So, this is a continuation of "He Sees You When You're Sleeping?" It takes place
about five years later and focuses on the romance between Sojiro and
Natsutsuki Harusame, Chibi-Tenken's original character. Some old friends, some
newer ones and a little girl with two 'mamas' get together to explore another
holiday created by the West.
@}--,--'---
February First, 17th year of the Meiji.
"Harusame! Harusame!" Sonomi poked around the Natsutsuki house, looking for her friend. She had a piece of paper clutched in her hand and she wanted to show it to Harusame.
"She's outside, Sonomi-san!" Sojiro called from upstairs, "She's clearing away the slush."
Sonomi smiled. Leave it to Sojiro to know where Harusame was. He had been sweet on her since the day they met and they were slow at developing their relationship, which drove Sonomi wild. This is the reasoning behind her search for the younger woman in the first place. "Thanks, Sojiro!" She yelled back to him. Then she turned on her heal to go find Harusame.
The girl was outside on the front walk, sweeping the slush from the cobbled path, humming to herself and swaying a little as she moved the broom. "Little by little the night turns around / Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn / Lotuses lean on each other in yearning / Under the eaves the swallow is resting..."
"Oi, Harusame!" She called to her friend.
She stopped sweeping, "What's up, Sonomi?"
"Look." She waved the paper under her friend's nose.
"What's this?" She caught hold of it, scanning it quickly. "Well then..."
"I guess what we all thought would never happen has happened." Sonomi said pointedly.
"It happened three years ago and no one told us!" Harusame exclaimed, waving her arms around, the paper fluttering wildly. "I can't believe this! They were supposed to tell us! They were supposed to write! And they never did!"
"Well, they must've been pretty busy."
"I cannot believe this...She must look just like him! I want to go...She must be so cute!" The young woman squealed, "I'm so happy for them! This is great. We can go, right? You want to and so will Sou, right?"
"Calm down. Of course we can. But the springs will be busy while we're there. It'll be on Valentine's Day." She said slyly, "You and Sojiro don't have plans already?"
Harusame colored. "N-no..." She stammered, "No plans. Sou and I never plan anything...Stuff just happens."
"Okay. I'll go write to Kamatari then." Sonomi nodded, "And tell them that we're coming."
"Right. I still can't believe it." The young woman took the broom again and began to sweep once more, "A little girl...Three years old."
Sonomi hurried back into the house, running over to Harusame's desk. She pulled out a piece of paper, bottle of ink and a brush.
...We'll be by for your little get together. Make sure you have a romantic room set up for Sojiro and Harusame. Their relationship is going nowhere and we should help them along a little. They obviously love each other, but neither one of them is doing anything about it. You've got to help me out. It will be Valentine's day when we're at your house. See you soon!
-Akikumo Sonomi
Then she found an envelope and addressed it.
Honjou Kamatari
Aoiroten-onsan
Kobe, Japan
Sticking the letter in the envelope, she smiled to herself. If any one could help her, it would be Kamatari. He understood the mind of both a man and a woman. He was somewhat romantic -they all remembered how he had been at the time of his marriage to Gesshoku- and he was an upbeat, optimistic man.
She rose from her seat, looking out the window where her unsuspecting friend was dancing around with the broom again. She could hear Harusame singing again, her voice drifting through the courtyard.
"Over the mountain watching the watcher / Breaking the darkness / Waking the grapevine / One inch of love is one inch of shadow / Love is the shadow that ripens the wine..."
Sonomi grinned. Her friends had no clue what was about to happen to them.
@}--,--'---
Cultural note about Valentine's Day (Sei Barentain no Shukujitsu): Valentine's Day is celebrated in Japan on Feb 14th, just like here. However, women are the ones who give chocolates to men. It may be an act of affection, or it could just be a case of giving candy to a male coworker, which is known as "duty chocolate" (giri-choco).
[Info Source: The Anime Companion: What's Japanese in Japanese Animation by Gilles Poitras.]
Oh, and I know that's probably not how you address and envelope on Japan, but I'm not all-mighty and I don't know ^^;;
@}--,--'---
February First, 17th year of the Meiji.
"Harusame! Harusame!" Sonomi poked around the Natsutsuki house, looking for her friend. She had a piece of paper clutched in her hand and she wanted to show it to Harusame.
"She's outside, Sonomi-san!" Sojiro called from upstairs, "She's clearing away the slush."
Sonomi smiled. Leave it to Sojiro to know where Harusame was. He had been sweet on her since the day they met and they were slow at developing their relationship, which drove Sonomi wild. This is the reasoning behind her search for the younger woman in the first place. "Thanks, Sojiro!" She yelled back to him. Then she turned on her heal to go find Harusame.
The girl was outside on the front walk, sweeping the slush from the cobbled path, humming to herself and swaying a little as she moved the broom. "Little by little the night turns around / Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn / Lotuses lean on each other in yearning / Under the eaves the swallow is resting..."
"Oi, Harusame!" She called to her friend.
She stopped sweeping, "What's up, Sonomi?"
"Look." She waved the paper under her friend's nose.
"What's this?" She caught hold of it, scanning it quickly. "Well then..."
"I guess what we all thought would never happen has happened." Sonomi said pointedly.
"It happened three years ago and no one told us!" Harusame exclaimed, waving her arms around, the paper fluttering wildly. "I can't believe this! They were supposed to tell us! They were supposed to write! And they never did!"
"Well, they must've been pretty busy."
"I cannot believe this...She must look just like him! I want to go...She must be so cute!" The young woman squealed, "I'm so happy for them! This is great. We can go, right? You want to and so will Sou, right?"
"Calm down. Of course we can. But the springs will be busy while we're there. It'll be on Valentine's Day." She said slyly, "You and Sojiro don't have plans already?"
Harusame colored. "N-no..." She stammered, "No plans. Sou and I never plan anything...Stuff just happens."
"Okay. I'll go write to Kamatari then." Sonomi nodded, "And tell them that we're coming."
"Right. I still can't believe it." The young woman took the broom again and began to sweep once more, "A little girl...Three years old."
Sonomi hurried back into the house, running over to Harusame's desk. She pulled out a piece of paper, bottle of ink and a brush.
...We'll be by for your little get together. Make sure you have a romantic room set up for Sojiro and Harusame. Their relationship is going nowhere and we should help them along a little. They obviously love each other, but neither one of them is doing anything about it. You've got to help me out. It will be Valentine's day when we're at your house. See you soon!
-Akikumo Sonomi
Then she found an envelope and addressed it.
Honjou Kamatari
Aoiroten-onsan
Kobe, Japan
Sticking the letter in the envelope, she smiled to herself. If any one could help her, it would be Kamatari. He understood the mind of both a man and a woman. He was somewhat romantic -they all remembered how he had been at the time of his marriage to Gesshoku- and he was an upbeat, optimistic man.
She rose from her seat, looking out the window where her unsuspecting friend was dancing around with the broom again. She could hear Harusame singing again, her voice drifting through the courtyard.
"Over the mountain watching the watcher / Breaking the darkness / Waking the grapevine / One inch of love is one inch of shadow / Love is the shadow that ripens the wine..."
Sonomi grinned. Her friends had no clue what was about to happen to them.
@}--,--'---
Cultural note about Valentine's Day (Sei Barentain no Shukujitsu): Valentine's Day is celebrated in Japan on Feb 14th, just like here. However, women are the ones who give chocolates to men. It may be an act of affection, or it could just be a case of giving candy to a male coworker, which is known as "duty chocolate" (giri-choco).
[Info Source: The Anime Companion: What's Japanese in Japanese Animation by Gilles Poitras.]
Oh, and I know that's probably not how you address and envelope on Japan, but I'm not all-mighty and I don't know ^^;;