The Butterfly Effect

Being the least favorite son of a man that thought he was above the law truly did wonders to a boy's spirits and physical state.

Which is to say, it was a wonder why no one called him out, or tried to take the boy away, until finally someone spoke up. Even then, it was more of an act to keep everyone involved quiet than one completely born from concern over him.

That's how the five-year-old Umi was gently ushered by his mother into his aunt's home, meant to live a life as far away from his father as he could be.

"I'll come and visit," his mother, Aimaya, said softly. "And of course I'll send letters. I know Aunt Tosaku will take good care of you."

Tosaku nodded. "That's right, little dear. I think you'll like your time with me."

"Okay…" Umi wasn't quite sure what to do.

It seemed like, almost, he was starting a new life. Aimaya had told him that, while he stayed with Tosaku, he'd take on a new name: Umi Yasu, much more in line with his mother's side of the family. His old name, his mother said, should never be uttered here; it kept him safe, distinct, from his father. But at the same time, his father knew exactly where he was. Was this an open secret? Perhaps it only needed to be kept from the public.

After all, once they knew who his father was, they'd have to question why Umi wasn't there. And they couldn't exactly let that secret slip.

Tosaku stepped aside and gestured for Umi to follow her. "Why don't I show you around? You can stay a little while, too, Aimaya. It's been a while since I saw you, I'd love to catch up face to face."

"That's a great idea." Aimaya, then, was able to enter while also preventing Umi from escaping. "Maybe he'll be a little more comfortable seeing us interact, too…"

…

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He'd heard from Aimaya that Tosaku got along well with kids. He also knew that she was a woodworker, because he'd received presents from her on his birthday before.

Only once he started living with her, though, was he able to see both up close, and realize how these two qualities built off of each other.

She made toys for the children, giving some away for free while swindling other parents—they all seemed richer, some he even recognized—out of a couple of coins. The first thing she ever taught him to do was read people and how to use that information.

"It's all a part of what you've got to do when you're running a business," she'd told him. "And, coincidentally, it's also how you keep yourself out of trouble."

Umi had just nodded at the time, but he started to see what she really meant after a while. He also started growing an interest in her craft, soon memorizing when and where she went to work so he could watch.

Tosaku barely said anything to him while he watched her, often working as if no one was there at all. But then, once, she turned to him and asked, "Umi, would you grab that little carving knife over there?"

"You've already got yours," he pointed out.

"Maybe I need something a little smaller in order to get the details right! Go on and get it, we don't have all day."

He nodded cautiously and went over to the other side of the room to grab it.

"Oh, and you know that stone I use to sharpen knives?" she added, barely glancing over at him. "Grab that, too. I think that knife's a little dull."

He got them both and walked back to her.

She was still largely focused on what she was doing. "Rub the knife against the rock to sharpen it. Be careful, you might scratch or cut your hand if you're too close to either of them. Just go slow and steady."

He followed her directions.

"Good." She took a piece of discarded wood and handed it to him. "That should be pretty easy to work with. Could you cut that into a sphere for me? Try not to make it too small. It doesn't have to be perfect, you'll sand down the edges later. Oh, and try not to cut yourself there, either. If you do, there's bandages right there."

"Alright."

Remembering what he'd seen her do, he tried his best to imitate her. He… honestly felt like it was more of an oval than a sphere, but it was close enough. It wasn't too much longer before Tosaku wordlessly passed him a piece of sandpaper, and he didn't ask any questions before moving on to the next step.

"I… think I'm finished," Umi eventually announced, showing it to his aunt. "Is this something you can use?"

"It's something better," she remarked with a smirk. "It's the first thing you've ever made. And I've gotta say, you've got just as much talent for it as I thought you would. Good job on your first lesson—I'm excited to see what else you've got in store for me."