Meeting Gyutaro's somewhat "hostile" gaze, Izumi Kiyowa offered a slightly awkward smile.
He could perfectly understand the other man's feelings. After all, anyone who woke up to find a complete stranger holding their sister like that would likely not be in a pleasant mood.
"B—Brother! You're awake!"
Mei had also noticed the stiff, uncomfortable atmosphere. She knew she was the only one who could break the deadlock. Taking a small breath, her voice wavered with a hint of nerves, sounding almost comical.
"How are you feeling? Do your wounds still hurt? Yesterday... yesterday, Kiyowa saved us! Not only did he stop those people who tried to take me away..."
Mei was in a hurry to explain. Both Kiyowa and her brother were the most important people in her life, and she desperately wanted them to get along.
"Yeah, I know."
Gyutaro cut her off. His voice was still weak, though the edge of resentment in his tone had softened considerably. He looked at the two of them through the window and tried to move toward the door, but the motion jarred the gashes on his back. He hissed, sucking in a breath of cold air as his face turned a shade paler.
"Brother!" Mei cried out in alarm, rushing into the shack to support him.
Kiyowa followed closely behind her to check on Gyutaro's condition. Gyutaro leaned back against a tattered quilt Mei had scrambled to prop up as a cushion. He panted for a few moments, his eyes like daggers, scanning Kiyowa from head to toe.
He looked at the light bandages wrapped around Kiyowa's arms, then at his trouser legs which were still damp with morning dew and stained with mud. Finally, his gaze settled on the bundle Kiyowa held—a package wrapped in leaves containing white rice balls.
"You..."
Gyutaro looked at Kiyowa, his voice raspy. "What's your name? Where are you from? Why are you helping us?"
Though Gyutaro wasn't very old, his questions cut straight to the heart of the matter. It made sense; without this level of vigilance and suspicion, he never would have been able to keep himself and Mei alive in a place like this. Even if Kiyowa had saved Mei, certain things needed to be cleared up.
Kiyowa had already prepared his story the previous night. Without a hint of flustered emotion, he set the food aside, glanced at Mei, and then answered Gyutaro calmly.
"My name is Izumi Kiyowa. I'm a refugee from the countryside. My village was raided and destroyed by bandits. I managed to survive and, having no one left to turn to, I figured I'd come to Yoshiwara to find a way to stay alive."
Kiyowa wasn't lying; the village where he had lived for a few months prior had indeed been wiped out by bandits. He paused for a moment, looking at Gyutaro and then at Mei, who was nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.
"As for why I'm helping you, the reason is simple. When I was on the verge of dying from hunger and thirst, Mei gave me water and food. She saved my life first."
Gyutaro looked at Mei, seeking confirmation. Mei nodded quickly, affirming Kiyowa's words.
Seeing this, Gyutaro gave a small nod, though a hint of bittersweetness rose in his heart. It wasn't a painful sort of bitterness, but rather the realization that from the moment this man appeared, his sister would likely no longer rely on him—and him alone—for everything. He knew this day would come eventually, but did it have to be so soon?
Gyutaro stared at Kiyowa's handsome face, feeling an indescribable pang of jealousy mixed with relief. But remembering Mei's blushing face from earlier, he pushed those thoughts aside. Regardless of anything else, as long as Mei was happy, it was enough. If this Kiyowa fellow was willing to risk his life to protect her, he couldn't be a bad person.
With that thought, Gyutaro's mood improved slightly.
Noticing the change in his expression, Kiyowa smiled and unwrapped the leaf-covered food.
"This is breakfast I earned from doing some odd jobs this morning. You've been badly injured; eating well will help you recover faster so you can get back to work sooner."
Kiyowa added that last part specifically because he was worried Gyutaro wouldn't be willing to eat the good food. Telling him that a faster recovery meant earning more money would be far more effective than just pleading with him to eat.
Sure enough, Gyutaro's eyes were drawn to the bundle. Resting on the leaves were four perfectly molded, beautiful white rice balls.
In an era where most people filled their bellies with barley, millet, or even wild greens—especially at the bottom rungs of Yoshiwara—such pure, white rice was known as "Silver Shari." It was a luxury usually reserved for festivals or wealthy households. It wasn't just food; it was a symbol of status.
Gyutaro's throat hitched involuntarily. In all his years, he had never once eaten food like this. Furthermore, his body was naturally craving nutrients to replace the blood he had lost.
"Wh... where did you get food this good?"
No matter how much he wanted to eat, Gyutaro had to know the source. If it was stolen, it would mean trouble, and he would need to start planning an escape route for himself and Mei.
Kiyowa smiled and explained, "I went out early this morning looking for labor work. As it happened, I ran into a group of men moving a massive decorative stone. A rope snapped, and it nearly crushed several of them. I stepped in to help. The foreman gave me these rice balls as thanks. He told me the stone was meant for some noble's garden, and if it had cracked, they would all be finished.
"Tch. Those bastards only cared about the stone. They didn't give a damn about the people who were almost killed. Anyway, let's eat."
Gyutaro looked at him with a hint of surprise, then said with a numb indifference, "No one cares about those guys around here. No one cares about us, either."
Kiyowa didn't argue. He simply pressed a rice ball into Gyutaro's hand and urged, "Thinking about that won't change anything. Just eat. I have something to discuss with you while we eat. Mei, you eat too."
As he handed out the food, Kiyowa prepared to share his plans. By a stroke of coincidence, Rengoku Mujuro chose that exact moment to knock on the wooden door. He brought news that caught Kiyowa completely off guard.
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