yokai | t. giyu, douma & k. muzan

十六

one year later

"Have you heard? Another older lady died from a different house."

"That's terrible. How did she die?"

"Eye witness claims that she jumped out of the window."

"Again? So many women are dying lately."

"It's kind of funny because my friend from that house told me that her last words were comparing Sakura and Koinatsu to Warabihime."

"Do you think Warabihime did something to her? You know...spoke vicious words to her that caused her to...you know what I mean, Yae!"

"I know, I know. But I don't Warabihime is that kind of a person. She did told me that Warabihime lent another courtesan named Hinatsuru her obi."

As the two courtesans passed by Sakura, she couldn't help but pick up their conservation as it piqued her interest. Keeping a straight face while pouring the samurai general his tea, Sakura couldn't help but tighten her grip on the tea pot handle.

"Is something troubling your mind, Sakura?" spoke the samurai general.

Immediately, Sakura's hold on the handle softened. She lifted her head up and flashed him a sweet smile. "I need a firm grip." was all she spoke before setting the tea pot down and then handing him his cup filled with green tea.

"You know I'm someone who you can trust, Sakura. After how many months of acquiring your service, I know when you lie and when you don't." The samurai general says after taking a sip. "Was it because of the two courtesans who passed by the table?"

Sakura didn't speak up, instead she just stared into the distance. As much as she didn't want him to continue talking, Sakura wanted to see if his words will get into Daki's nerves. Besides, Daki sat a few tables away from them.

"Warabihime has been in this business for so long. And no one's even buying her. She'll grow old and become an old maiden in the agiya. The mother of the house will probably kick her out as well!" The samurai general says, laughing loudly afterwards. Sakura couldn't help but just smile and gave him a curt nod.

But as she slightly turned her head to take a quick glance at Daki, she was already looking at them with an unknowing look. And it was also the same night that Sakura last saw the samurai general.

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

"Is Makio really not coming out of her room?" Sakura asks, feigning a worried expression on her face as she set down a tray filled with food and tea for Makio.

"Makio?" Sakura calls out to the other girl on the other side of the door. "Please come out. Mother and the rest of the girls are worried for you." She says, contemplating on whether or not it was good idea to open the sliding door to her room.

"I'm alright, Sakura san! Please just leave it outside for me." Makio responded.

As Sakura got up on her feet and started walking away towards the direction of her room, she slipped her mind out and traveled all the way to Makio's. There she found the two tone hair colored girl sitting and writing a letter to someone with her back facing the door. In the letter, she found that Makio wasn't suspicious of this house but was getting information on about Daki instead from various individuals.

That's right. Sakura thought to herself, letting her mind return back to her head. A sly grin painting her ruby red colored lips. Use Daki as bait and we'll never get caught - she thought to herself once more before resigning into the four corners of her room.