The Blue Journal: Untitled 4 [Katakana Asylum]

Part IV

A week passed by after my first errand and Hosokawa-san was so pleased about it. I was able to return quite earlier than expected and I was also able to return most of the money he gave me for the errand.

At first he frowned at me when he discovered that I haven't used most of the money. He asked me with a horrified voice if I had gone hungry. I told him no because I just used the money for food and water mainly. Then he asked me about the carriage and I said that I didn't have to rent once since I went on foot using the woods as my shortcuts. (Well, it is much easier anyway, bumpy roads give me a soar back ^^;)

He smiled and patted me on the back with the occasional "good work." He said that it was actually the first time in his busy working life that he received compliments and not complaints from his clients. (Since the letters arrived to them earlier, I guess ^^;) He was so pleased about it that he gave me my first salary almost immediately and insisted that I also take the excess of the money along with it. At first, I declined saying that my salary was more than enough but he wouldn't take it. He shoved the pouch into my hands saying that I consider it a bonus.

For the first time in my entire life, I've felt satisfied. I thought that, for once, I've felt what it is to earn money out of you own sweat and blood. For once, I've earned my money through clean, honest and decent work. And there is nothing more satisfying and gratifying than that. I smiled at the thought.

For my first salary, I immediately went out to buy something for myself, like my own set of yukatas and several upper and lower gi's… for Asami, I bought this pretty, ornamented comb made of the most delicate and the finest porcelain you could ever see. But the comb got stuck with me for a week since I don't have an idea on how to give it to her. I'm so, so shy… but luckily Mayo-chan volunteered to give it herself. The next day, I found a thank you note with one of her exquisite silk hair ribbons tied around it resting on top of my low table.

I was at peace for the first time in my life, working and helping the household. Actually at first, almost all of the servants treated me indifferently especially the older ones with the exception of Mayo-chan and Kaji-san (since we are all about the same age). But as time passed by, I finally earned the respect of the older servants and now they treat me with friendliness. As for Asami, well *blush* I- I find her getting prettier and prettier everyday. ::shifts foot nervously:: Everytime I see her, it is like sunshine breezing through me. Just gazing at her made me smile and so nervous and *blush* clumsy… ^^;

I was picking flowers that morning when Asami happened to chance upon me. She placed her hands over my eyes and giggled softly.

"Guess who!" She said cheerfully.

I laughed. No doubt, her father's out for work earlier than usual. She only tends to be this informal with me whenever her father not around. Although slightly guilty about this, I couldn't really help it. ^o^

I stood still and pretended to think. Then I answered, "Yes, Asami-san?"

She gave a laugh as she took her hands away from my face. "How did you know?" she demanded.

"Cherry blossoms…" I said to myself. Looking at her, I just smiled mysteriously. Seeing this she frowned.

"What are you still doing here? I thought father asked you to go somewhere?" She said crossly, obviously pissed off. I grinned at her. She turned away. I smiled and handed her the bunch of flowers.

"Picking these for you, Asami-san." I said.

I felt her shoulders relaxed with the words. She turned to me with genuine surprise and delight as her fingers slowly took the flowers from my hand. Accidentally, her hand brushed mine and an unexpected thrill raged up and down my spine. Asami-san too, I think, felt the same overwhelming thing since she gave a little cry of surprise. Our eyes met, our faces both blushing. I cleared my throat and quickly turned away shyly.

"Ja ne!" I said walking away from her, puzzling over the feeling I've felt earlier.

==========

I got back that afternoon with a bunch of envelopes for Hosokawa-san when I found him unusually quiet and cranky for the first time. He kept of glaring at everybody that even Asami-san didn't dare give him one of her sweet smiles. I asked around and later learned that the master is having some problems with his accounts. It seems, according to them, that business isn't going well since Hosokawa-san kept on muttering about how the household lives extravagantly. It was a very, very bad time but I have no choice. These papers need his signature as soon as possible.

I bravely marched toward his office, a little nervous. (Funny to think that I was once considered as one of the most feared slashers in Japan and now I stand here, all nervous and jumpy about facing Hosokawa-san during his black moods… believe me, I've seen worse. ^^)

When I reached his door, I knocked softly before entering. Then I saw him, his head resting on his hands, his whole frame bent down almost slouching from the chair. He looked like a man who had just lost everything he had, so helpless and so sad.

"Yes, Soujirou-san?" He said tiredly without looking up.

I approached him cautiously and handed him the envelopes. "Just here to give you these, sir." I answered carefully as I waited for him to take it and dismiss me. But still he didn't look up. I gently laid the envelopes on top of his full-papered desk since he has no intention of getting them from me. As I was slowly backing away towards the door, I heard his deep voice calling me.

"Soujirou-san."

I stopped and looked at him. "Yes sir?" I asked. I suddenly realized that at that moment, I just lost the ability to smile… I was actually feeling so bad.

"Come." he said bading me forward.

I approached him and for the first time, I noticed his books and accounts laying scattered all over his desk. I looked at him and saw black patches under his eyes and his lips settled in a grim line, not the usual cheerful curve they used to be. He looked so forlorn and sad that I really felt sorry for him.

"Yes sir?" I asked again as I stood in front of him waiting. He sighed tiredly.

"How does a drink sound to you?" He asked. I frowned.

"Not again…"

Instead of answering, I glanced over his accounts. "Maybe there is something wrong with this entries." I thought. I took a deep breath and returned my eyes to him.

"If you would permit, sir." I began carefully. "May I take a look on those accounts?" There, I finally got the words out. This family, I thought, really helped me when I badly needed help. So I vowed to do all I can to help this family in times of trouble just like now.

Hosokawa-san sighed again. "If you wish." He replied with exasperation. "Those accounts are useless now. I don't care anymore." He added.

With that, I eagerly got his entries from the table. I quickly scanned his entries while he was busy lamenting and complaining. Not long after, I saw the problem.

"That’s it!" I exclaimed.

He looked up. "What?! What?!"

I smiled and pointed the scrambled entries. "You placed this asset incorrectly." I said as I took his ink pen and drew a line across the wrong entry. "This should be on the credit side and totaling… " I reached for the abacus and began computing rapidly. "Will leave you a thousand dollar richer instead of a thousand dollar poorer." I said encircling the corrected total.

His eyes widened as he snatched the account from my hands. His eyes went up and down rapidly as he studied the entries. Then he exclaimed.

"You're right!" He looked at me. "I really-- no my accountant got those entries all scrambled that-- " He smiled and shook his head wonderingly.

I smiled, glad that I was able to be of help. I was about to take my leave when he reached for me.

"When did you learn about bookkeeping boy?" He asked me his expression turning serious. I looked at him silently, my mind busy rephrasing my answers. Finally I spoke.

"I just had a little background about bookkeeping because I used to help my friend on his books. He used to have a rice mill." I replied quickly. "At least I didn't lie." I said to myself. My accursed family really had a rice mill and I used to handle Shishi-san's accounts (considering he's my friend ^^;) since I'm the only member of the Juppon-gattana who shows interest in mathematics and numbers.

Then without warning, he put his arms around me and gave me a crushing, fatherly-like hug which actually surprised me. Then after a moment, he let go and bowed low before me.

"Arigato gozaimashita." He said sincerely. "You just saved this household." Then he grinned. "Care to look at the other books, Soujirou-san?"

I found myself chuckling as I consented. Well, I find analytical problems quite amusing anyway. I was about to sit on the chair in front of his own chair when he shook his head.

"No, no." He said pulling me up and settling me on his own soft chair. "You will be much more comfortable here." Then he winked at me. "And besides, you have mountains of accounts to check."

I smiled and shook my head after his disappearing figure. "Solved financial problems do wonders to a man." I thought as I started flipping through the papers.

==========

I woke up late the next morning since I stayed up almost all night going through Hosokawa-san's books.

His books are all a mess! I found more than a dozen incorrect entries on them. When Hosokawa-san learned about this, he was furious. Whether from being duped and used by his accountant to get richer or by successfully messing his books to make him enraged, I really don't know. But he sure fired his bookkeeper first thing that morning and is now currently looking for a new one. Temporarily, he made me his accountant and now I do his accounts at the same time deliver messages and letters for him. He also took the liberty of doubling my salary since I now do two jobs, even temporarily.

When word about that spread out all over the household, they all breathed a sigh of relief and gave me their warmest thanks. I tried my best just to be casual about it even though deep inside it gave me a sense of pride and happiness. It really feels good to help somebody and be appreciated. Then suddenly it hit me.

I'm now like Himura Battousai! I now think, act, and speak like him! And surprisingly I didn't feel any grudge about it since I now have these feelings of contentment and satisfaction within me. I shook my head as I sat there, amazed at what those realizations brought me. Is this what his ten-year wandering brought? I found myself asking. Just then I felt somebody beside me. I turned and saw Asami-san sitting idly on the plant box beside me.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" She said cheerfully. I stared at her, a smile curving my lips.

"Good morning yourself, early bird!" I replied looking over her light blue yukata. Her long hair was held in a tight ponytail by the blue silk ribbon and she was holding her blue fan. I really thought she looked pretty with her simplicity since her dress really matched the rosy glow of her cheeks because of the sun's glaring heat.

Without thinking, I picked a daisy instinctively from a patch of flowerbeds beside me and handed it to her. Her eyes widened with surprise then she smiled. "Thank you." She said softly, inhaling the flower's lovely scent.

I smiled and stared straight ahead, a contented silence settling over us. After a moment she spoke.

"I want to thank you, Seta-san, for helping my father over his accounts."

I looked at her and smiling, shaking my head. "That's nothing, Asami-san." I said. "It's the least I could do for your father."

She shook her head. "Oh no, its everything Seta-san." She said. "Father's insanity was on a thread line there last night and you really did wonders balancing it." Then she sighed, her eyes turning misty.

"Everything's going good since you came here, Seta-san." She said softly as I slowly turned to her. "I- I hope that-- that you would-- " She stopped, her face blushing furiously.

"That I would what?" I asked. She took a deep breath.

"That you-- that you would actually consider staying here." She finished hesitantly. I regarded her silently, guilt and happiness settling within me at the same time. Guilt at the thought of my secret past and happiness because-- because--

Our gazes met and once again I've felt that hot, feverish feeling I used to feel everytime our hands brushed together, only this time its much more intense. She stared back at me and I could see passion and desire dancing in her eyes.

My breathing became heavy and ragged when I saw her lips slightly parted. I noticed her chest rising and falling rapidly with nervousness and anticipation as I felt myself being lolled by the dark shining pools that stared back at me. Without thinking, I slowly lowered my head to hers and just as when our lips were inches apart, we heard some footsteps coming towards us.

Our eyes both widened at the same time and we turned away from each other quickly. Both shyly, both with hated relief and both with disappointment. I slowly roamed my eyes towards her and saw a light smile across her lips. She took a peek at me under lowered lashes while blushing.

I quickly racked my brain for something to say. Should I apologize? Should I say how much a like her? Or admire her? Should I this… Should I that… I don't know!

"Is this how courting is done?" I found myself asking. I was about to open my mouth when suddenly a male voice boomed at us, startling us both.

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