Kocho Shinobu was a woman of grace.
She wore that bright smile of hers every day, unfailing to deliver the façade of 'happiness' around the estate. All for the sake of concealing her anger, and for the sake of her own sanity. She's been keeping the same mask on for years, unbreaking, and yet as she heard weeping through the doors, Kocho Shinobu felt her façade crack.
An indescribable anger filled her heart, her nails digging into her palms as she balled fists in fury. Of course, a child losing their family wasn't uncommon in the world they live in. She has seen and heard news far worse than the news of the child inside the very room.
Far worse, and yet...
Yet why did she feel so, connected with this child's heart?
She clutched her chest in confusion. These emotions were far deeper than simple pity or sympathy, far deeper than 'I understand your pain' and 'I've gone through it too.'
Far, far, too deep.
She noticed the silence filling the room and took it as her chance to enter. She quickly composed herself, bringing her usual smile to her face as she opened the shoji. Closing the door behind her, she turned around to face the child, unable to stop herself from flinching back at the sight before her.
Her chest started to hurt again.
Maintaining a shaky smile, the female carefully approached to the child, who look back at her eyes with an unamused expression, eyes puffy and red from crying previously.
"I see you're awake."
A nod was all she received, and she allowed herself a seat besides the girl. Her hand unconsciously reached out to pat her head, bringing her down to lay on the futon. She moved to bring the blanket above the child's figure, the dampened material not going unnoticed.
She ushered the child to sleep, to which she surprisingly complied to.
She knew a simple night of sleep wouldn't heal the child's heart and mind. A simple night's sleep wouldn't save her from the nightmares. But she wished, praying upon any higher being that might be watching them now,
May she be happy in this moment of tranquility.
She rose herself from the ground, leaving the room with a heavier heart than before.
---------------
The morning came too fast for her liking.
Shinobu silently watered the flowers in her garden, humming quietly as she watched the sun rise from the horizon, blanketing the estate with its warm glow.
Placing the watering can to the side, she made her way towards the room of the child, hesitant at the thought of waking her up. Alas, it was morning and her injuries had to be treated, so with great reluctancy, Shinobu slid open the door, approaching the sleeping figure with a soft smile.
"It's time to wake up."
The child let out a soft groan, turning around to face Shinobu with lidded eyes, slowly blinking to adjust to the light. She helped her sit up on her futon, watching silently as she stretched, hearing suppressed winces from the action.
"How are you feeling?" Shinobu asked carefully, wondering silently if she would respond with her voice this time.
She was pleasantly surprised when the girl spoke, voice soft and almost inaudible.
"O...kay."
She helped her on her feet, watching with concern as her legs wobbled, unstable and weak. She observed the rest of her form, and her eyes continued to furrow as she saw how thin the child was, burns littering her arms and legs.
Casting aside her worry for now, she opted to ask for her name, to which the child responded with, "Ko..haru. Iwasaki Koharu."
"A beautiful name." Shinobu responded, her smile remaining. "My name's Kocho Shinobu, and I'm going to treat you today. Are you okay with a bath?"
Once she was answered with a nod of confirmation, she led the child over to the washroom. With an extra pair of clothes, she helped Koharu prepare her bath, filling the tub with warm water and instructing her on where the toiletries were.
Once she checked that the child was comfortable, she left the room with a smile.
"Just call out to me once you're done, alright?"
A soft noise of understanding came from the girl, and she closed the door on her way out.
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Word count: 725
Chapter status: renewed [7/15/2022]
Thank you for reading ^^
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New Moon |KNY| [Discontinued}
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