The Daughter of a Dragon

Chapter One:

I pursed my lips together and looked at the floor. “Toru-Kun,” I muttered. “I’m so sorry I got us into this. I should have been more careful... I mean, of all people I should have known what was going to happen with my father, you know.” I looked up at him, and he to, was looking at the floor. “But either we face the consequences from my father or we find 2,000 yen in a week.”

Toru sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I know. But I mean... why would anybody be that greedy?” he asked breathlessly.

I chuckled to myself. “Keichi may be handsome and charming, but behind his good looks he’s just trouble. All he cares about is money and Saku,” I said and rolled my eyes.

Saku and I had been assigned to assist another group of elderly women that day. They’d requested one of the Watanabe signature massages. They’re very expensive, but the some of the employees are trained to learn these ways of loosening the muscles in the feet, back, arms and wrists with jasmine oil. The task is professional, and few of the Watanabe employees have learned this technique. It’s very rare that a group orders the massage.

“’Wonder if they tip well,” Saku with a laugh. “I could use an extra pot-sticker now and then. The servings here are getting much smaller. Don’t you agree?”

I smiled and nodded, trying to sound just as intelligent. “Yes, they have. Of course you can always buy more food. But it’s ridicules! The food shouldn’t cost anything considering the income is so low here.” We talked like this until we had arrived at the party of four.

“Is this the room that ordered the massage,” asked Saku-Chan smiling her gleaming smile. We expected no answer, considering that most customers ignore employees.

We bowed and entered, shutting the screen behind us. With us, we had a small bottle of jasmine oil that warmed if friction was applied. Though we had an entire bottle, I didn’t think it was going to be enough for all of those ladies. But somehow, Saku-Chan knew it would work out.

While Saku and I carefully massaged two of the women, the other two socialized in the bath, which is most like a hot tub, laughing and talking. I listened in on the conversation a little, like always, but found that the elderly conversation wasn’t as interesting. They mostly talked about how an old neighbor passed away a few weeks ago, or bragged about their new grandson; things like that.

As I sunk my fingers into one of the woman’s decaying arms, I was surprised that she started talking to me. “You look troubled, girl,” she said. At first I thought she saw the disturbed expression on my face, but that wasn’t it at all.

“Troubled? What do you mean, Sama?” I asked in the most polite voice I could. I didn’t want her to report me to Saitou-Sensei for being obnoxious, or something like that. If my father or Saitou found out I’d been talking to her, I don’t know what I would do. Would it be worse if I ignored her?

Her crumpled face tightened into a smile, and she took my hand in hers. The most attention I’d ever gotten was, “Arigato, Ryuuko-Chan” or something like, “Fetch me a towel, little girl.” This was extremely strange.

“Let me look at those hands,” she said, and pushed up my sleeve.

“Oh,” I gasped. “Let me wipe them off first, they’re covered in oil, sorry about that.” I quickly took a handkerchief out of my pocket and swabbed the oil off. “Sorry.”

I placed my hand back in hers. Her small dark eyes narrowed at my hand. “I see that you bite your nails, girl. That’s always a sign of stress, insecurity or both. Look at your cuticles, completely chewed down.” She looked up at me and winked. I gave a suppressed giggle. “You know, if you’d stop biting, you wouldn’t have all these hang nails,” she said in a grandmother tone.

“But how do you know about...?”

She licked her ancient lips. “I once used to work at an Okiya. You know: the home to a geisha. The stress is just... massive. I think I can help you.”

I could feel the smile spread to my face in an instant. “Of course, Sama; it’s been a life time dream of mine to be a geisha at the Okiya.”

“What? Why would you want to do that? The job of a geisha is one of the most frowned upon that I can think of! Some sell themselves and still call themselves a geisha. How could you…?”

I didn’t know what she meant, so I agreed. “I suppose you’re right. The geisha is only beautiful on the outside. I see your point, now, Sama.”

Once the ladies had departed from the Bathhouse, I told Saku everything. “I can’t imagine how she might know that I’m stressed lately. It’s frightening.”

“But Ryuuko-Chan, you always look tired. I see how she might be able to guess that you’re under a lot of pressure right now.”

I grabbed her arm. “No, you don’t under stand! She looked at my fingers and she knew what was going on. She doesn’t know me and –”

“Calm down, Ryuuko! She’s probably one of those experts, you know? One of those fortune tellers. Or maybe she just guessed, you know what I mean? She was bluffing, I know it.”

“Guessed? Bluffing?” I said, my voice cracked.

She laughed nervously and tucked a lock of my black hair behind my ear. “She probably sees the resemblance between you and your father. Maybe she guessed that you’re under stress because you’re the daughter of the bathhouse. Tricky.”

“Well, maybe, I suppose so. But I have a horrible feeling that she’s coming back.”

Saku laughed a breathless laugh again. “You make it sound like a bad thing, Ryuuko-Chan.”

“Isn’t it?”

Saku’s charming expression melted into a very confused one. “Ryuuko, I don’t know what you mean. Are you trying to say there’s a reason you’re down lately?”

I gazed into Saku’s deep, soft brown eyes. My stare slid down her faultless, smooth pale nose, now onto her plump pink lips. Saku had always been the most beautiful person I’d ever known, next to my late mother. But beautiful didn’t mean trust worthy. Before my mother’s death, I remember her telling me through her flute-like voice, “Beauty is a curse, little Ryuuko-Chan. Always remember that beautiful does not mean angelic, and that hideous is not demonic. Do not judge by a person’s shell.”

“No, Saku, nothing’s wrong in particular. Thank you for asking, though.”