Kizuna
I knew nothing.
Not of the mission I would someday bear.
Not of the fate that awaited me, silently looming beyond the horizon.
Not of this world’s truth.
Not even of the reason why I was alive.
Perhaps it was simply because—
at that time,
I was still a child.
Back then, I didn’t need to know the meaning of my existence.
I could laugh freely beneath a roof untouched by rain, wrapped in the warmth of a cozy home.
Unburdened. Innocent.
Because I had strong older sisters.
Because I was surrounded by family who protected me from all harm.
Because I had the luxury of ignorance—
and that ignorance was peace.
Maybe… maybe it was better that way.
To live protected, shielded from the truth forever.
Never having to know.
Never having to choose.
—If the world had allowed it.
But peace never lasts.
It always ends in silence—
in something as mundane as the soft click of a door opening.
Looking back, I suppose it was inevitable.
As long as I remained who I was,
that day was bound to come.
The signal that turned the gears of fate
was nothing more than a sound.
The sound of our front door creaking open.
I was seven years old.
And I remember it well—
how gentle the weather was, how cheerful the light.
The season was shifting toward summer,
and the sunlit path of stones leading to our house shimmered like polished glass beneath the midday glow.
The moment the door opened, a breeze slipped inside—
a May breeze, soft and fragrant.
It brushed against my cheek like a mother’s touch,
its scent a delicate blend of spring fading into summer.
I had just begun to smile.
But then I saw them.
Two figures—standing at the entrance.
And the moment I saw them,
the season ended.
One was a young man.
Of average build. Ordinary in appearance.
Clad in something like a black military uniform—or perhaps just a strangely cut jacket.
It wasn’t a style I’d seen around here before.
The other…
A girl, dressed entirely in yellow.
A one-piece dress that made her look even smaller than she already was.
“—Hey, who’s that girl?”
I don't know why I said it.
I should’ve been afraid.
They were strangers—completely unfamiliar.
And yet… I wasn’t scared of the man.
For some reason,
my attention went straight to the little girl clinging to his side.
As if drawn by an unseen current,
my heart began to reach out to her.
Naturally. Instinctively.
Like water flowing downhill.
There was a strange sense of déjà vu—
a feeling that I’d met her somewhere before.
Even though I knew that couldn’t be true.
Her hair was dark—black like burnt wood.
Her eyes were brown and trembling,
unable to speak,
but screaming with silent fear.
And yet, I felt something bloom inside me.
A desire I couldn’t explain.
I want to protect her.
The sunlight behind them was too bright.
I couldn’t see the man’s face.
But I could tell—he was listening.
He was weighing every word I said, as if they meant more than I knew.
After a pause, his voice cut through the quiet.
“Kizuna.”
A deep, calm voice.
But warm—so gently warm it almost made me cry.
“Kizuna…?”
I echoed the name.
Kizuna.
A word I had just recently learned.
It meant “bond.” A connection between people.
And now… it was hers.
The little girl beside him—
Her name was Kizuna.
“Yes,” he said again.
And then… he placed his hand on her small back.
It was a gentle push. Tender.
But I could feel the weight of it.
Not just a gesture.
It was a goodbye.
She stumbled forward—step by step—
her legs uncertain, her balance fragile.
The stone path that would take a grown adult three strides
was a mountain to her.
She wobbled, her arms flailing in front of her to keep balance.
Once, twice, she nearly fell.
But the man did nothing.
He didn’t reach out.
He didn’t stop her.
Even as she turned back, teary-eyed, pleading—
he simply watched in silence.
Like a parent bird watching its fledgling take flight.
Like a lesson in independence that hurt to give.
And then, just as she was about to fall—
her tiny body tilting sideways, legs giving out—
“—!”
—I lunged forward and caught her.
She was trembling.
So small, so fragile I was afraid she might shatter in my arms.
Her breathing was ragged.
It felt like fear and confusion were crushing her from the inside out.
So I did the only thing I could think of.
I rubbed her back.
Softly.
Trying to say, It’s okay. You’re safe now.
She clung to me, gripping my sleeve with both hands.
Her little fingers were so small, but they refused to let go.
I’m here.
I won’t let you fall.
I promise…
“This girl… is Kizuna…”
I looked back at the man.
Slowly, her trembling began to subside.
The man’s face was still hidden in the light.
But I saw the corners of his mouth turn upward.
Just slightly.
A faint smile.
A face that said: I leave her to you.
“Sakura… I’m entrusting Kizuna to you.”
That was all.
No explanation.
No farewell.
Just those words.
Then he turned his back
and walked away without ever looking back.
“Entrusting… Kizuna…?”
The girl trembled in my arms, face buried in my chest.
The girl named Kizuna—
left in my care.
I have to protect her.
I have to protect Kizuna.
I was seven years old when I met her.
And in that moment—
I was given my purpose.
The life I thought would pass in quiet simplicity…
had changed forever.
