It wasn’t like I wanted to get in his way. After the other night, I finally understood why he was doing this. Why the police wasn’t to be involved, even if the police really -should- be involved. We’re not all under that demi-god named TMPD that tries to throw it’s weight around along with the army. The police in various prefectures acted with some autonomy, especially here in Kyoto. Centralize my ass!!
So I trailed him, careful to keep my distance. Easy to do along in-town roads and the hillside but once I realized he planned to cross Mt. Hiei, I realized I was ill-prepared to track him without him seeing me nor was I prepared to wade through the thick bushes, tall grasses and sometimes dead tree branches surrounding the mountain forest. My limp doesn’t help either. It would’ve really helped if I had a sickle. Or someone to help you.
I sigh as I watch him go scale the side of some oddly placed ruins, mostly burned to the ground that’s been overridden by the forest floor. What is this place? And how does he know about it? I look across and realize there’s a large ravine but what seems to be a broken stone bridge. How did he cross this?
He said it was in Lake Biwa and I suppose this is the most direct path. Idiot, he should’ve just taken the Shigagoe road but he probably didn’t want to get spotted. I’m just going to have to try harder next time.
So it was with that failure that I had to make a decision, ask Toshio-san for help or Yuunosuke-san? I don’t have enough information to give to Toshio-san, although I’m sure he won’t deny my plea if I asked him but how can Toshio-san help him if we don’t even know where he’s going? Now as for Yuunosuke-san, well he’ll just think I’m still after Hajime which of course I am… In a -way-. He doesn’t realize it but he needs my help! And besides, doesn’t he remember who he was with that night in Kyoto it was me!
So that Monday afternoon I dropped by the Yagi-estate in Mibu. I had taken the entire week off just for the purpose of trying to find out what’s going on and finding that my physical liabilities truly do hold me back.
Taking the lollipop out of my mouth, I knock “Excuse me! Is Yuunosuke-san home?” Hajime won’t be back until after sunset but it does make me nervous anyway, being at a place that he won’t even visit himself.
(OOC: Saya just came back from the mountains. It maybe apparent in what she’s wearing, especially the hem of her pants or her shoes.)
I’m walking home from picking up a package from the post office, enjoying not only having the week off, but, the house to myself…! So I’ll be eating out all week, but, hey, my brother is off grumping at someone else. He was up to -something- at work that he won’t talk about. I heard the word “Aizu” between him and Hanako-san but they’ve been tight. Maybe it’s a good time for them to visit one of Hanako-san’s sisters in Osaka. Then he can worry about normal Tamebo things, like how much train tickets are, and who will be treating who at which restaurant in Osaka and if he can get the cheap ones on his “turn”…
I come up and see a small figure, which I take to be a man at first, given the pants and dirty boots. Then I realize… “Saya-san!” I say, with a smile, but then I look her over – besides the clothes, she looks… a little anxious. I unlock the gates and usher her in. “The rest of the family is gone for the week. Are you okay?”
Of course I noticed he checked me out, but not in -that- way that a man would a woman. More like he didn’t approve of how filthy my shoes looked!
“The rest of the family is gone for the week. Are you okay?”
“Umm I’m fine.”
I’m ushered into the house and I look around. Okay that’s good the rest of the family is gone. But the place is so old fashioned it almost seems like a visitor is unwelcome here.
“Do you have anywhere here where we can talk privately?” That sounds weird as he just confirmed we’re alone but you never. I feel like their house is so large with many sliding walls and doors that anybody can be hiding behind one of them. Gives me the creeps!
Umm I’m fine.
“I’m more used to seeing you in uniform,” I say, with a smile, and I reach over to tuck a loose bit of hair back behind her ear. “I’ve never seen a woman in pants much but you wear it well,” I tease her a little.
Do you have anywhere here where we can talk privately?
I catch her looking around. “Certainly,” I say, leading the way back to an engawa near the kitchens that overlooks a little patch of garden. It was once where Hide-neesan grew herbs, but gardening is not Hanako-san’s strength, so now it’s just a nice patch of green. “Can I get you some tea? I can’t cook well but I could try to get something, if you’re hungry, and you’re feeling brave enough,” I grin a little. She’s normally so confident that it’s unusual to see her looking so… unsettled.
“Now, tell me what’s happened.” I sit down next to her.
He reaches out and tucks my hair. Now that was surprising.
“Oh my pants? I’ve gotten used to them I suppose.” Of course I’d wear these, the last thing I want is for them to think of me as a woman and you can’t move in that freely.
I follow him to the back and I guess we just sit here on the engawa. It’s bare…
“Can I get you some tea? I can’t cook well but I could try to get something, if you’re hungry, and you’re feeling brave enough,”
“No thank you. I don’t plan to stay long Yuunosuke-san.” I take a lick on my lollipop, “I need to make sure to be back to my place soon before Hajime gets back. He’s been scouting a criminal’s hideout in Lake Biwa and I followed him up Mt. Hiei but had to turn back.”
I sigh a little at that.
“I was hoping you can lend me a hand as whatever he’s planning, my instincts tells me it’s goin to be soon.”
Oh my pants? I’ve gotten used to them I suppose
“They’re practical… especially when you’re out in the rough,” I agree.
I grin at her lollipop. She does like her sweets… and she seems a little disappointed by where we’re sitting. “It’s a little plain here, but it’s one place that doesn’t back up to the wall – it’s about as private as things get here.”
I need to make sure to be back to my place soon before Hajime gets back. He’s been scouting a criminal’s hideout in Lake Biwa and I followed him up Mt. Hiei but had to turn back
So he’s in town? I wonder why he didn’t come by… no, wait, I know. He’s had bad encounters with both of us lately, and if he’s working… well, this place can be a little conspicuous. Shimada-san would notice him…
I was hoping you can lend me a hand as whatever he’s planning, my instincts tells me it’s goin to be soon
“Certainly, Asuka-san, whatever you need,” I tell her. I’m not surprised that she wants to help him. He’s meant a lot to her, after all.
“He’s been staying at my place since last week. Leaving almost every single day but it was only the other day that he finally told me why.” I look out to the patch of green, “It’s an old case he and I used to work on here in Kyoto. Back then I was… assisting him as an informant.”
I look down. “He was trying to apprehend a man named Todoku, a drug and arms dealer but instead he captured the younger brother, a man named Tanaka. This man was sent to Hokkaido prison but escaped with the help of his brother who perished during that time. This Tanaka is the same man who had trailed Hajime back to Ito…” Of course Yuunosuke-san should remember our escape from that place but he probably never knew what really happened.
“He doesn’t want to involve the police which is -not- how Hajime usually works.” I sigh, “So i followed him because scouting the entire shores of Lake Biwa would be an impossible task… But when I went up the mountain, I found that my disability is holding me back and of course I was trying to keep my distance.”
“Normally Hajime scouts his subjects for at least a week and that maybe drawing to a close. I realize I should’ve acted sooner but…” I shake my head, “I was wondering would you have any ideas on how we can find out where he’s been going? Or how best to trail him without being spotted?” Yuunosuke-san is a bright man. He might know a better way than what I’ve tried.
“It’s an old case he and I used to work on here in Kyoto. Back then I was… assisting him as an informant.
I have… hints of what that assisting entails. But it doesn’t matter what she did. She’s brave, and that’s what I value more.
I listen to the rest of her story, and as she mentions Ito, and the situation we found ourselves in… Oneesan was strangely calm through it all, other than being worried about Saitou-san… but I guess it’s because of how we grew up. “My sister said… the man who attacked them in Ito was due to an old case, but not much more.” She also said that she’d be safe in Tokyo with Saitou-san… but can any of us really be safe anywhere? They say it’s a time of peace, but if men like this Tanaka are still out there…? Maybe that’s why Saitou-san is willing to go outside of the police for this.
I was wondering would you have any ideas on how we can find out where he’s been going? Or how best to trail him without being spotted?
“Enryaku-ji,” I say, thinking it out. “It’s a large temple there on Mt. Hiei, very old and prestigious – so much so that the government’s Shinto movement hasn’t been able to suppress it, and the following it has. There’s always pilgrims… and I’ve heard it’s not unusual to see some out in the woods, looking for the ruins of this or that place where some famous monk had a sub-temple…” I keep thinking aloud, “my great-uncle Sasaki-san is a monk at Kiyomizu-dera and certainly has a contact there – monks are the worst gossips but very vigilant, in these times.” So maybe that gives us a cover for our presence – just as simple pilgrims – and someone who knows of activities in the area. “And maybe we can chat with others, since tourists from other areas combine a lake vacation with temple visits.”
“Also…” I take her hand. “The main paths to Enryaku-ji are well-made, but should we have to go off-path… it’s fall now, some of the underbrush is starting to thin out.” She made mention of her disability, so it must have been hard for her. “So don’t worry that a city boy like me will hold you back too much.” I wink at her.
“So what do you think?”
“Enryaku-ji…” I smile. “I think it’s a wonderful idea. If we can get access to the temple, speak to some of the monks or visitors of the area, then we can quickly know where visitors who pass through tend to go.”
Though I’m sure Hajime won’t go this path as it’s a public one, maybe the criminal we are looking for or his associates have used it before. And even if we don’t get much leads, if we can get there ahead of Hajime….
“The main paths to Enryaku-ji are well-made, but should we have to go off-path… it’s fall now, some of the underbrush is starting to thin out.”
“We can follow him if I actually don’t have to scale a mountain.” I look down, “I wasn’t sure what ruin that was that I followed him too but it was mostly burned to the ground and only had one connecting but impassable bridge.”
“So what do you think?”
I smile and only grip back his hand that held mine. “It’s great Yuunosuke-san. We don’t have a lot of time, I better get back” I look out and it’s getting grey. Do you think we can start tomorrow?”
(OOC: you can close if you want)
She thinks my idea is a good one, and I’m glad… not because I wanted to be -smart- but I really want to help her, and Saitou-san. After all, that man holds the happiness of my sister… and is important to this woman as well.
I wasn’t sure what ruin that was that I followed him too but it was mostly burned to the ground and only had one connecting but impassable bridge.
“Oh that…” I think back. “Nearly ten years ago, there was a madman who tried to take over Japan – he had a big base there. Saitou-san was involved in that case, according to my sister.” But if he was in Kyoto, why did he never stop by? Maybe he was just too busy. After all there was a madman – he tried to burn Kyoto as well.
“I’m going to go on up and see my Sasaki-san at Kiyomizu-dera tonight,” I tell her. “Meet me here, in the morning.”
I walk her out to the gates, and lock behind me, as we both head out for the next step.
(OOC – close)