章 21: Chapter Twenty: No One Likes To Pay
If anything, arriving at the inn had been a relief. If anything, the chattering of Yuki and Shino annoyed him, Hajime and his snide comments were far worse. The only good thing had been how Kisuke acted, quiet and in his own world and Masami who was serene among all of them.
Shino went inside, taking the chance to look through the place. Hajime scanned through the place, looking for his sister in all likelihood. Kazuho followed him, and stopped when it came to her. She was dressed in a black plain kimono, almost as though she came for a funeral. Or was a widow.
She smoked her kiseru, before looking at Hajime. With it, it was swiftly kept. Shino gave a much happier wave to her, going over to the young woman who looked at her.
"How old are you again?" Junri looked at the petite girl. Clear that she wore geta, with it giving her an added height. But Junri doubted that she was fully grown, although knowing that she could not have been younger than thirteen. She held the cup closely, waiting for her to answer.
"Fifteen, or fourteen years, eleven months and three weeks to be more precise." She rounded up because a week was insignificant.
"Are you hoping we'll celebrate it?" Junri looked, clearly taking the idea of having to spend money not in the best way possible.
"Why?" Shino looked at her, with a look that gave them the idea what they were on.
"Because the last time we met, your father gave you one of the most lavish parties ever seen."
"Well, it's impossible now. I simply don't have the guest list." She shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't celebrated my birthday in years. So, it really isn't that important."
While both of them kept their incredible stare at her, one which seemed to be both skeptical and at the same time held some faith. Mostly raising an eyebrow. Which he realised Hajime did as well. But few will go to such depths to say it was just to assure them and she will do the opposite.
He leaned back, wondering whether they'll notice them. Not as though no one could pick up the tab, but certainly it was better to not be alone here. Although he doubted a crowd proved the same kind of security.
With Fukusei, this was a city that had no certain way to keep you safe. It was all a matter of luck in the first place, and all they could do was take the best form of precautions. It wasn't a guarantee, but it will make any attacks less an onslaught and more of just a singular random attack.
All the while wondering whether she simply dragged it for the sake of doing so, because it will have been entirely in her character. Well, she will have never forgot about their existence which was the truth. She was simply waiting for the sake of it.
"Oh, by the way I had brought back some people." Junri looked around to see anyone else nearby, the vicinity was a little hard since almost none of them made it clear that he was with her at any point.
"What a coincidence." Deciding to just make his appearance first without any consideration, since they were going to be introduced. Junri looked at him, surprised that he was the person.
"Where did you even pick them up in the first place?" Junri looked at her cousin, with the kind that Kazuho did to Yuki. Except with far more wary, because it was hard to know what she was up to in the first place.
"She knows them." Hajime pointed to Kazuho, and the two girls that followed him.
"That's just way too obvious," Masami said. "I thought you weren't interested in associating yourself with them."
"At this point, there just isn't anything worth keeping it back for.
"True."
"Imagine my horror to know that Shino was related to this guy." Yuki pointed to Hajime.
"Which part of me was monstrous in the first place?" He looked over her.
"Your mouth and your character, the only good thing you have are your looks." She deadpanned. Masami didn't partake, Shino ignored it given that she was on good terms with both of them.
"Well, at least I have girls looking for my attention unlike you."
"People like a girl with a different hair color and a cute look." Although none of them could say that there was nothing wrong with her behaviour as it was.
"How do you know them?" Junri asked. The question that both siblings had. While ignoring the ever escalating stakes by their rather strange bantering. Masami couldn't take it any longer, before she took Yuki back.
"We've met aboard." The only key, while Kazuho never mentioned where he came from to be precise. And she, being here for about a few hours didn't either nor did she have many chances to.
"Will all of you please order something?" The waitress intervened, since apart from Junri's single pot of tea there was nothing else. Which was far from convincing by any means. The same way, she stared at all of them.
While Shino took up the point of ordering for them, and gave the waiter a bunch of orders when it came to drinks and desserts. While Hajime decided to help with the food although keeping it just enough for eight people. Kazuho was wondering who was going to pick up the tab, but he knew he couldn't escape from that responsibility.
She went aside, to give it to the cook since it may not have been massive, it certainly was quite a lot. And finally, they took an empty table by the side.
"Where were you previously?" Junri questioned her. Although she didn't know anything apart from Yuki being a native, because of her red hair. And the style of her parasol, which instead of flowers and trees, were designed with lace.
"A place with a quill and an inkpot." He passed her the same letter. "And famed for the arts." Passing her the small miniature, clear that it was as foreign as things went. Portraits were as real as it could get, done to a degree that many believed to have been the real thing. Even as pictures took the place of them. She shrugged her shoulders, while suggesting that she had no intentions to do anything of the sort either. That where she was was a well kept secret.
When the sake came, Masami g=gave Kazuho an entire bottle. Which earned him another set of stares from them. "I'm not really in the mood to drink today."
He pushed it back, and she returned the favour in kind as well. Before taking a sigh.
"It's not as though you can get drunk," Yuki said. He glared at her.
"But it doesn't mean I'm interested in drowning in liquor for the most part." Although he still didn't even taste it to see whether it had been of his kind. He didn't just drink any random sort of liquor he got his hands on. But alas, thirst got the better of him and he poured gulping a cup down. It was to his expectations, and serviceable. He did taste better ones before.
"How well can he drink?" Yuki hinted it towards Masami, who knew how far in reality he could go. As clear as it could when Yuki had to get her to talk, suggesting that only she knew. She took another bottle, trying to drink another cup.
"Can she drink?"
"Not really." Yuki admitted. "But enough and she won't even bother to respond."
Kazuho was almost relieved, until he remembered that Shino did know. Since the girl had forced him to play a game when he was well into the bottle. And he didn't want to waste any of that, deciding to drink it wholly. Shino will have still committed that to memory, as the smirk on her face told him that,
"If he's drinking a bottle, that's not enough to get him flushed. He'll still be clear headed enough to play a game of chess with me afterwards." She poured herself a cup with ease, while taking the chance to take a sip.
"Can I become your apprentice?"
"That doesn't take skill, it was just my luck to be born with it."
"Wait, so your family were good drinkers."
"You could say that."
"Damn my genes." He grabbed the other bottle, and poured a cup for himself. While mopping in a corner all by himself. Or rather he made a corner.
"Our genes are good as well, since we have a propensity to not feel guilty when we do bad things." Junri didn't rebuke it, Hajime certainly was, and he agreed that Shino nailed the head for herself.
"True to that." Hajime took a nice sip. "Not nearly as good as mine."
He set down the cup, although clear that he was going to continue later. That was without a doubt on any angle. Since a free drink was one to take advantage of.
"I agree, the fragrance cannot compare to Hajime's." She took the bottle.
"Are you trying to advertise for your inn?" Kazuho looked at Junri, who drank one sip at a time.
"No. It's the truth." Hajime admitted, which was still not convincing as he had been the owner. Clearly, it could not have be further from the truth. At least without knowing anything or tasting it for himself.
"Is there food for me?" Kisuke took a seat right between Masami and Shino. Making a surprise, while Junri raised her eyebrow.
"Where were you?" She asked. "Where did you put my stuff?"
Well, they could add taking advantage of people. Except for Junri, probably since she seemed to have never really done anything to show that. Then again, he had met her only a few times. And others where she was buried in piles of work.
"It's on the outside, I had chained it to the table." Kazuho looked left, only to find it covered solely in chains. Junri and Hajime started wondering how did he even do it without them even noticing. Because chains were heavy, so was most of the stuff there.
"I chained it outside first, then I simply chained it here." He gave her a bright smile.
"Can I borrow him?"
"I'll think about it, but you'll have to pay him."
"I'll only work for not more than seven bronze coins an hour." He demanded.
"And teach him how to use common sense." Junri commented at the end. Because as good an idea it seemed, it was just ludicrous having to navigate just what made it a good idea in the first place.
Now, it seemed that most of it has already came with them finishing the dishes. Thankfully, those extra were not wasted.
When the bill came, Junri had all but disappeared leaving Kazuho to deal with the bill himself. As much as he now knew that any relative of that girl was likely to be of the same cloth. Hajime should have been proof enough.
Although she was curious, where did Junri even go in the first place. Shino looked around, having the feeling that something was off.
"Can you find Junri?" Shino asked. Hajime had went as well, perhaps clearly also suggesting that something was amiss. Before the table broke apart, seeing that they were here.
"Hajime and Junri of Houya inn. Or should I say, the lapdogs of the Sasaki clan?" He looked from behind, which was Hajime having his foot stepped on.. Junri was kept to the back, as they dragged her by her hair.
"So, are you keeping them here because--?"
Shino kept herself quiet, but behind Kazuho and Masami. Kazuho took out his short sword, while Masami took out a full katana. Armed against them. Yuki used her parasol here. Shino saw that it was impossible to try to and hide, took out her own gun. While Kisuke was beside her.
"Because we have unfinished business with him, under the Furuwari founded by Kouya."
Kazuho narrowed his own eyes at that news. Masami grabbed her own blade tighter.
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