"Haru, I'm here!"
I heard Senjuro's familiar voice ring out at the same time as the bell as he walked in. He's been visiting once or twice a week for a few months now. I stood up from where I was straightening flowers out and walked over to meet him.
"Hey kid, glad to see you."
Ren stretched and got up to meet him. The dog had been hanging out here more now that there was someone coming to see him and give him attention. I even got a jar of dog treats to add to my shelf, just for him. Senjuro reached over the counter and grabbed the jar, left conveniently within reach for him. He removed a treat from it and placed it back on the shelf.
"Here Ren, here boy. Sit!"
Ren sat reluctantly. He let out a grunt that sounded a lot like he meant 'I'm too old to be getting up and down like this just for a treat.' he put the treat down in front of him and pet him as he ate.
"How have you been?"
"I'm alright."
"It's getting colder out. You make sure to start wearing a jacket."
"I will."
He looked like he had something on his mind.
Give him space, he'll talk when he's ready.
He kept paying attention to Ren while he spoke.
"It would have been my mom's birthday today, and I would like to buy a bouquet for her."
Ah.
"You can have one free, it's okay. Do you know what you would like in it?"
"No, I don't mind paying. I know you have a business to run here."
I suppressed a smile.
There he goes again, trying to take on adult worries.
"It's only one bouquet, that's not enough to make or break the business. I would feel bad taking money for something like that."
"You must sell flowers for funerals, what's the difference?"
"You're a kid. I sell flowers to adults, kids can have them free. Spread their beauty to the world, that's payment enough."
"I'm not a kid!"
I looked down at him, waiting for the rest of the joke. He wasn't joking. It was hard to continue to keep my own laughter down when he looked up from Ren with a very serious expression.
"How old are you?"
He stood up very tall and answered, "I'm already twelve."
I turned, grabbed a piece of paper from near the register, and wrote "All kids under 13 get their flowers free! - Haru" on a sign, then taped it to the counter in a prominent spot.
"Sorry kid, shop policy."
"Haru! That's so not fair!"
"It's directly from management. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."
"You are management."
"It's above me, I'm just doing my job."
I put on an exaggerated, long-suffering expression. He smiled at it, then continued.
"Fine, fine. Thank you very much for the flowers. But tell management that I'm complaining."
We worked together to pick out a bouquet, then I sent him on his way.
I'll have to remember to update that sign before next year. I wonder when his birthday is…he apparently needs a new coat. Maybe I'll get him one before his birthday next year. It's close to freezing at night. I'll write it down to look into later, for now I need to focus on flowers. I have a lot of orders to prepare.
That day flashed by faster than lightning.
The man up the road needed another apology bouquet, this time for forgetting his eldest daughter's birthday.
The old woman came by for her daisies, which were apparently 'brighter than ever' this year. I don't think they looked especially different, but I know better than to argue with an elder.
A young couple came by so the boyfriend could 'see if any flowers could possibly be as beautiful as his girlfriend'. She blushed the whole time they were here. He carefully selected the most beautiful flowers in the shop for his bouquet. His selection was almost entirely red. Red roses, red tulips, and red carnations...all flowers that mean 'I love you, I love you, I love you', over and over again. He must have studied their meanings before coming in.
Ah, to be young and in love. I wonder how that feels.
Before I noticed how much time had passed, dusk was approaching. By the time I finished cleaning up from the day, night had fallen completely. Tonight was a new moon, so the stars were the only light outside. I felt fear begin to settle in my gut when I thought about walking home through the dark streets. As I started to leave, I caught sight of a patch of blonde hair sitting at the graveyard.
We can't both have lost track of time, could we? He should know better. Walking home is scary enough, much less visiting a graveyard at night! That's just inviting misfortune. Still, someone should check on him.
I took a few deep breaths, then locked the door behind me and headed across the street.
Senjuro looked calm, and I could see that he was talking to the headstone. He went quiet as I approached. He seemed more at peace than I had seen him before, his expression was one of tired peace.
"Hey Senjuro, out late aren't you?" "Sorry Haru, I was talking with my mother. I feel…better. I'm glad I started visiting her regularly. I think you were a part of how I found the encouragement for that, so thank you again for the bouquet."
"Thank me by getting yourself home safely. You know there are demons out at night."
I crossed my arms over my chest, noticing he still wasn't wearing a coat.
"And by dressing more warmly."
A thin, lilting voice carried through the air. The air that was only chilly before was suddenly freezing, and I could smell rot and mold from behind me.
"That's right, there are demons out at night."
I felt frozen in place. I looked down and saw horror on Senjuro's face. I forced myself to turn around to see what he was looking at while pushing him behind me. I could feel him start to tremble.
Shit, I don't know what to do. I have to keep this child safe. I have to keep myself safe. I have to remove the child from this situation. It's my fault he's out here this late. If I hadn't given him flowers, he would have gone home sooner. Shit.
The demon stood before us, tall and thin. Its arms were longer than they should have been, and they ended in crimson claws. It watched us with a circle of seven glittering black eyes. There was a row of glowing red pegs going down its back where a spine would be. Its mouth was hanging open slightly. It had rows of jagged teeth, like a cookie cutter shark, and its lips hung down like they were about to fall off. I couldn't imagine that voice coming from that mouth, but it spoke again.
"There are demons out, and you know what demons do to humans."
I could hear him start to hyperventilate behind me.
"Senjuro, stay behind me. It'll be okay."
"It'll be okay?"
The demon repeated, mockingly. It started laughing in harsh, discordant shrieks. With every laugh it moved closer, stopping two paces away from my face. There was something stuck between its teeth that had to have been rotting for days by now.
"And why do you think that?"
I swallowed, unable to say anything.
"It's very rude not to answer when you're spoken to, prey. When I crush you up and consume you, I'm going to make sure to eat your legs first, so you can't get away. Then I'll eat the arms, then the eyes, then all the non-essential organs. I may drag it out until dawn."
The demon bent its long arm back behind it, grabbed one of the red pegs out of its back, and threw it past my head. It moved too fast for me to follow, and I heard Senjuro jump in surprise and whimper. When it landed, it sounded like it hit the building on the other end of the graveyard. I couldn't throw something that far if my life depended on it, and this thing seemed like the throw cost it no effort at all. The red peg began regrowing on its back, and within a second it was like new.
"Next time, it'll be through your chest. Now, answer me! How is it all going to be okay?"
I couldn't speak. I saw it grin and reach behind itself again, claws closing on another blood red peg. The kid shrieked. I turned my back on the demon and wrapped him up in my arms.
I'm not fast enough to run away from the demon, but it looked entertained earlier when it was scaring us. Maybe it will find my escape attempt entertaining enough for me to at least get this kid away. Maybe.
I barely had time to scoop him up before I felt us both caught in a burning heat. A pair of arms stronger than mine wrapped around both of us, and we landed together on the edge of the graveyard. A man who looked a lot like Senjuro stood in front of us, grinning with confidence.
"Thank you for trying to protect my brother. Are you both okay?"
"I uh…your…yes? Yes."
"Kyojuro!"
Senjuro shouted and threw himself at this new man, Kyojuro I presume, hugging him tightly. He pushed his face into the fabric of his brother's clothing, clearly trying to stifle a sob.
"I didn't think you were coming. I waited all day…I was about to go home. I'm sorry I was out so late, I really am, and…"
Kyojuro placed a hand on his brother's head and smiled at him.
"It is okay, I am just glad you are safe. Now, if you will both excuse me."
There was a flash of fire, then he was gone. He reappeared instantly across the street with the demon. Senjuro tugged at the edge of my shirt.
"We need to get out of the way." he said.
"Is he going to be okay?"
"Of course!"
I unlocked my shop and led the way for Senjuro, who followed close behind me. He stood in the window watching the fight, completely enraptured. I felt like I was going to have a panic attack, but at least the kid was doing okay.
"So he's your brother? I didn't know you had one."
"Yeah! He's so cool. He's a demon slayer! Just like Father!"
"No wonder you already knew all about demons."
I watched with him. The demon threw peg after peg at the demon slayer, almost faster than it could regrow them. He seemed to be evading every attack. The impacts shattered paving stones along the path, tore whole limbs off trees, and splintered fence posts around the graveyard. Kyojuro flashed from place to place, staying ahead of where the demon was aiming. The demon tore out a peg and turned towards us. My superstitious feelings started acting up.
"Senjuro, down!"
I threw my arm out, trying to cover the kid. We both hit the ground the instant before the peg crashed through the window, shattering glass over us. The demon charged towards us, but it didn't even get all the way to the road.
I heard the words "Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!", then stood up to see the demon turning to ashes in the starlight. The demon slayer had already disregarded it completely and was striding over to the shop. I looked back down at Senjuro.
"Are you okay, kid?"
"Yes, thanks for warning me."
I helped him brush the glass off his back. As soon as I finished, he reattached himself to his brother in a tight hug. Kyojuro draped an arm over his shoulder and addressed me.
"I am so sorry about your window, Mx."
"Please, think nothing of it. I haven't seen Senjuro this happy in months. That alone is worth the window. Plus…"
I swallowed, not prepared for how relieved I felt. He watched patiently, holding the same confident expression that he had when he arrived moments ago.
"You saved us. Thank you."
"No need for thanks, it is my job as a demon slayer. Now Senjuro, do you think it is time to get home?"
He peeled himself off his brother.
"Yes."
"Then I will walk you both back. Senjuro, I will get you home first, since it is only a few houses away."
"Okay. Then you'll be right back home, right?"
I didn't know they lived so close.
"Right! After I walk…."
"Haru, " Senjuro supplied. "They're my friend."
"Well met, Haru. After dropping you off, Senjuro, I will walk Haru home and return. The smell of this demon is strong enough to mask whether there are any others about, though I doubt that there are. They do not tend to gather in groups."
"That's not necessary, really. It's not that far."
"Where are you heading?"
"My home is near the east exit."
"That is across town. I insist."
"If it won't be an inconvenience to you…"
"Haru, you always say helping me is fine and not inconvenient at all. This is the same thing!"
"Well if you're going to gang up on me, I relent."
I smiled.
I haven't seen that kid grin so big since I met him.
"Great, then let us be off."
Ten minutes and two turns later, we were outside of the Rengoku residence.
"Go inside, I'll be right back."
Senjuro's face looked apprehensive.
"Should I…"
He looked at me, unsure of something, then looked back at Kyojuro. Kyojuro kept that same unflappable expression of absolute confidence.
"Should I let Father know you're here?"
"If you would like. I will let him know myself as soon as I am back, if you are unable to."
"Okay. Good night, Haru. See you soon, Kyojuro."
Senjuro bowed and headed inside. We started walking towards my home, with me leading slightly. I wasn't sure what to say to my new friend.
"Thank you for saving us. I know you said no thanks were needed, but I'm still very grateful."
"I am only sorry that I was not able to prevent the destruction of your shop. I plan to come by tomorrow to see about getting it repaired."
"Don't worry about it, the glass just needs replaced. The frame is fine. I know a guy to do it for me."
"Mr. Tadashi at the glass shop right by the grocer, right?"
"The very same. He owes me for some gorgeous roses. I'm sure I can get a good price."
He laughed.
"Excellent! Then I will leave it in your capable hands."
"Thank you. But hey, feel free to stop by anyway. There might be a free flower in it for you."
He laughed again. There was something so warming in that laugh. I could feel all the anxiety in me melting away as I walked with him.
"Hey, so it's none of my business, but I've been watching over Senjuro. He comes into my shop sometimes for flowers for his mom."
"Is that so?"
"I haven't seen him smile like that…ever. I thought his face was going to split in half."
"Hopefully it does not."
"But…and please forgive me if this is prying, it's okay to tell me that it's private and I won't bring it up again if you do, but he seemed so sad to return home. Is everything okay for him?"
"Ah, that."
We walked on in silence for what felt like a long time.
"You can forget I ever asked, it's okay."
"Our father has been grieving for a long time. It has made him a little…harsh. He can be challenging to live with."
"I understand that."
He stopped short and turned towards me. Being fixed in his stare felt like being under the gaze of a friendly but feral cat.
Will it bolt? Will it attack? Will it let you pet it? Guess we'll see. Is he waiting for me to say something else about my father? I guess I did ask a lot of him, I sort of owe him an explanation.
"Mine likes to drink. He started drinking more when Mom…left."
"I see."
He turned back to the path, and we started walking again.
"I will look after my brother while I am here, but I am glad you are taking care of him when I cannot. I owe you my thanks."
"It's the least I can do. 'It takes a village to raise a child', after all. Anyway, we're here."
We stopped at the edge of my property. All the lights in the house were on, shining out through the uncovered windows with an evil harshness. I knew what that meant.
I guess my dad has been looking for me.
I felt myself on the edge of another panic attack, but I tried to force it down long enough to say goodbye.
"I appreciate you walking me home. I'd invite you in, but. It looks like he's up. And you have folks waiting for you anyway."
"Your breathing changed. What is wrong?"
"How did you notice that?"
"Paying attention to things like that is part of my training. As is ensuring the safety of those under my care, as you happen to be currently. Can you promise you are safe?"
I chose not to answer that.
"I get panic attacks sometimes, it's nothing for you to worry about. They hurt, but they don't last forever. They feel like a heart attack, and it gets hard to breathe and hard to think. The whole world goes fuzzy and dark. But then they pass, and you're fine."
"May I help?"
"Probably not, no. You can try, but they can't really be stopped when they start. The best I can do is kind of…push them down."
He put his hand on my shoulder and stood in front of me. The weight of his hand made me feel grounded, but I could still feel my time running out. If I didn't get inside the house soon, I was going to be having my panic attack in the middle of the street.
"Listen," he said authoritatively, "take a deep breath with me. We are going to count to two on the inhale and four on the exhale."
"How can I do that? I'll run out of air."
"The trick is to breathe more slowly on the way out. It slows your heart rate and calms you down. Now breathe in for one…two, out for one…two…three…four…"
I watched him go through a round, then tried to breathe along with him. I had to admit, it did help.
"Good job! Now we're going to count out to three and six."
He counted the next set of breaths out, and I could feel myself relaxing. After a few repetitions, I felt fully in control of my previous panic. He started counting out to four and eight. I tried that once, then had to quit.
"I don't think I have the lung capacity for four and eight."
"You did great."
He smiled at me, and I felt my breath catch again. For a different reason this time, I think.
"I'll use that trick again."
"Happy to hear it could help! Now, I must go."
"Will I see you tomorrow?"
"Yes, I think you will."
"Kyojuro, thank you."
"Anytime. Good night."
"Good night. Be safe."
"You too, Haru."
