Hiya! New kid, here
Heyyy~ I just joined. Uhm...I mostly draw fan-art things but I wrote this soon after watching episode 12.
The man walked along the dirt road slowly, gazing down at his feet. He no real hurry to return home. It was still fairly early in the day. Little groups of clouds were scattered across the bright blue sky. The weather had been fairly favorable and it didn't look like it was going to change anytime soon.
His hand lift to his face instinctively to relieve an itch on his stubbed chin and jaw, then ran his hand up across his worn face and balding head to behind his neck. He lift his gaze slightly, continuing his relaxed pace.
'Not a very busy day...' He adjusted the pack resting against his back. "Didn't sell much...but I think I bought a bit too much rice-"
His thoughts were interrupted by a small sound, like a foot step. He turned his yes to the forest. A boy stood there, his face wore no readable expression.
His hair...it's pure white. "What's up with you?" What could a kid like him be doing way out here? And all by himself? "I haven't seen you around..."
Without warning the young boy fell to his side with a soft thud. The man's eyes widened. "H-Hey!" He dropped his pack and ran to the boy. He couldn't remember what to do in a situation like this. He panicked and lift the boy up with one arm and pat the side of his face.. "Aw, c'mon, kid!" He grabbed his water pouch and began to pour the water into the kids' mouth, praying that he'd swallow, or make some indication of still having some life in him.
The boy suddenly coughed, but remained unconscious. A smile of relief formed on the mans' face. He lift the kid into his back and began walking along the road again.
It'd been an hour or so of walking before the boy woke up. A soft moan came from him before he opened his barely visible eye from beneath his shaggy white hair. The boy felt himself stop suddenly, but he didn't feel his feet moving. He looked forward to see an older man looking over his shoulder at him, and smiling.
"Hey kid. You're finally awake. I was worried there, for a while." The boy felt extremely confused and worried. He must have looked it, too. Just then the man let out a hearty laugh and continued to walk.
"Don't worry, kid, you're alright, now. Are you alone?" The boy looked at the man for a moment, then lowered his eyes to his own hands, which clenched tightly. "I guess guess that's a yes..." The man assumed. A sudden sadness coming over him. "Do you have a name? I don't wanna have to call you 'boy' and 'kid' if you have a name, son." The boy looked toward the sun. His eyes immediately winced shut. It pained him to look at such a bright light.
It's so bright... A bright... light...?
"Gin...ko...?"
He spoke so suddenly it caused the man to jump slightly.
"Ginko, eh? Interesting name, kid--Ginko." He smiled and looked down at the boy. "Then again...you seem to be quite an interesting person." Ginko looked back down at his hands again and nod his head. Not really understanding what the man was talking about. "My name's Gin. Sorta like your name, huh?" He joked. The boy just nod in agreement.
"Ah! There's my house!" Ginko rose his head and looked foreward, his eyes met with a little hut just down the hill. He looked down at his dirt-covered feet and wiggled his toes.
"I can walk." Ginko stated sofly.
"Really? You sure?" Gin asked, concern filled his voice. Ginko just nod his head. The man knelt down and let the boy slide to his feet. He seemed a little wobbly at first, but quickly adjusted and began to walk towards the house. Gin followed close behind.
-
"It's gonna be dusk soon, Ginko. Wanna help me bring some firewood to start making dinner?" Ginko was walking back into the hut. His clothes were cleaner, and he was wearing sandals on his now cleaned feet. He just nod his head in response and followed Gin as he walked around to behind the hut. Gin began to grab some cut wood and handed it to Ginko.
"So, Ginko. What happened to who you were traveling with? If you don't mind me asking." The boy looked down, feeling confused. His heart felt as if it were tightening up...but he couldn't tell why.
"I...I don't know."
"Did they get lost?" The boy just shook his head.
"Did they...die?"
He shook his head again. "I...I don't remember..."
Must have been traumatic... if the kid doesn't even remember... Who knows what must have happened...maybe it's better not to provoke such memories. "Well, that's alright. If you don't know, you don't know, right? Do you know how far you are from your hometown?" Gin asked, hoping he asked a safer question. They began walking back to the front of the hut. Ginko looked to the floor, blankly.
"I don't know..." He answered. The older man felt himself blush. Dang, this is probably embarrassing for the poor kid... I should stop bothering him so much with these questions all at once. I'll ask again in a little while...maybe he'll have remembered something, by then. "Ginko. I need to go pick up my pack. I had to leave it behind to get you here. Will you be find by yourself for a moment?"
"I..I'm sorry..." Ginko mumbled.
"Ah! Don't feel sorry, one bit! It was hidden in a bush when I dropped it, so it should be safe." Ginko looked to the floor. Gin felt he was still feeling a little guilty. "I see me buying extra rice wasn't that much of a mistake. I have someone to share it with, now!" He gave off a goofy grin. The boy looked up at him, beginning to grab some of the fire-wood. His smiled faded.
"I'll be back in a moment. You look tired...try to get some rest before dinner, okay?" He said quickly before dashing out the hut.
--
"Yo. I'm home." He saw the boy kneeling in front of the stove, stoking the fire. He looked up at Gin as he entered the hut. Gin just smiled. "You sure you should be up? Don't strain yourself." He teased, setting down his pack. "How're you doing now? Have you remembered anything other than your name?" The boy hesitated, staring back at the fire. A simple 'no' was his reply.
"Well, that's fine." Gin answered. He was suddenly struck with an idea. "You can live here, if you want." He turned from hanging his straw hat on the wall. "We can go see the village chief tomorrow, okay?" The boy didn't answer. He just looked up at the ceiling a moment before continuing to stoke the fire.
Gin wasn't sure how to take that as an answer. Maybe if he tried treating him as a family member he'd warm to the idea. "Ginko. Would you mind going to get some water from the barrel out front? I'll start preparing the rice." The boy just stood up and stepped outside, grabbing the small wooden bucket as he went.
--
It'd been almost five minutes since Ginko left to get the water. Gin didn't want to rush to go and get him since he felt the boy would get embarrassed if he was caught having trouble with such an easy task....Maybe he just spilled it... Or maybe the barrel is almost empty. It wouldn't hurt to just see if he needs a bit of help-- He froze as he looked outside. The bucket was empty, and sitting untouched next to the half-full barrel. Ginko was no where to be seen.
"Ginko? Hey!" The soft sounds of nature were his only reply. "Where'd he go off to?" He let out a soft sigh, grabbing the bucket and filling it lazily. The water sloshed out the edges, as it swayed from his loose grip.
Gin stopped halfway through his doorway. Please. Just stay safe...Ginko. He took one last look at the road before letting the curtain fall behind him.
The man walked along the dirt road slowly, gazing down at his feet. He no real hurry to return home. It was still fairly early in the day. Little groups of clouds were scattered across the bright blue sky. The weather had been fairly favorable and it didn't look like it was going to change anytime soon.
His hand lift to his face instinctively to relieve an itch on his stubbed chin and jaw, then ran his hand up across his worn face and balding head to behind his neck. He lift his gaze slightly, continuing his relaxed pace.
'Not a very busy day...' He adjusted the pack resting against his back. "Didn't sell much...but I think I bought a bit too much rice-"
His thoughts were interrupted by a small sound, like a foot step. He turned his yes to the forest. A boy stood there, his face wore no readable expression.
His hair...it's pure white. "What's up with you?" What could a kid like him be doing way out here? And all by himself? "I haven't seen you around..."
Without warning the young boy fell to his side with a soft thud. The man's eyes widened. "H-Hey!" He dropped his pack and ran to the boy. He couldn't remember what to do in a situation like this. He panicked and lift the boy up with one arm and pat the side of his face.. "Aw, c'mon, kid!" He grabbed his water pouch and began to pour the water into the kids' mouth, praying that he'd swallow, or make some indication of still having some life in him.
The boy suddenly coughed, but remained unconscious. A smile of relief formed on the mans' face. He lift the kid into his back and began walking along the road again.
It'd been an hour or so of walking before the boy woke up. A soft moan came from him before he opened his barely visible eye from beneath his shaggy white hair. The boy felt himself stop suddenly, but he didn't feel his feet moving. He looked forward to see an older man looking over his shoulder at him, and smiling.
"Hey kid. You're finally awake. I was worried there, for a while." The boy felt extremely confused and worried. He must have looked it, too. Just then the man let out a hearty laugh and continued to walk.
"Don't worry, kid, you're alright, now. Are you alone?" The boy looked at the man for a moment, then lowered his eyes to his own hands, which clenched tightly. "I guess guess that's a yes..." The man assumed. A sudden sadness coming over him. "Do you have a name? I don't wanna have to call you 'boy' and 'kid' if you have a name, son." The boy looked toward the sun. His eyes immediately winced shut. It pained him to look at such a bright light.
It's so bright... A bright... light...?
"Gin...ko...?"
He spoke so suddenly it caused the man to jump slightly.
"Ginko, eh? Interesting name, kid--Ginko." He smiled and looked down at the boy. "Then again...you seem to be quite an interesting person." Ginko looked back down at his hands again and nod his head. Not really understanding what the man was talking about. "My name's Gin. Sorta like your name, huh?" He joked. The boy just nod in agreement.
"Ah! There's my house!" Ginko rose his head and looked foreward, his eyes met with a little hut just down the hill. He looked down at his dirt-covered feet and wiggled his toes.
"I can walk." Ginko stated sofly.
"Really? You sure?" Gin asked, concern filled his voice. Ginko just nod his head. The man knelt down and let the boy slide to his feet. He seemed a little wobbly at first, but quickly adjusted and began to walk towards the house. Gin followed close behind.
-
"It's gonna be dusk soon, Ginko. Wanna help me bring some firewood to start making dinner?" Ginko was walking back into the hut. His clothes were cleaner, and he was wearing sandals on his now cleaned feet. He just nod his head in response and followed Gin as he walked around to behind the hut. Gin began to grab some cut wood and handed it to Ginko.
"So, Ginko. What happened to who you were traveling with? If you don't mind me asking." The boy looked down, feeling confused. His heart felt as if it were tightening up...but he couldn't tell why.
"I...I don't know."
"Did they get lost?" The boy just shook his head.
"Did they...die?"
He shook his head again. "I...I don't remember..."
Must have been traumatic... if the kid doesn't even remember... Who knows what must have happened...maybe it's better not to provoke such memories. "Well, that's alright. If you don't know, you don't know, right? Do you know how far you are from your hometown?" Gin asked, hoping he asked a safer question. They began walking back to the front of the hut. Ginko looked to the floor, blankly.
"I don't know..." He answered. The older man felt himself blush. Dang, this is probably embarrassing for the poor kid... I should stop bothering him so much with these questions all at once. I'll ask again in a little while...maybe he'll have remembered something, by then. "Ginko. I need to go pick up my pack. I had to leave it behind to get you here. Will you be find by yourself for a moment?"
"I..I'm sorry..." Ginko mumbled.
"Ah! Don't feel sorry, one bit! It was hidden in a bush when I dropped it, so it should be safe." Ginko looked to the floor. Gin felt he was still feeling a little guilty. "I see me buying extra rice wasn't that much of a mistake. I have someone to share it with, now!" He gave off a goofy grin. The boy looked up at him, beginning to grab some of the fire-wood. His smiled faded.
"I'll be back in a moment. You look tired...try to get some rest before dinner, okay?" He said quickly before dashing out the hut.
--
"Yo. I'm home." He saw the boy kneeling in front of the stove, stoking the fire. He looked up at Gin as he entered the hut. Gin just smiled. "You sure you should be up? Don't strain yourself." He teased, setting down his pack. "How're you doing now? Have you remembered anything other than your name?" The boy hesitated, staring back at the fire. A simple 'no' was his reply.
"Well, that's fine." Gin answered. He was suddenly struck with an idea. "You can live here, if you want." He turned from hanging his straw hat on the wall. "We can go see the village chief tomorrow, okay?" The boy didn't answer. He just looked up at the ceiling a moment before continuing to stoke the fire.
Gin wasn't sure how to take that as an answer. Maybe if he tried treating him as a family member he'd warm to the idea. "Ginko. Would you mind going to get some water from the barrel out front? I'll start preparing the rice." The boy just stood up and stepped outside, grabbing the small wooden bucket as he went.
--
It'd been almost five minutes since Ginko left to get the water. Gin didn't want to rush to go and get him since he felt the boy would get embarrassed if he was caught having trouble with such an easy task....Maybe he just spilled it... Or maybe the barrel is almost empty. It wouldn't hurt to just see if he needs a bit of help-- He froze as he looked outside. The bucket was empty, and sitting untouched next to the half-full barrel. Ginko was no where to be seen.
"Ginko? Hey!" The soft sounds of nature were his only reply. "Where'd he go off to?" He let out a soft sigh, grabbing the bucket and filling it lazily. The water sloshed out the edges, as it swayed from his loose grip.
Gin stopped halfway through his doorway. Please. Just stay safe...Ginko. He took one last look at the road before letting the curtain fall behind him.