Chapter 8
Hikaru sat to the right of her father at the small bamboo table, a large pork leg with baked potatoes decorating the center. Western utensils were set in front of her grandfather's place and chopsticks on the rest. Hikaru covered her nose. The stench of the Western food poisoned her sense of smell. She was never a big fan of the over-seasoned foods that Westerners ate. But she was a woman after all, and she mustn't complain unless her father spoke a word. She sighed and began to ready herself to eat the horrendous meal until a voice interrupter her meditation.
"Hikaru-chan? Are you alright?" Arata asked the sickened girl. Hikaru looked at her grandfather and smiled sweetly.
"Of course, ojiisan," She replied, hiding her disgust.
"You don't have to eat if you don't want to," Her father stepped in, "It isn't hard to tell your large disliking for such foods." Hikaru blushed, embarrassed. She looked at her grandfather and he nodded at her father's statement. She sighed and got up from the table, bowing before making her way back to the veranda.
Hikaru looked at her father and grandfather. They had begun to eat the moment she had left the table. She laughed quietly at the two men and how their hunger still ruled their lives just like children. She sighed once more and changed her gaze to the sakura above. Sakura had been a symbol of her family for hundreds of years. It marked the beauty of their line and bloodshed they had gone through. It basically defined the Sagara and Ikomoda name, since the families have been numerously tied by marriages and friendships.
"Hikaru-chan?" Sanosuke's voice came from behind. She turned, a bit shaken by her cousin's sudden entrance.
"Yes, Suke-san?" A smile came upon her face. Sanosuke always made her feel warm inside.
"Why aren't you at the table?" Hikaru laughed at this. How could she answer such an embarrassing question? She felt like she must tell him the truth, but how?
"I just don't have much of an appetite. Western foods make my stomach feel small," she replied. A perfect answer. Maybe he'll think of it as an allergy of some sort. But instead of the expected reaction, Sanosuke burst out laughing.
"You mean to tell me that you, the one that's all tough and mighty like a man, can't stand Western food? Is it too much spice for you?" Now he mocked her! The nerve of the guy!
"Baka yaro!" Hikaru jumped up to her feet, starting to flush from the rush of anger. "Well you act more like a woman than a woman herself!" She had taken it too far. Now Sanosuke had begun to redden as well. He grabbed her hand angrily and pulled her close to him, his eyes locked onto her. She turned her face away from him and closed her eyes, expecting to be hit. Sanosuke's breath became heavier and heavier, sending chills up Hikaru's neck. Tears began to fill her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. But then, against her will, they began to run down her cheeks. Sanosuke's grip lightened around her hand and he had begun to back off. Hikaru looked up at him. She placed her hand on her mouth to hold back the sobs. He then let go of her wrist and his arms began to wrap themselves around her slim body. She couldn't take much more. So she raised her hand and slapped away his arm. In an instant, she disappeared into the house, sobbing uncontrollably.
"She's right!" Arata's angry voice rose over the garden. Sanosuke turned his head to see his master approaching him, bokken in hand. He raised the weapon and smacked him across the face.
"A man, especially my own pupil, would do no such thing to a woman." Angry eyes pierced through Sanosuke. "Now, you will head to the waterfall with weights on your feet and climb it until the sun calls forth another day. Go!" Sanosuke looked at his teacher with wide eyes.
"But my Genpuku." He wined, but a stare from Arata silenced him and off he went to find Gombei to place the weights at his feet.
"It is too harsh of a punishment, Arata-dono," Shunzo mentioned from behind him. "Your granddaughter also had some part in it too." Arata just stood there, silently.
Hikaru sat to the right of her father at the small bamboo table, a large pork leg with baked potatoes decorating the center. Western utensils were set in front of her grandfather's place and chopsticks on the rest. Hikaru covered her nose. The stench of the Western food poisoned her sense of smell. She was never a big fan of the over-seasoned foods that Westerners ate. But she was a woman after all, and she mustn't complain unless her father spoke a word. She sighed and began to ready herself to eat the horrendous meal until a voice interrupter her meditation.
"Hikaru-chan? Are you alright?" Arata asked the sickened girl. Hikaru looked at her grandfather and smiled sweetly.
"Of course, ojiisan," She replied, hiding her disgust.
"You don't have to eat if you don't want to," Her father stepped in, "It isn't hard to tell your large disliking for such foods." Hikaru blushed, embarrassed. She looked at her grandfather and he nodded at her father's statement. She sighed and got up from the table, bowing before making her way back to the veranda.
Hikaru looked at her father and grandfather. They had begun to eat the moment she had left the table. She laughed quietly at the two men and how their hunger still ruled their lives just like children. She sighed once more and changed her gaze to the sakura above. Sakura had been a symbol of her family for hundreds of years. It marked the beauty of their line and bloodshed they had gone through. It basically defined the Sagara and Ikomoda name, since the families have been numerously tied by marriages and friendships.
"Hikaru-chan?" Sanosuke's voice came from behind. She turned, a bit shaken by her cousin's sudden entrance.
"Yes, Suke-san?" A smile came upon her face. Sanosuke always made her feel warm inside.
"Why aren't you at the table?" Hikaru laughed at this. How could she answer such an embarrassing question? She felt like she must tell him the truth, but how?
"I just don't have much of an appetite. Western foods make my stomach feel small," she replied. A perfect answer. Maybe he'll think of it as an allergy of some sort. But instead of the expected reaction, Sanosuke burst out laughing.
"You mean to tell me that you, the one that's all tough and mighty like a man, can't stand Western food? Is it too much spice for you?" Now he mocked her! The nerve of the guy!
"Baka yaro!" Hikaru jumped up to her feet, starting to flush from the rush of anger. "Well you act more like a woman than a woman herself!" She had taken it too far. Now Sanosuke had begun to redden as well. He grabbed her hand angrily and pulled her close to him, his eyes locked onto her. She turned her face away from him and closed her eyes, expecting to be hit. Sanosuke's breath became heavier and heavier, sending chills up Hikaru's neck. Tears began to fill her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. But then, against her will, they began to run down her cheeks. Sanosuke's grip lightened around her hand and he had begun to back off. Hikaru looked up at him. She placed her hand on her mouth to hold back the sobs. He then let go of her wrist and his arms began to wrap themselves around her slim body. She couldn't take much more. So she raised her hand and slapped away his arm. In an instant, she disappeared into the house, sobbing uncontrollably.
"She's right!" Arata's angry voice rose over the garden. Sanosuke turned his head to see his master approaching him, bokken in hand. He raised the weapon and smacked him across the face.
"A man, especially my own pupil, would do no such thing to a woman." Angry eyes pierced through Sanosuke. "Now, you will head to the waterfall with weights on your feet and climb it until the sun calls forth another day. Go!" Sanosuke looked at his teacher with wide eyes.
"But my Genpuku." He wined, but a stare from Arata silenced him and off he went to find Gombei to place the weights at his feet.
"It is too harsh of a punishment, Arata-dono," Shunzo mentioned from behind him. "Your granddaughter also had some part in it too." Arata just stood there, silently.