and do the same job. In addition, your name is too long

and is too unnatural, from today you will be Yoru! "

With that said he turned and walked out of the room.

> Yoru? Like the night Isn't that even more unusual ?! Yozora thought doubtfully.

She put on the clothes the sensei had given her.

But Yozora had never wore boys' clothes, she didn't know how to tie them.

Then Takeru came into the room, "Oh! I'm sorry!"; he called and turned around quickly.

"Wait!", Yozora called after him, "Please help me!"

Takeru came slowly to her and looked over her, embarrassed.

Yozora took courage and asked: "How do I tie this? I've never had anything like this on ..."

So Takeru helped her get dressed and showed her how to tie it, and she learned a lot about it

himself.

His real name was Iwagami Tatsurou, but it was renamed Takeru.

He was 21 years old and had only recently become a real adult. (Swordsmen apply at 18

as adults, while normal people are not considered adults until the age of 21)

Takeru was sent to the samurai dojo because he chose it himself.

He wanted to protect his family, he explained.

"What about you?" He asked genuinely curious.

Because Takeru had answered so truthfully, Yozora told her own sad story.

"Do you want to go back?" Takeru asked at the end.Yozora pondered, did she want to go back? To the father who had sold his own children for himself not

to get poor? Is that what she wanted?

No, not there, but she wanted Mafuyu back!

She shook her head, "No. I'll stay here for now!"

So her first day of teaching began in the dojo.

After a bare breakfast, meditate.

Over 30 boys of different ages sat in the bamboo forest and tried their minds with the

To connect nature around them.

Yozora did this quite well, as she had often meditated with her grandmother, who was Miko.

Then they went to the dojo and practiced with a bamboo sword.

Yozora had never held a gun before, so she had to watch and got tutoring from

Takeru, who had been here five years.

She understood and learned quickly and the sword was soon like an extension of her arm.

She learned targeted punches and defense without cornering herself.

Time passed quickly, it was noon.

At noon everyone had a break and retired to their rooms for dinner.

"You are a good teacher!", Yozora said to Takeru and smiled.

He smiled back, "Thank you," he replied modestly, "But you will eventually overtake me. Now

one can see that you are a born swordsman! "

Yozora was pleased with this praise, but did she really want to become a fighter?

She was afraid, afraid of killing ... afraid of blood!

Then the bell rang for the afternoon class and Yozora didn't have to answer.

Now calligraphy was announced for the next lesson.

Yozora had already learned this and was a lot better than the others.

All of them copied poems by well-known poets, using their most beautiful script as possible.

In the evening it was history's turn and she learned about the exploits of the samurai before them.Slowly Yozora began to look up to the swordsmen and respect them.

> I never thought the samurais were such heroes! <

This daily routine now ran every day, only on Sunday everyone cleaned the big dojo together.

Yozora slowly settled in and became friends with Takeru more and more.

She learned more and more about the old samurai heroes and sword techniques, but also calligraphy and

Meditation just got better.

One day her sensei came to her and took her aside.

“Yoru”, he said calmly, “you are now far better than many others in your group of

Sword fighting ... You now come to another swordsmanship sensei. A better one!

He'll be happy to teach you more! "

She told Takeru that over lunch.

"Uho!", He managed, "That's great!"

"I don't know ...", Yozora answered timidly, "Is that really good?"

Takeru grinned and nodded wildly, "Good is no expression! It's great!"

Yozora wondered, did she really want to go this way?

"If you then move up three groups, you are on the same rank as me!"

After dinner a young man came in, "Are you Yoru?" He asked.

Yozora nodded and slowly followed the man outside.

Takeru nodded to her and gave her an encouraging smile.

This gave Yozora some courage and went into the bamboo forest with the man a little more self-confidently.

"Here," he said, thrusting a short bamboo sword into her hand.

"You now have private lessons. Since everyone else is not in this group yet.

Yozora nodded, "When would the others have ascended?"

"They already had two months of classes ... That means ... they would be here in a year and a half!", Explained

the sensei seriously.

Yozora still had a lot of questions, but she didn't dare to ask him.

"If you have any questions," said the teacher, as if he could read her mind, "just ask!A sensei is

there to answer students' questions! We have all the time in The World!"

Yozora nodded gratefully, "Then why did I ascend first?"

"Because you were better. I watched you once. You are good. Further and better than some

Others in your group! "

It was the first time that Yozora was praised by a sensei! She was very pleased.

"All right. We'll then spend the first hour telling stories!" Decided the sensei.

"So. Call me Asahi-sensei," he began, "What's your real name? I don't think anyone is

a girl Yoru, as the night is called! "

Yozora nodded, "My name is Yozora, like the night sky ... Because I was born in one night

where the stars shone in competition and innumerable stars fell from the sky as if it were raining.

But my mother didn't want to call me Ryuusei. That's why I was called Yozora! "

So far she had only told Mafuyu and Takeru this.

Asahi seemed to be thinking, "Very nice ... You can compare and describe wonderfully! Your

Poetry is advanced for your age! "

Yozora smiled shyly.

"Good. I've always found the abbreviation of the name very nonsensical! I'll call the Yozora. In

Order?"

She nodded.

For the next hour they talked as if they'd been friends for years.

Asahi-sensei was 28 years old and was from the Hiroshima area. He's already in when he is six years old

Entered a dojo and is now employed here as a teacher.

She also told him about herself, but she kept to herself that she was being sold.

She didn't say a word about Mafuyu either.

In the late afternoon they began sword fighting lessons.

Yozora fought her sensei, but after a few blows the sword flew out of her hand.

"You have to work on your defense," Asahi-sensei explained seriously.

Yozora nodded and wiped the sweat from his face.The sun was already low when they both stopped and Asahi-Sensei sent his student into the shower

and finished her first day of class.

Freshly bathed, Yozora came into her room in a good mood.

Takeru was already there and ate his dinner.

"Well, how was it?" Were his first words and he sounded curious.

Yozora nodded and took her rice bowl and filled it, "Good. Better than expected."

"Who is your Sensei? He seems to be new ... I don't know him.", He asked further.

"Really?", Yozora was amazed, "His name is Asahi."

"Asashi? I don't know ... But he looks somehow familiar to me," he replied with a frown.

During the meal, both shared what they had learned that day and got together

one at what the other could not.

Takeru was bad at meditation and Yozora tried to explain how he could calm his mind

could bring.
He explained how to improve her defense.

Those conversations and discussions were like Takeru's big brother, Yozora thought.

"Oh ... the summer festival is coming soon. Everyone's free on this day. We can go to the festival together

Go to Kyoto ... if you want of course! ", Takeru asked a little shyly.

Yozora was happy about the invitation, she was excited to see the summer festival in the capital of

all over the country.

"Sure," she replied and smiled happily at Takeru.

The only thing Yozora didn't like was that she didn't have a smart yukata (summer clothes).

But she decided not to worry about it for the time being.

She had to concentrate on the training, she learned something new every day and you asked for it

of her to use this new learning every day.

She learned more and more and her lessons dragged on more and more.

Soon Yozora could only see Takeru for lunch and dinner and in the time leading up toSleep was little time.

Every day was a wild back and forth.

But the summer festival was getting closer and closer, and in the evening Yozora lay awake and, like she was thinking about a beautiful one

Yukata could get.

She had long outgrown the old kimono she came with and she had no fabric

to sew one for yourself.

Two days before the festival, she spoke to her sensei in despair.

"Sensei ... I have a little problem ..:" she started carefully.

Asahi looked at her encouragingly and sat down, "I'm all ears. Maybe I can help you."

"The summer party is coming soon and my roommate, Takeru, has invited me ...", now it was bubbling

whole story out until she mentioned the yukata.

When she finished, she looked at the floor in shame and didn't dare look up.

Asashi nodded, "This is a problem ... yes."

> I was stupid to ask Sensei! How should he help me? Me, a little girl! What have

I thought of it! <she scolded herself in thought.

Asahi-sensei got up, "Wait.", He ordered and left.

Yozora was a bit puzzled, but waited well for her sensei.

After a short time he came back, but with a box made of fine wood in his hand.

"Here. It should suit you."

Yozora carefully opened the box and gasped when she found a beautiful yukata inside!

"It was actually meant for my