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Thoma had lost count of how many times he had visited this teahouse, but the atmosphere inside never ceased to intimidate him. This was, after all, Yashiro—the Shrine: a safe place for people who were searching for all kinds of information. Everyone here had something to hide to some degree, and Thoma felt strangely out of sorts as someone simply looking for his father. He shuffled on his seat in his empty room, staring straight ahead as he waited.
After a minute or two, she entered; the woman known as the Shrine Maiden. Kamisato Ayaka came in carrying a tray, on top of which he could see a tea kettle and two cups. She smiled warmly as she joined him at the table.
“Good afternoon, Thoma,” she greeted in that perfectly polite tone of hers. As she began organizing the table, Thoma reached out to help her with it. Ayaka paused for a brief moment, but let out a fond sigh as she accepted his help—she had long given up on stopping him from doing so.
“Good afternoon, miss Kamisato,” he replied, with as much warmth as he could allow himself without feeling like he was laying his heart bare. “This place is bustling even more than usual. Things been busy for you and the young master lately?”
Ayaka chuckled as she poured tea into his cup. “When are they not?” She commented lightly. “My brother has never been one to mingle much, but I feel as if I see even less of him lately. When we do cross paths, he always has a different but equally as thick tome in hand.”
Steam bellowed as the tea was poured, and it obscured Ayaka’s expression a little as she talked. Even so, the downturn of her lips didn’t escape Thoma’s notice. Ayaka rarely shared her thoughts, so Thoma had gotten used to deciphering the smallest of changes to her expression.
With a sheepish smile, Ayaka added. “As selfish as it may be, I feel relieved that my tasks are much more sociable in nature.”
“I know that tone,” Thoma pointed out. “I’m sure you don’t need to worry about him.”
Although there was no accusation in his voice, Ayaka retracted a little, hands folded into her laps and eyes downcast.
“Ah, I didn’t mean to ramble.” She lowered her head in a shallow bow. “You don’t need to concern yourself over me.”
Of course, of all the conclusions, Ayaka would’ve arrived at the one that said she was being a burden simply by speaking of herself. As though she hadn’t listened to Thoma talk of his father for hours on end. She was the sweetest kind of hypocrite.
(If only she knew Thoma would give almost everything to hear more; to be able to ask about the calluses on her hands that couldn’t be from brewing tea. To be able to understand why her gaze got so distant for seemingly no reason, why she sounded so sad when she talked about Ayato sometimes.
But the questions never made it out of him. They were both tongue-tied where it mattered the most.)
“I don’t mind,” he settled on telling her. “Besides, I can tell you’re more tired than usual. Are you sure you have the time to be talking to me, milady?”
Ayaka nestled her own filled cup into her hands, gazed down at the tea and smiled to herself—something private, but at the same tempting in its mystery.
“My brother will forgive me for playing favorites, as long as I don’t forget my duties,” Ayaka said simply.
Thoma managed not to cough as he swallowed his tea too quickly, but his throat burned something fierce. He stared at his companion and tried his best not to visibly fidget in response.
“That’s quite a title to carry,” he choked out. Thoma coughed away the roughness in his throat. “Thank you, miss.”
Ayaka laughed. It was a little louder than her usual, something joyful and teasing. Thoma was lost between feeling embarrassed or enchanted by it.
“You’re formal over the strangest things, Thoma,” Ayaka said, then hid her smile behind her teacup as she took a sip.
Something about it reminded him of his father, with his much more subdued countenance in comparison to his mother’s eternally energetic self. It made Thoma ache for the days when they’d all sit around the dinner table and chat away about inconsequential things. He tightened his grip on his teacup.
“Sorry to cut to the chase when we barely started talking, but do you have any news for me?” Thoma asked guiltily. Perhaps it was only in his head, but he could feel a chill settle where the atmosphere had been warm previously. “I don’t mean to rush you, but—”
“I understand the importance of family,” Ayaka interrupted swiftly. “If my brother were to disappear, I’m sure I’d be equally as impatient. I don’t mind.”
As Ayaka searched the sleeves of her kimono, Thoma couldn’t help but take note of the fact that she mentioned her brother, instead of parents. The weight on his chest doubled at the realization.
“Pardon our tardiness—”Ayaka procured a paper envelope and slid it across the table—”but we have finally pinpointed your father’s location.”
Thoma didn’t register Ayaka’s words as much as he did her solemn tone. He didn’t move for a moment; Thoma had grown used to the usual I’m sorry, we’re still searching Ayaka would gravely say to him at these meetings. His hands shook as he laid a hand over the envelope, not yet opening it.
“Are you serious?” Thoma whispered.
Of course Ayaka would never joke about such a thing—she took her job too seriously for such a thing, and she didn’t have a single mean bone in her. And yet, Thoma couldn’t help but feel as if someone was pulling his leg.
“Although I’ve been coming here for awhile, somehow I didn’t expect something would turn up to be honest,” he admitted. Belatedly, Thoma realized his voice had risen a few pitches. A hysterical chuckle escaped his throat. “Why am I so nervous now?”
“Thoma,” Ayaka called. “ There’s nothing to fear.”
Her voice was kind, even if a bit uncertain. In response, Thoma’s heart froze for a moment, then slowed, bit by bit, until he could finally feel something other than the pounding in his chest. Their gazes met, and Ayaka offered him a smile.
“I’m sorry I don’t have words of comfort to offer you,” she apologized. Then, Ayaka rose to her feet and padded towards the other side of the table, next to Thoma. “I know better than anyone how it feels to want a parent back. I wish you the best of luck.”
She carefully lowered herself to her knees, then found the sides of Thoma’s face. Ayaka held him firmly in her hands as she tilted his head up to lay a lingering kiss on his forehead. Thoma closed his eyes and relaxed into the touch. Although he didn’t quite know what to do with his hands, Thoma settled for resting them on the ground next to Ayaka, where his fingers could just barely graze her knees.
Once he felt calm enough, Thoma pulled away so he could look up at Ayaka. In a way, things were coming to an end: once he found his father, there was no need for Thoma to visit Yashiro Teahouse again. Although it should have overjoyed him, anxiety overcame him. Thoma swallowed the lump in his throat.
“Would it be okay if I came back once this is all resolved?” He asked.
“I’d like it if you did,” Ayaka whispered back.
He finally breathed out. The relief was so strong, Thoma felt like he would collapse right then. Instead, he took Ayaka’s hands and squeezed hard enough that the tremor in them could no longer be noticed. Thoma dipped his head to kiss her knuckles.
“It’s a promise, then.”