Kagome loved making breakfast for everyone. She didn't deem it a problem at all to get up with the sun and cool morning instead of sleeping in a warm bed for an extra hour or so. Someone had to make it and she considered herself quite good, even if she was nervous about the result each morning whether everyone would or wouldn't like it. Everyone needed a roll in the hotel and Kagome regarded this as hers.
It was fun to teach Sango-chan whenever her friend offered to help. Kagome felt a little bad for making the busy woman get up with her by setting the alarm so she would have breakfast on the table without fail and even worse when Sango-chan wanted to help. This was more often now that the sun was coming out earlier and the weather was warmer. No matter what reassurance Sango-chan gave, Kagome still didn't feel better about the matter.
It was a perk to be able to leave the balcony door open now and Kagome took advantage whenever it was beautiful weather outside. She knew it was only proper to ask, since it would readjust the temperature in most of the floor, but there was inside shoji to close if she was really worried about it.
She settled into quite the routine in the last eight years. She almost didn't need the alarm, since she made breakfast practically since the beginning. It comforted her to know she had an important place, since not many could cook as well as she could. Though Kagome believed herself past intermediate level, she never voiced that for fear of seeming egotistical.
She set the table today, serving her hostess a cup of tea like always - why Kikyou-sama got up so early when she didn't have to was still a mystery to her - and started cleaning up to a stopping point. Sango entered, fully dressed and awake and they exchanged good morning. She smiled at the woman's mild gripe for not being able to help, not saying anything in return.
Rin-chan accompanied Kaede-obaasan upstairs and the elder was helped onto her zabuton. Kagome had that duty to assist the old woman long ago, then Sango as the youngest. Kaede-obaasan wasn't too happy about needing help despite being only forty-two, but she had bad joints and everyone - even Kikyou-sama, though no one would know it by looking at her - didn't want her to strain herself more than she had to. Due to a harsh life during her childhood, Kaede-obaasan looked older than she actually was.
Eating was quiet as always. Sango-chan soon stood to take off for classes and she offered to take care of the dishes. She didn't mind picking up, since she started it. Everyone exchanged goodbyes and her friend was out of sight. Kagome finished eating and refilled the teapot for everyone, pouring the owners another cup.
After waiting until everyone noticeably finished, Kagome made to start piling dishes for the kitchen sink when a movement caused her to pause and look to the owner.
"Before you take care of that, I would like to discuss something with you, Kagome and Rin." Said pair immediately gave full attention, though the woman's voice wasn't that grave sounding. "We will work on a few things today for your training. Be sure you have nothing important to take care of for the next few hours and meet me in the living section."
The two nodded as they both made for the dishes. "Ah, Kagome-san please let me bring these to you. I will also help dry and put away to make time go faster."
Kagome nodded and filled the cups to allow for time before standing and heading to the other room. She inhaled fresh air and smiled at the pleasant feel it gave her. Minutes later she was up to elbows in suds with Rin-chan next to her. The pair had everything cleaned up and Kagome went to tidy the eating area while Rin-chan finished putting the dishes away.
The pair soon sat on zabuton across from their oneesan geisha(1) in the center of the room. A few closed boxes and paper sat in easy reach behind the geisha. Kikyou eyed them before feeling they were ready to give full attention and wouldn't miss anything. It'd been at least a week since the last lesson and she hoped they didn't forget anything. Even if they did, she would begin the lessons with the normal beginning to remind them of what they were getting themselves into with such modern times.
"Geisha have existed in Japan for close to a thousand years. We are artists; every movement of our body in a dance, every tone of our voice in a song should be perfected. We excel in the traditional arts of music, natural beauty, conversation, and word. We are entertainers and, despite popular myth, NOT prostitutes."
"Today creates a problem for our lifestyle, since many will not pay the amount we charge to entertain them. This modern world and western ideals have tossed us aside, save for some people and businesses. It is for them that we continue to learn things thought to be old-fashioned and not necessary nowadays. Geisha are a handful in Japan these days - our homeland." Kikyou met both pairs of eyes for a second in all seriousness. "You can only be a full geisha if you are truly serious to have it as a profession. It isn't all conversation and drinking games though."
"To survive, we have adapted with each society and the way things are. We still learn all the arts classified with our profession, even if we might not use them. One must be ready if a customer requests a certain talent from you. These customers are your source of income, so you should give them proper respect and the best of your talents. Even if there is something you know of and do not show, you should still have knowledge of it. Whether you do or not will show in conversation so it is better to skip foolishness."
Kikyou reached around and slid two cases to the pair, grabbing hers and pulling it to her side. "We will practice on a number of items to see how much you remember. Most of this is old, so I will be disappointed if either of you forgot."
Both maiko opened the clasps containing their shamisen and set hands in their laps again. They knew not to go too fast or far ahead and assume they knew how this lesson would go. They were students, not teachers.
"Kagome, I want you to assemble your shamisen for me and tune it. I will know if it is off or not, but you should be able to know the chords by now. Rin, when she has finished to my satisfaction, you will do the exact same thing."
When their sensei finished talking and brown looked to brown, Kagome bent forward and gathered the first pieces to construct. Shamisen wasn't new to her, having practiced it for a few years now, and in no time she had it correctly put together and was strumming the three strings.
Kikyou nodded when her gaze met with her students. Kagome had no difficulties and it showed in her confidence with construction and amount of tuning. Brown looked to the younger. "Rin, if you would please."
Rin gulped and pulled the first pieces out. She told herself not to get nervous in front of her oneesan, although the woman was one to awe. She greatly respected Kikyou-sama and didn't want to screw up in front of her. She practiced all this before, so none of it was new. She even made up a song on her shamisen, though she was too shy and embarrassed to tell anyone. It was a secret known only to her and she would perfect it for practice.
Kikyou-sama only started teaching her half a year ago after she proved herself along the way. Rin didn't know if she had what it took to be such a prestigious entertainer, but she wanted to be a geisha. She loved the beautiful kimono and how they moved when they danced and aspired to do the same.
Kikyou finally nodded when the younger maiko finished. Rin seemed a little sluggish, but most of it was in her eyes; the girl had no problem otherwise. She just needed confidence and that would come with time. Turning to her shamisen, Kikyou moved it closer for easier access. "Very good you two. Watch my face as I assemble mine and see if you can detect anything that shouldn't be there."
The two looked at each other in confusion, but nodded and carefully eyed porcelain skin and dark eyes for anything. Kikyou-sama's face lacked expression, as if she was a doll. They could see from forehead to chin, but no skin creased or eyes change.
Kikyou looked at them when she finished tuning. "Did you find anything?"
The two thought, but shook their heads. "Nothing Kikyou-sama. There was no expression on your face and your eyes didn't widen or narrow."
Kikyou nodded. "That is the correct answer. Rin, when you put your guitar together, your brow furrowed a little in confusion and your lips puckered just a little as you concentrated. Kagome, your posture slips a tiny bit. No one knows they do these things until they have someone tell them. One of the hardest things is to mask emotion and when to show it. You could give someone the wrong idea or offend them by doing something with your face that you don't even know."
Kagome knew she wouldn't be able to do that. One thing that she could never master was the mask Kikyou-sama had. That came from so many years of experience and Kagome planned to worry about that last...unless she was in front of her oneesan.
"Now that you have assembled your shamisen, I want you to repeat these chords as I play them. This will help your ear and memory, since these are standard." Kikyou waited until the pair had everything situated before grabbing the plectra.
The trio practiced for almost half an hour before Kikyou instructed them to take apart their instruments and set everything against the wall. She then pushed two smaller cases forward and waited until they had the lids open. "Next is shakuhachi. None of this is new so you should have no troubles. Situate yourselves in the proper stances; Kagome you are first, Rin you are after."
Kagome checked her legs, spine, and head position to make sure they were correct. If the head was too bent, it could restrict the air pipe, as would too high. Her legs needed to be in a comfortable position underneath her to keep them from being felt if they went numb. It was hard to sit like she was and NOT have your feet get affected, so the best situation was to tolerate it. She grasped the flute and put fingers in ready position over the holes, putting her mouth around and stopping.
She wasn't too much a fan of shakuhachi. It made about the same melody for traditional music, but she didn't like the position as opposed to shamisen. Shamisen allowed for a more bent spine to look at it if need be. Even though she didn't love it, she still had a lot of practice and knew how things should be.
Kikyou nodded. "Raise your left elbow a few centimeters and you will have it. Good. Rin, your turn."
Rin hadn't done too much, though she watched her senpai play on a few occasions. It was hard not to watch Kikyou-sama when she played because the woman seemed a natural at it. She tried to remember the instruction on posture and made to fix her legs. She took care to keep emotion from her face as told.
Kikyou stared in contemplation when brown met brown. Finally, she got up and stood behind the girl and kneeled. "Don't move or you will throw your pose out." She knew her sudden coming over would startle the maiko, but it was necessary to double-check Rin's back. A hand parted the shoulder blade-length mass and pressed a finger at the end of the neck. She ran it to the bottom of the spine since one couldn't see very well a beginner's spine position. "Sit up a little straighter."
Rin did as told, trying not to feel like she was doing everything wrong. She was less experienced with shakuhachi than shamisen and much of her knowledge was mimicking but back posture wasn't easy to get. She tried to pay attention over her nervousness so she would get this right next time.
Kikyou shifted to the side, eyeing the chin angle. She nodded. "Remember this pose - it is how you should always sit." She shifted to her zabuton and quickly got into the needed pose. "I will again play some basic notes and you two will mimic them to test your ear."
Another length of time was spent before Kikyou had them put their instruments away. She instructed one to bring the small table over and set a stack of paper on it. Two wood clasps were slid from cloth holds and the top moved. "Next is calligraphy. I hope the two of you have been practicing in your spare time."
The two looked in appreciation at the extensive set. Three different colored brushes, a brush holder, black ink, red ink, a grinder for the black ink, and a small vial for water. The brush handles were wood and the holders were porcelain with the vial in glass. It sat on a red velvet backdrop with cloth Chinese pattern on the outside. It was very beautiful and must've cost a good sum. From the look of the velvet and stain on the grinder, Kikyou-sama owned this for a number of years.
"For now we will use my brushes. I have written a number of words for you to practice and I will monitor your progress as you create each one. Remember, calligraphy is an ancient art that samurai took as a class for prestige. It is not merely handwriting - it is a talent once you practice long and hard enough."
That was easier said than done. They all knew one could earn a living doing calligraphy, but those people were considered masters in their craft and so many people would never reach that level. It was enough to be even intermediate level and have the basics down.
The two stared at the list, noting that even Kikyou-sama's regular handwriting was good. There were no bad lines or shakiness, even in modern ballpoint pen. Almost every character she put down had to have at least ten strokes or more and the pair mentally groaned. They shouldn't have expected anything less really.
"Though you are not in kimono now, you should hold the brush as if wearing wide sleeves. Never let your arm droop and let anything you wear dip in the ink and smear your writing. Holding the brush right will make the best of the ink in the bristles. Kagome, get into proper posture, but don't dip your brush yet. Rin, you are after."
Whether she was being used as an example, Kagome didn't know because she never felt Rin-chan's attention. She figured because she had seniority, Kikyou-sama always had her go first. She did as told, at ease with calligraphy like shamisen and had hand and arm in the right spot first try. She liked the meditation calligraphy gave. You could tell a lot by just looking at someone's writing instead of what they were saying if you trained yourself to look right.
"Good. When Rin has finished, Kagome, begin the first character. You will follow her Rin and go down each in that pattern until I approve of every one. Wait for my okay after you finish. Make your characters large enough to read, but small enough to put a few on each page. Keep them in order so you have something to look at later."
It took even longer than music due to the length of time the two took to make each character and wait on their senpai to give the okay before beginning on another. The afternoon crept up and Kagome was finally released to get lunch ready for them while Kikyou-sama had Rin-chan put the instruments away.
0-
Kagome was almost done washing the remainder of the lunch dishes, Rin-chan drying, when footsteps sounded in the hallway. They were too loud to be Kikyou-sama's and too fast to be Kaede-obaasan's. Having known that step for years, Kagome greeted the owner with a smile as a head popped in sight. "Okaeri nasai Sango-chan."
"Tadaima." Sango returned, dropping her bag.
"How was class Sango-san?" Rin piped up, daring to enter the conversation between the two good friends.
"Long as usual. Kagome-chan, please tell me there is some of your fabulous cooking in the fridge."
Kagome chuckled and nodded. "I always make sure to have something for you in leftovers Sango-chan. I know you're busy and don't have time to make it yourself."
Sango smiled, but it told of her knowledge and that she wasn't proud of that fact. "What would I do without you Kagome-chan?"
"Kagome, Rin, if you have finished the dishes, we will begin the next set. Sango, please remember to pick your bag from the floor before you leave the kitchen."
"Hai Kikyou-sama." They chorused.
Sango said it with less enthusiasm than the others, giving an openly irritated look into the fridge with her head safely hidden by the door. She didn't care if her younger roommates saw, Kagome-chan especially, but she didn't want issues with her hostess.
Kagome made to clean the sink before leaving while Rin-chan put the rest of the dishes away. "You have work tonight Sango-chan?"
"Yup. Same hours like normal. I'll study when I get home, so let me know when you want to go to bed, ne?"
"Un. Okay, Rin-chan? I'm finished here."
Rin turned and nodded and the pair headed out with a farewell to their friend. They headed into the same room upon instruction and looked at a stack of books. A few had western lettering and the two struggled to read them. The kanji on some others was hard to read sideways, but still discernable and the pair quietly sighed at the next lesson.
Kikyou soon entered and began again, this time with language. "Japan has a lot of tourists and if you are ever to entertain a group of foreigners, you should know a few customs and sayings. Language is taught in school, so some of this should be familiar to you both."
Kagome resisted clenching her jaw. She tried to keep all emotion from her face and let that assumption remain true. She wouldn't be able to recall all of it since she was gone from school for so long, so was thankful the woman taught at the basic level and moved up.
The pair kept their attention straight ahead, but Rin had the same trouble hiding her emotions as her classmate. Let Kikyou-sama think that statement true.
Kagome knew quite a bit of Chinese from school and Kikyou-sama's teachings helped resurface most of it. She was high intermediate level with reading and intermediate with speech. As far as English...she was high beginner in everything. Though Chinese was entirely different from Japanese, she could read a Chinese newspaper and still grasp quite a bit of what was going on.
Rin felt bad for making Kikyou-sama teach on a lower level for her, but it was unmanageable. Her timing from Kagome-san was all off, but that didn't allow her private sessions due to lack of experience. She studied as much as possible in her spare time to catch up and read a lot of English and Chinese language books. She practiced the western alphabet to better her handwriting and was quite proud of how she advanced by herself.
Kikyou-sama would soon teach them Korean as soon as she knew enough of it. Koreans were the largest documented number of tourists, with English next. Chinese weren't that much despite it being close, but a lot of Chinese worked and lived here and if any wanted a party, it was important to know some of the language.
The three worked on that until dinner and the same thing repeated. Kagome cooked and Rin put everything away before going to help prepare with Sango at work. Kikyou let them go with the language for tonight. Tomorrow they would work on a few other things that needed more room.
-.-.-.-
A bath was a glorious thing. Intense heat had the power to relax the tensest of muscles and melt away thought rather easily. Kagome put arms over the top of the furo and leaned her head against the wall, electing a happy sigh.
"Hard day Kagome-chan?"
Kagome hummed a general acknowledgement, not having the power to open her eyes, let alone raise her towel-wrapped head. "Ee. I've still got verbs and sentence structure swarming through my brain. I fear the day I start learning Korean."
Sango smiled and shifted a little in the large tub. It could hold four people if everyone sat with legs against their chest, two quite comfortably on either side of each other...so long as one didn't mind the faucet. "It can't be that bad. I learned some English in upper secondary school after seeing so many signs pop up and it was hard, but I feel so much better being able to read it. And they say once you learn one language, everything else is easy."
"You're right Sango-chan...I'm just too mentally exhausted to accept it right now. I'd rather stick to learning dance and instruments. Those are a lot easier as far as instruction."
Sango grinned and looked out the balcony shoji. The night was mildly warm and the room was high up enough to allow for good privacy, so the pair decided to let some fresh air in with all the steam. She gave a quiet sigh from the relaxing heat and steam and how it washed away the day.
The two soon decided their fingers were wrinkly enough and stood. Being closer to the closet, Sango grabbed a towel for each and they were dried and in a sleeping yukata hanging next to the other shoji. Kagome set the towels in a hamper to be taken care of in the morning. She had laundry to do either today or tomorrow, so she would let it sit overnight for now.
The two got out their futon and Kagome let Sango-chan get under the covers before switching the light off. She yawned and felt her way to the mattress. "I think I'll sleep well tonight."
Sango smiled and turned to her friend. "Me too. It's got to feel later than it actually is. Or I must be more tired than I think."
Kagome pulled covers to her chest and sighed as she started to slip into familiar sleep almost immediately. "Oyasumi Sango-chan."
"Oyasumi Kagome-chan."
-.-.-.-
It was dark and raining. It was coming down with such force that it almost hurt. It was cold and it made the rain sting, even though it didn't hit skin. She cursed herself for not being able to bring an umbrella with. She wouldn't get far in this weather, but the heavens opened up so suddenly, she didn't have a place to find shelter to wait it out.
It was late and almost nothing was open right now. Was it midnight? One? She didn't know...she only knew she was cold and tired and a little hungry. Her bangs kept getting into her eyes and they were too plastered to be wiped away easily.
She had to get out of this weather before it made her sick. She had no means of healing herself if that happened and then she would definitely be a goner. But so many wouldn't allow such a bedraggled girl like herself in, let alone try to find cover under a tree in their yard. She was out of options. She didn't even know where she was stumbling to - she just kept going west in hopes of disappearing in a larger area. If she let them find her, surely there would be hell to pay.
He would be so mad, but she could deal if that ever came about. Truthfully, part of her - the worn out, tired, and dirty part - wanted to be found. She wanted a warm bed, a hot bath, good meal, friends, and family around her. Right now she was alone and in some district she didn't even know the name of. Her shoes and clothes were soaked and it was hard to lift her head with the mane of hair on her back.
She should turn back...she should forget this stubbornness she possessed and go home. But she came so far, what good would all this suffering do if she turned tail due some harsh weather? She wouldn't give in to his demands - this was her life, not his. As much as she loved him, it shocked her so much that he would try to control her like this.
She stumbled over something, not seeing it, but only trying to keep from falling. It could've been a piece of trash, a stray branch, a crack in the street for all she knew. Arms flailed as she tilted to one side, shoulder banging against what felt like concrete. She weakly cried out, not having the energy to keep herself from slumping to the ground.
When her head thumped on the sidewalk, she lost all will to keep moving. She'd been traveling for some time...the day for sure. She ran out of money a while ago and was forced to walk, which was not a good idea since she was by herself and open to attack by perverts. She grabbed what she had for allowance, but that was a few thousand at best.
The rain still fell despite her predicament and her head rose. She stared at the concrete around bangs, knowing she could possibly freeze to death like this, even though it was mid spring. Though she had jeans and a long-sleeve shirt on, they were useless for heat.
Slowly, she picked herself to sitting position and took a look around. No one was on the street in such a downpour, but it was the rainy season after all. No one saw her fall and tried to offer assistance, which was a good and bad thing. She wouldn't mind a little kindness, but answers would only get her shipped to Asakusa(2).
Struggling to her knees, she used a concrete wall as a balance and ambled down the sidewalk. She stopped when the wall stopped, giving way to a bamboo gate. Dull brown looked inside the yard, assessing the area and seeing a porch. There was an overhang where rain wasn't reaching and her eyes widened. She stared at the almost nonexistent yard, pondering whether she wanted to enter someone else's property for cover. A crack of lightening helped her decide and she pushed the gate aside, closing it behind her.
It was quaint little setup. A few stones led to the genkan, which was oddly open right now. Her eyes locked on wood paneling, not allowing herself to think of consequences. She was going on lack of sleep and lack of comfort, a little rest couldn't hurt.
She plopped down on the panel, feeling bad for dripping on their entryway and stared into the blackness. Not even streetlights could pierce much of anything in this gloom.
She had no clue how long she sat there. Somewhere in her fading conscious, voices and laughter beat the rain in her ears and dominated. Someone was in this building, whatever it was, and coming closer.
She tried to stand and found the will even worse than during her fall. It was like the wood sapped everything she relied on. Hands pressed against floor to help boost her up, but her legs were unsteady and she gripped the doors for balance. A quiet noise sounded and she felt something around her fingers. Upon looking to it found her fingers in the center of shoji, puncturing the delicate paper. She mutely grimaced, pulling her hand to safety.
"Who are you? What are you doing out in this weather?"
She panicked and whirled around. Her legs gave out and she fell to the ground with a cry, landing hard on her rear and using her elbows on instinct to stop her fall.
"Hold on a second. The poor thing doesn't look right. See? She looks ill."
"Of course she would. I'd be ill if I was out in this horrible rain too. What is your name? Are you in trouble?"
She tried to make eye contact with the voices, but they were too loud. Her eyes squeezed shut as she made to stand. She swayed, arms extending to balance her.
"Please come inside. It's not good for you to be out here right now."
"Look...ookami, this girl broke your door."
"It is nothing. Please ojou-san, come inside."
She took a step backward, but someone was faster and grasped her arm. "You heard the okami...you should come inside."
"Mr. president, please don't be too harsh with her. It was a mistake. She looks sick after all."
She tried to look up to the one holding her, but the rain wouldn't allow it. She squinted as much as possible, soon giving up. The hold on her arms was tight and warm. It was like a switch threw at feeling strong warmth. Her legs gave out as she felt a wave of dizziness so abrupt, she couldn't fight it. Part of her didn't want to fight it and her body became lax, caught by surprise. The last thing she heard was erupting shouts of surprise and talking all at once.
"Ojou-san!"
"Mr. president, please bring her inside at once and we will get you dried off. Please."
"What in the world could've happened to her?"
"We'll know once she wakes up."
-.-.-.-
Brown eyes shot open, staring at dark, white ceiling. She sat up and looked around, almost panicky. It took a second to realize where she was and after that, her walls crumpled.
Hands covered her face as her eyes burned. She shook a little, huddling to her legs as if for protection against her memories...a past she wanted to forget. It'd been some time since she had dreams like that. Why one came now was confusing, but she sometimes dreamt about home...sometimes when something triggered it.
It seemed so long ago, it seemed like all that chaos happened to someone else. Thinking on it like this after so many years, she always recognized how stupid and foolish she was. The folly of youth was a hard thing to grasp; one never thought they were doing something wrong. She barely did and look where it landed her.
She sat up, unable to sleep anymore. She couldn't take the chance of dreaming something like that again. Wiping her face clean, she snuck a look at her roommate and hope she didn't wake her. Sango-chan needed all the sleep she could get.
With a sigh, Kagome shuffled from the comforter and made for shoji. She quietly slid it open and inhaled cool night weather, resting arms on the balcony. She stared into the bright lights of Tokyo, staring at what she wondered was east.
Looking toward Asakusa.
This was home now. The place she once called home she could not go back to. Not after what she originally did...not after her time in a whorehouse. That's what this place was, no matter what fancy name it was given to soften the truth.
Kagome sighed and looked to the ground. It seemed far below. She leaned down and rested her head on her arms, staring at the city line and tall buildings blocking some of the view. It was a clear night and the moon was almost full, giving light to help see. She remained in that position for a long time, soon sitting and leaning against the wall. Part of her acknowledged the open shoji, and she shifted to close it.
Kagome startled at seeing a pair of eyes in the darkness. It creeped her out until she was aware of who they belonged to. Without expression or word, Kagome finished closing the door and resumed her sitting position to stare at the moon.
Sango mutely sighed when the door stopped and darkness swarmed again. She stared at the door, wondering if Kagome-chan would really stay outside all night. It wasn't good for her health and she didn't want her friend getting sick.
The crying woke her - though she was always a somewhat light sleeper. Sango's first instinct was to go and comfort her friend, but Kagome-chan making direct eye contact with her and still closing the door like that said she wanted to be alone. That she didn't want any help in dealing with this.
This was the enigma part of her friend. This wasn't the first time Kagome-chan woke up and cried in the middle of the night either. She never reached out for comfort or assistance, always handling it by herself. Sango felt so frustrated sometimes because she wanted to help, but didn't want to force herself on someone emotionally unstable like that. She didn't want to be pushed away and isolated for trying to lend a hand...which it was possible for a person to do in time of grief.
She would give it a bit and then go out. She didn't want Kagome-chan sleeping outside. Even for almost May, it wasn't the right temperature to survive outside in only sleeping yukata. She would let her friend deal with whatever demons were plaguing her and then get up. Until then, all she could do was try to remain awake.
I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner, so if these are not 100 correct, please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page and a dictionary to learn from. This spot dedicated to new vocabulary only.
Translations: Okaeri nasai-Welcome home - Tadaima-Here I am/I'm home! - Un-Like hai - Oyasumi-Good night - Okami-Mistress/landlady/hostess/proprietress
Having done much research, this story will be highly Japanese orientated and probably confusing at points. Numbers at the end of sentences will describe the whole sentence, while numbers next to a word will describe only that. If any of these are wrong, please correct me.
1:oneesan geisha: When a geisha takes a maiko (trainer geisha) under her wing, the maiko calls that geisha oneesan. Kaede uses this term back in chapter 3, but she's the elder by birth, so this means she was also a maiko once upon a time. Details on that will follow later.
2:Asakusa: A district in Tokyo that's kind of north east to Shinjuku. It's almost on the opposite side of Tokyo from Shinjuku too.