Two weeks had passed. The sun rose and fell on each day peacefully. Hiyori's mother was already talking about getting supplies for the upcoming school year. Hiyori just wanted to enjoy the rest of her summer as joyfully and relaxing as possible. She wasn't ready to start thinking about school yet. She'd spent almost half of her summer fighting for her life and now she'd just like to rest and catch up on all the fun things she'd missed out on. Yama and Ami were talking about taking a short trip somewhere but they hadn't decided on where yet. Surprisingly, everyone still remembered Yato and Yukine and asked about them regularly. Hiyori wondered if it was because of her strong connection to them that people were able to perceive and remember them better, especially her family and friends.
As for Yato and Yukine, when they weren't out slaying phantoms they spent a lot of time with Hiyori and the other gods. Things were finally getting back to normal. Sometimes Yukine would stay behind at Kofuku's place and Yato would come alone. Hiyori thought it was because he was still melancholy about Kira leaving. Nobody had heard anything from her or Matoko since she left. Of course, she did say it could be a while before they'd return, if ever. Hiyori hoped nothing bad happened to either of them. They did scheme against their master and help the "enemy" escape so naturally Lady Izanami would be upset but maybe it worked out the way Kira had planned. Until they returned from the underworld, nobody would know.
Yato still came through the window for the most part out of routine. He'd done it for years so actually knocking on the door of house and requesting to see Hiyori was still new to him. But he made strides to interact with Hiyori's parents as much as possible to make their relationship seem normal and valid in their eyes. Yato wanted to help make the transition easier on Hiyori. Nobody else knew she was dating a god besides those in the supernatural world and Yato didn't want to give off any weird subtleties that might tip off any of her friends and family.
Today was different though. After coming to her door the last few days, he decided to knock on her bedroom window. He was alone. Yukine stayed at Kofuku's to rest and relax after fighting some difficult phantoms earlier in the afternoon. Yato had grabbed something quick to eat at their house before heading over to Hiyori's. He'd been watching her through her window for a while. She'd spent the last few minutes putting her clothes up in her closet and getting ready to settle down for the night.
Hiyori heard the knock and skipped over to her window with a big smile on her face. "I was wondering when you'd come."
"Well, I do have "godly" duties to attend to ya'know," he said sarcastically.
Hiyori shook her head and chuckled. "I suppose you and your blessed vessel do have it rough sometimes."
"Hey, we did fight some pretty tough phantoms today," Yato pointed out.
"You seem to have come out of it unscathed. How does Yukine look?"
"Well, he was pretty beat so I let him stay home."
Yato didn't typically like to leave Yukine behind because without him, he was unarmed. Although most of the big threats had been vanquished, evil never slept. But Yato also knew that Yukine was still a person and not just a weapon and he needed a break from time to time.
"It's good that you listen to him. I'm sure he really appreciates you being good to him," Hiyori smiled at him.
"Yeah, maybe too good," Yato joked.
"How's Kofuku and Daikoku doing?" Hiyori asked.
"They are well," Yato walked over to Hiyori's computer desk and sat down in the chair. "They miss you."
Hiyori's face fell. She hadn't gone over there since the night Kira left. Not because she was upset with them. She just hadn't really had to energy to go. She didn't have her half-phantom form anymore and her fully human body was still healing from the physical and emotional stress it had been through. The wounds on her legs had finally stopped aching all the time so walking long distances wasn't as hard as it had been right after the battle. Some nights she still woke up in a cold sweat because memories of what happened would pop up while she slept. Those days she'd be extra tired because she usually didn't go back to sleep once she woke up. Hiyori didn't want to make Yato worry so she usually just told him she was fine.
"I miss them too," Hiyori said sorrowfully. "Sure do miss that half-phantom energy and stamina!" she tried to joke but Yato could tell she was a little said.
"You'll get used to it," he reassured her as he walked up to her and grabbed her hands in his. "You had those abilities for years. It's going to take a while for your physical body to get used to having to do everything on its own now without supernatural assistance."
"Do you miss it?" Hiyori asked him.
"Sometimes," he replied honestly. "I miss the time we got to spend together because of it. I miss your insane martial arts moves," he laughed.
Hiyori laughed too. "I'm definitely going to miss that! I certainly can't do any of that with this body."
Yato looked at her with an adoring gleam in his eyes. "You're perfect just the way you are. The way you were always meant to be."
Hiyori's face grew rosy. "Don't say stuff like that to get me all mushy."
Yato leaned forward and kissed Hiyori on the forehead. "Get used to it." He let her hands go and walked back to the window. "I can't stay long tonight. But I wanted to come and let you know that Kofuku still wants to go to the beach. She's made plans for everyone to go this weekend."
"This weekend?" Hiyori looked at the calendar on her wall next to her computer. "That's just five days!"
"Exactly!" He teased. "So make sure you're ready to go! We're staying overnight too. We'll leave early Saturday morning for the beach and then go home Sunday afternoon."
"Staying overnight?" Hiyori asked curiously.
"Well yeah," Yato replied as he crouched out the window. "It's a long trip there so it just made sense to rent some cabins and stay the night."
"Uh, okay. I guess you're right. I'll let my parents know." She walked over to the window just as he was about to leave. "Goodnight."
Yato smiled and quickly ducked back in the window and kissed Hiyori. "Goodnight." With that, he leapt to the next rooftop then the next and he was gone.
Hiyori watched him leave until she couldn't see him anymore. She did miss spending all hours of the nights with him. They were almost the same in her half-phantom form. Of course she didn't have any divine power but she could keep up with Yato and sometimes even outrun him. They'd bonded over those years and she was glad they did. Now that she was completely human and completely normal, she could look back on those times and be happy. They had many more years to make more memories.
The next few days went by much like the last two had. Hiyori packed her bag on Friday night after Yato had left for the night and let her know that he'd be at the house early the next morning to pick her up. Hiyori had become excited for the trip. She'd been wanting to do something like this for a while. Even Yukine had looked happy to be going. Yama and Ami had texted her Friday night and talked about her trip. They said they were happy she was going and hoped she had a good time. Yama mentioned she should pack the blue dress she had bought when she got her birthday dinner dress. Hiyori asked why she would possibly need a dress like that at the beach. Yama wrote that there might be a party at the beach and that she never knew! The amount of winking emojis that came after that text made Hiyori suspect something was up but she didn't ask. Reluctantly she balled the slinky dress up and threw it in the corner of her bag and a pair of silver heels "just in case".
Hiyori was glad she got a good night's sleep Friday night despite being excited for trip because her alarm went off promptly at 6 AM. Yato said the taxi would be at the house at 7 so she quickly got up. She picked out a pair of jean shorts and a purple halter top from her closet and slid on a pair of black sandals. She brushed her teeth and just brushed her hair deciding to leave it down and grabbing a hair tie to put on her wrist because she knew she'd get tired of her hair being down at some point.
After eating something quick for breakfast, Hiyori picked up her overnight bag and slung her purse over her shoulder before opening the front door. Yato was standing there with his hand in position to knock.
"Are you always this punctual?" he asked jokingly. "I didn't even get to knock!"
"You know I'm always on time or early," Hiyori stuck her tongue out at him then shut the door behind her.
Yato bent over and took her overnight bag out of her hand. "Let me get that for you."
Hiyori blushed. "It's not that heavy….."
"You're not used to chivalry are you?" Yato asked.
It was strange to her. Yato had always been respectful towards her. He'd opened doors for her, pulled or pushed her out of harm's way, pulled out chairs for her, and even served her food first at Kofuku's house before serving his own. It's not that it was new to her. But somehow it felt different. It made her feel special that he fussed over the little things for her.
"Thank you," she looked up at him and smiled.
"WOOHOO!" Hiyori heard someone cheer. It was Kofuku. She was hanging halfway out of the window of the SUV. Daikoku was desperately trying to hold her back so she wouldn't fall out of the car from her excitement.
"Us guys are going to sit in the third row," Yato explained, "and you and Kofuku can sit in the middle row."
"Are you sure?" Hiyori inquired. "The third row is usually kind of small."
"Eh," Yato waved his hand after putting Hiyori's bag behind the last row of seats, "Daikoku can scoot his fat ass over."
"I heard that you little ingrate!" Daikoku made a fist in Yato's direction. Yato only laughed. Yukine, sitting next to the window, just rolled his eyes.
"Hurry up! Let's go!" Kofuku ushered Hiyori into the car. Yato sat in between Yukine and Daikoku.
Before she buckled in, Hiyori looked back to see Yukine staring out of the window blankly. Yato looked over at him and rubbed the back of his neck silently. When he looked back over, Hiyori hurriedly looked away and sat forward. She didn't want Yato to know she'd seen him But she could tell now that something was bothering him. Yukine must have been hurting him. Yato didn't look blighted yet though so she figured Yukine was probably just down in the dumps.
"We're ready!" Kofuku informed the driver and he took off.
The early morning sky started out with huge, white clouds that played hide-and-seek with the sun. The busy streets and highways gave way to suburban roads then even more rural routes. Kofuku went on and on about how excited she was to be going to the beach and how long it had been since she went. Daikoku said the last time they went, it stormed and everyone's belongings got blown away by the crazy winds. He was pretty sure it was because Kofuku showed up.
"Kokki never lets me have any fun," Kofuku crossed her arms and pouted. Hiyori felt a little bad for her. Being a god of poverty definitely had its share of difficulties.
The morning pressed on to the early afternoon. They had stopped once to get gas, use the restroom, and buy some snacks. Yukine remained mostly quiet during the trip. Every now and again Kofuku would try to make conversation with him and he was polite enough to respond but he wouldn't keep it going. Hiyori felt bad for him. She could only imagine what was going on in his head.
"Are you going to share those?" Yato snuck up behind Hiyori and startled her. He was pointing to a bag of chips she had in her arms.
"Is that really all you think about?" Hiyori huffed.
"That and you occasionally," he snickered.
"You know, I could actually believe that," Hiyori raised an eyebrow at him. "Food is absolutely your first love."
"There's so much to try now! You know when I was a young god, there wasn't this many options! Humans really came up with all these great ideas in just the last few decades and it's hard to keep up with!"
Hiyori shook her head and pulled Yato to the side of the service station. "I know Yukine's mood is affecting you."
Yato's face turned sour. "It's not anything I can't handle."
"Is it Kira?" Hiyori asked.
"Yeah," Yato went to rub the back of his neck again. "He's got a lot going on in his mind right now."
"Hopefully he'll get to see her again," Hiyori sympathized.
"He probably won't," Yato said abruptly. "And I will probably have to find a way to cut his ties to her."
Hiyori gasped. "Cut his ties?! Why?"
"I told you this would happen," Yato said firmly. "This is why it's taboo for our shinki to have relationships. Of course us gods want them to be happy. But we also know, more than anyone else, how quickly things can change and what that can do to a person's heart."
Hiyori looked past Yato at Yukine as he leaned against the car sipping his drink. He was trying to play cool but it was obvious that it was bothering him.
"But, he hasn't blighted me," Yato reassured Hiyori. "I'm just feeling his sorrow and I don't mind enduring it. Plus, I think some of what I'm feeling is your sadness for him too."
Hiyori looked back over at Yato. "My sadness?"
"Yeah," Yato looked off into distance. "I think we've been able to feel each other's emotions for a while now, especially if they're particularly strong. At first I wasn't sure about it but so many times now I've noticed you putting your hand to your chest when I would and I know now it's not coincidence." He looked down at Hiyori. "Don't worry about Yukine. Even if I have to eventually cut his ties, he'll be alright." He leaned in and kissed her forehead before heading back to the car.
Hiyori watched everyone get back in the car but she hesitated a moment. She didn't want Yato to cut Yukine's ties to Kira because it was just like her and Yato. Technically, their feelings for each other are taboo too but they had an unbreakable bond. What if shinki could have unbreakable bonds too?
"Let's go, Hiyorin!" Kofuku waved from the window.
Hiyori snapped out of her thoughts and got back in the car. Yato began scavenging off of everyone's snacks. Daikoku told him he should have bought his own snacks and to bug off. Of course Yato whined endlessly that "papa Kokki" wouldn't share his food. Yukine nibbled on some jerky and continued to gaze out of the window. Hiyori tried not to think about it too much. Yato already had his hands full with Yukine's emotions. She didn't want to weigh him down with hers too.
Another hour passed and eventually Hiyori fell asleep. The light from the car window flashed on her eyelids and it looked like the rays were dancing with her eyes closed. She dreamed of field empty of everything but wild flowers. All around her was the sweet smell of summer flora and the warmth of the sun on her face. In the midst of her bliss though, in the corner of her eye, a flash of white darted from her right side to behind her. When she turned around she was face to face with Nora. Her face and clothes were covered in blood but she still that had that sinister smile.
"Hello, Hiyori," Nora stated emotionlessly.
Hiyori woke up gasping.
"Oh you're awake!" Kofuku clapped. "We're here!"
Hiyori looked around. The car was stopped in front of an old beach house. Yukine was asleep against the window and Yato and Daikoku had already gotten out to get the bags out of the car.
"Sorry, I didn't realize I had slept that long," Hiyori unbuckled herself and started to get out.
"We rented a couple of beach houses," Kofuku pointed to the one in front of them. "You'll be staying in this one so we'll drop you and your stuff off first. Ours is just down the way." She pointed to another beach house about 200 feet down. "You go ahead and get your swim suit on and I'll have the guys help us set up on the beach!"
"Alright," Hiyori smiled. She was still trying to get the image of Nora's face out of her head. She walked up the rickety wooden steps to the door of the beach house and walked in.
Despite how it looked on the outside, it was very nice on the inside. Almost all the furniture looked brand new. The tile throughout the house looked new as well. There was a full size fridge and microwave on the countertop in the kitchen. There was a sliding glass door that led to a small concrete patio that dissolved into the white sands of the beach and led straight to the ocean. It took Hiyori's breath away. The water was calm and blanketed the shore as it flowed in and out.
She dropped her bags in the bedroom which was equipped with a queen size bed, a three-drawer dresser, a closet, and a flat-screen TV on top of the dresser. There was another bedroom across the narrow hallway that looked identical to hers. She wondered who was staying with her.
Opening her bag, she grabbed her swimsuit and went to the bathroom to put it on. She was definitely sick of her hair being down so she thought a quick, fishtail braid would be fitting for the occasion. Her swimsuit was a black one-piece suit with the sides cut out and strings that tied around her neck. She didn't feel completely comfortable in a bikini so it was a good compromise. She put on her sunscreen, grabbed, her sunglasses, and went back outside with her towels in hand. She spotted everyone else down the beach under some large umbrellas. She walked through the warm sand, enjoying the feeling on her bare feet.
"Hey guys!" Hiyori waved as she approached her friends.
"Just in time!" Kofuku waved back then pointed to the lounge chair that Yato was setting up next to her. "Sit by me!"
Hiyori spread her towel out on the chair and sat down next to Kofuku. Yato set up a chair for himself next to Hiyori and Yukine set up his own chair next to Daikoku on the other side of Kofuku. Hiyori tried not to stare at Yato whose upper half was completely bare. Of course she'd seen him without his shirt before but in those black and electric blue swim shorts and his skin glowing in the sun, it made the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. She turned to Kofuku and started a conversation to distract herself.
"I've never heard of this beach before," Hiyori looked out at the vast ocean.
"It's Chidorigahama beach," Daikoku said.
"It's not a very big beach," Kofuku continued. "In fact, it's rarely visited by people who don't live close to here. But it's actually a very special beach. It's heavily protected by a god in the area."
"A god?" Yukine asked.
"Yeah," Kofuku said. "Ishigami-san."
"Ishigami-san?" Hiyori had never heard of this god before.
"She's not a super popular god with the city folk," Daikoku added. "She's more popular here and in the surroundings."
"I've only seen her a couple of times at the colloquies in Takamagahara," Kofuku stated. "She's very sweet and very pretty! And she's super popular with women! Her special talent is that she grants at least one wish of any woman. Many women come to pray to her and make wishes."
"She has a shrine just up the way," Daikoku pointed behind them to a small group of trees to the north. "She is the guardian of this place and wards off evil that lurks around the beach. That's why it's the gods' favorite beach."
Hiyori wondered what this Ishigami-san god was like. Kokfuku said she had met her a couple of times and liked her. But there weren't many people Kofuku didn't like.
"Oh! Just in time!" Kofuku stood up and waved both her arms in the air as if she was signaling to someone. Hiyori pulled her sunglasses down a little to see who she was waving to. It was Ami and Yama!
"Hiyori!" Yama called out.
"We made it!" Ami was right behind Yama.
"What in the world are you guys doing here?!" Hiyori asked happily and hugged them both as they approached.
"They got my number from your phone," Yato said, "and contacted me about making plans for a trip. When I told them we were already planning a beach trip, they asked if they could join."
"And here we are!" Yama dropped her bag in the sand.
"I'm so glad you guys are here!" Hiyori exclaimed. "This is going to be the best beach trip ever!"
"Oh, you don't even know!" Ami said with a huge grin on her face.
It seemed strange to Hiyori that Ami would say that but figured she was just happy to be at the beach so she decided to let it go.
"Who's ready to swim?!" Yama unzipped her white cover-up to reveal a bright yellow bikini. Ami was wearing a dark pink one-piece suit with large tropical flowers printed all over it.
Hiyori, Yama, Ami, and Kofuku all ran into the water while the guys stayed behind in the shade of the umbrellas. The water was perfect: not too warm and not too cold. The air smelled of salt water, sunscreen, and something slightly floral that Hiyori couldn't pinpoint. She thought it must be Kofuku. After playing around in the waves with the other girls for a while, Hiyori laid on her back and allowed herself to just float on the water. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. The sounds of the people talking and her friends laughing all faded into the sound of the ocean. Seagulls called to each other in the sky. The heat of the sun kissed the exposed parts of her skin and balanced well with the cool water underneath her. She was so lost in the calm that she could feel herself almost falling asleep. Suddenly, the sunlight through her eyelids was gone. Hiyori thought a cloud must have covered the sun but she didn't remember seeing any clouds in the sky when they arrived. Fear swept over her. She could feel a presence to the right side of her and she was scared to see who it was. Especially after the dream she'd had on the way there.
She slowly opened one eye and tried to mentally prepare herself for the worst. The sun had blocked out the face but she could make out a wisp of blue hair that was being tossed about in the breeze. She opened her other eye and could see two bright blue eyes looking down at her. The knots in her stomach quickly came undone when she realized it was Yato. Laying there, she reached up with her left hand and gently pushed the hair from his face so she could see him better then placed her hand on his cheek.
Yato could sense something dwelling inside Hiyori and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. He'd felt it in the car when she was asleep. Watching her floating on her own in the water he became concerned so he went over to her to make sure she was alright. But upon seeing her and the peaceful look on her face, he didn't have it in him to disrupt her. When she hesitated to look up at him at first, he could feel the same uneasy sensation from before but just the touch of her hand on his face made it all melt away.
"Was I floating too far out?" Hiyori asked sleepily.
"No," Yato put his arms under her legs and her neck and walked with her in his arms through the soothing ocean. "I just don't like being that far away from you if I can help it." He looked down and smiled at her.
Hiyori wondered if he was worried about something and not telling her. But she didn't want to ruin the moment so she just relaxed against his body instead.
"Hey guys! We're going to play volleyball! Want to join?!" Yama shouted from the shore.
Yato turned around and put Hiyori down. "Want to play?" he asked her.
"I'm not very good at sports….." Hiyori laughed nervously.
"Somehow I do not believe that Ms. Jungle Savate," Yato joked.
"Martial arts is so much easier than sports!" Hiyori complained. "You just go in for the kill! But with games, you actually have to be strategic and play by the rules. I don't like rules."
Yato laughed out loud. "Yeah, I know this for a fact!"
Hiyori watched him as he laughed. In this moment he wasn't Yato the god. He was just Yato, the guy she loved. All that supernatural stuff didn't matter. This felt right. It felt normal. She was just spending the weekend at the beach with a group of friends and the love of her life. Hiyori wanted to focus on each moment as it came instead of worrying about the future.
When they got to shore, they picked teams. They did guys against girls. Kofuku didn't find that completely fair because Yato was a god, Yukine was a blessed vessel, and Daikoku was strong enough to open up a portal to the underworld. Kofuku was a god of poverty which already pretty much guaranteed they were going to lose. Hiyori wasn't great at sports and Yama was overly competitive. Ami said she didn't want to play and wanted to get some color while there was still some sun.
"Serve!" Yama yelled loudly and hit the ball over the net with huge force. Even the guys watched in awe as the ball soared through the air.
"Yukine!" Daikoku shouted.
Yukine ran and hit the ball back into the air just before it touched the ground. Yato hit it again to get it back over the net and it was aimed right for Hiyori's face.
"Hiyori, hit it!" someone called out from beside her but before she could even think, Kofuku dove in front of her and hit it instead. Hiyori blinked in shock.
"That was close!" Yama bumped Hiyori's arm with hers. "The idea is to hit the ball with your hands, not your face," she teased.
Hiyori glared at Yama. "Yeah, I get that."
They all continued to play until the girls all surrendered. The guys had won but not by much. Yama had pretty much held the team the entire time and was good at volleyball so the guys only had a couple more points than them. Kofuku and Hiyori were laid out on the sand completely out of breath and covered in sweat.
"Ah,Hiyori," Daikoku stood over them and grinned mischievously, "Kofuku, good game!"
"Yeah," Hiyori mumbled, "real good."
"You're horrible, Kokki," Kofuku muttered.
"Round two?!" Yama asked out loud. Kofuku and Hiyori both whined profusely.
"Hey Yama," Ami stood up, "we've got that 'thing' here soon so we should actually get going."
"Oh yeah!" Yama said. "Come on Hiyori! Let's go back to your place!"
Hiyori was confused but followed her and Ami back to her beach house anyway. Yato and Yukine helped Kofuku and Daikoku pack up the beach items and head back to their own house. Hiyori found it odd that Kofuku winked at her before skipping through the sand to her place. What was she planning?
The sun was beginning to set behind the trees. Yama and Ami waited for Hiyori at the door before going inside. Once they were in the girls ushered Hiyori into the bedroom and sat her down on the bed. Yama immediately started rummaging through Hiyori's overnight bag.
"Where is it?" Yama asked as she pulled out articles of clothing until she found it. The blue dress she had balled up into the corner of the bag. "Aha!" she exclaimed holding it up into the air. "You actually packed it!"
Hiyori was now more confused than ever. "Why? What are you guys doing?!"
"We have a little surprise for you but first, you need to get ready!" Ami said rubbing her hands together.
"Get ready?" Hiyori asked but Yama was already grabbing makeup and hair accessories from her own bag.
"And this time, we're going all out! No classy stuff tonight!" Yama cackled.
Hiyori gulped anxiously. What did "going all out" mean? She really hoped they didn't actually inted on her wearing that dress.
"Let's get you hair washed and blow-dried real quick," Ami dragged Hiyori by the hand to the bathroom. After washing up, Yama dried her hair with a blow dryer and a round brush. Once her hair was dry she pinned Hiyori's hair up in big curlers to keep the shape while she did her makeup.
"I'm thinking something dark and moody!" Ami clapped.
"I was thinking the same thing!" Yama cheered.
"Dark? Moody?" Hiyori asked.
"Just trust the process!" Yama said pulling out eyeshadow pallets and lipstick tubes.
"I'm going to get something to eat while you guys do that," Ami said grabbing her wallet from her bag and heading out of the door.
"I want kabobs!" Yama yelled to Ami.
"So what exactly is going on tonight?" Hiyori questioned Yama knowing she couldn't keep a secret to save her life.
Yama tried not to make eye contact. "I can't tell you! It wouldn't be a surprise!"
"Why am I the one who can't know?" Hiyori pressed.
"Because it's for YOUR birthday!" Yama slapped her hand to her mouth as soon as the words escaped her.
"My birthday?" Hiyori asked. "But my birthday already passed."
"Don't worry about it! Forget I said anything! Let's get this eyeshadow on you! Don't move!" Yama quickly deflected and started patting on eyeshadow.
After about thirty minutes Ami had come back with two to-go boxes filled with different types of food. Hiyori wanted to eat something before Yama put her lipstick. After all three of them ate, Yama finished Hiyori makeup then let her hair down out of the curlers. She lightly sprayed her hair with hairspray to make sure the big, bouncy curls lasted as long as possible without making her hair feel crunchy.
"Alright, just go put this dress on and we'll get going!" Yama handed the blue dress to Hiyori.
Hiyori took it reluctantly and went to the bathroom to put it on. She observed her face in the mirror. Yama really DID go all out! She'd used blue eyeshadow on the outer half of her eyelids and chunky, silver glitter for the inner half then small black wings that accentuated the "cat eye" eyelashes that Yama had glued on. Her eyebrows were perfectly plucked and filled in and to finish it off, a dark burgundy lipstick with a matte finish. Hiyori sighed heavily. She was not used to this type of look at all. She did, however, like her hair. Parted to the side, her hair fell in big waves around her shoulders and around her face. She looked like a grown woman. She wasn't a teenage girl in a school uniform anymore.
She wiggled herself into the dress and had Ami come and help her tie everything up in the back. Ami was wearing a dark violet, velvet bustier cami dress that was ruched up the right leg. She'd curled her own hair with a curling iron and had on black gladiator heels. Yama came in the bathroom to put in her earrings. She was wearing an emerald green, lacy crop top with cami straps and a black bandeau underneath. Her miniskirt was the same emerald green color as the crop top. Her shoes were also black but she again chose flat sandals instead of heels.
Once the girls were all ready, Ami wanted to get a picture of them outside in the sunset. She placed the camera on one of the chairs on the patio and turned the timer on before running to Hiyori's side and all of them saying "cheese". The camera flashed and Ami ran back to look at the picture. Hiyori and Yama looked at it too. It was perfect. The three of them looked all grown up. They weren't the same kids that had met in middle school. It almost made Hiyori emotional thinking about it but she choked down her nostalgia. In the distance she could hear what sounded like music. The beat was loud and she could even feel it slightly under her feet. She looked up and saw a villa up the hill with lots of neon lights shining through the windows. A party?
"That's our cue!" Ami clapped.
"Cue?" Hiyori was puzzled.
"Just follow us!" Yama and Ami locked arms on either side of Hiyori and they all walked up the sidewalk toward the villa. The closer they got the louder the music got and the more nervous Hiyori became. What was going on?
The villa was all white with windows all throughout the front of it. The entrance was two huge glass doors with a looming archway and metal door handles in the shape of an E. The right door handle was a backwards E and the left door handle was the forward facing E. It seemed a little gaudy to Hiyori. Inside she could see an enormous crowd already dancing to the overpowering music. Yama grabbed one door and Ami grabbed the other. They both opened each door and let Hiyori walk in.
The bass boomed and had a slight disorienting affect. It was dark except for the laser lights that beamed in all colors around the room. There were two sets of grand stairs on the left and right side that led up to the second level. There was a balcony that connected the stairs. Directly in front of her was a huge room and a makeshift stage towards the back where it looked as if Kofuku was playing dj alongside someone else Hiyori didn't recognize. Hiyori wanted to immediately disappear. This was not her scene at all. But Yama and Ami came up behind her and locked arms with her again.
"Welcome to the party!" Yama said in Hiyori's ear.
"Who are all these people?!" Hiyori asked in Yama's ear.
"All the upperclassmen from school!"
Hiyori gulped. She looked around the room which was starting to spin. Was she having a panic attack? "I think I need to use the restroom!" Hiyori yelled to Yama and Ami and ran up the left stairs. She didn't even know if there was a bathroom up there but there seemed to be less people on the second level so she just wanted to get a minute to herself. Her friends ran up behind her and followed her to a corner with an empty couch. Hiyori sat down and started hyperventilating.
Yama reached into her little purse and pulled out a small bottle and handed it to Hiyori. "Here," she said, "I took a few of these from my parents' house just for this occasion. But I think you need it more than me right now."
Hiyori took the cap off and sniffed it. She nearly gagged. "Is this alcohol?!"
Yama and Ami laughed. "Just take a few drinks. It'll help you relax," Ami insisted.
Normally Hiyori would outright deny it. But considering the lengths they went to throw the party she decided why not? She drank the entire first bottle which was only a couple of shots worth. It burned and made her want to throw up but she kept it down and handed Yama the empty bottle. "Thanks."
"Wow! I didn't think you'd actually do it!" Ami congratulated her.
Hiyori took a few minutes to breath and calm herself down. There was a strange feeling in her legs and her body felt less tense than before. A song came on that was different from what had been playing. The beat was steady but not intense like the other music. Hiyori kind of liked it.
"Come on, let's go back downstairs," Yama and Ami grabbed up Hiyori and walked over to the top of the stairs. Just before they started walking down, a spotlight shone right on Hiyori and everyone quieted down.
"SURPRISE HIYORI!" Kofuku cheered into the microphone. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
Everyone else shouted "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" and applauded. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the way the music was making her feel, but she descended the stairs confidently. Each step landed with the beat of the song like it was written for a movie. When Hiyori looked at the bottom of the stairs, she saw Yato standing there with one foot propped on the last step.
Yato was speechless. He's always thought Hiyori was beautiful but this Hiyori was totally different. The shimmering blue dress hugged her curves and made things stand out to Yato that he hadn't noticed before. Her hair danced around her collar bone and bare shoulders. He'd known her legs were strong but looking at them now it was as if he'd never seen them before. They were longer than he thought. When Hiyori reached the last step and was now standing in front of Yato, his heart was in his throat but he wanted to play it cool. He reached out his hand and walked her out to the dance floor.
Hiyori was impressed. She didn't know Yato could dance. Hiyori had two left feet but was feeling good so she danced right alongside him. She smiled and laughed when Yato busted out some crazy dance moves. He looked so fine in his white, collared short-sleeve shirt and light blue jeans which he'd cropped around his ankles. After a while she was getting tired so she told Yato she needed a drink break. There were tables set up along the walls to the left and right of the room that had drinks and food on them. Hiyori just grabbed a bottle of water and so did Yato. She saw Ami and Yama standing at the end of one of the tables talking to some boys. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see who it was. To her surprise it was Kira. She was completely in human form and was wearing a plain but cute maxi dress with colors that looked like the sunset.
"Kira!" Hiyori hugged her immediately.
Kira was shocked at first but hugged her back. "Happy birthday, Hiyori."
"I can't believe you're here! When did you get back?! How did you know where to find us?!" Hiyori asked so many questions it was difficult for Kira to keep up.
Kira just laughed. "Kofuku has been planning this for a while so I've known about it. I wasn't sure if I would be able to attend but it seems fate was on our side after all."
"Lady Izanami! What happened with her?!" Hiyori was suddenly worried.
"Do not fret," Kira put her hands on Hiyori's arms, "the outcome was favorable. She is still recovering from the emotional distress but she has forgiven Yato and hopes in the end you all can forgive her."
"Of course we can!" Hiyori said without hesitation.
"Kira?!" Hiyori heard someone say from a distance. Her, Kira, and Yato all turned to see who it was. Yukine was standing at the other end of the table with great, big eyes staring right at Kira.
Kira took a deep breath. Hiyori could see she was happy to see Yukine. Yukine walked briskly up to Kira. "Are you really here?!" he asked as if he was looking at a ghost.
Hiyori grabbed Yato's arm and pulled him away. "Let's give them a moment to themselves."
There was another tap but this time it was on Hiyori's leg which she thought was strange. She looked down and saw a small child standing beside her with two huge men standing behind him dressed in suits with their hands clasped behind their backs. They looked like bodyguards. It was little Ebisu. Hiyori recognized him even in the dark. Once she realized who it was she bowed over and over again. "Lord Ebisu!"
"Happy birthday, Hiyori," he said matter-of-factly.
"I was not expecting to see you here! Thank you!" Hiyori said.
"When Lady Kofuku asked if she could use the space for a party, I was intrigued," Ebisu said. "You see, I own this villa and most of the vacation rentals on this beach."
Now the giant E doorhandles made sense.
"I see," Hiyori replied sheepishly.
"I only stopped by to make sure everything was going well. I will be off. Enjoy your evening," Ebisu bowed lightly.
Hiyori bowed even lower. "Thank you again!" He and his shinki left. Hiyori walked over to Yama and Ami and caught up with them for a minute. The girls all took another drink from the little bottles in Yama's purse.
"Is that what I think it is?" Yato leaned over Hiyori's shoulder and startled her.
"Maybe?" Hiyori answered casually.
"I didn't think you'd even drink alcohol," Yato grabbed the little bottle from Hiyori and finished it himself.
"Well, it is my party after all and I needed to let loose," she said turning around and putting her arms around his neck.
"Agreed," he smiled and drug her back onto the dance floor.
Hiyori and Yato danced together for a while. She could see Yama and Ami dancing with a couple of boys from their class that she recognized but couldn't remember their names. After several upbeat songs, Kofuku brought it down a bit by playing a slow song. Everyone instantly paired up and started dancing to the song. Hiyori looked around at all the couples. She felt awkward again because she'd never danced to a romantic song with someone before.
Yato put his hand on Hiyori's waist and pulled her closer to him while taking her hand in his free hand. He pulled her in until they were cheek to cheek.
You were the one and it was enough
The lyrics of the song echoed through the room.
To be the one you were dreaming of
Yato started swaying slowly from side to side.
You were the one and we called it love
Hiyori took a deep breath and stepped lightly from left to right. Yato's hand on her back made her feel secure. She had to stop herself from looking down at her feet and just trust the movements. As the song continued, he nuzzled his face closer and closer to Hiyori's neck and it made her heart race. She could feel his breath on her skin. His smell filled her senses and her legs were getting shaky with all the emotions she was feeling. Looking around she could see everyone else dancing to the song. Some couple were face to face and others were in full embrace and turning slowly to the music. In the corner of her eye, she spotted Yukine and Kira dancing in the very back. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and his were wrapped around her waist. Hiyori was happy to see them together. Despite how Yato felt about it, Yukine deserved to have someone in his life that was just for him.
Before the song finished, Yato excused himself from the room. He said he'd forgotten something and wanted to take care of it before the night was over. Hiyori walked over and stood by the tables again. She watched everyone else finish dancing to the song and then the loud, upbeat music started again. She wasn't sure how long it had been that she had stood there watching everyone else. Yato finally came back and apologized for being gone so long. Hiyori didn't notice how long it was.
"Did you want to get some air?" Yato asked.
Hiyori nodded. Air would be nice. They both snuck out one of the side doors of the villa. As soon as she stepped outside she took a deep breath in and exhaled loudly.
Yato chuckled. "This wasn't my idea, I swear."
"It definitely seems like a Yama and Ami idea," Hiyori bent over with her hands on her knees and took a few more deep breaths.
"You handled it well though," Yato leaned against the outside wall and crossed his arms.
"Once I was able to relax, it was kind of fun," Hiyori admitted. She looked up at the sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight and stars painted the darkness of the night. She didn't remember the last time she had seen so many stars shining at once. The crescent moon hung over the ocean and reflected its light on the entire beach.
Yato admired how stunning Hiyori looked. The way the ocean breeze teased the hair around her face and shoulders. The dress was clearly another Yama and Ami idea but he couldn't deny how sexy she looked in it. "Do you want to take a walk on the beach?"
"Yes, please," Hiyori was anxious to get away from the crowd and loud music. Yato offered his arm and she wrapped her hand around.
Once they got to the shore, Hiyori took her shoes off. Heels were not for walking in sand. At first they didn't say anything. It didn't bother Hiyori though. She kind of enjoyed the silence. Yato picked up shells from time to time and put them in his pocket.
"I had a really good time today," Hiyori finally said.
"I'm glad," Yato replied, smiling. "I won't lie. I was kind of worried about you earlier today."
"Worried? About me?" she ased.
"You seemed like something was bothering you."
Hiyori thought back to her dream in the car. "It was nothing. Just a bad dream."
"Hopefully not the lethal kind of bad dream," Yato said somewhat jokingly.
"No, not this time."
"Did you want me to walk you back to the party?" Yato asked.
"Actually," Hiyori said, "I'm kind of tired. I think I might call it a night."
"Do you want me to take you back to your room?"
Hiyori struggled for a moment. She definitely wanted him to go back with her but would it be too forward? He did offer. It would be rude to deny him.
"I'd like that," she responded.