Yumeko and Koharu marched their way to the Higuchi residence. It was a two-storey authentic westernized house. Their antique door was large and wide and as if was impossible to be heard if someone knocked from the outside. Yumeko always passed this house everyday going to school but it was her first time taking notice of the house.
The two young hearts stared at the door, figuring out how loud they should knock.
“Shall we knock using our hands, or use our feet? I wonder if it still called ‘knocking’ though,” said Yumeko.
“No, my lady, I’ll do it with my both hands. But they might think I am looking for fight. Hehe.”
The two young hearts adorably wondered for a while and seemed troubled.
“My lady, please standby. I’ll take charge,” said Koharu.
The young heart who was anxious at the moment hid behind the tree and let her maid knock for her but before she could even knock, the huge door opened.
“What can I do for you? Eh? Where?” a guy with a manly voice and blonde curly hair opened the door.
It was a friend of the only young master of the Higuchi family who was visiting for him. He heard cute murmurs from the door, so he curiously opened it.
Koharu was stunned seeing a glowing handsome man for the first time. She could not say a word. Her heart was drumming in fast motion.
The young master’s friend looked down and saw Koharu who appeared adorably shorter in front of him.
Koharu was still stunned; the rhythm of her heart could not stop.
“Koharu!” Yumeko silently yelled at her maid trying to call her back to her senses.
Meanwhile, Koharu still could not say a word as her eyes were covered with heart shaped clouds making Yumeko’s voice not able to pierced through.
Yumeko then strode closer to the door.
“Hello. Uhmm… Is… uhmm…” Yumeko stuttered, looking up as she dug her memories, trying to recall the boy’s name from her classmates’ usual conversation.
“Kentaro? Hmmm.. Kenshin? Ehhh...Ah, Kengo! Yes! Is Kengo here?” she said as she finally remembered his name.
Then suddenly an old woman appeared.
“Chiaki-sama, young master is looking for you. I’ll handle this.” She was a servant from Higuchi family.
“Okay, Mrs.Ikeda. Thank you.” The young man left the scene with a smile.
Koharu finally came back to senses as the young man made his way to the second floor. She was only staring at his slightly broad shoulders and wavy blonde hair as he disappeared from her eyesight. She then stood behind her lady Yumeko, showing her support as she talked to the old lady.
“Hello. Uhm… I am Yumeko from the neighbor, I am wondering if Kengo is here.”
“‘Higuchi-san’. I think would be polite to call him in his last name, rather his first name.”
“Ehhh! Why did I call him in his first name! We are not close and he doesn’t even know my name! How embarrassing.” Yumeko thought as her ears turned red.
“Yes. Is…Higuchi-san here? I just want to thank him for helping me pass the activity at school today. He ate the anpan I made,” she said as she fiddle her fingernails.
She found the old lady a little bit menacing.
“Anpan?! That was why he was feeling sick we he arrived home! His body always has negative reactions when he eats something with beans!” said worriedly by Mrs.Ikeda as she rubbed the temples of her head.
“Eh…Why...” Yumeko whispered in guilt and felt sorry.
“Please, let me apologize to him! I have no idea about anything.” She bowed.
Koharu saw her lady lowered her head for the very first time and she bowed beside her, too. Mrs. Ikeda saw how Yumeko seemed desperate and honest.
“What’s your name?”
“Hosokawa… I’m Yumeko Hosokawa.”
Mrs. Ikeda raised a brow as she heard the name ‘Hosokawa’.
“Do you mean, the Hosokawa family next door?”
“Yes,” Yumeko replied abruptly.
Now, Mrs. Ikeda was even more shocked that a young girl from the Hosokawa family came to the premises of Higuchi’s.
Even though they were neighbors, the Hosokawa family who had served the military for years and the Higuchi who were a family of journalists and writers, they had different political views, thus no reason for them to get along. The Hosokawa family was one of the many that had strong opposition towards modernity of traditional Japan while the Higuchi family believed that change was necessary. Both families have big influences in the society but since they had different views, it was impossible for them to sit together. Though it was not known, the differences were evident in their residences—one was a traditional house and the other one was a westernized one.
Mrs. Ikeda then conjectured that the young lady might not have any idea of this.
“Hosokawa-san, the young master is not feeling well right now. The negative reactions of beans in his body usually last for one to two days. But when he becomes all better, I’ll tell him you came to say your gratitude. Well then,” said Mrs. Ikeda, as she gently closed the door.
Before Yumeko could say ‘thank you’, Mrs. Ikeda already disappeared in front of her.
“Why did you help me Kengo? Why did you do it for me?” She was all puzzled.
Koharu cheered her lady up as they left Higuchi family’s front door.
“My lady! It’s okay! You didn’t know about it! It was his choice. The lady was quite strict and it might be impossible for us to come back again but like you said before, sunrise offers never-ending chances, right?”
“You’re right Koharu! I will not stop unless I have properly apologized,” agreed by Yumeko.
“But Koharu, thinking that he has negative reaction to beans, then how much pain he has now eating five salty anpan…?” she tearfully sobbed as she deeply felt sorry. The familiar white stray cat crossed the street.
“...I just want to be a cat,” she sobbed.
“My lady, let’s try it again tomorrow! Sunrise offers...” said cheerfully by Koharu.
“...never ending chances” said by both and smiled with hope.
To be continued.
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