Chapter 5: What A Small World After All

Mikoto slammed her basket of fish on the table.

"Mikoto!" her mother exclaimed. "Did something happen? And how come you got lots of fish?"

"I got it from that loser, Fugaku."

"So he's really trying to court you—"

"That's not true! That is precisely one of the reasons why I don't like him. He's not a suitor of mine, he's not courting me, and even if he did, I am so not going to give him a piece of my gratitude! I don't like that guy, he lied to you, he beat up Ryen, and now he's stalking me like a shadow!"

Her parents looked at her with a strange, funny expression. "Uh... well, thanks for the fish, Mikoto, and everything else," her father said. "We didn't realize that he was lying. But, well, I've never seen anyone as... dedicated to a... woman... as he is."

"That's his problem. The woman's not dedicated to him." She sighed. "I'm serious. I'm dead tired of his crazy antics, and I don't want to see his face again. I mean, what does he see in me? Well, either way, I don't like him."

Her mother nodded. "That's okay, child. But next time, try not to be too rude to him. Men are serious when it comes to proposals or courting, no matter how silly and stupid they sound. Just try to get out of his way, okay?"

Mikoto nodded and smiled at her mother. "Okay. I'll try."

o0o

"I thought I told you not to go somewhere you're not allowed in," Fugaku's father reprimanded.

"I didn't go there!" he prtested heatedly. "And I'm not dpoing anything funny. I really didn't do anything."

His father eyed him. "What can you say about... you using the Kawarimi to throw the man I employed off the trail?"

"I simply didn't want to have a tail. And I swear I wasn't doing anything wrong! It was... was... nothing."

"Are you planning to tell me anything?" his father asked. "Or will you wait to be made to tell everything?" There was a few seconds of silence.

"It was a girl," he admitted. "I really like her a lot. The problem is, she doesn't talk to me."

This time, his father smiled. "I see. Well, if that's it then, I don't see any reason why I should worry. You should introduce us sometime. That is... er... if she ever talks to you."

Fugaku got up wearily. "Wish me luck."

"I will. Your mother wasn't easy to get too, you know." Both men smiled conspiratorially. Fugaku walked outside the door, and closed it. After thinking, he decided to go for a short walk along a secret place of his somewhere in the mountains. It was a nice meadow, with serene surroundings and a small cave for shelter whenever it was necessary. That's exactly what I need. A peace of mind.

o0o

"Mikoto?" Fugaku asked, his eyes wide open. "What are you doing here?" He had gone up to the trail leading to the meadow. Surprisingly, he had found her there, lying on the grass.

She sat up. "You followed me here!" she accused.

"No!" he protested. "I really didn't. If you want to know, I've known this place ever since I was five. And I'm not that crazy to go traipsing off a woman all the time just because I like her very much. You want me to leave? Fine!"