Revelry and Fealty
By Saltwater Romance
Chapter Ten
Koko was so earnest that I had to command myself to not laugh straight in his face about his imagined relationship between Natsume and I—I mean I saved the guy's life and that's all there was to it. For exchange in saving him, he gave me a source of income and a roof over my head. That definitely doesn't mean that he liked me nor disliked me—he just tolerated my presence. But it's obvious that Koko didn't feel the same—always calling me "Natsume's favorite" or whatever. Despite my irritated thoughts, I found myself calming when his warm eyes held my gaze. I swallowed, sternly reminding myself to be nice. Gently nudging me, "Before I do, can you tell me why you defended Kazutaka so fervently?"
Um. I thought we were going to discuss your lover, Natsume, and me, Koko! Impatient to hear his answer, I grumbled, "Because… He's a friend."
"Would you have stepped in if it was a total stranger?"
I bit my lip.
Would I?
I thought back to seeing Kazutaka's crumpled figure being kicked and stomped on. I remembered his muffled cries as a dozen or so soldiers beat on him, "Without a doubt."
If you were going to fight, you should do it honorably. And that's coming from a girl who's not afraid to bring a knife into a fist fight. It's a whole nother story for a group of people in the double digits to whale on one single guy.
"Why?" his eyes confidently held mine as if he knew a secret that I didn't.
"To help even out the odds," I shrugged, "Besides, I'm pretty sure good guys don't fight in packs attacking one small person."
"And do you feel the same as them?"
"What do you mean?"
"How do you feel about the class system? Do you think that lower class citizens threaten the state of Japan?"
"That's why they were attacking poor Kazutaka?!" I exclaimed, shocked. I knew of bullies, but that was insane! The only thing that provoked that group of soldiers was because Kazutaka was poor?!
Koko nodded.
"Oh heck no," my eyes glittered with rage, "Being rich, poor, noble, commoner, or whatever doesn't mean shit! At the end of the day, we're all the same—we're all just human and making the best of the lot we're given. Look, if you're evil, you're evil. That's it! There's no predetermining feature of your goodness; just your heart!"
I thumped my chest to prove my point.
And they dare attack Kazutaka?
Then my eyes narrowed, "And you forgave that lot just like that? You know they're in the wrong!"
Koko sighed and rubbed his temples, "Look, Sumire. They're all very excellent soldiers. Especially in times like this, we need all the help we can ge—"
"So that's it?" I crossed my arms, "They get to walk away scotch free? How do you know they're not going to pick on another person like Kazutaka? God forbid, what if they attack an innocent child next just for being poor?!"
"Sumire!" his eyes glittered with his own anger, "Enough! They are soldiers under our command. If they have not learned their lesson, it will be much worse the next time around. Natsume, Youichi, Kitsu, Mochu, Yuu, and I do not tolerate soldiers who don't abide by our ideology. We give only one chance at redemption. One. Afterwards…"
He had trailed off, but his eyes spoke of a dark promise. I gulped.
He finished his thoughts solemnly, "It's in their pledge they took when they promised their fealty to Lord Natsume. One warning is enough, I assure you."
Trying to change the subject from beheadings, I swallowed, "And what is Natsume's ideology?"
The darkness that marred his usual kind expression finally lifted. As if we didn't have this whole gloomy discussion, he gave me a teasing smile—startling me in its sudden appearance, "That's what I was trying to say. Natsume likes you so much because you are one and the same."
"What?" I gasped, horrified.
Excitedly, he continued, "At first, I noticed that your souls are cut from the same brave cloth. There are not many men—much less a woman!—whose souls mirror Natsume's, but yours reflect his perfectly."
"What?!"
He just kept going on, not noticing—or not caring—that I was in the middle of having a heart attack, "You saved him from a burning temple. You saved him from a poisoned needle. You stupidly jumped in a dangerous situation to defend a helpless man on the street—"
"It wasn't stupid!" I protested.
"I can still remember how fiercely you glared at me even as I held the point of a sword to your neck," his face reddened, "I'm so sorry about that, by the way."
"Water under the bridge," I waved my hand.
"Look, when it comes to bravery, Natsume is incomparable," Koko fixed his eyes on me, "Until you."
"Uhhh… Huhhh…" I took one slow step backwards, pretty sure that Koko has finally snapped.
"And now I know why," he gave me an excited crooked grin, "It's because you two share a lot of the same ideals!"
I couldn't stifle back the unlady-like snort.
I knew whatever explanation he gave would be gold.
"I, uh," I fought back the urge to laugh, "I think I might have missed the part where I stated my intention to conquer all of Japan."
"No," he shook his head vehemently, "I was talking about your views of equality. I had a suspicion that they were aligned, but our past discussion just confirmed it. He would've acted just like you when seeing Kazutaka; I guarantee it."
Well, I mean… I suppose... I guess that my currently ideologies were most likely based on Natsume's policies thinking back on it. I grew up studying him as the first Japanese unifier. His laws right now directly affected the laws of Japan 500 years in the future. Maybe he influenced my thinking more than I knew.
"If I'm starting to sound like Natsume, maybe I need to choose my words more carefully," I exclaimed with a tinkering laugh. Seriously if I titled the essay on my history final, "How I'm like Natsume Hyuuga," my teacher would've failed me for life. I would've been banished from campus! Laughed out of the country!
"Natsume acts so high and might, err, is high and mighty. I just don't see him defending the man on the street," I doubted Koko's words.
"Then you don't know him very well. He has a vision of a good future for everyone. And a plan."
"A plan?"
"Uniting the country will quell the wars, but that's only the beginning. Lord Natsume wants a world where no one's restricted in what they do by the circumstances of their birth."
"Throw out the class system and make everyone equal? Well, I'm down."
100% absolutely down with that. I suppose without Natsume paving the way, there wouldn't have been a way for me to claw my way from living on ramen packages to getting a job with Giorgio Armani. I probably would've been in Kazutaka's position if we were going to be honest. Class and caste systems sucked.
Koko murmured something vague, his eyes far away, as though gazing into a possible future. But they were narrowed, as if that future he admired so much was one he might not see. Still, I saw in him the conviction of a dreamer, an idealist, one with the strength to see it through, "All I want is to help Lord Natsume create that world. I'd do anything for it. If it took grinding me into powder to do it, I'd hand him the millstone."
Koko and Natsume are trying to change their world into one more like mine. They're fighting politics, war, tradition—and yet Koko doesn't seem to doubt that it's possible…
And he was right. Because while he didn't know it, I did—I was talking to the man who'd unified Japan. One of the people who'd made my peaceful life in the present possible. If anything, I couldn't help but feel a little awestruck, genuinely moved for the first time about meeting Kokoro Yome. Over the course of the past weeks, he became Koko, a nagging Mother Hen who just wanted the best for everyone… But now he reminded me that he was Kokoro Yome, the man who took control of unifying Japan after Natsume's murder.
He finally broke from his reverie.
"As terrified as I was," Koko glanced over at me with a frown, but you could tell he was fighting his lips from twitching upwards, "I thought it was great that you rushed to protect Kazutaka. But don't you ever do something so reckless again."
"I refuse to stand by and let others be bullied."
His lips stopped twitching, "Sumire…"
"I don't know why you're singling me out," I fumed, "A lot of people feel the same way."
"Oh sure," his eyebrow quirked up, "Because I saw all of those onlookers fighting each other to see who could step in and help you guys."
Oh.
I blinked.
Oh, yeah.
I guess class systems were still deeply ingrained in society even though Natsume fought against it.
Trying to backtrack, I shrugged as nonchalantly as I could, "Well, Kazutaka had been a good friend to me. And he's taught me a lot. I respect him. Where he comes from doesn't matter to me. And it shouldn't matter to anyone. There's so many better things you can share with people. That's what I think."
Koko had gone quiet, and I realized I had gotten pretty impassioned even as I strove for casualness.
Whoops. Kind of got on a soapbox there. Hope I didn't make things too awkward.
"… Thanks."
I arched my eyebrow.
He clarified, "If that was me back there, I just know I'd want to say thanks. That's all."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
For a moment, Koko looked like he wanted to say more. There's that expression again. He looked this way when he apologized to Kazutaka. I wonder what's on his mind? The moment passed. Koko changed the subject to lighter matters and we walked on.
The golds of sunset dyed the skyline by the time we reached the gates.
"Thanks for carrying my things."
"My favorite word," Koko gave me a crooked grin as he teasingly placed his hands—and my purchases—against his heart, "That's my girl."
He then gave me one of his patented affectionate head pats.
Is it me? How can such a platonic act affect me so much? I felt a blush creeping up my neck. I could feel the sweetness permeating from his palm. I stared, studying his face not so inconspicuously. I admired his hard jaw, his chiseled cheekbones, his strong and proud nose, and finally… Those eyes. They mesmerized me because the sunset enhanced the warmne—
"What's that smile for?" his own was shy as he asked. Well, that's a first.
"Oh, you know, I was just thinking of color combinations."
I groaned inwardly. How much weirder can you get, Sumire? Daydreaming of Koko in various hues of sunset… Waking up to see his disheveled head in the morning lights of dawn… Snap out of it!
"For the bridle you're going to make him? You've quite obviously got him tamed," Mochiage snuck up from behind us.
I jumped. Where did he come from? I couldn't hold back a surprised gasp, "Mochia—"
He was sauntering up the path behind us. He was followed closely by another man, one dressed in the robes of a Buddhist monk. Last any of us heard, Mochiage was on vacation. Now he was back and he found religion? S-u-s-p-i-c-i-o-u-s.
"I see your manners didn't improve while you were away," Koko clucked his tongue, obviously not too thrilled to see Mochiage back.
Mochiage's eye shifted from Koko to me, and he smiled like a predator, "Is it poor manners to speak the truth? Then why are you always insisting I do so?"
Whatever you're insinuating about me and Koko, you can keep it to your creepy self.
"Enough with the innuendo. Sumire's family to me; carrying her things is my way of apologizing for how I treated her."
I tried not to wince at that. But it stung; here I was, fantasizing about what it would be like waking up next to him, and he was just thinking of me as a baby sister. I shuddered. Ew. Incesty. Quick! I had to get my mind out of the gutter!
"Family?" Mochiage tilted his head—an innocent gesture—but his smirk was positively carnivorous, "Ah. I see. You're the mother and she's the child."
I don't think my heart could take any more of these familial comparisons, but I couldn't help but mutter under my breath, "But aren't we all like his kids?"
You know, because he was our Mother Hen? Ha ha? Anyone?
"Your rude joke aside," Koko, who probably didn't hear my comment, "Mochu, I need to know—"
Koko took a threatening step forward. His intense eyes crashed against that implacable jester smile, "Where have you been all this time?"
"Well, if you must know—" Mochiage responded airily, "I returned to Tanba. It's not right to spend so much time away from home, don't you agree? While on my restful leave, I made a traveling companion of this man of virtue. After learning so much wisdom from him, I had to bring him back with me and introduce him to Lord Natsume."
"I'm humbled by his words," the dour faced monk's expression morphed into a polite smile.
But… I have to say… "Man of virtue" is a questionable praise coming from Mochiage.
"Knowing you, I can trust about half the story," Koko's eyes narrowed, "And what? You're just brazenly walking back in while you're still under suspicion?"
There had been no new evidence to link Mochiage to the poisoned needle incident... Or to clear him.
Koko looked as if the anger he'd held in that day came out of statis, perfectly preserved.
"Why, Koko, are you worried about me?" Mochiage's eyes were cold, "That's so touching. I'm just shivering with emotion."
"That mock smile of yours gives me the shivers."
"Mochiage, perhaps I should go? I feel like my presence is causing discord," the monk spoke up after a long period of silence.
"Not at all, Master Shichiri. This is due to my own boorish behavior. Allow me to escort you to the inn."
"Thank you. I appreciate it," Shichiri, as Mochiage had called him, wore a congenial smile.
"I must be going now," Mochiage addressed us both before turning to hold my gaze, "Sumire? You have a very trustworthy brother. Take advantage of that and see that he guards you well."
"First of all," I scoffed, "I don't take advantage of people. And second of all, I can guard myself. Thank you for your concern."
The last bit dripped with sarcasm.
"You won't need to," Koko frowned at me, "I'll always look after you."
...
Why did that feel so good to hear? It felt like a balm to my bruised heart, and just for a moment, I could pretend that this strong, handsome man cared about me… As a woman.
"From Mother Hen to Brother Hen. And just look at how well you two get along," Mochiage smiled at us insincerely, "Well, I must be off. Farewell."
"Mochu, I'm not done with you ye—"
"Oh, but I'm done with you," with that cool retort, Mochiage left. Koko followed him with his eyes as the pair headed back into town.
"Why can't I pin his intentions down?" Koko growled in frustration, "It's like he doesn't even care about clearing his name."
"That certainly appears to be the case," I quipped dryly.
"Mochu always does this," Koko shook his head in disgust, "You can never tell what he's thinking behind that smirk. One day soon, he's going to have to make his allegiance clear."
And which side do you want him to be on, Koko?
He then turned toward the castle and started walking again. Though he didn't look back, the tension in his steps told me Mochiage still troubled his thoughts.
The next morning, I was on my way to meet Sodoko for tea in town when I spotted someone by the castle gates. That's the monk Mochiage brought back with him, Shichiri. And is he snooping around… Or is Mochiage's sneakiness just making me paranoid? Whatever his intent, the monk was looking at the castle walls with curiosity.
Maybe… Too much curiosity.
Mochiage did say he was a man of virtue. Plus, he was a monk… But… Then again, Natsume was attacked in a temple. The castle is under my care, and it's my duty to discern if he was a friend or foe—because if Mochiage was the one who brought him here, that didn't necessarily guarantee innocent intentions. I steeled my nerves to approach him—because all of my instincts were telling me to run far far away.
As I approached, he turned to me.
"Hello there, Shichiri, was it?"
"Yes it is. I remember you from yesterday, Sumire."
"Funny. I don't remember introducing myself," I narrowed my eyes, my suspicion kicking in high gear.
"I've heard your name around," he waved his hand to dismiss my concern, "After all, you are Natsume Hyuuga's favorite."
The way he emphasized favorite made me fight back a shudder. Show no fear, Sumire.
Offhandedly with a casualness I didn't feel, "We shared a handful of candy. That's it. Now, I wondered if you—"
"I see," Shichiri nodded, "But I must say… If Natsume Hyuuga did that, then you two must truly have a close relationship."
… That's weird.
I could feel my eyes narrowing even more until I could feel them being practically slits. Each time Shichiri said Natsume's name, he paused, as if the name was bitter on his tongue. He'd always intoned his whole name too. Like an incantation. He sounded fixated.
"You know, I'd like to hear more of your entertaining stories about Natsume Hyuuga," Shichiri extended a palm to me, "Would you care to join me? I have room at the inn."
"Sorry," I managed to squeak out before I cleared my throat, "But I've got plans with a friend. Maybe another time."
I tried to brush past him, but he grabbed me by the wrist. Hard.
"Wait."
Alarm bells were ringing, my niceties dropping, and I hissed, "Take your hand off me."
"Be good and listen to what I tell you," his face darkened with an expression I've never seen on a monk, "Or you'll suffer the wrath of Buddha."
The 'wrath of Buddha?'
I scoffed.
Who did he thinking he was talking to? I practically lived in a temple every weekend during my youth! I watched multiple videos and interpretations of the origin of the Gautama Buddha with my family. I knew the heart sutra like the back of my hand—in Sanskrit! I was raised on the stories of being sent to the hell plane if I left even a grain of rice uneaten on my plate.
And this man was trying to terrify me with 'the wrath of Buddha?'
Seems like someone here was a phony Buddhist… And it wasn't me.
As tempted as I was to express my thoughts aloud, now didn't seem like the time. Shichiri still had that congenial smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. They were sharp and steely. My sole focus now was on getting away from this wolf in monk's robes—
With my free hand, I was reaching into the secret pocket of my kimono.
My pepper spray was getting more use in the past two days than the last three years that I carried it!
"Master Shichiri, may I ask what you're doing?" a rumbling voice called out from behind us.
Saved!
… By the person I least expected.
"Mochiage—"
Well, I'll take it! Thanks, another wolf in sheep's clothing!
Shichiri's grip loosened enough for me to yank my arm away. Without thinking, I dashed behind Mochiage.
"Sumire, are you hiding behind me?" his tone was amused.
I'm sure he was because we both knew that neither of the men here were safe options. Was it a bad idea to trust a snake to protect me from a scorpion? Yes, but right now, I'll take the suspicious guy that I did know. Not wanting to look like a total coward, I stepped out to stand beside him, "Of course not."
Scoffing, Mochiage turned his attention back to Shichiri, "And what business do you have with Sumire today?"
"… Nothing that's overly pressing."
"True," Mochiage nodded his head in understanding, "I imagine there's little an unworldly waif like her could say to illuminate a man of your learning. But I was just looking for you, Master Shichiri. I planned to offer you a tour of Azuchi."
"I would be very interested," Shichiri bowed his head slightly.
"Then let's be on our way. I want you to learn everything you can about our proud team."
"I'm eager to hear what you have to say."
"I'll meet you outside the gates. If you'll permit me, I have a tiny bit of business in the castle first."
Shichiri nodded and began walking. His eyes on the monk, Mochiage leaned his head toward me, "It's the second day in a row I get to see that delightfully daft expression on your face. How fortunate for me."
Rolling my eyes, "Ha. Ha. Keep that charm up, Mochiage, and with two black eyes, you won't be seeing anything tomorrow."
"Clever," he chucked me on the chin, a condescending move.
Narrowing my eyes at him, "Mochiage, who is that man and where did you find him?"
Because he most definitely was not a monk. Or at least, not a real monk that abided by the teachings of Buddha.
"I cannot think of any particular reason to divulge that information to you."
Maybe to clear your name? To prove your loyalty to Natsume? Oh! Most importantly, to keep your head on your shoulders? Aren't those reasons? Am I the only one in this Godforsaken time period that's afraid of beheadings? Because it's starting to seem that way!
"Arm yourself, Sumire," Mochiage fixed me with a sudden deadly serious expression, "With words, if not a weapon. Your older brother won't always be there to protect you."
"You mean… Koko?"
I had to ask, you know, out of habit because—even though it wasn't known to those in this time period—I did have a blood older brother. We're not exceptionally close though. Especially after the debacle with his crush on Hotaru and all.
"Unless you're thinking of starting a collection, yes," then Mochiage's voice broke into a teasing tone that I would have never ever thought possible, "A little bird spoke to me about you two last night. It seems like Koko is protective of this wee waif of a woman. So much so that he snaps at anyone who dares to try and feed her sweets."
"I'm pretty positive Kitsuneme is everything, but a 'little bird,'" I snorted.
"It wasn't just him," Mochiage replied smoothly, "Youichi and Yuu spoke similarly of you two as well. Koko adores you. If you've got a trick for it, I'd love to hear. Divvy."
"It's really easy," I arched an eyebrow, "The first step is being honest."
"Keep sharpening that tongue," Mochiage hummed in approval, which was disconcerting in itself, before addressing me seriously, "It will serve you well. Now, a warning: stay away from Shichiri."
"Why?"
And you didn't need to tell me twice!
"You don't need to know. And tell no one I warned you," he glared at me, "You see, I'm not so bad with a needle and thread myself."
With a cold smile, Mochiage drew a finger over his lips, "Open that pretty mouth to anyone about what I told you here, and I'll sew it shut."
I did my best not to react.
But God, did that man how to threaten someone!
And I knew he had the follow through to make good on that threat!
"Now go," he dismissed me with a shooing motion of his hand.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
I don't take orders from him.
But nonetheless, I turned and made my way to meet up with Sodoko.
Before I totally turned around, I saw Mochiage going in the direction that Shichiri had went.
So his "tiny bit of business in the castle" was just to warn me?
I slowed my pace to allow for a wide berth from Mochiage and Shichiri; I definitely did not want to run into them accidentally. I rubbed my wrist absently where a slight bruise was developing from where Shichiri had grabbed me. Mochiage—Japan's poster boy for betrayal—had rescued me, so is he not as bad as the history books had claimed?
I didn't have much time to ponder that because I just came face to face with Sodoko's smile as she introduced me to more of the girls of Azuchi.
After tea, I decided to visit Koko's manor because I still hadn't managed to calm the anxiety that I felt after meeting with Shichiri and Mochiage.
"Hello, is Koko here?"
"Welcome, Lady Sumire. He should be; I'll convey your arrival."
Thanking his maid, I waited at the entrance.
I wondered what I would say if Koko questioned the reason of my being at his residence. I couldn't tell him about my afternoon—Mochiage would most definitely sew my lips shut. I was sure of that. And I couldn't tell him that I just wanted to see him… That I wanted to see that sunny smile, knowing that it'll banish all my fears and make the world seem right. I laughed to myself, wondering how I allowed myself to pine after a guy who only saw me as a kid sister, when someone finally came to see me.
"Good afternoon, Sumire."
