Disclaimer: …FY does not belong to this author here…Shouka…(Mitsukake)
Thanks for the reviews! The first time I wrote this, no one reviewed at all! Ah hahaha…I just realised Tomo doesn't have a Gaiden novel. Sad you know…Tomo could be such a fun character…
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"Are you hit in the head, Ashitare? Bestiality?" Keisuke asked, putting a hand to Ashitare's forehead. "You must be taking acting lessons from Tomo; she is one of the best actors…actresses around here. Nuriko is your enemy in your last life! Friends, yeah, but lover?"
"I don't joke about my feelings towards anyone. In the last life, I hated the boy named Nuriko because he had tried to kill me, not once, but three times and succeeded in the third try, even though he died from grievous injury in the end with me. The first time is on a mountain and he was dressed as a lady. I saw him for the first time, rather astonished by the beauty he possessed. After that one time, Nakago found me, and there was only heat and hatred in my blood whenever I thought about him, my enemy."
"Then why…?" Keisuke ventured hesitantly.
"He nearly killed me twice in the last life, succeeded once, and did not lift a finger against me in this life. I had nearly killed her once in this life, and succeeded once in the last life. It gives me another chance to kill her before we both break even. However…I don't want her life any longer…"
"Why does a hideous beast like you love someone as beautiful as she is? Not counting Hotohori…"
"Before I got my memories back, I loved everyone. I was a pup. I used to play with the daughter of an innkeeper, every afternoon and she would sneak out at night to watch the stars and moon with me. She disappeared for a few days and returned with food and money and gold. I was elated. However, she did not want me to play with her any longer. I howled my distress to the moon that night.
"Ko Reishun, as I know her, would comfort me whenever I did that. I am convinced that my Ko Reishun was replaced by some other person. I howled at the moon not only to vent out my feelings, but to see if the soul of Ko Reishun is really there under the body or if was replaced by some monster. She came down that night and took me in her arms. Which was good, or else I would have left and gone far away by dawn. We became really good friends after that. Keisuke, I guess that she had her memories back at the time, so…"
"I should think so. It was…"
"It was around thirteen or fourteen years ago."
"Yes, Nuriko had it all in her head by that time."
Ashitare nodded. "And that's how I grew to love her."
He stalked away. "Where are you going, Ashitare? You haven't told me how you've gotten your memories and how both of you separated!" Keisuke yelled after the retreating figure.
Ashitare stopped. "I will tell you later in detail; I have to get medical supplies. But bear this in mind; I do not wish you to tell anyone else, or I will snap your neck. It's rather ironic, don't you think? The person who had killed me, punished me into killing my best friend, manipulated me…was the one who gave me back my memories and separated the two of us. Nakago…that's why I never liked him. He was like my jinx."
He strode quickly towards the town, leaving Keisuke behind in the forest to mull over what the wolf man had said. "Wow, people can really change. And I never thought of Ashitare as anyone but a menacing enemy wolf who killed Nuriko…never thought there is this other side of him..."
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"Taka…Miaka will be alright…" Yui said, trying to comfort Taka.
"It's not Miaka now."
"Okay, then…Nuriko would be alright. Are you happy now?"
"Not unless you pay all my bills for this whole month, Yui."
"Taka!"
They reached their destination. Yui frowned. "Do you want to ask where they had gotten Miaka's clothes and make up, or even earrings? They've most likely forgotten…"
"It's worth a try; better than nothing you know."
"I wonder where Keisuke is now…after Nuriko had…"
Taka stopped walking in. "Yui, just don't talk about it, okay?"
He approached a cloaked, hooded man at the cashier. "Umm…do you know what clothes my wife wore?"
The shady man held out a hand. "Five thousand million yen."
"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL?"
Yui nudged Taka. "You are starting to sound like Tasuki everyday."
"Don't compare me to that foul-mouthed bandit!" Taka hissed, before staring at the man again. "My wife don't wear money! She'll get raped on the spot!"
"No, the man wants money in return for information," Yui explained.
"What the hell? Who is that rich?"
"Five thousand million yen is a lot, huh? I take it that the Suzaku no miko, your wife, is worth less than that? How gravely insulting that is to her…" the cloaked man scolded, pulling back his hood. "And anyway, you did not tell me who your wife was, when she was here…honestly, no one would understand you at all."
Yui's eyes widened. "That…is…"
The man bowed. "I am Hikari's personal doctor, but I am here, part time. And as for clothes similar to what she is wearing…I have to say that they are all out of stock."
Taka flared. "Is this a big fat joke or what? What do you want, Tenkou?"
The man with the ridiculously long hair shrugged and said, "I want to make sure you and your wife reconcile, but the child needs the father. She kept calling for her parents ever since SHE got sucked into the book. It's like a nightmare, really. The next curse would come in three days…and would haunt her again until it's destroyed. You bought yourself more time, Taka Sukenami. Use it wisely. And anyway, about her clothes, I'd like to remind you that you would be like Nuriko in her past life; a cross-dresser, if you even consider wearing Miaka's clothes. She is wearing a dress. Better search for accessories instead."
"Ooh, I hate being outsmarted by enemies…" Taka grumbled. Tenkou stretched out his hand. "What, Tenkou? You want to scratch me?"
"Five thousand million yen. Either pay it or work for it."
"No way, pale-face! I never agreed for the information you dished out!"
An hour later…
"Remind me why I'm here, Taka. In a bunny costume. It is not an easter costume either. It is a dumb waitress suit!"
"I am not faring very well either, Yui. As for the reminder, I'd say that you wanted to come. 'I would like to!' it is from your mouth, directly! And for your information, I am wearing a tortoise suit!"
"Good, Taka the tortoise. The animal reflects the opposite of you. You seem to have some fate with animals; first the cat and next the Tortoise. And to add to that, Taka the Tortoise actually rolls off my tongue easily."
"Shut up, Yui, and start ushering people in!" Taka hissed. Yui glared back.
"With my figure, I could bring in more customers, but Tetsuya…"
"Tetsuya is reading! Go and be done with it!" Taka said, pushing Yui out. It just happened that Tetsuya was NOT reading the red coloured book, but out grocery shopping…
"Yui, why…YUI, you are not cheating on me, are you?" Tetsuya cried, a kilometre away.
"Wow, he must have good eyesight…IT'S TAKA, TETSUYA!" Yui shouted back. Taka wondered if it's the sunglasses that made Tetsuya see more clearly than normal people…and whether it would sell high.
"OH, YOU ARE CHEATING ON ME WITH TAKA, HUH? I SHOULD'VE KNOWN!" Tetsuya stormed off. Yui turned to Taka.
"Well, I tried to explain, but he doesn't get it. Shows how incompatible we really are."
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"Soi, no da. It is time for dinner, no da…"
He did not hear anything in her room. Chichiri frowned.
"Soi?"
Poof.
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Mitsukake was very unhappy. "Shouka…"
"I don't want you to go. It would be too late to save her anyway…"
"But…I am late once…and I don't want to repeat that mistake again…"
Shouka sat down beside him. "I know you are in love with her, don't deny it!" she teased.
"Shouka!"
"Don't worry, all will work out. See if it don't."
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"Soi? You have to eat, no da…"
"Chichiri…what is that? That floating thing there? It is a beautiful person there…"
Chichiri looked and was shocked. "No da! Get away, no da! Nothing could get to her, no da…"
He tugged on her arm, jerking her out of her reverie. "Out, no da! This is dangerous, no da!"
"What…" Soi muttered tiredly. "What happened?"
Poof; Chichiri disappeared with Soi in his arms.
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"So this Curse…"
"Is aiming for us now, one Seishi at a time, no da. They could possess you, if you are not careful…it would not possess Nuriko and maybe Ashitare…but the weaker ones of the group…no da…"
"Like Mitsukake?"
"The ones we found, no da."
"Why did it not give chase?" Soi asked, swallowing a spoonful of rice.
"It attacks in your sleep, no da. And only if you are ignorant will the Curse have an advantage, no da. It stays with the children of Seishis, no da. However, if you are a normal person, it wouldn't attack you, no da. If you are a Seishi too, it could only possess you for a day, but who knows what destruction you are programmed to do, no da?"
Soi realised the severity of the situation. "Thank you, weird monk. You are pretty knowledgeable, you know."
Chichiri smiled. "That's one of the advantages of being me, no da."
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