In the next few Wednesdays, the manga showed Ahio’s squad making their plans to save Kaede. I burned every detail into memory, never knowing when something or another might be useful. As the winter snow made way for spring flowers and summer grass, my head was ready to burst with this, my martial arts readings and schoolwork.

The following weeks, in Saishuu Riku, passed in a frenzy of quests, meditation and training. For whatever reason, I was kept assigned to Kei’s team, and he was the youngest workaholic I’d ever encountered. Though all those quests did keep my pockets lined.

I thought I wouldn’t need to meet Kaede again any time soon. In fact, I preferred it that way. The less I met her, the lower the chance that my resolve to keep everything from her would break.

But she invited me to her birthday party.

***

May 21. Fourteen going on fifteen years old. Saishuu Riku.

Muffled shouts and laughter came from behind the door. I shifted her present, a box wrapped in golden wrapping paper, from one hand to the other. Okay, I could do this. With a deep breath, I knocked on the door.

It swung open. Kaede stood behind it, a ceremonial scarf of white with intricate red paisley patterns draped around her shoulders. It contrasted against her plain red shirt and cloth shorts.

It had been months. Months since I’d seen her inviting smile or trusting green eyes. Months since I had to lie to her face. I have to tell her. My heart skipped a beat. I have to warn her.

I shifted my eyes to the floor before I made any rash decisions.

‘Tahro, you’re just in time!’ Kaede smiled. ‘I was getting worried you couldn’t find the address. Well, come in now.’

I smiled back and followed her, my hands leaving sweaty splotches on the wrapping paper. Wreaths of carnation, chrysanthemums and daisies hung from every available surface. The first time I’d been to a birthday celebration in Heikisato, my friends had told me they represented love, birth and longevity. The pink, yellow and white flowers perfumed the air with their scent.

On one end of the hall, Ahio, Tsubasa, and Daisuke lounged on a sofa. Tayo had his own seat on Tsubasa’s lap. At the other was a tall man with an easy smile like Kaede’s who had his arm around a woman with a salmon-pink pixie-cut. A little girl about nine who looked like a rounder faced Kaede stood between them.

‘Welcome to our home. I’m Chiasa, Kaede’s mum.’ The woman said, holding out her hand. After I shook it, she gestured to the sofa. ‘Now that everyone’s here, we can begin gift-giving.’

I squeezed in between Daisuke and the sofa’s arm. My first time, I’d been expecting cakes, loud music and candles to blow out. But birthdays in Heikisato weren’t the same as in Japan. Here it was a solemn affair, meant to signify a person’s growing independence and responsibility. And the day always started with gift-giving.

Kaede took her place in the centre. She fiddled with her hair clip, her gaze fixed on the floor.

Her mother approached her, holding out a flat box the same size as mine. ‘I hope these will serve you well.’

Kaede removed the wrapping, fiddling with the tape to make sure the green paper didn't tear. Inside was a wooden box. She opened it to reveal six throwing knives, with glistening edges and an ornate leather grip.

‘Thanks, mum.’ Kaede hugged her. ‘I'll need them.’

Her father was next, with a book by Eiji Goda, a previous Heikisato Head Swordsman. Then her sister followed, with a teddy bear for her bed-side table. With every gift, I squirmed in my seat. Ever since I got her letter, I'd been scratching my head, wondering what to get her. I hoped she liked what I'd picked out.

As her oldest friend, Ahio went up next and gave her a hip satchel he'd had his parents get from the best leather crafters from the village of animal husbandry, Shuryoushi. Daisuke, Tsubasa and I glanced at each other. Tsubasa’s cheeks grew redder, and I edged further back into my seat. I’m not ready yet. Shaking his head, Daisuke sighed and went next.

After he presented to her a set of fountain pens, Tsubasa and I looked at each other. After a moment of staring, I sighed. Fine.

My fingers wrinkling the once neatly packed gift, I walked forward. She smiled at me with an eyebrow raised. My stomach flipped. Why had facing down a couple of bandits been easier than this? Visions of a disappointed frown on her face, of her avoiding my eyes when thanking me for the gift ran in front of me.

‘I-I hope you like it.’ With a smile, I handed her the present. ‘I hope it protects you well.’

Handling the wrapping gentler than I had, she removed it. My heart raced as she opened the cardboard box within. Inside were a pair of leather gauntlets, the same plum and yellow as her usual outfit. On the sides of each was a little pocket, just large enough to hold a small knife.

‘Tahro, I love it.’ Kaede threw her arms around me. ‘Thank you!’

I broke apart the embrace with a grin. ‘You’re welcome.’

Tsubasa finished off the ceremony with a tincture for cuts and scrapes he’d made with the help of his mentor. After that, it was time for lunch. Kaede’s parents brought out her favourites, chicken dumplings with spicy sauces, and lemon tarts for dessert.

After they ate, her parents had to leave to take up their shifts at the hospital. The rest of us stayed to keep Kaede company as she brought out a board game. Our bellies were too full for much else, anyway.

‘I’m so excited about the tournament,’ Kaede said, setting up the pieces of the game on the floor. ‘Did everyone get the letter?’

Tayo grasped at the little plastic figurines, but Tsubasa pulled him back onto his lap. Kaede’s sister, Kuri, tried to pet him, but a hiss from the animal put a stop to that.

I nodded. It came a few days ago, wax-sealed with the Heikisato sigil. I’d held my breath while opening it, wondering if Minister Banji was finally after my head. But it was only an invitation to a competition for every third grade who’d done at least six quests in the past six months. With Kei in charge, I probably had eleven or twelve quests under my belt.

Everyone else nodded too, well everyone except Kaede’s sister and Ahio.

‘Wait!’ Ahio shouted, eyebrows raised. ‘Do you mean the one that’ll let you become a second grade?’

‘Of course, why did--’ Kaede gasped, then placed her hand on her face. ‘Oh, I forgot. You haven’t done the minimum number of quests.’

‘That’s no fair.’ Ahio pouted. ‘It wasn’t my fault I couldn’t fight with these arms.’ He gestured to the scars on one hand, the other’s broken bone having left no mark.

‘T-there’s always n-next year.’ Tsubasa said as he chose a playing piece for himself.

We played until the shadows grew longer and the dipping sun gave way to twilight. It had been ages since I’d last stopped worrying and just let myself get dragged into conversations that lead nowhere. We told each other ghost stories and laughed at stupid jokes. But before we knew it, the night sky filled up with stars and Kaede’s sister grew cranky with sleep.

Daisuke pulled me aside before we left.

‘Here’s the book you asked.’ He passed me a heavy tome of a thousand pages. Some of them stuck out, almost ripped from their bindings, and all of them were as yellow as the chrysanthemums on the walls.

‘Thank you!’ I squeezed it into my bag, pushing it this way and that to make it fit. With the Minister watching me, I figured it wasn’t safe to look up witches from the library. So Daisuke and I kept up letter correspondence, sharing knowledge and theories to figure out the mystery of the black-haired man. And unbeknownst to Daisuke, the stones too.