"Milady! You left your gardening tools out in the rain again!" Daikoku called over his shoulder, carrying a milk crate full of fresh vegetables inside from the shop.
"Ahh! Hai-hai!" Kofuku called cheerfully from the other room. "I got it!"
Kofuku leapt to her feet from where she was sitting next to the kotatsu, popping an apple slice in her mouth. She skipped along to the front door. When she had swung open the door, Kofuku was immediately met by her friend standing there.
Hiyori stood on the front step, standing under the overhang of the shrine. She was gasping for air, holding her hands on her knees for support. A small backpack slung over her shoulder. Despite wearing her baggy hoodie and thick boots, she was dripping with the cold rain that poured down behind her.
"H-Hiyorin?!" Kofuku exclaimed.
Hiyori lifted her head to look at her, still panting. "K-... Kofuku-san."
"Wha-?" The goddess at the young girl blinked in disbelief.
Kofuku was quick to come to her side and guide her into the shrine, sliding the door shut behind them. "Are you alone? What are you doing here? Where's Yatty and Yukki?"
"I-I... had to come... see you," Hiyori said between heavy breaths.
Kofuku pulled out a chair from against the wall and helped sit her down. "W-what do you mean?! Is something wrong?" The pink god asked, worry in her expression.
Daikoku overheard the conversation and came around the corner to investigate. He noticed the two girls right away as he approached them. "Hiyori-chan? Is something the matter? Daijoubu?"
"You know it isn't safe being out running around in the rain alone like that. Especially in your condition," Kofuku told her.
"I wasn't... running," she answered, slowly catching her breath. She pulled off her hood and placed her pregnancy bag on the floor beside her.
"Still." Daikoku piped in. "It's reckless."
"I know - I know!" Hiyori replied. "But I needed to know if either of you have seen Yato lately."
Kofuku and Daikoku shared confused looks before turning back to the girl.
"'Yato?'" Daikoku repeated, confused. "What do you mean? He's gone? What happened?"
Hiyori's eyes averted their gaze, and she slowly turned her head to stare at the floor. "It's...- been almost three weeks. He-..." she bit her lip, "left in the middle of the night. Yukine-kun is still with me for now, but there's only so much he and my brother can do - I didn't even know what to do. That's why I'm here. To get answers…"
Daikoku took a small step forward, but Kofuku was quicker. She reached her hands forward and took Hiyori's hands, helping her up.
"C'mon, Hiyorin - you're soaking wet. Why don't I get you a nice hot bath ready, and a dry pair of clothes for you to wear?" Kofuku offered as Hiyori stood up.
"Th-that sounds lovely. Arigato, Kofuku-san," she smiled politely in response.
Kofuku grinned back. Just as they passed by Daikoku in the doorway, the pink goddess looked up at him.
"Make sure there's plenty of steaming mushroom soup and fried rice for Hiyorin when she's finished!" She said, to which Daikoku kindly nodded.
"Of course, Milady," he responded.
Kofuku closed the bathroom door behind them as Hiyori tugged off her drenched sweater. The pink god approached the bathtub and knelt down, twisting the faucet on.
"Start from the beginning, Hiyorin," she told her over the sound of the rushing water filling the tub. "Where's Yukki? Shouldn't he be with you if Yatty isn't around?"
Hiyori held her arms behind her back, an embarrassed look on her face. "W-well, actually…" she began, "he usually is, but...- I snuck out when he was busy. I'm sure he knows I've left by now…"
"So naughty!" Kofuku sang with pink cheeks.
"Well, I had to!" Hiyori defended herself, becoming flustered. "He and my brother just keep telling me I need to stay home and rest until Yato comes back. But I don't even know if he is coming back. I can't just sit around and not do anything!"
Kofuku blinked in slight surprise. Then her expression softened, and she grinned and laughed gently at the young brunette. "You always have been pretty stubborn."
The half-Phantom sighed and slumped down onto the stool resting beside the bath. Kofuku rolled up her sleeves and reached her hand into the tub, testing the temperature of the water.
"How's the baby, Hiyorin?" She asked lightheartedly.
Hiyori felt a small smile form on her face. She looked down at her stomach, and Kofuku followed her gaze.
"I think she's doing well," she carefully rubbed her baby bump, and her smile slowly faded, "but my doctor said my blood pressure was a bit elevated. I hope it's nothing serious…"
Kofuku observed the way Hiyori's gaze dropped to the floor, and her hand stopped caressing her belly. She bit her lip, feeling ashamed and nervous.
Kofuku smirked and puffed out her cheeks, crossing her arms out in front of her confidently. "Don't worry! I'm sure your baby is doing horribly - and Yatty will never come back because he doesn't love you anymore!"
The brunette almost immediately leapt up from her seat. Panic spread across every inch of her expression. "What?!" She cried out.
The pink goddess only laughed and rolled her eyes at her, which slightly offended Hiyori, but Kofuku spoke before she could take it the wrong way.
"Silly, Hiyorin!" The god patted her head. "I'm the God of Poverty and Misfortune, remember? Whatever I say, never goes!"
Hiyori felt herself relax. She quickly sighed in relief and took her seat again. "You could've been a little more subtle."
Kofuku giggled. "My bad!"
The god knelt down and twisted the faucet until the water stopped running, observing the steam coming off the surface of the water.
"There you go! Bath is ready!" Kofuku smiled with pink cheeks. "I'll have Daikoku put your clothes in the dryer, and I'll grab you something from my closet."
Hiyori gave the goddess a warm smile. "Thank you, I really appreciate it."
Kofuku chuckled and poked Hiyori's stomach. "Bye-bye, little one!"
. . . . .
"Umm…?"
"Hm?" Kofuku paused where she was walking and turned around to see Hiyori poking her head out from the bathroom door. "Hiyorin, something wrong?"
"W-well…" Hiyori laughed weakly, a drop of nervous sweat running down her forehead, "the shirt you gave me doesn't fit."
Kofuku blinked at her cluelessly. Then, she brightened up, as if an idea came to mind.
"Ahh! Don't worry - I'll go get you another one that's sure to work!" She explained before disappearing around the corner and up the stairs.
When she returned a few minutes later, Kofuku handed the girl a white long-sleeved shirt. She noticed it didn't seem like something the goddess would own, but took the shirt from her, regardless. Hiyori unfolded it and held it out to look at it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the michevious grin stretch across Kofuku's face.
Then the realization dawned on her. Hiyori immediately turned to her friend, wide-eyed.
"B-but this is...-!"
Kofuku smirked at the young girl. "I didn't have much to choose from, so I went into Yatty's closet."
"O-oh…" Hiyori murmured, looking back down at the shirt in her hands.
"If you want something else, I can-"
"N-no, it's fine! Thank you!" Hiyori blurted with red cheeks, then quickly closed the door in her face.
Kofuku secretly snickered to herself behind the door.
Before they had started dating, Hiyori sometimes used to stray far enough behind Yato, that the occasional breeze would send a whiff of his wonderful scent her way. It was in those moments that she often wondered if it was his shampoo or his laundry. And while they hadn't been together for very long, it was the nights she spent snuggled up against his chest in his arms that she realized what it really was. It was the smell of his warm skin.
And as she stood there, pressing his shirt to her nose, Hiyori became aware of something else. She craved his touch, just as much as she craved to touch him. She missed his strong build holding her - the way his hand easily slipped into hers - the way his warm lips molded with hers.
Hiyori sighed and continued to pull on Yato's shirt. She continued to observe herself in the tall mirror hanging on the wall behind her, instinctively petting her belly. Her outfit was a bit strange with Yato's baggy shirt and Kofuku's rainbow polka-dotted pajama pants. However, Hiyori found that she didn't mind it as much when she could lift the collar up under her nose to sniff the god's scent still stained to it. A small smile crept up on her face.
"Hiyorin! Lunch is ready!" Kofuku called from the other side of the door.
"Uh - hai!" She replied, startled from her thoughts.
Hiyori unlocked the door and came into the next room. She found Kofuku humming as she set the table, and Daikoku was already filling the bowls with mushroom soup.
"Careful," Daikoku warned Hiyori as she sat down by the kotatsu, "it's still hot."
The brunette gave him a warm grin. "Thank you."
"So," the tall Regalia began as he sat next to his goddess, "Milady filled me in on what's going on. I wish we could help, but we haven't seen him pass by. Neither of us would know where he could've gone, either."
Hiyori swallowed her spoonful of soup before she spoke. "I guess if he was trying to sneak away, he wouldn't have come here. But I need answers - a lot of them."
Kofuku and Daikoku shared clueless glances.
"Of course, Hiyori-chan," the man said with a slight nod. "What is it you wanted to know?"
Hiyori opened her mouth to say something, but then she withdrew. She thought she'd known exactly what it was she wanted to ask, but now her mind was messy and hazy. Her thoughts jumbled together and became unclear. She decided to begin with the easy questions.
"Well…" she finally started, looking to the corner of the ceiling in thought, "since Yato n' I started dating, have you noticed him acting... strange?"
"'Strange?'" Kofuku repeated, holding a finger up to chin as she thought.
"Yato's a strange character to begin with. What exactly are you referring to?" Daikoku asked.
Hiyori sighed, swirling her soup with her spoon. "I-I don't know," she mumbled, watching the miniature whirlpool in her bowl. "He was so happy when we started dating. Then I tell him about the baby, and he pretends I don't exist. Then he finally comes around. He was happy again, but then he became quiet and distressed. And now, he's gone again…"
Kofuku reached over and placed a supportive hand on the girl's shoulder. "Becoming a parent is a big deal, y'know. I'm sure you understand that, too."
"Y-yeah, I know…" Hiyori smiled weakly, then rubbed her stomach. "I tried to give him space to think it all over, but I'm worried I gave him too much space. I've tried to talk to him, and it doesn't go well..."
"He's probably going through a lot of different emotions right now," Daikoku told her. "Or there could be more to the story."
The brunette blinked, looking back and forth between her two friends. "He didn't say anything to you guys?"
The two looked at each other, then shook their heads in Hiyori's direction. They looked sympathetic. The brunette sighed in frustration.
The room fell silent. They quietly continued eating until Hiyori lifted her head and spoke once more.
"But wait-"
Kofuku and Daikoku looked up at her.
"The money - Yato's been hoarding money behind the wardrobe in the room upstairs."
Daikoku raised his eyebrow. Then the dumbness in his face was replaced with realization. "Oh. That."
Hiyori blinked in shock. "W-wait, you knew it was there?"
"'Course we did," Kofuku laughed. "We live here!"
"We've all seen it. I came across it while cleaning the attic one day. I confronted him about it, and he just accused me of invading his privacy," the Regalia explained and rolled his eyes.
Hiyori took a second to think about this. When I found out, he made it sound like no one else knew. Why's he trying to hide it?
The tall Regalia noticed the stumped expression on her face and decided to further explain.
"We tried to ask Yato where it all came from, but he just said it was from business. What that business was exactly, he didn't specify. His answer seemed to do its part in getting Yukine to shut up about it, though. None of us brought it up ever again."
"Business," she wondered. Yato referred to it as "dirty money," didn't he?
Suddenly, Hiyori realized. It was the money he got from his father for his killings. There was so much money…
Hiyori's chest tightened, and a chill ran down her back. Oh gods, what have I gotten myself into?
She cleared her throat, quickly working to cover up her fear. "You're not worried he stole it?"
"Yatty's not a thief, Hiyorin," Kofuku answered, almost immediately as she popped a piece of her rice ball in her mouth.
"As much as I despise the guy's ill manners, I have to agree with Milady." Daikoku nodded.
"So... you're fine with him keeping it all here?" Hiyori asked in surprise.
Daikoku shrugged in response, allowing his master to answer.
"Where else is he supposed to keep it?" Kofuku pointed out.
"He didn't do such a good job at hiding it, though. Did he…?" Hiyori said, almost joking.
However, she didn't expect to get the honest answer she received.
"It seems like the only person he was really trying to hide it from was you."
"'M-me?'' Hiyori's eyes widened in shock. "But why me?"
"Maybe because he doesn't want you to think he's a bad person," the goddess replied, using a rather joyful tone for the matter.
"Or he just doesn't want you to get on his case about it," her Regalia added.
She hated to admit it, but Hiyori knew they were right. Both of their answers were too accurate. However, she didn't know why she hadn't been able to understand that earlier. Hiyori didn't even know how to react.
Should she be mad or upset? She wasn't even sure if she wanted to be either of those.
There wasn't any time to think much longer before the door of the shrine swung open with an enormous crash and thud. The three all turned to see the blonde Regalia, gasping for air. Steam was practically coming out of his ears.
Yukine threw an accusing finger at Hiyori in front of him. "First, Yato runs away, and now, you?!" He cried. "Don't you dare do that again! Yato and your brother trusted me!"
Sweat dropped down the side of Hiyori's head. "H-hello, Yukine-kun," she laughed nervously.
