for three days. There's still some left as she hid it but then, some gangsters came and noticed it.

"Hey, if you don't wanna get hurt give us your money." One of them threatened.

The lady just shook her head.

"I can't, I'm pregnant and I need it to buy food." She replied.

They kept on asking her but she wouldn't. Until they all grew impatient and beat her up. They slapped her, pulled her hair, and even kicked her stomach. The lady cried in pain clasping her stomach. As they were about to land another blow on her, a hand stopped them.

"You guys aren't suppose to beat up a lady." The person said.

The man pulled his hand back glaring at the one who stopped him. With the person's looks, it's a girl. Her long ash-gray hair with black tips tied up in a thick braided bun fastened by a butterfly hairpin with a violet and white color.

"Shut up little girl, if you don't wanna get hurt don't mess with us." One of them said.

The lady then looked at the person who came to stop the men from beating her any further. The longer she look, the more blurry the scene in front of her becomes. Until she fell unconscious.

As she woke up, she felt herself lying on something soft, a futon. As she turn her head to her side, she saw a girl smiling at her.

"I'm glad you're awake." The girl said in a calm and soft tone.

The lady blinked several times before responding.

"Where.... am I?" The lady asked.

"You're at my place. I beat up those guys who hurt you before taking you here. I tried to seek help back at the district but they won't let me in seeing your state. So I brought you here." The girl answered.

The lady looked at her. She still have her hair fixed the same way and her clothes still the same, a black yukata with a red undergarment with sleeves long enough to cover her hands and black hakama pants. The girl soon turned around from her.

"Though.... I'm really sorry.... your child.... didn't survive." The girl muttered out.

The lady's eyes widened as tears bursted out from them. She put her hands on her stomach as she cry in pain, losing her own child is like losing a part of her. Her heart broke into pieces. The girl soon walked to her and hugged her. The girl stayed with her until she fell asleep again exhausted from crying. As she woke up again, the same girl entered her room holding a tray of food.

"You're awake again. Please eat." The girl said.

The lady just turned her head and looked the other way.

"Miss..."

"I don't want to. What's the meaning of living when I can't even be with my child." The lady replied in a tone almost as if it's a whisper.

"I may not feel what you feel since I am not a mother myself but.... I know you're sad and depressed knowing that you lost your child. But please don't lose hope." The girl said gently placing her hands on her arm.

The lady turned around to face the girl. She wanted to snap at her and shout at her on why didn't she just let her die along with her child. But hearing those sincere words of hers covered with sadness, and seeing her warm smile, she just couldn't. The girl soon touched the lady's hand with hers. The lady felt how warm it is, a kind of hand she never felt before, her voice and her touch just makes her calm down and warm inside.

'Her hands.... are so warm.'
The lady thought.

"Don't lose hope. Live for the sake of your lost child. I'm sure, if your child's alive, and would be a grown person today, he or she will say the same thing to you." The girl said once again.

'Her smile's so warm yet so sad. Little girl.... did you lost someone too?'
The lady wondered in her mind looking sadly at the child holding her hand.

"I'm Ringo, and you are?" The lady asked.

"You can call me Kazumi! Kazu for short!" The girl answered.

After several weeks, she managed to heal herself and walk like normal again without stumbling or tripping.

"Ringo-san!" Kazumi called holding four pieces of paper.

"Is there something wrong Kazumi-sama?" Ringo asked.

Yes, she started calling Kazumi Master or Kazumi-sama ever since that day she entered her place. Ever since the day Kazumi saved her.

"Ringo-san, I already told you that it's alright not to call me so formally. I'm not fit for that."

"I insist."

".... Fine, I know I can't change your mind. Anyway, here." Kazumi held the four pieces of papers up and showed it to Ringo.
"Choose one as your surname!"

Ringo looked at all the four papers.

'Azakura, Mayonaka, Chiaki, Yasashii.'
Ringo read in her mind.
'No no, it'll be too embarrassing to take Master's.'

She blinked twice before pointing at the last paper to her right.

"Yasashii." Ringo said showing the paper.

"Alright then! From now on, you're Yasashii Ringo-san!" Kazumi beamed.

After more than a month, Kazumi again took in some people. This time, it's a mother and her two daughters whom she saved from a demon attack. The youngest daughter have a weak heart so Kazumi and Ringo have to take care of her more until she finally seem to be more active and energetic. Though they are new, Ringo managed to get along them fast.

"Mei-san." Ringo called.
"Do you wanna learn how to use a sword like Master?" Ringo asked as the two of them watch Kazumi training on her sword swings in the garden.

"Yes. I would love to and I'm sure you do too, right Ringo-san?" Mei answered.

After that, the both of them gathered their courage to ask her to teach them how to use a sword. Kazumi accepted it and made them train their bodies and on how to use a total concentration breathing. They also met another lady named Mayonaka Aiko, she visited the place and decided to give the two a push and some tips to do when mastering total concentration. They listened to her and applied it.

     Ringo soon woke up from her futon and sat up. She saw that she woke up a bit late since the sun's already rising up. As she fix herself, she stared at her flower hairstick for a while before smiling.

'What a wonderful yet sad dream I had.'