Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Touhou characters, settings or any other original material created by ZUN or any other affiliates. All Touhou copyrights belong to their respective owners.
Ch. 49: Goodbye
"Yuugi… Yuugi…?"
"Nngh…?"
"Yuugi… Wake up…"
Ah… Eh…? Parsee…?
"Come on… wake up…"
Hmmm…? She sounds rather impatient…
"Wake up…! Honey… Wake up…!"
Alright… Alright I'm… -? ! H-Hon…? ! Did she just-
"Wake up, honey…"
N-Nghh…. Yuugi struggled to open her heavy eyelids. Before her, blurry but unmistakeable, was the fair and coolly radiant visage of Mizuhashi Parsee, her large, emerald eyes shiny with just a dainty hint of a sparkle like diamond dust. Ahhh… What a beautiful face…
"Honey…?"
"Heh… Since when did you start calling me so sweetly…?"
"… Am I not allowed to…?"
Hnnngh…! ! "N-No! Not at all… Not at all…"
"Th-Then…! Honey…!"
A-Ahhh… If this is a dream, please don't stop… "Yes, my darling…?"
"Yuugi honey… I really love you…"
"Me too…"
"I love you so much…"
"M-Me too…!"
Icy smooth arms surrounded Yuugi's neck and linked behind her as Parsee drew herself closer to the Oni, "I love Yuugi so much…"
A-Ahh…! ! ! This is heaven…! ! ! "Parsee…! ! !"
"I can't wait to add you to my Yuugi collection…!"
… Eh…? H-Huh-?
"You'll be my very, very special 158th Yuugi…"
HUH? ! "W-Wait!" Yuugi panicked, the image of her angelic bridge princess before her suddenly waxing and waning, "I- Y-Your- Your collection-? !"
"I love you sooo very much!" Now it was just Parsee's hand before her. A giant Parsee hand.
"N-No! What sort of warped Parsee is this- Get me out of here! Get me-"
"You'll be with me forever, Yuugi honey! Forever…"
"N-No…! No! ! ! NOOOO! ! !" Yuugi screamed as the giant fingers closed all around her-
Slap!
"Gah!"
"Shut UP!" Parsee shouted in Yuugi's face.
"E-Eh…?" Yuugi sat blinking, having suddenly sprung up from her bed after being slapped hard in the face. Straddled over her legs and sitting on her knees was an irritated looking Parsee, her right hand still to the left of her after having dealt the wake up call.
"Wha… What were you making so much noise about in the morning? !" Parsee demanded of Yuugi.
"A-Ah… Ow… My face… Ow…! My head! !" Yuugi suddenly cringed and cradled her head in her hands.
"Sigh… This is what happens when you drink too much… Maybe I should be like how Kogasa is to Suika and start disciplining your drinking habit, I've been too lenient with you…" Parsee grumbled to the side.
"I-I don't think you really have the right to say that after hitting me like that…" Yuugi smirked under her breath, but suddenly cringed again as Parsee brought her left hand up this time.
"You think?" Parsee asked threateningly.
"Aww… Last night was our last night here! It was a cause for celebration…" Yuugi explained her excessive drinking, "Besides… If you're going to mind my drinking, does that mean you're going to properly play the role of my spouse now?" Yuugi sneaked in mischievously.
Parsee's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and…
Slap!
"O-OW? ! M-My face…!"
"Sh-Shut up! !" Parsee's face lit up like a red Christmas bauble, "I won't want to have anything to do with you if you keep saying such stupid things!" she yelled. Keen observers, however, will notice that she was still seated on Yuugi's legs and was in no rush to get off.
"Heh… You know…" Yuugi said after awhile as she rubbed her bruised cheeks pensively, "I still prefer this you after all, I guess…"
"… Eh?" Parsee's head tilted to the side in mild surprise.
"You know Parsee…" Yuugi took a moment to look at Parsee in the eyes, "I had this really weird dream just now where you were all lovey-dovey for me…"
"You dared to have such a dream…?"
"No, no! Put that hand of yours down and listen to me for a moment!" Yuugi chuckled and Parsee put her hand down, her eyes narrow and her lips a straight, impatient line.
"It's just that… A you who is not you sort of freaked me out and…" Yuugi struggled a little to find the words, "I guess what I mean is that… I just love who you are," she finished matter-of-factly.
"… Eh? ! EH? ! Wh-Where is this…? !" Parsee clamped both her hands over her mouth and turned away, her face a red Christmas bauble again, "Wh-Where is this coming from, you idiot? ! !"
"Hehe… I love you Parsee…" Yuugi smirked at her victory.
"Sh-Shut up!" Parsee trembled all over. Keen observers will notice that she was still seated on Yuugi's legs.
"… Oi…"
Both the one-horned Oni upon the bed and the bridge princess upon her turned to the side. There, seated on the edge of her own bed of the last few days, was a disinterested looking Ibuki Suika.
"Oh that's right… You're here too…" both Yuugi and Parsee observed simply.
Suika stared at them blankly, blinked a couple of times, got up, yawned and stretched, shuffled casually over to the toilet and closed the door behind her.
"… Ah… That was quite the embarrassing display we showed her, wasn't it?"
"Don't worry about it, Parsee, I'm sure Suika doesn't mind-"
Painful retching sounds could be heard coming from the toilet.
"H-Hey! You don't have to react so dramatically!" both Yuugi and Parsee shouted.
"What a racket you two were making just now…" Parsee said, although she did not seem at all displeased by it. To her right was Yuugi, and to her left was Suika, both Oni bearing luggage as the trio made their way down the corridor. It was finally time to check out and leave the resort, and even if they did not want to, their monetary resources would not have allowed them to stay any longer…
"Us? Didn't you have a huge part in it…?" Suika questioned Parsee's omission of her own contributions.
"Oni (read gentlemen) are supposed to take the flak for ladies such as myself, aren't they?" Parsee shamelessly said.
"You're Yuugi's precious little princess, not mine…" Suika said to no one in particular.
"Oh… You're all rather early…" a certain kasha greeted them at the base of the stairs.
"Orin?" Suika greeted with a question.
"Yep, it's Orin!" Orin replied with an answer, "I've come to see you off!"
"How nice of you," Parsee said, "But… Where are the er… others?" she gave Suika a furtive look.
Parsee meant Kogasa.
"Oh? The others? Oh, they'll be here shortly, don't you worry… They won't want to miss the chance of seeing you and Yuugi and Suika off," Orin reassured Suika- I mean the group with a wink.
Orin meant Kogasa.
"I guess that's all in order then… Nothing to worry about!" Yuugi chimed in, "Hey Suika, the people here have been rather nice to us, you got anything special to say to them before we leave?" she slapped Suika on the back.
Yuugi meant Kogasa.
Next to Yuugi and very much more diminutive, Suika's facial expression was growing drier and drier.
"Guys… If you mean Kogasa, yes of course I've got something to say to her and can we please just get on with it? !" she slapped a palm to her face.
"Ah… We were worried you might end up not saying anything, what with your tsundere character and all…" the three replied her monotonously, "And then you might live the rest of your life in regret."
"I won't do such a thing!" Suika retorted vehemently.
"Giggle…! I really will miss the dynamic you all have…"
"Eh?" Suika turned around with a slight blush. Speak of the devil…
"H-Hello Suika! A-Although it's really goodbye, isn't it?" Before her was standing Kogasa, dressed in her equally blue yukata, her hair pulled back in a bun, loose strands of wavy hair framing her slightly sad but smiling face, her heterochromatic eyes wide and bright.
"Kogasa…" the little two-horned Oni walked up to the little karakasa.
"Shhh… people back off, back off! Let's give these two a space for their special moment," was what the gossip group of Yuugi, Parsee and Orin were whispering.
"… Do you have your umbrella with you, Kogasa?"
"… Of course, the umbrella and I are one. But Suika, my umbrella isn't a weapon you know."
"… You're the last person I want to hear that coming from…"
"Giggle… Well, if you insist, my dear Suika-sama. I am the umbrella you picked up after all…" Kogasa smiled and handed over her purple coloured umbrella, "Oh! And I thought I had to call you 'Suika-sama', since it may be the last time I get to do that," she scratched her chin cheekily after observing Suika nearly choked on air.
"… Heh, thanks," Suika recovered and grinned. Now with umbrella in hand, she turned upon the gossiping trio menacingly.
"I just adore the way Suika looks at Kogasa, don't you? It's so different from how she looks at us- Hey, Suika, done so quickly-? Wh-What's that in your hand…?"
Slash!
Pichu~n! Pichu~n! Pichu~n!
"Ahhh…! Suika-sama…!" Kogasa cried out all puppy eyed as Suika walked back triumphantly, a pile of three youkai slain in the background.
"All in a day's work! And would you stop calling me that please, I really am really uncomfortable with that," Suika grudgingly allowed Kogasa to latch herself onto one of her arms and rub her cheek against her shoulder.
"Hee hee… I'll miss you," Kogasa let go of Suika and smiled.
"Ah… Yeah… Me too," Suika nodded back.
"Oh… But now that you've knocked those three out… How are you going to go back?" Kogasa turned towards the unconscious trio and sweat dropped.
"Not to worry! I'll just carry them all! I am strong, you know! Just a little…" Suika curled an arm and patted her deceptively slender bicep with a wink.
"You're willing to carry them all?" Kogasa asked with surprise.
"Of course! I'm not going to leave my precious luggage behind, am I?" Suika placed her hands on her hips and smiled mischievously, "And as for the other miscellaneous stuff…" she indicated towards Yuugi and Parsee beneath Orin, "I'll just drag them behind."
"…! Haha… Th-That's mean, Suika!" Kogasa and Suika shared a laugh, while Yuugi, Parsee and Orin, now awake but still atop one another, cried out "Hey!" angrily from the corner.
"It's good to see you're all still so spirited," came a light but sharp voice. Everyone turned to see Satori make her way over with Okuu closely behind her, one of Okuu's large black wings slightly unfurled into a sort of cloak that hung about herself and Satori, as if to constantly protect her master.
"And look who comes entering in typical grandeur," Suika greeted, "You seem to be doing that rather often, coming in when everyone else is assembled. "
"Would you expect anything else from me?" Satori smiled. "So… You all ready to go?" she asked around.
"Yup," Yuugi replied simply on behalf of the group as she, Parsee and Orin finally got back on their feet, "We're good to go."
"No you're not," Satori countered.
"Eh?"
"At least not without these!" Okuu produced from within the feathers of her other wing a hidden bag of what looked like boxes within.
"Bentos!" Yuugi exclaimed in delight as Okuu handed over the boxed lunches to Parsee.
"Thank you, Satori," Parsee said after receiving the bag.
"Oh no, it is only courteous of us to do so. It is after all quite the long trip back," Satori bowed.
"Right… So now you're ready," Kogasa turned to Suika almost reluctantly.
At once, everyone's eyes fell upon the pair.
"… Could you all stop putting us in the limelight like that! It really is annoying," a vein throbbed in Suika's temple.
Eleven eyes remained squarely fixed on Suika. Thirteen if we count Kogasa's.
Suika swallowed uneasily under all the pressure, "… Ah well… Erm… Bye I guess-"
"THAT'S IT? ! !" Kogasa jumped back in surprise as one enraged Yuugi suddenly warped in the place of Suika in a giant golden blur, Suika herself seemingly vanished into thin air. It was not until she heard the impact of Suika hitting some random wall at breakneck speed did it occur to her that Yuugi, in her anger, had face kicked Suika away. "You're just going to leave it at some sloppy 'Bye bye', is that it? !" Yuugi yelled at the squashed speck of a chibi Oni some fifty metres away.
"YOU'RE SO DEAD, HOSHIGUMA YUUGI! !" Suika was heard yelling from the other side as soon as she got her head out of the concrete. Yuugi grinned widely and Kogasa cringed awkwardly while everyone else broke into varying levels of uneasy laughter.
"So… I guess this is goodbye," Suika looked Kogasa steadily in the eye. Parsee was joined by Yuugi some distance away at the main entrance, Yuugi hoisting most of the group's luggage with one hand over her shoulder. The two were looking back, patiently waiting for Suika to be done. Behind Kogasa stood Satori flanked by Okuu and Orin on either side.
"Y-Yup…" was all Kogasa could manage at the moment.
"Take good care of her, alright?" Suika asked Satori.
"Better than you," Satori smirked cheekily.
"Heh… Wouldn't expect anything less. And you! Don't mislead her or bully her or anything like that," Suika warned Orin.
"What? You'll come running if I do?" Orin asked teasingly.
"She'll come flying!" Okuu giggled.
"Ahh… Just cut to the chase and kiss her already!" Yuugi called out from the main entrance.
"I really will kill her when we get back…" Suika breathed. "Sigh… Well! Here's to a good life ahead!" she held out a hand to Kogasa.
"M-Mmm!" Kogasa nodded and grabbed the hand before her, her vision blurring a little. Faltering a moment, Kogasa then suddenly threw herself into Suika, tears running down her face.
"A-Ah… There, there…" Suika stroked the back of Kogasa's head.
"Come back really soon, okay?" Kogasa cried.
"I will, I promise," Suika hugged Kogasa.
"I believe you," Kogasa looked up at Suika with a smile.
"Well then… We have to do this or it'll get incredibly difficult later," Suika gently pushed a non-resisting Kogasa away. "So… Properly then… Bye bye," she said.
"Bye bye," Kogasa wiped the tears from her face and returned the goodbye bravely.
Suika waved goodbye to Satori and her companions, then turned around and walked away with a deliberately straight posture.
"… You're crying, aren't you?" Yuugi asked when Suika reached her side.
Suika sniffed and looked away, "Hah… N-No I'm not!" she denied vigorously.
Yuugi's mouth opened to say something nasty, but thought better of it and settled with just grinning silently at the unusually emotional Suika.
"… Come on then, we had better go or it'll be too dark to make it home," Parsee urged gently. Turning around, she waved "Bye bye!" on behalf of her Oni companions. Yuugi and Suika followed suit and saw Kogasa and the others waving back, Kogasa doing so while rubbing her face rather often with the other arm.
"So… Let's go!" Yuugi took a step out of the resort that had been their home for the past few days, and that was when Suika knew there was no more delaying it. But before she could follow Yuugi…
"I love you, Suika!" she spun around and saw a tearful Kogasa yell her confession after her. Unable to hold back, Suika could only cry as well and wave back one last time, Parsee looking as if she'll cry too and Yuugi rubbing the back of her head uncomfortably.
"Heh… Bye bye…" Suika murmured to herself and with a final wave, turned around and ran as hard as she could in the opposing direction.
The End