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| Musashi (Ichikawa Ebizō) and Otsu (Yonekura Ryoko), my favourite Azuchi-Momoyama-Edo couple! |
A recurring question amongst the readers of Musashi (the novel) and viewers of Musashi (the drama) is whether Musashi and Otsu ended up together officially and whether they eventually shared a life together. I’ve always liked this couple when I read Yoshikawa Eiji’s novel, yet upon seeing the 2003 Taiga Drama, I’m dead on in love with them and want them to be officially together. Since neither the book nor the drama stated as such, this is my attempt to bring that closure to myself. SPOILERS of Musashi 2003 Episodes 14 onwards; consider yourself forewarned…
Miyamoto Musashi had faced 80 students of the Yoshioka Kenpo, Agon and Inshun of Hozoin Nara, Taguchi Genryu and even Yagyū Sekishusai without blinking his eyes in fear. At the very least, he had managed to overcome his fears and emerged alive, for better for worse. Yet, for this situation at hand, he wasn’t sure how he’d proceed, let alone emerging unscathed.
Put it this way: he was just afraid of tarnishing the treasure he had obtained with such luck that he still couldn’t believe that he had the treasure within a meter from him.
To be fair, he had been in a similar situation before, yet since he handled it wrong, it backfired and resulted in their predicaments for almost two years.
He truly didn’t want to take the wrong step now.
“It’s… getting hot here. Summers in Edo can be… quite unbearable.”
Upon hearing that, Musashi blinked.
So she wasn’t sleeping…
“You cannot sleep?" He slightly turned to face his treasure. "This is truly the first night of you in Edo, isn’t it, Otsu?” He showed a regretful smile. “When you arrived here last month, you barely registered anything.”
True, without the kindness of Honiden Matahachi and some random strangers, Otsu would have been lost in the crowd, tainted by ignorant men and left to death. Yet, Mata-yan found her and nursed her to her physical health. Yet, it took Musashi (who had to be Takezo once more) all his might to restore Otsu’s mind to a healthy state once more. Thus, during those nights since she first arrived in Edo, tonight was indeed the first night that Otsu registered anything around her.
Otsu’s hand tried to loosen up her yukata, but her propriety forbade her from doing much, lest she would reveal her bosom and legs to Musashi. Musashi himself was feeling increasingly uncomfortable with that simple move of hers, such that he averted his gaze.
Truth be told: he wanted her so much. He had wanted her since she regained her senses and memories that afternoon. Heck, he had wanted her for years now, yet he had to suppress those desires when she rejected him outside Kyoto. Rightfully, perhaps, for he just murdered a 10 years old Genjiro that day to stay alive. Yet, Otsu was shocked and couldn’t forgive him – let alone accept his embrace – for that. Thus she rejected him. Thus, her painful words: “You’re not the Takezo I thought you were. I’m scared of you.”
Takezo never wanted to hear those words again. A part of him, a wiser part that had emerged after almost two years of solitude after the Yoshioka drama, said that he shouldn't be worried this time. He was a better man, and this better man helped Otsu regained her common sense. Yet, another part of him, the little boy who was abused by his father and left by his mother, was still too scared to make a single move.
Yet, with Otsu within a meter from him, Takezo found himself in an increasingly difficult position. The air felt so hot to breathe in. A cool breeze, so uncharacteristic of Edo in the summer, had blown in a few minutes ago, thus he shouldn’t feel suffocated. Yet, there he was, feeling so. A few seconds later, he realised that Otsu’s breathing was also getting short and erratic.
Maybe I should open the window to let the air in? Takezo moved slightly to rise from his futon. In doing so, his body faced Otsu squarely. And thus, he saw it.
Her face. Glistening in the moonlight, dampened by her sweat. Her dilated pupils. The sweats around her lips. Her wide open eyes, laden with passion. And… he heard her sigh.
He knew that sigh. He heard it almost two years ago when he touched Yoshino Dayu. It was the first time he touched a woman, and although he was disappointed it wasn’t Otsu, he was also grateful for that touch. He needed that assurance that he was alive that day, that he could still see beauty. Dayu, being a gentle courtesan who loved him, provided him that assurance. But Dayu and Musashi knew that the woman Musashi wanted to bed, wanted to unite with, wasn’t Dayu. It was Otsu, and she wasn’t there. Thus, Dayu left. Not just because she prided herself as a courtesan, but because she knew, although Musashi’s body was with her, his heart and mind were with Otsu.
And now, that sigh again, from Otsu. From the only woman he truly ever loved. It was a muffled sigh, yet Musashi knew.
Oh, he knew just with that one look how she wanted him, just like he wanted her.
“Otsu…”
“Takezo…”
She knew he knew what she wanted. She blushed, thinking how inappropriate was it that a man knew what she wanted. Yes, she should’ve slept in another corner, in another section of Matahachi’s house. But she didn’t want to be separated from her Takezo. Hence, after a very emotional reunion, in which they embraced in tears, she just plastered herself to Takezo. In the heat of the moment, he had kissed her that afternoon. She responded in kind, but their kisses were gentle and careful, full of apprehension yet also gratitude.
Then, Takezo stopped the kissing. Although his eyes were still full of passion, he started following decorum and propriety. After reassuring Otsu that he’d be back very soon, Takezo went to Sato-san, the kind neighbour who had been taking care of Otsu when she was too scared to be around Takezo, to get the leftover of Takezo’s vegetable dish (potato stems simmered in miso paste) for Otsu. He then started feeding her again, for he knew she had eaten very little since she was rescued by Matahachi. To his relief, Otsu ate – quite a lot that is, to her standard. Then they just talked and talked about mundane things, chiefly on their childhood and about the time Otsu spent in Honami Koetsu’s place, learning how to make papers and paint screens. Musashi purposely didn’t talk about the Yoshioka incident (which resulted in his hollow victory and Otsu leaving him), for he feared that it was still too raw and too sensitive to talk about.
Around sunset, the kind Sato-san came by to check on Otsu and to deliver her items back to Matahachi’s house. Sato-san also gave them some food, which Takezo and Otsu accepted in gratitude, for Takezo’s vegetable dish wasn’t enough for dinner. Then after dinner, they talked again before both yawned and felt the need to retire for the night.
Takezo had offered Otsu the best futon and told her that he’d sleep in the adjoining room. But the look on Otsu’s face, and the way she held onto the edge of his kimono, told Takezo that she wanted him to stay. Thus, he laid next to her, chatting a bit more, until she closed her eyes.
He had thought that she had slept. Yet, sleep didn’t come to him. Too much excitement and gratitude for having Otsu back, too much strange sensations of having her in such a close proximity to him, too much awareness of her sweet and gentle scent that he couldn’t possibly drift to sleep. Hence, he had been laying in the dark, staring at the ceiling, for more than an hour, thinking that Otsu was sleeping, wishing somewhat that she wasn’t. Now, he knew better.
The question now is, what should he do now?
“Otsu…” Takezo thought he had to take control somehow. He should move to another room. “Perhaps I –”
“Touch me…”
That request came out of the blue that it surprised both of them. Otsu’s eyes widened upon realising that it was she who uttered that request. Yet, upon seeing how Takezo’s passionate eyes glistened in gratitude, she didn’t say anything. It was something she wanted anyway, so why retract it?
“Otsu…” It seems, that was the only thing Takezo could say tonight until he resumed a while later. “Are you... certain?”
Her silent plea was all the answer he needed.
Thus he shifted his heated body closer, reached for her with such trembling hands and kissed her again. Slowly at first, with trembling lips in anticipation for he knew what the kiss would bring. Then with passion, larger than what he displayed that afternoon. With such a passion that threatened to drown all his senses. All the pent up desire and longing for her, all bottled up since he realised Otsu was Matahachi’s intended, exploded from within. With one hand cupping her head and another hand reaching out for the small of her back, pushing her towards him, he passionately kissed her lips, eyes, nose, and forehead. He shifted closer to her; his leg moved on its own to envelop her, cradling on her slim waist. He then reached further down towards her neck, down her collar, worshipping her until she moaned and arched in ecstasy.
Then he stopped.
“Otsu, if I don’t stop right now –”
Yet she reached back to him and kissed him back. Shyly, yet assuringly. ‘Don’t stop’ was her silent message, and Musashi needed very little encouragement to explore her further. They kissed, licked and touched each other such that Musashi was bewildered to find this passionate girl Otsu, the shy girl he once knew. Otsu herself was also surprised at her own reactions, but she had been mind-dead for so long that the sensations of touching and being touched by her Takezo was a blissful experience to her.
Yet, when they finally undid each other’s kimono in a heated moment, the gentleman in Musashi had to stop. If they went further, there was no way back. She would be his as he would be hers, forever.
“Otsu –” struggling amidst his own passion, his hands trembled in front of Otsu’s half-opened kimono, Musashi tried to speak. “If I do this…and we’re not husband and wife –”
“But I’m yours!” With such a frustrating and surprising passion, Otsu replied. “After searching for you for so long, surely I’m now proven worthy to be your wife?!”
Surprised, Musashi stopped his passionate ministrations. “Otsu...” he reached for her face once more. “You don’t need me to state such an obvious thing… You’re my rightful wife, with or without ceremonies! Yet, as for being worthy...” he glanced down in shame, for the despicable act of killing Genjiro once again flashed in his mind, “... I’m not sure I’ll ever be worthy of you, after what I’ve done...”
Silence for a while. Then, Musashi felt Otsu’s hands on his face. “I have forgiven you before I left Master Koetsu’s abode. And one day… hopefully one day…you will forgive yourself too...”
With that, Musashi looked back up to see the compassionate face of his de facto wife. As a deep gratitude enveloped him, he lifted her hands and kissed them.
“I will bring you to Takuan tomorrow for a marriage ceremony...” he whispered as he kissed her face once more. Tears that fell down her face and her repeated nods were once again her silent consent.
What followed was the most blissful experience that both of them ever experienced. Such a beautiful union that surpassed his encounter with the experienced Yoshino Dayu, such a blissful intertwine that instantly wiped any memories of Otsu with Sojin... melted them both into one.
-xxx-
When Takuan Sōhō received Otsu and Musashi the next morning, he saw a couple who didn’t truly need any official blessings to be together. When the priest saw Otsu, he already saw a wife. When he saw Musashi, he saw a husband, fully pledged to bringing his wife happiness.
The blessings that Takuan gave were something he gave freely and gladly, though he knew that the young couple in front of him would move on with or without it. If anything, the ceremony was to protect Otsu from any malicious words and to give honour to Musashi’s resolve to be a better man for her, and for himself.
And of course, it didn’t hurt Otsu at all that, the afternoon after the ceremony, she was once again reunited with Takezo as her official husband. It brought her another layer of happiness that she gasped the name of her rightful husband as he entered her, that he groaned and whispered the name of his rightful wife, repeatedly as he exploded in colourful rainbows inside her.
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