Takigawa's Side Job: A Christmas Special
Ayako frowned as she felt something tickling her lower back. She learned years ago this translated as a sign her path would be crossed by someone with bad luck. She folded her hands in a silent prayer for the nature spirits to guard the unfortunate person.
She turned around the corner of the last street close to her apartment building and ran straight into Hirota.
"Hirota-sama, it is nice to see you."
"Good day to you Ayako-san." He tipped his hat to her. He looked the part of an old film noir hero.
She would play the femme fatale to his brooding detective any day.
They talked for a bit but the chilly wind caused them to cut the pleasantries short. The two had just said goodbye when a scream rang out.
Rushing off after the noise, the cop and the miko tore through the back alley until they found a young lady huddling behind a garbage pile. She was terrified.
"Are you ok?" Ayako asked while Hirota patrolled the area with his gun, looking for the culprit.
Nobody could be found.
"It was a demon." The scared girl kept saying.
Hirota took her statement and along with Ayako took her to the hospital. Ayako watched for signs of a spiritual assault following the girl. Once a the hospital she decided to stick close to the victim once she had seen the doctor.
In the waiting room, Ayako and Hirota stopped stunned at the sight they saw.
Takigawa, the Buddhist monk and rocker, who frequently worked with Ayako through Shibuya Psychic Research was currently sitting on the floor amongst a ton of children. Onlookers smiled while watching them. The monk wore a red shirt and playing a black guitar. He sung "Rocking around the Christmas Tree." Beside him was Mai dressed as a strange blue elf with silver stockings and a blue cap. If her intent had been a Christmas elf than, right now she just looked like a fairy reject from SAO.
The instant Takigawa the other two, a veil formed over his face.
"St. Monk, who knew?" Ayako laughed.
Hirota grimaced a bit at the nickname.
Mai yelled, "HOHOHO Merry Christmas Ayako and Hirota!" Her large smile made the other three relax. Mai was just such a cheerful spirit that it was hard to be tense around her.
Ayako frowned, "What she just call me?"
Monk and Hirota gave the sleek suit Ayako wore the once over. Neither felt they could say anything without the comment being taken in an inappropriate way.
Takigawa started a new musical number. Hirota watched the children oooh and ahhh over "Santa" and his "Elf."
The doctor came out to report the girl was fine with minor scratches from what seem like a fight. She would be ok. Her parents were on their way.
Silently, the couple stood watching the Christmas show. If they had knew the songs, they would have sang with the children. Or maybe they woundn't because tension between them was mounting. Clearly it was time for both to leave, yet they didn't.
Hirota ended the silence between them by asking, "How about I buy you lunch?"
Ayako narrowed her eyes on him, "Mr. Cop are you trying to ask me out?"
He blushed.
"Make it coffee and you have a date."
As Hirota and Ayako left, Takigawa stared after them. Mai noticed his expression and cheerfully said, "You know it is really a good thing you do here Bou-san."
"Yea." He guffawed a bit. Reaching over he pulled on her fake elf ears, "I know what it is like to be sick with nothing to do, which made me think of the children in the hospital. It was when I was deathly sick that I learned to play the guitar. It gave me my love of music. My family was not very supportive of me, hence why I left."
Takigawa sung two more songs before ending the show. The crowd started to dissipate as the two packed up.
"Hey Mai, you having another Christmas party at the office?"
"Not sure if Naru would be happy about that."
"Oh well just was asking."
"What are you doing for Christmas?"
"Probably just another boring bachelor day, spent alone without family, eating leftover chicken and rice."
Mai's eyes bore into Takigawa's. "Why don't you go see your family?"
"My family does not observe Christmas. They live in a temple on a mountain. You don't get more international holiday deprived than that." Takigawa added, "Plus I don't feel I have a family any more."
Mai states indignantly, "Of course you have a family. Everyone has a family. I'm your family, Bou-san. Ayako, Masako, Yasuhara, Lin, and John are your family too. Even that mean nonbeliever, Hirota is family now. He's that creepy uncle you see once a year who nobody likes to talk about."
Takigawa burst out laughing.
"Listen, I'm an orphan, I know. I will tell you something Naru told me once after he returned from burying Gene's body. We have three kinds of family. Those you are born to, those who are born to us, and those we chose to let our hearts to. I have you in my heart so I am your family and won't give you up any time soon."
"Thanks Mai."
"The holidays make you are sad right now. That is why you want to do something. It's more fun to spend the season with somebody. If your heart is filled, than you don't notice what you miss so much. I am thinking that even though you left your mountain and your family, they are in you heart too."
Monk went home, thinking about what Mai said.
The next day a loud banging woke him up.
He jumped out of bed in his boxers. Mai was there. She took one look at him and became a deep scarlet color.
"Uh I, uh. Didn't know." Mai stammered. She threw a present at him. "Here! I didn't know you were still sleeping." She ran off...
...Only to double back. She closed her eyes as she bowed. "It would honor me greatly if you would come celebrate Christmas with SPR."
"Thought Naru doesn't celebrate Christmas."
Glancing up, she smirked, "What Naru does not know, won't hurt him." She then blushed as she looked at Takigawa's body and ran away.
He shouted after her, "You're cute when you blush! You like a tomato-cherry hybrid."
"You jerk! Hope you like it! It was something my mom use to give every Christmas to me and my dad."
Smiling he went inside. Deciding to open the present early, he pulled out a scarf. It was homemade, not the type you could get in a store.
"Thanks Mai." Homemade gifts were the best.
Three days later was Christmas Eve. Monk was invited to the office. He decided to wear Mai's scarf. Takigawa noticed as he entered that everyone there had a scarf, even Naru.