So here's a new story I've been thinking of and just really felt that it needed to be told. I was planning to wait until I finish Fusoku no Kizuna but I just couldn't really wait. I'm thinking of alternating my updates for both stories. So it'd be like one chapter for each story every two weeks or so. Hope you guys can bear with me as I'm doing a pre-u program right now.
The Curse of Jusenkyo
Prologue
Rain poured down heavily on the streets of Nerima. Lightning flashed from time to time, accompanied seconds later by thunder. Only a few people were on the sidewalk and they were running to get shelter. Despite the storm, one person, clad in a dark raincoat that assured protection, just walked calmly passing the citizens towards a well known restaurant in the area. His large backpack indicated that he'd been traveling for quite some time before arriving here.
The famous restaurant, Ucchan's then came to view. He just stared up at it for a while before continuing towards the door. A man came out of the café, ready with an umbrella to shield himself from the heavy shower. He walked away quickly after noticing the intimidating approaching figure. Though, of course the traveler did not mean any harm. He just wanted to get out of this bloody weather.
He pushed the door open, triggering the small bell and entered the drier café. He felt relieved to be out of the rain and looked around for a place to sit. It was rather packed and alive with mild conversations despite the gloomy weather outside. He then looked at the person running the place who was busy working at her grill. Not much had changed about her. Her long hair was still tied in its usual style, though it had lengthened over the year. She was wearing a white version of her chef's uniform. And she seemed mechanical, which was rather saddening to see on a pretty girl.
"Welcome sir," a young girl came up to him. He recognized the clothes she wore to be Ukyo's normal uniform. She must have outgrown it. "Come with me. I'll show you your seat," she continued. The man nodded and placed down his bag near the door. He removed his raincoat and left in on the bag and followed the waitress to a booth at the far edge of the building. It was then that he noticed the café looked rather different. Despite the large crowd, he saw the floor tiles had changed to more vibrant patterns and the walls were repainted with a new color. The booths at the side were new too. Not that he actually remembered how it really looked like back then but he knew the place had evolved. And his spirits seemed to lift, almost forgetting the bad weather outside.
Soon he reached his seat. He thanked the young waitress and she smiled back. She placed the menu on his table before tending to the other customers. He leaned into his cushioned chair and relaxed as he pulled off his leather gloves. He glanced out the window, watching water droplets rapidly covering the glass. He had found it rather soothing to just stare at the rain. Whether it was a light shower or a furious downpour, he's at peace. Everything else was forgotten. The world blocked out. It was just the rain, washing away his worries, his sorrow, his past. But, it would not remain that way. They would all just come back later, haunting him relentlessly.
"Have you decided on what to order?" the girl asked, startling the young man. He glanced at her for a second and then scanned through the menu. He decided and told the waitress. She jotted it down, took back the menu and then left the man alone. The man then ran his fingers through his thick hair while he inhaled deeply and then slowly exhaled. He let his bangs fall back over his eyes and rested his arms on the table.
Being back in Nerima brought back a flood of memories. All the battles. All the mischief and chaos they would all cause. All the crazy adventures they had. There were some he had forgotten and some he wished he could. He realized that it was to remain there, no matter how much he tried to throw it away.
Somehow, the rain did not work this time. It was just too strong now. Maybe it was the place. But he could not leave Nerima forever. It had become dear to him. It was the only place that he felt he belonged to; where he felt a reason existed for him in the world.
"Here you go sir," the waitress came back and placed his meal on his table. He thanked the girl and proceeded to eat his okonomiyaki. He hardly remembered the last time he had one of Ukyo's famous okonomiyaki. He could not resist a smile as he began comparing with the ones he had while on the road. Nothing came close to Ukyo's. She must be proud of that. He ate it slowly, savoring the delightful taste. He relaxed himself, trying not to think about the past. He let his thoughts flash through his mind, not focusing on any of them.
As he ate, other customers began to walk out of the restaurant once they finished their meals. Some customers remained to wait out the weather long after their tables had been cleared. Only cups of hot tea accompanied them. They continued their conversations to pass the time. As more customers left, the restaurant started growing quieter. The atmosphere now seemed to fit with the heavy rain outside.
The lonely young man was now done with his meal and left his table. He approached the grill where Ukyo was. She had her back turned as she sorted out whatever there was behind the grill. After placing the amount he needed to pay on the counter, he just stood there, hesitating whether he should really let her see him. Before he could say anything, she whirled around, immediately noticing him.
"Okay, thank you and come again," Ukyo said and took the money. Again it came out mechanically, though she tried to hide it with a smile. The man however just stood there instead of walking away.
"Uh, can I help you?" she asked, perplexed by the young man. He chuckled slightly and then met her eyes.
"Recognize me?" he asked. Ukyo was more puzzled now, cocking her head a bit. She then went around the grill but never left the man's eyes. She got closer to him and peered at him, feeling a sense of familiarity. Then it hit her. Her eyes widened in surprise and her mouth hung open which quickly changed into a wide smile.
"Oh my God! Ryoga, you're back!" Ukyo said and hugged the stunned young man tightly. Ryoga felt his face heat up. He could only place his hands awkwardly on her hips. After what seemed a long time, she broke the hug. She backed up a bit and wiped her small tears, examining the lost boy. He had grown a little taller. His clothes had changed. His trousers made of tough material and a brown long-sleeved t-shirt that suited most types of weather. His washed-out bandana was nearly unnoticeable as it was covered by his bangs.
"You look…well…y-you've grown," Ukyo said, not able to say something appropriate. She chuckled nervously at that, breaking eye contact with him.
"You look great too," Ryoga replied lightly, understanding the awkwardness of the situation.
"Heh, really? I feel like a mess," Ukyo shrugged.
"So, what have you been doing the past few months?" Ukyo asked as she pulled up a stool at the counter. Ryoga mimicked her movements and they sat facing each other.
"The usual," Ryoga replied. "Walking aimlessly, not really knowing where I was." Ukyo tried to make out what he really meant by that when she remembered something about him.
"Oh, so you still have that problem of yours?" Ukyo asked.
"Yeah, unfortunately," Ryoga said embarrassingly. "But, I managed to stay away from Nerima, until now."
"Why'd you come back then?" Ukyo asked. Ryoga altered his gaze slightly and stared at the floor.
"Well, I didn't know where else to go," he replied solemnly despite the small smile on his lips. Ukyo looked at him apologetically. Ryoga then shook his head and looked back at Ukyo.
"Hey, what about you? How've you been doing?" he asked, trying to lighten up the mood. Ukyo leaned back a little and looked away as she thought of a reply.
"Well, business has been good so far," Ukyo replied. "I managed to re-design the place."
"Yeah I can see that," Ryoga remarked as he looked around. "You did a good job," he praised.
"Thanks," Ukyo smiled and then gave out a soft, long sigh. The two then found themselves in an awkward silence. Ryoga diverted his attention to the few customers in the restaurant while Ukyo just played with her fingers. Just then, the front door slowly swung open and a man who looked slightly older than Ryoga walked in.
"Oh, excuse me for a sec," Ukyo said, noticing the new customer. Ryoga glanced behind him at the approaching man while Ukyo left her seat and went back behind the grill. He watched the man order for a while before averting his gaze to the near-empty restaurant. He looked around, trying to find something interesting. Then, he noticed the young waitress clearing up a table. He watched as she did her work, moving from table to table.
"Ooh, interested are you?" came Ukyo's teasing question. Ryoga jumped a little and glared back at the chef who was busy whipping up her recent customer's order. Though, there were no real feelings of anger towards the girl. Ukyo just giggled. Ryoga then returned his gaze to the young waitress.
"Is she in high school?" Ryoga asked.
"Yeah," Ukyo replied. "She's been working with me since last autumn. I was glad that she wanted the job. Handling the place alone was tiring."
Ryoga nodded in acknowledgement.
"She's as hard working as Konatsu," Ukyo added softly. Ryoga looked back at her with a puzzled expression.
"Konatsu?" he repeated.
"Oh, he's someone I previously hired to work with me before her," Ukyo replied.
"Oh, so what happened to him?" Ryoga asked. He noticed that Ukyo's expression changed a little and she just remained silent. She set the finished okonomiyaki on a plate and placed it on the counter. The high school girl then came to pick it up and walked over to the respective customer.
"I…don't really wanna talk about that," Ukyo finally said. Ryoga noticed the strain in her voice and decided not to question any further. He returned to observing the customers eating their meals. He then found himself focusing on the high school waitress picking up empty plates and glasses.
"Her name's Kiyuri by the way," Ukyo said suddenly. "You know…just in case you're tired of staying single," she said, earning another glare from Ryoga.
"You can sign up for that part yourself," Ryoga remarked, grinning a little.
"Ooh, sorry," Ukyo said. "Not quite my type."
"Ouch," Ryoga said dryly.
She laughed at his reaction, causing him to smile. It was really great to see a familiar face again. Everyone else had left since last summer. Well, not exactly. She still sometimes saw Nabiki and Kasumi as well as their father. Though, she felt a huge part of her was incomplete and now that Ryoga was back, a small piece of that void had been filled.
"Hmm, I guess I should close up," Ukyo suggested to herself. Ryoga then turned on his seat to face Ukyo.
"Why?" he asked.
"Well, I don't feel anyone else is gonna come in this weather," she said. Ryoga followed her eyes looking out at the unyielding storm. Ukyo then walked over to the door to change the sign to "CLOSED" and then came back to the grill. The heat coming from the grill slowly dissipated as Ukyo turned it off.
"Say, why don't you stay here for a night or two," Ukyo suggested.
"Umm…are you sure?" Ryoga said awkwardly.
"Yeah! No problem. I have a spare room you could use," Ukyo insisted. "And you wouldn't wanna be out there would you?" she said. Ryoga looked back outside and shivered at the thought of risking himself to turn into a helpless little piglet. When he arrived, he had to be extremely alert to the behavior of the rain and that was rather tiring.
"Well, alright I guess," he nodded a little. Ukyo then grinned at his response.
The night was quiet but the rain had not stopped. Though, it was gentler now. It was quite a calm night as opposed to the two friends who were currently awake. Ryoga kept staring out the window at the light rain. In another room, Ukyo was sitting on the floor with her back rested against the wall.
'It's so hard to sleep,' Ryoga thought as he leaned his head against the window.
'The memory…just won't go away,' Ukyo thought as she pressed her forehead on her raised knees.
'It was…a night like this…wasn't it?' Ryoga asked himself.
'A year ago,' Ukyo reminisced.
Ryoga sighed sadly and walked back to his futon in the middle of the room. He stared at it for a while before slowly lowering himself and sat cross-legged on the futon. He rested his head on his raised left hand while the other hand played with the blanket. He gazed blankly at the creases formed from his fingers rubbing the fabric.
'Has it really been that long?' he thought to himself.
Ukyo's cheeks still had streaks of tears which were slowly drying. Her red eyes stared out the window, not that she could see much. She was tired but her thoughts and dreams wouldn't let her sleep. She didn't even remember the feeling of having slept well anymore.
'It feels like it's only been a few days,' she thought. She then averted her gaze to her empty futon wondering if it would ever provide her with the comfort she needed. It had failed countless times before and she didn't believe it would soothe her tonight too. Her eyes then started feeling heavy and her breathing slowed. Her body then became limp but she still sat upright with her arms crossed over her raised knees. She slept soundly that night but there would be no actual peace coming from it.
The restaurant was now ready to receive customers for the day. It was a weekend and in contrast to yesterday, the sky was clear of rain clouds. Ukyo expected a lot of customers coming in today and she hoped it would remain that way until she closed up. As she arranged the tables and chairs, Kiyuri walked in through the front door carrying bags of ingredients.
"Ah, thanks Kiyuri," Ukyo smiled as she was handed the plastic bags.
"Sorry for being a little late," the young girl said awkwardly.
"Oh, don't worry. There's still about 20 minutes before opening time," Ukyo assured. Kiyuri then smiled and nodded. The two girls then turned their heads to Ryoga who had just came down.
"Oh, morning," he greeted simply, raising his hand briefly. Kiyuri nodded while Ukyo replied his greeting. They watched as Ryoga went behind the curtains to where the dishes would usually be cleaned.
"Careful Kiyuri," Ukyo said, surprising the other girl. "You might have caught his eye," she continued with a cheeky grin.
"Huh? W-What?" Kiyuri stammered. "Don't tease me like that Ukyo," she pouted a little, her cheeks slightly red. Ukyo laughed a little.
"Okay, okay," Ukyo said. "Though, there's a possibility."
"Oh stop it," Kiyuri warned, though her small smile ruined that effect she wanted. Ukyo laughed again.
"Alright, go change now," Ukyo ordered lightly which Kiyuri responded with a quick nod. She just watched as the girl disappeared behind the curtains. She remembered when Kiyuri first took the job. She was quiet, shy and really just followed what Ukyo said. She didn't mind that but it was pretty awkward to have a staff who felt like she was out of place. It was only a few weeks into the job that she started to open up a little and became more at ease around Ukyo. She didn't even refer to her boss with an honorific, though that had required Ukyo insisting that she called her just by name. Just then, Ryoga came out and walked towards Ukyo who was standing against the counter.
"She's pretty shy huh," Ryoga suddenly said, obviously referring to Kiyuri.
"Hmm, I think you may have something to do with it," Ukyo said with a knowing grin.
"Uh, what's that supposed to mean?" Ryoga asked suspiciously. Ukyo laughed and shook her head.
"Never mind," she said. Ryoga raised an eyebrow but then dismissed it. He crossed his arms and then sat on the edge of a table. He was careful to not put his whole weight on it.
"So, what should I do boss?" he asked suddenly.
"Huh?" Ukyo said, surprised by Ryoga's question.
"Well, there's gotta be something I can help to do here," Ryoga shrugged and looked around.
"Oh, it's ok. You don't need to," Ukyo replied.
"Hey, seriously. I'm fine with it," Ryoga gave a smile. "It's my thanks for giving me a place to stay for a while." Ukyo didn't have a response to that but then just nodded after considering for a while.
"I'll tell you what to do later," she said and then pushed herself away from the counter. She brought the bags of materials with her and walked over to her workplace. She started to sort out the things needed.
"Say," Ryoga started while watching Ukyo getting ready. "Tomorrow is…" Ukyo paused when Ryoga didn't continue, understanding well enough what he wanted to say.
"Yeah," she said emptily, nodding slightly. She remained frozen for a while before she continued sorting out the ingredients. When she finished she slowly turned to face Ryoga. She saw Ryoga's sorrowful expression and felt it reflecting on her.
"The place would be closed tomorrow," Ukyo said. Ryoga looked up at Ukyo and only replied with a small nod.
Hmm, I think that's a pretty good start. I kinda get the feeling that there'll be questions coming from you guys. But let's just see what happens.