It had been a long day of walking. Haku was underneath his rice hat and had a fan in his left hand. Akane trotted close to her brother, swinging her arms cheerfully. A wineskin canteen of water was strapped to her shoulder. They had set out early morning and been working their way north-west since. It was now midday and they had just gotten to the edge of the twelfth district.
Haku’s gaze kept troubling over Akane’s bruise. She didn’t seem to notice it anymore but it looked painful. It was in pure fury that Haku recognized it could have only been caused by a hard drawn punch.
“You didn’t say who did it.” Haku expressed, simply. Akane returned to a more traditional style of walking, while pulling nervously at the wineskin.
“I…uhm didn’t know him.” Haku regarded her coldly. She was lying.
“You can always tell me, Akane. That’s what I’m here for…” She pulled the wineskin off and squeezed the remains into her mouth. It was a hot day, but Haku knew a nervous gesture when he saw one. He walked along patiently, until she finally quit nursing the canteen.
“It was…”
“Mikio Goto.” Haku said, sadly.
She didn’t say anything and Haku felt compelled to do likewise. Haku had guessed the second she had hesitated. The rebellious ass that Akane thought of so much. He didn’t deserve the slightest inch of cold regard from her, as far as Haku was concerned. Not only was Mikio the undeserving recipient of Akane’s girlish attention; he had been the poster boy of district twelve’s dislike of Haku.
They had reached the limit’s of what was commonly regarded still district twelve. A dilapidated old store punctuated the end of town. Haku looked around suspiciously, taking note of a few odd characters beginning to assemble near them.
“Akane?” He asked quietly. She looked up at him, seemingly expecting a lecture. But Haku held his hand out, palm down. “Take this into the store and refill our water, please.”
Coins chinked into Akane’s open hand and she skipped towards the store, while the odd characters gathered around Haku. A few of them started to laugh and jeer. A great portion of them had been paying specific attention when Haku had handed Akane the money.
Haku kept perfect composure and remained totally silent until one of them finally confronted him.
“Dear sir, me and my humble comrades,” He indicated the people around him, who had began to laugh esoterically, “were wondering if you had something to spare us?” Haku drew in a breath.
“I don’t have…” He began, but then noticing the the following symbols being common on all of their clothes: 十二匹の猿, he stopped dead in mid-sentence. “Oh no!” He said with a modest tinge of bad acting. “Please God, no!” Haku dropped to his knees and threw off his hat. He looked up into the man’s eyes calling tears to his eyes. He shook a few spare coins onto the dust. “I had no idea this was where the illustrious twelve-monkey gang meet. I knew that idiot had no idea what he was talking about…” Haku trailed off. The effect was at first a shared confusion and then…
“You’ve heard about us?” The one asked, almost blushing. Haku bowed his head.
“I would never have trespassed here if I had known. I was told that only the stupid pitiful dregs lived on the edge of the twelfth district.” The man raged and the blush turned into fury.
“And who said that?!” He growled. Haku brought up his hat quickly to hide a grin.
“Mikio Goto, who lives about twenty-five miles back…” No more words were spoken. The fuming gang-members began to run in the direction Haku had indicated. Akane approached from behind, obliviously sucking water from the wineskin and watching the gang members make haste.
“What happened?” She asked, having popped the canteen from her mouth.
“I single-handedly scared an entire gang.” Haku laughed and grasped Akane‘s hand. “Come on, we still have about another hour’s walk…”
Akane’s Obasan lived in a nice house in district eleven, which seemed to be very well kept. Haku gave the door a sharp rap from his knuckles. Some gentle motions from the other side, the sound of a bolt sliding open and a wizened sweet woman appeared.
When she saw Akane, her eyes sparkled with fondness and with her mouth, completed a perfect smile. She threw the door wide. Akane slid in front of Haku and embraced the old woman.
“Oh dearest, Akane-chan. I haven’t seen you in a decade, it seems.” It took a while before Haku’s presence registered to the old woman and when it did, it seemed to startle her.
“You must be Akane’s brother, Ishikawa-san.” Haku bowed with a smile. “Please come in.”
It was a cozy house for the needs of two people. Three people would’ve put an obvious strain on the size and utility of the house. Nonetheless, it seemed to be furnished with every comfort in mind. A far cry from what Haku had been left to at his Obasan’s house. It was an easy guess that the old woman stayed here by herself.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am for you bringing Akane-chan to me.” She said, handing him a cup of Oolong tea.
“It was a small matter. I’m just happy we…I mean ‘she’…could leave the twelfth district. Things have been unpleasant there.” He sipped the tea.
“What about you, Ishikawa-san? Where will you go?” Akane looked over at Haku with interest. Haku’s personal thoughts on the subject of “What now?” were…personal. But even the secretive plans…were stark and not very fully-formed. The significance of all of this was the blank stare on Haku’s face and the silence that followed the question.
“I…” He had to think fast…but nothing was coming. Out of desperation he figured he might as well tell them. “…am going to sign up for the Seretei Academy.” Haku expected a murmur of disapprobation or a chiding glare. He got half of that from Akane, but the old woman seemed mute on the topic. She simply smiled and added:
“Then I wish you luck and hope that you won’t end up like some that go to that place.”
That was it… Akane hugged him so tight that he was sure she was trying to injure him. He exchanged respectful glances with the old woman. And then… He left. It was night and there were the usual skulking hoodlums pacing through the streets. He drew a big sigh and decided it was time to do something worth while. Getting his bearings straight, he pointed himself for the South gate to the Seretei and took his first few steps…
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