The first meeting
Eriko was bored out of her mind. She had been bored most of her life and there was little she could do against it. Even being in the yamayurikai wasn't always something that amused her, even though it was one reason why she accepted the rosary of the oneesama. She liked her well enough and was a dutiful petite souer but she never used more effort than was necessary. She had given up putting all her strength into things a while ago. Sometime in the middle school, she realised she never could achieve the top score. Her performance was good but better than that she could not do. So she gave up trying to be the best or the gang leader. It was all boring, so it didn't matter which subject she took or which club she joined. Accepting the rosary of the yellow rose—being part of the yamayurikai—was interesting most the time. Her Oneesama didn´t seem to mind that but often found possibilities to ease the boredom. It was same this afternoon while Eriko stared out of the window.
"Today there is a Kendo Tournament in the afternoon. We should watch and encourage our school," Eriko was told.
Eriko wasn't too interested in sports but she supposed it could be fun watching them. Dutifully, she cheered for Lillian's team, although in the beginning without much interest. But there was one girl—a first year for sure—who was an excellent fighter. She won each fight.
"Who is she?" she whispered and Yoko, who knew everything, answered: "That´s Hasekura Rei. Her father has a Kendo school."
Then it was no wonder that she was that good. Eriko watched how she also won a very difficult fight and made sure her team won as well.
Later when the yamayurikai congratulated the team, Eriko had time to scrutinize Rei for the first time. She was very tall for her age, her hair was short and she had an open and friendly face.
Eriko didn´t expect to see her again anytime soon, but it was only the next day when she went out to her favourite quiet place to read a bit and found someone sitting there—Rei Hasekura—and she was knitting. Eriko couldn't help staring at her. Kendo and knitting were not a common combination. But Eriko liked unusual things.
"May I sit down?" she asked politely.
"Of course, Yellow Rose en Botoun. It's a lovely place isn´t it?"
"Oh yes. My favourite place when I want some time for myself. The scarf you are knitting looks very pretty."
"Thank you. It's for Yoshino, my cousin and my best friend. She´s one year younger than me and very ill. She has a weak heart, so cold is very bad for her."
"I see. It's surely not easy to be separated from her the whole day."
"Yes," Rei looked at her thankfully, "you are the first person to notice that. Thank you for your concern and your compliment, Yellow Rose en Botoun," she bowed low.
"It was nice to meet you, Rei Hasekura."
The rest of the day, Eriko busied herself with the nice occupation of thinking about the exciting Kendo fighter. Rei was fascinating. She was the best kendo fighter in the school as a first year and, at the same time, very female. And then, there was that Yoshino, of whom she was obviously fond—very fascinating.
And when Eriko found someone or something that held her interest, she would not let go easily.
"Had you a nice day?" Yoshino asked in the evening, when the two cousins sat together in the living room of the Hasekuras.
"Yes, school was okay. And in the afternoon I had a nice talk with the yellow rose en botoun."
"Oh really? And how is she?"
"Very elegant and nice." Rei looked thoughtful. "She has the air of a real lady, even when she is just a year older than me, as if nothing could shake her."
"Do you think you will see her again?"
Rei was absolutely oblivious to the jealousy in Yoshino´s voice: "I hope so."