Chapter 7
"They make a wonderful couple. It's a shame that Hikaru doesn't know a thing," Arata mentioned, looking at the embracing children.
"That has nothing to do with you! Besides, Hikaru would be heartbroken if a word was said," Shunzo objected. He wasn't going to give his daughter up to some ex-member of the most claimed rebel group. He sighed and shook his head; this was going to be a long day.
"You do realize she'll have to find out sooner or later," Arata wasn't going to take this anymore. Shunzo's overprotection for his daughter was going too far.
"I know, I know. But she still speaks to him in her sleep and during prayers. I can't just crush that! It'll break her!" Shunzo exclaimed in return. Arata crossed his arms and closed his eyes, thinking. This was much harder than he thought, for Shunzo had made a good point. It was true that the girl still spoke of him in her sleep, he had heard her himself back when he had taken Sanosuke away.
It was the night after his spar with Sanosuke, and Arata had been a bit weary. A storm had begun earlier in the day, and bad weather depressed him or tired him. It had been about five hours past since the sun had set and everyone was already sleeping in his or her room, sighs and snores confirming this. Arata sighed, unable to sleep, and rose from his bed. He opened the sliding door of the guest room and began to walk barefoot along the outside veranda. Owls hooted from the lower branches of the cherry blossoms and the white plumbs, dew dripping from their feathers. Arata continued his walk, but abruptly stopped as the sound of weeping came from inside. He opened the sliding door from where the sound came from, and there laid Hikaru turning and shaking her head, crying uncontrollably.
"Oniisan! Oniisan! Come back, oniisan! Wait!" She began to yell. Arata walked over to the child's body and placed his hand on her forehead. Feeling his touch, the girl began to calm down, though tears still streamed from her eyes.
"Sleep, child. You must have no more worries over him. He breathed his last long ago," Arata soothed. He then rose from his crouching position, turning back to the opened door. Muffled cries came from Hikaru's tiny throat, but Arata only nodded a silent goodnight and closed the door behind his steps.
"Master?" A servant broke his trail of memories. Arata opened his eyes and looked at him.
"What is it?"
"It's almost lunchtime, sempai. Should I command to prepare a meal?" Arata nodded in response.
"Set a table outside. I shall like my guest to view the blooming of the sakura when they eat. It'll allow the sake to have a better taste," Arata commanded. The male servant bowed and retrieved himself from the room. Arata sighed and rose. He looked at Shunzo and nodded.
"You are right. It's best to leave things how they are." Shunzo stared at his old sensei in puzzlement. It wasn't like him to change his mind that fast. He shrugged and stood, following his master outside. Hikaru, who still sat outside at the veranda looked at her father, who motioned her to follow him and her grandfather. She nodded and did what she was told.
"Sanosuke-dono?"
"Yes Gombei?" Sanosuke turned to the head servant, who stood in front of the entrance to his room.
"It is lunchtime, young master. Ikomoda-sensei has leaded his guest to a set table under the sakura trees. Shall you eat with them?"
"Of course, Gombei! Sensei would have my head if I didn't! I will be right out," Sanosuke replied to the servant. Gombei bowed and began to walk out in his usual manner.
"Wait, Gombei!" Sanosuke called him back.
"Yes, Suke-dono?" Gombei appeared at the door once more.
"After lunch, can you take Hikaru-chan to see the seashore? She has never seen the sea before," Sanosuke requested in a timid voice. Gombei smiled and nodded. He bowed once more and took his leave.
Sanosuke sighed. His liking for his cousin had grown in the years past, but he hadn't expected them to be this intense. His request to Gombei will give him enough time to prepare for his Genpuku and have some time away from her until he could figure out how to hide his feelings. He sighed once more and decided to make his way to the table outside.
"They make a wonderful couple. It's a shame that Hikaru doesn't know a thing," Arata mentioned, looking at the embracing children.
"That has nothing to do with you! Besides, Hikaru would be heartbroken if a word was said," Shunzo objected. He wasn't going to give his daughter up to some ex-member of the most claimed rebel group. He sighed and shook his head; this was going to be a long day.
"You do realize she'll have to find out sooner or later," Arata wasn't going to take this anymore. Shunzo's overprotection for his daughter was going too far.
"I know, I know. But she still speaks to him in her sleep and during prayers. I can't just crush that! It'll break her!" Shunzo exclaimed in return. Arata crossed his arms and closed his eyes, thinking. This was much harder than he thought, for Shunzo had made a good point. It was true that the girl still spoke of him in her sleep, he had heard her himself back when he had taken Sanosuke away.
It was the night after his spar with Sanosuke, and Arata had been a bit weary. A storm had begun earlier in the day, and bad weather depressed him or tired him. It had been about five hours past since the sun had set and everyone was already sleeping in his or her room, sighs and snores confirming this. Arata sighed, unable to sleep, and rose from his bed. He opened the sliding door of the guest room and began to walk barefoot along the outside veranda. Owls hooted from the lower branches of the cherry blossoms and the white plumbs, dew dripping from their feathers. Arata continued his walk, but abruptly stopped as the sound of weeping came from inside. He opened the sliding door from where the sound came from, and there laid Hikaru turning and shaking her head, crying uncontrollably.
"Oniisan! Oniisan! Come back, oniisan! Wait!" She began to yell. Arata walked over to the child's body and placed his hand on her forehead. Feeling his touch, the girl began to calm down, though tears still streamed from her eyes.
"Sleep, child. You must have no more worries over him. He breathed his last long ago," Arata soothed. He then rose from his crouching position, turning back to the opened door. Muffled cries came from Hikaru's tiny throat, but Arata only nodded a silent goodnight and closed the door behind his steps.
"Master?" A servant broke his trail of memories. Arata opened his eyes and looked at him.
"What is it?"
"It's almost lunchtime, sempai. Should I command to prepare a meal?" Arata nodded in response.
"Set a table outside. I shall like my guest to view the blooming of the sakura when they eat. It'll allow the sake to have a better taste," Arata commanded. The male servant bowed and retrieved himself from the room. Arata sighed and rose. He looked at Shunzo and nodded.
"You are right. It's best to leave things how they are." Shunzo stared at his old sensei in puzzlement. It wasn't like him to change his mind that fast. He shrugged and stood, following his master outside. Hikaru, who still sat outside at the veranda looked at her father, who motioned her to follow him and her grandfather. She nodded and did what she was told.
"Sanosuke-dono?"
"Yes Gombei?" Sanosuke turned to the head servant, who stood in front of the entrance to his room.
"It is lunchtime, young master. Ikomoda-sensei has leaded his guest to a set table under the sakura trees. Shall you eat with them?"
"Of course, Gombei! Sensei would have my head if I didn't! I will be right out," Sanosuke replied to the servant. Gombei bowed and began to walk out in his usual manner.
"Wait, Gombei!" Sanosuke called him back.
"Yes, Suke-dono?" Gombei appeared at the door once more.
"After lunch, can you take Hikaru-chan to see the seashore? She has never seen the sea before," Sanosuke requested in a timid voice. Gombei smiled and nodded. He bowed once more and took his leave.
Sanosuke sighed. His liking for his cousin had grown in the years past, but he hadn't expected them to be this intense. His request to Gombei will give him enough time to prepare for his Genpuku and have some time away from her until he could figure out how to hide his feelings. He sighed once more and decided to make his way to the table outside.