青いキモノの女

In the heart of Kyoto, where ancient temples whispered secrets to the wind and cherry blossoms danced in the air, there lived a woman named Aiko. She was in her twenties, with a spirit as vibrant as the colors of the kimonos she loved to wear. Among them, her favorite was a stunning blue kimono, embroidered with delicate silver cranes that seemed to take flight with every graceful movement she made.

Aiko’s days were spent working at a small tea shop nestled near the banks of the Kamo River. With her warm smile and gentle demeanor, she quickly became a favorite among the regulars. Each day, she would don her blue kimono, a garment handed down from her grandmother, who had always told her that the color would bring her good fortune. “Wear it with pride, Aiko,” her grandmother would say. “It carries the spirit of our ancestors.”

One sunny afternoon, as Aiko prepared for the lunch rush, a stranger walked into the tea shop