Chapter 10: Proposal
"Dr. Toya, it is pleasant to see you this morning. May I inquire after what brings you here?" Mr. Hideyoshi said agreeably over a cup of tea. He surveyed the man in front of him. Dr. Toya was an older gentleman possessing both graying hair and thin wrinkles. He stood tall at approximately 182 centimeters, and was slightly built considering his frame.
"It is nice that you have received me so warmly this early in the morning," Dr. Toya replied with a slight bow of his head. He took a sip of tea; his penetrating eyes flickering up from the cup to gaze over at Mr. Hideyoshi.
"Oh, you're too polite. After all these years of providing us with wonderful service, Toya, I would expect us to speak less formally than we do."
Dr. Toya smiled, placing his cup down. He looked clearly anxious about something, Mr. Hideyoshi noted to himself. "Is there something wrong, Doctor?" he asked, concerned.
"No. No. It's just, well, even despite having done this once before – I suppose no one really becomes an expert on the matter when they only do it once every 50 years or so… But, now I've digressed. You see, as I was trying to say, pardon my anxiety. It's just I've become very fond of one of your hostesses from afar…"
Mr. Hideyoshi chucked in reply. "You mean Aya? She's served you quite a few times if I recall correctly, so I would hardly call your fondness from 'afar'."
"No," Dr. Toya interrupted softly. "Aya is a very lovely girl, but I do not think she is suitable for the purposes I have in mind."
At these words, Mr. Hideyoshi reflexively straightened his posture. The color and expression quickly drained from his once rosy and lively countenance. Now, the lines of his face tightened, and his once soft blue eyes deadened. This sudden change in appearance, however, was not lost on Dr. Toya, who paused momentarily to cautiously observe the man seated in front of him before continuing.
"While Aya's company is never dull, I must admit that she, herself, is quite wild for my tastes when looking for a wife."
Mr. Hideyoshi's expression grew icy as he inhaled a cold sharp breath. "I see. You have found someone here at the Serenity House who you think will suit you well as a wife?"
"Indeed," Dr. Toya said, averting his gaze to the mat in front of him. "I think Hisana would make a suitable wife."
Mr. Hideyoshi held his breath for a moment, comprehending what the man was asking. His jaw reflexively tightened, and his lips curved downward into a frown. "Hisana?"
"I would gladly pay off any debt she owes to the House," he began but was quickly cut off.
"I own no one. They may choose to go and be with whomever they wish. They are not indentured servants."
Dr. Toya lifted his gaze, hoping he had not offended Mr. Hideyoshi too terribly. "What I mean to say is that I wish for Hisana's hand in marriage."
Mr. Hideyoshi lifted his head and glanced down at the man, unconvinced.
"Hisana is frail as I'm sure you are already well aware. Her previous brush with death and whatever else she experienced during her absence will leave her in constant need of medical attention I am sure." Dr. Toya lowered his head as he spoke the words. "I will always make sure she is provided for in whatever manner I can."
Hideyoshi couldn't deny that the good doctor made an attractive offer. Hisana's health had never been terribly wonderful, and being married to a well established man would prove beneficial. Dr. Toya was also well respected and well-mannered. She would be offered a secure life if nothing more.
"I," Hideyoshi began, trying to find the appropriate response. "I will not block your hand if you wish to propose to Hisana. However, it will have to be her choice."
Dr. Toya nodded in agreement. "I expected nothing more."
Mr. Hideyoshi's eyes trailed to the floor, and his heavy white brow furrowed as he thought the matter over. "When do you plan on…"
"When she returns to work. I will request her services and ask her then."
"She will be…" 'Heartbroken,' Mr. Hideyoshi wanted to say, but stopped himself. "She will be delighted, I am sure."
"Her delight in response to my proposal is desirable, but I am a pragmatic man, Mr. Hideyoshi. My only hope is that she will accept."
Closing his eyes, Mr. Hideyoshi meditated on the matter once more. "She returns to work today."
"But, it's only been a day since I saw her!" Dr. Toya's exclamation was low.
"She can be very willful, Doctor."
"I suppose that is a trait inherit in most women."
Mr. Hideyoshi smiled in reply. "It is."
---
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Azumi asked as she worriedly examined her friend.
"I feel fine, really. I think being confined to my room is more of a hinder than a help," Hisana replied, taking her place at the breakfast table.
"But you were so ill, Hisana. And then only last night you were retrieved by one of the local officers due to your sleepwalking."
Hisana furrowed her brow befuddled by this. "I had been caught sleepwalking?" Even though she could not remember such an incident, it did explain why she had woken up feeling stiff and sticky.
"Yes! I suppose you wouldn't remember now would you?"
"No. Not at all. Who brought me back?"
"Some female officer, I think. It was Aya who received you…"
"Indeed it was," the familiar intonation washed over Hisana, who instinctively turned to face the sing-song voice of Aya as she walked into the residential dining room.
"Aya," Hisana muttered softly to herself.
"You should really thank me, Hisana. I'm sure if Mr. Hideyoshi had known that you were wandering around town in the dead of night in the rain, he would have kicked you out on sight. Especially considering all of the trouble you have caused, Hisana," she spat. Her red lips curled up into a smirk as she cocked a well tweezed brow. "You really are more pain than you're worth."
"Oh, shut up, Aya. Stop picking on Hisana," Azumi fired back at the girl. "Don't you have an appointment with the good doctor this afternoon to get rid of a certain nuisance?"
"Umf," Aya snorted as she sauntered further into the room. "What would you know about meeting with men of respect, Azumi?"
"All I know is that my encounters involving the other sex usually don't involve me on my back!"
Hisana quickly stayed her fiery friend by squeezing the girl's hand. "Azumi," she said lowly, "please, you don't mean that."
"You really are a child, Azumi," Aya muttered, taking a ripened plum and moving back to the door. "Although," she stated, halting short of the exit, "perhaps Hisana could give you a few pointers considering her absence was taken in the company of a man."
"You!" Azumi spat, shooting up to her feet.
"Don't pay attention to her, Azumi," Hisana warned, calmly tugging on her friend's hand.
"Oh, please. Don't play so innocent, Hisana. Surely, during all that time alone you must have offered him your services. Otherwise, why would he have grown so tired of you so quickly?"
"What do you mean by that?" Azumi said, moving to lunge forward, but she was stayed by Hisana.
"He and his friend requested both you and me to attend to them when they come today, Azumi. It seems Hisana was just a mere plaything and nothing more."
"You take that back, Aya, or I swear I'll…" Azumi's growing animosity was only being contained by her friend's ever waning grip.
Aya chuckled at the girl's display. "Oh, you should be complemented, Azumi…"
"They requested you two?" Hisana echoed distantly. Her eyes trailed to her right as she fought back the stab of pain that hit her heart. She didn't know why she felt so bad, nor did she completely understand the meaning of the pain she experienced. She was, however, rather sure of the intentions of one Byakuya. His presence was not welcomed at the Serenity House as far as she was concerned as long as he suspected that one of the hostesses was a spy.
Aya's delicate features darkened, revealing the inner demon hidden behind her fair façade. "Indeed. There was not even so much as a mention made regarding you, Hisana." She narrowed her focus on Hisana, expecting the woman to become agitated. However, Hisana's expression, while one of dejection, was not inappropriately so. Aya quickly grew bored with Hisana, and departed amidst the sounds of Azumi yelling at her.
"Don't upset yourself on her account, Azumi. You know what Aya can be like."
"Yeah, and that doesn't mean I have to like it!" she said haughtily in the direction of the door. "Sometimes, Hisana, it wouldn't kill you to stand up to that woman."
Hisana's soft eyes glanced up at her friend. "Negative reinforcement is still reinforcement, you know."
The darkness over Azumi's brow lifted as she kneeled back down to resume her place at the table. "I wish I had your patience, Hisana."
Hisana smiled softly at the girl's words. "And I your youthful vigor…"
---
Byakuya arrived ahead of Kenji and was, thus, asked to wait.
"Sir, you may take your stay in either the indoor garden or the outside one," Koda suggested. She politely led him to the courtyard having perceived a slight change in expression when she offered him the latter of the two options.
"I'll inform you of Mr. Chan's arrival," she assured him before bowing deeply and turning to leave.
Byakuya's attention, however, never lifted from the garden. It did not possess the diversity of flora that he had come to expect of the gardens in Seireitei. All of the flowers were quite common, and none of which were vibrantly colored. However, he had to admit that it was probably in good repair given its relative location.
He was just about to near the small puddle of water which he supposed passed for a "stream" when he heard the soft lull of a shamisen in the distance. Concentrating his focus on where the music was emanating, he stepped lightly across the courtyard toward the side of a small tea house. Peering around the edifice, Byakuya finally determined who was strumming the instrument.
"Hisana," he whispered – her name soft on his lips.
There she was kneeled on a tatami mat. She was garbed in a light green kimono holding the instrument delicately in her lap. Despite the fact that she was not extraordinarily proficient at playing the shamisen, Byakuya managed to filter out the occasional "plunk" as his eyes hungrily focused on her. Uncommonly attentive, he stared at her for what could have been seconds, minutes, or even hours for he lost all interest in time. It was not until his gaze, by chance, caught a strange movement in his periphery that he first noticed a man seated opposite of her.
The spell that was seemingly woven over him quickly broke the moment he turned his attention to the gentleman. Older, thin, and lanky, the man watched her with nervous, probing eyes. He looked as if he had something to say, yet could not find the appropriate time to speak.
"Aw, don't tell me that you're getting soft on the diner girl?" The voice was unmistakably Kenji's, Byakuya thought ruefully. He had felt the man's presence earlier but had chosen to ignore it until now.
Turning to face the Kenji, Byakuya wore an expression of severe disapprobation. "You're late," he spat, taking a few strides forward.
"Got caught up with some unfinished business. The two kids should finally be on their way to receive the penalty for their actions."
Byakuya didn't respond.
"I suppose you're ready to meet the two suspects, eh?"
Byakuya wordlessly glanced over his shoulder, but the object of his gaze was not Kenji.
She looked happy, he noted much to his chagrin…
---
Hisana sat in her room confused and torn. She had been sitting there in quiet contemplation for what felt like hours. The events of that afternoon were still fresh in her thoughts.
"Will you accept my offer and become my wife?"
The proposal sounded so… terribly…. stiff, she had to admit. Or, perhaps, she perceived it as sounding awkward because it had come so unexpectedly. She would have never expected by Dr. Toya's actions that she held any favor with him. On the rare occasion that he came to the Serenity House as a customer, he had always requested Aya's company.
"I understand that this is all very sudden. And, I know that we are not very well acquainted…"
Those words were a definite understatement in Hisana's estimation. She only knew Dr. Toya as a physician and that was it. His entire being, as she regarded him, centered on that one aspect of his life. She knew nothing of his history, his family, or his friends. In fact, she knew nothing of his current life. She didn't know his likes, dislikes, his favorite color, flower, or even his favorite dish.
"But, I feel that I can provide you a secure future. I feel as if we could be happy in each other's company…"
She swallowed hard and managed to choke down a lung-full of air as her mind replayed the memory with startling clarity. How could he be so sure that he could make her happy? He didn't even know her. He didn't know of her capricious nature; her propensity to run when cornered. He knew nothing of her past – of her sister – the one motivating factor in her life that made her get up every morning and work to make enough money to provide a life for them. He knew nothing of her burning desire to return to Inuzuri and scour that place until she found her sister. He knew nothing of her need to resolve her past at the expense of all logic and sound judgment.
"Does Mr. Hideyoshi know of this proposal?"
She had asked the question in an attempt to maintain her head. The feeling of baited breath and cold shock still resonated deep within her. She had wanted to flee that very moment. She had wanted terribly to collect her things, sell them for whatever she could get, and return to Inuzuri to find her sister. She wanted to leave – to melt into the wood surrounding her, and escape.
"Mr. Hideyoshi approved."
She couldn't deny the bitter sting of betrayal the moment he so politely dealt the blow.
'How could Mr. Hideyoshi do something like this?' had been her thoughts.
But, now, with a calmer head, Hisana realized that he had only done it in her best interest. Dr. Toya was a well respected physician, and his offer was probably the best she could ever hope for given her meager position in the scheme of things.
But, perhaps the factor that crushed her the most was logic. Stupid, stupid, logic. Logically, she should have accepted even before he had gotten the question out of his mouth good. He was her best and, sadly, only prospect for marriage. Certainly, Mr. Hideyoshi could not keep her around forever. She would soon lose her value and wind up being only a burden.
"I do not expect your answer now. No, not in haste. That would be most impolite. I wish for you to meditate on my offer for at least a week. After seven days time, I will return and will accept your answer – no questions asked."
He had left shortly afterwards, Hisana remembered as she thought back on it. She wished she could have demonized Dr. Toya for creating such a dilemma. But she couldn't. His manners had been too impeccable, and he had been so considerate of her feelings.
Hisana grimly lowered her eyes and bit her bottom lip nervously as she pondered the consequences of her actions.
"Hisana?"
Jerking back, startled, she turned to see Azumi standing in her doorway.
"I'm sorry," the young girl said softly. "I knocked a few times and didn't hear any response. I was afraid something might have happened to you. You didn't show up for dinner."
"No. No, don't worry about me," Hisana sighed, shaking off her previous thought. "How was the service?" Hisana couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth, and quickly cupped her lips with her hand.
Azumi looked down at her, trying to feign a cheery expression. "It was nice. Aya did most of the work seeing as she's a show off. Mr. Byakuya looked terribly distracted by something or other so I attended to him since Aya quickly tired of his nonresponsive demeanor. Mr. Byakuya is the noble, correct?"
A faint smile crossed Hisana's lips at the mention of his name. "Yes," she replied softly. "He is the one."
Azumi managed a solemn smile and shut the door behind her. "You are fond of him."
Hisana exhaled a small snort and redirected her gaze. "What makes you think that? I hardly know him, and what I do know of him I find loathsome."
"Your eyes sparkle when he is mentioned," Azumi stated softly as she slowly neared her friend. "More so than when Dr. Toya is mentioned."
"Oh, so you know already?" Hisana inhaled deeply and looked away as if she was trying to banish the thought out of existence.
"Koda has a big mouth, and she apparently stumbled upon part of the conversation."
Hisana's lips flatlined as she felt a sudden flutter in her stomach. "Dr. Toya is a good man."
"But you do not love him."
"It is normal to be disposed without love in such cases."
"In such cases, but we are talking about you."
"I don't know," Hisana said brusquely, returning her gaze back to Azumi, who was sitting close to her.
Observing her friend, Hisana realized that Azumi was fighting back tears. "You look upset, Azumi. What's the matter?"
Azumi bowed her head, and lowered her gaze to the floor. "I – I," she stammered, clearly distraught. "I made a terrible mistake, Hisana," she sobbed, burying her head into Hisana's shoulder.
Hisana calmly wrapped an arm around the girl, and began to stroke her hair. "Azumi, tell me what happened."
"I got involved with some really bad people, Hisana. Really bad."
"Oh no, Azumi. Not the Wolves?"
Still resting against Hisana's shoulder, Azumi nodded her head. "Not only them, but far worse people. Did anyone ever tell you why I came here?"
Hisana did not respond; her thoughts racing as she tried to comprehend what this all meant.
"There were some very bad men after me, Hisana. Debt collectors. I couldn't handle them so I came here to hide. But, eventually the past catches up with you, y'know? I didn't want to be taken back. I didn't want to work in the fortressed area of town anymore, Hisana. So, I followed the advice of one of my friends who had been taken in by the Band of Wolves. He said that if I contacted the person he gave me, they would grant me my one wish. In exchange, all I'd have to do was spy on Commander Kenji and subsequently, the Captain."
Hisana drew in a ragged breath. It explained everything. "So that's how you knew we were receiving a captain and commander the day that Aya was ill?"
Azumi lifted her head slightly and gave a pathetic nod. "Ugh hmm," she hummed. Her eyes were now puffy and red, and her cheeks were tear-stained.
"Did you get the matter with your debt resolved?"
Azumi shook her head sorrowfully. "I was supposed to meet the contact tonight. But, I don't know, Hisana. I'm terribly afraid. I don't want to go through with it. I don't know anything more about the captain or the commander than I did when this all began. I'm terrified that something terrible will happen to me if I go. I'm also terrified that something will happen to me if I don't go."
"Then let me go in your stead," Hisana said with quiet resolve.
"Hisana, I couldn't! You have no part in this!"
"Azumi, you'll get hurt."
"And you won't?"
"I don't know. But, I do know I couldn't live with myself if I could have prevented harm coming to another… No, not again."
"Hisana, you would really do that… for me?"
She nodded her head. "Where are you supposed to meet this person?"
Azumi's large eyes glimmered with sadness. "Hisana…"
"Tell me."
---
Dusk was falling around her. The stars were beginning to emerge in the nighttime sky as the sun slowly gave way to the moon. Hisana stood alone on the bridge, overlooking the small stream rushing underneath her.
"You'll need to bring the contact something of value in order to get your wish."
Hisana watched the sky's reflection darken in the clear waters below. 'Something of importance,' she thought; her mind still lingering on the prospect of someone granting another a "wish". She could hardly believe that such a possibility could be achieved.
"A wish," she said softly under her breath.
"The waters are not very deep if your wish is to dispose of yourself over the bridge."
Hisana immediately turned to face the all too familiar voice. The moment her suspicions were confirmed, Hisana turned back to her water-gazing without properly acknowledging Byakuya's presence.
"Do I look that desperate?" she asked somberly, leaning her weight on the wide wooden railing.
Byakuya did not feel her question merited a response.
Hisana smiled lightly at the thought. "I wasn't considering it, but thank you for the advice. If I'm ever looking for a bridge in which I could throw myself off of, I'll make sure to consult you first." Her eyes widened as she spoke the words. She did not know what had taken hold of her tongue. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for," she said. Turning to apologize, she found that he did not look offended in the least. Although, it was hard to tell what he was thinking considering that he kept his feelings hidden under his impenetrable façade of stoicism.
"Perhaps it was gauche of me to suggest it."
Her eyes met his for a brief moment before she averted her gaze downward. That was perhaps the first time she could ever recall him being almost humble. "It will be a lovely night, I think," she said distantly, settling her sights on the darkening water.
"Lovely for a walk."
Hisana turned once more to him, not quite believing what she had heard. Had he, in his own wry way, asked her to join him? Or, was she simply reading too much into the comment?
"Who are you?" she asked, feeling him begin to slip away as he took a step forward to continue his stroll.
He paused short of her calling out to him. "I am Byakuya Kuchiki, the twenty-eighth head of the Kuchiki family."
Her blood went icy as she felt an irrepressible shiver crawl its way up her back. "Kuchiki?" she nearly gagged out. Not only was he a noble, he was a Noble – one of the heads of the four noble families…
All of a sudden the earth seemed to have shifted under her very feet, and the distance between the two felt as if had become insurmountable. He was not only from Seireitei, he was the head of one of the four noble families, and a member of the Gotei 13. And she? She was but a mere commoner, and the lowest of the low of commoner having originated from the seventy-eighth district.
"And who are you?" he asked back, refusing to turn to address her.
"I am merely Hisana, a commoner from the seventy-eighth district," she answered him with as much pride as she could muster.
Byakuya slowly turned his head to get a better look at her. Even though he hid it well, Hisana could clearly see that he stood alarmed at the lowness of her standing. Finding his expression far too amusing for her own good, Hisana chuckled.
"I suppose you did not know the extent of my common-ness?"
He did not respond. Instead his piercing eyes looked her over. Hisana was expecting a measurement of disgust to be veiled in his gaze, but if there was she could not detect it. He closed his eyes and turned back around. Hisana responded likewise and returned her gaze to the stream below her, noticing that the sky had become a velvety blanket of blacks and blues. Only the stars and full moon radiated any light down on the choppy water.
Hisana breathed a sigh, feeling suffocated under her own heavy thoughts. 'Azumi, how could you have been so foolish?' she could have cried out. Instead she shook her head and inhaled deeply, trying to quell the tension building inside her.
"Would you mind joining me for a walk?"
Hisana blinked, dumbfounded. She tilted her head slightly to the side as she considered his offer. "What sort of example would we being setting now that we are fully aware of each other's standing?"
"A much needed one."
She had no choice but to smile at his answer, and comply. Picking up a slight jog, Hisana made up ground and joined him at his side. Then, he yet again surprised her by offering her his arm. It was a slight motion – one that she barely caught out of the corner of her eye, yet instinctively she looped her arm through his.
"I wouldn't want you to injure an ankle."
She rolled her eyes.
He had her right up until the end…