Series: His Sakura (Chapter 1)
Title: His Sakura
Pairing: Please refer A/N
Setting: Early Edo period. Historically incorrect and purely fiction.
Summary: When Jun ended up in a castle
MUST READ WARNING (DON'T TELL ME I DIDN'T WARN YOU): This fic contains themes that might be triggering / make some people uncomfortable. It has r*pe theme (violation of main character by the other main character), attempted su***de, lots of R rated scenes (well most probably not until chapter 30++ lols - but I might not put any ratings at all), angst, drama, Sho being a jerk (initially. but, he'll turn around I'm sure XD), fluff (probably). Please, if you’re uncomfortable with any of these I advise you not to read this one (but these warnings didn't apply in this first chapter or even the second one).
Note: I just wanted to post the first chapter from my new series just because I need some motivation to finish this one. This story is driving me crazy for months now and I can't spend my day without thinking of this story but then I'm such a slow (and not really good) writer so the progress is kinda move at a snail pace. So I hope by posting the first chapter on my lj I'll be more determine to finish this series.
Ever since I finished my first Juntoshi series in a some kind of historical setting, I want to write more in that kind of setting. So this time I set my story in Edo period. To whoever that had read my last series you might thought that this will be same like last one, but it's a bit different, since it'll be a different pairings and oh look at the ratings (ha!). Since the setting is feudal Japan, I did some light study but it's obvious that this is going to be historically incorrect, but hey this is just a fiction right?
I don't want to post this on arashirabu yet until I know I can finish the rest (it's still in 50% progress mark edit in March 2015: it still at 30% progress mark since I'm making revision to what I've written before), (Edit in July 2015: I won't post this on arashirabu), but if you accidentally read this chapter, please note that the next one will need some time to be posted (although it might seems ready). And I still can't think of a title yet! (OMG) Found a title! It's His Sakura. Mind you, it wasn't the Arashi single that inspire me, rather that from something that I wrote in the story way before the single was announce, but I like Sakura single, I love the song too much <3 I think I'm going to update the second chapter now (this is March 2015).
Unbetaed as always.
“We’re here to collect your debt…”
“We’re going to pay but please gives us more time… My husband just passed away…”
“We’ll give you time. In one week we’ll be back here…”
….
“You can’t pay?”
“Please, give us more time!”
“We’ve given you enough time!”
“I promise that I’ll pay you… The crops will be harvested next month… please wait…”
“No, we can’t wait that long... and besides your harvest won’t be enough to pay your debts, we have to take over your land too…”
“No please… that land is the only thing we have… please…”
“Un… Perhaps there’s another way to pay… Give us your son!”
“But… who’s going to help me in the field?”
“Well it’s unfortunate for you then… It’s the field or your son…”
“…I just have to work for you to pay all our debt, that is all, right?”
“Jun-“
“Mother… if this is the only thing I can do to save our family then I’ll do it…”
“But Jun… you’re my only son! I can’t give you to them…”
“I’ll be back after I settle our debt…”
“Promise me?”
“I promise…”
It was the promise, to go back home after Jun paid their family debt. He was just fifteen years of age at that time, just an innocent boy thinking that he could work hard for Sakurai daimyo to free his family, but reality was not exactly kind to an innocent boy like him. Without him realising, he made himself jumped into a deep, dark pit with no light at the end of it. He was made a slave. Someone who was lower than a servant, and to him, someone who was even lower than an animal.
*
Jun came from a family of farmers. His late father owned a rice field; a modestly size one and it was their only property. Ever since Jun had enough strength to cut the mature paddy plants and lifting a stack of it, he had already been helping his father in the farm.
If Jun wanted to admit, his father was quite an ambitious man. The rice tax was increasing each year and the family barely kept the rice they harvested enough for themselves. Thus, Jun’s father began to venture into the making of sake so they won’t rely too much on a single kind of income when Jun was ten years of age. It was a slow start, since the sake required time to mature before it was ready to be sold, but they managed, since they were using their own rice and from the villagers, and with the help of some of their family’s close friends in the village, the small manufacturing workshop had no fear of losing human workforce. For Jun, it was like learning a new lesson, just like when he was learning kanji at school.
Jun loved the business side of his family. That way he could apply his arithmetic he learnt at school. He worked hard to learn and by fourteen years of age, he was already able to taking care of the accounting book. He was happy that his life was going in the direction he wanted; taking over his father business when he was old enough and expanding it, until unfortunate event strike their family when his father was suddenly fell into a sickness that took his life away in an instance.
Jun was left with his mother and a young sister to pick their life back from pieces. Jun was too young to take over the business so someone else took over it instead, sold to some lord for a pitiful price, lower than its supposed value. Jun tried to argue about it but no one would want listen to a child like him while his mother had no power at all over the business so she couldn’t do anything about it. It was at that time when he learnt that his father owed money to the daimyo that was ruling the han where they resided; the Sakurai clan.
It was rather unfortunate that Jun’s father had borrowed money from the daimyo office for the sake making, and it was more unfortunate when the money couldn’t be returned, and Jun had no idea how to return it until the men that had come to his family on behalf of the daimyo to claim the money back suggested that something must be given to them in order for the debt to be settled, and Jun was stupid enough to offer himself.
The moment he stepped into their vast gate, Jun cursed the existence of the family that turned his world upside down in a blink of an eye.
*
From what Jun had heard from his late father, the Sakurai clan was a very prominent clan that had been ruling the han since many years, passed down from their ancestors, who had position in the Imperial Palace in Kyoto before the Shogun transferred the bakufu; the ruling government, to Edo. Even the han was named Sakura as their namesake, and the land covered the biggest part of Shimousa province, which was well-known for its fertile land.
It was said that the revenue of the ruling daimyo was around 200,000 koku which made the han among the top tier of the wealthiest domain, and it showed on the nature of the daimyo’s castle, where the family had received the shogunate’s consent, which was rare, to expand their castle’s ground to accommodate more staffs.
Along the road, during the travel to the castle, on the horse which Jun was riding with the daimyo’s messenger who fetched him, who was actually a samurai, Jun’s mind was reeling non-stopped. Truthfully, he was scared. He never went out not even once, outside the comfort of his village, and now the thought of living in a new place terrified him. He didn’t know how he would be treated, what nature of his work would be and how long he would need to serve the family until his family debt was cleared. However, a small part of his brain tried to console him, telling everything would be alright, as long as he was earnest and doing everything he was asked for.
His heart beat faster when he saw the castle looming in the distance. The main keep was the first view of the castle that greeted his eyes, white and towering proudly in the distance, behind the carefully built stone walls.
They passed through the castle town and rows of houses before they reached the castle gate, just after they cross the bridge, where the door opened in light squeaked for them by the two guards who were guarding the main entrance. Outside, along the stone walls, Jun could see many Sakura trees lining up in the perfect distance from each other, on the bank of the moat that was surrounding the castle ground, and the view soothed his pounding heart a little bit.
As they entered, Jun saw on his left, a watchtower just a few metres from the gate with a few Sakura trees scattered at the foot of the tower, decorating the garden around it that was connected to two modest houses. On the central courtyard, there was a bigger garden that led to a bigger housing complex, which was two tiered and prettier than the one on the left. At the right side, in another courtyard stood a few houses, a little smaller than the central one, but a little bigger than the one on the left side. Not in the far distance, just at the back of the central house, situated the six-tiered main keep, with one minor keep at the northwest of the main tower that had balcony on the third floor and the other at the northeast which Jun had seen outside the gate. Wooden walkway with roof connected the buildings together.
Jun couldn’t keep his mouth from gaping at the luxurious complex. When he was dropped onto the pavement leading to the two-tiered house, or rather a palace, where the daimyo resided, the reality hit him. He couldn’t go back to his home, not until the debt was settled, and this big castle compound would be his playing ground from now on.
He was led to see the daimyo in his court in the main keep. Jun prostrated at him, low on the ground, and the daimyo just hummed at him and dismissed him without saying further words. He was immediately shuffled to another room by the daimyo’s assistant, and he was given simple instruction; he needed to work around the castle as the way of payment. Jun’s small head could only nod, still couldn’t fully grasp his situation yet and how long he would be doing the work, but before he could utter the burning questions, he was led outside the daimyo’s residence to the double-tiered building at the back of the castle, where he was told it was the staff’s housing complex, where he would start his new life as a member of the castle’s household staff, or in another word, a servant.
There, he met the head of the household affairs, a fairly tall and well-dress man in a dark robes, Yoshida Kotaro-san. He was showed to his room at the back of the house, far from the other room. It was bare and small, around the size of three tatami mat, it barely fit him but he thought the room was enough for his small body. He was given a futon, a few pieces of clothing and nothing else.
A day later he was told that he needed to work for the family for ten years in order for the debt to be cleared, and he won’t receive any monetary payment but he was entitled to have essential things to live such as food, clothes and shelter which he had already received, however after a few days of working he overheard things; they had no intention to let him go even after the debt was paid in full, because it was not easy for them to acquired any slaves anymore, after the shogun put a decree to stop any slavery, and Jun was quite unfortunate that he owed to them so they had excuses to possess him even if the shogun found out.
Jun cried in his tiny room the moment he found out that he was made a slave and there was no way of seeing his mother and sister anymore. He mourned his unfortunate life in which he had to slave his entire existence to the Sakurai until he died or until the family ceased to exist, whichever came first, although the former was most likely than the later.
TBC
*notes:
Daimyo- Lord in feudal Japan
Han- domain
Shimousa province- located in modern-day Chiba
Shogun- the Commander-in-Chief in feudal Japan (Lead ruler of the country) which has daimyos as vassals
Bakufu- the ruling government of Shogun
koku - the amount of rice a man need in a year
Chapter 2
[Extra notes (contain spoiler though)]
A/N2: The earlier chapters will be in Jun's perspective, then after I introduced the others then perspectives will change (depending on the focus of the chapter) This story will be a little exasperating and there's much information that will be witheld until I post Sho's perspective. I already drafted the ending and I'm actually quite happy with it at the time being so I won't probably change it. How it will end? *hint hint* I don't like unhappy ending! Ahaha
So the pairings! It will be Sakumoto, Junba and *surprise* Ohmiya and another pairing(s) which only going to be revealed in Sho-centred chapters. No Juntoshi this time? Well they're bff in this <3
I have the whole story laid out in my brain and I think it's quite long but unfortunately my brain doesn't have the capacity to turn it to words so effectively, so it will going to be a long time until the story is finish
I wonder if anyone even interested to read this story now that I've given so many warnings of how inadequate this story will going to be orz *so much fail*
Pairing: Please refer A/N
Setting: Early Edo period. Historically incorrect and purely fiction.
Summary: When Jun ended up in a castle
MUST READ WARNING (DON'T TELL ME I DIDN'T WARN YOU): This fic contains themes that might be triggering / make some people uncomfortable. It has r*pe theme (violation of main character by the other main character), attempted su***de, lots of R rated scenes (well most probably not until chapter 30++ lols - but I might not put any ratings at all), angst, drama, Sho being a jerk (initially. but, he'll turn around I'm sure XD), fluff (probably). Please, if you’re uncomfortable with any of these I advise you not to read this one (but these warnings didn't apply in this first chapter or even the second one).
Note: I just wanted to post the first chapter from my new series just because I need some motivation to finish this one. This story is driving me crazy for months now and I can't spend my day without thinking of this story but then I'm such a slow (and not really good) writer so the progress is kinda move at a snail pace. So I hope by posting the first chapter on my lj I'll be more determine to finish this series.
Ever since I finished my first Juntoshi series in a some kind of historical setting, I want to write more in that kind of setting. So this time I set my story in Edo period. To whoever that had read my last series you might thought that this will be same like last one, but it's a bit different, since it'll be a different pairings and oh look at the ratings (ha!). Since the setting is feudal Japan, I did some light study but it's obvious that this is going to be historically incorrect, but hey this is just a fiction right?
I don't want to post this on arashirabu yet until I know I can finish the rest (it's still in 50% progress mark edit in March 2015: it still at 30% progress mark since I'm making revision to what I've written before), (Edit in July 2015: I won't post this on arashirabu), but if you accidentally read this chapter, please note that the next one will need some time to be posted (although it might seems ready). And I still can't think of a title yet! (OMG) Found a title! It's His Sakura. Mind you, it wasn't the Arashi single that inspire me, rather that from something that I wrote in the story way before the single was announce, but I like Sakura single, I love the song too much <3 I think I'm going to update the second chapter now (this is March 2015).
Unbetaed as always.
“We’re here to collect your debt…”
“We’re going to pay but please gives us more time… My husband just passed away…”
“We’ll give you time. In one week we’ll be back here…”
….
“You can’t pay?”
“Please, give us more time!”
“We’ve given you enough time!”
“I promise that I’ll pay you… The crops will be harvested next month… please wait…”
“No, we can’t wait that long... and besides your harvest won’t be enough to pay your debts, we have to take over your land too…”
“No please… that land is the only thing we have… please…”
“Un… Perhaps there’s another way to pay… Give us your son!”
“But… who’s going to help me in the field?”
“Well it’s unfortunate for you then… It’s the field or your son…”
“…I just have to work for you to pay all our debt, that is all, right?”
“Jun-“
“Mother… if this is the only thing I can do to save our family then I’ll do it…”
“But Jun… you’re my only son! I can’t give you to them…”
“I’ll be back after I settle our debt…”
“Promise me?”
“I promise…”
It was the promise, to go back home after Jun paid their family debt. He was just fifteen years of age at that time, just an innocent boy thinking that he could work hard for Sakurai daimyo to free his family, but reality was not exactly kind to an innocent boy like him. Without him realising, he made himself jumped into a deep, dark pit with no light at the end of it. He was made a slave. Someone who was lower than a servant, and to him, someone who was even lower than an animal.
*
Jun came from a family of farmers. His late father owned a rice field; a modestly size one and it was their only property. Ever since Jun had enough strength to cut the mature paddy plants and lifting a stack of it, he had already been helping his father in the farm.
If Jun wanted to admit, his father was quite an ambitious man. The rice tax was increasing each year and the family barely kept the rice they harvested enough for themselves. Thus, Jun’s father began to venture into the making of sake so they won’t rely too much on a single kind of income when Jun was ten years of age. It was a slow start, since the sake required time to mature before it was ready to be sold, but they managed, since they were using their own rice and from the villagers, and with the help of some of their family’s close friends in the village, the small manufacturing workshop had no fear of losing human workforce. For Jun, it was like learning a new lesson, just like when he was learning kanji at school.
Jun loved the business side of his family. That way he could apply his arithmetic he learnt at school. He worked hard to learn and by fourteen years of age, he was already able to taking care of the accounting book. He was happy that his life was going in the direction he wanted; taking over his father business when he was old enough and expanding it, until unfortunate event strike their family when his father was suddenly fell into a sickness that took his life away in an instance.
Jun was left with his mother and a young sister to pick their life back from pieces. Jun was too young to take over the business so someone else took over it instead, sold to some lord for a pitiful price, lower than its supposed value. Jun tried to argue about it but no one would want listen to a child like him while his mother had no power at all over the business so she couldn’t do anything about it. It was at that time when he learnt that his father owed money to the daimyo that was ruling the han where they resided; the Sakurai clan.
It was rather unfortunate that Jun’s father had borrowed money from the daimyo office for the sake making, and it was more unfortunate when the money couldn’t be returned, and Jun had no idea how to return it until the men that had come to his family on behalf of the daimyo to claim the money back suggested that something must be given to them in order for the debt to be settled, and Jun was stupid enough to offer himself.
The moment he stepped into their vast gate, Jun cursed the existence of the family that turned his world upside down in a blink of an eye.
*
From what Jun had heard from his late father, the Sakurai clan was a very prominent clan that had been ruling the han since many years, passed down from their ancestors, who had position in the Imperial Palace in Kyoto before the Shogun transferred the bakufu; the ruling government, to Edo. Even the han was named Sakura as their namesake, and the land covered the biggest part of Shimousa province, which was well-known for its fertile land.
It was said that the revenue of the ruling daimyo was around 200,000 koku which made the han among the top tier of the wealthiest domain, and it showed on the nature of the daimyo’s castle, where the family had received the shogunate’s consent, which was rare, to expand their castle’s ground to accommodate more staffs.
Along the road, during the travel to the castle, on the horse which Jun was riding with the daimyo’s messenger who fetched him, who was actually a samurai, Jun’s mind was reeling non-stopped. Truthfully, he was scared. He never went out not even once, outside the comfort of his village, and now the thought of living in a new place terrified him. He didn’t know how he would be treated, what nature of his work would be and how long he would need to serve the family until his family debt was cleared. However, a small part of his brain tried to console him, telling everything would be alright, as long as he was earnest and doing everything he was asked for.
His heart beat faster when he saw the castle looming in the distance. The main keep was the first view of the castle that greeted his eyes, white and towering proudly in the distance, behind the carefully built stone walls.
They passed through the castle town and rows of houses before they reached the castle gate, just after they cross the bridge, where the door opened in light squeaked for them by the two guards who were guarding the main entrance. Outside, along the stone walls, Jun could see many Sakura trees lining up in the perfect distance from each other, on the bank of the moat that was surrounding the castle ground, and the view soothed his pounding heart a little bit.
As they entered, Jun saw on his left, a watchtower just a few metres from the gate with a few Sakura trees scattered at the foot of the tower, decorating the garden around it that was connected to two modest houses. On the central courtyard, there was a bigger garden that led to a bigger housing complex, which was two tiered and prettier than the one on the left. At the right side, in another courtyard stood a few houses, a little smaller than the central one, but a little bigger than the one on the left side. Not in the far distance, just at the back of the central house, situated the six-tiered main keep, with one minor keep at the northwest of the main tower that had balcony on the third floor and the other at the northeast which Jun had seen outside the gate. Wooden walkway with roof connected the buildings together.
Jun couldn’t keep his mouth from gaping at the luxurious complex. When he was dropped onto the pavement leading to the two-tiered house, or rather a palace, where the daimyo resided, the reality hit him. He couldn’t go back to his home, not until the debt was settled, and this big castle compound would be his playing ground from now on.
He was led to see the daimyo in his court in the main keep. Jun prostrated at him, low on the ground, and the daimyo just hummed at him and dismissed him without saying further words. He was immediately shuffled to another room by the daimyo’s assistant, and he was given simple instruction; he needed to work around the castle as the way of payment. Jun’s small head could only nod, still couldn’t fully grasp his situation yet and how long he would be doing the work, but before he could utter the burning questions, he was led outside the daimyo’s residence to the double-tiered building at the back of the castle, where he was told it was the staff’s housing complex, where he would start his new life as a member of the castle’s household staff, or in another word, a servant.
There, he met the head of the household affairs, a fairly tall and well-dress man in a dark robes, Yoshida Kotaro-san. He was showed to his room at the back of the house, far from the other room. It was bare and small, around the size of three tatami mat, it barely fit him but he thought the room was enough for his small body. He was given a futon, a few pieces of clothing and nothing else.
A day later he was told that he needed to work for the family for ten years in order for the debt to be cleared, and he won’t receive any monetary payment but he was entitled to have essential things to live such as food, clothes and shelter which he had already received, however after a few days of working he overheard things; they had no intention to let him go even after the debt was paid in full, because it was not easy for them to acquired any slaves anymore, after the shogun put a decree to stop any slavery, and Jun was quite unfortunate that he owed to them so they had excuses to possess him even if the shogun found out.
Jun cried in his tiny room the moment he found out that he was made a slave and there was no way of seeing his mother and sister anymore. He mourned his unfortunate life in which he had to slave his entire existence to the Sakurai until he died or until the family ceased to exist, whichever came first, although the former was most likely than the later.
TBC
*notes:
Daimyo- Lord in feudal Japan
Han- domain
Shimousa province- located in modern-day Chiba
Shogun- the Commander-in-Chief in feudal Japan (Lead ruler of the country) which has daimyos as vassals
Bakufu- the ruling government of Shogun
koku - the amount of rice a man need in a year
Chapter 2
[Extra notes (contain spoiler though)]
A/N2: The earlier chapters will be in Jun's perspective, then after I introduced the others then perspectives will change (depending on the focus of the chapter) This story will be a little exasperating and there's much information that will be witheld until I post Sho's perspective. I already drafted the ending and I'm actually quite happy with it at the time being so I won't probably change it. How it will end? *hint hint* I don't like unhappy ending! Ahaha
So the pairings! It will be Sakumoto, Junba and *surprise* Ohmiya and another pairing(s) which only going to be revealed in Sho-centred chapters. No Juntoshi this time? Well they're bff in this <3
I have the whole story laid out in my brain and I think it's quite long but unfortunately my brain doesn't have the capacity to turn it to words so effectively, so it will going to be a long time until the story is finish
I wonder if anyone even interested to read this story now that I've given so many warnings of how inadequate this story will going to be orz *so much fail*