Chapter Fifteen

The Unexpected Virtue of Art

Even though the festival grounds had only opened shortly before, the public park in which the festival was being held was already bustling with activity. Many stands representing local stores and restaurants had been set up along the stone walkways in the scenic hills overlooking the river, itself having busy walking paths running along it going toward the pier on the shore at the end of the woods. A perfectly picaresque celebration of nature and community awaited Akira and his friends as they arrived, and then spent the following ten minutes trying to find a parking spot. Ryuji was particularly perturbed by this, loudly and vulgarly questioning why so many people were already at the festival when it was not even the end of the workday yet, but Haru managed to calm him down with a few sweetly toned yet snarky words that seemed to amuse him as much as it did settle his agitated nerves.

They were forced to park quite a ways away from the main festival area, but the girls were extremely grateful that they at least did not have to walk on any of the dirt trails in their yukata. Along the walk toward the festival, Yusuke came up to Makoto's side, both of them walking with perfectly refined, regal postures befitting the honorable nobles they embodied with their clothing, and said, "It was a lovely thing you did for Futaba, Niijima-san." He smiled warmly to her. "I could tell she was most grateful for the gesture."

"You give yourself too little credit, Kitagawa-kun," she replied with eloquence both in her diction and smile. "You were just as supportive of her, weren't you? I assume you have known her the longest of all of us, after all."

"Truth be told, I did not know her very well until we recruited her, for lack of a better term. I had met her on rare occasions when my grandfather hosted Sakura and his Family at our estate, but if you could not tell, she is very… socially withdrawn. Rarely did she ever come out of her guest room. Even her meals were brought to her by the staff. I believe Sakura-san would often try to coax her to join us for the banquets Grandfather would always put on – he was always so fond of them, always attempting to strike the perfect balance between lavishness and refinement –" Yusuke's voice hitched for a moment. Makoto looked to him understandingly. "Pardon me," he cleared his throat as if his emotions would be cleared with it.

"No, it's alright," Makoto said softly. "I doubt you've had much of a chance to mourn. It's only been a few days, after all."

"Hard to believe, given how much has happened." The young man straightened his posture once again, steeling himself emotionally. He continued, "She would never join us no matter how much Sakura asked her. It seemed the only person she would actually speak to was Dr. Takemi, who would accompany her every time she came to the estate. Akira is the first person I've ever heard of actually getting to visit her in her room."

"She definitely needs a bit of help coming out of her shell," Makoto watched Futaba, who seemed to have made her way over to Akira. She followed him from close behind, looking up to him like a little sister trusting her older brother knew the way through an area new to her – an apt description of her situation. "I used to be like her, you know. Not quite to that degree, but I had a hard time adjusting to new people and environments as well. My academic pursuits necessitated me learning to adapt and push past it, but I can empathize with her to some degree. So, I thought it natural to try helping her out, giving her a gentle push while still being supportive of her."

"Very noble of you."

"I don't know if it's 'noble'. I'm content with simply being decent toward others, especially those in need."

"Very noble again."

Makoto smiled. "Hush," she chided him playfully. "There's no need for flattery with me, Yusuke."

"I'm not being flattering. Only honest."

She nodded, her smile growing bigger. "Then it is appreciated. But you deserve to be commended as well."

"It is appreciated," he nodded. "Let's just hope that she can get through the evening without any complications."

"If there are any, she'll have all of us. That's what matters."

"Indubitably."

At last, they all came upon the festival grounds. Families, couples, and friend groups all jovially walked between the stands, inspecting the food and souvenirs with excited fascination. Some of the adults were still wearing their work attire, indicating that even those without families were so excited for the festival that they came right from work. Akira figured that the festival was a good place to get food after a long day, in any case, even in spite of the expected upcharge.

"Wow!" Chie exclaimed excitedly. "There's even more vendors here than there usually are! I honestly thought that there was going to be a lot less stuff to do because of all of the drama lately."

"They really went all out this year, it seems," Yu remarked. "But did anyone else see all the cop cars on the way here? I bet they've bumped up security just as much."

Kanji said, "Makes sense. Don't want any more party crashers ruining things for the community."

Naoto added, "I almost feel like I should visit a shrine to pray that nothing happens tonight. I don't know if it would do anything, but it might put my mind at ease."

Akira scanned the area for a moment, hands in his pockets. "Everyone here seems pretty relaxed. We might as well try to act like them, just enjoy the evening."

"A-and if anything happens?" Futaba asked quietly.

Akira turned around to face her, looking down at her with a neutral gaze. "Then we kick their asses, just like always," he said flatly. "We'll use the Force," he suddenly smiled at her, and the reference caused her to immediately smile in turn, seeming to have forgotten her worries entirely in a flash.

Ryuji interjected, "So, what? You're a superhero and a Jedi now, too?"

"Maybe," Akira smirked.

Ann added, "I guess his katana is kind of like a lightsaber. Hey, you think you can move stuff with your mind too?"

"I can't say I've tried that yet."

"What about choking?" Everyone looked to her inquisitively. Ann awkwardly held her midsection, retreating into herself before blurting out, "Hey! Look at that takoyaki stand! Let's go over there and check it out right now!" She grabbed Akira's arm and dragged him away toward the stand, sporting a manic grin as she hurried as fast as the yukata allowed her.

"Big bro," Nanako asked Yu, tugging at his shirt to get his attention, "why does Ann want to know if Akira can choke someone?"

Yu sighed defeatedly. "I'll tell you when you're older."

"Hmm," Nanako relented. "Adults are weird."

"Adults are very weird," Yu agreed. "Oh well, time to party, everybody," he declared. "Let's have some fun tonight."

"At last," Haru sighed contentedly. "Oh, I wonder if I can find some origami or water lilies, or tea brews…" she muttered, stroking her chin.

"Why do you need that?" Ryuji asked.

"Oh! Um, n-no reason. Well, there is a reason, but it's, uh… personal," she looked away, running a hand through her floofy hair.

Ryuji nodded casually, repressing the fact that he found her rather cute when she was flustered. "Well, we can definitely look for some of that, if you want. Can't be too hard to find around here since there's so damn many vendors."

"Oh, you don't need to do that! I don't want to take up your entire evening just looking for mementos!"

Ryuji chuckled, sporting a sly, charismatic glow. "Sure as hell doesn't hurt me. And besides, I wanted to look at the stands anyway. That's what you'd be doing looking for these things, right?"

Haru looked to him strangely, eyebrow raised, before a small smile pulled at her lips. "Then… I guess we should see what's around here, if it's not too much trouble."

"So long as we get some food along the way, I don't mind."

Rise watched the whole show from behind them, smiling deviously. "Another ship might be about to sail, my dear," she whispered to Yu. "Is there anything we should do to help the anchors aweigh?"

"Sit back and let it happen naturally at their own pace?"

Rise pouted. "Sometimes you really have no sense of romance, babe."

"Come on, they're big kids. They can work it out," Yu smiled reassuringly.

"But think of all the drama and gossip I'm missing out on!" she muttered, watching Haru and Ryuji out of the corner of her eye. "She's a stupid rich heiress being swept off her feet by a lean, mean yakuza! It's like one of my josei manga come to life!"

"Are you saying you think they're going to have sex tonight?"

"No, but I wouldn't put it past them! Can you imagine how pent up a demure and proper heiress like her must be? Especially after all she's endured with other men in her life?"

Yu raised an eyebrow. "You've taken a lot of interest in this, hon. You've only known them a few days."

"So have you! And I'm just doing what any self-respecting girl when one of her own is caught in the trials and tribulations of romance."

"Collect mountains of gossip?"

"And want to make sure they have the most romantic and beautiful night they possibly can," she smiled much more genuinely to him. "So just help me keep tabs on them, damn it! Sure, they can go roam around and get some alone time for a bit, then we all reconvene for dinner later and do just what we did with Akira and Ann! It worked out so well, didn't it?"

"You have a point."

Rise put her hands together, repressing a cry of excited joy. "Ooh, I can never get enough of this stuff! I love romance!"

"You are good at it," Yu nodded with a smile. Rise repaid his kind words with a kiss on the cheek.

"I know. It's how I landed you," she winked at him. She looked back over her shoulder, seeing Haru and Ryuji walking away, both being rather close to each other. "Oh, this will be good," Rise said deviously. "There will certainly be fireworks tonight. You know, unless he messes it up."

"We'll have to see," said Yu. "I was talking to him earlier though. A bit rough but a nice guy."

"He better be. Haru is such a sweetheart, so he should be just as nice to her. Oh well," she shrugged, "might as well make the most of our time here. Can we see if they have any handcrafted accessory stands here? I've been saving up money to buy a few."

"Sure thing." Yu offered Rise his arm, which she took gladly. "Let me know if anything else catches your eye along the way."

"You do the same. I'm not just here for a shopping spree. I wanna spend the evening with you." She kissed him on the cheek lightly, and they were on their way just like Ryuji and Haru, who were getting back into their previous conversation as Haru inspected each vendor they passed.

She paid particular attention to the vendors selling handcrafted items, which led to them running into Rise and Yu on occasion. Glass figurines, home grown plants, locally sourced tea and coffee brews, and painted art pieces especially caught her eye. At one point, she came across an especially popular tea vendor, setting up a stand near the end of the road they had entered from. The line was long, but when Haru got a glimpse of the inventory from across the street, all being peddled by a kindly looking elderly couple, she immediately told Ryuji that she was going to wait in line, but he was welcome to go meet up with the others. To her surprise, Ryuji offered to stay with her.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," she politely insisted. "It looks like it could be a few minutes, and I know that you were getting hungry."

Ryuji shook his head and smiled. "It's not an issue. Besides, those tea brews smell amazing. And with this many people being excited about it, it's gotta be worth something."

Haru blushed out of embarrassment at being so accommodated by him, but relented when he led her to the back of the line. The line seemed to be moving fairly steadily despite its length; Haru guessed that people were likely so eager to see the rest of the festival that they were not inclined to thorough shopping. After a minute of waiting, she said quietly yet wistfully, "This place really is beautiful." She looked around herself. To her right was the forested area of the park, and to the left was the river. She saw small boats traveling along the water in a sort of unorganized procession, their occupants waving to the exuberant onlookers on the shore. A couple boats were even fishing. "I haven't been somewhere like this in a long time."

"Me neither," said Ryuji. "I think I went to a place like this once with my mom when I was young, and I mean really young. All I remember about it was that it was in the lowlands near the mountains to the north – just some images, sounds, smells. Nothing super concrete."

"My mother brought me to a place like this once as well when I was in middle school," Haru continued, watching the boats float along the river. "I spent a lot of my youth at prestigious boarding schools since both my parents were busy in the business and legal sectors. Oh, uh, my mom is— er, was, a lawyer, actually."

Ryuji looked to her, noticing the catch in her voice when she corrected the tense referring to her mother. "That's… cool," he said flatly, not sure exactly how to respond to her slipup.

Haru nodded but kept her gaze focused on the river. "When I was in the seventh grade, I got to spend the summer break home for the first time in two years at that point. Toward the end of it, we got to go to an autumn festival much like this one. It was even near a river, though not directly on it like here. This just… puts me in mind of her."

Ryuji paused, taking in the softening of her voice and demeanor as the line meandered forward. "Sounds like a great time," he finally said.

"It was. The festival lasted a few days, and we spent every evening there eating and dancing and watching fireworks. She bought me so many souvenirs that it was difficult to get them on the plane home," she chuckled weakly, but her smile quickly faded. "She always liked those things," Haru muttered. "She was raised in the countryside, so I think it reminded her of home."

"I'll bet. Was your dad there too?"

She shook her head. "He got called away to a company conference shortly before we left. To his credit, he was genuinely apologetic for it and tried to make it up to us when we got back with a family dinner at a fancy restaurant, but… you know. It still sucked."

"Your dad almost doesn't sound like that bad of a guy when you talk about him sometimes."

"I don't know if he's 'bad'; he certainly didn't used to be. He was distant, and stern, but I always knew he loved me and my mom." She turned around as they were next in line to see the vendor. "Until recently…" she murmured just loud enough that Ryuji would hear.

Damn, was all he thought.

Haru put on a bright smile as she greeted the elderly couple with a respectful bow. "May I see what you have to offer?" she asked.

"Of course, young lady," said the wife, a small lady leaning on a cane but still sporting a cheery demeanor. "Are you a fan of tea?"

"Very much! I truly love tea and coffee. Brewing them is almost meditative for me, like a mind-clearing ritual sometimes."

The husband, a large man with a complimentarily large beard, said with an equally cheery smile, "That's a big part of what makes tea so great, isn't it? It's not just the drink itself, but the process of picking out the perfect brew for what the mind and spirit needs at the moment, heating and steeping in your favorite mug, and letting nature's warmth wash calm you from the inside."

"Oh, dearie," the wife pinched his arm. "No need to get so poetic on the child."

"I can't help it," the husband let out a strong belly laugh. "You know I'm just so passionate about these things."

"There's no need to worry," Haru shook her head. "I feel the exact same way about it. Tea is an experience, a ritual, not just a drink."

"Huh," Ryuji spoke up. "I never really thought about it before."

The wife added, "Are you not a tea person, young man?"

"I can't say that I ever have been, really," he said awkwardly but politely.

"Well, maybe this beautiful young flower with you can enlighten you a bit," she motioned to Haru. Both immediately stiffened at the implication.

The husband let out another bellowing laugh. "Ah, youth," he mused. "Don't tease them too much, dear. They haven't even bought anything yet."

"I can't help myself!" the wife protested. "Look at them! They're adorable together." Ryuji thought about interjecting and correcting her but that somehow felt rude, more so to Haru than the old lady. He held his tongue, waiting for Haru's reaction, and to his surprise, she seemed no less pleased than when they had started talking.

She scanned the shelves before them, inspecting each bag of tea brew carefully. She settled on one specifically and held it up, reading the label. "'Summer Morning'," she read aloud. "What's in this one?"

The husband replied, "Oh, that's one of our fan favorites. It's a light, sweet brew made from a fine cocktail of peach, mango, and raspberries. The tea leaves add a layer of natural, calming earthiness to the taste, and the fruit has just enough sweetness to invigorate the mind and body, much like how one feels when waking up to a perfect, sunny summer sunrise."

Haru smiled again, though softly as if a complex thought had just struck her. "I would like this one," she said after a contemplative moment. "It sounds heavenly."

"Hmm," the old lady muttered, "I would have taken you for a lavender girl at first sight, given your aesthetic, but I guarantee this one will be just the nice, gentle push to get your day started with both comfort and energy."

Ryuji chuckled in his throat. "You guys are quite the salespeople, I'll give you that. Almost convinced me to buy some."

"Would you like to?" Haru suddenly asked. "I'm sure it would be good for you."

"I don't know the first thing about tea though."

"Well then, the first thing about tea is just choosing a flavor that tastes good. If you can do that, then you officially know the first thing!" she beamed.

Ryuji smiled at her exuberant explanation. He noticed that her voice would pitch up even more than usual when she was excited or happy, and this happened to be one of those observable moments, confirming to him that she was at least briefly feeling better after their conversation. "If it's really that good," he relented, looking over the various bags. After a moment, he picked one up and read the label. "Huh, 'Dreamleaves'? What's that?"

The wife said, "It's one of our nighttime recipes. A calming palate and aroma that helps ease you into a cozy, deep sleep that encourages vivid dreams."

"Wait, did you put a hallucinogens in this?"

"Not at all, dear. It just relaxes the mind and body enough that you can have a more restful sleep, which allows your mind to experience more vivid dreams."

"Huh, I guess that makes sense," Ryuji remarked. "And I could use a good night's sleep after the last few weeks." He shrugged and reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. "You got yourselves a sale, guys. I'll buy both of them."

Haru's eyes widened in surprise. "Both of them? Why? I can afford my own, you really don't need to."

"I know," Ryuji nodded. "Consider it a bit of repayment for letting me drive your fancy car," he smiled to her then handed some money to the husband. "Thanks, guys."

The wife clasped her hands together approvingly. "Such a gentleman! Oh, I can already tell that you take such good care of her!" Ryuji and Haru glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes then looked away, saying nothing as the husband placed their order in a bag.

"Please, enjoy," the husband said as he handed the bag to Ryuji. "And come by our shop in town anytime. You're always welcome at Natural Blessings, both of you."

Haru bowed in thanks. Ryuji nodded his head and said, "Take care, guys," with a wave as he and Haru walked away.

Haru quickly said, "I really appreciate you doing that for me, and I apologize if I came off as ungrateful when you offered to buy the tea."

"It's not a problem," he handed her the bag. "I know it's only a thousand yen, so it doesn't begin to compare to a Ferrari, but I just thought it would be nice to give you some kickback, you know?"

Haru giggled, holding the bag tightly. "Well, thank you again. I'll make sure to give you your bag when we get back to the hotel. Do you know how to make it?"

Ryuji laughed. "I know how to steep a teabag, yeah. Should help me sleep well tonight, at least."

"I certainly hope so. A nice cup of tea after all this fresh air; I'd be surprised if you woke up before noon tomorrow."

"For real? Then I hope you guys save me some breakfast."

"Oh, I'm sure we all will be sleeping in quite a bit tomorrow too." They laughed with each other pleasantly, lightly. "At least, I do hope so," she said quietly.

"Why's that?"

"Just… a lot on my mind, as you've likely noticed."

"Yeah," Ryuji said slowly. "This is all reminding you of your mom a lot, huh?"

"Very. It's been five years since she passed away. Cancer…"

"Ah, I gotcha," Ryuji said understandingly. "I'm sorry."

Haru shook her head. "She passed peacefully at home, though the process was… fast. She had some kind of allergy to traditional treatments, so all we could do was make her comfortable." She looked down at the bag of tea solemnly, her face expressionless and distant. "It was four months since the diagnosis when she passed."

Ryuji nodded. "That's rough, buddy," he said.

Haru paused, holding the bag to her chest. "My mom really liked tea. She was something of a snob about it, funnily enough," she giggled weakly. "But she did know how to make a hell of a pot. She and I bought a special brew together as well when we were at that festival we were talking about." She suddenly straightened her posture. "Oh, um, sorry for just… rambling like that," she wore a quivering smile. "That was inappropriate of me."

"Nothing to worry about," Ryuji shook his head. "She sounds like a nice lady."

"She was. Very much," she smiled. "Is there… anything you wanted to do right now?" she asked slowly. "If you're still hungry; I am certainly starting to get a bit myself."

Ryuji looked around at the stands on either side of them, clicking his tongue thoughtfully. "Well, what do you know," he said after a moment. "They have yakitori over there. I could definitely go for some meat if you're down."

"Honestly, that sounds delightful," Haru sighed, placing a hand on her belly. "I desperately need something with substance."

"Then let's get in line. It's only gonna get busier as it gets closer to dinnertime." They walked closely by each other as they approached the food stand, purchasing some delectably tender looking chicken skewers with rice, the seasoning on the meat piercing the air with a spicy but alluring aroma. They found a bench a little up the road and sat down to enjoy their snack.

Haru hummed with satisfaction after her first bite. "Scrumptious!" she declared. "The meat's so tender that it feels like it's melting in your mouth!"

Not wanting to waste another moment, Ryuji took a large bite, rending a large chunk of chicken from the skewer. His eyes widened with similar excitement and satisfaction as the perfectly seasoned and cook chicken hit his tastebuds. "Fanpfasthick!" he said through a full mouth before swallowing, then promptly took another large bite.

Haru giggled pleasantly before bursting out laughing at his display. "What a boor you are, Sakamoto-kun!"

Ryuji smirked at her, showing off the juices from the chicken staining his lips and teeth. "Sorry if this is too peasant-like for you, princess," he teased her. "But when you live life like I do, surrounded by criminals, murderers, death possibly waiting around every corner, you learn to not be so uptight about enjoying the good things in life."

"Don't forget that I was there when a sorcerer invaded the estate!" she protested, placing her hands on her hips haughtily yet unable to repress her amused smile. "I've faced down the horrors of this world just like you have!"

"Well, maybe not all the horrors I have," he corrected her. "But it was pretty funny to hear the responsible and proper heiress break character for a moment like that."

Haru cleared her throat awkwardly. "Oh yeah, that… The adrenaline got to me," she chuckled again.

"Hey, I got the mouth of a goddamned sailor, so you'll never fucking me hear say any shit about any bitches or assholes saying nasty words. Hell with that." Ryuji bit off another chunk of meat, seeming quite proud with his vulgar wordplay.

Haru giggled girlishly then took a small bite of her skewer. She continued with precise diction, "Hell yeah, fuck that. No bitch has got time for that judgment or some shit."

Ryuji's chicken caught in his throat when Haru's sudden expletives caused him to involuntarily laugh. He punched his chest as choked coughs mixed with gasping laughter, trying to dislodge the food in his throat.

Haru gasped in shock and worry as he started choking. "Oh my goodness, are you okay!?" she exclaimed, not noticing herself putting a hand on his shoulder supportively.

Ryuji keeled over with one more long, gasping cough then sat up straight and took a deep breath. "I… I'm fine," he sighed, punching his chest twice more. "I just didn't expect you to say all that. Caught me off guard."

"Oh dear, I apologize! I was just trying to make a joke. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm totally okay," Ryuji assured her. "Just got a bit of food in my throat, but it's all good now."

Haru put a hand to her forehead exasperatedly. "Ugh, this is what I get for trying to live boorishly like all of you," she sighed though started to laugh at her own faux prissiness.

"You just need some practice," Ryuji smiled to her, then ate another piece of chicken like he had not just been choking on it. "We can work on it."

"Maybe we just all need to get baked again," she suggested.

"Anytime you want to, just let me know. I stowed away a bit of the good stuff when we came here."

"You did?"

"Of course!" Ryuji said confidently. "We were here to relax, right? Had to be prepared if we ever got an opportunity."

"I may have to take you up on that. The last time was really fun! We just have to get Yusuke to play guitar again."

"I'm sure we can make somethin' happen," he nodded and finished off his skewer. "Well, princess, anything else you wanna get now?"

"Hmm," Haru stroked her chin. "If I am a 'princess', as you say, perhaps thou wouldst be inclined to acquiesce mine request to sally out and procure for mine honor a most valuable boon befitting of Her Grace's beneficence?"

Ryuji blinked twice with wide eyes. "Uh, what?"

"Would you please help me find one more item, if you don't have anything else you want to do?" she translated, amused by his confusion.

"Ooh," Ryuji nodded and laughed at his own misunderstanding of her flowery speech. "Yeah, I can help you out, then we can meet up with the others. What is this 'boon' that you need?"

Haru finished her skewer and wiped her mouth with a napkin. Ryuji took notice of how even such simple motions as cleaning her mouth held a sense of elegance and refinement with the way she precisely yet slowly moved the napkin across her full, soft lips. "I would like to purchase an origami piece," she said. "It's… another one of my mother's hobbies that she tried to teach me. I was never very good at it, but there is one piece that I would like to find, if any happen to have it here."

"What's that?"

"Well, any nice piece will do, of course, but if it's possible, I'd like to find a lily flower design. That was my mother's favorite, though I haven't been able to find one for years."

"That's the mission then," Ryuji said confidently, standing to his feet. "Let's see what we can find."

Haru quickly replied, "We don't need to search too thoroughly; I don't want to take up the entire evening. But if we do manage to find something, it would really cap off my night."

"Knock on wood, then," Ryuji tapped the wooden bench with his knuckles, prompting Haru to giggle again, and they walked off down the road, standing even closer than they had been.

Haru occasionally would brush against his arm with her shoulder. At first, she would step to the side on contact, not wanting to make Ryuji feel awkward, but he seemed either not to notice, or not to mind. She could feel the tense muscles of his arms when she brushed against him, something she had not felt since he rescued her from Daigo. In that chaotic, terrifying moment, she had been unable to internalize any details about Ryuji or the situation beyond the necessities, but she did distinctly remember how strong he seemed to be. An athlete's body indeed, with broad shoulders, strong arms and legs – his history of physical conditioning for running likely served him very well as a yakuza. He could certainly hold his own in a fight, even if he was not quite as flashy as Akira.

Any other woman would assume Ryuji was a "bad boy", perhaps hiding a heart of gold somewhere deep, deep down. The sly look in his eyes, the confident swagger of his mannerisms, all edges sharpened by unapologetic terseness and vulgarity in the face of conflict and opposition inferred the hedonistic, and perhaps nihilistic, outlook of one who lived their life running on the edge of the blade, as did all yakuza. Yet since first she laid eyes on him did she see a man composed not of selfish ambition or malice, but one of passion and directness molded by a life for whom all that he ever was required proving to the world at every step.

As this summation rang in her mind, reverberating within her thoughts over and over, Haru felt within her spirit some sense of kindred pain and drive, as she herself had lived her whole life secretly desiring the chance to be as free as he was. At every turn though, something from her status or her father pulled her back into the coarse, tight grip of high society and all the expectations that came with it. To her father and her bastardly betrothed, Haru was only a womb to be sold and filled – at least that was what she thought of her father much of the time recently. But such things were an alien concept to Ryuji, who in spite of his subordination to the masters of his clan, still seemed as free as a spring bird, the wind itself acting as his guide in his life.

A pang of jealousy twisted in her gut, but only for a moment before she felt some strange sudden safeness being close to him. She brushed against him with her shoulder one more time as if to confirm to herself that he was there, that this was all real. That next to her was one who saved her life selflessly even though she spoke out against the yakuza; a man who saw her not as a prize, but a person.

Her mother had told her many times to try to find someone who would see her as such, and how desperately did she wish for it all her days, especially after meeting Daigo. An image of Ryuji holding her like the knight and princess she had played at flashed in her head but she dispelled it, not wanting to fall into childish fantasies like a schoolgirl. The flutter it caused in her heart, however, was undeniable.

Some moments later, they came upon a small vendor stand nearly hidden among two larger ones that sold masks and parasols respectively. A stocky yet strong man well into his elderly years, his face worn and his hair thinning, stood behind the stand in a grey kimono with an imposingly stern posture like that of an ancient samurai. The image alone caught Haru's attention, but her fascination grew many times when she realized that before him were many intricately designed origami pieces contained within glass boxes to shield them from the breeze.

"Guess we found a stand for you," Ryuji remarked. "Never would have pegged that guy for an origami designer though."

They approached the stand, getting a better look at the designs while the man watched them intently. He bowed gracefully to them as they approached. "Welcome, young sir, young miss," he said. His voice was as strong yet stern as his demeanor. "Have you any interest in my collection?"

Haru was so enamored with beauty of the designs that she nearly forgot to respond to him. "Uh, y-yes, sir," she said, compelled to address him so due to his regality. "Did you make all these?" she asked in amazement.

Within the glass cases sat about twenty origami pieces, most of animals though a few depicted flowers and abstract shapes. Each one was intricately crafted, the angles and folds all executed with delicate precision. It was some of the best work Haru had ever seen.

"Indeed, miss," the man replied. "I have been practicing the art of origami for over fifty years now."

"They're incredible," she muttered, unable to take her eyes off the display. "I almost feel indecent at the mere thought of touching them."

The man chuckled in his throat. "I can bag them for you, if that is the case. Unless you merely wanted to see them. That is entirely fine if so."

Ryuji leaned in to look at the pieces as well, coming extremely close to her face. She could almost feel his body warmth, hear his breath as he inspected the display. "Very impressive, boss," he said. "Not bad at all."

"I greatly appreciate it," he nodded his head slowly. "Is there any in particular that catch your eye?"

At the center of the display were two immaculate pieces, one of a tiger and one of a crane, both of which encompassing hundreds of tiny pieces of white and colored paper to create the base and accent colors. Haru's eyes, however, had long since fallen on a beautiful floral design off to the right of the center. The lily was pure white with hints of pink, purple, and red among the petals and the base. Haru put a hand to her heart, a memory blitzing to the forefront of her mind.

"This one is beautiful," she pointed to the lily.

"Ah, yes," the man nodded. "That is a recent piece, one of my finer ones I have produced in the last year. I am greatly proud of it. Has something specifically about it struck you, miss?"

Haru stood up slowly yet still stared at the lily. "My mom was very into origami as a hobby," she began quietly. "She had made one of these when I was young."

"She 'was'?" the artist asked.

Haru paused. "She passed away a few years ago."

"Ah," he said slowly, nodding. "I see." His expression did not change but his voice took on a slight softness.

"She gave the lily to me and I kept it until she died. I left it… at her gravestone when they buried her."

The artist nodded again with understanding. Ryuji watched her intently, listening to every syllable as she finished her story, feeling compelled to hear not only words, but the emotions behind the words. Her eyes had yet to move from the lily.

She continued, "Times have been hard recently, and I've found myself missing her more often than I usually do." Ryuji had not seen any tears yet, but she still wiped her eye with her finger. "I don't have anything of hers with me right now, but I wish I did. This lily… reminds me of her."

"Hmm," the artist hummed in his throat. "I understand, miss. And I am sorry for your loss. She sounds like a wonderful woman, with how you speak of her."

"She was…" Haru's voice caught in her throat. "That design was very special to her because her… her name was Yuri [T.N.: "Yuri" is the Japanese word for Lily].

Ryuji had no words.

Haru repressed a sob. "Would you…" she finally looked to the artist, her tear-filled eyes glistening in the evening light. "Would you allow me to purchase it? I swear, I'm not making this up or trying to sway you or anything—"

The artist held up his hand to her, cutting her off. She saw many scars on his hand, some faded and old and others fresher and more pronounced, indicative of his many years dedicated to his craft. "I believe you, child," he said, maintaining his rigid, regal posture and voice. "I could practically see the palpability of your memories in your eyes as you spoke, all now shining clearer as I look at you." He lowered his hand, folding both behind his back.

He looked down at the lily. "It always pains me when I see someone purchase one of my pieces simply for the look of it. When there is no connection between the owner and the piece, it is merely a trinket to be shown on a shelf. I do not believe that to be the purpose of my art, nor any art. Such things are to be connected with - understood in a unique, personal way to the one who sees it or possesses it." He closed his eyes in thought and smiled for the first time since they began talking. "There are few greater joys in life than when I know my art is going to someone who genuinely connects with it, who derives their own value and meaning from the design. The only things more beautiful than that were when I married my wife and when my son was born."

Haru tried to stop herself from crying so as not to ruin her makeup, but a few tears still managed to sneak down her face. But Ryuji saw in her no more sadness or grief, but relief, even joy. She seemed to almost be glowing as the sunlight washed over her through the leaves of an overhanging tree.

The artist said, "It would be my honor for you to purchase it." He bowed deeply to Haru.

She wiped her face once more and bowed, her floofy hair gently bouncing with the motion. "The honor is mine, truly," she said.

"Then we are both honored by your ownership of it," he replied. "That is the best exchange between two people."

"How much shall I pay you?" she took out her wallet.

"1,500 yen, miss."

"What?" she asked. "The display says that it's three thousand yen."

"I know," he nodded. "I am just happy that it is going to a proper home."

Haru smiled but shook her head. "Here," she placed three thousand yen on the table, "I insist. Please."

The artist raised an eyebrow but collected the coins. Smiling again, he said, "I humbly accept." He opened the case and gently lifted the lily off of the shelf. He placed it in a small plastic box and handed it to Haru, both exchanging bows again. "I pray it will bring your mother's spirit close to you once again," he said.

Haru looked at the lily closely. A bright smile seemed to make her glow even more. "It already has," she whispered and held it to her chest for a moment.

Before she could thank the artist again, he said, "Now be off. Be careful with the lily, but be sure to enjoy your evening, both of you."

"We will, sir, thank you," Haru bowed again.

Ryuji smiled unconsciously as he watched her mood brighten so. He turned him and said, "Thank you very much, uh… what's your name again, boss?"

"Fujiki, sir."

"Fujiki, huh? You got a shop in town?"

"Oh no," he shook his head. "I am merely visiting as a vendor for the festival. I live quite far away, you see, but I will not allow something as trivial as age to stop me from traveling so my work may be a blessing to others. I was a craftsman by trade, but dedicating my twilight years to more delicate arts has been… a great source of peace for me."

"Well, safe travels then, boss. And thanks again."

Fujiki bowed. "You are most welcome. And… be good to her," he said.

Ryuji looked to him with surprise, then back to her. He nodded slowly in response, sharing a smile with Fujiki, and they were on their way.

"I'm glad you got to do that," Ryuji said quietly, standing close to Haru.

She nodded, fixated on the lily. "Me too. Thank you for… putting up with me."

Ryuji shook his head. "This kind of thing doesn't hurt me, you know."

She giggled, their arms brushing against each other once more. "I'm glad," she whispered.

She heard her mom's voice when she looked at the lily, saw her smile in its petals. Haru felt a warmth in her heart unlike anything she had felt for a very long time, as if her mother was near to her once more.

It was already a perfect evening for both of them, and both wondered if it was possible – in some cosmically strange and lucky way – for it to get even better.

Surely not, but then again, stranger things had happened to them recently.

[Reviews are always appreciated. Special thanks to my beta reader and editor, KweenPotato.]