Maestro received the letter for Seimei's residence. He looked through the small parcels and string-wrapped letters to find one addressed to himself. That was odd. He rarely received letters especially since he did not have a friend in mind.
From Yao Bikuni.
He read the sender and it could only mean trouble. He was entrusted to guard Seimei's residence including his realm for a few days when Seimei is out for errands. He would not be coming home for another five days so a letter from Yao Bikuni could only mean a forewaring or a request for reinforcements.
He sorted out the parcels and letters, made tea and cooked dinner for himself and a few shikigamis that happen to be tolerated by him. The letter almost crossed his mind until nightime. His room was in the corner of the main house. He requested so for his privacy and because he hated people. People are the worst.
His bed was not that spacious but it has full access to sunlight. The terrace in front of him also calms his mind and gave him the correct mood to start composing.
The letter…
He opened them to find a forewarning instead of reinforcements request. Slightly thankful but--
Maestro-kun,I had a vision that there will be a great misfortune coming to Seimei's residence tonight. Thankfully it will not be a raid or an attack, but you are the only one that could accomplish this task. Your friend Kamikui is in great distress. I need you to ease his pain before dawn comes.There will be grave consequences if you did not comply with my request. And of course Seimei would be very disappointed.I hope this letter finds you well. Tonight is a fragile night for lonely hearts after all.Kindly,Yao Bikuni.
"He is not my friend." He did to the letter.
Kamikui is never his concern, not as much as the "grave consequences" that Yao Bikuni easily mentioned. She must have knew something about him and would easily let it out if he did not follow her instructions.
That snake.
What could she had possibly knew about him that she could turn it against him? He could list a few in his mind and he decided it was not worth taking the risk of not following her orders.
He went and took his zither-or it might get stolen-and walked outside.
Ironically, Kamikui just slept in one of the rooms across the hallway from his. Perhaps Yao Bikuni chose him out of convenience. The night was dark and most kids were asleep. The adult shikigamis would be out in town creating trouble or drinking under the trees. He was here because it was quieter and was tasked to guard his house.
He had to check afterwards. His hair is short and not beautiful enough to be the Hair Eater's meal right? He would hate to lose his hair.
He played a soft music, announcing his presence just in case. He slowly hear a loud sob coming from the way he was walking to. It should be fine, shouldn't it? He is a demon after all. He was not a strong one but still… he should not be afraid…
"Kamikui?"
No answer.
"Are you alright?" he asked once more.
The sob goes softer, almost muffled. He knew it was Kamikui's voice by the forced lightness. No man should sound that odd.
"Do you want me to do something?"
Nothing.
"Alright, I will wait for you outside if you do not want me in." Maestro said softly. He did not know why he bothered. The safety and well being of the Hair Eater was none of his concern. He could as well die and the musician will not feel any remorse.
It was Yao Bikuni's fault. That snake blackmailed him to do this. He took out his zither and played, hoping that would calm him down somehow.
"Seimei…"
The musician stopped playing immediately. Annoyed and upset. If only he could smack some sense into him.
"We have the weekly rotation to guard his realm. It is a bother but he will be upset if we do not try and do our jobs correctly." Maestro tried once more. One more try, then he is done.
He played a somber melody only to be interrupted by the hiccups and sobbing noises of the Hair Eater. Maestro almost had enough of him. He stood up to leave the place when he heard him moan from the other side.
What was that?
Another moan. Followed by a clear drip of tear. It was quite an enchanting melody. It easily piqued his interest.
What on earth is he doing inside?
Such emotion…
"Kamikui…?"
Maestro slowly slides the shōji that bars them apart but he could felt it being held from the other side.
"Don't come inside!" the voice that came from the other side shook him.
He was sure it was Kamikui's voice but it sounded so… different. It was harsh and masculine. Full of anger and frustration. The composer knew Kamikui is a two-faced monster. What he didn't know was his other face it seems.
He always seems to hide it from everyone. Only showing his beautiful colors to the world. That is very like him.
"No--"a change of voice, a softer one came out. "Nobody but Seimei is allowed to see my true face... Nobody else can handle them…"
Maestro let go the shōji. His annoyance changed from those directed to Kamikui to the fact he could not see their true faces. It was a slap to an artist to not be allowed access to something that interest them… inspired them even.
"Tell me… what are you doing behind the door? " Maestro asked.
He merely wanted to hear his other voice once more.
"I am… " Kamikui's weeping voice was his usual lazy voice. Perhaps he realised he had an audience and could not bear to show his other side. "Touching myself… hoping that it was Seimei's hands instead of mine… "
Maestro sighed. He pitied him. A monster who fell in love will bring nothing but trouble.
"But…" Kamikui continued, "My fingers are red and my nails are long. My skin is dry…" he sobbed.
Unbeknownst to himself, a snake slithered between the shōji. Maestro's finger trailed to greet the snake and it entwined between his fingers. The snake was behaving as if it was silken hair. It was obedient and has scales softer than anything he has ever felt
Kamikui must have felt his hair wandering on their own for the snake immediately recoiled back behind the door. Maestro felt a thump on the door and saw the Hair Eater's shadow. He began to sob once more.
"Kamikui calm down" Maestro said. "Just… listen to me!"
He pour out his soul to play his zither. His melody flows slightly forceful as if blowing his anger in form of music. He stopped when he felt the other blown away to the other wall. Then he knew he was overdoing it.
"Ah… Are you alright, Kamikui?"
Kamikui whimpered. Too soft. Almost too soft. As if a storm that was about to blow up…
"I… I must apologize for my sudden outburst." You were being annoying, he added silently.
He heard a scream.
A voice he wanted to hear but did not anticipated.
Especially not when the shōji opened hastily and a ridiculous amount of hair came to grab him. Not prepared for a counterattack, he was brought inside the room whether he likes it or not.
What he saw was not a scary monster nor a beautiful being but a mixture of both. It reminded him of his own awakened form. He has inhuman hands stained in red, a body larger than ordinary human and the strange hair turned into a slithering snake.
"You also hated me in this form, didn't you?! I cannot always control myself! My feelings will always get in my way and it frustrates me to know that I have such weaknesses within me!"
That voice. It overwhelmed the musician once more to hear that voice spilling from his mouth. He did not even think how the room was filled with the Hair Eater's own hair. It was so dark that he felt he was not inside a room anymore…
Noises. He hated noises. That man was screaming at him. He should have hated him but he could not for some reason.
He was overwhelmed by Kamikui's fear.
He feared the man before him. It was strange as it was true. His eye must have betrayed his feelings too for he can feel it blurred his vision with tears.
"...dammit.""Dammit dammit dammit dammit DAMMIT!!!"
He was through to the ground. Hair flinging to both sides of the room, whipping all the furnitures off and breaking the ceramic. The paper door were ripped and torn as the monster in front of Maestro threw the wildest scream he had heard.
A strum.
Kamikui flinched.
His eye saw the zither he accidentally strummed with his wild hair. Maestro instinctively took the instrument to his arms. He looked at Kamikui in anger.
"Do not touch my instrument!" he said.
Suddenly all attacks faded. Kamikui was gasping for air and fell on his knees just in the middle of his floor bed. His form faded and he turned to see the Kamikui he knew back in front of him.
"You… I woke up… just in time… " Kamikui said softly. His voice was his usual voice, almost. It was hoarse and deeper. A fake lighthearted tone interlaced to them.
Maestro knew the monster in front of him was afraid to look into his eyes. He would not be bothered anyway to ask him to.
"What was that?" the other voice. "Another you?"
Kamikui cleared his throat. "No… he is me. The part of me I am trying to hide. " because it is ugly. "Sometimes I am unable to stop it. He is me after all and all I can to is to hide that part of me since I cannot destroy what I am." Kamikui touched the back of his head and the tongue appeared wrapping around his fingers.
"That is my true face."
Maestro quietened. Still clutching his zither and sat in deep thought. But if that is who they are and it was the source of their existence, why denying it? It was like his core was music should his hair eating power be their core too? The reason why he is what he is?
"My fingers are red and my nails are long. My skin is dry…"
Ah.
He was different.
As much as his value music, he also values quietness. But music cannot live without an audience. It is similar to him. The monster in front of him value his ability but also his beauty. A harmony and a melody that seemingly to oppose each other.
"I guess that is what makes us what we are…" Maestro said.
"Excuse me?"
Maestro took his zither in place and played a melody. "This melody is the current you." and a change of key, playing an odd harmony. "This is the true you. Both of them are you."
When Maestro combined the harmony and melody then it all made sense. "Both songs made who you are. Both separated or together still makes them you. An incomplete one but one the same. I cannot understand why you insisted on keeping just one melody…"
"It is because!" the Hair Eater interjected. "S...Seimei-sama would not accept my ugliness. I am trying to hide it so he would like me…"
Maestro frowned.
"You were in his house. Sleeping in one of his room. Being entrusted to guard his house. Don't you think that he has not got the most value out of you? If he did not care about you he would not even be bothered… I would not." he said.
"But… you are here." Kamikui added.
Maestro blushed.
"F-Fool. This was set up by Yao Bikuni. She told me something would have happened to you and--"
"Seimei knew I would get lonely…" Kamikui beamed. "He likes me!"
Maestro frowned. " I would not jump into such conclusions…"
"And he cares for me so much he knew and send me a friend!" Kamikui stood up and held Maestro's hand. "You cared about me too!"
"Ugh! No I don't! You are noisy and a wreck. I would not have anything to like about you! Get your filthy hands off me!"
Kamikui's hand was slapped by Maestro as he hurried to hold his zither once more. He would not trust his instrument to be unharmed near him.
"That zither… you told me once that it was your prized possession. Once I realised I touched it. I know I overstepped my boundaries… perhaps… Yao Bikuni knows that I would wake up from my madness then…" Kamikui smiled.
"My zither is far too expensive price to snap you up from madness!" Maestro countered. He stroked his zither as if it was his child.
Kamikui grinned. "And it seems that you are chosen because you have just spend a long conversation with me even with my front all exposed…"
"Don't be stupid what--" Maestro turned cherry red when he saw… Kamikui's inner beauty. Immediately he ran from his room dashing and cursing on the hallway. Kamikui giggled while watching him screaming his name and cursing his existence.
The Hair Eater looked around what remained if his room. Aside from a few ceramics and figures, everything else was… in pieces.
The moon was still up and he had all the thought to ignore the mess and just start smoking but it seems that he had another plan.
He would need a room to sleep in.
What would be better than to annoy a certain musician by slipping under their bed?