The morning sun cast a bright, cheerful glow over the bustling market of Kumatou village. The air was filled with the familiar sounds of villagers haggling, children laughing, and the distant, rhythmic clang of a blacksmith's hammer. At his usual spot, surrounded by neatly arranged baskets of carrots and potatoes, Raito sat with a deep, uncharacteristic frown etched onto his face. He was selling his vegetables as usual, but the easy, happy-go-lucky farmer the village had come to know was gone, replaced by a young man haunted by a quiet, gnawing doubt.

  "Good morning, young Raito," a customer, an elderly woman with a kind, wrinkled face, said as she picked out a few potatoes. "What's wrong? You look like you've lost your best friend."

  "It's nothing, ma'am," Raito replied, his voice a little too flat, a forced, unconvincing smile stretching his lips. "Just a bit tired today."

  The woman just nodded, paid for her vegetables, and quickly walked away, a worried look on her face. It was an unusual sight, to see the usually cheerful young farmer looking so down.

  Another voice, this one gentle and familiar, called out to him. "Are you alright, young Raito?"

  "I'm okay, mind your own business," he snapped back, his frustration getting the better of him. He looked up, and his eyes widened in surprise. It was Grandpa Sun Yoon.

  "I'm so sorry, Grandpa," Raito said quickly, his face turning red with embarrassment. "I... I didn't see you."

  "It's quite alright, young Raito," Sun Yoon said, his usual gentle tone unwavering. He looked at the young man, his old eyes full of a quiet, knowing wisdom. "It seems there is something on your mind."

  Raito let out a long, slow sigh, his earlier frustration deflating into a weary resignation. "There is," he admitted, his gaze falling to the dusty ground. "But I don't know if I want to talk about it, Grandpa."

  Sun Yoon stroked his long, white moustache thoughtfully. "Perhaps," he mused, his voice a soft, quiet rustle like leaves in the wind, "it has something to do with the young lady?"

  Raito's head snapped up, a look of pure, unadulterated defeat on his face. "You can tell, Grandpa?"

  "I have lived for a long time, young Raito," Sun Yoon explained, a small, sad smile on his face. "I have seen and experienced many things. However, your situation... it is very obvious. It doesn't need an intelligent mind to see it." He gestured to the bustling market around them. "The two of you always walk together, go everywhere together, do everything together. So, to see you here alone... everyone in this village can see that something is amiss."

  "I guess it's really hard to hide it," Raito said, his voice a quiet murmur. "Yes... it's about Yukari."

  He opened his mouth to explain, but Sun Yoon stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. "This is not the place, young Raito. Finish your business here. Then, we will talk. Over a warm cup of tea."

  Raito looked at the old man, at the genuine concern in his eyes, and he nodded, a wave of gratitude washing over him.

  Later that day, as the sun began to set, the air in Sun Yoon's small, quiet farmhouse was filled with the fragrant scent of jasmine tea. Raito sat across from the old man, a warm cup held loosely in his trembling hands.

  "Please talk young Raito," Sun Yoon said, his voice a gentle invitation. "I offer you my old ears."

  "Sigh. Where do I even begin?" Raito took a sip of the tea, its warmth doing little to soothe the cold knot in his stomach. "It started three weeks ago, I guess."

  He began to explain, his voice a low, pained murmur as the memories of the past few weeks came flooding back in a bitter, confusing montage.

  It had started with a promise. A simple walk to make up for the one she had missed. He had been so sure that day. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the island. He had planned to take her to the hidden cherry blossom grove they had found, the velvet box a heavy, hopeful weight in his pocket. He had just called out to her, "Yukari, are you ready?" but the farmhouse was empty. No note. Not even a goodbye.

  Then came the excuses. A few days later, during a quiet lunch, he had asked if they could have a serious talk. She had agreed, but halfway through the meal, she had clutched her stomach, her face pale, and bailed with a weak excuse about a sudden stomachache, leaving him alone at the table.

  The disappearances grew more frequent. One morning at the market, she was supposed to help him sell their harvest. He had left her at the stall for just a second to get some water, but when he came back, she was gone, leaving their vegetables unattended and him to face the confused looks of their customers.

  The final straw had been at the beach. He had been so tired of her vanishing acts, so desperate to anchor her, to make their new life real. He had taken her to their favorite spot, the one where the waves were quietest. He had knelt, the velvet box open in his hand, the sakura-petal ring glittering in the sunset. But when he looked up, a hopeful, nervous smile on his face, she wasn't there. She had just... vanished.

  "And it's not just that," Raito continued, his voice cracking with a pain he could no longer hide. "She's been leaving. Every night, after she thinks I'm asleep, I hear her. The rustling of clothes, the quiet creak of the door. And when I check, she's gone. She doesn't come back until just before dawn."

  He looked at Sun Yoon, his eyes full of a desperate, pleading confusion. "It's been like this for three weeks. Ever since I got robbed. She's... she's not the same. She's hiding something, I know it. It feels like we're drifting away, and I don't even know who this girl living with me is anymore."

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small, velvet box. "I don't even know if she deserves this," he whispered, his voice full of a pain that was almost too much to bear. "What should I do, Grandpa? I want to be patient, I want to believe her, but even I have my limits. She... she won't talk to me."

  Sun Yoon grew quiet, his usual gentle smile gone. He listened, his gaze fixed on the steam rising from his teacup, but his mind was elsewhere. The flowing winds of Hanyuun carried more than just the scent of salt and flowers; they carried whispers, echoes of actions taken in the dead of night. And for the past three weeks, he had seen everything.

  He had seen the "missing walk," the one Raito had planned with such hope. He had seen Yukari, not patiently waiting for her partner, but in a dark, torchlit tent, a dagger in her hand as she eliminated a traitor in Takayama's own ranks, her movements cold and efficient.

  He had seen the day of the "stomachache." He had seen her, miles away, a lone figure in black, setting fire to an Izumi clan supply encampment, the flames reflecting in her cold, distant eyes as she turned and walked away.

  And the day she disappeared from the market. He had seen her then, too. Disguised in the gaudy, revealing clothes of a woman of the night, a mask on her face, slipping through the shadows of a rival clan's port town to eliminate a single, unsuspecting messenger of Imagawa, her own disgust hidden behind a painted smile.

  He had seen it all. Every morning, every noon, every evening, every night. He had seen Takayama using her, a puppet chained by the promise to protect the boy she loved. And with each mission, he could feel it on the wind—the girl's soul, once so full of a fierce, protective light, was changing. It was growing corrupted, weary, and was screaming for a help she would never ask for.

  But is it my right to tell this innocent, naive boy the truth? Sun Yoon thought, the weight of his own long life settling on his shoulders. All of this... it is also my fault. All that has happened in Hanyuun... it is my failure. My sins. My burden. He had promised, centuries ago, to not get involved, He had enough of the petty squabbles. But for the first time in a very long time, he didn't know if that was the correct choice.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "Grandpa? Are you alright?" Raito asked, his own worries momentarily forgotten as he noticed the old man's distant, pained expression.

  "Oh, sorry, young Raito," Sun Yoon said, snapping back to the present. "I must have dozed off."

  "So, what should I do, Grandpa?" Raito asked again, his voice full of a desperate helplessness. "I really don't know what to do."

  "Perhaps," Sun Yoon began, his voice slow and deliberate, "you should confront her. Take action. Bring her back to your light. Make her stay. Give her a chance to explain. Perhaps, if she is willing to listen…. you can save her."

  "I'm not sure what that means," Raito said, his voice quiet. "But I'll do it. One last chance." He stood up, his face full of a new, desperate resolve. "Thank you, Grandpa. I will try to find her again."

  Raito left abruptly, holding on to one last, fragile hope, hoping he would find Yukari waiting for him in their small farmhouse.

  Sun Yoon just smiled as he watched the young boy leave, a sad, weary expression on his face. He had hoped his advice would not result in more mistakes.

  Raito hurriedly ran to his farmhouse. He opened the door, and there she was, Yukari, waiting in the living room, a small, tired smile on her face. She's here, he thought, a wave of relief washing over him. Time to talk. One last chance.

  But as he stepped in, he saw that the girl in front of him was not the bright-smiled, beautiful, intelligent, though a bit annoying, girl he loved. Dark, heavy eyebags hung under her eyes, her body was covered in scrapes and bruises he hadn't noticed before, and her breathing was shallow. She had passed out on the chair.

  If anyone else were to see her in this state, it would be pretty clear that she was exhausted. But from what, what did she do to be this exhausted, Raito didn't understand. He shook his head, a new, cold dread replacing his earlier resolve. He quickly lifted her up, took her to their bed, and put a blanket over her. She didn't even stir. It was as if she hadn't gotten a single night of sleep in days. She looked like the same cold, broken girl he had found in the alley, in the rain, all those years ago. But somehow, this was worse.

  Enough is enough, he thought. I need to know.

  So Raito ran. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, his heart pounding in his chest. He eventually arrived at a lone house on the other side of the village and knocked on the door. As the door opened, there he was, Mr. Akira, the hunter leader of the village, and his wife, Mrs. Akira, by his side.

  "Hmm? Young Raito?" Mr. Akira asked, surprised. "What are you doing at my house this late?"

  Raito panted, trying to catch his breath. "I... I want to ask... what has Yukari been doing during hunting? She's been missing, leaving me all the time. Most of her excuses were either hunting or the housewives' meeting, but there are eyebags, scrapes, bruises... Please, tell me, what is she really doing?"

  He was desperate for any explanation. But what he got was not an explanation, but a confirmation of his deepest fears.

  Mr. Akira shook his head, a confused look on his face. "Yukari hasn't joined us hunting for weeks, son. I thought she was busy with you."

  Mrs. Akira added, her own voice full of concern, "She also hasn't come to any of our meetings. And there haven't been any group trips in years, not since the war got worse. Takafushi Island... that's not a hot spring, Raito. That's where Takayama Castle is, the main stronghold of the Takayama clan."

  The husband and wife looked at each other, a silent, worried conversation passing between them.

  No... no... Raito thought, his mind racing, trying to find any excuse, any justification, anything to believe the girl he adored. Did she betray me? No, she can't be. The gears in his mind were moving, trying to justify everything, anything to stay positive.

  Raito bowed, his voice a low, strained whisper. "I'm sorry for the late visit, Mr. and Mrs. Akira. Thank you... for the explanation."

  He quickly retreated, his feet carrying him back to his own farmhouse, a cold, hard resolve in his heart. He didn't care anymore. He had to confront her.

  Late that night, back at the farmhouse, Raito had pulled a chair next to the bed. He had been sitting there for the last hour, watching Yukari, waiting for any sign that she would wake up. But there was nothing. Just a girl in deep slumber. Eventually, even he had dozed off, his head slumped against the edge of the bed.

  A rustling sound, the same sound he had heard every night for the past three weeks, snapped him awake. He opened his eyes wide.

  "Yukari!" he shouted.

  But once again, she was not on the bed. The blanket had been draped over him instead. She's gone, he thought, a cold dread washing over him. No. I have to find her.

  Raito stood up and quickly ran outside the farmhouse. He looked around, his eyes darting through the darkness. Then he saw them. A group of figures in black, moving silently down the path away from the village.

  He approached them, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't care who they were. Yukari was more important right now. "Hey!" he shouted, his voice a raw, desperate cry. He reached out and touched the shoulder of one of the figures. "Do you know—"

  He stopped mid-sentence. The figure whose back was turned to him turned back, and in the faint moonlight, he saw her. She was wearing a half-mask, but her silver eyes... nobody else could have those eyes.

  "Yukari?" he asked, his voice a broken whisper.

  "No," the girl said, her voice cold and unfamiliar. "I'm not Yukari. Who might you be?"

  "No, you are Yukari," he insisted, his voice trembling. "Who are you trying to trick? Why are you here this late? Why are you with them? They're the ones who robbed me." He bombarded her with questions, his voice a mixture of confusion, anger, and a desperate, pleading hope.

  "Not now, Raito," she finally relented, her voice a low murmur. "I have a job to do. Mr. Akira needs me."

  "Don't lie to me!" Raito raised his voice, the last of his hope crumbling. "I came from Mr. and Mrs. Akira's house. I know everything. You were never with them. Where did you go? Why are you lying to me?" The words were a pained, desperate cry.

  "No... it's not..." Yukari tried to explain, her voice cracking. "You wouldn't understand. I'm doing this for—"

  "I wouldn't understand, huh?" Raito's voice was a low, bitter whisper. "I guess I really am nothing to you. I'm so insignificant that you would rather lie to me than talk."

  "No, that's not..." Yukari said, a tear rolling down her cheek.

  "Do we have an issue here?" a voice, low and dangerous, purred from the shadows. Min Eun emerged, her eyes glinting in the darkness.

  "Just... give me time," Yukari pleaded, her voice a desperate whisper. "It won't take long."

  "Who is this, Yukari?" Raito asked, his voice a cold, hard thing. "Another secret friend of yours?"

  Yukari pulled him aside, her own voice a desperate plea. "Fine, you caught me. I haven't been hunting. But I have been doing something important. For us. Believe me."

  "For us?" The words were a bitter taste in his mouth. "How dare you say that? How is this 'for us' if there hasn't been an 'us' for weeks?"

  Raito's words hit Yukari deep in her soul. She had been making lies and excuses, choosing missions over her own health and her time with him. She had been so afraid, she had thought if she didn't accept, something would happen to him. But now, she realized, all she had done was not protect him. She had pushed him away. There was indeed no 'us' anymore. She couldn't even remember the last time she had seen his face properly. All she saw was the faces of her victims, and her own bloody hands.

  "What?" Raito's voice was a low, dangerous thing. "No excuse? No lie? Are you out of ideas? talk to me... Snow Flower?"

  Slap.

  The sound was sharp, a single, clear note in the quiet of the night. Yukari had slapped him. All his words were true. She had become a monster, a weapon. Somewhere along the way, she had become numb. She didn't know if she could ever touch him again without feeling the phantom stain of blood on her hands. She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t.

  "I... I am not Snow Flower," she cried, her voice a broken thing. "Please."

  "Then what are you?" he asked, his voice a raw, pained whisper. "Who are you?"

  "We're running out of time, darling," Min Eun called out from the shadows.

  Yukari turned her back to him. She wanted to say she was protecting him. But was she ? at this point she don’t know anymore. Or is it just like min eun said once, she enjoy this darker side of hers. Doubt began to cloud her mind.

  Raito grabbed her wrist. "Don’t. Please, I don’t know who they are, but I know they are dangerous. let’s talk this through. You don’t need to be with them, whatever trouble you’re in, I’ll help you. Walk to them, and we are done, this time, I am not joking." he said, his voice a low, dangerous thing.

  The words stung Yukari's heart. But Min Eun and her crew were here, watching. If she turned back now, he would be killed. So, she let go of his hand.

  "Then we are done," she said, her voice a quiet, broken whisper.

  “then don’t ever come back, stay there, where you are belong snow flower.” raito shouted.

  Yukari walked into the shadows, her heart growing cold as she made her choice. In order to keep the contract, to protect him, she had to let him go, even if it was the last thing she ever wanted to do. She had to keep working for Takayama. I guess we really do live in different worlds, she thought, the words a bitter, final acceptance. I hope we never cross paths again. Please... be safe. It was her one last prayer, a quiet dedication to the first love of her heart. Once again, she was a tool.

  "Finally," Min Eun whispered, a triumphant smile on her face. "We got her."

  Raito was left alone on the street, the cold night air a stark contrast to the storm raging in his heart. He fell to his knees, his body wracked with silent, choked sobs, as the last of his hope, his love, and his world crumbled around him. Once again, he is alone.