011. Take Setsuko's side.

"Enough!" I shouted at the two screeching harpies clawing at me. They were both taken back by my sudden raised voice and released me as well as being silent for long enough to let me get a word in edgewise. "Setsuko is correct. According to the Hanfu code of proper dress, only the departed has their kimono folded right over left as a sign that they are ready to move on since they were dressed by someone else."

I was stunned to have so much rapt attention from these two and have been able to speak uninterrupted, and they too seem to be equally stunned and silenced by my commanding and knowledgeable response. Truth be told I was also stunned since I remember being **** to read the Hanfu code as a kid, but never committed it to memory or anything. The fact that it suddenly came to mind easily and clearly as if it was right before my eyes was a little shocking. "Furthermore," I continued looking at Azami's kimono, "The excessive length of your sleeves indicates that you are an available woman instead of a married one, as does the height and excessive coloring of the pattern."

Azami's eyes widened in shock, but I think she knew enough about fashion to realize that either I was right or that she didn't have the facts on hand to contest me, so just made an excuse. "Well of course! I was going to have Kouki take it in a bit first." She didn't respond to the original argument though and just huffed as she stuck her nose up and arrogantly strutted out of the room.

When she was gone Setsuko let out a light chuckle, "Who'd have thought a scruffy boy like you would know their Hanfu dress code?" I looked over to my dream girl and smiled, trying to take that backhanded compliment as well as I could, but she didn't give me any more than that. "Thank you, Matsumoto, you may leave now," she declared like she was royalty as she left out the other corridor, and left me alone in the room.

Well, I couldn't just stand there, so I went back out to look for Ushi and finally heard a moo from the west, so headed out to the front of the Takahashi manorhouse to follow the sound. When I got there I could see the wayward beast's tail behind the broken vine-covered walls of the old ruined temple and hurried to retrieve the missing farm animal. He'd been chewing at the vines on the central stone obelisk, and I could only imagine how that would affect his digestion.

The sun had just set and the nearly full moon was glowing with its pale white light now, and as I took the reins of Ushi's harness something made me look at the hole in the vines where Ushi had chewed away. There chiseled in on the rock was the character for 'healthy', but it was also the first character of my given name. I pulled back the vine to look at the next character in curiosity and was surprised that the next one was 'rule', completing 'Kenji'. Then I had to continue, though I knew it was probably just some crazy coincidence. The preceding characters thought really freaked me out. 'Pine' and 'base' declared 'Matsumoto'.

I told myself I was just being silly however since my name was actually a fairly common one. This was probably some history or tribute to some ancestor of mine. I release Ushi's harness to pull more and more on the vines, exposing the text around my name, but there wasn't any. It was only this name as far as I could tell. Breathing hard from ripping away the vines Ushi turned as he cocked his head and turned to walk away. I moved after, not wanting to lose him again, but then I could hear Kouki's voice carrying from our home as she called out "Kenji!" to call me home.

Ushi was similarly called, so I caught up and took his reins again and walked him back before yelling "Coming!" I stabled Ushi, but just as I was leaving the barn my shirt sleeve caught on a nail in the dark. I got yanked to the side and heard the worn fabric rip as I opened a new hole from my elbow to my wrist.

I stopped to make sure I wasn't cut, but I was fine compared to my shirt. Disgusted, I returned inside to our small home to find Kouki had dinner ready. Neither of us spoke about what had happened earlier as she served me up a small bowl of rice and vegetable stew.

After a bit, the silence was just too much so I asked, "Did you know my name is on that old stone obelisk in the temple ruins?"

She sighed and scowled at me, "Please don't tell me you are a vandal now!"