(Author's note: forgot to mention this, but that little purple mark Megumi was covering up in the last chapter is a sign of HIV/AIDS a.k.a. an STD. She may have never been with anyone, but there are other ways of passing it.)
Matters of the Heart pt. 5 The Morning After
As Megumi continued watching, the sliding slid open again. She turned. The other geisha girls stood just outside grinning.
"Ah!" they screamed rushing in and suddenly hugging her. "Megumi got her cherry popped!"
She blushed. A boy about eleven years old turned to them wide eyed almost dropping the tray of sake he held.
"It popped!" he cried naively.
The girls giggled.
"You'll understand when you're older," one girl grinned.
"Aw," he replied. "It's always when I'm older."
The girls continued giggling.
Okita stretched a large smile on his face. Saizou came sniffing around from a corner. Smiling, Okita picked him up.
"Good morning, Saizou!" he cried hugging his pig.
He glared. The pig sniffed letting out a disgusted squeal.
"Now, now," Okita began. "Be nice! It's such a lovely morning."
He let out another disgusted squeal. Okita gave him a look.
"Now, now," he said again sternly as he could. "You'd do it with a female pig. So why can't I do it with a human female?"
Saizou's head turned to the bathhouse and back to his master still glaring. Okita sighed.
"All right," he sighed. "I'll go get a bath."
Saizou nodded as Okita set him down and started walking off.
"Ah, Okita!" Kondo cried grinning making him look up. "Have fun in Shimabara? Heard it was your first."
"Oh yes," he replied blushing lightly letting out a nervous chuckle.
Kondo laughed heartily.
"Well be careful," he said smiling. "My old friend, Matsumoto, says that there's a new disease going around down there. It's killed a lot of the girls."
"Hai," Okita nodded and continued on to the bathhouse.
Then, he let out a hard cough feeling something slick coating his palm after climbing up his throat. He pulled his hand away sighing at the sight of his crimson stained phlegm and continued walking.
"Ugh.. My head.." complained Nagakura massaging his hung-over head.
"Mine too," Todou agreed.
"And mine.." Harada whined.
"Hey.." Nagakura began. "Maybe Megumi has something for this."
He grinned. And I'll get to see that pretty little doctor of ours for almost no reason! He thought grinning wider.
"Yea," Todou began. "Maybe she does."
"Let's go!" Harada cried suddenly wincing at the volume of his voice. "Ugh.."
Nagakura and the others sprinted off eagerly to Megumi's office. He slammed the sliding door open grinning widely.
"Megu–" he began looking around the empty room. "Huh.. She's not here. Wonder where she is?"
"Who knows," Todou replied.
Harada nodded.
In Shimabara, as Megumi sat soaking in the warm bath, she let out a quiet cough.
Matters of the Heart Side Story 2: Natsu no E (Picture of Summer)
The Day of the Race:
The stranger followed her to the cafeteria. He sat down tiredly as she scrambled setting up a place setting and warming food. As she set the first course down on his table, he grinned and started eating hungrily. Ayumu watched smiling.
"So where do you come from?" she asked kneeling across from him smiling.
At the sound of a charming southern accent, the stranger looked up and swallowed the last bit of a large clump of food down his throat.
"Oh nowhere really," he replied smiling at her. "I just usually wander around. But I might stop my wandering if a pretty little thing like you might go out with me sometime. Gotta name?"
Handsome dark blue eyes stared deep into her brown ones. A light blush rose on her cheeks. She giggled.
"Yamazaki Ayumu," she smiled. "You?"
"Seishin. I know a nice little tempura place on the other side of town," he offered. "It's run by an old couple that's friends of mine."
"Hm.." she began thinking. "Well.. I guess so. I don't see why not."
"Good!" he grinned. "I'll pick you up tomorrow night!"
She giggled nodding and ran off to find more food.
The next day's warm summer night flurried with early scattering cherry blossoms. Ayumu stepped out of her room. An orange and gold yukata adorned her lithe body wrapped with a royal blue obi of gentle rolling waves. Small hair ornaments were entwined in her hair. In a black obi, Seishin walked up adorned in a black kimono trimmed in white. She smiled.
"You look beautiful!" he exclaimed grinning.
She blushed.
"Why thank you," she replied reaching up and checking an ornament in her hair.
The sleeve of her kimono slowly slid down revealing the pale creamy skin of her forearm. His grin turned to an even larger one that threatened to split his face in half. (Author's note: during this time showing someone your inner forearm is equivalent of 'showing a bit of leg'... shocking how times have changed isn't it?) He offered his hand to her. Ayumu walked to him placing her hand in his.
"It's quite a walk, considering it's all the way on the other side of town," he said smiling. "I could carry you."
Ayumu giggled. A smile lit up her face.
"Iie," she replied. "It's ok. I can walk."
He nodded as they started making their way across town.
Paper lanterns shined dimly outside a small and quaint building advertising the delicious foods inside. Seishin led her inside and sat her down at the closest table. Eagerly, she followed.
"May I take your order?" a small old woman walked up smiling.
"Ah.. Vegetable tempura onegai," she replied her smile growing.
"I'll have the same," Seishin added.
The small old woman nodded and started off for the kitchen. The smell of frying tempura filled the small, empty restaurant. Seishin and Ayumu's quiet conversation filled the air making the shop come alive with the hiss and crackle of the oil.
Looking up, they smiled as the small old woman place two plates of steaming tempura before them.
"It looks good," she said.
"I know," he replied. "It's the best in my book. Now eat.. Or it will get cold."
She picked up her chopsticks and placed a small piece in her mouth.
"Oishii!" she cried as Seishin chuckled.
Ayumu smiled as she and Seishin continued eating.