Fujihara Akahana
(Sin Louise)
I LOOKED around and the pocket watch that I got from this woman's room indicated that it's 8pm. I fixed the edge of my clothes that I saw from that box in the cabinet earlier and walked out of the house despite the attempts of the peasants to block the door. I cannot understand anything that they're saying so I pushed them aside.
I secured the money inside the pocket of the tailored blazer that I'm wearing and slid the small katana in the inner pocket of the blazer. My hair is tied in a low bun and I wore this random black hat with feathers and short veil that I saw in that woman's cabinet to partly cover my face.
I lowered my head as I started to walk. Fujihara's house is located in a rural area and I found out that we're currently in Tokyo so I decided to walk along the dark forest-like path in order to get to the urban area. I cannot specifically pinpoint where we are because the landscape is entirely different but I'm sure there's an urban area out there.
I didn't mind the darkness of the surroundings and after minutes of walking, I finally saw a cemented road leading to a market-like place. I saw that the area is bright because of the streetlights and warm lamps placed in each of the wooden stalls. I decided to act normally while looking around.
I walked further and noticed how everyone was wearing western suits and long kimonos, I even opened my mouth when I saw some geisha looking girls walk by. There's rickshaw everywhere and the sound of the street car that looks like a bus and train at the same time echoed in the area.
The place feels so foreign as I'm looking around, traditional Japanese architecture is visible and I cannot see the resemblance in the present Tokyo.
I probably wouldn't, we're just inside those discreet hotels in Nishihara.
" Senbei! Senbei! Ojisan, senbei o katte kudasai!" ("Rice crackers! Rice Crackers! Buy some rice cracker from me, Mister!")
I glanced at the kid that's selling something at the side. He's handing that food-like thing to the civilians passing by. I grabbed the red cloth from my pocket and decided to pull two bills before walking towards the kid that's wearing filthy clothes.
I faked a cough and tried to speak Japanese, one of those few words I recalled.
" Hey kid." I tapped him and he immediately looked at me with that wide smile. " Ikura desu ka?" ("How much is this?") I pointed at the thing he's selling that looks like bread.
" Kore wa issen desu." ("This is one sen") He replied attentively and I just grabbed two pieces of the bread-like thing and gave him two bills. I continued to walk and he's still telling me about my 'change' but I ignored it and allowed him to have the two whole bills.
I ate the bread-like thing and it tasted like rice crackers. While chewing the food in my mouth, I stopped walking when everyone, including their lively chatters stopped. They moved on the side so I copied what they did and blended with the crowd. I raised my chin to look at the middle of the street to see what's about to come and I wrinkled my forehead when a man in that brown vintage suit appeared.
The man in a brown vintage suit is running while looking behind him as if he's being chased by a large force. I smirked and watched the man as a form of entertainment. He tripped and fell on top of the fruit baskets while attempting to crawl to run again.
I'm about to ignore it and proceed with my business not until ten men in Imperial Japanese Army uniform appear with their rifles. I suddenly turned to watch again but this time, I decided to hide behind the civilians that's also watching in front of me. I watched the commotion and I narrowed my eyes when I saw that Tanimura guy, leading the group of soldiers while walking towards the man in a brown vintage suit.
One of my eyebrows arched as I observed how he walked. Both of his hands were on his back while slowly walking towards that man in a brown vintage suit. His lips have that small empty smirk while looking at the man that fell on the ground. That Tanimura guy is saying something to that guy in a brown vintage suit but I can't hear it. He glanced at our side for a while so I lowered my head and hid behind the civilians.
I looked at the ground and I could feel his prolonged stare in my direction so I gripped the part of my blazer where I could feel the katana and decided to turn around to walk away.
Right, I still don't know what's with that guy.
As I'm walking with my head low, I decided to not take my original path but to turn to the direction of that unknown path between those traditional Japanese houses. The path doesn't have any lights so I decided to walk fast until I reached the middle of the village-like pattern of the houses. When I realized that this place leads to nowhere, I decided to just return but as I'm about to walk in that dark path between those traditional houses, I heard some stiff Japanese voices, with that tone that resembled the tone of those soldiers yesterday.
I cannot understand their conversation but their intentionally lowered tone gave me a hint that something is up. I might not be the target but my first response was to find another path so I just walked in the middle of those traditional houses on the other side and as I continued walking and turning to different paths, I started to get lost.
Out of all places, it's damn the 1940s and vintage Tokyo.
I decided to stop and I leaned at the wall of the wooden house beside me to tie the lace of these leather shoes but I stopped when I felt a cold metal on my forehead. My head is lowered as and all I can see is the shoes of the person that's pointing the gun on my forehead. His pants resembled the color of the Imperial Japanese Army uniform.
I'm damned.
I slowly raised my head to look up. Our eyes immediately met. His glasses and his posture tells me that he's the Tanimura guy despite the darkness. I continued staring at him, gauging his next move. I sustained my composure, observing his movements to grab some opportunity to get space or unarm him.
He's too close and his grip is way too controlled that he can shoot me in just seconds.
He's also focused, which made it easier to activate his reflexes if I ever planned to move.
I kept my eye on him and he's just pointing his gun, analyzing my face with that stoic look that I can't determine why he's here and why he's pointing a gun at me. He tilted his head to the side to see my face that's obstructed by the veil of the hat.
I swallowed before feigning a smirk. " I'm Fujihara's daughter." I mentioned, in attempts to make him lower the gun but he didn't move.
He stayed quiet for a while, just looking at me with a blank look.
" I can shoot you regardless." He responded, making me question what I heard.
He's a Japanese soldier yet he spoke in English.
That's why Fujihara told me to stop speaking in English?
I'm confused that I'm just looking at him, lost in my own existential crisis that I'm not even sure if I'm afraid. He picked up on my lack of response as he smirked a bit.
" The Kempeitai can't meddle with military affairs, especially if a rebel is subjected to death." He firmly added and I'm confused if I should even be afraid since I don't know what he's saying.
What I know is Fujihara is in the Kempeitai or the police in this timeline. This woman is a rebel Journalist, while this Tanimura guy is a soldier.
So Tanimura knows that this woman is a rebel but he doesn't have any evidence to prove that. That means he's trying to subtly imply that he knows I'm a rebel.
I realized that I'm ignoring him while silently brainstorming in front of his gun. His gaze was skeptical and he's waiting for my reaction. I stared at him for a moment until two of his soldiers went to him.
What am I even supposed to say?
I stayed quiet and he lowered his gun while keeping an eye on me. He partly glanced at the side to say something to his soldier but I raised my hand, holding the Katana that I sneaked inside my Blazer. I took the chance of our staring contest to distract him.
" Tell your soldiers to go." I ordered while pointing the blade beside the arteries of his neck. His soldiers panicked, ready to shoot me with their guns but Tanimura calmly gestured to them to go. My eyes followed his soldiers that's now slowly backing away and I returned my eyes on him. He's still calm as before.
I looked at his eyes then to his gun. I smirked and gave him a glare. " Your gun." I added, leaning my palm forward to make him surrender his gun to me.
He placed his gun on my palm and I scoffed.
He's one order, one move huh?
I checked his gun while keeping the katana beside his neck and tossed it to the roof of one of the houses before lowering my Katana. I gave him a single glance before turning my back and before I could even walk, I heard the sound of a reloaded gun…just behind my head.
I slowly turned around, with both my hands raised and saw that he's now holding a pistol. His face is still blank but it's insulting.
Right. If he can speak English then he would have known that carrying two guns will give him the upper hand. He has enough brain cells for that.
" Your blade." He copied as I did, making me surrender my weapon that I gripped the Katana while calculating my next move.
Can't death give me a break or this is my punishment? Get shot in the head because I shot Fujihara's daughter in the head?
I'm about to talk but he suddenly pulled the trigger that I flinched! The bullet went to the side of my head and the pain near my ear woke me up.
This is real.
I can feel that the side of my ear is bleeding and I gripped the Katana tighter, finding the right moment to move but he suddenly lowered his gun and gave me that blank look. I could feel the relief inside me when he started to walk, but he stopped just beside me.
" I'll kill them all." His vague remark before walking past me. I'm just standing, confused on what's happening as I sighed out of relief and watched his back disappear into the darkness of the path.
I stayed there for minutes, trying to grasp what happened. But when I realized that it's done, I just walked away to return where I came from, just looking around as if nothing happened.
After all, that type of situation is common to me.
I just got a glimpse of fear earlier…I'll eventually have my karma.
I observed the night in old Tokyo and realized how peaceful it was despite the commotion earlier.
Perhaps, I'll eventually get used to this place since I never settled all my life. I'm just everywhere.
As long as there's money, I'll be there.
I shrugged it off when Fujihara's instruction came into my mind. I broke all his instructions all at once, but maybe it's out of my control. I'll just let it be since the end is just the same.
I found myself walking back to Fujihara's house. My original plan is to get out and just run away but after all, there's no point since I don't know where to start, how to speak, and what to do.
As I'm about to walk towards that dark forest-like path, I got a glimpse of the vintage car and I stopped walking when I saw him at the back seat, beside the window, just looking straight ahead as the car left the market-like place. I saw the other soldiers inside those medium sized military trucks that followed the same path as him.
My eyes went to the flocks of civilians in front of the fruit stall and saw the dead body of the man in a brown vintage suit. It's obvious the man was shot multiple times, and I'm sure I would have been shot earlier.
I don't know what stopped that soldier from shooting me but I am sure I'll be next.
Therefore, I should kill him first.