"Excuse me? Did I just hear you right? An arranged marriage?" I was floored, I knew it was still common within the shaman world for these types of things to happen, but never has there been a proposal for a marriage between my clan and one of the three major ones.
"Yes, I know you're not... happy about this, but it is worth thinking over." Dazai replied. My face twisted into a deep cringe.
"Mai-sama!" He scolded.
"Absolutely not. I hate the Zen'nin's, they're nothing but stuck up assholes. We don't need to merge with another clan to make ours strong again." I protested.
Deep down, I knew Dazai was right. It is a good opportunity to help get more funding and maybe even more protection for my clansmen, but I want absolutely nothing to do with the Zen'nin clan. They've never helped us, especially when we begged Naobito to help with my father's mission. They, along with the Gojo and Kamo clans did nothing after both of my parents passed. Now they're trying to take advantage of our vulnerability.
"You know that you will still need to attend the meeting. And when - and I know you will - reject, the Gojo and Kamo clan will send their own proposals." I really couldn't help but groan at the thought of having to dress in a Kimono and be put in display for not just the Zen'nin's, but also Satoru? I really wish I could reject meeting them all together, but I have to keep at least some of the image that my parents worked hard for the clan to have.
"...when is the meeting?" I tentatively asked.
"In 3 days."
"What?! Three days?! I'm still covered in bandages! I don't even know if ANY of my clothing aren't in shreds! I won't be presentable in three days!" Dazai tried to calm me down and keep me from moving too hard.
"Mai-sama, please calm down," he said in a hushed tone. "I will be going to the estate tomorrow to help clean and salvage what we can. Not all of our belongings were destroyed, and if we need to we can find a Kimono of your mother's for you to wear."
"Dazai, I towered over my mother! I was taller than her by the time I was 12!" I shouted.
My mother was always a petite woman, she was only 4'10. My father, on the other hand, had quite the large frame - standing at 6'1". By the time I was 12 I was already at 5'4". And now at 15, I'm at around 5'7". Although I think this may be the tallest I'll be, I haven't had much of growing pains lately.
Dazai looked down, thinking over what I just said.
"We can purchase you a new Kimo-"
"Absolutely not, we are to use any current finances we have to restore the estate and for funeral costs." I was quick to shut down his suggestion.
"I understand.. we will continue to sort through the rubble, hopefully we can find something." With that, Dazai gave a low bow and dismissed himself.
"Everything okay? I heard shouting." Shoko said, knocking on the open door.
"Yeah, everything's fine. Just stressed out about... you know." I sighed. Shoko nodded in acknowledgment.
"If you need to talk about it, I'm here ya know." I smiled at her offer.
Honestly, I did want to talk about it, but I didn't think Shoko would be the best option. I love and adore her and always appreciate her advice, but I need to talk to someone who understands these things from an inside perspective.
"I appreciate you more than you know, Shoko. Maybe ill take you up on your offer soon." I nodded my head towards where she just went off to smoke. "So am I good to go?" I looked at her.
"Yeah, you're good. Just don't run or do anything exstrenuous. Oh, and these are for you." She tossed me a small bottle full of painkillers. "You've been running off of adrenaline all day, the pain'll kick in soon." I thanked her and began to walk back to my dorm.. maybe I should go see if Satoru was in his instead. I want to talk to him.
I stood in front of his door, trying to muster up the courage to knock. Maybe I should've gone back to my dorm and texted him.. yeah, that might be a better option. As I turned, ready to walk away, I see him standing right next to me. I jumped back, I hated how good he was at sneaking up on people.
"Whatcha doing here, Mai?" He cocked his head to the side.
"Uh.. well.. I.. wanted to.. talk to you.." I mumbled out.
"Well, I'm here. Let's talk." He stated.
"..can we go inside? It's kind of not something I wanna discuss openly.." I rubbed my arm sheepishly. Satoru just hummed in agreement and unlocked the door.
Usually, I'd make myself at home, but with what Dazai told me I felt awkward and out of place now. Satoru noticed the change in the atmosphere than what we had earlier.
"Is everything okay? You're quiet." He asked in a concerned tone.
"Um, yeah... actually, no. Dazai kinda dropped a bomb on me." I let out a defeated chuckle. "Uh, the thing about the Zen'nin's. It's for an arranged marriage." I know Dazai didn't want Satoru to hear about it, but he's going to get caught up in it. Might as well and tell him.
Satoru howled in laughter, his head thrown back. I just.. stood there with my arms crossed, shocked by his reaction. When he noticed that I wasn't laughing, he calmed down.
"Oh, you're serious. Aren't you?"
"Yeah! Why would I joke about that?" I asked in disbelief.
"Sorry, sorry. It was just kinda out of no where," he apologized. "But why are you telling me? I thought that Dazai guy didn't want me to know?" I gripped my biceps, feeling embarrassed by this whole situation.
"He didn't. But it involves you. I'm going to reject the proposal to marry whoever the fuck they have set up for me. And well, once word gets to your and the Kamo clan, they're more than likely going to jump on the idea." Satoru sat for a second, then it was like realization slapped him across the face.
"Hold on! Are you saying that I'm going to be one of your potential suitors?" I just nodded my head.
"Absolutely not. I don't want to get married. No offense to you, you're very pretty. I just don't want to get married until I'm like, 40 or something." Satoru quickly explained.
"None taken, I don't exactly want to get married either." I replied.
"Who are the other suitors?" Satoru asked.
"I have absolutely no idea for the Kamo Clan. For the Zen'nin's, either Naoya or one of his brothers." I cringed at the thought of being Naoya's wife. He was a year younger than me and the rest of my classmates, but fuck did he act superior. I can't stand him.
"So, what are you going to do?" Satoru asked, turning on the TV and mindlessly flipping through channels.
"Reject their offers. Keep studying for becoming the head of my clan, ya know. The usual stuff." I made it sound easy, brushing it off as if nothing will happen. Beads of sweat began to form on my forehead. What if my clan gets shunned? What if the 3 clans spread rumors? What if not only the 3 major clans, but the others refuse to do business with us? There was so much that was riding on this decision the more I thought about it. Maybe I would just accept their proposal. I felt Satoru gently grab my shoulders, leading me towards the bed to sit.
"You'll be fine, whatever you're thinking isn't going to happen. I mean, yeah you might get called some nasty names or something, but I doubt it'll do any actual harm to your clans image." I thanked Satoru and let out a heavy sigh.
"Not to sound like a brat, but I also REALLY don't want to wear a Kimono. The last time I did it was for my dad's funeral." I pouted. It seemed like the only times I had to wear a Kimono were for ceremonies that were incredibly boring or funerals. So I wasn't very fond of them.
"When do you go see the Zen'nin's?" Satoru cut through my thoughts.
"What? Oh. 3 days."
"Yeesh, that's pretty soon. Word moves fast in the clans, so I'll probably see you at the Gojo estate in 5 or 6 days." He replied in a thoughtful tone. I made a face at him.
"What? You don't wanna see little ol' me in my own home?" He feigned hurt.
"As much as I'd love to get a tour, I really don't want to be so formal in front of you and play the role of a maiden." I pulled my legs up against my body. It was a coping mechanism that I had since I was a kid. I felt something soft land on my shoulders, I looked over to see that Satoru placed a blanket on me. I gripped onto it with one of my hands and mumbled out a thanks.
"You do that whenever you get anxious, I heard having some kind of weight helps with it." Satoru replied, his attention on the drama playing on the tv. We just sat together, the noise from the TV adding to the comfortable atmosphere.
2 days have passed since Dazai announced the meeting. I spent most of the days in either my or Satoru's dorm resting and playing with my sisters. Suguru and Shoko checked up on me often and kept me company, also offering to help me with keeping Mafuyu busy or taking Himeko out to lunch or to get snacks. Himeko would either decline or insist on bringing both myself and Mafuyu something to try.
Dazai and Tatsuya kept themselves busy with clean-up from the estate. They were able to salvage a lot of personal items for not only us, but some of the clansmen. They were also able to clear out a good chunk of the rubble. The main houses foundation was still in tact, there were some large holes in the roof and broken windows, but it was salvageable. The garden was completely destroyed, all of our crops were tattered. The right and left wings of the estate were both in bad condition, more than likely had to be completely rebuilt. Well, on the bright side this gives us a reason to update the interiors, maybe expand a bit for future generations as well.
As for kimonos, they didn't find any that would fit me correctly. Hemming would take too long for the meeting with the Zen'nin's, so instead they're working on having at least one done before the other clans begin sending requests. Of course, Tatsuya had the bright idea of contacting one of the maids from the Zen'nin clan. So, now I know that I am wearing a Kimono, but have absolutely no idea what it will look like.
I was currently sitting in the communal area of the dorms, catching up on my studies. Shoko was next to me, studying the anatomy of the body and taking notes. Satoru was on the floor, making faces and tickling Mafuyu.
The trample of feet on the hardwood floor could be heard. Himeko came almost bursting into the room with a bright smile, Suguru walking in lazily behind her.
"Nee-san, Suguru-nii is taking me to get ice cream! Is there any you want?" Himeko excitedly asked, Suguru was leaning on the doorframe. I put the book I was studying down and smiled at her.
"Anything would be delicious. Here, let me get you some pocket change so that we aren't spending too much of Suguru-nii's money." I snickered. Suguru just shrugged in defense.
"No need to do that, I really don't mind. I'll get some for Mafuyu, too." Suguru stated.
"Oh! Get me some daifuku!" Satoru chimed in.
"Some taiyaki ice cream would be nice." Added Shoko.
"Get it yourselves." Suguru refused.
"Huh?! Why does Mai get some and we dont?! Aren't we supposed to be friends?!" Satoru dramatically cried out.
"Because Himeko asked, if you want some then pay up. And I'm only going to one place." Suguru held out his hand to your classmates. You couldn't help but laugh. Having the 3 of them and your sisters around had been really great, they help keep your mind off of things and made the place livelier.
Himeko waved goodbye as she and Suguru left. I decided to take a break from studying and sat with Satoru and Mafuyu. Mafuyu sat in my lap as she colored on a piece of paper.
"Man, I can't believe summers already almost over. We haven't even gone anywhere fun." Satoru complained.
"That's true, I was looking forward to going to the beach." Shoko agreed.
"We always swam in the lake and had barbecue around this time of year. It feels weird not doing it this year." I chimed in.
"Why don't you? There's probably a place that you stayed at other than the estate right?" Shoko asked.
"There was, but it feels kind of wrong to do it. My dad was always the one who grilled the meat, and my mom would bring out a cake." I smiled at the memories.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean.." Shoko quickly apologized.
"It's okay, really. So much has happened anyway, I'd rather focus on getting back to some kind of normal.
"Your mom would bake a cake for your barbecues? That sounds nice." Satoru stated.
"Yeah, it was for my birthday." Both Satoru and Shoko just stared at me.
".. thinking about it, Mai when's your birthday?" Shoko asked.
"Oh. Uh, August 30th."
"You do realize that's in 3 weeks, right?" Satoru pointed at me.
".. what?"
"It's August 11th already." Satoru showed me the date on his phone.
"What the hell??" I was confused. "I thought we were still in July.." I confessed.
"To be fair, you were studying and doing jobs non-stop since we started school." Shoko added. I brought my hand up to my forehead, has that much time really already passed? I only have 3 weeks left before my birthday?
"Oh my god I have to be ready for the inauguration by October 1st." It dawned on me that I had less than 3 months before becoming the Head of my clan. I hung my head in defeat. Mafuyu let out squeals of laughter. My hair was brushing against her arms. I dug through my pocket to find an elastic for my hair. I kept my hair long after my mother died, she always had beautiful long hair. I tied it up into a high ponytail.
"When is your meeting with the Zen'nin's?" Satoru asked.
"Do you really think you should be asking that, the girl is already about to explode from stress." Shoko cut in.
"Tomorrow," I answered. "Don't worry, I'm just glad it's gonna be over with soon."
"Take some pictures with your Kimono, I wanna see how you look!" Shoko said, sitting down with us.
"That depends on the Kimono, I don't even know what it looks like."
"Then how do you know if it's going to fit?" She asked.
"Tatsuya took my measurements yesterday and called her friend that's hooking me up." I explained.
"Nee-chan! We're back!" Himeko called out, waving a bag around in her hand. Suguru had the other. She handed me 2 ice creams, a matcha and a plain vanilla. She sat down with a strawberry flavored one. Suguru handed the other 2 theirs and sat down with his own. We all ate our sweet treats and talked. It was a nice way to help me get ready for the shit storm that will be tomorrow.