I Became My Healer Elf Character - Chapter 141

Chapter 141: Aiko and Hikari
Aiko recalled it like it was yesterday. Though it was a rainy day, a warm light streamed through the clouds and pierced the spot in front of her store. A baby was wrapped in the stream that seemed to defy all reason. It looked like something straight out of a fairy tale.

There was a small wicker basket, and the baby was wrapped in a small white blanket. Aiko reached down for a letter hanging on the rim of the basket, but that was the moment the baby had grabbed her finger.

Aiko’s heart thumped, and she felt a protective urge come over her. “Come, let me get you inside.”

The woman picked up the wicker basket and closed the shop. She carried the baby to the back of her store, and sat the girl next to her on the couch.

Aiko was surprised to find that the letter was addressed to her specifically. Even though this woman was certain that she didn’t have any friends with a baby like this, there was the unmistakable kana of her name. And the letter was pressed with a purple wax seal.

The woman found a nearby mail cutter. Glad she was that the baby hadn’t started crying her eyes out, but she managed to open the letter without much fuss from the baby.

Dear Lady Aiko Hasegawa,

Please watch over this child. I have deemed you most suitable to take care of Her, and that is Her wish. If you do not wish to do so, then simply leave Her outside, and She will be granted a different life. I Hope you make the choice that pleases you the most.

Aiko’s eyes widened. She had no idea how they knew her name and address. She was tempted to call the police and turn the baby in, but there were too many things she was curious about. First of all, the letter was not written in Japanese, yet she could read it perfectly. It was similar to the roman alphabet, and it had the flow of English. The woman wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her, and she was reading English all along. Yet, if that was the case, there were still the capital letters.

The fact that certain words were capitalized struck her as odd. Miss Hasegawa had only ever seen stuff like this in scriptures talking about a higher power. While she was distracted, she heard a small voice coming from the baby. She looked over to see the baby waving her arms around with a gummy smile.

“Agahogah…”

Aiko felt her heart throb once again. “I am sorry, baby, but I can’t keep you.”

The woman lifted herself to her feet and reached for the basket’s handle once more, but her eyes met the deep purple eyes of the baby. The girl’s cute and chubby face began melting away at Aiko’s defenses. The little sounds that the baby made slowly broke into Aiko’s heart.

“I guess I should at least get you some milk, baby.”

Aiko had no idea why anyone would leave a baby without milk or a bottle. She carried the baby with her to a baby store. At the very least, she was able to find a formula. She would prefer to use real milk, but this would have to do.

Miss Hasegawa carried the baby back to her store, surprised that the baby had not started crying her eyes out. Aiko placed the gentle baby on her bed and wrapped her in a small blanket. The woman had never been a mother, so she had no idea what to do. She just followed whatever she thought was right.

“Tomorrow…that’s when I will take you to the police. I guess, I’m going to need a temporary name to call you.” The woman smiled wryly at the happy little baby. The only thing that came to her mind was the stream of light that had bathed the baby to begin with. “How about Hikari?”

Baby Hikari made a noise that sounded to Aiko like agreement, but the unintelligible sound couldn’t be contrasted against the baby’s regular noises. Either way, Aiko vowed that she would return that baby the next morning.

Yet, the next morning came, and Aiko couldn’t bring herself to do it. Before she knew it, she’d already started buying cute baby clothes and a crib for the little one. Days turned into weeks, and by the time a month passed, Aiko had disbanded the idea of turning the baby into the police altogether.

People who came into the shop and knew Aiko were surprised to learn that Aiko had gotten a baby. Though, Miss Hasegawa never revealed where she’d truly gotten Hikari from. She just told them that she’d adopted the baby from a distant relative.

The month’s passed, and eventually Hikari was already crawling and walking. In terms of normal baby development, she was the same. There was no accelerated rate of learning, but she did seem smart for her age. Rather, she was well-behaved compared to her peers.

When she was first enrolled in school, Hikari didn’t act like the other small kids around them. She was curious about the world, but she maintained a quiet exterior. Hikari rarely got close to any of the other students, and the only time she managed to be herself was at home around Aiko.

Deep inside of Aiko’s heart, she was pleased that Hikari showed this side to her and her alone. She had a strange sense of pride from holding the monopoly on this side of the little girl.

Aiko would watch Hikari play games and cheer the girl on. The rate that Hikari improved in video games was jarring to say the least. She had better hand-eye coordination than all of her peers, and Aiko was sure that she could be a professional player if she desired that when she grew up.

Yet, by the time Hikari reached middle school, Aiko was secretly hoping that the little girl would start to make friends. She never hung out around with friends her age.

She spent most of her time reading books around the store or playing games inside. Aiko worried constantly if she was doing a good job as a parent.

Though, one year, Hikari actually came in to say that she was inviting friends over. “Aiko-san, I want to invite my friend Ayase over. Can she come here tomorrow?”

“Of course, you know you don’t have to ask dear…”

“Well, she was going to come over today, but I guess she didn’t have time since we took a walk.”

“What is this Ayase-chan like? You call her by her first name already?”

Hikari shrugged and slumped into a bean bag seat. “I like her. She doesn’t act like the others around me. She actually talks like a normal person.”

Aiko’s eyes widened. “What is that supposed to mean? Are you being bullied?”

“No,” Hikari said with a chuckle. “There is this rumor going around at school that I’m some unapproachable person. They put me on this weird pedestal, and I don’t quite understand it. I’ve heard the words ‘ethereal beauty.'”

Aiko laughed. “You’re very beautiful, darling.” She sat down behind Hikari and began to run her hand through her hair. “Maybe they find your looks intimidating?”

“There is more to a person than just looks,” Hikari said and pointed to a picture of a manga page in her lap.

Aiko looked at the image of two girls in black and white. One of them was handing another a bouquet of flowers. Aiko had always been observant of Hikari, so she was quick to pick up on the fact that her daughter liked romance books where two girls would end up together. At first, Aiko wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but ultimately, she supported her daughter.

Hikari continued. “I would like to be in a situation like this protagonist. This girl is giving her flowers, and look how shy she looks. Even though she’s shy, she still gave the main character flowers. Do you think I could get flowers too?”

“Do you like flowers?”

Hikari nodded. “I love flowers. They’re so delicate and worldly, and they’re warmed by the sun.”

Aiko placed a hand to her chin. “In that case, maybe you’re a flower. The sun has always taken a liking to you. Maybe people are afraid of destroying a delicate flower?”

Hikari’s eyes widened, and she gave Aiko a soft smile.

Though, everything changed the next day. Hikari told her mother about Ayase’s father passing, and the girl hadn’t come back to school. Every day, it seemed that Hikari carried a weight on her mind. Even though she graduated near the top of her class, she continued on looking even more ethereal as time passed.

Aiko began to fear that the girl would simply disappear from her life. She had no idea why, but this feeling crept in stronger every year, until it finally happened. First, it was Hikari moving out on her own, and later, it was the complete disappearance of Aiko’s delicate flower.