Time passes, and Yorui's eyes gently open, feeling sluggish from a long slumber. After regaining consciousness, she scans the room. The room looks tidy and organized. The desk is littered with pictures of Ishio, and there is a refreshing scent of mint in the air. Her hands, which she uses as support, sink into the soft pillows under her.
Her body feels fine but tight. She reaches towards her injured back and feels thin, clean white cloth wrapped around her body. Her excruciating pain is now gone. Her eyes shift to her side, feeling a presence.
Koroki is also in the room, resting with his back against the wall, his sword leaning on him. Hiding under his clothes, Yorui can see his body is also covered in cloth and bandages.
"Where… where am I?"
No answer. Koroki's eyes are shut, so he must be asleep.
Feeling normal, she hops off the bed. After keeping her balance, she heads towards the opened door.
Koroki hears her footsteps heading towards the door. He opens his eyes slightly, yawning, "Where are you going?"
Koroki stops Yorui in motion. She turns to him. "How long have I been asleep for?"
"4 days."
"Were you staying here, watching me this whole time?"
"Yea."
Yorui's face flusters, quickly shifting her weight from side to side. She stands there in a defensive stance, her hands covering her private parts. "Did you happen to do something to me when I was unconscious?"
"W-What?" Koroki's eyes widen, flustering. "I-I didn't do anything!"
"Really?" Yorui shifts into an intimate pose, showcasing her beauty. "So, you don't think I'm pretty then, huh?" teases Yorui.
"I-I never said that!"
Yorui can't hold in her laughter. Teasing Koroki is something she seems to enjoy doing. His reaction is her favorite. Seeing his reaction, she excessively laughs at Koroki.
Koroki starts to get angry, feeling annoyed at being laughed at. "Leave me alone!"
Yorui laughs even harder, causing tears to well up in her eyes. She leans forward, clutching her stomach as her laughter becomes uncontrollable. She's on the verge of having a good-natured accident, but she can't stop herself from giggling.
During her amusement, Ishio walks into the room, interrupting their moment.
"Wow, guess you slept well, miss Yorui."
"Oh, Mr. Ishio, thank you for healing my wounds." She lowers her head, showing her gratitude.
"Raise your head up, Yorui. There's no need for that. But you're welcome."
His calm and gentle smile makes Yorui feel welcomed and happy. She doesn't deserve this treatment by a stranger; at least, that's what she thinks.
Ishio fixes his attention to Koroki. "Koroki, breakfast is ready. Surata is waiting for you."
"Oooo, I wonder what he made." Koroki jumps up and strolls out of the room.
Before joining Koroki, Ishio stays to talk with Yorui. "Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable with Koroki sleeping in here. I just needed someone to look after you while I occupied his room."
"That explains why he was here then. It's fine, it didn't bother me."
"That's good then."
Yorui doesn't want to waste any more of their time. They already have done so much for her, so leaving as soon as possible is probably the best thing to do. Dwelling on that, Yorui gathers her belongings, getting ready to go.
"Umm, thank you once again for this Mr. Ishio."
"Just call me Ishio or a dad if you want."
"Uh… ok. Thank you, Ishio for the hospitality, but I have to get going."
"But Surata has made food. At least stay and eat. I promise you it's worth your while."
"I'm sorry, but I'm not hungry right now." She's already in debt from them, so she doesn't want to add more to it.
Her mind is fixated on leaving, but her stomach has other plans. While Yorui scurries to the door, she feels her stomach scream at her. Ishio and Yorui can hear the rumble of her stomach.
"Um…are you sure you don't want to eat?"
Her heart drops to her stomach when she realizes that she is actually hungry. Her body freezes up. The weight from the embarrassment makes her want to curl up in a ball. If she had left earlier, she could've saved herself from this. She has no choice. "Mhmm…Maybe eating wouldn't hurt me."
Ishio escorts Yorui to the kitchen as she looks down in shame.
___
They arrive downstairs and see all the food covering the table. Organized plates and utensils on each seat. The rich scent of cooked pork chops and steak. It feels like Thanksgiving, but in April. Surata carefully takes the roasted chicken out of the oven. "Hello Yorui. Father, everything is ready on the table."
He presents the food with a smile, a showcase of his sweat, tears, and love into his food.
Koroki sits at the table, fidgeting, waiting impatiently to start eating. "Can you guys be any slower? If you guys stall any longer, the food's going to get cold."
Everyone sits down at the table and is ready to eat their dinner. Everyone's mouths salivate from the smell, dying to take a bite. They begin their prayers.
This is something Yorui hasn't done before. Usually, she would simply eat her first and enjoy it. She looks at the guys, seeing their poses. Ishio and Surata are engulfed in their prayer. Across the table, Koroki's eyes are closed shut, but his hands are fidgeting around.
It looks like Koroki is trying to blend in but isn't praying. His effort makes her feel a little happier, not feeling the only one let out.
She follows their lead and digs into her food. "Wow! This is so good! This is like heaven!"
She devours the food instantly, like a famished, starving stray dog. They stop eating, questioning Yorui's eating style. Ishio and Surata exchange amused glances, wondering about Yorui's unusual eating habits.
"You know, there's more where that came from."
Yorui quickly asks for seconds as she gets teased.
As she watches them playfully teasing Koroki, savoring the delicious food, and sharing joyful laughter, a warm smile spreads across her face. They remind Yorui of the wonderful homeless individuals she has befriended. This is a moment not to forget. It's good to have these moments now and then. After getting stuffed and spending time with this family, Yorui stacks her dirty dishes on the table, then stands up, expressing her gratitude again.
"Thank you, guys, so much. I don't know if I will ever repay you, but I really have to get going."
Yorui walks to the front door.
"And where exactly do you think you're going?" asks Koroki.
Yorui stops in motion. "Huh?"
"Your dad was sent to jail, right? So, where are you going go?" comments Koroki as he is eating. "You can go back if you want. But I think-"
Koroki immediately gets slammed into his bowl of food by a punch from Ishio. The sauce and chunks of meat fly out of the bowl, smearing on his face.
"That's enough, Koroki," Ishio exclaims. The bright atmosphere shifts to a gloomier one. "Koroki has told us your situation. Your father forced you to help him kill those people, right?"
"…" Her lips are sealed, but her eyes speak for themselves.
"However, even though he is a manslayer, do you still think of him as a father?"
"!" Yorui is stunned by what Ishio said.
"Why are you telling her this?" Koroki urges as he tries to clean up the mess.
"Do you want to get hit again, Koroki?" Surata poses, knowing the outcome of his actions.
"You got a point."
Yorui's lips open, with the words coming out without any remorse. "You're right. My dad wasn't a good father to me. Forcing his own daughter to hurt other people for his own sake. It wasn't fair to anyone… especially me. I never wanted to hurt people, but he taught me that to survive."
She rambles on. "But what was I supposed to do? Defy my own father?! Yeah, I hate him with my guts. But… even though he can't undo what he did, he is still… my father."
"You really are… a kind girl." smiles Ishio.
Hearing Ishio call her "a kind girl" is the last thing she expects. Yorui can't comprehend the words that Ishio has said.
"If you really must go, then I won't force you to stay," Ishio states. "However, you can stay with us if you like," suggests Ishio.
"Huh? But I'm just a complete stranger. Really, you're ok with me staying here?"
"I can't let a child that needs help leave my sight without helping them."
"But, I might use you guys… or betray you."
"I don't think you will do that anymore."
Yorui stands in place; thoughts overwhelm her like a damaged robot. She really wants to stay, and she does. What if something were to happen to them again because of her? She wouldn't be able to live with herself, having to hurt more people. However, these people are different. Their strength. Their kindness. Their love. They make her feel at home. Maybe it's not a bad idea after all.
Having doubts, she comes to a decision. "Well, I guess I can stay with you guys for a little bit, if that's ok with you, Koroki?" asks Yorui. Koroki is the person she knows the most, so she wants his assurance.
Seeing Koroki's dull expression, Surata playfully teases him, bumping him with his elbow. "C'mon, you can't say no to your girlfriend."
"Shut up! She isn't my girlfriend." Koroki turns his attention to Yorui, staring in silence.
If she stays, they will think they are dating. With his mindset, he usually doesn't care about strangers. But he also is against the idea of her going back to her old routine. "Suit yourself." He mutters, obviously trying to hide his sincerity.
It wasn't the sweet words she hoped to hear, but it was the words she expected. A spark of joy strikes Yorui, her eyes brimming with happiness.
"Well, that settles it. Welcome to your new family, Yorui." kindly says Ishio.
"Thank you!" exclaims Yorui with a smile as tears of joy run down her face. She heads back to the table, where they welcome their new addition to their family. Their happiness will soon disappear into the dark abyss.
___
The smell of gasoline roams the area in a dark warehouse in a nearby city. Groups of men unload boxes from trucks into the warehouse. The dark atmosphere loiters in the air, surrounding the men. They were unboxing lots of weapons as they were preparing for something. The men chuckle amongst each other, alarmingly giving off an evil vibe.
A handsome man dressed in baggy pants and a sweater walks through the warehouse, observing the workers. "Sir, all of the weapons you requested have arrived," a worker states.
The boss casually nods at the worker. Everything seems to be going smoothly. A well-dressed man catches up to the boss.
"Mikado!"
Mikado continues walking away, not acknowledging his assistant. "What is it, Kaen?"
"It appears that Majuro "the manslayer" has been taken to prison."
Mikado's calm expression remains. "Oh, really? What a shame. I had hoped he would have caused more trouble."
"…"
"So, who turned him in?"
"He says that the Heartless Demon defeated him."
"Huh?" Mikado stops walking, slowly turning around. His attention is grabbed. Kaen catches Mikado up to the situation. Mikado's eyes grow bigger as he becomes excited. "I see. That makes things interesting. I wondered where you disappeared to… Heartless Demon."
___
Yorui now joins the family, and the squad is now complete. Everyone in the country discovers that Majuro is now arrested. As more enemies get a grasp of the situation, how will they react to the news? Who is Mikado, and how does he know the Heartless Demon? What will happen to this new family?