Kuni no Senso

Chapter II: Which Tells Of A Pleasant Day

About five years have passed since that day. Yukan had begun writing music in his free time and had frequently posted his composition online. Lars had resorted to looking for the Omega Blade whenever he wasn't working or at baseball practice. Oto was standing in the kitchen making spaghetti for lunch, while Hana drank some tea. Lars, now sixteen in age, came downstairs from his dwelling to grab some lunch.

"Good afternoon, Lars," said Hana, interrupting the lack of communication. "You forgot to comb your hair again and your shirt is on backward."

"It's fine," Lars replied, getting on the defensive. "It's not like I'm trying to impress anyone like Yukan. Besides, it's the weekend."

Oto looked at Lars as he spoke, marking the first time during the conversation where he averted his gaze from the volcanic bubbling of the water. "Lars, don't go making fun of your brother just because he managed to get a girlfriend before you."

"He got lucky!" Lars reacted rather loudly to this. "Besides, I'd rather save my money on my car and sports equipment. It's expensive, ya know." Lars had joined the team the year prior, making him a very serviceable athlete. However, this helped his mental faculties very little and his ego even less.

Yukan then came walking down the steps. He was dressed in a blue polo shirt and khakis, much like what one might wear to church on a Sunday morning. "Smelling good, Dad," he said. "Good morning, Mom."

Yukan sat down at the table. "Yu, it's the afternoon," Lars muttered, in an attempt to correct his younger brother for at least one thing.

"I know," replied Yukan. "You're the one who slept in until noon." The argument was hushed before it could escalate too much by Oto bringing a pot of incredibly well-prepared pasta to the table as they filled their bellies for the time being.

"Looking sharp, Yukan," said Oto, starting up the conversation once more. "You're ready to go on your hot date. I'm so proud that my little boy is growing up so fast.

"Do you remember, Hana? It feels like just yesterday and we decided to have these two. I remember reading them bedtime stories and playing in the yard. Now they're going on dates and finding their own girls."

As Oto spoke, he began dramatically dabbing under his eye. Hana went beside Oto and consoled him. "Yes, I know dear," she said. "Please stop crying, you're making the bread soggy."

Yukan joined in. "It's fine Dad. We're still kids at heart. I mean, Lars still looks for the Omega Blade in his free time."

Lars reacts almost instantly, knowing that he'd been exposed. "I do not, Yukan!" he exclaimed, but his secret activity had already been revealed to the family of his which sat among him at the table.

"Sure you don't," Yukan said condescendingly before shifting his tone. "Anyway," he looks at his lustrium wristwatch, "I have to get going. I'm supposed to pick up Ite in ten minutes."

"Okay," Hana answered back. "Be safe out there!"

Yukan grabs his coat and keys before rushing out the door and into his car. As he drove, he observed the natural world around him and thought about its paradoxical nature: timid, but also grand; tamed by man, but also untamed; threatening, but also welcoming.

After about eight minutes of driving, he arrived at Ite's house in the small town of Kimura, Akuni, with her flowers in the passenger seat. He quickly grooms himself in the car mirror and discreetly checks his breath before leaving the vehicle, bouquet in hand. He walks up the driveway and knocks seven times on Ite's door in quick succession.

"Some pretty flowers for a beautiful lady," Yukan proclaims in a debonair fashion while presenting Ite with the flower bouquet.

"Aw, that's so sweet of you, Yukan," gushed the compassionate Ite Daitan. "Thank you." Ite had started dating Yukan about three weeks ago and they had been friends for almost two years. She played the piano and often was the first to listen to Yukan's latest pieces. It was a natural dynamic in their relationship; he wrote the music and Ite played it, nay, championed it.

"Anything for you, Ite," Yukan replied. "Shall we get our date started?"

"Of course," said Ite, and the two of them entered Yukan's car and began to drive to a scenic location to start their date. After about a half-hour of driving, they made it to their destination in the town of Shinku. In Shinku, there resided the battlefield from the last battle in the Great Trifecta War, where Oji Kenshi and Kawata Mujihina defeated Medikai to end the conflict.

The couple exited the car and stood under the sakura tree where they first fell in love with one another.

"I remember it so well," spoke Ite, breaking the silence. "The story you told me a while ago, about the two heroes who saved the land."

"Yeah," Yukan stated in response, "I remember that day too because I gave you a flower."

"Yes, the rose..." Ite said before they both drifted off into their past. It was a somewhat cool morning in early March, as they were still transitioning from winter to spring. The two of them began making their way toward the sakura tree planted in the middle. Along the way, Yukan picked a rose from a bush nearby, pricking his finger as he grabbed it.

Eventually, both of them made it to the tree and after a while, Yukan gave the rose to Ite. She hastily grabbed the rose and pricked her finger on one of its thorns as a consequence. It was on that day and at that moment their love had been solidified and nothing could separate them, save the case of one of them dying.

"We were so young back then," said Ite as the two of them began to reminisce about the days that had since escaped them. "So innocent, nothing was wrong in the world and our biggest issues were untied shoelaces and scraped knees."

"Yeah," Yukan began, carrying the conversation, "work, school, not much time for play. It seems so long ago that we were having tea parties and okay dates."*

"Now we have responsibilities," Ite muttered before shifting her tone of voice once more. "How has your music been going?"

Yukan pulled out the score for his latest piece to show Ite. It was a step up from his usual work, as this was an orchestral tone poem he called Der Landerkrieg. The piece was meant to evoke the idea of the Great Trifecta War in a display of Akuni nationalism.

"I've been working my butt off on this piece," he began. "It's probably going to be my best one yet."

"I'm glad," Ite joyfully exclaimed. "I really hope people will come far and wide to listen to your symphonies."

"Me too," Yukan affirmed. He paused before continuing. "Shall we head to dinner, m'lady?"

"Of course, kind sir."

The two of them went back into Yukan's car and they drove to a fancy restaurant on the border of Shirotaun and Kimura. After a good meal, the two of them shared a kiss over candlelight. 

*okay date= (n. slang) A term used for a date with no romantic motivations.