“Are you alright Fujita-san?”
I look to my side were Asame-chan is standing.
“Ah yes… Of course.” I feign a grin, “I’ve come all the way from Tokyo so perhaps…”
Her eyes lit up, “I’ve always wanted to go to the Capital…”
I nod and do not reply. Going around the room, there is nothing too distinctive about it to warrant such a effect earlier.
“Quite a minimalist… This room.” I say going back to her.
“Ah yes.” She smiles a little bit too smugly and I’m sure in the back of her mind, she’s chanting “I told you so.”
“There’s a river at the back that quite a few people love to take a stroll in.” Going ahead of myself, she slid the door leading to a small garden open. “That gate over there, leads to it.”
But why would I waste my time there?
Giving her an incredulous look, I shake my head and go back inside.
“Thank you for your assistance. The Keishikan will note this and I’m sure unless there’s a new development, you will not be receiving another visit.”
“You are welcome, but yes it is our civic duty after all to cooperate with the police.”
She leads me back to the reception area. “I hope your employer Ramui does not give you a hard time.” Tipping my hat I start to head for the doors.
“Oh not at all Fujita-san. Chichi is a very agreeable man.”
Hiding my grin, I head out… No wonder… Now to catch a carriage.
June 18, 1885 – late morning rush
18 thoughts on “June 18, 1885 – late morning rush”
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Coming to the front of the ryoken, I look around for a carriage to hail, feeling… strangely let down. But he didn’t know about this place… what it meant to us, so it’s only my own self that I can be disappointed in. Always hopeful… the places it leads me, ne? But I would rather feel this than how I was without hope, feeling nothing at all.
I hold onto my bag – this time I won’t forget the gifts…
At least in Ito it’s usually thick with carriages around the tourist areas, as tourists hate to walk anywhere unless it’s “scenic”. That brings a bit of a smile to my lips, the thought of comparing Ito to Kyoto and finding Kyoto lacking.
Turning, I think perhaps I should go inside and ask if they know where it would be better to hail a carriage. I never did know this part of Kyoto well.
And coming out I see…
He did come here…
Footsteps… And a feeling of something familiar…
An aura of serenity and yet not. The wind blows slightly and I know I should turn around…
What is she doing here? Has she been following me?
There’s only one way to find out so I stop and look over my shoulder.
“Hide… A walk is good in the mornings… But probably not -this- far.” I jest and grin, the last thing I want to do today. I stand by the side of the road and wait for her to catch up.
Hajime turns and I catch up.
Hide… A walk is good in the mornings… But probably not -this- far.
Something about that grin seems forced. Going there… was anything cleared for him? Did he remember anything?
I smile up at him as I step beside him. “It’s not all -that- far,” I answer. “And this is a good place to look at the river, I had some time and I thought it would be nice to see.” And to see who I would find there.
“And this is a good place to look at the river, I had some time and I thought it would be nice to see.”
“Ah yes. The girl inside did say that.” I take her hand and we walk towards the main road, “but you have business elsewhere. You shouldn’t aimlessly tarry these streets even if it is your home.”
Looking around, I see no carriage in sight so I let go of her and walk briskly to a corner. It will be easier to get one from there I would imagine.
As he lets go of my hand and walks off, I follow after him. “Hajime…” I catch up and take his hand back. “I still have a little of time before I need to go see Tamesaburou…” I look around, and spot a little garden area at the edge of the ryoken property with a small bench. “Come… it’s not as nice as the river but do take a moment with me before we need to go see to our business, since we ran into each other.” I smile at him, shading my eyes with my other hand as I look up at him in the morning sun.
I lead him back over to the bench, as I sit I ask, “so what brought you to this part of Kyoto?” What called you here… what fragment of a memory made you come to this place?
She hides her face from the sun… Those little hands won’t do of course and I remove my cap and placed it on top of her head without thinking.
It’s too big… and it ruins her hair…
I smile slightly, feeling slightly better that I’m not at this place alone. The room earlier brought uncertainty and rejection at the same time… It was probably a joke but I do not take back the hat, for some reason I feel that leaving it with her… was the right thing to do.
She leads me to the bench and I look around as she sat down. An reddish-orange flower catches my attention and I nod over it. “Aren’t these birds of paradise?” I ask. Flowers has never been my strongest point.
I smile brightly as he sets his cap on my head. “Ah… thank you,” I say, laughing, “this is most useful”. I’m certain that I look rather silly but that little touch of affection… at this place. If he came here… I wonder if he found out anything?
This cap… I don’t think I wore it before, even the time when he left it at my house… and then made a point when he went to that other world to make it obvious how he -didn’t- have this cap… right before we went to Kyoto, I remember.
In even the smallest ways I am so taken with this man, I think as I look over at him, with that smile that he brings out in me.
I nod. “Yes… they are.” I look around, “of course my favorites are orchids… the little white ones.” It doesn’t escape my notice that he didn’t answer my question, however.
I look back at him as a bit of breeze stirs his bangs and I reach over to brush them back. “I do like this area of Kyoto… a bit far from Mibu but there’s so much to see… even if it doesn’t change too much.”
“Yes… they are.” “of course my favorites are orchids… the little white ones.”
“Unforunately the only flora I know is the sakura.” I say as she brushes my bangs back. I search her face for a moment wondering…
“Do you know anyone here?” I tilt my head with a puzzled look on my face. “I came here to investigate something related to my work last year… What is your reason for coming?”
Deciding it’s time for my good old companion, I lit up and sat on the stone bench.
Sakura… just like that morning at the train.
Do you know anyone here? I came here to investigate something related to my work last year… What is your reason for coming?
I remember him telling me how he came to this place when he was looking for me… was that last year? How long did he look for me?
As he begins to smoke, I decide to… “I told you that I came here to see the river…” I look at him… to try to speak of these things, “I came here with Makoto’s father, once. We had a long talk by that river… it’s a good place for thinking, something about the flow of water…”
“Today, though… it was you on my mind,” I tell him, reaching for his hand.
I told you that I came here to see the river…” “I came here with Makoto’s father, once. We had a long talk by that river…
I caught myself just in time, no scowl will come from my lips because that is her past… But to come here, even if she was thinking of me.
Today, though… it was you on my mind
It must be that she is having problems with my “situation” or perhaps upset about last night. But if she was upset she wouldn’t be smiling would she? Then it must be the other.
Bah…
Taking a drag, I continue to sit, now with a smirk on my face.
“Well go on. What did I do to warrant you come to this place.” If she came for solace, then that is revealing indeed about her past.
He doesn’t scowl… but that smirk says almost as much.
Well go on. What did I do to warrant you come to this place.
“You always give me a lot to think about… and I realize… something I was doing to you, last night. Aside from our conversation.”
I play with his hands. “You… wish to treat me in such a way… and I just -throw- myself at you. How I must torture you…” I say, quietly. How I misunderstood it when he rejected me then and now. “Even though we get carried away… you are trying to act in a manner…”
“I won’t deny that part of what I feel for you… but I wish to act in a manner to be worthy of this honorable man.” I finally look up at him, searching to meet his eyes. In this… I should know how much he does truly value me and that he shows restraint is not to reject me but to respect me, and himself.
I blink once… twice… but not a third time. I look away for a moment and take a rather infinite drag on my cigarette. So she -have- noticed, that for all my wanting… She have noticed I’ve been holding back. Is that normal for a man? Certainly it is not normal for myself, especially the past years that I’ve lived almost like a bachelor in Tokyo…
You… wish to treat me in such a way… and I just -throw- myself at you. How I must torture you…”
Not finishing the cigarette, I let it fall to the ground and grabbed her wrist to settle her against myself. “It’s a rather welcome torture I must say.”
I won’t deny that part of what I feel for you… but I wish to act in a manner to be worthy of this honorable man
“Neko-chan…” I whisper, “Oh how you have this all -wrong-. The problem is not whether you are worthy… because you -are- to me.”
Why she even thinks she’s not… Kami…
I hold her rather tightly, if only I knew what the hell was wrong with myself.
It’s a rather welcome torture I must say
As he holds me, I let my arms slide around him. I swallow hard as I let my head rest against his good shoulder, taking strength from being here.
Neko-chan… Oh how you have this all -wrong-. The problem is not whether you are worthy… because you -are- to me.
“Oh Hajime… I was afraid that I was hurting you in the way I was acting…” But how much that means to hear that from him… but it’s still something that I must live up to for -myself-… and in how I treat him. I shift slightly and lift my head so I can look at him.
She looks up at me and I steal my hat back and set it on my lap. Bending down for a quick kiss, I smile as it ended.
“Well it’s time to leave this place. My answers aren’t here.” Standing up, I pull oh her arm. “Yours isn’t either. For a moment there you had me worried that…”
Clearing my throat I continue, “that you were missing Makoto’s father.”
I shrug. “When you feel comfortable, perhaps you’ll give me a name ne?”
She can think of him of course. I just hope he never comes back.
“Come Hide. You do not want to miss Tamesaburou.”
Well it’s time to leave this place. My answers aren’t here.
But that he came here… that is something for me to add to the hope that I have. I stand up beside him as he tugs on my arm, tucking back a strand of hair that fell loose due to the hat and not forgetting my bag of presents.
For a moment there you had me worried that… that you were missing Makoto’s father
I miss our past, and the memories that he can’t reach yet… but I don’t love him any less, because what is true in him is still there… even if it takes me time to realize it. “I could only think of you,” I tell him with a soft smile. “And how fortunate I am to have you in my life…” again.
When you feel comfortable, perhaps you’ll give me a name ne?
Ah… I had wondered how long we would keep calling him ‘Makoto’s father’. Even for all of those names that Hajime has carried… I won’t make up a name and lie. And he’s not pushing me… “one day,” I promise him.
Come Hide. You do not want to miss Tamesaburou.
I nod as I take his hand lead us back to the corner where we started. “Yes… even he should be at work by now,” I tell Hajime. “Do you still need to run errands or would you like to come with me?”
(OOC – you may wrap up and close)
I decline her offer to go with her. She probably does not realize it but we’ve lost a lot of time. Letting the carriage I got take us to the office, I drop her off. I could of course stop by and see Tamesaburou.
Ah but what shall I tell him? I found her and we’re together now…
He would probably think it is too sudden and would think the worst of us. A half-married man and a woman who was left by her lover.
What a pretty picture.
I sigh and shout towards the driver to go directly to the heart of Kyoto, close by Nijo castle. I need to get something for my eldest and hopefully there are colored pencils there for her daughter.
(OOC: Saitou exits)