Kumiko's knuckles brushed against Ichiro's skin as she unknotted his bandages and slowly unraveled them from around his abdomen. Her touch seemed to have a strange effect on him, for his breathing soon hastened like he was undergoing a strenuous task.

"Is everything all right?" she asked in concern, pulling her hand away. "Shall I stop?"

Ichiro's breath steadied, and he stared her right in the eye. "No, keep going. The sooner this is over, the better."

The sheer conviction in his voice frightened Kumiko a little, so she honored his wish. She proceeded until the bandages were off completely, at which point they both relaxed, and she allowed herself to study the location of his wound. The healing salve from earlier must have been absorbed into Ichiro's skin, for all she saw was a dark pink scar upon his abdomen.

Such disfigurement was not so unsightly as to ruin his attractive body, and she knew that when it faded, Ichiro would be perfect once more. If they were still acquainted then, she might even have a chance to strip him naked and feel his chest to her heart's desire.

She could not imagine a greater pleasure, so she was overcome with disappointment when Ichiro spoke up and reminded her of reality.

"Why are you staring? Is there something wrong?"

"No," Kumiko replied, tearing her eyes away from him and looking at the used bandages in her hands. "I just find you a little... distracting."

"I'm aware of that. You do seem strangely fond of me."

She began to roll up the bandages before stopping. What was she doing? She was supposed to aid Ichiro in cleaning himself, even if it weakened her restraint. She tossed the bandages aside with a sigh before gazing up at his face. "I hope this isn't too untoward, but I'd like you to undress so that I can wash your body..."

Ichiro's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

Kumiko chose to explain further despite her own embarrassment. "You had a rough time yesterday, and you've been in my bed since last night. Don't you think it's time for a relaxing bath?"

He smiled shyly and shifted his focus to the nearby wall. "I... I'm not sure if I can..."

"Oh. Why not?"

"I've exposed myself to a woman before," Ichiro answered as his smile faded. "It yielded unforeseen results."

Kumiko's misgivings were overtaken by a curiosity about the sort of past event he was referring to. Given his previous words and behavior, she could think of only two possibilities - a cruel woman had dared to mock his appearance, or perhaps even worse, he had fathered an illegitimate child by accident.

"Is that so? Please tell me what happened," she begged, hoping hard that it wouldn't be the latter.

Ichiro swallowed. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

"Well, earlier this year, I went to a bathhouse," he recounted after taking a deep breath. "A woman saw me undress, and later, she approached me for a massage."

"Oh?" Kumiko remarked in anticipation, knowing that many a prostitute used such a trick to secure clients. "What did you say?"

"I tried to refuse, but she insisted." Ichiro cast his eyes down in shame. "It occurred to me that she was naked too, so I decided to fulfill my wish to touch a woman's body."

Kumiko felt a heaviness in her stomach. She wanted to believe that he was talking about her, but she knew it wasn't the case. Another woman had been luckier, and because of this, she dreaded how his story would end.

"I learned later that she was none other than the wife of my childhood friend. She must have kept the nature of our encounter a secret because Shinrokurō thought it wise to appoint me as her tea ceremony instructor."

Kumiko's jaw dropped. Ichiro seemed to be implying that he'd had an affair with his friend's wife, and she wasn't sure what to make of such a thing.

"However, I couldn't last one lesson before we came to blows. I was afraid of what the neighbors would think, and for some reason, she took offense. I didn't dare to return and apologize the next morning, so I allowed the incident to fade away in my memory." He paused to catch his breath. "That is, until now. I hope this isn't too much for you to handle."

"No, it's all right," Kumiko lied. "Forgive me for asking, but did you sleep with her or not?"

Ichiro was stunned. "No, of course not! Why would you think that?"

"You used suggestive words."

"Oh... I did indeed," Ichiro murmured while blushing. "I'm sorry about that. I don't know what possessed me."

"Don't worry," Kumiko said in relief. "I can understand perfectly." She remembered the task she'd been planning to do earlier. "So, if you won't undress in front of me, would you prefer to do so alone?"

"Yes. I'm sure of it."

"Very well." She swallowed her disappointment at the fact that she wouldn't be able to see all of him. She rose to her feet with a heavy sigh and suddenly recalled that her neighbor Tsuneko lived close enough to hear any loud noises. This caused her to stiffen as she informed Ichiro of what was to come. "I'll get you some warm water, and then I'll wait outside. If you need me, just knock on the door."

"Understood."

Kumiko wasn't confident that he would take her request to heart, but she didn't want to frighten him either. So, she grabbed her bucket in resignation and prayed that he wouldn't suffer any pain while bathing himself.