Efflorescence
Chapter Fourteen: The Shed Near The Pond
by Autumn Win-Dow
(AoGA House Cup. Words: 500)
The whole room was quiet - the only sounds being the light breathing of the duo, and the sound of ceramic rolling on the floor.
Kurike had, in utter bewilderment, lost hold of her tea cup.
Natsume felt that as he stared at her, something was pulling him closer. He knew that it was because there was just something about this woman that he longed to know. His fingertips gripped the tartan as he pushed himself closer to her, so their faces were only a few centimetres apart.
"So what do you say?" He asked her, and she could feel his breath even more - this time, concentrated on her lips.
Kurike swallowed as she pondered - she never thought that she had to ponder in the first place. It was not exactly traditional for a maiko to show her customer her bare face, and in Kurike's case, her customer was the son of Ioran Hyuuga. However, something within her told her to accept his offer - she couldn't explain why it sounded so tempting when he asked.
Was she in love with him?
She asked herself that question on a regular basis.
In the end, Kurike decided that she would have to deal with all the disaster which ensued afterwards.
"...I'll be in the shed next to the pond at midnight."
Natsume grinned at her response. "Very well."
He pulled back from her, and she was slightly put off guard by the the sudden decrease in proximity. Kurike had - although quite reluctantly - believed that something else was going to happen.
But Natsume had his reasons. He didn't even know her face yet, and he didn't want to kiss a set of lips covered in the lipstick of a geisha. He didn't even know her yet.
It was late at night - almost twelve, nonetheless - when he had crept into the garden. He found that it looked much more captivating at night - which was something that customer should never be able to discover, but he did, due to his strange circumstances.
Natsume sighted a small hut in the distance - the garden itself was expansive, so that it was able to provide as much freedom of action for the ochaya's customers - and after exhaling, he made his way towards it.
As he approached it, he could hear the sound of water splashing from within. From the flickering light her could see in the crack underneath the door, he guessed that she had lit a candle.
As soon as Natsume was in front of the door, he knocked thrice.
"...Yes?" He recognised her voice immediately.
"It's me."
As soon as he spoke, the door creaked open, revealing a gap in between. Kurike turned her was in the opposite direction, her brown hair making a curtain in front of her face.
"...I had to undo my hair, too." She murmured, still keeping her face hidden.
'Even better,' he thought to himself.
"Alright... May I come in?"
He heard her sigh once, before she finally showed her face.