A/N: I'm quite glad to see some of you are still around for this story. I honestly expected (and wouldn't have blamed you) if you had abandoned it. Working in a hospital while studying simultaneously for a Masters is not as easy as it looks! Especially with covid19 flying through the air. Which is why I thought I'd get back to this story. Figured a lot of you will be stuck at home self-isolating, so an enjoyable read will be quite important to help the time pass faster! Stay safe guys! And please try and do myself and my fellow colleagues a favour by staying at home as much as you can ^^ Happy reading. Love you all!

Chapter Eighteen

Mitsuhide sat in his rooms, going through a mix of older documents and new ones, planning how to structure his day for tomorrow. He read as he waited for Aki. She was late, which was unusual for her and he would be worried if that were the case.

However, he could hear, and her lateness was no longer a surprise.

Well . . . it was a surprise. Not the fact that she was late, but because of what happened to make her late. By the time she came to his rooms and was about to knock on his screen, he heard Aki pause and then curse to herself in her mother-tongue and say something else. His English was not great, but he caught the words 'forgot' and 'papers', followed by an annoyed sigh and the hasty footsteps of her going back the way she came to obviously collect said forgotten papers.

It was partly amusing. He always found Aki's emotions to be entertaining. She wore them a bit more compared to those around him, and he liked see how she thought because of it. Aki was flustered at the moment, that much was clear. Though simultaneously, it puzzled him. He had no experience in romance, and likewise neither did Aki.

It was just a confession of the heart however, just words stating feelings which would probably pass in time. It was even more baffling to hear how flustered Chigusa had become. The cousin he had always known for being emotionless and as cold as ice, shed her tears and emotions as easily as a little girl who fell and scraped her knee on the ground.

Just what was the household coming to?

If he thought about it, this winter had certainly been far more eventful than previous winters. His cousin and uncle had come to stay with them for the season, Taka almost died in the river, Aki fell sick for the first and Chigusa proclaimed her love to another living being.

Mitsuhide tried to imagine something similar happening to him. He had seen other girls and young women show fancy towards him. When he made his way through the town and villages, they often approached with blushes in their cheeks and holding out flowers for him to take.

It was charming, and Mitsuhide would not turn it down. There was something about it which was appealing and reassured him of his confidence in his appearance and mannerism. Likewise, marriage for the most part was functional, to establish alliances between families. If love was also present, then it was an additional advantage. But it was not necessary.

He wondered if he could feel the same fancy towards someone else.

His thoughts were interrupted as Aki approached his room. Before she could knock, Mitsuhide opened the screen. She blinked in surprise.

"Sorry I'm late," she said sheepishly from over the box she carried. "I . . . um –"

"Not to worry. Come in and take a seat."

Aki walked passed him but gave him an odd glance. "You're not going to ask?" She sounded tense, as if expecting his repercussion.

Silly woman. Why did she think he would be displeased?

Instead, he just tapped his ear once as he slid the screen shut. "I can hear everything, Aki. And it is fine. What happens between you and the relationships around you is your business."

Aki cocked her head to the side as she sat down and placed the box in front of her. She then shrugged and said, "Fair enough. Just as well."

Mitsuhide poured them both some tea as she brought out the documents. She took a deep breath, then let it out, and a lot of the tension within her posture came out with it. She even shook her head slightly, as if thinking something to herself.

"Alright, well, let's get down to business. Ah, thank you," she said as he handed her a cup of steaming tea. Aki took a sip before she began to go through the documents with him. She explained what she had done, then went over the regions she had left out due to being uncertain.

As she spoke, he found himself watching her while she scanned the documents and pointed at this or that.

Ichirou had said before that attraction was liking someone's appearance. If you liked how someone looked, then you were attracted to them and wanted to get to know them.

There were many women Mitsuhide found beautiful, likewise there were many men whom he also found handsome. But in that regard it was just an appreciation of their looks. He felt no urge to want to be with them or to have them with him.

Chigusa was perhaps one of the most beautiful women he knew or had seen. But that was all there was to it. He felt no desire to be with her.

However, Aki had said before that attraction was not just about physical appearance, but what was unseen and within the soul itself. It was about how they acted, their mannerisms and character which appealed to the individual. Friendship was a good example she used, as she described them as people they loved because they enjoyed their company.

And romantic love was supposed to be even stronger than friendship. It was about liking, or loving the person and their heart and mind, and the desire to physically bond with them and no one else.

Aki had certainly treated Chigusa differently to how everyone else did. Likewise Aki's behaviour and treatment of Mitsuhide himself since her arrival eight years ago had always been different to everyone else who interacted with him.

Mitsuhide enjoyed Aki's company, there was no denying that. So what was different between his and Chigusa's love for Aki?

Mitsuhide wondered. Aki was tall for a human woman, and dressed as a man often, therefore naturally it made sense for other women to be attracted towards her appearance. She was a skilled swordswoman and even her voice was lower than average. She had an open personality which most people just seemed to enjoy be drawn towards.

But as a woman, Aki was also attractive. On the times she dressed up properly in a full kimono, with hair decorated and make-up painted, she made even Mitsuhide look twice. It was a reminder that Aki was actually a woman and capable of looking the part as well.

Thinking about it now made Mitsuhide's heart skip a beat. Did he love Aki in a romantic way?

The question scattered his thoughts unexpectedly and he took a sip of his tea to try and distract himself from himself. But then he realised he hadn't been listening to what Aki was saying either. He shut his eyes briefly, kicking himself mentally.

Mitsuhide had to hold up a hand. "I'm terribly sorry, Aki. What was the last thing you said? My mind was elsewhere."

Aki's eyebrows rose. "Oh? Even you can have your thoughts wander when they shouldn't. I'm glad I'm not the only one," she chuckled, before continuing. "I was just saying I am not entirely clear on how the rice reserves are calculated and distributed depending on the farmers' contributions and harvest of the year. Obviously the reserves are calculated differently from usual distributions as the reserves are only opened when normal stocks run out. So what sort of ratio am I supposed to divide it with and to what sort of household based on their income or contributions?"

Most people, especially men, would not like to be around a woman with a head which is switched on and capable of numbers. Most will be terrified of it. But some will value it very highly, like me. I wonder if others would ever notice?

He then imagined Aki having this same discussion with another man.

An unexpected wave of jealousy washed over him and tightened his chest which shocked and baffled him. Was that why he felt a strange sense of relief when she rejected Chigusa?

Mitsuhide answered her question as a way to distract himself. It seemed to help, and he avoided thinking along similar lines for the rest of the night as he got absorbed into talking about administration.

If Aki was aware of how flustered he now was, she made no sign of it.

Xxxxx

The last of the snows melted a few days later and the town and the province opened up. It was time for Yamagishi Mitsunobu and Chigusa to return back to their manor, and so the majority of us were stood outside to bid them farewell.

Today, I was in a full kimono, which was just as well because it was still very cold and the multiple layers kept me warm. Lady Akechi was bidding farewell to her brother and niece with Mitsuhisa and Mitsuhide. Mitsuyasu hung back with me as we watched on, having made our official farewells in the gathering hall.

"It appears that our extended family have come to like you quite a lot," Mitsuyasu rumbled in his low voice.

I bit back my original retort, which was something along the lines of how difficult it was. Instead, I said, "Your family are my family. I hope they have a safe journey back. Do they have enough supplies for the journey?"

I was watching the Yamagishi servants loads the carts. There certainly seemed to be a great many supplies going back with them.

"They do," Mitsuyasu said.

I watched the servants pack and my eyes wondered over to the maid which attended Chigusa. The maid had just helped Chigusa up onto the back of her horse using a box as a stepping block. I was fairly sure Chigusa didn't need it, but appearances had to be kept up, and Chigusa played the part of a delicate and weak Lady to perfection.

Mitsuhide was speaking to her, though I could not hear what was being said over the noise. The maid however broke into the interaction briefly and Chigusa handed a small package to her. The maid then bowed, and came over in the direction of Mitsuyasu and I. I glanced up at Chigusa, who was looking at me, before pulling her gaze quickly back to Mitsuhide and carried on with whatever they were speaking about.

It did not take me long to realise the maid was heading for me, and when she arrived, she bowed low.

"Lady Akechi Osamu," she said. Her voice was polite and sweet upon first impression. But I could recognise the confidence. "My Lady Chigusa-hime wishes to give you a gift before she departs, and hopes that you will treat it as well as the gift you have given her."

Gift? What gift? I haven't given her anything.

The maid held out small package. It was something thin and long, wrapped in a silken handkerchief of pale pink, embroidered with wild geese and clouds.

I took the thin bundle, and the maid retreated back to her mistress. I opened it carefully, but judging from what I could feel through the silk, I had an inkling as to what it was. And indeed, it was what I expected. A hair pin. But it was one of hers. Beautifully long and thin twinned blades of ivory, entwined with silver and decorated at the end with a collection of pale mother-of-pearl, constructed like a bunch of white blossoms, with a few petals dangling off the edge on a delicate chain.

"A fine gift," Mitsuyasu murmured from beside me.

I was stunned, but smiled. "A fine gift indeed," I agreed softly.

Chigusa had indeed come a long way from the girl I had first met when the snows settled. People never changed, but they did grow. And Chigusa had grown plenty, like a plant finally breaking through the soil to meet the sunshine of spring. I knew what she meant now by a gift I had given her. It was not something physical, but something of the mind.

The ability to care.

I looked up in Chigusa's direction. She looked at me, and she bowed her head. It was a bow of thanks and respect, and therefore I returned the exact same thing and smiled at her. Her eyes widened and she blinked multiple times, before quickly pulling her gaze away with a pinkness tinting her pale cheeks. Chigusa did not look at me again, but I did see the faintest signs of a smile on her lips.

Despite the drama of the winter gone, I felt glad she and I could finally be on the same page. We would probably even make rather good friends after giving her enough time to move on from her 'first love', as it were.

Despite that, I was also glad they were leaving. It was always nice to have guests, but not for too long. It was exhausting and quite draining. I could understand now why my mother never liked having guests around much. For dinners were stressful enough, let alone having them stay overnight as well, even if they were family.

Mitsuhide, Lady Akechi and Mitsuhisa pulled away and waved at the party as they left through the gates.

"Well!" Mitsuhisa exclaimed as the carts rolled out and the horses clopped. "That was an eventful winter, don't you think, Aki?"

I glanced at him with narrowed eyes. "Why are you looking at and asking me?"

Mitsuhisa batted his eyelashes. "Must you ask something so obvious, my dear niece?"

Mitsuhide chuckled and I rolled my eyes, but found myself smiling anyway, even if I did not say anything.

"Now, Mitsutada and Mitsuharu. You boys need to – wait, where are they?" Mitsuhisa turned about himself to search for his and Mitsuyasu's sons.

"They're hiding, behind the dojo," Mitsuyasu said flatly.

Mitsuhisa bristled. "What? Why didn't you make them stand here and bid farewell? That makes us look so bad in front of the Yamagishi!"

"You are not usually one for caring about such images, brother-in-law," Lady Akechi chimed.

"They are your family, dear sister," Mitsuhisa said, clearing his throat. "Of course I want to show my respects. It seems our young boys however don't feel the same way. Now where are they? Mitsuyasu, come with me will you? We need to discipline both of them."

Mitsuyasu said nothing, but followed his younger brother while he continued to babble. Lady Akechi turned back to the castle with two of her attendants.

Mitsuhide also turned. "Time to get back to work. Would you care to join me?"

Paperwork. It was always so boring. But having had practice with it from my own previous education with writing essays and assignments, it was also somewhat familiar. And after the talks I had with Mitsuhide to seek some guidance on it, it was beginning to make sense.

I never used to enjoy studying with others. Mainly because somehow studying with others always made me feel stupid because my classmates seemed so far ahead. It had never been the case considering I did as well, if not better than most of them anyway. I just had a different way of thinking which made sense only to me, hence the preferred mode of studying alone.

However, with Mitsuhide, I enjoyed it. Despite the boredom and confusion of government documents, Mitsuhide had a way of making it run smoothly and coherently. Especially as my hirigana was not as proficient as his or the other Lords and Ladies. Kanji was fine since they were Chinese characters and I could read those fluently because the meanings were the same. Only difference was the pronunciation.

Therefore I nodded, and followed Mitsuhide back into the castle, while tucking away the hairpin within my sleeves. While I could not accept Chigusa's feelings, I could accept her hairpin, and with great care I would look after it.

Xxxxx

It was early April, and the weather was beginning to warm to a pleasant temperature. Mitsuhide and Aki had gone down into the town to have lunch with Ichirou and Chiyo. Although Mitsuhide could never openly admit it, he had been looking forward to seeing his friend again and having a chat. He had not seen Ichirou since the incident concerning Taka's near drowning. Everyone was fine now and the tension between much of the town's folk and the Yamagishi had smoothed over. Taka's forgiving nature seemed to be the key, of which Mitsuhide was grateful.

Life seemed to return to normal, and Mitsuhide and Aki did some extra over-time to free up today for their meeting with Ichirou and Chiyo. They sat in one of their local restaurants, Mitsuhide and Ichirou in one small alcove, and Aki and Chiyo in the neighbouring alcove. It allowed them to be close, but with privacy to have their own conversations. Aki seemed to miss normal girl's talk, hence being sat with Chiyo, and Mitsuhide also missed just having a normal boys conversation.

The two pairs were sat in elevated alcoves on tatami, walled on three sides by screens, and open at the front which led out onto the main thoroughfare of the restaurant which was used mostly by waiters, and customers either coming in, leaving, or heading to and fro from the privy. Curtains hung low enough over the open side to hide the inhabitants' faces.

The din of voices was at a comfortable level, indicating nearly every alcove had some measure of conversation going on inside, all ranging from things as simple as the weather and how the ginger was pickled too much, to politics about how Hojo Ujiyasu had unified the Kanto region and his methods of ruling.

Mitsuhide briefly tuned in to Aki's and Chiyo's conversation. Theirs was talking about neighbouring families and what they were doing and who said what to who. Gossip, in other words, which Mitsuhide was not too fussed on. Aki seemed to be enjoying herself though, so he left her to it, satisfied she was happy. He returned back to Ichirou who was rubbing his hands eagerly while the waiter placed their trays down before them.

Mitsuhide thanked the waiter politely. She appeared to be a few years older than Mitsuhide, and she blushed, before retreating with a bow.

"I wish I had that effect on women," Ichirou said after she had gone from earshot, and having already shovelled a large amount of food into his mouth.

"Hm?" Mitsuhide turned back to his friend. "What affect?"

Ichirou pointed his chopsticks in the direction of the waiter. "Making them swoon over you upon first glance. And here I thought I was handsome, but apparently not as much as you."

Mitsuhide snorted and picked up his bowl of red miso soup. "You exaggerate, Ichirou. You've always been one for exaggeration and theatricalities"

"Nu-uh!" He objected and had to swallow his current mouthful before continuing. "I swear every girl in the town has something good to say about you, especially how you look. You've grown taller over the winter. Are you taller than me now?"

Mitsuhide did notice the height. "Sit up straighter for a moment."

Ichirou did, and indeed Mitsuhide had grown perhaps an inch taller than Ichirou since their last encounter. They used to be the same height.

"Curse it," Ichirou sniffed. "You did get taller. Competition is going to be so tough for me now."

Despite the apparent sulking, it was all in good humour, and Mitsuhide enjoyed it. He almost felt like he had forgotten how to interact with such conversation, given his winter had been so formal to tend to his esteemed uncle and cousin.

"There will always be competition, my friend. And rest assured, you will retain your good looks for a while yet. I will be surprised if you're not married soon."

Ichirou perked up upon that utterance and his expression softened. Mitsuhide looked at him, indeed surprised, but for a different reason now.

"Oh? You have someone in mind?"

Ichirou swallowed and put his bowl of rice down. He turned his gaze down fondly. "I wanted you to be the first of my friends to find out. I uh, I found a girl I like, and I mean, really like. I think I love her. She lives a few houses down from us."

Mitsuhide found himself feeling pleased for his friend's newfound love. And excited, ironically enough. It was a new chapter, a new development. Mitsuhide had never been able to imagine Ichirou as being grown-up enough to actually settle down. Even now, he behaved like a child. But Mitsuhide could see the fondness in Ichirou's eyes. It was the same look his mother and father had when they shared glances between each other.

"What is she like?" Mitsuhide asked, intrigued.

"Ah, well, she's very soft in nature. I can tease her and I don't get a quip or a smack like others would give in return. She also teases me, and it makes me feel really warm in my chest. She always seems to be smiling, always happy, never unhappy. I even pick flowers for her! Well, I do now, since the snow is all gone and spring is well underway."

Mitsuhide chuckled to himself and ate a few mouthfuls of his lunch. "She sounds perfect for you. Someone with a fiery temper will backfire horribly against someone of your character."

"Hoho! Don't get me started on that. Can you imagine? There would be arguments constantly! I argue with myself enough as it is – and Chiyo, obviously – don't need someone else to argue with every day for the rest of my life."

"That's why I say this one sounds perfect for you. What is her name?"

"Aimi," Ichirou said fondly. "The characters are 'Ai' for love and 'mi' for beautiful."

Ichirou was completely smitten.

"A lovely name," Mitsuhide agreed. "I look forward to meeting her."

Ichirou waved his hands as if in warding. "Oh no, no, not yet. Maybe later."

Mitsuhide frowned. "Why not?" he asked incredulously.

"In case she ends up falling in love with you! Leave some for the rest of us, will you?"

"Dear me, will you just give it a rest? I'm not going to steal your woman! How selfish and uncaring do you think I am? I haven't even begun to think of getting a wife, let alone trying to find one. So rest assured, your Aimi is safe."

Ichirou laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, I feel quite protective of her."

"I can see that." Mitsuhide sighed. "Now, a toast." He raised his sake cup after pouring both Ichirou's and his own. "To you and your future wife. May you have a marriage filled with joy and love and lots of children."

Ichirou raised his own cup with a wide grin. "May she love me for the rest of her life, as I surely will love her for eternity."

They clinked glasses, and took a drink. They both exhaled heartily as the heat of the alcohol reached their abdomens and set a gentle fire within.

"So, do both of your families approve?" Mitsuhide questioned.

Ichirou nodded. "Turns out my aunt is friend's with Aimi's mother. So in some senses, we were already family."

"Well, that is quite fortunate."

"It is indeed. And since both families knew the other had fairly decent and good backgrounds, there was no reason to have any objection. My father is a carpenter and her father is a blacksmith. It was a really lucky match. I'm quite relieved, actually."

It really was a lucky match. From the plays and stories Mitsuhide had watched and read, as well as observing reality, he had come to realise that marriage was indeed an alliance more for convenience than anything else. All marriages were arranged for the better of both families. The plays depicted them as a tragedy, for the concept of love was romanticised. It was something many parties desired, but often never attained. On some rare occasions, love was either already there through happy coincidence, or developed later as husband and wife learnt to understand each other through their situational circumstances rather than choice.

Mitsuhide knew he would one day have to marry for convenience and to strengthen his clan. But deep down in his heart, he did hope that maybe he would be fortunate to also love his future wife. After all, in his particular case, like with all Oni, would be marrying for life, and that life was a long one spanning many centuries. His future wife would be an immortal, like him, and of pure blood. She would be someone like Chigusa, if he were to use a classic example.

But Mitsuhide could not imagine spending the rest of his immortality with someone like her. Not to mention, she had already fallen in love with Aki anyway, which showed his appearance obviously was not everything.

"You've gone quiet," Ichirou said worriedly. "Oh no, do you disapprove?"

Mitsuhide blinked out of his thoughts. "Pardon? Oh, no, no. I was just thinking." He then leaned closer and said more softly. "How did you know she – Aimi – was the one for you? Of course I understand that the family connections obviously make it ideal, but what gave it away on a spiritual level?"

Ichirou sat back for a moment in thoughtful silence. "It was a mixture of everything. Her personality, her beauty, her mannerism and how well we can talk to each other. But I think if I were to sum it up, it's that I just always want to be near her. I can't really explain it any other way. I just always want to be next to her, whether she is happy or sad or even angry. I want to accept all of her, and I want her to accept all of me. I love all of her. It doesn't make much sense, but I suppose, that's just how it is. Some things are not meant to make sense."

Mitsuhide sipped on his drink, deep in thought. Thinking of when he asked Aki to promise the impossible, and she did. All because he was afraid she would one day return to her original world.

So selfish, he thought to himself. Again. The shame was powerful. He did not own Aki, nor should he.

"It is like an irrational desire to keep someone with you, which becomes stronger when there's the risk of that person possibly leaving. You want to hold on to them, through no logic which could explain it."

Ichirou blinked in surprise and reached back out for his food to continue eating. "Yes, it's exactly like that. How do you know?" Something seemed to flicker in his eyes, as if a light came on. "Wait, have you fallen in love with someone? When? Who?"

The excitement in Ichirou's voice made his voice go up an octave.

At the same time, Mitsuhide felt a shock to his own mind upon hearing Ichirou's wording. Had he fallen in love? Was that what it was? The desire to always be with someone? Could it really be as simple as that?

Mitsuhide did enjoy Aki's company. He liked talking with her, learning from her and teaching her in return. He enjoyed arguing with her, as well as uniting with her against someone else in an argument. He did find her attractive, ever since he first saw her in a full kimono and realised she was actually beautiful, but just chose to ignore it ever since. Because he was afraid that maybe, one day, he would probably fall into the same trap as Ichirou.

But Aki was by far his senior in age. However, she had not actually aged since she first came. Her mannerism and behaviour fitted her actual age of twenty six. But her appearance was still that of an eighteen year old, and he was now seventeen.

Mitsuhide found himself speechless, unable to make sense of his thoughts and feelings which threatened to overwhelm him. He glanced at the divider which he knew separated him from Aki and Chiyo on the other side. They were talking about Taka and his new – but entirely justified – fear of water.

Ichirou saw the glance, and Ichirou being blasted Ichirou, read the unintended hint and he gasped.

And choked on his pickled ginger and mouthful of meat.

Thoughts of romance and the heart abandoned Mitsuhide's head, with relief, but still left him somewhat winded. He patted Ichirou on the back.

"Don't jump to conclusions, my friend. It gets you tied up in a knot, like now," Mitsuhide advised, putting on a lighter tone to try and divert attention away, as well as to prepare the humoured mocking of Ichirou's choking.

The choking did not stop though, and so Mitsuhide frowned and thumped Ichirou's back harder. It did not seem to help and Ichirou leaned forward, trying to hit his own chest to dislodge whatever was stuck in his throat.

Mitsuhide thought Ichirou was going to vomit for a moment as his expression changed and his face changed colour. But it was not the green he was expecting. Instead, his face colour was turning blue and the choking weakened.

Alarm exploded in Mitsuhide's chest. Two things crossed his mind at that moment. One was trying to think of how else to help Ichirou besides slapping his back even harder. The other was calling Aki for help.

He barely had to think to the thought when Aki stuck her head between the curtains, a concerned frown on her brow. She had heard the choking.

"What's –?"

Her question died in an instant and her eyes widened in dismay. "Shit," she cursed, and leapt into the alcove in a heartbeat. Mitsuhide had never seen her move so fast, besides the fight in the woods years ago against Oni. She moved behind Ichirou and – powered by sudden adrenaline – lifted him from beneath his arms. He was still conscious, but barely.

Chiyo poked her head through the curtain next and gasped in horror. She almost fainted then and there and Mitsuhide quickly caught her and leant her against the divider where he was originally sitting.

Meanwhile, Aki wrapped her arms around Ichirou's torso from behind, then gripped her wrists just below his breastbone. There, she made a quick series of presses against his chest. Each thrust shook Ichirou's body like a leaf.

The commotion brought an audience and Mitsuhide had to bark at them to leave, but he held onto the waiters and instructed them to bring some fresh water and a napkin. Despite the panic and prospect of having his friend on the verge of choking to death, he trusted Aki to know what she was doing.

On the fifth thrust, whatever was lodged in Ichirou's throat shot out and splattered between a gap in the curtains to land on the ground, just missing the tatami edge of the alcove. Ichirou sucked in a starved breath, choked and coughed some more, before finally being able to bring in some more steady breaths. Aki lowered him back down as he deflated onto his cushion. He leaned heavily against the table, head lying on the crook of his arm.

Chiyo rushed over to him and rubbed his back. "Ichirou! Oh, Ichirou! Are you alright? Oh my dear stupid brother. You nearly died choking! Is there anything he can drink?" She said the last part as she looked up frantically around the table of the alcove.

"It is alright, Chiyo," Mitsuhide tried to soothe her. "I have already asked the waiters to bring some fresh water. There is already some colour returning to his face now, thanks to Aki's quick thinking."

Aki moved around to sit between Mitsuhide and Ichirou. She looked as stunned as he felt.

"How did you know what to do?" Mitsuhide found himself asking in both disbelief, as well as relief and pride.

"I never thought I'd ever have to use that manoeuvre. I remember being taught it, but never thought I'd have to apply it to practice," she breathed, sounding out of breath. "Chiyo, don't worry, he will be fine now. Wait for him to catch his breath."

Chiyo's lower lip trembled as she struggled to hold back tears, but she nodded and fell quiet, though continued to rub Ichirou's back. Despite their sibling bickering, the care was obvious.

Aki turned back to Mitsuhide after a distracted pause. "I'll have to teach you later. It's called the Heimlich manoeuvre. It's a series of abdominal thrusts to dislodge food from someone's throat when they're choking. You wrap your arms around the patient's torso just below their breast bone and you basically try and squeeze or compress their chest with sharp pulls. Like this." She demonstrated on herself. "You just have to remember not to squeeze their abdomen otherwise they vomit instead and you may cause some internal damage. Its five thrusts, followed by five hard slaps on the middle of their back, then five thrusts again. And you keep following the pattern."

"Hai-me-li-ku . . . manu-veru . . .?" Mitsuhide tried to pronounce the term. Most of the time he would never even attempt to say foreign phrases or words outside the privacy of his rooms. However, he was so caught up in the rush and the excitement of the moment. He had the urge to be a part of whatever Aki was a part of. It felt satisfying, even if it was as simple as asking for water, listening to Aki's explanation, and trying to learn how it was called. Even the smallest of actions caused a ripple.

"Not bad," Aki praised.

A few of the waiters arrived, one carrying a bowl of water and the other carrying a cup of very light tea. Mitsuhide thanked them and took the tray with steady hands. The owner appeared behind the waiters not too long afterwards, looking concerned and worried. Beads of sweat ran down the sides of his face.

"My Lords," he stammered, bowing his head. Mitsuhide glanced at Aki. She was not paying attention as she took the cups off Mitsuhide's tray and went back to tending Ichirou. Around the alcove, a number of people had nervously tried to get closer to see the commotion, or what was left of it, again.

Mitsuhide therefore held up his hand to the manager. "Let us speak somewhere a little more private," he said, stepping off his alcove and into the main thoroughfare. Those who had risked poking their heads through their own curtains, quickly withdrew upon Mitsuhide's sharp stare, bowing their heads with embarrassment.

Mitsuhide led the way to small space just off to the side where there was some measure of privacy. There, the shop owner dropped down onto his knees.

"Please forgive my incompetent cooks," he blurted out. "We brought great risk to your companions today. Allow me to beat my staff to discipline them so the same mistake does not happen again." His voice wavered, expecting Mitsuhide to bellow in anger and blame the cooks for having their food choke Ichirou. Most Lords and Ladies would probably do just that, and demand the cooks to be executed.

Mitsuhide was not like that however. What good was shouting and blaming the cooks when it had nothing to do with them? It was Ichirou's fault for getting overly excited over nothing while having a mouth full of food.

It made Mitsuhide smirk with good humour. "At ease, mister . . ."

". . . G-Goya," the man answered.

"At ease, Goya-san," Mitsuhide said soothingly.

Mister Goya stood warily.

"It is not your cooks' fault. My friend simply got excited over something and gasped while chewing at the same time. Ichirou is not always the brightest lamp on the street," Mitsuhide chuckled. The adrenaline had now passed, and Mitsuhide felt nothing but relief and a sense of pride over Aki's quick thinking. A near disaster had been avoided, and now would no doubt be remembered as an amusing story for all to tell in time.

"You . . . wish for no punishment or compensation?" Mister Goya said uncertainly.

Mitsuhide shook his head. "No. Ichirou is just a happy fool. But do thank your cooks for making a delicious meal and your waiters for being very efficient. I imagine we shall be returning once my friend recovers from his embarrassment."

The relief was visible as it washed through the shop owner's body. He almost sagged and smiled with joy. "You are so generous and kind, Akechi-sama. May you govern over us for many, many years and spread your kindness. As a thanks, I will not charge for your meals today and you and your companions may have a half price discount for every time you return!"

Mitsuhide placed a reassuring hand on Mister Goya's shoulder. "That is a great kindness in itself. I will thank you on behalf of my company today."

The smile on the shop owner's face grew even wider, and they returned to Mitsuhide's alcove. The waiters were gone, tending to other customers. No doubt Aki had probably sent them away to carry on with their work. She had everything under control.

Ichirou was taking a sip of the tea, his hands shaking so he had to use both hands to steady himself. But colour had indeed returned to his face.

"How are we doing in here?" Mitsuhide asked brightly, drawing their attention.

"I . . . I think he is alright. He refuses to let me help him drink," Chiyo said, partly glad from the fact Ichirou seemed to be alright, but also annoyed that he was refusing his sister's help.

"He's fine," Aki agreed, sounding light-hearted, though her eyes did not leave him and she watched him like a hawk to make sure he didn't choke on his drink.

Ichirou put his mug back down and glared through watery eyes at Mitsuhide.

"You need to tell me –" Ichirou began, his voice a croaking puff. But he cut off as another round of coughing took a hold of him.

"No talking," Aki instructed. "Focus on breathing. Air will taste as good as food at the moment."

"Osamu-sama is so knowledgable to be able to save him," the shop owner said with reverence, bowing his head to her.

Aki opened her mouth to object, but closed it again, looking troubled. Mitsuhide knew her well enough now to understand her expression related back to her original upbringing which he knew she missed.

He turned to the shop owner. "Thank you very much for your hospitality, Goya-san. I can take it from here." Mitsuhide nodded his head to him in respect and thanks.

The shop owner bowed low. "The honour is mine, Akechi-sama. Thank you for being so kind on my staff."

Mitsuhide watched him back away, before turning his attention to his three friends. "In all fairness though," he said. "Are you actually alright?"

Ichirou nodded. "I'll survive."

"Do you want to stay and finish? Or should we head back?" Aki asked Ichirou, tilting her head as she offered him the choice.

Ichirou managed to grin. "Stay. May as well . . . finish the food."

Aki laughed slightly. "Fair enough. I'll leave you with Mitsuhide-sama. Come on Chiyo. Let's finish our lunch and our gossip."

Chiyo looked surprised. "He will be alright?"

"I'm fine, Nee-san," Ichirou exhaled. "See, I can talk again now – just about."

Chiyo then rolled her eyes. If Ichirou could talk, then he was definitely well. Therefore Chiyo climbed out of the alcove, Aki following after her.

Mitsuhide climbed back in and sat down, shaking his head with disbelief, but his shoulders shook with slight laughter. "Honestly, Ichirou. At this rate you are going to die long before I will. And it won't even be in battle. You will choke to death on either your own food or your own phlegm."

"That was your fault!" Ichirou wheezed. The exertion made him cough again and he took another sip of the tea and the water to smooth his throat. "You caught me by surprise. Is it really h –" he started coughing again.

"As Osamu said, stop talking for now and just focus on breathing," Mitsuhide advised, tucking back into his food nonchalantly. It was best Ichirou not get excited again otherwise they would probably go down the same route as five minutes ago.

However, it was also to avoid the topic of what Ichirou had caught onto. Mitsuhide, as powerful and promising as he was, had absolutely no idea how to face such a notion which was as foreign to him as the moon. He had spent years trying to come to grips with it, and had simply put it down to valuing Aki as a great teacher as well as friend, and as family. All of those were true.

But deep down, he felt something else in addition to those things. And it was that additional factor which suddenly complicated things on many levels. It was best to just ignore it. Ignorance was bliss.

Yet, a nagging feeling within the same part of his heart, did not want to keep it buried. But he had not a clue on how to bring it to light.