"MAMA, where are you going??", eri asked, watching yua paint her face white.

yua then lined her lids and painted her lips red. taking out a special kimono, she changed while eri sat there waiting for yua to speak.

"eri, im going to be gone for a while. make sure you stay with midoriya and be a good girl okay?"

"but I thought you said midoriya-kun was dangerous?"

"I believe he knows what the right choice is. just stay with him and be careful okay?"

"but where are you going?"

"I'm going to the palace to perform for the shogun's birthday", yua said, sticking hair clips into her hair.

"then can't I come along too?", eri asked, not really wanting to leave yua. she had grown close to yua and enjoyed spending time with her. she didn't want to leave her mother figure who's always been so kind and loving towards her.

"sorry eri, but not this time. the palace has a lot of important and scary people. one wrong move and you might end up dead".

"but then wouldn't you be in danger??", eri worried.

"don't worry eri. I'll be fine. and can you tell chisaki something once I leave?"

"mhm!!"

"repeat this riddle to him and make sure he solves it". eri listened intently, paying extra attention.

"creatures of power, creatures of grade,
creatures of beauty, creatures of strength.
as for their lives, they set everything's pace.
for all things must come to live.
under their emerald embrace.
either in their life or in their death".

"okay! I got it!!", eri happily exclaimed. despite only being a young 6 year-old, she had an amazing memory.

"and when will you come back?", eri asked.

"hopefully soon. and once I do, let's go buy you some more red apples", yua smiled, patting eri's head.

"yay!! thank you mama", eri laughed.

yua nodded as she walked out in her bright red kimono with cranes decorated on it. yua was exceptionally beautiful today, and eri had just assumed that it was because she was going to perform in front of the emperor.

right before yua got on the carriage to leave, she picked eri up, holding her.

"don't forget that geishas are professionals at being the perfect doll. I believe that you will become the next best geisha. make me proud okay?"

eri nodded her head, not understanding why yua was getting all sentimental.

"and...I love you eri", yua whispered, setting eri back onto the ground.

eri was shocked. although chisaki spoiled her, there was always an unspoken distance between them. never has eri ever been told that she was loved. it was indeed a warm feeling.

she then smiled and waved at yua, who was currently in the horse-drawn carriage.

"I love you too mama".

-♖-

yua sighed as she stood behind the curtains. there were a few other geikos that were also with her, but she was the star of the dance.

yua's okā-san approached yua, smiling.

"after all these years, you're still nervous huh?"

yua shook her head. "not at all okā-san. just a bit worried".

the old woman sighed. "you're still so young. he's not the only one. you can still find someone better, and now's the opportunity. I heard the shogunate hasn't taken in a wife yet. you could be the future empress".

"but I don't want to be the next empress. I just want to be happy with him", yua said.

yua's okā-san knew ahout chisaki, as she once was in that same position. however, she dedicated her life to being a geisha, to mentor the young ones and help them prosper.

"just keep your options open yua", the woman said, holding yua's hands.

"thank you okā-san".

yua watched as the 8 other geikos entered the stage. there were many red lanterns hung around the outdoors. a whole band of performers sat on the side, playing the flute, drums, and shamisen.

the emperor sat at the head of the table, with shigaraki, the shogun, sitting beside him. although emperor was the power head, everyone knew that the shogun made all the decisions. and shigaraki was next in line to be the emperor.

many daimyos sat on either sides of the power figures. and since chisaki was one of the most powerful daimyos, he too sat beside the emperor, all for one. of course, his wife, shigaraki hana was also beside him, smiling widely.

once the geikos finished their dance, claps were heard. and that was yua's cue to appear. her solo was one of the most beautiful dances of all time, kurokami.

yua walked onto the stage with perfect posture. she kneeled down as that's how her dance started.

once her okā-san started to sing along with the strums of the shamisen, yua looked up. her eyes focused on the two men in front of her, shigaraki and chisaki.

she slowly stood up, taking small steps in a circle formation. lifting up her short sleeves, she covered her face, looking towards her right.

yua then continued to elegantly entrance her viewers. her ruby kimono truly brought out her cherry red lips against her pale, fair skin.

chisaki was once again mesmerized. it brought him back to the night that they had met. 8 years ago, she had intrigued him, and perhaps, even elicited a feeling of a small crush.

and just like that night, yua was as beautiful as ever.

yua then ended the dance kneeling once again, opening up her arms and positioning them like a balance scale.

she slightly smiled, looking up at shigaraki, who was also interested. when he watched her, she was like an enigma, slowly sucking all his attention towards her.

she was a sight to behold.

shigaraki felt himself drawn to her. all his attention was on the beautiful geisha. hana snickered, seeing her brother love struck. she knew that yua would be a good match for him. hence why she invited yua to perform at shigaraki's birthday party. 

claps and cheers were heard as yua exited off the stage. she then gave shigaraki a glance one last time before disappearing behind the curtains.

at that moment, shigaraki wanted one thing. and that was for yua to become his seishitsu, his perfect doll.

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価値がある
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