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“Oh, it’s you.” An enchanting smile’s crossing Yoshimoto’s thin lips, while pressing his hand sheepishly against his chest. “My apologies. I didn’t recognize you, Ina.” Still looking a little abashed, he’s repenting his ungracious reaction, when she had reached out for him. But instead to mind his awkward wince from before, she’s gifting him with a smile as radiant as her unusual blue-grey eyes. “You don’t have to, really! I’m sorry I startled you. But it’s such a pleasant surprise, walking into you out here!”
A pleasant surprise, indeed.
Slightly shaking his head, Yoshimoto’s smiling warmly. “Please, don’t feel too sorry. I was just deeply in thoughts. I’m very happy, seeing you all well again. I was deeply worried after our last encounter.” It had been a busy farewell back then and he’ll always remember how weary she had looked. Weary but also smiling like the sun rising among the mountains. Years had passed and he always had hoped that he’ll see her again someday. “I didn’t expect to meet someone I’d actually know, especially in such a reclusive disguise.” His golden eyes wander over her delicate frame, examining the pale and inconspicuous Yukata she’s wearing. It was a waste of her beauty, covering her in such a simple cloth.
“O-oh well... it’s no disguise in particular.” Ina says nervously and for a moment lost for words.
“I see, so is the Kitsune in Shirakawa as well?” Yoshimoto still remains calm while almost watching her tenderly, while he’s questioning her. Even if the mere reference of him, is riling him to the core. Pressing her lips to a thin line while a grievous expression is clouding Inas lovely face, before she’s looking to the ground and breaking the eye contact with him. Seeing her fine expression turning that way, a longing hope is elevating warmly in Yoshimoto’s heart. “No” she answers, sighing exasperatingly. “He’s not even in Shimotsuke. But to be honest, I ran some errands for him out here.”
Absorbed in thoughts Yoshimoto lightly nods, and then stops abruptly. “Wait... All by own?” He asks, his golden eyes widening with disbelief. Hesitantly she’s answering with a nod and a sough is slipping from his lips. “You’re awfully far away from your home, Ina! It’s not safe for a woman to travel that distance alone!”
“Stop scolding me! Besides you’re awfully far away from Echigo yourself!” she retorts, puffing her cheeks in a huff. It almost looks lovingly, but this isn’t the time to falter under her beauty. “I’m not a woman, but a man.” Yoshimoto argues drily, trying to wear those dreadful thoughts down of everything what could have happen to her on such a long journey. Her delightful snickering sounds awfully out of place, ringing like tiny bells in his ears. “You’re fanning too hard, Yoshimoto.”
He didn’t even notice, till she’s mentioning it. Doubting himself Yoshimoto closes his iron-ribbed fan, while she’s going on: “I’m quite aware of the dangers, Yoshimoto. You really don’t have to give me that look.”
“I’m quite unsure about the validity of those words, Ina.” Yoshimoto’s reprimanding her unadorned. Even her calming and confident smile couldn’t soothe him. How could this sly old fox let her travel that far and on top of that, all by herself? An unpleasant wave of chagrin is crawling through his body and clenching his heart with cold grief. Yoshimoto’s hoping that none of these feelings are showing through the surface as he continues. “When you’ve finished what you’re here for, I’ll accompany you for your return.”
“What?” Ina inhales sharply and quickly shakes her head. “No, you don’t have to, really!”
“I won’t accept a no as an answer.” Yoshimoto unusually unfaltering retorts, while he’s giving her an extremely strict look, which silences her. But with a sigh his face is softening and a contrite smile is curving his lips. “I’d like not to argue with you any further on that, Ina. I’d never forgive myself, if anything bad will happen to you on your way back. Besides…” he appends and is tenderly cupping her cheek with one hand “your Kitsune would be devastated.”
Seeing a wounded sparkle in her bright eyes flicker, is filling his heart with sorrow. But before he could ask, Ina’s lifting her hand, lowering it on his, which is still touching her soft cheek. “Okay. Thank you, for your concern and I’m sorry for the trouble tough.” Surprised about her firm grip with which she’s hesitantly shifting his hand from her cheek, Yoshimoto obeys yieldingly. Something in her touch doesn’t feel right, but he couldn’t pronounce it. But it was free from the lightness all of her moves usually accompany. Almost naturally his fingers twine with hers carefully.
As fast as her hurt look has appeared on her face, it’s blurring now with flattering confusion. Her lips curves into a shy smile and her eyes are uneasily darkening, while she’s giving his hand a tender squeeze, before withdrawing. Crossing her hands conscientiously behind her back, she eyes Yoshimoto with lightly rosy cheeks. “So... where is your horse?” she’s asking.
His enchanting smile’s growing slightly distant, however he obeys her intentionally change of subject without opposition. For he’s also wondering about his own daring move.
_____
“I think this is as far as I can bring you, Ina.” Yoshimoto is barely able to hide his disappointment about the fact, as they’re passing a very small village nearby Azuchi. After their departure they’ve traveled for three days by horse with some sufficient stops. Yoshimoto will always cherish these lovely pleasant days and evenings they were spending, in his heart even if they were exhausting. Alas, he challenged his fortune with this journey more than enough and traveling further means risking blowing his cover and he’s not willed to end in the dungeons of Azuchi.
Ina’s looking at him with her charming features atop from her horse, an insecure smile’s clouding it. “What a shame. I’d hoped I could invite you to an inn when we’ll reach Azuchi. They’re serving really some good Manju there.”
A sudden desire shades Yoshimoto's thoughts to simply give in to her request, but it flows by as he’s noticing her blankly expression. “It will bring no good to you, neither me, if I get caught.” He says, hoping to satisfy her. Yoshimoto inclines his head slightly, his golden eyes are wandering thoughtfully over her facial expressions. With a soft honeyed voice he asks: “Maybe it’s none of my concern, but I think it will help you, if you’re telling me, what’s bothering you, Ina?”
Her gaze rambles from him to the way ahead, so he’s admiring her image from the side. His soft smile fades for a mere moment at her taciturnity, nevertheless he’s urging himself to craft it anew and continues tenderly: “I won’t force you, but this may be the last time we'll see each other for a long time and I would abhor it, if my staying impression of you, would be how miserable you’re looking.”
Focusing worried at Yoshimoto with her blue-grey eyes, Ina quietly retorts: “I would hate that, too.” Nodding in the direction above a field she goes on: “Behind this hill is a lake. Let’s water the horses there and then we can talk.”
Relieved Yoshimoto agrees and leads his horse to follow hers to the lake. After they cared about the horses, they rested beneath an azalea. Yoshimoto watches her, while she’s picking up some flowers, which had fallen, into her lap. Patiently he’s waiting, till she was ready opening to him. Surely she’s picking her words thoughtfully. Yoshimoto knew her as a beautiful woman, radiant like light, always wearing her hart on her tongue. Watching her so reticent, is gnawing his heart.
“I have to insist, that what I’m going to tell you now, has to stay between us, Yoshimoto.” Her gaze is determinant, while she’s setting it on Yoshimoto. An unpleasant shiver’s running through his spine as he forebodes the gravely situation. “I see.” He says heavily. “When this is about the war, the rumors seem to be true, I assume?”
Pressing her lips to a thin line and dropping her gaze to the flowers, she had weaved, he fears that she’d stop the conversation. But she doesn’t, as she’s just nodding with weariness in her bright eyes. “Yes. The Mouri Clan is rising from the west, pressing hard against our borders.” Her slender fingers are twiddling the flowers, twining them inexpertly. “When you’d tell someone in Kasugayama Castle, then...”
“Your worries may be justified, but it’s me you’re talking to.” His harsh words are silencing her and with a more gently tone now he adds. “I despise war. I would never dream of implying something to achieve advantage in such cruel doing.” Even after his shattered Imagawa Clan has found shelter in Echigo, he’d never allow himself of getting revenge in such a barbarous way. Even when he’s standing in the debt of Uesugi he could never-...
Yoshimoto draws his iron-ribbed fan from his sleeve, opening it and starts fanning, in the hope it would blow away the dreadful memories that are haunting him. “I know.” Ina says soothing, a gentle smile brightening her clouded face lightly. “Thank you.” A soft, heavy sigh escaping her lips, when she thoughtfully continues, gazing at the flowers in her lap: “Right now, they’re doing a huge effort in Azuchi to prevent the worst. But I have doubts. What if it isn’t enough? What if the Mouri Clan succeeds and turns the tables? They’re going to change the-”
Stopping in her sentence, she’s pressing her lips together again, clenching the twined flowers in her lap, while her eyes are glazing. Seeing her desperate and trembling like that, is aching his heart. Giving in his urges, Yoshimoto grabs her, embracing her fragile body like she was glass. “You mustn’t think like that, Ina.” he convincingly says, pressing her against his chest, feeling her heart pounding in the same rhythm of his own. “Nothing will happen to you.”
“But I’m so afraid, Yoshimoto.” Her silent cry sends shivers over him and it’s getting hard to swallow. Still pressing her slender figure tightly against his chest, which is trembling in his arms while she's crying softly, is robbing his breath. For it were the fearless, brave actions, the easygoing and cheerful smile and the bright beauty of hers, he’s owing his life to. When it wouldn’t be for her, he would have fallen long ago, with the ruins of his shattered clan. Seeing her now in so much pain, hurts his heart. Slightly he’s relaxing his grip on her, drawing little circles over her back, in the hope to soothe her. “I’m sure Azuchi will do everything in its might to repel the Mori. After all the Oda empowers an enormous military force. Trust me.”
Yoshimoto had spoken these words mildly for her and with rising bitterness he knows how very true they are. Even if he despises this enormous power that Nobunaga holds in his palms. His own Imagawa-Clan had faced that domineering might and is suffering till this day from this devastating clash. The reputation of his clan had faded within the flicker of an eye and so many lives were cruelly taken, so much pain unleashed this sharp deep wound, they would never recover from.
When it hasn't been for Ina, he had given gladly his life, to release his Imagawa Clan, whose got haunted by the ghosts of his past, furiously trying impossible tasks to gain their old glory again. But his clan had never recovered, nor will they ever get the chance to recover from this ravaging deep scar Nobonaga had left in their ranks when he had sunk his sword into them.
“And even if they’ll fail…” Yoshimoto continues after a short while. "you still will be safe, Ina. I will make sure of that and this is a promise.” Yoshimoto's whispering in her ear like a secret that nobody should know. On one hand he wished for her to recognize that his feelings for her never faltered since all this time that passed. That she had been the bright light, which had kept him alive. But on the other hand, his selfish wish could force a rift between them, tearing these admirable little moments they're having now, apart.
Surprisingly she responds, in reclining against his chest, allowing herself to relax in his embrace. Her breathes are steadily tickling against his neck, sending warm shivers over his back. “Thank you for comforting me, Yoshimoto.” Ina says and her voice sounds so quiet he just can barely understand. “I… I just don’t know what to say. You’ve waited all this time... wasting your time for someone so ungrateful like me-” She’s swallowing hard in guilt, pressing her head in his shoulders trembling.
No… I should’ve been more carefully with my wishes, my words and my longings. “I would wait forever if it means to wait for you, Ina.” Yoshimoto says gently, before twining his fingers lightly in her beautiful hair, stroking it carefully. He doesn’t ment to make her feel that awful, when she realizes his feelings. Yet his heart’s yearning to say so much more, but Ina is already shedding tears guilty, muffling her weeps in his shoulder. He had hurt her so much with his careless actions and words of affection, how could he ever forgive himself, when he's making her even more cry?
Yoshimoto’s quite aware of the position in which his openly words had brought Ina. Standing, between the man she had given her heart and him who had just doubtingly confessed. He feels riven between his long withheld yearnings and the overflowing guilt. He doesn’t want to make her choose, because he knows her heart belongs to another and the only reason, she’s not shoving him back right now is because of the fears burdening on her shoulders and her mind.
He wished to share soft words of how beautiful she is. How much he adores her for her carefree smile and her kind heart. But alas, he wasn’t born for this cruel, dark world, and so wasn’t she. Yoshimoto would never dream of taking advantage of her state to pressurize her. So he kept silence, comforting her with soothing circles over her back, absorbing the feeling of her warm body against his and listens to her soft breathes.
“Yoshimoto?” she asks, lightly lifting her head to gaze into his golden eyes. “This isn’t right.”
Her words are gruesomely squashing his heart, even if he knows they were so true. “I beg your pardon, Ina.” He croaks, still his arms don’t want to let go of her to give her free. Amazingly she doesn’t intent to let go of him, either. Ina gazes into his eyes with the bright blue-grey eyes of hers deeply into his, that Yoshimoto’s thinking that she’s looking into his very soul. “You don’t fully understand. It’s not just my husband, but it’s so, so unbelievingly cruel for you. Yet you still managed to soothe me, planting an idea in my thoughts. But I could never ask for you to wait any longer.”
His heart is crying loudly and triumphantly, veiling in unbelivingly happiness, as her words are reaching him. With a gentle smile Yoshimoto’s cupping her cheek. His thumb softly wipes a tear from her swollen eye. “Please, don’t think too hart on my account.” With a quiet gulp Ina nods, sheepishly lifting her head. Her bright blue-grey eyes are shimmering strangely determinant. “When the worst is about to come, will you still wait for me?”
His answer comes without hesitation. “Always.”
Ina’s nodding again, rising on her knees to face him. Then she reaches out for him. He doesn’t move, when she’s placing a corolla of red azaleas she had weaved before, onto his head. Yoshimoto is widening his golden eyes bewildered, when she’s lowering her head to him, placing a shy, soft kiss on his cheek. “I promise, to call for your aid, when the time comes. If this happens--”, she pauses, then continues invigorate her voice. “Will you still love me?”
_____
Crowned with flowers Yoshimoto’s watching Ina, while she mounts her horse and leaves back to the way, which leads her towards Azuchi after he’d given her his answer. He’s watching her silhouette getting smaller, while the enchanting smile he’s wearing grows distant. Finally when Ina disappeared completely, Yoshimoto’s leaning with his back against the tree behind him.
His thoughtful gaze is lifting up to the blooming azalea above him. How very fateful. A tender smile’s curving his thin lips, when the sun begins to sink. Doesn’t the azalea represent modesty and patience?
Regardless of all the patience he’d already had given, he would wait forever for her. Even if this promise will never come true, Yoshimoto's feeling how the hope washes through his heart, waking the lovingly longing he does held for Ina anew. Of course he’s not wishing misfortune her, for however this war will turn, he’ll always adore her.