Just want to point out I've changed the rating of this story. The reasons for these are pretty much the reasons I outlined in the author's note last chapter, but still, if you have any opinions on that, please tell me!
Desired Times
1903
Green Eyes
Midori had been trying her best to pretend that time wasn't slowly ticking away, but the brutal honesty of the clock on her wall made that impossibility. Looking at him, she wished it wasn't so. But it is. This is how things always will be.
"Time's almost up, Ryuunosuke." She murmured, untangling her hand from his and sitting up. He sat up too, and looked at her.
"Over already? Really?" Ryuunosuke pushed his fringe aside to rub at his eyes, looking almost mournful. She stifled a laugh as she leaned over to kiss him, and smiled tenderly when they pulled apart. Noticing the pink stain of her lipstick on him, she used her thumb to wipe it off.
"Yes, really. You know the drill by now."
"Yeah, I do." He sighed, and reached for his clothes, heaped carelessly at the end of the bed, and began to put them back on again. Midori did the same with her own clothes, trying to be as slow as possible, hoping that maybe by the time that she was finished that they would be in a different life, one where their time together wasn't so restricted.
As she struggled with the sash of her gown, Ryuunosuke finished buttoning up his shirt, and came over to help, his fingers handling the material deftly. Then, once she had stood up so that he could adjust her skirts for her, he pointed to the chair that stood in the corner of the room, and she went and sat down with it. This, too, had become part of the drill, in a way. It was not every man who took pleasure in combing one's hair, and certainly not in the genuine way that Ryuunosuke had. He's so young, she thought (not for the first time). He shouldn't be in a place like this, with someone like me, not really….
She thought these things as he continued working on her hair, half-listening to his murmurs, half ramblings about things in his life, half poetry. All things she enjoyed listening to. All things that served to remind her why he deserved better, and both why she wanted to keep seeing him, forever and ever, why she wished that the way they knew each other was a different one. She sighed, half-wistful, and then all of a sudden, her thoughts screeched to a halt at something that he had said.
"Who's Rinka?" she asked, pulling away from his hands and turning to regard him with a sudden suspicion. He looked at her blankly for a moment, and then inclined his head. A faint blush crept up his cheeks.
"You, of course."
This had not been the answer she was expecting.
"But that isn't my name-"
"But neither is 'Midori', right? That's just the name you use here."
She blinked at this. He was right. Her real name, the name that had been given to her when she had been an infant nearly thirty years ago, innocent to the ways of the world, was one lost somewhere in the hazy fog of her memories, ones she did not care to look back at. She was Midori now, because of the colour of her eyes, because of how they were her unique feature, her selling point.
"Yes….but why 'Rinka'? Where did that come from?" She eventually responded. This was not the first time that he had surprised her in a good way, but this, to her, seemed the most astonishing of the surprises, by far.
Ryuunosuke fidgeted, and the blush on his cheeks became a little brighter.
"I don't know." He shrugged. "It's pretty, that's all. And it just kind of sounds like it should be your name….."
"Oh." She considered this, ignoring the warm, fluttery feeling spreading across her chest as she did so. A name. He gave me a name. Rinka. She turned the name over in her mind. It was pretty, she could agree with that. She liked how it sounded, especially in his mouth. And she could see its possibilities, could see how it would grow to fit her, to become hers. Perhaps that's who I'd be, if we were in different circumstances.
"Perhaps you could use it here, when you're with me. A secret, if you will." She suggested, the warm feeling growing bigger when he smiled at the idea.
"That seems like a good idea to me….Rinka." He smiled, and then held up the hairbrush, and she settled back in the chair and allowed him to continue.
When they had finished, he picked up his jacket and shrugged it on, before digging into his pocket. Pulling out a wad of money, he carefully counted out what he needed, before putting the rest away. Then, he handed it to her. Silently, she took it and counted through, before nodding, and going over to put it all away, before coming back to see him out of the room.
"So then, I hope you'll be back soon." The same words, every time, delivered with the same matter-of-fact front she put up. But each time, I mean it more.
"As soon as I possibly can." He promised. He gave her a long, long look, as if memorising her, before he slipped through the doorway and headed down the stairs, back to his real life. Midori sighed, and closed the door, and went back across the room to sit in the chair. She glared up at the clock. She could take a few minutes to pull herself together, and she would. She closed her eyes, intending just to relax herself, but all she could think of was Ryuunosuke, his mannerisms and words and the way he always, always managed to surprise her, provide a different view of the world. He was just meant to be a client, the same as any other, but he wasn't. He was far from that. He was careful, and thoughtful, and treated her like a person, not just an object of desire, even as he became more experienced. They talked, actually talked, and though she was woefully ignorant in comparison to him when it came to education, he did not seem to mind. Every one of the girls in this establishment had a favourite client, and he was hers. But over the six months in which he had been coming to her, he had become a lot more than that.
Because she was falling in love.
And she shouldn't be. She could never have an everyday life with him, what with her being what she was and him being a respectable twenty-something-see, I don't even know his exact age, so get over yourself-with a good career and solid prospects for the future. People like her were not supposed to fall in love, not in this business. So she couldn't. But you are. You are. And you need to deal with it.
Sighing, she got up, went to her cupboard and pulled out her make-up box and her perfumes, and sprayed herself so that the next client would not notice the traces of him all over her (though of course, this did nothing for the feelings remaining within her), and fixed her lipstick so that not a single soul would detect the forbidden kisses that she had given him. And then, once she was satisfied that she looked right, she boxed up her thoughts, stored them safe in a corner of her mind, and then went downstairs to continue the night.
…
The next morning, working on the blueprint of the summer home that the Asahina family were hoping to build on the other side of the hill, Ryuunosuke's mind often drifted back to her. To Midori. Or rather, Rinka. It was a pathetic thing to admit, but sometimes, he felt as if she was his only friend in the world. His parents had died years ago, when he was young, and his uncle and his uncle's best friend had overseen his care ever since. And though he enjoyed talking to other architects and designers about the various buildings they were working on (and the clients commissioning them), and though he was aware that he had earnt some respect from the builders who did the actual building, he was not sure who, out of those, he'd consider a friend. As for women…..he was an eligible bachelor, and he had been to many balls and other social events (usually encouraged by his uncle), and though there were many pretty women of marriageable age, he could not force himself to be interested in them.
His uncle didn't press it too much, but clearly worried-especially as he himself was happily married with grown-up children a similar age to him who had married recently. As for his uncle's best friend….well, in a way, the mess his heart was in just thinking of Midori was almost because of him. He also had been encouraging Ryuunosuke to look for a wife, but also teased him about how innocent he still was, and joked about him visiting a brothel so that he'd know how to please his wife, when he did finally get around to being married. Ryuunosuke was aware that the man used brothels himself, not having wanted to remarry after he had become a widower three years back. And for some reason, the jokes had taken root in his mind and one day, after a meeting with a merchant who wanted an extension to his house, he had found himself walking to the Peach Blossom, an establishment he had always ignored until then.
And once there, out of all the girls he could have picked, he had found himself drawn to the severe looking one, the one with her fiery hair and vivid green eyes. Though she was pretty, there were others more distinctive and stunning- a busty woman whose gold hair and big blue eyes made her look foreign, the black-haired girl who looked like she had stepped out of a Heian-era poem, another black-haired girl who was bright and pretty, a brunette who moved with extraordinary nimbleness, and others besides that. But she had seemed….more subtle, somehow, and that had drawn him. And so he had picked her, hoping for….what, he wasn't sure, now that he thought about it. But whatever it was, the reality of her had been better. And now, six months later, here he was, with her constantly on his mind.
But where does this go? These feelings, what do I do with them? He wondered if this could ever be a long-term thing. He would need to settle down at some point, eventually get married, have a child (or hopefully two). Unless he was to be unfaithful, he would have to stop seeing her. But at the same time, in thinking of his future, he could not imagine it without her. Yes, he was a client to her, and yes, she was most definitely a prostitute, but he was sure that the times they had together meant something. It had stopped being about desires of the flesh ages ago, and in that bedroom it was easy to imagine that they were equals, equals who had a life together. Perhaps like a husband and a wife , who loved each other, spending time together on a lazy evening that they had all to themselves….suddenly, he stopped his sketches, and thought. What if…..no, that's impossible…isn't it?
He snagged a piece of paper from a pile of scrap on his desk, and scribbled some notes, random thoughts as he thought them, forming into an idea. It seemed….preposterous. No doubt his uncle and his uncle's best friend would think he had taken leave of his senses. As for the madam at Peach Blossom-Momoka, who tied her hair in a high, bouncy tail that was unusual yet made her seem younger-she seemed to be a friendly, decent person despite her profession, so he knew that she would listen to him…..but whether she'd allow such a thing was another issue completely. But first, ask Rinka, the next time you see her.
Resolute, he folded the piece of scrap paper and tucked it into his pocket, and then returned to sketching out the blueprint. His mind was still full of her, but of course, he did not mind.
…
When Ryuunosuke arrived, she was not free for him. This happened, from time to time. Sure, he was a regular, but he had yet to reach the point where he was able to schedule exact times. He lived in approximations. And though it stung more than he cared to admit, the thought of her with someone else, someone else who did not care for her, who did not think of her as anything more than something to satisfy his needs, who would easily forget her once he had gone. It stung. And yet, it was something he accepted. Because he had to. So as usual, with a small smile and a nod, he allowed himself to be directed into the usual place he waited, the small parlour-like room, and he seated himself. A few moments later, a small serving girl, pink-haired and scowly, came in with tea, which she set out and poured silently for him before leaving again. She looked little more than a child, and he felt a tinge of pity for her, hoping that a serving girl was all that she was.
As he sipped the tea, he looked around him. The room was small, not enough to hold more than a few people, though the wall hangings and other decorations and furniture in the room were all elegant and tasteful, a nod to the successes of the place, he supposed. Of course, he was the only one there, in that particular room. Not that meant there weren't others like him, waiting for a girl to be free. There were other rooms, with other men, all by themselves, waiting. Whether for any girl, or a specific favourite, they were all the same. But of course, they didn't want to see each other, did they? Because as long as they didn't come across each other, they could all still pretend that they were respectable. In a way, that applied to him, too. But perhaps one day soon, that won't. If he was lucky enough, if the plan he had been tentatively sketching out for the better part of a week had some sense to it, then one day, he wouldn't have to come here to find her, because she would be with him. Properly. Building a life.
"Oh, have you not been seen to yet?" The silky, sultry voice startled him, and he almost dropped his tea. The owner of the voice, the busty foreign looking girl-her name, if he had ever heard it, did not come to him- laughed as she slunk in, the reds and golds of her gown clinging to her, complementing the silky hair that was in a loose twist, pinned up by flower-shaped clips.
"Oh my, I apologise, I didn't mean to scare you, sir. I just noticed that this room was occupied and I was wondering…oh!" her eyes widened, as if only just realising something. "You're Midori's regular, aren't you?"
He considered not answering-he didn't like this woman, no matter how objectively attractive she was. But really, there did not seem to be a reason for him to lie to her. So, he nodded, willing her to go away. But of course, she didn't.
"Ah, I knew it. Midori's not available now, don't you know? You might be kept waiting a while."
"That's fine, thank you."
Something flickered in the woman's eyes, but it disappeared, replaced by a warm, engaging smile. Charm. But it was wavering, uncertain, because somewhere, somehow, it seemed she was aware of his lack of interest in her. Yet she was nothing if persistent, striding across the room and sitting next to him. She did not touch him, but was very, very close to it.
"Are you sure? I'd do whatever you want me to do." She almost purred. "Anything."
She leaned forward a little more, emphasising the creaminess of her partially exposed shoulders and chest. Her eyes, so blue, fluttered. They were a good colour, that much was true. But it was green he preferred. The flashing, sharp,
No, I don't think so.
She reared back suddenly, and Ryuunosuke stared at her in surprise, before realising that he had said that aloud. He blushed a little at that, but didn't look away. He meant it, after all. The woman stared a few moments, and then her lip curled as she stared at him in derision.
"Precious, aren't you?" she almost spat at him. "Do you fancy yourself in love with her or something?"
Ryuunosuke had to use everything he had to prevent himself from recoiling, but something in his face must have shown, for the woman seemed to become even more contemptuous. But before she could say anything, they were interrupted by Momoka poking her head around the door, looking stern.
"Rina-Chan! There you are. What are you doing there?"
"It's Irina." The woman –whatever her name was-pouted. Momoka gave her a hard look.
"And I've told you over and over not to bother the waiting guests if they don't want to be bothered, Rina-Chan. " the madam continued, unfazed. "But we'll have another talk, later. Right now, you're needed now, we've got some new customers, and I've just recommended you to them."
Rina's expression changed rapidly at that, going from scowly to pleased. Getting up, she smoothed her skirts and smiled serenely, and inclined her head at the both of them before leaving the room, though not before shooting one more hard look at Ryuunosuke. Once she had gone, Momoka sighed.
"I am very, very sorry about that. Is there anything that we can get for you, while you wait for Midori-Chan?"
He shook his head.
"It's fine. But….can I ask you something?"
"Sure….." Momoka regarded him curiously.
"Do….any of your girls ever leave?"
This made Momoka frown at him, but she answered anyway.
"Well, sure. Some move away, to other places. This place hasn't been around long enough for anyone to be old enough to retire, but when they do, that'll become an option. Then of course, when you die, you leave, that's pretty inevitable. And if any of my girls were to become with child, then I would need to rearrange their living situation for a while….why do you ask?"
"Would you allow them to leave if say, they were wanting to get out of this…business altogether. To get married, for example?" he asked, instead. Momoka's face cleared, and she nodded slowly.
"Ah, I see. This is about Midori-Chan, isn't it? I see. Well now." She smiled broadly at him for a moment, which made him squirm, though he knew she was being friendly, before she turned serious again.
"Midori-Chan's a good girl, you know. Very good. I wouldn't like to lose her, you understand….but…have you asked her, what she would want to do?"
"I…I was going to. " he answered, carefully. Momoka levelled a careful look at him. Whatever she saw, it seemed to be something that she approved of, for she smiled again.
"Well then. You're aware, aren't you? Of where the office is?"
He nodded. He thought he did, in any case.
"In that case, before you leave, come there, and we can see if we can reach a suitable agreement. Anyway, I will leave you in peace, and she should be down soon. "
Momoka strode out, brisk and no-nonsense, her ponytail bouncing, and she closed the door behind her. Ryuunosuke looked at his tea. As he had expected, she had been willing to listen. Seemed to like the idea, even. But whether that translated into what he wanted, was still uncertain. But it won't matter, if that isn't what she wants. If she would much rather stay here, the way things are. Ah….he sighed, setting the cup down. He was not sure what he'd do, if that turned out to be the case. He just had to hope , hope that what he thought they had was real enough. Rinka…
The door opened again, and he looked up. And she was there, almost as if his thinking of her had conjured him there. She was wearing purple today, her hairpins butterfly-shaped. It suited her, but to his mind, everything did. He got up, and crossed the room so that he was facing her.
"I'm, um, sorry I kept you waiting. Shall we go up now?"
"Of course."
…
"Midori-san, you seem happy."
Midori just raised an eyebrow at that, and continued her breakfast. Yukiko, however, was persistent underneath her serenity.
"Did something particularly good happen, last night?"
"Perhaps. "
"Ah, ah, it's that guy who's been coming here for a little while now, you know, that one who we all thought was strange because of how he didn't even bother to look at Rina-san! It's gotta be him!" a girl said eagerly, waving her chopsticks around to get the attention.
"It's Irina." Rina spouted irritably through a mouthful of rice. Clearly, she'd be going straight back to sleep after eating. As usual, everyone ignored her. They were all used to Rina's attempts to seem as foreign and as exotic as possible. It didn't help that her colouring was natural.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. But anyway, Midori-san always looks happier when he comes. Right?"
Midori did not feel the need to answer this, so she didn't. Not that stopped Yukiko and the other girl from speculating about it.
"Ah, that's true. I'm a little jealous; actually, he's so young and seems very kind."
"I know, right? If only all of them were like that! I always seem to get the difficult ones!"
"We get what we get, I suppose, though. But still, this is different, I can tell."
"Different how? Different techniques? Or maybe, did he give you a gift? Can we see it?"
Midori shook her head. The future isn't a thing. Not like a necklace or a length of silk. But even if I'd been given something like that, I wouldn't want to share it. From across the table, Rina snorted.
"Sweet words, was it? Promises, whispered in your ear, a pretty reward for what he's already paid for anyway? "
Rina's voice was silky, but the words she formed were hard, sharp, and she physically felt them. The chattering fell silent, and even those of the girls who hadn't been speculating about her now turned to stare. Midori's chopsticks clattered as they slipped out of her hand, and she didn't have time to catch them.
"Are you alright?" Yukiko asked, her whisper almost inaudible. Midori couldn't bring herself to respond. Rina just grinned contemptuously.
"Do you think about doing something else? Or going somewhere else?"
"Huh?" she studied his face. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, something….other than here. A different sort of life. Unless…." He moved his hand to her hair, twirling it around his fingers idly, still directly staring at her. "Are you happy here, Rinka?"
She blinked. That was a question and a half. And she had a million responses she could give, half-truths and vague statements to fob him off. She had dispensed them many times, when certain men had become too inquisitive. She was not about to do that this time, not when he was looking at her like that.
"It's not a matter of happiness."
"Then what is it?"
"This is all I know. It would be madness to leave. Where would I go, and what would I do? Nobody wants a woman with blackened virtues to be a part of their family and bloodline, or to work for them."
"You're not blackened. You….haven't done anything wrong!"
"I think the rest of the world would disagree with you, Ryuunosuke-kun. But, I love you for saying that."
His mouth opened slightly in astonishment, cheeks turning slightly pink in that endlessly endearing way, and it took her a moment to realise what she had said, and she went red, covering her hands with her hands.
"Please, disregard what I just said. That was out of turn and….oh!"
"If you had a choice, would you be here?" his hands curled around hers, pulling them down, before he edged closer, leaned his forehead against hers. She focused on those touches, those tangible things, trying to keep herself grounded. He repeated his question again, gently. She took in a shuddery breath, and answered.
"No. No, I wouldn't."
"There you go then." He sounded sure of himself, with all the innate confidence of the young, and it made her giggle, a little. This made him go even pinker.
"Uh, erm…."
"What is this, more questions for me?" she laughed. He nodded at that, and there was something in the gesture that had her sobering.
"Go on, then."
There was a moment in which he looked down, at their entwined hands, the messed bedcovers, the tiny, tiny space between them, and then he took a deep breath, and met her eyes again.
"If you had the choice to, and you wanted to go somewhere else, would you like….to be….to be with me?"
Aware of everyone staring, Midori steeled herself, and stared Rina down, trying to match fire with fire, as it were.
"What makes you think you know what you're talking about?" she asked, barely controlling herself. Rina laughed.
"I knew it! You probably fancy yourself in love, or something like that, when all of us here know full well there's no such thing, and we shouldn't fall for it. Look at us! All of us, women reduced to selling our bodies because we don't belong in any other place. Do you honestly, honestly think that we can have the other things that good, normal women have? No, we cannot. Whatever we do, or try to do, no matter how much we try to pretend that isn't so, we're tainted. We don't fall in love, people don't fall in love with us, and anyone who tries to say otherwise is lying."
"Rina-san, that's a bit out of order…." Yukiko hesitantly put in, after studying the both of them.
"Tch, no, I'm just saying the truth. We all know it, don't we? Whatever that man's said to you, don't expect it to be true. We all know how it goes here-anything to satisfy them, make them feel like they're in control. They don't want lives or relationships with us, and if you're planning to run away or something, then quit while you're ahead, won't you?"
Midori gritted her teeth, and looked down. She thought of him, his face and mannerisms and voice, how unsure and afraid and hesitant he had been at the start. Concerned, gentle, asking at every turn if he was hurting her or not. She remembered how, after the fourth or fifth time, when she had asked him what he had wanted to do, he turned the question back around on her, and had been so extraordinarily insistent she answered with something other than a fudging 'whatever you want' until for the first time in her life, she got to discover what she liked instead. She thought of how he enjoyed helping her to dress and brushing her hair. This is real, it is real. And, it's something I want. He asked me what I wanted, and it was that. She supposed she could understand Rina, in a way-when had their wants and needs ever come into anything, beyond the food and accommodation and clothes that Momoka provided for them as part of the business? But…
"Midori-san, is this true? Are you in love with that young man?" one of the other girls delicately asked.
Rinka. It's Rinka. That's what he calls me. Perhaps naming someone was akin to owning them, but again, the choice had been there. It had been there. And that was where she wanted to go, if she could go anywhere at all. She sighed, but did not answer, causing the girls to chatter amongst themselves.
"That's a bit unprecedented."
"I could never do that though. No matter how nice they are, I always remember what we are, at the end of the day."
"Though I pretend it sometimes, since they, you know, fantasize about it, having a woman in their thrall, especially if that's not the case in reality."
"That's completely different."
"More to the point, won't she get into trouble with Momoka-sama, if she heard something like that?"
"Who's going to get into trouble, and for what?"
Momoka came in at that point, and they all fell silent again. Midori looked up, but only slightly, as Momoka regarded them all, taking in the breakfast scene. When her eyes met Midori's, they seemed to soften, but also size her up. Midori blinked in astonishment, wondering what to make of that. Is that….could it be?
"Well now. Are you going to answer me?"
"It's Midori. I think she's forgetting herself in relation to one of our guests."
"Ah, is that so, Rina-Chan?" though Momoka smiled, as perkily as usual, her voice was steely. They all trembled at it.
"Don't worry yourself on that count. In any case, should you not be resting now? You have obviously finished your breakfast. The same goes to the rest of you, actually. Do you expect the kitchen staff to come out here and clean up after you?"
"I'll take these to Chisa-san and Ayana-san then…" Yukiko got up, bowed quickly in Momoka's direction, and started to do just that, clearly eager to leave. The girl she had been chatting to earlier also got up to help her, and then the rest began to drift out, not liking the atmosphere in the room.
"But, Momoka-sama-"
"But nothing, Rina-Chan. "Momoka interrupted. "I know what I am doing- remind me, who is running this place?"
"Y-You are." Rina muttered. Momoka nodded once.
"Exactly. You concentrate on your job, and yours alone. It's not any of your concern what Midori-Chan is doing or not doing in regards to her clients. So I'll instruct you to stay out of it. Especially after yesterday. Understood?"
Rina stared, quaking in rage, looking as if she wanted to rip apart the room. She shot a venomous look at Midori, but realised that an answer was needed.
"Yes."
Momoka nodded, satisfied, and then dismissed Rina with a flick of her hand. She practically scurried away, so shamed she appeared to be, but not before giving Midori another look that sent chills right to her bones. Clearly, they were not finished. She'd need to stay out of the way.
"Now then, Midori-Chan." Gentler now, Momoka placed a hand on Midori's shoulder, making her flinch heavily. Searching her face for disapproval, she was surprised to see none-just a weary resignation.
"I think you'll have been asked something pretty significant last night by a certain someone. Did you say yes to him?"
Searching the madam's face, Midori decided to risk it.
"I did."
"Ah, I thought so. In that case then, we'll need to have a talk, won't we? Arrangements need to be made, after all. "
"I….I'm sorry, I don't understand, Momoka-sama."
"What? Midori-Chan, do you really think that there's any use for me to have a girl who so clearly doesn't want to be here? You're not the obvious favourite of Peach Blossom, but those green eyes are pretty popular, and so it will be a heavy blow on me….but…well, I pride myself on being fair. So, we have negotiations to make. Your young man's paved most of the way for you, actually. "
"I…."
I knew it. I knew this was real.
"Come on then. We haven't got all day, you know."
"Yes, Momoka-sama."
She followed, quickly, not wanting to let go of this, this chance that had been afforded to her.
…
"You've fallen in love. I can see it all over your face."
"I…Maehara-san?" Over his cup of tea, he gawped at the face of his uncle's best friend, who just laughed.
"Child, call me Hirohito, I keep telling you to."
"Uh, right…" he nodded to appease the man, but despite having known him from childhood, it was hard to get past such entrenched habits. This one wasn't one he saw changing any time soon.
"But anyway, this isn't about me, it's about you. So then, who's the lucky girl? Might I have met her before?"
"Uh…" Ryuunosuke's mind scrambled. It was one thing to go through with things, but to actually say he was doing so to one of the two men who had brought him up.
"Her name is Rinka." He eventually said. As always, her face flashed in his mind. Perhaps he should have used the name she went by more frequently, but that was not who she was. At least, not to him.
"Oho! On first name terms already. This seems promising for you, Ryuunosuke. Really promising. What's her family name, then?"
When he didn't respond, Maehara nodded soberly.
"Ah, I see. Or, I think I see."
"Y-You do?"
"Well, I have a few different scenarios in my head, so I am not sure, but I suppose yes. This is going to be interesting, either way. Where does she live?"
Oh, to hell with it.
"Peach Blossom."
Maehara barely blinked, instead taking a long, deep sip of tea.
"Well, that narrows down the scenarios. It doesn't surprise me, that you'd make your first love this messy. How….serious is it?"
Again, he didn't respond, and again, Maehara nodded soberly.
"I see. Well now….Yuu is going to worry, but he'll come around to it. I don't think you're the first or the last to have been in a situation like this."
"I…you are not angry at me?"
"Why would I be?" Maehara answered. "We are humans, that's all. In any case, that would be hypocritical of me."
"But still….."
"Tell me about her. Tell me what it is about her that has you this dazzled, and the sum you need."
"Wait, how did you know that….." Ryuunosuke trailed off as Maehara laughed and laughed at that.
"Child, it's obvious. Not just from the fact your girl works at a brothel, but it's all over your face. I told you that. I can see your feelings as clearly as if you'd admitted it to me before the asking. You intend on sticking by her for life, whatever happens. I'd planned much the same myself, you know, with Hinata. That just ended sooner than I expected. So, tell me, all of it. And then I will help."
And so, Ryuunosuke did.
…
The days went by, and on both sides, arrangements and plans were made to allow the changes that would come, to allow their new lives to begin. On Ryuunosuke's side, Midori knew things were quieter and easier for so many of the obvious reasons-money, being a man, family connections, love and support. For her….it was quieter, for really, technicalities aside, she had no real circle to speak of. But at the same time, it was noisier. More annoying, more abrasive. She was a curiosity, something to gawk at. Though she could not rightly say she'd had friendships with any of the other girls, and only really remembered a few names, there had been some she'd liked and had enjoyed talking with, during the times their abnormal hours allowed it- breakfast, the middle of the afternoon, the moments in the early morning when the last person had been kicked out and they were dealing with all of that. There had been happiness here. But now even that was drifting away, and she felt herself set apart from them.
But perhaps it had been that way, all along. And Midori supposed she could live with it. It was just Rina, really. Rina with her vicious words and potent jealousy.
"You silly little girl, what makes you think you have the right?"
Words hissed at her only the evening before, as they got ready for opening. A continuation of their discussion (which quite frankly had not been a discussion), which she had ignored, as usual. But now, here, in the early hours of the morning, as she was supposed to be getting some sleep, it haunted her, and she twisted around, trying to get comfortable, trying to get some peace.
What if this really is pointless? What if I am doomed to be like this, always and forever? She didn't want to believe it, didn't want to think it. But of course, she didn't know, did she? No matter how hardened to the world she was, how used she was to this life, she didn't have a clue about most things. But he's the same, isn't he?
Just thinking of him, just having his face appear in his mind, calmed her instantly. They were the same, in a way. Different in many ways, not least his catalogue of privileges, but they had things in common. This new life, they'd be navigating it together. So no matter what Rina or anyone like her said, she'd be fine. So she focused on him, thought only of him and the future. Ah, it's strange, being in love like this. But I'm more than fine with that. Because I couldn't have picked anyone better.
And it was with these thoughts and images that she fell asleep, not realising that it would be the last time she'd ever think of anything, ever.
…
As usual, when the evening came, he set off on foot to Peach Blossom, but with a different objective in mind. Finally, finally, the last details had fallen in place, and he had enough money to pull them off, and so today was going to be the last day he'd ever need to visit this place. And the last time she would ever need to be there. Everything that we've been waiting for. He was almost as nervous as he had been the first time he'd ended up in front of the place, prompted by teasing and random suggestion. Please, let nothing go wrong, please….
His thoughts, whizzing their way all over the place, drew to a halt as he reached his destination. Because something was different. There were policeman, cordoning off the place, a gaggle of onlookers either standing there and staring blatantly or just sneaking glances as they went about their own business that evening. Judging and sneering, no doubt. What do you know? What would you know, of someone like Rinka? But what was most disturbing was the girls and Momoka, clustered off to the side, looking anxious, exchanging whispers, staring wide-eyed. Looking said. The little pink-haired serving girl was there too, standing slightly behind Momoka, a clutching to the hand of a blue-haired serving boy who only looked slightly older than her. His eyes scanned the group, looking for one person only, but not seeing her.
Ignoring the stares and whispers, he advanced forward to the group, not coming so close such that the policemen could complain, but close enough that he could hear what was going on, whatever it was.
"Ah, what's happening here? What's….what's going on?"
"It's a murder, a murder, sir." One of the girls spoke up hesitantly, only to be shushed violently by the rest of the girls, who huddled closer. Well, except for Rina, who only gave him a cool look before pointedly avoiding his eyes, pretending to be absorbed in the structure of the building across the road. Not that there was anything particularly spectacular about it-he should know. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that no matter how much he searched the group of girls, he did not see that familiar pair of green eyes. He did not see her. And the absence of her was making something spike in his heart.
"A…a murder?" he asked, choking on the words. Momoka gracefully came forward and walked to him, arching an elegant eyebrow at the policeman who came forward to object, sending him retreating for the moment.
"I'm afraid so…" The spiking turned into churning as he stared at Momoka, whose hand came up to her mouth. There was something practised about the gesture, but he could not mistake that look of sorrow in her eyes.
"I am so sorry, young man. I don't know how it could have happened on my watch…."
"I…I don't understand. I don't understand what you mean."
But he did. He knew that there could only be one reason for this, the entire spectacle, the huddle, the absence of her and her eyes. There could really only be one cruel, ruthless reason.
And he knew it.
ARGHHH. I know, it's been a month since updates, more than that, even. I did say that this was a side project, but even so, I apologise for that. Anyway, uhm, in some ways, this was an awkward chapter to write, not least because of the messy topic of prostitution...as much as I did some historical research, this was one thing I didn't research because, well, I honestly was not comfortable with having that in my search history, even if awkward searches are part-and-parcel of being a writer. I just looked at things that I'd already come across before that dealt with the theme, even if in a tangential way and used those things to inform how I wrote this so yeah...
And also, another reason this was awkward is I don't write smut/lemon-type scenes, just imply them, which becomes weird in this sort of setting (which makes me wonder, why did I have this idea in the first place?!). Yet at the same time this was one of the most emotionally charged chapters, and I enjoyed writing it a lot. I really did get into the heads of these past-version ChibaHaya. I like to think it was worth it, in the end, because of that.
But I'll shut up for now, and will try (key word here: try) to bring the next update sooner. In the meantime, feedback would be much appreciated!
