"I am getting better at it!" she said with a measure of pride, "You can't just assume you can drink me under the table because you learned to keep pace with Chouko-chan." She made her way back over to the table for tea hoping everything was more or less resolved.

Koharu gave a little nod. Lifting her cup she then finally had a sip of her tea.

With the bundle in sight she patiently waited for Otsuka to properly react.

Otsuka sipped her tea and began pondering the sweets. "Hmmm, I think the fire maple shaped one~. Which are you thinking?"

"Eto, I'll choose one in a moment." The gift. The bundle I just nudged toward you. Moshi-moshi? Koharu cleared her throat and nudged the bundle forward a bit more so it was closer to Otsuka than the super alluring sweets were. "I meant this Otsuka-san."

"Oh! I thought you weren't giving me a gift," she looked at it, "I wouldn't want to impose."

"I wasn't at that moment, but I've had a little something prepared since shortly after your letter. Douzo, douzo." Koharu urged cheerfully.

"How thoughtful of you. Thank you," she said counting that earlier refusal as part of it as she tugged the bag open.

The Doji could only chuckle as Otsuka went to work on the bundle. It was well wrapped in layers of cloth, but they would eventually come loose. Inside was a sake bottle and cup set. If Otsuka looked closely at the ocean blue ceramics she would notice each had a few kanji. On their own they were snippets, but put together and in the right order they formed a moving and memorable tanka.

It was a tanka the Kakita had shared with Koharu back at the Academy.

"Ah, so this is why you asked about my handling of sake," she chuckled as she began to notice the kanji. "And what is this now? 'Soaring Westward'... 'Blossoms fall; Spring ends far too soon.' Oh! I remember that poem!" She said rearranging them, "How clever. That was a good night." She gave a nostalgic smile.

The Doji gave a coy shrug and acted humbly. Deep down she was pleased Otsuka not only remembered the poem and that night, but liked the gift. "It was. I thought a little reminder of home would be nice when venturing so far away from it." She smiled happily then. "I'm glad you like it."

"A reminder of my time at the Academy is more than welcome. I shall think of it whenever I use it," she said with a smile artfully reposing what it is a token of, "We will have to put it to use before we leave."

"Absolutely." Koharu agrees with a good degree of enthusiasm. Having a few sips of tea she was happy to just watch Otsuka for a moment.

"Hmmm, what sort of establishments are in the local entertainment district?" she gave her friend a little wink, "We will need to find a proper place for it, ne?"

"Eh... eh?" She doesn't quite get the wink and looks a bit surprised. "Eto, there are some tea shops and a tea house." Does she want to visit a geisha before starting a lonely voyage? I suppose that does make sense.

"Well, if you do not want to we do not have to. I was merely looking at the options. Is there somewhere you think ideal for our drink?" she inquired.

The petite Doji was not the type to go looking for drinking spots. In fact she rarely even noticed such places. At the Kakita's inquiry she therefore taps her cheek thoughtfully. "I don't know of any places that focus on sake. I think there is a sake brewery though. Ano, we could get some from there, have them fill your bottle, and then go drink somewhere."

"Well, that should work," Otsuka said sensing that she was overthinking what her friend would like, "Keep it simple and elegant? A fine sake and fine company?"

"Mm." Koharu concurs, nodding a couple of times. "You pick the location. That way you'll have a good reason to explore the city."

"I will look around and think on it then," she nodded, "I wonder what sort of projects you have on the go." She gave a look back towards the heaps of art, "When I was tidying up I glimpsed several wonderful pieces."

You only had ten seconds! Koharu pouts at her friend. "Some aren't ready yet." She waggles a finger in the air. "If there's something you would like then you're welcome to make a request. My art right now is focused on preparation for my role as Chief Taxonomist." The Doji goes on to say with seriousness and determination.