“HAVE a nice day, Miss.” Shotaro’s rich voice echoed in the entrance hall as he took a step before the line of attendants. None of the attendants, maids, or even her mother who came to see her off, could hide their relieved smiles.
“Well, I’m off!” Satsuki replied in a beautiful voice. Her right hand was firmly held by Shindo as he escorted her.
There was no hint of the dark aura from the previous day. Satsuki was back to her usual, kind self, emitting an aura that could raise spirits simply by looking at her. People raved that she was “delicate as a flower, beautiful as an angel.” She was proving it to be true.
Satsuki went to school yesterday emitting rancorous vibes. Something must have happened since, for she proceeded to turn around and return to the mansion that very morning. If that weren’t surprising enough, she came back held in Shindo’s arms!
Although everyone was afraid she had fallen ill, they were also struck with a wave of relief. The strained atmosphere surrounding Satsuki that morning had dissipated. Held in Shindo’s arms, her expression when she returned seemed softer. Although somewhat down, it was clear she was back to her usual self. Above all else, everyone was relieved to see she returned with Shindo tending to her.
“Wait, Shindo.” Just as she was about to go out the door, Satsuki stopped as if she remembered something at the last minute and pulled her hand free of Shindo’s grasp as she turned around.
Everyone wondered what was wrong as they watched over her in silence. Satsuki came to stand before the young maid she injured the previous morning at the end of the procession.
“Is your injury going to be okay? Does it hurt?” Satsuki asked, brushing her fingers against the large Band-Aid on Noe’s cheek. “I hope it doesn’t leave a scar. I’ll pray it heals quickly for you!” It was her fault the maid got hurt to begin with. Satsuki smiled apologetically at her.
All those watching sighed as if to say, “The Miss is so wonderful!” over her display of kind consideration, but Noe was horribly shaken by the encounter. This was the first time Satsuki ever spoke to her personally, let alone touched her!
“Th-Thank you...for your kindness...” It took all she had just to force that out.
The gentle breeze surrounding Satsuki enveloped the whole room.
✦ ✦ ✦
IN front of the school entrance, the sighs that filled the air may very well have been sighs of relief. Admiration, envy, and above all else, tender relief consumed the throng of schoolgirls.
The princess and her knight had returned. As always, the princess graced her knight with an elegant smile as he offered a kiss of devotion upon her hand. O how the girls yearned to behold this scene after being deprived of it yesterday. They loved to watch the forbidden fairy tale unfold.
“Satsuki, good morning!” Immediately after Shindo left to park the car, Alice ran up to greet Satsuki as she did most mornings.
“How are you feeling today? Is it true you went home early yesterday after all? I was worried about you,” Alice said to her, chipper as ever. It seemed like Takemi truly did erase the events of yesterday from her mind.
“Yes, but I’m fine. Are you sure you’re okay? I heard you collapsed during your meeting with Mr. Kaido,” Satsuki replied, pretending as if nothing had happened.
Feeling a bit awkward that such news traveled all the way to Satsuki, Alice looked embarrassed as she shrugged her shoulders. “I’m okay. But...I don’t actually remember ever seeing Kaido. I guess I wasn’t feeling too great yesterday. It’s all a blur...”
“I see... Take it easy, okay?”
Simply the sight of Alice was enough to nearly replay memories of the sin Satsuki almost committed the previous day. But the next words out of Alice’s mouth put a stop to her increasingly negative thoughts. “I hope you have a pleasant day today as well, Satsuki. It is the eve of your birthday, after all! I’m looking forward to the party.”
Satsuki would soon turn eighteen. She would meet her suitors at the party. And a month thereafter, she would have to choose one of them. Then Shindo would quit his job as her retainer. The hourglass indicating the time limit before they were split apart would turn over tomorrow. In a month, Shindo would no longer stand constantly at her side. So she decided to give her all to him before that happened.
✦ ✦ ✦
“ISN’T it pretty...?” Satsuki whispered, looking up at the wisteria from where she sat beneath the lattice a half an hour before she usually went to bed. She had invited Shindo here with one purpose in mind—their secret promise to finally be united before they were torn asunder.
The flowers were in full bloom. The pale purple petals danced over her head as they tumbled down. It was as if they were welcoming her mission there.
“With you sitting here, the wisteria look even more beautiful,” Shindo complimented. He held his hand up to one of the wisteria flowers dangling from the trellis and seared the beauty of the flower into his eye before returning his attention to Satsuki. His thoughts prioritized Satsuki over the newly ingrained beauty of the flowers and overwrote it with her image.
“I first met you here, Shindo...” Satsuki’s eyes filled with gentle remembrance of that day. “I knew the moment I saw you... I knew I wouldn’t want you to ever leave me. I...fell...in love with you...at first sight...”
Whoosh... The petals that fell around Satsuki slowly drifted up and swirled about her.
“And then I came to expect that you would be at my side forever. It became normal for me to lock those thoughts and words deep within my heart... I had to keep them...locked away...” Satsuki said slowly as if talking in a dream. As she revealed her innermost thoughts, Shindo knelt beside her.
“As I grew aware of my destiny...those words began to struggle to break out of me.”
Rustle...! The wisteria overhead shook violently. The vines were trying to stop her from saying more—from committing the sin she longed to commit.
“But let me tell you...Shindo.” Her voice quivered as she formed a smile. “I...” the word came out tremulous. In hopes of offering her support, Shindo cupped her cheeks in his hands.
The wisteria shook and rattled wildly. Despite the wisteria’s best efforts, Satsuki pushed forward. Gazing into Shindo’s eyes, Satsuki saw how they overflowed with love for her. Pouring all of the love throughout the years into her words, Satsuki declared, “I...love...you...”
Rustle! The wisteria grew tumultuous, scattering petals across the two. As if in an attempt to hide them, the petals completely surrounded them as they fell to the earth only to rise up once more. The wisteria stirred noisily in hopes of preventing them from saying more. The surrounding trees came to its assistance.
“I love you too, Miss...” Shindo’s confession reached Satsuki’s ears unhindered by the ruckus of the trees and wisteria. She heard him loud and clear.
Shindo pulled Satsuki toward him and the two kissed. As they engaged in a long, long kiss, the wisteria trembled happily, yet also sadly, as it rained petals over the couple.
“Shin...do...” Satsuki’s dreamy voice escaped from her lips as they pulled from the kiss. She called his name in an impassioned voice, wanting him.
“Miss...” he also whispered passionately, equally desiring her. His hands ran over the length of her body, treasuring her every curve.
Swish...! The wisteria flowers scattered across the ground burst into the air. In the middle of the petal storm, the two fell upon each other.
“I’ve loved you...and only you...all these years.” Words like from out of a dream echoed in Satsuki’s ears. “I love you...”
Overjoyed by Shindo’s passionate words of love, Satsuki felt as if her heart and body could soar. She didn’t even notice when her dress or Shindo’s suit were cast off into the pile of wisteria petals, which were quickly buried under a new pile of petals.
“I love you...Shindo...” Satsuki’s body yearned to release the words again and again. In a passionate frenzy, Satsuki acted on that desire by pulling him into a kiss and running her hands along his tempered abs. “I love you... I love you so much...”
Shindo’s hands left no inch of Satsuki’s flesh unexplored, filling her with a sense of pleasure unlike anything she ever felt before. Bewildered by her first experience with sexual euphoria, Satsuki covered her mouth with both hands to keep her voice from slipping out.
But Shindo lowered her hands and smiled gently down at her. “...You’re free to make all the noise you like... I personally find that more enjoyable.”
“Shindo...” Satsuki pouted, feeling as though he was teasing her. Nevertheless, she was quick to take him up on the offer.
The wisteria flowers stopped stirring...and quietly shed their petals.
“I love you...Miss...”
“Shin...do...”
Under the protective watch of the wisteria flowers, the two finally became one. As if shedding tears, the wisteria rained its petals upon them. Its petals fell in a flurry of pity for the two lovers.
They would only make the other suffer with their hearts interlocked. This would only bring them pain. Yet they nonetheless plunged headlong into each other’s naked embrace in an evening of passionate lovemaking. Because they knew their time together was running short.
They had strayed into the labyrinth of falling wisteria petals.