After an action packed day at the scrap yard, night dimmed the streets, and embraced the world in the orange glow of streetlights. Rain was still pouring down, and Kinu stood in the shop, finally alone. The Yorozuya had kept her company through the afternoon and put a dent in her food display. She was running a cloth over the counter and cleaning to close up. There had been a surprising dinner rush. One of the first she'd had in a while, and though it wasn't nearly enough to claw her way out of the red, it still added a cherry on the top of her day out.
Kagura had spent the better half of an hour thumbing through comics with her after they ate, and they had laughed, swooned over dreamy lines, and generally enjoyed themselves. And after they left, she'd gone upstairs. Only for a moment, because the moment the shop was silent, her father started up and the sound of her parents bickering had grown unbearable.
"Oh, sweetie," Sympathy poured from words as two gentle hands clasped Kinu's biceps and her mother guided her to a sitting position. "You know better than to roller-blade in the house." She rubbed at her forehead and temple and as she pulled her hand away, her bangs fell back into place. Partially covered the red tint of her fingertips. "I keep telling you, just give him the money..."
Ai spoke as tenderly as she always did. As if it was new to her still, and she hadn't grown accustomed to picking her daughter up from the floor, or having the same done for herself. Just hearing her, Kinu could have been convinced that her injuries were the result of a freak accident that was a mishap of her own doing, but having been there to experience it all in person, her mother's soothing tone and gentle cooing did nothing to displace her festering anger.
But she swallowed it. Before it cracked her face. Then allowed herself to be guided to her feet and led to the sink to for her mother to dab a damp cloth at her swollen brow. The inside of her lip. The woman grimaced plenty for the both of them. Water welled in her tired eyes, and if Kinu didn't know any better, she'd say that her already dull chocolate hair lost even more of its luster, if that was possible.
"I can't take this anymore." Her voice was soft when she finally spoke, and Ai paused to look her in the eye. Searched for a hint of hurt, or an involuntary twitch that betrayed emotion. There was nothing.
"Don't talk like that." They knew, without saying, what she implied. Both of them worked hard to make the bare necessities in the bills and were still failing miserably. Even with Ai's new job at the hostess club, it wasn't enough. The shop didn't have enough customers, Ai's checks weren't cutting it, and even pooling their resources, they were in the hole by more than they wanted to admit.
Having a third wheel of a father, stumbling around the streets and robbing his own family for gambling and drinking money while contributing nothing to their collective livelihood was more of a blow than they could take. He wasn't the device that shorted the breaker, by any means. Still, he was at the bottom of the hole and digging, while they couldn't throw enough dirt under him to to neutralize the continued damage.
Ai did what she could for her daughter's bruising cuts. Disinfected the aforementioned, as well as the gashes of her hands, while reminding her that she should not have tried to defend her cash register in the first place. From the way she made it sound, it could have passed for taboo, but it came from the bottomless well of love that all mothers had for their children. The place that wanted nothing but to preserve their health but often neglected the mental aspect of such. She still went to work in the end though.
Couldn't afford to lose any hours.
And Kinu, fed up with everything, started to close the shop.
What came over her as a flush of overwhelming defeat showed only as two blinks to process what had transpired. Alone she could tend to herself in the only way she knew how. Mask her shame in the cloth bandages she preferred to adhesives, before stepping into the fresh air of the outside world. Nothing was unusual.
Alone, now, she had the perfect opportunity to think. Maybe everything was alright. Shinpachi didn't care for her in the way she'd hoped, but that was okay. When he'd seen her looking at a pen at the Yorozuya, he'd told he she could have it. Said that he hadn't known she liked things like that, and that made her wonder what he actually thought about her. What he knew. She'd been pursuing him, and taking pleasure in how skittish he became when she put a little pressure on him, but that was the end of it, and it would be fine.
He was just nice, and that was all. She should have known.
The way the boy had put it, saying that the pen was for good luck on her assignments, she thought it was meaningful. But now, staring down at it, she wasn't so sure. It meant something to Kinu. Maybe not to him, though. And she couldn't imagine Shinpachi ever breaking out of his stuttery shell-shocked act long enough to actually touch her, like that guy.
In the end, what did it matter? She just wanted some experiences before she checked out. Whether she pursued what she thought would be some ultimate happiness or not was irrelevant. She wanted the experiences that came from that. Knew she couldn't really be happy, so it was pointless. Most of her emotions were pretty numb, anyway. Half the time, Kinu was bored. Not lovesick, or miserable. So she'd drawn a better hand than her mother, in that sense. But she was tired.
When the girl walked to the door to turn the sign around, she found a form on the other end, sparking his pipe and for the most part, unconcerned with her. She pulled the glass door open, and a crate stood between them.
"Ah," Takasugi's voice was as smooth as she remembered. "you're still up?"
The girl stepped aside as he lifted the box and walked into the shop. He set it on the wooden floor, and leaned back against a booth as Kinu locked the door and turned to him. It looked as though she had something to say. Her weight moved from one foot to the other, and her head was down. Takasugi eyed the girl as she took a tiny step forward. Then he sighed. Placed a hand on his head.
"I won't touch you. Just… Forget it happened." Kinu still stood there. Shifted again. Then she penguin shuffled to the crate and lifted the top. Real natural, the man internally groaned. She wasn't forgetting at all!
The crate had already been pried open, and as the girl pulled bags of tea from within she glanced up at him. That was it? They just weren't ever going to mention it again? Maybe it was for the better. The plum fabric of Takasugi's sleeves bunched under his crossed arms, and Kinu glanced over the V that branched down his chest. He looked at her like she was an insect. An interesting but worthless bug that he was trying to recall the name of.
Kinu placed a bag of toasted green tea at her side. Studied the quality for only a moment before digging back into the box. His hands were a really nice size. Big, compared to hers, she thought. Defined. His knuckles were prominent too. He looked like the type that would have a trail of veins up his forearms if he exerted himself.
"Staring is impolite."
"Hm."
He glared at her. Took silence as the best response, as Kinu placed another bag beside herself as she examined its contents. The man watched with somber contempt while she thumbed through the bags and pulled one out in particular. Eyed it, and turned to him.
"That doesn't look like tea." He offered, but the girl was unamused.
"It's not all here..."
As he smirked down at her, she stood. His pipe hung in front of his mouth, just seconds away from going out, but the girl had no shame in grabbing his sleeve. Feeling for his wallet. He'd already intended to pay her for the use of her shop, but it was far more entertaining to see her try to shake him down.
"Unreliable vendors aren't my problem." He murmured the words down at her as she felt up his sleeve and shifted her attention to his chest. Patted down his stomach, not looking away for a second.
Kinu wasn't bothered by his tone, and her palm wandered downwards. She squeezed at his stomach, then dipped her hand dangerously low for a handful of something that caught Takasugi's breath. If she thought he'd skim drugs and come with them on him, she was an idiot.
"What's in your underwear?" The flat tone earned an awkward twist of the man's mouth. He sucked his teeth, and leaned towards her accusatory gaze, unable to help but sneer at her.
"That would be my penis, you idiot." His teeth clenched at the title, and the girl shrunk back. Still holding it. Her mouth fell open into a gape, but she didn't look away. Frowned as though she didn't understand, or it was his fault. "And if you must know, I'm not wearing underwear."
That did it.
The girl released him and stepped back, shaking her hand. Disgust crossed her, and she searched the room for any sign of excuse. Escape. Something to dig a hole and bury herself with.
Takasugi stood his ground, growing more amused with every step the girl took as she rushed behind the counter; positive that she would find no help in her surroundings. Only guilt. Assaulting business partners; it was unheard of. Not that he would ever do such a thing. Because he wouldn't. Nope.
Kinu rubbed her arms with a bar of soap and turned the sink on. Laughing, the one eyed man walked to the counter as the girl scrubbed her hands and arms as though the contamination was branching further. That had been her own fault. He hadn't done a thing to deserve being groped.
"How unprofessional. I only came to return your shipment and get something to eat; I had no idea this fine establishment was serving sexual harassment."
Kinu's eyes stayed low as he approached and he was nearly surprised to see color flushing across her pale skin again. Light, but there. Rubbing her arms and hands with a dish towel. She murmured something far too low to hear, and the man propped his chin on his palm as he took a seat. Grinned at her. It was kind of cute. The way her eyes darted towards him but never dared to actually meet his. She had another dark splotch of skin on her arm, and quickly covered it when he had taken his seas. Her lip was split. What had happened to her?
The closer he looked at the girl, the more uneasy he grew.
Still avoiding his eye, Kinu placed a plate in front of him and opened the pastry display, head still low.
"Rice balls." He murmured, and she was quick to fill his plate with three of the triangular treats. Takasugi's eye skimmed over the girl again, well aware of the lessening color of her cheeks. Then her eyebrow. Why was she like this now? He didn't want to see it. If the injuries were different, maybe he wouldn't be so uncomfortable. If it looked like she'd been fighting, or had returned from a battle. Kinu's eyes cut towards the man, and she lowered her chin.
"It was an accident."
"Sure." The bruises or the groping? He tried to focus on his food. When the girl placed an array of teas in front of him, Takasugi glanced back up at her. Didn't linger. He pointed to the one he wanted, and Kinu wordlessly complied. Somebody was actually hitting her. He didn't care. He just wanted the food. The world was shit.
"Honey?"
"No." He answered without missing a beat, and the girl sank into her usual chair. Resumed normalcy. She'd said something before when he'd seen her eye. That she was clumsy. She didn't look like it. Kinu practically glided when she moved, true to her ethereal nature. Aside from that awkward shuffle earlier.
As Takasugi looked down at the counter, he found an object he hadn't noticed before. He lifted a mint green pen from the counter. As his thumb slid over the cacti on the end, Kinu set her book down and leaned forward, examining it as well.
"Shinpachi-kun gave it to me." The edges of her lips curved as she said the name, and Takasugi swallowed a bite of his food. The way the girl propped herself up; hands pressing into her jaw and cheeks as she smiled at the pen… It pissed him off. This stupid little gel pen? It was enough to make her happy? Why? It looked like it had only cost two hundred yen, if even. It was cheap, and ugly. The way the cacti grinned up at him with its closed eyes and blushing face made him hate it more. Not even cute.
"And he's not a pervert. Like you." Kinu flicked his hand. She turned away, still smiling to herself as she started putting dishes into the cupboards behind her, and Takasugi rolled the pen over in his hand.
"You're one to talk." He wasn't going to let that kid out do him. "As I recall, that was entirely your fault." The pen was still grinning at him. He took it into one fist and squeezed as he pressed his thumb into the top. It snapped. Of its own volition, of course. Proved how cheap it was. The edges stabbed into his closed fist and he glared at the cacti. Still smiling. Kinu continued putting the dishes away. Unaware. It wasn't until Takasugi turned his hand over, dropping the halves of the pen as he stared down at the black splotch across his palm, and red river that seeped from his skin, that the girl realized.
"Oh-" Kinu was at his side in an instant. Pressing into his shoulder. Holding onto his forearm with a towel against his hand, and pulling him back behind the counter.
"Oops..."
Shaking her head, the girl moved his injury under the sink and turned it on.
"It's fine." She said back, carefully rinsing his hand. Her palm slid to his bicep and grasped. As if reassuring him. Kinu was still looking at his hand, but her brows turned up, ever so slightly. It had hurt her. She didn't know whether to believe him.
"Forgive me, I didn't realize it was so cheap."
Kinu's eyes cut towards him. He wasn't even trying to hide his annoyance; met her with the faintest hint of a smirk. What an asshole.
"Fuck you."
"Sorry, I'm not into dead girls."
Kinu cut the water off, glaring at him. She shoved the towel back into his palm. The girl yanked a first aid kit from under the sink and slid it onto the counter, near his food. Didn't look at him as she pried it open and poured peroxide over his injury before circling it with a roll of gauze.
Studying her, Takasugi leaned back against the sink and smoked in silence. He'd give her a better pen, but he couldn't let her keep that one. For reasons. He just didn't like it. Kinu didn't move when he pushed her hair over her shoulder. Nor did she pay him any mind when he pressed his thumb into her collarbone. Then pinched down on her neck, as if casually toying with her. Trying to annoy her.
What a naive idiot. She left the perfect opportunity for him to leave a message to the pen boy. He pinched again and she smacked his hand away, huffing.
"Destroying an innocent cacti. How shameful..." The girl glanced up at him, and he angled himself towards her, looking for any hint at an expression. Getting a better look at her eyebrow, and the complete lack of reaction. Then the pink splotch where he'd marked her.
"All I do is destroy." Like he was about to do with that little crush of hers. Her face may not have moved, but he could see the spark in her eyes when they cut back towards him. Unimpressed. Seething.
"Environmental terrorism is no laughing matter. You could be sentenced to death." Her voice was barely louder as she snipped the end of the gauze and tucked it into itself. "Slit your belly before I do it for you."
"And sully this fresh bandage? Not a chance." Clenching his hand, the man turned it over to study her work. Ignored the sinister way the girl lifted her scissors towards him and wagged them in his face. Didn't say anything but reinforced her threat. "You wouldn't even give me a real knife?" Almost snickering the words, Takasugi batted her hand away, and Kinu shook her head.
"Use a chopstick. The scissors are decorational."
Unable to help himself, Takasugi let out a low chuckle. Did she think shock value would make him repent?
"And as cheap as that horrid pen, from the look of it." The girl's jaw dropped, and she stared up at him. Defensive, maybe. Perhaps his shock value was higher than hers. He eased towards the girl, aware of the way she clutched her scissors, as if to shield them from his ridicule. Or maybe thinking he would break them too. "Women these days. Swooning over litter; what's next, airborne bags from a dump truck?"
"Don't make fun of me, I'll unwrap your hand and cut you again."
He snickered. Felt the fingertips brushing into his hand on the counter. Didn't have to look to know the girl was trying to test his motives without asking him outright. Probably knew that she wouldn't get a valid answer.
"From what I've seen you're seriously lacking in the knife department."
"I've got these." Holding up the small pair of scissors, Kinu pulled away from his hand, and made two empty snips in the air.
"Is that supposed to be a threat? You couldn't touch me with those of you tried." The words were barely a purr, and he smirked at the girl as her brow raised. She hummed. Looked at the scissors and turned them over in the hand, so only the handle stuck towards him.
She only waited a few more seconds to try to poke him with the plastic handle. Thinking she could slip her hand under his sleeve. He caught her wrist. Easily. His smirk widened as the girl covered her mouth and lowered her head. Her shoulders shook and her hair fell between them.
"Think I'm that easy?"
The girl didn't try to respond. Her hand with pushed towards him again, and he stepped back, narrowly avoiding the swipe, but she followed. His attention was on her so called weapon, and he grabbed at her wrist as the girl pulled back. Faked him out. Instead of catching her arm, he felt a soft palm sliding up his stomach. Looked down at it, as he was backed into the counter and Kinu moved against him.
"You're pretty easy…" The girl murmured, and Takasugi frowned. Looked at the hand on his chest. Then realized the one on his side. The scissors. Lifting his arm, the man gaped down at the green handle pressed against his torso. She cheated!
"That doesn't count."
"It does." Kinu's mouth twisted and she lowered her head. Proud of herself. The man plucked her hand from his side, and pulled her arm up. Leaning back, Kinu tried to abandon her position, but Takasugi held her in place by the small of her back. If she wanted to be against him, she was gonna stay there! There was no way she was winning.
As he forced her hand up, the girl tried to resist. Tried to push against him, but she was laughing too hard to put any strength behind the actions. He pressed the scissor handled into her face, using her own hand as a proxy, and she turned away. Tried to lean over his arm, and escape, but she was no match for his strength.
"No!" Turning her head again, Kinu managed to push away from Takasugi but he matched her steps, still pushing the plastic into her cheeks..
"Who's easy now?" His words made her laugh harder. She stumbled, trying to back away, and finally managed to slide her hand from under his. The girl was grasping his sleeve, trying not to trip, but when she finally stopped laughing, she didn't release him. Simply met his eye. Suddenly quiet. The scissors hit the wooden floor beside them, and Takasugi knew exactly what that look was.
Before Kinu could help herself, she was on the tips of her toes, pressed against him. Tasting his lips instead of speculating alone after he left.
Tobacco and something rich and sweet.
Takasugi nearly stepped back. He hadn't been prepared in the slightest; what had possessed her to do such a thing without warning? The hand that had been on her side slid up her frame, squeezing all the way until it tangled into her hair. He hadn't stopped her. No, he kissed her back. Squeezed her into himself and nipped at her lower lip before pulling Kinu away.
"What are you doing?"
Out of breath and bright pink, Kinu peered up at the man. His grip on her hair was perfect to maneuver her weight. Perfect for him to tear her back and interrupt whatever delusions she had been feeding over the past few days. Kinu had been wrong. He was just a customer. Nobody special. And she was just a tea lady; serving him oolong into the late hours of the night and reading books as if she didn't know he was there the rest of the time. Even if they'd sort of done other things.
She'd been out of line.
"I don't know..." Her voice came out smaller than she'd expected, and Takasugi, as if this was a regular Tuesday to him, simply stared down at her. Waited for her to fight his hand out of her hair or try to twist away. Say that he was hurting her. Something other than leaving her head tilted back and offering her throat. He couldn't have resisted if he wanted.
The man stooped low enough to mark her skin. Started with a light nip, then progressed to something more appropriate for what the girl was clearly seeking. He left his mark, a small hickey, and murmured up to her just before pulling away.
"Try again when you do."
Kinu stood there when he released her, mind racing. How was he calm? She had just thrown herself at him, why was he so nonchalant about it? But he hadn't seemed opposed.
After putting the first aid kit away, Kinu didn't look at him much, but resumed her nightly ritual of cleaning the shop and setting out the dry ingredients she'd need in the morning.
Takasugi didn't return to his seat. He glanced through her book, and pulled the rice balls from his plate behind him as needed. Wondered how badly she actually wanted that kid if she was doing whatever she was with him. There was a chance that it was more the thought of something more that entertained her, and not the boy himself.
As he skimmed the novel in his hand, the door to the house opened, and a dark haired man stumbled through it. Paid Takasugi no mind as he stomped through the kitchen, and yanked one of the cabinets open. Kinu didn't even look back. Acted as though he wasn't a figment of Takasugi's imagination as he rummaged through the cabinet and yanked a bottle from back. Twisted the top off.
"Damn freak, ya think yer so smart. Thought'cha could hide it from me, didn't ya? Like ah wouldn't know how much was left."
Narrowing his eye, Takasugi glanced at Kinu. She was leveling a cup full of flour. Poured it into a bowl, and a white cloud puffed around her.
"Yer Ma ought to hear how ya got'cher little friend over this late, bein indecent."
Another cup of flour covered the last.
The more Takasugi looked at the man, the more familiar he looked. He couldn't put his finger on it, but somewhere in the back of his mind, that face, the voice, and the accent rang true to somebody he vaguely remembered. Nobody important, he was sure of that just by looking at him stumble over to Kinu.
"Ya hear me? Am talkin' ta ya. Yer ma ain't here to save ya right now, girl."
Slowly turning towards the man, Kinu set her cup down.
"You mean… She's not here to protect either of us."
Scowling, the man took a step back, and Takasugi crossed his arms. Oh really? That's how it was?
"I'll tell 'er. Bout yer midnight rendezvous, and yer-"
"I'm an adult." Kinu muttered under her breath, and she passed the man. "I'll sleep with him right here, in front of you. On the counter." She yanked the refrigerator open and snatched a carton of milk from it.
"The hell kinda thing is that ta say ta me?!You been lettin' this boy put his dirty pecker on you?!"
"Maybe I am." Slamming the milk onto the counter, Kinu moved towards the man. Ignored the blank stare from Takasugi. He wasn't trying to get sucked into this, interesting as it sounded. "Maybe it's been all over me. Everywhere." Whoa there, what?
Takasugi shifted against the counter. He didn't need that mental imagery. Kinu and the man he assumed was her father turned to him, one glaring, the other expressionless. He didn't even know what to say. Her sentence had sounded so awkward, he was on the brink of laughing, but he didn't want his penis to be brought into this. Even if it had gotten more attention in one night than one year.
"I'll kick his ass!"
"Oh, I'd like to see you try. He'd destroy you, old man. And he's gonna put it in me as soon as you leave!"
That seemed to be enough. The drunk met Takasugi's gaze, face contorted, and said something that didn't even sound like a sentence. Scowled. Then wobbled back to the door, muttering about how rude kids were. How they had no respect.
When the door slammed behind him, Takasugi eyed the girl. Lifted his book again, but couldn't fight the awkward grin spreading across his face.
"Want me to... put it in-"
"No." Kinu shot him a look that implied he was crazy, like she hadn't just been saying he had been everywhere in her, but it didn't linger. She turned back to her bowl. Opened her milk as if nothing had happened.
"Was that..?"
"None of your business." She wasted no time in shutting the question down. Didn't want to talk about it. Fine by Takasugi. Instead, he focused on the book, trying not to picture exactly what everywhere meant.