A maid brought in a jug of sake from the kitchen. Tasuki grabbed it and
hungrily drank it down. Nuriko made a disgusted look.
"How can you stand to do that??" he asked, sickened.
"It's in m' blood," shrugged Tasuki.
"Genetics can change over time. You know that the strand of someone's DNA is drastically-" Tasuki glanced over at Chiriko, and held up his hand.
"No," he said plainly. Chiriko sighed. If no one wanted to hear about the wonders of dioxyribo nucleic acids, then FINE.
"Your liver probably isn't agreeing with all this alcohol," muttered Mitsukake, "You'll be sick before you know it."
"Yeah well," said Tasuki, "I'll enjoy it while I can." Mitsukake forced a small smile. How can someone so young be so naive, he thought. He was once the same way.....when he had met Shoka as a young man, he was the one who was always so innocent and kind. But times had changed. Shoka had been deceased for a while now, and he was left with only his own feelings to contend with. He sighed. When they had first met....he had known......he had known that she was the one..... The sun seemed to rise so early that day. Mitsukake's head had hit the pillow just minutes, it seemed, before he was asked to wake again. His mother had been deathly sick for a while now, and his father was long dead. It was his own job to bring in the money that could help his poor family. The village of Choko was small, mostly filled with elderly couples. Mitsukake was the only young man, 17 years of age. He was also the only one young enough to do most of the manual labor. An older man who lived on the outskirts of town kept his huge farm running, even after he was bedridden. He had trusted Mitsukake to clear out the fields and tend to the animals for some time now, and paid him with what he could. It was never much, just what the old man could spare from his life savings. But Mitsukake took the money with care, and used it to buy for his mother.
The trek to the farm was at least a mile. Mitsukake carried with him a rake for the dirty work. The old man wanted another field cleared today, and new seeds planted. He trudged along, whistling to himself.
"Good day, Myojuan!!" a woman called, carting some vegetables from her garden back home. Mitsukake bowed his head, and continued on. Soon he arrived at the farm.
"I'm here," he said kindly to the old man, "I'll be out in the field that you want cleared." The man waved his hand, and Mitsukake walked off.
It was noon, and the field was only half done. Mitsukake wiped his forehead with an arm, and continued working. There was the sound of horse's hooves from down the hill a little. Mitsukake looked up to see an arriving carriage slowly making its way to town. He wondered who could possibly be inside, since no one in Choko ever traveled, and it wasn't the best place to be traveling to because of its small population. Surprisingly, the carriage turned into the vacant house next to the old man's. Mitsukake briefly stopped work to see who was getting out. The door open, and a young woman stepped onto the pathway, along with her parents. From what he could see, she was beautiful. But why was she here? There was nothing for a young girl in Choko. She said something to her parents, and hurried onto the main road. She was heading his way. Mitsukake quickly resumed working. Why was she coming to the farm??
"Excuse me!!" she called, "Excuse me, sir!!" Mitsukake turned around to see her down the hill a bit, trying to get his attention. He walked over to her, putting the rake over one arm. Face to face, she was absolutely gorgeous.
"Yes?" he asked quietly.
"I was wondering if you could tell me where the nearest well is. Me and my family have just arrived from Eiyo, and water is a necessity because we are all tired," she explained. Mitsukake pointed toward the doctor's house.
"Behind, in the back," he said, "The town well is there."
"Thank you very much!!" she said happily, "I'm Shoka, by the way."
"Myojuan," said Mitsukake, "My name is Myojuan." She hurried back to her parents to tell them where the well was located. Mitsukake's eyes followed her. She was beautiful, and seemed kind. Somehow, he knew to himself, that he would speak to her again......
"How can you stand to do that??" he asked, sickened.
"It's in m' blood," shrugged Tasuki.
"Genetics can change over time. You know that the strand of someone's DNA is drastically-" Tasuki glanced over at Chiriko, and held up his hand.
"No," he said plainly. Chiriko sighed. If no one wanted to hear about the wonders of dioxyribo nucleic acids, then FINE.
"Your liver probably isn't agreeing with all this alcohol," muttered Mitsukake, "You'll be sick before you know it."
"Yeah well," said Tasuki, "I'll enjoy it while I can." Mitsukake forced a small smile. How can someone so young be so naive, he thought. He was once the same way.....when he had met Shoka as a young man, he was the one who was always so innocent and kind. But times had changed. Shoka had been deceased for a while now, and he was left with only his own feelings to contend with. He sighed. When they had first met....he had known......he had known that she was the one..... The sun seemed to rise so early that day. Mitsukake's head had hit the pillow just minutes, it seemed, before he was asked to wake again. His mother had been deathly sick for a while now, and his father was long dead. It was his own job to bring in the money that could help his poor family. The village of Choko was small, mostly filled with elderly couples. Mitsukake was the only young man, 17 years of age. He was also the only one young enough to do most of the manual labor. An older man who lived on the outskirts of town kept his huge farm running, even after he was bedridden. He had trusted Mitsukake to clear out the fields and tend to the animals for some time now, and paid him with what he could. It was never much, just what the old man could spare from his life savings. But Mitsukake took the money with care, and used it to buy for his mother.
The trek to the farm was at least a mile. Mitsukake carried with him a rake for the dirty work. The old man wanted another field cleared today, and new seeds planted. He trudged along, whistling to himself.
"Good day, Myojuan!!" a woman called, carting some vegetables from her garden back home. Mitsukake bowed his head, and continued on. Soon he arrived at the farm.
"I'm here," he said kindly to the old man, "I'll be out in the field that you want cleared." The man waved his hand, and Mitsukake walked off.
It was noon, and the field was only half done. Mitsukake wiped his forehead with an arm, and continued working. There was the sound of horse's hooves from down the hill a little. Mitsukake looked up to see an arriving carriage slowly making its way to town. He wondered who could possibly be inside, since no one in Choko ever traveled, and it wasn't the best place to be traveling to because of its small population. Surprisingly, the carriage turned into the vacant house next to the old man's. Mitsukake briefly stopped work to see who was getting out. The door open, and a young woman stepped onto the pathway, along with her parents. From what he could see, she was beautiful. But why was she here? There was nothing for a young girl in Choko. She said something to her parents, and hurried onto the main road. She was heading his way. Mitsukake quickly resumed working. Why was she coming to the farm??
"Excuse me!!" she called, "Excuse me, sir!!" Mitsukake turned around to see her down the hill a bit, trying to get his attention. He walked over to her, putting the rake over one arm. Face to face, she was absolutely gorgeous.
"Yes?" he asked quietly.
"I was wondering if you could tell me where the nearest well is. Me and my family have just arrived from Eiyo, and water is a necessity because we are all tired," she explained. Mitsukake pointed toward the doctor's house.
"Behind, in the back," he said, "The town well is there."
"Thank you very much!!" she said happily, "I'm Shoka, by the way."
"Myojuan," said Mitsukake, "My name is Myojuan." She hurried back to her parents to tell them where the well was located. Mitsukake's eyes followed her. She was beautiful, and seemed kind. Somehow, he knew to himself, that he would speak to her again......