Mitsuki had been enjoying her stay so far in the riverside village. Within the village, there was a tea house with nice dessert, nice view of the river, as well as quite a wide selection of food as well. Therefore, it provided her with enough distraction from her nervousness in facing the imminent, unknown consequences of gathering and recovering her memories. Enjoying the fall view on the riverside village, Mitsuki wandered around on the path nearby the riverbank, surrounded by beautiful red and orange colored vegetation, painted by the season.
"Noooo, my kite!" suddenly, a young girl screamed sadly as she looked up to a tree branch. Hearing the girl's exclamation Mitsuki couldn't help but move closer to see what was wrong.
"What's wrong?" Mitsuki asked the girl as she ran towards her. Seeing Mitsuki's approach, the girl turned her head back with an adorable pleading face, tears welling up on the corner of her eyes.
"My string broke.. My kite is stuck on that tree now," the girl told Mitsuki about the gist of her predicament. "Big sis, can you help me? I can't reach it.." she pleaded. Seeing the girl's adorable face, Mitsuki couldn't help but give her a quick pat as she smiled gently.
"No worries, first I need to find where is it stuck on though, can you point it out to me?" Mitsuki responded with a smile, to the girl's excitement. As the girl's eye sparkled, she turned back to face the tree and pointed upwards.
"It's there!"
"Where?" Mitsuki moved back as she couldn't have a clear look at the branch that the girl pointed up to.
"There! Up there!" The girl jumped slightly as she kept her finger pointing up, prompting Mitsuki to move further back once more to have a better, fuller view of the tree. As she walked back, she accidentally bumped into someone behind her and almost lost her balance. Quickly, the person behind him grabbed her by her shoulder firmly, stabilizing her.
"Careful," said a familiar voice. Looking backwards, Mitsuki's gaze met Itachi's as he held her by her shoulder. Their face inches apart from each other as she turned, closer than both Mitsuki and Itachi thought it would be due to Mitsuki's sudden growth in height. Startled, the unexpected closeness sent blood rushing to Mitsuki's face, prompting her to quickly turn and walk forward, releasing herself from Itachi's grip.
"Sorry, Itachi-kun," Mitsuki grinned to cover her embarrassment as she took a peek backward. Looking at Itachi's awkward face as he avoided her gaze, it seemed like she had startled him as well with her reaction.
"What are you doing?" Itachi asked Mitsuki nonchalantly, as he tried to salvage the situation.
"Oh, the girl here lost her kite. She said it's stuck on that tree but somehow I can't pinpoint it," Mitsuki explained briefly. As he heard Mitsuki's explanation, Itachi walked closer towards the girl and looked up at the tree, trying to align his view with the little girl's, with Mitsuki following behind him.
"Hmm, I still can't see it, am I blind or.." Mitsuki grumbled. Hearing her, Itachi chuckled as he lifted the little girl up in his embrace, startling both the little girl and Mitsuki. Realising what Itachi had meant to do, Mitsuki gave the girl a reassurance.
"It's ok, cute lady, this big bro will help bring you up to the tree, OK? Guide him so he can let you reach the kite on your own," said Mitsuki with a gentle smile as she pat the girl that was now lifted in Itachi's embrace. To her words, the little girl nodded with a slight nervousness in her eyes. Following her response, Itachi brought the girl up the tree with ease, following her instruction and let her free the kite on her own while making sure that she's safely supported.
By the time Itachi jumped down, the girl's expression had turned brighter as she clutched her previously lost red kite in her hand. Indeed, it had somehow camouflaged itself perfectly among the autumn leaves, . Slowly, Itachi put the girl down and let her go. Without a word, Mitsuki took the kite off the girls hand and retied it to her leftover string tightly, before giving it back to the girl.
"Thank you, big bro! And also, big sis!" said the girl as she dashed away with the kite in her hand.
"Careful! Don't fly it too close to the tree anymore!" Mitsuki shouted to the girl's running figure, waving. Behind her, Itachi smiled gently towards the little girl. As the girl's figure left their sight, Mitsuki turned to face Itachi with excitement in her face.
"Itachi-kun, have you had your lunch yet?"
"Hmm, 50 ryo for 3 pieces?" Mitsuki said, putting conflicted expression on her face. Cutely sighing, she reached unto her wallet with a calculated sad, pleading face. "It can't be helped, I guess," said Mitsuki with a bitter smile as she handed over the money to the snack merchant.
"Aww, don't be sad, missy! Here, I'll give you one more extra for free!" said the merchant as he put in the bonus unto Mitsuki's pack of order. Immediately, Mitsuki's face lit up.
"Yay! Thank you uncle! Are you sure it's ok, tho?" Mitsuki said with sweetest smile she could muster, slightly frowning as if expressing guilt.
"It's fine! It's fine! Just come again if you like it, missy!" said the merchant with a cheerful smile.
"I will!" said Mitsuki as she walked away, waving, with a cheerful look on her face.
Not too far away, Itachi waited with a bunch of food bags on the slope besides the river bank.
"Hehe, I'm back again~" said Mitsuki cheerfully as she took a seat beside Itachi while passing the newly bought food onto him. "I got some bonus also, hehe~" Mitsuki proudly bragged over her "haggling" attempt's success.
"Again?" asked Itachi, baffled. The girl had been coming and going to all directions, passing him foods each time she passed him as he waited beside the river bank. During a short amount of time, he had collected a lot of different types of foods from her, and apparently, according to her, often time, the merchants had opted to give her some bonus as well.
"Heheheh.." Mitsuki chuckled mischievously, "I've never asked though~ They gave me the bonus on their own volition." Somehow, Mitsuki's cunning expression made Itachi doubt the full truth of her words a little.
"Hehehe, I wonder why Old Man Bocchon insisted that I should keep my childish look. Seeing all this bonus.. Isn't being pretty, mature lady, the best!?" said Mitsuki with sparkles in her eyes as she turned towards Itachi for affirmation. Seeing the expectation in Mitsuki's face, Itachi just smiled wryly in response. Somehow, he felt bad for the merchants who fell for the mischievous girl's ploy.
"Are you sure you should be spending this much on food tho?" Itachi asked lightly, diverting Mitsuki from her question.
"Hmmm, but there's so much food I've never seen before here.. It made me think if not now, then when?" Mitsuki laughed awkwardly as she answered Itachi's question. Wondering what had caused her to rush, Itachi tilted his head slightly, questioning.
"Hahaha, I planned for us to go to the shrine tomorrow. I feel like if I keep delaying and finding excuses, it will get harder and harder eventually," Mitsuki maintained her calm as she took out one taiyaki from within the food bag and shoved it into her mouth, before continuing, ".. and to be honest, I don't know what will happen after that." Mitsuki grinned as worry filled her once more. Itachi could almost see her slightly trembled upon the thought. As he didn't want to push her further, Itachi redirected the conversation once more, away from the impending doom that she dreaded. This time, the topic he brought was towards his previous night's concern. Somehow, Itachi felt nervous about bringing up the topic. Trying to keep his expression flat and unreadable, he muttered calmly,
"Anyway, I was thinking. Isn't it about time for you to get your own separate room?"
As Itachi finished his sentence and turned to take a look at Mitsuki's expression and response, he was surprised to see the horror and shock in Mitsuki's face. Not sure if he should laugh over her expression or express some concern over her fear, Itachi kept his silence.
"WHY!? Do I have weird sleeping habits!?" Mitsuki asked in horror. Trying not to think too much about the reason behind Mitsuki's worry, Itachi tried to explain to her briefly without revealing what had actually made him brought the topic up.
"Isn't it more comfortable for woman to have a room for themselves?" Itachi asked vaguely, framing the words in a way that wouldn't cause Mitsuki to worry. Upon Itachi's word, Mitsuki's eye lightened up slightly when she heard Itachi referred to her as a woman now. Trying not to reveal too much of her happiness, Mitsuki looked away as she muttered softly.
"That is true," she said, as Itachi took a sip of his hot drink, as if comforting himself from his previous, dangerous attempt of distraction.
".. but somehow I feel like it will be a bit lonely," Mitsuki added, sighing.
Hearing her words, Itachi coughed as he almost choked on his drink, startling Mitsuki.
"!? Are you ok, Itachi-kun?" Mitsuki said with panic and worry on her face as she patted Itachi's back softly as Itachi turned his back against her and coughed to his side, covering his mouth.
".. I'm fine," said Itachi after clearing up his throat and wiped the water away from his face, still slightly flustered over Mitsuki's careless word. Somewhere in his mind, he wondered it Mitsuki didn't see him as a guy and therefore didn't mind being alone with him, or even sleeping in the same room alone with him. Somehow, not knowing the reason why, it annoyed him slightly.
When he realised where his thought has gone towards, Itachi was surprised by his own thoughts and quickly diverted it once more, thinking that maybe Mitsuki herself didn't know the implication of such thing, as doubtful as it was.
"Didn't she live a long life before? It couldn't be, right?" Itachi thought doubtfully as he glanced at Mitsuki with a frown on his face, confusing her. Even his own father had given him the "talk" as soon as he reached adolescence, as awkward as it was considering his standing at that time. As Itachi thought back of how Mitsuki treated Reishi and Kina, as well as how she treat him the night of his nightmare, supplemented by his own prediction of her age, Itachi wondered if to her, he just seemed like another kid.
Noticing that Itachi's frowned gaze had lingered on her for a while, Mitsuki asked hesitantly,
"Erm.. Itachi-kun? Is everything alright? Why are you staring at me like that?"
Realising, Itachi sighed as he averted his eyes once more, still with a frown on his face.
"It's nothing, let's finish the foods and go back. I'll arrange the additional room," he responded briefly as he took with him some food from among Mitsuki's haul. Confused, Mitsuki frowned as she narrowed her eyes, trying to get a read from Itachi's soul and expression, to no avail.
"Itachi-kun, you're acting weird today.."
To her words, Itachi said nothing.
"Hmm, I should have paid for it.." said Mitsuki to Itachi, frowning as she stood in front of their previous room's door. She had just finished moving her extra futon from their previous room to her new one.
"You said that your previous earnings almost ran out right? You should keep some cash on your hand," Itachi retorted. He actually felt guilty if he had to make Mitsuki pay for it as he felt responsible for the change in arrangement. Not knowing Itachi's thought, Mitsuki smiled wryly as she said,
"As usual, you're too kind. Well then, see you tomorrow I guess?" In response, Itachi nodded, awkwardly closing the room's door guiltily as Mitsuki walked away from the room's entrance.
Author's note:
It's so peaceful. And Autumn is quite a romantic season, don't you think? Some might argue that spring is the season of love, but to me there's just something about the red autumn leaves.. So I'll take this time as a point where more complicated feelings started to develop hehe :3