"How is it? How does the sake poured by the oiran taste?"
Sitting in a wheelchair, holding a small sake flask in both hands, Hinowa asked Kawaki, leaning by the window, having a cup and gazing at the full moon in the sky.
"Well, it's just okay." Kawaki replied nonchalantly. "Compared to this complex-tasting sake, I prefer the simple-tasting sake poured by a courtesan with a straightforward heart."
"Haha, are you saying I have ulterior motives, Kawaki-san?" Hinowa covered her face and laughed softly.
"No, it could just be that it's too simple," Kawaki murmured without turning around.
"I see..." A faint trace of disappointment or perhaps relief flashed in Hinowa's eyes. "That's the highest praise I've ever received..."
"The moon, huh..." Kawaki softly muttered, looking up at the moon hanging high in the sky.
"Do you like the moon, Kawaki-san?" Hinowa asked with a gentle smile.
"Well, it's alright," Kawaki replied casually. "Back then, when my financial situation was terrible, there were many times when I could only use the moon as a side dish for my sake, but even so, it was very enjoyable."
"Was that with Gintoki and the others?"
"Yeah... and many other interesting people."
"I see..." Hinowa responded softly, then shook the sake flask and smiled, "Would you like another cup?"
"Sure." Kawaki extended his cup toward Hinowa without turning around.
At this moment, Hinowa handed the small sake flask to Tsukuyo, who had arrived unnoticed and smiled encouragingly.
Taking the flask, Tsukuyo looked at the cup Kawaki was extending toward her, feeling a bit at a loss. But seeing Hinowa's encouraging gaze, she eventually trembled slightly as she poured the sake into Kawaki's cup.
"It's ready~" Hinowa reminded with a smile.
Kawaki took the cup back, took a small sip, and then made a face of disgust. "What is this? Hinowa, are you really in such an unstable state? No wonder you can't entertain customers anymore. If you serve sake this potent, you'll definitely get complaints... ugh!"
Boom!!
Before Kawaki could finish speaking, Tsukuyo, her face flushed with anger, shoved his head onto the floor.
"It really is potent," Hinowa laughed softly, then looked up at the full moon hanging high in the sky outside the window and continued, "Do you like the moon? I don't know what it means to the courtesans of Yoshiwara now, but back then, there was a pair of lovers under a full moon, much like you two..."
"What?" Kawaki gritted his teeth as he pulled himself up and glared at Tsukuyo. "Did they hate each other as much as we do?"
"No, it was more like the woman dismembered the man after killing him on a night like this," Tsukuyo replied.
"You rotten woman!!" Kawaki growled through gritted teeth.
Watching the two bicker, Hinowa shook her head and said nothing, simply gazing at the bright moon in the sky. The moon has always been the same throughout history; the only thing that changes is the shadows cast by those beneath its light...
"The ancients did not see the same moon as we do now, but this moon once shone on the ancients," Kawaki softly recited.
"A beautiful verse," Hinowa responded with a smile.
"Yes," Kawaki turned back and explained to Tsukuyo, raising a finger, "This line means that people today cannot see the moon from ancient times, but the moon today once shone on people from the past. Remember that well, Tsukuyo."
"Don't treat me like an idiot," Tsukuyo turned her face away, annoyed. "Besides, what do you mean, the moon from ancient times and the moon today? It's the same moon, just at different times."
"Do you want to start school with Seita?" Kawaki suggested.
"Do you want to die?"
"Different times make all the difference." Kawaki looked up at the moon and sighed softly. Then, he turned back and raised a finger again, smiling as he continued, "Just like how you'll be a completely different person when you're forty compared to now."
"You're the one who should be going back to school!" Tsukuyo retorted furiously, "There's no way that's what it means!"
"Indeed, forty will be different from now," Hinowa nodded with a smile, joining the conversation. "But the only change might be in appearance. Some things don't change so easily, like feelings..."
"Are you trying to say that humans don't change easily?" Kawaki chuckled. "No, humans aren't such stubborn creatures. Humans... are probably the most fickle beings in this world."
"What do you mean by that?" Hinowa asked.
Tsukuyo also looked at Kawaki.
"When they meet someone important," Kawaki turned back with a smile, "humans can change immediately."
"When they meet... someone important..." Tsukuyo repeated Kawaki's words.
Watching Tsukuyo, deep in thought, Hinowa smiled and said, "It seems that's true."
"Some things change, and some don't," Kawaki chuckled again and smiled faintly, looking at the distant moon. "Some things are beyond human control, so it's enough to be true to yourself."
With that, Kawaki turned to leave the room, saying, "Thanks for the hospitality. "
After Kawaki left, Tsukuyo asked Hinowa, "What did he mean by that?"
Hinowa gently shook her head, "I've met many people, but Kawaki-san is the only man I can't see through, so I don't know. But perhaps it's just a straightforward statement."
"Is that so..."
"But speaking of which, what exactly happened between you and Kawaki-san at the end of the last chapter?" Hinowa asked with a smile.
Tsukuyo suddenly blushed, turned away, and stammered, "N-nothing happened. I-I would never do anything like that with such a worthless man..."
"Did you do it?" Hinowa covered her mouth in surprise.
"No!" Tsukuyo blushed and protested vehemently, "Why are you asking so directly?! There's no way that happened!"
"Who made the first move?"
"I said nothing happened! Neither of us did!"
"If neither of you made a move, does that mean it happened naturally?"
"Don't just listen to half of it!" Tsukuyo shouted, catching her breath. After calming down, she looked out the window and continued, "At the very least... that man's home isn't here. Someday... he will leave here..."
"Do you feel reluctant?"
"Why do you keep asking such questions, Hinowa?!"
"Because the author said the story is coming to an end, so some readers are curious about such questions and asked me to inquire."
"I'm going on patrol."
Watching Tsukuyo's retreating figure, Hinowa murmured as if talking to herself, "If he considers this place his temporary home, then can't you consider him your temporary home as well?"
Upon hearing this, Tsukuyo stopped at the door, took out her smoking pipe, lit it, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly before saying softly, "It seems he doesn't intend to let anyone consider him a home, not even temporarily. It's as if he's already arranged a certain ending for himself, rejecting everything."
After Tsukuyo left, Hinowa softly said, "I see... so that's how it is."
The Next Day, Afternoon.
Kawaki, guarding the gate of Yoshiwara, called out to two Hyakka girls about to leave.
"You're going back, right?" Kawaki leaned against the wall, flipping through a copy of Jump as he spoke casually. "Hunter x Hunter is back in serialization. You wouldn't want to miss out on such a critical moment, would you?"
"Kawaki-sama!" one of the girls exclaimed and hurriedly ran up to Kawaki, familiarly linking her arm with his. "Oh! Is Kawaki-sama waiting for us on purpose?"
"I'm so happy!" the other girl joined, clinging to Kawaki. "Oh! Kawaki-sama! If it weren't for the mission, I'd want to stay with Kawaki-sama forever! I don't want to bother with work at all!"
"But there's no choice. Hinowa ordered us to bring that naturally curly-haired guy."
"That mission doesn't matter at all!"
"That's right, that mission doesn't matter," Kawaki laughed, then, after stuffing the Jump into his pocket, he wrapped his arms around the waists of the two girls. "Why don't we go do something more fun instead? What do you say?"
"Oh!" Both girls exclaimed in unison.
In front of a dango shop on Yoshiwara's main street, Kawaki sat on a bench with the two Hyakka girls from earlier.
One girl held a teacup for Kawaki, while the other held two dango skewers. Kawaki rested his hands on their shoulders.
"Open wide~," the girl holding the dango said excitedly, her face blushing.
"Have a sip of tea, Kawaki-sama~" the girl holding the cup cooed.
When Tsukuyo arrived, pushing Hinowa in her wheelchair, she saw this infuriating scene.
"What are you doing with my subordinates, you trashy, lousy man?!" Tsukuyo yelled, her eyes white with anger, and then she flew into the air, kicking Kawaki several meters away.
Boom!!
"What are you doing, Tsukuyo?" Kawaki struggled to get up. "I was just letting everyone relax a bit."
"Kawaki-sama!" The two girls cried out in alarm and started to rush toward Kawaki.
"Get back to patrol!!" Tsukuyo shouted.
At that, the two Hyakka girls hesitated momentarily, reluctantly nodded, and turned around to leave, still glancing back longingly.