Chapter Twenty-One
I peel my eyes open, tearing away at the dried tears sticking them like superglue, and am met by the same barrenness that has flooded through me in the echoing silence since I regained the ability to feel things. I try to push myself upright, but my muscle scream in protest. I gasp in pain. My throat is dry and scratchy, but my arm refuses to pick up the glass of water on the bedside table. I cough twice.
"I-is anyone th-there?" I call out as loudly as I can. The words come out as no more than a hoarse whisper. A heavy, rhythmic, thud, thud, thud grows louder and the door swings open. Takeshi bursts into the room and comes over to me. He breathes a sigh of relief and helps me to sit up.
"Do you want water, Korin-chan." he asks, picking up the glass.
"Yes, please." I croak out. He holds the glass to my mouth and tips it up slightly, just enough for the water to flow down my parched throat. Once the glass is empty, he places it back on the bedside table and sits down on the bed beside me.
"How do you feel? What hurts?" he asks, taking my hand in his and rubbing it gently. He reaches up and brushes a strand of hair out of my eyes.
"N-nothing. I'm fine." I lie. Takeshi raises his eyebrows.
"If you don't tell me, I can't help you." he says.
"What happened?" I ask, and Takeshi sighs.
"I should have known you'd ask," he stops and coughs for a few seconds, "I don't know the full story, but I was going to get some food shopping for my parents when I felt a massive aura radiating from something in the forest. I looked in the direction of the aura and saw that there was some massive earth magic happening, but there was more than just that. It was obvious that there was either a fight or someone was being attacked by a Yokai. I sent one of my Shikigami out to check what was happening and rescue any humans. She brought you back. You were in a bad way," He shudders at the memory. "You were terrified, and whatever I tried, nothing could calm you down. I brought you back here, and you passed out on the way. Puked on me, too."
I wince, "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" I say. Takeshi shakes his head.
"It's fine, Korin-chan. All that matters is that you're okay. It was a really old top, anyway. I was planning on giving it to a charity shop. Korin-chan, what you saw was definitely a Kirin. Not many people witness their earth magic at close range and survive. I felt light-headed and shaky from the distance I was from it. The fact that you survived… Either you're stronger than any onmyoji, or you've done something to truly gain the trust of every Yokai in that forest."
"You've got to be kidding…" I say, grabbing hold of my head. It's throbbing from all of the information and the flood of memories it's triggered. Takeshi grins.
"Nope. Which just happens to be why my parents decided that Megumi, Satoshi and I should train you up a bit. None of us can wait to see what you can do."
The door swings open and smashes against the wall.
"I thought I heard people talking in here!" Satoshi screams. I wince and cover my ears. Satoshi blushes. "Sorry, Korin-chan." I wave my hand nonchalantly.
"It's fine, Satoshi-kun" I say. "What's this about you guys training me?" Satoshi grins and pushes his glasses up his nose.
"You're obviously really strong and powerful, because there's absolutely no way you could have gained the trust of every single Yokai in the entire forest, so we're going to whip you into shape and teach you to be a great onmyoji." he says, and his voice drips with sarcasm at certain parts. Takeshi looks slightly confused.
"Why did you say that there's no way she could have gained the Yokais' trust in that tone?" he asks. Satoshi shakes his head.
"No reason. It just seems like the sort of stupid thing she'd somehow manage to do." he says lightheartedly. I roll my eyes at his obvious reference to Hanako. My stomach growls loudly and I realise how hungry I am.
"Satoshi-kun… Please can you get me some food?" I ask. Satoshi nods.
"I think we've got some leftover ramen from last night. I'll reheat it." he says, and runs out to cook. Takeshi raises his eyebrows at me.
"Why did he say what he said in that tone?" Takeshi asks. I shrug.
"I honestly have no idea." I say. He shakes his head.
"There is definitely something you two aren't telling me. I will find out what it is." he says suspiciously. I roll my eyes.
Satoshi comes back into the room, carrying a steaming bowl of ramen.
"Budge up." he says to Takeshi, and he obliges. Satoshi sits down and begins to pick up noodles with a pair of chopsticks, blows on them and brings them to my mouth.
"I'm perfectly capable of eating myself." I say, trying to take the bowl and chopsticks from him. He shakes his head.
"Not a chance, Korin-chan. I'm not letting someone who's been unconscious for more than forty-eight hours have control of a bowl containing a hot liquid. You'll spill it." he says, and shoves the noodles into my mouth.
He feeds me for about ten minutes, until the bowl is empty. Partway through my meal, Takeshi has a coughing fit and leaves to get some fresh air.
"He still thinks he owes you, Korin-chan," Satoshi says as soon as Takeshi's left the room. "For how you helped him on the orienteering trip, even though he'd been a total prat before then. That's why he's so much nicer than he was when you first met him. There's someone outside of the family that he can open up to."
"Why would he owe me?" I ask, "He saved me the other day, and I never asked him to repay me in any way for orienteering."
"He got an earful from our parents, too. They said that there have only ever been two people born with the strength to survive a Kirin's earth magic, and they've both started wars between the Yokai and onmyoji in their area. All of the others have been children and teenagers, usually girls, who have helped a powerful Yokai in some way and gained their trust. My parents don't think that those who fraternise with Yokai deserve to live," he explains. I raise my eyebrows. "I want to know what we're dealing with here."
I laugh nervously and try to think of a way to avoid answering.
"It's the second, isn't it?" Satoshi asks. I nod. "Typical Korin-chan. Only you would be able to do something as stupid and unlikely as that. What did you even do?"
"It's kind of a long story… The first time I went into the forest, I find an injured Kirin. It had been caught in a trap of some sort. I went and got a bandage roll and got it out of the trap and then bandaged the wound." I explain. Satoshi laughs out loud.
"You did what? I'm sorry, but I think I must have misheard you. You cannot be serious." he says, shaking his head. He wipes tears of mirth from his eyes.
His head whips around towards the door and his laughter stops.
"You know it's rude to eavesdrop." he says coldly, darker than I've ever heard him. The door opens and Ezra comes in.
"I-I'm sorry. I wanted to see how Korin was doing. One of my friends is worried about her, too." he whispers. Satoshi's face softens.
"It's fine, Ezra-kun. I just thought that it was my idiot brother listening in, and I don't want to see how he would react to what we were talking about." I grimace at the thought of Takeshi finding out that I'd befriended Yokai. Ezra smiles slightly and comes across the room to me. He sits down opposite Satoshi and reaches his hand out to mine.
"How are you doing, Kor?" he asks softly. I nod with a smile.
"I'm fine. Really." Ezra doesn't look convinced. I change the subject. "So who's this 'friend' who's worried about me?" I ask. Ezra blushes and avoids making eye contact.
"Do you have a girlfriend, Ezra-kun?" Satoshi asks, his tone upset and his eyes filled with the sorrow of rejection.
"I-I well… I wouldn't say Mari-chan was my girlfriend exactly, but… Well…"
"Is 'Mari' short for something?" I ask him, my mind instantly flicking to Mariko. Ezra blushes and nods. "Do I know her?" He makes eye contact with me for a few seconds, then nods again.
"Is she a Yokai?" Satoshi asks. Ezra's eyes widen.
"I don't know. I don't think so. But then again, she knew what happened to Korin without me telling her…"
"Is 'Mari' short for Mariko?" I ask. Ezra nods. "She was there when the attack happened, I think. I remember what happened before and a bit of what happened during it. She knew something was about to happen, so she shielded me with her hair- she's a Kejoro- and the others all got ready to fight that dickhead Juro-"
"Juro?" Satoshi asks, sounding slightly panicked. "A couple of years older than me, from Shingu?" I nod. Satoshi claws at his face, groaning and repeating the word 'no' over and over and over again, sometimes asking himself how he could be so stupid.
"You know him?" I ask. But I don't need an answer. I've realised, now, where I recognised him from. "You have got to be kidding me." I say with a disbelieving laugh. "Satoshi-kun, he's a Ningyo. He brainwashed one of the oldest and most powerful Yokai in the forest."
"He must have brainwashed me, too." Satoshi says, his face scrunched up in disgust. "Ugh… The thought of it makes me feel sick."
"I'm so confused…" Ezra says, shaking his head.
"I guess it's not as bad as Ezra, though," I say to Satoshi. His tilts his head to the side in confusion. "He's actually dating a Yokai!" Ezra blushes a vibrant shade of red. I giggle.
"It's fine, Ezra-kun. Some Yokai aren't as bad as my family will try to tell you they are." Satoshi says.
"I've only ever met one that wasn't awesome." I say.
"How many Yokai do you know exactly, Korin-chan?" Satoshi asks me.
I begin counting them on my fingers, "Kirin, Hanako, Mariko, Satsuki, Bunko, Yuki, that Tsukumogami in my bedroom… And, of course, that good-for-nothing twat Juro…" I say, "That's eight." I say, holding up my hands to show my eight fingers.
"So I guess it's safe to say that seven out of eight Yokai are awesome, and the other one does not deserve to live." Satoshi says, "Or, Korin-chan has just had exceptionally good luck. Probably the latter." The three of us laugh.
"I still can't believe that Ezra has a girlfriend." I say. Ezra gives me a Shut up, bitch, look. I laugh.
"I still can't believe that you're the only single one in the family, Korin!" Ezra says, "Even Xander has a girlfriend." I poke my tongue out at him.
"Is there someone you like, Korin-chan?" Satoshi asks. "If I know them, I could put in a good word for you."
"If they're a Yokai, he could threaten to exorcise them and everyone they care about." Ezra adds. Satoshi laughs at him.
"You two are such idiots. The only man I have ever loved is an anime character who died tragically." I say. Satoshi smirks.
"Necrophilia. Nice." he says. I shake my head with a sigh. "Get some rest now, Korin-chan. You need it." He forces me to lay down. He and Ezra get up and leave, letting me drift off into dreams.