"Fuu-chan!" the shop owner, up to his elbows in soba orders, called from the back of the house. It was an unseasonably warm day, and the room full of customers was becoming stuffy from a combination of steam inside, humidity outside, and the body heat of too many people in one space. The wraps beneath Fuu's kimono were becoming oppressive as she dashed around the room tending to the constant flow of orders.

"Coming!" she shouted back, her girlish voice not carrying too far in the thick air, the room loud with the many boisterous conversations around her. It was a wonder people were crowding in here for hot food when it was already so hot outside. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face, falling onto the collar of her kimono once it made its way past her chin. She could taste the heat. Too hot.

Once she had managed to weave through the crowd, Fuu looked through the window to the kitchen and saw the owner looking at her expectantly, filling chipped blue-and-white bowls full of steaming tsuyu broth and rapidly slicing scallions. She would normally have been starving just looking at his handiwork, but she was too sweaty and exhausted to care.

"I have three more kakesoba and two of the tensoba ready, but I need you to hurry because I have four more coming up and don't have much room back here." He offered her an apologetic smile as he placed the bowls on her tray. Fuu grabbed a few of the teacups from the shelf beside the doorway to fill after she dropped off her orders.

"Okay, I'll be right back," she called over her shoulder, though it was mostly futile. She was a little out of breath at that point, which made her voice ever quieter. Don't pass out. Don't trip. Don't spill anything. Don't pass out.

When she returned to the kitchen with an empty tray after dodging some huge men, rowdy because they'd been day-drinking sake since the shop opened, she almost had to grip the counter to keep from falling. Her hair was stuck to the back of her neck and her temples.

"Fuu-chan," the shop owner said with concern, setting more tensoba on the tray in front of him. "If you can get through the next round of orders, we'll probably be finished with the lunch rush, and I'll let you go home for the day. You don't look well."

I need the money though, she wanted to say, but barely had the energy to argue. "Are you sure? I…"

He smiled and gently pushed the tray toward her. "Go ahead and finish up. I'll get my wife to help you out once she's done making the tororo."

She returned his smile, her flushed face now bright and grateful. "Thank you, Kentaro-san." With that, she had a new (though slight) burst of energy, and used it to carry out the rest of her shift. Fuu did well when she had a motivating factor, especially if it involved getting some much-needed rest.

—

The trio had only been in this town for a few days, but weren't planning to leave until they had enough money to make it to the outskirts of Nagasaki with extra cash for emergency food or lodging. The further south they went, the warmer the weather became, and it was slowing them down—Fuu especially, as she wasn't used to constant physical activity as much as the guys were.

Their slightly slower rate of traveling garnered no complaints, however. Mugen seemed more than excited to have time for some of his…hobbies, whatever that entailed, and Jin spent the days taking odd jobs and practicing with a relatively friendly local swordsman to pass the time. Fuu had found a job in a food shop, which she usually preferred, but it just so happened to be the most popular restaurant in the entire town. She knew it was because Kentaro, the owner, and his wife Harumi not only made the best hot soba in this prefecture, but they were also some of the nicest people she'd ever met. It made the strain of the one-woman waitressing gig a lot less tough.

Fuu sat on an overturned crate outside the back of the shop and leaned against the wooden wall, inhaling slow, deep breaths of moist air. Thankfully, her miserable shift was finally over, but she was too tired to walk back to her room across town just yet. It was still hot outside, but it was much cooler out in the open compared to the inside of the restaurant. She contemplated pulling her kimono loose to expel the heat trapped around her chest, but stopped herself when she heard the unmistakable sound of sandals clicking toward her.

She turned to find Harumi walking through the back doorway of the restaurant, two bowls in her hands and a kind smile on her tanned face.

"Here you go," said Harumi, handing Fuu a bowl. It was full of water and some delicate shiso leaves, beautifully green against the cool white porcelain. She chuckled as the younger girl's eyes grew wide and her mouth curved into a wide grin. "You must be quite tired, I'm sure."

"Thank you so much, Harumi-san!" Fuu nearly sang, restraining herself from pouring it over her head or gulping it at the speed of light. Instead, she sipped it politely, relishing the sweet, refreshing taste as it washed down her throat and humming giddily. Harumi chuckled again.

"My pleasure." The woman sat down beside Fuu and lightly brushed some damp hair away from the girl's forehead. The action had a motherly nature Fuu welcomed and needed, whether she knew it or not. Though Harumi wasn't too much older than Fuu, she had an innate sense of nurturing and compassion that came with maturity. "So, have you decided how long you'll stay in town?"

Fuu shook her head, staring at the leaves floating in the bowl before glancing up at Harumi. "I'm not sure. My friends need to earn more money before we can keep traveling, so it could be another couple of weeks or so before we're all ready." She paused, her mouth bunching to one side in a doleful apology. "I hope I'm not inconveniencing you by leaving so soon. You are Kentaro-san have been so kind to me already, and you're both so busy..."

Harumi patted Fuu's back reassuringly, hopefully ignoring the patches of sweaty fabric. "We've managed up until now, haven't we?" The skin around her eyes crinkled good-naturedly. "We appreciate your help, but I understood when you asked for the job that it would only be temporary. Don't worry."

Fuu nodded and took another sip, delighted the drink was finally cooling her down some. "I'm really grateful I met you and your husband. Traveling can get kind of...hectic, sometimes, so it's nice to have a little peace of mind."

"I'm glad to hear that." Her eyes were friendly as she spoke. Harumi was so easy to be around. Fuu would miss her when she and the guys had to move on.

"So," Harumi began after a moment of pleasant quiet, her tone conversational, "I'll admit I've been a little curious about you, Fuu-chan."

Fuu would have been nervous after the woman's statement, considering her experiences thus far, but could tell Harumi was just being amiable. The girl giggled softly despite herself. "What do you want to know?"

"Well," the woman continued, switching Fuu's empty bowl for the full one in her other hand, "I've been wondering, what is a sweet girl like you doing traveling with those swordsmen?"

A few drinks of water gave Fuu time to contemplate her answer before voicing it. Though she trusted Harumi, she had learned to be careful when giving out certain information. "They're...helping me return to my family. I live in Nagasaki," she offered, hoping her boss would buy it.

"Ah," said the woman thoughtfully. "They seem...hmm. Interesting isn't the right word." A calm laugh escaped her mouth. "They're unusually handsome for men of their profession, you know." She bumped her shoulder with Fuu's teasingly, repressing another laugh as a pink flush spread over the girl's face.

"I—I wouldn't know! Mugen is such a pervert, and a loudmouth, and Jin is so…" Fuu felt her face get hot and took a large gulp of shiso water to temper it. "He's...he has too much pride in himself."

Harumi grinned knowingly. "Jin's the one you like, then? I always liked the stoic, quiet types, too. Mugen seems like a lot of fun though." When she winked, Fuu nearly choked on her drink.

"No, no, it's not like that at all!" The girl laughed anxiously, frantically waving a hand in front of herself. "We're all just good friends, really."

"If you say so…" When Fuu began to take a defensive stance, her shoulders tightening and her face turning red, Harumi put a hand on her shoulder and laughed deeply. "Fuu-chan, I'm just teasing you!" The girl visibly relaxed. "I should warn you, though, you are the object of a lot of jealousy among the other girls in this town. The other swordsmen and young men here are a bit worse for wear, so your friends easily stand out."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I can handle them." Fuu removed her pink lacquered knife case from the inside of her kimono, tossing it in the air and promptly catching it. "I've dealt with worse before." Casually, she sipped the rest of her water, beyond grateful that it seemed to evaporate the heat around her.

"I can imagine, with those two in tow." Harumi stood, collecting the now-empty bowl from Fuu. "Anyhow, I just thought I'd let you know. You may have another part-time job on your hands."

"I feel like I do already, making sure we have enough food and a place to sleep every night," she replied in a light tone, brushing her bangs back from her face with her fingers. "It's tough work, but someone's gotta do it."

"They're lucky to have you," said Harumi with much sincerity, "and you're lucky to have them. But you work too hard, I think. Take your afternoon off to do something for yourself. You know, have a little fun. Be young. Relax."

"I'll try." When she smiled graciously, Harumi patted her shoulder again before heading back inside and leaving Fuu to herself. A mild wind swept across the back of the shop, fresh and cool on the sweat-dampened hair at nape of her neck. She grinned widely at the feeling, suddenly realizing exactly how she would spend her afternoon. A long bath wouldn't fit most people's criteria for having fun and being young, but it certainly fit the bill for relaxing.

—

Light filtered through the gaps between the wooden boards of the bath chamber, casting a golden glow over the tiny ripples of water where Fuu sat with her neck rolling lazily back and forth against the edge of the tub. Her feet hung over the edge across from her, the droplets on her white skin glinting and slowly evaporating as they soaked up the warmth of the early evening's air. She felt her fingers and toes pruning as the water grew less and less lukewarm, but could hardly bring herself to care. It had been a long time since she'd been able to completely clear her mind of everything and enjoy the sensation of a blank mind.

After a while, though, her mind drifted back to reality, sifting through the seemingly endless day. She recalled her conversation with Harumi, remembering the bit about Jin and Mugen. She was right to be embarrassed, of course—there was no way she would ever find them attractive or worthy of her, like Shinsuke could have been. Though she swiftly brushed that thought away, the rest still lingered in her mind, poking at her enticingly like a stranger with candy.

Okay, they were pretty good-looking, those two brutes. It was hard to deny. She was human after all, and a slightly hormonal teenaged girl to boot. The way women looked at them, hungry and thoroughly intrigued, was easy to understand. They were mysterious and intimidating—the first of which Fuu admitted was still true, even after months of traveling together. Jin rarely ever showed mutual interest in the women who pined after him, but Mugen usually took them up on their silent offers, so casually it was nearly second nature.

She thought about the way Hishikawa had made her feel so free and desirable, and pondered whether someone like Mugen was even capable of coming close to that. Harumi said he seemed like "a lot of fun," but tender and sweet he did not. He was so rough and crude, there was no way he could be passionate and romantic, she was sure. The thought was almost laughable.

Jin, on the other hand, had the potential to be the intense, all-consuming romantic hero most girls could only dream of. Gentlemen were few and far between these days, and he was a polar opposite to Mugen. Fuu often wondered, with no small amount of mortification, if he abstained from nightly activities because he had someone he loved. He'd told her he had never been in love, and had proven himself to be extremely honest, but was also very private. It only made her more curious in the end.

He was beautiful, silky midnight hair against lily-white skin, and so graceful and strong. When he fought, his body moved like water, fluid and silent. It was mesmerizing to watch. One night, when he had stripped to his wraps for a bath in a hot spring, she'd caught a glimpse of his naked torso, ghostly pale in the soft moonlight, and had to stop herself from making a scene in reaction. He was lean with hard lines of muscle beneath the skin, and his back was exquisitely defined. With his hair down and forming dark, sharp lines against his strangely unblemished skin, there was an almost androgynous quality to his aesthetic that made it impossible to look away.

Fuu bunched her knees against her chest, drawing herself in as though it would keep her thoughts secret and confined. Water sloshed around and spilled over the side of the tub as she moved. Her lips accidentally grazed the skin of one kneecap, a fleeting pressure against her mouth, and she momentarily wondered what kissing Jin would feel like.

She attempted to imagine herself in some typical situation—maybe they would walk back from dinner one night, stomachs full of something warm and satisfying, and there would be a bridge over the creek, empty of any other townspeople, and he would quietly say her name in his low, lovely voice before taking her hand and softly tugging her toward him, tilting her chin up with his fingertips barely pressing at her jaw, then leaning down to touch his lips to hers…

Fuu audibly squealed, completely embarrassed as she submerged her face in the bathwater and exhaled through her nose. Hundreds of tiny bubbles tickled her blushing cheeks. She felt completely ridiculous, yet giddy nonetheless. A romantic Jin seemed pretty unrealistic, but imagination could be a powerful thing if she let it.

She couldn't help but keep going down this stupid path and be curious about Mugen too. If he even found her remotely worth his time, he would make sure she knew it the entire time he graced her with his presence. He was obnoxious and cocky that way, always taking what he wanted whether he had permission or not.

She would probably be falling asleep one night, lying on the floor and facing the wall of their hotel room, too tired to wait up for the guys. The door would slide open and shut with a hollow smack of wood hitting wood, which would just slightly rouse her from her sleep as whoever walked in practically rolled onto the floor and stretched out. She would know it was Mugen by his unmistakable growled curses under his breath, but he wouldn't be drunk, just a little tired from a day of manual labor. He would try to get her attention to see if she was still awake, pausing just long enough to hear her hum lazily in response before rolling even further and pressing his body into her back, gripping her arm with a calloused hand and sliding it beneath the folds of her kimono, feeling around with his palm, the hardened patches of his skin scratching against her chest. She would try to protest and yell an insult at him or hit him with a firm fist to the face until his stubble started to scrape her neck and his hot breath washed over the corner of her jaw, making her mouth water for reasons she had yet to fully comprehend.

Whatever he would whisper raspily in her ear wouldn't be affectionate or charming, but it would make her want to turn into the crook of his arm and face him as he smirked wickedly, pulled her lips apart with his thumb, and leaned down to claim her mouth with his own. His kisses would definitely involve lots of tongue. He just seemed like that type. Kissing him would be full of feverishly hot, panting breaths and hands wandering to inappropriate places.

Suddenly, Fuu felt the need to leave the bath. Immediately. The day had been far too warm, and far too long, and the exhaustion was clearly messing with her head. She scrambled to towel off any extra water before throwing on her bathrobe, tying the sash tight enough to strangle someone. Something strange had gotten into her. She never, ever gave these kinds of thoughts the time of day, and there was no chance she would make that day the exception. Vigorously enough to yank at her scalp, she scrubbed the towel through her hair as though it would expel the insanity brewing in her head, consequently sending drops of water all over the floor which she almost slipped on while putting on her sandals.

A loud bang on the door drew a startled yelp from her throat.

"Yo, shorty, hurry up! If you're not out in ten seconds I'm coming in there with you. You might wanna get your skinny ass out of the way, though. I'm sweating like a fuckin' pig today," Mugen shouted from the other side of the door, still banging rather disruptively. Fuu thought her heart would leap out of her body through her throat.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm leaving," she yelled back, a little breathless as she shoved her still-damp laundry into one of her arms and held the chest of her robe closed with the other. When she swung open the door, Mugen was directly in front of her, already shirtless with his towel around his neck and food in his hands. He shoved an entire onigiri into his mouth and smacked loudly as he chewed it, grinning smugly at her all the while. She averted her eyes, trying not to roll them, and walked past him without a word. Secretly, she was grateful he was as nasty as he was—it made her daydream disappear in a puff of smoke and her nerves settle nearly back to normal.

"What's with the attitude? See something you like?" Fuu could almost hear his eyebrows wiggle as he called after her, but she kept walking with her chin high.

"You wish," she muttered to herself, shuffling down the hallway and consciously ignoring that her heart still hammered inside her ribcage.

Jin was definitely more her type.