Betrothed

'Poverty Town'

"Tadashi, if you do this we'll finally get some money to live normally, as commoners instead of beggars." pleaded Yamaguchi's weak mother. "But mum..." sighed Yamaguchi reluctantly, trying not to look at her because he knew he would give in to her. Just a look at her begging eyes would make him agree to it. "You're girly enough and all the town girls say you'd look cute in a dress!" she yelled, as loudly as she could, even though it was still quiet and croakey. "Mum, there has to be another way! I'll get a job, out in the fields, anything!" suggested Yamaguchi desperately. "Tadashi, you know you're too dainty and weak for such a harsh job. Besides, they probably won't choose you, you make a cute girl but not an amazing beauty."

Yamaguchi made the fatal mistake of looking into his mother's eyes. "Ok, mum. For you." sighed Yamaguchi in agreement. His mother sprung up in her bed. "Thank you, thank you so much my beautiful son! Now please go inform the other town girls!" asked his sick mother. Yamaguchi reluctantly left their small shack to find the town girls. Their shack was old, falling apart and squished between another shack and an second hand hat shop that no one went to, in the centre of the nicknamed 'poverty town'.

Yamaguchi sighed, knowing that his mother was right. He was rather weak as a man. Even though he was proud to be male, he probably would have suited being female better. All the town boys teased him for never being any good at sports, or anything manly. So, he was forced to become friends with all the girls his age instead. They were nice, but it brought him 'shame as a man' in this close minded era.

So, onto the thing that his mother forced him into. Because she was ill and the Yamaguchi family was probably the poorest in 'poverty town', she wanted him to enter the 'annual choosing'. It was a ceremony where young girls from all the different towns in one nation went to the fanciest cities and wealthy men of high title's could choose a wife among them. Girls would have to dress up fancy because the only way they could get chosen was by their looks, since a man of high title having a pretty wife was all that mattered really. But, the catch to Yamaguchi participating was that any girl who entered willingly was paid. His mother saw this as their only opportunity for money to last them a while. Yamaguchi sighed once again, because if he entered the boys in the town would literally never stop teasing him until he died.

"Yama!" called out Yachi, a poor town girl. She was followed by their friend Shimizu. "Hey guys." he greeted. "What are you doing out? Shouldn't you be tending to your ill mother?" asked Shimizu coldly. Yamaguchi and Yachi knew she wasn't intending to act cold, it was just her personality. "Well, actually, she told me to come find you guys..." said Yamaguchi wishing he would just disappear. No, he had to do this for his mother. "Why?" asked Yachi. "She wants me to go against the rules and enter the 'annual choosing', disguised as a girl. For the money." He stated determined. Yachi beamed with happiness, and Shimizu nodded, saying 'that is a smart way to get money'. "Yay! We can finally dress you up all pretty! Yama you'll look so cute!" she cheered. Yamaguchi blushed in disgrace, this is what his life had come to.

"You won't fit in any of our dresses, so you can borrow my older sister's. She's already betrothed so she won't be able to enter." added Yachi happily. Yamaguchi sighed in shame. Great. He'd always dreamed of growing up and wearing a frilly dress with hundreds of other girls. (Sarcasm)

"Do you know how many cities the 'annual choosing' are being held in?" asked Yamaguchi, wondering how long he'd be away from his poor mother. "Apparently only one, since their aren't that many men looking this year." explained Shimizu. Yamaguchi gave a sigh of relief.