Bound by Pinky Promises

Ayukawa held a small note and inquired if Vermilion was looking for it.

"Hmm? Yeah! That's the note I'm looking for! Thanks, Ayukawa! Where did you find it?"

"It fell out from the pocket of your dress just now. Then I just picked it up."

"You saved my day! Otherwise, if she spotted this, she will definitely… WOWOWW!!! Ayukawa! I thought you are sleeping?!!" Vermilion only realized the person she talked to was Ayukawa.

"Lower your voice! The kids over there and her mother are still resting."

"Sorry… Could you give me back the note, please?"

"There you go."

"Have you read the note…?"

"Yes."

"Well…" Vermilion was speechless, and her expression seemed to get worried.

"I could tell the drawing inside is even worse than a child's one, what do you think?!"

"Ye… Yeah… You know what... We just... Well... Ayukawa! Please don't…!"

"No way!"

"Please! Just…"

"I mean, there is no way I'm going to respond to that freak."

"Huh?! You mean…"

"Do I really look like someone who is always interested in picking a fight or duel with somebody else?!"

"Ye… No! No! No! You don't!!"

"Just ignore that piece of shit then!" Ayukawa said while tearing the note.

"I couldn't believe it… I thought you will just accept his challenge and take back your dagger…"

"Not in the mood. Besides, I have told you that if the dagger really belongs to me, it will surely return to me someday!"

"I guess you are right…"

"By the way, both of your acting skills are also worse than a child! Better go practice how to tell a lie and act. Perhaps I would really fall for it someday."

"Alright… I never thought it would be that bad…"

"Oh, your good friend, Lyon. He has decent acting skills. He fooled everyone last night. You can learn from him. He also kept yelling at me that he is not useless… Whatever."

"Lyon is really someone I find incredible. He will get as strong as you are someday!"

"Strong?! I must admit something to you. I don't consider myself a strong person after all. I'm merely just a weak individual."

"Don't be humble! We all know how strong you are!"

"I'm not being humble! I just admitted my weakness! That's it!"

"Then, who do you think is a strong one?"

"I hate to say it, but the childish assassin is definitely strong. Carmella's sister is also a monster too. At least both have shown me something that I can't do!"

"The assassin indeed gave me a creepy feel... And I did sense his strength when I saw him for the first time. As for Rosseaulyn… It's kind of hard for me to imagine she is stronger than you. Moreover, she already admitted that if in terms of hand-to-hand combat with you, she has no chance to win against you."

"She is the one who's being humble, not me! Don't forget she's a high-ranking officer in the military. Don't let her appearance deceive you!"

"Really…? I'm so surprised you would say something like that… I always thought you assume you are the strongest one and…"

"And arrogant?! Am I right?!"

"A little…"

"I never intend to provoke or accept any challenge from anyone! I have zero interest in it. But most of the time, trouble comes and finds me. Only then will I respond!"

"So, you are one hundred percent confirmed that you will not accept the assassin's challenge?"

"Hell no! It's meaningless and a waste of my time! I have better things to do!"

"It seems that there are still many things I don't know about you..."

"Speaking of that, why would you want to know more about me in the first place?!"

"I don't know… Perhaps I have the same reason as you said, my sixth sense."

"Then, what did your sixth sense tell you?"

"It told me that you are someone very special and important to me. Even though I have seen your scary side, my sixth sense still tells me not to run away, and I even kept feeling a strong connection with you."

"Strong connection…? Are you sure about... that?" Ayukawa asked seriously.

"Maybe… We never really have a conversation like this before, do we? Could you tell me more about yourself? Otherwise, I will never figure out why I keep feeling the strong connection with you."

"But there is really nothing special about me. Just an ordinary human currently inside Kothern, hoping to find my long-lost sister. That's it!"

"Ermm… How about you just share with me how did you get so efficient in combat?"

"I used to hunt animals and beasts with my dagger to fill my stomach and for my sister. I guess that's the reason I have some combat experience."

"Just hunting animals could make you that strong!? How about your hometown? I heard Rosseaulyn mentioned about your home country before… What is the name? I already forget about it…"

"Zennegreb. A small nation. Already occupied by Kothern's government eight years ago but still an independent country, unlike Nisaeria. It's a little complicated."

"Where is it?"

"On the northeast continent. I'm sure you have already heard about Vattlaland, one of the strongest military nations. It was located right above my country only."

"I see… Kothern is in the southeast, and Vattlaland as well as your hometown are in the northeast… That means it's just on top of us…"

"Yeah."

"Then how did you manage to get here?"

"I smuggled in. It's pretty simple than what I thought."

"Smuggled? Sounds dangerous to me…"

"Anything else?"

"Well… How about your parents? Friends?"

"All dead. What else?"

"Ermm… that's it? Nothing more to say about?!"

"Yeah, that's it..."

"Okay…"

"Hey! Don't give me that disappointing look! I already told you I'm just an ordinary person, and there's nothing much about me!"

"I was thinking you must have something exceptional about yourself…"

"What the heck are you thinking of?! Don't tell me that you are expecting to hear I was born out of a rock or something! There is no such ridiculous thing about me! Anything else?!"

"I'm… I'm just felt like your answer is too short and direct… After hearing those, I still can't really understand you more…"

"You are the one who asked me the question, and I just simply answered it!"

"Well then… Could you tell me… Tell me… Tell me about…" Vermilion was trembling and started to get nervous as she was trying to ask something serious.

"What is it?!"

"Tell me… Tell me why you killed so many soldiers! That day, on the train…"

Ayukawa just looked at Vermilion without saying anything. She scratched her head, and her face showed somewhat unwillingness to say. Vermilion saw the unwillingness in Ayukawa's expression, and she started feeling regret for asking the question.

"Those soldiers… They were trying to 'harass' me on the train. I was so angry and brutalized all of them like those beasts. I already have a very bad impression of Kothern and its soldiers since I was a kid. Well, that's it. Anything else?!"

"No wonder you hated the soldiers so much… Well… At least now I understand… You just tried to protect yourself on the train…"

"I hope my answer didn't disappoint you this time."

"Then… my last question… What am I to you? Friend?"

"No... Not a friend. I guess just a childish but innocent kindhearted stranger."

"I see…" Vermilion responded with a little sadness on her face.

"I don't know what's in your mind, but let me be straightforward. Once I fully recover, I will leave at once. I'm still looking for my sister. So, after that, we will no longer meet with each other."

"You… You are right… There is no reason for you to stay with us…"

"I'm just an outsider. You should spend more time with Carmella, who really cares about you instead of an outsider."

"I promised to help find your sister! Maybe you could continue to stay with us and…"

"Thanks for it, but no! I don't know how long I'm going to search for my sister; it could even take my entire lifetime. I am clueless about her whereabouts. My sixth sense told me that the chance she is in Kothern is relatively high and that's the only clue I have."

"Even if it will take a huge amount of time to look for your sister, I'm willing to help! So just…"

"No! As I said, I am just an outsider to you, and you are an outsider to me! I don't want to drag anyone who has nothing to do with me into this!"

"Well…"

"Erhem! Sorry to interrupt you two, but I think, Ayukawa, you are just a bit too cold on Vermilion. Look at her; she seems so sad right now." Carmella interrupted and said.

"What does she feel sad about?! I don't get it..."

"I bet Vermilion has also treated you as her sister already! So, I think that's why she tried to persuade you to stay with us."

"Huh?! Sister? You must have been interpreted wrongly for sure! She still thinks I'm a cold killer!"

"No! I'm not!" Vermilion shook her head.

"Huh?! Now she denies… Come on... Don't be so capricious."

"See, she denied what you just said but not what I said. So, why don't you just give it some time before you really determine to go your own way?"

"I guess we should not waste our time since I won't change my mind! I only have changed my mind once in my entire life!"

"But I heard you said you are totally clueless about your sister's whereabouts. How are you going to look for her by yourself?"

"I can only search every corner! That's why I said it's not possible to ask you all to help me. It's my personal issue; no one should get involved."

"This country is so big; there is no way you can search every corner of it…"

"Then, what else do you think I can do to look for my sister?!"

"Looking for a lost sister… Wait a minute! Let me continue the question-and-answer session!" Carmella suddenly seemed to know something and started to question Ayukawa.

"What else do you two want to know about?!"

"How did you lose your sister, and why do you think she's in Kothern?! Please don't tell me it's your sixth sense again… There must be something that led you here! Please tell us the truth!"

Sighed… "The Kothern soldiers took her away… That's why..." Ayukawa revealed, turning her face away as she refused to show her sadness.

"Sorry to hear that… Last time you mentioned you lost your sister was eight years ago… And she was around five years old… The most important thing is that she somewhat looks like Vermilion…" Carmella was sorting out the information in her mind.

"Carmella, you seem to have some clues about it. Have you figured out anything?!" Vermilion asked eagerly.

"Give me a minute to sort things out…"

"No way… I don't believe this world is that small and so many coincidences…" Ayukawa muttered.

"Ayukawa! I guess maybe Dr. Apgar will have the clue about your sister!"

"How can you be so sure about that?!"

"I just said 'maybe'… But I guess the chance is high…"

"Where is she right now?!"

"I don't know… She's the one who always looks for me instead of me looking for her…"

"But she will be back here, right?!"

"Yeah, together with Alex once they finish their jobs… And I believe they are coming back soon. Vermilion, next time I will show you what we are doing as I promised."

"Alright!"

"Interesting, that old lady who saved me could have the clue… Who is she, by the way?!"

"A doctor."

"I knew she's a doctor! But not the ordinary one in the hospital!"

"You are right! But there is not so much difference between them also..."

"Heh... What a bunch of interesting folks I have met… Vermilion, there are also a lot of mysteries around your closest ones. Why didn't you interest to know about them first instead of me?!"

"I believe they are not going to leave me and will tell me everything someday! But you are different… You will leave us… If we really can find your sister, will you continue to stay with us?!"

"I don't know… After I found my sister, I have other things to do. And probably it's going to take my life!"

"Vermilion, don't be sad! Just forget about it… We can't force her to stay… Just let her go then…" Carmella comforted Vermilion.

"Al… Alright… But we still can help her find her sister, right?!"

"Fine! If you really wish to help me, then I won't stop you anymore! But I have nothing in return!"

"I don't need any return! Promise me! We will do it together!" Vermilion stretched her pinky finger at Ayukawa.

"Fine! I promise… Huh? What's this?!" Ayukawa looked confused.

"I thought this is the gesture when making a promise with someone? Carmella taught me before…"

"Ayukawa, you don't know about it either?!" Carmella was surprised.

"I knew… Fine, I'll just do what you want!"

Vermilion and Ayukawa intertwined their pinky fingers, a silent pledge made through the touch of their smallest digits as they promised to look for Ayukawa's sister together.

"Remember our promise, Ayukawa!"

"Okay okay!"

"Ayukawa… Ayukawa… You told me this is your surname, right?"

"Yep. What's wrong?"

"My one last final question!! What is your name then?"

"Name..."

"Well... If you don't want to..."

"Yunarissa! Yunarissa Ayukawa!"