Ch 7: Yoshimori's Resolution

The following night I decided to ask Yoshimori about Gen, but he was reluctant to tell me. I finally convinced him by telling him that I was Gen's childhood friend and what if I say something wrong and get him angry. So he told me the story, about what happened to his sister and why he joined the Night Troops. He also told me that he hasn't visited nor heard from his family since then. What could I say to that? Absolutely nothing, so I thanked him for telling me and let him get back to his work.

I walked around, thinking of what I had just heard. 'Oh, Gen, you've had such a hard life since I left, I wish I could've been there for you.' I thought as I watched him slice an ayakashi in two, taking notice of the hatred in his every movement.

"Ketsu!" I say, half distracted, trapping the ayakashi behind me. "Metsu!"

I wander around the school some more and finally take a seat, back against the building. I continue to think on Gen's past and how things could've changed if I had stayed. Thinking so hard, I didn't notice the ayakashi coming right at me, then I heard a loud, "Ketsu!" causing me to look up only to see a 9 foot tall ayakashi trapped in a transparent blue kekkai. "Metsu. Hey Kukiko, are you okay?" Yoshimori asked, running up to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say, a little shaken, "thank you."

"Man," he started, giving me a hand up, "I hate those larger ayakashi, they've been on this land way too long. That's why I have to seal off this place for good." He told me.

"You want to seal off the Karasumori site?"

"Yeah, that's the plan."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"I'm going to use a kekkai to conceal it."

"Are your kekkais really that strong?" I ask, amazed.

"Well, no, not yet. First, I want to get some more history on the Karasumori site."

"Oh, well, if you want, you could come to my family library, it's full of books about this place."

"Really? If I can."

"Of course, I'll even help you."

"Alright, that's a plan!"

…

Gen speculated as Yoshimori helped Kukiko get to her feet. Seeing those two together made him wonder what I would've been like if he was the one who saved her (again) and help her up. He wondered what it was like to feel her warm hand in his, truthfully, he missed being close with her, like they used to be, but he knew that nothing lasts forever.

…

I look up to find Gen looking our way, so I decided to go up there and sit with him. Standing on a kekkai, a raised it higher until I reached the ledge, then stepped off.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"You know, I miss the old days, when things were less complicated, don't you?"

"I guess."

"Hmmm," I thought for a moment, then remarked, "not everything lasts forever, especially those with a timer-"

"Well, obviously." Gen interrupted me.

"-But sometimes, that timer breaks." I took a pause, thinking of nothing in particular, "Yeah, I do miss the old days."

And although he didn't say it, I knew he agreed with me from the way his head slightly nodded.

After we came back home, I went straight to sleep, dreaming of the memories that can't seem to leave my mind. The memories of Gen and me.