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“...Come again?”
Ayaka hesitates at Yoimiya’s thinly veiled surprise, biting the inside of her cheek as she reconsiders the purpose of her visit. It isn’t unusual for her to call in a few favors from the owner of Naganohara Fireworks but…
“I want you to make me look different,” she repeats, more firmly this time. “Dress me up, do my makeup, cut my hair—anything, really. I just…don’t want to be recognized.”
Yoimiya blanches again when she re-emphasizes what she wants the fireworks-maker to do. But when Ayaka’s outlandish request finally sinks in, Yoimiya manages a lopsided smile—setting down the equipment she’d set up before Ayaka arrived.
“That’s quite the request you have there,” she laughs. “But I can’t really say no to you. I promise I’ll doll you up real good. And I’ve got juuust the outfit you can show off while incognito!~”
Ayaka finds it somewhat endearing, how Yoimiya agreed so easily. If she asked the same thing of her attendants back at the Kamisato estate, she’d be deluged with a hundred questions first before getting any actual work done. Are you sure? Why do you want to do this? Don’t you want to celebrate your birthday with the rest of us? Those are only a few of the inquiries they would, no doubt, shove onto her plate, and after two decades of living under the shelter of nobility, Kamisato Ayaka has grown tired of it.
When she steps out of Naganohara Fireworks, she strips the mantle of Shirasagi Himegimi for the time being. In her place is a meek commoner by the name Kanae, who’s raring to go for a quiet stroll in Inazuma City.
Ayaka barely even recognized herself in the mirror before she headed out. Just as expected, Yoimiya made good on her promise to doll her up—so much so that she ended up making her become a Yoimiya look-alike, just with a different color palette.
The princess’ eyes are lined with the sharp red powder Yoimiya uses to enhance her own—effectively bringing out even the dull silver of her irises. Strawberry rogue is smeared across her lips to encourage more color; the kind that tastes like actual strawberries when she swipes her tongue across. And her hair, usually put up in a tight ponytail, is styled in a messy updo that resembles exploding fireworks—the exact way Yoimiya does her own hair. While the outfit she’d lent to her is nothing but a traditional yukata patterned with dark blue koi, Ayaka can’t help but think she and Yoimiya looked like distant cousins this way.
“You’re lookin’ like a million mora, Miss Kanae,” Yoimiya gushes with a thumbs up. “Go on, knock ‘em dead! And if some asshole tries to harass you on your birthday…well, I know you can deal with them yourself.”
Ayaka breathes out a laugh, swaying slightly in her borrowed garbs as she inspects her newly painted nails. “Thank you. I will.”
Strictly speaking, Ayaka knows this is a waste of time.
Troubling her retainers by asking them not to look for her for an entire day is one of the few instances she’d let herself be selfish. Because, for one, Ayaka can’t stomach the idea of telling them the truth. That she went through all this trouble just for the chance to walk amongst Inazuma City’s commonfolk—even if she and Thoma already did this sort of thing on the regular. The two of them often checked on the businesses that thrived along the main road, and in return, they’d talk her ear off about how honored they are to be graced with the presence of Kamisato Ayaka.
…Today, though, she doesn’t want to be Kamisato Ayaka.
“One serving of dango milk for Miss…?”
“Kanae,” she supplies with a smile.
For some reason, Tomoki the street vendor flushes red when he hands Ayaka her order. “Y-Yes, Miss Kanae. Forgive me if this sounds odd, but are you from around here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
Ayaka can barely contain the thrum of excitement that buzzes in her veins. She did it. No one could recognize her!
“No, not really,” she murmurs in reply, taking a seat on the bench in front of his cart. “I’m just…sightseeing is all.”
Tomoki doesn’t exactly leave it at that. While Ayaka indulges herself in a snack she bought with her own mora, and not Thoma’s kindness, he prattles about his future plans for his business. How dango milk has been booming in the market; how the Raiden Shogun personally sampled the product herself. That bit makes Ayaka perk up, but is careful not to reveal her familiarity. She can save wondering about what the Electro Archon was doing, helping herself to some dango milk for later.
Her next stop is Ogura Textiles and Kimonos.
Mio greets Ayaka (ahem, Kanae) with the same, warm smile she affords to all her customers. The owner doesn’t seem to have caught on to her incognito wandering, though, and proceeds to show her a catalogue of color swatches when Ayaka says she wants to see their designs.
“While royal blue fits you very well,” Mio says, gesturing to the yukata that Ayaka borrowed, “I really like how red brings out your eyes. That eyeliner is really exquisite, miss.”
“Thank you,” Ayaka laughs. “A…friend helped me get the hang of it.”
The owner nods with a soft laugh. “Well, how about you sample a piece from our newest collection? Cherry red will definitely go well with the look you’re going for.”
For a moment, Ayaka takes out the fan she’s kept in the lapels of her garbs—hiding a laugh behind the silken material. Mio’s brow quirks at her reaction. The princess is well-aware how odd she must look right now but…she can’t help it!
Thoma let it slip one time that Ayaka’s favorite color is royal blue, and the owner wouldn’t stop suggesting patterns in that shade every time she commissioned the shop for another piece. While Ogura Textiles and Kimonos never failed to impress her with their fine handiwork, it’s nice to hear what Mio’s thoughts actually are when she’s not trying to appease Princess Kamisato Ayaka.
If she never went here as Kanae, she never would have known that cherry red could actually suit her.
It’s already late afternoon by the time Ayaka takes a break from her undercover galavanting. She sighs, sitting on one of the public benches as she massages her aching soles. Walking around all day, testing if other people can see past Yoimiya’s handiwork, and celebrating her little victories every time she manages to get away with it—Ayaka has never felt such a juvenile sense of pride before. It’s as if she’s privy to a secret that everyone else is oblivious to.
Even if it’s only for a day.
But right before she can resume her self-indulgent stroll around the city, Ayaka spots someone familiar in the crowd.
It’s a bit difficult to miss her even if she tried, actually. Sangonomiya folk from Watatsumi Island are rumored to have distinct features that set them apart from everyone else in their vicinity. The same holds true for Sangonomiya Kokomi, the Divine Priestess herself, when Ayaka sees her walking from the bridge that leads to the Tenshukaku.
There seems to be something weighing on her mind, if the distracted look she wears is anything to go by. Kokomi’s deep blue eyes stare into space as she slowly walks to her destination—wholly unaware of the crowd beginning to gather around her. She only seems to notice the attention she’s gained when one of the citizens calls her name.
“It’s Sangonomiya Kokomi!”
“Do you think she was tried in the Tenshukaku?”
“That’s possible. Didn’t the resistance give the Raiden Shogun a hard time?”
“Who knew such a pretty face was behind a bunch of war crimes…”
Kokomi seems to blanch at the mention of war crimes, and starts to glance around—panic slowly seeping into her soft features. Ayaka frowns, hurriedly putting back her sandals. Why the most prominent figure of the resistance is here in the capital, she doesn’t quite have the answers yet. But even if she is no one but the commoner, Kanae for today, that won’t stop her from saving Kokomi from the citizens’ unfair judgement. As a noble herself, she knows what it feels to take the brunt of the public’s scrutiny.
“Your Excellency!” Ayaka calls out, squeezing past the throng of passers-by before seizing Kokomi’s wrist without another thought. “General Gorou asked me to escort you. I’m sorry I’m late.”
Kokomi parts her lips in confusion. “Gorou did…?”
Simply jumping into the scene and grabbing another lady’s wrist goes against all the basic etiquette training she’s been given, but Ayaka decides to forego the pleasantries for now. Sparing someone else from near-public humiliation is tantamount to any sort of noble pretense. Thankfully, Kokomi is more agreeable than she expected, and lets Ayaka tug her out of the crowd without question.
She knows that Komore Teahouse is probably the safest place to take her right now. But instead of heading to the Yashiro Commission’s secret stronghold like she would’ve otherwise done any other day, Ayaka makes a detour around the winding staircases tapered to the west borders of Inazuma City.
Kokomi doesn’t say a word the whole time, and Ayaka wonders if she’s still distressed from her encounter with those nosy passers-by from earlier. But when she spares the priestess a glance from her peripheral, Ayaka notices that Kokomi doesn’t look perturbed at all.
If anything, it’s almost like she’s studying her.
When they arrive at the small stream that leads to a well-kept shrine at the edge of the city, Ayaka lets go of her wrist.
“Thank you,” Kokomi tells her almost immediately. “But…you didn’t have to lie on my behalf. I could have just avoided them myself.”
“Forgive my insolence but I don’t think that’s going to be easy even for you, Lady Sangonomiya,” Ayaka sighs, staring at the shrine illuminated with candles on the side. “The war has just been concluded. The people haven’t completely come to terms with the turning tides, but I just couldn’t sit by and watch you be condemned for things you didn’t do.”
There’s a subtle weight on her chest that Ayaka only notices once she gets the words out. Like a deep-seated disappointment directed at the citizens she and her brother doted on so much. She knows it’s normal for them to react towards Kokomi like that, given her role as the leader of the resistance but—
“What’s your name?”
Ayaka blinks out of surprise when Kokomi poses the question—voice soft and quiet, like seafoam bubbling across the skin of her toes. She can hardly believe it.
Yoimiya’s makeup managed to fool Sangonomiya Kokomi.
“I… You can call me Kanae.”
Kokomi nods, smiling at her in a way that reminds Ayaka of pearls gleaming under the moonlight. “Miss Kanae. I’m delighted to make your acquaintance. I hope you don’t mind if I ask though, but are you part of the Tri-Commission, by any chance?”
Ayaka swallows thickly. “Ah, no. I just…thought you needed help is all.”
“I see.” The priestess hums. “You just seemed well-informed about the situation of Inazuma’s politics right now, so I assumed…”
Oh. Well, that’s completely on Ayaka for momentarily breaking character.
“U-Um, you’re mistaken,” she laughs, feeling her own face heat up with embarrassment. “I’m just someone who reads up a lot about the state of affairs—call it a hobby, of sorts.”
Kokomi nods again, but the confusion is evident on her face. Ayaka sighs. She’s doing a good job posing as a very suspicious person—that’s for sure.
“Well, whatever your reasons are for coming to my rescue, I’m no less grateful,” Kokomi admits, blue eyes transfixed on the shrine. “Knowing me…I never would’ve been able to put in a good word for myself. Especially since the citizens of Narukami Island are far different from my own people. Truly, I thank you…”
Ayaka takes a moment to look at her; really look at her. Because the Divine Priestess of Sangonomiya she’s heard of so many times isn’t the type of person to be this…meek? Bashful? Yet Kokomi fiddles with the sleeves of her unusual outfit like she wasn’t the genius tactician that outfoxed the shogun’s army several times over the past year. But as the princess busies herself with trying to figure out the woman before her, Ayaka starts to notice other things as well.
Everything about Kokomi looks so…delicate. From the gentle sweep of her salmon hair to the tips of her gloved fingers. Even the way she speaks reminds Ayaka of calm waves upon a shore. The princess wonders how someone so soft-spoken wound up becoming the crux of the Sangonomiya resistance, but she realizes a little later that she, too, has been asked these patronizing questions before.
You’re a lady. Why do you wield a sword?
Aren’t you better off honing your tea ceremony and fan-dance to perfection?
Of course, those were more or less the words of some foreign businessmen her brother asked her to entertain. They didn’t know that the art of the sword is passed down to generations of the Kamisato lineage.
And it’s the same thing now, as Ayaka carelessly asks these questions about Kokomi when she knows nothing about the Divine Priestess beyond the realm of her sound victories.
“Why are you here?” the princess asks. “I always assumed the peace talks and negotiations would always be conducted on neutral grounds.”
“I did it for my people,” Kokomi answers honestly. “Constantly having to decide where to hold these meetings puts a stopgap to our recuperation from the war. Personally making an appearance before the Raiden Shogun would help us progress further… Even if standing here alone is more terrifying than it should be.”
…Alone? Kokomi went here alone?
“Is…General Gorou not accompanying you?” Ayaka wonders, a worried edge settling in her voice.
Kokomi shakes her head. “I actually made the trip without his knowledge. Only a few maidens from the Sangonomiya Shrine know what I’m up to, but…I suppose I also went here to prove something to myself.”
Ayaka wants to ask what that might be, but at the same time, has the inkling about the answer. She and Kokomi are quite similar, now that she thinks about it. But right now, the difference between them is painstakingly evident in the way Kokomi calms her trembling hands—afraid yet still devoted to putting the fate of her people before anything else. Meanwhile Ayaka is out here, disguised as a commoner in hopes of skirting away from her responsibilities.
She hopes she can emulate Kokomi’s complete adherence to principle one day. Because no matter how many times the people of Inazuma call Ayaka the Shirasagi Himegimi, at the end of the day, she’s still a young woman who wants nothing else than to become unapologetically ordinary.
But if she’s right about the hunch regarding Kokomi and herself being somewhat similar…
“I think you need a break.”
Kokomi stares at her, somewhat bewildered. “Pardon?”
Ayaka doesn’t think twice. She casts her a smile that she hopes is contagious enough to dispel Kokomi’s worries before taking a hold of her hand—soft and delicate just like every part of her.
“Troubling yourself further when you’ve already done all that you can is a bit counterproductive,” Ayaka tells her before leading Kokomi back to the city. “Since you’re here anyways, why don’t I show you around the city, Lady Sangonomiya?”
The alabaster skin of Kokomi’s face turns a shade red for some reason. But even if she ends up sputtering for a few moments, the priestess surrenders to Ayaka’s (read: Kanae’s) whims in the end.
“...I suppose that’s fair.”
If Ayaka thought prancing around the streets unrecognized is fun, it’s even more so when she’s being tailed by a very clueless Watatsumi native. As the sun slowly dips over the far horizon, she proceeds to drag Kokomi to every stall she sampled in her lonesome earlier. From trying on kimonos at Ogura’s to stuffing their faces with Tomoki’s dango milk—Ayaka let Kokomi bask in the same mundane leisures she made such an effort to experience.
Her reactions are a little amusing, too. Ayaka assumed that Kokomi would simply let herself get dragged all over by a complete stranger without a word, but the priestess is surprisingly responsive when asked what she thinks about all this.
“I’ve never had dessert this good before,” she comments before finishing the rest of her dango milk. “Perhaps I’ll ask Mister Tomoki to open up a branch in Watatsumi Island.”
Ayaka laughs, wondering if the exotic treat could be the key to bridging the differences between the Narukami and Watatsumi factions. Tomoki did mention that the Raiden Shogun was quite taken with his newest innovation. But she tucks the knowledge away for later.
“Oh!” the princess exclaims, causing Kokomi to glance at her worriedly. “I haven’t been to Yae Publishing House today.”
“Today?” she repeats. “I take it you’re a regular then?”
“Something like that.” Ayaka nods enthusiastically before offering Kokomi her hand once more. “Do you like reading, Lady Sangonomiya?”
For a moment, she takes a second to stare at Ayaka’s outstretched palm, as if contemplating whether or not she should take it. The princess hesitates for a fraction of a second. Was she being too forward?
But when Kokomi breathes out a quiet laugh, placing her hand in Ayaka’s, she feels her heart stutter slightly beneath her borrowed clothes.
…What a strange feeling.
“S-Sangonomiya Kokomi?”
Kuroda, who has entertained Ayaka’s orders from the Yae Publishing House ever since, gapes at the sight of the priestess when they arrive in front of the establishment. It’s the standard reaction, it seems. The entire time they’ve been walking around, almost every head turned their way once Kokomi caught an unsuspecting passer-by’s gaze. It seems the editor of the publishing house is no different.
“Hello,” Kokomi greets with more confidence than her earlier disposition could afford her. “My friend here recommended this place. Do you happen to have the fifth volume of A Legend of Sword? I’ve been trying to get my hands on it for a while now…”
Ayaka fears, for a moment, that Kuroda might turn Kokomi away. The other stores in the city didn’t mind doing business with the two of them, given that commoners tend not to nitpick their transactions. But the editor comes from a clan of considerable prestige here in Inazuma. She’s fairly certain he’s heard the specifics behind the conclusion of the war, and if he were to treat Kokomi the same way the people back at the Tenshukaku did…
“You’re just in luck!” Kuroda laughs heartily before rummaging behind the counter. “We’ve been out of stock for months now, but the new shipments from Liyue just arrived today.”
Kokomi visibly perks up at the knowledge and proceeds to discuss prices with Kuroda like they’re everyday acquaintances. The editor accommodates all of her questions without a hint of malice, and Ayaka finds the tension in her shoulder slowly easing with a smile.
They end up strolling further to the outskirts of the city after that—Kokomi with her nose stuck in her newly acquired book and Ayaka gazing up at the starry sky. She’s never really had the chance to admire the open expanse of Byakko Plain whenever she’s headed home from some concluded business in the city. Most of the time, Ayaka would be too exhausted to even hold a conversation with Thoma by then.
But now, with all the weight of her prior responsibilities temporarily stripped, Ayaka lets herself breathe.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, Miss Kanae…”
The princess startles out of her reverie when Kokomi turns her. “Yes?”
“That fan you have…” She gestures to the neatly folded accessory in Ayaka’s grasp. “May I ask how you got it?”
For a second, she’s at a loss for words. Ayaka, with all that talk about wanting to become another person for a day, couldn’t forgo her habit of carrying an ornamental fan on her person. It shouldn’t have been a problem, since the one she brought along today is something she’s never used in public—having been tucked away in a gift box ever since she received it years prior.
The identity of the sender was lost along with the card that came with the package, but the delicate coral patterns embroidered across the fabric clued her in on the fact that they must be from Watatsumi Island. That line of reasoning would explain why Kokomi was able to recognize it, too.
But of course, she doesn’t have to know any of that.
“I’m quite fond of collecting rare trinkets, milady,” Ayaka tells her, tucking the fan in the lapels of her kimono. “Why do you ask?”
Kokomi opens her mouth to respond, but at the same time, something flashes in the sky behind her like a starburst of colors. The priestess visibly startles at the loud noise that accompanies the spectacle, but to Ayaka, this is nothing but a scene she’s already gotten so used to admiring.
“Have you never seen fireworks before?” Ayaka asks almost teasingly.
Kokomi tucks her book beneath her shoulder with a nervous laugh. “T-They’re not so different from signal flares…”
She laughs, actually laughs in a way that would’ve gotten her in trouble with the elderly retainers . Kokomi flashes her a somewhat sulking pout after, but shortly after, the two of them end up craning their necks up at the sky—watching the beautiful fireworks bloom one after the other on Amakane Island.
Ayaka doesn’t commit her gaze to Yoimiya’s fireworks show for too long, though. For some reason, her red-lined eyes flicker to the young woman at her side—lips parted in awe as each artful explosion reflects against the deep pools of her irises. There it is again—the feel of her heart clenching ever-so slightly in her chest.
What is up with her today?
“Miss Kanae…”
It’s a bit embarrassing how quickly Ayaka responds when Kokomi calls out her name. But instead of asking what she wanted, Ayaka’s breath hitches in her throat once she takes in the sight of Sangonomiya Kokomi in her entirety.
Her outfit seems to glow even in the scarce light of the evening—the fabric flickering with an ethereal shimmer that seems to twinkle in time with the fireworks shooting up to the sky. The smile on her face is reminiscent of the calm tides drawing near the coastline of Mount Yougou, and Ayaka wonders how it’s possible for her to feel so at home with someone she’s only met properly today.
“I’m glad I met you,” Kokomi tells her with a smile. “I hope we can get together like this again someday.”
Then, her melancholic reality comes crashing down.
Ayaka knows a goodbye when she hears it. Kokomi imparted the words the same way Ayato often does when he’s about to deal with a troublesome mess that the Raiden Shogun asked for him to take care of. Her brother would often go off the radar for days on end, and Ayaka is left worrying for his safety more often than not.
But…she’s always taken other people’s farewells in stride.
Today, she was Kanae, but tomorrow she will be Kamisato Ayaka once again. Even if she wishes for nothing than to remain under the illuminated sky with the most breathtaking person she’s ever seen, Ayaka knows better than to stretch these rare chances of freedom farther than she’s supposed to.
The princess returns her grin with one of her own—but despite the genuine feeling imbued into the expression, Ayaka’s smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I hope so, too.”
…
“How was your trip?”
Kokomi finds it as no surprise to see Gorou standing inside her hideout with his arms crossed. What does come as a shock is the fact that her trusted general didn’t hound her with question after question the moment she arrived. She takes this information as a good sign.
“It was fine,” she tells him, placing her coveted last volume of A Legend of Sword into one of her many bookshelves. “The shogunate has agreed not to require our troops to assimilate into their ranks. But in exchange, they requested frequent status reports on the state of our manpower.”
Gorou’s tail swishes with a twinge of excitement, and Kokomi can’t help but laugh as she retrieves an unsuspecting notebook from her stash.
“I’m sorry, Your Excellency,” her general sighs, sheepishly scratching the back of her neck. “I must be a special kind of unreliable for you to take matters into your own hands like that.”
The priestess nearly drops the notebook in her hands.
“Please don’t say that, Gorou.” She frowns. “I just wish for all of you not to concern yourselves too much over this. It’s a matter I should’ve gotten over with for a while now, too.”
“But…you must’ve been scared, right?”
Kokomi parts her lips but no words come out. She sighs, sliding into the chair tucked behind her desk. Gorou knows her a bit too well for his own good.
“I was,” Kokomi admits. “The negotiations were a success, but being in a place so far away from home made me feel suffocated. It didn’t help that the citizens of Narukami Island were a bit skeptical of my presence there.”
This time, Gorou flashes her an alarmed look. “Did they—”
“But,” she interjects, “I did meet someone pleasant. They saved me while I was in a pinch.”
The concerned look on the general’s face doesn’t quite ease up even at Kokomi’s reassurance, but in the end, Gorou decides to drop it with a sigh.
“You must be tired from the journey, Your Excellency,” he remarks, already halfway out of the cave. “I’ll be at the barracks if you need anything!”
She’s just about to bid her own farewell before something clicks in the back of Kokomi’s head.
“Oh, Gorou.”
He stops in his tracks, glancing back. “Yes?”
Kokomi feels her face heat up. “Do you…remember those goodwill presents we sent to the heads of the Tri-Commission when I assumed the role of Divine Priestess?”
“Hmm… That was two years ago, wasn’t it?” The general strokes his chin. “Yeah, I think I remember. We gave the Hiiragi clan an assortment of Sango jewelry, the Kujou clan a gilded statue of the Dragonheir of the Depths, and the Kamisato clan, uh… Right! A handwoven fan.”
“Why did we give the Yashiro Commission a fan again?”
Gorou scratches his head. “I’m not really sure, but if my memory serves me right, the Commissioner’s younger sister is especially fond of fans. Our public relations officer thought it would do well to get in her good graces, since Lady Ayaka is more popular to Narukami’s citizens.”
“I see.” Kokomi nods as she slowly unfurls the pages of her notebook. “Thank you, Gorou. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Once alone, Kokomi scans the pages she’s filled over the past week. These last few days have done nothing but contribute to her declining reservoir for energy. It’s a miracle she managed to muster up the courage to go all the way to the Tenshukaku alone on top of everything else. Gorou’s concern is completely warranted, now that the facts and numbers are laid out before her.
The Raiden Shogun was as intimidating as ever. Energy -5 But she heard me out on equal footing, despite our warring ideals in the past.
Narukami’s citizens were a bit forthcoming. I was only lost in thought when they started accusing me of having committed war crimes. Energy -10 I hope they don’t treat other suspects this harshly…
A nice woman helped me out, though. Energy +4 She told me I needed a break—something I don’t typically afford myself with. And then she showed me around the city without another word.
I finally got a copy of A Legend of Sword Volume 5! Energy +5
I also got to see fireworks for the first time with Miss Kanae. Energy +10 It makes me want to hold similar festivals here on Watatsumi Island, too.
Kokomi marvels at her newest entries with a lopsided smile. In spite of the undeniable fatigue that weighs on her muscles, the memory of a woman with unruly, snow-white hair eases her discomfort a little. However, once she’s done calculating the net worth of today’s energy levels (+4 is better than a negative result!), the priestess decides to scribble out parts of her narrative and replaces the etched out words with new ones. Along with a few annotations she’ll probably, definitely go back to at a later time.
I also got to see fireworks for the first time with Miss Kanae Kamisato Ayaka. Energy +10 It makes me want to hold similar festivals here on Watatsumi Island, too.
I wonder if she’d like to watch them with me at Sangonomiya Shrine one day…