SC1 14.3 – Bad Intention
Rokube didn’t have many places you could use for a good stroll. It had only a handful shopping street. However, it was still a great stroll for Yunno and Yui. The two had big smiles in their face as they helped Kato bought grocery, and enjoyed the merriness in the shopping street.
After that they went to Fragrant Flavor and enjoyed a good lunch. They also bought a whole grilled chicken for tonight dinner. Then, they went home. Until this point everything was just fine. Yunno and Yui still had big smile in their face. Until finally they arrived at the trail to climb South Ridge and found Yuko was there.
It seemed Yuko tried to climb the trail a few times but failed. Well, it was not surprising. Without movement step or my guidance to get a good foothold along the way, it would be impossible for her to climb the trail. However, her failure made Kato, Yunno, and Yui had big worry in their face.
“Yuko, what are you doing here?” Kato asked in a tone full of concern.
“Warrior Kato, I’m trying to go to the hut,” Yuko dejectedly said. “But this is the only route I know and no matter how many times I try, it’s impossible for me to climb it.”
After taking a deep breath Yuko said, “You should ask Sanno to escort you. It’s very dangerous to climb this trail without good guidance.”
“I did,” Yuko replied, still in dejected tone. “But he kept refusing me.”
“Why did Sanno refuse?”
“I don’t know. He just said I will only bring trouble to Yunno and Yui.”
“Nonsense,” Kato firmly said. “I have to reprimand him later.”
“Warrior Kato, it’s fine. Please pardon my brother foolishness. Sometimes he does something unreasonable.”
“He is pretty similar to my husband actually,” Kato lamentably said. “Took things too seriously, and sometimes to a point where it becomes unreasonable.”
‘Unreasonable my ass,’ I cursed before continuing checking Yui’s memory.
“Maybe that’s the reason why they get along pretty well,” Yuko concluded.
“It seems so.” After a smile Kato added, “Well, let’s stop talking about those two unreasonable goofs. Let’s go to the hut.”
“Warrior Kato, if I may,” Yuko hesitantly said. “Can I have a request?”
“Tell me it first, so I can consider it,” Kato happily said.
“May I take Yunno and Yui to sleep in my house for one night?”
After a moment of silence Kato asked Yuko back, “Why do you want to take Yunno and Yui to sleep at your house?”
“The thing is, my household wants to ask Yunno and Yui to help us make soy sauce oyster noodles for our New Year meal. So, before that, I want to treat Yunno and Yui with a good dinner with our family first.”
“When do you plan to have the dinner?”
“Tonight if I may,” Yuko expectantly said. “If we go back to Sendai now, I will still have time to butcher two chickens I bought yesterday, and prepare a good dinner for Yunno and Yui and the whole family.”
After turning her gaze to Yunno and Yui, Kato asked, “Yunno, Yui, what do you think about your aunt request?”
“We can make Aunt Yuko some soy sauce oyster noodles,” Yunno calmly said. “But we can’t go to Tadaoka Household.”
In an instant big question mark popped-up at Yuko’s forehead, “Yunno, Yui, why do you can’t go to Tadaoka Household?”
“Uncle Deitoro forbids us,” Yunno replied.
“Yeah,” Yui eagerly added. “He and Big Brother Sanno said it’s dangerous for us to go to Tadaoka Household.”
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“Yunno, Yui,” Kato gently said. “Your uncle and Sanno are exaggerating it. It’s fine if you want to sleep at your aunt house.”
“But Yui doesn’t want to go there,” Yui innocently said. “Yui want to sleep in the hut.”
“It’s only one night,” Kato said, still in a gentle tone. “And it’s a virtue to maintain a good relationship with your root family.”
‘Good virtue my ass,’ I cursed inwardly.
At the same time I also started to doubt Kato’s common sense. ‘Who in the fuck wants to maintain a relationship with a family who sold you as a slave?’
I couldn’t help but letting out a deep sigh a few times before putting my attention back to Yui’s memory.
As she gave Kato an expectant look Yunno asked, “Aunt Kato, can we ask for Uncle Deitoro’s permission first?”
“Yeah, we should ask for Uncle Deitoro’s permission first.” Yui firmly added.
It was clearly visible that Yunno and Yui were reluctant to go to Tadaoka Household. It was natural as they still couldn’t forget the bad memories they got from there. Unfortunately, Kato ignored this clear sign.
“It’s the house where you were born and lived with your parent for a few years. Give it a visit once in a while is a good thing.” After a smile Kato added, “And if after this one you still don’t want to go over there again, aunt will said nothing.”
After a long silence Yunno finally said, “Okay. We will sleep at Tadaoka Household tonight.”
Meanwhile, Yui could only pressed her lips and followed Yunno’s decision.
A moment later, the four started their journey to Sendai.
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“Warrior Kato,” Kazuyori said in flowery tone after Yuko introduced Kato to her. “Thank you for letting Yunno and Yui to stay overnight in our house. To be honest, I miss them so much.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Kato casually replied. Then, while cold gleam flashed in her eyes she looked straight at Kazuyori. “But please remember, if something bad happen to Yunno and Yui while they are here, my wrath can only be soothed after I break an old bone or two.”
“No worry, no worry,” It was clear that Kato’s threat made Kazuyori quiver in fear, but she managed to calm herself down. “They will absolutely be fine when they are here. You have my words.”
“In that case,” Kato said as she took the grilled chicken she bought from Fragrant Flavor, along with a basket of pear and orange, and handed it over to Kazuyori. “Please accept this simple gift and enjoy it with your family at tonight dinner.”
While flowery smile filled her face to the brim Kazuyori replied, “Warrior Kato, thank you for your generous gift. Tadaoka Household wills never forget the kindness you and your husband have showed to Yunno and Yui.”
Kato then smiled before kneeling in front of Yunno and Yui. “Be good and tomorrow morning Aunt will pick you up personally.”
“Mhm.”
Yunno nodded while forcing a smile, while Yui was still pressing her lips. After that, Kato kissed their cheeks in turn before leaving Tadaoka Household.
I’m sure all this time, Kato fully aware the fake flowery smile on Kazuyori’s face. Yet, she trusted Yunno and Yui to her. She truly underestimated how low and nasty a human could go, even though she had witnessed one of its examples up close when she lived with Hisami.
Most of all, bad intention didn’t show up only because there was solid motive and means. It could popped up out of nowhere just because the opportunity to do it present itself.
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After Kato leaved the house, Kazuyori asked Yuko to take Yunno and Yui to her room and waited over there until dinner time arrived. Yuko agreed and after the three arrived in her room she invited Yunno and Yui to play a card game, but Yunno and Yui politely refused.
Through Yui’s eyes I could clearly see that Yuko really didn’t get it why Yuko and Yui rejected her. Well, it was not surprising as the last time she invited the two to the game they cheerfully accepted it. Then, she dropped her jaw when Yunno and Yui took out a study assignment I gave them and calmly make a work on it.
“Does Warrior Deitoro ask you two to study a lot?” Yuko curiously asked.
“Ummm…. We have morning study with Big Brother Sanno, and individual study at afternoon,” Yunno happily replied.
“Doesn’t it tire you to have study all the time?”
“Study, martial art training, and kitchen work make us very very very tired,” Yui replied with her childish tone. “But it’s also fun because Uncle Deitoro, Big Brother Sanno, and Aunt Kato treat us very nicely.”
“Other than that, we also want to become strong, smart, and good at cooking like Uncle Deitoro,” Yunno added.
“I see.” Yuko slightly nodded while a thin smile bloomed on her lips.
Up to this moment, everything was just fine. Then, an hour later, my first sister-in-law came to Yuko’s room.
“Yuko, Mother calls you.”
“Yeah,” Yuko indifferently replied before turning her gaze to Yunno and Yui and gently said. “I will be back in a moment.”
“Okay.”
Yunno replied after a smile, while Yui nodded her head. After Yuko leaved the room, they put their attention back to their study. However, they then heard some commotion. It seemed Yuko wanted to scream but someone had gagged her to prevent it. A moment later, Kazuyori, Tanno, Danno, and my first sister-in-law entered Yuko’s room.
As wariness filled her eyes to the brim Yunno asked, “Madam Kazuyori, where is Aunt Yuko.”
“Yunno, I’m still your grandmother,” Kazuyori casually said.
I could tell Yunno was reluctant to call Kazuyori as her grandmother anymore, but she didn’t argue. “Yes, grandmother.”
“I just asked Yuko to do some errand.” Kazuyori said after a small but satisfy smile. “In the meantime, I want to talk to you about soy sauce oyster noodles.”
In an instant the wariness in Yunno’s eyes became thicker. “Grandmother wants to talk to us about soy sauce oyster noodles?”
“Yes, tell me every detail you know on how to make it,” Kazuyori said in ordering tone.
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