"Ani-ue." A petulant, almost whining tone.
"Yes, Koharu? What is it?"
The Kagami siblings were outside of their modest home in Odawara, tucked away in a secluded room. This had been where they lived since being cast away from Lady Kobayashi's service, and despite everything, Koharu's been met with some success in providing enough money for them both to live on. As a ronin disguised as a man, Koharu slowly mastered the arts of deception and trickery. Yet, still-
"Ani-ue, do you really think it's okay?" Koharu asked, staring needily at her once capable - now disabled older brother. Her cheeks were puffed up in a slight pout. "Going back and helping Chinatsu- " She quickly shook her head, correcting herself at Kousaka's disapproving frown. "Lady Kobayashi after what she did to you? Why not simply remain as we are? I don't want to part ways with you!"
Kousaka just gave her a sage little smile, slight mischief playing in the corner of his eyes. He was definitely plotting something, and Koharu wasn't sure she was a fan of it at all. She knew that look - but she also knew that no amount of prodding would make him tell her his schemes. Before the crippling injury, Kousaka has been an individual full of wonder and excitement - always going on crazy adventures with another one of the Kobayashi retainers - a certain Ikeda Kojuro - doing things Koharu felt almost excluded from. The little sparkle had been gone from his eyes in the two years since his discharge and the fall of the clan - Kousaka almost falling into what could be called a depression.
It was odd. While Kousaka always seemed to place emphasis on honor and being a samurai, Koharu never really had it stuck in her head the way most children around her had. Sure, she was okay with being loyal and all, but it wasn't as if she truly understood her brother's struggles as he adjusted to his new life in Odawara. He would always be her top priority - he was the only family she truly had left. If there was anyone she could count on, it was him, disabled leg and all.
"Yes." Kousaka gave one look over Koharu's disguise. While anyone who knew Kousaka from before would never have been fooled, she still did look the role of a young, slender man. As long as she was careful, no one would ever find out her true gender. "I believe you should accept Kana-hime's offer."
Koharu was loathe to separate from Kousaka, especially on such a long quest as this one seemed it would be. Yet she couldn't bring herself to deny his almost excited look - the gleam of youthful adventure that had once been his entire life. After being sad for years, she couldn't simply take that away from him. It was her job to protect his smile now, no matter what.
"...Then I shall travel to Edo in your stead, Ani-ue."
Then Kousaka cracked a boyish grin that hadn't been on his face for the longest time. It looked both nostalgic and excited at the same time.
"If you can, see if you can meet up with Kojuro again. And punch him for me for being unable to assassinate Yousuke on his own." Kousaka sported a crafty grin. "Weakling."
And so, Koharu set off, leaving behind her brother for this quest.
Kana-hime was certainly a beauty to behold. The two spoke idly - Koharu certainly didn't know her all that well, given she only saw her face once ever before. Still, it was always nice to travel with someone so attractive, yet somewhat familiar - they were both from Katsunuma, after all, so surely with time, they could form some kind of bond.
Their duo became three when Kana-hime happened upon someone who wasn't meant to have joined them in the first place. She couldn't help but cheer him on as the lone man easily dispatched the three assailants with naught but his own body as a weapon. Surely, Atago-san gave her a strange vibe - how many people were skilled enough to win a fight, outnumbered, weaponless? Kana-hime had asked her, but Koharu denied any oddity - it' be best not to let her inner suspicions leak out for the time being. Whatever the case, she'd keep an eye on the man who was now apparently an ally.
The Ochaya of Seven Pleasures was certainly filled with many pleasures - Koharu had to really focus to keep a blush from her appearing on her cheeks. While Kana-hime was choosing which girl to bring, Koharu could feel the eyes of some of the resident saburako on her, as if boring into her soul. It made her feel a confusing combination of excitement and anxiety that she wasn't sure how to process. Koharu could only hope the Atago-san could feel at least some of the scrutiny. The Saburako they ended up enlisting was said to be the best of Edo, and her reputation didn't do her beauty justice. She held an enigmatic, mysterious sort of aura that Koharu couldn't tear her eyes from. Still, hiding these thoughts, Koharu quickly chirped a friendly welcome, wanting Hara Noa-san to feel at ease with their team. It was almost a shame that Koharu couldn't go and visit the establishment more often - she wasn't really a man, after all.
Yet as she was making these mental notes, Koharu was intent on giving everyone a friendly face - telling jokes that ranged from hilarious to petty, smiling more than necessary, and generally being easy to get along with. Her light hearted grins and calculated laughs were easy to fake, though she subtly wondered if Kana-hime or Noa might've seen through it.
Once they eventually reached Edo, Koharu knew what she had to do. She grinned cheerfully at the tall samurai who said something about honor for a few moments before turning her attention to her old friend. Clearly, he'd been expecting Kousaka. Koharu knew she couldn't let him blow her cover so easily so she took quick steps to her old friend (he seems taller?) and delivered a playful punch to the shoulder.
"Kojuro!" Koharu mimicked the deeper voice of her brother while maintaining the way he'd have inserted excitement and boyish pleasure at seeing such a close friend after so long. "It's good to see you again! You remember me, Kousaka, don't you? You better not have been slacking in your training, else Atago-san will surely outdo you."
Koharu offered Kojuro an almost threateningly venomous wink before returning to a benign playful smirk.
"Of course, I'll also perform better than you." She then clapped her old friend on the back, giving him a bedazzling expression. "Let's have an adventure like we used to, Kojuro!"