~2~
. .
"Her dress is so pretty," Kobato murmured, a slim finger trailing along white folds of cloth. The bride and her maids would be here any moment, and in the temporary silence of the dressing room, Kobato's sigh echoed all around them.
"What's the matter with you?" Ioryogi sniffed the dress, eyeing it disdainfully before eating another sweet from the refreshment tray. "It's only a long, useless piece of fabric."
"How can you say that!" she cried, whirling about, mouth open in shock. "This is a special dress for a special day…she'll be so happy to wear it."
Ioryogi popped another sweet in his mouth, watching Kobato's downcast eyes carefully.
"You could try it on before her," he chuckled mischievously, but she seemed not to notice his remark and he swallowed uncomfortably, unsettled by her longing gaze.
'Kobato' he started, then thought better of it, knowing that nothing he could say would help her understand her loneliness.
. .