This week Ritsuko dropped by again to thank Aoi for the food, bringing a gift, sharing how she ended up marrying Nuinoin, and some very important wisdom with her. But what I found to be the most fascinating was how Ritsuko’s and Nuinoin’s story of how the two came together seems to drawing parallels to Aoi’s past experience with the Mystery Akayashi.
Ritsuko lived during the time of the war and went to school in a different town, away from her family. There she had met Nuinoin and the two fell in love, until one day he disappeared. But when she loses her family and hometown and ended up alone. That was when Nuinoin re-appeared before her, and offered to take care of her for the rest of her life. That’s how she ended up getting married to him, and living in the Hidden Realm. Nuinoin has upheld his promise, and even alters his appearance to match her age!
But we learn something very interesting too! Humans can live a little long if they live in the Hidden Realm, because they eat their food, they become a bit more like Akayashi, yet they will remain human and die at some point or another.
Along of the many things she shared, Ritsuko gives her a fair warning of what to expect when she becomes the bride of a great yokai in the future, she must show no weaknesses to malicious akayashi. She too has been a target of assassinations, so she can relate to Aoi’s current predicament, and possibly understand the driving factor behind it as well. The gift she has given Aoi is the beautiful Seven Stars Hagoromo Shawl, said to be able to help conceal the overwhelming weakness of being human, and its colors will changed based on the seasons. It is a something the women wear in the Imperial Courts.
Oodanna and Aoi shared some more time together today before he departs on his business trip to the Apparent Realm. The first night was during the Tanabata Festival and Aoi tried to muster up the courage to ask him about the Mystery Akayashi, but never gets around to saying anything about it. I find it absolutely adorable how Oodanna just wants to spend time with her whenever he gets the chance to. It was cute how he ended up falling asleep, and she was unable to move him at all, he was like a rock that couldn’t be budged! Hahaha!
The second time was when she got to experience Tenjin-ya’s Inn as a VIP guest rather than an employee, by being pampered and finally getting the chance to eat the mouthwatering full-course meal she has always been wanting to try. I almost feel bad for Ginji, because Oodanna ended up beating him to the punch when it came to Aoi getting the chance to experience drinking alcohol for the first time. The girl was rightfully nervous about it because of how her grandfather was whenever he went out for drinks, but she got by alright by only having a little bit that Oodanna had recommended.
We got a new segment in of her memories: Aoi enjoyed the food she was given to the point she cried. When the Akayashi leaves, he lifts his masks (still faceless though) and tells her he won’t come back anymore, probably because there will be no need to, but says they will certainly meet again when she becomes an adult. I found this to be particularly interesting because it sort of implies he knew help was going to arrive.
I swear though, if it turns out to be Orio-ya… (because of the hair and mask combo.)
With Oodanna gone on his business trip, I suspect he will probably be absent for an episode or two since he is supposed to be away for five or six days. There is no doubt in my mind the timing of Orio-ya’s employees arriving at his inn is a coincidence. They will surely stir up trouble and put everyone on edge. They may be there to possibly to head-hunt some individuals as well, which may very well include Aoi, if she so happens to their prime objective. Fortunately there will be a way for Aoi to communicate with Oodanna, as he had given her this a correspondence system of a sorts (like how email works), but there’s no telling whether or not she will actually attempt to communicate with him, unless she feels she absolutely has to. I wouldn’t be surprised if Aoi wants to try and become more independent rather than having to rely on others since she is conscious of the fact she has been saved many times. But it will also make her face the feelings she previously disregarded, one that has already made its way to her heart the moment he left, missing him. She has grown used to his company, so his absence will probably be hard to ignore.
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