Published at 23rd of November 2020 09:54:52 PM
Chapter 19
The beginning: The fifth year 1
Right now, there are no other kamuro in Oyaji-sama’s house besides me .
Three years had passed since I came to this world, and on last year’s New Year’s Day, of the fourth year, Shuusui and Nagikaze had put on the more formal kimono and gone back to the courtesans of Amatsuki Brothel as junior courtesans .
It was the traditional way of counting age; so regardless of when your birthday was, when New Year’s Day came you would get another year added to your age, so on January First of last year the two of them turned twelve and were no longer at the age where they could be kamuro .
I would only be able to see them again after three years, when Shuusui and Nagikaze were 15 and had become courtesans .
It was kind of lonely .
The two of them would become adults before me .
“Then, see you later”
“Yeah . See you”
“Nogiku, if you get a cold you have to drink your medicine”
“I, I will!!”
“You better”
Even though we’d had such a conversation, in the end we all gathered into a group hug . The second coming of the cocoon .
“Rangiku, watch over Nogiku properly”
“What a bother…”
Since Rangiku was a year younger than the two, he would spend another year living with me and Oyaji-sama, but upon entering the fifth year on yesterday’s New Year, he had just gone back to Amatsuki brothel .
“Nogiku,”
“What?”
“W, weren’t you lonely being with just me for a year? I,it’s not like I was worried about it or anything though!!”
“Hmmmm”
“W, what’s with that”
“Ran-chan…if I had to say, it was actually pretty noisy”
“Hey!!”
“Which is why I wasn’t really lonely”
“…I, I see . Yeah, of course you weren’t!”
The conversation we shared yesterday at our parting was the same as always… . no, Rangiku was a bit subdued, but .
And then when I tried to hug him like we all did before, he yelled “Are you stupid!” and ran away .
…this dummy . Would it kill him to feel a bit regretful at leaving? Weeell, if I think of it as something caused by his tsundereness, I guess I could say it’s cute . Yep, it’s not a shock . It’s not a shock at all, no way .
Ha .
But it really suited him . The scarlet coral kimono was set off by his red hair tied up high, it was really… .
“Sigh”
The sigh that I’d let out without much particular meaning echoed uselessly around the room the four of us had shared as I looked up at the ceiling .
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The room that for four years had seemed so cramped now felt strangely spacious . Even if I rolled from corner to corner of the room in my sleep, there was no one around to tell me off .
It was really lonely .
… . No, no, it was New Year’s, after all, so why am I so down? The fact that a new year has broken means that the time before I get to meet with the brothers and the kamuro has steadily shrunk!
Let’s celebrate!! Haaaaappy Neeeew Yeaaaaar~
“Hehe~h, ha—ppy ~~nee—w~~ ye—aa—r~”
Muttering this in this room without a single other person, without any particular reason I stretched my hand out to the ceiling, when from above a large shadow covered me .
“I came for the New Year’s greetings . Take care of me this year too,”
“Oh, Jyuugi nii-sama,”
“? What’s wrong, Nogiku?”
Seemed like Jyuugi nii-sama had been walking in the hallway and had come all the way out to where I had rolled out onto the balcony and was looking down at me .
I lowered the hand I had up and raised my upper body .
“Ah–, well, I got the gist . Rangiku finally left, after all”
“Oof…Yes”
Eh, Jyuugi nii-sama!?
Why is he here!!
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is how you might react, but from around two years ago he would sometimes come here to meet us like this .
Actually, Jyuugi nii-sama’s contract had expired and that year he had started working as a cook under Oyaji-sama . I had known this for a long time, actually Jyuugi nii-sama had told me the same day I had come to live with Oyaji-sama, so I knew that I’d be able to see him even before six years had passed .
“Nogiku!”
“Jyuugi nii-sama, I, I’m very grateful for everything!”
“Say, Nogiku,”
“You see, after my contract’s up, I’m gonna work as a cook at Oyaji-sama’s place”
“Eh,”
“So in two years I’ll go and visit you . Wait for me”
“R,really!? Yes!!”
Not knowing where his family lived, and without anywhere to go back to, he said he had decided to work under Oyaji-sama .
Since Jyuugi nii-sama was no longer a prostitute, he could walk around outside, and he could freely fall in love . He would sometimes come and visit Oyaji-sama’s house on his days off .
While still in Amatsuki his light blue hair had gone past his shoulders, but it was now short enough that it might or might not even reach his neck; and though he had some wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, he was overflowing with dandyism . (tn: actual word used in original lol)
His laughing face was especially wonderful .
Yes, it’s my favorite .
“Are you lonely?”
“Y…yes…”
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Just like he’d done sometime before, he asked while patting my head . But being directly asked this by someone was kind of embarrassing .
Ever since I’d come here, there was no time where it wasn’t lively . There was always someone . Thinking back on it, it was a really really extravagant, happy thing .
But, just like with parting with the brothers, this wasn’t a final goodbye . There was no reason to be sad .
And plus, it was only two years . Compared to the past four years, it wasn’t that long, and everyone was trying their best . So that I’m not embarrassed when we meet again, I’m just going to concentrate even more on polishing the arts with all my might .
If I do that, then it’ll go by in the blink of an eye .
“Nogiku–!”
“Oh . Looks like Oyaji-sama’s calling you”
“Yes . Then Jyuugi nii-sama, have a good new year’s . And please take care of me this year too”
“Hang in there,”
“Yes!”
The start of one year by myself . (+37 year old cook)
“Come to think of it, Nogiku . I’m not a ‘brother’ anymore”
“Oh, you’re right! Hmm~ Jyuugi-san . Jyuugi-san? or something…”
“… . . ummmm . ,… . nah, just keep calling me nii-sama”
“There’s, just . Feels weird,”