The Geisha Way

Ch 2- The Hangyoku.

“Sometimes we get through adversity only by imagining what the world might be like if our dreams should ever come true.”

 Toph was right about one thing: the first night is always the hardest. After a couple of months, it became easier and easier for Miomomo to adjust to her new life in the Okiya. She trained feverously after she got her chores done for the day. Getting her bloodline limit, made it easier for her to not use as much chakra as before, and for that she was grateful. Her ninja training was her little secret, no one; not even Toph knew of it. Her dreams did not change just because she was sold here to become a geisha, she simply molded around it. She cried less and less until eventually she stopped. There was no point—no amount of tears would ever return her back to her old life. But did she really want to go back? This question ate away at her very existence. Her father sold her for money, and although she was furious at him for it; she could not bring herself to hate him. He was doing what he felt was right for the sake of her mother, and she was okay with that.

“Oi; Mio-chan!” She heard Toph’s voice call her name as she scrubbed away relentlessly at the hardwood floor. She stopped momentarily resting her hands on her knees while she sat on the floor. The scrubbing made her work up quite a sweat, so she used the back of her left hand to wipe her forehead. Toph stood in front of her and pointed her index finger in Mio-chan’s face. “Okasan wants to you to see her in the office.” Miomomo simply nodded—she wasn’t much of a talker, she shakily got up from the floor she was scrubbing and turned to go to the office, when Toph stopped her. “Don’t worry, I will finish the chores.” She said softly. The tone of Toph’s voice made her uneasy; she hoped she wasn’t going to get any bad news today, but life was never that simple. She murmured a simple ‘thank you’ and walked towards the office.

The walk that took almost a full two minutes seemed like it took a full two hours. That very same feeling she felt before she got sold, came again. It made its presence known deep within the pit her stomach. She knocked on the office door before going in. Her knock was light, yet firm.

“Come in.” The doorknob was cold, in contrast to her sweaty, shaky, palms. The door creaked when she pushed it open, and she used that time to muffle her much needed gulp. Okasan was sitting at her desk with papers scattered messily across it. She wore the same hard expression on her face, and that did not make Miomomo feel any better. She closed the door behind her and walked towards Okasan.

“You wanted to see me?” The woman sat back in her chair.

“Ah yes Miomomo, I have some bad news to tell you.” The little strength she had to pull together broke.

“What is it?” A question she really didn’t want the answer to.

“I got a letter stating that your mother died, and the surgery was unsuccessful. Your father killed himself out of grief.” She certainly didn’t sugar coat it. Every word that came out of her mouth screamed indifference.

“W-what?” It was all she could manage to get out of her mouth. Either she was in denial, or just didn’t know how to react to the news.

“Look, clearly this is a lot for you to take in...” She paused—“Your father abandoned you for a second time, but it’s like I told you in the beginning: this is your home now, and I am your Okasan. We’re your only family now.” She flung a white sheet of paper at Miomomo. She picked it off the desk and read it for herself. The words…they suddenly became a blur. Her eye glazed over, and she felt the sting of tears, abhorrence, and misery, all make their way down her face. Her shaky little hands balled into a fist and she dropped the paper. It fluttered gracefully, before landing on the floor softly as if it didn’t have the horrible news displayed on it. Her eyes stared at the paper for a few seconds before she brought her gaze up to meet Okasans’.