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Ch. 29: To open an umbrella indoors
"… Urgh… Wh-What…?" Suika shifted on her side, soft and cosy fabric rubbing against her cheek, a nice and warm comforter weightily but snugly conforming to the change in her posture, hugging her frame delightfully. Suika felt herself steadily drift back to sleep almost as soon as she was awakening.
"… Uh… My… futon…? Oh right…" That's right. I had returned to my room to rest my head a bit, didn't I? Thought Suika, cringing a little at the effort it took to think, what with her severe hangover ringing in her- Wait a minute… My head's… fine? Suika opened her eyes and let out a relaxed breath, the hangover she had the night before gone down the sink without a trace.
Oh… That's right, Suika thought as her memory slowly resurfaced from her no longer groggy mind. Kogasa was the one that brought me here. She was the one that… Eek! Suika rapidly withdrew back into her futon, pulling the covers towards her. Not only had she allowed herself to be spoilt under Kogasa's care last night, but she had effectively asked her to stay! Suika blushed guiltily. Really! When did she get this soft? Ibuki Suika turned her body in the futon crossly. Suika! She told herself mentally. You are NOT going to mess this up, Suika highlighted to herself, rekindling her determination to number one, find a solution to the Karakasa's stay and number two, not give in anymore to Kogasa's seductions.
"That's right! I'm Ibuki Suika, and I'm a proud Oni!" Suika declared to herself in her futon with her eyes shut. "It'll take more than a couple of troubles to fell me!"
"Giggle, that's so cute of you, Suika…"
Suika's heart skipped a beat, fumbled and nearly tripped over her artery. Suika gripped her covers tight, as if to swallow down the shock lest it should come up her throat with her stomach in tow. I… I know that voice… She thought shakily.
"Good morning Suika!" the voice greeted cheerily. "You slept so soundly throughout the afternoon, you were sooo cute! "
Slowly, slowly Suika relaxed her grip and her opened her eyelids in tandem, trying her best to ease herself carefully into wakeful reality. And slowly, the image of Kogasa, lying on her side, smiling next to Suika came blasting into Suika's eyes.
"Oomph!" Suika was mentally winded. "K-Kogasa… D-Don't tell me…"
"Oh? Are you still feeling a bit unwell, Suika?" Kogasa leaned in a little to inspect Suika with bright red and blue eyes. Suika observed that she and Kogasa were in the same futon, and that necessarily meant that they were under the same cover, a cover that formed a nice, white silhouette of Kogasa's bodyline as she lay on her side. Suika gulped. Damn… This petite girl must surprisingly hide quite a bit under her clothes. Not unlike Parsee, and quite different from Reimu…
Or herself, Suika thought a little dejectedly.
"You're pale and shivering a little," Kogasa placed a hand on Suika's forehead.
"You're in the same futon with me," Suika said with as straight a face as she could, seemingly making a casual remark while in actuality providing an answer to what Kogasa was observing.
"W-Well, I couldn't just leave you, could I?" Kogasa looked away and blushed a bit. "I mean… You were so sick, so I decided to stay by your side… And then I got tired, and there was no where else to sleep," Kogasa explained.
"Well… You actually didn't have to do that," Suika sat up in her futon, embarrassed and touched that Kogasa had stayed at her side the whole time. "I used to get drunk like that on a daily basis, so I'll be fine when I wake up and -"
"You mustn't!" Kogasa suddenly sat up and gripped Suika's hand, staring at her intensely in the eye.
"O-Okay-" Suika uttered with slight surprise.
"You'll harm your body like that…" Kogasa interrupted earnestly with a look of deep concern on her face.
"B-But…" Suika stuttered. The deep irises of Kogasa… Suika could start feeling herself losing already.
Kogasa placed a hand on top of Suika's, which she simultaneously held in the other, "Promise me you'll take better care of your health, okay?" Kogasa pleaded. "You know, after seeing you like that last night, I had… I had no idea you could drink yourself to… to such a state…" Kogasa started to break up a little.
"Ah! A-Ah!" Suika started to panic as she saw Kogasa tearing a little. "H-Hey! I'm fine, really!" Suika tried to reassure the little karakasa with a firm grip on her shoulder, but Kogasa just shook her head and sniffed a bit.
"N-No, I… Sigh…" Suika scratched her messy ginger hair. "L-Look, I know I've always said this all the time. And you probably don't believe me, but…" Suika thumped her chest and grinned, "Hey! I've got the body of an Oni and the liver of two, so no matter how much alcohol it is, it can't hurt me!" she said, brimming full of confidence.
"If it can't hurt you, why is it you always get terrible hangovers?" Kogasa asked flatly.
… Suika was stopped short in her thoughts, her eyes wide open at Kogasa. She struggled to combat Kogasa's logic, but failed. Her vain efforts must have shown up on her face, for Kogasa's eyes twinkled and she giggled triumphantly.
"See? You do get hurt!" Kogasa stood up and ruffled Suika's hair affectionately. "Don't drink so much next time, okay? " she smiled.
"A-Ah… O-Okay…" Suika found herself complying obediently like a little child.
"Anyways, you must be hungry, so I'll go help Reimu prepare dinner!" Kogasa started heading out the room. "I've got to contribute or Reimu will chase me out. Look forward to my cooking! " she winked and was out the door.
Suika stared after Kogasa blankly, her mouth agape. This… girl might just be a bit more troublesome than she thought…
"Reimu…" Suika called out to the miko, her head slumped on her arms, which were sprawled all about the dinner table. "Reimu…!" Suika repeated, sounding a little listless.
"What! What is it?" Reimu came grudgingly at Suika's beckoning. Counting the previous day as day one, this was day two of Kogasa's stay. Suika had managed to convince Reimu not to count the day before when Kogasa first arrived. So day two it was. Well, that still left Suika with five short days.
"What? Have you finally decided what to do with Kogasa?" Reimu asked.
"I'm working on it, I'm working on it," Suika batted away Reimu's inquiry. "And besides, do you really hate her that much?" Suika asked, "She's been helping you with the chores…"
"Well… She's pleasant, I'll give that, but I really don't have the finances to support the both of you," Reimu said. "Believe me, I'd like her to stay if I could, so don't paint me like the bad guy, okay?" Reimu gave a glance back to the kitchen from which she emerged. In it, Kogasa was happily watching the fire to a pot of soup that Reimu had her prepare. All in all, the karakasa was proving herself useful, definitely more so than the horned bag of alcohol Reimu had before her.
"She certainly is much more useful than you," Reimu said bluntly. "At least she helps me with stuff." Maybe I should keep her and get rid of Suika, a little devil miko whispered into Reimu's ear, which the angelic side of her was quick to agree with.
"Well… then let me help you with a little something," Suika dug down into her pocket and held out a fist to Reimu.
"What? What is that?" Reimu asked, stretching out her hand.
"Here you go," Suika let go, and several metallic discs fell with a healthy "clink" sound into the fast wide-eyed Reimu's hand.
"C-Coins? !" Reimu was aghast. "C-Coins? !" she repeated, staring at Suika with disbelief.
"Yup," Suika said simply.
"Coins? " Reimu asked again, as if each time she asked would make the coins more corporeal to her. Suika… Was giving her coins? !
"Yes, I'm giving you coins," Suika confirmed the simple act of giving Reimu coins. "I just need you to help me get something."
"You're PAYING for something? !" Okay… Okay! Something's definitely not right with Suika, Reimu thought, alarm bells going off in her head. Suika never pays for anything in the house. Something was off. Fishy. Th-That had to be it! Reimu reasoned. Suika is getting me to buy something for her with her own money because…
"You want me to get you something illegal, right?" Reimu asked seriously, suddenly very wary of Suika's coins. "You can't get it yourself so you're getting me to be your unwitting scapegoat, right?" she accused.
"No, I just want you to get me a futon," Suika sunk her head back down on her arms without so much as blinking at the accusation.
"… Eh?" Reimu blinked her eyes, a little confused.
Suika stared at Kogasa ahead of her in the kitchen, now cheerily whistling away as she tended to the rice. "Just… have it put it in my room," she added. The important point was that the futon was a separate one, Suika thought.
"…?" Kogasa turned around for a second and caught Suika staring at her, then smiled and waved back, signalling that breakfast would be ready in a minute. Suika weakly returned the smile, than slumped back down, all hot and bothered about what to do with Kogasa as well as the mere presence of Kogasa itself.
"…" Reimu studied Suika's expression. "You know… If one week is too short…" Reimu started, but Suika quickly shook her head.
"Nah… I suppose you're right," Suika kept her eye on Kogasa as Kogasa started to undo the apron around her waist now that she was finishing with the breakfast preparations. "It'll be… bad if she stays any longer," Suika kept staring involuntarily. Kogasa was now shaking her head, her blue hair cheerily waving about free from the kerchief that was tied around her hair to keep it falling into the food.
Reimu found herself staring at Kogasa too. There was… something attractive about the sight of Kogasa in the kitchen to Reimu too. "Maybe I should really keep her," she unconsciously mumbled out loud.
Suika stared at Reimu in astonishment and Reimu met Suika's gaze. "Oops!" Reimu laughed a little, "I meant she would really make a good pet!" she elaborated dreamily. "A nice little pet that makes your bed and cooks your food…"
"… You shameless bastard…" Suika deadpanned a little and returned to looking at Kogasa, who was now placing the food on the trays to be brought to the dining room.
"Or…" Reimu twirled her hair a little playfully as she stared at Suika out of the corner of her eye, "She could make a good… I don't know? Wife?" Reimu suggested as innocently as possible.
"Hurgh!" Suika choked on air as she quickly brought down a palm to the table, her reaction causing Reimu to break into laughter. "One week is all I need!" Suika declared as Reimu hugged her sides, laughing out loud. "One week! I'll find her someplace else to settle in!"
"Haha…! Okay, okay!" Reimu was still laughing as Suika looked away, pouting. This was the scene a breakfast carrying Kogasa was greeted with as she entered the dining area.
"Urm… Is everything okay?" Kogasa asked, a little unsure of the reason for such a scene.