KNY Fanfic: Priceless Smile

Chapter 57: Forgiveness

As Kazumi walk on further from the gates of the village, she looked up to see birds flying as if they're all playing in mid-air. She soon noticed some people from a distant. As she got closer, she the people she didn't expect to see.

"Hello!" She greeted.

They were all silent as they look at her. Not with anger but instead, it's sadness and guilt that's painted on their faces. They all looked down with shame and guilt.

"Ryu.... I-I mean..." Touya hesitantly said. Right now, he's conflicted of how to act or talk with Kazumi after finding just last night of the truth about her and his father had done in the past. Even he, despite being innocent, felt shame and guilt.

Tetsuya soon took a step closer with his eyes on the verge of tears. He soon ran to her and hugged her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry for doing such a thing! I'm so sorry!" Tetsuya kept on repeating.
"I'm sorry for being cruel to you and your mother! I'm sorry for abandoning you! I'm sorry for everything! I'm so so sorry!"

Tetsuya cried as he hugged her tightly and kept apologizing. Kazumi remained calm and smiled as she slowly hug him back and gently tapped his back comforting him. Until his hug turned into a bow in which his own family joined.

"We're very sorry! I know what I've done is unforgivable! I'm sorry! But if you'll make me pay for everything, if you'll kill me for all of those. Please..... please spare my family! Please let them live!" Tetsuya pleaded still bowing down and crying holding her feet.

'He really did changed. I could hear nothing but sadness, regret and honesty from him and his family.'
Kazumi thought as she look down at him.
'He's even willing to accept his death as long as his family is to be spared.'

"Please don't kill our father! We beg of you! He already told us what happened!" Tomoe cried who's already in tears too.
"If you will punish him, then do it! But please, please don't kill him! I beg you!"

"I swear he have changed! We've seen it ourselves! He has become a very kind father to us and a better person!" Shu added holding back his tears but failed.

"Please! Please forgive him and don't kill him!" Suzuki pleaded in tears.

"Please.... I beg you.... please don't punish him by killing him." Touya pleaded as he reach for Kazumi's foot while bowing.
"He has.... become a very kind father to us.... Sister..." his last words being almost a whisper as he struggled to call her that.

"Please stand up. There's no reason for everyone of you to bow so low like that." Kazumi said calmly as she help Tetsuya to stand up.

They looked at her in disbelief. They all slowly stood up staring at her. She had nothing but a calm aura and a smile on her face.

"Even if I were to kill you right here and now, what's the difference? Nothing. Even if you die, my mother would never come back, so what's the use of killing you. Seeing that you have changed a lot and gave your wife a loving husband and your sons a caring father, that's enough for me. At least they don't have to suffer the same way as me." Kazumi said as she let go of his arms.
"Mother warned me about the Midorime family. I could see how much she hated you but, I just don't feel like doing the same thing. But I'm not saying that I do love you or that I have accepted you fully."

They all listened carefully as they looked down in shame. Ashamed at their own actions at how could she be so kind to the one who made her and her mother's life a living hell. Tetsuya himself couldn't accept being forgiven by Kazumi.

He expected her to shout, lash out at him and them, point the tip of her blade at his neck, beat him up in front of his family, slap him, shame him with the actions he had before, ignore him like he wasn't even there and give him a cold glare, push him away when he hugged her, and more. Yet none of those happened as what he never expected is what came to him and his family. Her forgiveness.

"Honestly, it pained me too. It hurts me so much for not being able to save my mother, for being useless. Watching as my own father end her while all I could do is cry." She admitted honestly looking at Tetsuya in the eye.
"Tetsuya-san, keep on being a good man and I'll accept that as payment. You may not have been a father to me but please, keep on being a father to my siblings, especially to Touya." Kazumi added giving them a closed eye smile.
"He's still young and would need lots of his parent's guidance."

She soon slowly walked past them to leave, when she suddenly felt a gentle hand held her right arm. She turned her head to see Toshino.

"Ka.... Kazumi-chan.... I know I'm not in the place to say this but...." Toshino's tears finally fell down again.
"Thank you. Thank you for forgiving us and sparing my husband."

With a single move, Kazumi hugged her for a while that shocked Toshino and the rest. Toshino slowly lifted her arms to hug her back as Tetsuya joined them. The four young men watched them with smiles on their faces. Kazumi shortly broke the hug separating herself slowly.

"I have to go now. I still have a mission." Kazumi said.

"Could you ride with us please?! I ....I mean.... we're just about to leave so...." Touya stuttered.

"I guess I can." Kazumi replied.

They soon started to travel altogether, silence is what came from each other for a while before Tomoe spoke.

"Father.... say it or I will." Tomoe said.

".... um.... Kazumi-chan.... about your mother....did she tell you anything about her connection with us?" Tetsuya nervously asked.

"There's no need. She already told me everything." Kazumi answered.

They were all speechless, even the brothers. But their eyes suddenly went bright.

"So then, do you know.... um...." Shu said with hesitation.

"Yes." Kazumi replied.

Kazumi soon stood up as the cart and the three older brothers stopped their horses.

"Although it's short, here's my stop now." Kazumi said hopping down.

Their expressions instantly saddened at her mention of stop. Tetsuya also got down with her.

"Can I ask you one thing?" He asked.

"Go ahead."

Tetsuya then shut his eyes tightly as he rethinks if he should continue or not. He soon gave out a long sigh before opening his eyes and looked at Kazumi smiling at him. He soon just decided to shrug it off and look away. Kazumi sighed, slightly bowing her head then lifting it up.

"I gotta go now." She said as she walk away from them.
"If someday you guys wanna visit my place, you may just go meet our Master at the headquarters and ask him about it. You don't also have to worry about the other Pillars, that'll be my own."

She soon stopped and looked back to them one last time with a smile on her face as she gave them a small wave.

"Take a good care of yourself and your family.... father."