The Memory Of Heavenly Hymn

20. Flashback: Those Who Expect to Smile

Giant grass clumps, towering height, and a book-nail trunk that each segment is overgrown with bud eyes and hard walls. The leaves are tipped, there are fine feathers on the surface. When the wind blows through the bamboo squeezing each other, creating a knocking sound from the stems and a creaking sound. Peace, but not enough to drive away the black fog that encapsulates a pair of human children. Too thick, ‘kah? Or do not want to get out of grief by itself? Not knowing for sure, the two were confused with the contents of the head full of conjecture.

Observing each other with different objects, one noticed reeds, while the other from a distance observed the most serious looking at the shoots dangling until unconscious of a black cat rubbing the body at his feet.

Ryuji sat down to bend one leg resting on the right hand on a pile of maple leaves, then immediately stood up because Yuka departed from her stand after a long time.

Walking together though the boy kept a considerable distance followed wherever the youngest Kazuya went. Every now and then Yuka stops to see bamboo lined up on each side of the road, and Ryuji wonders what the girl is doing because she always stops by the place where there is always bamboo.

The next stop was a wooden bridge connecting a patch of land in the middle of the lake, Yuka stuck her head down to see people rowing a small canoe, a small boat, from another bridge Ryuji followed before his attention was turned to people playing koto in the pendopo, and admired him. Harmony pervaded bring his soul floated on the memory of music with his brother. Not Yashuhiro, but the older brother who could hold a sword to draw his own body from behind.

The dancing fingers on each string looked very beautiful, and Ryuji was unable to keep up with his brother's tempo. Ryuji lifts his finger away from the musical instrument, so his brother stops the game.

“Why?”

Ryuji lowered his head, “sorry, I hampered you.” Regretting while grimacing, the hue of his face disappeared turning deathly pale. It was only 13 strings, as if an infinite universe was in its control, his mind said.

“I think you already understand me, in fact Mother advised me to give you the opportunity to use koto 17 strings because she said your game is able to harmonize.” Her big brother's thumb plucked the strings, just one note could make his sister hold her breath like she was drowned in the ocean.

“Sorry, I still don't quite compensate...”.

“Ryuji..”.

“Kakak, must have high hopes because Mother said it, and disappointed..”.

“Ryuji..”.

The gentle rebuke of the Big Brother made Ryuji shut his mouth tightly, and the older one did not immediately keep quiet. The white-haired young man immediately approached. The turmoil of guilt to pull him up tight to breathe gradually faded, released and pulled to the surface by his brother through a gentle rub on the back of his tightly clenched hand to make his knuckles paled.

If only, Ryuji was like his brother. Always able to do nothing without a disability like him, just the charming face is often equated, but still different, very far even. Ryuji looked up, immediately made eye contact, he saw a small figure that he was confined to his brother's dark red netra. The elder smiled, and Ryuji's mood grew grim as his older lips moved but did not make a sound.

What did his brother say? His lips moved the same as he left.

“Say once again!”

Ryuji gasps at the loud screeches, disperse the daydream, then his eyeballs stare at where Yuka stands. Nothing, his sight was moving in all directions. His eyes narrowed, frowning as his retina caught the wanted figure in the painting gallery, and a man held tightly onto Yuka's left shoulder.

Ryuji immediately moved because sniffing would happen something unpleasant. Unfortunately, it was difficult for him to get out of the crush of people enjoying the autumn festival, too crowded. It was too late, when Yuka opened the lip niche and spoke made the man grin, then further tightened the grip until Yuka grimaced. “You are only a child but dare to interfere!” then the girl was pushed until her back hit the snake statue.

Then the man turned to face the woman who was struggling. “You blame my son?” delicacy, raising his chin, his right eyebrow raised, ”wounds bruising is a fine punishment for your daughter who often walks with other men. You should be grateful I didn't cancel the wedding!” the snapping was accompanied by a sigh, then spit before it passed away.

Ryuji's net flashes followed the departure of the person who had committed physical violence before his eyes while speeding his way towards the crowd where people only asked the circumstances when they knew they needed help. That group of people most likely did not want to interfere in business.

“I can be alone,” hiss Yuka tried to stand up not heed the helping of her foster brother, then sat back down while moaning in pain.

Ryuji immediately knelt down, blocking his wrist before being pushed aside by the girl to jerk, and pocketed his lips. Ignoring the forehead flickers he dislikes as he examines Yuka's blue left ankle.

“Your leg is sprained,” Ryuji said.

“Blood red, honey sweet on bamboo tip,” Yuka interrupts.

“What?” ryuji asked confusedly.

Yuka clucked, “it was my mission. Brother said if touched by you then I have to tell my duty.”

Ryuji's forehead spontaneously frowned as Yuka talked about the mission. Her retina collides with the cynical netra of her new sister, who is troubled that Yashuhiro assigns Ryuji instead of the bodyguards to watch over Yuka, but the young man is not yet sure about her ability to keep, but she is not sure about her ability to keep, and give the youngest Kazuya his own mission along with the condition of not touching Ryuji. The white-haired boy slightly opened his lips when he realized that this was all an alibi so that he and Yuka could strengthen the relationship. Then, was it intentional for Ryuji to come closer? If indeed the older brother sent someone, wasn't that person overdoing his duty?

Ryuji sighed, trying not to get carried away by the flow of emotions. “Forget the mission, we go home.”

“Do not want, if returning without completing a task means failing, including your mission.”

“But you're hurt.”

“I said no, yes, no!” tampik Yuka's.

“Do you hate me?” Ryuji asked in a soft tone like a whisper, Yuka turned her face towards the woman who was still sitting dumbstruck with reddened eyes like the condition after crying.

Ryuji leaned forward so that only Yuka could hear his words. “You can not answer if you refuse. You can also dislike me. But please, don't be stubborn. I don't want you to force yourself to aggravate the wound. So let me help, and then I will not appear again before you.”

Yuka looked back at the boy who had just made her wish, and for the first time Ryuji found dew created on Yuka's eyelids and a trembling hand clasping one of her fingers.