Shindou:
I visit Aioi-san as I do everyday and today in particular she’s being very aloof. With the exception of a nod when I brought her food this morning she’s not bothered to say much. So I sit with her eating my breakfast while hers remain untouched.
“So are you some errand boy of his?” She asks and pointedly looks at me, “You don’t wear that uniform for just show do you?”
“What’s wrong with wearing the uniform?” I reply back after taking a bite of my baked sweet potato. A favorite of mine especially in the mornings.
“Don’t you have a job you go to? You wear the uniform after all.” She rolls her eyes and taps her chin, “So you either work for your -work- or you’re his errand boy.”
I shrug and don’t answer. I don’t have a job so I guess… I smile at her and close my eyes. “I’m his errand boy.”
“Too bad.” She leans in, “You could’ve done so much better than following that Cop Fujita.”
“He is a hard person to work for.” Or at least he was. My not going back to work was my decision, not his.
“He’s an ingrate!” She scoffs and somewhat slams her palm on the table.
“I hardly think that.” I tell her truthfully. “He had you extricated from that place.”
“For what purpose you think?” She snickers a bit, “Don’t tell me it’s because he -cared-?”
“Of course. The Superintendent, may not show it but in action he does.” I finish my sweet potato and start to pour some tea. “I brought some tea. This one is pretty good – I’m told from Kyoto. You’ll like it.”
The teacup is pushed back to me, “I don’t want it.” She sighs, “Just because I’m from Kyoto, doesn’t mean I like everything from there.”
I shrug and take her tea instead. No sense in wasting such exquisite tea here.
“When is that man going to come here?” She says impatiently. “We’ve been here for almost a week and he hasn’t thought to visit?”
“He just got back from Aizu and Yagi-san and him just had a baby.” I remind her what I’ve been telling her since the other day, “I’m sure when he finds the time, he will come here eventually.”
“Just like that huh? That man has a way of making someone feel unwanted.”
I watch her from the teacup. She acts very entitled to him and yet I can’t imagine Fujita-san tolerating someone like her. She is though rather beautiful and makes sure she keeps like so with her make up and her doing her hair every morning even if it’s just me who sees.
“Well maybe he’ll be by next week.”
“Next week?! What is he dilly dallying for?”
Should I tell her about the Police Ball? It’ll just upset her I think. I smile. “He has so much work at the office. He told me to keep you company.”
But she frowns even more and glares at me!
“I can tell when you’re lying.” She hisses. “Tell me the truth or I’m not speaking to you again!”
Am I really that easy to read? No wonder Fujita-san is always worried about me being on the field. But I’ve managed to stay alive through all that. “Promise you won’t make a big deal out of it.”
“I won’t promise.”
“Come on Aioi-san…”
“You are speaking to a Tayu from Shimabara! We do not make promises!” But as she says this she gives me a smile and a wink, that I can’t help but catch myself blinking at that. I look to the side, as I think my eyes might betray me.
“There’s a Police Ball tomorrow night. He’s planning to go.”
“Well that bastard!!!” Suddenly she stands up and I have to put up my hand.
“Hold on Aioi-san… There’s nothing for you to do there.”
“Who is he going with? He -never- goes to those things.”
I look away again and scratch my head. “Well he is with Yagi-san now… So I’m sure he’s taking her. Single men typically avoid the ball. It’s full of old stalwarts and their wives.”
She pouts and adds “Or their -mistresses-.”
“Really?” I’m surprised but wouldn’t everybody know if you brought a mistress there? Wait Yagi-san is the mistress so what will he introduce her as?
“He’s only known that Yagi girl for -barely- over a year!” She fumes, “He didn’t even notice her in Kyoto -years- ago because she was always running after his “bestfriend” and do you know she ran away from Hajime years ago after? They were only an “item” for a spring.”
“You know a lot about Fujita-san.” I’m surprised at how much she does in fact know – the name Hajime is obviously from his Shinsengumi days. So Aioi-san and Fujita-san goes that far back?
She smugly smiles back at me, “Shin-han, I am a Tayu and I know all the stories in Kyoto especially back then… And as for today’s Tokyo, well I still have my ways.”
I watch as she sits back down and starts on her breakfast. -Finally-. I thought that grilled salmon was going to go to waste!
“I suppose it’s not such a bad trade.” She looks out the window, “I get to sit here, be safe and be served by what seems to be a -decent- man for once.”
I can’t help but feel good about the compliment. “I do try my best Aioi-san.” I tell her and finally pour her a tea. This time she took it.
“Why thank you Shin-han.” She throws me a -very- lovely smile.
What a fascinating woman!