between them, looking
for a red string. He’d never actually seen the red string of fate
connecting two beings, but Inari had assured him it did exist,
though one had to be very powerful to see it.
“ Do you like this one?”
Hiro asked, amusement in his voice.
Masaki glanced up and saw Hiro a
couple of feet away, walking around a metal sculpture of a
nine-tailed fox. The nine tails flared behind it, like the flames
of a fire, and the metal had a bronzed look with copper highlights
here and there. The fox looked fierce and menacing, yet it walked
over a field of beautiful flowers, which seemed to be made of
chunks of colored glass.
“ It’s interesting. Do you
like it?” Masaki asked, moving close enough to see if it was one of
the items for sale or a permanent part of the museum’s
collection.
“ It must’ve taken ages to
make. Yes, I do. I’m not sure what it means though.”
Masaki glanced at the
title: Revenge. That seemed odd, but it made more sense as he examined it.
The kitsune did look as if it wanted vengeance. “Perhaps the artist
is here. I could ask when I inquire about the price.”
Hiro’s gaze darted over to his. “It’s
huge, so it’s probably expensive.”
Masaki smiled. “Not a
problem.”
“ But, I mean,” Hiro bit
his lip, “don’t buy it because I like it.”
Masaki stepped forward and took Hiro’s
hand, kissing it gently. “I can tell it fascinates you, and it
intrigues me as well. It’s one of the largest pieces here. Plus,
the artist might need the money.”
Hiro didn’t pull his hand away.
“You’re right, but you don’t have to do things to please me. I’m
enjoying myself.”
“ I’d do anything to please
you, but that’s only one motivation. I always buy something at
these shows.”
“ Like my paintings and
sketches.”
“ Yes, though I bought
those because I loved them.”
Hiro slipped his hand from Masaki’s
and turned back to the sculpture. “It’s up to you, but I would like
to meet the artist, if I could.”
“ I’ll go make inquiries,”
Masaki said, moving across the room to find Chiasa. She was always
pleased to see Masaki and would likely be thrilled to arrange the
sale of such a large piece. He threw one glance back at Hiro, who
knelt on the marble floor examining the flowers at the base of the
sculpture. Masaki smiled. Despite still seeming a bit nervous, Hiro
appeared to be enjoying himself, which was all that mattered right
now.
* * * *
“ You like my work?” a soft
voice said behind Hiro.
He turned and stood, finding a very
petite girl standing there. She looked about his age, but she was
short and thin, her long, thick black hair overwhelming her frame
and covering almost half of her face. She seemed shy and timid, so
Hiro smiled and nodded with enthusiasm.
“ Yes. I love it.” He could
hardly believe someone so small and frail could’ve made this
sculpture, which actually towered over her, but then he reprimanded
himself for the thought. It was unfair to think that her size had
anything to do with her creativity or her ability to do
metalwork.
She pushed her hair off her face and
looked up at the face of the fox. “I’ve always loved foxes.” She
smiled. “I caught one once, but I wasn’t allowed to keep
him.”
“ Probably for the best.
Foxes belong in the wild.”
She kept looking at her sculpture as a
woman with a clipboard passed by swiftly and handed her a small
slip of paper. The girl giggled, her eyes bright as she looked up.
“Mr. Kitamura has bought my sculpture.” She reached forward and put
her hand on Hiro’s chest, just above his heart. “I hope you both
enjoy it. I’m honored.”
While Hiro was happy she was pleased,
he wondered why it meant so much to her. “He said he always buys
something at showings. Is he considered a good patron?” He could
think of no other reason for her to be honored by the
sale.
“ I’ve always admired him.
I observed you together,” she lowered her eyes, though
for a red string. He’d never actually seen the red string of fate
connecting two beings, but Inari had assured him it did exist,
though one had to be very powerful to see it.
“ Do you like this one?”
Hiro asked, amusement in his voice.
Masaki glanced up and saw Hiro a
couple of feet away, walking around a metal sculpture of a
nine-tailed fox. The nine tails flared behind it, like the flames
of a fire, and the metal had a bronzed look with copper highlights
here and there. The fox looked fierce and menacing, yet it walked
over a field of beautiful flowers, which seemed to be made of
chunks of colored glass.
“ It’s interesting. Do you
like it?” Masaki asked, moving close enough to see if it was one of
the items for sale or a permanent part of the museum’s
collection.
“ It must’ve taken ages to
make. Yes, I do. I’m not sure what it means though.”
Masaki glanced at the
title: Revenge. That seemed odd, but it made more sense as he examined it.
The kitsune did look as if it wanted vengeance. “Perhaps the artist
is here. I could ask when I inquire about the price.”
Hiro’s gaze darted over to his. “It’s
huge, so it’s probably expensive.”
Masaki smiled. “Not a
problem.”
“ But, I mean,” Hiro bit
his lip, “don’t buy it because I like it.”
Masaki stepped forward and took Hiro’s
hand, kissing it gently. “I can tell it fascinates you, and it
intrigues me as well. It’s one of the largest pieces here. Plus,
the artist might need the money.”
Hiro didn’t pull his hand away.
“You’re right, but you don’t have to do things to please me. I’m
enjoying myself.”
“ I’d do anything to please
you, but that’s only one motivation. I always buy something at
these shows.”
“ Like my paintings and
sketches.”
“ Yes, though I bought
those because I loved them.”
Hiro slipped his hand from Masaki’s
and turned back to the sculpture. “It’s up to you, but I would like
to meet the artist, if I could.”
“ I’ll go make inquiries,”
Masaki said, moving across the room to find Chiasa. She was always
pleased to see Masaki and would likely be thrilled to arrange the
sale of such a large piece. He threw one glance back at Hiro, who
knelt on the marble floor examining the flowers at the base of the
sculpture. Masaki smiled. Despite still seeming a bit nervous, Hiro
appeared to be enjoying himself, which was all that mattered right
now.
* * * *
“ You like my work?” a soft
voice said behind Hiro.
He turned and stood, finding a very
petite girl standing there. She looked about his age, but she was
short and thin, her long, thick black hair overwhelming her frame
and covering almost half of her face. She seemed shy and timid, so
Hiro smiled and nodded with enthusiasm.
“ Yes. I love it.” He could
hardly believe someone so small and frail could’ve made this
sculpture, which actually towered over her, but then he reprimanded
himself for the thought. It was unfair to think that her size had
anything to do with her creativity or her ability to do
metalwork.
She pushed her hair off her face and
looked up at the face of the fox. “I’ve always loved foxes.” She
smiled. “I caught one once, but I wasn’t allowed to keep
him.”
“ Probably for the best.
Foxes belong in the wild.”
She kept looking at her sculpture as a
woman with a clipboard passed by swiftly and handed her a small
slip of paper. The girl giggled, her eyes bright as she looked up.
“Mr. Kitamura has bought my sculpture.” She reached forward and put
her hand on Hiro’s chest, just above his heart. “I hope you both
enjoy it. I’m honored.”
While Hiro was happy she was pleased,
he wondered why it meant so much to her. “He said he always buys
something at showings. Is he considered a good patron?” He could
think of no other reason for her to be honored by the
sale.
“ I’ve always admired him.
I observed you together,” she lowered her eyes, though
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