Shoko Ieiri

Sunlight slanted in through the window, spreading a warm patch of light across the wooden tabletop.

Wana sat by the window, her little body nestled into the soft booth. She held the Cherry Blossom Snow Daifuku in both hands but could not bear to eat it. Instead, she simply admired it, occasionally lowering her head to sniff its sweet fragrance, her eyes curved with delight like a little squirrel clutching a pine cone.

This was her first time going out.

For eight years, she had lived behind the Zenin Clan's towering walls. The courtyard, the library, and the training room had been her entire world. When she had tugged at her brother's sleeve and wheedled that morning, she had not really expected much-her brother doted on her, but on matters like this, his word had always been final.

To her surprise, he had actually agreed.

At the thought, the smile on Wana's little face grew even brighter. Her feet swung gently beneath the table, and her whole body seemed to radiate excitement.

The girl sitting across from her also held a daifuku. Seeing the little girl like this, she could not help letting out a soft laugh.

When she smiled, the beauty mark at the outer corner of her right eye lifted slightly, giving her the lively charm of a girl her age, along with an indescribable sweetness.

"What's your name?" Wana finally brought herself to set down her daifuku. Propping her chin in both hands, she stared at Shoko with dark, shining eyes, her little voice full of curiosity.

"Shoko." The girl's voice was clear and soft, with a child's natural sweetness. "Shoko Ieiri. What about you?"

"I'm Wana! Wana Zenin!" Wana promptly introduced herself, then pointed at Zhiyan beside her, her voice brimming with pride. "This is my big brother, Naoya Zenin!"

Zhiyan was holding the hot tea the staff had brought over. At her words, he gave a slight nod in greeting. His demeanor was calm and gentle, without the slightest sharpness. He looked like a well-mannered boy from an ordinary family.

"You're brother and sister?" Shoko blinked, looking from one to the other. "You really look alike."

Wana's smile grew even brighter at that. Holding her daifuku, she immediately slid out of her seat, pattered over to Shoko, and plopped down beside her, snuggling close.

"Shoko, why aren't you eating?" Wana asked, blinking up at her.

Shoko glanced down at the soft pink-and-white treat in her hands and tilted her head slightly. "I'm seeing how it's different from the ones elsewhere."

"Different?"

"Mm-hmm." Shoko's voice was clear and soft, with a child's natural sweetness. "I don't really like sweets. If something's too sweet, I get tired of it after a few bites. But this one looked pretty, so I wanted to see if it might be different."

As she spoke, she finally took a small bite, chewed slowly, then blinked.

"Well? Well?" Wana asked eagerly.

Shoko chewed a little more, wearing a serious expression as she carefully considered the flavor, then answered honestly, "It's still sweet, but it's a little better than I expected. The outside doesn't have much flavor, and the filling isn't especially sweet."

"Do you like it, then?"

"Hmm..." Shoko thought for a moment. "I don't dislike it, but I probably wouldn't buy it again on my own."

Her tone was perfectly matter-of-fact, without distaste or disappointment, as natural as if she were saying, "The weather's nice today."

Wana burst into laughter at her manner, her little body shaking. "You're so funny, Shoko! Everyone else says it's delicious, but you say you wouldn't buy it again!"

Shoko blinked and laughed along, the beauty mark beside her eye lifting with her smile and making her look especially lively. "But I really don't like sweet things. I just wanted to see if it was as good as everyone said."

"So what's your conclusion?"

"It's pretty much what people said." Shoko took another small bite and chewed slowly. "So to me, it's just a 'pretty ordinary sweet.' Still too sweet."

Wana laughed so hard she slapped the table, nearly knocking the daifuku beside her off the edge. Fortunately, Zhiyan steadied it in time.

"Wana." He gave his sister a helpless look.

Wana stuck out her tongue and sat properly, but she could not stop smiling. She looked at Shoko with sparkling eyes. "You're so funny, Shoko. I really like you!"

Faced with such a frank compliment, Shoko grew a little shy. She lowered her head and continued eating her daifuku in small bites, the tips of her ears turning faintly red.

Watching them, Zhiyan's eyes softened with a faint smile.

So she was a child who disliked sweets but had come to buy dessert out of curiosity.

Interesting.

"Oh, Shoko, did you come here by yourself?" Wana asked curiously.

Shoko shook her head and pointed to a shop diagonally across the street. "No, I came with my mom and dad. They're shopping over there. They told me to wait here and said they'd come get me when they were done."

Wana followed her pointing finger. Sure enough, a couple was browsing inside the shop, glancing toward the dessert shop every so often, clearly still keeping an eye on their daughter.

"Your mom and dad are so nice," Wana said softly, a little envy in her voice.

Shoko tilted her head. "Aren't yours nice?"

"It's not that they aren't." Wana thought for a moment. "They're just really busy and hardly ever spend time with me. Usually, my brother keeps me company."

As she spoke, she turned toward Zhiyan with a huge smile. "But having my brother is enough! He's the best!"

Shoko followed her gaze to the boy quietly drinking tea and nodded. "It must be nice having a brother. I'm an only child. Sometimes I wish I had a big brother or sister to play with."

"Then I'll share half my brother with you!" Wana immediately patted her little chest, looking very generous.

Shoko laughed at that, her eyes curving.

"Shoko!" Just then, a gentle woman's voice came from the entrance.

Shoko looked up, her eyes lighting up. She immediately hopped out of her seat and ran toward the door. "Mom!"

A gentle-looking woman crouched to catch her daughter as she rushed into her arms, smiling as she ruffled her hair. Beside her stood a kindly middle-aged man carrying several shopping bags, watching them with a smile.

"Did you make some friends?" Shoko's mother glanced at Wana and Zhiyan inside the shop.

"Yes!" Shoko nodded vigorously and led her mother by the hand to the table. "Mom, this is Wana, and this is her brother. Wana let me have that daifuku-no, I let her have it. Anyway, we ate it together!"

Her words were a little muddled, but the excitement on her face was genuine.

Wana had already stood up. Straightening her little back, she bowed earnestly. "Hello, ma'am! Hello, sir! I'm Wana Zenin. Thank you for letting Shoko play with me!"

Amused by her solemn manner, Shoko's mother laughed and waved her hands. "There's no need to be so polite. We should be apologizing for Shoko troubling you."

Zhiyan also rose and bowed slightly, impeccable in his manners. "Hello. My little sister is young and sometimes impulsive. Please forgive her if she's been at all rude."

"Not at all," Shoko's father said with a smile, studying the composed, well-spoken boy before him. "If anything, our Shoko has been imposing on you."

"She hasn't! She hasn't!" Wana hurriedly shook her head, her little face full of sincerity. "Shoko's wonderful! We get along really well!"

Then she suddenly remembered something and turned toward Zhiyan, her eyes sparkling. "Brother, let's invite Shoko and her mom and dad to lunch, like we talked about earlier."

Zhiyan paused briefly.

He had just asked the accompanying sorcerer to book lunch at an upscale restaurant. Since this was Wana's first outing, he had wanted to treat her to something nice.

The restaurant was spacious, and the private room was large enough. Adding a few more people would be no problem at all.

He looked at Shoko's parents and spoke gently. "If you don't mind, would you join us for lunch? I've already made a reservation at a fairly good local restaurant."

Shoko's parents exchanged a surprised glance.

"Oh, we couldn't," Shoko's mother said, quickly waving her hands. "We've only just met. We couldn't possibly let you go to such expense-"

"Please!" Wana immediately moved closer, her little face full of anticipation. "Come with us! The food there is really good! My brother booked it especially to celebrate my first time going out. It'll be more fun with more people!"

Then she turned to Shoko with shining eyes. "You want to come too, right, Shoko?"

Shoko blinked and looked toward her parents, the same anticipation in her eyes.

Shoko's father looked at his daughter, then at the two children's sincere expressions, and smiled. "Since the children have hit it off so well, we'd be happy to accept. But you must let us pay for this meal-"

"Sir," Zhiyan said, gently but firmly, "you're our guests, and I'm the host. I couldn't let my guests pay. Besides, I'd already booked it. We're only adding a few place settings, so please don't worry."

He spoke with an easy composure, neither deferential nor overbearing, yet with a quiet assurance that made him difficult to refuse.

Shoko's father was about to say more when her mother gave his sleeve a light tug and nodded with a smile. "Then thank you very much."

Wana immediately cheered and ran over to take Shoko's hand. "Yay! Shoko, we're going together!"

The two little girls walked hand in hand toward the door ahead of everyone else, chattering about what they might get to eat.

Zhiyan followed a few steps behind, walking alongside Shoko's parents and gently showing them the way. "The restaurant is nearby, about ten minutes on foot. There are some interesting shops along that street too. If you're interested, you could look around after lunch."

"That sounds good." Shoko's father nodded, taking in the surrounding streets. "It certainly is lively here. Much more interesting than where we live. We're from Kanagawa, so we don't often get the chance to come here."

"Kanagawa?" Wana's sharp ears caught the name, and she immediately turned around. "That's really close to Tokyo, isn't it?"

"It is," Shoko's mother said with a smile. "It's not too far from Kyoto here either, about an hour or so by train. We heard there was a very famous shrine here, so we brought her to see it."

"An hour or so!" Wana's eyes lit up. "Doesn't that mean you can come whenever you want?"

She turned toward Shoko, her little face full of delighted surprise. "Shoko, that means we can see each other all the time!"

Shoko blinked as she realized it too, and her lips curved into a smile. "That's right... I forgot. It really is close."

The two little girls exchanged a glance and smiled even more happily.

Watching them, Zhiyan's lips curved slightly.

Kanagawa was indeed fairly close.

They crossed two streets and turned into a relatively quiet alley. At its end stood a traditional Japanese building, with an understated entrance curtain bearing the brush-written name "Maple Kaiseki."

A kimono-clad hostess was already waiting at the entrance. When Zhiyan's party arrived, she bowed respectfully. "Young Master Zenin, your private room is ready."

Zhiyan nodded slightly and stepped aside to let Shoko's parents enter first.

As Shoko's father stepped inside, he glanced over the elegant decor and raised his brows slightly. He knew little about such places, but the carefully arranged scenery at every step from the entrance to the corridor, the service so quiet that footsteps were barely audible, and the faint scent of incense-all those details together were enough to tell him the caliber of this restaurant.

He looked at Zhiyan ahead of him. The boy's expression had not changed, as though this were nothing more than an ordinary meal.

Just what sort of family did this boy come from?

"Wow!" Wana's voice came from up ahead. She had already pulled Shoko to the end of the corridor and was leaning by the window to look into the garden. "Look, Shoko! Fish! Such big fish!"

Shoko leaned closer, their two little heads pressed together as they watched the koi swimming leisurely in the pond and exclaimed in wonder.

"You're right! Red ones and white ones. They're so pretty!"

"And over there! There's a rock garden! It looks like little mountains!"

"Is that moss? It's so green and cute!"

The hostess waited beside them with a smile. Only once the little girls had finished looking did she lead them into the private room.

The room was large, with floor-to-ceiling windows that opened onto the garden, offering an unobstructed view of the pond and rock garden. The decor was simple and elegant, every flower arrangement, hanging scroll, and incense burner placed just right.

Shoko's parents came from an ordinary household and had never been anywhere like this, so they were a little ill at ease. Zhiyan noticed their discomfort and invited them to sit with warm, easy courtesy, then signaled the hostess to begin serving.

"This restaurant doesn't have a menu," he explained. "The dishes are arranged according to seasonal ingredients. If there's anything you don't eat, they can adjust them at any time."

"No, nothing," Shoko's father said, quickly waving his hands. "We're not picky."

Wana and Shoko had already settled side by side, sitting close together with their little heads bent toward each other as they continued chatting.

"Shoko, have you ever had kaiseki?"

"No, this is my first time. Have you?"

"It's my first time too! My brother said he'd bring me when I was a little older, but since it's my first time going out, he made an exception!"

"Your brother really is nice to you."

"Of course! That's why I'm sharing half of him with you!"

Listening to their childish chatter, Zhiyan's lips curved slightly.

The appetizer soon arrived: an exquisite sakizuke, with several small dishes arranged on beautiful porcelain like a painting.

Wana looked at the dish, unsure where to start, then turned toward Zhiyan.

Rather than helping her directly, Zhiyan said gently, "From left to right, the flavors go from light to strong. Take your time tasting them. There's no rush."

Wana nodded and carefully picked up a small piece in the proper order. She put it in her mouth and tasted it thoughtfully, then her eyes lit up. "It's delicious!"

She immediately turned toward Shoko. "Try it, Shoko!"

Following the same left-to-right order, Shoko picked up a piece and tasted it, then nodded. "Mm, it's good. Not sweet."

Those last two words made Wana laugh, her shoulders shaking.

Shoko's parents had still been a little reserved, but seeing how naturally the children got along, they gradually relaxed. The dishes arrived one after another, each with its own story. Zhiyan occasionally offered a brief explanation in a matter-of-fact tone, not to show off, but simply to help his guests understand what they were eating.

Shoko's father sipped his sake slowly and looked out at the garden, suddenly feeling that the trip had truly been worthwhile. Not because of this upscale restaurant, but because his daughter had met a family like this-well-mannered, sincere, and, most unusually, considerate without any hint of affectation.

"Where in Kanagawa do you live?" Wana asked Shoko curiously.

"Around Yokohama, pretty close to the shore," Shoko said. "When the weather's good, we can see the sea."

"The sea!" Wana's eyes lit up. "I've never seen the sea!"

"Really?" Shoko looked a little surprised. "Then come visit my house next time. I'll take you to the beach! We can collect seashells too!"

"Can I? Can I?" Wana immediately turned toward Zhiyan, her little face full of hope.

Looking into her sparkling eyes, Zhiyan nodded gently. "If we get the chance, yes."

Wana immediately cheered and turned back to continue chatting with Shoko about what to bring to the beach and what kinds of shells to collect.

The meal lasted nearly four hours. From sakizuke to hassun, from mukozuke to shiizakana, each course arrived at a leisurely pace. The little girls had started out brimming with enthusiasm, but gradually found they could not eat any more and began studying the koi outside the window and the stones in the garden instead.

By the time the final mizumono course arrived, Wana was already leaning against Zhiyan, her little belly slightly rounded, looking thoroughly stuffed.

"Brother, I can't eat any more..." she said softly.

Zhiyan looked down at her with a helpless smile, took the dessert, and set it aside.

Shoko watched, then looked at the dessert in front of her-red bean yokan, which was obviously sweet.

She pressed her lips together, looking a little conflicted.

Noticing her expression, Wana immediately sat up straight. "Shoko, you don't want anything sweet? Then I'll eat it for you!"

She reached for it, but Zhiyan gently stopped her hand.

"You're already too full." Zhiyan glanced at her, then told Shoko gently, "You don't have to force yourself if you can't eat any more. It's fine."

Shoko blinked, nodded, and pushed her dessert aside without a trace of guilt.

Watching her daughter, Shoko's mother shook her head with an amused smile. "She's been like this since she was little. She won't eat even a bit more of anything sweet. I don't know who she takes after."

"Dad, of course," Shoko said confidently. "He doesn't like sweets either."

Shoko's father rubbed his nose and smiled sheepishly.

Watching them with shining eyes, Wana whispered to Shoko, "Your dad is so nice."

Shoko nodded and said as though it were only natural, "Yes. My dad is the best dad."

Then she added, "Your brother is the best brother too."

The two little girls looked at each other and smiled.

Outside the window, afternoon sunlight spilled across the garden. The koi swam leisurely in the pond, occasionally flicking their tails and sending up little splashes.

Shoko's mother checked the time and sighed softly. "Time really flies. We should head back to the hotel to pack. We have an early train back to Kanagawa tomorrow."

The smile on Shoko's face faltered slightly, and she turned toward Wana.

Wana looked back at her. As their eyes met, each little girl saw the same reluctance to part in the other's gaze.

But this time, that sadness came with a little reassurance-Kanagawa was close, and they could see each other again whenever they wanted.

Still, Wana hopped out of her seat and ran to Shoko. She took a little notebook from her pocket, quickly wrote down her address, tore out the page, and pressed it into Shoko's hand.

"Shoko, you have to write to me!" she said earnestly. "I'll write to you too! Really, really long letters!"

Shoko looked down at the slip of paper, carefully folded it, and tucked it into the innermost pocket of her clothes. Then she looked up and nodded firmly.

"I will," she said, her voice a little subdued, though she still tried to smile. "I'll write as soon as I get home. You can come visit my house too. I'll take you to the beach."

"Okay!"

Looking at each other, the two little girls held out their hands at the same time and hooked their little fingers together.

"Pinky promise, cross our hearts. We won't break it for a hundred years."

Zhiyan stood to one side, quietly watching the scene, the tenderness in his eyes spreading softly like the sunlight outside the window.

Shoko's parents thanked Zhiyan again, said goodbye to Wana, then called Shoko over to leave.

Shoko reached the doorway of the private dining room, then turned back and waved hard at Wana. "Wana, bye! I'll write!"

Wana waved just as hard, forcing a smile onto her little face. "Bye, Shoko! Have a safe trip! Remember to write!"

Shoko nodded, finally turned around, and disappeared down the hallway with her parents.

Wana stood there, watching until that small figure vanished from sight. Only then did she slowly return to Zhiyan's side and throw her arms around his waist. Burying her little face against him, she said in a muffled voice, "Big brother, I really like Shoko."

Zhiyan gently rubbed the top of her head.

"Can we see her again?" Wana looked up, her eyes slightly red.

"She's in Kanagawa. It's very close." Zhiyan's voice was gentle and steady. "If you want to see her, we can arrange it anytime."

Wana blinked, some of the gloom lifting from her little face, and nodded firmly.

She reached into her pocket and felt the address Shoko had written for her. "Then I'll write as soon as we get home," she said softly. "A really, really long letter. And next time we have a chance, can we go to Kanagawa to play with her? She said she'd take me to see the sea and collect seashells."

Zhiyan's lips curved slightly. He took her little hand and led her outside.

"Of course."

They left the restaurant, and the afternoon sunshine fell warmly over them. The accompanying sorcerers were already waiting, keeping just the right distance.

Holding her brother's hand on the way back, Wana kept chattering. "Shoko said you can see the sea where she lives. When the weather's nice, it's blue and really pretty... She said there are lots of shells on the beach, in all sorts of colors... And she said there's a cat near her house that's really sweet and lets anyone pet it..."

Zhiyan listened quietly, occasionally murmuring a reply.

Once they got into the car, Wana leaned against Zhiyan. Her little face looked tired, but she still chattered excitedly. As she talked, her voice gradually grew softer, until it finally gave way to the even sound of her breathing.

She had fallen asleep.

Her little head rested against Zhiyan's shoulder, her lashes trembling faintly, a small smile still lingering on her lips.

Zhiyan lowered his head to look at her, tenderness rippling through his eyes.

The car drove along the streets, passed through the gates of the Zenin Clan estate, and stopped outside the inner courtyard.

Zhiyan gently lifted her into his arms, his movements as tender as though he were cradling the most precious treasure in the world, and stepped into the courtyard.

Night fell, and the lights of the Zenin Clan estate came on one by one.

Zhiyan carried Wana back to her room and tucked her in. Watching her peaceful sleeping face, his lips curved slightly.

He turned and left the room, standing beneath the covered walkway as he looked up at the stars beginning to appear in the night sky.

Everything that had happened that day slowly surfaced in his mind.

The girl who didn't like sweets but had come to buy daifuku out of curiosity. The girl who had earnestly said, "I just wanted to see if it would be different." The girl whose parents loved her dearly, who had an ordinary, warm life.

Shoko Ieiri.

Her home was in Kanagawa, not too far from here.

His lips curved slightly again. He drew his thoughts back and returned inside.

It had been just an ordinary day.

Wana had gone out for the first time, met an interesting girl, and made her first friend outside the family.

That was all.