Just realized that smiles when was walking next a mirrored showcase and saw herself. The crowd was passing by her, and Rin touched her cold swollen cheeks. The wind was too cold, and her smile would not leave her lips so easily; she couldn't stop smiling.
Rin stopped in front of pedestrian crosser, waiting for the traffic lights turn to green. A bunch of people was side by side waiting the same, but only Rin was away about what was happening around her, in traffic.
She got it, at last.
Since her early struggles to get out of orphanage, get a scholarship in a good University, and now, the most disputed internship in her area was hers. Finally, she could drop her part-time job in University's coffee shop. She got it!
Her steps wasn't very large or fast enough to walk side by side with people crossing the street, but who said this is a problem? Since she was very young, Rin searched for a good place to work, to build a career, doing what she loves with all her heart.
Fashion design. Needlework. Dressmaking.
Since times she did some needlework to repair her own clothes, when she was a child, until her adolescence. Rin started to make her own clothes after her eleven years old, and all her clothes before that was a charity from non-governmental organizations that maintains the orphanage.
Youkais non-governmental organizations, to say the truth, and thanks to this kind of people, Rin got her place in the best fashion design course in Kyoto. "But I did a thousand of tests before, it wasn't so easy", she thought while entering the university's coffee shop, "I did it alone". Another extremely positive thing about her internship is its proximity to her university's lodging, so there is no need to say that her almond eyes was sparkling as a Swarovski crystal. She wished to have someone important waiting for her good news, but trust in anyone in her course is insanely stupid.
Everyone wanted to work for the youkai clan Yamaguchi, especially in its haute couture collection. Work in this kind of place would open doors forever. In haute couture, only the richest people could buy what they make, is about luxury and youkai-world. Fortunately, she was the best in manual dressmaking (only because she couldn't afford to buy a sewing machine).
However, Rin always has her best friend, and waitress in the university coffee shop, to help fill that void in her heart. Sato Sakura studies journalism and has a common name, but not her appearance. Sakura always insists in dye her hair in a very blond tone even being as much Japanese as Rin. If odd appearance was her goal, she got it right.
"Guess what", Rin spoke first when reach the coffee shop balcony, finding her friend carrying a heavy box to put in the shop storage. "Oh, I help with this."
"It's alright, I'm just a little lost in the middle of this hole confusion", she said confused as every time they put her to organize the shop storage, but she lets Rin to help her… as always. "So how was your important appointment today? It was a job interview, right?"
Rin finished to help her and nodded briefly while realize how swollen her friend's face was that moment, and she remembered about a great party that the journalism course had thrown yesterday. That's hangover.
"Yes, it was", she replied as if nothing so special had happened, "I only… well, I got the job."
Sakuras dark-hooded eyes widened.
"You... what?!", she shouted in a combination of surprise and happiness, "So it means that I'm going to have a fancy friend walking in youkai-clothes?"
Rin nodded timidly, a little embarrassed. The majority of people see the fashion world as one ramification of youkai's world, especially in luxury items, because when someone talk about money, power and luxury, it means that they are talking about some youkai hobbies. They say that a respectable youkai never should wear fast-fashion clothes, as Zara or H&M, because there is an old tradition in youkai society about being the leaders of world, and not the followers. That's one of the biggest society problems today: how you can live, as human, within a youkai society? Or how a youkai can live in a human society?
That is Sakura's job, not Rin's.
"Well, I think you have too much imagination", the almond-eye girl talked shyly, she just forgot that her best friend truly hates youkai society, what is very dangerous too say out loud. "I will be working for Miss Yamaguchi."
Sakura frowned.
"Yamaguchi? Yamaguchi Sayuri?" she seemed a little in shock. "Oh, holy shit! This woman is full of misteries around her. I thought you were after her brother to be his internship, what is his name? Yamaguchi… Ryuu."
"I was looking for him, but he is not accepting internships anymore, but his sister was looking for someone to help with the haute couture collection", Rin explained interesting what Sakura was telling about her employers. "I didn't know much about them, but you… you seem very familiar with this family."
"I do not know them", her friend said while sitting on a box inside the storage room, "I only know some gossip about them, what is my job as journalist. I had to do some research about their work and ended asking more information for their fancy atelier that time. When Yamaguchi Sayuri realized that I was there only to seek more information about their clients, she shut the door right on my face."
That's what Rin calls 'irony'. Now she works there, and Sakura would probably ask about everything of youkai world.
"You have a notable admiration for them, I think", Rin remarked with humour while was sitting on another box, "Yamaguchi Sayuri seemed to me a nice woman, even being youkai. She was kind to me, very tolerant during the internship interview. I do not see this terrible frame you are telling me.
"Rin," she gazed oddly, "promise me that you will not let the youkai world seduce you."
Her friend took Rin's little hand, probably seeking for something strange in her appearance. All Rin could do was laugh, but she didn't. Sakura was just worried, and she is the only one she had in world. The almond-eye girl only said, "Alright, I promise… but you are the crazy one here with your youkai researches. I will only work for Yamaguchi Sayuri, do some things she doesn't want to do and that's all."
Of course was a lie. Rin would work as a lunatic if her employer ask to. All she wants is a safe place to work, to live, to be. She is not like Sakura, who doesn't agree with youkai rules and contest why human lives are so different than them. Rin doesn't know how her friend is still alive, because she knows this world very well.
It was night when she arrived in university lodging, letting her things in her shared bedroom before going to have a shower. The day had been too cold, but nothing compares to this night. She started to think about the youkai world while was cleaning her body with cheap soap. Rin remembers when she was a child and saw a youkai for the first time; her hair was a nest and her clothes, awful. However, the worst wasn't about appearance, was about how the children was raised in that orphanage. The older ones were always mean to the younger ones, stealing foods, toys or clothes from each other. She always hated this kind of injustice, so it wasn't a good childhood. Rin always went to the orphanage nursery to cry when, once, she saw an elegant woman talking with Yamakawa, the nurse.
It was magic to her, because she didn't know people can be so beautiful, but of course, she wasn't human. Rin discovered days after that who maintain her human orphanage were some youkais and their non-governmental organizations. It explained a lot.
Five years ago, when Rin was fifteen, the orphanage was not only what it seems to be. The most beautiful girls there always had some rewards as scholarship or an exchange year with all paid, and the ugly ones always 'escaped' from there. The almond-eye girl had won an exchange year to Germany when she was sixteen, but didn't accept it because, when she come back to Japan, she will have to 'work' for whoever pay it.
In another words, a modern prostitute.
The ugly, sick ones always found their end after some trip or playing in the grove next to the orphanage, what made some girls talk about a terrible monster living there. The police never been in there to ask what had happened to those girls. After some years, Rin realized that there is a pattern in those deaths, and when she started to investigate by her own, found her answer. The one who killed all those girls was the hanyou nurse, Yamagawa. The girls started to feel a little dizzy, and then they went to nursery and led to grove to 'breathe some pure air'.
Yamagawa is a hanyou daughter of an influent and powerful youkai, very famous in Kyoto. She was the mistress' daughter, so she had a hard time to find her own place in this strange society (now as killer and pimp). Some powerful youkais always look for young human girls to take their virginity, and that is Yamagawa's job.
"…and I did nothing about it", she thought with melancholy.
Rin knew how youkai society works, so she prefers to do her own job in silent. Sakura would understand some day that, in this world, there is no space for good and generous acts. Unfortunately.
(...)
It was dark when Rin arrived at Atelier Yamaguchi.
She will be working there until lunch time, and then have to run to university to watch her lectures and class. When she entered that elegant atelier, remarked two secretaries and both Yamaguchi checking out their appointments. The twins are very likely in their appearance, with a long black hair always matching with Japanese traditional clothes. It was the youkai dresscode. The difference between them is more about personality and needlework.
Yamaguchi Sayuri have an incredible pure reputation. Married with another powelful youkai, mother of five children. Everyone knows how she can turn into a devil when have to dispute clients with another atelier. She usually makes traditional Japanese clothes, as kimonos and formal dresses.
Yamaguchi Ryuu is not social as his sister is. He is more an artist than a seller, very sensible, shy and… gay. It's a complicated matter in youkai society, so the Yamaguchi clan tried to hide his existence during his entire life. He usually makes less formal dresses, but incredible functionals.
They didn't notice her presence there, it was Yamaguchi Sayuri's secretary who came to Rin, delivering a piece of paper with all she will do during this morning, and as she was expecting, was more than buy a coffee. Much more. But she was truly happy, it's a safe place to work, to grow as artist. Smiling only to yourself, Rin was discovering which dresses she would have to repair with some help of secretary Tottori. All the dresses had some papers indicating what she must do.
Rin finished her work and when was changing her clothes to go to university, her employer, Sayuri, appeared right in front of her. Very elegant clothes, she was stunning. Her analytical green eyes was very alert of the almond-eye girl.
"You did a nice job today, Ms. Suzuki."
Suzuki is her last name, she doesn't know how was her family name, so the orphanage always pick some for the orphans choose after their eighteen years old.
Rin bowed respectful.
"It's very good to know, Mss. Yamaguchi, This internship is very important to me."
Her face, very similar to a traditional Japanese doll, was full of mysteries but kind in a way Rin could not explain.
"I appreciate your respect for what we do here," the youkai started to talk in a soft tone of voice. "I have a kimono to test in a cliente tonight; I hope you will be here until 19h."
Rin nodded with a smile playing in your lips. It was too good to be true, dear god!
"I will be here, Mss. Yamaguchi"
"Great", but she wasn't finished yet, "But before, I would like to send you to my company's doctor to do a checkup in your health. We have a very good health secure, so enjoy it. I would like to know every details if you have some sickness or something like that. We had some human employees here, and they were strangely depressed about their own life. I don't want to take this risk anymore, my clients are very demanding."
It took a while to Rin realize what her boss was telling her.
'You are a human; you may be have some dirty things in you… like a dog.'
All right. Nothing knew in Rin's life, and she was not take it as an offense… but no one sends you to a doctor in her first day at work. Rin would not bite that bait, and then she nodded briefly. She has an unique opportunity to work for them, so she would not start an argument based on human and youkai differences in society.
(…)
The almond-eye girl was tired of all doctors she had to go until the end of this week. Each day was three different doctors to go, and all so expensive that she would not prefer to know how much it costs. She tried to understand what had happened with other human employees in Atelier Yamaguchi, but no one would like to talk about it.
"Maybe is just prejudice", she thought one day.
She was starting to get late to her class and lectures because of her medical appointments. When her classes finished, she had to come back to atelier to work more with Sayuri and her youkai clients. Rin realized that her internship was more than that, and at least her boss pays her extra-hour. It's hard to understand, but that was the life she was praying for all those years.
However, she started to lose weight.
"Suzuki Rin", the gynecologist's secretary called out her name. "Please, follow me."
'Maybe they are afraid about AIDS', thought her. Needlework, right?
She doesn't remember the last time she went to a gynecologist. Probably… never. Rin laid on a special hospital bed, with all those odd things around her, and a fabric non-transparent separating her of the doctor. The girl only stood there, with her legs completely open, waiting her gynecologist.
When she entered that room, Rin realized it was a youkai doctor, and she speaks so low that could not understand what she was saying or happening down there. Only was feeling just a few nudges in her private parts. Rin did not see her face either. After some minutes, the gynecologist left the room without say anything.
Confused, Rin decided to wait her come back.
"Hello, Suzuki Rin!" a completely diferent youkai woman greeted the young girl. "I will be your gynecologist today, so make yourself comfortable with me, all right?"
?
Rin just nodded, completely confused. She wasn't sure if they're the same person.
"Oh dear god, I just need to rest this weekend", she thought trying to take away your suspicious about it.