My name is Rinnosuke Morichika. Not much is known about me, though. All day, I sit around in my shop, Kourindou, which has lots of stuff from outside the border of Gensokyo. Whenever there aren't any customers, I'd just grab my PSP (a handheld gaming device that humans from outside Gensokyo play) and waste my time. I'd say that I have a lot of free time.
I met a lot of other humans and youkai who are living near here. Some of them are shy, but there is the occasional Yukari, a youkai, who would love to sit down and chat for a while (whenever she's awake). I just love the sight of people taking a visit in my shop. A good thing from being half-youkai is that I can get potential customers from both races!
One fine afternoon, I left Kourindou closed and headed for Yukari's place to restock my fuel supply. I really don't like leaving my shop unattended but it can't be helped. I have to recharge my batteries if ever I want to play any game on my PSP.
As I walked through the woods, I saw a peculiar streak of light, most likely a youkai who isn't probably a regular in these parts... No one in the forest ever moves that fast, disappearing without a trace. It couldn't be a firefly.
Maybe a trickster youkai? Or could it be Aya taking pictures of the forest? I paid no mind to that streak of light...
Until it hit me...
A very strong force just knocked me over, sending my face flat on the partly moist soil. If I were just a mere human, I would've been seriously injured or even killed. Being half-youkai has its other perks, I guess.
I managed to regain my composure and stand up.
I shook off the dirt from my clothes. As I fixed my glasses, I looked around and saw what hit me. At first I thought it was a human girl but on second glance, I saw a ghostly figure floating around it. I was unsure whether she was a human or a youkai... or was she somewhat similar to me?
"Ouch!" she yelled. "I'm sorry!"
"Are you alright?" I asked as I reached out my hand to her.
She blindly searched for my hand and grabbed it at once, pulling herself up. It was cold. Her hand was cold like an autumn breeze. As she shook the dust from her clothes, I took a moment and looked at her.
She was a petite figure clad in a white blouse, green vest and skirt, with a ribbon each on her collar and her silvery hair. And she also seems to be carrying two swords.
When she was done tidying herself, she bowed her head at me and profusely apologized as though she committed the gravest crime she ever did.
"It's okay," I assured her. "I'm not really that hurt." It took me quite a while to tell her that I'm alright.
"Are you from here?" she asked me. "Do you know of a shop called Kourindou? I kinda got lost."
"Kourindou?" I quickly answered. "I'm Kourindou's shopkeeper. If you're going there, I'll be more than happy to take you there."
"Really?" she said excitedly. "Take me there, please!"
"With pleasure. But I must first see Yukari. I need to get something from her."
"I just got there. Lady Yukari told me to bring this to Kourindou." She pulled out something out of her pocket, something that I didn't expect someone like her to be carrying: a pack of AA batteries. "She told me it was for Kourindou's shopkeeper."
"That would be me," I interrupted. "Rinnosuke Morichika."
"Yes! That's right!" she said as she handed me the batteries with both hands. I took the batteries and stuffed it in my front pocket. "Please take me to Kourindou, Mr. Morichika! But if you want, I can carry you and we'll get there in a split-second! Or I can have Myon carry you."
She reached out for white ghastly cloud which was with her this entire time and petted it. I had to decline. I don't even want to imagine myself riding on a cloud, much less ride on a girl who is more than a head shorter than I am.
"Thanks for the batteries but no thanks for the ride," I said as politely as possible. "I'm fine with walking... uhh... What's your name?"
"Konpaku. Youmu Konpaku," she replied eagerly. "And this is my other self, Myon."
"Other self?"
"Yes. We of the Konpaku family are half-human half-ghost beings who serve Lady Yuyuko. I am the human half and Myon is my ghostly half."
"That's great. I'm a half-human too. A half-youkai."
We simply walked back to Kourindou. No flying, no mach-1 running, just walking. She didn't look bored despite the eagerness to get there as fast as possible. I looked at her again. A half-ghost, huh? Maybe that's why her hand felt a bit cold. I wonder. Come to think of it, there's really nothing in me that looks youkai-ey.
After walking for a while, we arrived back in Kourindou. I took out the batteries from my pocket and put it on my table. I took a few and put it in my PSP charger (the thing humans use to restore a PSP's energy). I played while it was charging and passed the time.
But then, I remembered that I wasn't the only person in the store. I completely forgot that Youmu was also here. I paused my game and looked around for her. Myon's floating around made looking for Youmu a lot easier. I rushed to where she was and I saw her looking around browsing through my wares.
It looks like she's interested in something. I walked up to her and did my job, since she's the only customer at the moment.
"Anything you like?" I asked.
"Nothing really," she said. "Just looking around."
"What brings you here?" I asked again. "Aren't you just going to deliver my batteries?"
With that, she seemed to have stopped. Her head slowly turned to face me. Did I say anything wrong?
Suddenly, her pale face turned pink. She also seemed to be fidgeting a bit. Even Myon seemed to be fidgeting as well.
"Lady Yuyuko... She told me to have a day off..." she faltered. "So she told me to go to Kourindou and..."
"And... what?"
"Lady Yuyuko told me to ask you if you can have tea with me!" she jabbered loudly with her eyes closed, and then, she bowed to me.
"If it's okay with you, Mr. Morichika."
I felt bewildered. All this just for a cup of tea? Those two... What are Yukari and Yuyuko up to? But whatever it is, it's just downright... weird.
"Sure. Why not?" I answered happily. "And please, call me Rinnosuke."
"Thank you, Mr. Mori... I mean... Mr. Rinnosuke! I'm much obliged"
-----
It was already got a bit late by the time I got the tea ready. I brought the tea set on a tray to the porch and set it on my favorite tea-drinking spot. I grabbed two cushions and placed them side by side. All done. The last thing to do was to call Youmu.
"Youmu! Tea is ready!"
I sat on the cushion closest the tea comfortably and let my legs hang from the end of the porch. Youmu sat down on the other cushion but instead of letting her legs hang freely like mine, she sat on her legs. Whatever works. She took the two swords from her waist and laid in on the floor just beside her.
I poured the tea over both our cups. I took her cup and handed it to her. I saw as she started breathing the fragrant steam from her teacup. It seems like her regular tea-drinking routine ritual or something. I took my cup and did the same as well. It seems that tea would taste a lot better that way, savoring every bit of vapor first before putting the cup on your lips...
It was hot! My mind went blank for no real reason, which led me to take a sip without thinking. How stupid! I can't enjoy tea with a scalded lip! I frantically licked my lips to soothe the pain.
"Are you alright?" asked Youmu anxiously as she reached out her hand. "Here..."
"I'm fine. I'm half-youkai. Something like this wouldn't really..."
I was interrupted when she put her fingers on my lips. They were cold. They were much colder than when I touched them earlier. It felt like a mountain river passing through just my lips. My burn was soothed in an instant. But when she took her hand away, the feeling disappeared in an instant, but at least my burn healed, though.
"Thanks," I said, snapping my mind back into the world. I felt embarrassed. Before even taking a real sip at my tea, I felt warmth rush to my face. She merely sniggered in reply. Well, I guess that could count as a "You're welcome."
"I'm a half-ghost," she explained. "I'm colder than a normal human. Even if I drink tea, I still won't be warmer."
We sipped our tea (I became more aware of my tea after being scalded). After finishing our cups, I poured for seconds. I gave her her cup. I gently blew on my cup as I pondered on what she said. Can't be warmer? That'd be sad. She wouldn't really benefit from my heater (the thing humans from outside Gensokyo use to warm their rooms). But enough of that... She's a half-ghost. I'm a half-youkai... Come to think of it, we are indeed both half-human.
"Umm..." I said, breaking the silence. "What are you gonna do afterwards?"
"I'd be going back to Hakugyokurou and be with Lady Yuyuko," she said. "I'd be doing my job of taking care of the souls. I wouldn't say it's boring but..."
"But... what?"
"Everyone in Hakugyokurou are ghosts and humans aren't allowed to enter. I felt like I shouldn't even be there because I'm half a human. I know I'm half-ghost at least but... It's confusing. I don't think I should be..."
"Go on. I'm listening. Just tell me your thoughts."
"Sigh... I told this matter to Lady Yuyuko. She told be that Lady Yukari also knew someone with the same condition," she said, her pace in speech quickening. "So she told me to go to Lady Yukari's place because she can tell me the way to Kourindou. There, Lady Yukari told be to take those battery things to Kourindou and then I got lost and then..."
"And then you bumped into me," I interrupted. "Don't tell me she's referring to me!"
"In fact, yes, she did tell me about you."
I can't believe it. I really can't fathom what would happen if you put two age-old friends together. Oh well... It's good to have new company once in a while. Yeah. All this thinking halted when she suddenly faced me and bowed down to me until her forehead almost reached her knees.
"If I'm disturbing you, I'm terribly sorry," she said, sounding very apologetic. "I'm sorry for the trouble Lady Yuyuko and Lady Yukari had done."
"No. It's all right. It's all right. No harm done."
"B... but... but I..."
I put my tea and her tea back on the tray and faced her. Myon seems to float erratically whenever she feels agitated like this. I lifted her head up to stop her from apologizing too much, and looked into her eyes. Her eyes were indeed that of a human's. It didn't have the abyssal look that ghosts usually have. And it had the shine that humans have when their eyes well up in tears...
Tears?
Tears fell from each of her eyes. I promptly wiped them off with my hand. Her face was just as cold as her hands. She closed her eyes to squeeze out the tears that still welled up. She then touched my left hand with her right and caressed it.
"Your hand," she breathed sadly. "It feels so warm... like the summer. Lady Yuyuko's hands never felt warm at all. I never felt this kind of warmth before... This human warmth... Please stay like this for a while... if you don't mind... Rinnosuke"
"O... okay..." I stuttered. My heart raced. Is it really okay? I don't know. I can't even understand myself. I feel so strange. The sound of her saying my name like that sent my mind into a weird state of confusion. Her face and hands felt cold as she gently rubbed my hand on her cheek. She seemed to have stopped crying, though. So I guess staying like this would be okay...
She opened her eyes and looked at me, as though she was feeling all of my warmth with just a stare.
"I can feel your breath," she whispered. "I wonder if..."
She leaned forward. She put her hands on my face. My face turned cold in an instant. She was leaning closer. It felt like every inch of me was being robbed of warmth altogether as she went closer. I couldn't move. I lost all my strength. She drew closer and closed her eyes... and it seemed that my eyes also lost their strength and closed shut...
Her lips felt cold.
After a moment which seemed like eternity, we parted and looked at each other in the eyes. Everything looked blurry. My glasses seemed to have fogged up. I removed them and wiped them with my sleeve and wore them again. I looked at Youmu as she gave a weak smile.
"I've always been looking for other people like me," she said. "After my father left, I'm the only half-ghost left in Hakugyokurou. The only company I have there is Lady Yuyuko, but she's a full ghost. She may be a kind mistress, but... she's not a human... All other humans don't really like me because I'm a half-ghost."
"But I'm not a half-ghost. I'm half-youkai."
"It doesn't matter..."
She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and embraced me tightly. I embraced her in return. It felt strangely soothing to be embracing such a slender waist that just fits right in your arms. She felt quite cold but it didn't seem to matter anymore. I felt warm entirely. It could be because of the tea but her embrace felt as human as possible.
"You're so warm, Rinnosuke," she whispered in my ear.
I just realized that it was already dark. The sensation of Youmu in my arms completely robbed my sense of time... and I guess it is the same for her.
"Youmu," I whispered in her ear, "it's already night. Shouldn't you be going home to your mistress?"
"Yikes!" she yelped cutely, tossing me away. "I forgot! Lady Yuyuko must be looking for me!" I stumbled back, but still careful not to land on the tea. I made a subtle laugh at her sudden change in attitude. She fidgeted, not really knowing what to do next.
"Aren't you gonna finish your tea first?" I suggested.
"I'm really sorry," she apologized yet again. "Lady Yuyuko is really helpless without me. I have to go back. Who knows what she will do? But..."
"Don't worry. You can come over for tea anytime! You're always welcome here in Kourindou! If you want, you can also invite your mistress. The more, the merrier."
"Really?"
"Yes. Of course." I patted her head gently, touching her soft silvery hair while I'm at it. She smiled in return. It seemed she likes being pat in the head. She leapt up from her cushion and landed on the ground off the porch. She took her two swords and fixed them firmly by her waist.
"Thank you very much, Rinnosuke. It was a pleasure to meet you," she said. All of a sudden, she leapt at me and flung her arms around me. "But you know," she whispered, "I'd prefer if it'd be just the two of us..."
"Sure," I replied and she kissed my cheek. It was cold, but who cares, anyway?
"Thank you," she said. "I'll come over whenever I get my next day off from Lady Yuyuko! Until then, wait for me!" She let me go and leapt from the ground. In a flash of light and a gust of wind, she was gone. All that remained was her unfinished cup of tea. I better clean it up.
It never really occurred to me that I would invite someone over just for tea, but at least I had something better to look forward to than my PSP games. I looked up into the darkening sky. From now on, when I see another streak of light in the sky, I wouldn't expect my wishes to be granted but instead, I'd expect to have another nice cup of tea with another half-human just like me.