Chapter 24
Listen to all your stories

Chisato retired shortly after that. There wasn't much more to talk about once they agreed on what the Hiiragi clan's daughter required, and they would see each other the next day, after all. Ayaka still wasn't sure how to feel about this girls' outing they had just arranged. She was especially a little uneasy about dealing with Kujou Sara in a more casual setting than she used to see her. Although at the same time, it caused her some curiosity. How would the adoptive daughter of the Kujou clan behave in such situations? How should she behave herself in such situations?

Maybe she didn't have to break her head too much with it. After all, her primary function would be to serve as some kind of intermediary between Chisato and Sara, and in that she had a bit more experience. And whatever it was, she had at least until tomorrow to think and decide on her strategy. For now, she had to put that matter aside and focus on something else.

Entering the tea house again, Ayaka was a little surprised to find it relatively quiet. Taroumaru was also not on the bar in the hall, which was strange but not entirely worrying either.

She quickly headed towards the same room where she had left Kazuha and the others. The door was open, and when she peeked inside, she was a little surprised to only see the young Kaedehara sitting on the other side of the table. The boy looked up at her as soon as he noticed her presence.

"Where are Thoma and your friend?" Ayaka asked curiously.

"I think Tama and the dog at the entrance are fighting again," Kazuha stated fairly calmly. "Although I suspect it was a maneuver by Tomo to leave us alone."

A very slight blush spread across Ayaka's cheeks upon hearing that. In effect, they were alone. And considering what they were going to talk about, it was better this way. Although she was a bit surprised that everything was so quiet if Taromaru and Tama were doing their thing out there. But she trusted that Thoma would see to it diligently.

"Did everything go well with that person who came to see you?" Kazuha asked with interest.

"Yes, everything is fine, don't worry," Ayaka answered tersely. She entered the room at that moment, carefully closing the door; now, they were truly alone. "If you agree, I wish we could talk about... the other topic."

"About what happened last night, isn't it?" Kazuha commented bluntly, taking Ayaka a bit by surprise that he could bring it up so casually. Still, the Kamisato kept her composure and only nodded slowly in response.

Ayaka sat down on the floor in front of the table, right in front of Kazuha's stall. She immediately assumed a firm stance, with her back straight, face serene, and hands resting delicately on her legs. That had been an involuntary act since it was a position that she would take before any official or representative of the three commissions, even before Chisato a while ago. But she wasn't sure exactly what position she should take towards Kazuha. He actually looked rather more relaxed.

Ayaka noticed at that moment that the table was empty. Apparently, they had already cleared away all the breakfast dishes. This made her realize that she was actually a little hungry. She only had in her stomach the tea she had drunk with Chisato, and it hadn't even been accompanied by any sweet.

"I…" the wandering swordsman suddenly stammered, capturing Ayaka's full attention. Kazuha had his head bowed towards her, respectfully. "I apologize if what I did and said made you uncomfortable or annoyed you in any way. I guarantee you that since I saw you again, the last thing I wanted was to bother you. But... if I can be honest, the truth is that I do not regret that I did that."

Ayaka couldn't help but startle a little at those last words; again, they were pretty direct.

"That's… too honest."

"I apologize if that's uncomfortable," Kazuha added quickly. "I know how things are in the great clans; I experienced them first hand. I know that speaking directly about what one thinks or feels is somewhat frowned upon, and therefore one should always be aware of any false step one makes. But I have never been able to be that way."

"I know, I remember well," Ayaka pointed out, remembering that she had just thought about it while talking to Chisato.

Kazuha continued:

"And that's why I don't want to embellish what happened, minimize it, or lie about it."

He raised his face again at that moment, fixing his deep crimson eyes on her. The intensity of his gaze again made Ayaka feel a little intimidated, but she kept her cool as best she could.

"What I said yesterday is only the truth. I have never felt with someone else what your presence alone makes me feel, even right now. It is something that I cannot put into simple words, but that kiss was my way of expressing it. It was a sincere act, of which I am not ashamed or regretful, except if perhaps I caused you some harm with it without realizing it."

Although Ayaka tried extremely hard to remain calm, she could clearly feel how her entire face had been painted a deep red, right down to her ears. Her heart also sped up slightly, and her mouth felt a little dry. Kazuha's honesty had been quite a bit more than she expected, but… it didn't really bother her.

"No, you didn't…" Ayaka replied hastily. "It was very different from the kiss we gave each other as children; now I can realize it. But... I didn't dislike it..."

A slight trace of astonishment flickered in Kazuha's eyes. From Ayaka's reaction the night before, the boy convinced himself that she was indeed mad at him. But the truth is that the blue-haired girl's emotions were much more complex than that.

"So…" Ayaka stammered slowly, subtly looking away, even suddenly hiding half of her face behind one of her fans. "What do you feel about me exactly, Kazuha? You... like me, maybe? Are you... romantically interested in me? Are you... physically attracted to me?"

It seemed that Kazuha's direct honesty was contagious. In any other circumstance, Ayaka would never ask a question like that. But she really wanted to know, bluntly and without masks. What kind of feelings were they talking about exactly?

The fingers of Ayaka's hand that wasn't holding the fan pressed tightly against the fabric of her skirt as she waited for Kazuha to reply. He was silent for what seemed like an eternity to Ayaka, though it was only a couple of seconds.

"I… like I said, I don't know how to put it into words…" Kazuha replied, turning slightly to the side. "But… yes, I think that is just what you say. I'm attracted to you in all those ways... and many more."

Ayaka felt her breath hitch, and her fingers faltered a bit until she almost dropped her fan, though she quickly hurried to hold it more firmly. The last thing she wanted was to expose her stupefied face like that.

"It's confusing, I know," Kazuha commented right after. "We haven't seen each other in years, and anyone could argue that I don't really know you; not the adult you are now. And for me to suddenly say that I feel this kind of thing for you may seem like a lack of logic. But if I've learned anything over the years, it's that the most beautiful things in the world don't always obey human logic."

For not knowing how to put what you feel into words, you say very nice things, Ayaka wondered. Kazuha had always had a poetic streak, after all.

"But I'm not fooling myself about this," Kazuha pointed out with an unusual harshness in his voice. "I know that despite our previous engagement, our current positions are so far apart that if it weren't for our prior history, you and I shouldn't even be speaking to each other right now."

"No, things... aren't like that..." Ayaka tried to express, hesitating a bit.

"You don't have to pretend with me, Ayaka; we've never had to do it with each other."

The young Kamisato lowered her eyes a little, apparently a bit embarrassed.

"As I said, I know well how things are for people in your position," Kazuha continued. "You are a Kamisato, and I currently only have a worthless last name. I know I don't deserve to have these feelings for you and also burden you with them by letting you know. And initially, I planned to do no such thing and withdraw without disturbing you further. But… someone made me realize I might regret it after if I hid them and let more time pass. I guess it was a bit selfish of me..."

"No, nothing like that," Ayaka exclaimed forcefully, cutting off Kazuha's words. He looked up at her and was a little surprised to see that she had already withdrawn her fan from her face, and now she was the one staring at him, though the blush hadn't entirely faded from her cheeks. "I'm not upset or burdened by your words, Kazuha. I actually… feel even blessed to know those beautiful feelings you have for me. And I don't regret the kiss at all either. I really…"

She clearly wanted to say something more, but her words were cut off abruptly, sinking into silence. Kazuha watched her expectantly, but Ayaka remained the same.

Deep down, she knew that Kazuha was right. She was a Kamisato, which came with unavoidable obligations, as she had shown when talking to Chisato a while ago. But he was wrong about saying that he had no right to feel what he felt. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He, who was no longer a noble, and his actions were no longer tied to the obligations and well-being of a clan or Inazuma… he did have full permission to feel what he wanted and when he wanted. The one who was not allowed to do such a thing was her.

Ayaka looked down at the table, clearly dejected.

If only she could be as free from all that as Kazuha was right now. If only she could for a day, an hour, or a second not be a Kamisato… maybe then she could agree to feel the same and express it the same way he did. Just for a moment...

"Kazuha, do you really have to go already?" Ayaka suddenly muttered under her breath. "I really wish you'd stay a little longer. I would like to hear all the stories you have to tell me about your travels and the places and people you have met. I would like to know everything that has happened in your life in these eight years. And I wish I could also tell you about mine, although it will surely not have been as interesting as yours. I wish we could spend a little more time… together."

Ayaka slowly looked up again, afraid to see how Kazuha was looking at her. The boy seemed somewhat perplexed at first as if those words had taken him a little by surprise. They both stood still and silent for several seconds until suddenly Kazuha's eyes softened a bit, and her lips drew a slight but noticeable smile.

"I'd like that too, Ayaka," he answered suddenly, making Ayaka's heart jump a beat. "And if I don't cause you any trouble, I'll stay a little longer so we can talk calmly as you say. But I'm afraid that maybe I created too high expectations in you about my travels, and you might be a little disappointed when you hear about them."

"I'm sure not," Ayaka stated with marked confidence. She stood up and walked around the table until she could sit next to Kazuha and thus see and talk to him more closely. "I really want to hear everything you have to tell me."

"And I want to hear from you too," the wandering swordsman agreed. "Like when we were a child, and you spent hours explaining something complicated to me, and most of the time I used to understand you only half."

"Was that what happened?" Ayaka muttered, laughing a little. "That means I'm not that good at explaining things, right?"

"It means I wasn't that good at understanding them," Kazuha answered, laughing too. "But I'm not a child anymore, and now I'll try double as hard to understand everything you say to me. I swear."

They both laughed in unison and then fell silent, looking at each other. Again there was a not awkward silence between them because even though they didn't say anything, their looks and expressions alone seemed to say enough.

Without taking her eyes off Kazuha, Ayaka moved a little closer to him, carefully placing one of her hands on the table.

Kazuha... now I feel like I could be the one kissing you right now, Ayaka thought, her heart racing. But I can't… even if my chest burns from doing it, I don't dare. But you want it too, don't you, Kazuha? Look into my eyes and perceive what they want to tell you loudly. You understand, don't you, Kazuha? Do you understand…?

And Kazuha did it, or at least he thought he understood what those bright, pleading blue eyes wanted to tell him. He moved just a little closer to her and carefully raised a hand to gently place it on top of the one Ayaka had put on the table. If she withdrew hers in response to his touch, Kazuha intended to back away. However, she did not. She left it sitting right where it was, just trembling slightly from the touch of his fingers.

The swordsman of the Kaedehara clan then dared to approach a little closer, almost wholly cutting the short distance that separated them. Ayaka inhaled deeply at feeling him so close, and this time her eyes closed on their own, without the need to ask. She stood still, her cheeks flushed and her lips slightly parted, waiting. The wait was not long because Kazuha took without any hesitation the invitation that she gave him to bring his face closer to her, close his eyes, and kiss her again, just like the night before.

"Ayaka…"

"Kazuha…"

Ayaka felt the same sparks rising in her chest again as soon as she felt the boy's lips against hers. While her hand on the table firmly held the boy's hand, the other was placed on his chest, squeezing the fabrics of his kimono a little. She leaned her body closer to his, trying to feel him just a little more, perhaps unconsciously. Kazuha, for his part, dared to put his arm around her gently and draw her a little closer to him.

Both remained immersed in the thousands of sensations and feelings that ran through them before that sweet touch, which little by little became more secure and perhaps even bolder. It was a surprise how they both seemed to have become so familiar with kissing from one moment to another. It was as if everything just happened naturally when it came to them.

None of them had the clarity to predict how far that kiss would go, or if given the opportunity, it could have turned into something more. But after several seconds, in which each one was reluctant to separate from the other, they heard footsteps and voices approaching from the corridor.

"I promise I won't let her loose from now on, seriously," assured Tomo's playful voice.

"It is ok, ok. Taroumaru will behave anyway, right?" Thoma's voice added calmly right after.

Kazuha and Ayaka reacted simultaneously, slowly separating their lips from each other. They both looked at the still-closed door for a second, and then they turned to look at each other, all without saying a word. Again, their looks alone said enough.

Ayaka let go of Kazuha's clothes and hand and carefully backed away across the floor to put some distance between them. Kazuha followed suit, moving the same way to the opposite side. Ayaka quickly ran her hands through her hair and clothes to ensure nothing was out of place.

By the time Tomo and Thoma opened the door and peeked inside, they were both sitting at least a meter from each other, their expressions nonchalant and calm. Although, of course, the red of their faces was still decorating them, and the feeling of the other's lips pressed against theirs lingered like a slight tingle that they should hide above all.

"Lady Ayaka, did everything go well with that person who came looking for you?" Thoma asked once he noticed his mistress's presence back.

"Yes, very well," Ayaka agreed in a calm voice. "Everything was fixed quickly. By the way, Kazuha will stay a little longer for this day."

That sudden news seemed to take both men by surprise.

"Really?" Tomo commented, smiling slyly. His eyes took turns on each one, watching them almost as if he could read their minds or sense their slight guilt.

Ayaka cleared her throat a bit and shifted her surreptitious gaze to the side. Then, without looking at Thoma or Tomo, she stood up with quite a poise in her movements, almost perfectly concealing the anxiety that constricted her stomach.

"If you excuse us, we'll be in my private room, talking," she reported in a neutral voice. "So please don't disturb us until it's time for lunch. Kazuha, will you come with me?"

Kazuha was a little startled by that sudden instruction. Still, by mere reflex, he stood up and, without any intention of objecting, began to walk behind her towards the door.

"In your room?" Thoma exclaimed, a little stunned as he stared after them. "You two alone…?"

"Yes, it is," Ayaka answered normally, turning to him as they stood in the doorway. "Why do you ask? Is there a problem, Thoma?"

"Yes, is there a problem, Thoma?" Tomo added playfully at his side, arms crossed.

Thoma suddenly felt quite hesitant. Ayaka's eyes reflected a singular hardness that clearly gave the feeling that this… wasn't a real question or that there was only one correct answer.

"No, my lady," he murmured slowly, looking to the side. "No problem."

Ayaka nodded in gratitude.

"Kazuha."

"Excuse me," the swordsman commented, bowing his body slightly towards Thoma out of respect, then hurrying to join Ayaka in the hallway.

Thoma fell silent, quite confused at the moment. The last thing he knew the night before was that Lady Ayaka seemed to be upset with Kaedehara, possibly because he had turned down her invitation. And wanting to talk to him that morning was supposed to apologize, clear things up or say goodbye before the two travelers left. But… why now did everything seem to indicate that it was much more than that?

And what was he supposed to do with all of that? In the end, he was just a servant, not her brother, to tell her what to do or what not to do. Should he perhaps inform her real brother of all this? Part of him believed so, but another thought he didn't have to be a snitch, especially when he didn't know anything wrong had been done.

"Looks like it'll be just the four of us for the rest of the day, friend Thoma," Tomo muttered suddenly, wrapping his arm around the housekeeper's neck. Evidently, in the group, he counted Tama and Taroumaru. "Do you have any shogi boards for us to hang out with?"

Thoma was just silent, glancing at the wandering samurai with obvious distaste. How much longer would that guy stay around?

Despite her stoic and calm demeanor or the fact that her walk through the corridor and the stairs was slow and relaxed, the truth is that inside, Ayaka felt an unusual anxiety as they left the room and left Thoma and Tomo behind. As the well-behaved girl she had always been, she had rarely felt this feeling of doing something not quite "right" and having to hide it. And, in a way, kissing Kazuha a second before her loyal servant entered the dining room seemed to fit that description.

She should feel nervous and scared, maybe even a little guilty. But it actually felt a little different, a way she couldn't describe. It was like a tickle of excitement that stung her belly; were those the butterflies that some people used to describe? She further wondered if Kazuha might be feeling a similar way.

Neither said anything until they were already on the second floor, in front of the half-open door of Ayaka's private room. Once there, the blue-haired girl surreptitiously looked inside and then around, making sure there was no one nearby. Only then she was able to relax, letting out in the form of a heavy sigh all that tension she had been hiding.

"I thought for a moment Thoma would notice it," she murmured slowly, entering the room, almost tiptoeing.

"Tomo definitely did," Kazuha pointed out, more resigned than annoyed, following her. "He has… quite an eye for this sort of thing."

"Never mind," Ayaka stated, shaking her head. She then turned to Kazuha, looking him closely in the eye. A smile of innocent emotion touched her lips, and her fingers timidly smoothed her hair. "I really just want to talk to you as much as possible."

"Me too," Kazuha agreed, smiling back. He moved a little further into the room, sitting on the floor with his sword at his side. "What do you want to know?"

"Tell me everything from the beginning," Ayaka commented enthusiastically as she walked to the door to close it. "Where did you first go eight years ago…?"

Before closing the door completely, she saw one of the establishment's waitresses pass by in the corridor towards the stairs.

"Ah, Yuki," she said to get her attention. "Could you get us some tea and some mochis?"

"Right away, my lady," the waitress answered quickly, bowing toward her and immediately resuming her walk.

"Sorry, I haven't had breakfast yet," Ayaka then commented to her companion, closing the door for more privacy.

"Don't worry."

Ayaka walked over to Kazuha, sitting right next to him. Her big eyes fixed on the light-haired boy. Her expression could be read with excitement at finally hearing it, so Kazuha didn't delay. And using his firm and melodic voice that distinguished him so much, he began with his narration.

"Well, once my uncle fled, and the Tenryou commission seized our properties, I started traveling west. The first place I visited was…"

And while the young Kaedehara told his whole story, Ayaka listened to him, deeply attentive to every word he spoke.

Author's Notes:

This escalated a little fast, didn't it? Though considering it's Chapter 24, maybe it's that much. I don't have much to say; I think the chapter speaks for itself. In the following, we will see a little more of the coexistence of these two before moving on to the next day and that "girls' outing."