Story!

Tsumiko stared at Hayato who said what he wanted to say. She felt her curiosity towards him increasing since she could feel that all the words he had spoken were true.

'Not only that, he is kind and helping, but he also made sure that she wouldn't feel bad for the help, and would accept without feeling guilty.'

'Even if I say something, it wouldn't work since his words and thoughts are much better than mine.'

And, it was just as Tsumiko thought. After hearing that she would be hired and paid for work instead of just accepting freely, the girl had a change in her heart.

Still, she didn't accept his words and at least decided to listen to Tsumiko since it would be rude to ignore her.

"I can take care of you without any worries and you can do whatever you want. But, his conditions are much better since, he is going to teach you how to fish, instead of just feeding you." Tsumiko said with no change in her expression and she nodded at Tsumiko's words.

The nurse, who was watching everything, nodded at Tsumiko's words and said, "But, it would be better if you could inform her about the work and what she can expect to do in future."

"I will be opening a restaurant soon and you can work there as a waitress or the cook, depending on what you can learn. If you can read and write, it will be better but if you can't, I will teach you."

"I accept. My name is Nono Yakushi, and I will be in your care from now on." Nono said while bowing a bit and Hayato nodded at her words while hiding his surprise.

"I am Hayato, nice to meet you, Yakushi."

"You can call me Nono," Nono said as she heard the words and saw Hayato nodding. She turned to Tsumiko for a second and said, "Thank you for helping me but I can't respond to your help. In future, if I can, I will return the favour to you."

Tsumiko stared at Nono and said, "It's okay, just do what you feel like. You can rest now and try to recover as quickly as you can."

"Mm," Nono hummed in response while nodding her head and she turned to Hayato.

"Hayato-San, I will do my best in whatever task you will give me. Please forgive me if I can't live up to your expectations."

"Geez! You are too serious, Nono. Just rest and don't think too much. Everything's fine as long as people are okay." Hayato said while waving his hand. He turned towards the nurse and said, "Let's let her rest and we can talk outside."

"Hmm," The nurse nodded at him and the group walked outside. Nono stared at the empty room with a flicker in her eyes. A smile appeared on her face as she thought of her situation. She didn't expect something like that to happen, and Nono understood that she was lucky to meet someone like Hayato.

Outside the room, Hayato asked about the fees and how much he had to pay for everything. Before the nurse could say anything, Tsumiko said, "Mina, you can send the bill to my place. I will send the money later."

Mina's expression changed at Tsumiko's words and saw Hayato frowning at her. She gave a nod and left the place since she knew that something was going to happen between them.

"Before you are going to say anything, listen to me," Tsumiko said to Hayato, who closed his mouth.

"Let's continue in the garden," Tsumiko said while looking around and Hayato raised his brows at her words. He nodded as he walked ahead while Tsumiko looked at the drawings he had forgotten. She picked them up and stared at the sketch of the woman but her face was missing.

Walking outside, they reached the garden and Tsumiko sat down beside Hayato.

"Do you want to listen to my story or should I talk about the main part?" Tsumiko said while staring into his eyes, and Hayato noticed her emotions changing.

'She is sad,' He thought in his mind, and Hayato nodded at her.

"You can tell your story first if you want to."

Tsumiko hummed in response, and she started to speak, "Eight years ago, I graduated from Ninja Academy. I was assigned a Jonin Team since I was talented in the class."

"Our team was good, and we completed several missions in the village. We formed bonds with each other."

"Two years later, we participated in Chunin Exams and passed. Then, we were separated from the team, but we met from time to time."

"Then, the Second Shinobi War started, and one of my teammates died. Someone else was added to the team, but as war continued, people kept on dying."

"In three years, I lost so many people that I became numb and couldn't feel anything anymore. Then, I completed different missions like a dead corpse until someone became my friend."

"But, something similar happened to her so she also got a trauma, and I understood that there was simply no point in getting to know anyone. I worked for another year, and I couldn't handle anymore."

"So, I retired a year ago, and since then, I have been living a monotonous life and just living for the sake of living since I survived the war while many died."

"To be honest, I became just as you said, someone who minds their own business, and that's why I wonder why I even helped you."

"And, this is what I want to ask you besides the other matter I have. What do you think of this situation, and why do you think someone like me helped you?"

Hayato stared at Tsumiko's dead eyes, who stared at him and waited for an answer. He could feel her desperation, sadness, remorse and some curiosity, and Hayato spoke what came to his mind.

"Maybe I look like someone you know and you helped. Or, maybe you think that you didn't save anyone in past but when you saw the opportunity, the suppressed you moved to save someone?"

"I might be wrong as I don't think anyone except you can answer this question. I don't think I can sympathise or empathise with you since I don't know what it feels like to lose people again and again."

"As for your choice about not associating with others, it isn't wrong but isn't right either. This is what you thought would be the best option and what you preferred considering your situation."

"Not only that, the reason why you also wanted to help Nono was because you saw yourself in her, right? She also has dead eyes, even if she hasn't experienced what you experienced but her experiences shouldn't be good."

"You wanted to save her and prevent her from going down in rabbit hole from which she might never be able to emerge. It's admirable that you can still think this way and it seems that the side which you thought had disappeared from you, is only suppressed."

Hayato said with a thoughtful look on his face and he said the words which came in her mind. In the current situation, lying would be the most shittiest to do, and speaking the truth would be better for both of them.

Tsumiko stared at Hayato while listening to his words. The colour around her turned to blue and she could feel that all the words Hayato said were nothing but true.

Not only that, his words made her feel some emotions she seemed to have forgotten, and a tear escaped her eyes. She wiped the tear and lowered her gaze, not saying anything. Hayato also didn't say anything anymore and remained silent.

"If you want, you can let Nono live with you, and she can just work at my place. After all, you said that you will pay instead of me." Hayato said a few moments later and Tsumiko looked at him.

"I was wondering if I could also work at your restaurant. I know a little bit of cooking, and you just don't have to worry about salary since I just want to do something."

Hayato's expression changed at her words and he noticed a gleam in her eyes. He could feel her helplessness, hope, anxiety and sincerity but her face was blank and she showed no emotions. If it wasn't for his perk, he didn't think he would know that such emotions were hidden behind the blank face.

At least for the current moment, Hayato was thankful for the perk, and he said, "Sure, you can work with me. In fact, I am happy that you would like to work with me, and if it can help you, then it's good for me."

"But you will have to wait for at least a month since I need to gather capital and renovate my place for the restaurant."

Hayato said while turning his head away, he was a bit embarrassed since he gained employees, but he didn't even have a place for them to work. Tsumiko looked at Hayato with a flicker in her eyes, and she asked, "Do you need help? I don't lack money, and you can pay me back in future. By the way, Can I come to your place and check around?"

"Hmm? Now?" Hayato asked. He wanted to ask if she wasn't worried about anything happening but he remembered that she was a retired Ninja, so he gulped the words.

"If it's okay with you, or I can just come later," Tsumiko said with a slight smile on her face. She knew that it was inappropriate to talk about this in the current situation but she didn't care.

She just wanted to satisfy the curiosity in her heart and she wanted to check the strange feeling in her heart.

Hayato stared at her for a moment and then nodded. Since she didn't have any problems, why would he have? Besides, he could ask for her help and discuss the ideas he had in his mind.

'Doing alone everything would have been troublesome. Still, it feels strange as I feel everything is happening too fast. Or maybe it's because my past was monotonous and slow that I feel this way.'

Hayato thought in his mind and he turned towards the Hospital. He thought of Nono and said, "Well, you can follow me to my place and look around. If possible, I would like to discuss with you the ideas I have in mind."

Tsumiko nodded at his words and she saw him getting up. Remembering something, she turned to him and said, "Wait for a minute, I will go and talk with my friend and tell her to take care of Nono."

"Okay," Hayato nodded at her and saw her leaving. The white colour surrounding her had brightened and Hayato noticed flashes of blue and pink in them.

'Friend, huh!' Hayato thought while remembering his perk and he understood why it felt a bit fast.

'Or maybe I am just thinking too much. Well, this world must have several people like her and the only ones I knew were of anime. Sigh, again, this reminds me to think of everything as real, not a manga or anime made by someone else.'

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