Welcome to Gaia! ::

Liang finally reached Hana as he let out a hard breath of relief. Liang was still laughing though as it sounded like he was choking out some laughter in between his breaths. After a few moments, Liang looked up to see if she was looking. While Hana was distracted by her flower, Liang took the advantage and ran at Hana. Making some absurd noise of some sort that was suppose to resemble a charge like sound, Liang reached out with his left arm and threw her onto the rice bags on his right shoulder. She landed perfectly onto her posterior. Liang grabbed the other bags of rice he had dropped to do that as he put them back onto his left shoulder. Walking with ease, he started headed back for Ukano's home. He looked up at Hana in his steady walk to see how she was doing up there.
"Hey Hana? You buy anything at the market today?" Liang smiled.

Liang smiled at Hana for her little teasing words. He looked at the thing she had in her hands as it was hard to make out with her huddling it so close to her chest. She then asked him about how much weight he was carrying. Liang gave a moment to ponder.
"Well, I never really worried about how much they weighed. As long as I could carry them." Liang laughed while walking down the road. The weight of Hana and the rice bags were exceptionally heavy, causing him to slouch and sink time to time. For this, he had to jump up and down a bit to get back on track. It was a funny looking scenerio as a man with a young girl on his shoulders was hopping up and down. It had a galloping feel to it. They were very close to Ukano's home now. They just passed the beach that Liang was found at.

Being the typical male, Liang didn't realise that Hana was beginning to get woozy. He just laughed at what she said.
"Nah! I can use the extra training with you on my shoulder!" Liang guffawed.
Shortly after, they arrived at Ukano's small house. There they saw Ukano sitting on top of a newly bought cart while lugging the fish out. Liang set the bags down as Hana finally got contact with the earth. Liang ran towards Ukano and helped him carry some of the fish into the house. While laughing and smiling, Ukano leaned over towards Liang and spoke in the chinese tongue.
"Liang, there's something I have to tell you once we go inside."
Liang kind of looked at Ukano slowly wondering why he spoke in his own dialect to him. Ukano then signalled with his head to bring the rest of the supplies and gears into the house. Liang looked over to Hana with a quizzical face before entering into the straw hut.

Hikaru, the name of Ukano's wife, was in the kitchen cooking up a meal of the usual fish and rice in a very happy and calm mood. Though they eat it almost everyday, it was always delicious and fantastic to eat. The two boys were outside playing once again, jumping around and pushing each other while giggling and laughing at their little "reindeer" games. The fishes laid on top of the small little grill in the center of the hut while Hikaru washed the rice, preparing to steam it in the little crock pot next to the grill. The air filled deliciously with the wonderful aroma of the fish beginning to cook. At that moment, Ukano and a confused Liang walked in to sit down at the little table that they always ate at. Hikaru looked over her shoulders at them with a smile.
"Breakfast will be ready soon dear." Hikaru said cheerfully. Ukano just smiled at her before his face returned serious to Liang. Liang's eyebrows were still raised and was still very confused by that event. Ukano looked over to his wife once before leaning in towards Liang. Liang did the same and leaned towards him. Ukano then began speaking in chinese.
"Liang, something has happened to your homeland." Ukano whispered.
"What do you mean?" Liang whispered back.
"Recently, our land has been united. Our Lord Nobunaga has unified Japan."
"So? What does this have to do with my hom-
"He wants more power."
There was a silence at the moment.
"What do you mean more power?"
Ukano for a moment didn't whisper back but then he followed up with saying, "Liang, your people are endangered. The "devil" has left for your lands to steal it and burn those that stand in his way."
Liang at that moment rose to his feet suddenly. Hikaru looked back as her expression changed to a surprised and worried expression. Liang just stood there and stared at Ukano without breathing.

Liang stared at Ukano with unblinking eyes. Hana's voice reached him, but it only brought him back rather than actually hearing her. He got closer to Ukano as Ukano inched away a little.
"You're lord is...in my homeland now?" Liang whispered in chinese.
"I don't know. But the travel from here to your homeland should take a span withing seven days or less. He should still be sailing. Or if he is truly the devil, he might find a way to get tehre faster than a normal man."
"Wait, why do you refer him as a devil? Isn't he your lord."
"Pssh! Not MY lord. My lord was Nagamasa Azai. After he betrayed Nobunaga, the devil came over to defeat him. It was said that he was going to stay in his castle to burn in the flames, but a man of Nobunaga's saved him due to orders. When Azai awoken, he was stripped of any lethal weapons and was forced into exile. I only see this as a way to torment Azai for his betrayal. No less what a monster would do."
Liang stood there staring at the ground in concentration. But then Liang blurted out quietly, "My father's shop..." And with that, Liang turned around and was heading for the door.
"Whoah! Hey Liang! Calm down!" Ukano spoke in the japanese tongue.
"I can't! I have to go back home now!" Liang turned around yelling in the japanese tongue as well.
"Liang, relax. Stay here with us for the night. I'll go into town to find the fastest to get you across. So sit down and relax. Stay one more night. It'll do you no good if you don't have the money or the knowledge of sailors to be so impulsive about it. I understand how you feel, but you're rational action may cost you more than it should."
Liang stood there looking grimacingly to the floor. Finally he submitted to Ukano and walked towards him. "You're right Ukano. What was I thinking?"
"Shh, calm yourself my friend. Breakfast will be ready soon. Enjoy yourself to the meal my wife will soon have prepared." Ukano smiled. Ukano then got up and started heading for the door.
"Dear? What's going on?" Hikaru asked with a concerned tone. She only understood the words of the two men when they both started speaking in the tongue that she understood.
"Nothing love. Just get the food ready for these kids. I'll be out for a bit." Ukano said with a smile. With a last glimpse at Liang sitting at the table, Ukano walked outside to the cart. He unsaddled the horses and soon embarked for the harbors. From inside the house, the clacking of the wheels and the gallopping of the horse soon faded away in the distance. Liang sat there still staring at the table with unblinking eyes.

Though he knew he came to this little island to learn more ways of the blacksmith, this new event is calling him back home. He had to return home to protect it. Liang heard what she whispered and it just occurred to him what would happen to her. She was the girl who found him and helped him reach safety. Will she be safe over here? She doesn't have a family. But there is Ukano and his family. They would take care of her and will probably even treat her like their own daughter. The safety of this home was best for her.
"But..Hana...it's much safer her for you than it is at my home. I think it would be best if you stayed here with Ukano and Hikaru. You have food here. You have rest here. You have peace here. WHat more can you want out of me than those?" Liang asked grimacingly.

Not exactly understanding what she meant by she loves him, he replied back to her.
"Yes, I love you too Hana. But how can a man truly live with himself if he was to allow someone he cared about to be hurt because they followed him to danger? Hana, I love you. You're one of my closest friends ever since I got here and I wouldn't want anything more than to see your safety."
Apparently, the stressed goofball doesn't realise her love is an act of confession rather than just an emotion of caring. Perhaps she can still make him realize what she means?