The Onsen Encounter
Ch. 4
by Bottou-chan
"He's going to go to her," remarked Neon, pouring a pot of tea. "I don't like it."
"Letting him is better than stopping him," shrugged Joker, his cap slouched over his bangs. The two of them were sitting on the front steps of the onsen's main building, drinking tea and enjoying the seclusion. "I'll face Kurei-han in a raging anger. I'll face all four Shishiten at once. I'll escape from a black hole I suicidally helped make--- it'll take a while, but I'll do it ---but I have no interest in making Raiha stay put."
"Tell me again how you escaped from the black hole."
"What's there to say?" shrugged Joker. "I did it, though our friend Kadotsu was significantly inhibited from following my own course of action." A wickedly humorous smirk flickered across his features.
Neon waited for more words to follow, but none were coming. Joker sipped his tea in silence.
"This is where you ramble for a minute or two about how great you are," she prompted him gently.
Joker shrugged. "What's so great about it? I missed out on wrapping up Mori Kouran, and I never got my rematch with the kid. And here I am, bored out of my mind. I don't know why I'm still sticking around with you guys. Might as well have just stayed there. Kaput. Sayonara forever. Would've been a nice end to my illustrious career, heh."
"You're disturbing when you're not being an arrogant twit. It's unnerving."
"This peaceful life of ours is grating on my nerves. I need to find a new center for my universe."
"You mean, it's not yourself anymore?" asked Neon, hoping to prompt him into banter, but he refrained from taking the bait.
"If it wasn't for our little ongoing project, I would've found some other vent for my talents."
"It's not wise to talk about it, out in the open like this."
"Everyone's out back, in the springs. Who's going to be out front at a time like this?"
As though to belie his words, a vehicle swung into the parking lot in front of them, its headlights cutting brilliantly lit swaths in its path. In a crunch of gravel, the vehicle--- a taxi, Joker could see, as it pulled broadside to them--- pulled to a stop, and a figure leapt lightly from the backseat.
"Well, what do you know. Hail, hail, the gang's all here," remarked Joker, climbing to his feet and drawing himself up to his full lanky height. "Just wasn't a reunion without you, Mikagami."