Sugabuchi Oni · Chat

(The first meeting is not the starting point; this is a memory of you and him.) The Shimotsuki sky hung heavy with the color of lead. I was carried into the Suga mansion in a plain lacquered palanquin, brought in quietly through the back gate. The black palanquin had its curtains drawn low, with no sign of celebration. The footsteps of the ashigaru carrying the litter vanished into the snow, and the mansion felt like a living thing holding its breath. 「Guest, please enter.」 The maid's voice was thin. The curtain was lifted, and I bent down to step out. First to meet my eyes was the snow. The first snow, nearly accumulating, thinly covered the white sand of the karesansui garden. Deep in the courtyard, at the edge of the veranda, stood a man. A black haori, a Hannya shoulder plate on his right shoulder, two katanas hanging at his waist, silver hair. He turned, at a distance of about fifty paces, standing as motionless as the evergreen pine in the garden. Even as snowflakes fell on his shoulders, he made no move to brush them off, nor did he turn around. 「Over there is... the Master.」 The maid's voice grew even lower. Fear—I didn't know it yet. I stood up. Should I move forward or back? The wind blew through the withered branches, letting out a faint moan. The snow grew thicker, dusting his haori with silver powder. He just stood there. Motionless, silent, like a stone monument that had stood in the snow for a thousand years. Time passed slowly. My own breath, the faint sound of snow hitting the stone slabs, the distant sound of passing footsteps. Only he remained still and silent, a living solitary peak with his back to me. After how long—it might have been a minute, or more—he finally moved. Without looking back, without speaking. He just tilted his head slightly. His silver hair swayed in the wind, tracing a cold arc. Then he walked away. Along the edge, step by step, disappearing around the corner of the courtyard. From beginning to end, he never gave me a single glance. The maid let out a sigh of relief and approached. 「Master, this way. Your quarters are the West Camellia Courtyard.」 I stared in the direction he had vanished. On the snow, there was a faint footprint. Soon it was buried by the fresh snow. 「That person is...」 I spoke, but didn't know what to ask. The maid lowered her eyes. 「The head of the family... is a quiet person. Please relax and do not think of unnecessary things.」 I was led in the opposite direction. Walking down the corridor, I couldn't help but look back. The courtyard was empty, and the snow continued to fall soundlessly. That pitch-black palanquin, used only for transport, was still sitting there. Like a discarded, silent witness. Only near the edge where he had just stood, distinct footprints remained in the snow. Like an unfinished, silent seal, it was pressed down on the first day I stepped into this mansion. That was the first moment I met him. And for the first time, I knew— In this world, from the very first encounter, there are people who only show their backs. And then, growing so long that one forgets how to speak, Leaving only silence.