"Who is this... Oh, it's you—the young lady from the teahouse."
Tangze stepped closer, and a single remark changed Kazuha Toyama's expression again.
Still smiling, Suzu Chiga shifted her gaze away from Heiji Hattori and Kazuha Toyama, whom she had been studying closely, and looked at Tangze. She gave a slight bow. "You have a very sharp eye. I'm Suzu Chiga. We met briefly at the teahouse last night."
"Wasn't it easy to tell? A geisha can look very different after removing her makeup, but your bearing makes you easy to recognize even like this." Tangze returned the bow before answering politely. "Anyone who couldn't recognize you probably just hasn't spent much time around Gion."
Gion was a very famous geisha district.
Now that it had become a well-known street of traditional culture, the constant stream of visitors had greatly raised the profiles of geisha working in Gion, such as Suzu Chiga. Complimenting someone on her elegance and fame was the kind of flattery that could never go wrong.
Sure enough, Suzu Chiga lifted a hand over her mouth and laughed softly. "You flatter me. In truth, many people can't recognize me, even regular patrons who visit often. If I may venture a guess, you recognized me because you're from Kyoto, aren't you?"
That was a very Kyoto thing to say.
She was praising Tangze's eyesight, but the entirely complimentary remark also elevated Kyoto itself. That particular flavor of praise was especially Kyoto.
"You could tell? I thought I didn't have much of an accent." Tangze made a faintly surprised expression. "I suppose becoming famous really does require talent."
"Yes, your accent is very slight. But I think those who grew up in Kyoto can still hear the difference."
"I've also rarely met anyone who could recognize me right away.