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It was still early in the morning, but everyone had already waked up and does their usual chores. The garden was full of little youkai sweeping fallen leaves and chatting lively. The same went in the kitchen, but much busier. Kejoro and the others had to prepare breakfast for everyone before the sun went too high or the little youkais would be starving to death.
One of the guest room's door slid open and a black cat walked out from inside. His eyes roaming every corner sight in front of him and then set at the three little youkai who were cleaning the garden. Suddenly the sky was shrouded by clouds and it began to drizzle. It was quite confusing for the three little youkai, how could the bright sky suddenly turned cloudy? But they don't have time to think up the reason as the droplets of drizzle had touched their skin, so they decided to stop sweeping and went to get some shelter.
Back to black cat. There was only him right now at that corridor. The cat then turned around facing the door and meowed in low tone as if it was trying to call out someone inside the room. The door slid open again, this time revealing a beautiful young woman dressed in red cherry colored kimono. "Thank you, Nekomata," Najika said, caressing the cat gently and then walked inside the corridor house.
Prang! Another plate slipped out from her hand and broke down. "My, my, its still early in the morning and I already broke three plates?" Wakana said in shocked, well not very shocked because it had been quite usual for her.
"It's alright, Wakana-sama. We already have enough help to make breakfast," if only she wasn't the wife of second head Nura clan, Kejoro would have restricted her to take even one step in the kitchen. Suddenly she felt something moving beneath her and when she looked down, Kejoro was quite confused, "what a cat doing in this place?"
"Forgive me, he is just hungry," a young woman had just came in and spoke to her question. "Nekomata, come here," she stretch her hand out, calling the cat to get near her.
"Who is this young woman? I've never seen her before..." Kejoro thought.
"Najika-chan, isn't it!" Wakana said. She walked to the young woman and continued to speak in even more cheerful tone, "wow, you've grown so much! You were so tiny the last time you came here!" she exclaimed.
"Long time no see, Wakana-sama. You're looking healthy," Najika greeted with a beaming kind smile. "I feel so honored that you still remember me even after years I haven't come here".
"Well, I wasn't quite recognized you at first. When you were still a little kid you always had this bob cut hair, I almost thought you're Hanako," Wakana replied happily. Najika could only sweat dropped at the fact that Wakana saw her child image alike Hanako, the little girl ghost toilet. "When did you arrive? Oh, do you hungry? I'll make breakfast for you".
"No... I just... want to see Rikuo-kun as soon as possible," she refused politely. "And... I need some help about something..." Najika was fidgeting a bit at the last words.
Wakana lost in thought a second. She knew that there was something bothering her but she couldn't remember a single clue. "Ah!" suddenly a bright insight struck her thought. "Kejoro, Yuki-Onna, please lend me some help here".
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"Breakfast is ready! Hurry up, everyone go to the dining room!" Yuki-Onna yelled out. "Kubinushi, what are you doing there? I said, everyone go to the dining room," the snow girl said to the neck less man who stood near the gate.
"It's okay, Yuki-Onna. I would watch the gate while everyone is having breakfast, besides have you forgotten? Usually I'm always being the last person who would have breakfast," Kubinushi replied.
"This is Wakana-sama order! She said everyone have to go to the dining room now and get some breakfast. Or are you saying that you refuse her kind offer who had through all pain just to make breakfast for you?" the snow girl yelled out, this time much louder and furious.
"N-No. I understand. I will get some breakfast then," Kubinushi was quite taken aback by her words. It sounded exaggerating and unlike the usual Yuki-Onna, but he know best not to argue further more in the morning.
Yuki-Onna kept staring at him until he completely gone inside the corridor to the dining room. She then let out a sigh, "huuufff... with that I guess all man in this house is already in the dining room now".
Meanwhile, at the other side terrace corridor, Najika walked alone with a tray on her hands. She was carrying tea which she made special by herself. The young woman finally arrived in front of the parlor's door, her destination. Then she put the tray aside and kneeled down, knocking the door, "excuse me," Najika said politely.
The young woman slid the door open slowly. Deep in her heart, she felt quite anxious and nervous to meet Rikuo. They haven't met for five years. She was afraid that he would have completely forgotten about her. However, when she opened the door, the first image she saw wasn't the kind and gentle boy who she had been longed to meet, but was an unfamiliar young man.
Najika was too surprised to even move or even blink. His red eyes were staring straight to her brown eyes. Such a sharp stare, firm, but so tempting. "Ah!" the reality finally hit her. She felt so ashamed for staring a stranger in their first meeting, so she quickly turned her face away. "Forgive me, I think I come to the wrong room," Najika apologized quietly, unable to call out her voice. What is he doing in here? I thought Wakana-sama, Kejoro, and Yuki-Onna already take all man to the dining room.
"What's wrong?" a lighter male sound was heard and suddenly someone slid the door wide open from inside. He looked much younger than the man before. He has brown eyes and hair with glasses on his face.
"Rikuo-kun?" the young woman asked, staring at the younger boy intently.
"Could it be... Najika-neesan?" he said happily with a wide smile. When she heard he spoke her name, unconsciously her lips formed a genuine smile which draws the unfamiliar young man's attention. He remembers me, she thought.
"You know her, Rikuo?" the young man asked, feeling a bit left there.
"Yes, she is my childhood friend. I guess this is the first time Zen-san meet Najika-neesan, right?" the Sandaime explained and taking a seat between them. "Najika-neesan is the youngest daughter of Ame-Onna. She rarely comes so maybe that's why you've never seen her before".
"Hoo... is that so? Well I never heard that before, but nice to meet you, Najika. My name is Zen. I'm from the Yakushi Clan," the young man said with a faint smile.
"The honor is mine, Zen-sama," the young woman bowed, didn't dare to look at him in the eyes.
"I assume that you two must be so close by the way Rikuo addressing you," Zen continued.
"Whenever Najika-neesan came, we would play together along with Yuki-Onna until night fall. Najika-neesan was older than me and very kind so it kind of felt like I have an older sister back then. It had been five years since the last time we met, you've changed so much, Najika-neesan," the young master said.
"You've changed as well too, Waka. I see that you've growing more like a magnificent leader now".
The three of them then were chatting lively while drinking tea which Najika served before. The young woman explained about her visit and about her mother death. Her older brother, Sora and Daichi, couldn't come because they had to take care of family business, such as managing territorial problem now that both of their parents had died. And so Najika insisted to be the one who brings the news in order to meet again with Rikuo and taking pledge to keep following the Nura Clan.
"Waka! Waka!" they heard Yuki-Onna calling out Rikuo along with the sounds of running footstep. "Waka," she kneeled down and continued to speak after she arrived at the parlor, "Shodaime is calling you".
"Eh? Grandpa, did? Well... I guess I have to leave you two then," Rikuo said as he got up from his seat. "I hope you two will get to know each other better," he turned to the blue haired girl now, "let's go, Yuki-Onna".
Both of them left the parlor, leaving the older man and woman alone. Najika couldn't hear their footsteps again. There were only sounds of the wind breeze playing in her ears which blown between and through the leaves. There were only two of them in that parlor, in that room. Just the two of them.
Najika rolled her eyes from the corner to the other corner. Her fingers couldn't stay still, tapping each others fidgety. Here it was one of her biggest nightmare, being alone with a man and Nekomata was nowhere to be seen. She had set up everything and even asked Wakana to do something troublesome just so she could avoid to meet with any man, but she ended up to meet one because of her own carelessness. Zen didn't say a word which made Najika felt more nervous than before. She couldn't think normally of what topic to talk about. The tension was killing her.
"Could you pass the kettle for me?"
"Ah," his words brought her back to reality and succeeded to gain her attention to him.
"I see that your cup is already empty. Pass the kettle to me, I'll pour yours," Zen said calmly, again a faint smile formed on his lips.
"N-No, you don't have to," Najika replied, a bit panicked.
"Oh, are you refusing my kind offer?" he said, still with the same smile.
She gave up. Najika could only bend her face down, trying to hide her blushing cheeks. She had never being treated like that before with a man. While Zen was pouring their cups, Najika was taking glances at him in hesitated. He is undoubtedly handsome. Zen has short hair in khaki color and fair white skin. As she observed him lower, the young woman felt ashamed more when she saw his broad chest. Zen usually wore purple hakama with feathers print and in a way revealing his chest which has some youkai markings on it. Somehow... it tempted her to stare more, but she quickly averted her gaze back to his face, before she felt more blood running to her cheeks. His face has some gruff features and indeed he spoke a bit harsh, but somehow his stares, his smiles, she felt some tenderness within them.
"Najika, isn't it?"
"Yes?" she lit up her face back.
"I think that's a very beautiful name," Zen said. "A rainbow which appears after the cold rain stopped, coloring the sky with majestic colors. A perfect name for the daughter of Ame-Onna, I must say," he praised more.
Najika fell silent a moment before she tried to reply his praise, "it was our mother who gave us such name".
"My older brother, Sora, represents the sky where the rain falls down from. My second older brother, Daichi, represents the earth where the rain pours down to. Thus for my name, Najika, represents the rainbow which connect the sky and earth after the rain stopped," she explained. "Maybe mother had already planned all along to name her children with such names," despite the fact that they were name after with deep meanings, Najika didn't look so pleased with that. Her eyes were glowing sorrow.
*cough cough*
"Zen-sama?" suddenly Zen was coughing, quite hard which made Najika began to panic. "Zen-sama, are you alright?" she asked as she took closer step. She boldly took holds of his shoulders to help him stay firm.
"I'm fine... It wasn't something unusual for me," the fact was, Zen felt a little bit pity for him self to show his weaknesses in front of a young woman he had just met. Then he turned his gaze outside the room, staring at the cloudy sky and the drizzles which were pouring down. "I guess it has become quite chilly here for me. I hope it would stop soon".
Najika stared at the same direction too but still with her sorrowful eyes. "I don't think it would..." her words were too quiet that even the wall couldn't hear.
"Let me go. I'm fine by myself," his words back to his harsh tone. It showed very clear that he didn't want to be pitied by anyone, especially by some woman.
"Ah, y-yes!" quickly she let go off his shoulder. Her face was boiling red at the thought that she had been holding him more than she should have to.
Zen stood up and folded his hands, tucking it within the sleeves of his hakama. "I hope we could talk again later," the young man said with the usual faint smile, but a bit more tender this time. Then he went back to his room, taking a rest maybe.
Mean while Najika was still there at the parlor. Staring at both of her palms and clenching it, feeling the warmth which her hands caught before. "Oh, what am I doing?" she sighed with both hands cupping her cheeks which she felt more even hotter now than her palm. But she didn't hate it.
She like it, his presence near her.
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