Sadly, Rika refused to the lunch invitation and reasoned that she needed to prepare for her debut tonight. The other Asaemons such as Kisho and Tenza wished her good luck, even Jikka did. But Riku remained quiet in his spot. He could only silently wave his hand to Rika as she leaves the school by the front gates. In actuality, Riku doesn't feel like anything changed at all.
Even when Kisho and Tenza left the gates and Jikka disappeared by his side, he remained stood in his spot. For once, Riku didn't felt like practicing the four methods of immortality, the one he so calls his strength training. And for once, he didn't know what to do. He had an ounce of idea of what Rika was saying, but he didn't know what she's going to do. A part of him told him to not stop her.
"Is something the matter?"
Breaking out of his train of thought, Riku turns around is met with the figures of Genji, his Master and his sister Isuzu.
"How about we go for a walk? It's clearly evident in your face that you have a lot that is going on inside your mind." Genji spoke to him, a small smile painting his lips as he clasps his hand around Riku's left shoulder.
"I know I'm supposed to say something...but I don't know how to start." Riku begins to say as he stood in between both Genji and Isuzu, the three of them walking down a shaded area with trees lined up on either side of the path. A heavy sigh escapes his lips after his numerous attempts on how to put the words he wants to say. "At times like this, I would usually ask, what would Rika do, it feels like as if she wants to be away from me." He voices out his worries.
Isuzu walked with her hands clasped behind her back to his right while Genji walked with his arms crossed over his chest.
"I don't think your older sister meant to leave you alone." Genji begins to say, "A day for you may seem like three autumns but you wouldn't realize just how many minutes only passed you by. I'm sure your older sister, Rika, just wants you to be independent." He offers his own piece of mind to Riku. "Isuzu and I won't always be together, but if I can carve a path for her, I would."
Hearing those words made Riku's eyes widen and halt from walking. He didn't understood why Rika and him won't always be together, after all, wherever they go, the other follows. And just like what Genji said, if Rika is to carry out something tonight, he might as well will carve a path for her, for their plan.
"Thank you so much, Teacher!" Riku announces, bowing his head low while clasping his hands behind his back.
Isuzu stared at Riku with wide eyes while Genji waves his hand dismissively. "Hey, I haven't taught you anything."
"But you did!" Riku beams, smiling at the tanned, taller male. "Sir Genji, if I may, please teach me how to write!"
"Where did that come from?" Genji asks.
"Leave everything to your older sister."
"I've been assigned by Sir Shugen on the magistrate's plan to gather up the criminals in search for this elixir of life. I've also seen Sagiri write reports on a notebook containing words about the criminal she is assigned with." Riku explains, straightening his back. "If I'm entrusted by Sir Shugen with my first mission, I would like you to please lend me your knowledge so I can fulfill my duty to it's fullest." He adds. A wide grin painted and curling one corner of his lip.
He finally understood what Rika meant.
Hearing his request, the three of them headed back to the school, doing a crash course of how to read and write. Genji took charge of teaching the white haired male with yellow tips on how to write while Isuzu helped him how to read what he just wrote. Though it may seem easy as to when Genji had given him a guide on how to write stroke by stroke, the hard part of it all is given to Genji and Isuzu. Not understanding a single concrete word because of Riku's penmanship. Their eyes and heads becoming dizzy.
Riku, with a bright smile painted on his lips, show to them the first sentence he's ever written.
"I did good, right?!"
"It's better to be a book than believe you are a book- what does that even suppose to mean?!"
. . . . . . . . . . ♡
"That's incredible!" Aoyagi gasps, helping Rika put on the third layer of her red and gold colored kimono. "It's extremely difficult, if not possible, for a non samurai family member to become a samurai!" The older woman gasps, fastening the golden colored obi tightly around her waist. "Your brother lives lavishly more than you, Rika!" Aoyagi mentions, chuckling softly.
Rika could only smile and check her reflection in front of the floor length mirror. "It is not a problem to me on which one of us lives lavishly." She replies, turning around to face Aoyagi with a smile on her face. Running her hand down to smooth her skirt. "After all, there are only two types of people in this world. The ones who are dead and the ones who are born again."
Gently nodding her head, Aoyagi walks to the door of the room. "I shall come back later when I've checked up on the other girls." Is the last sentence she spoke to her before exiting her room.
There is no next time. There is only now.
With the golden kanzashi pins adorning her long white hair with green tips, Rika lights a match. Supposedly, she is meant to blow the fire off and work on her eyebrows. Instead, she gets up on her feet and drops the lit match on the floor. As the floor and other kimono's set ablaze with fire, she makes her way to the closed window and open it. Her action just in time to let a large gust of wind fan through the flames, igniting it more.
Hoisting herself up the window, Rika leaps down the three storey house. As she walks away, the flames from the top floor of the Sado House gets engulf with a large fire, the wind ultimately affecting other neighboring houses and establishments. With sounds of screaming, everyone around her began to flee out of Yoshiwara for most oiran and tea houses have been deluged by the fire she has caused. Shoulders bumping into hers as they ran for life, Rika casually walked around the red light district without a single care in the world. This is how she planned to get her hands on that writ of pardon.
Simply stealing any kinds of goods from the market isn't enough. She had learned that criminals with charges of theft would only get their wrists cut, and having her wrist cut isn't enough. Operating with one hand isn't part of their plan to return back to Horai and get revenge on other Tensens. To kill and take another life, or lives rather, is what is needed. The looks of everyone's faces around her is an indicator that soon the shogun will arrive and it would only be a matter of time for them to catch her in the act; as Yoshiwara burns, she does not plan to abandon what she has started.
"Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms, in fields, mountains and villages, as far as the eye can see. Is it mist or clouds? Fragrant in the rising sun. Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms, flowers in full bloom." Rika begins to sing, aimlessly walking around as fire engulfs around her. Soot staining her right cheek.
Not only are the houses being burned down, but the fire has now latched onto the leaves of trees. Almost no life except hers can be seen, those who failed to flee are now or have now burned to their death. Screams and wails of pain, the sounds of debris falling and the roaring blaze are what she could only hear.
"Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms, across the spring sky, as far as the eye can see. Is it mist or clouds? Fragrant in the air. Come now, come now. Let's go and see them."
Outside of the great fire, footsteps could be heard, drawing closer and closer to her. Rika walked a little faster to the front gates of Yoshiwara to greet her guests, how far they've traveled just to see what she has done. Tilting her head to the side, she is met with multiple Asaemon's right in front of her, Riku being one of them.
"Rika?"
地獄楽 おまかせ! #1
"Please wait!"
"Hm?" Rika hums, turning around on her heels to see who had spoken to her. To her surprise, it was one of those fellow Asaemons Riku is with. She didn't particularly know his name but the fact that he had a small face for a guy made his appearance in her eyes look cute.
As the auburn haired male stops in front of her, Rika now gave him her full attention. "What is it?" She asks, blinking her eyes as she looks at him. She may have rejected having lunch with them but what she didn't expect is to be followed by one. "Are you going to assault me?"
"No I'm not!" Kisho immediately replies, his face turning bright red in color.
"I...I like you." He begins to say, looking away in a meek manner. "I'm always thinking about you ever since you first stepped foot into the school and only look at you whenever you're there. As you can see, I'm only a rank eleven but I can assure you that I am a suitable candidate to become the next head of the clan and will have every means to support you." He says. "If it's possible...do you...want to...go out with me?" He asks, averting his head to look at her.
Hearing his words had her eyes widening at him. Now, it was Rika's turn to look away in a meek manner.
"I'm sorry." She replies. "I don't even know your name but I'm truly happy about your feelings. If I could, I would have gone out with you. But I've decided to give my full attention and effort on becoming an oiran."