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Kai wasn’t one to spend time with others around his age. Most of his time was dedicated to keeping himself and his younger sister, Nya, afloat after their parents had left. This included doing all the housework that needed to be done, such as cooking and cleaning, running the store, and completing odd jobs throughout the village to provide them with some source of income.
Of course, Kai wasn’t a recluse, despite how busy his days were. The village was small after all, everyone knew everyone. He knew all the boys around his age, some from when he had been able to attend school before dropping out to work. Others he got to know while working in town.
But even with knowing the kids his age, he didn’t really know them. He just couldn’t relate to them in the way that they were able to relate to each other. And that was fine. All he really needed was Nya.
But sometimes, he also just wanted to be a kid. He wanted to take a break for once. Was that really too much to ask for?
Kai was checking over their savings, which he kept in a small box in their parents’ bedroom. For the first time all summer, they actually had a surplus. Enough to afford food for the month, buy other necessities, and to put aside a small amount for the winter, when Kai wasn’t able to pick up as many jobs.
Kai felt hope flare in his chest. Maybe he could give himself the afternoon off for once. He could even pick Nya up from the summer classes she insisted on attending.
Feeling lighter than he had in a long time, he quickly locked up the house and the shop before scampering down the winding path. If he were fast enough, he’d even be early!
Of course, life could never be that nice to him. Why would it be?
Kai passed by a couple of boys his age. He vaguely recognized them from his years in school. The leader of the group was called Kinjo, if Kai was remembering correctly. This was the boy who spoke up.
“Hey!” Kinjo, a tall, black-haired boy, shouted out, trying to get Kai’s attention.
“Hi!” Kai responded, turning to the group.
The group quickly surrounded him. “You’re that kid who lives up the hill at that blacksmith shop, right?” Kinjo asked.
“Yes,” Kai responded, raising his chin upward, defiantly, “What of it?”
“You don’t go to school, right? We would’ve seen you there!” One of the kids from the crowd called out.
“Isn’t your sister the nerd taking summer classes by choice?” Another asked.
Kai felt rage bubble up and simmer in his stomach. He could take any insults that the boys levied at him. But insulting his sister? That was another story.
“Don’t talk about my sister,” Kai growled.
A boy who stood on the right side of Kinjo spoke up, “You don’t get to tell us what we can or can’t do.”
A chorus of agreement rose up from the crowd. “We don’t take kindly to your attitude,” the boy continued.
Kinjo glared at him, “It’ll make it easier if you just hold still. Go ahead, boys.”
Kai suddenly realized that letting himself be surrounded was a pretty bad idea, all around. The boys encircled him, grabbing onto his arms.
“Hey! Let go of me!” Kai shouted as he struggled, trying to fight his way out of their grip.
The boys wrestled him to the ground, being anything but gentle as they did so. Kai just knew his arms and knees would be bruised up by the next day.
He glared up at Kinjo. Why had the boy attacked him for no reason? What did they have to gain from this encounter? The village knew him as the poor boy who had been orphaned at age 5. Surely they weren’t looking for anything monetary from him.
Kinjo stood above him, making a show of drawing a knife that he had hidden on himself. He held it up, inspecting the weapon slowly. “I know that you know weapons inside and out, being raised in a forge. But do you know how they feel?”
Kai’s mouth went dry. Surely, Kinjo didn’t mean…
Kinjo smirked evilly, “Bring him to his feet.”
Kai was wrestled upward again. So many hands were holding him in place that Kai didn’t try to fight it this time.
Kinjo swung the knife out so that the tip hovered just above Kai’s throat. He swallowed nervously, losing confidence quickly. Surely Kinjo wasn’t actually going to hurt him with the knife.
Movement in Kai’s peripherals alerted him to some of the boys of the group shifting around nervously. “Kinjo… don’t you think this is going a little far? I mean, we agreed to rough him up a bit. Not actually hurt him,” a voice spoke up.
Kinjo whipped around with a glare, “Feel free to leave if you’re such a wimp that you can’t handle a little bit of blood.”
He turned back to Kai, “Now, where were we?”
Kinjo brought the knife downward, trailing down Kai’s arms. Blood welled along the lines that Kinjo drew.
“What is wrong with you?” Kai gasped in horror. Clearly, Kinjo was unstable or something. Fear spiked in his gut; he was in real danger.
“What’s wrong with me?” Kinjo exclaimed, “What is wrong with you?”
With that, Kinjo plunged the knife into Kai’s side. Kai let out a shout of pain.
Gasps rang out from the crowd. “Kinjo, what did you do?” A voice yelled frantically.
The group quickly dispersed, leaving Kai in the dust.
He collapsed to the ground as sobs overtook him. He had never felt pain this intense before.
Burning, hot pain laced his side. It felt almost like a fire. The spark started in his side, but soon it consumed him. All he could feel was pain. Blood was leaking down the side of his body. Faintly, he recalled something about putting pressure on a wound if it was bleeding.
He then heard something far off. His brain couldn’t process anything other than the pain that had taken control of him.
“...ai…K…Kai…KAI!” he could barely register.
His eyes flickered open (when had he shut them?), meeting the eyes of someone very familiar. Perhaps too familiar.
Nya’s panicked face hovered above him. “Kai, what do I do? What happened to you?” she sobbed out.
“Mr. Takeda…” Kai managed to mutter out.
“The doctor?” Nya gasped, “How can I bring you to him?”
The world blurred. Kai’s eyes slipped closed as a wave of exhaustion took over him.
“Stay awake!” Nya yelled in panic, shaking him.
“I’ll be fine,” Kai croaked out, “Bring him here.”
Nya didn’t seem to like that answer. She looked around them, but it was a pretty isolated part of town. There was no telling if anyone would pass by. She dug into her backpack, fishing out a scarf that had been left in there from the winter months.
She tied it as tightly as she could around Kai. He knew from the pressure that it wasn’t as tight as it probably should be.
“Hold tight,” Nya told him, “I promise, I’ll be right back.”
With that, she ran off, presumably in the direction of Mr. Takeda’s house.
Kai couldn’t fight off the darkness that threatened to take over him any longer.
He hoped that Nya was fast enough to save him.
With that, Kai’s eyes shut as he slipped off into the warm embrace of unconsciousness.