"Where did you get these?" Souza asked when Sayo put a Konpeito in his hand. The boy smiled instead, putting one into his hand as well. "A kind samurai we met gave it to us," Hidemitsu replied as he brushed out Souza's hair. Souza turns to Sayo slightly, surprised. "I thought you know better not to accept things from strangers,"
"He doesn't seem bad," Sayo replied, putting down the jar and running off the get his courtesan's garments. Souza watches him go, a little worried.
"It's alright, Sayo knows how to keep out of trouble, and he really wanted that candy it seems." Hidemitsu chuckled as he slides in a comb in Souza's hair, pinning his hair up in an elaborate hairdo. "Sayo is a child after all,"
"Hidemitsu, do take care of him," Souza couldn't help being worried for his brother. It pains him that Sayo had to work here but there was nothing he could do about it. "I could've given him money for the Konpeito if he asked for it...but he would never tell me,"
His attendant chuckled again. The affection the brothers showed to each other is really heart warming to watch. "Of course, Tori-sama."
Suddenly, footsteps stampede down their corridor and a flushed face boy popped into their room, huffing. "D-Did Yuri-sama came here?!"
They recognized the boy as one of Hachisuka's attendant. But just like Hasebe, the boy had a difficult time keeping track of his master. "No, did he snuck out again?" Hidemitsu replied, feeling a little sorry for his colleague. He looked as if he had just woken up and hastily dressed. His hair was barely tied up properly. He turns away and runs down the hall, panicking.
"Hasebe will not be happy about that," Souza sighed as he took his clothes from Sayo, putting it on carefully.
It wasn't the first for Hachisuka to sneak out. He would occasionally do so for a change of pace. Disguising himself as a pedlar and wearing the simplest clothing he had and covering his head with a straw hat, these trips are usually peaceful and last no more than a few hours. He would return as soon as he was contented, ignoring Hasebe's naggings and his attendant's complaints. Of course, he knows full well that as a courtesan, he should not be allowed outside the red light district, but the walls were suffocating and he didn't like it.
Sitting at the edge of a riverbank, it was peaceful and calm. How he wishes he could just jump into the water and let the currents take him away. But he knew he couldn't. If he ran away, the people from the Honnou-ji temple would chase him down. Besides, there's also Souza to worry about…
Strange that he had cared so much about his colleague. Souza was definitely different from the others and he knew that Souza's situation was different from his. Souza's freedom from the rotten house could not be so easily purchased with gold.
"What do we have here…?" Someone mocked from behind him. He turns, startled. A group of strangers was approaching him and they looked like trouble. Hachisuka was quick to realize that they were samurais, base on their clothing and swords.
"I knew I've seen that purple hair somewhere…" one of them mocked, yanking the hat away from Hachisuka's head. His long purple hair has been tied to a side, but the color had never failed to attract attention. It was, after all, one of his selling points. "An Oiran of the Honnou-ji Temple, how queer!" The third laughed.
It's bad. Hachisuka eyed the passerbys and noticed some of them had already pause to watch the commotion. He tries to hide his hair with his hand but the strangers had already yanked on his wrist, pulling him closer to them. A hand cupped his chin as they examine him, as if how would examine a treasure found on the streets. "Isn't it bad that a prostitute is outside of the red light district?" The man chuckled in his face. God his breath stinks!
"Running away maybe?" The other laughed "If we take him back, we might even get rewarded!"
"How about enjoying him first before returning him, I mean you do know how expensive an Oiran is!"
"Over my dead body!" Hachisuka snapped and kicked the man right in between his thighs, causing him to howl in pain and releasing his grip on the courtesan. Taking this chance, Hachisuka fled, picking up his robes so that his feet could run faster.
He heard shouting behind him as the remaining two samurais started chasing after him. He would be in so big trouble if they caught him!
"Shit!" Hachisuka yelped when he ran into someone else. He was about to fall backward when the person caught him by the wrist and steadied him back on his feet, pulling him behind him in an instant and drawing his sword to face his persuitors.
Another samurai?! Hachisuka looks up, confused. The man was bulky and had shaggy uneven colored hair. Beside him was a man with short hair the color of the sky. As if his western clothes weren't already attracting enough attention.
"My good men, chasing after someone not brandishing a sword is hardly a warrior's code," The man he had bumped into spoke, his sword gleaming in the light. Hachisuka was trying to get a hold of the situation, eyeing the strangers he had bumped into. His companion only eyed him, giving him a reassuring smile.
"Move away, that prostitute attacked our comrade!" The pursuer shouted harshly, drawing his own blade. At this, the man with the shaggy hair eyed Hachisuka momentarily before turning to the others. "Surely you have provoked him to do so?" He raised a brow "Courtesans are usually quite gentle, as far as I am concerned,"
"Why you…!" They rush forward, their blades raised.
Hachisuka backed away, accidentally stepping into the other man, turning to him quickly "Shouldn't you help him?!" He asked, eyeing the sword hanging around his waist.
The man chuckled slightly. "He can handle it,"
And he was right. Within seconds, the two samurais were already sprawled on the earth, beaten and bruised.
Hachisuka watched in awe as the man sheathed his sword, turning to him with a smug smile on his face. His smile faded as soon as he saw Hachisuka, his face as if one caught in a guilty act. "Uhh...are you alright?" The man rubbed the nape of his neck. It was then that Hachisuka noticed that the man had peculiar clothing too. While his clothes were traditionally designed, he had a few armor strapped to him, and his chest was mostly exposed.
Hachisuka nodded hesitantly, distracted by his appearance. "I suppose I should say tha-" He screamed in pain as someone yanked on his hair, making him fall backward in pain. "You dare….struck me….you son of a bitch!" Hachisuka scream as the man tugged his hair, drawing his blade dangerously near to his neck.
"Get your filthy hands off him!" The man earlier shouted, sending a punch straight to the attacker's face.
He immediately let go, stumbling backward in a daze and joining his comrades on the ground.
Hachisuka fell on his knees, a little shaken up. Thanks to the attacker, his collar was pulled back, revealing the faded bruising around his neck. His rescuer started with concern, helping him up. "Are you alright?" His western friend asked and Hachisuka nodded quickly, not able to find his voice.
"T-thank you." The courtesan finally mumbled when he caught his breath. His shoulders were still trembling and he was struggling to keep on his feet.
The strangers looked at each other briefly, before the westerner turns to him. "You belong to the Honnou-ji teahouse, right?" He asked, "I wish we can invite you to rest at our inn first but I think that isn't a very good option, let us escort you back."
Hachisuka eyed them, nodding again.
Oh god, Hasebe won't be happy about this.
Reaching the entrance, Hachisuka turns to the two, bowing as thanks for their help. He was about to enter the house when he turns back to the strangers. "May I know your names?" He asked, "And the Inn you are staying in?"
They eyed each other, almost hesitating. "I am Ichigo Hitofuri, this is Nagasone," He introduced "We are currently staying in the Oshikoji Inn,"
Hachisuka nodded, a little surprise to learn that the westerner wasn't really a foreigner. But he quickly excused himself. The two could easily hear the burst of anger from the courtesan's attendants as soon as he entered, but the door was quickly shut tight to block out the sounds.
The two stared at the entrance, recolleting their thoughts.
"This is unexpecting," Ichigo muttered, his companion replying with a humm. "Let's go back, it's going to be dark soon and this place will be flooded with people, we should minimize contact as much as we can," He started to walk away but turn when he noticed that Nagasone still stood at the entrance of the tea house, staring at the closed door.
"Even here, I can't get along well with him." Nagasone huffed before finally turning away to follow his companion.
When they reach their inn, the others were already back from scouting, one of them sitting behind a table that was filled with different concoction and herbs. "Oh ho, you're back!" The one with black hair and red Yukata got up from his shogi board. Kousetsu looks up from the game, nodding to them in greeting.
"We ran into Hachisuka just now," Ichigo broke the news so casually as he stepped into the tatami room. "Hmm, I thought courtesans weren't allowed to leave the red light district?" The teenager behind the table mused, looking up from his work.
"Knowing him, I'm not very surprising." Nagasone slumped down the wall in a corner, placing his sword on the mat. "He really doesn't remember me at all…that reminds me, you didn't mention my full name when you introduced us to him," he turns to Ichigo who joined the boy at the table, looking studying the concoctions. "We don't know what he might happen with that information, let's not risk it." Kousetsu looks back to his game of shogi, thinking. Ichigo was right, that was why he didn't introduce himself properly to Sayo as well.
"What is this, Yagen?" Ichigo pointed to the beakers filled with liquid he never has seen before. Yagen Toushirou is his brother and was very skilled in apothecary and medical. Yaglooksook up, adjusting his glasses. "I thought we could make medicine that might help with the memory loss," Yagen mumbled, engrossed with his work "But I don't think any of this work."
"Yeah, all they do is stink," The other mused. "Shut up, Kanesada," Yagen snapped and the man shrugged in defense.
"Then?" Kanesada snapped, forgetting about his game altogether. He was on a losing streak at that point. "What should we do now, the owner of the shop mentioned that they had been here for 3 years, we all know that can't be."
Ichigo's brow furrowed. "Well, I think time flows differently here….or that their memories were altered." He replied, putting down a beaker "In any case, we need to hurry up and bring them back."