Ryuusei, Day 2nd, Week 5th of winter, Year 20th of King Yamato’s reign

I had a dream last night. About a certain chubby boy with wet cheeks whom I spent some of my time with on a branch of a tree in a certain training ground in the faraway land. That was the fragment of my first meeting with the man that now I call my husband. Tears kept streaming down even after I woke up. As I looked at my side, I realized why that dream came.

I saw a tiny figure lied asleep on my bed, looking so serene. I smiled remembering the reason of my dream. It was because the little one, by every passing day, looks more and more like the boy in my dream. The eyes, the smile, the face... I could not help but lean down to give a light peck on my companion’s forehead. As I pulled away, tears that had stopped returned to trickle down my cheeks, but this time it was accompanied by a smile. I was sad and happy at the same time as I realized that…

My son is so much like his father.

I’m looking at the falling snow through my window-glass and my heart clenches.

This is the fifth winter I encounter since the first time I stepped my feet on this beautiful land of Ryuusei. This is the fifth winter since my son was born to this world. The day after tomorrow is his birthday.

Remembering that, another sadness resurfaces.

 It has been more than five years since I left Hakumei. It has been more than five years I wait for Ryosuke to pick me up. It has been more than five years… and I keep waiting for him.

**********

Winter afternoon in Ryuusei came. Umika was walking down the street towards a certain direction. She was currently in the market and heading to a shop. Reaching the shop she wanted to go to, she pulled down the hood of her coat and stepped inside.

“Good afternoon, Wakabe-san,” she greeted with cheerful voice as the owner of the shop turned around hearing the bamboo-chimes hanging on the door swayed, creating a crackled sound, as she pushed the door open.

“Oh, Satou-san, good afternoon. Need something?” The middle-age man, Wakabe Yoichi, greeted back friendly.

She had been a customer of the shop for three years that they had become good acquaintance.

“Yes, please give me one wheat-flour, two sugars, and one chocolate powder,” she answered.

Wakabe took the things she asked and packed it before he handed it to her. “If I remember correctly you just bought the ingredient two days ago, right? Got a sudden order?”

She smiled while shaking her head, “No. It’s for my nephew’s birthday. I forgot to buy it two days ago.”

“Ah, that boy,” Wakabe smiled, reminiscing about past moment. “How old is he?”

“He’s going to be five tomorrow,” she answered while handing the payment.

“Thanks,” he said when receiving the silver coins. “Have a good party then.”

She chuckled shortly, “Thank you.” She took the pack and put it in her shopping-bag then said, “I’ll be off then Wakabe-san.”

“Hai. Come again,” he bid her the usual way when a customer left a shop.

She pulled her hood over her head before pulling the door open and stepping outside. Her boots sank down until almost the ankles in the snow which blanketed the road. While fastening her coat to warm herself and sauntering down the road, she recalled what had happened these past years.

The voyage spent two weeks long. The moment they reached Ryuusei in the summer more than five years ago, all the refugees boarding the ship were ushered by Ryuusei’s government to a refugee camp not too far from the harbor. The camp was like a village particularly built for Hakumei’s refugees. Later she knew that it was the same camp used back then when Hakumei was in dispute between Yamada and Takaki. Each family was given a small cottage, just decent for a temporary shelter before any of them could get a decent job for living. Ryuusei’s government was quite accommodative to them.

She, Mirai, and Yuri portrayed cousins with the same family name, Satou. As Mirai could not do a further journey, they decided to stay in the camp for a time. Refugees’ basic daily needs had been provided by Ryuusei’s government that they could save their money for future allowance. They only used their money to buy supplements and herbs Mirai needed.

Mirai gave birth to a son in the first week of the winter’s second month, or in Ryuusei’s calendar, on the day 4th, week 5th of winter, year 15th of King Yamato’s reign. That was the most joyful moment for the three of them, but also the saddest. She and Mirai cried when the midwife brought the baby to them after being cleaned. Even Yuri’s eyes immediately swarmed with tears as his gaze landed on the baby. It was because the baby’s face, particularly his eyes, was so much like Ryosuke’s. The baby reminded them about the fact that they did not get any news from Hakumei for the past five months except that Kingdoms Alliance Court had acted not only on an embargo of trading over Hakumei, but also blockaded it militarily and politically. Hakumei was completely isolated.

When the baby had reached six months and Mirai had been healthy enough to travel far, Yuri led them to the capital. It was so that they could get news from Hakumei easier and quicker. They rent a small house in the suburbs. It was not only because it was cheaper, but also because they thought it was better for the baby to grow in a calmer environment, not in a crowded and busy downtown of the capital.

As their allowances grew thinner, Yuri initiated to look for a job. The first months of the second year in Ryuusei were difficult. It was not easy to look for a decent job and the baby’s needs kept increasing. That was when Mirai started to feel that she and her son were just their burden. They of course reprimanded her for thinking like that. After mulling over ideas, a chance came to their door. A neighbor was looking for someone who could bake, and as she was good in it, she offered to help. After that, orders kept coming by themselves and she started to be recognized as a good baker in their neighborhood. Then, Yuri by chance came across a noble. It was when he helped a man from being robbed and turned out the man was a significant figure in noble clan Aoyama. Yuri got the offer to train the boys of the clan and so ever since that, Yuri would travel to the downtown three times a week.

His earning and her income were more than enough to afford a decent living for the four of them. Yet, Mirai could not stay still or do nothing. Since her son had reached four last winter, she started assisting Hayato Shinji, a middle-age man, the doctor in a clinic not far from their home.

Home…

She suddenly remembered her conversation with Mirai some time ago.

It was almost midnight in the last summer, and she found Mirai sat on the bench in their back yard, gazing at the sky. Mirai did it a lot, almost every night. It was the only way she could feel she was connected to Ryosuke, Mirai told her. She could not restrain Mirai from doing so, as it might be how Mirai toughened up herself to continue living while looking after her son.

“Haven’t slept?” she asked while approaching Mirai.

Mirai smiled subtly, “Not yet. You can’t sleep?”

“Yeah, and since the star is beautiful tonight, maybe I can accompany you.”

Mirai smiled, and they were drowned in silent-stargazing after that. She noticed that her cousin rarely laughed ever since they arrived at Ryuusei. The moments Mirai laughed were mostly when her son cheerfully and animatedly told them about anything he encountered or experienced.

“Ne, Umika,” suddenly Mirai spoke.

“Yes?”

“You know, compared to Hakumei, the night sky in Ryuusei is more beautiful.”

She looked up to the sky and tried to compare it to Hakumei’s sky, but could not find the difference. Thus she replied, “Hmm, I didn’t really pay attention to Hakumei’s night sky, so I don’t know the difference.”

“Trust me, Ryuusei’s night sky is indeed more beautiful. No wonder then why my mother-in-law was so much into stargazing.”

“Ryosuke inherits his mother’s interest, then,” she remarked.

Mirai let out a short chuckle, “Yes, and he passes it to me. So, you should be careful, too. You possibly be the next one infected.”

She returned it with her own chuckle, “Yeah, but it doesn’t seem troublesome and you looks enjoy it so much. So maybe I can volunteer to be infected instead.”

Mirai gave her another short chuckle before they returned in silence.

“But,” after a time, Mirai spoke while gazing upward.

“But?”

“But… even though Ryuusei has more beautiful sky and more peaceful life...,” Mirai turned to look at her while flashing a bitter smile, “This is not our home, right?”

She could not give any respond to that. Mirai muttered after returning to gaze at the sky, “I wish I can go home someday.”

“Oi, Umika!” a voice bellowed her name and she turned to the direction.

Her eyes caught the sight of a man shouldering a duffel bag, walking towards her. It was Yuri. She smiled when replying, “You have returned from work? Why so early?”

Once Yuri reached her spot, they resumed walking side by side.

“Nah, didn’t you say the wood stock has diminished? You will use it to bake the cake for tomorrow, right?”

“Yes,” she answered. “Don’t say you come home early just to chop wood?” She disbelievingly asked.

He turned with a raised brow, and looked at her as though she was growing a second head before saying, “What else? No way will I let you do it.”

She turned her head away immediately. The moment like this always made her cheeks warmer. He was always like that; saying or doing something to help her as though it was something he supposed to do, and…

“Or you want to switch place? You chop wood, I bake. It will end up with our house burned and the wood unfinished and I lose my weapons, though.”

…... after saying such sweet wor