Accused [Hiatus]

Chapter Three

                Shirogane woke up early in the morning for a walk around town. As he walked down the cold streets of the dazed morning, he noticed posters of Ohaneh. Propaganda posters were everywhere, on every building at every street corner. His stomach twisted in discomfort once again and his frustration began to build up in his soul. “Am I the only one that feels this way?” he muttered to himself, kicking at a pebble. He shoved his hands in his coat pockets and kept his eyes on the ground, biting his tongue as he passed every poster that had Ohaneh’s name or face on them. He wanted to scream.

Later in the morning Shirogane was in his uniform sitting in his chair at his office. He stared blankly at the paperwork in front of him, unwilling to complete the work before him. He scooted closer to the desk and head desk himself making a loud thud. He stayed like that for a couple of minutes, thinking to himself. Maybe I am getting ahead of myself, he thought. I’m not giving him a chance.

But no matter how hard he tried, to put himself in the citizen’s shoes and think of Ohaneh as a great leader, he could not get rid of the uneasiness he felt within him. Shirogane sat up straight and inhaled deeply still unable to shake away the feeling. He heard the door open and close silently as possible. Shirogane looked up to see Akira who smiled admirably, “Good to see you are adjusting well here.”

“Nice to see you as well, Major Osawa” Shirogane nodded. “I’m sorry; I am not in a good mood if you haven’t noticed.”

Akira sat in the chair in front of him, “Your father has told me about your attitude towards Ohaneh…what is troubling you about this man? I didn’t think you would have any trouble with him…”

“There are a lot of things people do not know about me!” Shirogane huffed. “I just do not trust him”

“Have you even tried to consider he is loyal to his nation?”

“Tried, but I just couldn’t.”

Akira crossed his arms, “You never trusted anyone other than Daisuke. You should open your heart a little, Ohaneh is a swell man! The emperor of the north was inspired by his speech and came here personally to meet with him-”

Shirogane’s heart skipped a beat, “It’s gotten to the north already?!”

“Yes, everyone has high hopes for him. The North is caught in the tension between the eastern and the western kingdoms. It can’t distribute much money to both sister kingdoms, the north needs to provide for its people as well. Ohaneh is promising! He knows how to use his words to get the crowd moving.”

“Criminals are good at stealing and killing but you don’t see us letting them do as they please”

Akira narrowed his eyes, “What did I say about that mouth of yours?”

“Oh lord, you sound like my father now!” Shirogane got up from his chair. “None of you get it! Who are you to tell me how to feel about someone? You can’t force someone to like you, isn’t that something else you taught me while my father was in the war? What about ‘you can’t gain someone’s respect without earning it’? You and father are the same, ‘don’t do this’ and ‘don’t do that’, it’s ridiculous! I am not a child!”

“You’re right, you are no longer a child,” Akira got up from his chair also. His eyes met the other’s, “But you are a representative of the wealthy Kusakawa family and the General of the southern Xiao Tongian Army. Ohaneh is your leader and as a soldier, your loyalty goes to him and this nation! You are to respect your elders, no matter how old you are!”

Shirogane glared at Akira for a while, he restrained himself from saying any more to Akira. His heart racing with rage and his hands clenching at the edge of his desk turning his pale hands red, Shirogane blinked and took in a deep breath of air. “You guys don’t know how I feel; this is a waste of my time. Please leave, Major Osawa”