Kotomi Izumi quietly walked away, just as gently as she had arrived.

Now that all eleven Kiyomizu ware cups and letters were properly packed, they would likely reach Megumi Kato and the others by this time tomorrow. To avoid any mishaps, Kotomi had double-checked every address before handing them over to the courier.

Whenever arriving in an unfamiliar city, no matter how beautiful the scenery, one couldn’t help but ask themselves while walking down the street:

—Where should I go?

It wasn’t that she had no destination, but rather, being new to the area, she didn’t know where the good food or interesting sights were right away.

Fortunately, whether it was Kansai dialect or Kyoto-ben, Kotomi had no problem understanding or communicating.

Her “Queen of All Females” constitution often brought her some inconveniences, but it also had its advantages—especially when it came to language. No matter which country or region she was in, Kotomi never had to worry about communication barriers.

Being in a city where people spoke a language you couldn’t understand would be emotionally exhausting.

But Kotomi wasn’t aimlessly wandering because she was unfamiliar with the area. On the contrary, the moment she stepped out of the Kiyomizu ware shop, her steps were firm and purposeful, as if she had long decided on her next destination.

In fact, she had already made up her mind even before coming to Kyoto—there was one place she absolutely had to visit.

And that place was…

—Gion.

Gion is Japan’s largest modern geisha district, the most renowned of the geisha hanamachi (flower towns).

Located in the Higashiyama Ward, east of the Kamo River, the closest area to Kotomi’s current position was Gion Kobu.

“I’ve always wanted to see Gion,” she said, stepping into the heart of Gion Kobu and looking around curiously like a wide-eyed tourist. She was the perfect example of a first-time Gion visitor.

And truthfully, Kotomi didn’t have the nerve to actually attend a geisha performance. Back in Chiba, she often boasted to Kazumi that once she arrived in Gion, she would do this and that—but now that she was here, all she really planned to do was stroll around the flower district. If she could get a photo with a geisha, she’d consider it mission accomplished.

As for the part where she told Tsukimi she wanted to drink and party with geisha?

Sorry, I, Kotomi Izumi, am a sweet and proper high school girl. I do not attend geisha banquets. I can’t even drink.

It’s totally not because I’m scared!

Just like how good-looking boys and pretty girls walking down Shibuya’s streets often get scouted by talent agencies and asked if they want to become stars, people walking around the flower district also used to get scouted—”Do you want to become a geisha?”

But those days were long past. The golden era of geisha had begun to fade, and even the scouts of the hanamachi had become fewer and fewer.

They used to earnestly search for promising talent, hoping someone would appear and save the industry. But now they had shifted toward more commercial ventures.

Much like how one could pay to dress up as their favorite cartoon character at a theme park, today’s “scouts” might ask if you’d like to dress up as a geisha—with a full photo and video package included.

“Hey, young lady, interested in dressing up as a geisha? 90 minutes, very affordable.”

“No thanks, but thank you.”

That was already the third hanamachi “scout” Kotomi had politely declined with a smile.

It was a bit troublesome—just walking through the flower district, Kotomi’s natural charm was enough to draw countless stares.

Even an oiran geisha out for a street parade paused when she saw Kotomi, staring at the snow-haired girl whose beauty was almost otherworldly.

“This little lady is truly lovely. I wonder whose child she is? So refined—she must be the daughter of some noble household.”

“Hehe, for the number one oiran of Gion to praise someone’s beauty… Sister Ayahito, have you taken a liking to her? Planning to make her your patron?”

Ayahito Kika cast a faint glance at the geisha beside her. As the top oiran of Gion Kobu, every time she strolled the street, the whole flower district would light up, attracting crowds of onlookers. Naturally, this drew envy from other geisha, and she’d heard more than her fair share of gossip. If she paid attention to all of it, how would she even survive?

“Don’t joke, Hayami. Since when has a girl ever become a patron? But that white-haired young lady really is quite lovable. I wonder if she’d be willing to call me her big sister and share a cup of sake with me?”

Ayahito Kika said with a soft laugh. If this got out, it would surely shock half of Kyoto.

The top oiran of Gion personally inviting someone for a drink—especially another girl?!

Among geisha, there was a saying: “If you could spend just one night with Ayahito Kika, it’d be worth a lifetime.” Still, a geisha sells artistry, not her body.

Hayami Taka was also quite beautiful, but even she faded in comparison to Ayahito Kika.

That was exactly why Hayami Taka couldn’t stand her. It would’ve been strange if she did.

The competition between geisha was brutal, especially for someone like Hayami, who had nearly become an oiran herself but lost to Kika.

Without paying Hayami any more attention, Ayahito Kika lifted her hand slightly, signaling a nearby pageboy to approach Kotomi.

The boy nodded in understanding and then solemnly walked toward Kotomi.

“Excuse me, miss. Please wait.”

Kotomi, who had been wandering aimlessly, stopped and turned at the voice. She saw a handsome young boy standing not far away.

Fair skin, bright eyes, refined features—delicate enough to be mistaken for a girl.

When Kotomi stopped, the boy gave a deep bow, then stepped forward.

“Miss, Ayahito humbly invites you to join her. Would you be willing to share a drink and let her perform a piece for you?”

Kotomi’s mouth twitched. Had she just been hit on by a geisha?

Then she caught the name—Ayahito. Her eyebrows lifted slightly.

Could it be… that she’d caught the eye of Gion’s top oiran?

“Ayahito Kika?” Kotomi asked cautiously.

“Yes, precisely,” the boy replied, bowing once more and turning to gesture in the direction behind him.

Kotomi followed his gaze and saw two geisha on parade looking her way.

One of them, graceful and poised, met Kotomi’s eyes and returned a soft, sweet smile.

Ayahito Kika’s almond-shaped eyes were long and elegant, always carrying a touch of quiet amusement.

The moment their eyes met, Kotomi was stunned. By the time she snapped out of it, she realized she had been dazed for quite some time.

This woman… she’s on a whole different level. I might not be able to handle her!

Before coming to Gion, Kotomi had done some research. She might not have been familiar with all the customs, but she certainly knew the name of Kyoto’s number one oiran—Ayahito Kika.

She never expected that just by wandering the flower district, she’d catch the attention of an oiran. If her mother wouldn’t spank her for it, she definitely would’ve bragged about it to her family when she got home.

As expected of an oiran. When Ayahito Kika looked at her, her expression was soft, her lips curled with subtle affection, her gaze enchanting, and her long neck and elegant posture engraved themselves into Kotomi’s memory.

Purely in terms of facial features—if you ignored the heavy layer of white makeup—Kotomi might have been stunned for not just five minutes, but ten or more.

Being invited to drink by such a stunning woman—of course she was excited! Of course she wanted to go!

After a moment of inner deliberation, Kotomi made what she believed was the right decision.

She composed herself and gave Ayahito Kika a slight, polite nod, accompanied by a small smile.

What Kotomi didn’t realize was just how powerful that little smile was.

Both Ayahito Kika and Hayami Taka were momentarily stunned.

Especially Ayahito, who believed Kotomi was agreeing to her invitation. Her smile deepened with delight. Even this snow-haired beauty couldn’t resist her oiran charm.

Just as Ayahito was about to step forward—

Kotomi, having smiled, suddenly turned around and bolted. Her little feet darted away like twin wind turbines.

A literal breeze swept through the flower district as Kotomi sprinted away.

She ran so fast that Ayahito didn’t even have time to react.

By the time she snapped out of it, Kotomi had vanished. Looking toward the direction she fled, not even a shadow could be seen.

“Am I… am I dreaming?” Ayahito murmured, her lips twitching slightly—just slightly, so as not to smudge her makeup.

Kotomi’s reaction—seeing her and immediately running—had shaken her so deeply that she began to wonder: Was she not beautiful enough?

And it wasn’t just that Kotomi ran—she ran fast.

So fast that Ayahito almost wanted to hand her a bucket to carry while running.

Little Kotomi, sprinting with a bucket.

“Hehe~ Looks like there are people even Ayahito can’t charm. That just makes me want to get to know her even more,” Hayami said with a smile.

Though Hayami had also been stunned by Kotomi’s sudden escape, now she just wanted to give Kotomi a big thumbs-up.

Nicely done!

The androgynous pageboy returned, looking apologetic. “Ayahito-san, I’m sorry.”

Ayahito Kika was still a little surprised, but after a moment, she shook her head. “It’s not your fault. I’m tired. Let’s end today’s promenade here and head back.”

Kotomi had run straight out of Gion’s flower district and only then let out a deep sigh of relief.

Thank goodness she ran fast!

Once she’d caught her breath, she quietly scolded herself for being a coward. That had been a sincere invitation—she could’ve accepted and just had fruit juice instead of alcohol.

She might’ve just missed a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with Ayahito Kika.

They could’ve brushed past each other like a miracle—never to meet again.

Kotomi scratched her head. She had missed the chance to spend time alone with an oiran. There was a faint sense of regret, but it didn’t linger long. She quickly put it behind her and trotted off from Gion to catch a taxi.

Turns out, the flower district of Gion wasn’t as exciting as she’d imagined.

Of course, maybe it was. She’d just been too shy to go inside those little izakaya bars.

Instead of returning to the hotel, Kotomi headed to a specialty shop that forged and sold Japanese swords.

She still had to pick out a gift for Tendo Kisara.

She remembered Tendo-senpai once mentioning that she wasn’t interested in ceramics. Keeping fragile things at home would only get in the way of her sword training.

Ceramics were just too delicate. A slight mishap, and what was once a beautifully crafted piece would shatter into garbage.

That was why Kotomi hadn’t bought any Kiyomizu ware for her earlier. She needed to find a gift more fitting for Tendo.

She also needed something for Asuka Chizuru. Kotomi didn’t know her that well, but she vaguely remembered her saying she liked eating sweets while reading manga.

“If Chizuru likes sweets, I’ll get her a box of yatsuhashi. As for Tendo-senpai…”

Kotomi stepped into the sword shop. It wasn’t like those in fantasy RPGs, where a burly man in a tank top boasted about legendary blades he forged for heroes.

Instead, the shop had a quiet, traditional atmosphere. Swords were displayed on racks—some long, some short—with varying craftsmanship and finishes.

It was Kotomi’s first time inside a sword shop, and she was a bit dazzled.

If Tendo-senpai had come along, she probably would’ve been more excited than Kotomi herself.

“Welcome—oh? A little miss? Did you get separated from your parents? Or did you mistake this place for a Barbie doll store?”

Hearing the entrance chime, the shop owner stepped out from the workshop. Seeing the seemingly out-of-place girl surrounded by blades, he chuckled and teased her.

“I want to buy a sword,” Kotomi said with a smile.

“A sword? Then be careful, young miss. These are real blades—razor sharp, capable of slicing through iron. Not cosplay props.”

The shop owner was surprised. A young girl coming to buy a sword wasn’t just rare—it was nearly unheard of.

Kotomi browsed the sword racks. Tendo already had katana and nodachi—after all, the Tendo family was never short on blades.

Not only did they have fine swords, but famous ones as well.

After a while, her gaze landed on a rack in the upper left corner, where two swords with icy blue tempered scabbards were displayed.

Kotomi reached out and grabbed one. The moment her hand touched the hilt—her kendo proficiency skill suddenly activated!

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep