"Little flower, oh little flower…
Won't you bloom for, everyone…
Oh little flower, oh little flower….
Won't you bloom for everyone."
Those words are lyrics of a lullaby that was sung by my uncle, who has been with me throughout my entire childhood. Until the day he died.
I still remember that day, the very day when my parents were divorced. And they fight over my custody until they died during one of their fights when they were hit by a car.
At the funeral, I remember every face that my many relatives gave to me. Some were disgusted, others were showing me pity, while the rest just gave me nothing but only empathy or do not care about me at all.
But I do not let all of them bother me, after all, I am the curse child of their families line.
" What should we do about her?"
"There's no way I am taking care of that brat."
" I already have too many in my hands"
"So do I!"
'I can hear you.'
The funeral had ended, and many of my relatives had begun talking about who taking me under their care. Of course, as I expected, none of them wanted me, they just only cared about themselves.
' I doubt they are going to just send me to an orphanage. After all, who would want to take care of a girl who just started junior high.'
From across them, I can see my cousin's playing around and one of them is giving me a weird look as if I am some kind of monster, but I don't blame them since I am always a girl who does not know how to tidy my messy long black hair that made look like Sadako and also has a poker face that rarely smiles, that even when I tried, it will just make others think that I am a psychopath.
And as the adults began to argue more, the children continues their playing and whispering about me being a ghost.
" Excuse me, is this the Hashimoto funeral?"
A voice was heard from the entrance door everybody turn to see a middle-aged looking man, dressed in what a funeral dress would be, black pants, a white shirt, and black ties, but the only difference is only is that he is wearing a black coat instead of the normal black suit and a black hat that overshadow his upper face, which is odd.
" Are you a police officer? "
One of my uncles asked as everybody was looking at the man with different looks on him.
While I just ignore everything else and just looked at my parents alter.
"Apparently, no, I happen to be an old friend of theirs."
"An old friend!?"
"I don't remember them having any friends?"
"Weren't they otaku?"
"I thought they were Neet?"
Both my uncles and aunties began to discuss among themselves as many were in disbelief of my parents having any friends, even I am also in disbelief and confused as I don't remember seeing anybody as their friend, as I only remember when each of them brought back man and woman whom I do not know, back to the house whenever one of them is not home.
As my relative was murmuring about that man saying he's my parent's friend. I looked at him to see that he remained quiet only. And he suddenly moves as he walks to approach the alter he looked at the photos of my parents for a while before bowing at them and then lighting the incense stick and then placing it on the burner before taking a step away and then looking back again at my parents alter.
As he looked at the alter, I looked at him, in curiosity as I have many questions about him. Who is he? What is his relationship with my parents? And why…
Do I feel guilt from him?
'Who are you?'
I continue to question myself in the thought of who he is, until…
"… Your name?"
"Huh?"
I looked up to see the man looking down at me as I yelped in surprise.
Seeing him close, I can feel being intimated like I am a little prey preparing to be eaten by a bear, a wolf, or…
Death itself!
As we both looked at each other. The man slowly raises his arm to which I then raise both my arms in response to defending myself, but only to see that he was reaching for his hat as he remove it from his head to fully showed his entire face.
His face looked just like that of a middle-aged old man looked in their forties/fifties, with wrinkles. But the only thing is, was his eyes.
His eyes looked like he was angry along with his expression on him, and he also has a noticeable long straight scar on his left eye. But the only difference is, the atmosphere he is giving is only warmth.
" I'm asking, what is your name, girl."
I was snapped back to reality as I heard his question as he looked at me with seriousness in his eyes.
As I don't want to cause trouble for him. I quickly responded with a stutter as I am quite nervous with strangers.
"M-my name is, N-niko Hashimoto!"
"Niko Hashimoto. Hmmmmmmm…"
He places his finger on his lip as he thinks for a while I watch him in deep thought as I have only a question in my mind.
'What is he going to do to me?'
The man stopped thinking as he squatted down to meet my eye level as we both looked eye to eye as he offer his hand to me.
"My name is Changpu, and I…"
My eyes widen as I hear those words from him.
"Will be your guardian for your parent's sake."
October 29, 2015. The date where Hashimoto Niko is hereby under the care of a strange man named, Changpu, who will then raise her like his own daughter. And who will then be the one, to find his true Self