"Really now."
Shikieiki Yamaxanadu looked at the figure in front of her with disappointment. Her subordinate, Komachi Onozuka, was sleeping under a tree near the Sanzu River. This is the fifth time today, she thought and cleared her throat, preparing to yell.
"Koma-" She started but was surprised to see her subordinate quickly stumble up before anything serious happened.
"Yes, Lady Eiki?" the shinigami asked with a big grin on her face.
"I see you were taking another nap," the Enma stated with a firm voice.
"Oh, about that. Well, uh..." Komachi tried to come up with an excuse but failed to do so. Damn, I'm out of ideas, she thought. She could see her boss tapping the Rod of Remorse on the palm of her left hand. I don't want to get hit by that thing again. That would be five times in one day! She thought some more but gave up.
"Well Komachi?" Eiki ceased the tapping and put both of her hands down by the sides of her body.
"To be honest, Lady Eiki, I fell asleep, because I was tired from the other lectures you gave me earlier today," Komachi explained. Her grin began to slowly diminish.
Eiki raised her eyebrows. "Oh, I see. You took a nap because you were tired from the times I told you not to nap. I see how it is." She said this in a sarcastic tone, which was a little abnormal from her usual behavior.
"No, I didn't mean it that way!" Komachi blurted out. She saw Eiki's face slowly turn red. Now I've done it, she thought. She knew better than to yell at her own boss, but it couldn't be helped.
"Then what exactly did you mean?" Eiki asked in a firm voice. She patiently waited for Komachi's response.
It took some time before the shinigami could answer, but she finally let it out. "Well, Lady Eiki, to be honest with you, your lectures are too long," Komachi managed to choke out. I hope that was a good response. I mean, I'm being honest this time.
Eiki remained silent. She wasn't sure whether she should feel shocked, offended, or any other emotion. She simply stood where she was and stared at her subordinate.
Are my lectures really that long? the Enma pondered. An hour or two isn't too bad, considering the fact that I am helping them out. Come to think of it, do people even pay any attention to my teachings? I mean, if Komachi cannot listen, why would anyone else? But Komachi is different.
Then again, based on the way everyone reacted when I asked if they understood my teachings, they seemed confused and unable to understand what I meant. Maybe I do give excessive lectures. It's for the better of the person, though. But…
Eiki had not shown any signs of movement for at least five minutes. The fog of the Sanzu began to roll around them."Lady Eiki?" Komachi called out with worry. She saw her boss release a breath.
"You know, Komachi," Eiki quietly spoke, "I have this feeling that you are right." She noticed the surprised look on the shinigami's face. "I do seem to give prolonged lectures."
There was silence for the next few minutes. Now look what I have done! Komachi yelled in her head. I should have not said anything like that to avoid this terrible situation. She looked at Eiki, whose head was down. Komachi bit her lower lip.
Finally, Eiki spoke. "Let's get back to work," she softly stated. There was a smile on her face. She began to amble towards the shore.
"Y-yes, Lady Eiki," Komachi stuttered. She stooped down to retrieve her scythe and followed her boss. She had a frown on her face and shook as she walked. She hadn't felt that nervous in a long time. At least I told her the truth and didn't come up with another lame excuse, she reasoned to herself. I know how much Lady Eiki hates it when I lie.
Komachi tried to avoid her boss for the rest of the day. She accomplished this by working harder for once. She wasn't quite sure what Eiki felt. She was uncertain whether her boss was angry or sad. There were just those times when Eiki hid her emotions perfectly well behind her smile. It scared Komachi to think how she managed to do that.
It was finally the end of a hard day's work. Exhausted, Komachi rowed her boat into the docks of the Ministry of Right and Wrong. As she stepped out, she noticed her boss waiting for her on the shore. Nervous, she walked to the shore in a couple of strides.
"Komachi," Eiki spoke. She avoided eye contact. Her dark blue eyes were focused on the calm waters in the distance. "You don't seem like yourself today. Is something wrong?" The Rod of Remorse was covering her mouth. Komachi knew that Eiki was being serious at this moment.
She wanted to tell her boss everything that was causing her problems. She had to know whether her Eiki was angry at her or not, whether she was offended by the statement earlier that day or not. That's all. She knew it was something silly to be so concerned about but it truly bothered her.
"Lady Eiki?" Komachi asked and she saw her boss turn to look at her. "Are you offended by what I said earlier? You know, how I said that your lectures were too long?"
Eiki put the Rod of Remorse down and revealed a tranquil smile. "So, that is what's bothering you," she calmly stated. Komachi silently nodded. "Komachi," Eiki continued, "I'm not at all bothered by what you said earlier. Well, to be honest, I was a little shocked, but it caused me to think a little more on my style of doing things."
Komachi looked confused. She still did not understand what her boss was trying to tell her.
Eiki caught this and said, "What I mean is, it's not always bad to tell someone how you truly feel about something. You were being honest and I am glad to hear that."
"Really?" Komachi asked, "You are not mad at me?" She noticed the puzzled look on Eiki's face.
"Who said I was angry at you?" Eiki questioned. "I actually was a little disappointed when I found you napping, but all that quickly vanished the moment you told me the real reason you fell asleep. You did not lie this time and that is a good thing." The smile on her face grew wider.
Komachi loved that smile. It was different from the one that hid every emotion Eiki had. She felt much better now that she knew the truth. She felt so good that, out of strong impulse, she tightly hugged her boss. She felt Eiki jump at the sudden action, but Eiki did not struggle to get away. The Enma understood how relieved Komachi was.
"Thank you for always being such a great boss," Komachi softly spoke.
"I'm not always a great boss," Eiki murmured, "I apologize for lecturing you to the point were you got tired of it."
Komachi let go of her tight grip and said, "Don't say that Lady Eiki. You were just doing your job. It's my fault that I don't do what you say. I'm sorry."
"Oh Komachi," Eiki grinned, "We both learned from our mistakes."
With that, the two departed from the shore and walked into the Ministry. It was nice to be relieved from their problems.