Noon at Seihoku Village
"Hey, Kunkei, come out!" A dark-skinned young man shouted outside Kunkei's grocery store.
Kunkei, who was in the middle of his meal, heard the call and came out from the back room. He saw the young man waiting outside and sighed, "It's you, Jon. Can't you come to buy sometime other than lunch?" Kunkei grumbled as he left his food behind.
Jon scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "I didn't want to bother you, but you know my mother-in-law's memory isn't so good. She realized we were out of salt while cooking, so she sent me out to get some."
Kunkei shook his head, chuckled, and pulled some salt from the cabinet. "Salt, right? Here you go." He tossed the salt to Jon with a laugh.
"Thanks!" Jon caught the salt, handed Kunkei some money, and hurried off toward his home.
Kunkei tossed the money into the drawer and was about to return to his meal when he noticed a long, distinctive fishing rod sticking out along the road leading down from the village entrance.
"Little Shibi is back. He probably didn't catch anything again," Kunkei said to himself, leaning on the counter with a smile as he stroked his bearded chin.
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Meanwhile, two children were approaching the village.
"We're almost there-this is Seihoku Village!" Shibi announced with a happy grin to the boy walking beside him.
It was Shibi and Reo.
"Yeah, I can smell something delicious. I'm so hungry," Reo said, rubbing his stomach and walking a bit unsteadily, drawn by the scent of food drifting from nearby homes.
"Now that you mention it, my stomach's starting to growl too," Shibi admitted. His cheerful face fell, and both boys' stomachs rumbled in protest.
Kunkei, watching from his store, noticed Reo walking with Shibi and frowned slightly. Then he called out, "Hey, Little Shibi! Did you catch anything today?"
Shibi looked up and saw Uncle Kunkei waving at him from the store. He reached out, grabbed Reo's hand, and hurried over.
"Uncle Kunkei, I didn't go fishing today, but I saved someone!" Shibi said proudly, pointing at Reo. "He's my good friend now. His name is Reo."
Kunkei eyed Reo curiously. "Reo, where are you from, and how did you get here?"
"I don't know," Reo replied honestly.
Kunkei was about to ask more, but Shibi quickly interrupted, "Uncle Kunkei, Reo has lost his memory." On their way to Seihoku Village, Shibi had chatted with Reo and learned a lot about him, just as Reo had learned about the village.
Seihoku Village was a small community on an island in the East Blue Sea. There were only about fifty households, but the island was rich in resources. Unlike most islands that depended on fishing, Seihoku Village had fertile soil perfect for growing crops and fruit. As a result, most villagers farmed instead of fishing, and only a few fishing boats sat in the small port. Every year, after the harvest, the villagers would gather at the central fountain for "Harvest Day," a festival led by the village chief, Daichi. Everyone would bring their best food and fruit to share, and they'd trade for what they needed.
Kunkei listened to Shibi's explanation and nodded. "Well, since you've come to Seihoku Village, you can stay here until your memory returns. Welcome to Seihoku Village!" Kunkei said with a hearty laugh.
"Thank you, Uncle Kunkei," Reo replied shyly, a little nervous.
Seeing Reo's unease, Shibi patted him on the shoulder-maybe a bit too hard-making Reo stumble. But Reo didn't mind. In fact, he was surprised that his body, which had been so sore earlier, now felt almost completely fine.
Shibi leaned in and whispered, "Don't worry about Kunkei looking like a bandit. He's actually really nice." Kunkei, hearing this, could only sigh at Shibi's bluntness.
Kunkei ignored Shibi's teasing and asked, "Have you eaten yet? If not, come in and have dinner with us."
Reo shook his head.
"Come on in, then. I haven't finished my meal yet. Let's eat together," Kunkei said, turning toward the back room. He called out, "Wife, set out two more bowls and chopsticks! Little Shibi and his friend are eating with us today!"
Shibi, hearing this, gave up on his own plan to invite Reo for a meal. He quickly grabbed Reo's hand and followed Kunkei inside.
Riko, Kunkei's wife, heard her husband's call. Though surprised, she quickly brought out extra bowls and chopsticks and set them on the table. When Kunkei entered with Shibi and Reo, Riko glanced at the unfamiliar boy next to Shibi.
"And who's this?" she asked, pointing at Reo.
"This is my good friend, Reo. Sorry to trouble you today, Aunt Riko," Shibi explained brightly.
Riko smiled warmly. "So your name is Reo? If you're Shibi's friend, you're welcome to eat with us."
"Um… thank you," Reo replied softly, comforted by her kindness.
At the dinner table, Kunkei, Riko, and Shibi were soon left speechless.
They watched in amazement as Reo, who looked about ten years old, devoured food at a speed they'd never seen before.
Kunkei's jaw dropped. "I've never seen a child eat more than Shibi-and so fast!"
For once, Shibi didn't talk back. He just nodded in shock, not even noticing that his chopsticks had slipped from his hand onto the table.
Riko sat in silence, already wondering if she should prepare more food.
After finishing nearly all the food on the table, Reo finally noticed the strange atmosphere. He looked up, his mouth still full of rice, and asked in surprise, "Eh… why aren't you eating? The food is delicious!"
Kunkei's mouth twitched. He thought to himself, "You've eaten almost everything. What's left for us?"
Shibi, realizing his chopsticks had fallen, quickly picked them up, ready to start eating-but when he looked at the table, he saw only a few scraps left. He was stunned and heartbroken. "That was Aunt Riko's cooking…I want some too"
Riko got up quietly and went to the kitchen to make more food.
The truth was, even though Reo was very hungry, he normally would never eat so rudely at someone else's table, especially at the home of people he'd just met. But as soon as he started eating, it was like his body acted on its own, and he couldn't stop. He didn't understand why.
Still, this was the first hearty, delicious meal Reo had eaten since arriving in Seihoku Village-and, in fact, the best meal he could remember ever having.
In Seihoku Village, kindness, laughter, and good food were always shared, and even a newcomer like Reo could find a place at the table.
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A/N: If you like the fanfic please show your support. Throw some stones ;)