Today's moon was beautiful. Its clear shape and golden light, both expressing essences of beauty kept in it. It was so beautiful that I could pass days just by gazing at it.

Suddenly I hung my head low, taking a sip of my sake. I sighed, releasing a long deep breath.

"Only twelve days left" I murmured

Yes … twelve days left. I sighed once again. I couldn't stand it when something precious was being wasted. Even though she was not mine, but … I just can't think straight when I knew it would happen. It's all felt so wasteful, using thing not for its own real purpose.

I gazed at the moon again with sorrow in my eyes.

If the moon could speak, maybe I could find the answer I have been searching for.

I took another sip of the sake. Even though its night time right now, the summer heat still got into me. The yukata I wear is no use at all. It could not make me felt better.

All I could think right now was that Geisha. Once twelve days passed, her fate will be decided whether she liked it or not. How pitiful. It was like trampling a beautiful rose, turning it dirty and tainted. Even If she wanted to oppose, this thrash like town won't show mercy. Her fruitless effort would only lead to another disaster to her. It was better to shut your mouth and obediently follow your fate when it was decided. Not even I could escape from the grip of this town.

Within this town's rule, a full-fledged Geisha got two options once they have progressed within one year. They would be moved to another town or someone would buy them as their personal Geisha. And now, 12 days left before their new life set upon them. For common Geisha, they might still able to prolong their life as a Geisha. But as for popular Geisha, it was 100% someone will buy them. Therefore they could already predict what would happen to them. That goes for the Red Rose Geisha, the most popular girl in this town.

One pink petal come through my window and floated on my sake, snapping me back to reality. I changed my sight towards the great tree, in which this town called it "Miracle Tree". Sakura tree was supposed to bloom only once a year in spring, but this big one was different from other. It bloomed regardless of the season. It said miracle could perform if we wish under the tree, I wonder it is true or not.

1st Day

The moonlight illuminates my heart
The dance of the burning flowers is my guide sign

The poem of the intertwining mistakes binds my chest

I reach my hands into the endless river and let them drift
The words filled with thoughts are dyed indigo

The Geisha sang once more tonight, when the moon reached its highest peak. Just like a little red rose which grew under the illumination of the moon. The vine stretched out along with the petals which blossoming. With its crimson petal glowing faintly within the darkness of the night, it showed it essence of elegance within the vast field. Little do I knew about the rose, from far it was very beautiful yet when you get closer you would saw thorn sticking out from the vine. The thorn was meant for protection so that no one would try to pick it up. Although it should knew well the nature of human, the more you forbid them, the more they want to do it. It was useless to tell them.

Nagone Mako, The Red Rose, she was truly amazing. Even after performing for 4 days in a row, there was no hint of tiredness on her face. Not only that, her musical art didn't waver at all, instead it became better than before. Everyone who listened to her could felt it, a strong emotion radiating within her voice. It charm your heart, once you listen to it, you will felt that only her song exist right now.

The more she showed her superb art, the more I remember about how many days left for her. Today mark the 1st day of the beginning of her fate. It meant she only got 11 days left. Poor girl, once today performance ends, she was going to entertain the man who paid for her tonight. Was that the meaning of Geisha? To entertain man at night? Deep inside my heart I deny very much that way of thinking, they were not tools for men, they were artist. But no one agree with me, I clenched my fist in fury, trying my best to maintain my hatred.

...

The performance was done for today, I was walking along the lonely hall on the way to my home before I heard a sweet yet polite voice calling me softly from behind. As I turned around, my eyes open wide a bit at someone who just called me.

"I am sorry for my rudeness, but May I ask you to help me?" finish saying, Mako bowed down, showing her sincerity.

The smile on her face along with her slim figure wearing kimono as she raised her head strikes me. I covered my mouth with my hand and looked another way to hide the red signal on my face being seen. I always saw her from afar, but I never thought there was so much difference when she was in front of me Somehow this girl was radiating more charm than usual, if I was not careful, I might lose my sense.

"What is it?" I tried to maintain my voice to normal, even though right now I was unstable. Slowly, I let down the hand which was covering my mouth.

"Umm … actually … "the girl hung her head low, hiding her face from my sight.

"Please come in" she said as she slid open the flower patterned sliding door, letting me in inside The Flower Room

Usually, The Flower Room was a place where The Geisha entertain the man which paid for them. In which it brought me to a question: "How could it become like this?"

I didn't pay for her tonight and definitely I didn't have that much money to let her entertain me. So what am I doing here? Everything goes back to her sudden request.

Apparently, she asked me to pretend as a man who paid for her tonight. You could say it was a special service for someone like me. While other people pay, I could have her without paying. That's why I was invited to this room. The reason was a bit awkward for me though, she just said it was because she needed it in order to let other Geishas know that she was unavailable tonight.

"It is my pleasure to entertain you" she kneeled down directly and bowing with her head touching the ground while both her hands in front of her head.

I never saw how a Geisha act directly like this, it make me flinched since this was my first time seeing it. The way she greet people like this was commonly called "Dogeza", the gesture of formal greeting for Japanese people by kneeling down and bow while your head touched the ground.

It does not take long before she raised her head and smiled at me. It just made me blush harder whenever her face enter my sight and reached my brain. Guess you can't saw scenery like this every now and then.

She shifted closer and sat beside me, at the same time, pouring sake to my glass. I don't know if she did it on purpose or not, but as she poured sake to my glass, her thigh was revealed so much. I could saw her snow colored skin very close. And if I switched my sight to her, her loose kimono reveal her chest a bit. The crimson crawled back to my face, I tried my best to hide it, but on the corner of my eye, I could saw her giggling at me.

"What are you gonna do within this 11 days?" I tried my best to change the atmosphere, don't know whether this would work or not.

The question seemed to have an effect on her, although with forced smile, I realize she do felt disturbed with it.

"I think, I will just do the thing same like usual. Nothing gonna change even if I did something out of ordinary" she said while she poured another sake.

I took another sip on the sake, "How could you be so calm while your fate is decided by others?" I stated

Mako shook her head, "It was decided already"

Her bold answer lit a bit of flame inside me, I put down the glass I held and stare at her, "You will do anything for your customer, right?"

"I will" she answered without hesitation.

I took the bottle from her hand and gently pinned her down. Both my hands locked her wrist, while our face staring at each other. Her face showed Percy expression, like she was born for this. I hated it, hate it very much. My tongue stuck out, licking from her collarbone to her neck which resulting with her moan.

My head was buried on her neck, and I could felt her hand wrapped on my back. Done with the tongue, I nibbled the silk soft like skin on her neck, savoring it like I was eating ice cream.

While my mouth was busy with her neck, my hand was busy rubbing her thigh. The blood beneath her skin made my hand warm when touching it. I rubbed it up and down slowly, while my tongue came to play again, sliding viciously from her neck towards her jaw, leaving a trail of saliva along the way. Each time I rub, lick or nibble, it would always reply with soft moan coming from her mouth. But rather than moan, it sounded more like a whimper of abandoned puppy in my ears.

Once my tongue reached her jaw, I locked both her wrist again with my hands. I pushed myself up a bit, so that I could still look at her from close distance. My eyes were locked on her pretty face. I draw out one of my hand and rubbed her cheek gently. Started from her forehead, her cheek and lastly to her chin. Crimson color appeared on her face more as I kept rubbing it.

My finger rested on her chin. Slowly with small strength I lifted her face closer to mine. It made her felt a bit scared somehow when I lifted her face. As our distance already close enough, I left one kiss on her cheek. And Get up, ending all the process I have done.

The little princess which still lying on the tatami could not caught up with my action, leaving confused expression on her face along with red shade color. She never thought I would stop. I sit on the tatami while offering my hand at her. Although confused, the geisha took my hand and slowly I lifted her up.

"Let's get out of here, the view outside is better than inside this cramped place" I said while looking into her eyes

"Eh? But-"before she could said anything further, I cut her off, "You will do anything I want right? "With that statement, I silenced her from saying anything further.

It does not take long before we were standing under a giant sakura tree, the "Miracle Tree". At night the petals falling from the tree were glowing in pink color beautifully, as those petals fell down, the wind carried them towards the sky.

"It's so beautiful" she said while looking at the tree

"It is. Do you know how long sakura could live?" I asked

"One week" she replied

"Yeah, but for this one he got more than one week to live. He sure is greedy" I stated

Mako giggled hearing my statement, "Maybe it because he got his own reason" she said

"For example, like he want people to look at him" I replied while waving at the tree

"It could be, but I think he want someone to acknowledge him"

I grow silent when she said that, perhaps she knew that what I was talking about was not referring to the tree.

"Acknowledge … does it really that important" I whispered, hoping she won't heard it. But based on her reaction, I realize she heard my words.

"Nero-dono…" Suddenly she turned towards me and smiled once again, "will you listen to my song?"

Disclaimer : I do not own the song or Vocaloids

Song : Aizome by Mamiko Noto