One day, Lena received a beautifully decorated envelope. When she opened it, a holographic image displayed from the card - it was an invitation to a birthday celebration, sent by her cousin, Noritsune, or "Nori" as she called him. Lena was an only child in her family, so when she was little growing up, she only had her cousin that was around the same age as her. However, Noritsune only lived in the countryside for a few years before moving to the city with his father, who had gotten a job with the government at the time.
"Aki! Look," Lena said excitedly. "We got invited to a birthday party. Well, it's held at this famous nightclub in the city. Wanna come with me?"
Aki took the envelope and looked at the address. Yes, it seemed the party was being held over the weekend at a popular spot located downtown in the city back in 2205. "Do you think we should go?" she asked, "We've been pretty busy with missions lately. Will the government allow us to take the time off?"
Lena nodded, "Of course! We get some weekends off, don't we? And we work SO hard. We should figure out what to wear, and look, the invitation says we can bring whoever we want. So, if you want to bring a date, maybe............"
Lena grinned and looked towards Hizen Tadahiro, who was sitting at the kotatsu table in the middle of the room. He was drinking sake with Mutsunokami, arguing about something with him again. The wakizashi and uchigatana were always disagreeing over something or another, but everyone knew despite their disagreements, they were very close.
"I think it will be fun to attend a party," Lena continued, "When was the last time we got to dress up and have fun? Besides, I haven't seen Nori in FOR~EVER! You know, he's a Saniwa like us. He was enlisted by the government years before I was. I want you to meet him. I think you two will get along well!"
Aki smiled, for Lena's sake. "Sure, I'd love to meet him, just as I've met your grandmother. I'm sure he's a nice person..."
"Then it's decided! This weekend, we'll go back to the present time and go to the party." Lena's eyes sparkled. "We can go shopping for matching outfits! Won't that be SO fun!?" Lena once again got carried away by the idea of shopping, something she loved to do. Aki was about to remind Lena to save their koban, but she couldn't say anything once she saw how happy Lena was. So then it was decided that this upcoming weekend, they would attend Lena's cousin's birthday party..................
And so, with Aki’s help, the two girls sent communications to the Government of Time to request the upcoming weekend off. Surprisingly, their vacation request was accepted, and Lena quickly booked accommodations for a nearby hotel in the city so they had a place to stay after the party.
„So, will you invite Hizen?“ Lena asked Aki, grinning again from ear-to-ear.
„Invite me to what?“ Hizen asked, overhearing the conversation. He sauntered up to Aki and Lena, hands stuffed into the pocket of his red hoodie.
„My cousin’s birthday party,“ Lena replied.
„Why would I want to go to that?“ Hizen said, somewhat rudely. „I don’t know him, so why should I care?“
„Well,“ Lena explained, „Aki will be there, and since it’s a party, there should be unlimited booze… My cousin is a real party animal, if I remember correctly.“
Hizen thought about this for a brief moment. Surely he wouldn’t let Aki attend this party alone, especially in the presence of strangers. And, UNLIMITED drinks? Well, Hizen loved his sake and he wasn’t against trying other beverages either. „So, are you inviting me?“ he asked, turning to Aki, looking a bit shy as he turned to his master for approval.
Aki took one look at Hizen’s inquiring face and of course her heart melted at his endearing look. „Yes, of course I am inviting you,“ she answered. „If you would like to come with me…??“
Hizen nodded quickly, with a very faint blush spreading on his cheeks. „… Then yes, I would like to go. So… count me in.“
He quickly turned around and walked away, as the conversation was over and decided.
„Wow, that was easy,“ Lena laughed, giving Aki a pat on her back. „So now we only have to decide what to wear, yes?“
Aki watched Hizen disappear down the hall. „What? Oh… sure, yes. Let’s decide that and have a good time.“
Now that Aki had invited Hizen (haha that was effortless!), it was up to Lena to invite her plus one. Lena knew the Danshi she wanted to invite to the party. It was obvious! But for some reason, it was difficult to muster up the courage to ask. As always.
„Come on, this is so stupid,“ Lena said to herself, shaking her head to try and clear her thoughts. „Come on… you just have to go up to him and ASK! OK. I can do it! And if he says no, I’ll order him to come. Yes, that’s what I’ll do…“
Even though Lena was trying to focus, she didn’t think her method was working. She wished Aki could help her, but this was something she had to ask on her own. So off she went to find him.
Lena bumped into Mikazuki as he was exiting the bath. He had a towel around his neck and was wiping away the water from his wet hair. Lena resisted the urge to keep walking right by him and stopped in her tracks.
„Mikazuki! There’s something I want to ask,“ she said.
„Oh?“ He looked surprised to see her there, standing before him looking incredibly uncomfortable. „What is it? I’m listening.“
„………..“
„Yes, so, there’s a party going on… Nothing big… just my cousin,“ Lena informed, crossing her arms. „Do you wanna… come with us? I mean, I’m going, and so is Aki and Hizen… if you don’t want to come, then no problem… What do you think…..?“
Fortunately, Mikazuki was in his uchiban outfit and not ONLY in a towel. Otherwise Lena would have ran away at first sight. She waited patiently for him to respond, looking at the floor instead of his face.
„Ahaha, is that so?“ Mikazuki took a step closer to Lena. „So, you want me to come?“
„If I didn’t want you to come, why would I be asking you right now?“ Lena replied grumpily, letting out a sigh. „Do you think I would waste both of our time…?“
Mikazuki knew Lena would be short-tempered with him. For some reason, she used to be kinder, but recently even he noticed she was very tense whenever they were interacting. „Ah, why don’t you let me think about it,“ he answered. „I’m not decided yet.“
„Okay.“ Lena accepted his answer. „I’ll… talk to you later, then.“
She turned and walked away from Mikazuki, feeling like she had failed in bringing out her feelings to him once again.
Later that evening, Lena brought some tea and sweets to Aki’s room to talk to her about what happened.
„I couldn’t tell him I wanted him to be there,“ Lena confessed, pouring tea in Aki’s cup.
„Oh, that isn’t good,“ Aki commented. „Why were you so short? You shouldn’t have acted so coldly… Why are you always trying to hide your feelings from him?“
„I don’t want him… to think that I’m reliant on him for everything,“ Lena responded. „I know, it wasn’t polite… I should have chosen more considerate words.“
„Yes,“ Aki agreed, „You should try to open up your feelings better. Otherwise, if you keep hiding, the only person you end up hurting is yourself. Aren’t you supposed to trust each other? As Saniwa and Touken Danshi?“
„I know… this is hard for me… Maybe I should… just ask someone else…“ Lena held her cup of tea and gazed at the leaves remaining in the bottom.
Upon hearing that, Aki reached out to touch Lena’s hand. „I know that isn’t what you want,“ she said firmly. „Stop trying to lie to yourself because you don’t want to be hurt!“
Lena’s eyes widened and she looked at Aki nervously. „…You’re right… I know…“ she mumbled. „I’ll try again, I promise.“
There were still a couple more days until the birthday party. In the meantime, Konnosuke informed Aki and Lena that the Government assigned them to another mission.
„Your task is to intercept an HRA messenger,“ Konnosuke reported, „and stop them from delivering vital intel to their allies.“
„All right then,“ Heshikiri announced. „Then this time, Masters Aki and Lena will accompany the mission again. Their secretary swords, Wakazashi Hizen Tadahiro and Tachi Mikazuki Munechika, will go as well. Along with Uchigatana Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki and Tantou Yagen Toushirou. You all had better watch after our Masters better this time,“ he warned, as last mission Aki had gotten injured.
After they had packed everything and changed into their combat attire, the team made their way to the time portal. The portal opened, and Aki and Lena stepped forward, followed closely by Hizen, Mikazuki Mutsunokami and Yagen.
Arriving at a desolate landscape, the team quickly rushed into the bushes to hide and blended into the shadows. Hizen made sure Aki was near his side, ready to protect her. Minutes passed like eternity as they waited for the enemy messenger.
Finally in the distance, a figure appeared and they were clutching a package…
Undoubtedly, that package was holding the vital intel. The HRA messenger seemed oblivious to their presence, confident that they were safe from any interference. Lena signaled for the team to move forward and Aki did as well. Their Touken Danshi advanced with incredible swiftness, surrounding the messenger in a strategic formation.
Mutsunokami’s sword flashed in the night. He blocked the messenger’s attempts to flee, driving them towards the center of the encirclement. Yagen anticipated the messenger’s every move, preventing any potential escape routes in his direction.
„You won’t get away with this!“ The messenger growled. He reached for the sword fastened to his belt, but Hizen’s sword moved with lightning speed, disarming the messenger with ease before he could strike. The HRA messenger’s eyes widened with fear as he realized the dire situation he was in. There was no way he could win against the Touken Danshi before him.
„Hand over the package,“ Aki demanded firmly.
With a sense of resignation, he had no choice but to surrender. Lena stepped forward and retrieved the package from the messenger’s trembling hands. With the vital intel secured, the team made their way back through the time portal in high spirits. When they returned to the Honmaru, Heshikiri was there to congratulate them.
„Well done,“ Heshikiri praised the team, which was a rare occurence recently. „I am glad there were no casualties this time.“
„Well, it was a simple mission!“ Mutsunokami laughed loudly. „So easy for us! We’re the BEST!“
„Yeah, yeah… „ Lena handed the package over to Konnosuke to analyze it so they could write the government report later. But her mind was elsewhere and it was obvious she wasn’t paying attention to anything else the others were saying.
Hizen was looking at his master Aki up and down. „You weren’t hurt, were you?“ he asked, checking thoroughly to make sure Aki was unharmed.
„Haha, Hizen, I’m fine!“ Aki replied, „So you don’t have to worry about me.“
„Master Aki, there is NO way in this world, new or old, that Hizen would not be worried about you!“ Mutsunokami said with a big grin.
„Shut up!“ Hizen growled, „You don’t know me.“
„Suuuure,“ Mutsunokami replied, „whatever you say!“
Lena didn’t look at her friends after the mission was over. While the tantou were excitedly welcoming Aki and the rest of the team back home, she suddenly felt very tired. Maybe she wasn’t as strong as she tried to be, because she couldn’t even do a simple thing such as invite someone she liked to a party.
„Are you all right?“ Yagen asked, stepping up to Lena. He was one of the only Danshi who could approach her so casually. „You don’t seem well.“
„No, I’m fine. Great job on the mission. I’m a bit tired, that’s all,“ Lena responded. „Once Konnosuke is done analyzing the data, would you let us know? Then Aki and I can look into writing the report…“
Lena finished what she had to say and turned away from Yagen. She started to make her way inside the Honmaru and headed to her room, feeling like she wanted to hide in there for a while. How could she work alongside Aki, the person she considered closest to her, as close as her sister, if she couldn’t even acknowledge her own feelings? This was something she would have to work on, otherwise Lena felt she will just bring the rest of the team down.
It was Thursday, the day before the birthday party. Everyone was in high spirits after the recent successful mission, but Lena spent the morning hiding and sulking in her room. Normally, she would have woken up early to help prepare breakfast, but today when anyone came to her room door, she would tell them to „go away“.
„I don’t understand,“ Yagen admitted to Aki. „She didn’t seem injured from the mission. So what’s wrong?“
Aki knew Lena well and so she replied, „You know, a woman’s heart is a mysterious thing… So Yagen, don’t worry, you should do what you have to to get her out of her room.“
Yagen nodded. „All right, then… but she won’t like it.“
Moments later, there was shouting and the sound of kicking around and things getting knocked over, and soon Lena appeared in the dining area for breakfast. Yagen had stormed into her room and dragged her out of bed, forced her to get dressed, and made sure she showed her face before Heshikiri noticed that she wasn’t present. How thoughtful…
Her blue hair was disheveled, sticking up in various places like straw. Even the braid hanging against her cheek was loose and unravelling. She sucked in a breath and tried to care, but somehow couldn’t find the energy to do so.
„Good morning,“ Lena said dully, fully aware of how tired she looked. In fact, she had been awake all night and hadn’t slept a wink.
„Wow,“ Hizen commented, „You look terrible.“
„Thanks Hizen, you’re so nice,“ Lena replied, shooting him a glare. But she knew he was only telling the truth.
„Hizen! Mind your manners,“ Aki said, turning to Lena. „It’s not so bad…!“
„Thanks, Aki-nee, but I know. I didn’t sleep well last night,“ Lena told her. „So it’s fine.“
„I thought you weren’t scared of horror movies,“ Hizen said.
„I’m not,“ Lena replied, „I just… I was up all night thinking about something.“
The Honmaru was filled with the tantalizing aroma of a traditional Japanese breakfast prepared by Shokudaikiri and Shishiou. The enticing scents of miso soup, grilled fish, and pickled vegetables greeted everyone as they gathered around the low dining table. Heshikiri was arranging an assortment of dishes on the table as well.
As Lena took her seat, she couldn’t help but notice that Mikazuki was missing from the group. Although she tried to ignore her curiousity, after enjoying some light conversation with Aki and the others, she excused herself to find him.
The veranda offered a serene view of the courtyard and the surrounding scenery. Mikazuki was sitting there, gazing at the endless expanse of the sky.
It was rare for him to worry about anything. But when it happened, he even seemed to want to skip dinner. Besides, it was difficult for others to recognize it because he always wore his usual smile. So today he stayed away from breakfast. His thoughts have been a lot about his master Lena lately. He would never have thought that a human girl, no…, a young, attractive Saniwa, would captivate him so much that she would become so important to him. He liked her very much, in fact he liked her more than anything. The lively nature, how she cares about him and acts like she cares about others as well… which she isn’t, because he noticed that she was focusing her attention on him more than usual. He enjoyed spending time with Lena. He remembered her question from back then ‚can a sword love a human?‘, which he answered with ‚anything is possible‘ made him confident that he too could be something special for someone one day.
One thing he noticed lately, however, was making his eyes look sad. For some reason, Lena and he couldn’t get along like they used to. Sometimes Lena reacted unfriendly or she simply runs away. He found it difficult to talk to her about deeper things. Was she rejecting him? The situation made him discouraged, so much so that he even wanted to delay his response to her invitation. He didn’t know, even at that moment, how he would answer her. He sighed and just looked at the sky as if the horizon had an answer.
The sight of him brought a sense of calm to Lena’s heart, but also a sense of fear as well, which she tried to suppress.
„Good morning,“ Lena said softly, approaching him.
„Good morning.“ Mikazuki turned his head, acknowledging her presence. „The morning sky is quite captivating, isn’t it?“
„Yes,“ Lena replied. „But don’t let the view distract you too much. Breakfast is ready…“
„Hahaha.“ Mikazuki chuckled lightly. „You’re right. I suppose I got lost in thought for a moment there.“
Before they made their way back to the dining area, Lena stopped in front of Mikazuki. „Um… before we go, I want to tell you something. I…I want you to know that I do want you to come with us… to the party, I mean. Tomorrow… and. I’m sorry I was so rude to you the other day.“
Mikazuki looked at her and laughed. „Sure… I understand. You know, Aki-dono was saying that a woman’s heart is a mysterious thing…“
Lena rolled her eyes, but was happy Mikazuki forgave her. „So, you’ll come with us? …With me?“
„Ahahahaha, as you wish. Let me join you,“ he said.
Lena gave him a small smile, but inside her heart was soaring. „OK. Thank you…“
They made their way back, and the rest of the Touken Danshi warmly greeted them. Hizen was reaching for a piece of grilled fish, and already put many different food items on his dish, and Aki’s dish too.
As everyone indulged in the meal, the conversation flowed easily. Lena felt grateful for the companionship everyone provided. Her thoughts drifted to life in the countryside with her grandmother, where she never had the opportunity to make many friends. Yet today, she was enjoying a breakfast with Aki and the rest of their team. And that made her very happy, even if she didn’t have the words to express her feelings.
It was evening. An excited Konnosuke came running down the hall. The first person he encountered was Yagen. He quickly reported: “There is new information about the package! Please look for our Saniwa! I’ll keep an eye out for their secretary swords. We’ll all meet in the common room! Please hurry up!” and Yagen rushed off to look for Lena and Aki. His first thought was Lena’s room. Sure enough, they were both there, chatting about the upcoming weekend. Yagen rushed into the room as the two Saniwas were thinking about what gifts they could bring for Lena’s cousin.
“Konnosuke has more information regarding the HRA messenger’s package. Please come with me! It seems urgent.” They immediately set off.
When everyone was present, Konnosuke began to explain, “The government had the package analyzed. The contents consisted of time-return amulets, but they don’t work. We were able to find out that they were made to be distributed among the Honmarus. The intention was to not let the time-traveling Touken Danshi return to their time after the battle! The consequences are obvious!” his listeners became aware of the seriousness of the situation. Concerned, Aki asked: “Was the package the only one or had several such fake amulets already been distributed?” “We don’t know. The time will tell. First of all, tests are being carried out on the amulets that have been issued recently.“ Konnosuke replied and continued: „Apparently there is a spy who works in the government but is secretly acting against them. We have to be extremely careful. I will keep you updated.” With these words Konnosuke said goodbye. So before they start a carefree weekend the next day, they would have to immediately pass on this unpleasant notification to the others.
On the day of the party, Aki and Lena spent the morning completing their duties and chores before starting to get ready. As they were taking a weekend off-duty, it was decided that the next part of the mission would be assigned when they returned.
Lena was excited to do Aki’s makeup and helped tie her hair into a beautiful side braid. They decided to wear modern dresses instead of traditional.
„How do I look?“ Aki asked, twirling around in her dress in front of the mirror. They were in Lena’s room preparing.
„Soooo beautiful!“ Lena complimented. „Wait, we should put the hairpin we bought at the festival as well. That will match perfectly.“
Aki gazed at herself in the mirror as Lena helped put the hairpin on. She wondered how Hizen would react to her new appearance.
Lena also commented, „You look drop dead gorgeous! I’ve never seen you in western style. I think Hizen will love it.“
„Do you think so?“ Aki touched her hair. „I hope this suits me.“
"It does! I promise," Lena reassured her. "I chose the best complimenting colours for you. We will enjoy the party with everyone."
Aki and Lena decided that Mikazuki, Hizen, Shizukagata, and Kotegiri would be the team coming along to the party. Shizukagata liked to dance, and Kotegiri loved to sing and dance, so they were happy to be included. Lena desperately wanted Yagen to go as well, but he refused, as he was not “the dancing type”. Mutsunokami also recently came back from a mission and had to go for repairs, so he could not make the party in time either.
Noritsune’s party was held at an upscale nightclub because he was secretly a party animal, even though during the day he acted as a responsible and proper Saniwa. His father, Lena's uncle, was very strict and even demanded Nori to enter an arranged marriage for political reasons – which surprisingly, Nori agreed to do. Lena had not spoken to Nori in a long time, but since Granny had mentioned this fact to her, so she knew about it.
When the group arrived, the loud music could be heard even from outside. The establishment looked fancy as it was the city’s most popular night spot. Standing guard at the entrance was a tall figure wearing a black hoodie with many buckles and a sheer mesh shirt. He also wore a cap. Kotegiri recognized the man instantly. It was his big brother, Inaba!
“INABA SENPAI?!” Kotegiri gasped, “Is that you! Wow, you look so different! Cool!”
“…” Inaba remained emotionless and didn’t comment. Instead he asked coldly, “Do you have an invitation?”
Lena handed their invitation to Inaba, and they were shown inside. Vibrant lights and upbeat music filled the large room. Many well-dressed men and women in extravagant clothing were socializing, dancing and drinking. Some of them were Saniwa and some were not, some were even Touken Danshi.
“It’s quite lively here,” Mikazuki commented, although they could barely hear his voice over the loud music.
At the center of the dance floor was a stage where a DJ was mixing songs. Kotegiri’s eyes went wide with excitement. He and Shizukagata immediately went down towards the dance floor…
At the center of the dance floor was a stage where a DJ was mixing songs. Kotegiri’s eyes went wide with excitement. He and Shizukagata immediately went towards the dance floor… Shizukagata started moving his hips to the beat, swaying back and forth with a smile on his face. Onlookers admired his muscular abs as he danced, hypnotized by his alluring movements and provocative outfit.
“We should first find Noritsune and greet him,” Aki suggested, “and give him the present.”
“That sounds good,” Lena agreed. “But there are so many people here, how will we find him?”
“I see a table in the back where people are sitting,” Mikazuki informed. He was the tallest in the group, so he was able to see better above the crowd. “Does your cousin have dark hair? A man there is seated in the middle of the group.”
“Yes, he has black hair.” Lena nodded. “So that must be him.”
Hizen sighed, growing impatient. Saying hello to Lena’s cousin was at the most bottom of his priorities. “Hey, you guys can go, but I’m gonna grab a drink. See ya later.”
He gave a wave as he headed off In the direction of the bar. He didn’t want to leave Aki alone, but she would be safe with Lena and Mikazuki. Besides, he had never been to a human world party before, so this was his chance to observe his surroundings to understand more about the situation…
Meeting Noritsune again after all these years did not go as Lena expected. When they locked eyes, the first thing she noticed was his emotionless eyes. They were like staring into an abyss, like looking into the cold eyes of someone who held many secrets. Somehow, looking at him sent chills down Lena's back. This was so different from the boy from her childhood that she remembered, who was easy to smile and always had encouraging words.
"Cousin, it's good to see you..." Lena began nervously. "Thank you for the invitation. This is my friend and fellow Saniwa, Aki Shimura, and this is Mikazuki Munechika... my secretary sword."
Aki and Mikazuki both bowed to him out of respect.
"This is for you." Aki handed the wrapped birthday present to Noritsune. He accepted the present with a small smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Thank you for your consideration," Noritsune said politely. "Please enjoy the party. However, I will request that you allow me to have words with Lena alone."
Mikazuki wore the same pleasant expression, but inwardly he sensed something about Noritsune's energy that he couldn't explain. That feeling was unsettling, because it felt similar to something Mikazuki had encountered before - but he couldn't put a finger on it. Aki was smiling but she felt the same thing - a brief pulse of energy from the man before them that made the hair on the back of their neck stand up.
"Sure, of course. You are family, so there's a lot to catch up on," Aki replied, she felt hesitant but unable to refuse his direct request. "Then I will go and find Hizen..."
The friends surrounding Noritsune also quickly disappeared at his command. The only figure remaining standing behind Noritsune was that of an intimidating Touken Danshi - Onimaru. He surveyed his surroundings with the piercing stare of his one red eye. Of course, naturally every Saniwa would have a secretary sword, so Onimaru must be Noritsune's.
Lena exhaled to calm herself and held her hands together, as Noritsune observed her with his unreadable eyes. From where she was standing, Lena heard the faint 'thudding' of the bass echoing from the music, but the lyrics were unidentifiable. She hoped at least the others were having a good time so far, because for her, standing in front of Noritsune was like facing some kind of judgment.
"Lena, you are a disappointment." he finally said.
"..W-what are you saying?" Lena's body froze at his sudden harsh words.
"You rejected the Kagami family's proposal?" Noritsune continued, lifting his champagne glass to his lips. "As a Hikawa, joining our family with the Kagami family is a great honour. I thought you would know better."
Lena was stunned speechless - the last thing she expected him to say to her was about Ieyasu, of all people. "That's none of your business!" she protested, "Why does it matter to you who I choose to marry?"
"As a Saniwa, don't you understand your position?" Noritsune continued to reprimand her. "Unless you are born to reject your responsibilities? Then you will be exactly like your runaway mother."
Lena felt her heart twist in her chest. He spoke the truth, as her mother never wanted to be a Saniwa and instead chose to move overseas to live a normal life... Still, hearing Nori mention this out loud was too much for Lena to bear.
"That... that is such a... cruel thing to say..." Lena felt her eyes welling up with tears, but she was determined not to cry in front of him. She would not give him that satisfaction. His words and demeanor prove to her that this was no longer the boy she used to play with in the countryside long ago.
Mikazuki's body tensed, because it bothered him to hear his Saniwa spoken to in such a rude way, even if it was by family. Across, Onimaru shot him a warning look. This was a matter between Saniwa - Touken Danshi had no right to intervene.
"You are upset? Dear Lena, I was only stating the truth." Noritsune observed Lena's reaction and paused for a moment. "I had no idea you were so weak-willed."
"That's enough for now," Mikazuki interrupted, unable to hold back any longer. He stepped forward in front of Lena, shielding her from Noritsune. "My Master will give your words some thought. If you will please excuse us..."
Mikazuki swiftly escorted Lena away, and she did not protest with his actions.
He led her onto the dance floor, and together they melted into the crowd of dancing bodies. Mikazuki held Lena closely in his arms, shielding her from everyone around them. She leaned against him for support, still shocked speechless from her conversation with Noritsune.
For a while, the two of them simply moved together to the beat of the song playing. Left, then right, then left again, as if rocking on gentle ocean waves. When Lena was ready to speak, she tugged on his sleeve.
"Are you all right?" Mikazuki asked, once they were in a quieter spot.
"Yes, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about," Lena answered with a shrug. "People change! I didn't see him for many years. So, it's only natural that we aren't close anymore."
""I see." Mikazuki hesitated before responding. "Regardless, he shouldn't have made you upset. I'd be happier to see you smile."
"Oh...Really, it's fine." Lena tried her best to smile at him. "Let's try to enjoy our time, okay?"
Hizen pushed past the crowd of dancing bodies and people huddled around with drinks in their hand. He got to the bar and before he could order a drink, out of the corner of his eyes he saw that a couple was kissing passionately, right next to him. Locked in each other’s arms, they both looked happy and fulfilled. Maybe that was the feeling of love he was yearning for whenever they were alone? Hizen thought to himself, that feeling was something he wanted to experience with his Saniwa…
The situation was quickly escalating though, and Hizen quickly looked away when the man slid his hand down the woman’s side to touch her bare thighs. Hizen wasn’t going to watch more of that, since it was becoming embarrassing. Instead, he quickly ordered his drink and left before he could see more.
In his hurry, Hizen didn’t watch his surroundings and bumped into someone, almost spilling his drink.
“..! Hey! Watch where you’re going.”
A beautiful young man wearing a crisp white t-shirt and baggy red pants stood there with a frown on his face.
“What are YOU wearing?” Hanjin said. He crossed his arms and looked Hizen up and down, sensing that they were both Touken Danshi. “This is a birthday party, not Halloween.” He gestured to Hizen’s bandages. “Are you TRYING to look like a zombie?”
Hizen resisted the urge to strike Hanjin down and said, “Shut up before I kill you.”
The two glared at each other but before any fight could begin, fortunately, Aki came running between them. What great timing.
“Hizen! There you are, I was looking for you,” she said, grabbing onto his arm. “Oh.. and who are you?”
“I am Hanjin, a wakizashi currently in the service of Master Noritsune.” Hanjin gave her a bow. His demeanor suddenly changed, flipping from an annoyed expression to an angelic one as he spoke to Aki. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“He’s a pain in the ass, that’s what he is,” Hizen commented. Aki didn’t respond but gave his arm a squeeze, a silent warning to be more polite.
“What beautiful hair you have,” Hanjin smiled at Aki, completely ignoring Hizen now. “Say, would you grant me the pleasure of a dance?”
“A… a dance?” Aki stammered, unsure of how to respond. “Well you see, I don’t… really dance.”
“There is no need to worry. It’s easy, I’ll show you!” Hanjin reached out and offered his hand to Aki – which Hizen quickly smacked down.
“The answer is NO. She does not want to dance with you,” Hizen said plainly.
Before Hizen could say anything further – another familiar voice spoke up and joined the group, and it was none other than Ieyasu Kagami!
“Well, well… I thought I sensed an unusual amount of beauty here,” Ieyasu grinned, showing his pearly white teeth. “Miss Aki, what a delightful surprise.”
“God, I should have known this clown would be here,” Hizen muttered to himself. Now there was one more annoyance to deal with…
“Hello, Master Kagami.” Hanjin greeted Ieyasu, as undoubtedly he was a friend of Noritsune’s.
Aki and Ieyasu chatted for a bit. Predictably, it wasn’t long before Ieyasu brought up the subject of the Kagami family’s marriage proposal to the Shimura family.
“Have you given my proposal any more thought?” Ieyasu asked. Aki stared at him blankly, before taking a page out of Hizen’s book and flat out saying: “NO.”
However, her cold response didn’t phase Ieyasu at all. In fact, he laughed and said, “I love women who play hard to get. Aki Shimura, you will be mine… Oh, and is your lovely friend here as well? I’d best greet her as well, otherwise she will feel left out… hehe.”
However, her cold response didn’t phase Ieyasu at all. In fact, he laughed and said, “I love women who play hard to get. Aki Shimura, you will be mine. And is your lovely friend here as well? I’d best greet her as well, otherwise she will feel left out… hehe.”
Hearing Ieyasu talk always made Aki stunned speechless. Was the Kagami family that powerful that their eldest son strutted around acting and doing whatever he pleased? The answer was a mystery.
“Well, sadly I must take my leave to greet others. I will see you very soon, little dove.” Aki and Hizen watched in disbelief as Ieyasu strolled away, like a swan without a single care in the world.
“Why are there so many bothersome pests around you? It’s so annoying!” Hizen exclaimed.
Hanjin, who was still standing with them, replied, “The answer is obvious – it is because your Saniwa is so beautiful. Are you as blind as you are unfashionable?”
A look of great bitterness swept across Hizen’s face. He balled his fingers to a fist and glared at Hanjin angrily. “Of course I can see that she is! I’m not stupid! She IS beautiful and she’s minnnn…my Saniwa!”
“So shut the fuck up!” Hizen shouted loudly. He grabbed Aki’s hand and turned to leave before Hanjin could respond. Hanjin could only say, “Ouch, so rude.”
Hizen took Aki to the snack bar to distract himself. There were all sorts of delicacies and Noritsune hadn't skimped here either. They tried some foreign nibbles. Some were very spicy for Aki, she wasn't used to this. Hizen looked at her and noticed how her eyes began to water from the sharpness. He immediately took her to the drinks bar. (And hoped that the couple who were kissing and touching each other so passionately before had disappeared) "Iced tea?" Hizen asked, to which Aki nodded. After taking the order (an iced tea for Aki and a cocktail for himself), Aki quenched her thirst. "Thanks! Now I feel better!” They watched the crowd for a while. Aki glanced at the couples dancing in each other's arms. How much she would love to... but she couldn't dance particularly well. Unless it was a rehearsed dance. Out of nowhere, Hanjin stood next to Aki. He noticed where she was looking and asked again with a smile: "Like I said...I could show you how to dance.
What are you saying?” Hizen growled: “You again.” He felt like he was stalking her. Hanjin ignored Hizen and tried to convince Aki further: "The music isn't that fast right now." Hizen snapped at him: "What didn't you understand about a NO?" Hanjin now turned his attention to Hizen: "Ooh, you. Have you been here long? Hmmm, I think so. Oh, how sad for you that no one wants to dance with you, huh?” Aki noticed the mockery in Hanjin’s words. She couldn't allow that! She shouted unmistakably: “I would dance with him!” then she took his hand and confidently led him to the dance floor, away from the gossiping Hanjin. Hanjin just watched, admitting this small defeat to himself. Hizen was very surprised and speechless, of course he followed her. They stood facing each other, Aki now with an uncertain smile on his lips. She knew that Hizen had never danced before and hoped he would be okay with her decision.
As they began to move their bodies to the beat of the cozy music, Hizen hesitantly reached out and slowly wrapped his arms around Aki's waist like he saw the other couples do. Then he pulled her close to him. Aki’s heart was pounding. She closed her eyes and for a moment their heads leaned against each other. Hizen held her tighter to him and now leaned his head next to hers. “Hmmm, vanilla,” he crooned as he caught the scent of her shampoo. He now let himself be carried away by the flow... As if on his own, his hand gently ran over her back. “Do you want me to stop?” Hizen asked. "It...feels nice, it's okay," Aki gave her OK. She too was influenced by the atmosphere. Hizen's hand then moved back to her waist, he touched her hip to her thigh, feeling her soft skin. He briefly withdrew his hand when he realized that he had already guided it part way under her dress and finally just left his hand on her thigh. For him, what he was exploring was new territory.
He liked it, it just felt so natural to touch her like that at that moment. As he thought about it, he couldn't help but think that his hands aren't just for killing.
