A Letter for Hymn [Fuuen, Yugiri]

"I see, I see. So well thoughtout and prepared."

She didn't comment on any particular detail, accepting it all in earnest rather than nitpicking or getting him to expand. There was no need for him to try and explain every little detail of his night right? That wasn't very mysterious or romantic even if her understanding and romantic experience was limited.

"So which point in all this do you get my letter though, or did our kiss make it fly from your thoughts?"

Yugiri was a little fixated on it, knowing full well such a plan should not be disclosed to her lest it ruin the surprise. Did it maybe convey that she wanted him to have it and earn it in his endeavour? Maybe she did, maybe it was just a fun little factor in their date.

Her question was hardly lost on him, and Fuuen was all too aware that it might have seemed he intended to remove the air of mystique from the night. In a sense, he did, but that was only to maintain a much more firm secondary layer below. What good was it to simply cloud the whole night until the very end? Better to slowly build the anticipation, show touches more of his hand as the night went on.

"Perhaps it did, for a brief moment, but I still have a plan quite firmly in mind."

The ramen passed by rather quickly, simply one more part of the night to be taken as the whole. After all, was that not the right way to view life? Attaching oneself to singular experiences only dulled all others.

"And, of course, to simply share my plan with you would only defeat all of my own efforts."

"Fine. Keep your secrets, sword master."

Yugiri said with a sigh, accepting the situation for what it was. Well that was a little disappointing, but he was correct for it only meant that it was occupying her mind even more as to what he could do in this pathway of a plan to get it. She was drawing a blank and she couldn't say that she didn't mind really.

Maybe it was just that she didn't like not having her own way that she was persistent or that he just was able to hold it over her until he played his hand.

"So does something about me make you think I gravitate towards mochi?"

"I certainly will, step master."

Her clear disappointment was, more than anything, a bit reassuring to Fuuen. After all, if she wished to know the rest of the evening, that only meant she was looking forward to it. At least, of course, that was what made sense to him. Putting the now-empty bowl up, he smiled and stood once more, offering a gentlemanly hand to help her stand. He knew that she could do so herself, of course, but that was the very nature of propriety to make the offer nonetheless.

"It is something that must be mastered to truly excel. One cannot mask poor mochi with excessive flavor or style, for that only makes the mochi itself worse, less appealing. Its simplicity, its elegance, comes from the the inherently difficult nature of its making, and from how deeply intertwined the creator must be with his work."

It was hardly a secret that Fuuen was a man of aesthetic, who looked for the beauty in all things. This was no different.

His answer only left her more perplexed in regards to his explanation of what made him think of mochi from her. Was he comparing her to the amount of care that was required in developing something? Maybe. She might've thought his answer would be more literal like maybe that she was sweet. On some level maybe that's why it was more exciting to be around him because he made her think about the little details in things.

Just idle thoughts to herself while she walked besides him, a little bit closer that might let him entertain the idea of wrapping his arm around her waist and walk together or maybe not.

"So in taking me to all of these meals, what might be your favourite food?"

What a straightforward question that she had asked. It wasn't particularly deep or requiring thought. Just the kind of question that you'd ask them to get to know them better or for the sake of knowing it.

Fuuen did not tend to do many things directly, openly, but in this case, he felt as though it was merited. After all, he was hardly a fool. Yugiri walked closer to him as the night moved on, and it was hardly as if this evening was simply a matter of impressing her. She had already agreed to come, dangled such a tantalizing challenge in front of him. As she moved ever closer to him, Fuuen certainly did wrap an arm around her waist. It was not controlling, for such was not in his nature. An affectionate gesture, nothing more.

"A very difficult question. Mm... Would it be such a terrible answer if I said it was nikujaga?"

He was quite aware that it was hardly a refined answer, per se, but he would not lie to the woman, either. Besides, it was a meal one could always find, and one that was always rely on while traveling. Simple, delicious, what more could one ask for?

When she heard his answer she snickered to herself, hoping that he might fret a little over it. Did she not approve of his answer? Did it make him look dumb? Did he say something funny? Just a couple of things to hopefully send a few neurons firing and make him think about it. The answer though to her snicker was that it had no greater meaning.

"Oh? Simple tastes underneath a refined man it seems."

She teased but leaned a little closer. Looking away while she made sure to take a peek every now and again at their passing scenery. It was a nice little spot where the modern attributes of the world disappeared.

One thing that did stick in her mind though was the fact that she had to think of what her response might be if he parroted the question back at her.

Fuuen was the sort of man to take everything in stride, and he simply allowed himself a small smile of his own at her snickering. If she had found his answer amusing, then that was certainly her prerogative, wasn't it?

"What is refinement but the removement of excess and impurity, until only the finest remains? I think simplicity is certainly one of the heights of beauty."

He was all too willing to leave it open to interpretation what else he might consider a height of beauty, if there were others alongside simplicity. But, for now, Fuuen simply continued to lead the way, quite content to hold Yugiri close as the two walked, and to simply pick up the mochi and tea from their stands as they traveled. After all, there was a far more lovely place to go. It was not an especially difficult walk, or even a long one, but Fuuen did not wish to make the whole thing simply a matter of traveling. He watched the flow of the river, the stars above, and of course, the woman at his side.

"And what of you? You are certainly well-traveled, I would be quite fascinated to know what meal you hold above all others."

Well he posed a difficult question and Yugiri thought about it just a little bit more than she necessarily needed as she flicked through the options. Decidedly looking up with a grin as she decided on her answer.

"I don't have one."

It was said incredibly smug like the fact that she had no preferences that could be definitively pinned as a favourite among favourites. Yugiri looked down at the food and drink, just a tad thoughtful while they walked. The night felt like it was going okay, it was fun.

The expression that Yugiri wore was one he could only ever describe as lovely, almost cute in its earnest nature. Well, he supposed that was nothing inherently new. He really ought to stop thinking on it, but really, was it terribly wrong on a date to think of one's partner for the evening?

"None? My, a woman of the passing breeze, indeed."

It wasn't inherently a compliment or an insult, but given Fuuen's own appreciation for the wind, it was hard not to understand that he meant it in a sense of fondness. Continuing on through the hills, Fuuen smiled to himself as every lantern they passed was already lit, even as they found themselves on old ground that should surely have been covered by plant life. It seemed the children he'd paid to clear and brighten this little path had done their work well.