CHAPTER 7: Gratitude

Souji returned home as soon as he can. Good thing he's feeling a bit better and got enough guts to face his challenges. Now he has to do is make a quick trip to Tokyo and then beat the hundred year lights out of Izanami.

Dojima Residence

"Big Bro!" Nanako stood up and ran to him. "I missed you! Oh, Dad's not here right now. He said he had to go talk to Adachi-san for interrogation."

"Uncle's not here? Great, he's not here to yell at me for leaving so sudden," he thought.

"What would you like to eat? I'll do my best to cook it!"

"I'll have to pass, I'm not that hungry, Nanako."

"Eh? But you've just..."

"It's okay, I'll be fine," he smiled and then gave her a pat on the head.

He just thought that if he had to leave right now, Nanako and Dojima will ask him where on Earth will he go and why. And if he answered that he'll go there, Dojima might think of sending him back to his ward. Now, if he'll be able to sneak past Dojima without Nanako telling him, he's in the clear. But there's still her, so he has to sneak past her first.

"Nanako, aren't you going to do something today?"

"Um, not at the moment."

"Oh."

"But if you want to do something with me, that's okay! How about we watch TV?"

"Mm, I'll just rest for a bit. Sorry if I suddenly asked you that." Nanako just stared at him. He went to his room and started to pack his things.

oOo

Tokyo, Yuuko's Shop

"Here's another batch of sake, Yuuko-san."

"Ah, thank you, Watanuki."

"That's already your fifth this day..."

"Mokona wants more sembei!"

"NO WAY! YOU EAT LIKE A NOISY FAT GERBIL!"

"Grumpy!" Mokona pouted.

"Yuuko-san?" Watanuki approached Yuuko who was sitting calmly, staring at the clear blue sky. "What's wrong?"

"Hm... Another one will be coming here for a wish."

"Who? How did you know that? Is it that girl again?"

"No, but he comes from the same town as her. The wind is carrying the same aura, but different feel. He seems to be desperate, but I'm sure it'll turn out fine."

"I wonder why he's coming here or what his wish is."

xXx

"Mistress! A customer!"

"Ah, seems like he has come sooner than expected. Let him in," Yuuko stood up and fixed her dress.

"Could he be...?" Watanuki went ahead of Yuuko and opened the sliding door. "Ah!"

"Um... Good day..."

"Good day to you too; welcome to my shop."

"Are you that person who can grant my wish? Were you the one Yukiko asked help from?"

"So the same man told you, like that girl the other day."

"So you did met Yukiko! I'm her..."

"You're more than her friend; I understand."

"Eh...? Eh...?" Watanuki stared dumbfounded.

"Please, tell me what I need to trade for my wish!"

"We'll talk about that after you rest for a while. You are still weak from your previous injury and you've just gotten from a long trip here. Maru, Moro, please accompany our guest to a room."

"Yes~!" Then the two girls cheerfully grabbed Souji's arms and led him to a room.

xXx

"Yuuko-san, you knew?"

"About what I told him? No, but I can see that through his actions; and he was obviously short of breath."

"Oh, maybe I just didn't notice. But is it okay for him to stay here a bit?"

"If someone is in need, one must try to help him even though he is a stranger. If I were to tell him sooner, he will just collapse from exhaustion. He hasn't fully recovered and his mind is still cluttered."

"Even though you're a selfish glutton, you still have a kind heart," Watanuki is sniggering behind her back.

"That's no way to talk to your boss, Watanuki," she chuckled.

"YOU'RE NOT MY BOSS! So what do we do about him now? He's sleeping-in the same room that girl stayed in."

"He will wake up once he's gotten better. I will tell him his price when he's ready to hear it."

oOo

Souji is awake even after he was led inside, but he doesn't want to leave the room yet because his body is heavy and his mind is filled with many thoughts. "I'm already here, but I wasn't given the chance to tell me what I need to do. I have to return as soon as possible."

"Ah, so you are already awake," Yuuko knocked before entering. "I let you rest first because the despair is shown clearly around you. But haste makes waste, you should be wary of that."

"That's very hospitable of you, thank you. Um, do you know what should I-"

Yuuko motioned him to keep quiet. "Come with me, we will talk about your wish there."

xXx

"Your price for the wish... It isn't monetary, just something of equal value is enough."

"What do I need to pay you with?"

"I'd ask for the manifestation of your soul, but that is a part of you which you need in order to defeat your greatest foe. The key you hold has the same value yet I cannot because you will still need it. Hmm, would you like to offer me something instead?"

"I don't think I have anything valuable to give..."

"Nothing? Hm, what is that in your coat pocket?" Yuuko notices a small rope hanging out from Souji's coat pocket. He searched through until he showed the charm Yukiko gave him. "That will do," said Yuuko.

"This?" he looked at it, "But this is just a charm."

"A charm that holds a sweet memory of the person you hold dear. She gave it you, didn't she?"

"Yes, on the day she realized what she really wants to do in her life," he said with a relieved smile, remembering the moment.

"That will be your payment," Yuuko said, "Give it to me." He then handed her the item. "A charm is just a charm, but once a part of the heart is placed in it, it becomes something valuable and holds a strong magic within it. Its value worth how much it weighs, but I'm not talking about the physical attributes. "

"I think I understand what you mean, Ma'am."

"I wonder if I should give Himawari-chan a charm too..." Watanuki thought.

"Yes, this charm will be enough. Watanuki, be a dear and get something from the storage."

"Me? Uh, alright."

xXx

"Wait, she didn't tell me what to get! Sheesh... Well I hope I get to see it soon-ouch!" A small red fan with a ribbon tied on its end suddenly fell from above the containers. "Uhh..." he caressed his head, "I feel an intense energy coming from this fan. Maybe this is what she wants me to get."

xXx

"Ah, good, you've found it. Now hand it over to him."

"A fan?" Souji looked at it. He opened the fan and a small black butterfly on a flower print is seen on it.

"That fan can emit strong gusts of wind with one single stroke. It was made so a curse's aura will disappear. When that girl came here, a small curse was already following her. By the time she had closed her deal with me, it managed to enter this shop and caught onto her; that was the reason why she lost her feeling of love for only you. Watanuki has sensed that entity too, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did... But I didn't saw anything, I only felt weird and slightly cold."

"It was strong enough to conceal itself, yet we could sense its presence. However, she was not aware of it. I didnt want to tell her about that curse, and so I told her that her wish's price was to lose her emotion for you."

"So a wave of this fan at Yukiko will cure her?"

"If you want to try it out, you'll have to do it on that person."

"Thank you very much! I'll never forget your help!" he bowed in gratitude and ran off outside the shop.

"You're very welcome. And I hope you will be able to finish your endeavor soon," she said before he left.

"A curse was clinging onto that girl, but neither she nor that guy just now saw nor felt it. Did you really saw what was going to happen?"

"It was rather something you should at least expect. I don't have the power to see the future, remember? That entity was waiting for the moment she and the boy will separate from each other and then it will strike. It was testing their bond as well as for the people around them. Remember what that girl told us? She is currently in a battle against a mythical goddess, and they will surely lose if that boy wasn't able to recover."

"Maybe that entity and their enemy are one," Watanuki said, "I'm not sure, but I think it makes sense."

"For them, it was a challenge and their next moves will determine if they will succeed or not. In our part, we've only helped them and identified that everything was all under their enemy's challenge."

"Do you think they'll realize that?"

"Someday they might be able to, but it's not much of a deal if they are able to realize it or not. We've done our part, so all they can do now is finishing the task given to them."

CHAPTER 7 END