First piece in a long time. I had the Cherry Blossoms in the Spring extra story when I wrote this. Enjoy!
Regards
To look upon or think of with a particular feeling.
Seated at a table that provided a view of the entire dining area, a man was quietly working on eating his lunch. He would look up after a couple of bites, observing the quick, dutiful workers serving their contented patrons who filled the room easily with lunchtime chatter. It wasn't long before he noticed the small, energetic Aoiya girl reveal herself from behind the kitchen curtains, heading towards him with his requested piece of paper in her hands. She moved fluidly through the crowd, despite being clad in a somewhat constrictive kimono and work apron, and offered an easy smile that he found hard not to offer back. Her infectious mood had been a steady source of delight these last couple of days.
"Here's your bill, Itou-san," the girl offered with a bow. "Both food and lodging are accounted for. Do you need anything else?"
"I'm fine, Misao-san. I'm just going to enjoy the rest of my meal before heading north. You all make the best food, I swear."
She winked at him. "We sure do. Stop back next time you're in Kyoto, okay? Have a good trip!"
He offered his goodbyes and the girl turned quickly to attend to another table, the loose lengths of her bound hair accompanying her motions with a swing.
The young man placed the bill on the table and chewed on the last of his food thoughtfully. He had just spent the previous two nights as a boarder at the Aoiya, one of his many stops on the way to the northernmost island. While Kyoto was always fun to explore, he had opted to take most of his meals at his lodging in order to observe the workers. It was just his luck that they were providing more entertainment than what he was previously expecting.
His first night eating at the Aoiya was almost overwhelming. The girl he had been informed about was not dressed in a blue shirt and shorts combination, nor was her hair long and braided, instead appearing as he saw her now. She did look rather young, but there were subtle signs of her real age - from her shortened, layered hair, to her slight, heart-shaped face, to the subtle curves that lined her body with feminine normalcy - that apparently had been the interest of the local bachelors for some time now, for there were many as diners that night.
He had watched curiously as they cooed at her, drunk from generous amounts of sake and desperate for the attentions of the young, pretty Misao, the heir to the successful Aoiya business. She was tolerant of their behavior for only one or two passes, but her mood quickly soured afterwards and she became irate. He thought she was going to hit them if it weren't for the man that had intervened.
Shinomori Aoshi had appeared as expected - tall, dark hair with sharp blue eyes - but his presence had been remarked as rare, especially in the populated areas like a guest dining room. Itou considered himself lucky, he supposed, that he could get a glimpse of the private man who planted a large hand on Misao's back and sedately ushered her into the kitchen. Minutes later, Shinomori reappeared with a couple bottles of sake in his hands, which he offered to each offending man with a slight bow and a quiet statement that he couldn't make out from his vantage point. Whatever the words were, the importance was noted when the men turned white, their bloodshot eyes widening as they quickly emptied their pockets and fled like rats. None of them took their offered bottles, which Shinomori scooped up easily. He took the items back to the kitchen, a room in which another minute later yielded a happier Misao, who came by his table to apologize for the delay in the service of his tea. He didn't see Shinomori for the rest of the night.
The second night was much more enjoyable. Misao was bouncing around with blatant happiness, enthusiastically engaging patrons and singing little jigs in the brief moments when she wasn't talking. Itou had politely inquired about her good mood, thinking it was because of the noticeable absence of obnoxious suitors, but she simply proclaimed her day to be the best one ever as she produced an elaborate flourish of his meal. It was in a slight moment, mid-twirl, her back to him, that Itou noticed the gold hair pin. The simple pattern of a small flower sat where her hair was pulled together at the nape of her neck. It served no functionality in this manner other than to look pretty. It was when he saw Shinomori appear towards the end of his meal and beckon Misao away from his view that he thought the pin actually served other purposes. The slight flush to her cheeks when she reappeared confirmed his suspicions.
He could see the pin was still in place today. Smiling to no one in particular, Itou fussed around his bag for the money and set it softly on his bill. A brief moment later, he was surprised to see Shinomori approaching him.
The tall man angled his body towards him slightly. "I hope your stay was pleasant, Itou-san."
He offered a smile, but it was a little harder to do when there was a rather imposing man blocking him from leaving. "I did, thank you." He decided to try his luck. "Are you the manager of the Aoiya?"
A nod was what he got. "I am." He watched Shinomori pick up the money. "You may keep your bill for your records. I'm sure you need it for reimbursement."
Itou looked at him, confused and a little alarmed. Reimbursement?
Shinomori gave him another bow, leaning close and pinning his eyes on him in a manner that made him weary. "Give our regards to Fujita-san for us."
He felt the blood flowing away from his face as he watched Shinomori straighten easily and left for the privacy of the kitchen. He thought he had been so careful...
A wayward glance back down at his bill made him almost jump out on his seat. The numbers on the bill were now covered with a thin doodle. Why had he not noticed this before? Was it late setting ink? On closer inspection, Itou could see a crude drawing of a wolf, with a cigarette in its snout and the letter "x" for eyes... with knives all around the body?! Actually, they look oddly like kunai...
Startled, Itou looked up, immediately seeing Misao smiling at him from across the room. She winked and turned towards the kitchen, the gold pin letting out a solitary glimmer before her body disappeared behind the curtains.
Itou let out a groan. His cover had been blown, and he had to turn in this ridiculously defaced bill to get his money back. That damn cop was going to give him holy hell when he makes it back to Hokkaido.
Fin