Girl Of Cinder

The rain cascaded down onto the roof of the bus, slowly trickling down the windows. There sat Lucinda in the half-filled bus, earphones in her ears blaring sweet dreams by Alessia Cara, her thoughts slipping away with the rain, wishing they would wash away. Taking a deep breath, she gazed out the windows of the bus; the images coming back to her mind; the bell ringing, the fresh smell of baked cupcakes filling her up.

Looking up from the cash register, to attend to the newly arrived customer that walked in, he looked familiar, the scar line that traced up from his left eyebrow to his cheek felt like it was something she'd done, her senses telling her she was in danger while being confused why her body was acting opposite to how she wanted to act.

She blacked out, distorted images of a little girl standing in the corner panicking, her clothes torn at odd angles. Despite the tears pouring down her cheeks, she held on to nothing but a pocket knife with both hands. This was the only thing she believed she could use to protect herself, fear seeping from her pores as blood dripped down the blade. Suddenly, she jolted out of her trance, the bus driver had announced the final bus- stop, which was her stopping point.

She stepped off the bus and stayed until the traffic signal shifted to red. As she stepped off the curb, still lost in her thoughts, a bright light illuminated the street, and a trailer was coming her way, honking its horn. She quickly snapped out of her thoughts. Her feet had a mind of their own, not budging at all.

Lucinda saw her life flash right in front of her, the times she'd had fun with her mother. She remembered the birthdays she had spent, and even when she fell ill, her mother was always there to care for her needs. As she braced herself for the impact, she felt nothing.

'Is this how the afterlife feels?' She thought.

Although her eyes were closed, she felt a heavy weight on her. Trying to push the weight away, she heard it grunting in pain. The air smelled like burnt tires, the cold wet tarred road, with water seeping through her coat. She took a peek at her surroundings and realized she hadn't suffered a hit, but someone else was on top of her. A crowd had already gathered around. It took her a while to get out from under the person. She saw he was badly injured, and he had actually saved her.

She started panicking due to the amount of blood flowing from his head. " Call an ambulance!" she kept on shouting, trying her best to stop the blood from flowing some more, with his head on her lap.

He answered with a raspy voice, "I'm fine." He sat up off Lucinda's lap, trying to make it look like he wasn't bleeding from his head.

"No, you're not and you need medical attention," she mumbled, placing her hands on the bleeding area, not caring about herself.

The ambulance quickly arrived, and they laid him on the stretcher. "Ma'am, can you walk? Are you alright?" the paramedic inquired.

She replied, "Yes, I can walk. Just look after him. He's in a more critical state than I am."

"If you say so, can you stand up?" the paramedic asked, out of concern.

"I'll try."

While trying to help herself up, she felt a sharp pain in her right ankle and the side of her left rib. The paramedic was seriously observing her to see if anything was wrong before she could say anything; he helped her into the other ambulance and they drove off to the hospital, leaving the accident scene behind. He hooked her up to some IV drips and did the basic first aid necessary before she got to see a doctor at the hospital.

***

"Where's she?" asked Mrs. Hayashi in the reception area, upon entering the hospital.

"Who are you looking for, ma'am?" asked the nurse at the front desk while she was on a phone call.

"Lucinda Hayashi."

"Room 3b, on your left down the hall," the nurse directed, turning back to her phone call while writing on the notepad in front of her.

"Thank you," Mrs. Hayashi called out, running towards the designated room for Lucinda.

Her assigned doctor was already in her ward, taking a count of her heartbeat. Mrs. Hayashi walked in on them as they wrapped her right ankle in a cast. They'd placed it on a big pillow and attached IV drips and other tubes to her body.

"Hey, sweetie, I heard what happened," she said, bringing out the mushroom porridge she had made for her.

"I'm still surprised that I survived it."

"Same here also, but thanks to the young man who saved her, he took more of the impact, which left your daughter with fewer injuries," said the doctor, as he butted into the mother and daughter's conversation.

"Mrs. Hayashi, can I talk to you personally?" he asked.

"Sure." She followed the doctor to his office, but before leaving, she helped Lucinda set up the porridge for her to eat.

"It's a wonder she survived it. She just has some minor broken bones. We did not detect any damage inside her body when we scanned. Therefore, she's safe, but she'll need more than a week's rest at home. This will enable her to get back into her normal routine," the doctor said as he offered a seat and a bottle of water.

"So we're in the clear then," said Mrs. Hayashi, relief washing over her.

"Yes, you are, but if you notice any changes, you can bring her to the hospital again for more scans. I'd also like you to get these drugs for her from the pharmacy."

Before she left, she turned back to ask, "Do you know which ward or room the young man is in?" She wanted to thank him for what he had done for her.

"He's still in the theater. A deep gash to his forehead was what he sustained. He also has internal bleeding from a ruptured kidney and a few broken bones. Maybe you can check on him tomorrow, if he's awake," said the doctor.

"Thank you," she replied, bowing before leaving the doctor's office for the pharmacy.

***

"What did the doc say?" inquired Lucinda, looking up from her food, as her mother walked in.

"He said you need more rest and that you're okay for now. He prescribed some drugs for you. Finish up with the porridge so you can take them."

"Oh, OK. Did he say anything about the man that saved me?" She asked, curious about how he was coping.

"Well, he's still in the theater and he won't be out for a while. He took more of the impact for you." She explained while folding the blanket beside Lucinda.

"Otosan (mama), are you staying for the night?" Lucinda asked ignorantly.

"No, but Yuri is..." Before she could finish her statement, Yuri walked in with tears in her eyes.

"My baby girl is in a cast, and hospital clothes aren't your style," declared Yuri, already being dramatic.

"As soon as Otosan (mother) called me over, I ran as fast as I could, faster than the speed of light," feigning more tears, patting her chest as well.

Lucinda was already used to her dramatic ways; she was almost a natural at it.

"It's not that serious. I wasn't literally at death's door, you know?" sighed Lucinda, getting drowsy from the drugs she took.

"You both behave. I'll be back in the morning. Yuri, she's all yours for the night," said Mrs. Hayashi on her way out of the room. Yuri smiled and saluted, making Lucinda laugh a tad.

"She's disappeared, so what really happened? Tell me!" Yuri demanded. "Let me in on the juicy details!"

"Wow, slow down, I'm the one in the hospital bed and clothes. I'm not meant to be questioned like this," cried Lucinda.

Yuri told her friend, "I'll let you rest for a while until you're completely healed." Feeling sorry for her, she let her friend rest.

Lucinda's breathing evened out. Yuri brought out her phone and called their boss, explaining everything to him that had happened. He gave them four weeks off from work, and she had nothing else to do. Brought her phone out to play games until she slept off on the spare bed meant for visitors.

Two weeks later.......

Upon discharge from the hospital, Lucinda exclaimed, "Finally, fresh air!" gratified at leaving the smell of formaldehyde and death behind.

"What's the trending stuff that's on? Wait, have we moved on to a robot era?" asked Lucinda a bit too chatty, pouting to get Yuri to answer her questions.

"Seriously, you've just been in the hospital for two weeks and you're already hysterical about what's trending? I liked you better when you were in the hospital and less chatty." Yuri whined, trying to get on Lucinda's nerves, making funny faces at her.

Still lost in her emotions and Yuri's dramatic ways, Lucinda bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she apologized sincerely.

"No, it's OK, I wasn't watching where I was heading," stated the person she bumped into, rubbing his hair sheepishly, not knowing what else to say in front of her.

Taking a proper look at him, "Hey, you're the one that saved me" she affirmed.

He didn't know what to say, rather he just nodded his head.

Mrs. Hayashi noticed Lucinda and Yuri weren't beside the bags when she walked in to help carry the bags to the car. When she stood at the entrance, she saw her talking to a young man she had never seen before; he had a skin patch on his forehead and cropped bangs.

Upon approaching, she whispered only to Lucinda, "I've been looking for you."

"Otosan (mum) it's him, he's the one that saved me," she whispered back, alerting her mum on time.

"Hi, nice to meet you. I'm her mother," explained Mrs. Hayashi, extending her hand out for a handshake.

"Noguchi Kei, nice to meet you as well, Mrs..."

"Hayashi." She filled in for him.

"I've been meaning to meet you, but your doctors refused, saying till you recovered, but who would've guessed that we'd bump into you today? I'm really grateful for what you did for my child. She's the only one I've got left and I'm indebted to you." Mrs. Hayashi voiced out, bowing her head in gratitude.

Kei's heart was moved by the gesture. " Hahaoya (mother) don't, it's alright, I did it on impulse, there's no need for you to bow, you're my elder, you shouldn't do this," he voiced, feeling quite embarrassed.

His phone rang. "Uh, yes, I'm leaving now," he said immediately, turning to the front desk to sign a few papers.

***

The traffic was kind of terrible on the way home. Kei looked out his window, wondering why he'd rushed in to save her. He'd sworn to protect his country when he'd taken the police officers' oath during his graduation. Despite that, he jumped in front of a moving trailer, which wasn't what he had sworn to.

He wouldn't be able to do anyone any good if he was dead, he couldn't have been in a position to protect anyone, thank goodness he was safe. He had a few broken bones and head stitches. However, he managed to get her out of danger and he survived, thanks to her quick reaction. Someone called an ambulance.

'I didn't get her name,' he thought to himself, absently touching his ponytail.

"Kei, Kei, are you even listening to me?" came the female voice from a corner of his room.

He snapped out of his thoughts, "hmm."

"I'm your mother, stop filtering my words out," the woman complained.

As he glanced at his mother, he didn't say anything, but rather let her whine on and then got back to what she was saying.

"Anata o chichioya (your father is back), you should also get some rest. I'll see if I can persuade him to give you a week off from the station. Please stop jumping in to save people impulsively. The last time you did that, you took a bullet wound to your right shoulder. I can't lose my only child when he's not even gotten a girlfriend or even given me a child." Mrs. Noguchi dramatically cried out, trying to persuade Kei to leave the police force.

He wasn't a stranger to this, they always did the usual routine when he came home. He gets up from his chair, walks to where his mother sits, "okasaan, you already know my stand on this,

"I'm doing none of the above. I'll greet my father later, I have a headache, stop crying," he stated firmly, trying his best to console her.

Looking up, she wiped her eyes, "when did I become the Mother of such a cold son? What became of the Kei that used to smile with his okasaan?" She sighed, resigning herself to her faith.

As she left his room, he took a deep breath and released it. He lay on the bed with his thoughts drifting back to the scene of the accident and how they'd bumped into each other at the hospital. He thought, 'she doesn't look Japanese tho, she's brown skinned but beautiful.' His thoughts ran amok while he drifted off to sleep.

***

On their way home, Yuri kept on gushing over Kei and how cute he looked. "If he wasn't leaving the hospital, I would've hit on him. He's too good-looking to be true," Yuri gushed, her cheeks turning crimson red.

"Wasn't that the same thing you said about my doctor? If he wasn't married, would you have hit on him? Girl, aren't you shameless? Get over your chicken ways. When you've given up looking at men, I'll give thanks to Kami-sama (God) for you," taunted Lucinda, laughing at the way Yuri looked.

"Stop chatting and come inside quickly. It's cold out there," complained Mrs. Hayashi, laughing at Lucinda's statement.

The girls walked in with the remaining bags, shrugging off their coats, and Yuri headed for the fridge. "You ate like two hours ago. How do you stuff your face and not get fat?" Lucinda exclaimed, taking a seat on one of the kitchen stools.

"I guess I have a fast metabolism," Yuri said with a full mouth, taking the bags up to their room. Yuri stays over at the Hayashi residents and it's been normal for them because she's been doing it since she became friends with Lucinda.

Yuri's mother died while she was in high school and she had to take extra jobs to keep herself alive. This was because she was the only parent figure she had. She met Lucinda at the bakery they worked in; they became the closest of friends and Lucinda's mother also became her mother, which chased away the lonely feeling she had.......

Later that night, after having dinner and retiring to bed early, Lucinda couldn't help herself but let her mind wonder back to the scene of the accident, when Kei had wrapped her in his arms, and they landed on the concrete, the way he'd looked into her eyes trying to affirm her he was okay. The way she brushed her hands on his forehead, trying to stop him from bleeding. His deep emerald eyes, looking deep into hers, scanning her body making sure she was okay, before the ambulance came and broke up their chemistry.

Lucinda found it difficult to sleep; the room felt hot, and it was cold outside. As she studied Yuri's peaceful face, she hugged all the blankets to herself, snoring softly. As her mind wandered back to the time she had bumped into him, his bangs had been cropped short. His hair was tied into a ponytail. His chin had a slight shadow of stubble. He looked so charming; she was lost in her thoughts. Not being able to take it anymore, she forced herself to sleep even if she kept seeing his face throughout the night...

The sea breeze calmed Kei as he breathed in and out, taking in the tranquility of the surroundings. On the balcony of his beach house, he could hear seagulls and boat engines in the distance, his thoughts wandering back to the girl he'd saved.

"It's been a while since you've been out here," Mrs. Noguchi said, walking into the room and dropping a platter of fruit on the side table before taking a seat next to Kei.

"Your dad left a message." Kei looked at his mum, also popping some grapes into his mouth.

He's never really seen eye to eye with his dad, and their relationship has been kind of weird. "What does he want?" he asked, popping some grapes into his mouth.

"He wants you at the station soon, for some meeting of some sort," she replied, relaxing further in the chair. The atmosphere was calm, the sound of the seagulls was the only thing piercing through the silence. Kei got up after a while of thinking things through.

"Where are you heading?" his mum asked, puzzled.

"Station."

***

Kei had taken the train to the station. He didn't want to drive; he wanted somewhere that had noise and distraction to get his mind off the girl he'd saved, and being in a car alone, stuck in traffic, wouldn't do his mind any good. The teenagers across from him looked like a couple. He was taken back to his younger years when love was rampant in high school; he'd never been in a relationship, and did not consider them a priority in his life.

'They look nice,' he thought, looking out the window of the train...

The train stopped at the mall station. This is the station that passes through the biggest mall in ShichijoNakamachi. He stopped at the mall, taking a bit of a detour to calm down before facing his dad at the station....

In the bright sun, the words 'Shichijo police station' gleam wide, the tall building appearing endless. Taking a deep breath, Kei Brace himself for what's coming next.....

It looked like everything was busy as usual, with some suspects being interrogated, some guys being dragged to jail, with the usual police filling out reports. Meanwhile, some other officers had headed out for their break.

"Hey, Kei is alive, welcome back, omae (dude)," someone said, tapping Kei's back, before walking off. Kei has always been quite reserved and cold to his peers at the office that he got the nickname okami (cold dragon).

"Hey okami, I always knew you'd make it back from the dead," someone else shouted from a corner. When the others heard this, they all laughed, but they truly missed his icy presence in the office.

"Well, you really have a presence," came a female voice from behind. He turned around to see who it was even if he knew the voice, he just wanted to be sure of who it was.

"Nice to have you back," said the person. Kei smiled slightly at the person.

"Where's the commander?" he asked.

"In his office."

He walked towards the commander's office when someone else commented, "aye, Jichiro, your boyfriend is back."

"Come on boys, that's not the way to welcome okami here," she said out loud. The men around the station laughed again, in a more jovial mood since Kei walked in.

Kei knocked on the door before stepping in. There sat his father, signing some documents. "Conference room," he ordered, not looking up to see who walked in. Their relationship as a father and son had grown sour when Kei followed in his footsteps to become an officer instead of a scholar. This was because Kei chose a life of danger, wanting to feel the thrill he never felt during his high-school days and he's always had a strong sense of protecting his country.

The meeting began as they took their seats at the conference table. A bald looking officer spoke up first. "It's come to our notice that trafficking activities have increased in our city and it's something we need to look at and it's linked to an old file that was closed and the officer that was in charge of that case disappeared and vanished off the grid and we believe she has something to do with these traffickers," he explained all in one breath.

"What does this case have to do with me?" Kei inquired out of context, knowing full well that the more serious cases are assigned to the more experienced officers in the field. Not that he wasn't experienced, but he's only had 5 cases like these. His dad secretly made sure he kept him out of the most dangerous cases. This one right now screamed complicated, with lots of strings tied in somewhere. This is because where there are traffickers, there's sure to be stronger powers connected to the government behind them.

Baldy presented the file to Kei and said, "Your skills are more precise than anyone else's and you have a record of success in all the cases you've been involved in, so you have been chosen to head this case." He opened the folder to read through, looking at the files of the suspects and the information written under them. There he saw her picture, a younger version of her with fear in her eyes.

He was surprised, but couldn't say anything. He quietly closed the file, knowing that this was wrong and couldn't get himself to accept this case. Despite his moral conflict, he was curious as to why and how she was involved in this case.

He murmured an apology, then rose from his chair and left the conference room, as he was not the right person for this case.

Apologizing profusely, his father promised to convince his son to accept the case, even though the boy had recently been in the hospital and was still reeling from the experience. Bowing as he spoke, he then left the conference room, planning to confront his son when they were back home. All the other leaders were enraged by his actions, especially his father.

Later at home...

"Where's your son?" Mr. Noguchi snapped angrily as he walked into the house, without taking the time to sit down and drink a glass of water before changing into clean clothes.

"Darin, ochitsuitekudasai (darling please calm down)," Mrs. Noguchi hurriedly said, trying to calm her husband down. Although it is Kei's choice that causes her husband to quarrel with him, she has never appreciated it.

Kei got home a little later than his dad, knowing fully well that there was almost certain to be an argument if he met him at home. Therefore, he decided to take a detour before heading home. On turning the doorknob, the door flew open. He stared at his dad, who stared back at him. "Get in." he retorted.

He didn't say anything, but walked in. He saw his mum through the corner of his eyes sitting on the sofa; she looked so worried. Upon hearing the door close, she looked up at Kei, "what happened this time?" she whispered, not wanting her husband to hear her.

"Don't worry, go inside," he replied, not wanting her to see them argue and get stressed out. Understanding his message, she left the living room to let them sort things out for themselves. Kei had already resolved within himself that he had no choice but to take up this case. He knew fully well that his dad must've brought the file home promising the officials that he'd promised to make it happen.

Taking a deep breath, he puts his hands on his waist before facing his father. "hand over the file," he says calmly, not wanting another argument, since the last one they had was at the hospital.

"You ask for the folder now, when you humiliated me before my mates?" his father said furiously, his face flushed and red from anger. Kei was taller than his father, almost toppling over him by an inch.

"I never had that in mind and I'm sorry if I humiliated you," he replied sincerely, hoping his father would let this pass and they'd just move on with the remaining day.

His dad looked at him for a long time. 'I always wanted you to be a scholar. Instead, you walked down the same path as I did,' he whispered, throwing the file on the coffee table. He then walked out, wondering where he'd erred in parenting.