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Monkeys have their own personalities, too. Some are bossy and bold. There are timid ones who cave under pressure. The ones who follow training diligently, and the distracted ones. Each one has their own charm. When spectators come to watch the performing monkey show at the Kanda Myojin market fair that’s held thrice a month, Hibiki secretly enjoys imagining which monkey might be which.
Take, for instance, the young samurai who now frequented the market with a single attendant in tow. His fringe must have been shaved pretty recently (marking coming of age). Youngsters of this age typically moved in packs, but this monkey—oops, she meant, this samurai—was alone most of the time. Perhaps he’s one of the monkeys who struggled to keep up with their peers; But he didn’t seem slow-witted. Maybe he's a difficult one? He certainly looked sullen. But his gaze towards Hibiki’s monkeys was gentle, and he was easily impressed by any trick they performed and generously tipped. He seemed rather… straightforward and earnest. Yes, exactly the sort that’d be easy to teach a trick to. Once her mind wandered in that direction, the temptation only grew. Then, one day, right in the middle of a performance, she found herself holding out her palm to the samurai and prompting, ‘Here!’
The young samurai exclaimed, ‘What?!’ but obediently placed his paw on hers anyway.
Just as I thought! This monkey’s super easy to train!
Delighted, Hibiki slammed her training stick onto the ground and commanded, ‘Right then! Hop!’ The young samurai almost obeyed immediately, but quickly came to his senses and protested, ‘I won’t do that!’ The audience erupted in laughter, making him look down in embarrassment.
Samurai generally have a strong sense of status and dislike being mocked or laughed at by commoners. Feeling a little bad, Hibiki called out, ‘Haha, sorry about that. I'll make it up to you later, so stick around till the end, won't you?’
She only expected him to storm off in a huff, but the young samurai showed no sign of being upset. He dutifully stayed until the end, patted her monkeys, and left looking quite satisfied.
From that day on, whenever that young samurai appeared at the market, Hibiki would make him treat her to amazake or dumplings, and they would spend time together. He wasn't one for much talk, but the silent moments together were strangely pleasant, and he wasn’t offended by her calling him without any honorific. He was genuinely easy to be around—a good bloke.
Now, there was a samurai who had his eye on Isami. A tall, strapping, handsome man. Always surrounded by his companions, he must have been a high-ranking monkey. He would reservedly watch Isami at the performing monkey show from a distance. But when their eyes occasionally met, his gaze was utterly hateful. Lately, she was feeling that even his gaze towards her monkeys was cold and bitter. Surely there must have been some terrible misunderstanding.
Isami didn’t show up one market day. It happened sometimes. He’s busy learning this and that, although details about his learning escaped her mind. Hibiki was closing up after a performance, when the voice called.
‘Young lady.’
Tension ran through Hibiki and her monkeys like a thunderbolt. Isami's favourite monkey froze mid-bite—her persimmon tumbled to the ground. His resonating voice and the sheer presence he radiated made it crystal clear. This monkey was THE alpha male…
Desperately trying to explain that her relationship with Isami was nothing special, her voice cracked slightly. She still tried to get the alpha monkey to buy her some tempura from the stall, succeeding with surprising ease. Top monkeys, as a rule, tend to look after their packs well. He was no exception. After a lengthy interrogation, the Chieftain Monkey was satisfied, but now Hibiki was the one left with questions.
‘Samurai-san, why have you come to me instead of asking Isami directly?’
The Chieftain Monkey was probably in want of someone to talk to. He openly confided in Hibiki, saying, ‘What if Isami finds out about my feelings? We mustn’t get too close.’
He then continued with a great sigh, ‘Be that as it may… I'm not forgiving enough to stand by and watch Isami get involved with someone else.’
A statement typical of an alpha male, Hibiki thought, but…
‘Why can't you get close with Isami?’
‘Because it's dangerous. I've been playing at love since I was much, much younger. I know it wouldn't be mere play with Isami. If we were to become intimate, I can’t take a wife, even in name only, and so I wouldn't be able to inherit the house. Likewise, if Isami were to be betrothed to someone, I wouldn’t be able to let him. I'd ruin his household, too. And if it ever came to war, I couldn’t possibly die and leave him behind, nor could I send him to his death. I'd have to drag him along with me as we flee, while everyone calls me a coward. That's how it is.’
‘I see. Well, that sounds like you're rather fond of him.’
‘Mm.’
‘All that aside… your feelings might not be reciprocated, you know?’
Ouch. She misspoke. But Isami seemed totally clueless about romance after all.
‘Don't say that.’
The Chieftain Monkey bought Hibiki the dengaku skewers she had begged for, too, then turned his back and walked away dejectedly.
May. It’s the month the Kanda Myōjin Shrine (Myōjin-sama) and the Hie Shrine (Sannō-sama) take it in turns to host the grand festival every other year. This year was Myōjin-sama’s turn to parade the mikoshi palanquin. People flocked to see it from outside Edo too, so it was the busiest and most profitable day for Hibiki and her dad. It was after they had finished one performance and were resting the monkeys.
‘Hey! Have you seen Isami around here?’
The Chieftain Monkey came over, looking worried. The group from Kōbu-sho had come out to see the mikoshi procession together, but they lost sight of Isami while they were being jostled in the crowd. Eh, Isami’s not exactly a little girl, he’ll be all right, Hibiki thought. But where there are crowds, there are rogues, too. On top of that, Hibiki had seen Isami fall for con artists countless times, peddling stuff like ‘miracle cures for all ailments’, ‘pillows for sweet dreams’ and ‘supernatural powers to speak with those who passed’. Chōkichi, the old codger in Hibiki’s neighbourhood, was just such a charlatan. He was nothing but a drunkard with no supernatural powers whatsoever, yet Isami listened to him intently, his eyes welling up. Hibiki didn’t have it in her to reveal the old man’s true nature to Isami. Yes, maybe the Chieftain Monkey’s worry had its place. It wouldn't be surprising if Isami had got himself into trouble somewhere. According to the Chieftain Monkey, it was just before crossing Shōhei Bridge where they lost him. After leaving Myōjin-sama, the floats and the mikoshi cross the bridge in front of the shrine and proceed south towards Edo Castle. If he had been lost before crossing the bridge, fortunately, the search area was limited. Not being near Myōjin-sama meant that he had probably wandered into the commoners’ district to the east.
As the two searched along the row of tenement houses in Aioi-cho, away from the festival clamour, they heard voices arguing from one of the houses — just as they'd feared.
‘Isami!’ the Chieftain Monkey tried to burst in, but Hibiki slapped a hand over his mouth and pressed her ear against the thin wall.
‘I know nothing of this woman!’ Isami’s voice exclaimed.
‘Young Lord, pretending ignorance won't help you here,’ came the reply from a man.
Hibiki and the Chieftain Monkey understood what was happening just from hearing that much. A badger game. What a clichéd scam to fall for!
‘I was led here by a child who said they needed help. Ask the child; you'll see. He’s about this height. He must be out on the street there.’
Of course, the child was in on it. He must be a real perceptive child if he singled out Isami out of countless onlookers. Hibiki was impressed.
‘You mean turning my missus into this state? Some help that is!’
‘I told you I don’t know your missus! M-m-missus, please put this gown on!’
They could almost see Isami’s face turning bright red. The Chieftain Monkey chuckled softly as he listened in. Then the wife’s voice piped up, ‘Eh, I don’t want to. You took it off me.’
‘W-w-what are you saying?!’
‘See? It was you who seduced Matazo’s wife.’
‘S-s-seduced?!’
‘Yes, it’s adultery! You’ll be coming with us to the magistrate’s office.’
‘A-a-adult…! Wait, wait, my cousin works for the magistrate’s office.’
So… Isami seemed to have a tendency to blurt out things he shouldn’t say when flustered.
‘Your cousin, eh? I suppose you wouldn't want to go to the magistrate's office then. Or do you wanna go and tell them, 'I humbly confess to being the side-guy, Your Honour'?’
‘S-s-side…!’
‘Now, you've done this to my wifey. What are we to do about that? Are you going to pay up?’
‘But I don't know your wifey! W-w-wifey, please tell them the truth!’
‘Aye, samurai-san, you seduced me, you see.’
‘N-n-nonsense! Why would I seduce anyone?! I have no interest in women!’
At this, the Chieftain Monkey finally burst out laughing. Pinching his nose to change his voice, he adopted a commoner's tone and called from outside the door, ‘Well then, is there a man you do fancy?’
‘Yes, yes, there is!’ Isami replied, now utterly desperate.
The Chieftain Monkey’s expression grew grim, almost murderous at once. Oh dear, this might turn into a bloody brawl…
‘……Oh, yeah? What kind of guy?’
Isami answered on impulse.
‘H-h-he's only two years older than me, but he's already a jujutsu instructor! He's, he’s… handsome and kind… And and…when he wraps his arm around my neck, my chest feels tight... B-b-but I feel so incredibly relieved…’
Thank you for oversharing, Hibiki thought.
A great flame flickered and danced in the eyes of the Chieftain Monkey then. In a beat, the tenement house’s door burst open.
By the time Hibiki followed, the Chieftain Monkey was already holding Isami from behind and asking, ‘Like this?’
Isami’s brows shot up and steam was practically rising from his face as he was held in the Chieftain Monkey’s arms. He soon closed his eyes, though, and pressed his cheek against the Chieftain’s arm and nodded wistfully.
‘Oh dear,’ thought Hibiki. This meant Isami wouldn’t be able to take a wife now. But if he’d hold Isami's hand and run around the battlefield with him, maybe being with the Chieftain Monkey isn’t so bad after all. As for Hibiki, she would continue performing with her monkeys at the Kanda Myojin Shrine for the time being. She could listen to Isami and the Chieftain Monkey when they needed her ear; And they’d certainly treat her to free amazake, right?