Kyuden Shika

His attendant dismissed Soyokaze worked with a focus he had never had before. He did not need to look at the piece of steel he was working, he felt that each strike was true, instead he stared straight ahead at his wakizashi which had been mounted on the wall free of it's saya. With every third swing he pumped the bellows of his hearth, not because he needed it to be hot but because he wanted it hot and the market stall was like the heart of a volcano as sweat poured down his body.

A bell sound can be heard from the outside. It was the first time she rung it.

The sound of the bell cut through him deeper than a dozen arrows would. Slowly he dropped his hammer and tongs and reached for a towel. He didn't dive for his kimono, he did nothing to hide the shame that crisscrossed his back, he was done with trying to hide things. "Enter." he threw a bucket of water into the hearth and went to open the back of the stall up to let some air in. "Please come in."

The woman had a whole day to think and ponder about what she was about to do. "Soyo kun!" The Kaito smiled as she came in. "A word."

He didn't turn around right away and as he spoke he shuddered a little, like he was suddenly very cold inside this sauna. "Good evening Bai-san, I aLwaYs hAVe TImE fOR You. i HopE InARi HAS blEssed You today." Every word was a dagger in the gut. He finally turned around and perhaps to both their surprise he wasn't crying. "Would you like some tea?"

She nodded. "Tea is always welcomed." Bai took a seat in the cushions. "Thank you for receiving me at this hour."

He took his kimono off the wall and put it on somewhat sloppily then using tongs took up the tea pot and carried it over careful not to drop it or spill. "You can call upon me any time. My apologies for how hot it is in here, the tea likewise is very hot right now we should let it cool for a minute. How can I help you?" He spared a glace at the back of the forge, at his wakizashi still hanging on the wall then he sat down and finally looked her in the eye.

The girl did something he wouldn't expect and gave the man a hug. She didn't care about the heat or the tea, she cared about the man in front of her. "Jealousy is a sin." The woman kissed his cheek.

WHAT?!


Of all the things she could say this was not expected. Anger, hatred, sadness were the things he expected not even more compassion. he didn't know what to do, he had made an oath in front of witnesses; but hadn't he made an oath to her first? Could he really forsake his honor so soon after? For her he could and he returned her embrace.

"What? Of all the things to say you admonish me for being jealous of Murato? After what I did?"

"You are not the jealous one nor Murato san." She smiled. "A chrysanthemum seems to have sin. My feather seem to had given in to such trap. I do not care if this you had promised to stop following your heart I command mine." She held him tight. "Dont forget that."