Title : The Red Devil
Disclaimer : I do not own Saiunkoku Monogatari.
Rating : PG 13
Genre : Friendship
Warnings : Yaoi, mild
Pairings : Kijin/Reishin, Yushin/Sairin
Summary : Yushin introduces his wife to his long-time friends, Reishin and Kijin.
Time-fit : Directly after the Choga Ceremony in anime Season 1, episode 38.
Notes :
(1) This is a sequel to The Other Me, set ten years before this, just before Yushin left for the Sa Province.
(2) I wrote this based on this line of dialogue - "Master Yushin and Lady Sairin's ten-year love affair has finally blossomed at last" (said by Korin, anime season 1, episode 38).
(3) Given Yushin's unassuming and almost diffident manner, and also how he blushes when teased about his marriage, and also this line of dialogue – "If asked who was the most charming and manly figure in the whole of Sa Province, most young ladies are bound to answer 'Lady Sairin', was what he (Ensei) said" (said by Sa Kokujin, anime season 1, episode 38), I think it is more likely than not that Sairin did the courting! ^_^
(4) Written in response to LiveJournal community Saiun_Challenge prompt "Red".
italics = thoughts; bold= flashback
It took all of Sairin's discipline, honed through years of nerve-wrecking negotiations, to not steal a glance at her husband, who stood just next to her. Keeping her face politely bland was, bizarrely enough, made easier by the two masks facing her.
The exquisitely carved and painted wooden mask she was well-prepared for. Everyone who was anyone in Saiunkoku had heard of the eccentric Ko Kijin who, not long after joining the civil service, had sealed his face from the eyes of the world. Sairin, level-headed and non-fanciful, had always wondered how much of the Minister of Finance's out-of-this-world beauty was truth, and how much was embellished by unreliable memory. Afterall, it had been many years since the world had last seen the legendary beauty of Ko Kijin.
She stopped wondering after meeting her husband. Yushin, in his signature understated way, had quietly confirmed all that had been rumoured about Ko Kijin's beauty. Yushin was not given to exaggerations, and he and Kijin were already close friends before Kijin became the masked man.
And then, the other mask! What could have possessed this man to paint his face white? Resplendent in a deep red outfit rich with gold embroidery, he was magnificent. In his stately carriage, and even right down to that perfectly angled elegant neck, Sairin saw The Red Devil that struck fear in all who were foolish enough to oppose him; The Red Devil known for reducing his opponents to sputtering idiots in just one well-placed sarcastic remark.
Hong Reishin. Head of the Red clan. Minister of Personnel. Eccentric. Disdainful. Inscrutable.
Wait a minute - "inscrutable"!
Surely that's not because his features are obscured by face paint!
I've never heard it said that Hong Reishin paints his face white.
And Yushin's not mentioned that either.
In fact, Yushin rarely talks about THIS other close friend from his student days.
Sairin suppressed a twitch.
Ah! That last thought sounded just a little too bitchy!
Watch it, girl!
Yushin's hand on his walking stick twitched. He was wondering if he should cause some diversion. His wife's non-response to Reishin's greeting was becoming really awkward. Especially as all four people in the room were only too aware of the unavoidable tension of this meeting; the first meeting between a man's new wife and his first love; AND in the presence of their respective partners!
Stealing a glance at his wife, Yushin saw no sign that Sairin was being deliberately rude. He decided not to interfere, and to trust his original instinct to let Sairin handle it her own way.
His gaze shifted to Reishin.
What's with the white face paint?
A new fad?
The capital city is well-known for its decadent fashion statements.
But it really doesn't sound like Reishin to blindly follow fads.
Besides, how could he think he looks good this way!
The white paint completely covers his flawless complexion.
And what was that Kijin said in one of his letters?
Ah yes! The colour red sets off Reishin's complexion to perfection.
This is the first time I've seen Reishin in red.
Some Red Devil he is, all togged out in his best colour, and not letting it do justice to his complexion.
Yushin shrugged and smiled to himself, turning his attention back to his wife.
Behind his wooden mask, Kijin watched the scene in silence.
The silence had become too drawn out to be anything but uncomfortable.
Kijin was surprised. From all that he had heard of Lady Sairin, head of The Sa Province's Merchants' Guild, he had expected her to be polished enough to breeze through the awkwardness.
Kijin was hardly surprised. From all that he had heard, Sairin had proposed to Yushin every year for the past ten years. And then, finally married, only to be introduced to her husband's first love, while on their "working honeymoon" to the capital city. Which woman wouldn't feel insecure under such circumstances?
Which woman in the whole of Saiunkoku would have the gumption to openly court a man? And, on being repeatedly rejected, to carry on treating him in the same open, friendly, but-I-still-want-you manner in their Sa Province dealings? Would such a rare and courageous woman be stumped so easily?
Kijin was not sure if he should be surprised. In a face-off between the renowned Lady Sairin of Sa Province and The Red Devil of the Hong clan, Kijin really wouldn't know what the outcome would be.
That is, the public persona, the formidable Hong Reishin. In the privacy of their bedroom, Kijin had witnessed The Red Devil almost pee in his pants on receiving Yushin's letter to request for this meeting.
And when the appointment was made, Kijin saw his frantic Dumpling stew for a week putting together a suitable outfit. When shown the outfit, Kijin finally let go off his niggling jealousy. Reishin, with his fine eye for colours, had skillfully selected a combination that managed to make his peerless complexion look almost sallow.
But the best wardrobe plans can still go awry.
[Flashback]
Kijin watched in amusement as Reishin picked a piece of whitened charcoal from the brazier, placed it on a plate, and fanned it frantically.
"Really, Dumpling, is this necessary?"
"Of course it is! Do you want me to scorch my face?"
"I meant, is it necessary for you to put charcoal ash on your face?"
"YOU are the one who said I look downright fuckable in this cursed red outfit! That the red makes my complexion radiant with a come-hither glow!"
Shifting the fan from his tired right hand to his left, Reishin continued.
"And YOU are the one responsible for this predicament I'm in! You shouldn't have accepted Yushin's last minute bringing forward of the appointment time to right after the Choga Ceremony. You knew that I HAD to wear this bloody red outfit as the head of the Hong clan! I don't have time to go home to change! It's all your fault! So stop making comments and bring me some water!"
Pouring dribbles of water from a cup onto the pile of white ash as Reishin stirred the mixture with the back of a writing brush, Kijin ventured another comment.
"You know, Dumpling, it's sweet that you don't want to outshine Yushin's wife. But, Lady Sairin is said to be a striking beauty, so …"
Reishin looked up to glare at his lover.
"That is neither here nor there! It's simply not NICE to be decked out like some kind of tart . . ."
"Hmmm . . . strawberry."
". . .what?"
"Strawberry tart. You know, red. Red clothes. Red cheeks . Red lips. . ."
"Stop it. Stop touching me!"
"Blame it on your outfit, my little red devil."
Kijin's elegant hand slipped beneath the red skirt.
"Kijin . . ."
"Red strawberry. I want."
The long fingers searched among the heavy folds of silk.
S-m-a-c-k!
"Ouch! Oh, alright! Wear this outfit tonight, in the bedroom. It turns me on."
Reishin rolled his eyes.
"I don't see that you need any encouragement!"
Reishin felt the heat spread, all the way down his neck. His sense of time would of course be distorted by the tension he was feeling, but even so, he was dead certain that Sairin's lack of response was way past any decent length of time.
He had not expected to be slighted so openly. Hurt and humiliated, Reishin felt the first stirrings of anger in his belly. He felt The Red Devil rising, sharpening its claws, ready to tear its opponent down.
Hold it. Not yet.
This is Yushin's wife.
Repeating his greeting, Reishin watched Sairin's face closely. He saw the intelligent eyes taking HIS measure; registering surprise; narrowing in speculation; leaving his face and scanning the room, and finally, widening with what looked suspiciously like amusement.
What is she doing?
Why is she dipping her silk hankerchief into that cup of water?
It took The Red Devil a full thirty seconds to recover enough to react.
"Yushin! Get your wife off me!"
"Just hold still, Lord Reishin, while I wipe this charcoal ash off."
Sairin's voice, strong and richly-timbred, allowed no argument.
"How did you know . . ."
Reishin's own voice trailed off as strong fingers wrapped around his jaw.
"Good lord, Lady Sairin! Well-brought up ladies do NOT go around touching strange men's faces!"
"If I followed society's dictates on what women must not do, I wouldn't be where I am today, Lord Reishin. There. All done. Now, let me take a look at you."
Still holding Reishin's jaw, Sairin turned his face from side to side.
Reishin blushed furiously, not certain what he was supposed to be doing with his features while he was being examined. No one had ever dared to do this to him!
Sairin laughed.
"You are very beautiful, Lord Reishin, and delightfully docile!"
Kijin snorted.
"He is far from docile, Lady Sairin. Yushin can back me up on that."
Reishin held his breath. He knew where Kijin was coming from, deliberately engaging Yushin. Yushin's conspicuous silence was becoming . . . well, too conspicuous. He noticed it, and now he realized, so did Kijin.
At the mention of Yushin, Sairin released Reishin's jaw, and for the first time since they entered Kijin's office, turned to look directly at her husband.
The tension was palpable. Reishin had difficulty breathing.
Oh please, Yushin, say something!
Kijin may be wrong to call attention to you, but it can't be helped now.
I don't know what's going on, but Sairin's finally looking directly at you.
She's waiting for some response from you.
Buck up, Yushin!
"Indeed, Sairin. You've got The Red Devil eating out of your hands."
Yushin smiled gently at his wife.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, I am. Mostly."
Sairin's smile was uncertain.
She's waiting for some sign from him.
What does she expect him to say, in front of us?
And we can't exactly excuse ourselves – this is Kijin's office!
Meeting us, no, meeting me,
is obviously some kind of test situation.
I wish I knew what Kijin and I are supposed to do now!
"Reishin . . ."
Reishin jumped. He blinked at Yushin nervously.
Laughing softly, Yushin apologized.
"I'm sorry. And to you too, Kijin. We owe you an explanation. I needed to see you again, Reishin, in order to answer Sairin's question. And Kijin, I need to use your table."
Yushin leaned his walking-stick against Kijin's table, and hoisted himself up to sit on the edge. He held his arms open and called out to his wife.
"Come and get me, Sairin."
Kijin reacted by planting himself squarely between the newly-weds.
"Now wait just a minute! What, exactly, are you planning to do on my table?"
Meanwhile, Reishin was unobtrusively clearing the documents off Kijin's table. Yushin twisted around and placed a hand on Reishin's. Reishin lifted his eyes, and looked directly into Yushin's pale green ones.
The last time Reishin looked into those eyes was on the night before Yushin left for the Sa Province. The night Yushin rode piggyback. Reishin recalled the feel of Yushin's breath on his neck, the feel of Yushin's arousal against the small of his back. And looking into those sparkling peridot eyes in front of him, Reishin saw the same memories.
"Reishin, I'm ready to let go, finally."
Yushin's eyes smiled, as he turned away to address Kijin.
"I suppose Reishin must have told you about the piggyback ride that evening?"
Kijin nodded.
"The first time Sairin proposed, my answer to her was that I was nursing an unrequited love. Over the years, the answer morphed into I-can't-be-certain-that-I'm-over-it. This autumn, Sairin proposed, for the tenth and last time. She said it's up to me, I can either wait alone to be certain, or we can do the waiting together. She also said that she will give me my space, and asked if there's anything that we can never do as a couple, so as not to encroach on my memories of my first love."
Yushin smiled fondly, and reached out for Sairin.
Sairin came to stand next to the table, lacing her fingers through his.
"And his answer was that I can not give him a piggyback ride. He finally revealed the identity of his first love. It came as a complete shock. I had always assumed it was a woman. We had a long talk, thrashed some things out, and decided to go for it."
Yushin laughed.
"Not before she made certain, right there and then, that I was physically capable of responding to her! And that was after I had assured her that I do react to her."
"I'm a merchant, sweetheart. A wise merchant always checks his goods."
Kijin laughed the loudest.
"You got off easy, Yushin. You were only checked for function. I was tested for size."
Sairin burst out laughing.
"Really? Now, why didn't I think of that? Anyway, to cut a long story short, Lord Kijin, Yushin's borrowing of your desk is perfectly innocent. He just wanted to use your desk to climb onto my back. It's his romantic way of telling me he's finally over Lord Reishin - by removing the piggyback taboo."
"I hope you meant that metaphorically, Yushin. You surely can't expect a woman to carry you!"
At that, the woman disengaged her hand from her husband's, turned to face Reishin, and very deliberately, cracked her knuckles.
"Wha . . . what?"
Yushin laughed.
"Now you've done it, Reishin. Second offence in one afternoon. Sairin hates being told what a woman can or cannot do."
Kijin intervened.
"Lady Sairin, Reishin's not being discriminatory. He hurt his back previously, carrying me. He's just concerned."
"Relax, Kijin. Sairin wouldn't hurt someone she likes. And it's obvious she's taken to Reishin. She wouldn't have wiped his face otherwise."
"What are you . . ."
Reishin's voice failed him as the ample bosom advanced towards him.
Only to be revived in a cross between a squawk and a scream.
"AIYEEEEEEEEEEE!
Put me down, Lady Sairin! Right now! I insist!
Kijin! Help!"
Kijin walked up to the grinning Sairin, and held out his arms.
"Can I have my red devil back, please?"
The transaction completed, Reishin was surprised that Kijin didn't put him down. He leaned against Kijin's chest and felt the ragged breathing. Turning such that their guests can't see him smile, Reishin whispered against a very hot ear.
"What's wrong? Can't wait till tonight?"
Ignoring Reishin's question, Kijin addressed Sairin and Yushin.
"Can I also have my office back, please? I'm sorry, I have an urgent matter to attend to. I promise we'll meet up again before you leave the capital city."
Yushin chuckled.
"Don't you mean, can you have your table back?"
Sairin grinned in appreciation, before turning to address Reishin.
"Oh, by the way, Lord Reishin, can I see you alone sometime?"
Shrinking against Kijin's chest, Reishin shot back,
"Only if you promise not to carry me, or in any way violate my person!"
"I'll try not to touch you, Lord Reishin."
Sairin turned to walk away from them. A small movement caught her attention. She bent, peered, and whistled softly.
"Oh wow. You're one lucky devil, Hong Reishin."
Kijin grunted, stepped back in haste, and stumbled.
"Touch that and die, Lady Sairin."
Reishin hissed.
"Be careful, dear wife. The Devil is seeing red."
Chuckling, Sairin placed a hand on her husband's knee.
"Come, sweetheart, let's leave Lord Kijin to attend to his urgent, and uh, growing, problem."
Their eyes met, and they burst out laughing.
Yushin climbed onto Sairin's back.
"Oh, and I'll lock your office door on the way out."
Hearing the lock catch, Kijin deposited his purring red bundle on the table. The Red Devil unfurled languidly, the folds of his silk skirt fanning out in a red cascade as his knees parted.
[The End]
FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE SAIUNKOKU MONOGATARI FANDOM
(1) Sairin, together with her twin brother Saicho, made their fortune from scratch.
(2) Yushin and Sairin's "working honeymoon" to the capital city is canon. Yushin, as Assistant Governor of Sa Province, was in Kyo to push for funding for a Sa Province project. Sairin, as head of the Merchants' Guild, was there to discuss the rights to the manufacture of a special luminous paint.
(3) The long-time friendship between Yushin, Reishin and Kijin is canon.