She doesn't speak to him. No matter how many times he prods her, she remains silent.
She no longer acts so feral, still reeling from the tooth she lost. She does, however, keep trying to hide—not that Himejima has any issues locating her.
Hiss!
He so much as takes one step into a room, and he can already hear her hissing. It's a warning—though, not a very convincing one, when she's hiding under the covers of her futon. She lets out another hiss when he moves closer before diving back under the covers.
Sighing, Himejima decides to light the irori. It doesn't seem like he'll be leaving just yet… Not when Andou has the information he needs. More than that—can a child really thrive in such a cold environment?
"When was the last time she ate?" Himejima can hear her stomach growling, though she barely even reacts to it. She's far too focused on avoiding his gaze…even though there isn't much—or anything, for that matter—for him to see.
Maybe that's why, she eventually relents, letting herself come closer to Himejima, as he sits by the fire. Initially, she refuses the onigiri that he offers her…until he eats one himself. Afterwards, she starts cramming onigiri after onigiri into her mouth.
She still doesn't talk to him…but at least she no longer hisses at him.
She does, however, try to steal back her tantō. It happens while he's asleep…or at least, when she thinks he's asleep. Such a selfish little child, still only thinking about her own survival. It's no wonder she shrieks, when she finds out how easy it is for him to feign sleep.
That night, Andou learns the hard way to never underestimate a blind man. Though, Himejima supposes that she couldn't have known, with how often his movements have had him mistaken for someone with sight. Even the orphans who knew him still made that mistake, whenever they attempted to pull a prank on him.
"How nostalgic…" The resurfaced memories bring tears to his eyes.
Surprisingly, the shock isn't enough to keep Andou away—in fact, it brings her closer. Come the next morning, Himejima wakes up to a weight clinging to his side.
She might have bolted the exact moment she woke up, but that doesn't change the fact that she still felt comfortable enough to sleep by him.
Like a cat still trying to figure out its own boundaries…
…
…
Sometimes, she's in the inner garden, playing with his Kasugai crow. Other times, she's hiding again—usually, in the wisteria tree. She's been getting better at climbing down, though Himejima never fails to catch her when she falls.
On one occasion, Himejima returns to Fujisaki House to the sound of a koto playing. He can hear the strings being plucked so skillfully by tiny fingers. Soon, a childish voice begins to sing.
"Go round, come round,
Come round, O distant time.
Come round, call back my heart,
Come round, call back my heart."
It's such an old song—one that Himejima often heard sung by elderly women during his early childhood. How long has it been since he heard that somber song? It's hard to say, though it certainly surprises him to hear it sung by someone so young.
No doubt, the song must hold some fond memories for her. The way she sings so steadily, immersed in her own thoughts…
She almost fails to notice that he's returned, until he is halfway up the stairs. She lets out a long string of curses before hiding in the nearest kimono box. She only comes out, once he successfully coaxes her out with one of the many bento boxes that he'd purchased from a nearby shop.
It seems she has a fondness for umeboshi—to the point he can tell that she is staring at him when he opens up a bento for himself. He places the umeboshi into her bento, and almost immediately, he can hear her eat it with such great gusto.
Food is a great motivator in keeping her around, especially when she's far too overwhelmed to tolerate his presence. She'll eat anything, though she shows a different side to her, whenever salmon and umeboshi are involved.
He manages to get her to bathe, when he finds out her favorite confection is mochi. Quite the pick-me-up, for the child still mourning the loss of her loved ones. She considers actually talking to him, though…she loses her nerve entirely, when dango is packed into one of the bento.
The shopkeeper had likely set some aside for Himejima, knowing fully well that he was buying food for Andou. She knows far more about those in Yoshiwara than he ever will. Their likes, their dislikes…
Somehow, it seems there has been an oversight, based on the way Andou cries and cries. She doesn't eat the dango, and when Himejima tries to take it away from her, she almost bites him—even knowing that she might lose another tooth.
Eventually, she does eat the dango, though not without making her way over to the inner garden. Perhaps, it may have something to do with the graves that were dug there…
Maybe that's why, Andou sits there, as though she is visiting a dear friend. Even when the dirt covers her kimono and snow begins to fall from the sky, she still remains there, until she is satisfied with whatever memory she was trying to salvage within the depths of her mind.
"I am deeply sorry for the trouble I may have caused you." The shopkeeper apologizes the next day, sounding rather remorseful. "Dango was a favorite confection for Fujisaki House. It…may have brought back some painful memories for the little one."
"Ah." That would explain it. "How tragic."
The tears flow from his eyes once more, as he makes his way back to Fujisaki House. He can hear Andou singing again as he steps into the entrance—singing a different song, about a big, dango family. It's such a childish song, but there's a happy memory behind it…
One that feels bittersweet, the more he listens to it. For such a brief moment, it feels as though Andou isn't alone…
She doesn't run away from him this time, when he approaches her. She leans into his touch when he pats her head, trying his best to reassure her. She still doesn't talk to him, but she has since taken to clinging to his hakama.
Rarely, does she leave his side now. The only time she refuses to follow him, is whenever he goes to leave Fujisaki House. He can hear her struggling to push herself—so that she can follow him out.
It never goes well, as it just makes her far too anxious to function. The way she has trouble catching her breath… The way her heart beats so fast, that it feels like it might explode…
"I won't be gone for too long," he has to tell her—to reassure her that he'll be back.
She still hasn't given him a response, but…the way she squeezes his hand, whenever he pats her head—that's enough of an answer that she can give him, for now.
"She really is like a cat." Though, unlike a cat, Himejima still feels such uneasiness around her. After all, children can be cruel…and not a day goes by that he doesn't forget.
It is only a matter of time before this child shows just how cruel she can be.
And yet…
And yet…
Himejima realizes that cruelty is sometimes necessary, when there are those who are far crueler towards those who are weak. It happens upon his return, when he realizes that there is someone else inside of Fujisaki House. It's an intruder—a man who is looking for Andou, with the intention of selling her to the highest-paying brothel.
Himejima can hear him making empty promises, trying to coax Andou out of her hiding place…before immediately spitting out violent threats.
"How cruel…" It's no wonder Andou turned out the way she did.
Always so skittish.
So willing to run and hide…
Really, Yoshiwara isn't a place where a child can thrive at all. Though, it's not like many of them had a choice…especially not a child, who was born within a brothel.
How difficult life must have been…
How terrifying it must have become, without anyone around to protect them.
Himejima isn't one for violence, though that doesn't stop him from using his size to his advantage when he goes confront the intruder. Sometimes, these things are necessary. And when that intruder tries stabbing him with a knife—well, it only urges him not to hold back.
He removes the intruder's unconscious body from the premises, setting it out in the open for all to see. It's a warning, to all who dare intrude upon Fujisaki House, while he is around. While the wounds he inflicted aren't that serious, the pain should still be enough to send a message—a message that it could be even worse.
Once inside, he can hear Andou crying her eyes out, no longer able to keep it in. Yet again, she is in the wisteria tree. Yet again, she finds comfort in his presence, instead of fleeing on sight.
His crow lets out a few caws, calling him over just seconds, before Andou jumps down from the tree. He catches her in his arms, as he's done many times before. Though, unlike those other times, Andou refuses to let go.
She clings to his clothes, her hands gripping the fabric tightly. She tries to talk to him, though she is incoherent. It's hard for her to say anything, when her heart is filled with so much terror.
She hiccups between sobs, her body continuing to tremble with fear. Eventually, she falls asleep, having spent the last of her energy. Not helping are the bouts of insomnia that often plague her. He supposes it must be the nightmares of the massacre.
"Such a difficult life you live." He pats her head, the tears soon splashing down his face.
Himejima keeps a close eye on her when she stays asleep for more than a day. One day turns into two, and two turns into three. Eventually, after five days, she wakes. As expected, she is rather groggy and cannot easily stand on her feet when she tries to get up. Fortunately, he is there to catch her.
It takes her a few minutes to fully wake up. By then, the memories set in, and the tears begin to flow again.
"H-Heeeellppp…" And thus, for the first time in more than a month, Andou speaks to him. "Pleeeease…help me."
She won't stop asking for help.
Won't stop crying.
She promises to tell him everything, under the condition that he takes her out of Yoshiwara.
"I don't…want to be here…"
…
…
"…Very well."
Himejima isn't one to turn down such a reasonable condition. More than that, he's quite certain that Ubuyashiki would've requested he'd bring her along anyways. It's far better than leaving her behind, once he's gathered all the information he's needed.
He helps her collect all of her belongings, which isn't much to begin with. All she really has to her name is a spare kimono, a kanzashi, and a photo album that once belonged to the brothel's master. She also has quite a collection of papers, one of which she sets onto a table.
"It's for a friend," she says with an especially heavy heart. There is a part of her that still clings to Yoshiwara, though she quickly pushes that all aside. "Don't look back."
He hears her repeat that phrase many times to herself, as she follows him out of Fujisaki House. There is a brief moment where she stops, before suddenly sprinting forward, his crow following after her.
She keeps running and running, showing so signs of stopping until he's nearly lost her. The streets aren't as crowded during the day, as they are at night. Though, that doesn't make it any less worrisome, when there are those still so ready to take advantage of someone so young.
She never once looks back—she refuses. She keeps looking forward, even as it grows more and more difficult to do so, with how many people greet her as she passes them. How many of these people know her?
She doesn't want to find out.
Doesn't want to stop.
Doesn't want to hesitate.
She waits at the gate for him, trying her hardest to catch her breath. The anxiety runs her ragged, the way she struggles to remain calm. The tears splash down her face, but she doesn't let herself lose it.
No one dares to stop her, now that he's there by her side. His presence is enough to keep anyone from questioning either of them. His crow urges them on, growing more and more impatient as the seconds go by.
Surely, they have since overstayed their welcome in Yoshiwara.
Andou seems to think so, from the way she tries her hardest to take her first step beyond the gate. It's difficult, when everything is so overwhelming… Knowing that she'll be leaving everything behind.
Knowing that things won't ever be the same.
Surely, she still has those she cares about, still in Yoshiwara. Maybe that's why she hesitates.
Maybe that's why she chooses to latch onto his leg, refusing to let go.
He can feel her heart speeding up, as he takes the first step through the gate for the both of them. Can feel the tears start to dampen his hakama.
Can feel the sadness and relief that mix together…
One step turns into two, two soon becomes three. Eventually, they are far enough that the gate is no longer within sight, should she choose to look back.
She refuses, of course—she isn't taking her chances.
Not now.
Not yet.
"Don't look back," she continues telling herself.
And she never does.
He tries not to feel too much for her plight. Tries not to get too invested—he's let it happen once before, with a pair of sisters. He wasn't able to prevent them from throwing away their futures.
Maybe he'll find Andou a better family, with a future that is far less dangerous than the one she had in Yoshiwara.
Maybe she'll even get a new name…
Maybe…he'll actually succeed where he failed with Kochō Kanae and Shinobu.
Or maybe he'll have to accept, that he has since made the same mistake as before. Those moments they spent together, mostly in silence. Sometimes, he helped her tend to the graves in the inner garden—taught her a few prayers to say, as it was unlikely that anyone else would give their respects to the dead.
There is still enough time left for him to cut off their connection. Once everything has been said and done, they will go their separate ways. And everything that has happened within Fujisaki House will become a mere memory…
"Yes…that's how it should be." And yet, no matter how hard he tries, the tears just won't stop.
…
…
…
A/N Alright, we got a shorter chapter this time, but I felt it was a good place to stop it here!
Sorry, Himejima—but I think you're on the track to becoming a full-time DAD. He just has the vibes, my dudes. :D
Andou still has a lot to recover from, but she's at least doing a little better. And with this chapter, we are officially out of Yoshiwara! More than eight years, and Andou has finally taken her first step outside of the gate… I mean, ignoring the visit to the shrine, because one thing I forgot to mention a while back, when writing chapter seven out, was that Yoshiwara used to have like five Inari shrines.
Sometime in the Meiji era, the five shrines were enshrined together into one, that stands in front of the gate into Yoshiwara. The gate, by the way, is the only entrance and exit into and from Yoshiwara—which did make it a hazard, later on, when an earthquake hit and set the place ablaze. Yeah, the more you know, but beyond that, thought it was something worth mentioning.
And holy shit, November is almost over! Ahhhhh…y'all, I'm really happy with the way this story has developed. I don't have any plans on stopping anytime soon, either, especially with how addicted I've gotten to the Hinokami Chronicles (RANK TWO BABY). And with season two literally less than a month away…hhhh—we're in for the long run, baby!
Thank you so much for everyone who has taken the time to review! I really appreciate the feedback.
I'm back on my bullshit, now that Himejima has open the floodgates to my affinity for found family and DADS.
Expect more to come, because I don't think I'm stopping for anything. The only thing likely standing in my way are a temporary increase in work hours, due to having to cover shifts, but once those are out of the way, and I am also done with my calc final—it's me vs word, 24/7.
Until the next chapter, everyone! Stay safe!