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She smiled softly and nodded, "All right, Masao-san. If you say so." The maiko said as she put a hand the man's shoulder and looked up to Tora.

"Shall we what?" She asked looking to Masao with wide eyes. She looked toward her older sister and batted her lashes in confusion.

"I think you should, Ana-chan," Tora smiled. "Why don't you show this young man to the tea house?" she asked. "I'll be their waiting," she bowed.

Yuri walked lightly into the garden dressed in her winter kimono made of dark violet cotton that had a whit bottom symolizing the snow of winter, and a plain black thin jacket so that she wouldn't get too hot or too cold. Now winter had come and the cherry trees were bare except for the snow that made it branches shimmer when the sun hit them just right.

Yuri loved this place. Even though her first experience wasn't the most memorable because she had been crying but it was a good one at the least. She'd met Iyasu-san who did help her find an older sister to help train her to become a geisha. Yuri was most greatful for all of the help she'd received from the geisha , maids and other maiko that were here in the hanamachi. She walked to the bridge and leaned on the railing looking down into the pond below seeing how much she had grown from her first days as a maiko. But she felt empty and wanted to love or be loved by someone... but she felt uncertain about a Danna finding her attractive. As she thouht of all the geisha that had Dannashe heard Iyasu's words going through her head. ' I will happen in due, time just be patient.' She smiled to herself and began to sing a soft melody that carried on the cold wind and reminded her of her time with her adopted father and her friend Haru.

Masao looked down to her with a smile and gave a nod as he turned on his heels and began to make his way out from the gardens and towards the teahouse, following the path he had taken in to get out of the gardens before adjusting his course accordingly to lead them towards the teahouse.

Haruki walked into the cherry blossom garden again, his mind heavy. His father had been quite disturbed that he had actually been able to find Tohru and hadn't dragged her back to her family. Or at least back with him so they could finalize their marraige.

But how could Haruki? How could he explain the light eminating from Tohru as she danced? How could he explain her bright smile and the obvious joy she had being with the other geisha. How could Haruki explain all that to his father and his father understand?

He couldn't. And he knew he couldn't.

If Haruki didn't marry Tohru in a sense that his father approved of - which meant Tohru coming back with him and being a trophy wife - his father would arrange for Haruki to have another marriage. Haruki would marry a merchant's daughter that would be most profitable for his family.

But Haruki didn't want to marry anyone else. He was most certain seeing Tohru again that she was the only girl for him. He wanted no one else. Once Tohru became a geisha, he was fully intending on becoming her danna. It was the closest thing to being married to the girl he loved.

But what would he do when his father started asking again? Haruki sighed and sat down under one of the cherry trees, his mind spinning.

Yuri felt the brisk breeze of the last few moments of winter as she stood on the bridge looking down into the pond below. she hummed to herself thinking of someway to play her own song on the shamisen in the teahouse for a patron. but then again there weren't many patrons left in the hanamachi most of them already belonged to a geisha far more talented and lovely than her.... but she didn't feel it mattered much for the last blossom to bloom always seemed the loveliest and caught the eye of many.

She smiled at the thought and walked off to the teahouse for some leisure time away from the Okiya and from her lesson for her onne-san Hara Was busy these days with her Danna Shagatsu. But she understood and dare not bother her with trivial things that she could somehow do on her own.