Sorry for the delay, recently started working as a rehire at an old job full-time, and just trying to get back into the swing of things. Sorry it took so long to update, hopefully the next chapter will be uploaded in a few days it is just being reviewed and revised as of right now. Well on to the story, hope you guys enjoy!
Three bustling weeks had passed. The transient had not appeared since then. Although she often looked for his long languid form on her nightly trips home she never spotted him. Each day it was getting much harder to doddle and take her time for the unscrupulous Taisho and sweet Okami pressured her to either leave before sundown or have Sho-chan's company vehicle pick her up.
Pushing her bike off the little platform sitting in front of the grand entrance Kyouko sighed. Quickly she took a glance backwards finding the hard stare of the Taisho following her every prolonged movement. Snail-like her thin fingers untangled the large bicycle chord and rolled it carefully on to the side her arm. Turning back once more she fought off a smile and waved at the dowering old restaurant owner.
His fingers flicked slightly towards her acknowledging her leave. Facing forward she missed the pull of his lips drawing even more down as she flew down the hill, the touch of dusk lighting up her light flowing dress.
Returning to the kitchen the Taisho grumbled.
Pulling her husbands fingers into her warm chubby hands Chouko smiled tenderly, "I know dear. I'm very worried about her as well."
"...Sigh," Sitting down the feel of his age bared weight onto his every joint. Rubbing the kinks from his burly shoulders he released a heavy breathe. Eight days, barely over a week he had been released from his hospital stay. A few surgeries had him hobbling a little more than usual but something else put a heavy flutter on his heart. While moved his wife and young protegee had kept the shop afloat during his absence the thought they were endangered still loomed over his mind.
Gently as if care taking one of his precious knives he ran his calloused hands across hers. Her cheeks turned rosy reminding him of how red she was during their whole wedding ceremony.
Sitting beside him she placed her rag into her lap, laying her head against the crust of his shoulder.
Smoothly his fingers tip-toed against her wrist, caressing the light green bruise that still marred her milky skin.
Patting his hand she rose, "I have to put out plates for the cat tonight." Brushing her nose against his warm crinkling skin her eyes warmed, "I won't be long." Tapping his fingers against the wooden bench his black eyes followed her round form. Watching her vanish beyond the small back door.
"Ommph." Pushing himself off the bench the dark haired restaurant owner limped towards the backdoor exit. Following the sound of a sweet docile melody.
Humming under her breathe she delicately placed the wrapped warm meal besides the doorway. Next she patted down a large woolen jumper, the seasons where getting a bit colder, she imagined that the stray could use a little warmth.
Some nights the clothes went missing replaced by a slightly dirtier set of garmets, usually folded tightly at the corners and laid neatly against the stoop. The food on the other hand usually remained untouched, except for the very rarest of occasions where the hint of a few nibbles here and there were present.
Hoisting her purse up onto her dainty shoulder she grappled her bike to her side. The sturdy spiked petals bobbing against her shin. Wincing she kicked the petal backwards for the umpteenth sending it twirling right into the back of her calf. Head hanging low on her shoulders she glowered at her broken heap of a bicycle. Lips nibbled between her teeth Kyouko tried to keep the feeling of unease from weighing on her shoulders. "I'm such a bad girl, a despicable excuse for a human. I'm lower than human, I'm scum..." Further she dragged herself and the bike, her tiny little frame slowly melting into the pavement.
Everyday for the last week she had prayed to the gods to have mercy on her lying soul. She hadn't been biking home nor was Sho-chan sacrificing any part of his day to pick her up.
A ways away from the restaurant she fell to her knees letting the large pit of miasma steam from every orifice of her body. She didn't have to worry much for strangers no one with an ounce of common sense wanted to approach a woman who had transformed into an exact replica of the little gollum from the grudge.
Literally wallowing in her betrayal, she became oblivious to her spector like form. "Kyouko your such a bad...rotten girl. Lying to the esteemed Taisho and Okami! Have you no shame!" Gurgles seeped from her sallow and self-loathing, "Shame...dishonor...betraye-" She perked up. The scuffling of paws alerting her to other individuals presence.
Strange, something cold and warm brushed her nose leaving her with a tingling sensation. It wasn't santa season, yet? Was it ? Looking towards the sky she couldn't find a single tingling snowdrop fluttering down.
A chubby paw rested on her nose causing her to go cross-eyed as she tried to focus on the cherubic little individual. Large amber eyes flickered towards the pavement. How cute! She squealed joyfully, instantly disarming the pool of miasma around her body.
The tiny kitten jumped for her face again, pawing affectionately at the crouching woman. "Dear Friend!" bubbled Kyouko placing her fingers near the skinny little cat. "Have you come to cheer me up from my horrible discretions!" Standing up she saw the gray creature tilt its head sideways staring up at her with large liquid blue eyes. Rubbing its tail against her leg it let out a long languid purr. Feline eyes blinked turning its body once again against the warm bare leg, rubbing its scratchy grey fur against her skin.
" I have so much to tell you!" She began.
Reflecting, Kyouko began to walk. Feeling slightly less guilty with a companion in tow. She began to chatter, kicking her feet out in front of her, scuffing her old shredded tennis shoes.
Her dear little friend, tilted his head when appropriate, lounging when she became immobilized in her euphoria, and unusually loud in vocal meows when she began to wallow. Nodding his head at her breathless speaking her pushed into her leg guiding her down the busy streets.
The little kitten had been walking part-of-the-ways home with her for the last week always appearing out of the shadows right when she was in the middle of a bout of self loathing.
Pushing her bike forward she talked, whimsy in her voice, a sparkly bubble of joy encasing her form.
In three days Kyouko had explained to her companion, she would have enough money to buy a new part for her bicycle, glad she saved a little this month instead of splurging by buying Sho-chan's new Visual-kei poster. Stopping her tracks she pouted, hand on her lips, next month she would make sure to save enough for emergencies like these and still have enough to avidly support Sho-chan from the sidelines.
Very soon her bike will be in working in condition again.
For now she was using the extension of the hill on which the Darayuma presided to pretend her bike worked in order to get home with out bothering the kindly older couple. They did much for her, feed and clothe her when she didn't have a single penny to her name, give her a job and give her a roof over her head until she could find Sho-chan. Reminiscing she thought how silly she was as a young teenager, trying to so brazenly live off a dream. The young woman didn't want to bother them with something so silly and inconsequential when they had already sacrificed so much for her.
Faster she walked, sticking close to the blooming street lights. Hopefully at this rate she would get to her apartment block before the last beams of sunlight wilted to night. Her house was almost five miles a way, a good hours walk from the Restaurant. Red dusting her cheeks from the cold she Tugged her jacket closer to her form as she tried push out the chill settling up her arms.
Sadness blossomed, a phantom in her chest. Just barely noticeable but present. Kyouko felt bad lying to the older couple, maybe her condolences of apple fritters, the couples favorite, she had been leaving every night at the restaurant were an acceptable apology gift. But, maybe, she shouldn't have let them out. Why apologize for something they didn't know about, it would only make them grow more suspicious. After all the two restaurant owners were very observent.
These last couple weeks the Okami had been very particular about seeing her to her vehicle, and the last two days the Taisho had been bursting with contempt for her bicycle, as if telling her from his body language that it wasn't the correct form of traffic for this part of the city.
Twenty minutes later into her walk she passed a familiar area. The spot where her dear friend would vanish to. While he appeared infrequently on her daily trip home, he always melted into the shadows here at his specific back alley entrance.
He purred as if to get her full attention, before vanishing all together into the dank brick pathway. She never had the courage to follow. One time into the decrepit hotspot was enough of an adventure for her.
Looking at the creaking awnings, the rotten stairwells and grotesque alleyway reminded the amber eyed girl of that fateful meeting with Stranger-san. Wringing her tiny wrist she remembered, this had been the same place where she had wasted soup all over him, leaving him a hot soaking mess of soba noodles and pickled peppers. The same place Sho-can had callously floundered and laughed at the soaked man.
Her hair tousled in the strong wind causing her to pull her jacket hood tightly closed, mummifying herself inside of her clothes. It was going to rain soon she predicted tasting the salt in the air. She wondered if he would be okay there. If he was still even there, in that same hobble, blankly noting the weather too.
"I never apologized. Not fully." She mumbled.
Standing together her heels clicked feeling tiny droplets sprinkle onto her nose. Swinging her purse to her front she pulled out the water-stained crumpled note card, this had been the blossoming of that incident.
Heads up, I'm babbling about something that has nothing to do with story below...
It's actually funny that I write this scene about Kyouko lying and walking home from work. I wrote this about two weeks ago, I just got rehired from a seasonal job a week ago. My bike as it does annually whenever I start working at this place breaks. My shifts don't end until 10-11pm at night somedays- so I walk 5 miles to get home. My boss doesn't like my walking, he really doesn't even like my biking especially since where I work is so high in traffic, so I ride my broken bike down the hill from my job and then walk the rest of the way. I always feel really bad about it. :(
I just found it funny and really ironic so I felt the need to mention it.
