(Short Story) Rikyu's Morning Glories

"I hear that many morning glories are blooming at Rikyu's residence."
"As expected, you are very well-informed."
When Hideyoshi visited Sen no Rikyu's residence, although the vines had grown up to the roof, not a single morning glory was blooming.
"Rikyu! What is the meaning of this!"
"Lord Hideyoshi. Please, come this way."
Rikyu quietly guided Hideyoshi to the tea room. There, a single morning glory was arranged in a vase.
"Hmm. As expected of you, Rikyu. What a beautiful morning glory it is."

"Now, everyone. After hearing this episode about the morning glory, what did you all think?"
The teacher asked the students in the classroom. Hands went up: "Me! Me! Me!" I thought it might be a bit difficult, but the response was amazing.
"Yes. Then, Yamada-san."
"First, I want to hear what the teacher thought."
"Eh? Me? I thought it was a very good story..."
"In what way? Rikyu picked all the morning glory flowers, didn't he? Isn't that a terrible story? What does he think the life of a flower is?"
"W-well, that is one way to look at it, but..."
"No! No! Yamada-san, you don't understand anything!"
Sato-san stood up abruptly and started speaking rapidly.
"Morning glory flowers wither as soon as they are picked. It was because Hideyoshi knew of the hidden efforts of Rikyu, who kept arranging new flowers one after another to welcome Hideyoshi in the best possible state whenever he might arrive, that Hideyoshi called the gesture beautiful."
"I-I see."
It was the teacher who was impressed. Yamada-san smiled and looked back at Sato-san, saying,
"I only said it was a terrible story because I was counting on Sato-san to answer properly."
"Well, I fell right into the trap."
Yamada-san scratched his head with a wry smile.
(What is this? The high level of this class...)
As the teacher was left flustered, Kondo-san raised her hand and asked,
"Teacher, what color do you think this single morning glory flower was?"
"Eh? Color? I hadn't thought that far..."
"Is that so? I think it was white. Since Rikyu's creed was wabi-sabi, it must be white. It also carries the meaning of serving Lord Hideyoshi with a pure, blank heart."
"Ah~ deep. That is very deep."

In this class, the roles were reversed. The teacher was the one doing all the learning. The moon was floating in the classroom window. The school for working adults, where everyone is over sixty, is lively again tonight.
(End)
White Morning Glory
Flower Language: Firm Bond
However, later, Hideyoshi ordered Rikyu to commit seppuku.