Chapter 38
"The health and well-being of our grandchildren are worth more than all the wealth that can be taken from these lands." ― Bemidji Statement on Seventh Generation Guardianship
Infanticide, while widespread during Tokugawa Japan[1], was ironically looked down upon by those very same people who often committed it. And just like the still dangerous procedure of abortion, infanticide was illegal too. Interesting how widespread infanticide and abortion still were when there were certain laws enacted to prevent such actions.
It was widely identified years ago that poverty was the leading cause of infanticide by the government. In order to combat the culling of infants, subsidies were provided to parents with newborns often in the form of rice. The amount and type of subsidies the different domains did provide for the parents varied, but childcare subsidies did exist in all the domains and have existed for hundreds of years. However, in order to exercise control over the number of subsidies given and to prevent fraud, all pregnancies, births, and the number of children in a household were required to be reported to the nearest government outpost. Thus, failing to report a pregnancy or a birth could lead to serious punishments for the parents. The same could also be said for failing to report miscarriages and child deaths. Since the laws were trying to prevent infanticide, all child deaths and miscarriages were to be reported so they could be investigated extensively for foul play.[2]
Children are, after all, the future of a society regardless of class and origin. To kill children, infants, was nothing short of robbing the country of an important resource and the government understood that.
So here I was, sitting on the steps of Mibu temple with the Idiot Trio while Souji was off reporting my pregnancy at the nearest government building. Funny how the government was going to know about my pregnancy before the rest of my family did. I let out a bored sigh as I observed the newer recruits swinging their bokken in the courtyard. Their teacher of the day, Saito-san, was strangely nowhere to be seen.
I propped my chin up on my hands and blew my bangs out of my face. "Where did Saito-san go?" I asked, turning to Sano-san. "He was muttering something under his breath before the marched off."
"Something must have come up," Sano-san answered laxly, grinning at me before randomly reaching over to ruffle my hair. "Since he didn't ask Shinpachi to replace him as instructor, Saito probably plans on returning. It's probably nothing serious."
"But still…" Heisuke leaned back against the stone steps, using his arms to keep himself propped up. "It's unusual for Hajime-kun to walk off in the middle of a lesson… No, actually it's freakin' impossible. The guy's a sword nut. Are we sure he isn't just hiding somewhere so he can just watch the recruits in secret?"
"Nah, Saito wouldn't do that," Shinpachi-san stated, laughing it off before suddenly freezing as his eyes grew wide. "Wait… Unless that how he knows everything! Dude, didn't we always joke that Saito has eyes on the back of his head? What if that's how he does it?!"
I snorted, shaking my head at the notion. I may have started this line of conversation but now it was just growing stupid.
"You know what?" I lifted my chin off my hands. "Forget I asked. In fact, here comes Saito-san now."
I pointed to the gates of the temple. Saito-san had just stepped back onto temple grounds and, surprisingly, Ibuki-kun, who appeared a bit cagey, was accompanying him. Ibuki-kun, who kept as far away from kenjutsu practice as possible. Ibuki-kun, who couldn't even draw his own sword to defend himself even when it meant the difference between life and death.
"Hey… Is that Ryunosuke?" Heisuke questioned, sitting up straighter as his eyes followed the reluctant new addition.
I wordlessly nodded my head whilst scrunching up my brow at the sight. To say it was bizarre would be an understatement. I mean, even the new recruits knew enough about Ibuki-kun's attitude towards kenjutsu to know how strange it was for him to show up during practice, especially since they knew Ibuki-kun wasn't even an official member of the Roshigumi. Seriously, the recruits even paused whatever practice routine they were in the middle of just to stare.
Saito-san paced in a circle around Ibuki-kun, examining him like a piece of meat. "Since you have decided to begin training, you must first learn the basics."
Ibuki-kun turned his head the other way, muttering, "Not that I decided to do this…," under his breath with a scowl.
However, he was quick to shut up and straighten his posture when Saito-san cleared his throat and gave him that look, that look of extreme disappointment that would make any person feel a strangely guilty.
"F-Fine!" Ibuki-kun caved rather quickly, drawing his sword and positioning himself into a very sloppy stance.
Saito-san tilted his chin upward, pleased with the response before he stopped circling the poor guy and tapped the back of Ibuki-kun's knee, forcing it to bend. Unprepared for the sudden action, Ibuki-kun almost toppled over.
"Huh?"
"Bring your right leg forward. Shift your left leg back."
"Huh?"
Ibuki-kun was totally lost.
Saito-san then sighed, shaking his head before sliding into an easy stance beside Ibuki-kun. "Have the sword pointed directly over your opponent's head like so. This is the basic stance."
"Okay!" Ibuki-kun hastily readjusted his stance, fumbling with his sword first before attempting to copy Saito-san the best he could.
Ibuki-kun's inexperience was obvious in his stance.
His stance sloppy, horrendously sloppy. I cringed at the sight and scoot a bit closer to Sano-san as Ibuki-kun began haphazardly swinging his sword. Ibuki-kun grip on his katana was so loose that it looked like the sword would randomly fly out of his hand like a ballistic bullet while he was waving the thing around.
"When holding your katana's hilt, put strength into your grasp starting from the pinkie fingers going up," Saito-san quickly instructed, probably hoping to curb any chances of an incident occurring.
"Okay!"
Saito-san's mouth slanted downward and he shook his head at the modified stance. "Not like that."
"Like this?" Ibuki-kun readjusted his grip again, somehow making it worse.
"Don't hold it from the side," Saito-san said, readjusting Ibuki-kun grip on the sword for him.
"Huh?"
I'd give Saito-san credit. He didn't even look the slightest bit disgruntled from having to correct Ibuki-kun so many times on the most basic of stances.
"When you strike at someone, you would have to control it just with your thumbs."
"Okay, got it."
Finally, Saito-san seemed pleased enough with Ibuki-kun's stance to step away and allow for proper space to practice. After observing a few more swings, Saito-san left Ibuki-kun to his own devices, turning his attention back onto the new recruits. However, Saito-san still lingered closer to Ibuki-kun than to the recruits, carefully keeping an eye on the rookie.
Heisuke raised his eyebrow at the whole scene before leaning back against the temple steps lazily. "There's no need to teach Ryunosuke swordsmanship," he commented before letting out a yawn.
"Why not?" Shinpachi-san disagreed, propping his chin up on his hand. "He's finally decided to learn it."
"That's right!" Sano-san added, grinning alongside Shinpachi-san. "If Ryunosuke is trying to change, why not let him?"
"Uh-huh…" Heisuke shrugged and turned his attention back onto to Ibuki-kun.
I hummed and copied Heisuke, turning to watch Ibuki-kun practice. It kind of made me want to practice with my naginata. But unfortunately for me, Souji saw it fit to confiscate my weapon upon hearing of my pregnancy. I could already feel my skill level dulling from a few weeks of no practice. Nine months plus of no practice? Best not head out alone for a while.
Despite the many errors in the very beginning, Ibuki-kun's basic stance, once corrected, looked pretty good. In fact, it actually looked superior to many of the recruits' stances. Beneath all that inexperience with a sword, Ibuki-kun did seem to have a natural feel for kenjutsu. His swing was fairly powerful, and once he seemed to have a proper hold on his weapon, that haphazard waving turned into a uniformed and sturdy pose.
And, apparently, Saito-san thought so too. I caught myself snickering at Ibuki-kun's expression when he attracted Saito-san's attention again.
"Good. Now to start off, you can give me one thousand swings this afternoon."
"What?!"
Poor guy. He learned quickly but his endurance was lacking when it came to Saito-san's standard of excellence.
"So," I got to my feet to stretch my legs, "how long do you think he'll last? Do you think he'll make it to the end of practice?"
My legs felt stiff, but more importantly, my bladder felt squished and… very full. Annoying. I just went to relieve myself twenty minutes or so minutes ago. Growing a human on top of your bladder, not fun at all.
"Why not? Though he'll probably be ready to knee over when this is all done" Sano-san shrugged. He paused to watch me briefly before he furrowed his brows at me. "Hey, are you okay? You've been fidgeting a lot."
"It's nothing," I replied with a carefree wave of my hand.
"You sure? I mean, if you're—"
"Ah! There you are, Shizuka-chan!" a voice exclaimed from the temple gates, interrupting Sano-san.
Sano-san and I looked up to see Inoue-san waving at me. He scurried around the practicing men, keeping a safe distance away from those wooden swords, before approaching me.
"Isami-san and Toshi-san requested me to come fetch you," Inoue-san explained, smiling kindly at me. "I believe Toshi-san specifically said, 'I need Shizuka's brain.' The master of the sumo stable is here to discuss a fundraising event."
I blanked out for a few seconds before I developed an urge to smack myself on the head.
"Oh. That was today?" I replied whilst nibbling on the inside of my lips in annoyance at my own forgetfulness, causing Sano-san to frown at me.
"I doubt Souji will be too happy about you ruining your lips like that," Sano-san scolded as he crossed his arms at me. "Been forgetful lately?"
"Kind of." I spared a short glance Sano-san's way. "There's just been a lot on my mind lately. Um… When Souji's gets back, can you let him know where I am?"
"Yeah." Sano-san then gave me a gentle shove towards Inoue-san, getting me to follow after the older man.
As I followed, I indulged Inoue-san, nodding silently as he chatted away about his favorite teas. Apparently, Inoue-san wasn't actually too fond of sencha tea[3] despite drinking it the most out of all the other types of teas. I made a mental note to look for gyokuro[4] the next time I went to the market.
It didn't take long to arrive back at headquarters. And while Inoue-san seemed to want to continue his little monolog on tea, he dutifully delivered me to the main hall before excusing himself with a polite nod. Once Inoue-san left, Hijikata-san knocked on my forehead in an almost teasing manner.
"Forgetful much?" Hijikata-san raised an eyebrow at me. "If it weren't for your supernatural medical knowledge then I'd swear that your skull has been empty recently."
I scowled at Hijikata-san and batted his hands away before greeting the stable master was a polite bow.
"My name is Okita Shizuka. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I hope we work well together."
The stable master didn't seem to be bothered that I was late. Instead, he let out a jolly laughter and for a moment, I swear he reminded me of that jolly old man children loved around Christmas time.
"No, no. The pleasure is all mine," the stable master belted out boisterously before turning to Otou-san. "You're right, Kondou-dono. Your daughter will be a pleasure to work with. Sit, sit. We have plenty to discuss."
I took a seat beside Otou-san, quickly stealing a quick side hug from him and earning his chuckle.
"Now where do we begin…?" Otou-san asked, his eyes flickering to me.
As if copying Otou-san's actions, Hijikata-san and the stable master both to turned to me. The room went silent as they awaited my response.
I was no expert at fundraising planning, but I did have my part in a fair share of fundraising events in my past life for the hospital I worked at. Some non-profit organization wanted free surgeries for a bunch of children with families that couldn't afford it. I was all for it, but that still took a lot of fundraising. Even with surgeons that were willing to perform free surgeries, the supplies and tests needed in order to conduct such surgeries were expensive.
"Well," I said, pausing slightly as I caught a whiff of a random odor floating around in the room. It was musky and my stomach immediately wanted to turn inside out. Why did it smell musky? "Let's just start with ten basic steps and move on from there. Any inputs?" said as I manage to avoid gagging.
Seriously, why did it smell musky?
"No," Hijikata-san answered, gesturing at me as a sign to continue.
"Step one: establish the purpose of the fundraiser, which I believe we already have. To raise money, gain publicity, and to reach out to the public in hopes of repairing the Roshigumi's reputation, because Lord knows we need it."
Hijikata-san's face instantly seemed to sour at the word "reputation". Weeks ago, a ronin was arrest for using the Roshigumi's name to extort money out of a merchant. Serizawa had that ronin beheaded and the head put on display. If the Roshigumi's reputation was ghastly before, then there were no words for it now.
People parted like the Red Sea when the Roshigumi was out on patrol. There were hushed whispers floating around the market about the bloodthirsty men of the Roshigumi who kill for enjoyment. According to the civilians, the Roshigumi consisted of murderers, rapist, thieves, power-hungry thugs, and liars. Our reputation was so bad now that any ronin could claim that he was a part of the Roshigumi and no one would doubt him.
In Serizawa's head, a bad reputation was better than no reputation.
What an idiot notion. It was easier to build a new reputation and shape it than it was to fix a bad reputation. Changing people's minds about such things was always difficult if not impossible.
"Step two: our fundraising goal." I paused, taking a deep breath in hopes it would make my queasiness abate. It worsened instead. "We need to figure out how much money we are trying to raise from the fundraising event. Please keep in mind our budget. We need to earn more than we spend on the fundraising event. Building a sumo wrestling stage can be pricey, right?"
The stable master nodded.
"Hmm," Hijikata-san said, letting the sour expression from before melt away. "That's simple compared to all the other crap I have to deal with. I already have a rough estimate of everything. Leave all the money management to me."
"Okay," I said.
Seeing as Hijikata-san seemed to have everything under control, I didn't feel the need to go over the step of picking a leader for the event. Hijikata-san had a good head on him and he knew how to budget. Honestly, the leader in this event was a no-brainer. He was perfect for this role.
"Alright, then let's just skip down target audience." I had to pause again to allow my stomach to settle after it suddenly lurched, making me wish we were having this meeting outside just for the sake of getting fresh air. I cleared my throat "So we know that this whole fundraising event is going to consist of several sumo matches…"
"Ah, yes," the stable master weighed in. "Matches tend to be most popular among the artisans and merchants, some samurai families too. If they have money to spend, they'll be willing to spend it on a few good matches. My boys can promise exhilarating matches."
"Okay, what about the location for the performance?" Otou-san asked. He glanced at the stable master before looking to me for my opinion. While he had looked rather enthusiastic earlier, that expression seemed to falter once his eyes landed on me. "Shizu-chan, are you okay? You look rather pale."
"Oh, I'm fine," I chirped, mustering as much cheeriness I could manage at the moment.
That wasn't enough. It kind of just made them stare at me more.
My voice came out flat and… really, really flat. The lightheadedness that was developing probably didn't help much too. Oh! And look! The world was spinning too!
"Shizu-chan?"
I snapped out of my strange daze, blinking as Otou-san placed his palm on my forehead. Otou-san immediately shushed me before I could open my mouth to complain.
"Hmm… No fever…"
"That's because I'm not sick. And no, I'm not tired either."
"Or so you say," Hijikata-san said, narrowing his eyes at me. "Weren't you sick the other morning? If you really are ill, there's no way you would have gotten over the bug this quickly."
I rolled my eyes in response.
"Kind of the wrong time to be fussing over me. If you haven't noticed, I'm a grown woman. I know how to take care of myself. And we happen to be in a meeting right now." I gestured to the kind stable master who, apparently, appeared to be very understanding and sympathetic towards Otou-san's worries at the current moment.
I might as well call it now. I predict getting kicked out of the meeting in order to get some "rest", which I didn't need, by the way. Sure, my sleep last night was a little restless, but six hours was more than enough for someone who was used to functioning on much less on a busy day.
"No, no," the stable master then said, making my prediction come closer to becoming true. "Your daughter seems to be feeling ill right now, Kondou-dono. You should focus on her and address me later. I can wait."
I groaned, wanting to protest, but it would have been a truly idiotic move if I did. Because, right at that moment, I threw up a little in my mouth.
Hijikata-san seemed to stare at me funny, probably wondering why I wasn't verbally protesting. Otou-san, on the other hand… Oh, he went silent. Unlike Hijikata-san, he seemed to know I had thrown up a little in my mouth and was keeping my mouth shut just to hide it. But Otou-san, strangely enough, wasn't making a big fuss about it. Instead, he scrunched up his brows before closing his eyes briefly.
Then finally…
"Toshi, why don't you continue discussing this sumo performance with our honored guest. I'll go take care of Shizu-chan," Otou-san said, hoisting me to my feet by my arm.
I was almost tempted to swallow my vomit just so I could retort. I wasn't some delicate flower that would wilt the moment I started feeling ill. But the I also knew when to admit defeat. Otou-san quickly yet gently led me out of the room and stopped by some bushes, turning away so I could spit out the vomit in privacy.
"I'm not sick," I reiterated after wiping my mouth on my sleeve in a rather unladylike manner. "It's just that the room smelled a little gross. I was grossed out. When was the last time I cleaned that room in particular?"
Sure, I lost the first round and got booted from the meeting, but I still wanted to help somehow.
Otou-san just crossed his arms at me, silently telling me that I'd have to do better than that to fool him.
"Shizu-chan, you're obviously exhausted," Otou-san then said, steering me away from the main hall in such a subtle way that I nearly didn't notice. "Toshi and I will be fine on our own."
I frowned. "I am not exhausted, and I want to help. Please?"
Otou-san seemed not to hear my plea.
"Souji's out on personal business, right?" he questioned instead. "Why don't you go rest and wait for him to come home. I'll talk with you and Souji after this meeting is over."
And then we stopped walking. I wanted to splutter over where Otou-san apparently led me to.
A bathroom.
I just gave him a, "Are you serious?" look.
"What?" he said, not even looking close to being intimidated by my look due to being exposed to it too much already. "I'm pretty sure you needed to use the facilities the whole time too. Just go ahead and do your business before going back to your room to wait for Souji. I'll be with the both of you when the meeting concludes."
Complete and utter defeat. Demoted to being completely useless.
I gave Otou-san the stink eye before stomping into the restroom and closing the door in Otou-san's face. All he did was chuckle, and I swear I heard him say to himself, "She's just like Tsune and doesn't know how and when to relax."
Considering that I said that I wasn't sick or tired, I'm a little embarrassed to say that I fell asleep near instantly once I returned to my room to wait for Souji to return. And it wasn't for a short amount of time either. The sun was actually already beginning to set when I opened my eyes.
I groaned in annoyance at myself for my weak constitution before rolling over on the futon only to find Souji watching me with a quirked eyebrow.
"I hope that you know that it's super creepy, like stalker-creepy, that you were watching me sleep," I said, running my hand down my face before sitting up. "Didn't you have anything better to do?"
I pulled the kanzashi out of my messy hair and… just left it like that. I didn't feel like redoing my hair at the moment and Souji seemed to like to see my hair down anyway.
Souji chuckled, taking the kanzashi from my hands to place it on the nearby desk. He brushed my messy hair behind my ear.
"For someone who's always saying she's not tired, four hours is an awfully long nap, isn't it?"
"Four hours?" I yawned. "It's the Hour of the Monkey already?"
"Uh-huh."
Souji rubbed my lower back before placing a hand on my belly.
"There's so much I could have gotten done during all that time…," I mumbled before shaking my head. "Actually, no. I'm not going to complain about that awesome nap I just had."
What's done is done, after all.
And then my stomach turned. Again. And I gagged. Again. Thankfully, no vomit this time.
"But I will complain about wanting to throw up all the time. Whoever decided to name this phenomenon 'morning sickness' should be shot for coming up with such a horrible misnomer."
Souji grinned and snorted at my words. "So anyway, Kondou-san wants to talk to us when you up. Any idea about what?"
I let out a sigh, allowing myself to tumble back onto the futon as I stared at the ceiling. "Otou-san probably thinks I'm not taking care of myself. I was all nauseous and pale during the meeting with the stable master. I think I even felt faint. Otou-san probably just wants to make sure that I'm being looked after."
Souji made a sound of acknowledgment before pecking the top of my head. His eyes then flickered to the closed door when he heard footsteps. I could see Otou-san's silhouette on the shōji door through the corner of my eye. He appeared to be carrying a stack of something. The mysterious stack was revealed to be a stack of books when Otou-san opened the door.
Otou-san grinned when he saw me push myself up back into a seated position and placed the stack of books next to Souji before closing the door for privacy sake.
"Umm… Kondou-san?" Souji asked as he picked up a book from the stack. It appeared so worn that the title was no longer legible on the cover. "What is all this for?"
"Ah." Otou-san took a seat next to me. "Those are for you to read. I know that Shizu-chan is a doctor and is a vault of information, but you should do some reading for yourself. I know that if you aren't knowledgeable in the next part, Shizu-chan will just take advantage of that and weasel out."
Weasel out? Weasel out of what?
Otou-san then laid his hand on my belly, causing me and Souji to exchange surprised looks.
"When were you going to tell me you were pregnant, Shizu-chan?"
"I—How did you know?" I fumbled.
Otou-san grinned so widely that I though his mouth was going to split. "You do act a lot like Tsune when she was pregnant. Though, you do seem to be nauseous more than she was." He then gave Souji a prideful pat on the shoulder. "So how far along?"
"Seven," Souji answered, a grin erupting across his face to join Otou-san's. He had been impatient and eager to tell Otou-san, after all. "She just wanted to tell everyone after twelve weeks."
Otou-san hummed as he nodded. "I see… I guess no spreading the news yet. Well, that's up to you. But I'll go and run down to the market to purchase supplies for a hara-obi[5] in a few days. But Souji, did you go report the pregnancy yet?"
"Yeah, that was what I was actually doing earlier."
"Haha!" Otou-san then clapped, his enthusiasm now spilling over before going over to give Souji a hug, and somewhat trapping me in between the middle of those two. "The gods are smiling down at you, Souji! A child to carry on your family name! And so soon after marriage too!"
"Well, I am very loved." Souji made it a point to look at me with that stupid, sexy, smug look of his.
And if he didn't sound cocky then, then I don't know what cocky would sound like. I scoffed playfully, whacking him on the chest. If anything, that just seemed to make his ego grow more.
"Well," I then said, eager to busy myself once more as I stood up before straightening out my tangled hair, "It seems like you two have plenty to bond over right now," and I kind of didn't want to be caught in the middle of this father to son talk, "so I'm going to go start preparing stuff for dinner."
"Ah, wait, Shizu-chan! Don't you feel nauseous?"
"Haha, well…" I opened the door and slid out of the room. "KindabutIwillbefine!" I blurted out in one quick breath before ducking out of sight.
I should have figured that neither Otou-san nor Souji would just let me walk off like that. Yet, as I headed down towards the kitchen, I still found it strange to be sandwiched between both men. Souji was insistent that I was not to be in the kitchen alone, and Otou-san was persuaded that I absolutely needed help with cooking dinner. Both seemed to have forgotten that they were… subpar in when it came down to cooking a meal. Instead, they both seemed to have babies on the mind.
"Souji, did you know that a baby will develop birthmarks if the mother stares at a fire?"
I groaned inwardly as I caught part of the conversation. Superstition. I hated superstition.
"Really? Then shouldn't that mean that Shizuka shouldn't be working in the kitchen right now?"
"You know, I can hear the both of you! And there's nothing wrong with having a birthmark!"
It was almost like the both of them couldn't hear me.
"And Shizu-chan should really not be doing anything that stressful at all. In one of the books I read, it states that the state of pregnancy for a woman is a time when the woman's body and psyche are very delicate, vulnerable, and prone to malfunction. Meaning, pregnant women should, therefore, be strictly protected from serious emotional disturbances and strenuous physical activity.[6]"
Souji nodded, listening intently to Otou-san while I scowled and walked faster, trying to ditch the two on the way to the kitchen but they were like bloodhounds. I knew they meant well, but all this coddling was suffocating.
"You see, according to the taikyō, the pregnant body is considered fragile due to the disruptive movement of fetal ki, a type of life force energy that is believed to emerge with the unborn child to nurture the child during the period of gestation. Irregular movements of fetal ki also produce 'heat' to make the body ill. That's why Shizu-chan has been nauseous lately.[7]"
"Really?"
"Yes."
"No," I said at the same time Otou-san answered.
I paused, scowling some more and crossing my arms at both of them. All that did was cause them to pause alongside me as the continued to discuss the not scientifically proven understanding of pregnancy.
"But worry not, Souji. It's only in the second or third month of pregnancy when the fetal ki is stagnated in the and around the throat and chest. When stagnated, it interferes with the digestive organ, making the pregnant mother nauseated. It's when the fetal ki becomes settled in and around the womb during the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy that nausea stops.[8]"
Otou-san then wrapped his arm Souji' shoulder, bringing Souji closer as if he wanted to tell him a secret.
"Now, fetal ki is not the only active element during pregnancy. The process of gestation involves the functioning of the major visceral organs, which maintain adequate circulation and preservation of ki. In order for such organs for function well, a pregnant woman should not become emotionally agitated or mistreat the body least they risk complications during childbirth.[9]"
I'll admit that some of this explanation appeared logical, but it didn't change the fact that most of it was scientifically incorrect. They did mean well and all but… I really missed like-minded people who were educated in the same western medical method I was. It was frustrating listening to all of this when I didn't believe a single ounce of this.
"Souji, there is also another type of ki that affects the unborn child's growth and it's known as cardinal ki. While fetal ki is affected by a woman's physical movement, cardinal ki is formed as a result of the function of the heart system and tends to be stirred up by emotional agitation. The movement of both ki affects each other. In order for these two types of ki to function in a regular pattern, the expectant mother must discipline her movements. For example, a pregnant woman should sleep on her side, sit up straight, and be slow to stand upright. She should also do things like avoid taking too much medicine, avoid excessive drinking, and avoid inappropriate moxibustion and acupuncture.[10] Understand, Souji?"
"Yes, Kondou-san." Souji then looked to my bored expression. "Shizuka, are you listening?"
"…Yeah…" I looked up to stare at the orange clouds in the sky.
"Okay," Otou-san continued, "while fetal ki is agitated mainly by a woman's mishandling of her body, cardinal ki is disturbed by strong emotional reactions. For instance, cardinal ki is affected by watching a fire, unexpectedly hearing sad news, or hearing loud shouting close at hand or noise from construction work in the neighborhood. The disturbance of the cardinal ki will affect fetal ki which could eventually cause illness. Abnormal functioning of blood along with the disturbance of ki will also cause problems in a woman's gestating body. In this case, as well, the woman's emotions are often the source of such disorder. This is why an expectant mother is to suppress her desires and to observe sexual abstinence. If the expectant mother's desires were stirred up, the ki and blood would become heated and disturb the fetal ki[11]."
Oh God, shoot me now. Don't take away my sex!
In fact, according to science, it's actually normal for an expectant mother to develop an increased sexual appetite due to the fluctuation of certain hormones[12].
Now, I kind of just wanted to bash my head in.
"Also according to the taikyō, a woman's moral conduct during pregnancy directly affects the health and intelligence of the child. A mother's conduct in specific areas of activity influences the corresponding areas in the developing baby. For example, in order to have a handsome and virtuous child, the expectant mother should only say righteous things and not engage in indecent gossip. She should discipline herself and not be self-indulgent or engage in shameful conduct. If the expectant mother wants a beautiful child, she should wear pearls and only look at beautiful objects and physically superior people. Similarly, if she wants an intelligent child, she should read books written by sages. In other words, 'When outward forms are proper, it is felt by what is inside.[13]"
I couldn't really stand listening to all of this nonsense anymore. It was driving me up the wall. So, I decided to make my way towards the kitchen again. It would be preferred if Otou-san and Souji didn't stalk me to the kitchen, but I wasn't going to die if they did. However, this is when I noticed another woman. She was leaving the Maekawa house.
She was gorgeous. Her long blonde hair twisted into something similar to a French twist. Despite the unusual hair color, she did appear to be Asian. Perhaps she had some European ancestry?
Either way, this mystery woman appeared to be leaving the Maekawa house, indicating she had business with someone in the Maekawa house, and the only person she could possibly have business with was Serizawa. But the real question was, what type of business? She was no courtesan. Her clothes, while elegant, weren't flashy enough to belong to a prostitute. Perhaps a merchant or artisan? Despite whatever business she may have had, that sullen expression on her face told me it had not gone well.
"Shizuka. Oi, Shizuka!" I heard Souji say before he waved his hand in my face. "Did you just hear what Kondou-san said about what foods you should not be eating?"
"Huh? What? Did you say something?"
"Haha, very funny," Souji said in a sarcastic tone while giving me the disappointed look. "What stole your attention anyways?"
"Over there." I pointed to the mystery woman. Both Otou-san and Souji seemed to tilt their head curiously at the woman. "It looks like that woman had business with Serizawa and it didn't go well. Let's go check it out."
"Hmm… Alright," Otou-san said. "But if whatever she says starts to stress you out in any way, then Souji will escort you away."
"Seriously?" I looked at Otou-san and Souji exasperatedly. They wore straight faces and I found myself wishing Otou-san never started talking about all this ki nonsense. "Fine. Whatever," I replied in a rush before calling out to the woman. "Excuse me!"
The mysterious beauty perked up at the sound of my voice instantly looked in my direction, looking a bit nervous as she spotted the two powerful-looking men behind me.
"Are you feeling okay? You look a bit upset," I said, approaching her in an amicable manner.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, looking slightly embarrassed that she wasn't hiding her disappointment as well as she originally thought she was. "It's nothing. Please don't worry about a humble stranger such as myself. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" My expression silently told her that I didn't believe her one bit. "By the look of things, you just had business with Serizawa and he's… difficult… to have to deal with alone."
She opened her mouth wordlessly before shutting it again. "I'm sorry, but who are you?" she finally asked after a brief moment of hesitant silence.
"Oh, I'm sorry." I followed the polite norm and bowed to her. "I should have introduced myself first. My name is Okita Shizuka." I then gestured to Souji and then to Otou-san. "This is my husband, Okita Souji, and the man to his right is Kondou Isami, my chichi-ue and one of the Commanders of the Roshigumi."
I could see her brows going up slowly as she grew less hesitant. To be heard by the other most powerful man in the Roshigumi? An opportunity too good to waste.
"My name is Oume, mistress to Hishiya the tailor. Danna-sama gave me strict instructions not to return to our shop until I have collected the payment for the uniforms that Serizawa-sama ordered. Unfortunately, I was just told that Serizawa-sama is currently not in."
"Ehh?" Souji commented as he looked down at Oume-san with a critical eye. He didn't appear to be too fond of this woman. "Tough luck there. If he hasn't paid yet, then he never intended to pay in the first place."
"Surely you jest!" Oume-san exclaimed, looking to Otou-san for help.
Since I already felt bad for her, she didn't need to make herself look more pitiful than she already was to win over Otou-san's soft-hearted sympathy. As for Souji, I could feel the distaste radiating off of him. He was looking at her like she was a vulture. People who went looking for pity was certainly Souji's least favorite people.
Otou-san then sighed, looking upset as he looked at Oume-san with troubled eyes. "Well, this certainly cannot do. Please come with me Oume-san, I will pay you the dues instead. It is best that you don't confront Serizawa-san. He has a temper and will do as he wishes. It's not safe for a lone woman to confront him."
"Kondou-san?" Souji asked with a barely visible frown was on his face. "We're paying for Serizawa-san's purchase out of the Roshigumi's funds? Why?"
"There's no excuse not too since we can afford it with the money Shizu-chan and Kyoko-chan brought in. And while it was Serizawa-san's purchase, it is the Roshigumi as a whole that wears the uniform he ordered, meaning we are all partly responsible for this payment."
"And not to mention," I whispered to Souji, "the Roshigumi's reputation is already bad enough. Do we really want to make it worst by adding, 'refuses to pay for purchase,' onto the list? Forget about the rotten reputation. What will we do if merchants start refusing to sell us their wares, like rice? We'd starve."
Souji puffed up the right side of his cheek, indicating that he heard me as he watched Otou-san lead Oume-san into the Yagi house in order to fetch her payment. Oume-san left headquarters several minutes later while holding a bundle of money in her hands. She looked quite pleased.
It was the following day when the Roshigumi received the order to travel to Osaka to protect the daimyo residing there. Despite already having found out about my pregnancy, Otou-san was surprisingly still allowing me to come, much to Souji's displeasure. In fact, I think this was actually the first time those two actually openly disagreed on anything. Souji's reasoning was that it was stressful for pregnant women to travel and that I should just remain at home and relax. Otou-san's side of the argument was that the pregnancy was still early so it wouldn't impede travel. Otou-san argued that I could remain at the inn and enjoy the atmosphere, or I could take advantage of the nearby onsens to bathe while the men performed their task. My eyes had lit up at the mention of the onsens, causing Souji to relent and accept Otou-san's suggestion without much of a struggle. Hence now both Souji and I were out in the market purchasing supplies for the trip up to Osaka.
The supplies for this trip mainly consisted of food for the ferry ride to Osaka, and… Well, more food.
Souji shifted the sack of rice over his shoulder before looking back down at the shopping list in my hands. "What next?"
"Some dango."
"I'm pretty sure that's not on the list, Shizuka."
I pouted, puffing up my cheeks to make Souji chuckle at me. "Okay, so maybe that's not on the list, but I still want some. Please? I'm hungry and I really want something sweet. Oh! and I can go for some yōkan[14] too!"
"Alright! Stop!" Souji exclaimed, pretending to beg for mercy. "I would have said yes without the cute act. Not like I'd say no to you right now anyways."
Souji bumped my hip with his own to nudge me to right. We were pretty close to a teahouse in the first place, so it was a quick walk. Cut through a small side street, take a left, then a sharp right, and ta-dah, a teahouse for enjoyment on the right. Except, the little bamboo bench I liked to sit on right outside of the quant teahouse appeared occupied at the moment.
Souji was quick to pull me into a nearby side alley with him before I could get a clear look of the people occupying the bench. Souji then poked his head out to look around the corner with an impish grin before turning to me with a playful-looking shushing gesture. He had that familiar look on his face, the one he always wore when he hijacked Hijikata-san haiku journal.
"What?" I asked, poking my head out too to take a peek.
Upon further observation, I discovered the two people occupying the bench were no other than Kosuzu-chan and Ibuki-kun. I raised my eyebrow at Souji.
"I wonder if I can cut off and steal his ponytail from here…," Souji wondered out loud, alarming me into kicking his shin to get him to stop. "What?"
"Bad! Heel boy!"
Souji's impish grin just grew wider before poking his head back around the corner to eavesdrop. Since I wanted to do that too, I said nothing and poked my head out around the corner just beneath Souji's head.
"Too sweet!" I saw Ibuki-kun exclaimed after taking a bite of dango. He rushed to down a cup of tea in a brutish manner.
Kosuzu-chan looked a bit put off before letting out a sigh. "My, such manners!"
"H-Hey, it was too sweet for me…"
"At times like this, you're supposed to say, 'Dango taste remarkably different when I'm with a cute maiko like you.'"
"Don't call yourself cute."
"I know, but you could at least say that to be polite!"
"I hate telling lies."
"It's a lie?"
Souji snickered beside me as he watched Ibuki-kun flail around uselessly for a second.
"Man, Ibuki-kun sucks at this," Souji said, grinning down at me. "Even I can tell that maiko was faking her scowl from here. He should just go ahead and tell the maiko that she's cute."
I merely shrugged as I watched on. I wasn't usually the type to spy on a friend when she's on a date, or that's at least what I think this was, but I was curious. Oh, and it was funny to see Ibuki-kun so flustered and tongue-tied like this. It was a far cry from that normal tough guy act he put on around the Roshigumi headquarters.
"N-Nah, it's not really a lie, I guess…" Ibuki-kun stuttered, looking at everything but Kosuzu-chan, causing her to giggle. "W-What now?"
"'Tis not a thing."
"But dang, you've got it rough. You have practice during the day and then spend the night dealing with drunks."
"It would be unbearable if all my patrons were like Serizawa-han."
Ibuki-kun let out a chuckle at that. "You can be surprisingly blunt."
"Yep!"
"Oh, yeah!" Ibuki-kun then suddenly exclaimed. "Shimabara is going to be quiet for a bit."
Kosuzu-chan tilted her head before putting down her empty skewer. "Why is that?"
"Serizawa-san will be going to Osaka in a couple of days due to work."
"Osaka?"
"Yeah," Ibuki-kun said before puffing up his chest. "I'll be going with him."
The news, however, didn't seem to make Kosuzu-chan seem relieved. Instead, a frown bloomed on her face as she stared down at her hands. All that happy cheerfulness from before had all but vanished.
"Shimabara may be okay," Kosuzu-chan said, her voice more muted than usual, "but I'm worried that he might torment the maiko and geisha in Osaka…"
"I'll make sure that Serizawa-san doesn't' get rough with them."
"Really?" Kosuzu-chan seemed to perk up immediately. "I'll hold you to that!"
"Hmm… Are you sure you want to do that?" Souji said, magically appearing behind Ibuki-kun.
I scrunched up my brow and blinked before quickly turning to the spot Souji was supposed to be occupying only to find it empty. I turned my head back towards the bench just in time to see Souji grinning wryly before he yanked Ibuki-kun's head back with a forceful pull of the ponytail.
"Gah! What the hell!" Ibuki-kun flailed, grabbing the base of his ponytail in an attempt to lessen the pull.
It was a useless attempt. Souji just merely grinned wider at Ibuki-kun's attempt before shoving the poor guy off the bench. Then before Ibuki-kun could get up, Souji stole Ibuki-kun's old seat and dropped the sack of rice on top of Ibuki-kun's head.
Souji turned to the stunned Kosuzu-chan. "Ibuki-kun's pretty useless. All he does is get whacked around by Serizawa-san all day long."
Ibuki-kun knocked the sack of rice off his head and leaped to his feet while glaring down Souji. Ibuki-kun's glare, however, only hit as hard as a wet paper towel.
"Okita! What the hell was that for!" Ibuki-kun growled.
"I wanted a seat and you were in my way."
I adored Souji and all, but there were times I wanted to bash his head in too. But considering that bashing heads in was out of my reach without my naginata, I made my presence known as I settled on whacking Souji on the back of his head.
"Ow! Shizuka," Souji whined. "What was that for."
"You can be such an ass sometimes." I then ignored Souji and Ibuki-kun as they continued to trade insults with each other in favor of Kosuzu-chan much-preferred company. "Fancy meeting you here. Out on a date?"
Kosuzu-chan flushed, shaking her head. "Ibuki-han and I just ran into each other by pure chance."
"But you wished it was a date, huh?"
The blush on her cheeks grew a bit deeper as she nodded before she frowned as she turned to watch Souji yank on Ibuki-kun's bangs.
"Will everything be okay in Osaka?" she muttered under her breath. Despite the fact she was just talking to herself, I answered.
"No need to be so worried," I said, plucking dango from her unfinished plate. "My husband and I will also be going. I can help keep an eye on things."
Kosuzu-chan still seemed worried, but she relaxed enough to smile back at me before discreetly placing a hand on my belly, smiling even more when she realized I put on less padding today beneath my kimono.
[1] Drixler, Fabian. Mabiki: Infanticide and Population Growth in Eastern Japan, 1660-1950. Los Angeles, University of California Press, 2013, p. 16.
[2] Drixler, Fabian. Mabiki: Infanticide and Population Growth in Eastern Japan, 1660-1950. , Los Angeles, University of California Press, 2013, p. 1-22.
[3] Sencha tea is the fully sun-grown variety of Japanese green tea. It is the most common and popular variety of green tea in Japan. There are many cultivars and grades of Sencha, which leads to a large spectrum of taste, quality and pricing.
There are a number of factors that influence the final taste of Sencha. These include the quality of the raw tea leaves, the location of the plantation and the final processing method. Because the first two factors are so variable, most tea is graded by its final processing method. The processing method is categorized by how long the tea is steamed for, as most Japanese green tea is steamed. The grades are Asamushi, which is steamed for the shortest time, followed by Chumushi and Fukumushi, which is steamed for nearly twice as long as Asamushi. These three grades of tea help one to have a general idea of how their tea will taste before they purchase it.
[4] Gyokuro is rolled form of shaded Japanese green tea leaf. What makes the Gyokuro tea leaf unique is that, for the final month before harvesting it is covered by shade. This shade prevents most of the L-Theanine, an amino acid, from converting into Catechins, the polyphenols responsible for most of the bitterness in lower-quality teas. As a result, Gyokuro tea has a sweet, unique taste that is very favorably compared to the sun-grown Sencha grade of teas.
L-Theanine is the so-called "Feel-good" Amino acid, and is primarily found in the leaves of the tea plant (). While all teas have some L-Theanine, the largest quantities are found in the Gyokuro and Matcha teas. L-Theanine not only gives these teas their signature sweetness, but it also relaxes the body and mind. This comes from L-Theanine's stimulation of the alpha brain waves, which produce a calming effect.
L-Theanine, combined with caffeine, melts away stress and anxiety, and allows one to focus on the present task. This unique ability was praised by the Zen Buddhist monks, who popularized the use of tea in their meditation sessions
[5] During the fifth month, pregnant women in Japan start wearing a hara-obi. The hara-obi is a piece of white cloth that is about 32 feet in length and about a half a foot wide. The long cloth is used to wrap the abdomen of the woman. It is often translated as a maternity belt or corset.
The reasons for wearing the hara-obi are:
1. To keep the baby small and help ensure an easier delivery for the mother.
2. To protect the baby in the event of a fall or accident.
3. To support the back of the mother.
4. To keep the baby warm.
None of these reasons are scientifically proven to be true.
Historically, women would receive the hara-obi and take it along with their mother and mother-in-law to a shinto shrine where it could be prayed upon and blessed by the monks to ensure a healthy baby and a safe delivery. Then, wanting to protect their baby, mothers would wrap their midsection in the hara-obi to surround themselves and their baby with prayers and good wishes.
[6] Lindsey, William Robert. Fertility and Pleasure: Ritual and Sexual Values in Tokugawa Japan. n.p.: ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing, 2003.
[7] Terazawa, Yuki. Gender, Knowledge, and Power: Reproductive Medicine in Japan, 1790-1930. n.p.: ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing, 2001.
[8] Terazawa, Yuki. Gender, Knowledge, and Power: Reproductive Medicine in Japan, 1790-1930. n.p.: ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing, 2001.
[9] Terazawa, Yuki. Gender, Knowledge, and Power: Reproductive Medicine in Japan, 1790-1930. n.p.: ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing, 2001.
[10] Terazawa, Yuki. Gender, Knowledge, and Power: Reproductive Medicine in Japan, 1790-1930. n.p.: ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing, 2001.
[11] Terazawa, Yuki. Gender, Knowledge, and Power: Reproductive Medicine in Japan, 1790-1930. n.p.: ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing, 2001.
[12] Many women experience an increased libido late in the first trimester and in the second due the tapering off of the hormones that cause morning sickness. Along with this increased libido comes increased vaginal lubrication and a hypersensitive clitoris due to extra genital blood flow.
[13] Terazawa, Yuki. Gender, Knowledge, and Power: Reproductive Medicine in Japan, 1790-1930. n.p.: ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing, 2001.
[14] Yōkan (羊羹) is a thick, jellied dessert made of red bean paste, agar, and sugar. It is usually sold in a block form, and eaten in slices. There are two main types: neri yōkan and mizu yōkan. "Mizu" means "water", and indicates that it is made with more water than usual. Mizu yōkan is often chilled and eaten in summer.