Himitsu (Book One of the Kakureta Hana series)

II: Ni

Emi looks up when the three of us enter their house. Saiko and Masumo are seated, but at our entrance, the former stands up with a lazy motion.

"I'll go fetch the last member of our group," he says to Emi, who merely nods. "Do not worry about keeping the tea warm for us as it may be a bit before I return."

I watch him leave, eyes narrowed, while the women take a seat at the low table across from Masumo. His wife joins us with the tea set, kneeling and whisking the matcha into the hot water she has prepared.

Each of us accept a bowl before the shinobi both look at the three of us solemnly. Masumo takes a sip and says, "What is spoken of here will never be divulged to others by any one of us. The wheels of change have been set into motion, and soon even we will be unable to stop their progression.

"Lady Fujioka, I know that your carefully laid plans have been destroyed by what Junichi has told you. You long for one that you know will never measure up to your father's standard, and with the revealing of Jun's true identity, you lost all hope of finding one similar to your love. The road to what you want will not be easy; you may find that it is a very short road indeed."

He fixes his sky-colored eyes upon Jun, who stiffens under his perusal. "Lady Amachi, for that is who you truly are, you have picked a far more dangerous road than you believe it to be. The deception that you hide behind was not originally of your making, but it will not be an easy web to undo. To step into a role you have never had to play may prove harder than you think.

"As for you, Lord Igarashi, you have a simpler choice at this point. You know nothing of what is about to be discussed here, and you may walk out that door if you wish to remain blind to the situation. However, staying will offer you both a chance to heal and a chance at more hurt. All of us here will envy your ignorance, granted that you choose to keep it."

Emi is running her finger around the rim of her tea bowl as her husband talks. I focus on that little motion as I ponder what Masumo has just told us all. Leaving now would place me in the same position I found myself in just a few weeks earlier: unaware of what was truly happening with Jun. On the day that I had sworn loyalty to her, I had taken a vow to protect her from everything I possibly could.

Now it came down to two simple things. Did I value my innocence in the matter, washing my hands of whatever crazy scheme Jun had involved herself in this time, or did I value my vow, believing that being informed would help me keep her from harm?

"I'll stay," I say at last, seeing my leader's shoulders relax out of the corner of my eye. "I would rather know what possibilities of dangers will exist because of what happens here than to be caught unaware by them."

Saiko chooses that moment to walk back into the room, the person behind him still half-hidden by a screen as he removes his zeri. The shinobi takes a seat on the opposite side of Emi, exchanging a pointed look with her while tilting his head in the direction of Rika.

The shogun's daughter is staring down at her tea, face tight with pent-up emotions. Uncomfortable with the fact that she might start to cry, I look back towards where the mysterious newcomer has stepped into our view.

He looks nearly identical to the woman sitting next to me, forming a new picture of what the scheme I have found myself immersed in may involve. At the sound of his footfalls, Rika, who had just lifted her tea bowl to her lips, looks up.

The sound of shattering porcelain causes Jun to jump slightly next to me as the other woman gets to her feet, face ashen. She takes a few halting steps towards the man before stopping short.

"Tadashi?" She whispers in a trembling voice, reaching out a quivering hand. "Are you a mere illusion sent to torment me in a time when all my hope has seemed to vanish?"