Side One Hundred And Nine – Oshiro Sapphire Aiko

Side One Hundred And Nine – Oshiro Sapphire Aiko

“Hey, you missed homeroom!” Yae-chan whispered to me as I took my seat at the desk next to her. The look of concern on her face was touching, but also a bit troubling. I guess the news is out, it’s not surprising, really. Just what do I say to everyone?

“Yeah, well, getting back from Kyoto isn’t easy.” I whispered back. “Anyway...” before I could say something, our teacher clapped her hands, drawing our attention.

“All right, settle down. This is school, this isn’t the time for gossip. That said...” the teacher looked sympathetic, and I felt bad. “... I’m sure you’ve all heard the news of the tragic events in Kyoto, which some of our precious students were swept up in.” The teacher looked at me, then glanced over to Eri’s empty seat. “We’ve had notifications from the parents of Mori-san, she’ll be taking a leave of absence from school, to rehabilitate from her injuries. She is staying in Tokyo, with her fiancée, and will be receiving the best medical care, and is expected to make a full recovery. We hope she’ll be back to graduate with everyone, but if not, please hold her in your hearts, and be sure to support Oshiro-san, who was witness to such troubling events.” She smiled at me then. “If you need any assistance, the school nurse and counsellor are ready to listen.”

Ugh, the stares of my classmates are torture right now. I forced a smile onto my face. “Thanks for the offer, sensei. But I think I’ll be fine.”

“Well, don’t put on a brave face and suffer in silence. The school is here for you, and you don’t want to let this affect your performance in your upcoming exams, do you? Since you are aiming for a Tokyo University, you’ll need to do well.”

“Yeah, I know. Thanks again.” I said, embarrassed by all the attention. As class then started, fortunately it was English, so I could switch off my brain. A few minutes later, as I was half-dozing, considering my plans for later, the teacher was asking some of the students to read the paragraphs from their textbooks, Yae-chan had moved her desk a bit closer, and leaning over, whispered to me once more.

“Seriously, are you all right, Ai-chan? I bet you are just putting on a brave face. Little Ri-Ri is your best friend, I can’t imagine what it’s like, getting caught up in an incident and seeing her hurt... well, if you need a shoulder to cry on, or to vent, I’m here. Rika-chan too. Well, I guess the volleyball team and the kyudo club will support you as well...”

Yeah, there’s no way I can ever describe the feeling of seeing Eri’s limbs get severed, her flesh ripping and shredding, blood spilling everywhere, while I was helpless to do anything but worry, and cling to hope that my bro would do something about it. Then the bodies started coming through... I shuddered then, the memories painful. Still bro did do something about it. Though Eri made her own luck, it seems. Wow, it was a miracle when you think about it...

Noticing my trembling, Yae-chan looked sympathetic. She was going to whisper further words of consolation to me, but the teacher noticed, and told us to behave. “Sorry, sensei.” I laughed. “I should be paying attention, but... well, it’s English, I could just sleep through and it wouldn’t hurt my grades.” I put on a mocking expression, trying to lighten the mood.

“Maybe so.” our teacher admitted. “But Chihiya-san here...” she looked pointedly at Yae-chan. “... is hardly impressing with her grasp of English, is she?”

“My bad, teach.” Yae-chan giggled. “You’ve got me there!” With that the class joined in the laughter, and I was forced to listen to the rest of the class, my mind on other things, things that were much more important to me than English class...

********

“Lunchtime at last.” Yae-chan said, pulling out a bento box from her bag, opening it to reveal her lunch. Rika-chan came rushing over as soon as the bell went, as did several other of my classmates, including Tomoko-chan from my volleyball team. The doors to the classroom opened, and onlookers from the other classes were here too, including my junior from kyudo, Akari-chan, who rushed over when she saw me, her ponytail bouncing. Her eyes lit up with relief, and I felt both embarrassed and happy at her concern and idolisation of me.

“Aiko-senpai, thank the Gods you’re safe! When I saw the news, I was so worried...” Akari-chan said, tears in her eyes.

“Yeah, we all were.” Yae-chan broke in. “We went from achingly jealous at all the pictures you were sending us, to worried we’d never see you again. So...” she paused, before making up her mind and speaking honestly. “... how’s Ri-Ri? Really? And little Marika-chan from Chairoakitara shrine. She was in some of your photos, right?”

There were nods all around. “Yeah, tell us.” One of the boys in class asked. I could see Masaki-kun behind the press of classmates, looking curious as well. I think it’s genuine, not just to impress his ex, Yae-chan, about how much of a good guy he is.

“Look, Marika-chan is fine. She wasn’t present when it all went down, though she’s understandably shaken up.” Not as much as her mother though. Wow, the return journey was hellish, the atmosphere unbelievably frosty. She had wanted to take her daughter back to Nishimorioka, which was understandable, I supposed. Her father-in-law had talked her out of it for now, but she was definitely a ticking time-bomb, ready to explode at any moment.

“As for me... yeah, as you can see, I’m totally unhurt.” I stood, spinning around to show I was uninjured. Don’t think I can’t see your looks, boys. But this Aiko is not so unguarded as to let my skirt flip up! “Eri... well, don’t get me wrong, it’s not good.” At that, Rika-chan and Yae-chan looked awful. They had warmed to Eri recently, treating her as a friend, despite how frequently harsh and dismissive Eri was to them. I guess they are good girls at heart, despite their flashy appearances.

“My bro was totally distraught.” That’s not a lie. He looked like a zombie for the first few hours afterwards. I get it. I think I do, anyway. Even it if wasn’t his fault, it still was, as a leader. Damn, being in charge sucks. I’d much rather play a supporting role. “You should have seen him...” I exaggerated to lighten the tense atmosphere. “... he was crying at her bedside and everything, saying he'd not rest until she could walk again! He’s got the finest medical care for her, so...”

“Walk again? you mean... she’s paralysed?” Yae-chan gasped. “Poor Ri-Ri, what a tragedy. Those monsters who attacked Kyoto should get the death penalty!”

Yeah, that was the story, wasn’t it. A crazy cult. Well, a lone knifeman wouldn’t fit what’s already out there. “I think the police shot most of them. I don’t know, I was too busy looking out for Eri and the others.” I dissembled. “And well, yeah, Eri’s in a wheelchair at the moment. Spinal injury. The doctor’s say that with rehab though, she’ll be as good as new. But with the best care being in Tokyo, she’s staying in the city. Besides, my bro could never let her suffer without him there to protect her.”

“What about scarring?” one girl I didn’t know well, from the year below me, said, worried. “A girl as pretty as Mori-san should be worried about that.”

Wow, don’t make me remember. When the skin on Eri’s back and stomach began to shred, I nearly threw up. The results were hideous. It’s fortunate my bro is a master of Ether Healing. Though, knowing my bro, he’d treat Eri just the same, whether she was covered in scars or not. But Eri wouldn’t like it. She’s proud that bro likes her looks... “Yeah, she’s been lucky. Apparently the majority will fade away in time, and bro got his cash out, so she’ll have whatever repair-work Eri needs to fix the scarring.”

“You mean plastic surgery?” another girl asked, and I shook my head.

“Don’t ask me. I’m no expert. All I know is, I was there when the specialist called in by bro was summoned.” I lied. “And he assures us with a few months of recovery, she’ll be good as new.”

“That’s a relief.” Yae-chan sighed, hand on her chest, Rika-chan echoing her.

“Yeah, if little Ri-Ri was permanently injured, I don’t know what we’d do. Those bastards...” she cursed the fictional terrorists. “... but if Ri-Ri misses graduation, that’ll be terrible. Really, if she’s living in Tokyo now, we might never see her again.”

“That’s right. It sucks. We were just starting to get along.” Yae-chan pouted. “I’m glad she’s going to recover, of course, but...”

Yeah, I’m starting to feel genuinely bad for them now. I wonder... “Hey, well, if you want, why not visit them in Tokyo? It isn’t like my bro will turn you away, will he? For some reason...” I eyed them up and down impishly, and Yae-san blushed, looking shy, while Rika-chan merely giggled softly. “... he likes your company. Men!” I snorted.

“Hey, she’s badmouthing her brother!” Tomoko-chan smirked. “That doesn’t happen often!”

Well, my bro’s wandering eye is something to criticise. Though to be fair, it’s not cheating, as everyone agreed to it. Well, it’s also a good chunk my fault, as I pushed Eri into accepting Shaeula. Wow, it sure did snowball from there though. The problem is, I love all the girls my bro likes. They’re all different, and beautiful, and are so disgustingly into him. Plus they treat me right... wow, I’m so shallow! But what sister wouldn’t want her brother to be popular? “Well, it’s a sisters prerogative to call out her bro when he’s messing around, right?”

At that, the girls that were at the sleepover with the noble girls back before Eri’s birthday shared knowing looks. They had seen first-hand the carnage that was my bro’s love-life, and Shaeula had made it clear where she stood.

“Well... I’d love to visit Tokyo, see how Ri-Ri is doing, but it just isn’t happening.” Yae-chan sighed. “We don’t exactly have enough money, do we Rika-chan?”

********

“Sorry, I’m skipping kyudo today. I have business at the shrine.” I said, waving to Rika-chan and Yae-chan. “Can one of you run down to the archery range and let my club members know?”

“Sure, we can do that for you, Ai-chan!” Yae-chan smiled. “But then you’ll owe us a favour. I... I’m going to speak to my mom tonight. If she says yes...” she smiled. “I’ll be in your care. Please ask Aki for us.”

Still with the nickname, huh? “I will. Now, I have to be off.” With a wave, I headed towards the mountains, where the shrine was. “It’ll be weird doing this alone, without Eri. I’m not scared, why would I be? I’m way stronger than before. But it’ll be lonely, having nobody to share this with...” a treacherous thought that maybe if Rika-chan and Yae-chan had Chirurgery, they could keep me company, flickered through my mind, but I dismissed it. No, I’ve seen the deaths of unprepared people. I couldn’t take others in, unless they had the strength. Just Chirurgery isn’t enough...

Taking the steps to the shrine three at a time, bounding up, my stamina seemingly endless after I received the Divine Favour of Kannon, I quickly passed the weathered canine statues and more traditional Shīsā that watched over the shrine, only to wish I hadn’t, coming to a sudden stop.

“Oh, so you’re here.” The woman, Takeyabashi-san, Marika-chan’s mother, said sourly, having stormed out of the shrine, red-faced, after another argument with her father-in-law. “It must be nice to be young and stupid.”

Wow, excuse me? I narrowed my eyes, annoyed. “That seems a bit uncalled for, Takeyabashi-san. I may be young, but I’m not that stupid.”

“You are. Though you can easily be old, senile and stupid as well.” She shot an angry glare back to the shrine. “Getting involved in this dangerous madness. I never wanted Marika to go to Tokyo at all, and now this... people died! Your friend was maimed. Children shouldn’t be doing this!”

“I agree.” I said, surprising her. A look of triumph crossed her features, before I continued. “Ideally, we should leave this all up to my bro. He’s an adult, right? Sure, put all the weight of the world on his shoulders. He can take it. Until he can’t. Besides, just being an adult doesn’t mean much, does it? After all, Uchida Yamato-san was an adult, a student at University, and look at the mess he made. The deaths are down to him. Not my bro. and I know you know that, Takeyabashi-san.” I looked at her, my blue eyes frosty.

“Well, even so, he was too young...” she began, only for me to cut her off.

“Age is just a number. What matters is willingness to fight.” I declared. “You may not be deeply involved in what’s going on, but I know you know more than most. The end of the world is coming. If we don’t do anything, do you know how many people are going to die? And it won’t just be adults. I don’t know what Marika-chan thinks about all this, but I... I’m not going to stand by and do nothing. Not when I can help.” I clenched my fist. “My bro... he wanted to keep Eri and me out of this, but that’s wrong. Being weak, ignorant... it only leads to despair. I’d rather try and fail, than never try at all.” It was just like kyudo. It was the act of trying to pierce the target, being one with the target, that mattered, not whether one succeeded, though success was always better than not.

“That’s nonsense. You should be protected, until...”

“Until what?” I snapped. “Until something bad happens, that I’m not ready for? I was scared. I admit it. I cried and wept when Eri was hurt. But not just because I thought she would die. That was horrible enough...” I gathered my thoughts. “... but it was because I was too weak, too pathetic, to be there with my bro, Eri and the others. If I was stronger...” my clenched fist ached, nails digging into my palm, drawing trickles of blood as my knuckles went bone-white from strain. “... I could have done something, helped somehow. Maybe I could have helped them save more lives, stop Eri getting so hurt... powerlessness is the greatest pain of all, Takeyabashi-san. Trust me on this.” I had always reached out for my bro, even as a child, watching his back as he went on ahead. It was worse now. He was so strong, fighting so many battles, and all I could do was run after him, waddling on unsteady feet like a child, watching him get further and further away. Then Eri even passed me, running after him. Left in the dust, many nights I cried myself to sleep, wondering if I would ever catch up, able to walk alongside them. Now... now I have the chance. And I’ll never squander it. What a view it would be, walking hand in hand, seeing the same things my brother, Shaeula, Eri and all the others see, beside each other, not looking at their backs...

“Marika-chan... she’s a smart girl for her age. She wants to be of help to her shrine, to others. I think you should be praising her. Is it safe? I can’t honestly say there’s no danger. Even before whatever disaster is coming to the world, there’s always risk. But my bro isn’t Yamato-san. No, he’s taking every precaution. Marika-chan will grow strong, already she can use light element. She’ll only get better, a determined young girl like her. One day, she might be thankful of that. You might be, when danger comes calling, and unlike other children, she has the ability to deal with it.”

“But she’s too young...” Takeyabashi-san continued to protest, and I understood, but I didn’t agree.

“Back in the Second World War, I remember from my history classes, boys at age fifteen and girls at seventeen, they were drafted and sent to fight and die. Hell, kamikaze pilots were certain to die, right? How is that...”

“That was the War! It was long ago, the situation has changed, Japan has changed...”

“Nothing’s changed. If anything, it’ll be worse.” I shot her down. “War is coming, and it’ll be ruthless. My bro knows this. The Diviner, Matsumuro-san, she knows this. Shiro apparently knows this too. Takeyabashi-san, I get it. You want to protect your beloved daughter. You think my parents don’t worry about me, about my bro? But the best protection she can have is being with my bro. If she was ever in a situation where she was in danger, he’ll run to her, and move heaven and earth to save her, just like he did this time.”

“But people still died.” She frowned. “And Mori-san was still grievously injured.”

“Yes. People died. But he brought four back alive, who otherwise would have died too. And Eri was grievously injured, yes. But she’ll be as good as new soon. I’ve seen what my bro can do. That’s why we all need to be stronger. So that this doesn’t happen again, or if it does, we can look after ourselves, hold on, contribute, until help arrives.”

Takeyabashi-san looked at me, stunned by my earnest advice. Biting her lip, she struggled for words, and I decided to let her speak. “I knew marrying into a shrine family was a big step. My daughter loves the shrine. She’s a passionate believer in the kami. I’m not.” She muttered. “Even so, I never thought it would lead to this.”

“Look, I get it. When Shaeula first told me about my bro, and what he was doing, I went a bit crazy.” I flushed, remembering how I had ranted about my bro being a playboy seeking a harem, whose talents were just handed to him without any work. In the end, she had slapped me, to bring me to my senses. Wow, though wait a minute. Hasn’t my bro actually got a harem now? Though I do know he’s worked hard, shedding sweat and blood for every advantage he’s gained... “You fear what you don’t understand, and Yamato-san has screwed everything up by getting innocent people killed. Though I guess... he’s paid his penance, right?”

“I... all I know is, people died. I can’t help but fear my daughter is going to die too, or that her future will be bleak.”

“I don’t think she’ll die. My bro will protect her. I will too.” I promised, repeating it again. “As for a bleak future, that’s the stupidest thing you’ve said so far.” I smiled at her indignation, that a younger girl was talking so harshly to her. “You think having these abilities isn’t going to be worthwhile, whatever she does in the future? Even the basic Chirurgery can turn a weak girl into an athlete. And she can use light element too! That’s not nothing!”

“Light element, so what?” Takeyabashi-san complained. “How does that benefit my Marika, what can it do?”

I wish I knew myself, though Eri told me bro was using it like a laser. I’ll have to try that out myself when I enter the Boundary. “Well, it can do lots of things. We’re still experimenting. But it’s a tool for defence, at the least. Look, Marika-chan loves the shrine, so she’s happy to be involved, even if she’s scared. I think that’s precious, and you should support her. But even you must see that sticking with my bro is the best chance of a good future. Either the apocalypse happens, and everyone will want to be under the strong, those who’ll protect, or we’re full of shit and nothing happens. If that’s the case... well, my bro is starting up all sorts of businesses, and Hinata is from Nichibotsu, so there’s good job openings there. Even if she wants a career, well, I’m sure my bro won’t stint in helping her find one, when she’s older.”

“But to risk her life for it...” Takeyabashi-san persisted.

“... like I keep saying, I can’t promise no risk, but accidents happen. She could get hit by a car crossing the street, or get a bad fever, or be attacked by a wild dog...” I shuddered at that. “It isn’t just what we are doing that is dangerous. Life is.”

“You’ll not convince her so easily.” The priest of the shrine, Marika-chan’s grandfather came out. “I’ve been listening, and you make good points, Oshiro-san.” He looked at his daughter-in-law. “I think you should listen to her. Oshiro-san hasn’t taken things lightly. How could she? Her best friend was nearly killed. But most of the shrines think she’s right. We agreed to move forwards, despite the risk. Because the risk of inaction is not something we can bear. As for Marika... I’m proud of my serious, earnest granddaughter. After all, there can be no bravery without fear.”

“If you want to understand better, give my bro a call. He’ll make time to talk it out.” I said, and she frowned, before letting out a long sigh.

“This isn’t the end of this discussion. I still think Marika should come home!” she declared. With that she swept away from the shrine, down the mountain.

“Sorry about that, Oshiro-san. I assume you want the usual room?” he asked, and I nodded, my excitement rising again, now that tense conversation was over.

“Yes please. I might be down a while today, so don’t be surprised, okay?” I’m going to put the Golden Warriors and my sunlight element through their paces! I’m going to grind and level until I catch up with everyone else!

“I’ll be sure to leave you some rice balls and cold tea.” The priest promised, and I nodded my thanks, as I entered the small shrine, quietly going to a back room, which had recently been fitted with a proper door with a solid lock. Eri and I had said it didn’t matter, but the priest had insisted, saying it wasn’t proper for girls to sleep in such a place without some peace of mind. Well, I guess he’s right. My bro worries like that too. Oh well, time to get levelling!