Forbidden Love

Chapter 1: Grandma's House

It was a bright and sunny day with the puffy clouds filling up the sky. The birds were singing lovely songs to each other as they are perched up on the tree. The fresh air wafted on her nose and the wind blew her long tresses of pink hair over her face.

"So this is the country, huh?" the pink-haired girl said, hopping off the bus which drove away with a not-so-loud noise after she got off.

She walked up the hill, hearing the crunching noises of the dried leaves as she stepped on them with her black flats. The sun shone brightly, but the autumn wind made it chillier than the actual temperature.

"Almost there," she smiled, looking up at the gigantic shrine gate called a torii.

She walked up the long series of stone stairs, not breaking a sweat. She stopped halfway to look back at the scenery she passed, finding only the dirt path in the middle of the forested hill. After a couple of minutes, she finally reached her destination.

"Wow. It's huge!" she exclaimed as she reached the top of the shrine's stairs.

There, she saw the place that she'll be living in from then on. It was a huge shrine consisted of smaller buildings, their use still unknown to her.

"Welcome, Luka-sama," a girl with a peach-colored hair said.

"Luka's fine, no need for the –sama," Luka replied, not used to being called 'Luka-sama'.

"Where's my grandmother?" Luka asked, walking closer to the girl.

"She's inside waiting for you. Follow me," the peach-colored hair said, dropping the broom she was using to sweep the dead leaves into one pile.

"Won't we have to go in the chouzuya to cleanse our mouth and hands before we continue," Luka asked, stopping the girl from proceeding.

"It's okay, Luka-sama. In this shrine, we only cleanse our mouth and hands on special occasions," the girl said before she continued walking.

They walked into the shrine's long approach called the sandou. Luka observed the girl wearing a pair of long, divided trousers called hakama, that were pulled up to her waist, a white kimono jacket called haori, and her peach-colored hair loosely tied with a white ribbon.

"She's the miko, huh?" Luka thought.

"Oh, my name is Momo, Luka-sama," the miko said, looking back at Luka, startling her.

"Oh, I'm Luka—"

"I know, Luka-sama," Momo said, smiling.

The continued walking down the approach until they reached the shamusho, where Luka would be staying in. They took off their shoes before they went in to keep the building clean. The place was so quiet that the only thing they heard was the sounds of their feet hitting the floor as they walked.

Momo kneeled beside a sliding door and lightly knocked.

"Momo-san?" answered a voice from the other side of the door.

"Amane-sama, your granddaughter has arrived," Momo replied.

"Grandma—"

"Luka?" her grandmother interrupted.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Welcome to the Amane Shrine. You will be staying here under my care from now on. You are only allowed to see me if I commanded you. You must also follow all my instructions may it be instructed personally by me or by Momo-san so you may not endanger yourself. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Luka replied, a little distressed that she's not able to see her grandmother, who she has not seen for a long time.

"Momo-san, take her to her room in the west end of this building, please," her grandmother asked, not even wanting to see her granddaughter.

"Yes, ma'am," Momo replied, bowing behind the shut door.

Momo got up and nodded to Luka, signaling her to just follow along. Luka walked along the hallways, still disappointed.

"Luka-sama, your things are in your room. Your school uniform will come in tomorrow, and you'll be able to start school the day after tomorrow," Momo said, not looking back.

Momo was able to sense Luka's disappointment.

"Luka-sama," Momo turned around, stopping Luka.

"What's your favorite food?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"Tamagoyaki," Luka replied, surprised of Momo's cheerfulness.

"Okay!" Momo exclaimed, turning back around to continue walking.

Luka followed on, still confused on why she said that.

"Here's your room, Luka-sama. I'll call you after dinner is ready," Momo said, shutting the door to give Luka some privacy.

"Thank you, Momo-chan," sighed Luka after Momo closed her door.

"I guess I need to get used to her calling me 'Luka-sama', huh?" Luka thought, smiling to the thought of Momo's smile.

She unpacked her stuff, taking her clothes out and putting them in her closet. Her floor wasn't carpeted, but was made of tatami instead. Her walls were made of tatami, too, but it was good enough even if the color was plain light-yellow. In Luka's room, she had a futon placed in the middle, a modern study table with a bookshelf full of traditional Japanese stories, myths and legends, and a lamp.

After placing all her clothes into her closet, the last thing Luka took out from her suitcase was her parents' picture. She wiped the glass from any smudges and dirt, and placed it on her desk.

"Mom, dad, protect me, okay?" she said, smiling.

Luka went out to her own balcony to get some more fresh air. She inhaled the clean, country air, and exhaled out her doubts and uncertainties. She smiled as if she has become a new person.

Suddenly, she heard rustles from the bushes in front of her balcony.

"Who's there?" Luka said, walking quietly closer to the bushes.

"Momo-chan?" she asked, getting scared as she got closer.

Luka walked closer as she heard more rustles, and tried to find out who it was when suddenly, she saw a glimpse of long, purple hair, as the person quickly ran out of the bushes and escaped.

"Purple hair?" she thought, still surprised.

"Luka-sama?" Momo walked into Luka's room, surprising Luka.

Luka walked out the door waiting for Momo to lead her to the dining room. She didn't say anything along the way, giving Momo a clue that something was bothering her.

"Wow! This is really good!" Luka exclaimed as she took a bite of the tamagoyaki Momo prepared for her first dinner in her grandmother's house.

"Thank you, Luka-sama," Momo smiled, her face turning a little red.

Luka continued eating while Momo watched her with a smile on her face. Momo still waited for Luka to say something about what was bothering her.

"Momo-chan," Luka said after sipping some water.

"Hm?" Momo said, still smiling.

"Do you know a person with a purple hair?" Luka asked, putting her chopsticks down.

Momo froze upon hearing her question. Her eyes grew, but she restored them to normal to refrain Luka from asking her questions on why she was surprised of what she asked.

Momo shook her head and faked her smile, still worried about what Luka asked.

"No, why?" Momo asked, her worry peeking.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that I saw a long purple hair outside the balcony earlier. Is it another miko?" Luka asked, still curious about the purple-haired person she caught a glimpse of.

"P-probably," Momo said, trying to hide how fake her smile was.

"Oh, okay. Well, thank you for the food. I'm going to bed."

Luka got up and walked back to her room, disappointed that she didn't gain any information about the person with the purple hair. She walked out the balcony to look at the starry sky before she went to bed with her balcony doors open to let the autumn wind in.

"I see."

"Yes, ma'am," Momo nodded behind the slightly opened sliding door of Luka's grandmother's room.

"Never let her encounter that person again. It's forbidden for her," her fragile, yet powerful voice said.

"Yes, ma'am," Momo obediently replied.

Author's Notes:

torii- shrine's huge entrance gate

chouzuya- a small purification hut/font where you cleanse your mouth and hands before proceeding further into the shrine

sandou- a long approach/path to the sacred buildings made of concrete

hakama- long, divided, red trousers worn by shrine maidens

haori- a long white kimono jacket worn by shrine maidens

miko- a shrine maiden

shamusho- a building in the shrine where the family that takes care of the shrine lives

tatami- mat made of rice straws

tamagoyaki- omelette