It was just past dark and I didn’t want Shindou around when I spoke to Aioi. He wasn’t at Headquarters but it -is- a Sunday and Kawaji was glad that he came back from his extended vacation. I never did let the Kawaji know that the idiot resigned. Still with Shindou back in the Police force, I’ll have to make other arrangements for Aioi’s care and I wanted to discuss that with her tonight, especially now that Hide will need more care and I’d like to be there where I can.
I step inside the garden and tell myself I just need to go in and get out so I can go home before dinner. I notice though there’s hardly any light coming from inside the house. But she is a creature of the night and of the morning, she used to tell me.
When you come here Hajime-han and spend the night and occupy my morning, do you have to go back to work that same day or are you like those men, who also had the day off?
I’d only answer her with a grunt of course. I only needed her services after a night of killing. To feel normal again and put my head back on straight. Of course I went back to work but my patrol duties started mostly in the afternoon. I do admit though that sometimes I missed out on the morning trainings and Yoshimura would take over in my duties of training the platoon. He would sometimes try to talk to me about it over sake and the older man would say, “I have a family up North so I’m able to stay away from the red light district… And I believe young men engaging in the exploitation of even younger women simply for their own pleasure is despicable. You should instead do as Harada-kun and find a wife, Even Okita-sama is rumored to take a bride soon.”. I’d only chuckle and pour him a drink. He maybe a Ronin -now- but he wasn’t a second son of the lowest ranked samurai. Besides I’ve been following this girl from the Kikyo-ya in Shimabara all the way to Gion, it’s better than trying to do what Heisuke’s been doing which is to befriend first the girl he likes. I get what I want right away as long as the price was right who cares if the rumors are true that she’s only 15 and already a Tayu?
Old times. If only Yoshimura didn’t perish in Fudodo…
I can’t help but smile thinking of him as I opened the door but what greeted me made my stomach fall to the floor and my eyes go bloody red. The room stank of alcohol, food trays were on the floor and the two of them…
I draw out my sword. I could kill them right here while they both slept. So this is where he was the entire day?!
“SHINDOU!!! YOU FOOL!” I shout and slam the door making it sound like thunder.
“Fujita-san!” He gets up quickly and wraps the sheet around him, obviously not even wearing his fudonshi. I see him scamper for it on the floor and I kick his uniform towards his direction. Aioi gets up as well although not as frenzied as the idiot. She even has a sly look on her face and I can only shake my head at her as she fixes the ties of her kimono.
“GET OUT! And don’t you dare come back here.” I point a sword at him.
“Calm down Fujita-san.” He stumbles as he tries to put on his pants.
I -am- calm. I’m just not in the mood to be toyed with. Not after what I’ve been through just the past week.
“I can explain this. It’s not as bad as it looks.” He tells me as he dons the last of his clothing.
I’d tell him I have eyes and a good enough intuition and brain to know what has happened here. He fell right into her trap! “Go home to your -mother-. We’ll talk about this -later- at the precinct.” I tell him quietly and glare at Aioi.
I’d kick him out but he’s gone straight for the door and I slam it behind him. The back of my ears are burning and I realize the saber is still unsheathed so I put it back to its saya.
“What the hell was that?” I ask the woman, who’s now found her way to a table and pouring herself some sake.
“I was lonely and the boy needed some instruction and was willing to give me money.” She shrugs, then looks me over. “Don’t get too wound up over it.”
Shaking my head I light a cigarette. “Aioi I’m warning you.”
She shrugs, “Hey at least he’s back in the police.” She watches me smoke, “When did you get back?”
“Yesterday.”
I purse my lips at that but she smiles as she started puffing on her pipe. “Well haven’t you been busy. First you get rid of Tanaka. Don’t even come by here to -thank-me…”
I don’t say anything. “You have that look of a beast and you had it before you even got here.”
Shit. So she was pretending to be asleep? I open one of the windows, we can’t both be stinking up the place with both of us smoking.
“And I heard you were running around down South looking for -her-. Seems like you were successful at least.”
Suddenly hands are rubbing my shoulders, softly and I should be stepping away but I didn’t. Then she digs in on my left shoulder and that made me wince and jolt a little.
She clicks her tongue. “You’re not only tightly wound but…” She moves to the front and starts unbuttoning my shirt and I catch her hand but she pushes my hand away. “I’m just going to take a look.” I’m not in the mood to argue so I don’t resist and let her just do as she wants which was to remove my jacket and then my inner shirt.
“Well thankfully it’s just this slight wound. Nothing like the one’s you’ve had before and you’ve had it tended to.” For a moment I look at her and remember the other services she provided, not just her bed but her cover and sometimes even her care. Like now.
“Just wait here.” I shrug and continue smoking. It has been a trying day ever since I got back. I thought I could find some peace but from the train, to dozing off, to Howard, now this… But all of that pales in comparison to the hell that was shown to me but thankfully averted.
“I’d put some ice on that but we have nothing like that here, but I did have some salve I’ve kept for when things get rough.” I watch as she places it on my shoulder. Rough huh? She means when men use her roughly but I don’t say anything. That should be rarer, these days.
“Thank you.” I say and flick the cigarette out the window so I can replace my shirt.
“I’m glad you finally got him.” She tells me, “That man was despicable. And that Kyoto girl… I’m -almost- jealous.”
I don’t say anything to that. He was despicable. Evil. But his words now ring much louder and now with another like him on the loose… And as for Hide? I need to somehow find a way to sever my ties with Aioi, but where could she go? Definitely not to the idiot who don’t know how to handle a woman like her. Besides, I need her still. I only watch as she puts salve on my shoulder and press her hands to massage my tight muscles.
“Well now that your shoulder has been taken cared of…” She grins at me as she goes back to her pipe. “There’s still a futon waiting. It’s still warm…”
I narrow my eyes at her. No way am I going to bed her after another man’s just done that. Though I know that’s probably a fallacy, in Shimabara I was probably just another one of her patrons. I heard they had anywhere from one to three men up until morning but back then I didn’t care. But things are different now.
“Or did you already get what you need? I’m sure the Kyoto girl was thankful her savior came.” She laughs softly. “Whatever did you see in her? I’m sure she’s at least 3 or 4 years older than me, which makes her a -hag-.”
“Finish your smoke, and then get your things.” I tell her. I’d tell her at least the woman I’m with only went after another man compared to her. “You’re not staying here tonight.”
“Afraid the boy will come back?”
“I still have a job for you to do and I don’t need a boy like that using one of my best assets.”
She smiles. “A job? When?”
“Soon but you’ll have to live elsewhere for now and cut off your ties with Shindou.”
She presses her hand on her forehead in an exaggerated motion, “Oh and I finally found someone who loved me in that sweet pure young man. I thought… it would be my chance for a new life.”
“Stop being overly dramatic.” I say and step outside.
“Are you sure you don’t want to -erase-… the boy did mark his territory which used to be yours.”
I don’t say anything to that. I can’t say anything about it. I suppose I’ll be missing dinner tonight but as soon as I deposit her to the machiya. I am going home.