AN: This chapter contains a lemon. It's really toned down for fanfiction, but I wanted to give a forewarning, and I will inform you readers of when it starts, so you can skip it to the end.
Twisted Fate
Chapter 14
Enishi employed the maids for the next week to clean every crevice of his mansion in preparation for the winter festival he would be hosting the following week.
Koishi was impressed with the mansion after the final day of the cleaning week. She always thought the place was clean, but after the week was over, the floors were so shiny that she thought she might slip the moment she stepped foot on the floors. She was very sure that she would not find a speck of dirt even in the most remote crevice.
The week had passed, and Enishi and Koishi were getting ready for the winter festival. She wore the beautiful black Manchurian dress with red hems and embroidered with Chinese blue roses. She pinned her half her hair up, left the rest down, and painted her lips the traditional red with the red wax.
Enishi was waiting for Koishi downstairs; his clothes were a white kung fu suit with blue down the middle of his shirt, down the sides of his sleeves, on the hems, the cuffs, and down the sides of his pants. Koishi paused to look him over; her mysterious colored eyes roamed him from top to bottom as she hid her hands behind her, and her hands held the box with the earring she bought him. She noted that he wore Western-styled shoes that were buffed and shiny, his usual glasses accompanied with his yin-yang earring and also he held an object in his hands.
Enishi paused for a brief moment before he held the object out for Koishi. She blinked up at him and inspected it. It was a hair décor, definitely a Japanese hair pin; it was two pronged, made from buff, shiny wood, with two blood-red beads on the end, accompanied with two green colored leaves, and four gold tassels dangling from them.
Koishi's mouth fell open a bit and she once again blinked up at Enishi.
"It's a gift," he explained. "I'm giving it to you as long as you swear you will never let anything bad happen to it."
Koishi nodded and replied, "I swear I'll always protect it."
Satisfied, he placed the wooden hair décor in the pinned up portion of her hair. She turned back around with a bright smile and declared, "My turn!"
She held out the box for him, cradled in her hands. Enishi allowed himself to frown with a perplex expression. He took the box from her hand, opened it, and his face went slack. He was at a loss for words, for no one, save for his sister, ever thought of giving gifts to him; but there was the gift for him in the box.
He tenderly took it out and held it in his palm as he stared at the tiger with topaz-blue gems for eyes. He looked back at Koishi, who was still smiling stupidly, but still…so beautifully. Enishi cleared his throat and nodded once to accept her gift. He immediately took off his yin-yang earring and replaced it with the tiger one, and they waited for their guest to arrive.
It was late night when the guests started to arrive. Just as Koishi saw at Huang's hosted party, the double doors were left wide open for the invitees to come and go as they pleased without having to knock on the doors every time.
Even though it was dark, the young woman could tell that there were clouds in the sky; thick and dark. The wind that passed through promised a rainfall to soon come, perhaps within a few hours.
The guests filed in one by one, Feng also came, and Koishi greeted each one with a polite bow. Her blood chilled when she saw Huang walk up the graveled path with his wife a few inches behind him. She calmed herself, however, and greeted them both with a bow.
"Koishi, dear," Huang greeted with a smile as his wife gave a deadly glare to her. "You look amazing with each international clothes you put on. I suppose next would be Vietnamese?"
"No, Huang-san." She replied. "I honestly have taken to these clothes. They're quite comfortable."
"They do make for easier movement." Huang agreed.
"Yes, they do. Please enjoy the festivities."
He nodded once and proceeded to the grand ballroom. Koishi heaved a quiet sigh of relief upon the second mafia boss' absence, and then froze once again when she saw Ju-Long walking up the graveled path with two women in tow.
One woman she recognized as Bao, and the other she did not know. She was very beautiful with aquamarine irises and very long, straight, ebony-black hair. She bowed as they passed by, and the beautiful woman gave her a lingering stare.
After an hour of greeting guests, Koishi's back was starting to hurt. It was then that Enishi chose to make his appearance at her side. His demeanor was very different than his usual, calm, lax, confident self. It was a bit more anxious. His movements, typically easily made, were now stiff, with just a fraction of slowness.
"You're not comfortable hosting these festivals, are you?" Koishi whispered her question in their native language.
"I'm fine." Enishi insisted.
"Oh, come on, Enishi. I've developed an ability to read you better than that."
He looked at her through the corner of his eyes and finally admitted, in a very low voice, "No, I don't like these festivals. All these people are fake."
"I know." She agreed with the same manner as him. "I figured that when they were staring at you when we went to the event Huang hosted, and yet, here they are in your domain, enjoying your company and hosted event."
"Regardless, I need to mainly entertain a few government officials."
"Where are they?"
Enishi led Koishi to the doorway of the grand ballroom and said, "There." And he motioned with his head before describing, "The first one, wearing the black changshan with red dragons embroidered on it."
She saw him; he was a man of average stature, the same height as Huang, whom he stood and talked to. His eyes were beady, his nose was crooked, and he had a thin, long moustache accompanied with a thin, long beard.
"The second?" she inquired.
"There; he's wearing a blue changshan with yellow 'good luck' symbols."
Koishi noticed the man was just a few inches taller than average, a fairly good-looking man with almond-shaped dark brown eyes. He was speaking with Ju-Long; and then she realized that both mafia bosses were trying to gain favor from the two government officials during Enishi's hosted event no less!
"Two against one is not fair." She said.
"You quite observant." Enishi complemented. "So you know what's going on."
"Yes," she answered as she looked up at him. "I noticed something we have in common; we're both socially awkward."
He gazed down at her, their eyes locked, but he did not deny her observation, and he did not confirm it.
"And you owe me for this." She said before she held his hand and gave it a light squeeze.
Without further explanation, Koishi walked into the grand ballroom, her heart pounded with anxiety from the crowd of upper echelon, all together with murmurs of conversation. She had a destination to get to, and it gave her determination.
The music from the musicians played as she passed through the random groups with ease. She noticed a pair of aquamarine eyes watching her, but she ignored the beautiful woman as she made her way towards the one man she did not want anything to do with, but she forced herself.
Huang noticed her approach before his companion did, and he allowed a smile to come to his lips, to let the young woman know it was permissible for her to approach.
With a deep bow, Koishi stated, "I'm very sorry for interrupting—"
"You're not interrupting." Huang stated.
The young woman shyly nodded and introduced herself to the official, in perfect Mandarin, "Good evening, sir. My name is Koishi."
The crooked nosed government official politely bowed with his two hands together and said, "Good evening, young lady. My name is Chong."
"I'm pleased to meet you, sir." Koishi said after she returned the bow. "Are you enjoying the festivities?"
"Yes, I must say it's quite pleasant," Chong replied with a slight smile before he added, "For now."
"Well, it's only just begun." The young woman politely pointed out with a kind smile.
Huang watched the exchanges with a smile that was not pleasant, but bordering on annoyance as a single eyebrow raised higher and higher.
Koishi noticed, lost her nerve, and stated, "I'm afraid I have taken up too much of your time, sir—"
"Actually, you may stay in our company." Chong said before he turned to the man at his right and said, "If that's alright with you."
Huang's face immediately became pleasant as he stated with the same type of voice, "It's quite alright with me. I find Koishi to be very entertaining."
"Oh, what sort of entertainment do you provide?" the official inquired.
Koishi blinked, her anxiety rose, but then she remembered this was for Enishi, so she answered, "I'm not sure what sort of entertainment you seek, but I have a few skills."
"Such as?" the official prompted.
"Do you enjoy swordsmanship?"
Huang dipped his head down and the young woman could see him laughing to himself. She thought it was strange that he still found her reaction to the sword fight between Enishi and the anonymous Chinese man to be amusing.
"I have respect for it, as our heritage." Chong answered.
"I know a little bit of a style of swordsmanship." Koishi said, even though she knew that a woman knowing a swordsmanship was extremely uncommon, and not as acceptable.
Chinese men liked their women dainty and under their thumbs.
"Well, good." The official chuckle amusingly. "A girl who can play fight. You had me fooled for a lady there for a moment."
Huang also chuckled with amusement as he said, "Hu must not have a tight rein on her."
Koishi smiled despite her twitching eyebrow and responded, "See? Huang-san said I was entertaining."
The second mafia boss stilled his laughter with a sharp look at the young woman as Chong straightened up and asked, "So you were only joking?"
"Of course!" she said with a smile even though inside her stomach turned with hatred at herself for bringing herself down. "Whoever heard of woman who practiced swordsmanship?"
Chong laughed and clapped a tight-lipped Huang on the back once and he complemented, "This girl is entertaining! I'm so glad to see a woman with a sense of humor!"
Huang continued to smile and when the official contained his laughter, he asked, "So, Koishi, what other entertaining skills do you possess?"
The young woman looked over at the musicians and said, "I can play a musical instrument."
She turned her gaze back to the second mafia leader and their eyes held. The man did not know whether to believe her or not, but the young woman did not falter.
"That's impressive." He allowed himself to complement before he said, "Only prestige, upper class women learn to play instruments. Please, excuse me."
Huang made his exit and walked towards the group surrounding the second government official. Koishi turned to Chong, who asked, "What musical instrument do you play?'
"The erhu."
Chong's eyes widened with surprise and said, "The erhu is a Chinese stringed instrument. Are you not Japanese?"
"I am, sir, but we Japanese are not completely isolated and ignorant of China."
As the two conversed, the servants, who weaved in and out of the crowds with food on their trays continued. As what happened before when she attended the first event, Zhan walked up beside her. This time, the young woman was prepared for it, and she promptly hit the underside of the tray and it made contact with Zhan's face.
Unlike the other time, goopy food was all over the servant girl's face, hair, and now clothes. Koishi let go of the tray and it clattered to the floor. Everyone turned and looked at the now scandalous scene as the young woman brought her delicate fingers up to her lips with a feigned surprised look.
"Oh!" Koishi said. "I'm so clumsy!"
Zhen glared with a death-promising glare towards the Japanese girl as everyone laughed. Her face turned red as she promptly left the ballroom and the other servants cleaned the mess up. Everyone else went back to conversing as if nothing interrupted the party, and Koishi felt half sickened that she embarrass the girl in front of everyone, even though the Chinese girl had done the same to her. The other half felt an immense satisfaction, and that was what made her sickened at herself.
"Excuse me," a sing-song voice interrupted. "You remember me, right, Mr. Chong?"
Koishi looked at the beautiful woman who had just come into the conversation, and the official said, "Oh, yes! You're Yue; Ju-Long's wife!"
Ju-Long's wife… Koishi realized as she tried not to feel horribly intimidated and inferior to such an unbelievably gorgeous woman. She tried to stop the emotion scratching in her stomach, but if jealousy had a name, that would be it.
The painful thing about it was she could not keep her imagination away as it played images in her mind of this breath-taking woman and Enishi doing the unimaginable. She swallowed hard as she decided it must be the fates punishing her for embarrassing Zhan.
"Koishi was just telling me that she can play the erhu." Cong informed.
"Really?" The woman, Yue, turned to Koishi with a confident, tilted chin and requested, "Would you please excuse us for a moment?"
The young woman nodded once and left without a bow. She must not lose her determination! So she looked for the second government official, who was also conversing with other men, specifically Huang and Ju-Long.
Huang was the first to notice the young woman approaching and he raised an eyebrow at her, and before introductions started, he said, "Are you following me around, my dear?"
Unfortunately, Xi was also there, and she glared daggers at the young woman, who replied, unabashed, "Maybe I enjoy your company, Huang-san."
She knew it was the wrong thing to say, but she knew faux flirting among the upper echelon was almost a tradition. Even more unfortunate was Huang's smile after she said it, and thus, she was welcomed into the conversation circle.
"So, as I was saying," Huang continued. "My hired help was not suitable for me, but gave me all the information I needed."
"All of it?" Ju-Long asked.
"Well, of course he was tight-lipped, my friend." The second mafia leader continued. "But I could discern enough."
"Did you send him back home?"
Huang smiled and answered, "I'm sure he went back with his tail between his legs, if he can get back to Kyoto. Koishi-chan." The young woman looked at the handsome Chinese man and he continued, "Have you ever been to Kyoto?"
Where did that question come from? The young woman shook her head and answered, "No, I've never been there. My family doesn't have any reasons to go to Kyoto."
"Not even for the Gion festival?" Huang inquired.
"No."
"What a shame." He said, but without any pity. "I'm sorry, where are my manners?" he turned to the second government official and said, "Ru, this is Koishi; Koishi, this is Ru."
They both bowed politely to each other after introductions were made, and before more could be said, a voice, with an announcement-type tone, said, "May I have everyone's attention, please?"
Everyone turned to the announcer and Koishi saw it was Yue who was calling everyone's attention. From the back of the room, Enishi frowned as he wondered what she was up to.
Once everyone had their attention on her, Yue announced, "I'm surprised to hear that we have a person attending this festival with a hidden talent!"
Once again, Enishi frowned, only deeper.
"An attendee can play our traditional erhu," Yue continued and Koishi's heart began to pound. It was not possible she was talking about her, right? "And what's most surprising, this erhu player is a woman." She still was not talking about her, right? "And she's Japanese!"
Oh gods above; Yue was definitely talking about her!
Aquamarine eyes landed on the young woman's form and she said, "We have an erhu here for you. Why don't you play for us, Koishi?"
Everyone who knew her name turned to look at her as everyone else looked about, but soon saw where the others were looking at. Finally, all eyes were on a very stiff Koishi and her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
Yes, the fates were definitely using her in a cruel game.
"Don't you want to play it for us?" Yue asked before she gained a cruel smile and said, "You can't even play the erhu can you? My apologies; I was misled by this girl building herself up."
Koishi heard chortling as the beautiful woman turned her nose up at her. The young woman licked her lips, swallowed hard, and slowly walked towards Yue; towards the musicians.
Yue still held a wave of superiority as the young woman approached and asked, "May I play the erhu?"
One of the musicians got an erhu out of its case and handed both the two stringed instrument and the stringed bow to Koishi. One of the other musicians motioned to his seat, which the young woman promptly sat down on.
Koishi carefully plucked the two strings with her fingers, only to get a chortle from Yue as she informed, "The erhu isn't meant to be played with fingers."
The young woman, who had just about enough of the older woman, shot her a glare and said, "Of course; I was making sure it was adjusted. Every good musician knows to do that before playing the instrument."
"Are you good?" the older woman mocked.
"Music is a matter of opinion." Koishi said as she tested the instrument to the stringed bow, causing a tasteless pitch to come from the usually beautiful sounding instrument.
Yue mockingly put her fingers to her ears and said, "Well, my opinion is you can't play that instrument."
'"I was testing it first."
"Of course." She aspirated with a roll of her eyes.
Koishi decided to ignore the woman as she said to the rest of the musicians, "Jasmine Flower."
The young woman inhaled deeply and closed her eyes as she tried not to think about the pressure that was upon her. To play the erhu was a rather difficult task and many Chinese pride themselves in being able to play it. For a foreigner to play it, and play it well, would be very impressing for the crowd gathered.
Enishi watched the display and wondered what Koishi was doing, for she never once mentioned she could play the erhu. Then again, he never asked, for she said she came from a dojo, and a dojo owner, this day and age, could not afford lessons to play the erhu, and to play an instrument foreign to Japan would be an even pricier lesson.
Koishi, with her eyes still closed, started out slowly, as the song required from the erhu solo. She started to breathe more evenly as she let the melody take her away. She paused, as the song once again required, and then she picked back up with a faster pace.
Her hand, which held the stringed bow, worked in perfect harmony with her delicate fingers plucking the two stringed erhu. She paused and the Chinese bamboo flute solo picked up before she started again, and they played in unison. Soon, all the musicians were playing in harmony and Koishi allowed the music to take her away as she could actually imagine herself surrounded with jasmine flowers, just like the song's title.
The minutes ticked by as the song came to an end, all the instruments involved ending the song with a single long, unison note as Koishi had the vigorously shake her fingers on the two strings to make the note last longer.
The utter silence caused the young woman to open her eyes and view her critics. Judging by their pleasantly surprised faces, they were all genuinely impressed that a Japanese girl could play their instrument. Yue was the only one frowning as she mumbled unintelligently to herself; her scheme to embarrass Koishi was completely ruined by the fact that the young woman could play the erhu.
The silence was suddenly interrupted by a single person clapping, who was Huang, and after he started clapping, the rest followed suit. Koishi bowed to the clapping crowd and returned the erhu instrument to the musician with another bow.
Even though the young woman impressed the crowd, the upper echelon went along with the festivities without further acknowledgement of her existence, nor did they pay her compliments. She walked around awkwardly as she tried to get back to the two officials.
"I didn't know you could play the erhu."
Koishi turned around to see Enishi with his eyebrow raised, indicating that he wanted an explanation. Of course he would; she said she grew up without an abundance.
"My teacher was playing the erhu after hours one day, and I happened to hear him play." She explained. "So I asked him if he could teach me at least one song. Since he knew my father, he tested my potential and he agreed after he was satisfied that I could learn. The song, 'Jasmine Flower' is the only song I know to play with the erhu."
Enishi observed her with amusement and informed, "It's a good thing these people didn't ask for you to play more. That would've been embarrassing."
Koishi blinked at that and her eyes widened when she realized he spoke the truth. It was a good lesson for her; she should keep her mouth shut, even if it was to impress the two government officials in Enishi's favor.
She looked at the crowd of people before she looked back at her companion, only to see he was gone, just like a stalking tiger. She noticed he allowed the guests to come and go as they pleased during the festivities, but had a difficult time interacting with them if it was not on a business level. That confirmed Koishi's suspicions; he was socially awkward, just like her.
After she had just played the erhu for these people, she stood aside in the back of the ballroom, heart pounding with hands shaking. It went against her very nature to be the center of a crowd's attention, and to have the crowd be those people from the upper echelon just made the whole experience that much more terrifying.
She needed a break.
She quickly walked towards the back of the ballroom and out the glass doors towards the back of the property. She walked out into the cold of the winter weather, and looked up at the white Chinese paper lanterns with a thoughtful face.
A movement to her left made her jump and she looked at the figure, and immediately recognized her as Zhan. She still had the food all over her and she sat on the ground, pressed against a tree, and she glared up at the young woman. Her dark brown eyes, while filled with hate towards her, were red and puffy; she had been crying.
There was a stab-like feeling which hit Koishi in the gut to see that she was the cause of the poor girl's misery. They stared at each other for a while, the tension in the air thick, before Koishi sighed, turned her back to the tree and promptly sat down on the ground.
"I know you can't understand me," she began in Mandarin. "But I'm really sorry for what happened. I'm so sorry, Zhan. It's…it's not like me to do that; to embarrass others in front of a crowd like that. I'm usually the one taking up for the ones being picked on, and for me to become the people I detest the most…it just sickens me."
Koishi drew her legs up to her chest and rested her head on the legs. She sniffled as the tears rolled out of her eyes and was absorbed by her Manchurian dress.
"Being around these people, even for just a short amount of time," She continued, her voice muffled by her legs. "It changes you, even if you don't know it yourself. My father always said I have a good heart…how disappointed he would be if he would've seen the way I treated you."
"I understand what you said."
Koishi's head snapped up and looked at Zhan, who looked back with a cool gaze and she continued, "I still don't forgive you; you're pathetic. And I will pray to the fates to take away the person most important to you, in revenge for me."
She then left Koishi on the cold ground shaking, not from the cold, but from fear. The person most important to her? The image of Enishi came to her mind, and the thought of losing him was…unbearable.
When she was finally calm enough, she stood up and brushed down her Manchurian dress.
She tsk-ed when she saw the dirt just spread over the fabric. She had no choice but to go inside to change, but she did not want to go through the grand ballroom where all those rich people were. They would embarrass her thoroughly.
Instead, Koishi decided to go around the mansion and through the front doors. She stopped and hid behind the mansion wall when she saw a few people exit through the front. She quickly made her way through the doors, turned right and went down the hallway to the Japanese bathhouse.
She had enough of the festival for one night.
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
After Koishi's performance, Enishi took the opportunity to speak with the first government official. He calmly walked up to the first official as his right hand man, Feng, spoke with the second official.
"Hu," the official. Ru, greeted. "This is a wonderful winter festival."
"Thank you." Enishi said, although he did not mean it, just like the official was more than likely untruthful with his complement. He was probably telling other people he was bored out of his mind with this winter festival. "How is your health?"
"Could be worse." The man chuckled as he slapped his companion on the back.
Enishi stiffened and then relaxed, but not as relaxed as he normally was. He then proceeded to inform, "I have Yamataro, from Yokohama, ready for distribution at your word."
The Chinese man smiled a kind smile, but tinted with awkwardness, and the white-haired man knew a letdown was about to come.
"Hu," he started and then cleared his throat. "I already agreed with Huang that I would help to fund his projects. You can try with my collogue, though."
"Thank you for your time." Enishi said, although he did not really mean it; he just wanted to strangle the bastard who attended this event, and yet, he already swore loyalty to Huang beforehand.
As he was walking to the second government official, Feng stopped him and said, "He will seriously think about your proposal, as long as he doesn't see your face."
"Oh, what did I do wrong this time?"
"Nothing," Feng insisted, but continued with, "Apparently, Yue is telling everyone that you have changed your tastes for a much…younger sort."
"I didn't feel like fucking her, so now the hussy is telling everyone that I'm into young girls?" Enishi repeated with a more harsh translation.
"Basically." The right-hand man informed. "You know with…Koishi and all…" he cleared his throat before he informed, "She's telling everyone you're intimate with the girl and she's barely twelve."
"I know Koishi has the physic of a ten year old." Enishi stated, although he knew that was not true, because he knew what was under all that clothing. "But she's sixteen. Did you tell him that?"
"I didn't know her true age, but I will inform him of that. It's just a matter of them believing you or not. And you know how the official, Chong, feels about those types of men who like young girls." Feng reminded.
The white-haired man glared at Yue as she talked to the government official using her best innocent act. A pair of aquamarine orbs glanced at him with a wave of satisfaction.
All Enishi could see was red as he made his way to the government official, whom was also talking to Yue and her husband, Ju-Long. His rage was a quiet calmness, and unlike the days of his youth, he could think clearly and more efficiently.
As he came up, he gave Yue a hard slap on her rear, followed by a very hard squeeze of her butt cheek, causing her to cry out. The official's face became shocked, as well as Ju-Long's face. All other conversation ceased as they turned to the commotion.
"She's a riot, isn't she?" Enishi stated with a wicked, hard smile. "She just makes up the best jokes."
"What are you talking about?" the official asked as the white-haired man released Yue's sore rump.
"Oh, you know, the joke she made about me recently acquiring a taste for younger girls."
"I don't understand the joke." The Chinese man replied without the slightest sense of humor.
"Of course not." Enishi agreed. "I don't even see the joke in it, because I am still very much a man who enjoys the company of women, older ones at that. I guess she was just a little sore when she invited me to her room, in Ju-Long's mansion, when he was away to Hong Kong, and wanted me to bed her."
There was instantly murmuring among the crowd, for a woman who commits adultery against her husband was utterly shameful. It was a serious accusation that Enishi was throwing at Yue.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Yue said with freighted disgust. "I've never been with another man other than my husband."
Enishi laughed and said, "She has a birthmark on her right ass cheek. Isn't that right, Ju-Long?"
The first mafia boss' face grew red as he stared deadly at his wife, and the white-haired man continued, "I know this, because some of the time I did bed her, I saw it when I did her like a dog does a bitch."
A collection of gasps could be heard after the statement, and Yue's face grew bright red with anger and humiliation. Murmurs started amongst the crowds as they stared at the scandal of the century before them. Well, maybe he was a bit rash, just like his twenty year old self. Obviously, the festival was over since the host decided to embarrass his guest in front of other people, and they all filed out until the whole mansion was left empty, save for Feng.
"I don't think Ju-Long is going to let this go." He noted.
"I'm ready for it." Enishi challenged.
It was at that time Koishi made her appearance from the bathhouse, and she looked at the messy, empty ballroom with confusion, for the festival was supposed to be continuing until very late at night.
"What did I miss?" she asked as she dried her long black hair with a towel, dressed only in a bathrobe. She heard the quietness in the mansion and decided to take a peek, only to see there was no more festival going on.
"The greatest grand finale Shanghai had ever seen." Feng replied with laughter in his throat as he also made his way out, and courteously closed the front double front doors behind him.
"What's he talking about?" she asked.
"Nothing of importance." Enishi answered.
"All the decorations and food for only a few hours?"
"I'm tired anyway."
"We didn't even get to dance."
He chortled with a shake of his head, and noted, "You didn't seem to be enjoying yourself anyway. What; where you going to come back to the festival dressed in a bathrobe?"
Koishi gave a hard sigh, bowed politely, and inquired, "Please, sir; it would give me great honor if you would dance a yin and yang dance with me."
Enishi shook his head and rolled his eyes but complied anyway. What was a few more minutes of his wasted life anyway? She gratefully took his hand, and they slowly walked in a circle, facing opposite of each other.
They stared at each other as they slowly walked the circle, and a sense of familiarity came to him as he watched her face, but simultaneously, she was unfamiliar to him. It was a mixture of everything about her; the spunky, sarcastic attitude with the smell of cherry blossoms.
She smelled just like springtime in Edo, during the Sakura festivals.
He did not realize they had stopped walking in a circle until he felt her released her hand from his, she stood in front of him, and placed two gentle hands to both sides of his face. As she moved her hands across his face, her fingers gripped his tinted spectacles, and she removed them off his face.
"Come back to me, Enishi." Koishi whispered.
She gently gripped the collar of his white kung fu suit and in a similar manner, pulled him down and sealed her lips on his lips. They had kissed twice before; once, to keep her quiet, second to fulfill a promise, but the third one was different; she willingly initiated it.
When they pulled back, her eyes were brighter than before with an intense shimmer to them. He knew what she wanted and, gods above, he wanted her, too; but he could not defile her with nothing but an empty promise. He was alone in his life and it should stay that way.
Enishi turned and left her in the grand ballroom and immediately went upstairs to his room and lit the oil lamp beside the bed.
This was absolutely unacceptable to him. He vowed to put Koishi on a ship back to Japan the following week. He did not care that it would more than likely get her and her associates killed. That was not his problem; but she was his problem now.
Even though he did not hear the door open, he knew it opened, and heard her walk across the room and stand behind him. He closed his eyes, gathered his renown, and turned to face her.
"What is it?" Enishi asked in a guarded voice. "Do you need another lamp for your room?"
Koishi stared up at him for a moment, her face beet-red, but eyes determined. Enishi's mind screamed at him to send her away, to have nothing to do with her.
She reached behind her and untied her yukata belt, opened her robe, and allowed it to fall to the floor. He blinked once, and his mind screamed at him to stop as his eyes roamed over her naked body. She was definitely developed; her hips were filled out and defined, but not overly done. Her breasts were just the right size and perky…and they reminded him of someone else; a young woman on a lone island, who was once the only one able to be close to him, but she was in love with someone else.
Don't do it! Don't do it!
Koishi worried her bottom lip between her teeth, her resolve dissipating, worried about his rejection…again. She practically thought her pounding heart would burst out of her chest. Enishi cupped her face in both his hands; he leaned down, and kissed her full on the lips.
Their fates clashed and swept them away.
O~O~O~O~Lemon Starts Here~O~O~O~O
Enishi quickly took his kung fu shirt off as he passionately kissed Koishi. He gently kissed her chin, and down to her neck as he stripped the rest of his clothes off. His mind was silenced now, for there was no stopping them.
Koishi roamed her hands over his broad shoulders with shaky, unsure hands. Enishi grabbed her waist, picked her up, and carefully set her down on his bed. He laid down beside her, gently caressing her shoulder with one hand, and embracing her with his other arm.
Everywhere Enishi caressed and touched seemed to set Koishi ablaze with a fiery need that she did not know how to satisfy. It was like magic; his kisses, his hands exploring her body, the excitement and nervousness in her stomach.
She was so soft and perfect. Her petite body was well-toned and her skin felt like soft silk beneath his fingertips as he touched her everywhere. Her breasts were not large, but not small. Just as he suspected, they fit perfectly in the palm of his hands and had bounce to them; they firm, but soft.
Koishi trembled when she felt Enishi's passion against her thigh, and the "butterflies" in her stomach became more active. She traced a single digit on the diagonal scar across her lover's chest, and she kissed it as if trying to heal it.
She jumped when she felt his hand brush against her womanhood, trying to gain access. She stiffened as visions of an old woman's wrinkled fingers shoved their way up into her came back to her mind's eye. He noticed the change in her mood and started to pull his hand back, but she quickly grabbed his hand and placed it back.
She shook her head and practically commanded, "Don't stop, Enishi."
Koishi trembled as she moved her leg, placing it in a bent, upright position. She jumped again when Enishi's fingers opened her folds and explored her in ways she never had, but she kept the bad memories away with determination.
Was it possible, to love someone so much, even if she knew almost nothing about him? Koishi pondered that question to herself as she gently caressed his cheek with her petite hand as Enishi watched her with softened topaz-blue orbs.
He paused with much restraint and he sincerely asked, "Do you want to continue?" It was possible she did not think correctly when she first initiated this. "We can stop if you want." Although he would have to gather every ounce of self-restraint to stop.
She shook her head with, "I already was told it will hurt the first time; go ahead."
Of course it would hurt. She was such a petite girl, even for Japanese standards; and he was taller and more defined than average Japanese men. Still, she supposed it could be worse than the burning pain she felt as her muscles stretched to accommodate him. It was not a horrible pain, for she suffered more pain and bruises when she practiced kenjitsu. It was just a short and sharp, unexpected pain, but it was nothing she could not handle.
Enishi remained perfectly still, even though he was aching to start thrusting. She wrapped her arms around his body, brought him down to her, and she kissed him, full on the lips, holding nothing back.
Was it possible to care about someone so much, even if he knew nothing about her? Was it even possible that he could love her, more than anyone who was in his life, his sister included?
It had been years since he had been inside a woman, but he never expected her to give him that amount of pleasure. She felt so much better than the other women he bedded, if that was even possible, and he briefly wondered why that is until he was swept away again with the pleasurable current.
Koishi arched her back, feeling the pleasure all over her body, and she gasped at each thrust her lover made. She clasped his well-toned arms desperately as the sensations flowed through her like waves on a beach, causing her to moan out loud.
"Eh…ni..shi…" she choked out.
"Ride it out, Koishi." He breathed. "Ride it out."
He stared at her eyes with amazement; they were clouded over with pleasure, but they seemed to have bled the unknown color out, and they were the perfect sapphire-blue color he liked. She was so beautiful the way she responded to his touches, his caresses, and his thrusts; she took everything he had to give and held nothing back.
O~O~O~Lemon Ends Here~O~O~O~O
They breathed rapidly, their bodies covered with perspiration as they slowly came down from their high. Koishi thought it odd that she just now noticed the storm was horrendous outside.
She embraced her lover, causing him to lay over her, and she kissed him passionately again, only much more tired. He returned the kiss with much the same reaction.
Now it was Enishi's time to be awkward, for after the initial act, he would get up, put his clothes on, and leave. He could do no such thing with Koishi. His thoughts muddled, he rolled over to lay on his side, and embraced Koishi with one arm.
They slept in that position through the entire night, even with the storm above them.
To Be Continued…
AN: The song I mentioned is a real song called "Jasmine Flower," and you can find it on YouTube. Just search, "Traditional Chinese music Jasmine Flower" and look for the video uploaded by P Chau; the thumbnail is a really pretty Chinese woman in a pink dress, holding her erhu.
It's a really beautiful song; please listen to it!