Recent advents
For thirteen years Kibo had lived under her father's strict rule, meekly accepting that he was complete and utter ruler of her life. As a little girl, Kibo had been okay with that. Why shouldn't she be? But as she had grown, so had a sense of resentment towards her father. Who was he to say where she could go and who she could speak to? She was thirteen, not seven.
Kibo scolded herself. "Thinking like that will only lead to trouble. TROUBLE!"
Kibo was so caught up in telling herself to behave that she didn't notice where she was running... until she crashed into Amai!
"Kibo!"
"Amai!"
**back to story**
"Where were you?"
"Umm...under the first blossom's tree. Why?"
"You snuck off in the middle of the night!"
"Don't tell Otosan, please!"
"Of course sister, that goes without saying. But... sister?"
"Yes Kibo?"
"Next time, tell me that you're going in the middle of the night! You don't have to tell me where you go or what you do, just tell me!"
"Sister, I shall be gone every night!"
There was a shocked silence. Kibo drew herself up. "Well, Amai, let's use get you home."
And so life passed. Both Kibo and Amai busied themselves pretending to be honest and dutiful daughters. And still Amai disappeared each night. Still Kibo held her silence. And that sense of resentment grew and grew...
Kenmeina loved Amai, he knew he did. When he turned eighteen he could choose his bride, his father had told him so. Eleven months. In eleven months he could choose his bride, and he would choose Amai. He could hardly wait to tell her what his father had told him.
Amai could tell from a glance that Kenmeina was nervous. Enormously so. But at this point she didn't know why. As far as she knew this was a normal night. So she walked up to him, gave him a hug, and said "Sorry I'm late, Kibo needed help with her studies. Are you alright?" He replied "I'm better than alright, in fact I've got tremendous news!"
Her eyes sparkled. "Tell me!"
"My father said that in eleven months I can choose my bride!"
"He did not!"
"He did!"
Amai stood, dumbfounded.She had never dreamed that she could be so happy. A worried look grew on Kenmeina's face. "You'll say yes, right?"
Kibo was following Amai's tracks in the wet grass, rationalising as she went. Thinking aloud, she said "I mean, all I want to do is know where Amai's going, right? She wouldn't do anything that she wouldn't want me to know about, and she's probably lonely, she could probably use the company-" Kibo silenced herself as she saw a candle light in the distance. She blew her candle out swiftly and ran to the house. If she had cared to meet Amai, she would have noticed her wild hair and smudged face powder.
Kibo was woken by Amai bouncing on her bed. "Wake up sleepy, rise and shine, breakfast time!"
Kibo noticed that Amai was in an unusually good mood.
Amai noticed that Kibo looked like she had bad sleep.
