Kyuden Shika

A harried attendant opens the theater for the evening's production.

Lady Sun rose in the east.
Water flowed downhill.

And Shiba Raizo attended the plays at Kyuden Shika.

With the festival and the star gazing, it was a light crowd tonight, but the lanterns were darkened regardless and the show commences!

The Guidance of Spirits by Kitsu Yakumo

Yogo Hokusai, a talented painter, has always been disdainful of marriage. He travels to the castle of his deceased uncle, in an attempt to derail the marriage negotiations of his younger brother. While there, he encounters the ghost of his deceased uncle who tells him that he is wrong to do so, and that he will be visited by three more ghosts, each one his wife from a previous life. They convince Yogo Hokusai of the value of marriage, but he has already derailed the negotiations. Hokusai must frantically get the negotiations back on track using what he had learned from the ghosts.

With the guidance of the spirits and a great deal of courtly maneuvering, Hokusai is able to reuinite his brother with his fiancee. However, while he does recognize the value of marriage, rather than marry, he retires, rather than facing yet another wife in yet another life.

Yuzu is back at his usual spot. Noticing the Shiba, he approaches and bows, "Good evening, Shiba-san. I hope Inari-kami has been kind. Please, treat me well."

Why hello. If Koi has her way, what torments await you...

"Good evening, Seppun-sama. How did you find the... entertainment?"

"I found this one to be a very good tale. One of correcting someone's missteps with the help of the supernatural. Insightful. I feels like it incentivizes piety." He mentions, "What does Shiba-san think?"

"I think it's rather an odd choice. At a miai, where we're all supposed to be paired to be married, we have a piece where the protagonist decides to eschew marriage entirely simply for personal reasons."

He shrugged.

"It seems like he learns his lesson not to mess with his brother's marriage, but still runs from his own duty simply because he knows he's done it before in prior incarnations."

"I also believe it is an odd choice, but there has been worse in these last days. I believe the main intention was for the protagonist to see his errors and then fix it with proper guidance. The part where he escaped his duties is indeed not something nice. Good point, Shiba-san." He ponders, scratching his, so far, beardless chin.

"Of all the failings to give him, it just seems he was given an odd mix."