dakishimetai | denji

十六

A thousand years ago,

To commemorate this historic moment, pre selected historians and philosophers were chosen to write about this day. How, on the end of the era and the beginning of a new one, a new wish angel is to be coronated. On the last day of Nara period and on the first day of Heian era, eighteen year old Takajo Ame will rightfully take her mother's place.

Though such a day exists and the day has only started, Ame wanted to get everything over with.

"Can't I wear lighter clothing?" The girl complained, spinning around to look at her reflection on the silverware. "Everything is so heavy. Even my hair is heavy!" She added. Her eyebrows furrowing at the exhausting feeling on her shoulders and head.

"Keep quiet!" Her mother silenced her. "You are not only disrespecting our virtues but also the elements of the earth and the spirits of nature." She sternly spoke to her, sitting in front of her before applying heavy rice powder on her face.

"Quit your complaining. This day is about you after all." Her mother tries to say, her voice becoming softer, picking up a brush before dampening it on the red paint to paint Ame's lips red. "You're no commoner, Ame. On the day you were born, I knew the sun goddess blessed me to have you." Her mother flashed her a smile, however, Ame just kept a straight face.

Ame has heard of this story many times during her childhood. She used to be fascinated every time she's heard the story, but now, it doesn't amaze her as it used to be. Only a female heir can take the next throne; become the next wish angel. A male heir is simply frowned upon the two ruling households - the Miyakojima's and the Takajo's. If the current wish angel gives birth to a male child, the baby is to be given up for adoption or used as a servant. In the case that the current wish angel cannot bear a child, whichever ruling household bears a female child, the girl is to become next in line.

Initially, her mother couldn't conceive. And since her mother couldn't conceive at eighteen, the supposed wish angel heir will be turned over to the Miyakojima's. But surprisingly, her mother was suddenly blessed with her. And when Ame was finally introduced to the world, they were surprised to see her having such heavenly colored hair.

"Amaterasu is with you, Ame"

"This is a good sign!"

"She is the will left for us"

"Do you know why you're born, Ame?" Her mother asks her, lighting a match stick before blowing out the fire to press the burnt area onto her eyebrows.

Ame winced at the contact before smoothing her expression. "Do tell me" she solemnly responded to her mother, not wanting to anger her if she didn't asked.

"Life exists to sense the universe. Through the universe, the goddess will hear your wishes and grant them, but only if you are deserving of it." Her mother explains, leaning away to throw the match away. "And you are born out of my wish" And with that, her mother helped her get up on her feet, a smile painting on her lips as she eyed Ame's final look.

"You have a purpose, Ame. Out there and somewhere in this universe."

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

"Was the meat to your liking, Miss Takajo? We also especially waited for the fig to ripen before picking it." A male servant asked, both of his hands pressed onto his stomach while his head and body are bent forward.

"It was okay." Ame simply responded. The male servant was expecting for her to go on and say something else but she didn't. He lifted his head up to take a quick glance at her before bowing his head lower to her again.

"Is there anything else I can serve for you, Miss Takajo?" The male servant asks before slightly turning his head to the side to look at the ten year old boy besides him. In his eyes, he merely bowed to her. Extending his hands out to him, he dipped the boy's head lower until it touched the ground.

"You know you didn't have to do that." Ame says

"P-Pardon me, Miss Takajo! He was-"

"Can you bring him closer to me?" Ame asks. The male servant lifted his head up immediately, thinking that Ame was furious. But much to his surprise, the girl is smiling, or rather even beaming. "I want to see him too!"

The ten year old boy lifted his head up from the ground and slowly walked closer, standing in front of Ame. He gulped, feeling unworthy of standing in front of her.

"Do you have a name?" She asks him. The boy slowly shook his head, his head hanging low and not daring to meet her eyes.

"That's unfortunate." Ame replied, smiling to herself and to the boy as she gently squished his cheeks in her hands. "From now on, your name will be Kazuto. Do you hear me?"

The ten year old Kazuto stared at Ame with wide eyes before slowly nodding his head. "Y-Yes." he idly responded to her.

"That's good to hear!" Ame beams before turning her head to look at the older male servant behind Kazuto. "I'd like Kazuto to accompany me in my afternoon walk. That isn't too much for a request, is it?"

"Certainly not, Miss Takajo!" The male servant replied, bowing his head to her again. His lower back was beginning to feel uneasy due to his constant bowing to her. "If it is your wish to have the child servant then I have no qualms. I will send the other servants to bring you your afternoon tea and snacks." And with that, the male servant turns around to open the sliding doors, bowing one last time to Ame before closing the doors in front of him.

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

"Which family did you come from?"

"The Miyakojima's"

"Are the women nice there? The male servants too?"

Kazuto shook his head to her questions. "As a male servant, we sleep at almost midnight until the wee hours only." He spoke to her. The two were casually strolling around the garden, the sounds of the soles of their shoes colliding against the earthly ground they walk on.

"Where were you born?"

"In the Sano area" Kazuto responded, "Have you been there before, miss?" The ten year old boy asks, lifting his head up to look at her.

"Don't be too formal with me." Ame smiles, waving her hands at him. "Miss Takajo sounds too stiff. Call me older sister instead!" 

Kazuto shook his head to her proposal. "To call you older sister so casually is against our rules as servants. They'll simply toss me aside and have me sleep in the cold." Kazuto informs her.

"Well, you have no choice but to listen to me as the current wish angel." Ame smiles to him, crouching down in front of her, extending her pinky finger to him.

"It'll be our little secret from this strict family line. You'll call me Miss Takajo when were in public and older sister when in private. Okay?"

For the first time in his harsh life, Kazuto smiled genuinely and intertwined his pinky finger with hers. "It's a deal!"

As the two made a promise, somewhere in the household, the fear of the unknown started to brew and heighten, causing one item to slowly come to life.

re written: 041124