An out of focus chapter. Instead of Kanao, this chapters centers on other characters.

(Chapter unedited.)

But who will it be?
The fool, the wildflower, the butterfly; who will it be?
…they don't know but they had to search for that someone.

Ah… it's really raining heavily…

Under the convenient size of her umbrella, Hara walked through the night sky despite the severe weather in the certain street of Flower District towards her destination of her humble home. Since she was now out of shift for the day, one thing she noticed while working these days in Red Light was how frequently she would get called by the boss, Kagaya into his office. While it unnerved her for a while but she later got used to it due to the fact that she was slowly getting… is comfy the right word? Nevertheless, she never exactly hated their tea sessions.

But… seriously though, what was the reason of his actions?

When he first called for her, back when he tried to convince her friend through her, Kanao-chan, she thought he was a man of malicious intentions. When she talked to him for the second time, she realized he was not that kind of man, though, there are still hidden intentions but he reassured that he was not using Kanao-chan for his selfish reason; that was what he said to her.

But then, in their next meeting… she was called for a tea with him…

And it was… kinda weird at first.

He was asking question about her. Her, of all people! And that was probably the most awkward moment she experienced in her whole lifetime. While she was able to answer his question smoothly as possible, she didn't responded her questions wholeheartedly because… who in the right mind would reveal everything who is essentially a stranger to her? These were the words kept running in her word to convince herself that there's no need to reveal everything about her to Kagaya.

She exhaled in exasperation. Just what in a world she got herself into? But since she asked for it, she would just tolerate it for a while.

Seeing something in the distance, she halted her steps and narrowed her eyes for better sight. There's… something pink lying in the ground and an object—an umbrella?—rolled from the few meters from it. Cautiously moving forward towards it, she let out a gasp in shock as she saw what—or rather—who was lying in the ground. Throwing her umbrella aside, she made the person rolled to its back, seeing their familiar but now pale, sickly face of her friend.

"Kanao-chan?! Kanao-chan! Hey, wake up, Kanao-chan!"

Realizing that her friend was too unconscious to respond, she looked around her surroundings to ask for help but saw there was no people around, probably in their home inside from the heavy weather. With all of her strength, she lifted her friend by putting Kanao's arm to her shoulder. Scrambling her thoughts where she should go, she decided for one destination and moved forward.

"What's wrong with your friend? Is she hurt?"

Snapping her head to the direction of the voice, she wasted no time and asked, "Please help me carry her! I don't know what happened but please help!"

The person who appeared out of nowhere immediately grabbed her friend's other arm to his shoulder. "A…alright! But where are we going?"

Blinking, finally registering what her companion looks like, she realized it was the Shinigami who interrogated her during the snake incident. While she had questions she wanted to ask why he suddenly appeared to her, she decided to gather it in the back of her mind and responded.

"To Red Light!"

Chapter 17: Truth within the Rain

Hara let out a sigh of relief, when Kagaya immediately accepted to aid and heal her friend without question. Since there's barely any Oiran in the establishment right now, she took a seat to a nearby sofa before turning her head to her companion who helped her carry Kanao.

"Sit down. Don't worry, the couches are all clean." She offered to the Shinigami, gesturing to a nearby sofa.

"If you say so…" The Shinigami hesitantly took a seat across and sat upright, perhaps too erect, judging from his posture than he should. Hara took no time to notice this and tried to relax him.

"You don't have to be so alert, umm…"

"Nezha, madam. That's my name." He introduced himself.

She put her hand under her chin in thought. "Nezha? That Nezha from the Journey of the West?"

He nodded. "Yes. It is the name I choose that I also carried even becoming a Shinigami."

"Huh? Is it required to have a different name when becoming Shinigami?"

"It depends. If you don't have a surname, you are required to have one. In my case, I decided to name myself as Tsukinami Nezha, after the 8th District in the East Rukongai where I lived before, Tsukinami*."

"Hmm, I see…"

If there's a chance she decided to become a shinigami, she might name herself as Hanamuke Hara. Even though the 14th District, placed in the North Rukongai, was commonly called as Flower District, Hanamuke* was actually its official name in Soul Society.

"Oh, by the way, my name is Hara. Just like you, I don't have a surname." She offered the Shinigami a smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Hara-san." He returned the gesture.

After their introduction to each other, someone walked in to them, which she recognized as Mun, and spoke to them respectfully. "Hara, the boss asked for your presence."

Not surprised, she stood up from her seat and turned around to the Shinigami. "I'll be back, Nezha-kun."

He wordlessly nodded his head.

Walking a few steps towards the stairs, she turned around when Mun didn't accompany her.

"I was asked to stay with the Shinigami. Boss' orders." Mun answered her silent question.

Hearing this, she nodded in understanding and paced towards the familiar office in the second floor.

"Pardon for the intrusion…"

Hara carefully opened the door as she slowly walked inside the room and silently closed the door behind her. Looking around at first as she entered, she noticed in the nearby sofa, Kanao looking refreshed in a new yukata and redressed bandage on her legs and wrist—which she realized just now because she was panicking when she first saw her friend unconscious on the road. She wondered where she got all those wounds from, her expression wearing a worried frown as she sauntered towards her friend and crouched down to her level.

"Don't worry about her, Amane. She was just exhausted. She needed her well-earned rest especially with her injuries."

The young woman stood up in surprised, startled at the sudden voice behind her as she immediately turned around to face him. "K…Kagaya." She nervously laughed, trying calm her racing heart. "You startled me."

The man in front of her smiled despite the heavy shadow on his face. "Forgive me. That wasn't my intention. Did Mun stayed with the Shinigami?"

Blinking in confusion, she responded, "Yeah. Why is that?"

"Just a precaution. He may be trustful or not but the Shinigami is needed to keep an eye on."

"…Huh." Precaution? Why would he need that?

"Was the sight of your friend enough to appease yourself from worry?"

"Eh? Umm… uh…" She looked back and forth between him and Kanao. "Maybe, I guess…"

Kagaya nodded distantly. "If you are sure of that, then let us talk."

She gave Kanao a one last glance in her direction before she followed after Kagaya near the window as both of them looked down at the street in front of the Red Light building.

"Umm… what… is it that you want to talk…?" Hara hesitantly started.

"Hmm…" the man hummed as if gathering his thoughts. "Have you ever thought of something… no, have you ever tried to say the truth but you cannot because you are chained?"

"Uhh…" What was this all about…? "You mean a secret you wanted to tell?"

"Perhaps. But instead, if you tell it, you would be marked as a criminal."

That… wasn't so subtle at all… "Depends on the nature of the secret, I think. But I wouldn't really take the risk unless it's absolutely necessary."

"You are… right, Amane. You have been always like that."

She tilted her head with a frown. "Kagaya… why do you always talk as if we knew each other the whole time? Did we… have we met before?"

Kagaya let out a chuckle but in her ears, it sounded humorless. "What do you think, Amane? Have you feel any familiarity in our talk?"

"…also that, that too. Amane. My name is supposed to be Hara, Kagaya."

He fell silent in front of her as both of them were subjected to a pregnant silence for a while. Kagaya later replied.

"You really don't remember anything, don't you, Amane?"

She was filled with confusion at those words. "I… don't know. Why? Let me repeat this once again but do we know each other before?"

"…that doesn't matter. If you don't remember, it would be better if it stays like that."

The way he said those words… "That doesn't answer my question! We met, right? Where? When? How did we met each other?" She demanded, suddenly filled with agitation.

After staying still in those words, Kagaya sighed. "Will a simple answer enough for you?"

"As long as it is the answer of my questions."

"Yes." He said simply. "We met."

She was rendered silent after that. Despite only uttering a few words, she was… filled with mixed feelings.

"Was the reason of the tea session… reconciliation?"

"Yes."

"Was the reason of your call to me… familiarity?"

"Yes."

"Was the reason of your acceptance of me becoming an Oiran because you recognized me?"

"…yes."

"The truth… why are chained when you can't tell the truth?"

"I can't say."

"Who chained you from hiding the truth?"

"I'm not allowed to say."

"Why do you keep calling me Amane instead of Hara?"

"Because that's your name."

My name, huh… If she had met in him in the first place, she would have a sense of identity instead of choosing a name for herself.

But there's one more question she want to find out.

"Why can't I remember anything?"

"That's… the reason of our talk, Amane. Your lost memory is unusual situation—you are not supposed to forget everything. You are not one of them who are subjected to memory loss."

"Of… of 'them'? Who are you talking about?"

Instead of responding, he turned his head to other occupant of the room. She followed his gaze as she realized where he was looking at.

"Kanao-chan…?"

"…it was a price they had to offer."

"A price…" She trailed off, trying to make sense of everything. "If I'm not one of them, why am I…?"

"As I said, it's a bizarre situation. No one knows, even myself, why you forgot everything."

Walking towards to a nearby chair, she plopped herself to it as she massaged her throbbing head from everything she just heard.

"But… at least…" Kagaya started after a few moments of silence. "With your forgotten memory, you are 'unleashed'."

She almost didn't hear his words since she was still trying to make sense of everything she just heard. She responded, "Kagaya… is it okay if I sleep here just for tonight?"

"Make yourself at home, Amane."

"I won't. I'm only staying for Kanao-chan."

"…as you wish."

Author's Musing #17:

Less of a musing but more of asking for help; can anyone send me a screenshot of timeline and terminology from reddit? For some reason, on my end, it's not readable to me, only showing a blurry mess. I really want to see since I want it for reference for this fic. (Probably because I'm on mobile).

Sorry if this chapter feels rushed. Because I'm in a hurry writing this.

Tsukinami: Combining Tsuki means 'moon' and nami means ' wave', I thought this word would mean 'moonwave'. But when I searched it up, Tsukinami actually means 'monthly'.
Hanamuke: Parting Gift or Farewell Present