“If you must go Kozue-san, I will not detain you any longer.
Good-bye then.” My father bowed as Kozue did. He then put his
hand on my shoulder, nudging me forward to make my manners.
I bowed to her in the proper manner, saying, “Sayōnara
Kozue-san. It was very nice to meet you.”
“It was my pleasure as well, Ayaka-chan. Good-bye.” And
with that, she turned and walked toward the river – leaving me to
stare after her as she glided away from us. It made my determination
to become a geisha increase greatly; I had never wanted anything so
much in my life.
“Come, Ayaka-chan, we must return home,” my father
said, taking my hand and turning for home. “Ueda-san will be
waiting.”
As we walked away, I looked back over my shoulder,
meaning to get one last glimpse of her; but she stood not far from
away, staring after us, a look of deep sadness on her face, as if she
were greatly troubled by something.
I came back from my memories as the kimono
clad figure of a man entered through the open door. His
long dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail to keep it out
of his face. His crystal blue eyes quickly investigated the
room for anything out of the ordinary. As he came closer
to my futon, I noticed that he was carrying a tray with a
single porcelain teacup on it. The door began to slide shut
of its own accord, but not before my fourteen-year-old
ward Pandim quietly snuck into the room behind him.
Viken stopped and so did Pandim as he opened his mouth
to tell her to leave, but I spoke first.
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