Chapter 6
"Again."
"HAI!"
"Again."
"HAI!"
"Again."
"HA-ITAII!!!!!" Sanosuke held his bleeding fist. Arata walked into the ice-cold water pool below the waterfall Sanosuke trained in. He sighed and began to climb up to the rock the teenager sulked at. As he arrived, Sanosuke was already up and had his hand underneath the cold water, a rock pierced through his middle finger. Arata placed his hand under the cold water over his pupil's and slowly began to remove the piece of stone that carved the boy's skin. Once it was out, Sanosuke tore a piece of his white training garments and wrapped it around his hand.
" Moushikaneru, Ikomoda-sensei," Sanosuke bowed, apologizing. Arata nodded in response, and placed his hands on his deshi's shoulders.
"Come, we will eat now," Arata suggested and smiled.
"Ho, up there!" A man's voice yelled from below. Arata looked over the edge and smiled.
"It seems we have en unexpected visitor, deshi. Why don't you go and greet him?" Sanosuke looked puzzled, but did as he was told. With amazing courage, he ran to the edge of the rock and dived into the pool below, surfacing near the shore. His eyes widened to see Shunzo. The man had dramatically aged. White hairs appeared on his black hair and he had grown a beard to hide wrinkles that started to show. A girl stood next to him, dressed in a plain white and sky blue kimono. Her hair was neatly greased back to show the silkiness of her skin. She wore a white kaku obi and a pair of geta. She held a sky blue umbrella open, holding it with both hands over her right shoulder. Sanosuke's mouth began to drop at the beauty of the girl, and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. He got out of the water and bowed to Shunzo and the girl, not wanting to wet the beauty. She smiled and nodded to him, covering her smile with her left hand.
"Sanosuke, it has surely been a long time! You have grown into a man in no time!" Shunzo greeted him.
"It has been too long, Sagara-sensei. Time has flashed in front of my eyes and I did not even see it pass." Sanosuke returned the well- mannered exchange. He looked at the girl again, the smell of sakura intoxicating him, sedating him. She was young, maybe one or two years younger than he, but she was still beautiful. He could not stop admiring her.
"I'm sorry that Hanako could not come. She has caught an evil spirit and it is torturing her with a terrible cough. She sends her love," Shunzo says with a light smile. The man had surely changed. Seven years had passed since he last saw the Sagara family and Arata had gone to see them a few weeks ago to tell them of Sanosuke's Genpuku. Of course, they were the only family he had and gladly accepted the invitation. Arata abruptly appeared beside Sanosuke without warning and placed his hand on the pupil's shoulder.
"Let's head back to the house. The Genpuku will be held at sunset," Arata smiled at his son-in-law and lead the way to the house.
When they arrived, Shunzo saw an old temple, founded by Arata himself, but they did not live there. Instead they continued to walk behind the temple and an imperial-style home of one story stood in its glory. Shunzo awed at the sight of it, for it was a work of art that only a god could come up with. The house had no kind of painting whatsoever. Wooden boards covered the outside and inside the walls were made of sliding doors. It was the mix of a Western home with a traditional Japanese one. Arata ordered a woman servant to prepare tea for his guests and lead Shunzo and the girl to the sitting room. He had the sliding doors there opened so the breeze could come in and sunshine could light the room.
Sanosuke quickly went into his room and changed into a brand new training white uniform. He placed a red headband around his forehead, a style he had picked up from Sagara Souzo. He put on his best setta and hurried back to his master's side and the girl he so admired. When he entered, Arata and Shunzo spoke alone, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. A worried look dawned on his face as he worried that the girl might've left. He looked around frantically and finally noticed a hint of a sky blue kimono on the side of one of the sliding doors. Sanosuke sighed silently in relief and slowly walked over to the veranda where the girl sat. She had her hands placed on her lap and stared up at the canopy of the trees that surrounded them. Sanosuke took a seat beside her and looked up as well.
"They're so beautiful," the girl said in a silent cheery voice.
"Spring is coming. The flowers will bloom soon," Sanosuke replied. He looked at the girl once more and smiled at her. She returned the stare and giggled.
"I used to love it when you teased me, but now you tease me in a different manner, though it is still as fun." Sanosuke looked at the girl a bit puzzled and a bit surprised.
"You speak as if you know me."
"But I do! You were there after my brother had left. You were the one that kept me happy, the one that kept me going," Tears began to form under the girl's eyes. She raised the sleeve of her kimono and wiped them away. Sanosuke stared at the girl in awe. This couldn't be her. he knew it couldn't be her.
"Tell me your age," he asked her.
"Thirteen years," she responded and giggled. Sanosuke's eyes widened. Sanosuke couldn't find any words to say. She was beautiful, incredible, nothing like he imagined her to be. Hikaru blushed and giggled once more.
"It has been a long time, Suke-san. I didn't expect you to recognize me," Tears began to fill her eyes once more and this time the tears streamed down uncontrollably. Sanosuke sat there a bit confused by her crying. Were there tears of joy or pain? But his body reacted to the tears and soon his hands were around her and they embraced. The smell of sakura filled his lungs just like before as Hikaru let her sorrow out. Sanosuke could only hold her and console her with his warmth. He closed his eyes and Hikaru rested her head on his chest.
"I missed you," she whispered. Sanosuke couldn't take much more. The girl was supposed to be his cousin, not his lover! He pulled her away from his body and smiled at her. He wiped her tears with his palm and kissed her forehead.
"I missed you too, Hikaru-chan. I am very happy you came to see me today," Sanosuke then smiled at her and got up. He bowed to her and went back inside. Hikaru sat outside and smiled. She looked back up at the sky and nodded, thanking the heavens for allowing see her to see the most important person in her life.
"Do you see, oniisan? Someone did heal me after all," she whispered. She closed her eyes and laid on the wooden veranda, seeing her bother once again, on that last night.
"Again."
"HAI!"
"Again."
"HAI!"
"Again."
"HA-ITAII!!!!!" Sanosuke held his bleeding fist. Arata walked into the ice-cold water pool below the waterfall Sanosuke trained in. He sighed and began to climb up to the rock the teenager sulked at. As he arrived, Sanosuke was already up and had his hand underneath the cold water, a rock pierced through his middle finger. Arata placed his hand under the cold water over his pupil's and slowly began to remove the piece of stone that carved the boy's skin. Once it was out, Sanosuke tore a piece of his white training garments and wrapped it around his hand.
" Moushikaneru, Ikomoda-sensei," Sanosuke bowed, apologizing. Arata nodded in response, and placed his hands on his deshi's shoulders.
"Come, we will eat now," Arata suggested and smiled.
"Ho, up there!" A man's voice yelled from below. Arata looked over the edge and smiled.
"It seems we have en unexpected visitor, deshi. Why don't you go and greet him?" Sanosuke looked puzzled, but did as he was told. With amazing courage, he ran to the edge of the rock and dived into the pool below, surfacing near the shore. His eyes widened to see Shunzo. The man had dramatically aged. White hairs appeared on his black hair and he had grown a beard to hide wrinkles that started to show. A girl stood next to him, dressed in a plain white and sky blue kimono. Her hair was neatly greased back to show the silkiness of her skin. She wore a white kaku obi and a pair of geta. She held a sky blue umbrella open, holding it with both hands over her right shoulder. Sanosuke's mouth began to drop at the beauty of the girl, and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. He got out of the water and bowed to Shunzo and the girl, not wanting to wet the beauty. She smiled and nodded to him, covering her smile with her left hand.
"Sanosuke, it has surely been a long time! You have grown into a man in no time!" Shunzo greeted him.
"It has been too long, Sagara-sensei. Time has flashed in front of my eyes and I did not even see it pass." Sanosuke returned the well- mannered exchange. He looked at the girl again, the smell of sakura intoxicating him, sedating him. She was young, maybe one or two years younger than he, but she was still beautiful. He could not stop admiring her.
"I'm sorry that Hanako could not come. She has caught an evil spirit and it is torturing her with a terrible cough. She sends her love," Shunzo says with a light smile. The man had surely changed. Seven years had passed since he last saw the Sagara family and Arata had gone to see them a few weeks ago to tell them of Sanosuke's Genpuku. Of course, they were the only family he had and gladly accepted the invitation. Arata abruptly appeared beside Sanosuke without warning and placed his hand on the pupil's shoulder.
"Let's head back to the house. The Genpuku will be held at sunset," Arata smiled at his son-in-law and lead the way to the house.
When they arrived, Shunzo saw an old temple, founded by Arata himself, but they did not live there. Instead they continued to walk behind the temple and an imperial-style home of one story stood in its glory. Shunzo awed at the sight of it, for it was a work of art that only a god could come up with. The house had no kind of painting whatsoever. Wooden boards covered the outside and inside the walls were made of sliding doors. It was the mix of a Western home with a traditional Japanese one. Arata ordered a woman servant to prepare tea for his guests and lead Shunzo and the girl to the sitting room. He had the sliding doors there opened so the breeze could come in and sunshine could light the room.
Sanosuke quickly went into his room and changed into a brand new training white uniform. He placed a red headband around his forehead, a style he had picked up from Sagara Souzo. He put on his best setta and hurried back to his master's side and the girl he so admired. When he entered, Arata and Shunzo spoke alone, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. A worried look dawned on his face as he worried that the girl might've left. He looked around frantically and finally noticed a hint of a sky blue kimono on the side of one of the sliding doors. Sanosuke sighed silently in relief and slowly walked over to the veranda where the girl sat. She had her hands placed on her lap and stared up at the canopy of the trees that surrounded them. Sanosuke took a seat beside her and looked up as well.
"They're so beautiful," the girl said in a silent cheery voice.
"Spring is coming. The flowers will bloom soon," Sanosuke replied. He looked at the girl once more and smiled at her. She returned the stare and giggled.
"I used to love it when you teased me, but now you tease me in a different manner, though it is still as fun." Sanosuke looked at the girl a bit puzzled and a bit surprised.
"You speak as if you know me."
"But I do! You were there after my brother had left. You were the one that kept me happy, the one that kept me going," Tears began to form under the girl's eyes. She raised the sleeve of her kimono and wiped them away. Sanosuke stared at the girl in awe. This couldn't be her. he knew it couldn't be her.
"Tell me your age," he asked her.
"Thirteen years," she responded and giggled. Sanosuke's eyes widened. Sanosuke couldn't find any words to say. She was beautiful, incredible, nothing like he imagined her to be. Hikaru blushed and giggled once more.
"It has been a long time, Suke-san. I didn't expect you to recognize me," Tears began to fill her eyes once more and this time the tears streamed down uncontrollably. Sanosuke sat there a bit confused by her crying. Were there tears of joy or pain? But his body reacted to the tears and soon his hands were around her and they embraced. The smell of sakura filled his lungs just like before as Hikaru let her sorrow out. Sanosuke could only hold her and console her with his warmth. He closed his eyes and Hikaru rested her head on his chest.
"I missed you," she whispered. Sanosuke couldn't take much more. The girl was supposed to be his cousin, not his lover! He pulled her away from his body and smiled at her. He wiped her tears with his palm and kissed her forehead.
"I missed you too, Hikaru-chan. I am very happy you came to see me today," Sanosuke then smiled at her and got up. He bowed to her and went back inside. Hikaru sat outside and smiled. She looked back up at the sky and nodded, thanking the heavens for allowing see her to see the most important person in her life.
"Do you see, oniisan? Someone did heal me after all," she whispered. She closed her eyes and laid on the wooden veranda, seeing her bother once again, on that last night.