Onihunter Yuna

85 Angel

Yoshiro couldn't remember that he ever had lost all his composure for once in his life. That simply was not part of his serene nature. But at this moment, swamped by all the memories, he was completely lost. He couldn't stop staring at the nurse.

She had picked up his dumped teacup, shook it empty and put her own into it. Slightly worried she looked at the man, who was standing opposite of her and from whose face all color had faded.

"You remember," she noticed. Yoshiro nodded absently. He was completely distraught. "You should sit down. Come." Again he nodded. Midori put her hand on his shoulder and led him to a nearby park bench. He sat down on it, and stared at the ground. "That's better."

He had placed the crying, lost, helpless girl in the next crowded area and disappeared before her eyes, while she begged him not to go. And after that he never again thought about her. The guilt was too much for him to handle.

The irony of this situation reached his awareness just now. He turned his gaze back to the nurse, who stood before him. Pure warmth radiated from her green eyes down at him.

"Everything okay?" asked Midori caring. "You look as if you had seen a ghost."

"It... I..." He could barely think straight.

"Here." She handed him the teacup. "Drink." He took it and gulped down the tea. "That's better, right?"

"Yeah. Thank you."

The black-haired sat down beside him on the park bench. For a while they didn't speak, but watched the birds, the other park visitors and the few clouds in the sky. Over and over again, the wind tugged at her hair and swung loose cherry blossoms through the air.

"I... I'm so sorry," stammered the Oni finally.

Her green eyes squinted over at him. "What do you mean?"

"Your parents. What's happened to you. The..." He broke off.

"I was lucky." He turned his head and looked at her puzzling. His face was covered in all shades of confusion. The nurse smiled. "Yes, you heard right. I was lucky."

The Oni shook his head. "I don't understand."

"I had a guardian angel."

Frowning, he asked, "... a guardian angel?"

She gave him her warmest, loveliest smile. "You had saved me. You had protected me from the monsters. You had descended like an angel from heaven and destroyed evil." Yoshiro stared at her speechless. "You had brought me to safety."

"But... your parents...," stuttered the teleporter.

"They died, yes." Thoughtful nodded Midori, before she looked back at him. "But without your help, I wouldn't be sitting here today. You are an angel."

Ashamed Yoshiro turned his gaze to the grass at his feet. "I'm no angel. I'm a monster. Just like the other monsters."

The nurse looked at him from the side, while she searched for her next words. "I don't know you very well, but when I see what you do for other people, then I know that you are a good man. Even better than a man. You must be an angel."

Yoshiro stayed silent and thought about these words. Midori looked at him as if she could learn what was going on in his mind. She noticed the scars on his neck, which reminded her of long forgotten believed pictures of her wounded savior. Finally, she turned her gaze back to the sky.