Author Note: This fic was done as a gift to Dennou, a dear friend of mine
Gazing Forward
A comfortable, yet cold, breeze passed over Rikuo's face as he sat facing a river. He liked it, as it lifted some of the anxiety he felt at the moment. "And that's the story. I am a quarter youkai." Rikuo said, not yet looking at the girl with chocolate hair standing beside him. "I'm sorry for hiding it from you all these years."
Another breeze blew, mitigating some of the silence. From the corner of his eye, he looked at the girl. She knew about the fact that he was a youkai now, but this was the first time since that revelation that they could talk at leisure.
A bit to his surprise, she did not look neither angry nor accepting, which were the reactions he anticipated. Instead, she scowled while looking at the river, and toucher a bang of her hair. "I understand." She said, still facing the river and still retaining her own anxious expression. "Secrets like that are not easy to say, aren't they?"
"Yes… it is." He had a strange feeling about this.
"To be honest, I too was hiding something from you." Kana closed her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking. "You see, I'm a Magical Girl (Mahou Shoujo)."
Yet another breeze blew through yet another awkward silence.
"...what?"
Kana's determined, anxious face left way to embarrassment. "I'm sorry!" She bowed. "During my elementary school days, I was contracted with a cute animal, which I found in my basement, and I fought against evil with some friends!"
"...whaaaaaat?"
And then he opened his eyes to see a familiar ceiling, an easy to remember tune, and a girl singing to it. He could also feel a blanket covering his body. This was a dream, right?
Without rising up, he averted his eyes towards Tsurara, who was watching TV and jumped up and down while singing the theme song of a Mahou Shoujo show that was playing on the screen. This again? This had not been the first time that Rikuo had strange dreams, and as usual it was the product of Tsurara singing to him while he was sleeping.
He took the glasses that lay beside the mattress, put them on, and slightly rose up. Just when he was about to call to the dancing Yuki-Onna, her kimono suddenly disappeared.
Huh? While Rikuo was taken aback, Tsurara's dancing became more colorful and as she danced, she created an armored dress out of ice, first on her hands, then on her feet. Then she pushed her hands through her hair, creating ice clips that then held her hair in twin tales- And then finally she created an armored dress across the rest of her body.
And then she finished it all with a killer pose where she crossed her legs, had only one eye open, and held two fingers in front of the opened eye. "Ice Princess Tsurara is ready to-" She stopped when she realized that Rikuo was looking at her.
A small draft blew through the awkward silence.
Damn it… say something and act mature! "That was nice, I especially like how you even changed your hairstyle."
She remained in her fancy pose, but Tsurara's face slowly turned redder and redder, while her smile shook as she bit over her lip.
"Also… please don't do this in front of other guys. That would trouble me."
"Hyaaaaaaah!" She turned around and ran out of his room screaming. "I disgraced myself in front of Rikuo-sama!"
"Good morning." Rikuo said silently while looking at the door with a smile.
~)(~
While eating in silence this same morning, Rikuo thought about his dream. More precisely, he thought about Kana. It was not such a surprise that he ended up dreaming about her, seeing as last two days he often thought of her. He thought about the entire Kiyo Cross Squad, with whom he went to Middle and High School, but Kana was someone he knew before anyone so he thought of her more often than on others.
When they graduated from High School, every member of the Kiyo Cross Squad (save Tsurara who was always with him) went their own ways.
Rikuo himself started attending Todai (University of Tokyo) for last two years, so his daily life was a mixture of studying and leading the greatest youkai clan in Japan. Though studying at a University was an additional burden and though it was practically useless for his future as the Supreme Commander of the Nura Clan, it nevertheless made him feel good. His human life may have been unexciting, but it was comfortable and allowed him to not get lost in all this madness that was the world of youkai yakuza.
But having to be both a student at a prestigious university, and the Supreme Commander of the Nura Clan, meant that he had little time for hanging around with others. The same went with his old friends. So as time went on, their interactions became scarce. He would often think of sending a message over Social Networks, yet he rarely managed to do so.
He thought it sad that good friends became unable to stay close to one another all the time once they reached adulthood.
Though at least some relationships did not change. "Rikuo-sama~" Tsurara walked in, with a happy smile and holding his bag. "I prepared all the books you will need today, and I did not forget the extra papers you will need for-"
"Are we going to pretend that the scene from this morning did not happen?" Rikuo wanted to be naughty.
"Yes! We! Are!" She said with a smile, but struck the table with the bag as hard as she could. "I wish I could go with you, like how I went to school with you."
"You should have gone to the classes during our school days then." Rikuo said with a smile and took the bag. "Or at least you should have studied for entrance exams." She scored at the bottom on them, as she seemingly thought that her guts and love would make her win.
"Hmmmm..." Tsurara puffed her cheeks in annoyance. Honestly, his thoughts on the matter were mixed. On one hand, he also wished she was there with him. But on other hand, he knew it would be hard to concentrate if she was always sitting beside him and tried to cuddle.
Be it as it may, the current situation could not be changed. May as well feel sorry for it. "Well, I'm off then!" He said, prepared to start what he thought would be another normal day.
~)(~
As almost every morning, Rikuo walked through crowded streets. Men and women went to their jobs, students went to school, and housewives went to shopping with their children. After so much time of walking through them alone, if one did not count youkai bodyguards that guarded him from distance, one got used to moving like a robot. No attention was paid to anything, even to some subtle changes, and one was all in their thoughts.
But when something was really out of place, it stuck-out like a sore thumb. Such was this girl few road passes away. She was dressed in some cutesy pink dress, and running around as if looking for someone.
And Rikuo's youkai eyes, which were much better than a human's, recognized that distant girl's face.
It was Ienaga Kana, his childhood friend.
What the… why is she dressed like that? He wondered as he gazed upon her, until she ran past a corner. This made him start running in her direction… or walk as fast as he could because the morning streets in this part of city were too crowded for running.
Why would Kana-chan be dressed like that? Many thoughts rushed through his head, until they stopped on the most ridiculous one: she really was a Magical Girl. Maybe the scene from my dream actually happened, but she used magic to erase those memories? She sure looked embarrassed enough. I have to get to the bottom of this!
The idea that Ienaga Kana was a Magical Girl was outrageous. But still not as much as the idea that Nura Rikuo was a Supreme Commander of a powerful youkai yakuza clan, and the most powerful youkai in Japan.
~)(~
Half of an hour had passed, but Rikuo still hadn't found Kana. He looked everywhere, even toward the roofs, but he could not find Kana nor see any battles against big bad monsters. But whom could a Magical Girl even fight in the real world… don't tell me she fights youkai?!
Before he could think thoroughly about this, Rikuo's eyes found a familiar face… though it was not Kana's. And he immediately hid behind a lampost.
The face he saw was the one he often saw at the college and whom he would usually greet, but right now his guts told him that it would be better not to do so.
For Kiyotsugu, the friend that he saw, was standing in front of a corporate building, talking with young people in suits. He wore a suit as well, and he looked like he was talking about something interesting and important to them. Dressed in a suit himself, together with a wide smile and a resolute stance, made Rikuo remember that Kiyotsugu could be quite galant and charismatic when he tried… and when he kept his childish excitement contained. Even back in the Elementary School, he was able to capture the hearts of everyone in the classroom.
And that was exactly why Rikuo hid from his eyes. For a moment he considered walking away and not end up skipping college, but his earlier nostalgia made him want to meet the old friend of his. Chances were that Kiyotsugu, who went to the same university, would come with him.
It would be an opportunity to hang with him for longer than usual. For while they did both go to the same college, Kiyotsugu's father had become sickly and would retire soon, so Kiyotsugu had to start preparing himself for taking over his father's place in the society.
Fortunately, it did not take long for Kiyotsugu to break free from his circle of associates. The group wished one another farewell, and split up. Kiyotsugu was already walking towards wherever his car must have been when Rikuo left his hiding place and called to him. "Kiyotsugu!"
Kiyotsugu quickly turned his head towards Rikuo, and after a moment of confusion made a large smile, crushing the dignified image he had moment before and turning back to… the self that Rikuo knew the best… the self that Rikuo did not want those associates of his to see.
Kiyotsugu just started weaving and running towards him, when he froze and suddenly calmed down. Rikuo, who did not notice someone's angry face behind him, wondered if Kiyotsugu learned some self-control. Well, even he has to grow up sometime I guess.
"Ah, good to see you again!" Kiyotsugu called in a more dignified manner. "Both of you!"
"Us two?"Rikuo wondered for a moment, and then realized that someone was standing behind him.
As he turned around, he saw the young woman he was looking for, though she was now dressed casually, rather than as a Magical Girl in a baby-pink, flowing sundress, stopping above-knee, hair tied in two beady ponytails and a short-sleeved, powder blue vest over it. From the normal hair to the normal clip-up white sandals, no sign of the all-encompassingly flashy, frilly, feisty, festively frolicking 'fighter' for fairness and friendship anywhere.
"Long time no see, Rikuo-kun!" Ienaga Kana said with a happy smile, driving that annoying buggie of words away from his mind for the time being.
~)(~
The three of them went to a nearby family restaurant. Rikuo sat and looked at Kana who was on the opposite seat, together with Kiyotsugu, wondering if the girl he saw from afar really was her. "I didn't see you in ages, Kana-chan." Rikuo said as just staring would be creepy. "What are you doing these days."
"Well you know, this and that." She shrugged. "I'm studying most of the time and… doing part-time work here and there." She suspiciously averted her eyes away as she said that. "But how are you doing?" She looked back at him.
"The same, minus the part-time work."
Kiyotsugu joined in. "Yeah, instead of doing part-time work, he is showing all the youkai who the boss is, and is protecting the humanity from the shadows."
"You make it sound more intense than it actually is." Rikuo smiled awkwardly.
"It's certainly more fun than what I do." Kiyotsugu sighed. "With me, it's mostly numbers, numbers and numbers these days. And hanging with people who are not fun."
Kana looked a bit angrily at him, which made Rikuo feel nostalgic.
But unlike old days, Kiyotsugu noticed it. "But uhh… it's my responsibility, and I'll keep doing my best!" He said with his usual vigor. "So like how Rikuo earnestly leads a youkai clan, how Shima-kun earnestly plays soccer, and how Kana earnestly-"
"Hey, Kiyotsugu-kun! Who were those guys from a while ago?" With her eyes wide open, Kana immediately cut in. "You seemed to be quite familiar with them!" She seemed suspiciously keen to change the topic. "They didn't look like your relatives, and I don't think your dad has so many young acquaintances."
"Oh, they have nothing to do with my old man. I got tired of just doing my old man's work, so I decided to do some of my own business projects and we were just discussing some long-term potentials once we were done discussing short-term investments."
"Oh, you really are pretty earnest." Kana seemed happy. "Your dad will be happy with it I think."
"Well, it still needs to actually bear fruit."
"I'm sure you will do fine. You can work miracles when you put your mind on it."
"Heh." He seemed pretty pleased with the compliment. "Just keep praising me."
Rikuo felt left out so he forced himself into their conversation. "That's right, Kiyotsugu may act a bit silly sometimes, but he can make anything possible."
"Okay, stop, guys." At this point, he was blushing.
Rikuo felt himself becoming mischievous. "Though he still does silly things, like starting a lecture on youkai during one of the classes."
"Rikuo-sama, no!" Kiyotsugu's blushed face turned into a pale one.
"Oh, what did he do?" Kana seemed interested.
"Now I only came there after the classes were done, but I heard that…"
The three of them continued talking like that for a while, discussing things at the present time until they turned to reminiscing about the old days. Altogether, Rikuo had fun.
At the moment, they were discussing a soccer match from three weeks ago, where Shima scored a victorious goal. Rikuo, and no doubt everyone else, watched their old friend play it.
"My heart jumped when he so masterfully stole the ball just before the opponent kicked it into a goal." Kiyotsugu became dramatic. "But then he so marvelously ran through the entire field and scored the goal a minute before the match was over. It was so majestic!" This was actually the third time he had said. "I wish I could have been there to see it in real."
"You weren't there? But I remember you showing me the tickets and reservations." Rikuo noted. The match was overseas, so it was not something anyone could come and watch.
"In the end I wasn't able to go because… well, I ended up giving them to Maki and Tori." A moment after he said that, he started panicking. "Ah… I wanted to give them to you first, Master, but you were in Shikoku on some youkai business and-"
I really wish he'd stopp calling me Master. It was only occasional, but it still felt a bit weird. "Don't worry about it, if I could go I would have found a way in."
"Of course, you youkai follow no human rules!" Kiyotsugu said with face of a happy kid.
"But really… it would have been nice to be there and watch him… but with all of us." Rikuo again started to feel sentimental. "It's been ages since the last time we were all together, wasn't it?" The depth of his feelings must have showed on his face in full because both Kana and Kiyotsugu looked at him with with sad surprise, though Kiyotsugu then lowered his gaze.
Kana made a sad smile. "Yes… we really haven't all gotten together for a long while, did we?"
Rikuo wanted to agree, when he realized that Kiyotsugu was mumbling something while still looking down. "...three of us… Tsurara and Kurata… Maki yes, Tori probably too… Shima yeah...Yura… well I can make it happen."
"Kiyo, what's the matter?" Kana asked with a surprising use of a nickname.
"ALRIGHT!" The somber atmosphere was gone when Kiyotsugu suddenly jumped onto his feet. "We can do this!"
"Kiyo, what's gotten into you?!" Kana looked up at him, her eyes wide open and occasionally glancing at other people at the restaurant.
"That's it! We are getting the band together TODAY!" He said while rising clenched fists. "And we're gonna have one heck of a time!"
"Today?" Kana jumped up. "Wasn't the plan for it to be next week?"
"What was supposed to be next week?" Rikuo asked while using the little Fear he could muster in his human form to confuse the humans around them. "And what do you mean-"
"Screw next week! Today is a better time anyway! We're gonna get the gang together, and go to The Final Concert!" He said the last words dramatically.
"The… final concert?" Rikuo asked.
"No!" I saidThe Final Concert!"
"Alright, The Final Concert."Rikuo gave his best to imitate his tone. "What concert are you talking about?"
"A c-c-c-concert?" Kana said while shivering. "You can't mean-"
"Alright!" Kiyotsugu cut her off and took out his phone. "Bring the limo right now!" Kiyotsugu gave his order while fixing the tie on his suit.
"Kana-chan, what is going on?" Seeing that there was no hope to get anything from Kiyotsugu, Rikuo turned to Kana.
"Well… uhm… I don't really know what he is thinking right now."
"Alright you two!" Kiyotsugu closed his phone. "We're gonna go get everyone now!"
Kana did not seem as enthusiastic. "Wait, you can't just-" And then some tune started ringing. "Ah, what is it now?!" Kana pushed a hand into her pocket and took out a… circular jeweled box, which she then opened and put onto her ear. "Hello? Yes, I am… What do you mean I have to be there right now? We… ahhhh, fine!" She then angrily closed it and pushed it into her bag, which she then took from the seat. "Sorry guys, I have to go meet some demons!"
"Demons?" Rikuo was confused. "What do you mean by-"
"Bye guys!" And then she ran off.
"Uhm, where did she go?" That sure looked like that thing Magical Girls use in Anime… and having to rush to meet demons. It's like when a familiar calls them to action!
"Alright, then it's the two of us who go onto the hunt." Kiyotsugu returned back to whatever mad plan he had made, and conveniently enough Rikuo could see a silver limo pass by the window.
"But, Kana-chan is-"
"Don't worry about Kana, she will arrive in time. Now let's go!"
And so Rikuo was thrown into the limo.
~)(~
"So… where are we going now?" Rikuo asked while the two of them rode inside a luxurious limousine. It sure had enough place to fit in everyone. Rikuo remembered when someone from the clan once acquired (stole) a limousine for their Supreme Commander, but Rikuo felt uncomfortable in it and got rid of it. He much preferred the Nura Clan's means of transportation, and riding in this thing made him remember that all over again.
"First, we're going to collect Tori and Maki." Kiyotsugu said while typing on his phone. "We should reach them in a moment."
Rikuo glanced through the window. Neither of the two girls lived around here. "How do you know where they are'"
"That part's easy as Maki always post son the social networks. And she has turned on the option that shows the location at which a post was made. And, of course, Torii is going to be near her."
Rikuo sighed. "We should talk to them about security one of these days." The limousine stopped. "Oh, we are here?"
"Yep!" Kiyotsugu rose up and opened the door. "Come on, let's get them!"
After a bit of walking, they found themselves in front of a caffe. "Oh, I can see Maki already!" Kiyotsugu noted, and nodded in direction of a girl who was sitting alone inside the caffe. It was easy to spot her, as she still dyed her hair.
Wait, did Kiyotsugu tell them that we would come? Rikuo wondered, but they reached Saori Maki before he could ask this to Kiyotsugu.
"Yo Maki!" Kiyotsugu called to her the moment they walked in, and the surprise on Maki's face gave Rikuo the answer to his question. "Where's-"
"Shhhhh!" Maki silenced him with the finger on her lips. "Stay silent and sit here you two." She ordered and then looked deeper into the caffe.
Rikuo looked in the same direction, and soon saw Natsumi Torii sitting opposite to some man with long hair, but whose face could not be seen from this angle. Torii had some make-up on her, and her hair was released rather than tied, not to mention that she wore some pretty clothes.
"Good, they did not notice you two." Maki whispered and calmed down. "What the hell are you doing here Kiyotsugu." She looked at him angrily, but her gaze softened when she saw Rikuo. "Oh, Rikuo-kun! Long time no see!" She smiled.
"Glad to see you two." Rikuo said as he sat down. "But what's going on here? Who's that man?"
"Oh, that's Torii's date." She said and threw another glance towards them.
"Maki-kun…" Kiyotsugu looked at her judgmentally, an unusual expression for him. "I know you two are inseparable, but this is stalking."
"Oh shut it!" Maki got angry. "It was Torii who asked me to stay close because she is nervous."
"Oh, that's good then!" Kiyotsugu's face shined up.
"Normally I'd be angry, but I was so bored that I'll be happy instead." She looked back at Rikuo with her sharp eyes. "So Rikuo, how's life treating you? Have you taken down any more evil Onmyouji's who wanted to destroy the world?"
"Fortunately, no. It's all negotiations and minor quarrels in the youkai world these days. Which is how I like it." Rikuo scratched the back of his head. "How about you? Last time I saw you, you were working with an advertisement company."
"Oh, that job. I quit ages ago." She weaved her hand in front of her. "They had no taste, those people."
"Is that so? So, where did you start working after that?"
"I changed a few jobs, but recently settled on being a fashion designer. I think that's where I'll stay." She then looked sternly at Kiyotsugu. "If this guy lives up to his part of the deal, I may even become a big name."
Kiyotsugu met Rikuo's confused stare. "I'm just helping show her works to potential clients. That's all."
"And that's all that is needed. I'm confident enough that just little help is enough."
"Oh, so those nice clothes you put on the Social Media are your works?" Rikuo asked, to which Maki nodded proudly. "And what about Maki?" Rikuo glanced at the girl in question, and she was smiling shyfully. "What is she doing?"
"Uhhh… she isn't very ambitious, too laidback. If I let her alone, she would end up spending her entire life at the shrine. So I made her work with me."
"Inseparable, as usual." Kiyotsugu noted.
"Of course. By the by, why are you two here?" Maki asked and glanced towards Torii.
Rikuo tried to answer. "Well, the thing is-" But then Maki suddenly rose from her seat with shock in her eyes.
Rikuo looked at what she looked at, and saw the man tightly holding Torii in his arms. "I'm sure it's just a misu-" When Rikuo turned towards Maki, she was no longer there.
"What are you doing to her?" He heard Maki yell, and when he turned his eyes again she was striking the man with her handbag.
"Maki, what are you doing?!" Torii screamed at her.
"He grabbed you, didn't he?"
"This always happens! I just stumbled on my heels, and he caught me so I wouldn't fall down!"
"...oh." She looked down at the man. "Sorry?"
"Well, I can see how you could misunderstand the situation… but don't you do that to me too often, Saori-san?" He said, to which Maki just crossed her arms and looked away.
Rikuo recognized the man's voice. "Kurotabou?!"
"What?!" The man turned his head towards Rikuo, and it indeed was him. He was dressed as a human and was all nice-looking, but that certainly was Kurotabou's face. "What are you doing here, Young Master?"
"I'm hanging with my old friends. Better question would be what… oh." Rikuo remembered that he was on a date with his friend. "Oh?"
The atmosphere was becoming a bit awkward, but Kiyotsugu broke it. "Alright, we have wasted enough time! We still have to collect the rest of the group. The gentleman can come with us!"
And so Maki, Torii, and Kurotabou were also thrown into the limo.
~)(~
The next destination was a stadium. Kiyotsugu and Rikuo were resolutely walking towards it, and had left the other three in the car to argue amongst themselves. Rikuo hoped that it all ends well, and that Kurotabou and Torii continue getting along. Even though the thought of Kurotabou dating an old human friend of his felt weird.
"Do we just walk in?" Rikuo asked.
"Yes!" Kiyotsugu nodded. "I do that myself all the time. The guards even ceased complaining about it."
"...ha..." Rikuo could imagine how annoyed the guards were, and also could understand why they would eventually stop trying to stop him.
They did not need long to find Shima, who seemed to just have finished practicing with the rest of the team. The boy with spiky, blond hair immediately noticed them. "Hey, Kiyotsugu!" Shima walked towards them. "How are youdoing?"
"The usual." Kiyotsugu said and bumped his fist with Shima's. "And Rikuo too? What is this, are you two preparing some get-together party?" Shima asked with a smile, and also bumped his fist with Rikuo's. He sure had become confident in last few years.
"Yes, and I have come to throw you into a limo." Kiyotsugu confirmed.
"I've this feeling that you will do it literally."
"I might if you take too much of my time."
"Ha… so I guess I'm not the last one." He then turned towards Rikuo. "Hey, Rikuo. While I'm still all pumped up from practice, what do you say to a little challenge?"
"A little challenge?"
"Yeah! You against me. We split the rest of our team amongst us." Shima pointed backwards, towards the people Rikuo never thought would meet for real.
"Are you joking? I can't possibly-"
"Oh, you sure as hell can. You speed and reflexes are otherworldly… you youkai." Shima scowled with a smile.
"Even if you say that… this is awkward, fighting with all of them. Maybe some other time?" Rikuo knew that he could defeat them all, if he did not pretend to be a weak human, but even so these people were celebrities.
"Damn it Rikuo, I'm not letting this opportunity to have a match against you pass!" Shiam angrily pointed his finger at Rikuo. "And how things are going, I may never again get this chance! Fight me!"
Rikuo sighed, and dropped his nice guy persona. "There''s another reason that I don't want to fight you… I'll win." Rikuo said as he fixed his glasses.
"Heh." Shima made a big smirk. "Try me!"
Rikuo removed his glasses and smiled. "I guess I just might."
Kiyotsugu started clapping. "Oh, this will be good!"
~)(~
"The screen sure doesn't do you justice." Rikuo said while sitting against the wall and consuming an energy drink. "I won't lie, I am surprised that you won."
"You may be fast, but you still lack experience." Shima said as he sat beside Rikuo and wiped his sweat with a towel. "But it was a close one. I can't even be angry that you are so confident when my overconfidence cost us three goals. I thought I would lose just because you broke the spirit of my team."
"Well, you guys recovered. Your teamwork was masterful."
"They recovered, but they will remember you forever. Maybe you should accept their offer to join us."
"A youkai playing soccer with humans is cheating."
"Well, you can just train occasionally." Shima looked at the rest of his team, who were excitedly talking with one another afar, and occasionally glancing at them. "Well, I'm glad they got a shake up. Just between you and me, our recent streak of victories have gotten them arrogant. It would be nice if you came and put them down a peg or two now and then."
"I'll consider it." Rikuo drank some more of the drink. "But why were you so keen on having this match?"
"Are you kidding? I always thought you as a rival in this sport, but ever since I found out you were not human… I knew I had to defeat you." Then Shima took some of his own drink. "Besides, you stole Oikawa from me before I even got a chance to woo her. I had to beat you up for that."
"Huh?"
"Alright guys, you can talk later!" Kiyotsugu appeared in front of them. "It was a good match, you can discuss it with the rest of the squad tonight!"
Shima looked up, with some traces of fear in his eyes. "You… are literally gonna throw me into a car, aren't you?"
Kiyotsugu smiled.
And so Shima got literally thrown into the limo, just like the rest.
~)(~
"I want this guy out of the picture." The Don said to the man standing beside him, and returned to eating his fancy dinner.
"As you command, Don." The man tapped on the phone several times, and then showed the phone to the Don. "There, he has been removed from the picture."
"Good, good." The Don smiled and took back his phone. "I really hate it when pedestrians with such kame shirts walk into our photos."
Shidou smiled. He stood beside the other men dressed in suits, and gazed at his gallant Don. Ten years ago he looked older than his age, but he did not age a day. eHe was still as gallant and strong as he always was.
How long had it been since they formed their group? They were mere delinquents and dropouts, who formed a biker gang. That was also when the met this man and asked him to become their leader. Years passed, they grew up, but not everyone could return to the normal life. Fortunately, their benevolent leader followed some of them as they formed a mafia. They wanted to form a yakuza group, but their boss did not even want to hear about it, but strangely he was find with an Italian Mob.
Shidou did not know that his beloved Don Kurata was actually a part of a youkai yakuza, for he did not know about the existence of the youkai.
Nor did he know that this man, who just barged into their secret meeting, was also a youkai. "Yo, Ao." The vulgar man greeted their great Don with a baffling nickname. He had a straight long black hair, and was dressed as a fancy playboy.
"Oh, Kurotabou." Don Kurata rose from his seat. "Did you come here to fight?" He asked with an excited grin.
Shidou and the rest of the group did not know who this man was, but everyone knew that their Don and this man were rivals of some sort. But they never knew who this man was.
But they saw him fight their beloved Don. Though he looked fragile, he was able to fight with staves and was the only man known to this group to repel their great Don's destructive punches.
"There's no time for fighting now." The man called Kurotabo said and turned around. "Come, he awaits us."
"Ohhh? During daytime? This will be good!" The Don said and left his seat. "You guys watch the place. I don't know when I'll be back."
"Say safe, Don Kurata!" They all shouted and followed him with his eyes as he walked beside the enigmatic Kurotabou out of the room.
Nobody followed him out. He hated it, and though everyone was anxious about it, they got kind of used to it.
Nobody wa afraid though. He is, after all, a man who grabbed a bullet in flight with his bare hands.
Their Don was the ultimate badass.
~)(~
"Ah, Kurata-san!" Kiyotsugu was the first to greet the two youkai pretending to be humans. "It's good to see you could come quickly!" Kiyotsugu, Rikuo, and the others were in a park near the place where the limo was parked.
"My name is Kurotabou." On of the two men answer with a grumpy face, which lightens up when he sees Rikuo. "I hope you didn't have to wait too long for me, Commander!"
Rikuo shook his head. "You're much faster than I anticipated. I was sure you would have spent half an hour explaining to your men why you had to leave."
"Ha! My humans are well used to me leaving alone. How else could I serve you loyally, Commander?" Aotabou puffs in pride. "So what's this about? I heard we are having a party."
"Indeed we are!" Kiyotsugu raised his thumb. "Once the other two join us, we can start preparing for it!"
"Ah, I forgot to call Tsurara." Rikuo went to take his phone.
"What is the point?" Maki shrugged. "She is nearby somewhere."
"It's just as Maki-kun says." Kiyotsugu makes two nods with his head. "Why waste money calling her when you can just yell and she will come?"
"You guys… you think she is stalking somewhere nearby?"
"You think she's not?" Everyone but Rikuo said in unison.
Rikuo raised his finger and opened his mouth to object, stood like that for a few seconds in silence, and then looked down, lowered his finger, and sighed.
"Rikuo-sama, that is so horrible of you!" Tsurara yelled as she jumped from some bushes. "You make me look like a stalker!"
"But clearly he was right." Maki said with a large smile.
"Riiight?" Tori joined her.
"I'm in charge of Rikuo-sama's security.." Tsurara said with puffed cheeks. "This is my job."
"Yet we all know you are there." Maki shrugged.
"Maybe you do, but youkai who might want to bring Rikuo-sama harm don't." Tsurara said resolutely. "By the time they know I'm there, they are frozen."
"She is right." Rikuo confirms with a smile. "A month ago, she put a small group of strong youkai into cold sleep without them ever noticing it."
Tsurara puffs her chest in pride.
"Right right, it's the shenanigans of the scary youkai world again." Maki waved her hand. "Well, one more person is missing. But seeing as this get-together was decided on a few hours ago, I don't imagine Yura will make it."
"Indeed so!" Tsurara strongly nodded. "Kyoto is far, and that woman is always busy."
What Tsurara said was true but, ironically, of all his human friends Yura was the person Rikuo saw most often. She may be far and be busy, but she was the leader of Japan's most prominent Onmyouji family, and Rikuo was the leader of Japan's most prominent youkai clan.
And they are allies, which meant that Rikuo and Yura often met to deal with dangerous youkai (and even some exorcist) enemies together, and to make sure their alliance stays strong. Truly, it was ironic that Rikuo met with the person from a far away city more often than with people who are mostly an hour away from him, and not nearly as busy.
"To be precise, she was in Odawara doing some exorcising work." Kiyotsugu noted. "And she will definitely come."
"Even so, I doubt that she will-"
"Kiyooooootsuuuguuuuuu…" An eerie voice cut Maki fof.
"Oh, Yura-kun!" Kiyotsugu and the rest of the group turned behind to look at a young woman, dressed in ceremonial Onmyouji garb, look at Kiyotsugu with deadpan eyes. "I see you arrived."
"Kiyooooo..." The girl quickly walked closer and grabbed Kiyotsugu by his collar. "Do you know that I was drinking tea in my client's house, when some scary men in black suits and ties rushed in, forced me to leave immediately because there was no time to lose, threw me into a black van, then into a jet plane, from where they taught me the beauties of using a parachute, which was followed by being thrown into a black car and left in middle of a random park in Tokyo?"
Kiyotsugu continued to smile. "Well you came here in time, so clearly the operation was a success."
Yura exploded. "This is all too bizarre! And do you know how scary it all felt?!"
"But you are a powerful Onmyouji, no?" Maki noted. "What is there for you to fear? You could have just blown them into pieces."
"It's wrong to use it against humans! Besides, that's not the poi-"
"Alright guys!" Kiyotsugu pulled out of her grasp and clapped his hands. "Everyone is here! Now let's dress up and get ready for the celebrations! We don't have that much time left you know!"
"Hey, don't just ignore-"
"You won't fit in with those clothes, Yura-kun." Kiyotsugu said as he looked Yura up and down. "Mak-kun, Saori-kun… can I leave dressing her to you two? We can't let her buy the cheapest crap she finds."
"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?!"
"It means that you are too stingy." Maki said and grabbed Yura by her left arm.
"Thankfully, Kiyotsugu is letting us buy on his account." Tori said as she grabbed Yura's right arm
"Fufufu… your lack of taste is so bad that I'm sure we could dress you embarrassingly and you would be none the wiser." Tsurara said as she started pushing her from behind.
"Wait… guys… what… why am I even here?" She looked at Rikuo pleadingly. "Where are we going? What are we doing?"
Rikuo shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. He had no idea himself.
And with that Tsurara and Yura were also thrown into the limo.
~)(~
When Kiyotsugu said that they are going to party and hang up, Rikuo imagined many things. But dressing as casually as possible and holding two neon lights in the first row of an idol theater was not one of them.
Why were they here? Rikuo had no idea. He was utterly confused.
What was worse, only Aotabou and Kurotabou seemed to share his confusion. Everyone else, in other words all of his human friends plus Tsurara, were smiling and talking amongst one another. Rikuo could not hear what they were saying though, as the theater was too full and too loud.
Overall, he felt confused and left out. And Kana was still not here, which was another thing nobody but him, Kurotabou, and Aotabou seemed to notice or care about.
Not wanting to remain ignorant, Rikuo pushed himself towards Kiyotsugu, who was chatting with Maki. "Hey, Kiyotsugu!" Rikuo shouted, but of course it was still too loud. "Kiyotsugu!" He called again, but this time also tapped on the shoulder of them young man who was now dressed casually.
"Oh, Rikuo! What is it?"
"I won't ask why we are here… though I want to know… but where is Kana? Shouldn't she have come by now?"
Maki was the first to answer. "What the heck are you asking, Rikuo?" She looked at him baffled. "Isn't it obvious?"
Rikuo was taken aback by this, but even more by Kiyotsugu's own answer: an entertained giggle and a wink. "Just wait, you'll know soon."
And the answer certainly came soon, and all Rikuo's questions from this day were answered… though he got double as many new questions.
The idol that came out, and greeted the audience was nobody else but Ienaga Kana, his childhood friend, and she was dressed in the flashy pink clothes that he saw earlier that day.
Kana was greeting the audience, and for a moment her eyes met his. She blushed a little and averted her eyes. And then she started singing and the theater's audience was jumping and waving the neons.
All while Rikuo's brain was getting fried.
~)(~
After the concert was gone, the group moved to a nearby restaurant where Kiyotsugu reserved a room just for them. Everyone but Kana and, for some reason, Kiyotsugu were there.
"You knew about this?" Rikuo pushed himself onto Shima. He wanted to ask this of Kiyotsugu, but he was not here.
"Well, I often watch iol shows so… yeah." Shima said with an awkward smile. "I'd have told you about it… but I didn't see you much so…"
"Fair enough." He then turned towards Maki, Tori, and Yura. "You also knew?"
"Kana mentioned it once, but I didn't think much of it since." Yura shrugged. "To be honest, I completely forgot about it."
"I think you're the only one who didn't know." Maki noted, to which Rikuo replied with an annoyed glance. "Hey, Kana asked me and Tori to keep silent. She felt embarrassed at other people knowing about it, especially the boys." Maki then threw a contemptuous glance at Shima. "Though certain types of boys would inevitably know, I guess."
"Hmph." Shima just raised his nose to her tease.
"Yet Kiyotsugu knew."
"How couldn't he?" Tori said. "After all, he-"
"We didn't know, Rikuo-sama!" Aotabou said proudly and struck Kurotabou's shoulder. "We were just as confused as you."
"Yeah, I know you two didn't know." Rikuo smiled at them, and then angrily looked at the one youkai who did know. "What about you, Tsurara?"
The Yuki-Onna started sweating and scratched her cheek "Kana-chan might have had mentioned it to me, and I might have had seen her on the TV…"
"Tsurara!" He grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her. "Why didn't you tell me?! I feel betrayed!"
"Well…" She looked away. "She looked way too cute, so I may not have wanted you to look much at her…"
"Tsuraraaaaaaa!"
"I'm sorryyyyyyy!"
"Shouldn't you be blaming yourself for this, Rikuo-kun?" Kana's voice spoke as the said girl entered the room, together with Kiyotsugu. "You didn't notice me on TV, the newspapers, or even on the Internet." She said and put her hands on her hips.
"Well, heh…" Rikuo faced Kana, and felt embarrassed. "With all the youkai business and the need to study, I didn't really have much time for those things."
"Really? You didn't even get a glance of me?" She sighed. "And to think that you were the reason why I ended up here."
"...huh? What do you mean?"
"It's all because of that thing you said in the Middle School, which made me become a model, which then led me to becoming an idol. And back then you said that you looked forward to seeing me in bikini, so I took it for granted that you kept your eyes on… such things."
A silence ensued as everyone's eyes set on Rikuo.
Maki was the first one to speak. "Rikuo… seriously? I didn't expect this from you."
Shima shook his head. "Even I wouldn't say that to a friend!"
"Bold and direct, as expected of the Master of all Youkai!" Kiyotsugu said,to which Kurotabou and Aotabou nodded in approval.
"Hai hai, I remember that day." Tsurara nodded.
Rikuo remembered it as well. It was one of stupid things that the youkai side of him said when Kana called him on the phone and said that she was asked to pose as a model for a magazine.
"I'm so sorry." was all that Rikuo could say.
"Fufufu… I'm just teasing you. Even back when I modeled, you were the only one to not know it in the entire school" Kana laughed. "Truth be said, I'd die of embarrassment if you saw me, so I'm a bit glad. Were this not my last concert, I don't know if I would've been able to sing."
Indeed, she said at the end of the concert that she was ending her career as an idol, much to the sorrow of her numerous fans.
"Anyway, we are all finally together!" Kiyotsugu shouted and started walking towards the table. "So let's-"
"Don't you dare jump onto the table." Kana said angrily.
Kiyotsugu stopped moving, and immediately turned towards everyone. "So let's all eat to our heart's content! Go on, sit down!"
As he demanded, everyone sat down… beside Kana who walked towards him.
"But first, the big news which I wanted to announce next week but… whatever!" Once she got close enough, Kiyotsugu grabbed Kana by her waist and pulled her into an embrace with one hand, an act to which she blushed but did not seem to mind. "Me and Kana-chan are getting married next month!"
Yet another surprise.
~)(~
After dinner was over, the group started to bombard the betrothed couple with questions. Excitement was strong in the air.
Rikuo himself went outside after a while. Though it was night, he remained in his human form as he almost always remained in his human form when hanging with his friends.
He thought of these news. All of the shenanigans on this day almost made him forget so, but they were all growing up. And this was the first news that someone from their group was getting married. Time was moving forward, that much was clear. It made him think of himself as well, and those close to him.
He didn't have much time to think about it though. "Went out for some fresh air, Rikuo-kun?" The girl asked him.
"Oh, Kana-chan. Shouldn't you be inside?"
"It was a tiring day for me, what with having to argue with my agents, what about having to make my last concert matter, and what with the big news being out." She sighed. "I decided to let Kiyotsugu entertain everyone while I take a break."
"Is that so?"
The two of them stood like that for a while, until Kana broke the silence.
"You know, twice I used to have a crush on you." She said it just like that. But now that she was a betrothed woman, saying something like this held no implications.
"Twice?" Rikuo asked. This question was to buy time while he thinks up on what to say later.
"Well, I used to like the boy I knew since childhood, and I liked that mysterious, strong youkai… who proved to be the same person as the first guy." She gave him a loving smile. "I wonder if you ever noticed?"
"Part of me did, or suspected." The youkai part of him did, to be exact. The more mature part of him. "Though I knew for certain only years later."
"And by that time you already had your eyes on someone." She finished.
"Was that why you stopped trying to woo me?"
"It was a part of it. There was more but… well, your world felt distant to me, to say the least."
"Still though, I'm surprised that you chose Kiyotsugu."
"The most common question this night." She shook her head. "He may look a bit like a dork, but he is very smart and dependable. You saw it yourself when those horrible youkai attacked Tokyo." She looked at him with an annoyed expression. "So please don't diss my future husband."
"Haha, I'm sorry. I see you have taken quite a liking of him." Rikuo smiled. "Still, he can't be easy."
"Oh, I'll get him in shape."
"If I don't ruin her first, that is." Kiyotsugu appeared. "Or if a thieving Nurarihyon doesn't steal her." He smiled.
"I'm obviously too late for that." Rikuo shrugged.
"Well, you two can prove it by getting back inside. The parts is just starting you know! I have so many surprises ready for you uall!"
"Kiyo, what have you done?" Kana inquired.
"Come on and see." Kiyotsugu said and took he by her arm.
Rikuo smiled and followed after them.
~)(~
"Ahhhh..." Tsurara fell onto the seat of the youkai carriage that came to pick up Rikuo. "I completely forgot how intense Kiyotsugu's activities are." She referred to all that had happened in the hours after Rikuo and the betrothed couple returned to the dining room.
"It was a bit above his usual levels I'd say." Rikuo, who had switched into his youkai form, noted while watching through the window. It would be only an hour or so until the dawn came, that was how long Kiyotsugu kept them busy. "But he had to make up for a long time."
"I fear to even imagine what he is like at home." Tsurara moved from the seat opposite of Rikuo to sitting beside him. "Good luck to Kana-chan."
"She'll have no trouble handling it, I'm sure." Rikuo smirked. "Anyway, it was a fun day. It was good to see everyone again."
"Even though you were pulled left and right in search of everyone?" Tsurara smiled.
"I guess I'll have to get revenge for that." He put a hand over his Yuki-Onna and pulled her closer. "I was thinking that we could sometime soon show them an even more intense party."
"The way only youkai can, right?" Tsurara smirked and cuddled her head onto him.
"No kidding. Can't let them outplay us, can we now?" He said while pulling her even closer.
Times were changing indeed, and it was time to turn to the future and all it would bring.