The ground is still wet from yesterday's storm.

While it's stopped raining, the Village is unusually empty. There aren't as many people around as there were yesterday. It must be the moisture putting a damper on peoples' moods and making them sluggish.

Yesterday, I walked to the marketplace to see if I could strike up conversation with anyone. But, I realized last night after returning to the Garden that probably wasn't a good place to start. It's almost too busy there, and the people present were doubtlessly involved in their own matters and wouldn't have talked to anyone, human or youkai.

I tried to think about less sparsely visited places, planning for what I would be doing today. And, as I looked at my colorful meadows last night, it hit me.

I have heard from Reimu of a normal human girl getting along with the youkai that like to visit the Shrine. She seems to be just a teenager, and while she apparently does exhibit traces of concern or fear around youkai, she is largely rather pleasant.

I remember seeing her one time myself, in passing only - she had red hair adorned with bells and eyes that sparkled with curiosity.

She is one Kosuzu Motoori. Reimu described her offhandedly during one of my visits, mentioning what she looked like, her personality - and where she worked, the book shop, Suzunaan.

The directions I obtained yesterday bring me past Suzunaan, so it is all the more convenient for me to use Kosuzu as a way to be friendlier with people.

Stopping in front of it now, I survey the location.

Honestly, compared to some other places in the Village, like the flower shop, Suzunaan is rather uninviting. The name of the place is written in large writing on three wooden blocks over the entryway, one block for each character, but the third block is crooked, giving the impression that the store isn't being kept in pristine condition.

I take a deep breath before entering the store.

I walk into a cozy little room and collapse my parasol. Sitting at a desk in the back-middle of the room is the girl I've been looking for, Kosuzu. She's reading a book, and upon hearing my footsteps, looks up.

"Welcome to Suzunaan! ...Yuuka Kazami, right?"

Hmm. She doesn't seem to show much aversion to me. Maybe I was right in coming here.

"That's right."

"I thought I recognized you. So, what can I get for you? Something on flowers, I assume? ...Or, you know, the youma books."

Youma books? This human is holding books infused with youkai power in her shop? I suppose that explains the things I've heard about her; she is clearly not at all ill-disposed to youkai.

"Ah, no. I'm not against reading per se, but it's not what I'm here for today."

"Oh, okay. So, will it be the printing service, then?"

"Not that either. Awkward as it may sound, I just want to talk."

She looks a little unsettled by this, but I decide to ignore it. Why shouldn't she be? What would I want with her in particular, if not to buy anything? She must be thinking of ways to get herself out of this situation right now, just like I'm trying hard to think of conversation topics.

"So… what are you reading there?"

She's again thrown off. Something so mundane was not what she expected me to want to talk about.

"Um, this? ...I'm rereading one of Agatha Chris Q's mystery novels. Have you heard of them?"

"I can't say I have," I respond coolly, "I'm more fond of nonfiction myself, when I do read. For instance, I own a very large botanical encyclopedia, one of my favorite non-flower possessions."

"Do you? I have a series of scientific journals on plant life, imported from the outside world…"

I make no effort to hide my enthusiasm. "Really? Can you show me? My encyclopedia is pretty outdated, after all!"

Kosuzu, clearly more comfortable now, gets out of her chair and beckons me to a shelf full of books. After a quick glance, she points to one and pulls it out of the shelf.

"Here we are!"

I flip through the book, which is less comprised of pictures than I thought, when I hear someone else walk into the store. Kosuzu notices as well.

I look up to see a bespectacled woman with long mahogany hair, a checkered scarf, and multiple layers of intricate clothes. She appears to be human, from what I can tell, and Kosuzu doesn't seem to have any reservations when she speaks to her.

But something feels off.

"Ah, welcome back!" Kosuzu calls out with a chipper tone.

The woman smirks. "I'm returning the book I'd borrowed; very informative, it was."

"Alright, thank you," Kosuzu says, taking the book off of her hands.

"I'll take a look at your special stock, if that's alright?"

"Of course."

The redhead shopkeeper writes something down and returns to me, while the mystery customer goes to a shelf tucked away in the back corner of the shop.

"What was that about? 'Special stock'?" I ask, curious.

"Well, you see, those are the youma books, typically written and used by youkai. ...Not that that stops humans from purchasing them, if they're trustworthy. I myself have an interest in them, and I know a few others."

"Is that woman a human? Or a youkai?" I ask in a hushed voice.

"...I can't disclose any information about customers."

If that's not suspicious, I don't know what is, but I decide not to keep pressing Kosuzu on the woman's identity.

"I understand. But, if I may…?"

She seems to catch my meaning, and leads me over to the very same section the other woman is at.

"I'll take it from here, and you can have this back." I hand the plant journal back to the shopkeeper. "I'm just browsing now, so if anything piques my interest, I'll come to you to ask about it."

She slowly nods and returns to her desk.

I turn to the other customer. Before I get a chance to speak, though, she starts talking while still glancing over the shelves.

"Not every day that you come in here," she says back to me with a mischievous tone.

Her mannerisms suggest nonchalance, but the way she's talking just reeks of hostility.

"Well," she continues while picking out a scroll, "I don't know what you're playing at. You never seemed one for people. Can't guess what you're looking to do now."

She turns to me with a knowing smirk. "But don't try anything. I can tell you want to get familiar with the villagers, but let me warn you. You are in for a nasty surprise, if you think you can just take what's mine."

Definitely a youkai, then, and a confident one at that. I'm not sure if she has the power to back it up, but my best guess is yes, she does. We youkai are perhaps prideful by nature, but we do know our limits. The weaker ones don't tend to interact with, much less try to intimidate, strong youkai like myself. That would be hazardous to their health and the height of idiocy.

This one's no idiot. She has to have the strength to support her claims.

"Then there shouldn't be any issues." I speak calmly with a slight hint of humor, as if ignoring the obvious threat. "I have no intentions of theft."

She smiles almost warmly. "That's good to hear. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Making her way past me, the woman shows the scroll to Kosuzu and hands her a sum of money before looking back, smirking, and leaving.

I sigh and also walk over to Kosuzu.

"Who's that?"

Kosuzu looks at me inquisitively. "A… recurring customer. She's been coming through here for quite a while."

"She's a youkai. You know that, right?"

She nods cheerily. "Doesn't make too much of a difference whether she is or not, as long as she treats me the way she always has. But yes, I'm aware."

Interesting. I was aware this girl treated youkai like humans, but she is really something else. Not only does she house a fairly large collection of youma books, she is unequivocally friendly towards us despite the attitudes of the humans around her. It's honestly rather impressive for a villager.

I decide I'll just stick around in here and talk about whatever comes to mind for awhile, since she seems comfortable enough.

After a fairly long conversation, I say it's time for me to go back to my garden.

I give my farewells to Kosuzu and leisurely leave Suzunaan, making my way through the streets of the village.

I can't help but have a stupid, idiotic smile on my face. I really did it! I think I made a friend in the village!

I can't remember the last time I felt this way. A real, legitimate smile, not one of the grimaces of satisfaction at the fear I inspired. True happiness.

"So you went and did it, huh? Or at least you made a start."

It was the voice from yesterday, that doubter that stopped me.

"Your expression gives it away. I thought you might not be able to pull it off, and yet here you are. You look like the village idiot, that's how sickeningly happy your smile is."

I look at the direction the voice is coming from - a small alley - and see a smile on the face of the girl within.

"Honestly, it's infectious. Looks like you gave it your best go and it worked out. I've gotta say, I'm happy for you, despite what I said yesterday. Actually, what I said yesterday is why I'm like this now."

I giggle. "Well, that's good to hear."

"...I'm Sekibanki. There, that's your reward."

"Ah, Sekibanki… nice name."

"Really? That's the best you can come up with?" She cracks a smile again.

"I don't know much about you."

"Hey, you already got something from me. You're not getting anything else."

I think about our conversation from yesterday, trying to glean any information about her from my memories. Finally, I remember something of interest.

"...You aren't human. So why pretend to be? Just to live in the village?"

"Quiet," she hisses, "it's a secret for a reason! ...But yes, it's so I can live among the humans. I'm just not a very youkai-like youkai, as it were. Even so, I'd get driven off if word got out. I nearly slipped up a few incidents ago, and I don't wish to repeat that experience."

"Well, people will get suspicious if they see you here, talking with me, won't they? So, shouldn't we…?"

She grunts in admission. "Yeah, guess you want me gone that badly, huh?"

"That's not what I meant at all!" I protest.

She rolls her eyes. "Ever heard of sarcasm? If you really do want to keep talking, I guess we could meet outside the village. I wouldn't be opposed to it, anyways. I'm actually kind of curious what went right for you."

"Fine by me. Just come by the garden later, and I'll find you. Fair warning, though - be ready to dodge some danmaku if I mistake you for a fairy or some other intruder."

It's almost evening and yet Sekibanki still has not shown up.

I decide to turn in for the night. She probably forgot or just had some other event hold her up, and it's not worth standing around waiting for her this late.

I take one last look out over the fields of flowers, illuminated by the orange glow of the sunset.

It is fruitless, though. There is no trace of the red-haired girl.

With a sigh, I turn around and walk away, when I feel my foot graze something lying on the ground. It's hard to see, as it is lying in the shadow, but it looks roughly rounded.

I kneel on the grass to get a better look at the mystery object. Focusing my eyes to the darkness of the shadows, I see…

A decapitated head?!

Wait. It's Sekibanki!

I'm not afraid - nothing really makes me scared anymore. I'm just terribly unsettled by what my eyes are showing me. My face contorts into a display of something like disturbed awe.

Then the head starts laughing and lifts itself out of my hands.

It floats onto a body - Sekibanki's body - that emerges from behind a tree, still in a hysterical laughing fit.

"What is the meaning of this?" I holler at Sekibanki's now attached head and body.

It manages to get out the words, "I-it's me!" between snickers.

Finally, Sekibanki calms down and produces a full sentence. "It's me, I just detached my head. I am a rokurokubi, really, so that's just one of my abilities."

I can only imagine that confusion must be written all over me.

"It's been forever since I've gotten to play that trick. You should have seen the look on your face!"

I'm not nearly as amused by these antics as the perpetrator is. I catch the glistening of a tear on her face in the light of the sunset. She must have been having such a grand time with her prank that she started crying from laughing too hard.

"I've also been waiting here for forever. What took you so long?"

She smirks. "I needed to wait for sunset, when the shadows are long, to get the intended effect. Of course, the only reason I was able to do that in the first place is because we're far away from the village."

"Alright, I concede. Now, didn't you want to talk about my day?"

Sekibanki nods. "I want to see what got you looking like a fairy with candy."

"It's probably not as entert - fairy? I'm insulted!"

Sekibanki smirks again. "Please, let's move on. I don't want to see you… lose your head!"

I subdue my annoyance at the rokurokubi's wit and start recounting the events at Suzunaan.

"And what of you? You came off as rather aloof before," I ask, wondering about why Sekibanki is suddenly so friendly with me.

"Are you saying you weren't aloof either? ...Well, I was curious what you were going to do after our first conversation. So, I made a point of watching what you were doing. Like I said, your mood was honestly just infectious."

"That's unlike you, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I tend to keep my cool, when I can. Unless," she remarks with a grunt, "I start to feel comfortable with someone."

"So it's just an act, your personality?"

"No, that's not it, it's completely natural. It's more like I just get… cozy, I guess? It's not like my personality is just based on a mask I'm wearing and switch around. Unlike someone I know."

"And you're 'cozy' now, I take it."

"You could say that. You're surprisingly decent at being friendly. Better than I gave you credit for, anyway."

I shrug, looking at the moon, surrounded by the stars. "I try to treat people as they treat me. I guess it just took finding the right people."

Sekibanki chuckled. "You're going to be getting a lot less respect in the village, you know. Even if you are being friendly. Hanging around with that Kosuzu girl and myself? Everyone in the village treats us like oddballs, which I suppose we are. But don't you think you're falling in with the wrong crowd?"

Sekibanki has an odd sense of humor, I've noticed in the little comments she made on my story and her speech in general. She tends to tease or make fun of people, not unlike me, but whereas I just make them slightly uncomfortable, she seems to revel in putting other people down. She also liberally uses sarcasm, so much so that I can't tell if she actually believes what she's saying sometimes.

I'm starting to catch on, though, so I take it in stride and just respond as I imagine she would. "Yes, a crowd of deviants. That's where I fit best though, don't you think? With the other outcasts and odd people?"

Just as I thought, she laughs. "You're right. A bunch of good-for-nothings that everyone hates. That's us."

"I'm worth more than nothing! I'm much stronger than you are, for one. And nicer, too."

We continue talking, and I realize that today has been a good day. I've made not one but two new friends from the Village. Has it always been this easy, and I've never realized?

Or perhaps it was that I never wanted to know people. Did I hate them, just as I told myself that they hate me?

I think I did.

But no longer. Now, I've the drive to be better, and with recent events, the experience to boot. If tomorrow is even half as good as today, well, who knows? I might not even be making enough time for my flowers, soon enough.