Grrr...
The twisting pains in his stomach roused Bai Junyi from despair. He licked his cracked lips and peered outside through a crack in the house. It was nearly noon, and cooking smoke hung over Frost Moon Village. The enticing aroma of food made his already hungry stomach churn with acid.
Before he knew it, he had gone a day, a night, and the better part of a morning without eating. After what had happened yesterday, food had been the last thing on his mind. He had spent the entire night in a daze without resting, which left him feeling even weaker. If this went on, he might starve to death before Kudri had the chance to kill him.
After a moment's hesitation, Bai Junyi staggered to his feet. His frail figure looked ready to collapse at any moment. Bracing himself against the rotting wall boards, he made his way toward the door, one slow step at a time.
Creeeak—
The shrill sound of the door opening accompanied the midday sun as it poured into the dark little house. The sudden glare made Bai Junyi feel dizzy.
After taking a while to recover, Bai Junyi headed straight for the little forest behind the village. There were fruit trees there, and plenty of fruit still remained during the autumn harvest. It wouldn't fill him up as well as fishing by the sea, but in his weakened state, he couldn't manage anything as strenuous as fishing.
His small body moved slowly along the village paths, drawing no attention from the villagers. They couldn't be bothered to notice a child with no one to rely on.
Looking at the groups of villagers gathered in the street, Bai Junyi raised his usually lowered face, confusion in his eyes.
What had happened? Why were there still so many people out at this hour?
He soon learned the reason from the villagers' conversation.
"What a shame. The dojo master's daughter was only ten, wasn't she? How could something like this happen to her?"
"Yes, she died so young. I heard she was a true swordsmanship prodigy. She was only ten, yet she could already beat adults in swordsmanship."
"Mm, I heard that too. Koshiro and his student Zoro must be heartbroken."
"Of course. You'd often see Zoro practicing swordsmanship with that girl, Kuina."
"..."
"Has the story already reached this point? Kuina's dead?" Bai Junyi thought. A moment later, he gave a bitter, self-mocking smile.
What did any of that have to do with him?
He could barely keep himself alive. Half the time Kudri had given him was already gone; in another day and a half, he'd be dead. Why should he care how the story unfolded, or whether Kuina was dead...
Wait...
Bai Junyi stopped dead. His expression shifted several times in an instant, uncertainty and inner conflict flickering across his young face.
A true swordsmanship prodigy.
As far as Bai Junyi knew, she had fought the future great swordsman Zoro more than two thousand times without losing a single match. Her talent for swordsmanship was every bit as great as Roronoa Zoro's, if not greater.
At ten, she could already beat adults.
She was already dead!!!
As these facts came together, a terrifying idea began to take shape in Bai Junyi's mind. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake it.
Bai Junyi's expression grew twisted.
Madness, savagery, guilt, murderous intent, hesitation, anger—all of these emotions flitted across his face before settling on resolve and guilt. He turned to gaze toward the dojo, his eyes full of remorse.
Then he turned and headed for the orchard without looking back. If he wanted to carry out the crazy idea in his mind, he had to fill his stomach first.
Dusk drew near and the sun sank in the west. Darkness once again descended upon the land.
In the cemetery among the woods on the hill behind Frost Moon Village, the mourners had gradually dispersed. The last to leave was a little boy with rare green hair. Tears streamed down his face, but not a single sob escaped him. Led by a middle-aged man in a kimono, he too left the cemetery, and the gloomy place fell silent once more, swallowed by darkness.
The silence lasted for half an hour.
Crack—
The sound of a branch snapping beneath someone's foot broke the silence. A small figure slowly emerged from the woods beyond the cemetery. The dew on his clothes showed that he had been waiting here for quite some time.
The newcomer carried a shovel and slowly approached Kuina's gravestone. As he stepped out from the cover of the trees, moonlight spilled across his face, revealing a rather handsome young boy with a bruised and swollen face. It was Bai Junyi.
Bai Junyi had arrived several hours earlier. He had waited until the mourners left, then stayed for another half hour to make sure no one was around before acting.
He stared at the gravestone for a long while before gritting his teeth. Carrying a shovel almost as tall as he was, he walked around the marker and stopped beside the mound behind it.
"Hello, Kuina!"
Bai Junyi spoke softly to the mound, then slowly closed his eyes. He stood there for nearly a minute.
"Whew—"
He let out a long breath and opened his eyes. Guilt and the desire to grow stronger mingled in his gaze. He drove the shovel down with all his might. The freshly packed soil yielded without much effort, and he dug out a shovelful.
Under the cover of the pitch-black night, the small figure began shoveling away the fresh earth, one scoop after another.
Though the soil was freshly laid, the recent rain had left it terribly muddy. After nearly twenty minutes of digging, a rectangular pit about a meter deep appeared before Bai Junyi. At the bottom lay a wooden coffin.
Thump—
Bai Junyi jumped in without the slightest hesitation. Once he had his balance, he vigorously rubbed his muddy hands against his clothes several times to clean them. Only then did he step forward and gently push open the coffin lid, a thought passing through his mind.
Thank goodness they didn't nail coffins shut in the world of pirates. Otherwise, opening it would have taken a lot more effort...
He shook away the impractical thought, and his gaze fell on Kuina's slender body. She wore a white blouse with short sleeves and brown cropped trousers. Her hair fell to around her shoulders, giving her a spirited air. The slight swell of her chest lent her a touch of gentle, feminine charm.
Her beautiful face, high nose, fair skin, tightly closed eyes...
Bai Junyi stared at her for a long time, committing every strand of Kuina's hair and every inch of her skin to memory.
After a while, Bai Junyi moved. He... climbed directly into the coffin and pressed his whole body against Kuina's cold yet strangely unrigid form.
Their clothes gradually came off, and their bare bodies embraced. Bai Junyi gazed tenderly at Kuina's closed eyes, then lowered his head and gently parted her tightly shut lips with the tip of his tongue.
Their lips met, and their tongues intertwined. Saliva mingled as he kissed her passionately... The kiss lasted an eternity, or perhaps only an instant; a hundred years seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Their lips parted, drawing out a glistening strand of saliva!
He lowered his head again. His lips and tongue kissed every inch of Kuina's skin, from top to bottom, leaving nothing untouched—not her hands or feet, nor even her mysterious Nether Spring...
Perhaps it was a side effect of the mysterious fruit, but Bai Junyi's body, though only nine years old, had already begun to react instinctively...
The coffin lid slid silently shut... Beneath the hazy moonlight, in the eerie cemetery, inside the narrow coffin, passion blossomed, lending even the gloomy graveyard a touch of warmth.
A legend began here, and a mysterious bond was forged...
I hope this doesn't get censored...