Weeks passed and Hozuki still avoided Hakutaku. Hakutaku hadn't quite seen this coming; with Hozuki's cool-headed and unwavering composure he'd half expected the demon to come marching in the following morning acting as if nothing had happened. Instead, he'd been sending different hell minions to pick up orders from the pharmacy, a task he typically completed himself. Hakutaku was getting a bit irritated.

"Hakutaku? You're squeezing that fruit in your hand," Momotaro pointed out.

Hakutaku looked down, and let go of the peach. Oh.

"I was just lost in thought," Hakutaku said, the forced smile on his face betraying his real emotions.

Momotaro didn't question him further, instead heading to the door and slinging a bag over his shoulder. "I'm off to get those ingredients now," he said. Hakutaku waved goodbye before letting out a deep sigh.

Hakutaku couldn't say he missed getting into arguments or being beaten up by Hozuki, but this weird silence they had between them seemed to travel with him whether or not the demon was near. Hakutaku could feel the tension that had risen ever since that night, the tension that only became thicker and harder to ignore the longer Hozuki went without seeing him. Hakutaku didn't want to face Hozuki, but he also needed some kind of closure from him rather than just being…ignored.

Shortly after Momotaro left, a demon woman walked in. She was tall with the figure of a model and had long wavy black hair that reached her waist — beautiful, Hakutaku noted, as she approached the counter.

"Hello, I heard about your shop from a friend. I'm just looking for some cough medicine," the woman said, letting out an obviously fake cough.

"Of course. We have some right here." Hakutaku took a bottle off one of the shelves and handed it to her with a smile.

"Thank you," she said, reaching into her purse to pay, before pausing. "You know…my friend said there was a very handsome man who ran this place. I have to say I'm not disappointed."

Hakutaku gave her a smile. "I'm flattered," he replied. The woman gently touched his arm.

Any man would love to hear that from a woman as beautiful as you.

She ran her hand up his sleeve.

If you'd like, you should stop by again. I'd love to take a walk with around the peach trees. I know a more…private area.

She reached his shoulder and looked at him expectantly.

Say it.

Silence.

"I'll be going now, then," the woman said after a moment, taking her hand off Hakutaku and leaving some money on the counter. "I'll be back, though. I get sick…rather easily." She gave one last flirtatious glance, then walked out the door.

Hakutaku stood stunned by the counter for a good minute.

What the fuck.

What the fuck?

He resisted the urge to yell it out loud. Why hadn't he said anything to her? She obviously wanted him, it would've been so easy to get her into bed. He'd hardly have to do anything. Yet he'd stayed silent. Luckily the woman said she'd be back so it wasn't like he'd completely screwed over his chances, but Hakutaku was still taken aback. He was glad Momotaro wasn't home to see that strange display; if he'd been there for it Hakutaku would be questioned for sure.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

It was a question Hakutaku didn't know the answer to himself. He'd been feeling off lately, but he'd never been so off that he'd failed to flirt with a girl. Failed at flirting, sure, that happened more than he'd like to admit, but failed to flirt? He wasn't sure he could even be considered the same person.

Hakutaku couldn't leave himself like this, a shell of the man he once was. He had to do something to bring himself back to normal — and there was one place that would be perfect for that.

—

After drinking a bit, Hakutaku stumbled through the streets of Jigoku's pleasure district until he came to a familiar shop. He could hear laughter and clinking glasses from inside.

"Hakutaku! It's been a while since you were last here." Dakki greeted him at the entrance with her typical flirtatious and mischievous smile. "Shall I find a seat for you inside? We have some beautiful girls free right now." She gestured to the tables and booths within the club, then caught Hakutaku's expression. "Or…" she continued, gently touching Hakutaku's arm, "Shall I accompany you to Togenkyo?"

"I'd like that," Hakutaku said, holding out his arm for her to take. This should be enough to make me snap out of whatever weird mood I've been in since that night, he thought. Dakki was very talented, after all.

Hakutaku hailed a cab and the two headed to his home in Togenkyo.

—

The morning came quickly. "I'll leave the bill on the table," Dakki said, knocking on the bedroom door to wake Hakutaku up. "It was a pleasure seeing you again."

Hakutaku was groggy with sleep, not to mention hungover, so he only barely processed what Dakki had said to him. After a moment, Momotaro came bounding into his room, not bothering to knock on his door.

"Hakutaku! You paid for Dakki again? You know how expensive she is!" he exclaimed.

"I found the money for her last time," Hakutaku replied, groaning and rubbing his temples. He had a headache.

"Only because there was an emergency in Jigoku that you happened to have the solution to! It was out of luck!" Momotaro was exasperated. His boss was unbelievable.

"I needed this," Hakutaku mumbled, getting out of bed.

"You ne—wait! Put some clothes on!"

Hakutaku looked down. Oh, right. Momotaro shielded his eyes but continued speaking.

"I know you're my boss, and if you want to make irresponsible decisions like going out and drinking until you're sick or playing around with girls and getting beaten by them or their boyfriends, I can't really stop you. But please don't put yourself in debt!"

Hakutaku finished dressing, then got up.

"I know. I'll find the money." He walked past Momotaro and opened the door that lead to the shop. "I'm going for a walk."

Momotaro opened his eyes and turned around to look at Hakutaku, "What about the shop?"

"We shouldn't be too busy today, it's nothing you can't handle on your own." With that, he walked out the door.

—

It was sunny outside, as it always was in Togenkyo. The grass glistened with morning dew, and rabbits worked busily around the peach trees.

Hakutaku's mood, however, did not match the weather at all. He walked gloomily through the trees, thinking about the previous night, thinking about how it hadn't helped at all. Even though Dakki was indeed very talented, somehow nothing she did was enough. Hakutaku had never woken up so unsatisfied after a night with a beautiful girl.

Suddenly, he froze in his tracks. The figure in front of him stopped too, and they found themselves staring at each other for a good minute. Hakutaku was taken aback, but the other man seemed to be completely unphased.

"Hakubuta," Hozuki greeted him coolly.

—

Perhaps this was a mistake, Hozuki thought.

He gazed at Hakutaku in the morning light, taking in the dark circles under his eyes, his dishevelled clothing, his collar that was still undone, the dark lovebites on his exposed neck.

It looks like he had a girl over, Hozuki thought, slightly irritated. Hozuki had been fretting over that night for weeks while Hakutaku was perfectly fine, inviting girls over to play around with him like he always did.

Hakutaku glared at Hozuki suddenly, as if snapped out of a trance.

"Why are you here?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Use your brain, why do you think? I'm here to buy some medicine." Hozuki replied, the annoyance clear in his voice. "If you'd get out of my way, I can go see Momotaro and do that, and you can continue following your lower half wherever it leads you." He stared pointedly at the dark marks on Hakutaku's neck. Hakutaku adjusted his collar.

"Well don't stare, you pervert, it's none of your business what I get up to in my free time."

"Who is the pervert, me, or the one walking around outside like that?"

"You hardly have room to talk after the state you left me in that night."

There was a pause, and Hakutaku suddenly clamped his mouth shut. He'd broken the fragile normalcy they'd managed to return to for a brief moment.

Hozuki's expression, however, didn't change at all. He simply brushed past Hakutaku, walking in the direction of the shop, not saying a word.

Yes. This was a mistake after all.

—

Hakutaku needed a drink. Hozuki had left to get his medicine, and thankfully Hakutaku hadn't run into him again after that, but the situation still left him on edge. Why did he have to blurt out something like that? If he'd stayed quiet, he and Hozuki would've continued their silent agreement not to talk about the night they spent together, and everything would've been just fine. Awkward, certainly, but fine, and after time even the awkwardness would pass. Now, however, things were more awkward than ever. Hozuki would probably go back to avoiding him, and he would have to do the same. It wasn't like Hakutaku wanted to see Hozuki, but leaving things like this felt uncomfortable and unfulfilling. Hakutaku just wanted the comfort of everything going back to the way it was before.

Hakutaku had gone out drinking the night before, but he decided he would go out again after the store's closing. He would drink, pick up a girl, go home, and forget about Hozuki. It was simple and he'd done it a million times before.

At 9 pm sharp, Hakutaku grabbed Momotaro and dragged him to his favourite bar in Jigoku.

At 9 am sharp, Hakutaku woke up naked next to Hozuki.