It has been 5 days since Wakumi lives in the teahouse as Kamuro. She is getting used to the working environment and working as hard as she can to fulfil Kongiku's expectation for her to become an apprentice. There are many things to remember while working, cleaning in daylight, serving in the nighttime, it must have been really hectic for her.
Then one morning, when Ninniku is sweeping in the back garden, a massive roar bombs the whole house and she feels... unamused?
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU DOING STUFF SO SLOW-!!"
The person just roared is Kanagawa, to make sure she has a closer relationship with Wakumi, Kongkiu decided to lend Wakumi to her for three days. Although she tried to reject but can't withstand that sharp eyesight of her eldest sister.
This time Wakumi is ordered to move some boxes in Kanagawa's room, despite her cold-hearted appearance totally making her scared. In the end, Wakumi gets scolded harshly.
"Why haven't you done as I've told you to! You're not new, you've already been here for a few days!" shouted Kanagawa.
Pinned down by those words, Wakumi bows to the ground and apologies, "I am so sorry."
"Don't sorry me! How many times do I have to tell you that!" Kanagawa screams.
Outside of the room, Yusa just passed by and heard the conversations, she sighed and said, "Ahh, it's noisy again today. I hope they can at least get along with each other."
During break time in the staff room, Wakumi is in pain, weeping on the table as Uzuki is comforting next to her.
"You seem really worn out," said Uzuki.
Still sobbing, Wakumi lifts her head and mumbles, "N...No. That's what you think of..."
Along on the opposite of the desk, a staff name Azayami joins in. She overheard the lines.
"She is working hard every day as I passed by," she said and turned to Wakumi, "You don't really have to do everything you're told. Kanagawa-sama just focuses on the details too much."
"B...But." Before Wakumi can reply, Azayami continues.
"Kanagawa-sama is someone who is very strict on perfection and accuracy, although she is an oiran she needs to keep her own indignity like a high-class lady to the society. That's why she likes everything in perfection."
Hearing from her co-worker, Wakumi is still sad and suddenly her feelings burst.
"Waaah! I want to go back to Onee-sama's side!" She cried. "I want her to praise me as I sleep on her lap!"
Looking from the side, Uzuki tries to help. "My my, you are such a crying baby"
-^-^-^-
After the break, when Wakumi goes upstairs Kongiku calls her.
"Wakumi, for the rest of the day you don't need to work for Kanagawa. You will be pairing with Ninniku," said Kongiku.
"Oh, thank you Onee-sama," as Wakumi replied she thought, come to think of it I haven't really spoken to Ninniku-chan yet.
In the garden yard, Ninniku and Wakumi are sweeping the leaves together as Ninniku speaks, "The cherry blossoms have almost fallen."
It's a chance to get to know each other! Wakumi thought. The moment she turns around, Ninniku has been walking away with ignorance.
"Wait, wait for me Ninniku-chan!" Wakumi calls and catches up with her.
Still on work, Wakumi still can't find a perfect chance to talk, but then something floating in her mind.
"You don't have to ask me about every single thing. If you don't know how to do something, just look at how others do it."
It is her mother's words which taught to her when she was a kid.
"Even if you don't understand it, just do what the others are doing."
All right, I am going to try my best to do what Ninniku is doing, Wakumi thought. The moment her eyes gaze on Ninniku, she is skipping on the garden stone pavements, hopping one stone to another stone. Then she stops by a pond and searches in her sleeves, pulling out a small bag. Ninniku opens the bag and tossed something into the water, and then a swarm of goldfishes jumps up in surprise.
"Kyaaa!" Wakumi falls onto the grass with shock. Ninniku is feeding them.
Although still trying to talk, I still can't find the right time. Then two strikes of the bell are heard, it is lunchtime.
Wakumi heard the bell and said, "Ah, it's time for lunch. '' Let's hurry up and go back..."
Before she stops, Ninniku is kneeling in front of a bush with a small entrance.
"Onee-chan, here." Ninniku waves her little hand to her and goes under the bush. Wakumi follows and finds herself in a sakura forest once she stands up. While admiring the scenery, Ninniku has already sat under a sakura tree and prepared two bento boxes from a cloth bag.
Before eating, Ninniku takes out a red-bean manju from her sleeves, breaks it into two and gives the other half to Wakumi who just sits down next to her. After giving her thanks, Wakumi takes a small bite on the manju and looks upon the sakura branches above them.
I've been here for 5 days and I have my hands full with all the work, she thought. I didn't expect that there would be such wonderful scenery...
Then, a small fragment of her memories floating in her mind. It was the moment her mother taught her how to write.
"Wakumi, the word "busy" is written as if "one's heart" is "dying"."* Said her mother. "And to let the knowledge you've studied so hard slip away from you... It's such a waste, isn't it?"
*Note: "Busy" in Chinese character means being busy. It can be broken up into 2 parts. The 3 strokes on the left can symbolize "heart", and the 3 strokes on the right means "death". So the meaning is that when you get too busy, you lose your heart. Or, when people get busy, their heart dies off.
Soon later, Wakumi finds herself asleep next to Ninniku who is snitching sakura petals into a string.
Suddenly, Wakumi sits up and cries, "WORK!! We have to go back..."
"It's still lunch break, Onee-chan," said Ninniku. "You don't have to rush, it's fine,"
Then to her realization, Wakumi finds out something, "...Amazing. You are great Ninniku-chan! When I am with you, the time passes very slowly. It must be because Ninniku-chan is always having fun and looking at the positive things!"
"It's fun?" Asked Ninniku.
"Yes! It's fun being with you Ninniku-chan," said Wakumi.
As they talk, another bell clanging is heard.
"Ninniku-chan, let's go back," said Wakumi.
As Wakumi stands up, Ninniku puts a necklace on her neck.
"I am giving it to you Onne-chan," said Ninniku. "It is a sign of our friendship."
Looking at the sakura petals necklace, Wakumi smiled, "Thank you so much."
-^-^-^-
"WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS!"
The next afternoon, when Wakumi is off to work with Uzuki. Kanagawa is being called into Kongiku's room. Hearing from her sister, Kanagawa is very surprised.
"There's no reason to be angry, right?" Kongiku said to Kanagawa. "See, the cherry blossom viewing season has passed and there are fewer customers."
While frowning as Kongiku thought, she said, "How about taking a little time off? Even under normal circumstances, you need to take some rest and free time."
Kanagawa rejects, "I don't need time off Onee-sama! My body is fine and there isn't a problem. And who would replace me if I were to leave..."
"Isn't that something you should decide?" Kongiku cuts in. "I understand your feelings, but... It wouldn't really make a difference if Sanzu-no-Kawa has one less person, right?"
Hearing from those words, Kanagawa storms out of the room and slams the door behind her. Kongiku sighs with grief.
Later that night, Kanagawa washes and goes into the onsen alone, she dives into the water and thinks, "What did that mean? A day off? Even without me, the business won't suffer?"
While thinking, she notices numerous pink petals rippling on the surface. The moment she sits up, she is shocked to see sakura tree petals are all around her.
"WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?!!" Kanagawa cried out loud as she heard a voice next to her, it's Wakumi sitting on the poolside.
"Ah, this is... Ninniku-chan taught me this when we were around all the flower petals." Wakumi replies and holds up a bottle of sake in her hand. "These are the last of the year's cherry blossoms. Please enjoy them."
Kanagawa takes the cup and Wakumi pours some sake in it, looking up the sakura tree above them, Kanagawa realises.
"Come to think of it, the cherry blossoms should have bloomed already, but I don't remember seeing them," she said, "The moon is already full, when did I stop gazing at the sky?"
While looking up at the starry night, Wakumi replied, "The world moves on just like that, not concerned about anything, it just moves on."
"With just a blink of an eye, the scenery changes." She looks at Kanagawa and smiles, "It would be such a waste if we don't pay attention to it."
Such a waste, thought Kanagawa with a sakura petal in her palm. Ahh... this was what blossomed when I wasn't paying attention, the remains of spring.
"Are you sure you should be accompanying me?" Kanagawa asked Wakumi. "You must be tired too."
"It's all right, I took tomorrow off as well," Wakumi replied.
With a pause of silence, Kanagawa drinks the whole cup of sake, puts the cup aside and suddenly holds Wakumi's arm and tugs into the water with her. As they float back to the surface, Wakumi spouts water from her mouth as Kanagawa laughs at her face.
"Ahahahaha, you look like a stone lion statue spouting water." Kanagawa laughs as her eyes almost fill with tears of joy.
It's the first time... I've seen Kanagawa Nee-san laughing, thought Wakumi.
"You said you were off tomorrow, right?" asked Kanagawa, wiping off her tears. "That's just perfect. Accompany me."
Wakumi is confused, "Huh? Where to..."
As Kanagawa gets off the onsen, she continues, "Out on the town, of course. You haven't been out there to play yet, right? I'll be your guide as thanks for the cherry blossom petals and sake. Let's have some food, shall we?"
"Ah! Sure," said Wakumi and climbed out of the pool.
Tomorrow, it will be their first date together.