CHAPTER 11
Jurina, her grey kimono now left aside on the floor, took a seat on the futon and watched Annin who was taking her purple kimono off slowly in front of her. How many times did she watch her perform this simple act lately? It was hard to tell, and truthfully, it happened way more often than she would have liked. When she entered the house a while ago she hoped Churi's company would help her forget about the demon from her past haunting her mind - and the unfortunate incident its presence triggered - but it failed miserably. Jurina picked up on Churi's desire to know the reason for her long absence, but words refused to leave her lips when she tried to formulate an explanation, her thoughts still annoyingly on what happened at the clan.
Despite being conscious of the fact that she had not injured Mayu seriously, she couldn't stop reliving in her head her expression of pain, and Jurina knew Churi's presence - as distracting and comforting it usually was - was not going to be enough if she wished to forget about her worries for a few hours. A quick look across the room to a seemingly very bored Annin sitting alone at a table told her she needed something more tonight, and as their eyes met, she knew she would end up in her room again.
Now, Jurina could only raise an eyebrow in mild amusement as she witnessed a naked Annin swaying her hips in front of her, before climbing on top of her and kissing her. The first time Jurina ever entered her room, the older girl had also pulled the same stunt, and Jurina had immediately informed her this whole seductive act wasn't necessary. There was no use for foreplay, and most of all, she didn't need to be seduced. Nevertheless, the girl kept on playing her part to the perfection and Jurina let her, guessing she was probably proud of showing off her assets. From the first day Jurina laid eyes on Annin, she knew she was the kind of girl capable of catching any man she wanted. She was an attractive girl well aware of her charms and, most of all, very persistent. Jurina had beard the consequences of her tenacity each time she passed the door of the house and Annin tried - in a not very subtly way - to lead her upstairs.
Yes, Annin's hard work paid off in the end, but the older girl never gloated over her success to the other girls. In the confinement of her bedroom - when it was just the two of them - she liked to tease the younger girl about it from time to time, but deep down, she knew it was only luck that brought this particularly reluctant client to her bed. The melancholy she could see when she looked deeply into Jurina's eyes told her her perseverance had nothing to do with the girl's presence inside this room.
"What's on your mind?" Annin whispered when she pulled away from the kiss. Until that day, she had never dared to ask a single question, mostly because she knew the taciturn girl would not grant her with an eloquent answer - or even bother to reply at all - but her growing attachment to the younger girl beneath her was preventing her from staying quiet anymore.
"What?" Jurina's eyes fluttered open, surprised by the unexpected interruption, and witnessing the older girl's concern. "Nothing." It was an outrageous lie, but she wasn't about to open her heart to the girl currently straddling her lap. She already had a hard time sharing anything with Churi, even though she considered her as a friend.
Jurina could guess by Annin's frustrated sigh that she wasn't pleased by her lack of cooperation but she ignored it, placing her right hand behind the back of her head instead, and leaning in for another kiss. Annin's lips moved a bit reluctantly against hers at first - obviously pondering if she should insist - before relenting when Jurina pulled her down on the futon with her.
There wasn't any established rule when Jurina decided to pass Annin's door. Some nights, when she was in the mood for something a bit different, she let the older girl take charge; moments Annin seemed to appreciate the most, judging by the thorough exploration of her body it always provoked. However, tonight, Jurina wished to erase her troubled thoughts as quickly as possible, and decided to take matters in hand. Her fingers circled Annin's shoulders and she pushed, reverting their places on the futon quickly.
A the sudden shift of power Annin glanced briefly at the girl now on top of her, before shutting her eyes when her lips were captured into a slightly rough kiss. Annin didn't blink, not at all surprised by the young girl's attitude. It wasn't the first time such an occurrence happened, and she didn't oppose any resistance when Jurina's hands traveled down her body hastily. Not only the young girl was not very fond of foreplay, she had also discovered she was not the most patient person in the world.
Maybe that was what Jurina liked the most about Annin. Much as the older girl displayed a possessive attitude when Jurina let her have it her own way, she never protested when it was the other way round. Jurina could tell Annin was a proud person and didn't appreciate being pushed back - she could remember vividly seeing the anger flashing in her eyes that one time a potential client happened to choose another girl instead of her - but, surprisingly, she could also be very compliant when the situation required it. This duality in her behavior couldn't help but intrigue Jurina each time she happened to witness it.
Jurina knew something was wrong with her when the familiar face of her protector suddenly popped up in her head. She had finally managed to forget about her recent incident with her sister, why did she have to think about the kenjutsu instructor in such a moment? A groan left her lips in displeasure as she pulled away from Annin's lips, tilting her head to the side to try and erase the unexpected image. When she felt a soft caress on her arm she glanced down, noticing Annin's worried expression. She could see her parting her lips as if to say something, and Jurina could already predict what she was about to ask.
"I'm fine," Jurina said swiftly, before Annin's mouth could produce any word. She certainly wasn't about to divulge who she was thinking about. The thought was disturbing enough.
"Let me," Annin offered when Jurina, despite her affirmation, stayed still and didn't resume what she was doing. Annin could tell something was bothering her more than usual and, as frustrating it was to be kept in the dark, she had to try her best to make her forget about it.
Annin kept her eyes locked on Jurina's brown orbs, her fingers first caressing her chest then gliding over her stomach, ready to stop if the young girl instructed her to. When Jurina showed no sign of opposition she continued her descent, before hearing the soft command echoing in the quiet room when her fingers finally slid between her legs.
"Stop."
Annin paused immediately, unsettled, trying to figure out desperately the reason behind her unusual request. It was almost inaudible, but her keen hearing also perceived the small tremble in Jurina's voice.
"I can't do this," Jurina exhaled deeply in irritation. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to get rid of the image of her dying protector, and Annin's expert touch was unexpectedly failing to erase the memory imprinted in her mind. What was happening to her?
Jurina moved away from Annin's naked form and she took a seat next to her on the futon, burying her head in her hands in despair. This house was supposed to be her sanctuary, the only place where she could forget about the thoughts - some days very dark - juggling in her head constantly, but it seemed reality was refusing to leave her in peace.
Annin, powerless, watched for a little while the young girl by her side who was mumbling incomprehensible words, before moving tentatively her fingers and caressing her forearm in a soft motion. She knew it was useless to question her again - and she certainly didn't want to take the risk of angering her with her persistence - but she didn't know how to act anymore. However, it seemed her simple gesture managed to have an appeasing affect on Jurina as her muttering progressively stopped, and she lifted her head from her hands. A sigh escaped Jurina's mouth, and her lips parted as she spoke in a steady voice, though still avoiding Annin's gaze deliberately. "I have to go."
Annin watched her in surprise as she stood up abruptly, Jurina's eyes falling on her clothes on the floor and grabbing them hastily. "Why now? We don't have to do anything if you don't want to."
Jurina, once fully dressed, looked back at her, noticing Annin's lost expression. Guilt crossed over her features as she realized she had not given her the slightest explanation for her odd behavior, and she knew she couldn't leave like that. After all, Annin wasn't responsible for what was going on inside her head.
"You did nothing wrong," Jurina spoke softly, a small tentative smile moving to her lips as she watched Annin getting up on her feet and dressing up hastily. She could tell the older girl was going to try to stop her from leaving again, but her mind was already made up. "There's just something I need to do."
Jurina realized by Annin's puzzled look that her enigmatic words may have confused her even more but she kept quiet nonetheless, knowing she couldn't say much more. On top of her dying protector's image, she knew there was someone else waiting for her at the clan, and to whom she needed to apologize for her behavior. She didn't doubt her sister already forgave her for her unintentional violent reaction, but she now knew she shouldn't have left their room after the incident. Her impulsive side had clouded her better judgment, preventing her from realizing how much her swift departure probably hurt Mayu even more.
Jurina slid the door open to leave and she stepped in the corridor, casting a last look at Annin. The older girl was now standing in the middle of the room fully dressed, watching her every move silently. Jurina wasn't oblivious to the older girl's fondness for her; she could see it in every touch, word and look from her. Much as she didn't comprehend the reason behind it - not believing she did anything to deserve it - she knew she couldn't give her what she wanted. Friendship - as strange the notion first appeared to her when Churi suggested it - she could now offer, but Annin was obviously expecting more from her.
"See you soon, Nobunaga."
Jurina nodded at Annin's warm smile, despite coming to the realization that it was the last time she was going to pass her door. Many times in the past she tried to convince herself she wasn't going to use Annin's services anymore, to no avail, as she always returned when her thoughts refused to leave her in peace. Not only the trick wasn't working anymore, her actions were also unintentionally hurting the girl who was always doing her best to change her mind. Jurina realized she now had to put an end to this arrangement, for both their sakes.
Jurina climbed down from her mount, her eyes falling on the young stable boy running toward her to take the rein. She watched the shy lad for a while as he disappeared into the dark with the black stallion in hand, feeling suddenly thankful that a member of the clan managed to retrieve her horse and bring it back safely. To be honest, she had grown quite attached to it since she first laid eyes on it, and the thought of losing such a faithful companion had caused a small pang in her chest when the samurai had frightened the poor animal, prompting it to vanish in the depth of the forest. In the end, it appeared both her protector's mare and her stallion had been found together not so far away from the clan's house, enjoying a peaceful afternoon under the shade of a maple tree.
An amused smile fell on her lips as the thought crossed her mind, before progressively fading when the image of the unconscious kenjutsu instructor appeared in her head. When she finally woke up after a few days of well deserved rest, Mayu did not wait long before informing her about the condition of her protector. Much as she was relieved to hear the doctor managed to heal her completely, she couldn't comprehend why she still had not woken up. It didn't make sense. Her body was fine, so why was she still unconscious? Jurina had shaken the doctor rudely at the news - frustration washing over her - and demanding an explanation to this illogical fact. Unfortunately, the frightened old man seemed utterly powerless, and Jurina ended up wondering if her little act of bravery had not been pointless after all.
Jurina jolted out of her thoughts, moving forward towards the house in determination as she remembered the reason for her return. Her feet led her to her bedroom swiftly and she slid the door open, her eyes widening in surprise when she discovered the two empty futon. She swept the room quickly, trying to process where Mayu could have gone in the middle of the night, before staring back at the untouched futon of her sister. For a minute, she wondered if her swift departure could have incited Mayu to look for her, and if she had ventured to the village in search of the house she mentioned a few times.
The thought vanished when she realized Mayu didn't know the place - she had, after all, asked her protector to look for her a week ago - and she knew she wouldn't take the risk of getting lost in an unknown village, not the mention in the complete dark. Jurina exhaled deeply in frustration when she couldn't come up with an explanation for her sister's disappearance, and she took a step back in the corridor after sliding the door closed. Although she was pretty sure her sister didn't leave the clan, she needed a confirmation, and she knew exactly who could give it to her.
Her feet led her back to the gate and she placed a hand on the guard's shoulder, prompting him to turn to look at her in surprise. She didn't bother to glance at the man when she arrived a few minutes before, but now, she couldn't help but frown in annoyance at the view of the familiar guard. It was the stupid one who took so long to notice her when she was laying exhausted in the grass with her unconscious protector, and to whom she had given a very appropriate nickname since that day.
"Blind one," Jurina said, ignoring his displeased expression and groan. "Has my sister left the clan?"
"No, she has not," the guard replied, gritting his teeth, and trying his best to keep his calm at the use of the nickname he had already been called by the girl a few times these last days.
"Are you sure?" Jurina insisted, taking a step forward until they were just a few inches apart, and her mocking eyes fell into his annoyed ones. "Because it's really dark, and you can't even see properly in broad daylight."
"Watanabe-san did not leave the clan," the guard repeated as politely as possible, although it was clear he was starting to reach his limits. He didn't know long he could tolerate the girl's mockery anymore. "However, I've heard she was looking for Kashiwagi-dono earlier on."
Jurina raised a surprised eyebrow at this revelation, before turning on her heels when she knew the guard wasn't going to be any more helpful. She walked to her bedroom slowly, pondering his words thoughtfully before pausing in the middle of the corridor. It was true that her sister became quite close to her protector recently and spent most of her time with her during the day. Jurina glanced over a particular room not far way, wondering if she would find the answer to her question behind its door.
She paused in front of it and listened attentively, hoping she would detect any sign of the presence of her sister. When only silence surrounded her she decided to take matters in hand and she carefully slid the door open, enough to take a peek inside. Maybe she should have expected it, but the view still managed to surprise her when she witnessed the two girls sleeping on the futon. Mayu was sleeping soundly on her side, her face turned towards the door, while the kyudo instructor was laying on her side behind her, her right arm wrapped around her waist protectively.
Jurina guessed her swift departure probably caused her sister to have a talk with the kyudo instructor, but she still couldn't believe the samurai would suggest her to come and sleep in her room. It seemed their relationship had developed a bit more quickly than she had anticipated. Jurina watched them silently for a few more seconds, before deciding she had done enough of spying for tonight and sliding the door close. Much as she wanted to apologize to her sister for her recent behavior, she wasn't about to disrupt her peaceful sleep. She felt bad enough waking her up so many times because of her nightmares.
Jurina thought about going back to her bedroom in order to imitate her sister and catch some sleep, but her feet slowed down unintentionally when she recognized another familiar room on her way. Although she never set foot inside she knew who it belonged to very well, as she had witnessed the doctor of the clan entering it many times these last few days. She placed her palm on the door, pondering for a while if she should finally enter this room she had cleverly avoided until now, before making up her mind and sliding it open.
Jurina paused on the tatami as her eyes fell first on the woman laying on the futon, before she let them wander around the room in curiosity, taking in what the dark was enabling her to see. The place was quite simply furnished, and apart from a small table at the end of the room, there was not much to look at. Jurina slid the door closed behind her and moved forward, now noticing a few racks properly aligned in a corner that she had missed. Curiosity got the best of her and she approached, her fingers brushing the
saya of the wakizashi, then moving to the katana.
The last time she touched the familiar red
tsuka it was during the attack, and she somewhat believed she would never see it again. It seemed their horses were not the only thing that were retrieved from the forest. Jurina took the katana from its shack and pulled out the sword slowly from its
saya, admiring the blade and brushing its surface carefully. Her thoughts went towards those two men that had attacked them sneakily, and she remembered how much she would have loved to slit the samurai's throat. His enigmatic words came to the forefront of her mind, and she wondered what he had meant by that. Much as she wasn't ready to fight him back then, she was going to make sure to be ready to welcome him properly if she ever crossed his path again.
Once her scrutiny finally reached its end Jurina placed the katana back into its
saya and onto the rack, before turning around and watching the sleeping woman. A sigh left Jurina's lips as she finally approached and kneeled by her protector's side. Now that her eyes were adjusted to the darkness she could discern her features a little better, thanks to the much needed help of the moonlight penetrating the room. Despite the silence surrounding them Jurina failed to distinguish her protector's breathing and she instinctively leaned over, placing her ear over her heart in worry.
Relief filled her chest when she finally managed to catch the slow but constant beating and she straightened up, before looking away when she realized it didn't mean much. Of course, she was still alive, but the fact that she had still not woken up after a whole week wasn't in the slightest reassuring. Jurina wanted to keep hope that she would wake up anytime soon, as Mayu believed strongly, but she didn't believe in miracles.
"You're driving me crazy," Jurina mumbled, her eyes back on her quiet protector. Much as it pained her to admit it, her protector's image had crossed her mind more than she would have wished for lately, and she couldn't stop reliving the attack and what followed. Yes, the kenjutsu instructor's current immobilization was partly her fault, but she believed to have made the right decision by refusing to obey to her last command and bringing her back to the clan. It wasn't an easy task, and her body still had not fully recovered from the exhaustion it caused, but she didn't regret it. The pain she still sometimes felt in her arms and her legs was worth it if it meant she managed to save her life. Yes, they had a conflicted relationship from the start, but it was the least she could do after her protector shielded her from her enemies.
Twice. Unfortunately, her failure was laying just in front of her eyes, reminding her that all her effort had not paid off in the end.
Jurina felt her eyes fluttering closed and she blinked to try to keep them open, before realizing sleep was about to claim her soon. Her body was already not reacting properly to her anymore and she looked towards the direction of the door sleepily, knowing it was time to go back to her room. She got up on her feet clumsily and stifled a yawn, her hand soon meeting the door as she was moved towards the entrance and was about to leave. Her fingers were already sliding it open when she perceived a faint sound behind her back, and she looked over her shoulder in surprise. Her eyes scrutinized the sleeping form in search of any sign it was not the fruit of her imagination, before coming to the realization that it was indeed. The kenjutsu instructor had not moved an inch.
"I really need to sleep," Jurina groaned, not believing what her sleepy mind was doing to her, and she faced the door anew, now eager to join her bed.
"Watanabe-san?"
Jurina froze at the small voice calling her name and she turned around immediately. This time, she knew she had not imagined it, and she took a few unsteady steps towards the sleeping form. Two small brown orbs fluttered open and glanced back at her, and Jurina couldn't help the short gasp from escaping her mouth at the unbelievable sight in front of her. Maybe it was the weariness speaking, but she almost believed she could see a small smile progressively forming on her protector's lips.
TO BE CONTINUED
Topic: Warriors - Chapter 29 [WMatsui] (01/07/2020) (Read 111863 times)