Devil in White - 希望 (3/4)
Title: Devil in White
Chapter: 希望
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: A story before Angel in Black. Meeting the white rose.
Author's Note: For bokunostation. 希望 means hope.
☼ Prologue ☼
☁ 約束 ☁
As the snow fell from the sky and cover up the ground in layers of white sheet, the young man in white watched her walked up the slope to her house. It’s a small adobe on top of the hill that gave him a nostalgic feeling from the past.
He had seen many people like her. The lucky ones that was able to live to old age, only to die as an ugly and wrinkled corpse. Most people would be jealous of this, but not him.
Her back hunched over as she walked, with a stick supporting her weight. She wasn’t too fat, nor was she too skinny. Her feet are heavy, but she is still in shape with enough energy. A healthy granny was his conclusion.
So why is it her this time?
A person’s life line isn’t up to him to decide. After all, he is just the errand boy.
As she reached the steps to her house, she noticed him for the first time. Her eyes widen, not expecting a visitor.
“Hello.” He flashed his most childish smile. Old people tend to like this. Acting as their grandchild helps them move on easier, he has realized after countless of experiences.
But instead of the usual questioning his identity, or warmly inviting him inside for a cup of tea, her eyes tear up as she uttered a single word.
“Yuto-kun!”
A person that knows his name can only mean a person of his past.
“Yuto-kun! You’re finally back.” Her tears rolled down her cheek, one after the other, as she reached out and touched his face. Despites the radiating heat from her hands, he shuddered.
But she didn’t.
How strange.
“You’re finally back.” She smiled gently as if in relief, “I knew you’re going come back someday, I knew it!”
“Do you know me?” He asked.
“You don’t remember me?” She asked instead, her smile quickly turned to a frown, creating deep wrinkles across her face.
He just looked back at her silently. He could feel the nostalgic aura from her, surrounded him as it choked him to the point of suffocation, screaming for him to remember a memory hidden so deep within his mind that he can’t take out.
To him, she is still just an old granny, someone who will soon fade away from this world.
Reading the answers in his silence, she looked down at herself. And then, as if realized something, “Oh dear me.”
“Y... Yes?”
“Of course you don’t recognize me.” She gave a hearty laugh, “I’m old and wrinkly. But you’re... My, you’re just the same as I last saw you.” A pause, “Many years ago.”
“When was that?” Yuto asked.
She gave a few taps to her chin, and then opened the door while signaled him to enter. He followed her inside, a normal house that he had seen countless of time, reeking of old people smell.
They sat down in front of the altar of her living room. A small and simple room with an earth in the middle and everything within arm reach. The altar is even simpler, with a picture and a vase of chrysanthemums.
She put her hands together in prayer and he did the same. There was a moment of silence between them as he waited for her. She then slowly move over for him and gestured at the picture.
“That’s you!”
An old black and white photograph stained with age, showing a boy his age staring back at him. Plastered on his face was a sad smile, as if knowing that the remainder of his life will soon end. He stared at it as if looking into a mirror.
It is indeed him.
“Nakajima Yuto.” She said.
He stared at the picture blankly. He doesn’t remember.
Nothing, nothing at all.
“Nakajima Yuto!” She said it again. He turned to look at her. Tears were streaming out of her eyes, since who know when.
Staring at those hopeful eyes, he felt guilty.
Is that really his name? Is that really him? If it is, then why can’t he remember? He had heard of those that came in contact of their past before, and their memories of how they died are quickly recovered. Why not him? Maybe it’s just another person that looks like him. Maybe she has mistaken someone as him. Maybe the one that passed away already became those creatures. Angels, those creatures that he’s always so jealous of.
“Nakajima Yuto!” She said again. He lowered his eyes and shook his head.
“Nakajima Yuto... Nakajima Yuto.... Nakajima Yuto...” Her tears flowed as she repeated his name, each time with more strength and bitterness.
“I’m sorry.” He said quietly, “I think you may have mistaken me with another person.”
Like a sudden lightning, he felt the warmth of her palm flew across his cheek. But before he can react, she held on to his arms with her wrinkled hands.
“You’re a liar!” She cried, “You promised me that you’ll come back for me. But you never did!” Her strong grip held on to him tightly, but it only made him more confused.
“I’m sorry.” He could only say.
And he really was.
She must have also felt his genuine apology because she slowly released him and slumped down to the ground in resignation. She cried and cried for a long time, as if releasing all those feelings that was held in all those years at once.
He only watched her with half curiosity and half pity.
When her tears dried up, she finally looked up at him, and at the same time, at a memory of her past.
“Nakajima Yuto...” She spoke quietly, “Nakajima Yuto is my fiancé. We grew up together, play together, and we planned on being together for eternity.” Her breathing slowed, “We promised each other many things... But there was a war you see.”
He nodded.
“When he left, he said he’ll come back... But he didn’t.”
Silence.
“They told me that he died while on duty. An honorable death, they had said.”
Once again, silence.
“I didn’t want to believe them. He promised me he’ll come back. I always thought that he’s just lost, and one day he’ll come back to me.”
She looked at him with her already dried eyes. He stared back, waiting for her to continue, but she didn’t. Her eyes carefully search his, but unable to find what she wanted. Those dark orbs glazed over as if giving up.
“Before I go, can you grant me my last wish?” She said instead.
He nodded.
He walked across the snow filled landscape, with her on his back. Though she is old, she is light, lighter than he thought.
They walked until the small adobe on the hill has disappeared from their back, but they didn’t say anything. Only the sound of the north wind and the falling snow acted as their own background music.
He could feel her warmth breath became fainter on the nape of his neck as her mind slowly spiral into that darkness called death.
It’s almost time.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a white rose.
The same color as the snow, how fitting.
“By the way, what’s your name?” He asked, not expecting an answer.
“Suzuka... Ohgo Suzuka.”
And in that background music of the falling snow and north wind, she took her last breath as the rose disintegrated into shiny dust from his fingers.
Ohgo Suzuka
His eyes widen as he turned to her. As if going backward through time, her deep wrinkled face had morphed into a beautiful young girl.
A girl around his age, if he was still alive.
Her red lips and her rosy cheeks stood out prominently from her almost white as snow skin. Her large, beautiful eyes are now hidden behind the heavy eyelids. Those eyes will never open again.
A beautiful and familiar face.
He pulled her lifeless body to his arm, and pressed her red lips to his into a kiss, as his tears fell from his eyes.
Ohgo Suzuka
Ah, he remembers now.
Chapter: 希望
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: A story before Angel in Black. Meeting the white rose.
Author's Note: For bokunostation. 希望 means hope.
☼ Prologue ☼
☁ 約束 ☁
As the snow fell from the sky and cover up the ground in layers of white sheet, the young man in white watched her walked up the slope to her house. It’s a small adobe on top of the hill that gave him a nostalgic feeling from the past.
He had seen many people like her. The lucky ones that was able to live to old age, only to die as an ugly and wrinkled corpse. Most people would be jealous of this, but not him.
Her back hunched over as she walked, with a stick supporting her weight. She wasn’t too fat, nor was she too skinny. Her feet are heavy, but she is still in shape with enough energy. A healthy granny was his conclusion.
So why is it her this time?
A person’s life line isn’t up to him to decide. After all, he is just the errand boy.
As she reached the steps to her house, she noticed him for the first time. Her eyes widen, not expecting a visitor.
“Hello.” He flashed his most childish smile. Old people tend to like this. Acting as their grandchild helps them move on easier, he has realized after countless of experiences.
But instead of the usual questioning his identity, or warmly inviting him inside for a cup of tea, her eyes tear up as she uttered a single word.
“Yuto-kun!”
A person that knows his name can only mean a person of his past.
“Yuto-kun! You’re finally back.” Her tears rolled down her cheek, one after the other, as she reached out and touched his face. Despites the radiating heat from her hands, he shuddered.
But she didn’t.
How strange.
“You’re finally back.” She smiled gently as if in relief, “I knew you’re going come back someday, I knew it!”
“Do you know me?” He asked.
“You don’t remember me?” She asked instead, her smile quickly turned to a frown, creating deep wrinkles across her face.
He just looked back at her silently. He could feel the nostalgic aura from her, surrounded him as it choked him to the point of suffocation, screaming for him to remember a memory hidden so deep within his mind that he can’t take out.
To him, she is still just an old granny, someone who will soon fade away from this world.
Reading the answers in his silence, she looked down at herself. And then, as if realized something, “Oh dear me.”
“Y... Yes?”
“Of course you don’t recognize me.” She gave a hearty laugh, “I’m old and wrinkly. But you’re... My, you’re just the same as I last saw you.” A pause, “Many years ago.”
“When was that?” Yuto asked.
She gave a few taps to her chin, and then opened the door while signaled him to enter. He followed her inside, a normal house that he had seen countless of time, reeking of old people smell.
They sat down in front of the altar of her living room. A small and simple room with an earth in the middle and everything within arm reach. The altar is even simpler, with a picture and a vase of chrysanthemums.
She put her hands together in prayer and he did the same. There was a moment of silence between them as he waited for her. She then slowly move over for him and gestured at the picture.
“That’s you!”
An old black and white photograph stained with age, showing a boy his age staring back at him. Plastered on his face was a sad smile, as if knowing that the remainder of his life will soon end. He stared at it as if looking into a mirror.
It is indeed him.
“Nakajima Yuto.” She said.
He stared at the picture blankly. He doesn’t remember.
Nothing, nothing at all.
“Nakajima Yuto!” She said it again. He turned to look at her. Tears were streaming out of her eyes, since who know when.
Staring at those hopeful eyes, he felt guilty.
Is that really his name? Is that really him? If it is, then why can’t he remember? He had heard of those that came in contact of their past before, and their memories of how they died are quickly recovered. Why not him? Maybe it’s just another person that looks like him. Maybe she has mistaken someone as him. Maybe the one that passed away already became those creatures. Angels, those creatures that he’s always so jealous of.
“Nakajima Yuto!” She said again. He lowered his eyes and shook his head.
“Nakajima Yuto... Nakajima Yuto.... Nakajima Yuto...” Her tears flowed as she repeated his name, each time with more strength and bitterness.
“I’m sorry.” He said quietly, “I think you may have mistaken me with another person.”
Like a sudden lightning, he felt the warmth of her palm flew across his cheek. But before he can react, she held on to his arms with her wrinkled hands.
“You’re a liar!” She cried, “You promised me that you’ll come back for me. But you never did!” Her strong grip held on to him tightly, but it only made him more confused.
“I’m sorry.” He could only say.
And he really was.
She must have also felt his genuine apology because she slowly released him and slumped down to the ground in resignation. She cried and cried for a long time, as if releasing all those feelings that was held in all those years at once.
He only watched her with half curiosity and half pity.
When her tears dried up, she finally looked up at him, and at the same time, at a memory of her past.
“Nakajima Yuto...” She spoke quietly, “Nakajima Yuto is my fiancé. We grew up together, play together, and we planned on being together for eternity.” Her breathing slowed, “We promised each other many things... But there was a war you see.”
He nodded.
“When he left, he said he’ll come back... But he didn’t.”
Silence.
“They told me that he died while on duty. An honorable death, they had said.”
Once again, silence.
“I didn’t want to believe them. He promised me he’ll come back. I always thought that he’s just lost, and one day he’ll come back to me.”
She looked at him with her already dried eyes. He stared back, waiting for her to continue, but she didn’t. Her eyes carefully search his, but unable to find what she wanted. Those dark orbs glazed over as if giving up.
“Before I go, can you grant me my last wish?” She said instead.
He nodded.
He walked across the snow filled landscape, with her on his back. Though she is old, she is light, lighter than he thought.
They walked until the small adobe on the hill has disappeared from their back, but they didn’t say anything. Only the sound of the north wind and the falling snow acted as their own background music.
He could feel her warmth breath became fainter on the nape of his neck as her mind slowly spiral into that darkness called death.
It’s almost time.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a white rose.
The same color as the snow, how fitting.
“By the way, what’s your name?” He asked, not expecting an answer.
“Suzuka... Ohgo Suzuka.”
And in that background music of the falling snow and north wind, she took her last breath as the rose disintegrated into shiny dust from his fingers.
Ohgo Suzuka
His eyes widen as he turned to her. As if going backward through time, her deep wrinkled face had morphed into a beautiful young girl.
A girl around his age, if he was still alive.
Her red lips and her rosy cheeks stood out prominently from her almost white as snow skin. Her large, beautiful eyes are now hidden behind the heavy eyelids. Those eyes will never open again.
A beautiful and familiar face.
He pulled her lifeless body to his arm, and pressed her red lips to his into a kiss, as his tears fell from his eyes.
Ohgo Suzuka
Ah, he remembers now.