Evening sets in with a miraculous display of stars that glistens against the inkiness of an indigo sky.
She sits by the bed, fully dressed and staring apprehensively out the window. She is not supposed to meet Akihiro until seven, but the agitation of waiting makes her incredibly anxious, so she leaves the room.
Past the bedroom doors and down the walkway, she crosses the spacious hall and assimilates the olden day architecture of the inn's palace-like columns and artistically painted ceilings. The wallpapers depict soft patterns of translucent like swirls, with veneers that are primed and polished to royal standards. Along the halls, the elegant floors are draped in a reddish-golden carpet that shouts wealth a hundred years ago. Today, it is a display of history and heritage.
Fifteen minutes.
She descends a set of stairs, across another long stretch of empty hallway, past an immense stone arch and straight into Tobi.
She did not see him at all.
"Ouch," she fumbles back at the colliding force.
Through his maskless face, Tobi is surveying her intently.
"What are you doing here?" he asks.
His watch briefly skims her entirety. And although fleeting, the deepened gaze indicates his interest.
"Out to dinner," she mumbles.
For some inexplicable reason, she cannot face him.
"Dinner?" He says surprisingly.
"Yes, dinner, and I am late, I need to go," she replies swiftly, and she rushes past him and out the front entrance.
x
Akihiro is already waiting.
He keeps his hands behind his back and surveys the historical splendour of the inn's impressive architecture. But perhaps the scrutiny is to dissipate the escalating level of nervousness?
Scattered amongst the enormous ballroom are dozens of round white tables draped in white and black fabric. Each table boasts an enormous candelabra with decorative flowers as its centrepiece.
Candles of pristine heritage are mounted along the wooden panels of wall. They radiate an aura of elegance that are reinforced by the dim flickering lights of mini fires atop the elaborate wax sticks. There is a strong sense of formality and wealth that has once emanated from this place.
When the room fills to maximum capacity, he finally sees her.
"Akihiro, I'm so sorry I got caught up," Rin says frantically.
"No, it's okay oh wow," he says quickly.
Rin, she is one remarkably beautiful woman. The lilac and grey halter dress she wears is so perfectly attuned to her soft curves, he finds the sight incredibly alluring. And as she walks tentatively in his direction, the dress floats and sways by her calves, as if it is the most natural thing.
To the world, she may appear plain and average, but to Akihiro, he sees through this bland image of an ordinary looking woman.
Her kindness and the generosity she radiates is what beautifies her. The smile she gives is like the delicateness of a butterfly that hovers ever so serenely against the winds. He can stand here and stare at her for an eternity and he still would not be satisfied.
"Shall we?"
He takes her hand, and together they join the crowds.
x
Akihiro makes her comfortable.
Rin has long ago left the queasiness of her anxiety by the room's stairwell. And she is here, revelling in the company of an incredibly attractive man and his two amicable siblings. She smiles bashfully when Naoki compliments her dress, to which Sora nods in agreement and suggests she should go dance to show it off.
"Quit with the pressure," Akihiro sighs.
He throws his siblings an irritable look. But there is still a level of amusement beneath his palpable annoyance. Akihiro is enjoying the conversation, and Rin gets the inkling he is secretly agreeing with Sora.
Their conversation halts with the arrival of a banquet style arrangement. The chatter amongst the crowd is loud and cheerful - Rin cannot help but join in on the infectious mood. She has not felt this light in a long time.
As the night progresses, the tables empty and the guests migrate to the dance floor. Only Rin and Akihiro are left sitting at their table.
Naoki and Sora have conveniently disappeared, and only sometime later, Akihiro leans in with a small grin flickering his handsome features.
"Do you want to dance?"
"Dance?" Rin says. The flood of red surges through, "I don't know how to dance."
Akihiro laughs.
"It's not difficult, I'll teach you," he says, and he stretches out his hand in invitation.
Hesitantly, she follows him to the dance floor where the hundreds of guests are swaying slowly to the sweet, soft music. He guides her hands to his shoulders, and rests his hands on either side of her waist. Ever so slowly, he leads her through the music.
It is easy, once she gets the hang of things, or when she stops herself seconds before stepping on him. But Akihiro finds it incredibly amusing, and he moves in to embrace her with every mistake. She returns the intimacy and allows her thoughts to lose itself in the moment.
The rhythmic feel of their sway syncs their minds as one, as if they can read each other's energy from just touch alone. And she permits this strange energy to channel itself through.
But as Rin turns her gaze, she sees his outline and the swirly mask from the balcony that overlooks the dance floor. Tobi is sitting beside a plump, bald man, apparently immersed in a conversation with him. Despite his obvious disengagement from his surroundings, Rin gets the peculiar feeling he has been watching her.
"Are you okay?" Akihiro asks.
He frowns at her troubled expression.
She softens.
"Yes," she answers quietly.
She moves in closer to him.
"Rin, you are one incredible person. I can never repay you enough for saving my life," Akihiro whispers.
"This is more than enough," she answers lightly.
And Akihiro leans in, so close, their lips are barely inches from each other. He is awaiting her consent, so mindlessly she shuffles closer, until Akihiro covers the distance between their mouths and they are kissing ever so delicately.
Lost in the mesmerising action, her thoughts attune to the wonderful feeling of his intimacy. She lets her hands slide to his chest and her mind preoccupy itself with the sensation of hardened muscles beneath her fingertips.
Akihiro kisses her deeply and passionately, as if the world around has lost contact with reality and it is now only the two of them moving gracefully to the sound of gentle music.
But despite the heated fervour, Rin cannot dismiss the sensation of detachment and disconnect. As if she is trying to engage with Akihiro but there is an emotional inertia that is blocking her. Or rather, she is blocking him.
When they pull apart, Akihiro grins tentatively at her.
On the balcony, Tobi has disappeared.
"Rin, you told me earlier about your travels and how you would like to see the east side of this country. We are heading there, and you are more than welcome to join us," Akihiro says.
At his comment, uncertainty inundates.
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I just thought if you would like, and the offer is there if you ever feel like you want to. I know you have your teammates, but I find it odd how they are not around you," he adds briskly.
She bites her lip.
"I don't know."
The music breaks and the guests disperse to their inn rooms.
Akihiro observes her for several seconds, as if determining whether his comment offended her.
"That's okay. The night is still early, do you want to go for a walk somewhere?"
His tone is suddenly awkward and Rin gets a sudden jolt of guilt for his discomfort.
"Yes," she answers.
She takes his hand and squeezes it in reassurance. She did not mean to be dismissive of his offer. It seems Akihiro is reading her thoughts, because his features relax and he gives her another smile that forces her to turn away in diffidence.
"Great! I'll let Naoki and Sora know, wait for me at the front entrance okay?"
He kisses her forehead and disappears amongst the mass of moving crowds.