A few months later and Susumu was still at the temple with them. Kohana couldn't stay forever, she had responsibilities to return to so she left but Kaoru stayed. She didn't have one ounce of filial piety towards that family, her father never wanted her, her step-mother debased her birth mother till her birth and her last elder brother tried to rape her, should she forget everything so soon and welcome them with open arms because they restored her status? No!
The pain of what almost happened to her remained a shadow upon her heart and robbed her of many nights of sleep. The only good thing she got out of this journey was Susumu's company and a shadow of the moon that always stood over her head every night.
Kana increasingly withdrew herself from her and acted all cold and indifferent as if she took something precious away from her. Susumu even acted conflicted when he noticed her attitude but he managed to get over it after some days. Then he began to disappear for weeks only to return to apologise for his absence to disappear again.
It was such a hassle trying to decipher the intent behind people's actions, Kaoru thought. She still sang at the edge of that stream every night she couldn't sleep though, and it was every night.
She began to make plans on how to sustain herself now that she had severed her ties with the Kaneko household, she had a knack for business. Maybe she would try her hand at it.
Getsumei arrived at the temple midsummer, he brought supplies and good tidings with him. Kana was undoubtedly pleased to see him but he was anything but. Most of his plans had failed and he still had to make the journey to this temple every summer.
His eyes fell on the only thing that changed about this summer wandering around the temple relating with the temple maidens and servants. He heard from Susumu that the finances of the temple had seen a boost since she began handling them, it looked more lively and befitting of Amaterasu now but he knew the goddess was anything but.
He laid down the supplies he came with outside and the servants rushed to bring them in as he went in to change his clothes.
'Was it fruitful?' Susumu asked him when he got to the room they shared.
'No.' He never hid anything from this little brother of his but he lied and he was none the wiser.
'I'm sure it'll be better next time.' He said and patted him on the back. 'The moon has been strange these past months, I hope you have been well.'
Getsumei's hands clenched tightly under his robes that it drew blood. 'Of course, why wouldn't I be fine?'. His struggles didn't show in his voice rather, he refused to let them slip into his voice.
Still, Susumu was none the wiser. 'Don't keep it to yourself if something is wrong, tell our sister. I'm sure she'll be able to help, should I tell her for you?'
'No, and don't tell her we had this conversation.' said Getsumei calmly.
Susumu nodded, 'of course, brother.'
The following day Getsumei learnt from Kana that Susumu was courting Kaoru even though he knew she thought otherwise but he was sincerely happy for his little brother. He took a bold step despite their circumstances so why couldn't he do the same? He had too many responsibilities on his shoulders, if he left them they would fall to Susumu which would go against his true nature. And he didn't want that.
'Koinu!' someone called him out of his daytime reverie. Who was audacious enough to call him a puppy? Getsumei growled inward though he knew there was only one person who dared to call him that, Kana was too straightforward and didn't know how to tease while Susumu was male. The voice he heard was female, which was Kaoru's.
'I wrote a new song recently, I want you to lend me your ears.' She said, looking him straight in the eye. The last person who dared do that died a nasty death, he remembered.
'My ears would bleed.' He said calmly.
'Then so be it.' She plopped down in front of him and brought out a shamisen from behind her. She braced it against her shoulder and began to play.
'Wrong tune, wrong posture. Everything is wrong' Getsumei nitpicked everything when she was done and she left completely infuriated. He got a strange sense of satisfaction from doing so, and from the way she carried herself, he knew she wouldn't stop until he acknowledges her talent. Well, this was something to look forward to, he decided with a smile.
However, Getsumei's business took him away from the temple sooner than expected so he didn't get the chance to criticise Kaoru heavily. As for Susumu trying to court her, he no longer had any interference from him.
Susumu spent his days and nights trying to cater to Kaoru but she refused his advances and sometimes ignored them, it was truly a painful thing because she could never ignore his brother when he came around. Should he act aloof and annoying like Getsumei? But it was too late! If he dared to Kaoru would completely ignore him!
'Kaoru, there's an infirmary at the other end of town. I am going there, will you like to come with me?' Kana told Kaoru one rainy morning.
'Of course, I've been cooped up in here. A breath of fresh would be good for me' Kaoru complied with a smile.
Because it was rainy they wore yukatas instead of the kimonos they normally wore whenever they left the temple and held onto their small umbrellas as the rain was just a fine drizzle at the moment.
Kana offered smiles and food to the beggars and lowly and they walked further and further into town. Oftentimes they would stop for Kana to whisper blessings to the weak-hearted who clung to her. Kaoru got to see a different side of her that day.
When they got to the infirmary it was already getting dark but they still helped in the treatment of the sick. The physicians were joyful in expressing their gratitude for the unexpected help and prepared a small feast for them.