Sho was in a foul mood. This was not a surprise, he was always in a foul mood when things did not go his way.
What was a surprise was the fact the cause of his foul mood was Kyoko. Normally when he got moody, it would pass over with a week or two.
Months had passed since Kyoko rejected him. Months since she and the two other love-me girls had left. While the extended leave was unexpected, no one had bothered to go out looking for them. It was quiet countryside where nothing happed, save for the rare wolf attack.
"More than likely, the three had gone to find work as entertainers." A middle-aged woman commented.
"Those three are rather talented" a second woman of the same age range agreed before adding "Anytime the village has a performance, those three shine the most."
"There was also the possibility Kyoko is avoiding any chance of an encounter with Sho and Kanae and Choiri, her ever-faithful protectors, had gone with her." A petite woman cut in. "I still don't understand why that girl would turn him down."
A slightly older woman signed "Sure she is lovey when she puts a little effort into her appearance, but it is not like she is fighting off bachelors with a broom.
My daughter was beside herself at the idea of Sho marrying a girl other than her."
"As if the love me girls would allow any man near them" a middle-aged man snorted.
Regardless of how or why they left, nothing to improve Sho's mood. If anything, it seemed to worsen as time went on, like an infected wound.
"That stupid plain face girl!" Sho roared inside the town tavern. "How dare she reject me, me!"
"She belongs to me," he muttered under his breath.
Now the reader must understand something. Sho did not want to be married to Kyoko, he wanted a means to keep her tied to him. In the past, it had been her devotion to him. Afterward, it was her hatred of him. Then came the festival and she appeared as she truly was, a beautiful young lady and Sho realized it was only a matter of time before some Buffon asked her a question no one was allowed to ask. Thus, he had to get there first, if for no other reason than to make all the other men back off. But everything went wrong and she rejected him. He either misunderstood what marriage was or simply didn't care.
The purpose of marriage was not to tie down either one, but for the good of each other and Sho was simply too selfish to think of the well-being of anyone or anything other than himself.
"Heh heh. Darn right," Kijima grinned at the younger man's indignant state.
"Dismissed! Rejected, publicly humiliated! Why it's more than I can bear." Sho snarled, ignoring the other man.
"More beer," Kijima asked innocently, holding two mugs overflowing with froth to the man.
"What for?" Sho snapped slapping the mugs to the floor " Nothing helps, I'm disgraced"
"Who, you, never," Kijima told him, the faintest hit of sarcasm in his voice
" You've got to pull yourself together" another man cut in from a table not too far from them.
"It disturbs us to see you looking so down in the dumps"
"Every guy here would love to be you, even when taking your lumps" a short man with a bit of a beer belly.
"There's no man in town as admired as you, you're everyone's favorite guy!" Kijima rolled his eyes. "Everyone's awed and inspired by you, and it's not very hard to see why" he continued sarcastically.
"No one's slick as Sho or quick as Sho"
"No one is as incredibly thick as Sho" Kijima muttered to himself
"For there's no man in town half as manly" a barmaid chimed in as she gather a few empty mugs.
"Perfect, a pure paragon" a second one chirped while refilling mugs still being used.
"You can ask any Kobe, Seiji, or Aki
And they'll tell you whose team they prefer to be on..." the owner of the tavern added, from experiences of different drunken conversation with the said men, who now joined in.
"No one's been like Sho" called out Kobe
"A kingpin like Sho" added Seiji
"No one's got a swell cleft in his chin like Sho" Aki nodded hastily
Now grinning, Sho joined in his own epic "As a specimen, yes, I'm intimidating."
"My, what a guy, that Sho." many people called out.
"Give five hurrahs" half the men called out, raising their mugs in a toast.
"Give twelve hip-hips" the other half replied, following suit with their mugs.
"Sho is the best and the rest is all drips" one fool anciently hurled his beverage in the air… landing on Sho who glared at him Fuoriosly. Gulping the man barely had time to react as the bad-tempered man lunged at him, sparking a brawl with several men.
"No one fights like Sho" grunted one man.
"Douses lights like Sho" gasped another.
"In a wrestling match, nobody bites like Sho!" yelped the guy who accidentally started the brawl in the first place.
"For there's no one as burly and brawny" Mimori cooed.
"As you see I've got biceps to spare" Sho paused just long enough to flex his right bicep in front of her, causing her to faint, with a slight nosebleed.
Erika and Reina were not too far away, also swooning over him."Not a bit of him's scraggly or scrawny" they gushed.
"That's right, and every last inch of me's covered with hair" Sho bragged, not bothering to prove it and ignoring the muffled laughs from Kijima.
At this point, so many people were calling out compliments, or what they thought were compliments that it was difficult to tell who said what at times.
"No one hits like Sho"
"Matches wits like Sho"
"In a singing match, nobody sings like Sho!"
Sho grinned for he was especially proud of his musical abilities. "I'm especially good at aspirating" he boasted before letting out a C minor " Aaaaahhhh"
The entire tavern burst into applause.
"Ten points for Sho!" three men called out, each one producing a sign reading out the number 'ten' out of thin air.
"No one shouts like Sho"
Makes those beats like Sho"
"Then goes stomping around wearing boots like Sho"
People continued to try to flatter the spoiled man, which he drank up like a fine wine.
"I use only the best for all of my decorating" he boasted
"Say it again"
"Who's a man among men"
"And then say it once more"
"Who's the hero next door"
"Who's a super success?"
"Don't you know?"
" Can't you guess?
"Ask his fans and his hangers-ons"
"There's just one guy in town who's got all of it down"
"And his name's Sho!" the who tavern cheered.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the tavern slammed opened and two red-faced girls stumbled in, though no one in the tavern was able to decide if their flushed faces were from the chill outside or the looks of pre rage on their faces.
Both girls seem to scan the room before focusing on Sho. To his credit, he only flinched, most would have to need a new pair of trousers after receiving not one, but two death glares. He had small immunity thanks to the many glares he received from all three girls for the past few years.
"You" Kanae growled "You are always bothering Kyoko, well now is your chance to make it up to her."
"Huh?"
"A monster has kidnapped Kyoko and we need you to save her!"
"…." Silence descended upon the entire tavern before
"Bawhahahahahahahah!" everyone in the tavern, except for the two girls, burst into laughter.
"Is it hairy?" one man asked between chuckles.
"Does it have sharp teeth" inquired another, double over with laughter.
"Does it have horns" a third snorted, red-faced from laughing hard.
Kanae and Chiori were not amused by this response.
If anything, their fury seemed to intensify and they desperately looked around the room for someone who was not mocking them. For someone who might actually believe them, or at least have enough concern for Kyoko's well-being to help.
No one person looked at them without amusement or jeers.
"Fine" Kanae snapped "If no one here will help us, we will rescue her ourselves!"
The two girls stormed out sending glares toward anyone they could make eye contact with.
No one seemed to care this time.
"Those crazy love-me girls." one of the men chortled into his drink.
"Should have stayed away" his buddy laughed next to him.
This caught Sho's attention. Contrary to what Kyoko and her friends may have believed, Sho could be rather cunning when he wanted something, and there was something, or rather someone, he wanted, but was unable to get... at the moment.
"Kijima, I'm afraid I've been thinking" Sho turned to the older man with a malicious grin.
"A dangerous pastime..." his 'friend' replied with an eye roll.
"I know" Sho laughed, not catching on to the hidden meaning. "But those crazy chicks are Kyoko's friends and she would do anything for her friends."
"Now the wheels in my head have been turning
Since I looked at those crazy women
See, I promised myself Kyoko would be married to me
And right now I'm evolving a plan!"
Sho then gestured for Kijima to come closer.
"If I... " Sho then proceeded to whisper his plan her soft, to avoid any eavesdroppers.
"Yes?" Kijima prompted intrigued by more details.
"Then we... " once again, Sho whispered the details into his accomplice's ear.
Everyone in the tavern was quiet, leaning for forwarding to catch a word or two.
"No, would she?" Kijima gaped at Sho, shocked that such a well-thought-out plan came from him.
Sho continued to whisper before saying "Guess!" out loud.
"Now I get it!" Kijima cheered.
"Let's go!" the two men cheered, grabbing several beer mugs.
"No one plots like Sho." Kijima laughed, filling the mugs with beer.
"Takes cheap shots like Sho" the blond chuckled, before adding "Plans to persecute harmless spinsters like Sho!"
"So his marriage we soon will be celebrating" other men called out, catching on to the goal behind the unknown plan.
"My, what a guy ...Sho!" the entire tavern praised the smug man.
Meanwhile, the two girls unknowingly involved in the said plot were back in their cottage, gathering supplies.
"Is there anyone else we can turn to for help?" Chiori asked, mostly to herself as she packed provisions into a bag.
Kanae had just finished packing away warm clothing and had her hand on the door.
"Let's face it, the only person in this town who gives a hoot about Kyoko is the bookseller and he is not exactly in the best of shape for a rescue mission" she growled.
Choiri nodded as she tied her bag closed and the two walked out the door.
Neither girl brought up the fact that they themselves were not in the best of shape to do anything but rest in bed. Let alone go on a rescue mission through a forest with wolves and into the home of a beast that had defeated them effortlessly before.
As the two girls set off, neither one noticed two women watching them worryingly.
Note: as I was writing this chapter, I realized that I had backed myself into a corner with the whole 'three girls go missing for several months' plot. Even with Kyoko, Kanae, and Choiri's…personalities a couple of villagers should have said to each other "Hey we haven't seen those three girls in a while, maybe we should make sure nothing happens to them." These were the only conclusions I could come to that match their personality and traits.
Side note I did a bit of research and it turns out most women were entertainers in the endo period to earn a living. I can see them as entertainers in their spare time for obvious reasons. And yes, I am mixing European and Asian cultures and I am not ashamed of it. As for the name changes in the song regard Tom, Dick and Stanely, I just looked up three random male Japanese names.