Chapter 4

I'm 16, but that's still a little ways off.

For now, I'm still in my little kid phase.

By the way, what is a "dōchū"?

When I asked, I learned that an oiran is the highest-ranking courtesan in this pleasure quarter, and because they are rarely seen, customers must request them through a teahouse.

When an oiran is called, she travels between the courtesan house and the teahouse accompanied by shinzō and kamuro, and this journey is called a dōchū.

A shinzō is a courtesan in training who has not yet reached full status. You could call them junior oiran.

In any case, today, Oiran Seiko will be making this journey, and it's quite a spectacle, almost like a parade.

At the center is the oiran, who is beautifully and sternly dressed, with elaborately dressed shinzō walking beside her, and a few kamuro in front. Bodyguards line the streets to ensure no one interferes, as they parade through the streets of this Yoshiwara-like town.

This doesn't happen often, so the spectators are always packed.

Since oiran are rarely seen, the excitement is even greater.

By the way, the courtesans' attire is basically just a casual kimono.

However, it's a courtesan's kimono, so it's adorned with bright patterns and luxurious decorations.

The difference between an oiran's and a courtesan's attire is that the oiran wears a large haori (coat) in addition to the kimono.

The difference is immediately noticeable.

There's no set hairstyle, but they all create their own unique styles, whether it's long hair tied with paper strings and hairpins or short hair braided with colored strings.

"Chrysanthemum, you're crooked here."

"Ah, really?"

"You're hopeless."

Now that Seiko's preparations are complete, I'm getting dressed with Aki together.

I still have a lot to learn, so I'm putting on the kimono with his help.

Aki can be a bit of a pain with his extra comments, but he's fundamentally a good teacher, and I like him. In a friendly way.

I like to think his extra comments are a sign of his affection for me... but if I'm wrong, I apologize.

Before I knew it, a month had passed. I had gotten used to changing clothes and seeing men naked in front of them. Helping with dressing means that I can see everything directly. Various things.

At first, I would turn bright red, and the older brothers would laugh and say, "It's your first time, Chrysanthemum," and "You'll get used to it." But for me, who is not a 5-year-old, it was not a laughing matter.

However, getting used to it is a powerful thing. After seeing it every day, I no longer turn red.

Seeing this, the older brothers were a bit disappointed, but I had developed a mental toughness that left them speechless.

I had become so open about changing clothes in front of them, as if there was nothing to be ashamed of in my 5-year-old body. But I felt like I had lost something as a woman.

"Here, try combing your hair. I'll tie it up for you."

After changing, I was called by Seiko to have my long hair, which reaches my shoulders, styled. Aki had also been styled before me.

At first, every time I was taken care of by the older brothers, I would be nervous and hesitant, but they would say,

"This is something you might do for the older brothers in the future. It's an opportunity to learn their mannerisms with your own body. Accept it with joy."

"Right?" Seiko said one day.

I also remember my father saying, "Learn to be a courtesan by taking care of and being taken care of by others."

No, I've said it many times, but my goal is to be a geisha, a male geisha. Even though I'm a woman.

"By the way, Chrysanthemum,"

Seiko, who was styling my hair, stopped midway.

"Do you want to cut your hair, Chrysanthemum?"

Seiko's face, which had been behind me, tilted forward, and he looked at me seriously. I couldn't read his intention from his face, but I answered anyway.

"I've been thinking about it."

I thought it would be strange to grow my hair long since I'm going to become a man.

However, many courtesans, regardless of being men, have long hair. The ratio of short to long hair is about fifty-fifty.

The point is, as long as it looks good, right?

But in my case, since I'm a woman pretending to be a man, I can't afford to be recognized by customers. I need to eliminate any elements that might raise suspicion.

"That's not good."

"Excuse me?"

If I heard correctly, I just heard a denial.

I couldn't help but ask, but Seiko smiled and said it again.

"That's not good?"

"Um, well,"

I was told the same thing twice.

He chuckled at my confusion, stopped his hands, and started stroking my head, which he had been tying up.

I vaguely thought, "He sure smiles a lot," in the back of my confused mind.

"You have such beautiful black hair. Many men grow their hair long. You should grow it out."

"But won't people know I'm a woman?"

"You don't look like a woman, so it's fine."

Wait, am I hearing the voice of a beautiful young man?

"Don't worry about it."

"But, "

"Grow it out anyway."

"But, I'm a woman..."

"Chrysanthemum, do you understand?"

This time, it was said in a way that left no room for argument.

Why do I feel so intimidated? This is just about whether to grow my hair or not.

"Your answer is?"

"Y-Yes!"

As I spoke, Seiko's hands, which had somehow finished tying my hair, left my head. Instead, the sound of the bells tied to my hair rang in my ear.

Then, as Seiko stood up, the black haori we had helped him put on earlier swayed, and the blue obi sash fluttered. The casual kimono underneath was a red fabric with black butterflies, which suited Seiko's black hair and eyes perfectly.

Hmm, he looks good today too.

"Good answer. Since we've finished preparing Aki and Chrysanthemum, let's go and finish the dōchū. Both of you, are you ready? Remember, for your future, you need to learn what an oiran dōchū is like with your body."

"Yes!"

"Yes..."

And so, once again, I continued my training, which was far from being a geisha.