In Your Eyes

Chapter 1

He was a boy of fourteen when his father took him to watch a performance. That was the first time he had seen her. She was noticeably older than him or so he assumed.

She moved gracefully, clothed in exquisite garb, swaying those colorful fans in both hands. She was beautiful, enchanting, and the best among the group. She twirled, perfectly tuned with the music playing in the background. The view was ethereal and so was she.

She was just another girl, another performer among many others, not special and never was.

He was a guest from a noble clan, indeed special and always had been.

-

Becoming a geisha was never her choice but life wasn't too easy on her. Life was akin to a constant battle. She was no warrior, nor sorcerer. Just a simple girl living a peaceful life with her parents. Her father once bought a plantation through a borrowed money from a man three years ago, when she was barely nine years of age. The man was known as Gakuganji. He was mysterious but appeared to be wise and successful in whatever he did.

Her father had promised to return the money after three years. But the future was an unknown monster and no one could have guessed that a massive storm would hit their village, resulting in continuous famine. Her mother has fallen sick and it was the hardest time in their family.

"Please...give me more time,"

Eavesdropping behind the thin space between a sliding door and a corner, Utahime heard her father pleading to the man he was indebted with.

"I had already given you enough time." the old man replied flatly. "You do realize that the amount you have asked from me was huge enough to rebuild the business I have lost in the capital."

A war had erupted between noble clans which affected the lives of the people living in the capital. War that was both bad and good depending on the business and the people involved.

"I understand," her father begged. "But my family need to restart from everything so please.." desperation was in his voice. A man who is on the brink of losing everything, hopelessly trying to protect what remained.

But Gakuganji was a businessman and not a philanthropist. Despite her father's pleas, the old man informed him that he will take everything he owned starting from his house. He was calm the whole time he said it, not a hint of mercy nor regret. For him, he was just doing a business deal, dealing with a broken promise which in truth could be easily excused should he tried to open his mind and heart to the poor family.

When the man left, her father placed his head in his head and sobbed. Huge body-shaking sobs racked, each coming in a wave and with every sob, he let out his regrets.

The twelve-year-old Utahime ran to him.

"I am sorry," he apologized. "I failed you and your mother. I failed our family."

She was young but she understood. Utahime put not single blame on her father.

If there was one thing no one could take away from her, it was her talent and determination. Utahime hummed a familiar lullaby - a known song in their village as she fetched water from a well.

Her voice was charming and pleasing to the hearer and was a delight to listen to. She was known to her friends as a songstress, matching her name with her skill and ability to touch someone's heart with her voice.

Utahime stopped what she was doing, having a sight on who was standing nearby, watching her inquisitively. The man looked amused and he approached her with a few quiet steps. Her face went displeased seeing the man who had put her family in such a predicament but at the same time the man who had given her father a chance to build what he once aimed for. Gakuganji paused in front of her with a look of approval.