Author's Note: First, a little backstory. This is sort of a remake of a very, very old fanfiction I wrote back in the day. It honestly wasn't very good, but I've always enjoyed writing about the characters that were in it, even nowadays. The main character was a blatant, self-insertation, though I believe I've distinguished him enough from myself at this point that the only thing we really share is a first name. Anyway, this story is what I came up with after deciding I couldn't leave the subject alone. Honestly, this things is more of a labor of love than anything else, one that I've decided to share with you all. I understand that there are likely a thousand Bleach fanfics with this story's general concept, but nevertheless, I decided to go on ahead with writing this thing. Hope that doesn't bother too many people.
You probably already realized from the description, but this thing has quite a few OCs. If you don't like that sort of thing, I suggest you stop reading now. If that doesn't bother you, I hope you enjoy! As always, any reviews, comments, or criticisms are greatly appreciated. Alright, I'll stop with all the chatter now.
Chapter 1
I Can See Ghosts
Tapping his pencil across his desk to the beat of the song pulsing through his ears, Aaron Higuchi might as well have been dead to the world. His headphones effectively cut him off from it, something that suited him just fine. It was near the end of a stressful school day, and he simply wanted something else to focus on besides school work and grades. So, he escaped within his music, bobbing his head at the electric tune. He might have indeed been dead to the world at the moment, yet maybe he actually preferred it this way.
"Aaron! Aaron! Yo, Aaron! Anyone in there?" said a teenager around Aaron's age. Handsome and tall, the dark-haired boy shook his head and sighed when Aaron didn't respond. Not one to be ignored, the youth ripped Aaron's headphones off the latter's head.
"W-What the…? S-Sasune! What's the big idea?!" Aaron roared in anger.
Sasune laughed. "I figured that would get your attention."
That it had. Aaron smacked his lips and lowered his feet off of his desk, next taking a gander at a nearby clock. There was a mere five minutes before school was over. Realizing this, the instructor at the head of the classroom had cut his lesson short and basically allowed his students some free time until it was time to leave. Aaron was taking full advantage of this, or at least, he was attempting to. Sasune Ishida, his lifelong friend and constant agitator, apparently desired he suffer instead.
"You listenin' to that techno junk again?" Sasune took the liberty of placing Aaron's red headphones up to his ear. Immediately, he winced at what he was hearing. "I don't get it, man. It just sounds like a bunch of robots yammering to me."
Aaron snatched his possession back. "Oh yeah? Well, I enjoy it, so that's all that really matters. Do you actually want something, or did you just come here to get on my nerves?"
"Perhaps a little of both." A sly smile slithered its way onto Sasune's lips. "Actually, I was curious to know if you were doing anything today."
"Today? No. What's up?"
Sasune glanced around to ensure no one else was listening before sliding a bit closer to his friend. "Well, there's this new maid café downtown that's opening today! There's gonna be lots of pretty girls and what not, and I've got some money to blow. What do you say we check it out? I figure it's gonna be pretty packed, so the sooner we get there, the sooner..."
"No." Aaron's response was as sharp as it was quick. "Seriously? You're always trying to get me to go to some stupid bar or beach or basically wherever there's a bunch of girls!"
Sasune replied, "You say it like that's a problem! Don't you like girls?"
"That isn't the issue here! You're a pervert! That's the only reason you want to go!"
When Sasune grinned even wider, Aaron knew his complaining was for good reason. For as long as he had known him, Sasune Ishida had been the biggest pervert in the world. He would flip girl's skirts up, put mirrors on his shoes to see their underwear, and he even managed to sneak a hidden camera in the girl's locker room one time. Though others would berate him for his actions, Sasune paid them no mind and kept on being Sasune. In a strange sort of way, Aaron had actually grown accustomed to his lecherous tendencies. Disgusted for the most part but accustomed nonetheless.
However, a maid café felt like too much. There was no telling how his friend would behave surrounded by so many women dressed in a rather suggestive manner. No, he could imagine it, hence the reason he was so hesitant to go even though the idea did peak his curiosity.
"If it's money you're worried about, I'll cover you for today," said Sasune, clearly unwilling to just give up.
"It's not that..." Aaron mumbled. It was to a certain extent. Having no job, Aaron was dependent on his mother springing him an allowance. He was in between it, meaning he really didn't have much cash to spare. "Can't we do something else? I got a couple new video games we could play back at my place."
Sasune shook his head. "You're seriously talking about video games right now?! Dude, I'm talking about a maid café! The only reason I'd wanna go back to your place is to see if your sister is home!"
Aaron rolled his eyes at the remark. He seriously didn't appreciate his friend bringing his older sister into this. She was a looker, the main reason Sasune always drooled over her whenever he saw her. Tolerating his antics was one thing, but Aaron would be damned to let his friend get his grubby fingers all over his sibling. Fortunately, she was a smart girl. Guys like Sasune really didn't appeal to her. In fact, she saw him in particular more as a little brother.
"Well, she's not," Aaron explained as he began placing his belongings into his backpack. He had a ton of homework awaiting him once he got home. This was yet another reason why wasting his time at some maid café was a bad idea. "She should be at her part-time job right now. And no, I'm still not taking any pictures of her while she's asleep. I don't care how much money you're offering."
The final bell of the day sounded throughout the school. Those within Aaron's second year class got to their feet and departed so hastily, their teacher barely got a chance to remind them they had an exam coming up next week. Hearing this, Aaron groaned a bit. While he wasn't particularly awful at school work, he could hardly call himself a Straight A student either. At the very least, Sasune was. For all his perverted impulses, he was truthfully a good guy to have around when you needed help studying.
"So, maid café or not?" Sasune inquired, running his hand through his waist-length hair. "Because I'm totally going with or without you, dude."
Aaron didn't doubt this. Now his hands felt tied. If he didn't go with Sasune, there was no telling how much havoc his friend would cause unsupervised.
"...Dammit." Aaron was already regretting the decision he had come to. "Fine. I'll go. Just promise me you won't do anything stupid or illegal, got it?"
"Sure thing, Dad! I'll be on my best behavior!"
Aaron rolled his eyes again. He couldn't even tell if Sasune had really heard a damn thing he had said. His friend was far too excited about their upcoming excursion, muttering something or another to himself. Cracking a smile, Aaron couldn't help but admit that he too felt a tangent of elation.
As Aaron and Sasune headed for the classroom's exit, they stopped in their tracks at the sight of a redheaded girl approaching. Moving her head up, she scowled and silently informed them to stand aside. The two obliged, sensing every bone in their body chill in fear while they watched her sling her backpack down from across her shoulder and take a seat at one of the empty desks.
"Konoka Mitsumi," said Sasune. His teeth were chattering.
"The Red Haired Beast," added Aaron. He gulped. "Wonder why she's in detention this time."
There were few within the confines of Hino Municipal High School that didn't know the legend of Konoka Mitsumi. The heiress to a world famous coffee distributor, she was also the biggest delinquent the school had to offer. Her beauty was often overshadowed by her fiery temper, and she had broken more jaws and given more black eyes than most professional boxers. She also happened to be the current record holder of most fights in a single week at Hino High with sixteen.
"I heard she got into it with one of her teachers. Ended up giving 'em a swirlie in the girl's bathroom," whispered Sasune. "Yeah, I heard he'll probably be in the hospital for a couple weeks."
"Is there any reason they haven't expelled her yet?" asked Aaron.
"She rich, man! She could probably buy the whole school if she wanted to! Hooligan or not, she's still the heiress to a rather prestigious company. I imagine the school could take a lot of heat if they just got rid of her."
Evidently, Aaron and Sasune weren't gossiping quietly enough. Konoka slowly turned her head toward them, glaring hard enough to kill. Her hapless victims both screamed in terror and then ran away at top speed out of the building.
"Dammit! She's gonna kill us the next time she sees us!" exclaimed Aaron.
Stopping to catch his breath, Sasune retorted, "Maybe. Well, let's not worry about that right now! Let's hit downtown Hino, Chocolate Thunder!"
"...I could've sworn I asked you not to call me that."
Aaron had, countless times over the years in fact. His brown skin and curly, black hair, the byproduct of him having an African-American mother, had always gotten him a number of glances from his Japanese peers. It never bothered him though, likely because the rest of the blood flowing through his veins was Japanese, courtesy of his now deceased father. The one thing that did get on his nerves was Sasune's asinine nickname.
"I mean, you even introduced me to your mother, God rest her soul, using that name!"
"Yeah! I can still remember her face after I said it!" replied a chuckling Sasune.
"Isn't her birthday coming up?"
"Yep. I'll have to visit the cemetery and bring her something nice. Why in the world are we talking about dead people though? Are you trying to stall or something? We still have a maid café to hit up, remember?"
"Yes. How could I forget?"
Sasune laughed at the top of his lungs, clearly still giddy to enjoy the maids and their café. Plugging his ears from the noise, Aaron allowed his friend to pull him forward in the direction of the monorail station. The sooner they got this over with, he thought, the better.
#
Aaron's hometown of Hino, Japan was as pedestrian as the term allowed. It neither stood out on a map nor attracted much tourism. The country town didn't even have a population of more than one thousand. The sole significant thing about it was the extensive monorail system that spanned the entire area. It was one of the most advanced transportation systems in the entire country, but it did little to lead Aaron to believe the place was anything but boring.
"No wonder Sasune is so excited about a stupid maid café," he said to himself while he followed his friend and dozen others out of a monorail car. They had arrived at their destination: downtown Hino. It at least had a bit more life and activity to it than the rest of town. The tall, encompassing buildings, restaurants, and various businesses sprinkled about were a breath of fresh air compared to how rural the rest of Hino, at least in Aaron's opinion.
"What the hell are you standing around for?!" Sasune said to him, snapping him out of his deep thinking. "We got cute maids awaiting us! Let's go! Let's go!"
"Alright, alright already!"
Aaron stayed close behind his friend as they made their way through a gigantic crowd. He could see students from his school among the suited business men and casually dressed citizens, and it seemed he and Sasune weren't the only teenagers trying to unwind in the heart of town.
"You're sixteen, right, Aaron?" asked Sasune just then.
"Huh? Uh...yeah. Same as you, but you know that. Why...are you asking?"
"I was just curious as to how you've spent sixteen years on this glorious Earth of ours without having even a single girlfriend."
Instantly, Aaron's cheeks flushed red with blood. "W-What?! W-What in the world does my love life…!"
"Nonexistent love life," Sasune happily corrected.
"Whatever! Just tell me why you brought this up all of a sudden!"
"Well, I was thinking we might be able to find you a girl at the café! You might not be as well put together as yours truly, but there's gotta be some girl out there desperate enough to go out with the likes of you!"
"You really do have a one track mind, don't you?"
"What can I say? It's gotta be these teenage hormones."
Craving to berate his friend, Aaron instead became motionless and stared off into the distance. Sasune mirrored him though hadn't the slightest idea what they peering at.
"There," said Aaron, pointing at a jam packed cake shop. The sign above it read Takibara Cakes. "You don't see that girl?"
"Girl?" Sasune reached into his pocket and slipped on a pair of black-rimmed glasses. The second he did, he clearly made out the young girl standing somberly in front of the store Aaron mentioned. As she gazed toward the ground, those that passed her paid her no mind, strange considering the metal chain protruding from her chest. "Ah! There she is! And a looker too!"
"You really are blind without those glasses, aren't you?"
"I'd just wear them all the time, but they'd make me look uncool with the ladies."
The girl leered up and met Aaron's and Sasune's eyes. Fear, along with curiosity, filled hers, and she was perplexed someone was actually acknowledging her existence.
"You can...see me?" she timidly asked.
"Yeah. Don't worry. We're not here to hurt you," Aaron assured her. He took a careful step toward her, holding up his hands and smiling to show he truly meant no harm. "For whatever reason, I can see ghosts. I've been able to since I was a kid actually."
"Same here, my bad eyesight aside," said Sasune nonchalantly. "So, what brings a pretty, little thing like you to this part of town? You doing anything right now? The two of are actually planning to paint the town red and would just love it if you gave us the honor of your company!"
The spirit hesitated, unsure how to respond.
"...You even hit on ghosts?" said Aaron. He didn't remotely try to hide the displeasure in his tone.
"Hey, don't look at me like that!" replied Sasune.
Aaron shook his head and faced the ghost again. "Look, pay this idiot no mind. Is there some reason you're hanging out by this cake shop? Are you unable to move on?"
"'Move...on?'" The questioned appeared to confuse the girl. "I'm...not sure. I...used to live here. For some reason, I can't bring myself to leave from this spot."
"How long have you been here? I don't think I've ever seen you before."
The girl put her finger on her chin to think and then answered, "I'm...not sure. A couple of months maybe? All...all I can really remember is that I used to live here at this cake shop."
"Hmm. I don't recall hearing about any deaths or murders in this area," stated Sasune. "Still, we should probably just go inside the cake shop and see if anyone knows her."
"And say what? We can see ghosts and just finished talking to one?" replied Aaron. "You remember what happened the last time we tried something like that? We were almost thrown inside a mental asylum!"
"Yeah, but we can't just leave things be, right? She's obviously stuck here for a reason. Maybe she's got some lingering regrets or something she can't remember."
"Weren't you just ready to head for that maid café? In fact, you wouldn't shut up about it before this. Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Come on. Even I know when to get serious when need be."
"I-It's fine. You two...don't have to do anything," the ghost informed them. The sadness in her tone was more than enough to sway Aaron's mind.
"Right. We can't just leave this be. It wouldn't be right." He nodded at his own speech. "Hell, if that idiot Don Kanonji can go on TV and spout stuff like ' the spirits are always with you' without being laughed at, we can do something like this no problem!"
"That's more like it, Chocolate Thunder!" proclaimed Sasune.
"'Chocolate...Thunder?'" the ghostly girl echoed.
Aaron rolled his eyes for a third time. "Like I said, just ignore him. Anyway, we'll...uh...be right back."
The girl held her hand up as if desiring to stop them but lowered it and stood by as they disappeared into the cake shop.
#
The inside of the pastry shop was even more busy than Aaron and Sasune assumed. Between the people staring at the window below the front counter that displayed numerous varieties of cakes to the individuals waiting in line to complete their purchases, the two could hardly get inside the place to begin their investigation.
"So, do we just go up to the front counter and ask about the girl?" asked Sasune.
Aaron replied, "What? This was your idea! I thought you had something in mind!"
Removing his glasses and tucking them safely in their case, Sasune responded, "I do. ...Probably. We have to tread lightly here though. If that girl really did live in this shop at one time, then the people here are bound to know her. If that's the case, they might become upset if we start asking about a deceased loved one out of the blue. We need information, but we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings in the process."
That made perfect sense to Aaron. Sasune might have come off as goofy and uninterested most of the time, yet he was as sharp as a tack when it came to something he was giving his full and undivided attention to.
"...What are you doing?" Aaron had to know when he spotted Sasune eying the cakes behind the glass.
"Well, we're here anyway, so we might as well grab something! I'm not gonna lie, that caramel cake on the left looks amazing!"
"...Maybe I spoke too soon about him being smart."
After what felt like ages, Aaron and Sasune were next in line. Sasune informed the middle aged woman behind the register which cake he longed for, whereas Aaron stared at her intently. She was the very picture of the spirit outside attached to the shop.
"Her mother?" he mumbled.
"Excuse me?" the woman inquired as she bagged Sasune's cake.
Aaron paused, having no clue how to even begin. "Uh...l-look, this is gonna sound weird, but did you have a daughter, or maybe even a younger sister that...passed away recently?"
He had clearly struck a nerve; the woman behind the counter stopped counting Sasune's change and gazed at Aaron like she had seen a ghost.
"Hey, didn't I tell you to lay it on easy?!" said Sasune in a hushed voice.
"Y-Yeah, but I really wasn't sure how to bring up the subject without just asking!"
"...Yes. My...daughter passed away a couple of months ago." The woman, clearly defensive now, eyed Aaron and Sasune cautiously. This was exactly the sort of reaction Sasune had been hoping to avoid. He guessed there was no use in crying over spilled milk. "What is this about? Who are you two? Did you know my Hitomi?"
"So that's her name." Sasune spoke without really thinking, making Hitomi's mother even more wary. "Uh...y-yes! Yes we do! Or...we did. We...uh...used to go to school with her! Right, Aaron?"
Aaron cringed when he was elbowed in the shoulder. "Y-Yes! We went to school with Hitomi! A-Anyway, we were...sort of wondering how she died. The school...uh...didn't tell us much about it! They said they didn't want to upset us! She was our friend though, so we feel we have the right to know!"
Everyone within the cake shop was now paying complete attention to Aaron. As he looked back at them, he pondered if he had perhaps said too much. There was no rationale in his words; he had merely said the first thing that came to mind. Lying like this made him feel awful, but he reassured himself that it was for the greater good.
"...I see." Tears formed in the eyelids of Hitomi's mothers, yet she was also smiling warmly. "It's nice to know Hitomi had friends like you two that cared for her. My daughter...was a rather sickly child. She'd been that way ever since she was born. The doctors only gave her a few months to live, but she hung in there! That girl...always hung in there. She nearly made it to her sixteenth birthday before...b-before..."
Sasune, holding out a handkerchief, said, "Take your time. We know this is a lot to ask from you."
"T-Thank you. Hitomi...told me she wanted to take over this cake shop one day. It's run in our family for as long as anyone could remember. She was such a talented chef! She could memorize a recipe in a matter of seconds! Even though she could barely function right before the time she died, she kept saying she wanted nothing more than to be a baker..."
#
Aaron and Sasune exited the cake shop with heavier hearts than they went in with.
"So that's why she's stuck here," said Aaron. "She might not remember it, but she wanted to take over this shop one day. She can't pass on until she does."
"Then that's gonna be a problem," Sasune retorted with a sigh. "She's dead."
"I'm aware. We can't do much about that, so we at least have to help her cross over."
"I'm all ears, Chocolate Thunder. Got anything in mind?"
Aaron was so depressed, he didn't even notice his friend refer to him by that detested nickname. "...No. Nothing at all." He then searched the area and noticed something, or rather someone, was missing. "Wait, where's Hitomi? Wasn't she standing right here?"
"Odd. She said she couldn't leave this place, right? Maybe she crossed over while we weren't looking?"
Aaron supposed that was possible. He certainly hoped so anyway. His gut was telling him otherwise however. Nevertheless, there wasn't much they could do for Hitomi if she wasn't there. With his mind in a funk, there was only one thing Aaron could think to do at the moment.
"Let's go to the maid café."
"Huh? Where'd that come from? What about the ghost?" asked Sasune. He had already started eating slices of his cake, so Aaron wasn't sure why he spoke like he were the lone one still depressed
"I don't sense her around here. When and if she comes back, we'll come back too and help her pass on. That should give her mother some peace. In the meantime..."
"Say no more! I'm right behind you, good buddy! Oh man, I can hardly wait to see those cute girls in their outfits! I wonder if I can get one of them to be my personal maid every time I go in!"
"Just how often do you plan on going to that place?"
"Every god damned day if I can! Oh, this is gonna be sweet!"
Aaron, palming his hand over his face, debated how much longer he could stand his friend. Then again, he supposed he it wasn't as hard as he was making it out to be. He had been dealing with Sasune Ishida's for over ten years, and he had a feeling it would be even longer.
#
Being dead did not exclude one from fear. This was something Hitomi Takibara, the ghost that once haunted the front of Takibara Cakes, was learning the hard way. The sound of her hurried breathing was solely drowned out by the horrible screeching of some unseen creature behind her. Though wanting to curl into a ball, Hitomi kept running. She had no destination in mind; anywhere was better than where she was. Her widened eyes glanced back from time to time, yet she saw nothing, only hearing the sound of whatever was chasing her. That merely served to intensify the terror coursing through her semi-transparent form.
"N-No! Get away!" she hollered to no one in particular. She wished for someone, anyone, to save her, save her from the unknown. "N-No! STAY AWAY!"
Again, the being that desired to devour her was only heard, not seen. The game of cat and mouse continued.
#
"Welcome home, Master!" said an attractive woman in a black, French-style maid's outfit.
"We're so glad you decided to come today, Master!" said another to the right.
Sasune could have cried. No, he did cry. Despite how foolish he must have appeared, he didn't care. As tears rolled down his cheeks, he kissed the ground directly in front of the maid café in the middle of downtown Hino. To say this occurrence was the greatest of his young life would be a massive understatement. If he could live in this moment, this time, for all eternity, he would be happy.
"...Are we gonna go in, or are you just gonna keep making out with the ground?" joked Aaron. The maids standing at the door giggled.
Fanning himself, Sasune refused to let the emotion of the momentous event stop him from following his friend inside the café. The interior was mostly pink, too pink in Aaron's opinion, and he was forced to shield his sight somewhat. Tables, maids, and patrons that had the same goofy countenance as Sasune were all over. Clearly, the grand opening of this eccentric establishment was going very well. Whether that was a good or bad thing, Aaron couldn't decide.
"Does this table work for you, Masters?" one of the maids sweetly asked.
"Uh...yeah. Sure. Is this okay, Sasune?" said Aaron.
"So, what are you doing this weekend? I've got two tickets to the hottest movie in town!" Sasune wasn't listening. He was in fact propositioning another maid for a date. Aaron wouldn't have minded so much if it wasn't his movie ticket his friend was trying to impress the girl with. "So, when can I pick you up?"
"I'm sorry, Master, but I'm not supposed to fraternize with the clientèle outside of the café!" the maid replied in the same intonation as her compatriot. The two then walked away laughing, while Sasune seemed ready to weep again, though for an entirely different reason this time.
Aaron patted his melancholy chum on the back. "Better luck next time?"
"Dammit! This isn't fair!" Sasune slammed his fist down on the daisy-patterned table he and Aaron were sitting at. "It should be against the law for women to not give me their numbers!"
"...Do you really believe the crap that comes out of your mouth sometimes?"
"...A man's gotta believe in something, right?"
Aaron didn't dignify that remark with a proper response.
"...I wonder where Hitomi got off to," he said instead.
Sasune shifted his focus away from his caramel cake long enough to answer, "Who knows? You know how weird ghosts are. Can't get a read on 'em. You wanna go out and look for her?"
"No, that's alright. I guess I'm just being a little paranoid. You should be able to sense her if she comes back though, right?"
"Are you kidding me? That's like child's play for me! Stop worrying so much and just enjoy the view, alright?"
Sasune flashed Aaron a thumbs up, giving the latter a clear view of the armband attached to his right wrist. Hanging from it was a red cross, one that Aaron had seen time and time again. If trouble did rear its ugly head in terms of Hitomi, that object would be able to put an end to it.
"I wonder what our personal maid is gonna look like!" said Sasune. He was rubbing his hands together like he were getting ready to enjoy a fine meal. Maybe a beautiful woman was similar to a fine meal in his deluded mind, Aaron thought. "I hope she ain't fat! I don't like fat chicks!"
"I thought you professed to love all women."
"I do! I do! I never said I had to date a fat chick though!"
"Why do I even bother with you sometimes?"
"Because you know you wouldn't last a day without me, Chocolate Thunder!"
"You know, people are going to really think that's my name if you keep this up."
"Hello, Master Chocolate Thunder! Are you and your handsome friend here ready for some fun?" asked someone standing above Aaron and Sasune. The two of them turned to her, and their jaws immediately hit the ground. Beaming at them gently and threatening to melt their hearts into mush was the most stunning blonde either of them had ever seen. Catching their longing gazes, the maid giggled and swept her delicate fingers through curly hair that extended just past her shoulders. A part of it was held together by a red ribbon. Perhaps even better than that however was her piercing, red eyes that resembled rubies. Both Aaron and Sasune wouldn't have minded getting lost in them for days. Topping all this off was her peach completion and near perfect figure. The longer the duo stared absentmindedly at her, the more they questioned if she were even real.
"Baby, fun is my middle name!" exclaimed Sasune.
"Great! My name's Kana! Kana Mitarashi! I'll be taking care of you today, Masters, so please treat me well!" Kana bowed just as energetically as she spoke before having a seat next to a visibly flustered Aaron. "Would you like to order anything, Master Chocolate Thunder? We have lots of stuff to choose from! Our special entrée today is omelette rice! If you order it, I'll even decorate whatever you want on it with ketchup! So, how about it?"
Aaron couldn't speak. Even thinking straight proved a challenge. Kana picked up on this, almost seeing the steam shooting out of his ears, and snickered.
"Yeah, talking with women isn't exactly his specialty," explained Sasune. "I'll have some of that omelette rice if you don't mind, Kana!"
"Sure thing, Master! Shall I bring Master Chocolate Thunder some as well?"
"...Aaron..."
"Hmm? What was that?" Kana asked Aaron after hearing him mumble something.
"Aaron," he repeated. "My name is...Aaron. Not 'Master Chocolate Thunder...'"
"And I'm Sasune!"
Kana nodded. "Okay! Master Aaron and Master Sasune! Got it! Well, I'll be back in a jiff with your orders! Don't go anywhere now, okay!"
She winked at them ahead of skipping off. Watching her go, neither Aaron or Sasune had any inclination of vanishing. In fact, the two hoped it was possible for them to stay in the café overnight.
"I feel like an idiot for almost not coming here," Aaron admitted.
"Hey, there are some apartments right across the street! How about you and I rent one so we can come to this heaven on Earth everyday?!" said Sasune.
"Yeah, you seem to be forgetting I have no money, hence the reason you're paying for everything today."
"R-Right. I did say that, didn't I?" The mere thought of his wallet being emptied made Sasune a bit sad though not nearly enough to ruin his overall mood. Being surrounded by so many beautiful women was enough to keep it steady. "Say, what do you think about that Kana? Was there...something off about her to you?"
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "'Off' is not the word I would use to describe that girl!"
"Ha! I'm well aware! That isn't what I meant though. I'm not sure how to put it in words, but something about her has me thinking. Well, thinking about something other than getting those digits!"
Shrugging, Aaron really hadn't the foggiest idea what his cohort was going on about. It was strange though. Sasune was the absolute last person he would expect to be gripping about a pretty woman like Kana. Maybe there was cause for alarm in that case.
Before Aaron could chew over the matter any longer, every bone in his body became ice cold, and an unexplainable dread came over him without warning. Both these things caused him to stand, drawing attention from the other patrons of the café.
"You felt that too then," said Sasune calmly.
"Y-Yeah. Is that what I think it is?"
"Probably. Dammit. And we were having such a nice time too." Sasune got to his feet as well and wiped his hands clean of cake. "Think we can get a rain check on that omelette rice?"
Things became stranger still when the entire café began to tremble violently. Cups and plates on tables shattered on the floor, while those inside the building began to scream and shout in fear. Nodding at one another, Aaron and Sasune dashed out of the café and toward where they detected the source of the disturbance. As they did, Kana came back holding two plates of omelette rice, both garnished with fresh tomato ketchup.
"Huh? Where are they going?! I worked really hard on their food too!"
#
Hitomi was positive she couldn't run anymore. Collapsing on the ground, her chest heaved up and down for fresh oxygen, and her mind became a blank slate from tiredness. She frantically checked the vicinity around her and saw that she had trekked to a forest just outside of Hino. She quickly used this knowledge to her advantage, hiding behind a tall tree from her mysterious assailant. Sweat drenched her forehead as the seconds ticked by slowly. Things were calm and quiet, but this did little to settle her down.
"Is it...gone?" she dared to murmur to herself. "W-What even was…?"
She shrieked at the top of her lungs when the tree she was taking shelter behind was suddenly destroyed. The force from it flung her back, disorienting her. By the time she did regain her bearings, it was too late. The monster that had been hunting her had finally caught up. Her eyes, bloodshot and protracted, gradually moved up to the humanoid creature towering at about sixteen feet tall. It possessed a white mask, fish-like in appearance, a dorsal fin on its back, and gray stripes that shrouded its entire body. More unsettling than its mask was the gaping hole near its chest. Hitomi paid heed at it specifically, being almost mesmerized in fact. What was this creature? What did it want with her? Her body wouldn't allow her to discover the answers to these questions. It instead beckoned her to again flee. She heeded its call, and the fish-like creature made chase, howling that nightmarish howl of its as it did. Although large, it was fast, fast enough to close the distance between it and its quarry in a matter of seconds. It outstretched one if its massive hands toward Hitomi. It narrowly missed, but it did cause her to stumble over onto the ground. With no time to get back up, Hitomi braced herself and once more screamed as the monster reached out for her a second time.
Expecting to be finished, Hitomi instead found her attacker bellowing in anguish. She soon became aware of the reason why: a red arrow had found its way into the creature's hand. It lurched backward, just as she heard the sound of footsteps behind her.
"Dammit, Sasune! Couldn't you have done that a little sooner?!" cried Aaron.
Sasune, brushing aside a bang in front of his forehead, replied, "Sure, but real heroes wait until the last possible second to save the damsel in distress! It ups the tension, you know!"
"You're a god damn idiot! What if she had died?!"
"She's already dead, man!"
"You know damn well what I mean! That Hollow would've done something to her that's worse than death if you had taken any longer!"
"Stop your bitching! I shot the damn thing in time, didn't I?!"
Hitomi whispered the name 'Hollow', finding it totally unfamiliar. Of course, the same could be said for the red, glowing bow in Sasune's right hand.
"Y-You two…? How?" she asked in an almost trance-like state.
Aaron bent down to her. "Don't worry! You're alright now! Well, I think so anyway. I'd be more reassured if Sasune would stop screwing around."
"You're talking a lot of crap considering I'm the one with the deadly arrows here!" voiced Sasune.
"Use them on that thing then!"
The Hollow was getting to its feet, prompting Sasune to smirk. "What are you getting so worked up for, Chocolate Thunder? Everyone knows I perform better when there's a beautiful woman watching!"
Forming an arrow composed of spirit energy, Sasune pulled back on it before letting it rip through the air. Much to everyone's shock, it missed the Hollow's vitals, merely grazing it on the cheek.
"Uh...I-I did that on purpose!" Sasune declared.
Aaron felt a migraine coming on. "Could you at least put your glasses on before you start doing stuff that requires 20/20 vision?!"
"G-Good idea!"
Sasune did just that ahead of fashioning another arrow. This one found its mark, landing right in the Hollow's shoulder. Its high-pitched wailing echoed throughout the entire forest, yet this was like music to Sasune's ears. He didn't let up, launching another arrow into his target's arm and then its leg.
"Like shooting fish in a barrel!"
"You know you gotta aim for the mask, right?!" Aaron told him.
"I'm gonna pop one in your leg if you don't shut up, you backseat driver! Instead of bothering me, Mom, shouldn't you be getting our ghost friend out of here?!"
Aaron was in disbelief one of his comrade's requests actually made sense. "R-Right! I'll leave that thing to you then!"
After informing Hitomi to stick close to him, the two disappeared into seemingly unending valley of bark and pine.
"Finally!" said Sasune gleefully. "Now I can get some peace and quiet!"
The Hollow emitted another ear-shattering clamor just then.
"Or not."
It mattered not to him. The sooner he took care of this Hollow, the sooner he could get back to Kana Mitarashi at the maid café. That was more than enough to get his motor going as he unleashed a flurry of arrows upon the noisy Hollow. It responded by holding its arms up to block the volley.
"Hey! This is top service I'm giving you here! Receive it like a good boy!"
Sasune vanished into thin air, leaving the Hollow bamboozled. It didn't take long for him to reappear, and he did so right above his enemy before drilling it with another barrage of crimson arrows. Nonetheless, while the assault clearly injured the Hollow, it failed to finish it, leaving Sasune a bit annoyed.
"This thing has more spiritual power than it's letting on. Maybe..."
Suddenly, the Hollow let loose a tremendous shout, causing a powerful gust of wind to sweep through the area. Sasune braced himself and noted that besides ruining his hair, that last blast of air came in the wake of the Hollow's spiritual pressure raising tremendously.
"You've gotta be kidding me! It was holding back this whole time?!"
Apparently it was because Sasune couldn't react in time when the creature charged for him and wrapped its fingers around his throat. It then slammed him with force into the dirt. The impact made Sasune cough up a bunch of blood, although he was far more concerned with what the Hollow planned to do with him next.
"Dammit! You just had to go and break my glasses! Do you even know how much it's gonna cost to get these replaced, you ugly mother…!"
The Hollow squeezed down hard on Sasune, effectively silencing him. Feeling that his neck would be snapped in no time, his brain struggled to come up with a solution to his predicament.
Luckily, it didn't need to. Even with his impaired vision, he managed to first see a glint of light and then the massive arm attached to him severed from the Hollow. A literal shower of blood rained down on the green forest, staining it and Sasune red. So long as he was alive, he didn't mind having his outfit completely ruined.
"Ugh! I'm gonna have to take like six showers when I get home though!"
"I think red looks good on you, handsome!" a voice in the distance chimed. He wasted no time in aiming his bow toward the figure clad in a black kimono and straw sandals, but he lowered it when he recognized the person's face.
"...Red like ketchup, right?" his mouth struggled to say.
"That's right!" Kana Mitarashi replied. She winked his way while she swung the katana in her grasp, slinging the Hollow's blood off the shimmering blade. "Speaking of that, you and that Chocolate Thunder guy are real jerks for just leaving the café like that after I had your meals ready and everything! You two better come back and eat it as soon as this is over!"
For the first time in his entire life, Sasune was completely mum in the presence of a female.
END