Ch 4: On the Run - Pt 2: Masato

Running as fast as I could, I frantically searched for the store with the stones out front. Sweat was dripping down my face and splashing off as I jerked my head from side to side. I wiped a bead away from my eye to find the shop right in front of me. A tall, handsome man whose naturally grey hair underneath his brown cap made him appear older than he really was stood out front pulling out a key, and I stopped behind him, panting.

After locking the door, the merchant wearing brown slacks and a silver dress shirt turned and eyed me with his citrine eyes like I was a bother. "May I help you?"

"Huff. Um!" Still trying to catch my breath, I had my hands on my knees. "You're Masato, right?"

"Yes, that's me." His bothered expression changed to one with suspicion. "And who are you?"

"My name is Aoi." Breathing normally, I stood straight. "A woman named Koharu sent me here. She said you could help me. I need to make a trade."

"Sorry. No can do." Masato held his key up. "Shop's closed for the day, and my daughter is waiting for me."

"Please!" I clapped my hands together. "It's urgent. I need to leave right now."

"Closed means closed. That's how a store works." The merchant looked me over. "What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into anyway? I need to be able to trust the people I do business with."

I hesitated to answer when a familiar voice broke the silent pause. "You really think he went into this village?"

"I don't see why not. The boy could be a teenager by now. Surely he knows enough to find help rather than to venture off into the woods on his own." The equally familiar voice of the man's comrade came next.

"I don't know about this anymore. I'm starting to feel a little bad." A feeling of remorse was revealed through the uncertain man's tone. "We weren't ordered to go after the child. Can't we just let him go?"

My body tensed up. "Shoot. They're here."

Masato gazed down the street and scratched the back of his head. "Well, you do seem like an interesting customer at the very least. If you have something worth my time, then I might be willing to make an exception." He narrowed his brows and pointed at me. "But if you make me late to meet my daughter over some piece of trash, you're going to join me for the scolding."

"O-okay. Deal!" This man's daughter must be some force.​

Masato unlocked the door and held it open, stepping between me and the voices. "Go on in and head to the back room."

Following his order, I headed straight to the back expecting to find a meeting room, but it was more like a large storage closet. Not sure what to do from there, I stood in the middle of the shelves. A moment later, the two men entered.

Pretending to clean off the counter, Masato greeted them without looking up. "I was just about to close up shop. How can I help you gentlemen?"

The more assertive of the two stepped forward. "Have you seen a strange boy around here recently? We just ran into his parents, they are searching for him."

"Strange, huh?" Masato folded up the cloth. "Any idea what he looks like or how old he might be?"

The passive partner spoke up from behind the first armed person. "Well, his father had black hair and red eyes, and his mother had golden hair and blue eyes, so some combination of those most likely."

"And we aren't certain about his age." The "Older teen maybe."

Growing more suspicious, Masato continued with more questions. "Is that so? It seems a bit odd for a young man that age to be reported as a lost child, wouldn't you say? And they didn't even give you a description of what he looks like?"

"We kind of left in a hurry." The second man attempted to cover their story.

Although he was the first one to be questioned, Masato was the real interrogator. "Where are his parents now? They didn't want to come with you?"

"We instructed them to stay at wait in their home." The man's composure was becoming aggressive.

"You know what else is off about all of this?" Masato leaned over his arms on the countertop. "We don't even have any sort of guards in this village. And I know just about everyone who lives here, but I've never seen you before."

"Argh! Forget it." The initial questioner stormed off. "We'll ask someone else."

His uncertain companion lowered his head as he walked out. "Sorry. I really thought I saw him talking outside with the owner."

"Nah, it's all right." The heated man cooled down to reassure his friend. "Let's try one more place and get out of here."

Once the door closed, Masato sighed heavily. "You can come out now."

I slowly crept around the corner of the doorway behind the counter. "How did you know they were going to follow us inside?"

"Let's just call it a combination of a merchant's and a father's intuition. Being aware of the intentions of those around you is an important skill in dealmaking as well as keeping your children safe." Masato placed a hand on my shoulder. "If you have a daughter of your own that needs protecting, you'll understand."

"Oh. Right." Parenting is an area where I am really lacking knowledge of. I'm sorry, Dad... I know you just wanted Mom and I to be safe.

Masato removed his hand and crossed his arms. "Now then, I think it's time for you to explain who exactly those--"

Suddenly the door flew back open. "Father!" The brunette stomped across the shop with her eyes closed in frustration. "What is taking you so long! It's after hours, and I just saw two men leav--!" The scolding Masato warned me about stopped when the young woman opened her eyes and saw me. "Aoi?! What are you doing here?!"

"Yu-- Yuuna?!" I did a double take between the merchant behind the counter and the sweet girl I learned had a bit of a short temper when it came to her father. "This is your father?!"

Masato shifted his eyes between us with a raised eyebrow. "You two know each other?"

Yuuna threw her fists down. "Yes, we know each other! This is the boy I have been waiting to tell you about!"

That statement earned me a new look from Masato. The dark aura coming from the cold stare over my head was intense. "So it is, now, is it?"

I performed a one-eighty with my hands up. "I don't know what she's talking about! I swear!"

"That really hurts, Aoi! Today was special to me!" I was the next to be yelled at, but then Yuuna muttered almost inaudibly. "Did it truly mean nothing to you...?"

"What did you do to my daughter?" The intensity behind Masato's words rumbled the room. "You better not have laid a single hand on her."

Caught between the saddened girl and the protective father was just as bad as a rock and a hard place. "No! Today was special to me, too! In fact, I wanted to tell my parents all about you as well! And no, I didn't touch her a single--!" The memory of Yuuna squeezing up to me arm-in-arm stopped me and made me blush.

"So you did touch her!" Smoke puffed out of the protector's nose.

"Father, stop!" Yuuna placed her hand upon her chest. "It was me who held Aoi's arm without his permission."

Masato's original calmness returned and he blinked a couple times at the confession. "Oh... I see..."

"Good. Now tell me what is going on here." Yuuna completed her walk up to the counter.

"It seems this young man is in some trouble, and Koharu sent him my way." Masato paused to turn to me and back to Yuuna to gauge our relationship. "If you two are so well-acquainted, that explains why that old woman told you to come to me."

"Is that true, Aoi? What happened?" Yuuna's copper eyes were opened wide with concern.

"Well, um... It's kind of hard to--" I was not sure what to say, but Masato stopped me from trying.

"You can fill us in on the road." Masato put his cap back on and picked up a box from under the counter. "Follow me."

"Huh?" I thought I understood what Masato was suggesting, but I could hardly believe it. "You mean--"

"I have some business with a man in another town." He carried to heavy load in front of him on his way to the door. "I was originally planning to wait until the end of the week, but tonight works."

"You mean it, Father?!" Yuuna's eyes followed Masato with a sparkle. "Aoi can stay with us?!"

The generous merchant peered over his shoulder, fully aware I was the one who needed confirmation. "You said you needed to get out of here as soon as possible, didn't you?"

"Yay! Let's go, Aoi!" Yuuna took my hand.

"R-right." Being pulled by my first friend, we chased after who was soon to become my second.