Six months ago…
Kotoha's good friend, Ryunosuke Ikenami came to Kyoto along with his kabuki company to perform a show. Kotoha was looking forward to seeing him since the time they last saw each other, months ago. Mitsuba insisted on going to the show, and Kotoha thought seeing the show would be great for her.
The show was Yotsuya Kaidan, in which Ryunosuke would be playing Oiwa, a beautiful wife scorned through a horrible scheme, disfigured by poison, and who dies upon the shock of seeing her own face, and then would seek vengeance as a ghost.
Kotoha remembered when Ryunosuke pretended to be a bride, saying that he was training to act in female kabuki roles, but he still had a lot to learn. Hopefully, he did as he said.
Kotoha escorted her sister in her wheelchair to the theatre, looking forward to this traditional ghost story, and the chance to see her good friend.
Mitsuba hadn't been in public in a long time, her face brightened, seeing the theatre goers, and they were happy to see her too. They crowded around Mitsuba.
"Hanaroi-san, you look ravishing."
"I'm happy to see you out."
"Do you need any help getting to your seat?"
"I bet you're longing for a home-cooked meal. Why don't you come over to our house?"
"Mitsuba, remember me, from elementary school?"
The villagers hadn't seen Mitsuba in a long time. She smiled at Kotoha, signaling she was okay.
"Kotoha-chan? What was the big city like?" asked a little girl.
"It was… lovely…"
Kotoha's gaze fell upon not the girl, or her sister, but a tall, but familiar figure reading a program, and leaning against a chair. Although it didn't look as if he was reading the program in its entirety, but taking intervals to look up to see if someone was there, but doing so not to attract attention.
Their eyes met.
"Taker—Tono-sama."
Takeru looked up, startled, but not the scared kind of startled, the pleasant kind.
Kotoha ran down to Takeru, with her head down.
"Tono-sama, I am, um, happy to see you."
Takeru nodded.
"What are you doing in Kyoto?"
"I'm, uh, seeing Ryunosuke's show," he said, shakily.
"Me too," Kotoha said equally as awkwardly.
"Would you uh, would you like to take a seat?"
Tono-sama asking me to sit with him?
"Uh… I need to make sure neesan is okay first, I'll be right back."
Kotoha ran back to her sister, as Takeru watched her…
Why was he in Kyoto, Kotoha asked herself and Takeru asked himself.
Why am I in Kyoto?
Did tono-sama come to see me?
Did I come to see Kotoha…