Connected | Kusuriuri x Reader

Kuchisake-Onna: Prologue

口裂け女

Kuchisake-onna

'Slit-Mouthed Woman'

- Prologue -

It was late. The sun had already sunk under the sea and disappeared behind the high mountains, leaving a dark blanket behind it, which was soon after decorated with thousands of small, yet shiny lanterns. There weren't many noises outside, except for the patient song of the many crickets that hid in the darkness, in grass, in bushes and the rustling of dry branches and leaves that could be heard when mischievous wind asked them to dance with it. Other than that, it was silent. There was no one outside. Maybe somewhere in the distance one could hear laughter and unclear words coming from the dimly lighted houses in which people drank and chatted, but the area around the house of a brave samurai remained untouched by such noises.

Inside of that house, in one of the many chambers it was made of, slept a woman. She seemed peaceful, with her raven black hair scattered over the firm pillow, her body hidden beneath the thick blanket so she was protected from the cold touch of still air present in the room. Her chest rose and fell with each breath she had taken and even when asleep, she seemed to feel satisfaction because of the compliment her husband had given her for the first time in ten years just before she departed and left for the world of dreams.

Her rather frail frame looked relaxed and she appeared to be in a deep slumber, yet that changed soon after. Thud. It seemed like something hit the *shōji that separated these private chambers from the outside world - most likely the playful wind. The noise grabbed the woman and pulled her out of the darkness and state of sleep, causing her dark eyes to open. She blinked once. Twice. She blinked until her eyes have accustomed to darkness of the room. The woman sat up and the blanket that covered her entire figure fell down to her waist instead, exposing the small amount of her bare skin to the space and cool air. She looked around. The room was empty except for herself and the peaceful figure of her husband who was still asleep, his dreams undisturbed unlike the ones of his wife.

The woman, Miya, smiled at the sleeping frame of the samurai, before leaving the warmth of the futon they shared. Light that washed over and reached through the shōji seemed tempting, and in no time the black haired woman found herself outside. She shivered upon feeling the cool wind brush against the warmth of her body, but she enjoyed the fresh air nevertheless. There was no sign of sun showing itself to the world any time soon and the sky was still dark, almost black. The same song of crickets lingered around and didn't stop just yet - it even appeared to be louder and louder with each part instead. Miya considered the scenery in front of her to be too beautiful to resist and instead of returning back into the safety and warmth of the covers, she decided to sit down on one of the wooden steps and enjoy the nature for a little while. Her small hands found their way onto her knees, her fingers embracing the soft material of her clothes. Her grip around it would tighten every now and then with each breeze that slapped her face and bare skin, yet it didn't make her retreat. Even when the long and never-ending song started lulling her to sleep, the woman remained on the same spot.

Minutes or even a couple of hours passed by, and by the time Miya realized it, rays of sunshine began to show up and peek out from behind the high and distant mountains, signalizing the beginning of new day. Crickets' song died down by now, leaving Miya waiting to hear chirping birds. Unexpected sound seemed to reach her ears, the one of slow, faint footsteps. She assumed that they were ones of her daughter, Y/N. She wondered why was her child awake at these early hours, but upon turning her head, expecting the fellow female to enter her field of view, she saw a slender woman.