HIROMI

Chapter 2

The stranger pulled Hiromi which caused them to hide behind a wall covered with a long cloth. After opening the door, two soldiers immediately entered. They said they had seen a woman. The old woman said she didn't have anyone with her. They ask if she has seen Hiromi. The old woman said that she did not know her and that she had never seen her.

The soldier's sword pointed at her neck. The stranger wanted to go out but Hiromi stopped him. The opposing soldiers left and the old woman directly closed the door.

Hiromi and the stranger came out. They approached the old woman to see if she was okay. She said she was fine. The older woman said that she need to talk to the stranger.

Hiromi noticed that the old woman and the stranger were talking. She thinks they might have seen that she's weird. So Hiromi had to act as if she belonged to this world. And she knows what to do so that people around her will not suspect her.

The stranger approaches and says that they discussed that they need to act before the battle that is about to happen. The old woman came and told Hiromi that they had to leave with the stranger. Maybe her father, a shogun, is already looking for Hiromi.

Hiromi sat down while holding the scroll in her hand. The game did not explain why the old woman was holding the scroll, so Hiromi asked.

"Why do you have a scroll like this? Who says these directions are right?" Hiromi asked as she looked at the scroll.

The old woman said that this scroll was from Oshiro Palace itself. Hiromi asked again, "Who gave it?"

"It is the Emperor." answered the stranger.

"But why?" Hiromi asked.

"Because only shogun, samurai, daimyo, and shinobi are given something like this." the stranger answered Hiromi.

Ninjas were a type of warrior who specialized in unconventional warfare such as infiltration, sabotage, and assassination during the age of the samurai. Another way of calling them is "shinobi," meaning "those who act in those who act in stealth."

Daimyo were feudal lords who controlled the provinces as leaders of influential warrior bands. As newly risen holders of political authority, this warrior class developed cultural traditions inherited from the court.

Samurai are members of a powerful military caste in feudal Japan, especially a member of the class of military retainers of the daimyos.

When they came out of the Minka house, Hiromi saw the white horse they would take to the place indicated on the scroll. While Hiromi was carrying the weight of her feelings, she couldn't stop her tears from falling. She stopped and stood there crying.

Hiromi feels very heavy because it is difficult for her to live in the ancient world that she is not used to. That's why it's hard for her to accept what happened to her that can't be explained.

The stranger noticed this, so he approached her and said, "If you feel bad, we can leave tomorrow. Just rest for now."

Hiromi looked up at the sky and saw that the weather was beautiful. "I'm all right. Let's leave while the sun is still good. Maybe it will rain, and it will be difficult for us to travel," she answered the stranger.

The stranger helped her ride the horse. Then the stranger also got on the horse. Before they left, the old woman approached. She said they were looking for the shogun's daughter. She said she made an excuse that she didn't know who Hiromi was. They must be careful and arrive safely on their journey.

Then the old woman handed Hiromi a kinchaku. Hiromi gladly accepted this and bowed her head.

"We are leaving, mother," the stranger said. The old woman smiled in response.

Kinchaku is a traditional Japanese drawstring bag, used like a handbag for carrying around personal possessions. Smaller ones are usually used to carry loose coinage, cosmetics, lucky charms, hand warmers, and other small items.

During their journey, Hiromi felt the presence of the stranger behind her. She noticed that he was speechless and just quiet. According to Hiromi's calculation, the stranger seemed slightly older than her. Her moment stopped when they halted.

"Why did we stop?" Hiromi wondered.

"Look at the scroll. It says something we need to find here," the stranger answered.

Hiromi looked. She saw in the scroll that something was buried in it that they had to dig up. She recalled in her game that it was necessary to obtain the diamonds to upgrade their skills.

But Hiromi wonders if it will happen as in her game. How can they upgrade themselves? Hiromi was curious and wanted to know if what they were seeing was a diamond. As they got off the horse, the stranger tied the rope to a tree so the horse wouldn't run away.

Hiromi observed the stranger. She noticed that the stranger was indicating something as if there was hidden in that land. When they were getting closer, suddenly, arrows flew toward them. The stranger immediately pulled and hugged her so she wouldn't be hit by the arrows.

Then they see rival female archers who want to kill them. Hiromi was just behind the stranger hiding. The stranger immediately took out his weapon, which was a ninjato sword.

The ninjato sword is a straight-bladed short sword and a shinobi weapon.

The archers shot arrows at them, but the stranger intercepted them with his ninjato sword. The stranger threw his hira-shuriken at the archers, and they were hit. Due to this, their bows fell, which is the reason for them to leave the place.

Hira-shuriken generally resembles the popular conception of shuriken. They are constructed from thin, flat plates of metal.

Shuriken is a weapon in the form of a star with projecting blades or points, used as a missile in some martial arts.

When the archers left, they immediately went to the bow and arrows of the archers who were left behind. The stranger said they would take them. The stranger gives a bow and arrows to Hiromi so that she can also have a weapon against enemies.

The stranger said that they needed to hurry. They immediately went to what the stranger was referring to in the scroll. The stranger dug it out with a sword. Hiromi also helped in digging with the arrow.

During their digging, they found a small wooden box. Hiromi picked it up and opened it. That she was amazed by the sparkling and shining diamond. The stranger said they would take it. They immediately left the place.

But the question left in Hiromi's mind was who had the right reason to bury the diamond in this place? But since it's a game, this can happen.

On their journey, Hiromi laughs at how she got into this world. But in her heart, she wants to go back to her world. She is not comfortable with this situation. It's just the beginning of the game, but Hiromi is already tired.

Hiromi feels that she is trapped in a world she never dreamed of. She loved this game but never dreamed of entering it. The stranger notices Hiromi's sadness. So they stopped, and the stranger came down.

"I thought we needed to hurry, but why did we stop at this place?" Hiromi wondered.

He helped Hiromi down from the horse. The stranger looked at her before answering.

"When I saw you covered in debris, I was apprehensive. I mean, your father might be very worried about you."

Hiromi was shocked by what she heard from the stranger. They were so awkward that they spoke at the same time. They stopped because it was even more uncomfortable.

"Let's stop at this place because we have to find a place to take shelter at night," the stranger explains.

They ended up in a forest. Both of stranger and her took the white horse. It was night when they reached the middle of the woods.

Hiromi spoke, “How can we find a place to stay here in the middle of the forest? It doesn't look like there's anyone here."

The stranger said they will find it too. But in Hiromi's mind, it seems unlikely that it will happen because it is a forest. They felt that it looked like it was going to rain because the weather was bad.

Suddenly it rained with thunder and lightning. As they walked, they found an old house. The stranger said that they had to observe the house first. When they got closer, they noticed a lantern lamp inside the house.

A lantern lamp is often portable, typically featuring a protective enclosure for the light source. Historically usually a candle or a wick in oil, and often a battery-powered light in modern times. To make it easier to carry and hang up and make it more reliable outdoors or in drafty interiors.

Its door was just open. Hiromi was horrified to see the blood running from the door leading into the house. The stranger said to prepare her bow and arrows. The stranger pulled out his ninjato sword.

Suddenly, something fell, so Hiromi was clinging to the stranger. A rat came out, and Hiromi screamed in shock. When the rat came out, the stranger just looked at her.

"Are you alright? It's just a rat," the stranger said.

"Yes, I'm fine," Hiromi let go of the stranger's arm. Hiromi was embarrassed because the stranger might think she was not a brave lady. But Hiromi is scared of rats.

When the stranger checked the whole house, he said it was safe for them. Hiromi asks what the blood they saw was. The stranger said it was the rat's blood that had been wounded. The stranger analyzes that the owner of this house might have been murdered by the enemy.

"Maybe those blood are from the landlord of this old house? If they were assassinated by the enemy, maybe it's not safe here?" Hiromi bothered.

"Remember, while I'm with you, you're safe. No matter what happens, I will protect you from harm."

Hiromi turned her gaze to the stranger upon hearing these words.

Hiromi thought that she had just known this stranger. He is Hanzo. A ninja in the Oshiro Palace.

Hiromi was amazed. The character she always played on her cellphone was now with her. She had never seen Hanzo's whole face. Even in the game, Hiromi hasn't seen his full face yet.

They put the white horse in a small horse stable that could fit two horses.

A horse stable is a building where livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock.

Because of the heavy rain, they closed the door. Hiromi felt the strong wind, thunder, and lightning outside, with only the lantern lamp giving them light. Hiromi sat on the floor, with Hanzo a little further from her. Hanzo spoke to Hiromi, so she looked at him.

"Are you hungry?"

“No. I'm fine. Thank you," she replied.

"Sorry if I've committed something that has gone beyond the limit. All I do is always make you feel safe. I don't have any bad intentions toward you. But you can return home safely to your father." said Hanzo.

Hiromi didn't know how to answer Hanzo. But he thought of something to answer his friend.

"Thank you very much for saving me. I'm tired. I want to take a rest."

Hanzo took something, and when he returned, he gave Hiromi a taka-makura and kakefuton.

Taka-makura is an old wooden pillow with a small pad attached to it. This pillow was used by samurai wearing the topknot or maiko having the ancient Japanese updo hairstyles to keep their hairstyles while sleeping.

A kakefuton is a comforter. A traditional Japanese duvet. It's typically filled with silk fibers, which help retain and spread heat evenly. They are also hypo-allergenic and inhospitable to dust mites.

The following day, the sun was rising, and Hiromi woke up. She immediately got up and folded the kakefuton. She then went to find Hanzo. She couldn't find Hanzo inside the house, so she went to the horse stable. But Hanzo is not there. He didn't leave because the horse was still there. So Hiromi prepared her bow and arrow while walking in the forest.

“Hanzo!” Hiromi called out, her voice echoing in the forest.

Hiromi thinks that Hanzo might have left her in the middle of the forest. But Hiromi thinks he can't do it because in her game she and Hanzo have been together for a long time.

Hiromi was worried that Hanzo might leave her.

She could hear bats flying past. In Hiromi's fear, she ran back to the old house but she was already missing.

"Hanzo! Where are you?" she is scared.

Hiromi saw no way out of the forest. She was restless. She was panting from running. No matter what she does, she just goes back and forth in the way she is going. Hiromi stopped for a moment due to exhaustion.

Hiromi heard something moving in the grass. She had a flashback while preparing her arrow to shoot the one in the grass. When her boyfriend Haru taught her how to use a bow and arrow. Haru is good at the archer field. This is where Hiromi learned how to use it.

A deer came out of the grass. Hiromi held her breath, thinking wild animals would come out of the grass.

Suddenly, a series of sharp objects hit the trees, making Hiromi turn around. A black ninja came up toward her. She instantly aimed her arrow. When the black ninja was near to her, she discharged the hand that went to the black ninja.

He dodged her arrow and quickly ran towards her. Hiromi tried to target the black ninja again. When he got close to her, Hiromi released the arrow, and it hit the black ninja's shoulder.

She knocked the black ninja down, so she immediately approached him. Abruptly the ninja grabbed her by the arm, so Hiromi struck him with her bow.

The other black ninjas arrived, so Hiromi immediately ran. The black ninjas are chasing her in the middle of the forest. Hiromi was panting from running. But she couldn't do it anymore, so she fell from exhaustion.

Hiromi said to herself why fate had to punish her. She has been a good daughter and girlfriend. Why does she have to suffer? She could feel the black ninjas coming toward her and she couldn't run anymore.

The black ninjas have surrounded her. Hiromi felt the fear creeping up throughout her whole body. She didn't know what to do. Maybe this is her end. Hiromi thought that perhaps if she died in this world, she might go back to her real world.

Hiromi just closes her eyes and accepts her death in this world.