I Became My Healer Elf Character - Chapter 55

Chapter 55: The Safe Toll
In Ayase’s eyes the girl who sat by the window was the most beautiful. She always appeared inside of her own world, but her eyes would soften when she stared out the window. Ayase always thought Hikari was an otherworldly woman. She always had this image since the first time she saw her.

It was soon after Ayase transferred schools. She remembered bumping into Hikari in the hallway after rounding a corner. It was like the start of a romcom. It was midsummer, and the wind blew through the hall’s open window.

Ayase found herself staring too long at the way Hikari’s hair flowed in the faint breeze. She found herself enamored. “Beautiful…”

That was all she could say, and she had no idea if Hikari could hear. By the time she had snapped out of her stupor, it was too late.

Before either of them could say anything, the bell rang. However, Ayase was happy to find that the girl shared her classroom. More surprising than that was the fact that no one seemed to talk to her at all.

They would occasionally go up to Hikari and say a few words, but it was as if the girl existed in another dimension. That’s why it was even more surprising that Ayase was able to have a small venture with Hikari after school one afternoon with the promise of future adventures.

Ayase skipped through her neighborhood in high spirits as the day gave way to night. She grinned dumbly and gripped her backpack tight. Finally, she arrived at the two story animal clinic. Her small family of three lived on the second floor and ran the vet shop on the lower floor.

The girl pulled a key out of her backpack’s side pocket. The lower floor was quiet when she entered. She looked at the kennels with the dogs, noticing they were all sound asleep. Normally, she would rush in to play with a few of the animals. Instead, she took to the wooden stairs next to the lounging area.

But before she could open the door to the housing area on the second floor, it opened by itself. Ayase found her mom staring at her worried. Despite being nearly 50 years old, her mother was truly gorgeous, even with the wrinkles. However, her face on this night was much different. Her eyes were puffy, and her hands were shaking as she grabbed Ayase.

“Mom?”

“Ayase, where have you…”

“You don’t need to be so worried,” Ayase said as she grabbed onto her mother’s shoulders. “I was just going for a walk with a friend. Where’s dad?”

Her mother’s lip quivered, and Ayase had no time to catch the woman as she dropped to her knees. Her mother’s ageless face was destroyed in a second by a single question. The barrier had broken, and the tears flowed from her eyes like a river.

Ayase knelt in front of her mother slowly. The girl understood without being told the words. She knew about her father’s sickness. She knew, yet she didn’t expect it.

///

Incense burned in front of a black urn. Flowers surrounded a picture of a smiling family behind it. Ayase prayed in front of the urn, vividly remembering the promise at the funeral of looking after things. She heard the white door open next to her.

Ayase’s mother aged way more since then. Her short grey hair showcased her age. It had only been ten years, but the loss of her husband had the effect of weathering her soul. Still, the old woman smiled at her daughter.

“He is very proud of you, dear”

Ayase smiled wryly. “I never knew the right things to say or do.”

The old woman placed a wrinkled hand on Ayase’s shoulder. “He never wanted for anything other than to see you do what you wanted. You know…You never had to take over the shop.”

“What’s the point of saying that ten years later? It’s not like I didn’t want to do it.”

Ayase’s mother chuckled and wiped away Ayase’s tears before hugging her. “You did this for me before. I’m sorry I couldn’t be a great mother in these years.”

Ayase shook her head. “What do you mean? You’ve always been a great mother, silly.”

The old woman smiled. “I am happy to hear that, but I feel like I could have done something different. Did you ever reconnect with anyone from school? What about that old friend?”

“Mom, I never really had any friends.” Ayase sighed and hugged her mother. “Also, don’t say such things. Everyone wishes they could do more.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, so why don’t you take a warm bath or something? There are bath bombs, and I already prepared tea. You deserve it for being such a great mother.”

“Huhu, my daughter has developed flattery skills as well.”

Ayase opened the white sliding door and ushered her mother into the hallway. “Be quiet and take a bath obediently. Today is a special day, after all.”

“Okay, okay, but what will you do?”

“That’s a secret!” Ayase shouted and stuck out her tongue.

The old lady sighed and parted Ayase’s hair before kissing her daughter’s forehead. “Be safe, dear.”

“You act like I am going somewhere dangerous. It’s just the store.”

Ayase’s mother grinned smugly. “I see, so that’s what this about!”

“You see nothing! Now hurry up and get in the bath!”

///

Ayase arrived at the flower store. She already ordered what she wanted ahead of time, so now she just had to grab the cute little pink peonies. After paying for the flowers, she gave them a smell and sighed at the sweet scent.

She already bought the card for her mother’s anniversary. However, when she looked up from the card and flowers she saw a woman pass by the store’s window. She never saw her face, but she couldn’t mistake that hair.

“Hikari?”

Ayase froze as her heart thumped in her chest. She quickly slapped her cheeks to get ahold of herself and ran out of the store. She could barely make out the store clerk saying, “come again!”

What sound caught her ear even more vividly was the bell at the entrance of the store. It seemed to echo louder this time when she exited. The bell tolled as if it was a church bell signaling the beginning of mass. Either that, or it was all in Ayase’s head.

Either way, she sprinted down the sidewalk after the girl. She could see her visage crossing the sidewalk ahead. Ayase ran faster, holding onto the flower and card tightly at the same time.

“Hikari!”

She wanted to see her again. Ayase hadn’t realized it until she could see the visage of her from the other side of that window, but fate was cruel.

As Ayase began to sprint across the sidewalk, she heard people around her shouting.

“Look out!”

But, it was too late, the honking truck collided with her, and she hit the ground hard. Her vision blurred as the world started spinning. The flowers were ejected from her hand, and the card landed in a pool of her own blood.

She felt her body hemorrhaging blood from a wound on her abdomen. Ayase could hear the calls of people around her. Ayase could see the flowers that were now painted red. The peonies had become like blood red roses.

However, the strangest part was that Ayase felt no pain. She knew she was dying from the dizziness and loss of blood, but the biggest shocker was the scene in front of her. The girl that Ayase had been chasing after turned around in horror and stared down at Ayase.

Oh, it wasn’t her.

Ayase smiled like an idiot. Indeed, she was stupid. She chased after a high school crush and got hit by a truck. And in the end, it was a different person. Bitter tears filled up her eyes and covered what was left of her vision.

As her consciousness began to fade away, the store bell began tolling again in her ear. People are entering that store? Even as I am dying people are walking into a flower store?

However, the bell was different. It was more serene. It tolled and created a peaceful feeling in Ayase’s heart. As she died, she felt the touch of a calm river. The bell lulled her into a deep sleep.

Ayase slept inside of a void. Sensations started becoming like memories themselves. It was a place where one would feel no pain, slowly forgetting the suffering of life. Yet, Ayase’s memories were never completely broken or lost. She held onto the small flame, even if everything else would leave. Her mother’s words became the bell in her head.

“Be safe, dear.”

It was the unspoken promise she’d given her mother. If one’s memories made the person, then there was no way that Ayase could follow her mother’s guidance while forgetting who she was. If she lost her memories, then ‘Ayase’ would not have stayed safe at all. ‘Ayase’ would have disappeared.

When the bell tolled the final time, the river flowed away and carried Ayase into the next life.