Chapter 32 Heart to Heart

In a small room at an inn that specializes in a couple's experience, was Shizu who was hugging a small boy from behind. The small boy was Azi and he felt turmoil in his heart as he felt that this situation was wrong in so many ways.

From the remainder of his fractured memories, Azi felt that this was very immoral for a man and woman, who are not married, to sleep in the same bed, especially since Shizu had her top off and was pressing her breasts into his lower back.

"I really think a man and woman should not sleep in the same bed, unless they are married. Also, you should put your top back on before you sleep or else you will catch a cold." Complained Azi.

In response Shizu argued.

"No, I don't think it's wrong. We are apprentice and knight, which can be considered family. I also deserve my recompense from when you touch my breasts, and you are not a man you agreed to be my pillow. To your other point, the blanket will be enough cover and you are very warm."

Azi attempted a rebuttal. "You know that's..... ugh nevermind. *Sigh* Alright, fine, good night Shizu."

He thought to again retort but felt that Shizu would just use more twisted logic to argue back. Instead, Azi sighed and gave up trying to resist. He then closed his eyes and tried to sleep in the compromising position he was in.

A few moments passed with no success as he could not fall asleep due to the constant softness on his back that made him highly aware of the situation.

The futon bed was quite small and with two people the single person futon bed felt a bit cramped which was compounded by how small the room was. Azi could no longer bear to keep his eyes closed so he opened them and began to stare out at a nearby window.

He saw the stars in the night sky shining brightly alongside the moon. In an attempt to calm himself, he tried to recall a memory in an attempt to regain a part of his past that he had lost.

Focusing, he remembered that it had been years since he saw stars, this was due to the light pollution where he had previously lived. Azi had witnessed the stars he could once view freely from his old childhood bedroom slowly disappear from the night sky as the light pollution increased with the development of his neighborhood.

He could feel himself getting slowly sadder every night as more and more stars were disappearing. At one point there were so few stars in the night sky that he could count them all on his hands. But they too also disappeared from his sight.

This memory did not calm Azi's mind, but he did feel grateful that in this moment he was able to see stars again in this fantastical world. But Azi's body shivered a little as he was both saddened by his memory of his past's stars and relieved by the sight of the current stars he could now view this night.

When he remembered the disappearing stars in his memory, he was reminded of how the same thing happened with all his friends from his past. They all either left due to reasons he could not control or outright left as they no longer wanted to associate with him.

He distinctly remembered the face of his trusted mentor, A smile on their face as they said farewell to him. But their smile was not one of sincerity, but of a relief that they would no longer have to see him ever again.

His mind then turned to Shizu and what she said earlier in the day. That she only stayed in Shisayama to see if he could be of use to Kujyuri. He then thought.

'If I am no longer useful, will Shizu leave me? Will she no longer be my friend? Will she be relieved that she won't have to deal with my bothersome presence?'

At Azi's thoughts, his trembling became noticeable to Shizu, and she also heard a small, stifled whimper coming from him.

This got Shizu's attention as she thought something was wrong, so she called out softly.

"Azi are you ok? Are you cold? Do you want more of the blanket?"

Recomposing himself, Azi responded with a bit of meekness and still slightly trembling.

"Yes, it would be of some help."

Furrowing her brow in concern, Shizu did not yield more of the blanket to Azi but instead turned him around to have his face facing her own as she moved closer to wrap Azi and herself in the blanket's embrace.

"There, this should be better." Said Shizu.

Azi responded in a tone with a hint of despondence.

"I guess so."

Her concern growing, Shizu asked.

"Azi? What is wrong? Do you need me to comfort you?"

Reddening a bit from Shizu's out of context words, Azi answered with a sigh.

"There is something on my mind. I need to ask, are we friends? I get the feeling that I never really had a friend in my past, so I don't really know if we are friends or not."

Shizu responded in exasperation.

"I think we are passed being just friends, but if you are still uncertain, I can say with confidence that we are friends. Also, don't think about trying to weasel out of your responsibilities for kissing me."

"That was an accident!" Said Azi raising his voice a bit in complaint. "You know as well as I that it was Elder's Sung's fault. Remember how she was grinning at us when we left."

"Yes I do, but that doesn't mean you can get away from your responsibilities. That goes the same for me as it was a two-way deal." Retorted Shizu.

"I... ugh alright fine, but what are the responsibilities you are talking about?"

"Didn't Elder Sung tell you?"

"No, she just told me how to do the ceremony and told me she would explain to me the rest after it was done."

"That sly old fox, I'll get back at her and Saki later."

"Umm so the responsibilities. What are they?" Asked Azi.

Shizu then explained to Azi what she knew. "A kiss of fealty is done as a way to show loyalty for those of higher class than peasant. It entails that each party would be willing to serve and protect each other whenever called upon. So, whenever I call upon you or you call upon me, we are obligated to come to the aid of the one making the request for help."

"Seems simple enough. What else is there?"

Shizu took a moment to think and remembered an embarrassing fact, and softly answered.

"Ummm, for p-peasants it used as a-a way to .... consummate a marriage."

With shock on his face Azi responded.

"Wait, does that mean I am married to you now!!"

"Do you have a problem with that, Azi?!"

Shizu gave Azi a harsh stare as she spoke in a stern tone of voice. Azi's body reeled back a bit to get a bit of distance between himself and Shizu, but she held him firmly in her arms.

"Azi! Your answer." Shizu demanded.

In a soft voice Azi intoned his answer in embarrassment.

"I....I have no problems with it."

"Good! But you will need to pass my trials to have a chance of marrying me."

Still a bit embarrassed, Azi asked. "Trials, like a kind of test?"

"Yes. So far 4 past candidates have already tried and failed. They all failed on their first attempts to fight me in a duel."

"Then how do I even have a chance of succeeding, if these previous candidates, who I am guessing are other ordain knights, then how will I, a peasant, be able to pass. I may have beaten you once in a fight, but that was when we were both drunk so it can't be counted as valid." Said a depressed Azi.

"No, in fact you have already passed 1 of the 4 trials. You survived my strike and struck back. Winning the latest battle at Ben and Bail's shops had nothing to do with the outcome to pass this trial. What mattered was that you got back up after I struck you and resolved yourself to fight me."

Not expecting the revelation that he had already passed 1 of 4 trials, Azi asked with a bit of curiosity.

"What are the other 3 trials? Do I even have a chance?"

"I cannot tell you that, you will have to work hard to find out what they are and yes, with my training you have a chance."

To Shizu's words Azi smiled at her as she had affirmed that she believed in him.

"Oh, you seem quite motivated. Tell me are you attracted to me?" Asked Shizu with a sultry tone.

Pondering his thoughts, Azi then gave his answer. "I am not sure if you call it attraction, but you are beautiful and we are friends, so I feel a need to be close to you. If that is attraction then yes, I am attracted to you."

Shizu laughed at his response as she felt that he was very naive and childish by how innocent his words sounded. While she was disappointed that Azi could not yet vocalize into words that he loved her, she was put at ease by how he said he would want to be by her side.

In the back of Shizu's mind she noted that she should report to Ozen in a letter that she was able to, by her interpretation, "seduce" Azi into staying in Shisayama and by extension Kujyuri for the time being.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me, I'm really trying to put my heart out there. Here you are laughing at your apprentice's heart to heart with you." Azi said with a pout.

His pouting expression in turn made Shizu laugh a bit more, but instead of responding with words she instead acted and softly embraced him.

"Yes, yes my apprentice is such a good "man". I wonder, what should I reward you with?"

"May I choose?" Asked a pouting Azi.

Decided to humor him, she told him.

"Hahaha, ok just this once I will allow it."

Azi then thought about what he wanted as a reward. His mind wandered as it was still in turmoil about his recently recalled memories and from today's events. Reminiscing on their time at Elder Sung's shop he remembered how nice and calm it felt to kiss Shizu.

It felt as if a part of himself was fixed when he was close to Shizu.

He desired to feel that calming sensation and wondered what would happen if they did it again. Would he be able to fix his memory issue but he hesitated to ask if he could kiss her.

Recalling that he might have a chance to pass the remaining 3 of 4 trials to marry her, he resolved himself in his next actions to take responsibility. He wrapped his arms around Shizu's waist and pulled her close. He then stared into Shizu's eyes and brought his lips close.

Shizu did not expect how bold Azi would act and attempted to speak up but was unable to as her lips were sealed by Azi's. Her body tensed up at first but then relaxed as the kiss was prolonged.

From this moment on, the two continued kissing each other and with each passing movement of the moon in the night sky the intensity and depth of their kiss increased.

At one point, Azi pushed his tongue into Shizu's lips and began feeling around the inside of her mouth. Azi could taste something sweet and a bit like iron but paid it no mind as he continued to feel the inside of her mouth with his tongue.

Shizu, after getting used to the sensation of Azi's lips and the actions of his tongue, she too had begun to bring her own forward. Their two tongues then began to entwine with each other in a deep and passionate kiss.

She tasted a bittersweet flavor from his saliva which reminded her of the dark colored dessert that was on the table for breakfast at Kajima's.

The pair's deep kiss was only interrupted by brief moments where the two needed to catch their breaths. The pair were in a daze at this point due to how by the time of their 10th exchange of lips, the two had mindlessly embraced each other in their fervor to get as close as possible to each other.

At some point the two were exhausted from kissing. They both huffed deep breaths of air after releasing themselves from their latest passionate kiss.

Their heavy breaths soon turned to soft breathing and then soft snoring as they fell into a deep sleep. Before Azi fell into his sleep he spoke in a whisper.

"Is this ... love?"

While Azi did not recall any new memories from his kiss, he did start to understand what love was.

The remainder of the night was now only filled with the slight breaths of Azi and Shizu who were embracing each other under a blanket on a small futon bed. From the perspective of a stranger, they would see this sight as a simple little brother being comforted by an older sister to help him sleep.

But others more informed of the pair's relationship, would see two love birds having a very intimate time together. Some of them would think that the two had done the deed. One would be especially glad as he hoped that he would be able to see his grandson soon.