Sōrumeito (Soulmate #2)

Day 1: Asakusa

Asakusa, Tokyo

(04:11pm)

"What?! You can't be serious, Papa!"

"I've never been more serious, Musume."

"P – Please think about this."

"I have."

"And this is what you've decided on?"

"Yes."

"No... No, I won't allow it!"

"You won't... 'allow' it?"

"This is my life, Papa!"

"This is for our family."

"I – I've always followed your rules without complaining. I've been an obedient daughter. You know I'll do everything for this family and I will never do anything to hurt us. But... choosing my husband... the person I'll spend the rest of my life with? That's crossing the line."

"That's a small sacrifice that will greatly benefit our family."

"But –"

"It has already been decided. This will solidify our alliance and have easier trading in Kankoku. There had been disagreements over the decades with the Triple Tigers. I can't afford to lose any more men in this petty feud. This marriage will solve that. It will serve as a unification of both parties."

"Why can't Onii-san do it? He's your heir, isn't he?"

"The Yi family only have sons."

"Right, so you decided to offer your own daughter."

"YUKI!"

"..."

"You will marry Yi's second son. You will unite the families. And you will not disobey me. This is final. Nothing you say or do will change this. If I have to drag you by your ankle to the altar, I will."

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and slid the doors open before entering the dojo. Papa was training his men. When he saw me enter, he raised a hand. The men instantly stopped.

"Kyou wa kore de owari. Saru." That's it for today. Leave.

Truthfully, he shouldn't be the one doing this. But he told me once that this was his way of bonding with his people. If he trained them personally, they would be better and stronger.

He only trained those he trusted well, though.

"Musume, it's good to see you," he said to me, as soon as we were left alone. I couldn't see his face because it was covered with his head gear but I could tell he was smiling. "You don't visit me as often anymore."

Before I could decide if he sounded sad, he turned around and headed to the other sliding door that led to the room where he usually received guests and offered them tea. I followed him and to no surprise, there was tea waiting for us. I sat in a kneeling position across the table from him and waited until he removed his gear before I spoke.

"I was busy, Papa," I told him, with a little smile.

When I was younger, I was more playful and carefree around my father. Even if he was strict and overprotective, he was my hero. When I was old enough to learn what he did for a living, I was hurt and angry. And yet... he was still my hero.