APRICITAS [ENG] || Johan Liebert || Monster

Chapter 2 - Ren Yamasaki

"I'll have to either suspend a year... or get the transfer papers." She replied as if nothing had happened, then began to rock slightly on her swing. She sighed. "But it might take too long to settle all these transfer formalities... It would be wiser for me to suspend the year. This semester has only just started, so I will be able to continue my studies next year if necessary, and I won't lose much."

"I can see you've already think over out most of the things." He said, a bit sad.

"Uhm." She nodded in agreement, her fingers gripping the metal cables that held the seat of her swing. "The only problem is the financial part. I have always saved when I got any money from my family on the occasion of Christmas and I think that I will have enough money to cover the costs of travel and initial stay, but... I will have to find a job there to be able to secure funds for further accommodation and food."

"Emiko-chan... what about language barriers? You're going to Europe, to Ger-"

"Ich spreche ganz gut deutsch. Herr Ren, mach dir keine sorgen. (I speak German very well. Don't worry, Ren.)" Ren was speechless.

"You... you can speak German!?" He exclaimed in surprise, and Emiko smiled.

"When my brother was leaving to study there, I promised him that I would visit him someday. That's why as soon as my mother and I returned home after saying goodbye at the airport, I told my parents that I would like to learn this distant language. Mother agreed, because she thinks that learning foreign languages is developing brain... and so I have been learning little by little over the years, although..." The girl lowered her head a bit. "...I never thought that this knowledge would be of use to me in such circumstances..." There was silence for a moment.

"You know..." Ren looked up at the sky. "...I'm worried about you. You are getting ready to travel to the other side of the world, not knowing what will happen to you, looking for a brother you haven't seen in sixteen years and who is involved in murders... Who will you meet on your way? What if something happens to you? Or will someone attack? Or..."

"It reminds me of my brother Kenzo" Emiko laughed heartily. "You don't forget what you taught me as a child and what we continue to do regularly?" Ren smiled, melancholy in his eyes. Those memories were still so vivid in his memory...

****

It was a pleasant summer afternoon - the birds were sitting silently among the trees, because the sun was quite warm, and the only sounds that could be heard were the sound of cicadas and the laughter of children playing in the park. This was soon joined by the voice of a crying child, which disturbed the black-haired boy playing nearby.

He decided to check the source of the crying, as it somehow bothered him. So he got up from under the tree under which he was sitting and set off to search.

He quickly witnessed a not-so-nice scene - a little girl of similar age stood nearby, surrounded by three other boys who were teasing her; one was pulling her hair, making her face invisible, and the other two were standing beside her, laughing. The black-haired boy clenched his fists and ran straight towards them.

"Hey you! Leave her alone!" He shouted, irritated, at which the others turned in his direction.

"Oh my, I think your prince on a white horse has come!" The tallest one, the one who still held her hair, laughed. "Guys, get him!" At these words, the other two lunged at the shorter boy, with the guarantee of winning; however, fate showed that in life you never know what will happen - although the boy was the lowest of the three, he quickly dealt with his opponents, who were soon lying on the grass.

"Why are you guys slacking?!" Exclaimed the one who was standing directly next to the girl. "Get him!"

"Leader... he... He's too strong..." one of those lying in the grass stammered, and the "leader" swallowed.