Chapter 2
When Tsurara was safely inside her room, she leaned back against the tightly shut shoji door. Then, she could not hold back anymore. Beads of tears that had been frozen kept falling down to the floor while she sat there for a long time. The pain in her heart was unbearable. Her loved one viewed her no more than his follower. And it was sad, knowing her love was not requited, even a bit. It was lucky that she had her own room now, or she would have to explain to Kejouro. She did not want anyone to worry about her affair.
Sometimes, she felt very jealous of Kejouro and Kubinashi's relationship. They had a thing between them that had been going on for years. And though they did not show it in front of others, Tsurara knew they were truly in love. She wished she could be like them. To be able to love, to protect and to fight together with the one she loved. But now, all her dreams were crushed...
As the golden ray of sun shine passed through the thin paper of the door and caressed Tsurara's face, her eyes opened. She had cried all night and then fell asleep due to emotional exhaustion. Checking herself in the mirror, she made sure her eyes weren't too puffy to be noticed before getting up and doing her chores.
When the time to go to school came, she and Aotabo followed Rikuo on the usual street they always took in the past. Tsurara was deep in thought as she watched her master's back. He had become taller, near his night form's height. His shoulder was also broader. Three years had marked with the change in his day form. No longer a boy, but a young man. His face had lost most all of the roundness. His voice also became deeper now, just like his night form's. Watching him, Tsurara wanted nothing more than burying her face in his back and breathe in the comfortable odor of her master.
"Yuki Onna, what happened with you?" Ao asked as he noticed the snow maiden's silence. She was always cheerful when they walked with their master. Now she was all quiet.
Hearing Ao's question, Rikuo turned his head to look at her too. "Are you okay, Tsurara? You did not seem very well today." His eyes shone with concern. In the past, Tsurara would have blushed and stuttered out she was okay, while jumping over the moon in her head for being concerned by Rikuo, but now that she knew his concern was no different from how he treated others, she just felt sadder.
"I'm perfectly fine, Rikuo-sama, Ao." She gave them a fake smile. Rikuo did not seem very convinced, but a sudden voice stole all of his attention away.
"Rikuo-kun!" It was no other than Kana, his childhood friend. Immediately, he gave her one of his gentle smile "Ohaiyo, Kana-chan."
"Ohaiyo!" The two talked as they walked to school. Seeing this, Tsurara wanted to cry again despite having cried all night. The rest of the walk was miserable.
When she returned home that day with Ao and Rikuo. She was called by Nurarihyon. Wondering what she was called for, the girl immediately went and found the Supreme Commander, who was smoking on the porch. "Nurarihyon-sama, what do you call me for?"
The old youkai turned to her. He smiled as he saw the young girl in her human disguise approaching. "Oh nothing much, Tsurara. I just want you to bring this to Bakeneko. That's all." And he took from beside him a package and handed it to her.
Receiving the package from the old man, she bowed then started to leave when he was called back. "Ah Tsurara! Bring me back a bottle of sake too."
"Hai, Nurarihyon-sama! I'll return soon!" She managed to say with a cheerful tone.
As she went out of sight, the old man sitting there was still staring at her. He was wondering why the girl seemed so down. Sighing, he concluded that it must relate to a certain idiot grandson of his.
"It's so good to be young again." Shaking his head, he turned back to his garden.
At Bakeneko, she met Ryota-Neko and handed him the package she was assigned. "Oh thank you Tsurara-chan for the trouble of bringing it here."
"It's okay. No trouble at all." She smiled as she replied. Even though they were not great friends, they still remained a common friendship as this was not the first time she delivered something for Nurarihyon. And as usual, Tsurara sat down and chatted with Ryota about how they were doing.
"Rikuo-sama rarely comes here nowadays." The neko youkai let out a sigh, complaining. Tsurara smiled, "You know he is the Sandaime now, he is very busy."
"Hai, but even if he had free time, he would never come to the bar. I think the only time he came here that I can recall is with that human girl." Tsurara stiffened when what the neko youkai said registered her mind. "W-What do you mean?" She asked back, hoping that it was not what she thought.
"Oh, you mean you don't know. Around three years ago, Rikuo-sama led a human girl here to celebrate her birthday. I think she was his girlfriend or something. I remembered her name is Hana or…"
"Kana", murmuring Tsurara.
"Yes, that's right. Kana-chan!..." The rest of what he said was deaf to her ears as she felt her mind numb. When she finally got herself together, she quickly said goodbye, took the bottle of sake and ran away, leaving a confused Ryota-Neko.
As she was walking home, she allowed herself to think about the matter again. She knew she was silly to be bothered by something happened three years ago. But the event made her recall something her mother had told her. The first time her mother, Setsura met Rikuo's grandmother, Youhime was when Nurarihyon brought her to a youkai bar. And Nurarihyon had proposed to Youhime right there. Now the similarity only made Tsurara hurt as she thought about the proposal. It might have not happened then, but one day, her master would choose a wife. What would she do when that time come?
She would surely not be able to stand the pain. It would kill her. But she could not do anything as she respected her master's choice. Sometimes she asked herself why she had fallen in the first place. Wasn't it be simpler if she did not have this emotion. Yuki Onna was supposed to be cold. Why did she let the ice around her heart to melt? Why? Why?
Frozen tears began to drop as a young girl walked slowly on the deserted street. The last light of sunset shone upon her delicate shoulders and her unusual-colored hair. If you looked closely, you would notice that the small body was shivering with each step.
When Tsurara was safely inside her room, she leaned back against the tightly shut shoji door. Then, she could not hold back anymore. Beads of tears that had been frozen kept falling down to the floor while she sat there for a long time. The pain in her heart was unbearable. Her loved one viewed her no more than his follower. And it was sad, knowing her love was not requited, even a bit. It was lucky that she had her own room now, or she would have to explain to Kejouro. She did not want anyone to worry about her affair.
Sometimes, she felt very jealous of Kejouro and Kubinashi's relationship. They had a thing between them that had been going on for years. And though they did not show it in front of others, Tsurara knew they were truly in love. She wished she could be like them. To be able to love, to protect and to fight together with the one she loved. But now, all her dreams were crushed...
As the golden ray of sun shine passed through the thin paper of the door and caressed Tsurara's face, her eyes opened. She had cried all night and then fell asleep due to emotional exhaustion. Checking herself in the mirror, she made sure her eyes weren't too puffy to be noticed before getting up and doing her chores.
When the time to go to school came, she and Aotabo followed Rikuo on the usual street they always took in the past. Tsurara was deep in thought as she watched her master's back. He had become taller, near his night form's height. His shoulder was also broader. Three years had marked with the change in his day form. No longer a boy, but a young man. His face had lost most all of the roundness. His voice also became deeper now, just like his night form's. Watching him, Tsurara wanted nothing more than burying her face in his back and breathe in the comfortable odor of her master.
"Yuki Onna, what happened with you?" Ao asked as he noticed the snow maiden's silence. She was always cheerful when they walked with their master. Now she was all quiet.
Hearing Ao's question, Rikuo turned his head to look at her too. "Are you okay, Tsurara? You did not seem very well today." His eyes shone with concern. In the past, Tsurara would have blushed and stuttered out she was okay, while jumping over the moon in her head for being concerned by Rikuo, but now that she knew his concern was no different from how he treated others, she just felt sadder.
"I'm perfectly fine, Rikuo-sama, Ao." She gave them a fake smile. Rikuo did not seem very convinced, but a sudden voice stole all of his attention away.
"Rikuo-kun!" It was no other than Kana, his childhood friend. Immediately, he gave her one of his gentle smile "Ohaiyo, Kana-chan."
"Ohaiyo!" The two talked as they walked to school. Seeing this, Tsurara wanted to cry again despite having cried all night. The rest of the walk was miserable.
When she returned home that day with Ao and Rikuo. She was called by Nurarihyon. Wondering what she was called for, the girl immediately went and found the Supreme Commander, who was smoking on the porch. "Nurarihyon-sama, what do you call me for?"
The old youkai turned to her. He smiled as he saw the young girl in her human disguise approaching. "Oh nothing much, Tsurara. I just want you to bring this to Bakeneko. That's all." And he took from beside him a package and handed it to her.
Receiving the package from the old man, she bowed then started to leave when he was called back. "Ah Tsurara! Bring me back a bottle of sake too."
"Hai, Nurarihyon-sama! I'll return soon!" She managed to say with a cheerful tone.
As she went out of sight, the old man sitting there was still staring at her. He was wondering why the girl seemed so down. Sighing, he concluded that it must relate to a certain idiot grandson of his.
"It's so good to be young again." Shaking his head, he turned back to his garden.
At Bakeneko, she met Ryota-Neko and handed him the package she was assigned. "Oh thank you Tsurara-chan for the trouble of bringing it here."
"It's okay. No trouble at all." She smiled as she replied. Even though they were not great friends, they still remained a common friendship as this was not the first time she delivered something for Nurarihyon. And as usual, Tsurara sat down and chatted with Ryota about how they were doing.
"Rikuo-sama rarely comes here nowadays." The neko youkai let out a sigh, complaining. Tsurara smiled, "You know he is the Sandaime now, he is very busy."
"Hai, but even if he had free time, he would never come to the bar. I think the only time he came here that I can recall is with that human girl." Tsurara stiffened when what the neko youkai said registered her mind. "W-What do you mean?" She asked back, hoping that it was not what she thought.
"Oh, you mean you don't know. Around three years ago, Rikuo-sama led a human girl here to celebrate her birthday. I think she was his girlfriend or something. I remembered her name is Hana or…"
"Kana", murmuring Tsurara.
"Yes, that's right. Kana-chan!..." The rest of what he said was deaf to her ears as she felt her mind numb. When she finally got herself together, she quickly said goodbye, took the bottle of sake and ran away, leaving a confused Ryota-Neko.
As she was walking home, she allowed herself to think about the matter again. She knew she was silly to be bothered by something happened three years ago. But the event made her recall something her mother had told her. The first time her mother, Setsura met Rikuo's grandmother, Youhime was when Nurarihyon brought her to a youkai bar. And Nurarihyon had proposed to Youhime right there. Now the similarity only made Tsurara hurt as she thought about the proposal. It might have not happened then, but one day, her master would choose a wife. What would she do when that time come?
She would surely not be able to stand the pain. It would kill her. But she could not do anything as she respected her master's choice. Sometimes she asked herself why she had fallen in the first place. Wasn't it be simpler if she did not have this emotion. Yuki Onna was supposed to be cold. Why did she let the ice around her heart to melt? Why? Why?
Frozen tears began to drop as a young girl walked slowly on the deserted street. The last light of sunset shone upon her delicate shoulders and her unusual-colored hair. If you looked closely, you would notice that the small body was shivering with each step.
