Efflorescence
Chapter Four: If Looks Can't, Money Can
by Autumn Win-Dow
(AoGA House Cup. Words: 500)
"What do you do, Mr Hyuuga?" The older geisha asked him, and all attention was turned on him against his will.
Nevertheless, he replied in a respectful manner, "I just returned from studying in Tokyo yesterday, and I'm most likely going to take over my father's job."
"What is your father's job?" He was slightly surprised to hear Kurike ask him with a gentle smile, but somehow he could see the hint of a challenge in his eyes.
First she snorts at me, and now she's looking at me with that expression. That's rather impolite, as a maiko.
However, he did recognise the look she gave him to the one which the groundskeeper of his father's school gave him whenever he would casually walk across the grass fields instead of the cobbled pathway. Natsume assumed that just like the groundskeeper, she didn't think highly of him.
Two can play at this game, Natsume thought to himself smugly.
He grinned at Kurike, who was evidently shocked at his change in expression, before replying to her question. "My father's the principal of Horikoshi Academy."
Natsume predicted that she would falter in her speech, upon her realisation that he was in fact the heir of an elite school. He believed that if his looks didn't faze a woman, then his social standing would.
And he had predicted correctly – Kurike's eyes widened as she heard his reply, and her breath caught in her throat. However, he wasn't expecting to see the forced smile on her face rather than one of absolute sweetness.
"Is that so? I wish you luck in the future as the principal, then." She speaks and bows her head, in order to hide her distressed expression.
She had never expected to hear the name of the school in the okiya. It only brought back dreadful memories which she wanted to keep hidden from anyone who knew her as Kurike, the brown haired maiko.
Eventually, she and her onee-san stood up to dance for their customers.
Kurike told herself that it was time to focus entirely on the dance, while maintaining a relaxed expression. She had genuinely practiced every night, and she didn't want to screw up in front of her customers.
She knew that there was something suspicious about the dark haired man watching her.
He resembles his father.
The moves were now second nature to her, due to the practice she put into it. In sync with the geisha, she moved her feet across the floor, and swiftly opened the elegant fans in her hands.
Kurike enjoyed what she did. Despite her initial purpose in becoming a maiko, she found it pleasing to be able to converse with her customers, serve tea and dance for them. She had always been a communicative person, and because of that, being a geisha was something fit as her ideal occupation.
It also completely detached her from her previous life, when things weren't so easy to handle – when she was Mikan Sakura.