NB:
Hi all. First of all, I want to thank those of you who have given me emails and comments. It really encouraged me =) As for the names, I will gradually shorten it but for the benefit of those unfamiliar with the Japanese name system, here's a short summary: -san is like Mr/Ms and but the family name comes before that e.g.: Fukui-san or Inoue-san. Sometimes I use –sama in addressing Ryunnosuke because it denotes a form of respect for a higher authority.
Okay, on with the story now. The next chapter will be on hold till after Christmas, so Happy Holidays to all!
Love -MC
***
The sun had just set when the Hiroto and Miyuko arrived in the next town in the Kohoku-ku. They had been riding up north for almost half the day and both horse and rider were in need of rest and food.
Miyuko followed behind Hiroto quietly as her eyes roam the scenery of this strange town. Miyuko had never wandered further than her own district of Kanagawa-ku. The proximity of her village to the sea meant that most of the villagers were fishermen. But in this district, most of the people depended on the river for their livelihood. It was her first time seeing a watermill; Hiroto had kindly explained to her what it was used for.
"Fukui-san, I hope you're hungry. The unagi here is one of the best," said Hiroto.
"You mean freshwater eel? That's nothing compared to the kind we catch," replied Miyuko.
"Wait and be amazed."
When the inn-keeper came to greet them, Miyuko had bowed politely and settled herself on the tatami mat, opposite Hiroto at the table.
"You don't have to sit
seiza
style, Miyu. You're supposed to be a man," said Hiroto, concealing his laughter.
"It is the proper way to sit! On your knees and not on your buttocks like a ruffian!"
"As you wish Miyu… just remember that this is an all male-inn. If you want to be safe, you must blend in."
"Then, why did you stop calling me by my family name?"
"Ah, I like the sound of Miyu on my tongue. An irony."
"Why do you say that, Inuoe-san?" she asked as she repositioned herself to sit on her buttocks instead of sitting with her knees on the ground.
"You're not beautiful nor gentle as your name implies," sniggered Hiroto.
She was about retort when their server came with their food and Miyuko was forced to smile instead.
"Eat up Miyu. I can't have a weak companion as we make the next journey tomorrow morning. The hills and forests heading towards Kawasaki city are very treacherous indeed."
Miyu nodded and started on her food. Hiroto was right. The freshwater eel tasted so different from those caught in the ocean.
"Be less demure Miyu…"
She merely slanted her eyes at him and put down her chopsticks and started eating with the spoon instead. Scooping up a generous portion of sticky rice, she stuffed it into her mouth and started chewing.
When they've finished eating, Hiroto ordered two cups of green tea. As he drank, he observed his companion over the rim of his cup.
Miyu's face had been dirtied with a bit of soil and her hair bunned up and hidden under her straw hat. Still, it did not hide the fact that she had a graceful neck or pouty lips. Hiroto lowered his gaze and continued drinking his tea.
"Inoue-san… may I see that letter addressed to my father please?"
"I'm afraid that business is only between the Shogun and your father."
"But he's dead!" said Miyu, half shrieking.
"Precisely," replied Hiroto calmly, as he continued sipping his tea. When she remained quiet, he raised his gaze to stare her in the eye. She was fuming. "When we reach the capital, you may ask the Shogun yourself if you are worthy of reading that letter."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"My job is to deliver this letter only to Ryunnosuke-sama. And even though you're his daughter, you may not understand everything that is not your business to know. Am I right?"
Sighing, she gave in to his explanation. Denying her the right to read her father's letter made her even more wary of him. Miyu got up to her feet, bowed and excused herself to head to her room. The inn-keeper took her to her room and gave her towels and showed her where the bath house was located. Miyu bowed to thank the old man and closed the
shoji
.
Remembering that the inn was only for men, Miyu decided not to risk taking a bath yet but to wait till the wee hours of the morning to try and sneak in for a quick wash. In the meantime, she saw that the inn-keeper had prepared a washing basin for her. So she soaked the towel and squeezed the water out and began to wipe the grime off her face. The warm water felt good and she was eager to have a proper bath. After taking off her father's outer kimono, she began to loosen the tight bounds of her
hiyoku.
When finally the binds were removed, she could breathe easier. Miyu massaged her breast in an effort to ease the tenderness brought about by her tight undergarments.
Slipping off her
hiyoku
, she wiped her body with the towel. She wished she had soap but for now, she had to be satisfied. Feeling adequately clean, she reached for her makeshift rucksack and pulled out a
nemaki.
The soft cotton material of her sleepwear felt so good on her skin. She didn't like the rough material of her father's kimono and wished that she had brought hers along instead of agreeing to Hiroto's suggestion to dress as a man.
Sighing to herself, she rolled out the
futon
on the floor and fluffed up the pillow to prepare for sleep. She was tired- mind, body and soul. She felt as though she was simply going on a journey and would come home again to see her father, waiting for her at their front porch. In that moment, Miyu simply laid down, placed her palms on her face and cried herself to sleep.
It was a while later when she woke up and realized that the inn was really quiet and the lights had all been put out. Taking one of the lanterns in her room, Miyu took a dry towel and tiptoed her way to the bath house. It was a public bath and she really hoped that there would be no one inside at such a late hour.
