"What?! He's actually blind?!" the young lady in front of Himawari quickly covered her (Himawari) mouth after Himawari yelled due to her surprise when she heard a surprising fact.
The lady spoke, "don't be so loud! You'll attract people's attention!" her voice was still calm as the usual.
Himawari, "but how come he can turn to follow sight as if he could see them?" she tried to lower her voice but it was still loud that it would cause an echo inside the young lady's room. This young girl was Himawari's new found friend after being alone on a bridge, not far from the White Hall. She introduced herself as Motsuhito Shingen, a daughter of one of the most influential daimyo around Japan. Shingen was actually kind and gentle, fragile and elegant as the lotus and as beautiful as the rose. Shingen and Himawari soon became friends after their small talk from their own places of their region.
Shingen spread her fan and flapped it as she used the fan to cover half of her face. She allowed her dark-brown eyes to be visible so Shingen herself could also look at Himawari's eyes directly.
Shingen, "he practiced his other senses though. His hearing was a big help to allow him to locate where you are, his sense of feeling allows him to know if an there's an obstacle blocking ahead."
Himawari, "then, how can he read?"
Shingen, "don't ask me. I haven't entered the Rose Foyer yet."
Himawari stayed silent for a moment. "Are girls not allowed to enter there?" Not sure, but Shingen blew her eyes wide due to surprise when Himawari asked such an obvious and quite surprising thing. "There are so many boys there staying in the west side. How can to enter when you don't even have someone to accompany you?" Shingen said, with her eyes slowly turning back to normal as she closed her fan.
Himawari, "but aren't they taught to be gentleman?"
Shingen, "still they are men."
Himawari became silent for a few minutes. Out of words and decided to think what to do instead, leaving Shingen in her room. From her averted eyes, Himawari focus her sight back to her friend with a bright smile, "I guess it's best for me to leave."
Shingen nodded, "thank you for your time—take care."
Himawari stood on her feet, turning towards she closed shōji. She was about to touch the wooden divider to open but Shingen stopped her for a reminder.
Shingen, "one friendly advice; if you're able to meet him by coincidence—if he's going to give you instruction follow him as soon as possible."
Himawari turned around, "why?"
Shingen, "The Clan Master appointed him to be in charge of every activities of our study system. In other words, he's like the second clan master."
Himawari frowned her brows, "but he's not the second clan master, was he?"
Shingen shook her head, "he's only leading the study system."
Himawari nodded her head, telling she heard enough informstion and smiled, "thank you for your advice. I'll sure keep that in mind," and she slide the shōji open and closed it back. She turned around only to be greeted by a nice view of a small pond almost covered by lotus lilies and a small bridge. The sun was still up, bright and shining, reflecting on the turquoise crystal water. The mood was calm and pleasant.
Himawari suddenly remembered Shingen's advice just now about the authority of this young man she met. But will she really follow her friend's advice? We're not certain. Himawari is the type of person who loves to tease anyone even the most powerful person. People who met her used to be annoyed about her attitude but only the Emperor and the Shogun were the persons who liked her attitude. They say she's a free-spirited individual.
The girl walked her pace towards the east side of the Lotus Dorm, way to the exit. But before she planned of going out of the dorm, she wanted to change something. She went straight to her room, undress herself, and changed into a man's outfit. However, it was different than the uniform style of clothing. She wore a ninjutsu-hakama with her jikatabi, a beige color of haori and strapped it up with a belt on her waist. She tied her long hair into ponytail with a simple yellow knot.
When she knew she's done, she rushed outside of her room, but she stopped when a disciple from Kikue clan passed by. She placed her hands on each side and bowed her head. The discipline seemed puzzled at her image, but he she smiled and bowed as well before turning back to walk on her way. Once she's gone, Himawari started her pace but instead of running, she decided to walk.
The girl quickly reached the outside. She's not in the area of White Hall, not in the area of Lotus Dorm, neither in the area of Rose Foyer. She just reached the part of Iku's huge land, and found out it was the best place she could stand by. There were passages everywhere, small houses for servants and a stone steps with strange patterns. Himawari got curious which made her follow where it came from, only to found herself in a tall temple in the end. The temple doors was widely open, allowing the girl to see what's inside. She smiled when she saw something familiar in front of the altar, litting up the scents. It was the same guy.
She rushed towards the temple but stopped half-way when she was near the structure. It may be a timing when the lad just finished praying and was about to head back only to be greeted by an unfamiliar lad. But it was Himawari. The girl smiled and waved her hand, stepping up on a staircase and entered the building. "Greetings, brother Nobu," she altered her voice into something deep. The name Nobu, was the lad's name. She asked about his name earlier from Shingen and found she came from an influential family of shogun as well. His name, Monomorie Nobu. Monomorie clans are known for its loyalty to the Emperor and it's family being a the highest rank samurai. Each son was sent to a military school to start training and will soon become a samurai. But since Nobu is blind, his father thought it was best for him to learn about the ethics instead.
Himawari bowed in front of Nobu for a greeting. Nobu, who seemed to failed to recognise Himawari, bowed as well with his stoic face. "Are you here to pay respect for the Kami[1] as well?"
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(Information: Kami[1] is what they (Japanese) called to their God. Sometimes they add honorifics of "-sama".)
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Himawari seemed to have no excuse to think so she thought of riding in a situation. She nodded her head slowly, looking on the ground at first before back to Nobu. "Maybe—?"
Nobu raised his left eyebrow, "maybe?"
Himawari, "I was just roaming around Iku until I reached here and happened to saw you. Maybe the heavens instructed my feet to lead me here so I could worship," she laughed awkwardly hoping Nobu would let it pass. The lad seemed puzzled but only shook his head. "Then it is good to follow the Heaven's instruction. Take your time while I go back to the Hiroko*," he walked towards the exit as he spoke and left Himawari alone.
(Information: Hiroko* is the name of the men's central dorm.)
The girl nodded and watched the male walking outside the temple. She stood on her pace until she's sure he's far enough not to hear her mumbles, "He sure career his title very well," and she shrugged her shoulders. "And he's quite stifling," she turned around to the altar, only to see a bamboo curtain hanged down. Behind it, was a huge white crystal ball on a red pillow. She stared at the bamboo for a quite moments, but soon clasped her hands together as she closed her eyes and draw her hands near her face. "Please make my day fun and eventful," she prayed, silence conquered until she opened her eyes and straight gaze at the bamboo, "or I'll tell your boss you're not doing your job being a Kami."
After some small wasted time, Himawari grouped herself again with her new found friends in the girl's area, now with a feminine appearance. They adventure on every view, places, and scene in Iku. They stopped on every bridge, share a small topic about their life but they seem to find Himawari's stories odd, they laugh on each other's joke except for Himawari who find them corny and humourless. In the middle of their journey, they happened to passed by with the men from the other side who are now adventuring as well since they have nothing to do. The girls started to spread their fan to cover their face, only to let their mesmerizing eyes to be seen. They both bowed on each other as an etiquette and greeting; a part of the rule in Iku Recesses also. They flutter their eyes, trying to impress the lads with their eyes.
Himawari seemed to notice Nobu on the back so she rose and jumped with her hand stretched out, waving. "Monomorie-san!" she raised her eyes. The girls were surprised by her actions that they soon rose as well and held Himawari down to stop. The male only chuckled lightly and soon opened a new topic.
Himawari was finally let go, knowing these girls were already distracted to flirt with these men. Meanwhile, she saw Nobu separating himself from the group. The girl smiled at this and ran after the lad. "Where is your flute?" she asked, following the young male walking to another direction. Nobu didn't give eye contact nor giving her a word of answer. He only pretended as if Himawari's only a thin air.
Himawari, "can I borrow it 'till our next meet? I left mine back in our region and seemed to miss playing some melody." But the lad only ignored her word.
Himawari, "Nobu-chan ignoring someone talking is actually disrespectul," she pouted. Nobu stopped and turned his head to Himawari with his usual stoic face. "What do you want?" he said with his cold tone.
Himawari, "I just wanna be friend with you."
The lad only gave Himawari a cold stare, and soon went back on walking without saying any word. Himawari gaped her mouth and followed Nobu, "hey! You haven't said any word yet. Can we be friends? Are you accepting me as your friend? I'm just being friendly and nice. Hey!" she stopped when she felt like following Nobu is useless. Nobu stopped and turned his eyes to Himawari, giving him a cold stare and said, "pathetic," and he walked.
Himawari was left alone standing at her pace, watching Nobu walking on his way. She frowned at Nobu's back and mumbled, "what's wrong with him? I was just trying to be friendly." She paused for a moment, and shrugged her shoulder before she turned around to turn back towards her friends. "Then let him be on his own then. He's too moody and worse than a girl on period," she mumbled. While saying this, she thought of Nobu interesting and easy to tease. As if she liked to see this man angry or mad with her mess.
'But now I can finally say this place isn't boring,' she thought to herself.