10 Suzu

As we were walking, Suzu asked, "Say Luka, What would you do if you could change the past?"

"Don't say scary things"

"Come on, don't be like that"

Suzu was eating...licking on the ice cream we just bought.

Don't lick it like that!

"What about you?"

"Me? Let's see, I would like to meet you sooner. I mean, we did meet in our first year. But we didn't talk much at that time. To be honest, you looked like a scary person, so I was avoiding you"

I look scary?!

"Come on, now it's your turn"

"Let me recover first" I took a deep breath and said, "Let's see, if I can change the past, then I want to kill Chloe first. If I kill her, then nothing will happen and you and the others who died that day would be perfectly fine"

"Luka, about that--"

"And the other thing I want to do, is to avoid you as much as I can. So you won't get involved with me and you--"

Suzu covered my mouth by stuffing her ice cream in my mouth.

"Say no more or I will hate you"

I took a bite from where she was licking and said, "I don't mind if you hate me or whatever. All I care about is your safety"

"I don't want that!"

"Yeah, you don't. Listen here Suzu, if you get involved with me, nothing good will happen. Your dad was right"

"Please don't say that! I enjoy being with you!"

Her eyes were so teary that tears could fall at any moment.

Ah dammit! Now I have done it.

"Let's go" I grabbed her hand and informed, "I can see your dad across the street. He has been following us for a while now"

"Papa is?"

"Yeah. How about you go home by yourself now? Your house is now nearby, and I have my own two stalkers to deal with"

"No, please come to my house"

"Why?"

"There is something I want to give you, and I am afraid of those two girls too, what if they attack me once you leave from here"

"They won't. But your dad is definitely going to attack me as soon as I drop you off"

**********

We reached Suzu's house.

As soon as we entered, she said, "Wait here. I will bring it" and went upstairs.

Bring what?

And I can see her dad from the window. He is desperately waiting for me to come out!

After a while Suzu brought something which was covered in a piece of cloth.

"Here," she said, giving me that thing.

"This is…my….sword?"

"Yes, it is"

"What is it doing here?"

"Well, you see, my father picked it up after that incident. I was keeping this a secret, but if you are going to exorcist school then you will need it, right?"

"Yea..h"

"And I am sorry my dad couldn't find the sheath of your sword"

"It's...okay"

"Hey! Are you okay? You look so pale"

"I am...fine" I turned around saying, "Well then, I am going now"

"Hmm. Okay."

I looked back and said, "Suzu, thanks. And if you need anything or just want to talk to me, then you can drop by my house or just call me"

Suzu just smiled in response and waved at me.

*********

I want to go home.

This sword is making me sick.

"Why…why…why…why?! I don't want to fight, but I have no choice. I have to protect everyone--"

I was on my way back home. I was running as fast as I could, but suddenly someone kicked me due to which I went flying about five meters and ended up in the park.

"Argh!

What...just happened?"

Some blood came out from my mouth.

"Didn't I warn you not to go near my daughter?"

"Oh! It's you. Don't you know it's rude to kick people"

"My leg just slipped when I saw you walking with my daughter," the man replied.

"Is that so? I suggest you should go, and get your leg examined by some doctor"

"Shut your mouth!"

I was trying to get up, but he kicked me again.

"You are not gonna fight back? Is this how you will protect people?"

He took out his lance from his back.

"You know, you speak just like Suzu" I commented.

"Shut up!"

He attacked me with his lance but I rolled over and dodged his attack.

I stood up as I said, "Are you seriously trying to kill me?"

"Who knows? Come on now. Fight me"

I am holding the sword which Suzu gave me, but I wasn't using it. I tried to wield it, but my hands were trembling. I threw the sword and crouched on the ground.

"Still not over it, huh?" He reached out his hand to me and said, "Come on get up"

"So?" I brushed my hands against my clothes to wipe out the dirt, and said, "What do you want?"

I took out the napkin from my pocket which I took from Suzu.

"Nothing really," he replied.

"You kicked me for nothing?"

"Yeah"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously"

"...."

I started sniffing the napkin

"What are you doing?"

"This smells like Suzu"

Hearing that, the man swung his Lance at me, but I dodged it

"What did you just say?!"

He kept attacking me, but I was dodging them perfectly.

He never changes his style. Still the same old fighting style.

"Whoa! Calm down!"

"Fine, but first…" he reached his hand at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Give me that napkin"

"Hey, I am just thinking, but isn't it too creepy that you want to smell your daughter--"

Before I could say anymore, he started attacking me again. But this time, he was attacking more seriously as if he really wanted to kill me.

"Hey wait! I haven't said anything yet!"

This time, instead of dodging his attacks, I was blocking his attacks with my sword.

"Let me kill you," he said with a creepy smile.

"No, thank you"

After minutes of fighting we both slowed down and eventually stopped.

"How about we stop?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I will kill you later"

"Sure" I picked up the sword which fell down when I was dodging, and said, "You have something to talk about with me?"

"…"

"Hello, are you listening?"

"Take care of my daughter," he said in a monotone voice.

"Don't worry. I will be gentle"

"I am being serious here"

"You don't have to ask me to take care of her. She is my --"

"Stop right there!" he placed his lance around my neck and said, "Say no more."

"…."

It was impossible to dodge or block it, so I just stood there.

"Seriously. You and your father are the same. They really know how to piss people off," he said as he put his lance on his back with--

"But he is not my father"

--Or he was trying to. But after hearing what I said, his lance fell from his hand to the ground as his eyes widened in surprise and asked, "You know?"

"He was the one who told me about it"

"That bastard! How much do you know?"

"How much…let's see. When I turned eight he told me 'I found ya in the garbage dump when I was on a mission' or something like that"

"And?"

"He only told me this much"

There is more?

"I see. Good. That's confidential information, but it's okay if you only know this much"

"I don't care about any of that. I just want to find my mom and dad. And ask them why they abandoned me. Seriously, who throws their newborn child in a...garbage"

He scratched his head and said, "Let me say this. I don't know about your mother, but I know about your father"

"Really?"

"He was hunted by the exorcist"

....!

"Why?! Did he do something?!"

"I have no idea why. And as I said, that's confidential information"

"Does…does my old man know about this too?"

"I am not sure. Well, I gotta go now. I haven't slept in a week"

"Yeah, you do look scarier than usual. And why don't you sleep at night?"

"Are you seriously asking that?"

"Huh?"

"Due to a certain boy, a certain girl got injured at a certain mission because she went alone on the mission. And because of that, that certain girl lost her memories and then that certain boy asked the certain exorcist school to keep low-key for some days. And due to that all the missions are forced to be done by the experts"

"Oh? You experts sure have it hard, huh?"

Why don't you take my name already?!

"She is fine now, right?"

"Yeah"

"That's good"

"Yeah. Ah! By the way"

"Hmm?"

"You should stop stalking your daughter. It's creepy, you know? Well, you are always creepy though"

"What are you talking about, young man? Stalking? I have never done anything like that"

"Don't play dumb. I saw you. You have been following us since we left the hospital"

"I see. So you saw me, huh? There is no helping it then. You must have some really crazy eyes that you spotted me"

"Praise your daughter. Your daughter is better than me, she always has been"

And there are two more stalkers stalking me right now!

After exchanging some words we parted ways.

I am on my way home, and so are the two stalkers who are following me right now.

Maybe I should teach them a lesson?