[The Unlucky Game Master]

Arc 2.1

Because they fall we love them-the cherry blossoms.In this floating world, does anything endure? -Ariwara no Narihira

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His long black hair falls over his bare shoulders as he looks down with blank black eyes hearing screams of a woman on the other side of the screen to his left.

Ishikawa Hattori was sold by his farmer parents when they couldn't pay the raised taxes of their magistrate at the age of eight.

He was forced into a ten year contract with a never ending debt.All his kimonos, decor in his room, and training materials only added to his debt.He can't afford to have attendants and refused them.

With his beautiful looks he became a famous onnagata in the Yoshiwara pleasure district.He's about to turn eighteen and reach his age of maturity.

When the screams finally ended his bruised sister walked up to him holding her kimono barely covering her naked bruised body and gave him a smile with exhausted eyes.

"It's okay Ishi."

He has many sisters in the brothel who care for him and every time a samurai or shogunate that they can't refuse come, they would cover for him.

He's seen many of his sisters be directly killed by them or die from their work in the brothel, dying namelessly in the Joganji graveyard.Some try to seduce men to pay off their contract with words of love, but most are extremely unwilling and feel hostility.

As a popular onnagata he's treated better than his sisters, but he's about to be sent to the shogun who favored him on the day of his maturity.For others this may be a dream but...

"Sister...I'm scared.

He clings to his sister with his black hair falling on her chest with blank eyes , who can only hold him tightly and comfort him with false expectation and hope of a better future.

Two years later, walking in high wooden clogs with his obi tied around his waist behind his back, his long black kimono sleeves with peony decorating them leave an enchanting trail as he passes by.

Two years ago on his way to the shogun he met a very handome devilish looking merchent, who gave him an opportunity to change his fate and visits regularly to provide him with items as he gives information.

He knows all he can do is provide information and his role is nothing more than a high class tool, but can he hope that with his assistance they can finally win this desperate rebellion?

If this depraved society can really be changed, he's willing to do anything,,,even if it destroys him.

In the shoguns castle there are two main factions.The first faction is the shoguns wife who is the sister to the current reigning emperor, however the shogun holds no feelings for her.The second faction is the Ooku.

The emperor wed his sister to him in hopes that she could gain his heart to better control him.Even if the emperor is but a figurehead but he still needs to give him some respect, so he unwillingly acquiesced.

The shogun shares the same ridiculous views as the common populace on women and with the Tokugawa law of women not being able to own personal property with their husbands being able to klll them at any time if deemed "bad" or "lazy", how can he possibly be controlled by someone who is like a slave to him?

When he thinks about his sisters nameless graves in the Joganji graveyard, he can't help but loath this society even more.

The shogun prefers young men and beautiful boys, so he rose quickly in his Ooku with his looks that surpass all the other men and most women.His authority is equal to and slightly surpasses the shoguns official wife based on having the shoguns heart.

Arriving to stand behind a folded sliding screen door he hears a heavy breathing mixed with indecent moans.

He slides it open with his lips trembling faintly when he sees the fairly handsome shogun sleeping with another man.He quickly regains his composer and slightly covers his mouth with his slender hand as his eyes fill with understanding and sorrow only exposing his pale white fingers peeking out from his sleeve.

He lowers his thick black eyelashes slightly as he turns to quietly shut the folding screen door and walks away.

After walking a few steps he feels the loosely dressed shogun grabbing his waist firmly from behind as he pulls him against himself and begs while apologizing hoarsely.

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again just please don't leave."

He only tilts his head slightly while looking down with slight bitterness and understanding in his eyes keeping his hand over his mouth as he exposes his slender white neck.

"I understand your the shogun and as a mere onnagata I shouldn't have asked so much."

He moderately lowers his tilted head and whispers with a strand of long silky black hair partly covering his eyes.

"I only wanted to help you."

The shogun grips his slender waist more firmly as he presses him closer to himself while breathing near his ear.

"It was a moment of impulse, I know you only care about me."

He pauses then says in a firm voice.

"I don't doubt you."

The left behind man watches blankly as the two completely forget about his existence and start drifting off into their own world.

He used to be the most favored one by the shogen, until that onnagata came.It's as if the shogun was bewitched as he started neglecting his duties and was unable to stay away from him for even a moment.

As much he hates to admit it, but he's the ideal type with his quiet beauty and skill in samisen, painting, haiku, calligraphy, and tea ceremony.

They just had sex, so he can't treat him too harshly right?

The man gets up to grab the shoguns loose robe pouting, just when the shogen was about to leave with the onnagata to another room.What they were about to do is obvious.

Before he can even say anything he hears the shoguns cold voice say lightly.

"Behead him." Then leaves with the onnagata.

He pleads for mercy hoping the shogun will be merciful for all the years he served him for, but to his despair he not once glances back at him again.

Once inside another room the shogun starts removing his robes revealing his white shoulder as he kisses it.Just after having sex he already wants to undress him?

He hides the faint disgust in his eyes as he blushes and pants lightly while exposing his white neck and shoulder more, further arousing the shogun as he subtlety asks for information.

The next day he wakes up on the shoguns bed with his body aching and covered in bruises.

In the original setting Ishikawa Hattori was killed by the shogun when he was only slightly suspicious.The shogun is a ruthless man who is smart and cautious, it's a pity he becomes dull towards the one he loves.

The shogun is the key character in stopping the rebellion, or else why would the skilled rebel leader even come to personally visit him?

Yes, that so called "merchant" is the rebel leader and his soul match partner for this game.