Deflowered and Disillusioned
Disclaimer: I Do Not own PMK or its characters. Damn.
Chapter 2 Memories
"Eh….thank you then," he smiled even wider, feeling his face turn a light pink.
End-of-Flashback
Heisuke dropped the sake bottle, his eyes widened with surprise. The girl…he remembered. She was just a servant girl the last time he accompanied Mr Yamanami to visit Akesato-san. "You're…Hana right? You served Akesato-san before? " He leaned closer to have a better look, but she abruptly turned her head away, using her long sleeves to cover her face. Heisuke hesitated, unsure what to do next. He slowly reached over and pulled down her hands to reveal that his guess had been correct.
She did not resist the gesture, but her face flushed, refusing to look at him straight in the face. He could feel her trembling, her pale lily-white hands shaking slightly in his big callused ones. He sighed. He flattened both palms and placed it over hers, enveloping them completely from sight.
She looked up in astonishment. "Are you afraid of me? Don't be, I'm not going to hurt you. Why are you…." He trailed off, trying to think of a better way to finish his sentence. Great…however way he was going to ask was just as insulting and degrading. Damn, where were his witty remarks when he needed them?
Hana could feel her heart palpitating wildly, so hard she felt her rib-cage was going to burst from the building pressure. He recognized her! And of all the men in Mibu, why him? This must be some cruel joke, it was a nightmare. And…what was she going to do now? He had asked her a question; it would be most impolite if she did not answer. The problem is, she was distracted by the soothing warmth provided by his hands. He probably thought it was comforting, but really, she was finding it even harder to focus. She cleared her throat, and tried to reply in what she had desperately hoped, in a confident and nonchalant tone.
"Akesato-san left the Shimabara a month ago to attend to some personal matters. As for me, it's a tradition for girls working here who hit the age of 16 to become a full-fledged geisha." She cast a glance at him from the corner of her eye. Was that a spark of pity that she caught? She was not one who needed pity. She gently pried her hands from his and placed them on her lap.
"Toudou-sama, please save your pity for someone else. This is my way of life, and I am content with it, even though it isn't preferred." She bent slightly to reach for the forgotten sake bottle, pouring its remaining contents in two cups. Raising one to her lips, she downed the burning liquid in one gulp. Feeling somewhat liberated, she continued, her voice slurring a little.
"Anyway, my life story isn't nearly as interesting as Toudou-sama. Would you care to have another drink?" She held up the other cup.
He stared at her. He couldn't help it. What a strange turn of events this was turning out to be.
He had it all planned: to get dead-drunk, forget all that was weighing down on his mind to disappear in a well-spent night of passion, then resume life as usual the very next day. What he didn't quite expect was to find a beautiful girl that he vaguely remembered serving him. Despite being young in age, her fiery reply enthralled him. She might not be a woman just yet, but she sure answered like one.
"Nani…" he muttered underneath his breath, and took the cup from her. Great, now he had another problem to add on his list. So what was he supposed to do now? If he decided to go on with the night's plans, he'd feel like a complete bastard for ravaging a girl as innocent and virginal as she was; yet on the other hand, what the hell is he supposed to do? This was the Shimabara, for crying out loud! That was why he was here, not to sit and scrutinize each other till the next morning.
'After all, he came to satisfy his needs, not to play house with an unworthy courtesan,' Hana thought to herself. She was here because she had a job to do. The consequences would be unthinkable if the Mamasan discovered that she had already managed to upset the customer on her first try. Hana gulped, and tried to remember a few of the tips Yumi-san had tried to teach her should such a problem arise.
Flashback
"Hana-chan… remember that men are easily beguiled so long you know that you hold the cards; but you must never overstep your boundaries. Play coy, but definitely not sluttish." Yumi-san began, signaling the start of the lesson.
"There is a reason why we're a world different from the prostitutes you see solicitating in back alleys. Different customers have their different approaches, you will learn in time to discern which types they are." Hana gulp discreetly. She did not really want to think how she was going to learn.
"Boorish men tend to be very crude and straight-forward; therefore there is no need to come up with flowery performances or long speeches. After offering a few cups of sake, if he's ready, then all you have to do is follow suit. But don't just lay there like a dead fish and leave him to do all the work! Men pay to be happy, and if they don't…well, I leave it up to you to think about it."
Hana averted her eyes, suddenly finding the tatami mats she was kneeling on the most interesting thing on the world.
"Then of course, there are the more refined customers, like merchants and samurais. This is the better scenario that most of us could hope for. On top of your payment, the customers might even slip you a nice Goshugi, of which you get to spend by yourself. Imagine the things you can indulge yourself with."
"They usually take more effort to open up; but more often than not, you get rewarded for it. This is where your shamisen and dancing skills come in handy; sometimes, there may even be the occasional request for a song." Yumi-san paused, taking a sip from her teacup. Hana breathed a sigh of relief. She had always been praised for her skills as a shamisen player, and didn't fare badly as a dancer either. Her joy was short-lived though.
"However," the older woman continued, "that isn't enough to entice a customer."
TBC
A/N: Well, been enjoying a pretty long hiatus for this fic, and I'm back. Many Thanks for all who reviewed, especially Yammy who gave me a very detailed timeline and awesome critique to work with. Sorry for this short chapter, I'm so what in a rush, but shall promise to make up with a longer one the next update.
Please forgive me if I get any of the facts or time-lines wrong for I'm pretty new to this anime. Crap…I'm supposed to be studying for my exam now, so til then…