He stared at his rippling reflection as the white petals hit the surface. Behind him, the soft sound of padded footsteps slowly approached. Retracting his hand to rest on his lap, he looked up as the visitor arrived.
“What are you doing here, littering the pool?” said he, a lean young man dressed in similar robes as Kai, though not as bright. “The ceremony is long over.”
Without a word, Kai returned his gaze back to the water’s surface.
“What are you contemplating over?” he pressed as he sat down on the grass next to him.
“Nothing in particular.”
“Oh come on. You must be thinking about something.”
“It would take too much effort to explain every little thing I am thinking about.”
“Then pick one.”
“Too much effort to pick one.”
“Bah! You’re boring!” he griped. “Why did I become the retainer of such a boring lord?”
Kai smiled under the shadow of his face. “You could always leave and become someone else’s.”
“No,” he simply put. “I still owe your clan far too much.”
Picking up a blossom on his lap, Kai casted it into the pool. “When will your clan be satisfied with repaying its debt?”
“Probably never,” he beamed. “Not in a thousand years.”
“Nothing lasts a thousand years.”
“Well, let us change that, shall we?”
“That is up to our descendants to decide.”
“Right. But it has to start somewhere, does it not?”
“… I suppose.”
“We still have a long journey ahead of us! Our story is far from over.”
Kai sighed. “Another long year ahead of us.”
“Indeed! So, now is not the time to sit by the pool, throwing flower petals into the water!”
Drawing his hands to his lap, Kai uncrossed his legs and stood up. “It’s good to contemplate by yourself every once in a while. I recommend you try it.”
The retainer stood up with him. “Bah, I cannot afford to sit by myself for hours on hours.”
“That is no excuse. I have granted you the time before. Our story is an important one to think over.”
He laughed. “Then, why don’t you start by sharing what you were contemplating, huh?”
Without waiting for an answer, the retainer leaned forward, seemingly knowing the answer already.
“Perhaps… What do you want the future generations to remember you for?”
Kai grinned. “You should know as well as anyone. It is to…”