In the dead of night, after the rain had washed away the dust, the night sky quietly unfolded like a mysterious scroll. A bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a cool yet soft glow, as if enveloping the entire world in a silver veil. A gentle breeze swept by, carrying a hint of coolness and a fresh scent, refreshing the heart and mind.
At this moment, Yoizumi stood quietly in the courtyard, taking a deep breath, savoring the invigorating fresh air. The air was filled with the fragrance of earth and the sweet scent of plants, as if nature itself was telling its story.
Yoizumi wore a light blue kimono, a gift from Kochou Shinobu. The delicate fabric was as smooth as flowing water, its color like a deep lake, complementing Yoizumi's temperament perfectly. It made him appear tall and elegant. The kimono seemed tailor-made for Yoizumi, every detail fitting his figure just right.
The clothes had been carefully washed by Komatsuse with soapberry, and they carried the clean scent of the soapberry. To ensure Yoizumi could wear this garment to the welcome party as soon as possible, Komatsuse had spent a long time carefully drying it over charcoal fire.
"Let's go, Yoizumi-san."
Komatsuse had truly put in a lot of effort today. She had meticulously dressed herself, appearing in an elegant pink dress that swayed gently, like a blooming peach blossom.
Not only that, she skillfully used some small accessories to adorn her overall look, making her appear even more delicate and lovely. At this moment, her bright, star-like eyes gazed at Yoizumi with tender affection, her heart full of anticipation, hoping to receive even a tiny bit of his attention and admiration.
However, Yoizumi merely nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to her. He quietly stared at Komatsuse, seemingly waiting for something. Seeing that Komatsuse remained standing still, he finally couldn't help but say, "You... lead the way."
Upon hearing this, the smile on Komatsuse's face froze for a moment, but she quickly composed herself. After all, gaining Yoizumi's approval was not an easy task, but she firmly believed that as long as she continued to work hard, one day she would surely hear that long-awaited compliment from Yoizumi! So, Komatsuse took a deep breath, put on a brilliant smile again, and with light steps, walked ahead, leading Yoizumi towards the small plaza in the village.
They arrived quickly, where many people had already gathered, and a bonfire was set up in the center of the small plaza.
Men, women, and children were all chatting, but when Yoizumi arrived, all eyes turned to him. For Yoizumi, who was sensitive to perception, it felt like daggers in his back.
He unnaturally avoided these gazes, the unease in his mind threatening to overflow. Yoizumi knew this was due to his past, perhaps having similar experiences, which led to him becoming this way now.
"Yoizumi-san, what's wrong? You look very pale." Komatsuse asked worriedly.
"It's nothing." He adjusted his breathing and re-examined his surroundings. Although everyone was looking at him, he couldn't detect any malice.
"Komatsuse!"
It was a young man's voice.
A black-haired, blue-eyed young man walked over. His skin was somewhat dark, and he wore white cloth clothes, which made him appear even darker.
"Ishii-kun, you're back."
"Yes, I just got back and heard the village was having a welcome party, so I came to join the fun. Is this the guest?" Ishii Kawa asked.
"Yes, this is Yoizumi-san, and he's my savior!"
"Savior? Did something happen to you? Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Hearing this, Ishii Kawa immediately became anxious and quickly asked.
"No, I'm perfectly fine, thanks to Yoizumi-san!" Komatsuse said, looking at Yoizumi with adoration.
"I knew I shouldn't have gone to the town to sell goods. That way, maybe nothing would have happened to you." Ishii Kawa muttered softly. He had liked Komatsuse since childhood, and now, with such a handsome man who had saved her life appearing by the side of the girl he liked, he felt a surge of crisis.
Then, he looked at Yoizumi with hostility. Besides being good-looking, what else did he have?
He looked so frail, his face as pale as anything, clearly not someone who could do manual labor!
How could he compare to himself?
Yoizumi was somewhat perplexed by the hostility from someone he had just met, but he didn't pay much attention, his expression indifferent.
"Yoizumi, Komatsuse, you've arrived."
Nishimura walked over with a cheerful smile, looking at the pair of well-matched young people before him and nodding with some satisfaction.
"Village Chief," Ishii Kawa greeted him.
"Xiaochuan is here too." Nishimura nodded at him. He had been so focused on the two earlier that he hadn't noticed someone else standing nearby. He knew Ishii liked Komatsuse, but it was clear now that A-Se was fond of Yoizumi.
"Sorry, but to improve our village's appearance, I'll have to sacrifice you," Nishimura thought to himself.
"Yoizumi, you are our guest. Enjoy yourself tonight."
"Mm."
"Our fellow villagers are also eager to meet you. Would you like to say a few words?"
Facing the curious, fond, envious, and various other gazes of the crowd, Yoizumi closed his sapphire blue eyes. After a long moment, he finally said, "Yoizumi."
There was nothing more.
The villagers whispered among themselves, and Yoizumi, with his excellent hearing, still caught some of it.
From the babble, he still picked out a few things.
Something about 'so aloof,' 'so cold,' 'I like him even more?'
...Humans truly are incomprehensible, what exactly are they thinking?
"Brother~~"
A soft, sweet call came, and Yoizumi instinctively lowered his head to look. He saw a tender little hand gently tugging at the corner of his clothing. Following the small hand, a cute little girl came into view. She blinked her big, watery eyes, like two crystal-clear gems, and her long eyelashes fluttered like tiny fans. The little girl's small mouth was slightly open, revealing a row of white, neat teeth, and she said in a soft, sweet voice, "Brother, have a candy~"
Saying this, she held up the candy in her hand, looking at Yoizumi with an expectant expression.
Seeing this, Yoizumi slowly squatted down, maintaining eye level with the little girl. He extended a slender finger, carefully took the candy, and softly said, "Thank you." Just then, for some reason, he suddenly remembered the intimate gestures Kochou Shinobu had made towards him before. After a moment of hesitation, Yoizumi tentatively raised his right hand and gently placed it on the little girl's head, softly stroking her soft hair.
To his surprise, the little girl did not resist the gesture; instead, she smiled happily. Her innocent smile was like the warmest sunshine in spring, instantly dispelling the gloom in Yoizumi's heart. Infected by the little girl's smile, Yoizumi's lips also involuntarily curved into a subtle, almost imperceptible arc.
Seeing this scene, Matsuse, who was standing not far away, widened her eyes in surprise, exclaiming inwardly, "! Yoizumi-san actually smiled!"
At this moment, how she wished she had one of those magical cameras she had heard about before! It was said that by simply pressing the shutter, one could forever capture the beautiful scene before their eyes, presenting it on a small piece of paper.
If that were truly possible, Matsuse thought, she would definitely cherish Yoizumi's smile at this moment.
And she would cherish it for a lifetime!