Be Dazai's mother

There are countless names in the world. I thought of some more common names. I guessed more than a dozen times but failed to guess correctly. It was just a flash of inspiration because I thought of cherry blossoms and shouted "Sakura". I didn't expect it to guess for me correct.

--"cherry".

I always feel that chanting these three syllables will produce a soft emotion in people's hearts, which is very suitable for this child.

Looking at this young and thin girl, I stretched out my hand to brush up the drooping hair, and said softly, "Is it called 'Sakura'? What a good name."

It seems that because I called her name, Sakura raised her head and looked at me, and my figure was reflected in her empty eyes, maybe because I looked like someone Sakura knew, she froze for a moment.

"..." Sakura opened her mouth and stretched out her right hand to me, wanting to call me something, but in the end she lowered her eyes again and retracted her hand, unable to say anything.

Looking at Sakura like this, I can't pretend that nothing happened.I squatted in front of Sakura—this angle just happened to be able to see the bruises on her sleeves—I paused, carefully avoiding the bruises on her body, and stretched out my hand to hold Sakura's hand.

Sakura lowered her eyes, as if she was dead, she didn't even move.

At this time, Aji, who had finished shopping at the convenience store, came over, holding a bag from the convenience store in his hand, which contained several dry bread.

After thinking about it, I took out a piece of bread from the bag and handed it to Sakura, and asked in a soft voice as if facing a small animal, "Do you want some bread?"

Sakura subconsciously took the bread I handed over, but lowered her eyes and pursed her mouth without saying anything.

She was terribly silent, like a doll, but she didn't have an innocent and cute smile like a doll, she just looked at the ants on the ground expressionlessly, as if that was all she had .

In fact, I don't think I'm good at dealing with children, and when I'm facing a child like Sakura who seems to be dumb, I can't help showing a little troubled expression, worrying about how I should deal with Sakura.

The most important thing is that the injuries on her body really make people very concerned.that look...

I once said to Akiko: "There is a limit to the human heart."

The fact is true, nothing can withstand the wanton destruction from the outside without a bottom line, especially the human heart.When the heart can no longer bear the hurt, people will break with a "snap" like a stretched rubber band.

Some people will completely collapse and step into the brink of death because of this, but some people will turn to obliterate their hearts to protect themselves.

Sakura obviously belongs to the latter, she has been hurt so much that if she doesn't close her heart, she will be completely broken. The body's protection mechanism makes her obliterate her heart, becoming like Like a doll that can't cry, laugh, or have any emotions, it won't be seen by anyone even if it is thrown into the trash can.

And I don't know how to face such a child.Looking at her like this, I can't help but think of Azhi when we first met, and I can't let it go even more in my heart.

Aji who was beside me blinked and asked me, "Sachiko?"

I glanced at him helplessly, Aji seemed to see something from my reaction, he thought for a while, and sat beside Sakura.

"Hey—" He waved his hand beside Sakura's face and asked, "Can you hear what I'm saying?"

Sakura still ignored him.

Aji thought for a while, then stretched out his hands in front of Sakura——“snap” and clasped together vigorously.This seemed to scare Sakura, and she raised her head to look at us blankly again. She looked like a kitten raising her head wet in the rain.

"Do you want some bread?" I asked again, seeing that she didn't respond, I tore off the package of the bread and put it in Sakura's hand again.

Sakura glanced at me silently, and after about half a while, she slowly put the bread in her hand to her mouth—it was just the cheap bread that can be found everywhere in convenience stores, the taste is not very good, it is too sweet, just because The price is very cheap, and I don't know why I prefer this cheap taste so much that Azhi bought it for me.

Bite down lightly, the soft red beans in the bread stuffing overflowed the mouth, it was so sweet and greasy that it was disgusting, for Sakura who lost her sense of cold due to too cruel torture, and even her sense of taste became dull. Kind of sweet and soft just right.

While Sakura was sipping the bread, I also handed the bread in the bag to Aji.To be honest, I felt a little helpless when I saw the bread. Although I don’t think that Azhi will really spend all his money to buy the things he likes to eat, but all the things he bought are what I like to eat. The surprise is still helpless.

I don't know if it's because of the aftereffects of being on the street - I have a special addiction to cheap food, the kind of food that is so greasy that people take a bite and throw it directly into the trash. favorite.

Although I tried my best to hide my special hobby at the beginning, Azhi still saw through me at a glance.

After all, they are family members who have been living together all the time. Even if there is something to hide, it will always be known by the other party.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help falling into silence—yes, whatever it was.

Azhi took the bread I handed over, tore open the package and started to eat. When he took the first bite, he paused slightly, although the pause didn't even last a second, almost nothing. As the child's family member, I can easily see it.

I looked at Azhi hesitantly and said, "Don't eat it? I'll go buy something else for you to eat."

I know that Azhi doesn't like to eat this kind of bread, so I have never bought this kind of bread for him before.Also because of Jingzi's advice before leaving, I have always tried my best to buy some nutritious food for Aji, otherwise the money in my hand would not be spent so quickly.I can only say that fortunately I have this special habit of eating cheap food, even if I eat cheap bread along the way, I can still eat to my heart's content. Otherwise, Aji and I probably wouldn't be able to come to Fuyuki City. Nor is it a steady stream.

Azhi shook his head, raised his head and smiled and said to me: "It's actually quite delicious."

"And..." Aji lowered his eyes and said with a calm smile on his face, "I also want to eat something that Sachiko likes."

Seeing him stubbornly wanting to eat, I had no choice but to accept it.Azhi's overly stubbornness really gave me a headache and made me feel that this is pretty good.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but look at Sakura at the side.The purple-haired little girl in a skirt lowered her head and was eating the bread in small bites. I thought she would stop after a few bites.

Just now, because I didn't know how to communicate with Sakura, I subconsciously tore open the bread and handed it over.Although this is bread and not some dregs that are fed to pigs, the skirt Sakura is wearing and her appearance make her look like a lady of a noble family. I thought she would not be used to this kind of bread.

... As for why Sakura, who looks like a noble lady, is tortured and has bruises on her body, I can't help but make some guesses.

After all, it is not long after the war, and many aristocratic families have declined. Although they still maintain the appearance of aristocrats on the outside, their families have long since run out of rice.

In such a depressing and chaotic situation, it is not very uncommon to turn around and torture young and defenseless children.

Of course, just because it's not rare doesn't mean it's right.In any case, to torture a weak and innocent child is an outrageous evil.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but sighed, picked up my water glass and handed it to Sakura, and asked softly: "If it doesn't taste good, don't force yourself to eat it? Come on, it's a bit dry to eat bread, how about some water?" ?”

Sakura's hand holding the bread paused for a moment, shook her head and then nodded, silently took the water glass I stuffed in, drank a few sips, and began to eat the bread in small sips.

After I brought the water glass back, I also tore open the package of the bread, and bit down with an "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" .

Sure enough, no matter how many times I eat it, it tastes so delicious. When the overly cloying sweetness erupts in my mouth, I feel like I am about to cry.

The three of us sat on the bench together and gnawed on sweet bread, making little noises like hamsters nibbling.

I had just swallowed the last bite of bread when there was a sudden sound of anxious footsteps not far away.

"Sakura!" A man running from a distance shouted Sakura's name, completely ignoring everything outside, and ran towards her.

He squatted in front of Sakura, grabbed her hand worriedly, and asked, "Are you okay? Why did you suddenly run out by yourself? Is it too painful?"

It was a very thin-looking man. He was fully clothed, and his face was buried in the shadow under the hood, so that I couldn't see his face clearly.It was just that he could vaguely feel that his body seemed to be extremely weak, as if he was on the verge of collapse.

"It's okay, it's okay, I will definitely let Xiao Sakura go back to reunite with Miss Aoi." The man murmured in such a low voice, and hugged Sakura vigorously.

Sakura, who was hugged, opened a pair of empty eyes, she didn't seem to be actively calling out, but just called out the man's name out of her body's subconscious: "Uncle Kariya..."

Seeing the man named Kariya hugging Sakura nervously, although I could feel the importance he attached to Sakura, I still patted Kariya, frowned and said, "Don't hug Sakura so tightly, it will hurt Sakura's." Originally, Sakura looked very thin, and most of her body was covered with bruises, with Kariya hugging her so hard, it's no wonder that Sakura didn't hurt.

...Although with Sakura's appearance, I'm curious whether she can still feel pain normally.

Hearing that it would hurt Sakura, the man immediately let go of her, and asked nervously, "Did it hurt you?"

Sakura shook her head silently, she raised her head and looked at me with those empty eyes, pursed her lips and lowered her head again, and said in a voice so small that it was almost drowned by the singing of birds around: "Bread... It was delicious, thank you."

I looked at her softly and said softly, "You're welcome."

It seemed that it was because of Sakura's reaction that he realized the existence of me. The man looked at me, revealing a somewhat terrifying face. He subconsciously pulled the hood to cover his almost disfigured face.

When he stared at me with the earth-gray eye that seemed to have lost his sight, I couldn't help but leaned over with a little worry and asked, "Are you okay?"

What happened to the two people I met, one big and one small?Why do they all look like they were thrown into the blood pool of hell and tortured to death?

The man looked at me and suddenly froze. He murmured in a trance: "Kui..."

"Huh?" I didn't hear whose name he was calling, so I just answered blankly.

The man who seemed to see someone through me glanced at Sakura, closed his eyes, and picked up Sakura in a somewhat embarrassing manner, wanting to just take her away.

"Wait!" I immediately stood up and grabbed his hand. Seeing the man froze again, I couldn't help explaining, "Sorry, that... I care about this child anyway."

"Did something happen?" I asked worriedly.

The man on the verge of mental breakdown gave me a blank look and said vaguely, "It's nothing."

He seems to be a bit inconvenient to move. Although he tried his best to hug Sakura, he seemed to be limping in just a few steps, and it was also very difficult to hold Sakura. He told me it was okay with such an appearance. , I can't let go.

Thinking of this, I continued to ask: "Who caused you to become like this?"

Maybe it's because my words hit this man's pain point, he suddenly shouted excitedly: "Tokiomi! It's all Tokiomi's fault! If it wasn't for him, Sakura wouldn't—"

"Did that man named Tokiomi abuse you?" I asked with a frown, thinking that that Tokiomi was really hateful.

"It's all because he sent Xiao Sakura to Matou's house, if it wasn't for him..." The man seemed to be mentally unstable from the abuse, and even his words were intermittent.

I couldn't quite understand what he was talking about. I looked at Sakura who had been staring at me for some reason. I was a little hesitant, and I tried to show my gentlest smile, as if comforting a mistreated animal. He raised his voice: "...If you don't mind, can you talk to me?"

Once again, the man who seemed to be looking at someone through me showed a blank look, but he quickly regained consciousness, and it seemed that he wanted to leave me alone and leave with Sakura.

But when he saw Sakura's empty eyes, the man hesitated.He remembered Sakura's abnormal behavior today.Gritting her teeth, she said, "Then... can you please hug Sakura?"

This is a somewhat strange question, I smiled and said: "Of course."

I hugged Sakura in my arms, and saw her lying in my arms as if she was tired and closed her eyes.

Aji seemed very curious about Sakura, sitting next to me couldn't help but look her up and down.

And Sakura just closed her eyes in silence, as if she had completely rejected everything in the outside world, just curled up like a newborn baby.

Then we sat on the bench and the man told me about him and Sakura.His name is Kariya, and legally speaking, he and Sakura are considered uncles and nephews.Sakura was originally the daughter of the Tohsaka family, and was later sent to Kariya's family for adoption, but Kariya's father was an out-and-out demon, and Sakura suffered cruel tortures that ordinary people could not imagine.Kariya, who was a childhood sweetheart with Sakura's mother, Miss Aoi, had a good relationship with Sakura. He couldn't bear to see Sakura continue to be tortured, so he planned to save Sakura.

His words were vague, obviously hiding some more critical issues.What's more, if it's an ordinary family who finds out that the little girl has been abused, wouldn't it be fine to just take her away with her or go to the police? Why bother to abuse like a martyr like Kariya.

I suddenly remembered some of the more mysterious things in Fuyuki City that Mr. Yakuro mentioned before. I suspect that Sakura and Kariya may have some connection with the secrets of Fuyuki City.

If this is the case, as an ordinary person, I don't know what to do better, so I can only show some distressed and worried eyes.

Looking at me like this, Kariya murmured, "Miss Sachiko...she really looks like Miss Aoi."

Seeing my stunned expression, Kariya let out a low, slightly crazy laugh, and said, "Well, of course, I know that you are not the same person, but the gentle feeling on your body is really similar. Well. No wonder Xiao Sakura would sneak out without telling others. Xiao Sakura misses her mother very much too, but it’s okay, she will be saved by me alone, and soon I will be able to reunite Xiao Sakura with her mother.”

The more he talked about it, Kariya's voice became more depressing and crazy. His appearance was too tight like a string that was about to break in a second. I was a little worried, but before I could say anything , Azhi sitting next to me spoke first.

"That person named Tokiomi doesn't know what happened to Sakura at Matou's house, right?" Aji said calmly looking at Kariya.

Kariya and Sakura, who looked extremely miserable, couldn't make the slightest ripple in his eyes, he just looked at them calmly, and calmly pointed out the problems in Kariya's words.

"How could that guy not know!" As soon as Tokiomi was mentioned, Kariya became extremely excited, the other party had almost become Kariya's obsession, he gritted his teeth and roared: "He is the head of the Tohsaka family— —”

"But maybe the other party doesn't know? You can't be 100% sure that Tokiomi knows what happened to Sakura." Aji said in a somewhat cold tone: "After filtering your prejudiced words, I think that Tokiomi may Not the man you said sent his daughter to hell."

Kariya opened his mouth and was about to continue to say something, but Aji interrupted him again, and said, "What's more, Miss Aoi you mentioned is a very gentle person, right? Even if she married into the Tohsaka family with determination, but If she really knew what would happen to Sakura, would she still be able to tell you with a nonchalant smile that I have already awakened?"

Aji lowered his eyes and said: "...At least, if that Aoi-san is really like Sachiko, then she will never be that kind of person."

Kariya covered his head, and let out a low, hoarse roar like a beast in a cage, but his voice was so weak that it didn't sound like a roar but more Like a suppressed moan.

I know that Aji is a person with extraordinary sensitivity, since he said such a thing, the truth will never be far behind, thinking this way, I couldn't help but hold Kariya's hand.

Kariya raised his head and looked at me blankly, with an expression that looked like he was about to cry at any moment.

- This man will die soon.

Even if no one told me, I could clearly feel that Kariya's life was like a candle that was about to burn out.Even so, I think Kariya will not be able to rest in peace even if he dies if he doesn't do some things now.

I held his hand even harder and said, "At least give it a try, okay? It's easy for humans to misunderstand because of unequal information. If you want to achieve mutual understanding, at least talk seriously."

"Maybe Mr. Tokiomi really doesn't know about Sakura?"

Kariya avoided my eyes, I paused, opened my mouth and said, "Even if it's not for you...it's for Sakura and Miss Aoi, okay?"

My words really touched the deepest part of Kariya's heart, he froze for a moment, lowered his head and said: "...I see."

When Kariya took Sakura and left together, Sakura turned her head to look at me, and I smiled and waved to her.

Looking at the figures of the two leaving, I sincerely hope that they can live well.

"That man won't live long." Azhi, who was standing beside me, said calmly, "They are probably the more mysterious things that the medicine seller mentioned before."

"Hmm." I responded, and said, "Just now... it seems that something is watching here, which makes people feel a little creepy."

Perhaps it is because I have experienced things unimaginable to ordinary people in Tsushima's house, and I have a sharper perception of sight, even if it is not the sight of "ordinary human beings".

Aji smiled, looked at the sky in the distance, and said, "I'm afraid something bad will happen in this area soon." He turned his head to look at me, and said, "Sachiko, after we finish watching the cherry blossoms, we will Hurry up and leave Fuyuki City. The medicine seller is right, it's not safe here."

"..." Looking at his appearance, I pursed my lips and nodded.

... Aji.

Even though I just ate the frighteningly sweet bread, I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.

Probably because I feel that I have to face some things seriously.

"Compared with their affairs, let's think about where we should live tonight." Azhi may not have noticed my thoughts, and he raised his head and smiled at me as if nothing had happened.

"That's right." After being silent for a while, I also smiled at Azhi.

Just when we turned around and were about to find a place to live, Miyue, who had been looking for us for a long time, finally found us and hurried over from a distance.

"Mei!" Mizuki shouted.

I froze for a moment, and instinctively called out because of the memory of my body: "...Mom."