Flower Spelling - Chapter 25
Chapter 25 – New Year
The end of the year was drawing to a close.
Here, in the Choshu domain’s upper mansion, the preparations for the New Year were hectic day after day.
From cleaning the house to putting up the New Year’s decorations. This was a time when the normally comfortable and spacious house became bitterly uncomfortable.
“Not over yet?!”
After a long time of wiping and wiping, Ito finally threw the rag away.
“I can’t do it, this sort of thing.”
“Shunsuke, if you take your hands off, it will be that much slower.” Hori Shingoro, who had been quietly wiping down the pillars, lightly chided him.
“But Mr. Hori, it’s impossible to finish cleaning the whole building today. Mr. Katsura is always asking for the impossible.” He twisted his mouth into a sneer and complained.
Born in Hagi, Hori was twenty-five years old, three years older than Ito.
Having left the clan two years earlier and travelled throughout various countries, he returned to Hagi last year, where he befriended the students of Shokasonjuku while hiding out at there. Afterward, Kusaka introduced him to Satsuma, and when he went to the capital with the Satsuma clan, he encountered the Teradaya incident. He also participated in the burning of the British Embassy, and had a rather radical career.
However, his inner fierceness rarely manifests itself, and he is often perceived as a reserved person, as his facial expressions do not change much and he is not one to talk voluntarily.
Ito and him had become friends since the other day when they went to Mito together on Katsura’s orders to explore the area. However, it tended to be the case that Hori listened in silence to Ito’s chatter.
Even now, he had turned his quiet eyes towards him, as if waiting for Ito to speak.
Feeling a little embarrassed, Ito recoiled and got up.
“Ooh, break’s over!”
He went down into the garden to pick up the rag he had just thrown out, bending over to do so.
“Ah, I’m not going to make it?!”
Hearing a cry like Ito’s earlier, the two men looked at each other.
“Apparently, there are others like you.”
From the corner of the corridor where they were both facing, a figure with a stack of books piled up to her nose came running towards them.
“Sogetsu?”
“Whoa!”
She didn’t expect to be called out from under the floor, and in her startled moment, Sogetsu slipped.
She nearly fell, but Hori supported her from behind.
“It’s slippery, be careful.”
“T-Thanks.”
“Are you fine? My bad for calling out to you so suddenly.”
Ito said he was sorry and picked up the books scattered on the floor.
“Are you sorting through the archives?”
“Yes. They are conducting an inspection of all the books to see if any are missing. But there are a lot of books that have been taken out, so it’s a lot of work just to check them.”
“It seems to be the same everywhere today.”
“Everyone is breaking down from being too occupied. Earlier, Mr. Takasugi – who is in charge of dusting the roof – abruptly started shouting ‘Barbarians away!’ and started waving a dustpan around.”
Perhaps recalling the scene, she chuckled.
“You shout too! And so he said.
‘I’m hungry?!’
‘Shout something more interesting?!’
‘… Then, I want to go to New York?!’
‘I’d rather have a drink than take a bath?!’
…That was odd.”
“What is that? I want to be part of it?!”
“Well, then, why don’t we have a screaming contest? We’ll see whose scream is the funniest.”
“Great! And the prize is…”
“… Mr. Katsura’s faultfinding!”
At the same time, they blow up and laugh at each other in a carefree manner. It’s like they’re brothers in arms.
Instead of smiling, Hori said. “Both of you, it’s great that you’re getting on so well, but it’s time to get back to work, or you’re really going to be up all night.”
?
After what seemed like an eternity of cleaning, the new year had begun.
Once the formal New Year’s greetings were over, it was time for the long-awaited Osechi meal.
There were many ingredients such as taro, lotus root, carrot, kamaboko (fish paste), baby sardines, black soybean, datemaki, kombu-jime, and chestnut kinto.
A massive sea bream was served on the grill.
Everyone had worked together for two days to produce this dish, and it was perfect in taste and quantity.
As for the traditional Hagi zoni, Takasugi, Ito, and others made a great job of it.
Although it was a simple dish of soy sauce added to iriko dashi (fish stock) and turnips and round rice cakes, it was a true delight as it brought out the authentic flavor of the ingredients.
When the constant stream of New Year’s greetings had finally settled down, Sogetsu set off with Takasugi and Ito to a nearby shrine.
The sky was clear and high, and the cool New Year air was refreshing.
Decorated streets lined with kadomatsu (paper lanterns) were packed with dressed-up Edo kids, and the precincts of the shrine were swarming with worshippers.
Although it was a bit of a mess, she managed to finish her worship and draw a fortune.
“Tsk, mine is middle blessing? What about yours, Sogetsu?”
Ito peeked at Sogetsu’s hand. “Ugh, bad luck?”
“‘If you can’t find what you’re looking for, your journey will be disrupted’… Does this mean not finding the folding screen and not going to Kyo?…”
“What are you so depressed for? It’s just a fortune.”
“Well, that’s true, but I still worry about it, I suppose. So what was yours, Mr. Takasugi?”
“Great blessing.”
“Eeh!?”
“Well, it’s not so bad for me.”
“Nice.”
Upon returning to the residence in a slightly disheartened mood, two unexpected and delightful visitors awaited her.
“Ohana! Even Ms. Ohatsu!”
Both Hanabishi and Ohatsu, dressed in gorgeous New Year’s kimonos, expressed their best wishes for the new year together.
Sogetsu returned the greeting, but then looked at Ohatsu.
“I’m really glad you came, but… Ms. Ohatsu, is it safe to go out?”
Ohatsu stroked her belly, which was growing noticeably rounder, and smiled softly. “Thanks to you, I’m doing well. Besides, it’s better for the baby to move around a bit than to sit still.”
Feeling moved by it, Hanabishi, next to her, fumbled her hands in frustration.
“Ah, Sou, you’re wearing haori hakama after all! It’s a good thing I consulted with Ms. Ohatsu and prepared it. Come on, get dressed, get dressed! It’s New Year, why don’t you get dressed up?”
“Eh? Eh?”
“Master Takasugi, lend me your room!”
Before she can figure out what was going on, she was taken to an adjoining room where she was made to change into a gorgeous woman’s kimono. Before long, she had her hair tied up and makeup applied, and in less than half an hour, Sogetsu had been transformed into a completely feminine outfit.
Looking at Sogetsu’s workmanship, Hanabishi and Ohatsu smiled contentedly.
“It suits you very well, Sou. I knew I was right about you.”
“O-Ohana, this kimono…”
“It’s Ms. Ohatsu’s. Sou would probably be dressing up as a man even on New Year’s Day, so I asked Ms. Ohatsu if there was anything to be done. I had heard about Ms. Ohatsu from my predecessors at Sagamiya. And she suggested lending one of her own formal kimonos.”
“My mother-in-law also agreed that Sogetsu should wear it. It looks really good on you.”
“Oh, really? Thank you, both of you… I’ve never seen such a beautiful kimono before, so I’m very happy.”
The only occasion she wears a woman’s kimono is for dance practice, and even then it is far from fashionable.
The kimono they chose for her was a bright dark purple fabric with large and small plum blossoms scattered over it.
On the hem was a river pattern in gold and silver, adding an extra touch of glamour.
The obi featured an auspicious pattern of cranes on a gold background.
“Well, then, let’s give them all a look, shall we?”
“Hey, hold on, Ohana. I haven’t even looked in the mirror yet, and I’m too embarrassed to go out in front of everyone like this??”
Before Sogetsu could finish her sentence, Hanabishi quickly opened the sliding door and shoved Sogetsu inside.
Then.
“Well, we still have to send our greetings, so we’ll leave you now. Have fun, Sou!”
With a smile of conviction, they disappeared like the wind.
Sogetsu looked back at the room with a movement that seemed to produce a creaking… sound.
S-Somehow, the number of people is increasing!… Or rather, they’re all frozen in stunned silence!
The piercing gazes were a pain.
“U-Um… I am late?”
For the moment, she offered them an ingratiating smile.
“Wow, that suits you, Sogetsu!”
The awkward silence was broken by the cheerful voice of Ito.
Relieved by his voice, she settled down next to Ito.
“Ohana and Ms. Ohatsu took care of it. The kimono is so gorgeous that I feel like I’m losing out.”
“Not at all! It looks really good on you. Right, Mr. Takasugi?”
“Oh, that color shows well on your face. If you don’t say anything, you might pass as a daughter of a good family… Though, you look like to have passed one’s prime.”
“… Sorry to hear that I am a middle-aged woman. Where I come from, twenty-two is still a very young age and many people don’t get married!”
“Oh, and yet you still have no sex appeal whatsoever. It may require a decade before you are able to show yourself as a grown-up.”
“How rude! If I could get that out, I would have done it too…”
As she was starting to say this, a muffled chuckle escaped from her side.
Shirai Kosuke.
“Ah, excuse me. I was just thinking is this really Sogetsu. I couldn’t connect that figure with the usual Sogetsu… What a difference a change of attire can induce in a girl. It looks good on you, yeah.”
“Oh, thank you. How about you, Mr. Kurushima? Do you find me strange?”
“Uh-huh…”
For some reason, Kurushima blushed and averted his eyes.
“… By any chance, Mr. Kurushima, are you embarrassed?”
At Ito’s words, his ears reddened as if he had been right on the mark.
“I don’t mind geisha, prostitutes, or businesswomen. But a normal girl is a bit… no.”
“Oh, so that’s why you’re always so brusque with the young maids. An unexpected side of the old man.”
“H-Hey! Don’t make fun of your elders, Takasugi!”
“This is disrespectful!”
Takasugi shrugged his shoulders in a jocular manner. “Well, now that the flowers are here, let’s have a drink!”
?
The party grew to involve one or two more people, and eventually developed into a huge feast.
When the number of people increased and the room became too small, the sliding doors were removed and the two rooms were linked together, even the fences between the upper and lower rooms were removed, and the party proceeded to boisterously drink and sing.
Even Katsura, who usually serves as a restraining role, was enjoying drinking without a word.
Sogetsu gently turned her head towards Ito.
“Mr. Ito, thank you so much for earlier. If it hadn’t been for you, I would have turned around and run away.”
Ito blurted out, “What are you talking about?” but then he chuckled.
“Indeed, it suits you well. If I hadn’t known it was Sogetsu, I would have made a move on you.”
“Haha…”
He still remained the same manner.
Saying no, she left her seat and stepped out into the corridor to sober up.
A cool breeze made her burning cheeks feel good.
Inhaling deeply… she suddenly became aware of the fragrant scent of flowers.
Even though it’s still cold, some flowers are already in bloom.
Intrigued, she went down to the garden to look for the source of the fragrance.
Today, being a new moon, if you leave a lighted room, the darkness is so intense that if you’re not careful, you might accidentally trip over a stone.
Following the scent through the garden, mindful not to stain her borrowed kimono, she spotted a white flower floating in the darkness.
As if the light were only illuminated there.
“Wah…”
A familiar voice overlapped the unintentional sound.
“??Sogetsu?”
“Eh, this voice, Mr Takasugi?”
The pitch-black haori had blended in with the darkness and she failed to notice it.
“Could it be that Mr. Takasugi also followed the scent?”
“Ah.”
Takasugi said, “Look,” and moved forward so that he could have a better view of the flowers.
“It’s white plum.”
The five-petalled flowers, white as pale snow, bloomed with dignity in the crisp night air on branches shooting straight up towards the sky.
“The plum blossoms before a hundred other flowers. This is my favorite flower.”
“You like immediate decisions and everything to be done quickly, don’t you, Mr. Takasugi?”
Laughing, they lined up side-by-side.
Takasugi remarked in amazement as he watched her fling herself over a garden stone on the way.
“Seriously. Since you’re dressed like that, why don’t you act a bit more feminine? Where’s that grown-up charm you were talking about just now?”
“Such things are not to be flaunted.”
Sogetsu was quick to retort. Inadvertently, she neglected to mention the fact that she felt like wearing her usual hakama.
“But if I’m ever in a tatami room, I’ll seduce you with my bewitching charm, just like Diao Chan, the beautiful woman in “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” who captivated the fierce general Lu Bu.”
“You bewitching? If anything, you’re probably the Lady of Wu, Sun Ren, who was also a martial arts enthusiast in “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”.
Whenever he makes a drunken remark, he is quickly rebuffed.
“That’s right.”
Sogetsu laughed for a while and then took out from her pocket the fortune slip she had drawn during the day.
“This, may I tie it to the tree? It may not be as good as the sacred tree in the shrine, but with a tree with such beautiful flowers, I feel that bad luck can turn into good luck… It’s all about how you feel about yourself, isn’t it?”
“That’s a very manly opinion.”
Despite his teasing, Takasugi lowered a branch to allow Sogetsu to tie the knot more easily.
“Here. Tie the knot, will you?”
“… Thanks.”
“May everyone have a happy and peaceful year ahead.”
As if in response to her whispered words, the white petals swayed softly.