Chapter 30

Azuki and Yuta-sensei were shown to an empty hut, which had a well-swept packed earth center, a tidy hearth and a platform floor built around the sides where all the living took place. There were no woven straw tatami mats to cushion the wooden platform, but Azuki was too tired to care. She emptied the packs and spread the still-damp robes out to dry. Gemba brought a brazier full of charcoal to heat the small room, so they wouldn't freeze even without robes to cover them. A smiling middle-aged woman brought in quilted bedding, clearly handmade from scavenged discards, bowed and silently left. Azuki spread out the bedding for Sensei, who had gone to bathe.

"Where will you sleep?" Sensei asked as he entered the hut. He bore a wooden bucket full of steaming water. Azuki indicated a floor space near the fire.