A fine-looking woman with silver hair and eyes as vibrant as a green forest iris sharply took in her surroundings at the airport. She carried an abundance of luggage, making her way through a remote Japanese island's airport. This wasn't the bustling Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), but a more secluded location.

Upon leaving the airport, she flagged down a taxi, and after loading her luggage into the cab, she provided the driver with an address. With a sudden burst of acceleration, the cab departed. The woman settled into her seat and began reading something, taking out a small military-like rank insignia, closely resembling that of a captain. She also look at a dog tag, revealing a name inscribed on it: Eri Weissman. As the taxi driver initiated a casual conversation, she heaved a deep sigh.

"Ma'am, are you from overseas? There's not much to see on this island. Oh, my apologies if I've been impolite; this old man gets bored easily."

The driver, a man in his sixties, offered an honest smile and a heartfelt laugh. It was a display of genuine warmth that the woman hadn't encountered in some time.

"No, it's quite alright. Yes, I am from overseas. My mother passed away many years ago, and I spent most of my life in Germany. Now, I'm here to visit my mother's hometown."

"Thank goodness! I was worried you'd find me annoying, ma'am. I'm so sorry to hear about your mother."

The woman replied, "No need to apologize; it's okay. By the way, have you been a cab driver for a long time?"

The lady attempted to steer the conversation in a different direction. The driver obliged, saying, "As far as I can recall, I've been driving this cab since around 1970."

Their conversation continued as the hour passed, and they eventually arrived at a location that was distinct from the airport and the central part of the island. This area was more rural, characterized by simple houses and a landscape dominated by forested hills, with occasional rice and wheat fields.

Once the lady stepped out of the cab, she entered a building that resembled a community center for the area. Inside, she met a lady who the others had referred to as the village chief. She was in her fifties, her gray hair prominently displayed, and her stature around 155 cm with a slightly slender build.

"You must be Misha's daughter."

"Yes, I am."

"Then welcome home, Eri."

The Village Chief, whose name was later revealed to be Sumika, shared a comforting conversation with Eri and offered her some tea. "I've heard about your situation, Eri. Don't worry; those troublemakers will never find you here on this island or in our village."

"The more I see you, the more I believe you're Misha's daughter; your resemblance is so uncanny. But you're taller than Misha. Here, I have a photo of her with me when we were both your age." Sumika showed Eri a picture of her mother with the young Village Chief Sumika.

Eri expressed her gratitude, "Thank you so much for this. It means a lot to me as my mom passed away, and I didn't get to know her well. My dad followed her soon after a few years."

Sumika lightened the mood with a joke, saying, "Don't be sad like that, kid. You're here now, and that makes you my daughter too. I will look after you; if I didn't take care of Misha's daughter, her ghost would haunt me from her grave."

Afterward, Sumika showed Eri her mother's old house, which appeared habitable but showed signs of aging, with cracks, broken fences, and an overgrown lawn. "The house is kind of old and needs some fixing here and there. It's also a famous place for the kids around as a test of courage. The appearance of this house makes it look haunted. Don't worry, though; this house is as solid as a rock. If you need help with anything, you can call me, and I'll assist."

"Thanks; this is great. At least I have somewhere to rest."

"Are you in need of assistance with your luggage? I'm more than happy to help."

"No, Village Chief. You've already done me a great favor. I can manage the rest, but thank you."

"Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me." The Village Chief bid her farewell and headed back to her own house. Eri began to tidy up her belongings, determined to make the old house more comfortable for herself.

Eri began by carefully handling her military gear, which included a knife, a USP 45 pistol, her captain's insignia, medals, and a suitcase containing a disassembled AR-15. She made sure all her belongings were in order.

Afterward, she started to explore the house. She moved from the living room to the kitchen and then to the backyard, which was overgrown with wild plants. The backyard connected to a forest that extended into some nearby hills. Finally, she inspected the bedroom.

At this point, a moving agency's truck arrived, bringing the necessary furniture for her new home. Eri oversaw the moving process and signed off on the delivery as the workers left.

As she was busy arranging furniture and unpacking her belongings, there was a knock at the door. To her surprise, it was a group of villagers from the local community who had come to help her settle in.

"Are you new here? We rarely get new people in this village. I hope you enjoy your stay," greeted an elderly lady, and she, along with the other villagers, began assisting Eri with organizing the furniture.

The villagers' kindness left a positive impression on Eri. While working together, a shy young girl introduced herself as Mitsura Miyagi.

"Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Mitsura Miyagi."

Eri shook the girl's hand and replied, "Hello too, my name is Eri. Nice to meet you." They engaged in some small talk, and as a token of gratitude for their help, Eri made them some cold barley tea. The group continued to converse and appeared excited about the arrival of a new resident.

As the night approached, the villagers finished helping Eri with her house, and they left at around 10 PM. Eri then made her bed and prepared to rest for the night in her new home.

Eri's peaceful slumber was disrupted by a haunting nightmare, a cruel specter from her past that she could never escape. In her dream, a shadowy figure confronted her, accusing her of being part of the atrocities she had tried to forget.

"This is what you've done"

"No, I didn't! I just followed orders like everyone else. I was just trapped!" Eri vehemently protested, her voice quivering.

The dream mercilessly transitioned to a gruesome scene, vivid and visceral. Eri was wielding her rifle, executing innocent people, including orphaned children from a church. The horrifying images filled her mind, and she screamed for it to stop. The guilt and brutality weighed heavily on her, and she cried out in despair, "That's my commander's orders; I just followed orders. I'm a soldier. They're being accused and investigated of being part of an uprising for rebellion."

The torment escalated, reaching a crescendo. A little girl, no older than ten, knelt before her, begging for mercy. Eri's trembling hand held a gun pointed at the child's head. In the nightmare's climax, she pulled the trigger, and the child's head exploded in a gruesome display of violence.

Eri woke with a start, her heart pounding, soaked in cold sweat. She screamed out loud, ridding herself of the horrifying vision that had haunted her. Her gasping breaths and trembling hands marked the harsh reality of her torment.

Desperately needing to wash away the remnants of the dream, she stepped into the shower and allowed the water to flow over her for hours, hoping that the relentless stream could cleanse her of the nightmares that had relentlessly pursued her since leaving the army.

Eri had once been part of a unit caught in a cruel geopolitical game, sent to a village in, Russia, to commit unspeakable horrors. They were ordered to annihilate the villagers for alleged rebellion. The crimes they committed were heinous—innocent lives were ruthlessly taken. Eri's unit had lined up the villagers at the church wall, then executed them in cold blood. Some members of her unit took their sadistic cruelty even further, burning, burying, dismembering, and torturing their victims.

Karma would eventually catch up to them. They were bombed and struck by missiles, with Eri being the only survivor. The rest of her unit either perished or faced capture, interrogation, and torture by the Russian army. Eri knew that the weight of her past would forever stain her soul, and the memories of her horrific actions would never fade.

After freshly dressed Eri's morning walk had been a therapeutic escape from the haunting nightmare. She strolled through the tranquil village, trying to shake off the disturbing images that had tormented her.

During her walk, she encountered Mitsuru Miyagi, the young girl she had met the night before, on her way to school. Eri exchanged greetings with her and wished her a good day before continuing her journey through the village.

"Good morning, Way to School? Umm... Mitsura-san?"

"Good morning, Yes"

"I see take care..."

As she strolled along the small bridge, the soothing sound of the flowing river reached her ears. It was a picturesque spot, and Eri briefly entertained the idea of fishing there with a simple rod.

Eri's explorations led her to a quaint store named 'Dagashiya,' known for selling snacks, candy, and toys popular among children. Naru, a young woman with black shoulder-length hair, greeted Eri with a casual, laid-back attitude. She immediately recognized Eri as the newcomer from overseas.

"Oh, you're the new person from overseas. What's up? My name is Naru. Want to buy somethin?" Naru asked, lazily leaning against the store's counter. Naru asked from behind the counter. While Eri just wandered around the store,

Eri collected some snacks that caught her eye, placing them on the store counter. As Naru counted the total, Eri casually shared her reasons for wandering around. "I'm just exploring the area. Thought I'd stop by here."

Naru, leaning against the counter, expressed her curiosity about the outside world. "How is it in other countries? I've never been off this island, so everything feels pretty much the same."

"Well, it varies. Different places offer different perspectives. This countryside might seem ordinary to you, but for me, it's a welcome escape from the city," Eri explained.

"A city sounds interesting. What did you do before coming here?" Naru asked, intrigued.

"I used to work as a pianist in Berlin, but my career didn't quite take off. I later switched to government work, which also didn't go as planned. Now, I'm exploring farming. I've developed an interest in agriculture," Eri replied.

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"You can play the piano!?" Naru's eyes widened in surprise. "Come with me for a sec." She grabbed Eri's hand and guided her to a nearby warehouse filled with old supplies and items for the store. In the corner, there was an old piano covered in white sheets. "Play for me, please."

Eri checked the instrument. "This thing is still in good shape," she mentioned after testing it for a moment. As she settled on the bench, she played a few warm-up notes to ease her fingers and then proceeded to perform a cover of a song from her favorite game's soundtrack. Naru seemed enthralled by Eri's playing, showing an admiring expression as the song concluded.

"You are amazing! That was a beautiful song," Naru praised. "Too bad these hands will soon be covered in mud on the rice fields."

"You're flattering me. There are many better players out there," Eri humbly replied. "My play is just ordinary."

Naru was taken aback. "No way..."

"You want to be a pianist, don't you?" Eri inquired, but Naru fell silent, hinting at her aspirations.

Naru had harbored a dream of becoming a pianist, but in the presence of Eri, who she believed played the piano exceptionally well, she felt her own skills were inadequate. Eri assured her that her apparent failure shouldn't deter Naru from pursuing her dreams.

"But your performance was outstanding compared to mine. If you fail, why should I even bother trying?" Naru lamented.

Eri, in her straightforward and perhaps harsh manner, replied, "You haven't shown your skills yet, and you say that? Perhaps you're right; you don't belong in the piano world, let alone having the right to keep this piano." Her words stung, and Naru was offended.

Undeterred, Naru challenged Eri by playing 'Für Elise' on the piano. Her performance revealed her skill was far from perfect, but she had taken the first step toward her dream. Eri, refraining from further criticism, offered some encouragement and left Naru to her practice.

Eri made her way to the Village Chief's house and, when asked about her first day on the island, responded, "Hello, Eri. It's been an interesting day. And yes, there's something I need help with."

"Chief, is there any land for sale at the moment?"

"Land, huh? I think I know some people who have their land for sale. Why, though?" Sumika asked. "I want to try my hand at agriculture."

"You mean you want to be a farmer?" Sumika asked again.

"Yeah, something like that," Eri answered simply.

In another place,

"Take care, Mitsura-san," Eri's words still lingered in Mitsura Miyagi's mind as she took the bus to her school. "Shoot, why am I thinking about this? Why did it even cross my mind? No, I'm not falling for her. She just arrived in this village yesterday. You need to get yourself together, Mitsura Miyagi!"

She was twenty years old, and there was a four-year age gap between them. "There's no way it could work out." All these thoughts ran wild in her mind as she arrived at the school. She quickly entered her classroom, took her bag, and buried her face on the desk.

"Someone having a bad morning?" It was Arakawa Mutsu, Miyagi's friend, who greeted her and asked what was going on.

"Hey, Mutsu... You heard about the new person?"

"You mean the woman from overseas? I heard she's the daughter of Misha Collins, you know, the owner of the haunted house."

"Yes, now she lives there. Her name is Eri; she doesn't have a last name, though."

"So what about her?" Mutsu asked. "You know... she greeted me this morning and... uhmm..."

Miyagi stalled her words, making Mutsu jump to conclusions. "I see you fell for her, didn't you? Never thought your taste would be for older women..."

"No, no, no, not like that. She's pretty and all, but..."

"No buts if you like her, then you must strike while the iron is hot. Look at your face; it's all red." Mutsu started making hasty decisions. "Wait, she just arrived yesterday, so we mustn't rush this."

"Okay, let's just observe her for now. After school, you dig?"

"Okay…" Miyagi looked defeated as the bell for the class rang followed by the homeroom teacher.

"You want to be a farmer? Do you have the basics?" Sumika asked. "Well, I have you," she said. "I just asked you what to do with the land."

"Dear Lord, you are really her daughter. Misha's genes run in you. You make reckless and hasty decisions. Even the way you smile right now is the same as hers. Well, Chief, consider your friend just back to life... haha..."

"Well, if you really want to, you need training. Are you down for it?"

"You forget I'm a former captain in the army; I'm down for whatever it takes," Eri said confidently. "Right, you're... I almost forgot that. Hop into my car; we need to survey some land."

Eri and Sumika traveled in a 1950s Volkswagen to search for the most suitable land for Eri. "Volkswagen... Wirklich nostalgisch."

"What was that?" Sumika asked, not catching what Eri had said since she spoke partly in German. "Nah, just don't mention it," Eri replied.

"Okay, long shot. I know you've been in Germany for a while now, so don't show off your bilingualism crap."

"Okay, okay... sheesh! I didn't mean to show off." Eri took some old magazines from the dashboard and started reading them while the sun was still high in the sky, occasionally snacking on the snacks she had bought earlier. "Anyway, being a captain pays well, right?" Sumika asked.

"I had a good income, and they paid well, plus you have someone to push around," Eri said.

"But that job required you to put your life on the line, well, to be almost turned into target practice for missiles."

"And kill innocent people on top of that," Eri hopped on Sumika's sarcasm. "Right... you know if Misha were still alive, she would never have approved of you joining the army."

"Well, if she didn't kick the bucket first, I would have considered a different path."

"This is the best land in this village, but it's quite far from your house. However, it's well worth the trip. Let's go talk to the owner first; he will show us around." Sumika and Eri walked to the hut at the center of the land. "Good day, Chief! And, oh, who is this beautiful woman?"

An elderly man emerged from the door when they knocked. "Hello, Murato-san. This young lady wants to take a look at your land. She might be interested in buying this piece of crap land of yours."

"Really? What great news! Come, come; I will show you around," Murato, the owner of the land, said excitedly. "And please don't pay attention to the old Granny Sumika. She's just envious because she doesn't have a glorious piece of land like mine."

"Why are you selling it then, Murato-san?" Eri asked curiously. "You know, sometimes life doesn't go as planned. We humans make plans, but sometimes God has other plans for us that may benefit us in some way."

"So, in short?"

"My daughter's business isn't going well, and we're facing bankruptcy. Therefore, I've decided to sell this land to help her. She doesn't like the idea, but I want to help her. I can't see her struggle as much as I did. She sacrificed everything for her dream of owning her own business. Unfortunately, it seems she hasn't succeeded. Ah, I'm sorry; you may not be interested in such things."

"No, not at all. It's okay if you want to talk about it. Not everyone has a heart of steel. I feel for your daughter, really. So, what's good about this place?"

First of all, I've given the land the proper rotations for years. Well, mostly because I've been in and out of the hospital during those years. However, I can assure you that the land is fertile. It has easy access to the river; I suggest you build a waterwheel there if you want more flexible irrigation or plan on expanding later on.

Next to the west, there's the barn; you can grow pasture here. Just spread the grass and you're good to go. Here you can hold some cows, maybe five or six, along with a small herd of sheep if you like. Right beside it, I have a simple chicken coop that can hold two chickens. I don't particularly like chickens, so I keep them in moderation.

"A farmer dislikes chickens? What kind of farmer are you, old man?"

"Being a farmer doesn't mean you have to be obsessed with all the animals," Murato said in defense of his occupation. "Fine, your land looks good. I like it so far. Let's discuss the price. This land is around 100 hectares, correct? Let me see the certificate first..." After that, Murato and Eri discuss the prices. Eri was quite surprised by the lower price compared to the mainland. They eventually agreed on a price of 10 million yen. Then, Murato and Eri headed to the bank to make the payment.

They headed back to the farmland hours later, as Murato had to return to Tokyo as soon as possible to help his daughter. Eri offered some parting advice, "Take care of your bank account, old man. Make sure you haven't lost any money."

"Thank you, Eri. Thanks to your help, I will be able to help my daughter get back on her feet again. Here are the certificates and the other paperwork you need for things like taxes and such. You can change the ownership name at the Notary Public later."

"10 million yen, huh? They pay you alright there, Eri, my dear," Sumika said while driving her car back to Eri's home.

"Yeah, sure they did. And that's not all my money; I have more..."

"You have more?" Sumika asked in genuine surprise.

"Of course I do," she replied. "They pay me in Euros over there. There's some exchange left over for Japanese Yen here, though."

"Thank God I exchanged a quarter of my pay into Yen at the right time when the Euro was slightly stronger, so I had lots of money," Eri explained to Sumika about forex for a bit, and she looked at Eri with awe. Then Eri diverted the conversation to something else, and they arrived at the house soon after.

"Chief, I need you to ride for me again next week; I have to go to the public notary on the central island. Are you free?"

"Of course. Tomorrow you need to learn about farming too. We need to go to the department store and buy some tools for you."

"Okay, then see you later, Chief. Thanks for your help." The Village Chief waved goodbye, and Eri prepared for dinner as the clock showed it was 4:00 PM 

Eri realized she hadn't done her groceries yet, so her fridge was mostly empty. With the sun nearly setting in the west, she headed outside. The scenery was magnificent, and it reminded her of the beauty she hadn't had time to admire as a Captain, always consumed by responsibilities.

She soon found a stall selling stew ramen and sake or something. She enjoyed her meal there before returning home, hoping for a good night's sleep.

Meanwhile since that noon, Mutsu and Miyagi searched for Eri around the village but couldn't find her. They discovered she had gone with the village chief using her car. Disappointed by the failed mission, they decided to head to Dagashiya for a drink and pondered on Naru's whereabouts.

At Dagashiya, Miyagi mentioned, "Thanks for doing this for me," to which Mutsu responded, "Don't mention it. That's what friends are for. Anyway, where's Naru? I bet she's wandering around again. No wonder this store went out of business..."

"

"Oh, excuse me!" Naru suddenly appeared through the front door, looking like a demon. "W-wait, I mean, hello! Good morning, Naru-san," stammered Mutsu as Naru punched them on the head. Their relationship is like that of real siblings.

"Hello, my ass. This is the afternoon. I mean, want to buy something? If not, get out of here. Especially you, Mutsu."

"What terrible customer service! We're just here to buy a drink..." Mutsu went to the fridge and picked up some ice cream.

"Shut up... What you rascals are doing is almost late. You didn't make any trouble, did you?"

"What's that? We were just searching for the new person, you know, the one from overseas."

"Oh, you mean Eri? She visited here this morning." Naru said as she put some leftover shopping items into the crate. "For real? Man, we were late. She was already here when we got to school."

"Why are you wandering around looking for her anyway? She's still a new person, but she's not some sort of freak show. So, you guys don't go bothering her, got it?"

"I didn't bother anyone, but more like a crusade for love. There's a certain someone who's got a crush on Miyagi quickly covered Mutsu's mouth with her hand. "Hmm? Crush? Don't tell me, Miyagi, you fell for Eri." Naru couldn't hide her surprise. But then she gave her a meaningful smile. She understood the feeling of being young. Naru had passed that phase already.

"No, I'm not falling for her. It's just admiration. Naru, you know what I mean, right?" Miyagi still had her hand on Mutsu's mouth. "Yes, yes, I understand. She's beautiful. I can get it. She's good at playing the piano. She's a pianist back in Berlin. She told me that."

"Puahh... What? She's a pianist? What a chance, then, Naru! I recall you having a dream to be one, right? Now you have a pro in front of you!" Mutsu said this after getting rid of Miyagi's hand. However, Naru's response wasn't quite good. She suddenly put her hands on her face and looked disappointed. "What's with that, Naru? Don't tell me Eri told you your play stinks."

Naru looked even more depressed on her face as Mutsu said that. "Did I say something delicate again? Am I?" Even the dense Mutsu realized she had said something she shouldn't have.

"She said if I continued to act like pussycat, I didn't even deserve to be a pianist. Look, you guys should hear Eri's play sometimes. Then you would understand how great she is. And how little I am, hell, even if that state she just does not fit in, how should I do it?"

"Well, we can't be judged for that; we didn't have the capacity and never heard how Eri plays the piano. But take it on the good side, Naru. She does that to cheer you up. Don't be shy, and take her advice sometimes."

"Well, Miyagi, as I put it at first glance, she looks like an ordinary kind of city person, and her talk is also like that. But at some point, she shows something that only a person in power has. Demanding and hard to please, she said that she was in service in government. I thought she was probably a public servant or..."

"Eri is a military officer!" Mutsu said it all of a sudden.

"This moron probably just spouted whatever came to mind," Naru commented. "Hey, what can a random guess do? They didn't hurt anyone." Mutsu said, looking annoyed. As time flew by, Naru reminded both girls that it was time for dinner. "Hey, look at the sky; the sun is setting. Better get going home now or you will regret it."

"Crap! This is a good-for-nothing shopkeeper, right? If I don't make it in time for dinner, my mom

will beat my ass!" Naru said, looking worried. Without wasting any more time, she grabbed Miyagi and got out of the store after paying for what she had taken.

"Thank you for patronage."

Sunday, 10th August

07:00 AM

Eri, already looking good, as promised, is with Village Chief Sumika, heading to the department store at the central part of the island. Her attire is casual with black jeans, a navy-blue polo shirt, and a baseball cap with a black and red gradient. She's waiting for the village chief's arrival.

"What the hell is that look? You look like a boy," Village Chief Sumika's expression couldn't be described as she looks at Eri. "We're going to get some farming goods anyway, so no need to be flashy," Eri said. "But still, you're a woman; wear something feminine at least... You have Misha's good looks yet you're wasting it like this..." Sumika massages her temple. "Thank God Sara's not like you, Eri."

"Sara? You mean your daughter? Now that you mention it, I haven't met her yet," Eri said to the village chief. "Yeah, she takes care of her job. Her deadline is tomorrow, so she sped up like a raging bull."

"What is she doing? Office worker?"

"Yes— I mean, no. She was an office worker a few years back at Fukushima. A shitty workplace, so she came back last year and took the job as a freelancer. She does some design or something."

"I see. I'd like to meet her, though... get to know her better." The journey is quite long; thank goodness this island doesn't have bad traffic. "Anyway, what did you tell the other villagers about yourself? I mean, you surely didn't mention anything about your military days, right?"

"Of course not. I told them I was a pianist in Berlin. Well, I do have some experience playing the piano."

"Pianist? Well, that suits you better. I recall Misha telling me that she wanted her kids to be good at musical instruments when we were in high school. So it looks like her dream came true. You indirectly did a good deed for my kid." Sumika said while laughing a bit. While Eri didn't say anything. "About being a pianist, you know Naru?"

"Naru... You mean the 'Dagashiya' kid? Yeah, I know her. What about her?" Eri tried to change the subject. "She didn't exactly tell me, but I deduced that she wants to be a pianist."

"So?" The Village Chief didn't understand the direction of this conversation and put on a puzzled expression. "I mean... when I visited her shop yesterday, I kinda ended up scolding her?"

"Wait, you scolded someone you just met?" The Village Chief continued to pay attention to the road as a drizzle of rain started to pour down. She activated the car's wipers. "Well, I wasn't exactly scolding her, but I was a bit irritated by her attitude." Eri then closed the window.

"Your Captain instinct kicks in? Well, at least you didn't make her run around the village... Wait, you didn't do it, right?!"

"No, I am not... well, I'm about to but remembered this not a military barracks."

To Be Continued.....