When Yumeko first saw Mitsuri, she was surprised. Nobody ever came up the mountain to visit the shrine anymore; the inhabitants of the village were too old for the hike, and the village itself didn't get many tourists. So hearing a gasp and spotting a woman she had never met before was enough to give her quite a startle.
She was standing there, curiosity in her eyes as she looked at Yumeko, who had at this point stopped sweeping up the leaves that had been covering the ground. She had soft brown hair, pulled into a formal bun. She was wearing a black turtleneck and brown pants with a brown trench coat draped over her body.
Yumeko's eyes widened, and her grip on the broom loosened; it dropped to the floor with a loud clatter, and her face went red. It only turned redder when she heard a small puff of laughter come from the woman, who quickly ran over to help.
Hearing that her grandmother could get help had lifted a weight off of Yumeko's shoulders, but it also added a new one. Mainly, money. Yumeko could scrape by selling the herbs she found on the mountain, but adding in the price of a traveling nurse? Yumeko knew she didn't have enough; it just wasn't possible to pay for it all.
She had thought of the plan when her grandmother first started getting sick; she was determined to get her to the hospital, no matter the cost. Even if she had to sell herself, it would be worth it. But her grandmother was stubborn, and Yumeko was forced to bide her time. She secretly felt grateful she wouldn't have to go to such lengths, but she would do anything for her grandmother.
She hadn't meant to hug Mitsuri, but she was so relieved, so taken aback by the kindness of a stranger, she just couldn't help it. She made up her mind right then and there to give this kind nurse everything she had. Nothing would ever make up for the kindness she had given them, but Yumeko was going to try.
After setting up the futon, Yumeko had made a light dinner, adding one more person to the meal plan meant she had to go searching for more herbs tomorrow, but Yumeko didn't mind too much. For now, she was content to enjoy the meal with Mitsuri.
"I know it's not much, but I hope my cooking pleases you," Yumeko says, a twinge of embarrassment in her tone.
"It's delicious, I mostly eat out, so a home-cooked meal is much appreciated," Mitsuri replies, laughing lightly. It's enough to make Yumeko relax, a soft smile appearing on her face. Mitsuri always had a look of light amusement on her face, like she heard a joke that nobody else seemed to be able to.
"What brought you to Akiruiyama? If you don't mind me asking." Yumeko added after a moment.
"Whenever I go back to the city for supplies, I plan a route for my travels. It usually consists of villages or towns I haven't visited in a while, and new ones that could probably use some support. Akiruiyama was actually the last village on my route." Mitsuri explains, Yumeko nodding at the information.
"Where have you been staying?" Yumeko asks, taking a small sip of the tea she had served.
"At the old inn, they don't seem to get many visitors, so the proprietress was very welcoming," Mitsuri answers, getting a bit lost in thought.
"Mm, tourism has gone down a bit. Our village doesn't have much to offer compared to others, and our main attraction is now a bit…run down." Yumeko winces as she says it. The shrine had been a vital part of the village's tourist economy. But when her grandmother took her in, she couldn't keep up with the daily activities of a shrine maiden and was forced to retire.
"Ah, I see." Mitsuri gives her a sympathetic smile, which Yumeko returns. After they finish, Yumeko shows Mitsuri her room. The shrine only has two rooms, and Yumeko felt it was rude to put a guest in the living room.
"You can rest in here. The bathroom is at the end of the hall. I'm going to give my grandmother dinner now. Feel free to make this place your home." Yumeko instructs. Mitsuri nods, and Yumeko heads toward the kitchen to prepare her grandmother's meal. She had become unable to swallow solids, leaving Yumeko no choice but to give her different soups and some watery congee.
She enters the room and kneels down next to her grandmother, placing the tray of food to her left as she shakes her grandma awake. Seeing her thin, emaciated form is enough to make a few tears slip down her face. She wipes them away before her grandma has the chance to see them.
"Grandma, it's time to eat." She whispers, and for a heartbreaking second, her grandma doesn't stir. But then, her eyes flutter open, and she turns to Yumeko.
"Ah, thank you, dear." She says, letting Yumeko fluff up the pillow enough for her to sit up comfortably. Yumeko takes the spoon and dips it in the congee, bringing it to her grandmother's mouth. Yumeko can see the frown on her face. Satsuki was always a strong-willed woman, so being spoon-fed food caused her a great deal of displeasure.
"I'm sure things will start to look up now that Mitsuri is here," Yumeko says, hoping to distract her grandmother.
"She seems like a nice girl. Have you two been getting along?" Satsuki questions.
"Mhm, we just had dinner together, she's been staying at the inn," Yumeko replies.
"Well, don't put too much pressure on her. I'm old enough now, so don't go blaming her if we can't figure out what's wrong with me." Satsuki scolds. Yumeko makes a distressed sound low in her throat.
"If she can't figure out what's wrong with you, I'll be bringing you to a hospital. Or, I'll bring the hospital here." Yumeko states indignantly.
"Haha, good luck with that, this stubborn old woman isn't going anywhere. Go rest now, you've taken care of me enough." Satsuki shoos her off, and Yumeko sighs in disappointment. Why can't her grandma just accept the help? Doesn't she see how much Yumeko still needs her?
When she returns to her room, Mitsuri has shed the trenchcoat and taken out her bun, her brown hair now falling neatly around her shoulders.
"Everything alright?" The nurse questions, and Yumeko lets out a surprised squeak. She didn't think her feelings were that obvious.
"Ah, yes, my grandmother is just a bit stubborn," Yumeko responds, heading over to the closet to grab her sleepwear.
"I can see that. She seems to be very determined." Mitsuri chuckles.
"It's useful in some cases, not this one, though. Are you going to wear that to bed?" Yumeko questions, glancing back at Mitsuri when she's finished changing.
"I didn't bring any of my clothes up I was going to grab my suitcase early the next morning, if that's alright with you," Mitsuri states.
"Oh, you should've told me, I would've grabbed it before we had dinner." Yumeko frets. How could she forget about something as obvious as that?
"Don't worry, I've slept in way worse situations. I can go one night without my bag." Mitsuri stands up, walking over, and placing a comforting hand on Yumeko's shoulder.
"If you say so…" Yumeko trails off uncertainly, her face turning slightly red with embarrassment. She doesn't know what to say now; she has never been in a situation like this before. Luckily, Mitsuri must notice her awkwardness as she picks up the slack in the conversation.
"You don't have to feel embarrassed. It's a stressful time for you, I'm here to look out for both of you, so you don't have to worry too much, okay?" Mitsuri grabs Yumeko's hands, causing her to blush even harder, but she nods in agreement. With that, Yumeko turns off the lights and slips into her futon, pulling up the duvet as she settles in for sleep, hearing Mitsuri do the same beside her. Maybe, with Mitsuri here, things would start getting better. Yumeko could only hope.
The next week passed like any other for Yumeko. She would head out early in the morning to search for herbs, making sure to replant some seeds so they could grow again, and then taking them down the mountain to sell. In the village, she bought the food she needed and any other supplies before heading back up.
Mitsuri would help her make dinner and even offer some suggestions on what to feed Satsuki to try and keep her healthy. Mitsuri spent a lot of time with Satsuki, trying different examinations and asking questions to try and get to the source of the illness. Not many people could order around her grandmother like that; it only made Yumeko more impressed with Mitsuri.
By the end of the week, Yumeko was used to Mitsuri flitting about, making conversation with Satsuki, and helping her with the chores. She almost couldn't imagine what it was like before she arrived, though she made sure to keep the knowledge in the back of her head for the time when Mitsuri would eventually have to leave.
Yumeko had just gotten back from selling the herbs when she spotted Mitsuri. She was in the living room, a small frown on her face that only deepened when she saw Yumeko. For a second, she thought she'd done something wrong and pushed away the only person who was able to help them. That is, until Mitsuri opened her mouth.
"It's about your grandmother…I have a few suspicions about her condition." Mitsuri said hesitantly. Yumeko put the supplies she was carrying down on the counter before turning to face Mitsuri.
"What are they?" Yumeko questions, her voice cracking even as she tried to keep a brave face.
"It's…complicated. I'm not able to completely diagnose her without taking her to a hospital, but I have a feeling it's something serious. My best guesses would be lung cancer or perhaps a tumor." Mitsuri explains gravely. Yumeko's hand flies up to her mouth in shock, tears already welling in her eyes.
"Are you sure? I mean, it could be something else, right?" Yumeko begs.
"I have no way of knowing without the proper technology, I'm sorry. I talked it over with Satsuki, but she doesn't want to go to a hospital. I can keep trying different solutions, but…it doesn't look good." Mitsuri admits, shaking her head slightly.
"T-this can't be happening, she has to go to the hospital. I can't lose her. She's all I have." Yumeko sobs, her knees shaking so much she has to slide down to the floor. Mitsuri immediately shoots to her side, placing a supporting hand on her shoulder.
"I know it sounds horrible, but she still has a bit of time left. With the proper medicine, I might be able to extend her life by a year; in that time, maybe we could convince her to go to a hospital." Mitsuri suggests. Her voice was a comfort that Yumeko held onto like a lifeline.
"We?" Yumeko questions.
"My job as a traveling nurse is to help. I don't mind staying here to take care of Satsuki. It would be my pleasure, actually." Mitsuri admits, a bit sheepishly.
"You…are you serious? I would…that would…thank you so much." Yumeko turns, plunging her face into Mitsuri's shoulder, sobbing as Mitsuri brushes calming circles onto her back.
"Of course, there's nothing I'd rather do," Mitsuri says gently, her breath falling gently on Yumeko's ear. Her soothing voice makes Yumeko blush, and she hesitantly pulls away from the comfort of the other woman's arms.
"I think I'm going to go rest for a bit. If you don't mind?" Yumeko questions shakily.
"Of course not, have a good rest, I'll make dinner in the meantime." Mitsuri waves off Yumeko's concerns, and Yumeko is left biting her lip in hesitation as she moves toward her room. It hurts, hearing that her grandma is going to die hurts. But there is nothing Yumeko can do about it now; she can only wait and hope.