TOKYO, 14 YEARS AGO
Running a confectionery shop is ridiculously hard, even for a man as experienced as their father. He's been stretching licorice on wires and meticulously chopping hardened toffee into small pieces ever since he was a teenager but things can get hectic, especially in a town that craves sweets to escape from the bitterness of the world. That's why he enlisted his younger daughters to help him, finding that his buyers were endlessly amused by two girls handing them sweets and calling out prices in their sweet, cheerful voices. Yosano Ayumi takes on the responsibility given to her by her father with a beam on her lips. She's a Papa's girl through and through and nothing would give her more joy than to get a pat on her head and a hug from her father after a successful day selling sweets. Her favorite red dress swings around her, her black and white striped tights contrasting yet complimenting the outfit she insists on wearing constantly. "Amanattō! Manjū! Senbei!" she calls out loudly, the bag of sweets hugged to her chest as she wanders the main square of their little town. "Come and get some!" a group of children run towards her, staring at the sweets with delighted eyes and hands full of coins that she immediately exchanges for sweets of their desire. She readies herself to shout the words once again, blinking when a shadow casts itself on the ground. She turns her eyes upwards to see a tall man smiling down at her.
"Hello," he's distinguished looking, wearing a neatly pressed military uniform but there's something chilling about his smile and Ayumi mumbles a polite 'hello' before she glances at his side where a little girl stands. She's pretty, blonde locks neatly pinned back with a clip and her outfit similar to the nurses at the nearby hospital Ayumi's parents took her and Akiko to when Akiko broke her collarbone falling down the stairs. There's something so blank in her eyes that Ayumi's fingers dig through the bag of sweets and produce a chocolate ball in an attempt to rectify it.
"Here!" she holds it out to the girl who glances at the man before taking it when he smiles encouragingly. "The rest won't be free mister," he laughs, looking amused and digging through his pockets.
"Here you go little girl," he drops heavy, silver coins in the palm of her hand and Ayumi gapes at the money. With the start of the war, the amount of silver coins has dwindled to a little with the rich who come to visit their depleting town being reluctant to offer only one or two of them. This man, however, has forked over five of those prized silver coins without a blink of his eyes. Ayumi, flustered by this, hands over the bustling packet of candies to him and bows lowly.
"Thank you so much-"
"You can call me Mori-san. No need for the thanks my dear. You were kind first by offering Elise something to eat. She's been exhausted after taking care of so many wounded soldiers," she perks up, interested in the talk of the war. The children of the town are pushed away from the war, scolded fiercely whenever any of the adults catch them listening in to their meetings about what to do if the war stretches to their little town. Ayumi has heard many conversations with Akiko, both of the sisters pressing their ears against the door in hunger for some news.
'Did you hear, Ayumi?' Akiko always tells her, eyes sparkling almost maniacally. 'The war has started to include countries like England too!' both Yosanos have a thirst for knowledge, especially one of gruesome circumstances. They would haunt the graveyards to peer down at corpses being lifted down into gaping holes of soil, entranced by how death could be so close yet so far. They're girls with a craving for the dark, not afraid of the shadows and flickering lights like other children their ages are and this is what will be their defining feature, their fall and rise.
"Are you part of the war too?" she asks and her eyes gleam with excitement when he nods. "What do you do?"
"I'm a doctor and Elise-chan is my assistant," he bends down and looks her in the eyes. "I'm actually looking for more assistants, children with kind hearts who can bring joy to others. Would you be interested?"
"What would I have to do?" she's doubtful of this offer. Ayumi has never been good at bandaging and wrapping wounds, her fingers still lacking dexterousness, as expected for a girl of twelve.
"What you're doing right now; bringing joy," Mori gestures to the square. "Do you see the way these people smile when you bring them sweets? When you haggle with them about prices and generously distribute candies? I've seen how you've given the candies to the poor kids when you think nobody is watching," she reddens at the last statement, ducking her head. She's not allowed to give out candies but she can't bear seeing the children's longing eyes and how their fingers twitch with the desire to taste the same sweetness that others do. "You're a kind girl, Ayumi-kun. Won't you come and be my partner?"
"Can I bring my sister?" Ayumi questions, voice halting and shy as she tugs at the bottom of her red dress. Mori's smile widens, revealing a hint of teeth that makes him look like a wolf.
"The more the merrier," the interaction between the little girl and the fearsome man is more similar to the warning tale that is Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf with his smooth black yet graying hair smiling disarmingly at a girl in the red dress and bashful mannerisms. If Ayumi could go back in time, she would twist and turn this situation, plead for herself to run away from the man that ruined her forever. But alas, Ayumi of this time is just a little child who craves honeyed words and so she trustingly places her hand in Mori's much larger ones, not knowing of the consequences of the newly formed bond.
YOU ARE READING
HOW PRECIOUS IS LIFE ❪ bungou stray dogs ❫
Teen Fiction─── ❝ 𝔦𝔱 𝔥𝔞𝔰 𝔪𝔞𝔡𝔢 𝔪𝔢 𝔟𝔢𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯, 𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔶𝔬𝔲, ❞ yosano ayumi has been forged out of the coldest water in the world. ice flows through her veins and makes its home in her barely beating heart and there is nothing ❪ or nobody ❫...
