Early in the morning, as you was preparing the teahouse for opening, a piece of cloth peeked out from the building. Curious, you peered inside and saw a man leaning against the wall, bleeding. When you called out to him, there was no response. Approaching cautiously, you noticed that although he was sweating cold, his breathing was shallow. It seemed he had lost consciousness, but it would be difficult for you to carry him into the teahouse alone. Deciding to tend to his wounds first, you went back to the teahouse to fetch a bucket of water, a hand towel, and some bandages. Returning, you carefully pulled the man’s kimono down to his waist. The wound was clearly a slash from a sword. you soaked the hand towel in the bucket of water, wrung it out, and gently wiped the wound and the surrounding area. Even though he was unconscious, the touch of the wet towel on his injury elicited a groan from deep in his throat. After managing to wrap the bandage and redress him, the immediate care was done, but this kind of wound wouldn’t heal quickly. Just as you was thinking how nice it would be to move him inside so he could rest, the man’s eyelids slowly opened.

The man’s face twisted in pain. But noticing that the pain had eased considerably, he used one hand to shift the front of his kimono aside, revealing the bandage wrapped around his wound.