"Katsuhiro!"
"Yes, sensei?" At fifteen, Katsu had yet to put on his last few inches, so he still had to look up to see into Yokuzoma-sensei's face.
"Don't you 'yes, sensei' me, you stupid idiot of an apprentice! You should be too busy to even hear me come in! What am I housing you for, giving you food for?! To make art, that's what! You should be so weary of painting that you beg me to let you stop! Your fingers should be worn to the bone, you lazy boy! TO THE BONE, DO YOU HEAR ME!?!?"
Ah. He got another commission today. Katsu bowed his head and fought to keep in the laughter that was fighting to burst out. "Yes sensei."
"Humph." Yokuzoma-sensei glared at Katsu (who made sure he was the picture of meek obedience) before picking up the tray of food which Katsu had set out for him and devouring his dinner. It was not a rare occurrence that his sensei would stay out late as he had done tonight, so Katsu had learned (very quickly) how to set out trays of food that would not spoil and how to keep those trays at the right temperature, neither too hot nor too cold. Katsu knew very well there was nothing wrong with the food - unless you considered the taste, which was practically nonexistent, but Yokuzoma- sensei had never develop much in the way of a sense of taste.
Luckily.
So of course, not being able to find fault with anything, he would only be more irritable.
"Boy!"
"Yes?" Katsu debated against adding 'sensei', but decided against it. If he had a commission, he probably needed more supplies, so that was most likely going to be Katsu's next errand.
"I need you to go and get me some more of the violet and crimson paints, and a new fan brush, and I need them before nightfall!"
Katsu sighed. There was barely an hour until dark, and it took over half an hour to travel to and from the marketplace. Plus, crimson and violet were both extremely rare and expensive (which is why they did not keep such a steady supply of them as they did the other colors), so he'd be lucky if there was any left this late. He stood, and bowed to Yokuzoma-sensei, collecting the money offered to him. He knew better than to get angry at Yokuzoma-sensei - this was an old discussion, played out many times between them.
And Katsu always lost. Well, most of the time.
"Yes, sensei."
"Yes, sensei?" At fifteen, Katsu had yet to put on his last few inches, so he still had to look up to see into Yokuzoma-sensei's face.
"Don't you 'yes, sensei' me, you stupid idiot of an apprentice! You should be too busy to even hear me come in! What am I housing you for, giving you food for?! To make art, that's what! You should be so weary of painting that you beg me to let you stop! Your fingers should be worn to the bone, you lazy boy! TO THE BONE, DO YOU HEAR ME!?!?"
Ah. He got another commission today. Katsu bowed his head and fought to keep in the laughter that was fighting to burst out. "Yes sensei."
"Humph." Yokuzoma-sensei glared at Katsu (who made sure he was the picture of meek obedience) before picking up the tray of food which Katsu had set out for him and devouring his dinner. It was not a rare occurrence that his sensei would stay out late as he had done tonight, so Katsu had learned (very quickly) how to set out trays of food that would not spoil and how to keep those trays at the right temperature, neither too hot nor too cold. Katsu knew very well there was nothing wrong with the food - unless you considered the taste, which was practically nonexistent, but Yokuzoma- sensei had never develop much in the way of a sense of taste.
Luckily.
So of course, not being able to find fault with anything, he would only be more irritable.
"Boy!"
"Yes?" Katsu debated against adding 'sensei', but decided against it. If he had a commission, he probably needed more supplies, so that was most likely going to be Katsu's next errand.
"I need you to go and get me some more of the violet and crimson paints, and a new fan brush, and I need them before nightfall!"
Katsu sighed. There was barely an hour until dark, and it took over half an hour to travel to and from the marketplace. Plus, crimson and violet were both extremely rare and expensive (which is why they did not keep such a steady supply of them as they did the other colors), so he'd be lucky if there was any left this late. He stood, and bowed to Yokuzoma-sensei, collecting the money offered to him. He knew better than to get angry at Yokuzoma-sensei - this was an old discussion, played out many times between them.
And Katsu always lost. Well, most of the time.
"Yes, sensei."