Solitude Chapter 11

It was about a week after things had straightened out between Naru and Mutsumi when Mutsumi received a call from her music shop. I was at the piano, fiddling around with some odd note combinations, when she came in. Her face was crestfallen.

I stopped immediately, rising and going to her. "What is it, Mutsumi?"

She came into my arms, and I held her there for a moment. After a moment more, she spoke. "My friend who's covering for me got a call from the landlord. He's raising our rent. Apparently, it's not been a good year for real estate."

She paused, taking a deep breath. "I may have to close the store, Keitaro."

She folded herself into my embrace, her petite frame shaking slightly. I held her, not too hard, but gently firm, letting her know that I was there, but also that I would let her go the instant she wanted to be let go. After a few moments, the shaking stopped, and she straightened, wiping at her eyes, the redness already fading. "I'm sorry, Keitaro, I didn't mean to drag you into this."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "Mutsumi, you didn't drag me into anything. But if there's anything I can do to help, please tell me."

Mustumi frowned, thinking for a second. "The problem is that I normally have a pretty healthy operating reserve. But I've had to dip into it over the past couple of years to cover expenses, payroll, maintenance, that kind of thing. So I don't have enough left of a reserve to cover the increase in rent. And sales have been low, so we're not making enough to cover the increase that way, either."

A deep breath. "I can continue operating for another month, maybe two. Then I'll have to close the store, move everything. I don't know if there's another place we could move to. Kyoto is kind of awash with competition. I'm not sure if it would be worth it to relocate somewhere there." She clasped her hands together tightly. "Any ideas?"

I thought hard for a second. "At the moment, I don't know. But I know who we might ask."

Haruka Urashima sat at the Tea Shoppe, sipping a jasmine blend. She was keeping a close eye on things at Hinata House, and so far things seemed to be going well. Naru hadn't made any trouble, and seemed to be sincere that she wanted only the best for Keitaro and Mutsumi. She had gone out with Kitsune a few times, but neither of them had gotten more than a little tipsy. Haruka was glad for that. The last thing that she wanted to deal with was a drunken Kitsune and Naru simultaneously.

Mutsumi had settled into the flow of things around the inn with aplomb. She helped Shinobu in the kitchen, talked with Motoko about her studies, and was always willing to play with Suu. In short, she was a natural fit for the other residents. Even Kitsune and Naru were warming to her. And she never failed to draw any nearby members with the piano playing she practiced regularly.

So it was no surprise that Keitaro and Mutsumi should come down to the Tea Shoppe together. What was a surprise, however, was the serious expression on their faces.

"Haruka-san, we have a question for you. You know this area better than anyone around." Keitaro quickly explained the situation that Mutsumi found herself in. After he finished, Haruka sat back, sipped her tea, and closed her eyes. "Mutsumi, how big is your music store, square-footage wise?"

Mutsumi considered the question. "About five thousand square feet. It's really not that big. I don't carry a huge selection, but the ones I do carry are higher quality than what most stores have." A pause. "Probably also why my sales are lower."

Haruka rose, and came back with a steaming pot of tea, and two more cups. She poured tea and set the two cups in front of Mutsumi and I. We sipped, the hot tea calming our trains of thought. The scents of the jasmine wafted through the air, and for a few moments, our concerns were not so overwhelming. Haruka hid a small smile behind her raised cup. People often forgot about some of the original reasons to drink tea, and the soothing aspects were probably one of the main reasons for the beverage's endurance.

Keitaro sipped, then looked at Haruka. "Got any ideas, Aunt?"

Haruka gave him a semi-serious glare at the title, then shook her head. "Sorry, I can't think of anything in the area that's available. There's not a lot of music stores in the area, but there's also not any available retail space that I'm aware of. I'll put the word out, and see if anything comes up, though."

Mutsumi gave her a small smile. "Thank you, Haruka-san. I appreciate your help."

Keitaro placed his hand on her shoulder, and gave it a squeeze. "I'm sure we can fine something. It'll work out, Mutsumi-chan."

She placed her hand over his, and squeezed it back. "I know, Kei-kun."

Later that day, Haruka was sitting at the Tea Shoppe, perusing some of the real-estate ads for the area. There didn't seem to be much. What there was available seemed to be either too small, to large, or too expensive. Surely there was something, though.

She continued to leaf through the ads, looking for something, anything that would fit the bill. She was about to take a break when Seta Noriyasu walked up and sat down lightly, his ever-resent cigarette dangling from his lips. "What're you looking for in the real-estate ads for? Thinking of moving?"

She smirked. "Anything to get away from you, Noriyasu. No, I'm looking for something for Mutsumi-chan."

The unshaven man smiled. "Ahh. So she's moving here?"

A frown. "No, Seta. She needs to find a place to move her business to." Haruka quickly outlined Mutsumi's situation. When she was finished, he scratched his chin. "I don't know of anything around here either. But there might be another way. Come on." He led her up the stairs to the main Hinata grounds, past the inn and the hot springs, to the old buildings that were in disuse. "What about one of these?"

Haruka started to object, then closed her mouth with an almost audible click. Seta was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. She looked over the buildings, and her gaze came to the largest of them. In fact, that was the one that the piano had been found in, now that she thought about it. Judging from the outer walls, it was about six thousand square feet. It was also in relatively good repair, dust and leaves notwithstanding. A few days to clean it up and check that the power and other connections were still in good working order, and it just might do.

She nodded thoughtfully. "I think you're onto something here, Noriyasu. What about all the junk inside?"

"Keitaro's the owner, right? Let him decide what to do with it." Seta rubbed his stubble-covered chin, thinking again. "Maybe we can have a yard sale."

"Excuse me? What's a yard sale?" Haruka asked. She hadn't heard the American term before.

"It's when you gather all your old unwanted stuff, price it, and sell it. One man's garbage is another man's treasure, after all."

Haruka sighed. "I don't get that one either, but I'll take your word for it. Let's go find Keitaro and tell him what we think."

I was at the piano again, fiddling around. Mutsumi had decided to use the springs, in an attempt to calm her nerves. I sympathized. I had spent many hours in my smaller bath, with the water as hot as I could stand, in an effort to force worries out of my mind. Also, for the rather remarkable array of bruises that I usually had on my person at any one time.

I had put together an unusually interesting section when Haruka and Seta came in, and I stopped and rose. "Seta, I didn't know that you were gonna be around."

He pushed his glasses back up and extended a hand. I took it, shaking it firmly. "Well, part-timer, I figured it was about time I came to check up on you. Haruka gave me a call, and I wanted to come by and see what all the fuss was about."

I smiled, with only a hint of weariness. "Fuss isn't exactly the term I'd use, but it has been...interesting." I gave him a look-over. He didn't seem to be in too bad a state, wearing at least mostly clean clothes. His stubble was on full display, and his usual cigarette wasn't in sight, probably in response to Haruka's strict no-smoking indoors policy. Other than that, he looked like the same old Seta that I knew and admired.

I gave myself a mental shake. "Mutsumi's out using the springs. She's a little stressed out. Her friend called..."

Haruka raised a hand, cutting me off. "I've told him, and he's got an idea. I think that you'll like it, too." She explained about the storage building, and my eyes lit. "Of course! I can't believe that I didn't think about that before!"

Haruka graced me with a smile that was only partially a smirk. "You've had a lot on your mind, nephew," she said, and the smirk grew into a suggestive expression. "After all, now you've got a beautiful girl that doesn't hit you, scam you, threaten you with a sword, and isn't too young for you."

I groaned. I knew that it had to start eventually. "Haruka-san, it's....." I paused, thinking. Then I smiled. "Actually, it's exactly like that. And yes, I think that the old storage building is be a great idea. What about all the stuff that's in there?"

She arched an eyebrow at me quizzically. "You're the kanrinrin, aren't you? You figure it out." She sat back, folding her hands on her lap. "Seta did say something about a 'yard-sale', though. Whatever that is."

I nodded. That would be a good idea. "I'm sure the girls will be willing to help out, too." I said with a small smile. I had an idea of my own where the girls were concerned.

I was waiting for Mutsumi when she got out of the springs. While I was hoping that the hot soak would have helped relieve her stress, I was also hoping that she would agree with my idea. On the other hand, I didn't know what to expect. We had only known each other a couple of weeks, and I was almost asking her to move in with me. That was a lot to handle, and I was a little worried about her reaction.

Further discussion with Haruka had convinced me to actually charge Mutsumi rent, rather than letting her use the building for free. Haruka reasoned that that way, it was more of a favor, and less of a rescue. Mutsumi was a strong, independent woman, after all, and I didn't want it to look like I was saving her, or that I thought she wasn't able to take care of herself. I planned to ask her what her rent was before the landlord raised it, and then charger her slightly less that that, in exchange for a few concessions. Mainly, I wanted to be able to learn more about music, and I figured that she would me amenable to teaching me.

I also wanted that cello. I was sure that I would be able to save for it, especially now that I was getting all the rent I was owed. But maybe we could work out a payment plan.

The door opened, and Mutsumi stepped out, wrapping a towel around her head. She was dressed in a faded set of sweats and a pair of slippers. Her cheeks had a rosy color, and she looked less stressed than she had been earlier. That was good. It meant that, hopefully, she would be in a better mood, and thus more amenable to my suggestion.

She saw me, and her eyes lit up and she gave me a smile. It wasn't quite the thousand-watt expression that I was quickly beginning to adore, but it was more than I expected. "Hi Kei-kun."

Kei-kun. I loved it when she said that. "Hi, Mutsumi-chan. Are you feeling better?"

She nodded. "Yes. The hot water really helps. Is dinner ready?"

Mutsumi had availed herself of Shinobu's cooking skills since almost that first day, and she always had a compliment for the younger girl. Shinobu, for her part, was always ready to listen to the hints and suggestions of the older girl, as Mutsumi herself was an accomplished cook. It was becoming very much like a pair of sisters, and I was glad for it. Shinobu had Suu for a friend, but she hadn't really had an older girl to look up to.

I gave myself a mental shake, bringing my thoughts back to the present. "Mutsumi, I've got an idea, regarding your rent situation." I took a deep breath. "What about using the storage building we found the piano in?"

The words came out in a little more of a rush than I had originally intended, and I had to force myself not to hold my breath. I hadn't realized, until then, how much I wanted her answer to be in the affirmative.

Mutsumi, for her part, inhaled sharply, her eyes widening. "Keitaro, I couldn't possibly--"

I raised a hand, interrupting her. "If it's about the money, don't worry about it. I'd planned on charging you about ten percent less than what you were paying before your rent went up, and asking for music lessons in exchange, but if we need to talk about it some more we can--"

It was Mutsumi who cut me off this time, with a finger pressed to my still slightly-parted lips. "If it works out, and I hope it does, I'll pay you what I was paying before, and I'll teach you for free." Her smile was back to the level of brightness that I had grown accustomed to.

Her smile grew even more, and she hugged me close, her arms wrapped around me tightly, as mine came up to similarly embrace her. The smell of her freshly-washed hair and the feel of her body were my entire world, in that moment, and it seemed that we held onto each other for hours, days even.

She slowly, almost regretfully released me, and I took a small step back, my arms still holding her, but loosely, and she came forward and captured my lips in a tender kiss.

It was about an hour later, after dinner was finishing up, when I brought up the suggestion to the rest of the girls.

We were all sitting at the table, full to bursting, and in a generally good mood. Of course, there was little that could put one in a bad mood after eating a meal prepared by Shinobu. At any rate, I figured that was a good a time as any to bring up the idea of making Mutsumi the newest tenant at Hinata.

"Everyone?" I stood, and the quiet chatter, or not-so-quiet, in Su's case died down. "I wanted to ask you all something. As the kanrinrin, I am the final say on what goes on here at Hinata. However, I still want to ask your opinion on this, as it's a big change."

I took a quiet breath, hoping that my expression was calmer than I felt. "Mutsumi, as you all know, owns a music store in Kyoto. Unfortunately, circumstances are such that she will no longer be able to afford the costs of keeping it open there. Also, as you all know, we have several unused storage buildings here on the grounds. I have talked with Mutsumi and Haruka about this already, and wanted to ask all of you what you though about Mutsumi using the largest one for her store." I looked at each of them in turn, reading their expressions. Shinobu and Suu looked ecstatic, and Motoko's face held a small smile, of all things. The two I was worried about were Naru and Kitsune.

Naru stood, her face neutral. "I think that having a music store here would be a good idea." The neutral expression turned to a grin. We could start a band!"

Kistune smiled. "With me singing, of course. You can be a groupie."

"What!"

The debate was lively, with everyone weighing in on the respective talents and lack thereof of the two women. When the hubbub died down, I cleared my throat. "So, we're all okay with this, then?"

Five nods, with five grins were my answer.