There were three windows in this tiny single-floor house.
Yato was still getting used to how squat everything was here. Back in his tower, the ceilings had been lofty enough to set up ladders against the walls. His room had been so spacious that it had taken him hours to scour every inch for Ayakashi.
He bet an Ayakashi raid in this little house would last ten minutes at most.
The black-haired youth craned his neck out of the living room window, to bask in some fresh air. His hair was sopping wet, so each gust of wind blowing past flung a spattering of droplets onto the grainy windowsill.
Cobblestone streets, a heap of drunkards stumbling out as Daikoku-san closed up shop, a stray cat skulking under the neighbours' dingy walls. There was so much variety in this outside world, but none of it could hold a candle to the sweeping forest that had stretched into the horizon under his tower.
A cold, rain-scented breeze blew past him, chilling the tip of his nose, and Yato wondered if he could be homesick.
"Kazuuuu, answer the door!"
A tinkling shriek interrupted his thoughts. He glanced behind him at the kitchen, where he'd noticed Kofuku-san flitting about ever since he'd come out of the bath. The pink-haired woman, now stirring a pan busily over the stove, sent him an impatient look.
"Kazuu-! The door!"
Yato raised his eyebrows, wondering if he should correct her. While he was wearing Kazuma's clothes, the real Kazuma had been shut up in his bedroom with Hiyori, Yukine and Bishamon for the past hour, having some sort of an emergency group meeting.
But then the front door rattled again, as if someone was banging it with their fist, and he decided it wasn't worth the trouble.
"Coming!" He answered, hurrying to open it before the visitor took it off its hinges.
"Open up! This pub stinks!" The knocker whined as he undid the numerous latches, puzzling over each one as he did. He was a stranger to locks, Father had never had a need for them with magic around.
Finally, he managed to unlatch the last one and swung the door open.
"Hiyori-chaaan!" The visitors screeched the minute they entered, slipping past him into the living room. They were two girls, both with cropped brown hair, walking with airs of grace very reminiscent of Hiyori herself. "Hiyori-chan, get your butt out here!"
Kofuku, now stirring a different bowl, stuck her head out of the kitchen. "Ami-chan, Yama-chan, welcome!"
"Hi, Kofuku-san!" The one with lighter hair spun on her heel to give her a salute. The darker-haired one opted for a polite smile instead. "Thank you for inviting us!"
"The invitation was actually for tomorrow morning, for breakfast." The pink-haired woman informed them pleasantly. "But you're lucky! We have enough food for you too!"
"Damn it, Yama got the dates mixed up again." The darker-haired one muttered, socking the other girl on the arm. "We're sorry, we'll come back tomorrow!"
"No, no, really, it's not a problem." Kofuku assured them. "I poured too much water in the stew, so we have double what we need."
"Oh, yay!" The lighter-haired one, presumably Yama, whooped delightedly. "Is Hiyori-chan around, though? Don't tell me she's out again, we haven't seen her in a week!"
"Hiyori? She's not out, so she must be here somewhere." Kofuku muttered distractedly, hacking at her stew with a spoon.
"Great!" Yama and Ami looked around the dimly-lit living room. The lighter-haired one stamped forward and bellowed an expectant Hiyori-chan!
Yato pushed the front door shut, getting their attention before they could yell in vain again. Pitying them, he jabbed a thumb in the direction of Kazuma's room. "Hiyori's in there, they're ignoring everyone until they're done. They'll be out in a minute, I think."
He'd expected them to pile onto the bedroom door immediately, maybe bang on it like they had the front door. Instead, strangely enough, the pair of them goggled at him.
"Oh..." Yama gaped, then shook her head, smoothing down her skirt nervously. "A-are you new here? I've never seen you before."
"Yeah. I'm Yato, hi." He smiled crookedly.
Ami eyed him through her red-framed glasses. "You look familiar... You are from Takamagahara, aren't you?"
"Nope." The boy flicked his wet bangs out of his eyes. "Never been here before in my life. Hiyori and her family were kind enough to take me in, are you friends of hers?"
"Yeah! We're her childhood friends, we come over a lot." Yama stepped towards him, her face a bit pinker than it was before. "M-my name is Yama-"
"Are you famous?" Ami mused, tapping her chin with a contemplative finger. "You look so familiar, but I just can't put my finger on it..."
"Ami-chan, stop it, you're making him uncomfortable!" Yama chided, playing with the wispy hair by her ear. "Um, my name is Yamashita. My friends call me Yama, so, uh, right." She swatted her temple, as if to get herself in order. "What's your name? Oh, uh, I-I mean, it's nice to meet you, Yato-!"
"Dinner's ready!" Kofuku cut through their conversation, twirling out of the kitchen with a large pot of steaming colourless stew in mitted hands. Teetering under its weight, she slammed it onto the table. "Oh, Yato-chan, it's you! Where did Kazu go?"
Luckily enough, Kazuma's door chose that moment to burst open, relieving him of the need to repeat his answer. The four occupants streamed out, looking exhausted and troubled, as if all the news they'd had to discuss had been earth-shakingly depressing.
Hiyori, who trudged out last, looked up and gasped. "Yama-chan! Ami-chan!"
"Hiyori-chan, there you are!" Ami whirled around to rush to her friend, locking her in a hug. Yama hung back, her eyes trailing on Yato for a few minutes more before she turned. "It's been ages , you can't ignore us like this just because you don't live nearby anymore!"
"I'm not ignoring you, Ami-chan, I'm busy."
"Busy my ass, you haven't even applied to the healers' exam yet, have you?"
"There's a lot of time left to apply, I'm going to!"
"You and Yama both!" Ami turned to the lighter-haired girl, hands on her hips. "Both of you are so irresponsible, I don't know how you're going to pass!"
Yama scuffed her foot against the ground bashfully. "Shut up , Ami-chan."
Evidently, this mild response had been uncharacteristic of the loud-voiced, tomboyish girl. The other two friends gawked at her as if she'd dunked a pail of ice-water on her head.
"Yama-chan, you don't look well." Hiyori said tentatively.
"I'm fine, Hiyori!" The light-haired girl waved her hands in front of her, blushing furiously. "Absolutely fine!"
Both the other two narrowed their eyes, but before they could interrogate her further, the oblivious Daikoku barged in through the front door.
"Kofuku, you didn't burn anything!" The barkeep cried excitedly, hanging up his apron with a swoop.
"I know, and it smells delicious!" His wife chirped. "Dinner is served!"
He marched over to her, patting her curly head with a large hand. "I'll bring out the bowls. Sit down, everyone, let's eat!"
Yama and Ami had been the last thing Hiyori had wanted to see waiting outside her door.
It wasn't as if she didn't want to see them, because she did , she loved them dearly. She loved them all, her mother, father, big brother, everyone in her old life. But whenever they were around, she felt like a child, and she couldn't afford to be a child right now.
Not now, not during the most important event she had ever been part of in her small, unremarkable life.
"Here you go, bowls for everyone." Daikoku-san handed them out enthusiastically, a large smile brightening his face. "Now, make sure you enjoy it, Kofuku made it with her own hands!"
Across from her, Yukine shuddered. He'd opted to sit right beside Yato, she noticed, even warning the oblivious boy which chunks to avoid in Kofuku's broth. She felt a stab of envy at the sight. Why couldn't she be so chill about this?
Thankfully, she could see that Yukine was the exception in this case. Bishamon and Kazuma-san were quaking in their boots just like her. It was taking all their willpower to keep their mouths shut in front of Yato.
They couldn't tell him. Not only was it counterproductive to their actual plan, but also, like Daikoku-san and Kofuku-san, he wasn't part of the team , per se.
Bishamon, Kazuma, Hiyori and Yukine had gone on countless missions together, they'd saved each other's skins so many times it had become instinctive. Like any good mission, they wanted to keep their plans between them for as long as they could.
This was their most dangerous mission yet, after all, even worse than the crown job. They were risking death with this. If their plan failed, the King would convict them of treason. It would be straight to the gallows for them, no trial or mercy to save their skin.
She knew Bishamon-san and Kazuma-san were out of their depth with this plan. They were usually the type to take an anti-risk route as much as possible, to stay on the defence. With this plan, they had no option but to walk straight into the lion's den.
Out of the four of them, it was Yukine who was the most at ease. He didn't have Kazuma's hangups, Bishamon's responsibility or Hiyori's anxiety, all he had was recklessness.
She wished they could think of another way.
Hiyori eyed the black-haired boy under her lashes.
Yato, the problem in question, was sitting across from her, fishing a dubious chunk from Kofuku-san's milky soup. Flashing a white grin at Yama-chan, he stuck his spoon in his mouth and pretended to choke, then cowered dramatically when Daikoku-san barked at him in his wife's defence.
He was a stranger, even to Kazuma-san who's known him the longest. Logic dictated that they kick him to the streets to save their skin, perhaps with a bag of gold to repay their debt.
He was a stranger. A friendly, generous, kind stranger, but a stranger nonetheless. Putting her life on the line so blatantly for him should have been harder than this, so why wasn't it?
How was it that in the short while they'd known him, Yato had somehow become so close a friend?
"Hi-yo-ri- chan!"
Ami-chan broke into her thoughts, pulling her back to the present. The bespectacled girl was glaring viciously at her, hands fisted on the table.
Hiyori pulled up a wobbly smile. "Yes, Ami-chan?"
"Did you hear a word I said?"
"...Sorry."
"Ugh, Hiyori-chan, how will you survive the Healer's Academy?" Ami pushed her glasses up her nose snobbishly. "It has a rigid social hierarchy, you know. If you don't want to be a dunce for three years, you'll have to come out of your little hole and participate ."
Hiyori propped her elbow on the table, stirring her soup absently. "What, were you talking about a party? Give me the date, I'll work it into my schedule."
Yukine rolled his eyes at her from across the table, irritating her.
"What?" She snapped testily. "I have to study , unlike you, you delinquent."
"I didn't say anything." The blond boy retorted peevishly.
As she opened her mouth to spit another barb at him, she spied Yato's blue eyes trained on her. He was wearing a puzzled look, eyebrows drawn together in concern. She immediately swallowed her words, feeling her face grow hot.
He tilted his head to the side at that, his smirk fading slightly before he remembered to recharge it.
"So, as I was saying, keep yourself free all of tomorrow." Ami prattled, counting off a list on her palm. "We'll need time to go kimono shopping, pick flowers for our hair, find some cute guys to ride our boats with~" She winked.
Hiyori stared blankly at her, thoroughly lost. "Uh. What? Why?"
"Are you joking?" The dark-haired girl scoffed. "Hiyori, what is wrong with you today? Are you sick?"
"No, I guess I'm a bit sleepy." She murmured defensively.
"Very funny." Yama reached over the table to smack her arm. "Now stop driving Ami up the wall, you know how frazzled she can get."
Hiyori rubbed her arm resentfully. "Yama, seriously, I have no idea-" She paused, her eyes widening as it struck her. "Oh, shit."
A chill ran down her spine. Her eyes travelled to Yato and stayed there, wanting, needing to say something to stop this.
The lantern festival. The dead prince's annual funeral. The one thing Yato had asked from her had been to take him to his own funeral.
Judging by Yukine's squeak, it had only just dawned on him as well. "Oh, u-um, we're busy tomorrow! We need to, uh, do errands for Bishamon-san!"
The blonde warrior, who had so far been deep in conversation with Kazuma-san, jerked her head up. "Huh?"
"Excuse me? No you don't!"
Hiyori flinched when Yato's voice rang out.
"You promised fair and square that you would take me to the lantern festival!" He scowled, leaning aggressively over the table. His cerulean eyes were locked on Hiyori's, demanding an answer. "What, did you forget?"
"We didn't forget , Yato." Her stomach felt hollow, despite the sour soup sloshing in it. "I'll explain later-"
"You can't do this! You have to come with me. This is my dream, you owe me this much!"
"You can't play that card all the time, you know." She objected. "We know we owe you, and we'll repay you for sure, but-"
"You promised me we're going!"
"I know, but things have changed-"
"This is not fair!"
"Yato, stop being such a child-!"
The table rattled as a heavy fist slammed onto it, making the two of them jump. Hiyori blushed, realising she'd nearly stood from her chair in her fury, and plopped back down.
Bishamon, the one who had interrupted their battle, was giving her a piercing look. "I'm relieving you of your errands. Take him to the festival." She said briefly.
Hiyori gaped at her. "Huh? But what about-" What about Nora? What about all the things that could go wrong taking Yato around the city? What about the plan?
Kazuma cleared his throat, taking a dainty sip from his spoon. "We'll take care of it. Show him around, have fun."
"But Kazuma-san-"
"We can handle it, Hiyori. Enjoy yourselves. If we need you, we'll send a messenger to find you." The brunet nodded once, meaningfully. She hoped he would explain that later.
Yato, meanwhile, was wearing the silliest drunken grin. "You're a real friend, Kazuma! I'll never regret saving your life, you're the best!"
"I'm glad you won't." The brunet glanced at him, a small smile gracing his lips.
"Never. In fact, for this, I owe you two more lives. Just say the word and I'll fix you up, good as new!" The black-haired boy chattered on cheerily. "You and Bishamon will come to the festival too, won't you? After your errands are done?
Kazuma's head jerked down, a reluctant yes. "We'll definitely swing by you sometime tomorrow."
"So, the verdict's a yes, yes?" Ami clarified, raising a hand in query. "Good, then come over at eight, Hiyori. To our place, I don't want to come this way during the day."
"We'll be there!" Yato locked his arm around Yukine gaily. "We're a package deal all of tomorrow, me, Yukine and Hiyori!"
Yukine made a sound of protest, trying to pry himself out of the older boy's grip, and Hiyori felt a laugh bubbling inside her at the sight. The table resumed its pleasant hum as everyone drank down their fill of Kofuku's stew for the night.
It was easy to forget that, if they weren't careful, they could all be dead by this time the next day.