{"id":46,"date":"2013-05-31T11:05:04","date_gmt":"2013-05-31T11:05:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/?p=46"},"modified":"2016-08-06T13:42:53","modified_gmt":"2016-08-06T04:42:53","slug":"part002_edit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/part002_edit\/","title":{"rendered":"\u30cb Part 02 (Hatomugi)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"hollow_crop-fin\"
\n<\/a>The following days seemed to drag behind the young monk. While before he experienced occasional distraction, he now found it nearly impossible to focus. Perpetual musing hindered the pace of his daily tasks. It felt as if he had been given a wonderful book to read, only to have it taken away after the first page. What more could he have learned from her? With slight embarrassment, he wondered if she thought of him as well or if she had already forgotten about their encounter. When he realized he would probably never see her again, his daydreams faded into disappointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cShichi! Focus,\u201d came the stern voice of his mentor, snapping him back to the present. At his side was a lacquer box of acupuncture needles, and before him lay a somewhat-voluntary patient.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Shichi said under his breath, steadying the other tengu\u2019s wrist as he positioned his next point.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis art is about balancing energy,\u201d Sagiri said. \u201cBut first you must balance yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure you know what you\u2019re doing?\u201d his patient asked with a squint. A row of needles already ran down the back of his hand. \u201cI think you\u2019re making my headache worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust sit still, Shou,\u201d he said, and then pierced the surface with a light tap.<\/p>\n

\u201cOw,\u201d the tengu whined, struggling not to move his hand. Sagiri closed her eyes with disappointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cShichi, proper acupuncture should be painless. Where is your head today?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said. \u201cLet me try again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe you should just let Sagiri do it,\u201d Shou mumbled. This earned him a glare as Shichi pulled a fresh needle from the box.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said sit still<\/em>.\u201d He steadied his patient\u2019s wrist before pricking the skin once again.<\/p>\n

After the treatment was completed, Shichi attempted a clean getaway down the hall toward the garden. Unfortunately, his mentor\u2019s voice caught him in a vice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened in there?\u201d she asked from the doorway. Her tone dripped with disappointment.<\/p>\n

He slowly turned to face her. \u201cForgive me, I had trouble sleeping last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs the life of a healer full of rest and relaxation? When you choose this position, you choose the responsibility that goes with it. You must be able to perform, regardless of your mental state. Others\u2019 lives will depend on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A crawling shame began to encroach on his already weary heart. With nothing to say, he lowered his head, his eyes locked on the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat said,\u201d Sagiri continued, \u201cyou haven\u2019t been yourself recently. Are you feeling ill?\u201d<\/p>\n

He wished he could tell his mentor about his troubled mind, and perhaps about the strange feeling in his chest. All of his concerns and longings were trapped inside, but unfortunately, they would have to remain that way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m well. I have only myself to blame.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see. Have some valerian tea before bed and we\u2019ll try again tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd one more thing,\u201d Sagiri said. \u201cWe\u2019re running low on hatomugi. I need you to fetch some before afternoon meditation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi could only nod before his master spoke up again, this time with a firmer tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd do be quick about it. It\u2019s going to rain soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

#<\/p>\n

Sagiri\u2019s request was easier said than done. As he made his way over the mossy terrain, it was a struggle to focus on his task. He knew the best place to find the wild grass, but a glimpse of the old storehouse caused his attention to drift. The tengu stared at it for a while. Indulging himself, he made his way over to take a rest on the front steps. The air was gray and humid. There was an energy in it that usually preceded the rain, and the trees rustled loudly in anticipation.<\/p>\n

Shichi knew he was being foolish. He was still young for a tengu. Perhaps immaturity was to blame for his state of mind. Monks were not usually allowed relationships of an intimate sort, and he\u2019d had little contact with anyone outside of the temple for many years. It must have been the excitement of meeting someone new that had affected him so deeply. Older monks would never allow themselves to be so easily drawn astray from their responsibilities. He had to remember that he would never see her again. Perhaps focusing on that fact would allow him to forget her.<\/p>\n

With that thought, Shichi opened his eyes. He remembered her voice and her kindness, how genuine her laughter was\u2014he didn\u2019t want to forget these things.<\/p>\n

Grimacing, he put his fist against his forehead. This wasn\u2019t helping.<\/p>\n

It was then that another sound cut through the air\u2014footsteps. His posture straightened in panic, and he instantly feared that his mentor had caught him daydreaming again. When he looked up, however, it was not Sagiri that stood before him.<\/p>\n

\u201cKana?\u201d he said, his yellow eyes widening in disbelief.<\/p>\n

There she stood, this time wearing a lavender yukata that faded to dusty pink toward her feet. In her hands was a parcel wrapped in cloth. Either she had come back to see him, or Shichi had completely lost his mind to hallucinogenic despair.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, good,\u201d she said. \u201cI was worried I wouldn\u2019t be able to find you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou came back,\u201d he said, the words tasting rather odd as he spoke them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to thank you properly. And I felt terrible for leaving without saying goodbye,\u201d she said, approaching the structure and sitting down next to him. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to worry my family by being gone for too long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right.\u201d He held up both hands. \u201cYou really didn\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n

When her eyes fell, he realized how his words might have come across. He swallowed, then softened his voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m glad you\u2019re here,\u201d he added. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I\u2019d ever see you again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Kana said. \u201cI liked talking with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d he asked, pleased with himself for the first time that week.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, of course. Ah, here.\u201d She offered him a cloth-wrapped box with both hands. \u201cPlease accept this.\u201d<\/p>\n

At first he seemed hesitant\u2014after all, he hadn\u2019t helped her with expectation of a reward. It did seem, however, that this gift was important to her. He carefully took it into his hands, pausing before untying the outer cloth. Inside was a box of woven bamboo. The lid opened to reveal a neat row of rice cakes. Each had been tenderly wrapped with a single pointed leaf. He was familiar with rice cakes, of course, but the meals served at the temple were normally too modest for such detail.<\/p>\n

Kana caught him staring at the contents of the box, apparently speechless, and quickly filled in the silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was practicing making these for guests and I thought you might like them. I wasn\u2019t sure what you can eat. Ah, monks, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re wonderful,\u201d he finally replied. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled in response, relieved that he hadn\u2019t rejected her frivolous \u201chuman food.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you share these with me? I can\u2019t eat this much on my own,\u201d he said, looking at her expectantly. She hadn\u2019t anticipated the offer but was happy to oblige. They each picked up a piece, but he still seemed hesitant.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh,\u201d he said, touching the tip of his beak in thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can eat the leaf.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, yes, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

The wind picked up as they ate together, talking about other kinds of human food, as well as what the monks normally ate. Shichi was surprised to learn that the villagers ate many of the same things as they did, and even used some of the same techniques for pickling vegetables. The largest difference, of course, was that the humans would hunt animals for food.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo tengu not eat meat?\u201d she asked, closing the box and re-tying the cloth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do. Well, tengu eat practically anything, but monks cannot kill for sustenance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d she said. \u201cSo not all tengu are like you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I assume that not all humans are like you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kana nodded in realization, then flinched as the wind blew her hair into disarray around her features. She attempted in vain to keep it pushed back as Shichi made his own realization. It was going to rain any moment now.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no.\u201d He sat upright, his claws gripping the wooden step. \u201cI was supposed to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked back at him curiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like to go for a walk?\u201d he asked, though it came forth as more of a panicked demand than an actual request.<\/p>\n

The wind didn\u2019t ease as they made their way down the mountainside, yet somehow they managed to make conversation over the merciless gusts.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is your ankle feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerfect, thanks to you.\u201d Kana stepped carefully over a mound of stones. \u201cAre you a healer at the temple?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose. I\u2019m still in training,\u201d he admitted, remembering his unfortunate failure earlier that day. He wasn\u2019t sure how much longer his training would last if he let Sagiri down again. When they finally reached the clearing where the proper grasses grew, he immediately set to work. He examined the stalks prudently, feeling the seeds to check for firmness before placing them in a carrying bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I help?\u201d she said, watching his actions intently.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019d like. Choose the black seeds\u2014they should be hard if they\u2019re ready. Be sure to leave a few on the stalk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are these for?\u201d she asked, following his example and gathering handfuls of the large seeds.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany things,\u201d Shichi said. \u201cThey\u2019re good for vitalizing your body, or for tea. We also make beads from them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just as Kana placed her findings into his bag, a droplet landed pointedly on her forehead. She glanced up just in time to see the sky flush with falling rain. A hush of water filled the air as they darted for cover, futilely attempting to find sanctuary below the branches.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a hollow tree nearby,\u201d he called, gesturing for her to follow him up an incline toward a grove. By the time they reached it, they were both completely soaked. Their clothes were darkened and sopping, and Kana\u2019s hair hung unapologetically over her eyes. When she wiped her bangs to the side, the sight before her sent the girl into fits of laughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Shichi asked, his feathers parted in damp spikes around his head.<\/p>\n

Kana covered her mouth in an attempt to subdue her snickering.\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look ridiculous, too,\u201d he said, wringing some of the water from his sleeve. \u201cLike a cat that fell into a pond.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d She attempted to rub the wetness from her eyes. Shichi wished that he had something dry to offer her, like a handkerchief. Suddenly remembering, he reached into his robe and felt for the cloth he kept in his sleeve. Luckily, it was still dry. Shichi offered it to her and she accepted it gratefully, drying her face with a sigh. When she glanced down at it, however, her eyes blanked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is mine,\u201d she said. \u201cYou kept the ribbon I left?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi took in a sharp breath, only now realizing that it had indeed been the white ribbon she had forgotten in the storehouse. Though wet, his feathers still managed to rise in trepidation, and he looked back at her with wide, fearful eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, no. I\u2014 well, you see.\u201d He waved his hands dramatically, as if the motion would distract her. \u201cIt would have been a shame to waste it. It\u2019s high-quality cloth!\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes narrowed at first, clearly not buying his sorry explanation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you kept it in your robe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was . . . convenient,\u201d he said, as if trying to convince himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cOr perhaps you just missed me?\u201d<\/p>\n

When Shichi didn\u2019t reply, she simply joined him in his silence. They watched the rain together, sitting huddled as the water trickled down the rock face. It fell in rivulets, darkening the stone as it went.<\/p>\n

\u201cI missed you, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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