Dinner went well. My job was to create a pleasant atmosphere and make everyone feel comfortable.
The guest and his wife already knew me, and they looked surprised when they learned I was a personal companion.
"Mr. Hisao is incredibly proud to have secured a personal business companion like Kanna-san. I'm impressed now by how much the Hisao family values its pride. Mr. Yamada truly has an extraordinary successor... Ah, Kanna-san, couldn't I ask for your help again in Gion?" Hisao was smiling and bowing now, seeing the proud image he had gained for himself.
"I still work in Gion, Mr. Hisao. You can still receive my assistance. It's just that, under my special work contract, I can't provide personal companionship outside the teahouse for a certain period of time."
"Ah, I see. My husband feels you've been a tremendous help, Kanna-san. His English hasn't improved at all." Mrs. Yoshibara joined the conversation as well.
"That's my job, ma'am—to make everything easier. You can rely on me..." This was much easier. The conversation flowed better, and I enjoyed my work that evening. Of course, as his companion, I still had to make the person I was accompanying stand out, even though I still found him irritating.
Toward the end of the conversation, I let the men talk while I charmed Mrs. Yoshibara with a personal gift for her from Kyoto.
I began to see admiration in Hisao's eyes and felt him starting to look at me with respect. It seemed he had only gained that respect after seeing things for himself.
"Mrs. and Mr. Yoshibara, thank you for dinner. Let's do this again sometime." Hisao brought the conversation to a close.
"Of course... of course. We still have plenty of opportunities to work together in the future." At last, we parted ways, and dinner ended on a good note.
Hisao and I bowed as we saw them off, relieved that my assignment had gone well.
"Hisao-san, in that case, I'll be heading back. I'll see you at the next assignment." I excused myself and started back to my apartment.
"Wait. Let me take you."
"I don't want to trouble you, Hisao-san. It's not far from here. I'll go back on my own." The truth was, I didn't want to ruin my evening by listening to him talk. "Good night, Hisao-san." I gave him a proper bow and walked away.
"Kanna-san! If I say I'm taking you, I'm not doing it out of politeness." My steps stopped. I had no choice but to turn around and wait for him to walk over to me.
"I'll take you. Let me tell you something: I don't like being contradicted while I'm on duty. Come with me." He held out his arm, and I was forced to take it.
Neither of us spoke as we continued walking to the car. His guards reacted immediately and made sure the car was ready to leave at once.
These guards... I was now certain they had complicated backgrounds. Mr. Yamada, his son, and his grandson all traveled with this level of security. Maybe they really were connected to the yakuza.
We got into the car, and he told the driver the area where my apartment was located.
"Thank you, Hisao-san." I felt I had to say something since he was taking me home. He didn't answer, perhaps still offended that I had refused him earlier. But for some reason, I was strangely pleased that I had argued with him.
"Are you going back to Gion tomorrow?" he asked suddenly. I had been enjoying my solitude and was startled. I was surprised that he had set his emotions aside; I had thought he would give me the silent treatment all the way to my apartment. Truthfully, I wouldn't have minded being ignored rather than listening to his snide remarks.
"Oh, yes. I have a booking tomorrow."
"Do you get any days off?"
"Twice a month. In winter, our schedule may be lighter, so we don't always work until late at night. Sometimes clients cancel their appointments when the weather is bad."
"What time do you finish work?" Why did he want to know my work schedule?
"We usually get back to the okiya around two."
"Two in the morning?" It seemed this was the first time he'd heard about our work schedule. Wasn't it the same for those girls in Ropponggi? They worked until around then too. Why was he so surprised?
"Still wearing all that heavy makeup?"
"Mm... yes. Of course, we have to remove it. We usually can't get to sleep until around three in the morning."
"What time do you start work the next morning?" Another follow-up question. Perhaps he thought getting to bed at three every day was incredibly demanding.
We were actually used to it by then. Still, at the beginning, I had felt our schedule was brutal. Everyone was unaccustomed to their work when they first started. Eventually, they came to enjoy their routines as they adapted.
"School or training usually starts at nine. From one to three, we have a break. It's not guaranteed—if you have an appointment with tourists, your break may be very short. There are no real breaks during your first years as a maiko. At four, we have to start getting dressed and putting on our makeup for the teahouse. By six, we're at the teahouse until the event ends."
He fell silent. We weren't his Ropponggi girls, who could use excessive persuasion to make ten million yen in sales in a single night.
We maintained the limits of propriety. We worked hard for every yen we received. Perhaps what we gained in addition was our honorable reputation.
"That's an incredibly demanding schedule." I didn't answer him. Perhaps he finally understood why his grandfather said we worked so hard.
"Do you dream of becoming a geiko?"
"No." As a geiko, my life would simply follow the current like water. But I was trying to accept it and do my best.
"What do you dream of becoming...?" His question made me turn toward him. I found him looking at me with genuine enthusiasm.
"A financial analyst at an investment firm, or a finance director. I'm good with numbers..." If my father had left me even a small inheritance, there was no doubt I would have pursued that career.
"Why don't you?" He asked again, making me wonder why he cared. "Sorry. I just think you have what it takes to pursue that career. I was only curious why you didn't."
"Because my father was murdered when I was seventeen, and he didn't leave behind any savings. That's all. But I don't regret anything. If I were a salaryman, I might not have reached this point in my life. Hisao-san works hard in his own way too. I heard you were praised for significantly increasing the company's profits. Congratulations on your promotion. I hope I can help you get through your grandfather's test this year."
I decided to make peace with him because he wasn't trying to annoy me like he had that afternoon.
"Thank you for your help." He even thanked me properly. What was with him? He didn't seem interested in trying to irritate me anymore.
We reached my apartment soon after. His driver opened the door for me.
"Hisao-san, thank you for taking me home."
"Of course. Have a good rest."
Unexpectedly, the evening ended peacefully. I had thought he would try to annoy me again, but he hadn't.