"Are we ready to head out yet?" Yakuma asked. After helping out the fish seller with his present to the storekeeper's daughter, they were ready to embark to their next destination. They were already on the outskirts of the town. "Hold on, I'm going to get some more supplies," Neya responded. She began to walk off when Utsuho blocked her path. "If you're just getting food, then I'll go. I still need to check something out as well." Utsuho began to smirk. Pochi popped out over his shoulder and smiled at Neya and Yakuma.
"More fish kebab dango!" Pochi squealed, and began jumping up and down. Utsuho began to walk away. Yakuma walked up to Neya and tapped her back. She turned around, with a subtle but noticeable blush. Yakuma opened his mouth, but said nothing. His eyes were directed at the blush, taking note of it. Yakuma's mouth closed. Neya was blank, and still blushing. The two stood there for what seemed like an eternity, dead air between them. Finally, Yakuma decided to break the silence.
"Did you want to go get some supplies? Maybe something other than food?" Yakuma said. Those words reawakened Neya, and she quickly nodded her head rapidly. "Uh... right. I'll get some water and maybe some directions?" She began scratching her neck and grinning profusely. She wasn't completely sure of what she was saying, but saying anything was better than staying quiet. "I'll be back a little later, okay?" Yakuma nodded, and walked towards a nearby bench. As Neya began to walk off, he sat down, and started thinking. Hmm... that reaction, the blushing, scratching her neck, sweat from her hands when she scratched her neck, dilated pupils, guilty conscience, even jitters from her hands that seem to match her heartbeat. It's just a hunch, but maybe... I'll ask later just to find out.
Meanwhile, Neya was looking downwards while walking to a well. Why am I feeling this way? This feeling is so... odd. I want to just scream and let everything go, but I can't. And it has something to do with Utsuho... I guess- Neya walked into something and feel on the floor. "Hey, are you alright?" A familiar voice spoke, and there were two people in front of her. Neya looked up, and saw Yohei and Otsuru, walking together. "Neya-san, I thought you and the others left." He said, while Otsuru was holding out a hand and mildly chuckling. "Yeah, but we need to get some more supplies before we leave." Neya responded. Yohei grimaced at her statement.
"Well... Utsuho-san came by, and asked me for more fish. He took nearly half of all our flounders and trouts!" He exclaimed, a tear beginning to bubble in his eye. Neya smirked, seeing how typical of him it seemed. Neya took Otsuru's hand and thanked her. Afterwards, she reassured Yohei, and he calmed down. "Well, we'll be off. Next time, be more careful of signs, okay?" Yohei sighed, walking to a nearby market. Neya looked at the sign she walked into. The sign was for a fortune teller down the alley. Somehow, I don't think Utsuho would be interested in fortune tellers. Oh well. I still need to get some water so-
"Muito, Neya, do I presume correct?" A voice came from the alley. "Huh? Hello? How did you know my name?" Neya walked into the dark alley, where she saw a person covered with a dark cloak from head to toe, sitting at a small table. Even the person's mouth was not visible, and the voice was muffled just enough to be unable to discern the gender.
"If I understand correctly, you are experiencing problems understanding how you feel?" Neya's eyes widened. "How do you know all this?" Neya asked. The fortune teller chuckled hoarsely and placed a vial on the table. "This vial will solve your problems. Give this to the root of your problems, and the heavens will smile upon you and grant you the peace of mind you so desire." Neya picked up the small vial. The liquid inside was completely clear; in fact, it doesn't seem to be any different from water. "Hey, what would-" Neya stopped. The fortune teller, along with the table, was gone. She decided to walk out of the alley. When she was back on the street, she looked at the sign again. It was for a pottery shop. Neya sighed, and looked at the pristine vial in her hands.
"Hey Ne-chan, what do you have there?" Utsuho said, standing right next to her and placing down a bag full of fish. Reactively, she jumped away from him, nearly hitting the pottery sign, but landed on the floor. She began struggling to speak over her feelings of surprise. "This is... it's just... water! Water! It's water. I just went to get-" She stopped talking all of a sudden. Utsuho reached out his hand and took the vial.
"Is this all the water that you're planning to bring? This will probably only be enough for Pochi. Right?" Pochi was on the floor, nearby the fish. "Here, Pochi! Have some water." Neya, now realizing that Pochi is going to drink it motioned Pochi to stop. "Pochi! Wait. I'll drink it first, just to see if it's safe!" She said, impulsively. Utsuho began to smirk smugly. "Sis wants the water?" Pochi said innocently. She nodded. What did I get myself into?
Pochi handed her the drink, beaming with joy. Neya began to quiver as she slowly brought the vial up to her mouth. After uncorking it, her lips touched the vial, and she tipped the vial just enough to let the liquid flow into her mouth. The flavor was remarkably sweet. As soon as the first gulp was made, Utsuho chimed in, laughing. "Hey, Ne-chan! I lied about it being water. There were people going around saying that the liquid inside was a love potion!" He continued laughing, but Neya's blood ran cold. A... A... A love potion?
"What? Why did you let me drink it?" Her voice was slowly raising. "Well, I actually already drank some earlier. It was delicious, and I wanted to share some with Pochi once I knew it was safe." Utsuho said calmly, ending his laughter. He continued to grin at her though. "After all, this is one of the things I wanted to get. It'll be useful, don't you think?" Utsuho edged closer to Neya. Does... Utsuho...is he in love with me? Or... is that just the potion's effect? All of a sudden, the effects of the liquid began taking effect. Neya began blushing. Her eyes, dilated, seemed to have been sparkling. Her palms became sweatier, and her breathing and pulse were irregular. He drank the potion too. Neya got up as much as she could, though it seemed very weakly.. Looking at him, he looks like he fell in love too. She closed her eyes, the last thing she remembered was Utsuho's face. I guess there's no denying it then... A strong gravity was pulling her in. While we're like this, I'm... Her lips began to pucker up. I'm mean we're... we're in...
"Hey Neya. I wanted to ask you about something... Utsuho?" Yakuma walked towards the two of them, still nearby the alleyway. His face was also mildly reddish, and he was quivering slightly. Utsuho, who was already looking away from Neya, pointed at her and the vial that was in her hands. Yakuma continued to stare at Utsuho, and slowly shifted. "Both of you drank the potion too?" Neya's eyes flashed open, and her composure returned. She was about ready to explode at his statement. "What do you mean?" Neya asked desperately. She began shaking a little short of violently.
"The 'love potion,'" Utsuho started, "was given out by some guy in a black cloak. Even though it was popular, I didn't like how he also posed as a fortune teller telling people that he can make anyone fall in love, so I tried it out. The drink is a special type of alcohol that is specifically made to make you feel like you're infatuated with someone. And as soon as I exposed his lie, he covered up his face and fled." Yakuma helped Neya back on her feet, though she already looked like she was going to fall already.
"He's right. Some of the symptoms of attraction include dilated eyes, sweaty-" Utsuho punched Yakuma in the face, and stepped on his head while he was on the floor. "We all know that already! We all know how it feels to be in love, thanks to the potion. The potion gives the biological effects, while the guy saying that it's a love potion gives it the psychological effects." Utsuho retorted. "Wait, then why would you want to give this potion to Pochi then?" Neya asked, scratching her neck, and still feeling the effects of the potion. Utsuho picked up Pochi from of the floor, back onto his shoulder. Simultaneously, he got off Yakuma, and Yakuma stood up again. "It's because it's still delicious! I never had anything like this before. And besides, the feeling you get still feels amazing." Utsuho replied. Neya still had more questions in mind.
"Why did you want to get this stuff?" "Just in case. After all, I always have explosives and poisons, but why not a love potion?" "When did you ever feel love?" "Pochi?" "Where did this guy go?" "This alleyway. That's how I knew that you had the love potion." "Okay, but when did you find this stuff?" "Found it after having Yohei chase me around." "So the fortune teller's a fraud?" "Of course he is! Using something as simple as the placebo effect to convince people that they're in love." "Did he know your name?" "Who wouldn't know all of our names, once word got out that we helped Yohei?" "Why did Yakuma drink it?" "It wasn't intentional."
Yakuma quickly wiped off the dirt from his hat. "It was intentional! You switched all my water with this stuff!" Utsuho continued grinning, mocking him at the same time. Yakuma sighed. "At any rate, I was going to ask you about this, Neya. I was wondering if you drank this stuff when Utsuho left, but I guess my question has already been answered.. You were getting this stuff, right?" Neya, once again, seemed a bit shellshocked. "Uh.. Sis?" Pochi asked Neya, once again, snapped back into reality. "Yeah, of course I was! I still need to get the water though." Neya dashed off.
"But really, did you have to put it with my water as well?" Yakuma asked bluntly. Utsuho continued grinning, and held up a small canteen. "I wanted to see if my minion could feel love. I guess so." Utsuho threw the canteen in Yakuma's face, and ran away.