Chapter Text
In a mansion uphill in the mountains and surrounded by greenery. Haru was playing in the main garden under the morning spring sun. The little girl was 5 years old, and she had the same black hair as her parents. Her long braided hair was wrapped by a small azure butterfly pin. Her amethyst eyes were similar to her mother's.
The child had been trying to attract the butterflies that came to visit the flower garden every spring. She wasn’t being successful: offering them sweets, flower petals, or even approaching them slowly ended with the butterflies flying away.
“Haru!” a small voice called her from afar.
Haru turned around. She recognised that voice, and she couldn’t be happier. From the door that connected the garden to the main house, she could see Tsubaki running towards her.
She had black hair tied in a ponytail and red eyes; her smile was as big as her face allowed her to form. The long-braided girl did the same, and both ended up hugging each other. They separated from each other, holding their hands while jumping in circles and laughing.
The little girl was always glad to see her cousin. Every time they played together was the best!
It wasn’t that she disliked her other cousins. They were family, and her father always taught her how important it was to appreciate the people you are close to, especially your family.
The sons of her aunt Aoi weren’t bad, but they were older and a bit rough when they played. She learned her lesson at one of her first family reunions when she arrived. They didn’t mean any harm, and they apologised deeply afterwards. She accepted her apologies, and since then, they have always been careful whenever she is involved.
The daughter of her aunt Nezu, Hoshine, was the oldest. She was gentle with her and helped her a lot when she was still trying to talk. She enjoyed their time together, but she couldn’t stop seeing her more as an older sister. She was fun to be with, but she couldn’t be fully at ease.
But Tsubaki was different. Being the same age helped a lot, but also that Tsubaki shared many of her favourite things: her love for flowers, the curiosity they have for butterflies, her liking of her aunt Suri’s sweets (she still loved the ones her mom made more) and the most important of all: listening to stories.
Every time they met, Tsubaki told her about the amazing tales her mother told her before bed. Narrating them like she had lived them herself. Their tale-telling sessions were often interrupted by Haru’s mother, who would announce it was time to sleep. The pair of cousins will realise that it was already night by that time.
“She would be staying for the night,” a woman’s voice said in a sweet tone, “is that okay?”
“Yes!” both girls answered joyfully, while looking at the woman who had stopped at the garden’s entrance.
The woman was in her late twenties. She was petite and had a slender build and pale skin complexion. Her raven-black, wavy hair was tied in a bun with an orchid butterfly pin. Two arched, ear-length bangs rested on either side of her face. A dark purple hue fades at the ends of the hair. Her eyes were purple with white highlights on the upper irises, and she wore a kimono with a butterfly pattern. She had a small bag with flower embroidery next to her.
Haru loved her mother a lot. She was always patient with her when she was having problems with her speech, and played with her every time she finished working. Whenever her mother could, she would cook something special for her. Haru didn’t hate her father’s cooking, but her mother’s had always been more delicious. She couldn’t explain it; she just felt that it was like that. Her mom would always laugh every time she said something like that.
And that was what she loved more about her mother: her smiles. The first time Haru met her mother, she welcomed her with a smile, and that alone reassured the little girl into accepting her hand too.
Most of the time, her mother was smiling or laughing. She said that it was mainly because of her and her father, but clarified that both did it in a different way. Whenever Haru asked what she meant, her mom would always tell her that she would fully explain when she was eight, but reassure her that both made her happy.
The long-braided girl was happy to have a mom like her. Sometimes she still couldn’t believe that she was able to be loved this much.
“Good!” the woman said while clapping her hands, a smile drawn on her face.
“Lunch will be at noon, so be mindful of your time,” the woman said before leaving with the small bag for the main house.
The children resumed their playtime. Haru explained to Tsubaki how she had attempted to attract the butterflies, but failed every time. Tsubaki didn’t know how to attract them either; her mother was a natural at making them rest on her hand. She never asked how she did it, but now she regretted it. She wanted to help Haru! But then an idea came to her.
“I got it!” she exclaimed. The amethyst-eyed girl looked at her with interest. “If you stay still, then the butterflies will think you are a flower and come to you.”
“Rea..lly?!” Haru asked excitedly.
“Let’s do it!” Tsubaki took her cousin’s hands. “I’ll help you!”
The girls tried the idea, but it was really difficult. Staying still sounded easy, but it was so difficult! It got boring very quickly, and because of that, Haru always ended up moving, and when Tsubaki tried to sit down with Haru so she wouldn’t be bored, she ended up bored and moved too! The butterflies hadn’t even gotten close to them.
They finally gave up and lay down on the grass, exhausted after trying it many times. They started counting clouds and trying to guess what shape they had. Thanks to one of their uncles' suggestions, this game has become even more fun. However, the sun eventually became so intense that even talking became difficult. They wanted to get up, but they couldn’t; the heat was very intense.
Just when they were starting to fall asleep, Tsubaki turned her head and saw how one indigo butterfly was flying around Haru. The girl seemed to have realised and was trying her best not to move. The butterfly was slowly descending into one of Haru’s hands when, suddenly, it flew away at the last second.
Before disappointment could fill the girls’ faces, they felt small drops falling on them. The sky was suddenly filled with clouds, and rain started to fall intensely.
The children quickly got up and tried to run inside while holding each other's hands. But before getting to the door, Haru tripped, taking Tsubaki along with her.
However, they never hit the ground. One arm was holding the two children from their waists. Both girls turned their heads to see who saved them.
The man was in her late twenties. He was tall and had a pale complexion. He had choppy raven-black hair tied in a ponytail at the base of his neck. His sharp, lapis blue eyes shone in the dark environment. He wore a black kimono with a light blue haori.
Haru knew immediately who the person was.
“Daddy!” she exclaimed.
“Uncle Gi!” Tsubaki exclaimed at the same time.
The man gave a small smile and took them inside, while covering them from the rain.
Haru loved his father very much. She was extremely grateful to have a dad so willing to protect her and reassure her that she was loved.
She knew her dad wasn’t the best with words, but that made her feel close to him. It was one of the things that allowed her to trust him the first time.
Instead of words, her dad preferred to show her affection through actions: playing with her, cooking her favourite dishes whenever she was good, calming her whenever she had a nightmare and staying next to her till she fell asleep again, all were things that reassured Haru how much her father cared for her.
She had an amazing dad, and she was so happy that she accepted his hand the first day they met.
Because of the rain, both girls had to take a bath early. Haru’s mother made sure they weren’t hurt and that they hadn’t caught a cold because of the rain.
After lunch, both girls were looking outside the large window of Haru’s room. The room was bigger than Tsubaki’s. The tatami floor was covered with butterfly patterns. Two futons were lying in the centre (one arranged for Tsubaki’s), while some cushions were next to the big window. Two big wooden coffins were next to a wall.
The children were sad. They couldn’t play outside because of the rain, and because of the dark and cloudy atmosphere, they didn’t have too much energy to play inside.
Haru’s mother entered the room quietly and saw the two girls.
The woman had come with a plan to entertain the children. It was something she had reserved for later, but seeing the situation, she was willing to use it now. Her sister had inspired her a lot; she even helped her on the nights she could to practise, and now she had the chance.
But first, she needed to get the girls interested, and who says that she couldn’t get a bit of fun while doing it?
“April showers…” Haru’s mother said. She appeared from behind the girls. “Always so unpredictable.” She closed her eyes and rested her face in one of her hands, a soft chuckle escaping from her lips. Her hands were hidden behind her back.
“It’s not funny, Aunt Shino…” Tsubaki complained.
Haru nodded along; she didn’t know what else to say.
“You are right, it isn’t funny,” the woman said sweetly. She put a finger on her chin. Her eyes were still closed, and one hand was still on her back.
“Mmm…. I wonder what could lift your mood…?” the woman hummed.
The children continued looking at the falling rain that seemed to have intensified in the last few minutes.
“Nope, no ideas today!” the woman exclaimed playfully. She opened her eyes and turned around to leave. Both girls were barely paying attention.
“I wonder then why my sister left these plushies with me…” the woman said out loud while holding a bag with handmade plushies.
The children turned their gazes quickly back to the woman. Smiles filled their faces.
“Plushies!?” they cried in unison.
Both girls ran to the woman.
“Ara ara… are you interested?” the woman said while feigning ignorance.
“Those are the plushies of the story!” Tsubaki turned to Haru.
“The Flo…wer and the Mor..ning Sun?” Haru asked with difficulty.
“Yes! Mommy said that I couldn’t take them out of the house, but…” Tsubaki said, her voice trailing off. Her eyes illuminated from a realisation. “Are you going to tell us a story, Aunt Shino?!”
Haru’s eyes illuminated at the same intensity as Tsubaki’s. Her mom would sometimes read her stories from books, but it wasn’t a common habit. Let alone telling her a story without a book like Tsubaki’s mom did. Her mom always excused herself, saying she wasn’t that good.
However, Haru always thought that her mom’s voice was perfect for telling stories, but didn’t want to go against her wishes and remain happy with the few stories she was told. But that was about to change.
“Do you want me to tell you a story…?” Haru’s mother asked tentatively. She already knew the answer.
“Yes!” both girls screamed. Her little arms raised to the air.
The woman smiled and proceeded to accommodate the children sitting on their futons. The woman sat herself on a cushion with the bag of plushies next to her.
“The story I’m going to tell you is one that not even Tsubaki’s mom has ever told,” the woman started.
Tsubaki’s eyes filled with more excitement. Haru was already in awe.
The woman had been preparing a story about how she and Haru’s father had met. She had to make a lot of effort to make the story suitable for children, but she was ready.
The woman took two plushies from the bag.
“It’s called: The Lavender Butterfly and the Water Guardian.”
* * *
Once upon a time, there was a small butterfly who lived with her older sister and her parents in a small flower field in a forest. Her main body was white, with the border of her wings of a lavender colour with light blue dots around.
Despite being smaller than other butterflies, she was still pretty beautiful, something that her family always reminded her of. The Lavender Butterfly didn’t agree at all; she thought that her sister was even more beautiful!
Being a pink flower with faded green edges, her beauty was noticeable in the whole forest. Her older sister had taken the best from her flower mother and her butterfly father.
The Lavender Butterfly was proud of being her sister, and every day spent with her family filled her with joy.
Until tragedy hit both sisters…
On a cold winter night, the Lavender Butterfly was awakened by a loud screech. Before the butterfly could turn around, the Pink Flower, her older sister, was holding her tightly while trying to shield her from seeing something. The screams kept coming from where their parents were supposed to be sleeping.
“Don’t look! Don’t look!” her sister murmured to her in a pleading way. Tears were falling from her eyes. Her voice was cracking with each repetition.
Then, everything went quiet, and the butterfly couldn’t help but watch through her sister’s arms. Right there in the middle of the flower field, a big monster with four horns and dark red fur was standing. The unmoving silhouettes of her parents were behind them.
The small butterfly started to cry. Not only for the sadness, but also out of frustration. She knew that the monster was coming after them now, and they couldn’t do anything about it. They were too weak to fight and were too scared to even run.
The monster let out a smirk before sprinting in their direction.
The Lavender Butterfly closed her eyes as she felt how her older sister hugged her even tighter. She prepared for the worst, but that pain never came.
Instead, she felt the earth trembling below them. Like a mountain had landed in front of them. When she opened her eyes, a big brown bear wearing a collar of red beads was standing in front of them. The monster that was supposed to eat them had been thrown against a tree, with a big slash in its belly.
However, the monster got up quickly, his wound healing up. The bear disappeared from the sister’s sight, and in a matter of seconds, they saw how the monster was defeated by a quick succession of slashes, making him turn into ashes.
The sisters were in shock; they couldn’t believe that a bear could move that fast and be strong enough to fight against a monster that scary.
“Are you okay, little children?” a soft and restrained voice asked them.
The sisters became aware that the voice came from the bear, who had appeared right in front of them. It was then that they noticed the bear had his eyes completely white, meaning he was blind.
«He was blind, and he defeated that monster?» the Lavender Butterfly thought.
“Yes…” the Pink Flower responded, her voice still trembling. “But…” The flower tried to look behind the imposing figure of the bear.
The bear moved to block the sight.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t arrive faster”. The bear put his claws together like he was praying. Tears were already falling from his eyes.
The sight made the Lavender Butterfly confused. How could this big bear, who was capable of defeating a monster, be capable of shedding tears for beings he didn’t know? The butterfly couldn’t understand how someone that strong could show himself so vulnerable.
* * *
After the encounter, the bear made small tombs for their parents and even made a prayer so their souls could reach heaven faster.
The sisters watched everything with tears in their eyes. They still couldn’t accept that everything had changed so dramatically in a night.
When the bear asked them if they had any other family members whom they could stay with. They couldn’t avoid getting sadder. They didn’t have anyone else aside from themselves.
The bear understood the situation and offered to take them with him, while his group tried to look for a family to welcome both sisters.
During the journey to the bear’s home, the sisters rested on the bear’s back. Sometimes sleeping due to exhaustion, other times just hugging each other in silence, and others they would just cry. The bear never tried to interrupt them.
It wasn’t until the fifth day that, after a silent agreement, they decided to break the silence. They wanted to know everything.
What were those monsters?
Where did they come from?
Why was the bear able to defeat them?
What was that group he was talking about?
And more questions that the bear eventually responded to. It was his way to make amends for failing to save their parents.
The sisters now knew more than before.
They knew that the monsters were creatures feared by every animal known as Monsters of the Night. They usually walk on two legs, their fur is long and of dark colours, and most importantly, their claws and fangs are bigger than those of any other animal.
They were created by the King of Monsters, the first monster ever to exist, who could transform any living being into a monster and make it obedient to him. These monsters would only go out at night, because sunlight was the only thing they feared.
Thankfully, there was a group called ‘The Guardians’ that fought against the monsters to find and defeat the King of Monsters. Without him, no new monsters would be born, and they would eventually disappear. For that, there was an elite group called the Pillars, who were considered the strongest guardians.
That fight had been going on for 400 years, and no guardian had ever encountered the King Monsters. The most they came across was facing one of his Night Claws, an elite group composed of the 12 most powerful monsters under direct orders of the King of Monsters. The top 6 were considered the Upper Night Claws, while the other 6 were classified as Lower Night Claws.
Coincidentally, the monster that had attacked them was Lower Night Claw 6, and the bear had revealed himself as one of the Pillars.
The sisters had a lot to process after the long explanation.
For a long time, they thought their happy lives would continue forever, but the encounter with the monster had broken that happiness. It showed them how fragile that happy life was. And now they knew there were monsters even worse and could be lurking around at any night.
It made them feel scared. They had been saved, but they didn’t know for how long. The bear promised that they would be safe, but what about other people?
They knew how painful it was to lose their parents, and they didn’t want anyone else to experience what they had. There were still people whose happiness had not yet been broken.
“I want to get stronger,” the Lavender Butterfly said to her sister. It was the first night they arrived at the bear’s home, a big and cosy cave. Her voice was nervous, but firm. “I want to get stronger and protect them.”
The Pink Flower grabbed her sister’s arms, enveloping them with her leaves.
“Let’s defeat as many monsters as possible.” Her voice was broken, her eyes shedding tears. “Together,” the flower said with conviction. Her leaves held her sister’s arms tighter.
“No one else will experience what we did,” the butterfly affirmed, her eyes starting to get teary.
“Even if we are weak and can’t defeat a monster—” she shook herself to clear her doubts. “No, if we defeat one monster, we will save dozens,” the Pink Flower affirmed with conviction.
“If we defeat a Night Claw, we will save hundreds,” the Lavender Butterfly responded.
And just like that, both sisters sealed their promise by touching their foreheads. It wasn’t whether they could or couldn’t fulfil it. They had to. That’s how promises work, and they would do whatever it takes to make it a reality.
* * *
The next morning, while the bear was preparing to leave for the day. Both sisters approached him and asked him directly to let them join the Guardians.
The Bear Pillar, who had his back to them, stood quietly for a second.
“Why?” he asked in a neutral tone. His face was telling a different story, tears forming in his eyes.
The bear couldn’t understand. Even if they had lost their parents, children shouldn’t be involved in something dangerous. He became a guardian for that exact reason, so children like them could only enjoy happy lives. But even so, he decided to listen.
The sisters explained everything: what they talked about last night, their reasons to become guardians, the promise they made and their resolution to get stronger.
The bear was now conflicted; he could see the determination in the sisters’ eyes, but at the same time, he worried that they didn’t grasp how serious their decision was. And to prove it, he would test them.
The sisters were brought to a small clearing outside the cave, where many boulders were around. The bear signalled them to one that was half his size.
“You have a week to move that boulder 1 meter from where it is now,” he said with an imposing voice. “If you succeed, I will let you start your training. ”
The sisters were confused. That boulder was 10 times their size! It was impossible they could move it an inch.
“But if you fail, you will give up on becoming guardians,” the bear said with a serious tone.
The sisters looked at each other; their decision was made.
“We will do it,” the flower said calmly.
“My sister and I have good brains; we’ll figure out how to move that boulder,” the butterfly said defiantly. She pointed with one of her arms at the bear. “We’ll show how serious we are.”
“I see,” the bear replied in a dry tone. The guardian turned around and left.
From then on, the sisters tried and tried to move the boulder, but it didn’t move. They didn’t have the strength.
They tried to move it from various angles, but the rock wouldn’t budge. The children ended up so tired that when the bear returned by sunset, they had already collapsed due to exhaustion.
The next morning, they kept trying, but nothing changed. The Lavender Butterfly was the most frustrated of the two.
Despite the attempts of her sister to calm her down. The butterfly couldn’t help it. They had to find a way to move the boulder, but nothing they did was working. She felt so small and powerless.
The Pink Flower wanted to comfort her, but stopped herself. She knew her sister well enough to know when she wasn’t in the mood to be hugged, but she wanted to reassure her somehow.
She wanted her to show her that if they kept trying it together, they could achieve anything. Just like they promised.
She wanted her sister to be more open with her.
She wanted her to feel closer to her.
And then…. she made a wish from the bottom of her heart.
. . .
The Lavender Butterfly wanted to stop feeling powerless; she knew that her sister wanted to comfort her, but was holding herself back to not upset her. She was too considerate for her own good.
She actually wanted to be comforted by her.
To hear that everything will be okay.
To know that they could overcome this together.
And then… a pink glow illuminated her from behind. When the butterfly turned around, she saw her sister enveloped by a pink light that enveloped her in a cocoon. Before she could scream her sister’s name. The cocoon opened.
From there emerged a light green butterfly with pink coloured wings on their edges with white dots around.
The Lavender Butterfly had heard from her mother how some living beings could gain a transformation if they made a wish from the pureness of their hearts. The wish would allow them to transform into a different kind of animal, plant, insect or even natural element.
The small butterfly understood what had just happened, and seeing her older sister smiling at her, confirmed it. Her sister had made a wish to be closer to her.
The Lavender Butterfly couldn’t help but be amazed. Both sisters hugged and started appreciating how much the now Pink Butterfly had changed and the new things she could do. The test was completely forgotten.
It was during those playful interchanges that they remembered something important. Something that their father had taught them that only butterflies could do.
They didn’t have the knowledge to fully use her abilities, but if it was just for the test…
They certainly had a chance to pass it.
* * *
On the following days, the bear noticed small changes. Aside from the fact of the new transformation of the Pink Flower (which made him tear up when he knew the reason).
The butterfly children would leave early in the morning, but ignored the boulder and started wandering around the flowers and trees. By the time he returned to the clearing, they were still playing around, this time doing races with small branches on the ground.
The bear thought that the butterflies had given up and were starting to enjoy their lives as children.
If he only knew!
When the 7th day of the test arrived, the Bear Pillar returned to his house, expecting to find the children playing again.
To his surprise, when he arrived at the clearing, he found the butterflies sitting on top of the boulder, flapping their wings playfully, while humming to themselves.
There was nothing wrong with it…
If not for the fact that the boulder had moved from its original position. And it wasn’t just a little. The distance was far more than he had asked them. His senses didn’t lie to him.
He had asked them to move the boulder 1 meter, and they moved it by 10 meters!
“How…?!” the astonished guardian asked the sisters.
The children stopped humming. The younger sister looked at the bear, pleased with herself.
“I told you, my sister and I had good brains,” the Lavender Butterfly said proudly. She crossed her arms and raised her head high with her eyes closed. “We eventually figured it out.”
“But…” the Pink Butterfly trailed off with fake hesitation. “To be fair, we had to prepare a lot of things to do it on time,” the Pink Butterfly said while scratching her head lightly with one of her arms.
The bear got close to the boulder, and her senses picked up a strange essence coming from below the boulder. It smelled like morning dew, but something was different.
“Could it be…” the bear murmured to himself.
A transformation light enveloped the bear, and from there, a small and thin capybara emerged.
The sisters were shocked to see this revelation. They knew that transformations weren’t easy to maintain. Even with practice, most of the living beings ended up going back to their original forms due to exhaustion.
They had been with the bear for days, and he never showed any signs of being tired.
«Was this a secret of the guardians?» the Lavender Butterfly thought, while looking at the newly transformed Pillar.
The capybara proceeded to push the boulder slightly with its nose, and the rock slid like it was made of feathers. The small animal understood everything and went back to her bear form.
“You created this?” the guardian said more in an affirmation than a question.
The Pink Butterfly was the first one to get over the shock and put on a big smile.
“Yes! Our father taught us that butterflies are unique when it comes to creating poison,” the older butterfly explained.
“But not all poisons are bad! Some can cure, others can grow fields, and others… ” the younger butterfly said while looking at the bottom of the boulder. “Can make your job easy.”
“We didn’t know enough about other poisons, but to make a slippery oil. That we could do!” The Pink Butterfly clapped both of her arms when she finished. “We just need to use the right ingredients.”
“We had to do a lot of tests with what we had around, but they were all worth it,” the Lavender Butterfly said with a proud smile.
The bear started to remember all the times he saw them supposedly playing around the flowers and trees. They were actually collecting ingredients.
When they were doing races with the branches, they were actually testing the slippery oils they had created.
The guardian looked up to them one more time, and they were smiling at each other. He didn’t like to admit it out loud, but he was proud of both of them.
It didn’t stop him from feeling sad, because now he had to fulfil his promise.
Luckily, he was reassured that these girls truly understood that there would be difficulties in the path they chose, and they were willing to face them.
“Let’s start with your training,” the Bear Pillar said softly.
Both butterflies jumped out of happiness and went to hug the bear. The bear hesitated for a second, but ended up returning the hug softly, a small smile placed on his face.
* * *
Long lost in the high mountains. In a small and old cabin, a small water dragon was shaking in a corner.
He had returned from his “Final Selection”, the ultimate test to become a guardian. The fact that he returned alive was enough to be considered a guardian in every right.
But not to him.
He had lost someone important during those seven days. His best friend, a white fox with whom he had trained for years, had died saving him from a monster with eight arms when he was badly hurt.
His friend managed to defeat the monster, but at the expense of his life. The small dragon couldn’t even thank him before he passed out because of his wounds.
When he woke up, everything was already over. His friend was gone, and he had become a guardian.
And now, he had just come from giving his master the terrible news. The old white goat was never good with words, but his silence said everything to the dragon.
Even though his master never blamed him, the dragon couldn’t help but do it.
He knew he wasn’t the best student of the two; he wasn’t as smart as his friend, and he wasn’t as strong as his friend.
And yet, the dragon was here, and his friend wasn’t.
He didn’t deserve the title of guardian; his friend should have obtained it. He was the best of the two.
But rejecting it would be the same as wasting his friend’s sacrifice.
So he chose to continue, but he knew he had to make amends.
No matter what his master said. He felt guilty.
He was a water dragon. Elemental dragons are supposed to be strong and protect those they cherish, but he couldn’t. He failed, and because of that, he was lonely.
So he made a wish.
To seal his dragon form.
To seal his failure.
To seal that power, he didn’t feel worthy.
To become something less, more in line with what he believed was his true form.
A form that, even in its simplicity, would allow him to fight flexibly.
He wished, and he wished…
And then, the light came.
From a whirlpool of light, a water sphere emerged, simple and plain.
The water guardian was now ready to start.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Bonus Section: Taisho Rumours
Taisho Rumour 1: Playing rough
Rumour says that the first time Haru met her aunt, Aoi’s sons, Yoshi and Matsu. She was a bit scared; they were loud and very active. She was barely 4 at that time, and the boys were 8 years old.
The boys had inherited their father's good traits, but they had their mother's blue eyes and black coloured hair.
It is said that when the adults left them playing together. The boys tried to make Haru play Beigoma (Spinning Tops) with them. They were following her mother’s advice on being gentle with girls, so they tried to play something less physical with her.
It went well during the first set. Haru didn’t speak the whole time, but seemed to start getting interested. The boys got overconfident, and in the next set, they launched their spinning tops with more strength than they should have.
Yoshi’s spinning top hit Haru like a bullet, and instead of making it fall, it pushed the spinning top directly into Haru’s forehead.
Matsu’s luck was worse; in his excitement, his launch was so strong that it bounced on the ground, avoiding the other spinning tops and landing directly into Haru’s stomach, just after she was hit on the forehead.
Then, the inevitable happened.
Haru’s cries were loud, and both mothers were already there. The boys were already trembling, fearing what was going to happen to them. They knew how scary their mom could be; their father was the best witness to that.
It is said that after Haru’s mom calmed her down and put band-aids on her bruises. Yoshi and Matsu came and apologised on their knees. Their mother was behind with her arms crossed and a stern gaze on them.
After knowing they didn’t mean to harm her, Haru, who was hidden behind her mother’s legs, came out and said her first words to them.
“I…for…give…. you,” she said shyly. “You...r…not…bad.”
The boys were happy to hear her talk for the first time and relieved that she had forgiven them. Still, they were grounded for two weeks.
Playing outside? Forbidden
Their favourite snacks? Locked up.
They ended up doing extra chores in the house and writing ten times every day of their punishment the kanji for “I’m sorry” and “I won’t hurt a girl, not even by accident. Ever”. 10 times a day.
The bright side?
Haru started to open up a little by little with them. But it will take many years to have a full conversation.