Chapter 16: Linger
I'm going to act like I totally meant taking a 6 months break for this fanfic and not say anything about it.
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In the infirmary, a girl was sleeping on a white bed. She had brown rough hair and wore a gown.
This was Nao, the girl who had just been saved by Arai. Her injuries which was mostly filled with cuts were nowhere to be seen and her ragged clothes were gone and replaced by a hospital gown.
Inside her mind, she was replaying what had happened during her kidnapping. In her mind, she was back at the amusement park with her father. Though she could not see, Nao could hear all the laughter and noise from the surrounding families.
"Nao. Nao?" She turned to the voice who she identified as her father. "What do you want? Tayaki or takoyaki." Hearing this, she shook her head as she pointed to her mouth.
Looking at this, he slapped his forehead realizing what he had done. "I'm sorry Nao! I didn't mean it. I just... forgot about it." She was unable to taste anything nor could she feel anything.
It was a painful way to live yet inside her heart. She wanted to be acknowledged by her father. For him to be proud of her and not an embarrassment.
Seeing her like this made him feel guilty, he barely had any time to be with her during all her life. And when he was with her, he was busy training her as a sorcerer.
Nao had never experienced the fun of simply going to a park. Or even simply playing with other kids. Because she couldn't feel anything and because her father would never let her. This was actually the first time where he had brought her somewhere only they can enjoy themselves.
"Nao." She turned to him showing her white dull eyes that lacked any light. "Do you want to stop being a sorcerer?" Her expression turned into surprise but she still seemed reserved as she didn't give an answer.
"Listen to me Nao, if you feel that something isn't good for you then don't do it. Even if I force you to. Sometimes you may be wrong but that's just human nature." He kneeled down and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"What I'm trying to tell you is that you can stop this. We can leave the sorcerer world and just live on as normal people. You don't have to force yourself. Not anymore." If she could see, then what'd she witness is her father having tears in his eyes.
His face was full of regret to have put his own child into a mess adults were supposed to resolve. "We don't need money or fame, Nao. I'll even bring you to school where you'll be able to have friends."
Thinking it through, she did want to accept it. But deep inside her heart, she couldn't take it. To her, this was her father giving her a path to a new life. But that meant that she'd had to run from her current one.
Nao didn't want to be weak anymore as knowing that her father saw her that way would crush her even more.
Not knowing what to do, she remained silent as she kept fidgeting. Seeing this, her father panicked as he didn't know what to do. But seeing a stall gave him an idea.
He picked her up and brought her to a shop where he bought a teddy bear for her. "Here, press its chest." She did as told and pressed it. "'I love you!'" A childish voice came out of it surprising her but then smiled as she hugged it with a wide smile.
Seeing her smile warmly made him smile as well. "Do you have any cuter ones with cute lines for her?" Her father talked to the vendor but her attention was solely on the teddy bear which she embarrassed tightly.
Even without being able to feel it or see it, it was simply a heartwarming experience that she felt. Though it wouldn't last long as she was suddenly grabbed by the shirt. "Let's get out of here." She heard an unrecognizable voice but knew something was up.
"NAAOOO!!!" She could hear her father yelling to her out far as his voice was drowned by the surroundings. Until, she could no longer hear him. Her fear kicked up as she was frightened. This was a kidnapping. And she had been the victim.
"Don't worry little girl." She heard a creepy voice behind her. "We'll take good care of you."
'No... no... no... no NO NO!!' Just then she woke up, realizing it was a dream. She calmed down as her breathing became stabled.
"Maybe this isn't the best time to come in." She heard a sweet voice coming from a girl. It was Shoko Ieiri who had just entered the room with a new towel. "Sit still." Ieiri changed her towels and bed sheets.
"There, all done." She said it with a smile. "You're safe here so don't worry about it. But that's not what you worried, is it?"
Nao was confused. What did she mean by that? "You want to see your dad, don't you." Even though she heard this, she didn't budge. It would seem that she was quite shy.
Seeing this, Shoko sighed as she rubbed her eyes. "Okay look. I'm not great at doing motivational speeches but I can tell you this. You look determined to do something. So just do it, if you want I can call a taxi here and bring you to your house. Unfortunately, I don't have a driving license."
"But you still didn't answer my question." To this, she nodded as she accepted frantically. "Then let's get out of this place. It smells like shi- I mean smells quite bad."
She got out of the bed and followed this woman who she had yet to know the name of. But she knew that she was with the man who saved her from those people. And they were about to bring her to her father.
"Oh but before we go." Ieiri turned back. "You should go thank your savior. I'll bring you there." She picked the girl up and brought her to a bed where Arai was asleep.
Shoko held her hand and placed it on his forehead. "This is the guy that saved you. Though he's asleep, you should thank him in your heart. Can you do that?" Nodding her head, she did as told.
'Thank you. I'll never forget this mister hero.' She thanked him inside her mind but the sweet moment was broken. "How about we have a little fun since he's always bothering me."
Ieiri picked up a permanent marker and drew a **** on his face. "Hm. That looks good. Let's get out of here before he finds out." She laughed and took Nao with her.
For the first time, Nao felt the joy of having fun. This lady who she had never meet felt closer than everyone she had ever met. She couldn't understand why but she didn't need to. She just knew that she was having fun and smiled along.
Meanwhile, in Ieiri's mind. 'I didn't think of this before but... I'm really bad with kids!'
She then brought Nao to a taxi and took her to the Nakayama household. Where her father was waiting for her. When she got out of the car, he ran to her and hugged her while crying profusely. "Thank God you're okay! I'm sorry, I should of been paying more attention to you."
His weeping continued as he blamed himself but his daughter paid no mind to it. She simply hugged him back and patted his head as if saying that it was okay. That she was fine.
"That's not very manly." Ieiri said but everyone ignored it as a passing comment.
Nao then broke the hug and pointed towards Ieiri and making a stop sign. Looking at this, her father quickly concluded her meaning. "You don't like her? Well she does have a foul mouth."
Shoko faked having a heart attack. "Urgh! The pain... I didn't know children could be so rude."
Hearing this Nao shook her head. She pointed back at Ieiri and made the action of an explosion. "Are you talking about her being a sorcerer?" She nodded at this. Her father realized what she had meant.
"You don't want to become a sorcerer anymore..." Nodding once more, the father smiled as he hugged her. "Then it's settled, you don't have to be one anymore."
Behind him though, one of the residents of the house intervened. "But head clan, without her-"
"Enough, I've already said it before. We don't need to become a sorcerer clan to enjoy life. Or are you expecting her to push her already weakened body to its utmost limits." Hearing this, the servant backed down.
Turning his attention towards Shoko, he bowed down. "I sincerely thank you on behalf of my daughter. Without you, she wouldn't be able to be here with me. May we know your name?"
Taking out a cigarette, she lit it up. "No need to bow or do anything. It's Ieiri Shoko. Though you shouldn't thank me. Thank the man who saved your daughter."
"And his name?"
Taking a puff, Shoko smiled as she looked at him. "Isao. Isao Arai."
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I forgot to upload this back in December so here it is.
Next arc is the Star Platinum Vessel, I have 13 chapters in stock but I'm trying to fix everything. Hopefully I'll be able to upload them soon.
Have a good day everyone!
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