Chapter 39
Start the Festival
After almost a week of waiting, the first day of the cultural festival in Inazuma City has arrived. And although the official inauguration and the event would begin when the sun went down, the city's main street was already full of the different stalls the merchants had been preparing for days. People, some already dressed in their yukatas from so early, walked around the different corners of the city, taking a preview of all that would be offered to them that night. The center of the festival would be a large stage built right in front of the gates of the Tenshukaku, to one side where the Statue of the Omnipresent God stood. There it was promised that different dance and music shows would be presented that night, but for now, it was alone, protected by some Tenryou guards to ensure that no one got too close to it until the right time.
The stage was one of many points closely guarded by the purple-armored guards. In different parts of the city, especially on the main street, the guard made rounds, ensuring everyone behaved properly. They didn't expect any riots until tonight, and they hoped then it wouldn't be anything more severe than drunk guys being overjoyed, and they'd have to spend a night behind bars to calm down.
For better or worse, the entire city was overflowing with music, smells, and colors, but especially with joy. Positive energy hung in the air, and the source of all of it was the children and adults whose excitement for the festival to begin was only growing.
A little happiness at a time when many suffered uncertainty; it was just what they needed.
The one who still couldn't be a part of the festive excitement was Kazuha. In fact, he hadn't even set foot inside the city yet, so he still didn't know how all the decorations had turned out. Usually, festivals didn't grab his attention that much, except for the fact that it was easier to go unnoticed by the crowd. But that one was special, starting with the fact that Ayaka had organized it almost entirely. And when it came to her, he knew it would be beautiful. His only regret was that he couldn't stay long enough to enjoy it.
But before he could at least once walk the streets of Inazuma early that morning, he had to accompany Tomo to one more meeting with his contact at the same traveling teahouse down the road on the outskirts of town, where they had met him the previous times.
Kazuha kept a little distance, sitting at a table in the shade of the establishment's awning, apparently just sipping tea quietly but actually having his attention well-focused on everything around him. For his part, Tomo had taken a seat on the same outdoor bench as always, and it didn't take long for his contact to arrive and sit behind him. Like in the past occasions, they talked without looking at each other. There were no other customers at the moment, which made it easier for Kazuha to watch for any strange movement.
As planned, the delivery of the visions would take place that night, so that day, they should indicate the place and time for said meeting. Once they had the visions, Kazuha and Tomo would have to leave Inazuma immediately and head straight to Watatsumi for the delivery. Simple, at least in theory. However, although Kazuha couldn't hear what they were saying from his position, he could perceive that things didn't seem to be going well from the mere beginning of the conversation between Tomo and that individual.
And indeed, his deduction was more than correct.
"Cancel?" Tomo exclaimed, somewhat exalted, turning to see him over his shoulder, forgetting the discretion they were supposed to keep for a moment. "What do you mean by cancel?"
"I'm afraid tonight's delivery won't go through," the contact explained, saying basically the same thing he'd said before, albeit in different words. "Master Masakatsu apologizes for the inconvenience and asks that you please convey his apologies to Her Excellency Sangonomiya."
"Just like that?" Tomo questioned, noticing a slight touch of irritation in his tone. "Without any explanation?"
The other man was silent as if considering how much he could share with that individual.
"I can only tell you that we have been informed of a delicate situation that requires doing things this way."
"And you won't tell me what this delicate situation is?"
The man shakes his head.
"I have informed you of everything I was permitted to convey. Master Masakatsu will attempt to contact Her Excellency once things calm down to discuss with her directly if she still wishes to acquire the visions. Until then, we will be forced to break all contact. Please don't follow me."
Saying that the man stood up abruptly, placed his straw hat on his head, and hurried off toward the road.
"Hey, are you really just leaving like that?" Tomo exclaimed aloud, following him with his eyes. The man didn't stop, instead walking away without looking back. Tomo felt the urge to reach out and stop him but held back.
All of that was too strange. What could have happened to make them decide to back out at the last minute? Although he hadn't said much, how he pronounced "once things calm down" was at least curious. Did it mean that something had happened with the Tenryou Commission?
Kazuha got up and cautiously approached his companion once the other individual had left. As he got closer, the bewilderment on Tomo's face was even more apparent.
"What happened?" the wandering swordsman asked.
Tomo sighed heavily.
"If I'm honest, I'm not very clear about it."
They also left the tea house and began walking down the path. Not towards Inazuma or their camp. They just walked aimlessly while Tomo quickly told Kazuha about the conversation he had just had, which actually hadn't been very long either.
"It's strange," Kazuha concluded once he finished telling him.
"Suspicious, I'd say," Tomo corrected. "But I should have been afraid that something like this could happen. Since we didn't give them any paltry mora, it's pretty easy for them to just cancel everything at the last minute with no regrets."
"What does this sudden change mean for us?" Kazuha questioned, curious but also worried. "What are we going to do now?"
"Well…"
Tomo hesitated because he did not have an obvious answer at the moment. They both stopped, and the samurai raised his thoughtful gaze to the ocean that could be seen in the distance. A light salty breeze touched their faces, slightly rippling their light hair.
"If there will be no delivery, I suppose the ideal would be to leave Inazuma and go to Watatsumi as soon as possible. Notify Kokomi in person of all this, and leave her and her group to deal with it."
"Leave?" Kazuha exclaimed, concern evident in his question.
Tomo smiled, amused, and turned to look at him out of the corner of his eye. It was evident that the anguish that his voice and his gaze conveyed was not directly from leaving but from doing so before the time. And although Tomo knew that doing it as soon as possible would be the best thing, especially not knowing what situation upset the craftsman and his people, he couldn't do such a thing to his friend. Not after meeting his princess again after so long.
"But of course, it doesn't have to be today," he commented nonchalantly, shrugging. "In fact, since our plans for tonight were canceled, it would be an excellent opportunity to enjoy the festival, don't you think? And by that, I mean you and Miss Kamisato could enjoy the festival together."
"What are you implying?" Kazuha inquired, narrowing his gaze a bit.
"I think you're smart enough to figure it out yourself," Tomo commented playfully, winking at him. "Anyway, you planned to see her after doing this, right? Why don't you go and have a little fun for a change?"
Kazuha subtly shifted her gaze to Inazuma. From his position, he could see the figure of the big cherry tree right at the city's entrance, where a few days ago, he had been participating in the onikabuto fight with Itto and the others.
"Are you sure you don't need me for anything anymore?" he asked seriously, turning back to his friend.
"Absolutely," Tomo agreed. "Go, have fun, and take advantage of the situation; this may be our last night in Inazuma."
Kazuha nodded, agreeing with her friend's words and suggestions without question.
"See you later, then," he said solemnly. "Don't get in trouble, please."
The swordsman then turned toward the city and began to walk calmly to it.
"And you get into a few for a change," Tomo yelled mockingly from behind. He stood in his place, watching as his friend made his way to meet his beloved. "These young people," the samurai whispered, outlining a smile. He put a hand inside his kimono, running his fingers through the small head of the kitten sleeping peacefully inside. "What do you think, Tama? What should we do now?"
Tama didn't offer any answer, but it wasn't entirely necessary. Tomo alone could think of some ideas to entertain himself that day.
An Ogura Fabrics and Kimonos employee arrived very early at the Komore Tea House with a special order for Kamisato Ayaka. Just like Ogura Mio had promised her, they did their best to have it ready for the festival's first day, considering the workload they had with all the other orders on the same day. It would have been ideal to deliver it at least the day before, but Ayaka appreciated the great effort of having it by early that morning.
As soon as Ayaka had the package in her hands, she went straight to her private room, where she quickly opened the box and extracted the beautiful black, orange, and yellow garment from it. She ran her hand delicately over the soft fabric of the haori and gazed in wonder at the lovely pattern. It was even more beautiful than she had imagined.
To get a better view of it, she placed it on her kimono rack, with its back facing forward so that she could better appreciate the pattern. She took a few steps back to be able to observe it fully. The engraving of the maple leaves flying in the autumn wind was simply exquisite.
In her mind, she managed to visualize how good it would look on the person she had in mind when she ordered it to be made. And the mere idea caused a singular tingle in her stomach, which indirectly took shape as a dreamy smile on her lips.
"Those are definitely not your colors," she heard suddenly uttered behind her, taking her entirely by surprise and violently jolting her out of her reverie.
"Ah!" Ayaka exclaimed out loud, starting. She turned in the same agile motion one hundred and eighty degrees toward the door, which she had evidently left open due to the excitement she carried with her upon entering. She managed to relax (a little) when she saw that the person who had spoken to her, leaning against the open door frame with his arms crossed and a sly little smile on his lips, was none other than Kamisato. Ayato. "Brother, you scared me," she whispered calmer, though not without reproach in her voice.
"Really?" Ayato asked with feigned surprise. "You're very distracted then if I caught you so off guard."
That almost sounded like an accusation, or at least Ayaka felt that way.
"It's not…" she pronounced, beginning an attempt to defend herself, but fell silent almost instantly, refraining from losing her composure too much. Instead, she took a deep breath, stood straight, and more calmly commented on a different topic. "I haven't seen you around here for days. I thought you weren't in Inazuma anymore."
Ayato broke away from the door and advanced towards the room's interior.
"I've been staying in another of our safe houses," he explained, "to keep myself a little more inconspicuous. I've been monitoring the movements of the Tenryou Commission from a distance, and I'm still waiting to find out what the Kanjou Commission could deduct from your recent withdrawals and purchases."
"Anything new?" Ayaka questioned, calm but no less interested.
"Nothing concrete yet," Ayato denied. "At least it doesn't look like they intend to move against you anytime soon. Most likely, their investigation has yet to come up with anything convincing enough to annoy the Shogun with their suspicions."
The commissioner stood to one side of his sister and focused directly on the hanging maple leaf haori. Ayaka wasn't looking at him directly, but she knew her brother well. He did not need her to confirm that this was not for her but for someone else.
"What about you?" Ayato asked suddenly, turning to look at her out of the corner of his eye. Ayaka, at first, didn't understand what he was referring to, but the blue-haired man quickly complemented his question better. "Any reason why you're still in Inazuma after so long? Have you finished those unfinished businesses you had to take care of?"
Ayaka sighed heavily. She turned her attention to the side and subtly tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. It was so early that she hadn't entirely dressed up yet, and her hair fell free over her back and shoulders.
When she had just informed her brother that she had to return to Inazuma just a few days ago, that felt much longer, Ayaka had lied to him, telling him that she had to take care of some preparations for the festival that he had left unfinished. However, by now, it was more than evident to everyone, especially Ayato, that this had not been the real issue that had motivated her to make that trip.
"You don't have to worry, brother," she replied solemnly and seriously without looking at him. "The most likely thing is that tomorrow I will return home."
And in that, she was not lying at all. Just as she had agreed with Kazuha, that day they would see each other for the last time only to say goodbye. He would be leaving Inazuma that night, and with his departure, there would be nothing else to stop her in the city. So the most sensible thing to do would be to return to the Kamisato Estate tomorrow, especially considering the tense and volatile situation brewing with the Tenryou Commission.
Even though she had had enough days to get used to the idea that, once again, she would have to separate from Kazuha, the arrival of that day filled her with excitement but also with great anguish that imprisoned her chest. She wished she could give him that little parting gift, hoping he'd accept it and promising to see each other again before it took as long as last time. And she would force herself to have enough self-control and not beg him not to go.
Ayato, for his part, contemplated his sister in silence for a few seconds, not having the complete image of all the thoughts that crossed her mind but perceiving who specifically should be the central protagonist of them.
The commissioner turned to look back at the haori on the kimono rack. Those maple leaf patterns, of course, brought back some old memories to him as well.
"A few days ago, I ran into Mr. Kaedehara, you know?" he pointed out of nowhere, catching her sister off guard again.
"Huh?" Ayaka exclaimed, at first somewhat shocked by the sudden comment, although it didn't take her long to realize that this news was not really new to her. "Oh, yeah. I think he told me something about that." She nodded serenely. "He told me you were… talking about some things, but he didn't give me many details."
"We were talking about you, of course," Ayato suddenly answered, looking at her and flashing again that same cunning smile that greatly distinguished him.
"Huh?!" released Ayaka, embarrassed. "About me?"
Ayato nodded.
"I asked him bluntly what his intentions were with you."
"What?!" Ayaka exclaimed, much louder than she intended. Her face and entire body suddenly became tense, and she even turned a little pale. "No, you didn't. Brother! Tell me you didn't!"
"Okay," Ayato mumbled, shrugging. "I didn't."
"Brother!"
"Then I suppose you're not interested in knowing what he told me?"
That sudden question startled Ayaka even more than she had already found herself. Her mouth opened, intending to respond to him, but at first, only a few babbles emerged until she managed to calm her mind enough to shape some congruent word.
"Wh... why do you say it like that...?" she whispered nervously while her fingers restlessly tightened the fabric of her yukata. "Did he... tell you anything... I should know...?"
Ayaka looked at her brother sideways, feigning a certain indifference or little interest in hearing his answer. Although it left enough evidence that, of course, she was interested, and a lot. And that inevitably drew an amused, and almost annoyed, smile on Commissioner Yashiro.
You have the Tenryou Commission hot on your heels, looking for any excuse to accuse you of treason, and yet your biggest concern is that boy, Ayato thought to himself. I don't know whether to feel relieved or worried about this, dear sister. I guess I can only trust that you really have everything under control. But still, that doesn't mean I can't move some pieces to try to help you, even a little.
Before Ayato could answer anything, if he really intended to, one of the waitresses from the tea house appeared before the room's still-open door, quickly kneeling in the hallway and lowering her forehead until almost touching the ground with it.
"My lord, my lady," she said slowly to get their attention. "Sorry for the interruption. Mr. Kazuha is downstairs and asks for Lady Kamisato."
Ayaka was startled upon hearing that announcement. Immediately an inconspicuous flash of emotion flickered in her eyes, along with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"How convenient," Ayato ironized with a sagacious tone. "Why don't you ask him directly what you want to know? Taking advantage of him being here."
Saying that, the commissioner walked calmly towards the door.
"Brother, where are you going?" Ayaka asked, curious.
"I don't think you want me here while you receive your friend, do you? Besides, I have things to take care of. Even if there is a festival today, there is always work to do. Don't worry; I'll leave by the back door to avoid disturbing your visitor with my presence."
He didn't seem willing to explain further than that, so Ayaka didn't insist either. Ayato passed in front of the waitress, who lowered her head even more as he walked past her. He then turned to the side, quickly disappearing from Ayaka's sight. The truth was that she did prefer to be alone to receive Kazuha, although it seemed strange to her that his brother was so "understanding" about it.
"Let him in, please," Ayaka said, turning back to the waitress, who was still waiting for her answer. "I just…" She ran a hand through the loose hair that fell to her shoulders. "Let me five minutes while I finish getting ready. Alright?"
"As you order, my lady," replied the waitress. And receiving her indication, she stood up and hastened to attend
Ayaka immediately closed the door and went to the small table where her oval face mirror rested. In front of it, she began to make a high tail, tied with a pink ribbon that matched the more casual yukata she was wearing at the time.
The blue butterfly brooches that Kazuha had given her were resting on the dresser, and her gaze settled on them while tying her tail. Would it be appropriate for her to put them on? They didn't exactly match her attire, but it would not be easy to find one that could completely match such an unusual adornment. But… maybe it would be a nice touch if he saw her use them.
Only the Archons knew when they might meet again...
Kazuha waited patiently in front of the front door of the teahouse, waiting for permission to enter the establishment. After the failed meeting in the morning and separating from Tomo, he had gone to that place, moving through the crowd that was already beginning to gather. The flow of people was less once he left the main street and went to the area where Komore was located, but still around there, he could see a few more stalls already set up and a couple more still being prepared.
No doubt the real movement would begin when the sun went down. It was also when all the decorations and lights would really shine.
The first thing that caught his attention as soon as he arrived at the teahouse was that he did not see the black-haired woman who was always in front of the main door anywhere, at least on every occasion he had gone in those days if he remembered correctly.
Since that person was not there, he had to knock on the door a couple of times before a waitress answered and did him the favor of notifying Ayaka of his presence. The same waitress returned only a short time after.
"Lady Kamisato will receive you," the girl informed him respectfully. "She only asked that you give her five minutes to finish getting ready. You can wait in if you want."
"Thank you very much," the swordsman replied, offering her a respectful bow.
Upon entering the building, he was not very surprised to see that same dog in the hall (Taroumaru was his name, it seemed to him). It looked at him with its little black eyes and wagged its tail with apparent joy. Kazuha certainly felt welcome.
After the five minutes requested, the waitress guided him to the upper floor, even though he knew the way well. She brought him before the door of Ayaka's room and immediately quietly withdrew.
"Come in," Kazuha heard how suddenly pronounced the voice of just the person he had come to see, from inside the room without him having to call in any way.
Kazuha accepted the invitation and carefully slid the door to the side. On the other side, the beautiful and colorful figure of Kamisato Ayaka was revealed before him. She was sitting on her knees on the floor facing the door. She was wearing a yukata of a pink color identical to the cherry blossoms. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail like she used to, but he immediately highlighted the butterfly clips she wore on each side of her head, which Kazuha immediately recognized.
Although, of course, any accessory or garment was overshadowed by the wide and sweet smile on her lips and the light that illuminated her blue eyes when looking at him. Both caused a warm sensation in Kazuha's chest, so intense that he felt momentarily immobilized.
It had only been a few days since they had last seen each other, and yet he felt as impressed as the moment he had seen her again after eight long years.
"Come in, please," Ayaka insisted suddenly, extending a friendly hand towards him. "I'm glad you came. I was waiting for you."
Kazuha nodded, then allowed himself to take a step into the room.
"I'm sorry if I made you wait too long," he apologized, leaning slightly toward her.
"Don't worry," Ayaka hurried to reply, shaking her head. They hadn't actually arranged to meet at any specific time that day, so Ayaka was grateful it was earlier than she had thought.
Kazuha closed the door behind him and moved further into the room. He intended to sit in front of Ayaka at a safe distance. However, before he could do so, his attention was inevitably drawn to the kimono rack, located slightly behind the young Kamisato. And, of course, in the warm-colored haori that rested there.
The swordsman's face registered astonishment, especially when the coat's pattern became clearer to him.
"Is that...?" he asked quietly.
"It's your gift," Ayaka explained, standing up. "Do you like it? As soon as I saw the cloth with this pattern, I immediately thought of you and the banners that used to adorn the Kaedehara Estate in the past."
Kazuha didn't immediately reply. Instead, he slowly approached the haori, stopping in front of it. He approached his fingers slowly and ran them slowly over the fabric. It felt fine and soft but resistant. The maple leaves, and wind pattern was equally detailed and flowing. It was, without a doubt, the kind of outfit that only a noble would wear, an outfit that his father, uncle, or grandfather would have worn in the best years of the clan.
However, Kazuha could see some poetry in the shape of the autumn wind carrying the maple leaves. He could imagine them drifting away, flying in the wind, free as the cherry blossom petals in their haiku. He could totally imagine that those leaves were himself.
"Did you think of me when you saw it?" he whispered slowly, turning to Ayaka, who had positioned himself right beside him.
The blue-haired girl nodded confidently.
"Just like you when you saw these, right?" she indicated, reaching up a hand to lightly touch one of her butterfly brooches.
"The value of both gifts is not balanced," Kazuha pointed out with dismay. He turned back to look at the haori. "This must have cost you a lot more than those accessories cost me."
"I had already decided to give you this gift before I knew you would give me anything," Ayaka clarified quickly. "So don't think for a moment that was the reason. And the monetary value of both objects is not what matters to me. In fact..." She lowered her gaze at that moment, somewhat embarrassed. "Perhaps you might consider me rather frivolous, only being able to give you something bought with money that I can easily just take out of my purse, while you surely had to work much harder to get these brooches and the ring."
"I could never think of you as frivolous," Kazuha stated firmly. "Forgive me for indicating the monetary value of the garment in this way. I assure you that is not the first thing I noticed when I saw it. It was… how much I really feel identified with the engraving. And how happy it makes me that it reminded you of me when you saw it."
That made Ayaka remarkably excited.
"So you liked it?"
Kazuha nodded and then turned to look at her and smiled.
"Can I try it on?"
Author Notes:
After a short wait, I will bring you a new batch of chapters, which, as I said on another occasion, will cover the start of the already so-mentioned festival. And the best thing is that, unlike the previous chapters where our protagonists were somewhat separated, each one doing things on their own, this time we will have to see Kazuha and Ayaka much, much more together, spending time together during this festival. But of course, this does not mean that we will not take a look at what the other characters do since there are a couple of surprises in store. So it only remains to see how this progresses. Stay tuned for the next chapter.