Once Hiroshi had returned to the market, he soon found his father with a confused and yet angry expression about his face. Being the sort of pride driven man his father was, he didn't speak to him until they returned on their way home.
"Carry this please Hiroshi."
Hiroshi put his arm out to carry some fishing rods and bamboo branches. As soon as he hoisted the objects upon his shoulder his father began to speak again.
"What was the reason you ran after that young woman today Hiroshi?" He questioned raising an eyebrow. It never occurred to Hiroshi that by chasing down a thief, it might've been classified as being wrong.
" Uhh…um, I was trying to get back the loaf of bread she put in her bag," He answered hoping it was the right one. ", She was a thief wasn't she?"
Father shook his head and was silent for a minute or two. He stopped walking and gestured to Hiroshi to sit down on a rock next to him.
"Your mother and I," he began ", we know that young woman, and her family. You see we owe them a great deal of money. Why… I cannot say. That information is not for you to know. Although you did the right thing if it had been a thief, but their family can take anything from our stall for free, that way we can pay off our debt easier."
Hiroshi didn't say a word but instead picked up the bamboo branches, fishing rods and hoisted them onto his shoulder again. He then followed his father home feeling quite embarrassed. He felt so stupid for shouting that girls name out and chasing her down. He realized that it might've not just been the bread he was chasing her for; maybe it was because he knew it was her and wanted to find out for sure. The girl did match that of his dreams but the way she reacted, it might not be her at all. With that thought he felt emptiness inside, like he had just been excited for nothing.
There was only one way to put his mind at rest. He had to retrace his steps and find her again.
The sun was hovering over the horizon not yet ready to set and the clouds were fluffy and sharply detailed now that the rain clouds had passed. The sunlight it all gave off bathed Hiroshi' face in an orange fuchsia colour. His mother was now downstairs painting and his father out fishing for the market next week. This was time when neither parents would bother him until the morning, so he decided that he would go and find this mysterious girl. He snuck out through the window and made his way down to the market grounds.
All the stalls were packed up and had gone home making it look so different and bare compared to the busy, crowded marketplace he knew. The road forked where the grounds ended but he remembered she had taken a sharp left into the bushes. So he ran blindly through the trees not recognizing a single path. Finally a fallen mossy log was in sight; he ducked under it like before and found disturbed dirt and leaves where he had tackled the girl earlier. The girl walked straight forward from there so that's what he did. He walked for what seemed like forever but he could still see her face in his mind. She was a peasant but the most unique person he had ever seen. Finally he arrived at what seemed like a small property amongst a lush garden consisting of a large pond crowded with mossy rocks. A large tree hung over the pond and underneath it was what looked like a small figure of a person concealed behind its leafy, full branches. He couldn't quite make it out from here so he crept a little closer. A musical instrument was now audible and sounded as if it was a lute like the one his mother played. She played it so well. He crept even closer and stepped on a wobbling rock, it made a noise and suddenly she stopped. She placed the lute down next to her and started to stroke her hair. It was long, soft and flowed in the wind like a waterfall. On one side it was restrained by a hair slide with a large lily. The sunlight made her hair look angelic, so auburn and straight. Her red kimono fanned out around her as she was kneeling down. He wanted to reach out and say something to her, make his presence known. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. She smelt even better than the garden of flowers, vanilla, and a slight musk. She wasn't a peasant, but merely an angel. Still none of this provided an answer to who she was.
"Have you seen enough?" The young girl questioned. Her back was still turned to him and she had stopped playing with her hair. Yet again he was stuck for words and panicked.
"Uhh…err…um, I-Uhh," He rambled, she then giggled a little and turned her face to his. "Umm…hello, I am Hiroshi." Not the most charming of introductions. She stopped giggling and straightened her face.
"I know. You are Takki's son am I right?"
Hiroshi nodded and blushed a little.
"Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. I was only-" He started.
"Shhh," She interrupted, and then she gestured to her home where several family members were kneeling around a low table drinking what looked like tea. ", I am not meant to be seen by any common people. You shouldn't be looking at me right now, but I am happy to make an exception for you."
Hiroshi bit his lip trying to conceal a smile. He now had a fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach. Maybe it was the thrill of being caught or because this girl had taken an obvious interest in him. He had only ever felt this way once; when he turned seven years old on the morning of his birthday when he opened his first present to see a fishing rod just like his fathers. But this feeling was slightly different. He was now ten years older and it had more meaning, it just made him want to shout her name to the world. Her name…what was her name?
"Excuse me for asking but, what is your name?"
She looked at him so sweetly and simply pulled the hair slide from the side of her head and placed it in his hand. It was surprisingly heavy and felt like it was made of glass. She effortlessly winked, stood up and walked inside her home. He could've just died right there and then he was in total bliss. He couldn't help but let go of a smile so big it made his face hurt. He slid the hairpin into his pocket and took off back to his house, crept through the window and slipped into bed with the smell of her perfume still lingering around him then fell asleep