At long last the trees had become pink and white again, signaling that spring had begun once again. There were still a good deal of melted snow around, ecspecially in the river, where the ice on the water had just begun to melt. Nonetheless, despite these flaws, it was a pleasant time.

Kaz was standing in front of a shop window, getting a good look at himself and fixing up his hair as needed. He looked rather handsome in his new dark grey suit and black and white shoes. It was most important that he looked his best on this paticular day.

As he stood there he heard a voice from behind him calling his name. He turned around in surprise.

''Amari?'' He asked. ''What are you doing here?''

Amari was wearing a suit very much like his brother's, even though he didn't work in the rual area where Kaz had been living for the past three years, in fact Amari lived in a completely different city. Nonetheless, it was a fine day for visiting his brother and he took advantage of it.

''I just wanted to see you again, that's all,'' Amari explained.

''Oh...'' Kaz said. ''So...uhm...how have you been?''

''How have you been?'' Amari asked. ''That's what I came here to ask.''

''I'm...okay I guess,'' Kaz said, shrugging. ''Work's been kinda rough on me though...''

''Same here,'' Amari said. ''Now...what was I going to say?''

Kaz looked at his watch. He had to get going, and soon.

''Uhm...uhm...I'm sure it was nothing important,'' Kaz said nervously, ''Now, if you'll excuse me, I absolutely must leave...''

''Oh! I remember,'' Amari said.

Kaz sighed. ''Yes, what is it Amari?'' He began to tap his foot impatiently.

''Well...it's not really any of my business,'' Amari said, ''but you should find a wife soon.''

''Eh...huh?'' Kaz eyes widened upon hearing his brother's words. ''Ehh...I don't really have time to be worrying about that these days...''

''It's what Dad would want,'' Amari explained.

Kaz just stood there thinking all this over.

''Well, sayonara,'' Amari said, walking away. ''It was nice to see you again.''

Kaz paid no attention to him and walked off.

He didn't want to be reminded of Usaga. Even though it had been several years since he had died, his death still brought poor Kaz much heartache, made even worse by Kiya's disappearance. Ever since she had gone, he had felt quite alone. He thought of her often, and it was only when he thought of what could have happened to him at the shrine that he really began to appreciate how caring Kiya was.

But there was no time to be miserable now, there was work to be done. He had to leave the past in the past, there would be time for sadness later.

It was somewhat late that night when Kaz, exausted, was walking homeward. He wanted nothing more than to just go home and forget everything that Amari had said that day, and all that had happened in the previous years.

But what Amari had said about getting married kept going around and around in his head, enough to drive him mad. Something had to me done.

He stopped walking and noticed the lighted sign near the door to the bar. Perhaps this could be his solution.

He sat down in a very dismal mood, and he didn't even notice that the only person behind the counter was the bartender's daughter. Her hair and her dress were the same sort of black as Kaz's hair and suit (well his was more grey actually), and her eyes were a sort of charming honey-bronze color.

She noticed him some few minutes after he arrived and said in a most personable voice, ''Don't pay any attention to me...I'm just polishing these goblets.'' And with that she turned her attention back to just that. But Kaz was pleased with her cheerful disposition and wanted to talk with her further.

''Uhm...ma'm?'' He asked her quietly.

''Just call me Yuki,'' She said, not averting her gaze but still keeping that liveliness.

''Uhm...uhm...'' Kaz had no idea what he and Yuki should chat about, and just sat there nervously trying to think of something.

''I suppose you've had a rough time today, too?'' Yuki asked, putting one of the goblets down.

''Er...yes,'' Kaz said.

''Good, good, it seems I'm not the only one,'' Yuki said with a bit of a laugh.

And so for the next two hours or so he and Yuki sat there discussing this and that while Yuki poured sake for him and whatnot, until Yuki's father arrived and finally told Kaz that he had to go, that they would be closing the place up for the night.

Kaz bid the two of them farewell and continued his walk home, feeling a lively desire to see Yuki again.

So, from that day on, after work at the same time each day he stopped at the bar and chatted with Yuki until her father closed up the place, and he would go home with a warm aura of calmness in knowing that there was someone out there waiting for him each night.

After some time he began picking wildflowers around his house and keeping them with him until he left work, and then brought them to Yuki, and as one might have guessed, she looked forward to Kaz's visits more and more.

One night after such a visit, as Kaz was walking home, he thought of what Amari had said on the day he first met Yuki. Maybe...I could...he thought, ...hmmm, it's definitely something to consider, but I've got more important things to consider...like having plenty of money. Yes, Kaz had not, and likely never would, outgrown his love of money from his poorer days.

But, oh how quickly his descions could change...

A/N: Hmmm you kinda see where this is going, don't you? The next couple of chapters are going to be a lot of fun. But sadly, you will have to wait...that's the way it goes. Oh well.

Until next time, review me, but no flaming or else Yuki's papa will whupp ya!

---Shaddie-chan

( And yes, AmiYumi, certain things in this fic were inspired by Memoirs Of A Geisha. So far you're the only reviewer who has noticed. )