Ding Ding Ding...
The clear tones of the bells above her finally pulled Kanako out of the trance the old street car's rumblings had sent her into. Everything quickly snapped back into focus: the dull, itchy seats shuddering beneath her, the discrepant mom and pop stores rushing past them through the window, and a soft warm radiating from her left; Keitaro's arm just a few inches to the side. A quick scan of the car showed the crowd had thinned out while she'd slept; a few old men in bathrobes and a single couple the only others who'd taken the line this far. Thoughts buzzed back to life, each more excited then the last, as she realized how close they must be getting. Already they verdant mountaintops that cradled the town could be seen above the rooftops, her glances out the front window showing the station was only a few hundred meters away. She grabbed onto the orange sleeve of her brother's jacket; pulling him away from whatever thoughts were hidden behind his sad-looking stare. "Oni-san," she whispered politely as she delivered a few soft tugs. "We're almost here."
It took a few moments for him to shake his ideas away, wide eyes and frown changing to something more neutral. "Oh... we are," he answered somewhat hollowly, Kanako locking on his eyes as he turned to face her. Despite keeping up a strong face, there was no hiding that sad longing and worry that lay just beneath it, soon to be hidden as he bent forward to grab the messenger bag from beneath his seat. He can't be thinking about her... could he? Kanako thought as Keitaro moved beneath her eye level, her heart skipping a beat at the mere thought of defeat. No... don't be silly. He's probably just nervous... as he should be. The remaining few seconds of the ride gave her time to recover, any unease those thoughts having been pushed down when her brother emerged with his things slung over his shoulder.
She kept her strong grip on as arm as the pair of them stood up; a dark blue schoolbag and powder blue dress the only pieces of her old life she carried with her. The station was a backwater place with little more then a few benches and an outbuilding, their fellow travelers giving the pair little mind as the young man they'd seen in passing glances walked off almost mechanically; a girl much to small and slim for her age trying to keep up with his much longer strides.
It was almost enough to make her feel thankful for the obscuring fog rising off the river, more then once she nearly tripped over herself and those clunky, childish shoes as she tried to keep some footing on the wet surface. Stop making a fool of yourself she chastised silently, wincing as a truck zoomed by on the opposite side of the bridge. As if trying to hide her involvement, she began peaking over her shoulder only to notice a sudden surge in the cloud on all their sides, a dark outline breaking it's way out of the haze beyond.
She could only watch as the figure came closer, appearing to eerily glide across the surface despite a shuffle that said otherwise. The pair of siblings pinning their backs against one another, Kanako recoiling at the sight before her: a dead-eyed, unblinking glare coming from the deeply wrinkled face of one of the elders who'd been snoring on the car, the basket atop his head casting a shadow over much of his face.
"All memories fade into time." He mumbled, his voice depressed and seeming to echo on itself. For a moment, he stood silently, only to speak again just as she felt her brother's torso rise with breath behind her. "Soon enough, most waste into nothing." An awkward chuckle rose behind her, the old man not moving a muscle as his eyes burrowed into her hers. Almost immediately, she looked down at her feet; the cold, twisting feeling of shyness flaring in her gut. Don't hurt me... she found herself thinking, trying to back away only to press herself harder against Keitaro's back. Just as she was about to run out of space, however, he finally took a step to the side, walking around them as though nothing had happened, shuffling side by side with two other men in identical robe as the sudden rise in the mist seemed to dissipate.
Once she realized exactly what she was doing, Kanako quickly loosened her death-grip and bulled her head from the small of her beloved's back; trying to move to his side as though nothing had ever happened. There, Keitaro's face was looking down at her, blinking a few times as he tried to work the intensity out of his eyes. She bit down on her lower lip, trying to stop the quiver she'd only just become aware of, taking comfort in the assuring smile she received in response.
"Heh... that was kind of silly, wasn't it?" He questioned her, guiding them over to the other side of the bridge with no small urgency. "Properly wandered away from his family, poor guy." Yes, that made the most sense: probably just a lonely old man, going on about his mind going. Still, that didn't stop his memory from putting her off-ease; the fact he and his fellow wanderers were still loitering around some of the unoccupied benches along the riverbank and occasionally turning to look at them not entirely convincing her he wasn't some kind of creeper. The best she could do was not encourage them by looking back, casually looking at the stalls on the opposite side of the main ally. During this trough in the festival season, of course, that wasn't much besides a few trinket shops, a few restaurants that catered to the locals, and... THAT.
The moment she saw them, she found her gaze locked: the pink and turquoise standing out against the surrounding earth tones of the village streets she was staring down at. But it was what was inside the smock formed by those colors that she cared about, distressed and familiar face of a girl not much younger then herself. A face she'd come to know all too well, continuing to look even as oni-san lead them towards the narrow alleys, up to where Granny's inn was. There was no doubt in her mind she'd seen what that body was going to develop into; though 'develop' might be a bit of a strong word here.
Shinobu Maehara. Should be 13... no 12, Junior High school student, expert cook, socially inept... and loli seductress. Digging into her mind for those endless hours she'd spent gathering and reviewing the profiles for Hinata's residents, Kanako's inner voice began list off all the data she'd meticulously pulled together on her youngest rival. Not that much of it would be of use at this point: according to the records she wouldn't even start staying at the Dormitory for around another week...
"Kanako..." She suddenly heard, realizing her line of sight was just about to disappear behind one of the shops. "Watcha looking at?" A chill ran down her spine as she heard and felt the larger figure lean out from behind her, his eyes following hers to the sad little girl on the stone benches.
Gods... she noticed a frightened idea stabbed it's way through the droning list of trivia. Need an excuse, need an excuse...
"The girl looks lonely," she let the first sane-sounding reason she thought of flow directly to her mouth; all filters bypassed as she tried to avoid looking suspicious or unnerved. And it wasn't as though that wasn't true; everybody moving by, mostly in pairs or groups, passing her by without so much as a glance.
"Yeah... she kind of does," Keitaro responded, bending down to his knees to get a look from her angle. With her brother's attention focused on that display, Kanako no longer felt comfortable averting her own glance... forced to face the opportunity she'd missed by her incessant spying. If Maehara doesn't meet oni-san... if they never see him bring some order to that hellhole... would her parent's even let her... no, don't look up.
How could she have done that?
Only a few stray whimpers escaped Shinobu as she sat hunched over on the city bench, hands resting in her lap. It was as if every drop of blood had been drained from her body; skin pale and clammy as she shuddered and sobbed. Those people passing by, smiling and speaking freely to one another; they seemed such a world away she didn't dare even look up at them. All she could do was try understand what had possessed her to rush out like that, abandoning her poor mother to pack up what was supposed to be her mess.
Why? the word was constantly haunting her panicked thoughts. It wasn't as if her mother had asked anything unreasonable. She'd just wanted to know how the process of transferring out was going. There was nothing to be afraid of, and yet she'd frozen up and deflected the question all the same. Just as she had the last time somebody tried to make a connection with her... and the time before that... and the time before that. Every time she'd tried to approach one of her classmates, or one of them tried to talk to her, something almost like fear just flooded into her and she just had to get away as fast as possible. But that was something she'd long grown used to with girls her own age. Even if things did get a little lonely from time to time, she'd always been able to find comfort in a hug or a kind word from her parents.
But now that fear had begun following her even there, working it's way through the cracks of her crumbling life. Just beneath the footsteps and idle conversations she could hear the hard, loveless words that had come to surround her, trapping her in that little mental world. Loudest of all though were her mother's heartfelt pleas, despairing her selfish father and begging Shinobu not to leave her alone "I'm sorry..." she whispered to herself, sinking deeper into the guilt and apologizing for what she'd done. "Of course I love you mommy... just stop yelling." She could almost feel that disapproving look of her protector pinning her down from somewhere, chastising her like the disobedient child she.
Her head shot up as a natural reaction, trying to look away from that terrible feeling. The world just kept passing her by, the village elders standing in their usual spot, the foot traffic focused more concerned with enjoying their visit to the town, giving their attention to the bright and happy stalls rather then a crying schoolgirl. Not that she blamed them; after all, who would go out of their way to... Ah?
Shinobu watched as another young girl carefully walked her way across the street, taking hesitant steps as she was coaxed forward by a spectacled man. Is she... coming towards me? she thoughts, fingers fiddling self-consciously as the stranger continued forward with seemingly just as many reserves. Every few steps she would stop, glancing over her shoulder expectantly and only moving forward when man who'd sent her out gave a thumbs-up, her face hidden by her long bangs whenever she looked forward. She doesn't go to my school... why is she moving like that? Does she want to talk to me? It wasn't long before the stranger was upon her, standing a respectful distance away while shuffling her feet.
"Are... are you feeling alright?" The girl spoke quietly, a stutter cutting into her words. She seemed far too nervous to keep up a smile, lips pursed as she struggled to force herself to speak.
"I'm fine," she responded without thinking, trying to throw on a fake smile to put this new girl at ease. The girl's unchanging expression showed she was clearly failing, quickly reaching up to wipe wet lines from her face.
The person before her continued to stand silently, unwilling to either speak or look up while constantly looking as though she was going to take a step back. Watching her trying to gather her words, oddly enough, made Shinobu start feeling a bit calmer, before she was caught off guard by a deep, seemingly well-practiced bow.
"Oh... my apologies," the words seemed to tumble over one another as they tried to get out, her torso flying back up at a pace to match. "I didn't mean to pry. You just appeared troubled and..." She quickly turned her face to the side as it grew redder, giving Shinobu a brief glimpse of her eyes.
This girl is kinda weird she found herself thinking. Everything about her just seemed so out of her element, form her frilly cloths to the overly formal speech and increasingly conflicted stance. Yet, there was something comforting about how polite and genuine she seemed to be, just the thing Shinobu needed to pull herself out of this funk. It was finally a conversation that allowed for equal footing: and it wasn't one she was going to let end so unceremoniously.
"It's alright," she tried to help her new conversation partner get comfortable with a smile, seeing the anxious frown on the raven-haired girl's face continue to fade in response. "I'm not hurt or anything, so you don't need to worry." It was clear her content façade was wavering as she fell under a hard, analytical gaze, guilt flaring up at having lied to an innocent girl.
"Don't be so coy Ma-eh," the other girl placed a hand to her lips, stopping what sounded like the beginnings of a giggle. "You must forgive me, I just realized I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Kanako Urashima, it is an honor to make your acquaintance."
"Um... the honor is mine Urashima-san," Shinobu straightened up , caught off guard and suddenly worried about insulting such a well-mannered girl with a poor response. The Urashima name had an important place in Hinata after all, being the owners of what had once been the towns largest tourist destination. Father had told her a few stories about the old Hinata Inn, how it once attracted tourists the world over until old lady Hina converted it into some ner-do-well girls dormitory for some godforsaken reason. If he even saw her talking to an Urashima...
"Shinobu Maehara. Nice to meet you." The two shook hands; this Kanako having a surprisingly firm grip for somebody of her size. She could look past her acquaintance's shoulder and see the face of the man she'd been standing by, waiting patiently for her return. A shallow nod showed his approval, his face in a silently laugh as he watched the pair of them. Is that her father? No, he's far too young she thought as her wandering eyes settled onto his. For that split second, it almost looked like that adoring look and warm smile had been meant for her, the next heartbeat noticeably stronger then the last.
As their hands broke Kanako took a seat beside her, her dressed swooshing as she settled herself in. It was hard to remember who said exactly what next; the next few minutes noticeably overshadowed by that powerful moment. Whomever had kicked it off, though, the greetings quickly developed into a casual conversation. Perhaps it was the awkward beginning giving her nerves a chance to normalize, or the fact there were no expectations, but as the exchange went on the little wallflower realized she hadn't once felt the urge to go silent or excuse herself. Kanako always asked just the right questions to keep her at ease; avoiding any mention of her emotional breakdown or the kind of gossip and fashion talk that seemed the domain of the popular kids. They went on and on about novels or manga they'd read, hobbies and favorite things. Shinobu must have talked her ear off about the difference between her favorite food to eat and favorite food to prepare, but never once did the other girl show any sign of annoyance; sitting their quietly and clearly absorbing every word she'd been saying.
She probably would have continued on forever, had it not been for Kanako's escort eventually walking over to join them; his shadow falling over the pair before Shinobu had even realized he'd been approaching. "Mind introducing me to your friend, Kanako?" Her heart pulsed once again, this time from surprise, as she became conscious of just how long they'd been sitting there; scrunching up on herself as she tried to avoid panic
"This is Shinobu Maehara," "Shinobu Maehara, Urashima-Sempai," Shinobu shouting out into the streets even as Kanako was in the middle of introducing her, adding another knot to the nervous coil that was reforming in her gut. Calm down... she repeated over and over again in her head, trying to relax as Kanako started dispensing a handful of the more interesting facts she'd shared. The last thing mother and father need right now is you making a scene... just hold out a little longer.
"Oh, and her family also runs the Hinata Restaurant," Kanako finished, managing not to react to her more frantic vibes, turning to Shinobu and teasing her with the faintest ghost of a smile. "Maybe I could come by and try some of that udon you like making so much?"
Wait... no... Shinobu's thoughts grew less and less coherent, biting her tongue as she realized what she hadn't mentioned. After she was so nice... how could I have lead her on like that? Hands straight to her side, the junior high student shot to her feet, the feeling of panic bubbling back to the surface. "Sorry, I'm already late," she managed to choke out, darting out before anybody could hear the resurgence of her sobs.
At long last Kanako let out a sigh as she watched her potential rival turn tail. That felt like an eternity. The conversation had been absolutely mind-numbing to her: forced to avoid any new interesting information and just continue prying for facts she already knew in an effort to make the child feel comfortable. For the time being though, a crisis had been averted: that little trollop was gone without having exchanged so much as a full sentence with her brother, while he remained none the wiser as to the real reason for her stares. All it took was a disappointed look and a few "Eh?"s to finish the show, drawing a comforting hand to her shoulder.
"Don't beat yourself up,ok?" Keitaro guided her back to her feet as they finally lost sight of Shinobu around a corner. "You were doing great... she probably just lost track of time." She knew he was just trying to assure her, build up her fragile social confidence, but that didn't stop her from melting under his praise. "Come on now, Granny's probably starting to get a little worried about us."
The implications of those words just flew over Kanako's still-giddy thought stream, dutifully following along as he guided them back across the streets and through the low-lying sections of Hinata. Through all the shadowy spaces the light and green that marked the bottom of the hill grew closer and closer: everything seeming so much grander from this height with the trees leaning up to guide them to their destiny. It was so picturesque, so inviting; but behind the homely facade she could already sense the nest of vipers that infested it. The drunkard, the man-hater, the madwoman , the harpy; a memory of the tortures they'd inflected flashing each step she took up the great stairway.
Her deepest emotions cried out to stop, to turn around while she still could and never looked back. Anything at all would have to be better the the nightmare he was unwittingly walking into. Her movements became more and more hesitant. But what could she say; that that their grandmother was trying to take advantage of his generous nature and abandon him to three years of endless suffering? That the women he was meant to manage would instead seize control of his life? He would just think she was just afraid of the older and more intense girls, just the imagination of a an introvert shoved into a new crowd. Besides slightly more hesitant steps she made no effort to slow them down as Keitaro took in the scenery until, finally, they were standing in the front plaza looking up at the well-worn walls and overhang
"Granny's inn," she said wistfully, quickly taking stock of the entry hall to verify nobody would be there to bother them. The only sign of movement was a shadow passing by one of the window screens, heading right towards the hot springs (and more importantly, away from them). "It's been so long."
"It has hasn't it." Keitaro responded, his voice tinted strongly with nostalgia. "Boy does this bring back memories. How many years has it been?" His neck was constantly moving and his breathing deep, completely engrossed taking in as much of the old place as possible as he took the lead inside. "Mom and dad used to take us here all the time as kids... wonder why they stopped coming?"
Kanako made sure to stick tightly to her brother's side, acting as a shield from any stray eyes. It was clear he'd been lost in his thoughts as he blatantly waltzed past the establishment's new sign, but so perhaps if he was accompanying a girl it might make a slightly better impression? She quickly made efforts to harness the genuine worry she was feeling, shaping them into those expressions she'd just seen on Shinobu's face. Anybody who looked at her emotional mask would probably assume she was just a schoolgirl frightened about moving away from home. The rest of her body slipped it's way into character, shortening her steps and fiddling with her fingers, doing her best to keep a lookout for any any signs of movement.
They roamed the endless, seemingly empty halls; most of the many rooms long vacant. The lack of maintenance going on was clear as day; the murky windows, dirty floors, and occasional door leaning out of it's groove just the tip of the iceberg. It was clear the girls here cared little for the wonderful place they were living in. Kanako scoffed as they moved deeper into the wing, constantly peaking behind her for any sign of another soul, her brother covering the opposite direction as he continued his fruitless search for Hina.
"Great, nobody's home," he finally grumbled as they exited onto one of the open-air walkways; finally giving Kanako a clear look at the majestic view of the valley below. The mountains, the little streets, the outdoor bath...
No Kanako quickly locked onto the pink-brown blob contrasting against the water. The facing towards them. Looking in their general direction. Standing up and leaning forward as Kanako stood by helplessly, much to far to do anything about what was to happen even if she somehow had a plan.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
