The Memory Of Heavenly Hymn
22. Flashback: Negotiation
An eagle screeched, flapping its wings crashing through the air, and spun in the sky. His eyes stared intently at the entire movement until someone raised his hands wrapped in leather gloves and the top predatory animal swooped down to alight.
No matter the weight of the predator animal because it is accustomed, the man rubbed the head of the eagle. The iris of the eyes was blue, and the yellow ring around it made it look green, staring at the pair of small children who were bowing their heads, then turning towards the teenager who was sighing long.
After taking a takagari or hunting with an eagle, the group just entered the gate, treated by the sight of Ryuji carrying Yuka on his back. There was no strange response from outsiders when they found the two to look familiar, but for people in the residence of the Army Commander who knew how the relationship of the two must have felt astonished. Such an odd thing ended up being questioned by Yashuhiro.
Ryuji recounts that Yuka's leg was dislocated, and she carried it despite initially being rejected. That afternoon, they spend the night in silence, until Yuka asks to go down because she thinks Ryuji doesn't care about the mission. Meanwhile, the older one chose not to respond until finally his right earlobe was bitten until forced to lower Yuka.
Again, the question of not immediately finding out the meaning of guesswork from his older brother was thrown, then Ryuji said if the answer was still not found in the area around the lake. Yuka again asked if it meant that the boy understood the puzzle given, then Ryuji nodded his head in response. Yuka asked to be informed and the boy told her. Unexpectedly Yuka ran straight away, Ryuji was shocked to follow while shouting that the girl should not have run away, and Yuka's stop was a stone that he was not aware of.
As soon as Ryuji finished telling the story, a knotty smile was imprinted on the face of the head of the family. The children run around for candy apples which is the answer to Yashuhiro's mission. However, there was no happy look after finishing the game, Ryuji moping around feeling a failure to carry out his responsibilities, while a sour-faced Yuka looked at her bandaged legs.
Shouta Riichi asked Ryuji to face him after cleaning himself, and the worry on Yashuhiro's face accompanied Dad's departure, followed by the guards.
Ryuji allowed himself to be led by a guard to the Army Commander room, through a long corridor with slippery polished wood. Lonely, in the shimmering dim light of the vertical box-shaped lantern on the side of the hallway, the tail of his eyes caught a silk painting hanging on the wall of a white tiger relaxing on a fallen tree trunk.
They reached the end of the hallway, shoji's door was shifted, Ryuji stepped in, and the door was closed by the person who delivered him earlier. The boy immediately knelt down, bowing in reverence.
The head of the family asked Ryuji to sit comfortably, and the concerned straightened his back after saying thank you. The crimson iris scanned the entire room filled with books, switching to scanning the straight folding partition behind the reddish orange-leafed man. A simple but very beautiful painting of a flying stork with a mountain view as its background.
“This is the first time we speak four eyes because Yashuhiro always tries to put distance between us,” Riichi starts the conversation, “are you afraid of me?” the tananya while lighting coal in the furnace, then put small pieces of wood, and the aroma of agarwood filled the room.
Ryuji's head was greeted with a slight obstinacy, then the books suddenly opened every page, the puff of incense smoke vanished in the wind. Unexpectedly, Riichi was already standing directing the katana tip to Ryuji. The boy had no reaction on his face, except for the hand that was squeezing the cloth.
Riichi brought his sharp weapon closer and more attached to the nose of the child's bangir white. “Other children will cry in fear, but you look ordinary or are already used to facing weapons?”
Ryuji looked up, without a doubt brought eyes together with eyes, “I will not harass anyone unless disturbed first.”
Younger hands stretched out. Riichi's neat eyebrows swooped in, staring at Ryuji who was gripping his katana as if unafraid of being injured until he slowly felt a needle prick running through his hand. This child is not messing with his words, his mind. The stinging sensation vanished as Ryuji stretched his check on the blade giving off a dark aura.
“Your words earlier, means you will also reply if the nearest person is hurt?” riichi asked tightened his grip on the blue-striped black sword algae.
“True,” replied Ryuji firmly.
Riichi keeps his weapon away from Ryuji's face, and sheathes it back. Katana floated in the air, then a sturdy hand moved directing the sharp weapon to dart towards the back of the folding partition. “Alright, I don't want it to be just nonsense, prove your sincerity, Ryuji-kun.”
Ryuji expresses his willingness, then bends until his forehead touches the tatami, and holds his breath when there is a hand on his head. The 8-year-old boy immediately looked up, looking into the eyes of the man who was no longer implied by the threatening look. Precisely mimic the shady face while wiping full of softness of the white mane, then spread to the ears.
“Did the bite not hurt until you didn't treat it?”
Getting a question with a soft tone from before, Ryuji even pocketed his lips tightly, he was confused by the change in nature of the head of the family. And, Riichi asks the adjutant to get the medicine for the boy, but the attention makes Ryuji uncomfortable.
Someone walked into the room, gave the medicine complete with wound-handling equipment to his Master, then withdrew, and closed the shoji door. Riichi deftly rubs the crushed turmeric onto Ryuji's earlobe. Very slowly, because the older one knew that the boy before him was building a fortress of vigilance. Perhaps, if Riichi suddenly moves to attack a second time, Ryuji is thought to be able to injure small scratches because he has prepared himself.
“Sorry...”.
Ryuji's forehead frowned in shock at receiving the expression of apology, an upward curving line plastered on the man's lips making him nod his head. Then a hand rubbing Ryuji's forehead meant to remove the murat, and did not dodge when Riichi landed a kiss on the forehead.
It was calm, that was how Ryuji felt. Riichi conveys a sense of calm and tells impliedly to the boy who is shrouded in anxiety by giving a sigh to vent the worries of their conversation a moment ago, also as a form of security that no longer needs to be doubted.
“Can you play my koto?”
Ryuji held his breath for a moment before replying, “can."
Riichi takes off his embrace, “good, so Yashuhiro will feel calm once he hears your music game or he will always be on standby, then turn into an owl.”
