[DISCLAIMER: This is completely fictional and using the Hololive characters in a story I made up.

Thank you readers who read my stories I appreciate it.]

Chapter 31

Canine View

Watching Okayu grovel before that dumb manager and the court, and then to me and my granny was difficult. My granny had informed me that she would have everything taken care of, but that was not what I expected.

Okayu only glanced to me, and then left the court quickly. I hoped she was all right.

I texted her and waited for her to respond. My granny wanted me to go to dinner with her and I told her I didn't feel well. I wanted to go home and go to bed.

She started to object, but then told me, "I will call you in the morning and you will join me for breakfast."

"Yes." I bowed quickly.

She dropped me off at my apartment, and I continued to bow, as the car drove away.

I stood on the walkway, the rain a light pattering, as I held up my umbrella. I stood there thinking and wondering about the feeling deep inside. I knew when I hit Manager Shien I was completely out of control.

I held up my hand, looking over the skin, the bone, the veins and sinew as I made a fist and then released.

"I could have killed him," I said to myself.

I pulled down the umbrella, closed it, and then stood. I leaned back, so that my face felt the rain wash across every section. I just stood, letting the rain wash across every inch. Soon, I realized, my tears were comingling with the rain.

An older woman came out of the apartment, and smiled at me.

"You're getting wet dear."

"Yes." I held out the umbrella. "Here."

She looked at me as if I were crazy. Perhaps I was. I laughed, "No seriously. I don't need it tonight."

The woman took it and then I took off running. I was sure I heard her call me crazy or something in that vein, as I kept going.

The Inugami was inside me. I could feel it coursing through every bit of my being. Our ancestors must have felt so much power during the Animas Wars. I only knew of it through stories. I think we might have been the bad guys in that war. I know growing up, cats always treated me as if I were a creature to be hated. I sometimes wondered if that affected me now. I was quiet and withdrawn in many ways.

Maybe that's why I didn't speak up and allowed them to humiliate my closest friend and the one I loved most.

I kept running, my legs so strong, and I sped up.

The rain grew more torrent but I kept running.

I passed cars. Buildings. Streets. I ran up hills, and back down, along the neighborhoods.

I wasn't even sure how much time passed until I ran along a meandering road that was familiar to me.

"This is toward the shrine," I said, as I slowed to a jog-walk.

I stopped, slowing and walking to an overhang under the roof of a convenience store.

I was soaked.

I leaned on my knees, breathing hard, having run the hardest I'd ever run, the rain had soaked me thoroughly. I held to my chest. The guilt crawled along my clavicle and throat, until it burned.

Finally, I lifted taking in where I was, glancing at the myriad lights below. I was on a meandering road that ran on the outskirts of our city. I was standing under the awning of a small convenience store. It was the only place along this lonely road.

I walked to the edge, looking down at the lights of the city.

"Wow. It's so beautiful."

I finally pulled out my phone and saw Okayu had texted me back.

OKAYU: Hey, no worries. I was taking a walk. Korosan, seriously – no worries. :D

I quickly texted:

KORONE: I was also on a walk. It's raining.

OKAYU: Yeah, it's raining kind of hard. I hate getting wet.

KORONE: You're getting wet too?

OKAYU: Not now. I got lost.

KORONE: Where are you?

OKAYU: I don't know. I'm lost. LOL

I laughed, reading her text.

KORONE: I'm at this little convenience store on the highway that leads to the mountain road. I think I remember it's the place I'd stop just before heading up to the mountain shrine.

OKAYU: I remember that place.

KORONE: Do you?

OKAYU: Yeah. Best place to see the lights before the New Year. Remember?

I did remember that. It was a nice memory.

KORONE: Yeah. The rain is stopping.

I looked up, hoping to see the stars, but they were still covered by clouds, despite the rain stopping.

I looked down and she hadn't replied.

KORONE: You there? You, okay?

"Hi."

I spun around.

There she was. Smiling, her hair wet and just like me, but not quite as wet. At least she was wearing her coat.

"You're going to get sick, Koro-san."

I leapt into her arms, holding her close.

"Okayu," I cried into her neck, holding her so tightly it was like I would crush her into my own body, but she was reciprocating.

"It's so weird we came to the same place, huh Koro-san?"

"Uh huh."

"It's like… maybe this is meant to be."

"Uh huh."

"Like… no matter what we always find our way back to one another."

"Uh huh."

We pulled apart, and the rain slowed.

"I'm guessing you took it hard that I did that," Okayu said, her hands lifting to my cheeks, gently wiping at my tears, "It's so like you. I knew you would. But you shouldn't. I really didn't care. The more I thought about it the happier I was about it."

Her smile was so bright, as she continued to wipe across the tears on my cheeks.

"You're always so easygoing."

"Your Granny understands it was best. I'm glad she was looking out for you, Koro-san." She took my hand. "Come on. Let's go inside and grab a hot cocoa so you can dry up a bit, and then I'll walk you home."

"Thanks, Okayu."

"No." Okayu smiled largely. "I'm glad you didn't try and talk at that trial. Your Granny did a good job protecting you. I'm thankful."

"I wanted to talk and tell them it's all a lie."

"I know. You showed tremendous restraint." And then she laughed breezily and I had to join in because her laughter was always contagious.

"What happened to that Manager guy?" she asked.

"I don't know. Granny fired him but gave him a bonus, I think. She also paid his medical bills."

"So, he was paid off."

"I guess you could say that."

"Well, that's the way of the world, right?"

"It makes me feel dishonorable."

"Dishonorable?" Okayu laughed again, "Man, you sound like Oga."

"Who's Oga?"

"Oh, my demon stalker."

"WHAT?!"

Okayu kept laughing.

"That's not funny, 'Kayu."

"No really, he is my demon stalker, but he's pretty cool."

We ordered our hot cocoas and sat at the counter that overlooked the side of the mountain, so we could sit and look out at the lights.

"I honestly don't know if you're pulling my leg now about a demon stalker. Is this because of your obsession with Kimetsu No Yaiba?"

"No, but I have wondered if he's a figment of my imagination." She sipped her cocoa, glancing my way. "He always seems to just appear."

"That's really weird."

"Tell me bout it."

We both laughed.

I held around my cocoa with both hands, letting the steam warm me. I realized I was getting chilled since I was pretty soaked.

Okayu pulled off her coat, and then stood, placing it over my shoulders.

"'Kayu?"

"No really. I was inside and warmed up. You don't want to catch a cold." She smiled again, and it always made me smile.

After sipping some more cocoa. "Thanks."

"Sure."

"Um, I worried about what I did."

"First off, what you did is protect me. I think he would have hurt me. I still have some bit of Animas sense, and I felt his predatorial pressure. I'd never felt anything like that by someone."

I nodded.

This felt nice sitting inside a quiet little store, drinking cocoa like when we were teens.

"I was wondering, Okayu, do you remember when your granny adopted you?"

"Barely."

"Do you know what happened to your parents?"

"Not really. I just know they were gone. I used to wonder," Okayu looked outward, staring through the glass, "I wondered if they were still in Animas Realm, or had maybe relocated to USD. Some immigrated there."

"Do you ever want to find out?"

"I sometimes do, but I think of it like this," she ran her hand along my hair, "I've had a good life with granny, and Hololive, and… you. So, what does it matter?"

We stared at one another, the only patrons in a small convenience store on the side of a road.

She leaned over and gently kissed my lips, and then pulled back.

"You look so pretty in the rain."

She made me blush.

"Let's head to my place."

"I have to have breakfast at my Granny's tomorrow morning."

"Then," she lifted up, taking my hand, "I'll set the alarm."

[END NOTE: Thank you so much for reading and the reviews. I hope you liked. In the morning, Korone might take Okayu to breakfast with Granny as she grows braver. Hm…]