{"id":314,"date":"2013-07-13T01:31:21","date_gmt":"2013-07-12T16:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/?p=314"},"modified":"2016-08-28T02:41:29","modified_gmt":"2016-08-27T17:41:29","slug":"part022_edit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/part022_edit\/","title":{"rendered":"\u4e8c\u5341\u4e8cPart 22 (Beggar)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"daikon\"
\n<\/a>The bitter pinches and bites of winter weren\u2019t strong enough to suppress Shichi\u2019s newly adopted garden. Tending to the herbs and vegetables distracted him from the dragging grasp of failure, and so he was found outside more often than not. He had salvaged whatever plants he could, starting the rest of the garden from scratch. The previously scraggly, dry stalks were replaced with neat rows of white radish, cabbage, and medicinal herbs. There were pumpkins along the edge, their dark green rinds giving contrast to the earth beneath them. Soon, the garden was flourishing, each leaf fat with moisture and nutrients.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The restaurant attracted few customers in the morning, leaving Fumie free to accompany him in the enclosed yard. Chiyo had joined them, claiming that she needed fresh air and had nothing else to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen the garden so healthy before,\u201d Fumie said, each hand busy scratching the ears of her enormous dogs. \u201cDo you think I can use the daikon soon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re ready,\u201d Shichi said, his tone unnaturally flat as he loosened the soil with a spade. \u201cYou won\u2019t have to go to the market to make nabe<\/em> tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWonderful! It\u2019s so nice having you here to help me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi nodded, suppressing the thought that he had wasted his time coming to the city. Though weeks had passed, the only patients he had been able to help were Fumie and her aching neck, as well as an occasional customer who\u2019d had too much to drink. Shichi had the feeling that prescribing ginger for hangovers was not what his master had had in mind when she\u2019d laid out his path.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou really like those dogs,\u201d Chiyo said, leaning back on her hands. Both she and Fumie were seated on the wooden deck, relaxing while the tengu did his work. It had taken Chiyo awhile to feel at ease around the beasts, but her innate fear of dogs was eventually overcome by their endearing passivity.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike them? I love them!\u201d Fumie wrapped her arm around one of their massive necks. \u201cAren\u2019t they sweet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose,\u201d Chiyo said, her eyes half-lidded. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen anything like them before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNeither had I. There was a customer once, from some distant island in the south. He couldn\u2019t pay for his room, so he left me with these strange pups. They were so cute that I couldn\u2019t say no. He said they\u2019re called \u2018shisa<\/em>\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are their names?\u201d Chiyo automatically inched away as one of them turned toward her voice. Its tongue lolled as it panted, exposing its teeth in a wide-lipped grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s Kuri and she\u2019s Anko,\u201d Fumie said. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, they\u2019re harmless. Well . . . to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Chiyo said, still not moving any closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re trained to keep humans out. They can smell one from the end of the alley. Even a well-disguised human wouldn\u2019t make it to the entrance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I see.\u201d Chiyo brightened. The thought of a human-free dwelling was rather comforting to the kitsune. She and Shichi had previously just assumed that the inn was well-hidden.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it sounds terrible, and I have nothing against humans,\u201d Fumie said. \u201cBut whenever one comes by, things never go well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her voice trailed as she recalled past experiences, her expression revealing the misfortune in each memory.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere.\u201d Shichi approached to place a wide basket in Fumie\u2019s hands. It was filled with plump radishes, their leafy tops hanging languidly over the edge. \u201cMore of them should be ripe by next week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you!\u201d the innkeeper said, her red lips caught in a smile as she eyed the roots. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you come inside and I\u2019ll make some lunch for everyone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s very kind, but I\u2019m going for a walk today. I\u2019ll return in the evening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t tell me we were going out.\u201d Chiyo huffed, folding her arms in annoyance. \u201cI don\u2019t have the energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not. I need some time to myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d She sat upright. \u201cBut someone has to look after you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re tired,\u201d Shichi said, using her own complaint against her. \u201cI\u2019ll be all right. You need rest anyway, with all the eating and napping you\u2019ve been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chiyo scowled as he walked past, her eyes following him until the door slid shut behind him. The kitsune bit her lower lip as her irritation began to ferment. Shichi had been growing increasingly distant. When she had first met him, there had been purpose in his eyes\u2014a drive to keep going, to doing the right thing. Now, he was listless, only happy when his mind was occupied with that accursed garden. It was driving her crazy.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo.\u201d She turned to Fumie with a tight smile. \u201cWhat\u2019s for lunch?\u201d<\/p>\n

#<\/p>\n

Shichi\u2019s eyes were cast down as he walked, avoiding the passersby as he made his way south. Since his first humiliation at the clinic, he had made a dozen more attempts. Each time he had been turned away, rejected by even the sham doctors on the outskirts of town. No matter how insistently he had asked to prove himself, no one wanted to trust a tengu with their health. His heart had broken a little more with each passing day, leaving it in shambles inside his chest. That day, as he passed another clinic next to a row of restaurants, he couldn\u2019t bring himself to try again. He walked on by, keeping his eyes down as he turned the corner.<\/p>\n

There was no point in staying in the city. Though Fumie had shown him immeasurable kindness, he couldn\u2019t be her gardener forever. He didn\u2019t, however, have any idea of where else he could go. Was he intended to simply wander and hope he might cross paths with someone in need?<\/p>\n

The city, which had once seemed so colorful, now felt dull and overwhelming. He began to notice the features that his awe-blinded eyes had previously overlooked\u2014the scattered clutter and disrepair, the poor sitting hidden in alleys and shadows. Alongside the city\u2019s elegance was its poverty\u2014its parlors and brothels nestled between opulent homes. He could hear the coughing of a man in a narrow side-street, his voice scratchy against the cold.<\/p>\n

Shichi paused, letting his eyes trail toward the source of the noise. There was a beggar seated against the wall, his layers of clothing tattered and gray. His coughing continued in a hoarse fit, each one shaking the man\u2019s tired frame. Shichi recognized the sound\u2014it was dry and raw, hinting at an inflammation in the lungs. Forgetting himself, he made his way down the alley to kneel at the human\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you all right?\u201d he asked, though he already knew the answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want from me?\u201d The deep lines on the man\u2019s face crinkled as he spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want anything,\u201d Shichi assured him. \u201cI\u2019d just like to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA tengu? Help me? You must think I\u2019m stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not at all. I just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you going to do? Posses me? Poison me?\u201d The human sneered, pushing his stringy hair from his eyes. \u201cMy life is already bad enough without some yokai making it worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014\u201d Shichi fumbled for words amidst the barrage of accusations.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust let me be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on!\u201d<\/p>\n

The monk was silent for a moment before complying, straightening himself as he left. His hand went to his forehead as he returned to the main street, longing to crawl beneath a building to rot with its foundation.<\/p>\n

What had he expected? Back home, humans killed tengu on sight. He had been so blinded by the fact that yokai were allowed into the city that he\u2019d completely ignored the consequences of that privilege. Despite repeated warnings and firsthand accounts, he had walked straight into human establishments and demanded the acknowledgement that others had been denied. He had even been rejected by the most destitute of the city\u2019s residents. Not even the poor were desperate enough to trust him.<\/p>\n

#<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re back early,\u201d Chiyo said as the tengu returned to the inn. She was seated in the dining area; many other yokai had already settled down for dinner. The sun had just begun to set, casting a pink glow over the walls and windows. Shichi joined her at the table but didn\u2019t speak. His eyes fell to his hands, staid and devoid of emotion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened? You didn\u2019t go to another clinic, did you?\u201d The kitsune tapped her fingers on the table. \u201cI thought we talked about this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHumans<\/em>,\u201d Shichi muttered bitterly, leaning onto his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that? Did I hear you say \u2018humans\u2019 in an angry voice? Because, if I remember correctly, you tend to get upset when I<\/em> do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not angry,\u201d he said, still muttering. \u201cI just . . . I . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi\u2019s voice faded as he put his face into his hands. She was right. He would often try to stop her from making generalizations about humans, or speaking of any race with distaste\u2014yet now he was doing the same. Hoping to distract himself, he focused on the activity around him, taking note of the lively conversations and clinks of cups.<\/p>\n

From the kitchen, he could smell a variety of hot, simmering dishes. Some of the spices Fumie used were those he had never seen before, having come from visitors from other regions or nations. The combination of exotic seasonings left a rich aroma in the air, one of white pepper, chilies, and wild parsley. Some of the ingredients piqued his curiosity, especially the foreign herbs. Others, such as the \u201cunique\u201d meats that oni seemed to enjoy, he had no desire to investigate. Just as he began to wonder if Fumie had used the radishes he\u2019d collected that morning, the front doors were thrown open with a thunderous crack.<\/p>\n

Every head in the restaurant turned to face the sound. Three tengu hurried inside, their feathers torn and bodies covered with cuts and scrapes. One was supported by the other two, her arms draped over their shoulders. As they staggered in, Shichi\u2019s body locked up, only able to take in a sharp breath through his nostrils. He had seen them before\u2014all three of them.<\/p>\n

They were the bandits from Awaji.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The bitter pinches and bites of winter weren\u2019t strong enough to suppress Shichi\u2019s newly adopted garden. Tending to the herbs and vegetables distracted him from the dragging grasp of failure, and so he was found outside more often than not.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-one"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=314"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1104,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314\/revisions\/1104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}