Harusaki - Beginning of Spring
"Papaaa! Matteeee!!" A small girl rushed headlong into the crowd of bustling people, searching for the soft blue of her father's hakama. Once it was in her sights, she reached out her small hand, clutching her fingers around the stiff fabric, pulling herself close to the powerfully muscled thigh hidden beneath. A large hand reached down, lacing its fingers into her soft hair, that had fallen free from its ribbon.
"You've lost your hairbinding again, aijou." Her father smiled down at her with tenderness and protective caution. "Because you were walking too fast for me to keep up..." The little girl pouted directly back to him, still clinging to him as if she would be swept away in the current of the marketplace. That worry was erased when her father's arms reached down, pulling her up as easily as one would pick up a leaf, hefting her to one shoulder, lifting her vision above the crowd. He laughed as she squealed and giggled in delight, clapping her hands, unafraid and trusting completely that he wouldn't dare let her go.
Her dark hair bounced and swayed as he carried her through the marketplace, her large dark eyes flicking here and there, drinking in the sights and sounds like a thirsty man at a desert oasis. The smells as well were a wonder to her, and her father would often indulge her if she wished to snack on something. There were many things that would tease her...the candied ginger, the daifuku...the sweetened rice balls...
But something else caught her eye at that point. A small group of people...a few men hauling a small cart, several women...and a small child.
It caught the attention of more people than the small girl, some shifting away quietly. The crowd softened its normally grand voice as they passed through the streets, and the girl's father halted his movement, her arms wrapping around his head for support, her hands resting against his forehead. Her dark eyes stared down at the child, whom she identified as a little boy.
His hand was held tightly by a young woman, and his violet eyes scanned the crowd quietly, being caught eventually in the gaze of the girl atop her father's shoulder. It shocked her briefly, but her childlike nature soon took over, her hand lifting from her father's forehead and waving happily to the boy, a smile curving her rosebud lips. The boy blinked in surprise, and she could tell that a smile tugged hopefully at the corner of his lips, but it was never brought to life, as he turned his gaze to the ground in front of him. Before he passed completely out of sight, however, she noticed him look over his shoulder again at her.
"Who were they, Papa?" The girl asked, curiosity lacing her voice. Her father stood watching for a little while, then turned, his hand bracing against her side. "Travelers, aijou. Only travelers."
