“I need to get you out of here.” He tells me.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t make this any harder than it is already.”
It’s been almost a week since this boy has been here. He came with a fresh batch of young men, all from former Samurai families. Exactly the lot that Imai likes, having not learned from his failures in Yoshiwara and in fact just doubling down on it and now his “benefactor” Tanaka has left, he’s back to being the head honcho. He’s made me his woman, one among many but elevated compared to the rest, but still made “available” to others as a prize to those he deems worthy. Just like he did back then to his right hand “Saitou Hajime”.
“The Tayu is to meet at the Miburo’s Lair.” He repeats it again and I roll my eyes. An old sign when he wanted to see me, the 3rd Troop Captain whether for work or relief from it.
“I don’t know what you mean.” I tell Shin. Is that even his real name? Is it even possible that this is an elaborate trap by Imai to catch me? But he’s not a very bright man and a man like him knows no history.
“If you stay here any longer, you’ll be bound to be found out.”
I throw him a disdainful look, “I don’t know what you mean.”
He sighs, “You were asked to spend the night with a new recruit, to go through each of us… What do you think that means?”
“Don’t you dare insult me.” I narrow my eyes at him.
“And before I came, I heard from the other men. You’ve been made a butt of jokes, “A good fuck but too old, even if she were a tayu.”.”
“You!” I hiss at him.
“They’ll tire of you soon.” He looks down not meeting my eyes, “I don’t know what they do to women like you, I’ve heard stories – women left by some ditch, naked, mutilated or sold back again to the legalized brothels. You’re beautiful but no longer young. I doubt they can sell you.”
I’m tempted to slap him across the face but he doesn’t meet my eyes and it may as well be as I choke back whatever it was that threatened to come out.
“You -must- believe me!” He lowers his head on the tatami floor. “Take a chance on me, so you can leave from here.”
“Where the hell is he? Why isn’t he the one prostrating himself in front of me?” I ask suddenly and the young Shin looks up at me.
“He asked me to come. He had pressing business with his family.”
“His family? What? That idiot Takagi Tokio and her brats? Is that idiot back running after her -again-?”
He looks up confused. “Umm no. He’s with Yagi-san”
“Oh? That woman who ran away from him!” Suddenly I laugh, the “Hime-sama” he’d lament over when he wasn’t complaining about Tokio. It was always one of them that would drive Fujita Goro to my bed.
“So he’s gotten her back?” Shin nods but I can see his hesitancy. He probably didn’t mean to disclose Hajime’s new circumstances. No wonder he had no time to come here to get me, even when my life was on the line – and instead sends this boy. I shouldn’t be surprised, even back then he didn’t bother to come back and left me at the brothel – his promise unfulfilled. I look at Shin and for the first time realize how pure he is. Another one being used by the Wolf of Mibu.
“Fine. I’ll go with you.”
“Thank Kami. I thought I’d have to go back to Fujita-san in failure.”
“You seem like the kind who’d get himself killed if you stay here.” I look at him softly… But he blushes! Decent young men always do so don’t they? Unlike the one’s I remember in Kyoto.
“We’ll escape tomorrow night before you have to go to your next “schedule”. It’s Matsuo right?”
I nod. “What? You don’t want me to have to work?” I grin. “You’re very honorable.”
He shakes his head and again looks embarrassed. “I’m going to bribe Matsuo, tell him that I’m infatuated with you and want to spend another night. That should give us an opportunity to escape and maybe they won’t go trying too hard to look for you and I. After all they’d think I was too smitten by you and ran away to make you mine.”
Suddenly I laugh. This boy? Making me his?
“Why are you laughing?”
I shake my head. “It’s just too much. But maybe it will work.”
“It has got to.”
I watch Shin with that resolute look. He said he worked for Hajime, he seems like he’s from the Police. His bearing, even the little ruse and the planning. Maybe he’s under his training? Well I do want to get out of here. It was getting boring and my body has not been feeling good lately as if… But I put that in the back of my mind until I’m sure and besides I want to see this man who manages to forget about me or cast me aside on most occasions until he needs something. And maybe I can finally meet this Yagi Hide. What makes her to be a woman much talked about by men from Kyoto to Tokyo?