22 Would Her Bones Be Broken?

At the dinner table, Mrs. Saeki eyed her son who was eating as quietly as always. Heisuke was chewing the omelet when his mother opened her mouth to speak.

"You went to help Hisaki?"

Heisuke hummed, "Shuuya asked me for help. The handyman couldn't come."

After tightening the loose window panel again, Heisuke dutifully checked anything that he should pay attention to. He found that one of the locks wasn't in a good condition.

Because Heisuke didn't have any new lock, he just made do by fixing it a bit. Still, he reported it to Shuuya. The latter said he would inform the handyman.

Mrs. Saeki smiled in helplessness. She couldn't help but mutter out, "Mom thinks Hisaki is a good girl. What do you think?"

Heisuke heaved a sigh. He knew where this conversation was heading to.

"Yes, she's a good girl," Heisuke admitted, "But, don't think about that, Mom. We're just neighbors."

His mother often found an opportunity to bring up single young ladies whenever she could. He didn't have the energy to keep up with his mother's whims.

"And colleagues," Mrs. Saeki quickly pointed it out, "What if something happens as you guys spend more time together? Mom really likes her, ah. It's a blessing to bring a girl like that home."

"Mom, we've just known each other for a few days," Heisuke shook his head. He clipped some boiled vegetables and eat them with his rice, "What if she's already betrothed to someone back home?"

"She's not."

Heisuke wanted to laugh. He asked amusedly, "How could you be so certain?"

Mrs. Saeki pursed her lips. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to tell her son the truth.

"Do you know the director of the nursing home, Mrs. Ikeda? She came looking for me at the inn today, asking me to look after Hisaki because she's still new here."

Although Mrs. Saeki and Mrs. Ikeda weren't too close to each other, they still shared a good relationship. Among all of the residents of the apartment building, Mrs. Ikeda only fully trusted Mrs. Saeki as the others were mostly not locals like Hisaki.

Heisuke frowned slightly, "Mom, is there anything serious?"

From just one look, he could tell something was troubling his mother.

Mrs. Saeki put down her chopsticks. Her appetite suddenly receded as she recalled what Mrs. Ikeda had told her.

"Hisaki actually ran away from a marriage. Her grandfather wanted to marry her off to a man much older than her. That's why she came here."

Heisuke blinked, "Was it so serious until she had to leave?"

Arranged marriage was still common at this time. Although young people began to find their own partners, the numbers of marriages that were dictated by the elders were still significant, especially in the rural areas.

A few years and decades back, young men and young women got married even before they turned twenty years old. Right now, most of them tied the knot before they reached their late 20s.

Like Shuuya who was the same age as Heisuke. At 24, he was preparing for a marriage to his childhood sweetheart, Aino. The wedding should happen sometime in autumn this year.

In fact, most of Heisuke's schoolmates had already begun carrying adorable toddlers on their hips. The ones who went to universities also had found their companions. Only a small number of them chose to delay their marriage in pursuit of good careers.

Mrs. Saeki answered her son's curiosity. Her expression carried a hint of distress.

"Mrs. Ikeda said the man has influence and wealth in Hisaki's hometown but, he's recently arrested for stealing cultural relics. She ran away right before he got caught by the police. If not... who knows what would happen?"

Heisuke's frown deepened.

If the man had the guts to steal something as precious as cultural relics, he was certainly not a good man. Hisaki might even suffer once she was tied to such a man.

All of a sudden, a gruesome image of his childhood struck his mind.

A man who possessed power and money yet had a rotten heart. The same as his father.

Would Hisaki be beaten up like his mother if she didn't escape from that marriage? Would her bones be broken? Would blood spill from her head?

A sense of rage soared up within him without Heisuke realizing it. He held his hands into tight fists, the veins bulged on the back of his hands. The whites in his eyes began to redden with fury.

"Heisuke? Son? Are you alright?"

Heisuke's pupils dilated for a second. He quickly snapped out of his daze.

The bloody image disappeared from his mind.

"Heisuke, what's wrong?" Mrs. Saeki asked worriedly.

"...nothing. Mom, the food will be cold. Eat up."

Heisuke continued eating. He averted his gaze away from his mother. The subject was just dropped like that. Mrs. Saeki also didn't want to press on the matter.

That night, sleep didn't come easily to Heisuke. He spent almost an hour tossing and turning on the futon before he finally could. His mother had long gone to sleep in the bedroom.

The dream easily made its way to his unconscious mind. This time, it changed.

In front of Heisuke who was standing, he saw a sea of yellow petals dancing around him. A soft and subtle sweet fragrance swirled to the tip of his nose.

Far from where he stood, a woman in a white dress standing with her back facing him. Her long black hair was gently tousled by the breeze.

As Heisuke remained on the same spot, the woman slowly turned around. Her upper face was still a blur but, her smile was as radiant as the sunshine.

'Who are you?'

'Why am I having these dreams?'

'You are like...'

The dream ended without him being able to finish his words.

That morning, after locking the door of the apartment, Heisuke glanced in the direction of Hisaki's unit. Within a few seconds, he saw the door was opened from the inside before she stepped out.

Their gaze met.

Hisaki gave Heisuke a smile and a nod. He returned her gesture while pointing downstairs with his chin.

Both of them walked down the stairs. He was on the left and she was on the right one. A vast distance separated them from each staircase. Eventually, they met nearby the gate.

"Good morning, Mr. Saeki," greeted Hisaki with a sweet smile. She almost couldn't control her giddy expression.

Her old man would walk her to her new job! What a really good way to start her week!

"Morning, Miss Chisaka," Heisuke smiled faintly. His eyes moved from her face to her right shoulder, "The bag comes out nicely."

"Do you think so?" Hisaki proudly showed him the tote bag. Her smile broadened, "Since this is done, I wanna make a cardigan next. I should be able to finish it before autumn gets colder."

Heisuke's smile deepened without him noticing it. Under the soft morning sunlight, his eyes appeared so gentle.

Hisaki was mesmerized by the look on his face. Before she did something she shouldn't, she quickly gathered her senses back.

"En... should we go now? I don't wanna be late on my first day."

Heisuke hummed, "This way."

Hisaki quietly followed Heisuke. She deliberately walked one step behind him. The man brought her along a road that led to the warehouse. It was a different path than the one Mayuka brought her before.

"I think the weather here is hotter than in your hometown," Heisuke suddenly broke the silence by making small talk, "Make sure to drink lots of water, especially in summer."

"I'll do that," Hisaki smiled happily.

From time to time, she would steal a glance at her old man. Heisuke was mostly quiet unless he thought that he had to remind her about something.

A minty, refreshing scent wafted in the air, coming from her old man. The scent was more likely to crop up from medicated oil instead of perfume.

A pang of heartache struck Hisaki. The older Heisuke often smeared medicated oil on his body to relieve his muscle pain. It seemed like this act stemmed from his younger days.

Once they entered another intersection, Heisuke took a look at Hisaki briefly.

"This area is relatively safe but, try to avoid walking alone when it's already dark. On certain roads, there are fewer lights. It's better to be careful."

Hisaki looked around her. The path they were currently walking was quite far from any houses. She only saw a few lamp poles. Certainly, she had to be extra mindful of her steps if she ever had to walk along the road during nighttime.

Once both of them arrived at the warehouse, Heisuke led her to the office. The head clerk was astonished to see him bringing the new staff together with him.

"Hey, Heisuke, are you already acquaintance with Miss Chisaka?" asked Mrs. Koyanagi. She had been working here for over a decade.

"We're neighbors, Mrs. Koyanagi. Miss Chisaka moved into the same apartment as me," answered Heisuke. He turned around, "I'm going to start my job now."

"Thank you."

Hisaki smiled at him. Heisuke just nodded before leaving.

"Hehe, sorry, Miss Chisaka. It's just that's the first time I saw him coming to work with a woman," Mrs. Koyanagi friendly greeted Hisaki, "I'm Koyanagi Asuka, the head clerk here. Mr. Mayeda has instructed me to teach everything you need to know."

"My name is Chisaka Hisaki. It's a pleasure to meet you," Hisaki placed her palms together above her lower abdomen. She gave a polite bow to the head clerk, "I'll be in your care, Mrs. Koyanagi."

"Shall we start snow?"

"Yes!"