The Blue Journal: Untitled 2 [katakana asylum]

Part II

At last we reached the dining room. He entered and I followed suit. A servant immediately went up to me and led me to a chair facing the doorway. I waited for Hosokawa to sit down before settling myself down, half-depressed as I noticed no low tables and kneeling mats around either.

He was about to sit when suddenly he spoke sternly.

"Where is Asami?" He asked one of the servants, turning and looking around.

"Still getting ready, sir." The servant replied bowing. Hosokawa then thanked him and dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"Saa… that girl will never change." He said with exasperation. He sat on his chair and motioned for me to sit down as well. I obliged him with a quite graceful bow and looked around, memorizing each splendor all around me.

I noticed that everywhere I look, there were servants waiting for each beck and call. That made me nervous since I'm not used to being around these luxuries. Shishio-san himself doesn't have this much servants around him just soldiers who all treated him with the utmost respect but not this grandly.

Just then I heard quick, faint footsteps, getting louder by the second. I looked up just in time to see her lovely face bursting through the door, her cheeks flushed and rosy with the sudden exercise. She smiled and sat across from me.

"Konbanwa, Otou-chan." She greeted as she paused to catch her breath. Hosokawa turned to her sternly.

"You are late." He said sharply. Seeing her father's grim expression, she smiled sweetly.

"Gomen ne, Otou-chan." She said, her voice awfully sugarcoated. "I won't be late again, I promise." She added, her smile becoming sweeter.

"Mou, Asami-chan." Her father said, waving his hand as a sign of dismissal. "Just don't be late again, kudasai?" He added, his face softening upon seeing her pretty, apologetic smile.

Seeing that, I was fascinated by how a woman's smile can easily melt even the coldest of hearts. I looked at her and smiled as well. She in turn glanced at her father and seeing him solely preoccupied with his soup, she turned back to me quickly and winked. I looked away quickly, suddenly shy and embarrassed but surprisingly, I have a light smile on my face, my cheeks getting warm.

"Oh Soujirou-san." Hosokawa said after a moment, putting his soup bowl down. "I want you to meet my one and only daughter, Hosokawa Asami." He continued, gesturing for her to stand up. Asami obediently stood up and bowed at me while I received it with complete and total confusion.

"Hajimemashite, Seta-san." She said, capturing my eyes with hers.

"H-hajimemashite." I managed to say as she took her seat once again. I nodded my head in acknowledgement but nevertheless, my face held surprise and bewilderment. Hosokawa noticed this since he slowly put his chopsticks down and frowned.

"Is there something wrong, Soujirou-san?" He asked.

I turned to him, confusion still plastered on my face. "N-no sir." I began glancing at Asami who was now starting to blush.

"I-I just thought-- " I began then suddenly I felt a slight pain against my shin. I refrained from yelping in pain as I turned to Asami who was now red in the face. She looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Thought what?" Hosokawa inquired impatiently. I turned to him as I tried ignoring the pain, a forced smile on my lips.

"I just thought that-- that she looked familiar, Hosokawa-san." I said lamely. I can very well here Asami's sigh of relief as I uttered those words quite calmly.

Hosokawa nodded once. He bent his head down once again and started picking on his food.

"It's because she looks like her mother." He continued not looking up.

I smiled and picked on my food as well. Then Hosokawa began asking me questions. Questions like who I was and where did I come from and how did I end up near this town.

I, in turn, tried my best to answer every question calmly and diligently without a lie but also leaving my past with the Juppon-gattana behind. I merely said that I was once working for some political figure but then I decided to resign and pursue on my own. Luckily, he didn't ask me whom I worked for stating that even if I mention his name, he still wouldn't know since he himself has no interest in politics.

"Do you have some place for you to stay, then?" Hosokawa asked not looking up from his meal. I stopped short, realizing that… No, I don't have a place to stay… He looked up at me expecting an answer while chewing his food slowly. I forced a polite smile.

"Not yet as of now." I said. "But I would find a place eventually, Hosokawa-san." I quickly added. Hosokawa swallowed his food and spoke.

"Are you in a haste?" He lifted his cup to his lips.

I frowned slightly, thinking. I can feel Asami's eyes resting on me, waiting for my answer as well. Then finally I uttered, "Not quite so, sir."

Hosokawa nodded his head and looked at me straight in the eye.

"I'll be needing a messenger since the shipment of the clothes will be arriving this week." He said pausing to drink from his cup. "Would you like to work for me, for the time being?"

I looked at him disdainfully as I tried to scramble excuses for not accepting but remembering his kindness I finally decided to accept his offer. I thought, I have nothing and the money I have with me would just keep me alive for a week, if I'm lucky, so there is no harm in staying and working here for the time being. At least I could say that for once in my life I was able to do something honest and decent.

After finishing the main course, chocolate pudding for dessert followed. I stared at the rich chocolate sauce oozing out of the soft pudding with wide, wondering eyes. I felt my mouth water as I picked up my spoon and scooped the dark, mouth-watering sweet into my mouth. I chewed the pudding slowly as I enjoyed the taste of the sweet sauce dancing around my tongue.

"They always have chocolate for dessert, I presume." I thought silently as I stared the big mound of pudding just for my personal enjoyment.

Boy, chocolates! I love chocolates! But then with Shishio-san, I didn't get to feast on one since there are a lot more important things than chocolate. And besides, they are very expensive. The first and last taste I had of it was when Yumi generously gave me her share. It was a secret since the box of chocolates was given to her by Shishio-san, by the way.

After scooping the last bite of my pudding, Asami-san stood up and dismissed herself, bowing respectfully to her father and then to me. I thought that perhaps this is the end of the dinner night and was about to stand up myself had I noticed Hosokawa still sitting, waiting idly for something. Then as if on cue, a servant came in carrying a tray filled with sake. He arranged the bottles in front of us and handed each one of us a cup. Hosokawa then proceeded to fill mine and taking it as I sign, I filled his cup as well. He lifted his cup and drank the sake straight with one gulp.

"Ah," He began as I once again filled his cup. "Sake really never tasted this good!" He exclaimed. Then he raised his cup. "Kanpai?" He asked.

I smiled and raised my cup to his.

"Kanpai." I said. He laughed and clinked his cup against mine. Then we both took a sip. He drinking it straight up and me, trying my best not to sputter and spit everything out.

I frowned as I tasted the hot, bitter liquid against my tongue, running down to my throat. "How could they say that this bitter liquid is heavenly drink?" I found myself asking since I didn't even find it good and delicious.

But then I couldn't argue with him more since it was said that the sake's taste depends entirely on the drinker's outlook in life. Hosokawa's sake probably tasted sweet since he has everything in order around him. My sake tasted bitter because just now my life's all screwed up.

Sip after sip, Hosokawa drank with much enthusiasm and gusto. Then after finishing his fourth bottle, he began to talk incessantly. I tried my best to catch up with his lively chatter as I once again filled his empty cup with the burning liquid. I had no second thoughts that he is already drunk since he didn't care anymore whether I drink my own sake or not unlike earlier.

Halfway through the fifth bottle, he smiled at me drowsily as he mercifully decided to stop. He tried his best standing up, declaring in his loud raucous voice that he found me a capital fellow and that he will retire to bed. Instinctively, I stood up and helped him myself since all of the servants retired to their quarters.

As we were walking to his room, I heard him singing some old Japanese love song that he once mentioned during his drinking spree. The song, he said, was once a favorite of his wife. I tried my best to nod in acknowledgement because I was busy struggling and concentrating to keep balance. My small frame is definitely not a match for his big and bulky body.

Finally we reached the door to his room. I knocked softly till his valet opened and carried his master inside. After thanking me and saying that he will now see to him, he bowed slightly and closed the door gently. And then I found myself standing there, contemplating about my sleeping quarters.

"Well I suppose I would be using the pretty room I once occupied." I mused since nobody even bothered informing me where I would stay for the night.

And with that, I started walking towards my room thinking that this night will bring about one of the major turning points in my life. For once, I've entered into something out of my own will, out of my own decision! Just thinking about that made me a bit scared but excited at the same time.

Just then my instincts screamed from within me. I may have lost my emotionless mask but I haven't lost the fighting instincts I've trusted these years, I thought as I slowly and quietly made my way into the garden, searching for the perpetrator.

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