To My Sunflower

Yuri directed them to a farmhouse a few miles out from the village. It was hidden within a forest at the foothills of the Tengu mountain range. 

The place was a refuge for a few of the locals. All of them were shocked to see Eiji walking out of the car and stepping onto the front porch.

"You're alive?" Asako's voice quivered with a mixture of emotions as she flung the door wide.

Straggly tufts of dark and gray hair escaped her tight bun. Her cheeks were slightly sunken and her complexion pasty. It was clear she hadn't slept well for days. She rushed at Eiji with fists raised and pounded his chest in an outrage. 

"It's your fault this is happening to us! You're the one those brutes want!  We suffer cause of you! You were dead. You should've stayed dead!" 

"Stop it Asako!" Rei-san wrapped his strong arms around the small waist of his raging wife.  He managed to pull her off Eiji who stood shocked and confused.

"The poor boy's not to blame!" 

Eiji noticed the woman had a cut to her lip and some other discolored markings from bruising. What had the people suffered because of him?

"Are you to blame?" Shuu approached them from within the safe house. "The kenpeitai believe you're a traitor to our country." 

His eyes lingered on Tyne who stood behind Eiji. They noticed the little girl cowering at Tyne's side. 

"What did you do Takaki?" He grilled Eiji further.

Eiji didn't hide his distress.  Even here the effects of war had spoiled the one place he had hoped would be his haven. His home.

"He valiantly fought for his country is what he did. I dragged him home." Tyne answered for Eiji.

"If you want to hate someone. Hate me. I am your enemy." He didn't disguise his American accent as he stepped boldly before the battered adults. 

"My son died cause of this stupid war! Cause of your kind!" Honda-obasan screamed as she hysterically entered the porch from the inside. Going for Tyne at a dead run.

Himari yelped when she stumbled backwards due to the brute force from Honda-obasan's body slam on Tyne. The woman knocked him down.

"Himari!" Eiji went to tend to the child. 

He checked her body and sighed with relief when he saw that she was alright. Although the fall and experience had left her spooked. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her.

"Enough!" Shuu's voice carried across the veranda. "It's evident that Takaki has know idea what's going on. So how can he be at blame?" 

He stepped before Tyne and extended a hand towards him. Tyne hesitated before accepting the hand that helped him back up.

"You're an American?"

The women gasped, horrified.

"Right now, I wish I wasn't." Tyne answered honestly.

"Even you must've seen things that broke your heart." Shuu sighed. 

He gestured for everyone to go inside where they could have a civil conversation. 

At the main table, everyone kept a cool head.

Eiji's heart sank with sadness and fear as he listened to what had happened to the village. More importantly what Hinata had suffered.

"Where is he?" He swallowed an uneasy breath.

"He surrendered himself to the kenpeitai from what I've heard." 

"Where will they take him?" 

Shuu gave him the facts. Hinata was likely bound for their prison encampment near Koumi City. Where a lot of the prisoners either faced interrogation, a firing squad, conscription or transfer China. 

Eiji was troubled by the thought of Hinata being lost to him. 

"How do I get to him?

He persisted with his question until he felt sure that Shuu gave him appropriate directions.