The Gladiator's Soul chapter 7

Previous chapter: The Gladiator's Soul chapter 6

After  the call she put on an apron which, like almost everything, looked comically big on her. “La la la…” Hime sang funnily as she cooked.  I will never forget her way of treating the ingredients.

She peeled three potatoes that ended with one third of their original size, practically cubic, before washing and putting them on a plate. Following ‘the chef’ cut some vegetables into pieces with a knife and next some meat. She grabbed spice flasks without discriminating any of them and various ingredients she found around there.

Hime took a whole crab, some prawns, mushrooms… and put all of it to cook in a pot. After a while the mixture started to boil, and the smell that thing emanated was a little strange. She kept on cooking it until all the water in the pot was evaporated! Then poured it out into a platter and let it cool down.

The girl religiously washed the plates, utensils and pans used in the battle, before taking the result onto the table in front of the dinner guest.

“Voila! Crab and prawn pie!”

I pulled a face of a pretentious taster and smelled it, making an expression like ‘well, the smell is not that bad’ and tried it. I took a little with a spoon, blew on it not to burn myself and put it into my mouth. The taste was something difficult to describe, as well as the texture. It made some lump in my throat and I swallowed as best as I could. Before me a Hime with sparkling eyes awaited my verdict. That maybe was not even food... Even so I ate all of it (crab included).

“Thanks for the meal. It had a very original taste.”

And there was again her insurance seller grin: “Not at all, sir. Come back to this restaurant whenever you want.”

During the following days Hime did all kinds of chores, showing her characteristic flair and clumsiness. With her tiny body she took the lawnmower as if she wanted to hang from it; and with the net for cleaning the pool she seemed an ant dragging an enormous branch.

All that together with her cute face looked like and authentic graphical joke. I held my laugh the best I could, not to discourage her, and sometimes I covered my mouth as if I were coughing. Hime, who was not stupid, looked at me crinkling her nose, then turned back her head with a ‘mph!’ and resumed her work as thought nothing had happened.

Those weeks were really fun. Who would want to go to some amusement park, when you can see this every single day.

It was almost September already, and the date for enrolling was getting closer. Hime had not stopped working, but had never asked anything in return. This was the perfect scenario, here she could not refuse. After making some calls, everything was set. The girl had more than a good enough level to enter the special course, and now she would have the money as well. I had already taken into account the drawback of no longer being in the same class, but that would be the best for her. The grief her face was wearing in a moment of distraction, on the day she was healing my wounds, would not fade away so easily from my memories.

She had become my only reason for existing. And even beyond that was her smile; her happiness. I would never allow anybody else to harm her. But I was scared. Somebody could be planning to retaliate against us. In order not to involve her and spoil her bright future, I had to become strong and look after her. That’s it; strong enough to protect her from the shadows. I would become the shade of her sun, anonymous guardian of that radiant brilliance. The plan was perfect. Given that my parents were so rich, there would not be any further concern. She could keep on studying, and I would remain happy by her side.

“Hime!”

“What’s the matter?” She appeared with her gardener outfit.

“Pfff!”

“Eh, don’t laugh!”

Now finally everything was on my favour. “Your Name Day will be in no time, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Well I have a surprise for you, but we have to go to a certain place to collect it. So primp yourself for the occasion, ok?”

“A surprise? Alright! But what is it? A game? A T-shirt?”

I smiled with a malice like the very devil’s: “I won’t tell you…”

“Uguu, at least give me a hint!”

“Alright; but only one: It’s none of the things you have said.”

I walked her until halfway to her house, as usual. Her face and gestures of nervousness were something so good to see. It was obvious she could not wait for the surprise. I only expected that at least she could sleep.

“Then tomorrow I will pick you up at home about ten in the morning or so.” We said goodbye.

The next day dawned bright and clear. I got dressed, had breakfast and went to collect my Hime. That was thrilling, the truth is, I was dying to see her face when she found out what the surprise was. Although a small fear that she did not want to accept it dwelled in my heart, I had more than enough arguments to convince her. As the door of my house closed behind me my eyes were blinded by the sun.

I went prancing out of excitement, so Hime’s house came into view really soon. It was still half past nine, so I went to the river near her house to skim some stones. When it was almost the due time I came back to the house and knocked the door.

Some noisy footsteps were heard: “No, wait, I will open!”

<<Hime is really frantic, this is going to be so good.>> Before that thought could fade from my mind the door opened like a trap, absorbing the air in my surroundings.

In spite of being so poor she was wearing a lovely dress, and two ponytails with some hair ribbons that looked gorgeous on her. The truth is, I stayed dumbfounded watching her.

“Kota! What’s the matter? How do I look in my dress? Do you think it will be at the height of the occasion?”

“Wow! I assure you. Now you are really ‘hime’…”

Himawari blushed slightly and patted my shoulder: “Come on, don’t make too much of it!”

“Then, a promise is a promise. We have to go to a place”

“Yes! At last my surprise!” The girl hopped like a spring. We got to walk down the street, turning left from her door. Our destination was not far from there, but I intently leaded her through a roundabout route in order to disorientate her a little. We went out of an alley, in front of a rise building.