The sun rose like a flower opening, the clouds speckled around its bright glow fluttering in the sky like falling petals. A light shower washes into the soil beneath that shining flower. Raindrops are colored by its radiant beams, blushing scarlet and warming to tangerine. The illuminated clouds, still beneath the ethereal glow, fog up the sky like a mirror. It's the first thing Eri sees when she wakes up in the morning. A clear reflection of herself in the window that shimmers thanks to a glassy sky.
The young girl's lip quivers as she worries that she may still be dreaming. Nobody has stormed into her room to yank away the warmth of her blanket. Noone barged through the door to take her away from the comfort of her bed. It was the first time in a long time that she'd woken up peacefully. It seems too good to be true. Then she recalls the previous night. The boy who had rescued her from the people who did her harm. He'd taken her to this place. To his place, she remembers. Like the boy is different from the men who hurt her, this place is different from the one that horrified her.
"I apologize, it'll just be another ten minutes..", Eri suddenly hears the aforementioned boy. She contradicts her earlier feelings by cowering to the furthest corner from the muffled source of his voice. Her knees come up to her chest as she curls in on herself. She doesn't know who the boy is talking to, but she knows from experience in the other place that he could be bringing somebody bad to see her. Just in case, she wants to be as far away as possible from the door.
Eri internally begs for the boy and whoever he's talking to to just go away, but the voice only gets closer. "No, no. I'm not sick.", Eri shudders before she tenses when she hears that. The men who hurt her always told her she was sick when taking her to see the doctors. "I'll be able to come in, it'll just be a little later than usual.", the boy pauses and Eri is confused when she doesn't hear anyone other than him despite a response, "Thank you for understanding."
Eri closes her eyes when she hears the door click and the wood beginning to creak as it opens. "Hello? Are you up yet?", the boy changes his tone and volume from what she heard just seconds ago to a much more hushed whisper. Again, he's different. The people she was with would have yelled at her to wake up. Since he's proving himself to be much nicer than the bad guys she was with before, she dares to open her eyes at least. "Oh. Did you fall out of bed?", the boy has hair the opposite color of her own that hangs to one side when he cocks his head.
Eri doesn't know if she'll get in trouble for saying she did, and she actually didn't, so she shakes her head to answer without having to respond aloud. The boy visibly relaxes at that and Eri can't help but mimic him, relieved to know she gave the right answer. His gaze shifts from her to a nightstand where the candle he had lit for the night has long gone out, "Sorry that I didn't have a nightlight or anything to give you. Did you sleep well anyways?"
When the boy sees her shrug, he has a hard time holding back a pensive frown. "I would have let you sleep in a while longer, but I didn't want you to get scared if I left you here alone.", when he sees her recoil at the sight of his expression, he makes sure to quickly hide it with an assuring smile, "Plus I figured you would be hungry. Wanna come with me to get some food?"
At the mention of food, Eri perks up a little. Her mouth waters and her eyes glimmer like a red opposing force of the blue sky. The little horn on her head slashes the air as she nods. The boy's smile becomes more genuine as he soaks up the radiating cuteness. Eri forgets all about whoever the boy was talking to earlier, unaware that it had just simply been him calling in to let his employer know about his tardiness, finally lowering her defense.
Eri is about to follow the boy when he stops abruptly, making her take a step back. He glances back at her, and she worries that she may have done something wrong. She knows better than to run away, so she tenses up instead, preparing for a hit or worse. What happens instead surprises her more than anything else that has up to this point. HE apologizes to HER, "Ah! Sorry, Eri. I just realized I don't have any clean clothes for you either. It's just something we'll add to the shopping list."
Eri has to hold back the tears that threaten to spill. Normally, right about now, the only thing that would be spilling would be her blood. She's so grateful for the kind boy in front of her that she wants to tell him so. Shyly, the little girl grabs the hem of the oversized hoodie he gave her last night, already content with it as a form of clothing and not needing more. "I- It's okay.", is all she manages to squeak out.
That's more than enough. The boy's smile lights up brighter than the sun itself that greeted her this morning. Eri has to shield her eyes, so she doesn't see him extend his hand for her to take until he says, "We should get going then." When she does see the hand waiting for her to take, she hesitates to take it. Any time the masked man's hands touched her, she'd feel lots of pain. The boy notices and is about to retract his offer, but Eri braves the contact and surprisingly takes his hand anyways.
Each of them content, they venture outside the apartment. Eri keeps her head down most of the time and the boy does most of the talking, but it's not a bad experience for either. The two take the time to become acquainted with one another's company at the very least. After awhile, Eri even begins to respond with small nods or shakes of her head. It's a pleasant walk to Anteiku. Unlike yesterday's bitter bite of the cold, there's a welcoming warmth that makes it believably summer.
When they inevitably reach the coffee shop, the boy even lets Eri come with him behind the counter. The little girl is struck with awe once she sees the pastries on display. Rows of karepan are met with stacks of taiyaki. Cases with cakes and cookies inside are just out of reach from her tiny height. Freshly baked buns and muffins sit on plates, waiting to be served and eaten. "Take whatever you want. I get a worker discount.", the boy says, completely unaware that he'd be paying for it all if Eri really had her way. Instead, she meekly points at the caramel coated apples, silently asking for one of those.
The boy obliges and sets her up at an empty table with the candy apple. He also gives her some crayons and the kids menu to play with, along with a cup of hot chocolate. "I've got some work to do, so I won't be able to sit with you-", he's quick to say the rest when he sees Eri meet his gaze frightfully, "-but don't worry, I'll be around this area serving other people if you need me." He doesn't blink or look away. One emerald eye peers into the red of Eri's eyes as he promises her, "I won't let you leave my sight."
Satisfied with the boy's vow to keep watching her to make sure she won't be taken by the bad men again, Eri works up the courage to verbally respond. "O- Okay.", and that satisfies the boy in return. He nods with another assuring smile before going back behind the counter. True to his word, Eri's table is in view from there.
An older man with his white hair swept back and eyes closed then joins the boy behind the counter. He'd watched the whole interaction from afar, and held his tongue until now. "Mikumo. Who's that girl you've brought? Is she the reason why you came in late for your shift?", he has a tranquilizing composure as he tucks his arms behind his back.
"Yoshimura-San!", Akatani Mikumo greets his boss with a bow. "I must apologize. That's Eri. She's my.. Sister..", Akatani pauses as he searches for the right explanation before continuing, "I normally don't have to, but I've been tasked with watching her for a while. Is it okay if I bring her to work with me?"
Anteiku's owner gauges the two with a considerate hum. "I suppose she won't be too much trouble. She does appear to be well behaved.", Akatani lets out a breath that he'd been holding in when he hears Yoshimura's verdict. Perhaps, he'd done so too soon. Yoshimura adds, "If we have to fill seats and there's no other tables available though, your sister won't be allowed to occupy that space. Customers are the priority."
Begrudgingly, Akatani accepts those terms. He just hopes such a situation doesn't arise. Fortunately for him and Eri, he only has to work the morning shift today and not the whole day, so that lessens the odds. "In the meantime, I think I have an All Might coloring book in the back that you can give her.", Yoshimura smiles when he sees Akatani perk up at the offer.
"That'd be great! I'm sure Eri would love that! Thank you, sir!", Akatani returns his boss' smile with one of his own.
Yoshimura disappears into the back to find the aforementioned coloring book once he sees how happy it'll make the kids. He later returns with it, much to their elation. It's enough to keep Eri occupied for most of Akatani's shift, which is mostly just orders to go and not to stay, gracing the two with good fortune.
Towards the end of Akatani's shift, a familiar set of blonde buns comes skipping into the shop. "Akatani! Akatani!", the owner of that hair cheers the boy's name in greeting, much to his dismay.
"Good morning, Himiko.", Akatani ducks his head in embarrassment while trying to hide his blush behind the cash register. Only a few customers glance in their direction but the boy still can't hardly take it. Even Eri shifted her attention from what she's drawing to them. Reminded of Eri, Akatani works his way around the counter to introduce the two girls. "You remember Eri.", he says more than asks.
"Of course! How could I forget such a cute face!", Himiko hops with adoration for the younger girl. Eri shrinks at the attention, but doesn't flinch. Akatani figures she remembers Himiko from that night as well. "Whatcha drawing?", Toga coos over the amatuer art that's on the table. One looks like a cat, another a fish, but what really makes her squeal with delight is the one that looks like a cross between an octopus and a boy. The tentacles coming out of the boy's back is much too similar to what Akatani's quirk looks like. "Looks like you got a fan, Akatani!", Himiko's teasing causes the boy and Eri to blush.
Himiko takes it upon herself to get better acquainted with the other girl, plopping down in the seat opposite of her. "So you like to draw, huh? Me too! Mind if I join you?", the question prompts Eri to check with Akatani first, who nods with a smile to let her know it's okay. Himiko flashes one of her toothy grins when Eri hands her a crayon, the color red in particular. "Red is my favorite! Thanks, Eri!", the blonde already begins doodling like a child herself.
Happy to see the two girls getting along, Akatani takes it as an opportunity to ask Himiko something that's been on his mind. "Um, Himiko..", the girl glances up from her drawing to acknowledge the boy, "I have to go shopping later, because Eri needs food and clothes. Since I can't really taste anything and I don't really know what girls like to wear, I was kinda hoping.."
"Ooh! A shopping trip! Count me in!", Himiko picks up on what Akatani is asking before he can even finish. With a flick and twirl of the crayon between her fingers, she points it at the barista. "I've always wanted to go to the mall in the Kiyashi Ward. I bet we can find all sorts of cute outfits for Eri there!", the blonde begins bouncing in her seat with excitement over the mere prospect of it.
Akatani hums in both humble agreement and relief that he'll be getting a girl's opinion. He's not sure that he'd be able to do it without the help. But first, Akatani diverts his attention back to Eri. "If that's okay with Eri, then that sounds great.", the little girl glances up with uncertainty, "Does that sound good to you?" She takes the time to consider the proposition, not wanting to upset anybody based on her choice. Her tiny head flicks back and forth between Himiko and Akatani before bobbing in a nod.
"Great!", Himiko startles her with a burst of joy before reaching across the table to take her hands in her own. "We're going to have so much fun together!", but that promise between girls causes Eri to blush with a twinkle in her eye. The glee is contagious and Eri begins anticipating the outing as well.
Smiling in content, Akatani begins to back away. "I have to get back to work now. You two keep eachother company until I'm done and then we'll go. Okay?", he's surprised when neither of the girls pout or complain about him leaving. They really are good for one another, he thinks.
Once the boy goes to serve customers, Himiko goes back to admiring the drawing of Akatani. Her toothy grin is complimented by a light blush. "Eri, do you wanna know a secret?", the blonde looks up to see the other girl tilting her head in curiosity. As Himiko uses her red crayon to create a shape around Eri's picture of Akatani, she giggles. Only after she finishes making the heart does she lean in to whisper her secret, "I like Akatani too."
The next couple of hours go by with Akatani being none the wiser as to what Himiko is telling Eri. All he knows is that they're both blushing and occupying themselves with eachother, and that's enough for him. It's the first time he's seen somebody manage to make Himiko sit still. It's the first time he's seen Eri open up to somebody other than himself. That's all he could ask for and that's all he cares to know or see.
Once finished with his shift, Akatani folds his apron under his arm. "Are you two ready to go?", he asks the two girls while removing his nametag. Without hesitation, Himiko hops to her feet with the same amount of energy she had since this morning. Eri is a little more hesitant to put down the crayon she's holding, but she nods her head in confirmation. Akatani sneaks a peek at what she stopped drawing, grinning like a goofball when he sees a picture of what's meant to be Himiko. Now able to tease the blonde the same way she teased him, he turns on her, "Looks like I'm not the only one with a fan."
Eri ducks her head to hide a blush, but Himiko doesn't share her embarrassment. Instead, the blonde giggles with her same unwavering grin full of sharp canines. "You dare attempt to use my own spells against me, Akatani?", she feigns a tut before twirling around in self presentation, "Besides! Who wouldn't be a fan of me?"
Akatani's plan backfires, having the opposite effect. He stands there like a dope, wondering how he winded up being the one who's a blushing mess again. Luckily, before Himiko can mercilessly continue her assault, Eri comes to his rescue by tugging on his pants leg.
When Akatani looks down, he sees the little girl holding her hand out, waiting for it to be taken. In such a short amount of time, she's no longer fearful of his touch. He feels the warmth of pride blossom in his heart and gently takes her hand in his.
Not wanting to feel left out, Himiko begins to feign a pout. "How come you won't hold MY hand like that?", she crouches down to Eri's height and holds out a palm like a person trying to gain an animal's trust. "Will you hold my hand too, Eri?", she bats her eyelashes for further dramatic effect.
Eri glances up at Akatani, silently asking for permission. Wanting to assure her that Himiko is safe, he nods. Having already spent so much of the day with the other girl, Eri puts her trust in Himiko by lending her other hand. The blonde grins ear to ear with glee, bouncing back to her full height.
The trio then embarks on their long awaited journey. The three of them connected, hand in hand, Eri in the middle. Himiko gets Eri to swing their arms together, as well as attempts to get Akatani to join in. When Akatani sees the hopeful gleam in Eri's eye, he has no choice but to go along with it. Where he draws the line though, is when Himiko tries getting them all to skip with her. He won't deny Eri the fun, but he himself refuses to skip. Especially when Himiko suspiciously has her phone pointed at him like she's about to record.
When they finally get to the mall, Eri's eyes light up like a Christmas tree. She stands in place, awe evident in her expression. Akatani can barely contain his laugh. He hadn't seen her like that since she saw the library he calls a house. Himiko giggles when she notices Eri's state of stupor too, giving the tiny girl's hand a soft squeeze. "Which store do you wanna go to first?", Akatani worries the hyper blonde is somehow passing her energy through to Eri via their hands like an extension cord.
Unsure of herself, but still overly eager to explore, Eri continues her habit of checking with Akatani. The boy shrugs, not knowing which store to pick either. Hesitantly, he glances at Himiko, silently asking for her to decide. The blonde had been waiting for the opportunity with a knowing grin. Himiko starts to pull them towards some sort of clothing store, "Outfits for Eri first! Food later!", she shouts her executive decision.
With that decided, the three wind up looking through clothes for hours. Well, mostly Himiko sorting through every outfit she deems cute enough for Eri while Akatani watches from the sidelines. Himiko rolls her eyes, "You're clueless.", as she tosses a pink top with cats made of glitter at Akatani. When he glances between the shirt and the girls, seeing how overjoyed they are about it, he hums in agreement. He'll never understand their fashion sense.
As Akatani waits for them to try the clothes on in the fitting rooms, he's relieved that he didn't distract himself with focusing on what they're wearing. Since he was able to keep his guard up, and let his instincts alert him to the man who's been following them around since they'd left Anteiku. The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stand up when he realizes they have a stalker. It could just be some creep, but his first thought is an alarming concern that it could be a detective tailing him or the Yakuza keeping tabs. He doesn't know which would be worse.
Akatani figures now is the opportune moment for the stalker to be dealt with. While Himiko and Eri are occupied, he'll lure the person into a trap and eliminate them, as not to worry either of the girls. Akatani begins by straying from the fitting rooms only slightly, planning on leading them to some place more secluded but not too far as to raise suspicion.
Akatani begins to size the guy up. He's slim, which means he could be fast. Large circular eyes with heavy bags, something that could have to do with their quirk. Except, they also have a noticeably large mouth. A casual purple dress shirt and grey pants gives nothing about them away and would actually help them to blend into the crowd. Akatani grits his teeth since he's having trouble determining their danger level, but doesn't show any outward signs of aggression otherwise. Not yet.
Not until he turns this next corner and uses an appendage from his Kagune to grab a trashcan. So that when the stalker turns the corner too, he can throw the heavy metal cylinder at them. Except, when the stalker does follow along, they aren't struck by the object. Instead, they open their mouth wide and swallow it whole. Akatani's own eyes widen almost as large as theirs. Once he shakes off the initial surprise though, he's quick to release the other tentacles that make up his predatory organ.
"Why are you following us?", Akatani keeps his voice low so that he doesn't draw any undesired attention. He doesn't diminish the amount of aggression in his tone though. He wants the stalker to feel threatened.
The stalker does look panicked, but probably not for that reason. "You weren't supposed to notice me..", they take a step back as though as they're going to flee. Akatani flicks one of his appendages so that it splits the ground and throws the man off balance. "No! No! I'm not supposed to eat! He said just to follow!", the man is in a full fledged panic now.
At least Akatani is able to garner enough information from the shouting to figure out he was sent by somebody else to follow him. "Who told you to follow us? Tell me who.", Akatani takes a step towards the man so he can start closing the distance between them. He also doesn't want to allow an opportunity for the man to escape.
When Akatani's Kagune gets too close, the man makes an attempt to bite one. The appendages being beyond flexible, they easily evade the gnashing teeth. All the futile attack does is anger Akatani. Akatani's Kakugan activates, veins spreading from his darkened eye as he bares his own fangs. "You like to eat, huh?", the ghoul crouches as it readies to pounce, "I do too."
When Eri and Himiko exit the changing rooms, they find Akatani waiting for them in the same place that they left him. Eri is none the wiser as she runs over to show him the outfits that she's officially chosen. Himiko, on the other hand, smells the intoxicating scent of blood wafting off him. She grabs hold of an arm as they leave the store, nuzzling it with her head like an affectionate kitten. Tired from walking, Eri clings to the other arm as he carries her.
"Let's go get you some food.", Akatani figures it's their turn to eat now.