Chapter Text
On a bright day of early spring a lone traveler was approaching a simple mansion somewhere at the root of Mount Hiei, in the outskirts of Heian-kyo. His clothing was worn and dirty, the little bundle on his shoulder so thin it couldn’t hold many provisions, but though his steps were weary he was still walking with his head held high, an intent look in his eyes.
When he arrived at the mansion, the servant who came to answer his call gave him one look and frowned.
“Wait here,” he said. “I’ll fetch you some left-over rice.”
The servant turned away, but the traveler, a young man, barely more than a boy, shook his head. “No. I didn’t come here for food. Isn’t this where Abe no Toshirou lives?”
The servant paused, looking at him with an even deeper frown. “What would you want of the master?”
“I have a message for him,” the traveler replied, unshaken by the look he received. “For him, and him only,” he added when the servant started to reach out his hand. “I will give it directly to Toshirou-sama.”
The servant gave him a long look, clearly wanting to tell him to go his way, but something in the boy’s eyes made him blink and look away. He licked his lips, thoughtful, and finally sighed.
“What name can I give him?” he asked, and the traveler relaxed his stance a little.
“Sugawara no Yorimichi.”
If that name meant anything to the servant he didn’t show it, and just nodding his head a little told the boy to wait.
It didn’t take long before the servant returned and, now hiding all the reluctance he might have felt, led the boy in. They walked through the corridors into a little room deep within the mansion, where a middle-aged, quite fat man was sitting on the floor, waiting for them with a cup of sake in his hand. He waved his hand at the servant, dismissing him right away.
After the servant had left, the two spent a while watching each other. Then the man gulped down the sake he had in his cup and placed it down.
“Akitada’s son, you claim to be?” he rumbled. “Well, you might have a bit of his look on your face. What do you want from here?”
“I’m bringing you a message, my lord,” the boy replied. He pulled out a fan from his sleeve and offered it to Toshirou who took it and opened it.
“I know this fan,” he muttered. “I gave it to him myself, once, during the Kamo festival.” There was some calligraphy written across the fan and he read it, frowning a little. Then he shook his head. “Not his best poem, I’d say. How is he?”
“Dead,” the boy replied levelly. “As is the rest of my family.”
Toshirou paused, eyes fixed on the boy’s face that was as if carved of stone.
“And… what is it you want from here?” he repeated his earlier question.
“What would you think?” Yorimichi replied, something finally glinting in his eyes. “Revenge.”
Toshirou smiled.
***
In another mansion in the great city of Heian-kyo a different kind of meeting was proceeding, in a manner that was quite familiar to everyone who resided in that house.
“Would you explain to me why you thought that would work?” a voice asked with forced calm and a tone that made the servant who had just been about to enter the room remember he had something important to do elsewhere.
“I could, but if you don’t get it, you just don’t! If you hadn’t played that stupid tsuke in the corner, it would have worked!”
“If a stupid move was enough to destroy your strategy, what does it say of that strategy!”
The two young men glared at each other over a go board, before again opening their mouths quite at the same time.
“If it is—!”
“Can’t you—!”
They paused again for yet another exchange of glares. Then one of them banged his hand against the board so that the stones jumped. “Whether it was stupid or not doesn’t matter! I won, didn’t I?”
“That’s not the point! You should be above such mistakes by now!”
“It wasn’t a mistake! Can’t you really see it? That…”
“Thank you, Ayaka,” a new voice said, making the two pause and turn to the doorway. “It’s quite alright, you know I’m used to them.”
The servant bowed her head and fled from the room.
The newcomer settled down by the go board, shaking his head amusedly as he looked down at it.
“You two should really try to learn some self-control. What have you done to scare Ayaka so? She barely dared to enter the room! You should take better care of your servants, Hikaru!”
Now the look the two shared was a little shamefaced. Hikaru cleared his throat. “Well, we just… we’ve done nothing, honestly. What are you doing here anyway, Seimei?” he quickly changed the subject. “I haven’t seen you for a long while.”
Abe no Seimei shrugged. “It has been long, true… but isn’t that a good enough reason to come for a visit? It’s good to meet you too, Akira-sama,” he added with a little nod of his head to Hikaru’s playing companion. “We’ve not met for a long while either – but it’s not just my fault. Your father is a demanding teacher. And always complaining about how seldom he sees you these days. You should visit your old home more often.”
“Well, my life has been busy, too,” Akira replied, returning the nod. “I do have a family now, you know. But it’s good to see you too.”
For a moment an uncomfortable silence took over – uncomfortable at least for the two players. Seimei seemed quite relaxed as he watched the old go board quietly, running a finger on its side.
“So, how is everything going?” he asked then. “Anything new at the palace?”
“Not really,” Hikaru replied, still a little uncomfortably. “The same old stuff going on.”
“He is pretty often invited to the palace, though,” Akira put in. “I think the emperor really has decided to make him the imperial go teacher. For some reason he’s still holding against it. Although,” he added, glancing at the go board, “with this kind of game, maybe it is a good idea to wait a little while.”
“That wasn’t a mistake!” Hikaru murmured, exasperated. “And I won!”
“Which isn’t the point, as I keep on saying!” Akira replied heatedly but paused then, remembering they had company. “Well, maybe we can talk about it some other time,” he went on and started to collect the stones form the board into their bowls.
“Yeah, maybe,” Hikaru muttered darkly, but left it at that.
“Will you attend the Festival of the Snake this year?” Seimei asked.
“No,” Hikaru said tersely, while Akira nodded.
“Probably,” he said, and smiled a little. “I think there’s too much poetry involved for Hikaru.”
“That, and too much sake,” Hikaru muttered. “I’ve just no head for it at all…” He fell quiet, staring at the go board with a melancholy look on his face.
“Is something wrong?” Seimei asked, head a little tilted to see his face.
Hikaru raised his head with a start. “Oh, no… I just…” He sighed. “I just remembered the time Sai went go to the Kakugan temple for that feast. Back when nothing bad had yet happened. With that stupid cousin of his.”
Akira gave him a look but said nothing.
Hikaru gave another sigh. “I can’t believe it’s already been five years since… since he…” He fell quiet.
Five years had passed since the death of Fujiwara no Sai. Hikaru had spent most of that time in the provinces, with Sai’s father – who was technically his father now, having adopted him. At the turn of the year, having turned 21, he had returned to the capital, as he received his first official position and rank. Quite soon he realized his new position didn’t really require him to do much at all – but that suited him quite well. He was just happy to be back so that he could again play with Akira. Whatever social or political requirements there might have been, they didn’t interest him much.
But it was quite weird to be living in what he had always thought of as Sai’s mansion. Of course it had always belonged to Sai’s father, which made it now as much his as it had ever been Sai’s. He still couldn’t quite get over the feeling that he was a guest there.
“Time truly flies,” Seimei said quietly, watching him as the thoughts passed his mind, each of them clearly visible on his face. “But you’ve been doing well during this time. Better than I’d have expected. Well, doesn’t hurt that the emperor favors you so strongly. Though that in itself is a danger, you know. People might be jealous, especially given your commoner background. And emperors change, there’s no way to know what the next one will think of you.”
“Come on,” Hikaru exclaimed. “The emperor’s still just a kid! He’ll rule for a long while.”
Both Akira and Seimei frowned. “Don’t call the emperor a ‘kid’,” Akira said.
“He’s just one year younger than me,” Seimei added.
“And that makes him not a kid?” Hikaru asked with a laugh. “Seriously, you’re just a kid too!”
“Did you hear what I just said?” Akira put in, annoyed.
Hikaru ignored him. “He’s not even had his coming-of-age ceremony yet,” he went on.
“I have,” Seimei couldn’t help pointing out. “Besides, that’s beyond the point. I’m still saying there must be many people at court who are not happy to have you there. Can you think of any?”
“Oh…” Hikaru scratched his nose. “I guess I might have annoyed some people a bit… or a few, a lot, or maybe, umm, I don’t know.”
Akira gave Seimei thoughtful look. “Why do you keep on talking of such things? It’s as if you were expecting something bad to happen.”
“Oh…” It was Seimei’s turn to look a little ill at ease. “It’s nothing. I just had a dream that left me worried, but… it was just a dream.”
“A dream, huh?” Hikaru looked slightly worried. “A bad dream?”
Seimei gave a wave with his hand. “Not really. It’s nothing, I’m sure. Say, now that I am here, could I possibly have a game with you?”
“Of course!” Hikaru agreed immediately, instantly forgetting all premonitions he might have been feeling.
*
When the game was over Akira and Seimei left Hikaru’s mansion together.
“Say,” Akira said as they slowly strolled down the street, “what was that dream of yours like?”
Seimei sighed. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it at all,” he muttered. “But… there was a black bird… I’m not sure what kind of a bird it was, but it flew here from the northeast and settled down above his mansion…”
“From the unlucky quarter…” Akira said thoughtfully. “Have you spoken of that dream with my father?” Kamo no Tadayuki, Akira’s father, was one of the most respected onmyoujis in the city, and Seimei’s teacher.
“Not yet. He’s at court today.”
“Ask him for his opinion when you see him, won’t you?” Akira said, pausing in a crossing of the streets. “He is quite experienced with dreams.”
“I will,” Seimei nodded. “Are you going home?”
Akira nodded. “I promised my wife to spend the evening with her.”
***
It was still a couple of weeks to the festival of the Snake, but it felt to Hikaru that no one was able to talk of anything else. Now he was visiting one of his closest acquaintances in the capital, lady Asumi, and what else would she start speaking of nearly as soon as they had settled down, appropriately separated by her screen.
“You too,” he muttered wearily. “Can’t anyone speak of anything else?”
There came a soft laughter from the other side of the screen.
“I just asked! Truly, Hikaru, don’t be so touchy.”
Hikaru sighed. “Sorry. I’m just so tired of everyone babbling about it constantly, and then being all horrified of me doing nothing. What’s the big deal anyway? But sure,” he added somewhat grumpily, “feel free to tell me all about your new attire, if it makes you happy.”
She laughed again. “I do like the new robes I got,” she said “The colors are so lovely. But honestly… do you have any idea how annoying you can be?” There came a soft snap as she tapped her palm with her fan. “I’d give much to be able to go to an event like this. Of course we ladies do have our plans for the night, but I would for once like to see the main event.”
Hikaru watched quietly his hands. “You’re right, that’s kind of stupid that you’re excluded like that. Can’t you have a similar event, just for ladies or something?”
“Hmm… I wonder if people would think that quite appropriate…” she sounded a little amused. “But, Hikaru, you really should try to be more social. People will look askance at you, if you never go to any festivals.”
“I guess… it’s just… all that poetry…”
“Excuses!” From the way the shadow moved behind the screen, Hikaru assumed she waved her fan. “Just prepare a poem or two beforehand, and you’ll be fine! That’s what pretty much everyone does, no matter how they pretend they’re coming up with them right then and there. And it’s not like anyone expected you to be sprouting them all the time. If anyone asks, which I doubt, you can just say you don’t want to be completely intoxicated.” In this festival, the habit was to drink a cup of sake every time one recited a poem. “If you want, I can help you.”
“That would be kind of you,” Hikaru muttered, fingering his fan nervously. “But…”
Lady Asumi laughed. “Stop fidgeting and just do it! We have nearly two weeks to prepare, everything will go fine.”
“Will go fine?” Hikaru said with a little smirk. “Sounds like you’ve already decided I’m going somewhere.”
“Maybe I have,” lady Asumi answered lightly. “I have watched long enough your endless procrastination. You’ve been here a good while now, and what have you accomplished?”
“Well, you know I did get a good position…” Hikaru started, but an angry snap of a fan made him pause, startled.
“That means nothing, and you should know it! You’re only at senior seventh rank, and that is just because the emperor favors you. The real question is whether you’ll ever make it to the fifth rank. You’ll need connections for that. Allies.”
“I’ve got you, don’t I?” Hikaru stated, his tone light, attempting to make the discussion less serious.
There came a long silence from the other side of the screen. “My lady…?” Hikaru asked after a while, hesitant. What had he done now? “Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing,” lady Asumi replied with a laugh that sounded strangely forced. “I just… was reminded of very similar conversation I once had…”
Hikaru blinked, then understanding dawned to him. “With Sai,” he said.
Lady Asumi sighed. “Yes. I’m afraid I wasn’t such a good ally to him.”
“I...” Hikaru swallowed, unsure what to say. “I don’t think... you shouldn’t... blame yourself or anything... I mean, I couldn’t help him either...” His voice trailed off.
“You weren’t here,” lady Asumi said. “I was. And I left him alone.” She gave another sigh. “I could see how shocked he was after that game, and... still I just took the princess away and left him alone. I just... I never... thought he would...”
Hikaru shifted anxiously as her voice broke. “My lady...” he started, trying desperately to come up with something to say to her. “Sai... wouldn’t want you to cry for him.”
“Yes...” she drew a shaky breath. “I know. I just... can’t forget the look on his face then, when we left. But I had the princess on my responsibility, I had to...” She paused and there came soft rustle of her clothing as she moved. Hikaru wished he could see her. He wasn’t sure he’d ever grow used to being so completely separated from the women. It was weird talking with someone whose face you couldn’t see.
“I know,” lady Asumi repeated more levelly. “And no matter how much we cry, it doesn’t change anything. So... what were we talking about again? Ah, yes – you needing to be more social and making allies. You’ve been here over two months now, and how many events have you attended? How many people have you visited? I and Akira-sama’s family do not count.”
“I’d just... want to train a bit more before, you know...”
“Tosh is all I can say to that,” lady Asumi cut him off. “You trained for years in the provinces, quite hard, I’m told! Your father wouldn’t have sent you here if he didn’t think you’re ready. He most definitely didn’t send you here to hide in his city mansion.”
“Well, yes.” Hikaru truly didn’t like this conversation at all. Besides, he still felt a little weird when people referred to Fujiwara no Kouyou, Sai’s father, as his father. He wondered if he’d ever grow used to that. “But he didn’t exactly send me. It’s just that with my promotion I got that position and...”
He fell quiet, practically feeling how lady Asumi glared at him through the screen.
“The position among the clerks who, I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, do pretty much nothing. Which your father very well knows. You could very well stay in the provinces and take care of your ‘duties’ from there.”
Hikaru couldn’t resist a sigh. “You really have made up your mind, haven’t you? Well, maybe I could go with Akira. I’m sure he has nothing against that. Is that okay for you?”
“Yes... but do try to remember to always use the honorifics when talking of others. You don’t want to make a slip like that in the wrong company.”
This time Hikaru shot a glare at the screen. “Yeah, right. I know, okay. I just... it’s so stupid. Sometimes I really hate this nobility thing.”
“Nobody’s forcing you to stay here,” lady Asumi admonished him gently. “But, that reminded me, how is your honored mother doing?”
“She’d flinch so badly hearing you address her like that,” Hikaru replied with a laugh. “And she isn’t doing much better than me. Or...” he amended, “of course she’s doing better than me. She knows how to behave among nobility, she used to be a maid once, you know. Still, she really doesn’t like this situation much.”
“I’d have thought she’d be happy,” lady Asumi said. “I can only imagine how much easier her life is nowadays.”
“Didn’t you just complain about not being able to do what you want? Sure, mom could go out if she wanted, it’s not like she were really any nobility. I was the one adopted, anyway. But she... I’ve a feeling she doesn’t really know what to do. It’s kind of like she’s worried that people will talk badly of me if she stays at my mansion... but the same is true if she were to live the way she used to, as a commoner. It’s all kinda... complicated.”
“Yes, well, I guess I can understand that. But it sounds like she might be lonely. You could tell her to come to visit me someday, if she wants to.”
Hikaru grimaced. “I kind of doubt she would do that. She’d be too nervous.”
“Oh? Well, then I will visit her someday. Anyway, I remember hearing much about the beautiful garden you have there. I would like to see it, and now would be the perfect time, as the cherry will soon be blooming.”
“I think the blossoms there are the same as anywhere else,” Hikaru said with a shrug. “But sure, if you want to. She’ll freak out about that too, I’m sure, but... if I got to socialize, why not her too.”
“Mmm...” lady Asumi’s tone was thoughtful. “Could one truly tire of the sakura’s color in this world of ours...”
Hikaru blinked, not understanding what she was suddenly talking about. Then he started to suspect, and quickly counted the syllables – and recounted, just in case.
Five, seven, five. He bit his lip. The beginning of a poem, and he was supposed to come up with the end. And he’d already wasted enough time – any proper gentleman would have already sprouted something.
“Uh... I could gaze at them always, under...neath the moon’s... pale... light.”
“Well, at least your syllable count is correct,” lady Asumi stated, and Hikaru grimaced at her tone. “I’ve sent you the poetry collections. Have you read them?”
“Yes, of course I have! ...for... the most part...”
“Then do you not remember this: This is an epoch / in which no stormy winds blow / to scatter the flowers / and thus I have gazed my fill / at the sakura’s color.”
“Do you really imagine,” Hikaru said, crunching his fan in his hand to remain calm, “that I can remember every damn poem in those books?”
“Yes,” lady Asumi replied matter-of-factly. “You should at least aspire to it. So that, if someone gives you a poem with a reference to one, you can reference it as well in your reply. You should have mentioned something about a stormy wind, for example, or peaceful times, in your reply. You clearly need more practice. Ah, I know!” Her fan snapped shut behind the screen. “We’ll start exchanging poems. Every day. I’ll send you a poem, and I expect an immediate reply. How about that?”
“Sounds awful.”
“Tosh. Sounds wonderful. We’ll start... today.”
“Today!” Hikaru exclaimed. “But…” he paused, knowing there was no point to argue. “Well, whatever. I guess we can try.”
“Wonderful!” lady Asumi exclaimed. “You’ll see it will be quite useful for you. And you could do the same thing with your friend, Akira-sama. Tell me, doesn’t he ever send you letters?”
“Well, of course he sends some notes at times, but…” Hikaru scratched his ear. “They’re more like ‘can you have a game today’ than any poetry.”
“Hmm. how about I give you a task now: when you go home, write him a letter. Something simple. You know, these messages don’t have to be anything too deep – you might just, for example, be touched by something, and want to share it with your friend. Or maybe there is something that brings him to your mind, that is also when you could send a note.”
Hikaru sighed. “This, in addition to exchanging letters with you?” he said, not quite able to keep the whine out of his voice.
Lady Asumi just laughed, annoyingly cheerful.
Hikaru gave another sigh.
*
At home he spent a long while fretting about it. What kind of a message he could send to Akira that wouldn’t make him seem like a complete idiot? He had taken out his writing utensils, but had no idea what to actually write. Maybe just a note saying that lady Asumi forced him to do this, and perhaps make an attempt on some poetry… go related, maybe? Something that makes you think of your friend, Asumi had said, and what else would he connect to Akira but go?
He moved his brush upon the paper, and an ink drop fell of it, making a big black blotch on the paper. Hikaru glared at it and was about to throw the paper away and get a new one, but then he got an idea. Ink on the paper / one sees only blotches, but / someone else, great art. / How long takes it to journey / from one end to the other?
To his great surprise both Akira and lady Asumi praised that poem. Next time when he met with Akira, he had only good things to say.
“You wrote that? Truly?” Akira asked as they were sitting on the veranda at his home. He raised quickly his hands, apologetically, as Hikaru shot him a glare. “I’m sorry, I just was so surprised! It came so unexpectedly, a poem from you! Of course, it would be better with a pun, or a reverence to some old classic, but it’s not bad at all. And you attaching it to a cherry branch that is not yet blooming was quite brilliant, too! Are you aware of all connotations it has?”
“Well, not quite, but… it seemed kind of fitting. Better than a blooming branch.”
Akira gave a smile at his uncomfortable countenance. “So, what is going on here? This is an interesting, though quite positive, change.”
“It’s lady Asumi,” Hikaru admitted with a sigh. “She wants me to go somewhere on the Festival of the Snake, and she thought I should practice more poetry. You know what she’s doing? Sending me letters every day with poems! It’s awful.”
“That’s great!” Akira said with a laugh. “I need to start doing that too. You really do need to work on your social skills. So… where did you plan to go?”
Hikaru shifted his position a little, watching down embarrassedly. “I’ve no clue. I… thought that maybe… could I come with you?”
“I’d be happy to take you with me! I’ll go to Matsumoto no Yoritaka’s house. He has a garden that is well suited for this kind of thing – of course it’s much smaller than the one at the Kakugan temple, so it takes a bit arranging, but it’s a very lovely place. He is an old friend of my father’s, so I can easily ask him if I could bring you. I’m sure he’ll agree… he is quite easygoing.”
“You’re not going to the temple?” Hikaru asked, surprised. “I mean, I thought that’s where…”
Akira was shaking his head. “Of course I’m not going there. Yes,” he went on as he saw Hikaru was about to say something, “I know Sai-sama went there, but you know, he was related to the regent and to the empress herself. I’m just the son of a court onmyouji. The Kakugan temple is a bit out of my league – and it most definitely is out of your league! If I were going there, I wouldn’t be taking you with me, sorry to say.”
“Huh!” Hikaru lay down on his side, watching the garden. “That’s kind of relieving. Maybe I’ll survive”.
“I’m sure you will,” Akira replied with a smile. “I’ll send Yoritaka-sama a message later today. I’m sure there won’t be any trouble, though, as…”
Fast, light steps came from the other side of the shoji wall, and Akira paused and glanced over his shoulder. “Come here!” he called out. “Don’t you want to meet uncle Hikaru?”
The steps paused, then thumped quickly to the wall. Someone rapped at it. “Paaaa?” came a quiet voice. “Wait, let me,” another voice said, and a piece of the wall was pushed aside. Hikaru sat up just in time to receive a small happily shrieking bundle in his arms.
“Well hello, Akifusa!” he said, grasping the boy’s ponytail and pulling it. “How are you today?”
“Candy?” the boy said, looking at him hopefully while flopping down to sit on the floor next to him.
“You’re candy?” Hikaru asked, eyebrows raised. “That’s surprising! May I taste you?” He leaned forward, pretending to bite the boy, who gave a laughing shriek and escaped to his father’s care. Chuckling a little Akira placed him to sit on his knee.
“He seems to be quite healthy,” Hikaru said, smiling at the boy.
“Luckily so,” Akira said. “We were quite relieved he go through last winter without any sicknesses. Though of course, my wife was so overprotective of him I don’t know how that could have happened.”
“Yeah.” Hikaru’s smile faltered a little, and he looked over his shoulder. On the other side of the wall he could see a little bit of the sleeve of the maid who had opened the doorway, and he licked his lips nervously. “I guess… she’s not changed her mind?”
“No,” Akira said with a sigh. “I’m afraid she does have a stubborn streak. I read to her your poem, hoping that it would help her to see you, umm, can develop, but I’m afraid it didn’t work.”
“What did she say?”
Akira hesitated a moment, holding back his son who squirmed in his arms and tried to reach for Hikaru. “Nothing. It… wasn’t necessary for her to put her thoughts into words.”
“Oh.” Hikaru grimaced a little. “Why did you have to be married to just her anyway…” he muttered before catching himself. “Sorry, I, I just…” he mumbled, cheeks blushing.
“She is a good wife,” Akira said solemnly. He called to the maid, asking him to take the boy away, ignoring Hikaru’s protests. “How can I talk with you seriously with him here?” he said, turning back to Hikaru. “My wife… she takes care of the household quite efficiently, and the clothing she prepares for me…” Akira raised his arm a little to show the needle work to Hikaru, who resisted the urge to roll his eyes (what did it matter how something was sewn?) “…certainly wouldn’t leave me in shame, were I to join the festivity at the Kakugan temple. Moreover, her father is quite influential, and will be of much help for me with my career.”
“If you say so,” was all Hikaru said, somewhat diplomatically. “I just wish she wouldn’t loathe me so.”
“She is just worried for me – which, ultimately makes her even a better wife,” Akira said quietly.
“Worried that being friends with me would somehow hurt you?” Hikaru said darkly. “Doesn’t she know that the emperor favors me?”
“Yes,” Akira said with emphasis, “and she knows exactly how much that matters. Most of the court nobles do not favor you, you know. If they’re quiet, they’re quiet just because they’re scared. But with time all the memories of spirits returning from death will fade, and when they stop being scared… well, you’d better make them like you before that happens.”
“It’s all so stupid,” Hikaru said, not really paying attention to what he was saying. “Hey, you know… that thing you said about Sai being related to the regent? Well, as his father adopted me, doesn’t that mean I’m too related to the regent just as closely as he was? So why couldn’t I go to some stupid party at some stupid old temple, if I wanted to?”
Akira sighed, raising a hand to rub his temple. “I wouldn’t talk too much about that relationship yet, if I were you. Yes, technically that’s true – but it doesn’t make you Sai. Take your time. Things didn’t go well for him either, you know…”
“Yeah.” Hikaru’s look had turned quite gloomy. “Sometimes I wonder why I bother,” he muttered under his breath. “What do I care of all this…” He fell silent for a moment and shot then a look at Akira. “Let’s play, okay? I need to cheer myself up.”
“That is quite fine for me,” Akira replied with a little smile.