The sweet aroma of hot chocolate woke her up. She heard a subtle noise from the kitchen, so she sat up on her bed and reached for her long cane. She started to look around, trying to see where she could hide if ever the intruder tried to attack her. She felt the handle of her closet, so she opened it and went inside. She doesn't know how she came back home but her instincts are telling her that the intruder is related to it. She heard footsteps and the door went open.
"Where is she?" It is a man and somehow, it is familiar. Her heart was pounding loudly and she heard him putting the tray on the table. She disassembled her long cane and held tight on it.
The closet door went open and she shrieked, hitting the intruder with her long cane but she fell out instead. He immediately caught her in his arms, so he carried her back to the bed but she started struggling. She dropped her long cane on the carpeted floor and her eyes widened when she felt something soft on her lips. She froze as her brain stopped from functioning. He just kissed her. He leaned away and stared at her.
"Are you calm now? I made breakfast for you. If you can't remember, I found you in the forest. To be exact, near the cliff. You were trying to kill yourself." He picked up her long cane and assembled it, placing it beside her.
He pushed the curtains to the side and opened the windows. The sun lit her pastel blue bedroom and somehow, this helped her to see the man's silhouette. He took the bowl of warm creamy mushroom soup and sat beside her. Hot chocolate and mushroom soup are not meant to be together but both are her favorites. She held his arm when he took the spoon to feed her.
"Are you the one who took me away from there?" She asked and he nodded. She saw that. She saw that he nodded. She got many questions in her mind but she needs to ask first what his name is.
"What's your name and where did you come from?" She asked and he put the spoon down to look at her deep in the eyes.
"I'm Okada Hikaru. I'm from Okayama. I'm a caretaker. I can be your caretaker. Do you need one?" He introduced himself and she bit her lips before slowly nodding.
She has been having a hard time going to the market to buy food. Most of the time, people are complaining about the mess she is making whenever she is going there. Because of her long cane, it is usually tripping people or knocking down things. She is also having a hard time choosing fresh and raw food. Even though she can identify it by smelling, the vendors will exchange it for old ones when she gives it back for weighing. Only a few are kind towards her despite the kindness she is showing to them.
"But I don't have enough money to hire you. I don't have work and my allowance is from the government." She said and he nodded once more. He doesn't need money from her after all.
"It's fine if you will not pay me for my services. I am sent here to be your caretaker. Your foster parents sent me here to take care of you." He said and she looked down.
Of course, they will send her a caretaker. They took her inheritance after all. She carefully moved her hand to look for the spoon. He watched her but later on, he guided it and gave the spoon. He held the bowl near her and let her eat on her own. He saw two family photos in the living room. The huge one is up on the wall and it looks old. She has a brother. The second one is small and just sitting on the divider. She was not even smiling there.
"Do you still have money? You're running out of some ingredients. I checked the fridge." He said and she nodded. As long as she has food to eat and water to drink, she will be fine.
Those are the things she thinks will help her. It was not her first time to take her own life away. Every time she is trying, her friend will be there to save her but this time, this man named Yamamoto Shogo saved her. She doesn't know if she is being punished by the heavens or not. She is suffering more now.
After finishing the breakfast, she took her remaining money inside the drawer and gave it to him. She doesn't trust him yet. If he comes back, she might trust him. If he does not come back, she will starve until the end of the month. She sat in front of her study table and took a book. The books are made for her, for someone like her who can't see. She learned Braille and sign language. Sometimes, she prefers audio books but she is only having it during night time to make herself sleepy.
"Will he come back?" She mumbled while resting her hands on her lap. She doesn't know why she took the risk of trusting him.
She's fidgety. She stood up and walked to the living room to anticipate his arrival. She sat patiently on the couch and turned the television on to pretend that she was busy listening to the morning news. She took a deep breath when she started hearing engines outside. She can tell that it is almost eight. People are already rushing to their work. Her place is a few meters away from the national highway, so she has easy access to markets and other shops. She heard the door open, so she sat up straight while tapping her fingers on her knees.
"What do you like for lunch?" He asked and she stopped herself from smiling. He went back. She is glad.
"What did you buy? Can we have potato croquettes?" She asked and she got the remote control to lower the volume down.
"I got the ingredients for croquettes. I will reheat the remaining mushroom soup later." She nodded. He went to the kitchen to clean the vegetables and fruits and she can finally let her smile out.