SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 7 out, this is Chapter 8 of this fic. (Sighs) Come on, guys and girls; is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this on your favorited list?
Disclaimers: I own neither Sailor Moon nor Samurai Champloo. But I do own the pairing, I hope.
Chapter 8: Unexpected Intervention, the Shogunate's Son
Jin and Yukina had agreed to meet up at the moon-viewing festival, where couples would pair up to gaze at the full moon.
All the girls were stunned to see the ornately dressed-up samurai weave through the crowd, his eyes sharp as the blades he carried. Jin had plainly ignored any female who waved to gain his attention as he only wanted to find Yukina in the crowd, before he spotted her under a dangling willow branch.
The couple, having met up, sat under the willow on the tatami mat with a plate of Tsukimi dango and roasted chestnuts between them; Yukina giggling when Jin started reciting a series of Tanka love poetry to her.
Just as the samurai ended his last verse, a lavishly-dressed male burst out from between the willow branches, a train of servants trailing after him. He drooled when he saw Yukina, his eyes leering at the maiko.
Jin clutched his fists, only to have Yukina tug at his sleeve and the couple left the scene.
And who was the male, you ask; well, he's the youngest son of the Shogunate. Upon finding out where Yukina lived, he deployed a matchmaker to the geisha house the next day, knocking on the door with boxes of silver ingots and expensive jewellery.
"Congratulations, Kamiko-sama!" the elderly matchmaker gushed. "Yukina-san is very lucky to have such an unparalleled man for a husband! I promise you'll cry with joy once you learn of his name; he is none other than the youngest son of our beloved Shogunate!"
"I thank the Shogunate's son for favouring the humble abode and I thank you for being the go-between." Kamiko gave the matchmaker a faint smile. "But we cannot agree to this match, for Yukina is already promised to someone else."
When the betrothal attempt fell through, the Shogunate's son grew anxious, and continued to press his proposal to Kamiko by using more influential personnel as his go-between. Heck, the last matchmaker even promised to have a white jade bridge built, along with gold bricks paving the road and a pearl-studded palanquin to carry the bride to the Shogunate's castle, if only they would agree to the match.
At that point, Yukina interjected, "Please report back to the Shogunate's son: you will not be able to buy a pure and true heart with ordinary jewellery. I will only marry him if he has the ability to have fifteen moons rise from the west and set in the east! If he continues to insist, I will commit jigaki (female ritual suicide)!"
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.
