Author Note: There's really nothing like 2 years of life getting in the way of a story.
Lots has happened but I do work on this every day. It seems my problem isn't with the story itself, I've analyzed and tweaked it to death and it's been completed in my mind since 2014. My problem is in how to convey it in written form.
I have no excuses, only apologies. =\
omamori = [Japanese] protective amulets or lucky charms.
yaku-yoke omamori = [Japanese] protective amulets or lucky charm specifically for avoidance of evil.
kaiun omamori = [Japanese] protective amulets or lucky charm specifically for better fortune.
omikuji = [Japanese] small scroll of paper with general blessing written on them.
ema = [Japanese] wooden plaque for writing prayers or wishes on.
I don't own Sailor Moon or any songs and have tried to the best of my ability to site my references.
Takeuchi, N. (1991). Sailor Moon. Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan: Kodansha Ltd.
Clarkson, K., Hodges, D., Moody, B., (2004). Because Of You [Recorded by Kelly Clarkson]. On Breakaway [CD], North Hollywood, California: NRG Recording Studios.
Vesely, J. (2008). Fall For You [Recorded by Secondhand Serenade]. On A Twist In My Story [CD], New York, New York: Glassnote Records.
Brannan, J., (2008). Half-Boyfriend [Recorded by Jay Brannan]. On Goddamned [CD], Los Angeles, California: Nettwerk Music Group.
The character Superwoman belongs to DC Comics (cited May, 2017). The character is used merely as a descriptor for this fiction piece.
Chapter 35:
"Here, Grandpa," Rei said gently as she approached and handed her grandfather a can of hot tea from a nearby vending machine. Her breath came out in small, white puffs as it hit the crisp, morning air. She was wearing a pair of charcoal, banded sweatpants and an oversized, red hoodie that effectively hid most of her long, raven hair tucked into the back of it.
"Thank you, Reiko," Rei's grandfather said sincerely as he carefully took the offered drink. He was sitting on a worn, wooden bench, wearing his usual shrine garbs with the addition of a simple, thick, khaki jacket over his haori.
Whoooooooot! Eeeeeeeeeeee…Chhhhhhhhhhh!
The sound of a train whistling as it pulled in and came to a stop at the rural, outdoor station disrupted the once peaceful atmosphere that surrounded them.
"Right on time," Rei's grandfather said cheerfully as he collected his day-bag and stood up.
Rei pulled out her phone from her pocket and checked the time, 6:10am. "As usual," she said with a smirk. She loved the simplicity of her hometown, or at least where she grew up as it could hardly be considered a 'town' given how rural the area was. Everything seemed to always go as planned here.
"You sure you have everything you need?," Rei asked, a hint of concern evident in her tone as she returned the phone to her pocket and followed her grandfather as he headed to the open door of a passenger car.
"Yes, Reiko," Rei's grandfather chuckled good-naturedly, stopping at the door and turning to face the young archer, "You always make such a fuss over me, child."
"I just worry, that's all," Rei shrugged in feigned defensiveness.
"I know, my dear," Rei's grandfather replied with a soft smile, "And I appreciate it. Truly. I consider myself very lucky to have such a caring and loving granddaughter."
Rei averted her gaze to the side, nodding shyly in silent acknowledgement, "S-So I'll pick you up when your train comes in tomorrow morning?," she asked with a slight cough, attempting to act nonchalant and cover up how much her grandfather's words affected her. Only a slight blush that began tinting her pale cheeks and the hand she brought up to rub the back of her neck bashfully gave her away.
"Mmn," Rei's grandfather nodded in confirmation, "I will be sure to call you from the station in Musashino when I am on my way back."
Whoooot Whoooooooot!
The train whistle echoed throughout the station, signaling its inevitable departure.
"Oh! I must go or they will surely leave without me," Rei's grandfather said quickly with a chuckle as he turned to board the train, "I will see you soon, grandda-"
His words were cut short as he drew a sharp intake of breath, coming to a sudden stop in his tracks. His eyes widened in shock and surprise. As his mind began to catch up to what was happening, his senses took in an encompassing warmth surrounding him that was paired with strong, flame-red colors permeating into his being. It was gentle, yet sure, and so full of Love that it caused tears to pool in his eyes at the intensity of it.
"Have a safe trip, Grandpa," Rei's smooth voice said softly. Before her beloved grandfather was able to board the train, she knelt down to his height and brought him in for a big hug. She could feel the initial Shock and Hesitancy in his light-green colors at her actions, which caused her to hold him tighter, to show him that this was ok, that she was ok. A small, content smile formed on her lips as she felt his light-green aura begin to soften, his arms coming up around her to return the gesture.
They stayed that way for a moment longer before they both gently pulled away. Wise, dark orbs that shimmered with the hint of tears met intense, warm amethysts in a brief, silent exchange before Rei's grandfather broke the silence.
"Thank you, my dear Reiko," he whispered endearingly. Though his raspy voice was quiet, it carried a depth to it that meant so much more than the simple words themselves could ever convey. He brought his worn hand up to rest on the side of the archer's pale neck, "Be good while I'm away, ok?"
"Yes, Grandpa," Rei replied softly as she nodded obediently. He allowed his hand to slip gently away from his beloved granddaughter before turning and boarding the train.
Psssssssssh! Chhhhhhhhhh! Chug…Chug…Chug…Chug…
Rei stood up as the doors of the train shut and the locomotive began slowly pulling away from the station. She watched as her grandfather shuffled down the aisle of the passenger car to his seat. Once he was settled in a window-seat, he looked up at her and waved through the glass with a warm smile on his worn face. Rei smiled softly and gave a small wave back as he passed by. Once she was no longer able to see him, Rei turned and headed back through the station to retrieve her car and return to the shrine.
Once his granddaugher was out of sight, Rei's grandfather closed his eyes tightly and let out a long, shaky breath as the train cleared the station. When he opened them again, he couldn't help the proud smile that pulled at his worn lips. Rei had grown emotionally strong enough to allow others in. She was beginning to trust herself with others and, more importantly, entrust others with herself.
Thank you, Aino-chan, he thought to himself quietly as he brought a corner of his hakama sleeve up to his eyes to dab at the tears that started to form. He knew full-well that the young makeup artist was responsible for him being able to embrace his beloved granddaughter after so many years.
A thought crossed his mind and he let out a long, mournful sigh as his countenance fell. His dark eyes landed on the warm can of tea he was holding in his lap that Rei had given to him only moments ago.
Kami-sama, forgive me for my insolence and selfishness, he thought to himself as he closed his eyes and prayed silently, But please…just…one more time. Just…once more…that's all I ask.
The train continued steadily on its way, rattling down the track towards its intended destination.
"My dad's really smart. He's a teacher and knows lots of stuff," a chubby little boy, no older than 4 or 5 years old, boasted proudly, "What's your dad like?," he asked curiously.
"I don't have one. I just have a Mommy," a young girl about the same age with a melodic voice replied casually with a shrug, "But she's awesome!," she continued with pride, "She's like Superwoman. She has three jobs and-"
"Only bad kids don't have a mom and a dad," the boy interrupted matter-of-factly with an authoritative air, "My parents told me that no mom or dad would ever leave their kids unless they didn't want them or they did something bad. That means you must have done something to make your dad not want you anymore and leave."
"Nah ah!," the young girl retorted with exasperation, stomping her small foot to emphasize her words.
"Yeah, huh! Ask your mom!," the boy jeered as he pointed a chubby finger accusingly at the little girl, "I bet she tells you that you did something really bad! I bet she says there's something wrong with you and that's why your dad left!," he taunted as he ran off.
Cha-Chunk
"…Mommy?," the young girl's soft, melodic voice was hesitant as she announced her presence to the woman who had just walked into the tiny apartment and shut the door.
"Honey? What's wrong? You should be in bed," the woman said with concern and surprise. Though she sounded tired, her voice was gentle and kind. She approached the young girl and knelt down to her height, "Are you ok? What on Earth are you doing up this late?," she asked as she reached up and brushed the young girl's bangs out of her eyes.
"Ummm…," the young girl began nervously, "Why…Why don't we have a dad?"
The woman paused, taken aback by the question that seemed to come out of nowhere. After a moment, she took an audible breath that seemed full of despair, "He…he left, honey," she replied softly, "He left a long time ago."
"Is it…," the young girl began, her innocent, melodic voice sounding close to tears, "Is it because I did something that-"
"No. Honey, no," the woman's voice replied reassuringly as she reached out and brought the young girl closer to envelope her in a comforting hug, "He left before you two were born. You didn't do anything wrong."
"Then…Is it because there's something wrong with me?," the young girl asked, her voice nearly a whisper now as she tried to hold back tears, anticipating her mother would confirm her fears, "Is that why he left?"
"No, honey. He just-" the woman began as she shook her head and pulled away to look at her child while keeping her hands on the young girl's shoulders. She stopped as her eyes were met by anxious sapphires, waiting for an explanation…a reason…anything, really.
Those eyes…the same color as his...
The woman averted her gaze to the floor, unable to hold those pleading cobalts any longer as she was transported back to memories of a moment in time so long ago, "H-He…He wasn't happy that...He just didn't like…H-He…didn't want-," the woman's voice cracked as she finished her sentence, the last word nearly lost behind her hand that swiftly came up to cover her mouth as her eyes closing tightly. She was silent for a moment before she took a sharp intake of breath, bringing her hand from her mouth to the corners of her eyes, subtly wiping away the tears that were beginning to form there, "It's…it's hard for Mommy to talk about, honey," she explained gently.
She took another deep breath and let it out slowly, composing herself as she began to reign in her own emotions. Once she found some semblance of control again, her eyes came up to meet those innocent, azure eyes as she formulated words to explain to her young child the complications of the adult world, "There's nothing wrong with you. With either of you. You didn't do anything wrong and it's not your fault, ok?" she said sincerely with conviction, emphasizing her words as she squeezed her daughter's shoulders comfortingly.
The young girl nodded softly in reply.
"Ok," the woman responded. She kissed the young girl softly on the forehead before she stood up, "In any case, he's gone. There's no need to talk about him anymore," she said quietly but just loud enough for the young girl to hear.
The woman began sniffling, "M-Mommy's really tired, honey," she said quickly, her voice barely above a whisper and began to crack again as she turned away, "It's late, y-you should go to bed too. I love you."
The young girl watched as the woman quickly walked past her, sniffling more now, as she entered a room and shut the door swiftly but quietly behind her. The young girl stood there for a moment before slowly making her way to the bedroom that she shared with her twin sister. As she laid in bed, tears slowly trickled from her eyes onto her pillow as her mother's words played over and over in her mind until she cried herself to sleep,
"H-He…He wasn't happy that...He just didn't like…H-He…didn't want…
…girls."
Sapphire eyes shot open wide as Minako took a sharp intake of breath, abruptly waking from the dream she was experiencing. As the gorgeous blonde blinked a few times, she sniffled as she rolled to her back and stared at the lone dome light in the center of the ceiling in an attempt to orient herself.
She was laying on a white, twin-sized futon on the tatami floor of Rei's bedroom. To her right a few feet away was a wall made of a row of shōji doors that led to the backyard and allowed for the natural, early-morning light to seep into the simple room. To her left a couple feet away was a solid wall painted in a light, earthy-green color that had a couple, simple wall-scrolls with Shinto teachings painted on them in beautiful calligraphy. The wall directly below her feet a few feet away was mostly plain, cream-colored, fusuma doors that kept the contents of Rei's closet tucked away, save one part of the right corner of the wall, which was where the door that led to the rest of house was located. In the top-left corner a few feet away from her head was a modest bookcase that housed a few books, a small panda plush-doll, and some photos of a younger Rei with her grandfather, some of Haruka and Michiru when they were younger, and an older, slightly-yellowed photo of a young, stunningly beautiful, blunette woman who bore a striking resemblance to Rei wearing an elegant, pink kimono with white flowers printed on the fabric, sitting gracefully on one of the stone benches in the backyard. Directly above her head was another wall, but with a large, circular, wooden window with two muntins that bisected the window vertically and horizontally through the center for a view of part of the backyard on this side of the property. To the top-right corner a few feet away from her head was a sizeable, wooden table meant for the center of the room during the daytime with four zabutons neatly stacked on its surface. Tucked between the bookcase and the table was Rei's neatly, folded twin-sized futon, blanket, and pillow.
The sounds of distant birds chirping and the bubblings of water flowing in the backyard helped to calm her nerves as she found her bearings. She sniffled again and, as she blinked, realized that she had been crying in her sleep. She took a deep, shaky breath, and released it slowly to steady herself as she brought a hand up to wipe away the residual tears and wet trails that had formed in the corners of her azure eyes due to her troubling dream.
But...what was the dream? She had awoken so abruptly, she could only recall mere snippets here and there and even those minuscule pieces were quickly fading from recollection. But the vivid emotions, the heaviness, the…pain…continued to remain just so.
The gorgeous blonde raised herself to a sitting position, pulling her knees that were still under the covers close to her chest as if to warm herself from the chills that lingered from the dream.
Would she even consider it a dream at all? It felt so real…so tangible.
She rested her chin on her knees as she pulled them closer. Her elegant eyebrows knit together in a worried line, trying to comprehend what could have possibly triggered such intensity in her sleep. She retraced her steps from the day before, beginning with arriving at the shrine, chatting with Rei's grandfather, taking a tour of the grounds, and ending the day with dinner and stargazing where Rei's grandfather shared some of his astrology knowledge and old folklore tales his parents used to tell him, while Rei added in her own knowledge on mythology she learned in college. From there, she and Rei prepared Rei's room for bed by laying out their futons side-by-side, discussed plans for the next day, and fell asleep cuddling and holding hands.
She absently slid a hand up to toy with her locket at the thought of Rei and her grandfather. Their relationship was incredibly adorable. The way Rei grumbled but allowed her beloved grandfather to tease her with his signature sense of humor, how respectful and obedient she was to him and how he doted on her and beamed with pride any time he would talk about her. It was sweet and she could tell that they loved each other practically like father and daughter.
An uneasiness began to settle in her chest at the thought. She shut her eyes tightly and buried her face into her knees as if to block out the world. Though she did breathe a sigh of relief and greatly appreciated the fact that Rei's grandfather was so welcoming to her and treated her like family given her and Rei's relationship, a small part of her felt a bit…troubled. Minako always thought she wasn't missing anything being raised in a single-parent household, despite the fact that her mother worked so hard and was out most of the time supporting her and Usagi.
Now, after seeing how close Rei and her grandfather were, a part of her…maybe…to some degree…wished...
- I'm forced to fake a smile, a laugh everyday of my life. My heart can't possibly break when it wasn't even whole to start with. Because of you, I never stray too far from the sidewalk. Because of you, I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt. Because of you, I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me. Because of you, I am afraid. -
The sounds of a pop-piano ballad softly playing nearby effectively disrupted the makeup artist's thoughts. Minako lifted her head and opened her cobalt eyes to glance down at her phone which was lying on the floor next to her futon and streaming music that was meant to act as an alarm of sorts to help her wake up so she could assist with the shrine as promised. She reached over, flipped the device open, and pressed a button to stop the music. She glanced at the time, 6:10am.
I should get up and shower, she thought to herself, hoping she'd be able to wash away the weight in her chest and the disturbing feelings she had conjured during slumber.
She slid out of her futon, folded it away with Rei's bedding, moved the table and zabutons back to the center of the room, collected the items she needed to start her morning routine, and headed towards the bathroom.
Once Minako had finished her morning routine and had breakfast, she made her way to the backyard to take a moment and enjoy her coffee. She was wearing a white tank-top, army-green shorts, and a pair of wooden sandals as she sat with her legs crossed on a stone bench near the koi pond, listening to the soothing sounds of water as it flowed into the pond and through the backyard.
The anxiety she had upon waking was quickly forgotten as she breathed in the peaceful morning air, taking in the tranquility of the place, and letting it out in the form of a content, melodic sigh. Though she had only spent less than a day here at Rei's home so far, she had already decided that it was definitely one of her favorite places in the world, with the backyard being the favorite, hands-down.
As Minako savored the last of her morning coffee, she decided it was time to get down to business and head over to familiarize herself with the gift shop. She was about to stand up and head back to the kitchen to put up her coffee mug when-
Ssssshuck…Ssssshhhuck…Thunk…
A muffled sound caught her attention. She paused her movements for a moment to listen, wondering if perhaps it was something she just imagined.
…
When she was met only with the natural sounds of the backyard, she relaxed and let out a soft chuckle, I guess it was just my imagina-
Wwwwrrrrrrrr…
Minako let out a quiet, startled gasp as she jumped up from her seat. She turned quickly towards the muffled sounds, which seemed to be coming from behind her within the shrine.
Thunk…Ssshhh…Ssshhh
Adrenaline coursed through her veins as her heart began to race. Her thoughts began betraying her, imagining all sorts of possibilities from ghosts, to rabid woodland creatures, to robbers or thieves.
Clink…Clack…Ssshhh…
The muffled sounds continued to come from the shrine, causing Minako's curiosity to win out over her fears. She swallowed hard before quietly making her way to the edge of the deck that bordered the back of the shrine. She slipped out of her wooden sandals and tip-toed quietly towards the back shōji doors of the shrine.
The sounds got louder as she quietly slid one of the doors open, confirming that they were in fact coming from within the space. Wide, wary cobalts scanned the vast space within the shrine cautiously. The space itself was mostly illuminated by the morning sunlight seeping through the thin material of the shōji doors…
Except for a small sliver of harsh, artificial lighting that contrasted sharply with the natural glow coming from outside. The incandescent light, was escaping from a narrow slit where one of the wood panels near the front shōji doors towards the far-left corner was left slightly ajar.
Clack…Ssshhh…
There was no doubt now that the sounds were definitely coming from behind the barely open wooden panel. Minako swallowed hard and quickly scanned the room again to see if there was any form of weapon she could use to defend herself before investigating the sounds. Her azure eyes landed on a simple, bamboo broom that was partially tucked underneath the elevated platform where she and Rei's grandfather had sat the day before.
Minako tried to keep her breath steady and quiet as she tip-toed towards the stage, placed her mug down on top of it, and gingerly picked up the broom. Holding the item in both hands tightly, she cautiously made her way to the wooden panel.
Thunk…Clack clack…Ssshhh…
The sounds continued to increase in volume as she neared. She could hear soft rustling sounds and shuffling that confirmed to Minako that perhaps it was not a 'what' that was behind the panel, but rather a 'who'.
She continued to approach quietly and was able to close the distance unnoticed with less than a foot to go from the panel until…
…crrrEEAAAAkkkk…
Minako froze as one of the floorboards she had stepped on groaned loudly beneath her foot.
The sounds coming from behind the wooden panel abruptly stopped. After a moment, she could hear a quiet, slow shuffling coming from behind it that seemed to be coming towards her.
Fuck!, she cursed to herself, barely even able to breathe. Whoever was behind the panel was getting closer and was bound to run into her. Knowing it was too late now to run, she steeled herself and gripping the broom in her hands tighter, slowly raising it in a ready position as she watched the wooden panel slowly slide open.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!," Minako screamed as she closed her eyes and swung the broom down as hard as she could.
"WHOAAAA!," she heard a male voice cry out.
CRASH! CLASH! THUNK THUNK!
The frazzled blonde hesitantly opened her azure eyes to see a figure with long, shaggy, brown hair that went just past broad shoulders, face-down, sprawled on the floor, and moaning painfully. He was surrounded by an array of cleaning supply bottles, stiff-bristled brushes, rags, some buckets, and a couple mops that were scattered across the floor of what appeared to be a small storage closet.
The man groaned and he slowly struggled to bring himself up onto his elbows. As the man let out another groan while attempting to pull his knees underneath himself to try and get up, Minako came back to her senses and cobalt eyes widened as she began to register the pale-green hakama and white haori the man was wearing.
"Oh, shit!," she exclaimed in mortification as she dropped the broom and immediately went to kneel down next to the man, "Oh my gods! I'm so sorry!," she said as she reached out to try and helped him up, "Are you alri-"
"I-I don't have any money!," the man sputtered as he jerked away quickly from Minako, causing her to jump back suddenly. The man's voice, though filled with panic, was low and had a husky quality to it. He kept his head down and his hands up defensively in surrender, "B-But you can take my car! J-Just leave the shrine alone, ok? Please! I-It's a holy place!"
Minako was puzzled for a moment by the man's reaction until realization hit her, "O-Oh! N-No, no, no!," she exclaimed loudly, "I-I'm just visiting! I heard some noises coming from back here and I thought you were an intruder or something!," she clarified frantically as she waved her hands in front of her to emphasize her point.
The man paused for a moment before raising his head hesitantly to look at his attacker warily, his eyes mostly hidden behind long, full bangs. Minako smiled apologetically as she waved gingerly with one hand, "Hi," she managed sheepishly, "You must be the apprentice?"
The man blinked a couple times before he let out a loud, relieved sigh and began chuckling as he relaxed, "H-Hi," he managed with a nod, "Mmn, I'm-," he let out another groan as he tried to stand up, interrupting his statement.
"Here, let me help you," Minako said quickly as she took hold of his arm and helped the man stand up.
"T-Thanks," the apprentice replied once he was standing. Minako stepped back a bit to give him space to breathe and stretch the soreness from his muscles. She noticed, once he had straightened, he was a whole head-and-a-half taller than herself, appeared to be about her age, and had a bit of stubble on his classically handsome face.
The young man let out an audible breath as he brought a hand up to run his fingers through his thick hair, briefly brushing the bangs out of his face to reveal bushy, brown eyebrows and kind, dark-blue eyes, "Woooh! I guess that's one way to get your blood going in the morning," he commented humorously.
"You ok?," Minako asked with concern, "I was so nervous when you opened the door that I closed my eyes when I took a swing at you. I hope I didn't hit you too hard."
"A-Actually, you missed," the apprentice replied sheepishly as his cheeks tinted a slight shade of red. He brought a hand up to scratch his cheek, as he looked away, "I managed to dodge when you swung, but then I ended up running into the shelves behind me and that's when everything ended up falling on top of me."
They stood there for a moment before both of them began to chuckle at the situation, which turned quickly into a good laugh, breaking the earlier tension.
"Well, anyways, I'm really sorry," Minako said once their laughter began to die down.
"No, it was my fault for startling you," the apprentice said reassuringly. He brought his arm up so he could read his wristwatch, "We usually don't get visitors to the shrine this early in the morning so I wasn't really expecting anyone to be in here right now."
"Oh, I'm not here to visit the shrine," Minako clarified, "I mean, I sort of am. I'm actually here visiting Ojiisan with-."
"F-Forgive me!," the young man exclaimed abruptly in mortification as he immediately bowed low towards Minako, startling her from her explanation, "I should have known it was you!," he contined, "My deepest apologies for disturbing you and your morning prayers! I hope I can be of great service to you today!"
"…E-Excuse me?," Minako commented after a brief moment once she registered his statements. She was puzzled by the apprentice's reaction.
The young man looked up hesitantly, "A-Aren't you Sensei's granddaughter?," he asked nervously, "I mean…you said you were here to see your 'Ojiisan', right? He told me that you would be visiting and I would be in your care for some of the time as part of my training?"
It was the young man's turn to be confused as the gorgeous blonde before him began to laugh melodically in response. He straightened slowly, tilting his head as he eying her questioningly.
"I think we need to start over," Minako finally responded with a friendly smile as her laughter at the situation came to an end. She bowed politely towards the apprentice, "Good morning, my name's Aino Minako and I was trying to say I'm visiting the shrine with Ojiisan's granddaughter," she said before she straightened, "She went to drop him off at the train station earlier this morning and hasn't come back yet. I'll be helping out with the giftshop for today. And, just to be clear, he told me to call him 'Ojiisan' so we're not actually related or anything."
"O-Oh! Oh, I see. Sorry about that," the apprentice nodded with a bashful blush, finally understanding the situation. He bowed politely towards the gorgeous blonde, "My name's Kumada Yuuichirou. I'm originally from Sapporo and I'm a senior at Kokugakuin University, studying to become a priest. I've been apprenticing with Sensei here at the shrine for the past year to prepare for graduation so I can go back home and sit for my Jinja Honchō exam and become a priest at the shrine in my hometown."
"Nice to meet you, Kumada-san," Minako nodded cheerfully as Yuuichirou straightened.
"Likewise," Yuuichirou responded in kind. His gaze shifted slightly to the side of Minako and he began to chuckle to himself.
"What's so funny?," Minako asked curiously.
"Nothing, sorry," Yuuichirou replied as he returned his gaze towards the make-up artist, "Actually, the reason I was in here in the first place was to find a broom so I could sweep up the courtyard out front." He gestured towards the broom on the floor that Minako had used to attack him earlier, "I wasn't really expecting the broom to come find me."
Minako giggled in response to Yuuichirou's joke. She was starting to become more comfortable around the apprentice, given his polite and mild-mannered personality. She bent down, picked up the broom, and handed it to him, "Yeah, you should really be careful with that thing. It can be pretty lethal," she joked playfully.
"Apparently," Yuuichirou responded in playful agreement as he took the broom, also becoming comfortable around Minako, given her sense of humor, "So, you said you were going to help run the giftshop today, right? Since Sensei's granddaughter isn't back yet, would you like me to help you get that set up?"
"Sure, that'd be great," Minako replied cheerfully with a nod. She looked towards the ground and began to giggle, "But you probably need more help than me right now, huh?" she joked as she gestured towards the mess that was still on the floor.
"Oh, right. Yeah, I guess so," Yuuichirou said bashfully, his cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. He chuckled as he brought the back of his hand up to rub the edge of his forehead. He winced slightly as his hand brushed upon a bruise that was beginning to form a little above his right eye.
"Why don't we leave this here for now," Minako suggested worriedly, noticing Yuuichirou's discomfort and the bluish-purple bump beginning to form above his eye. She stepped closer and reached up, gently brushing Yuuichirou's thick bangs out of the way so she could help examine the severity of his injury, "I think maybe you and I should go inside first. We can-"
"I-I'm sorry, A-Aino-san!," Yuuichirou interrupted hurriedly. He quickly took a step back and held his hands up in an apologetic, defensive manner that kept Minako away and out of reach, "I-It's just that…w-well, I…w-what I'm trying to say is…i-it's not that you're…oh, boy," he stammered nervously. He averted his gaze to the ground and brought a hand to rub the back of his neck anxiously in an attempt to collect his thoughts.
Minako was perplexed by this reaction, noticing that his face had begun turning red. She became even more confused and arched a delicate eyebrow at the apprentice as the seemingly nonsensical fragments of statements followed. But she allowed him to finish so she could see where exactly he was going with his odd train of thought,
"Sorry, I just…," the apprentice continued nervously, "Y-You see I…I have a girlfriend…a fiancé, really…b-back home in Sapporo. And I really love her, s-so…I mean, you're nice and all, but…y-you and I…w-we, we can't-"
"Whoa! Wait a minute! What!?," Minako interrupted loudly, her cobalt eyes grew wide with mortification from Yuuichirou's implications. She reflexively put her hands up innocently, taking a slight step back to emphasize her point as a slight blush began painting her delicate cheeks at the implication in Yuuichirou's comments, "N-No, no! Gods, that's totally not where I was going with that!" She raised her left hand and gestured above her left eye, "It looks like you have a pretty nasty bruise growing right here from earlier," she explained quickly mirroring the location of his bruise on herself, "I was just trying to say we should go find you some ice in the kitchen or something to help with that!"
Yuuichirou blinked a few times, processing Minako's words, before his face turned a deep shade of crimson, "M-My apologies, Aino-san!," he exclaimed, immediately bowing low towards the gorgeous blonde, "I thought that you…I mean, I didn't want you to think that I…oh, Kami-sama, please forgive me! I-I hope I didn't offend you!"
"N-No, it's ok," Minako reassured, taking a subtle breath of relief to calm her nerves from the miscommunication.
Yuuichirou sheepishly straightened slowly. His eyes were trained on the floor as he raised a hand to aimlessly scratch his cheek, "I-I've been told that I have a tendency to…rush to conclusions," he stated hesitantly.
"Apparently," Minako responded in a teasing manner.
"S-Sensei's been helping me to slow down and work on that through my meditations," Yuuichirou explained, "But I guess…old habits die hard," he shrugged with an apologetic tone.
The apprentice was met by melodic laughter and he looked up to see the gorgeous blonde before him nearly doubled over laughing. He anxiously eyed the gorgeous blonde, unsure of what to make of her reaction, still nervous about possibly offending the young woman.
"You know, if you weren't such an earnest guy, I probably would've thought you were just plain conceited," Minako finally managed once she was able to catch her breath, taking an opportunity to playfully tease the apprentice to break the tension. This seemed to have the desired effect as Yuuichirou began to chuckle in response to the friendly ribbing, "And, sorry to disappoint, but I'm actually taken as well," she continued teasingly with a playful wink, "When I said I was visiting the shrine with Ojiisan's granddaughter, I meant I was here with her."
"Oh," was all the apprentice said flatly in reply with a polite nod. There was a brief pause and Minako nearly broke into another fit of giggles as she was met by Yuuichirou innocent expression that plainly showed he had no idea what she was saying. She could almost see the question marks in his poor, honest eyes before the pieces began falling into place and it finally dawned on him what she meant, "Oh…OH! Oh, oh! I see! Got it! Cool!," he nodded and gave Minako a thumbs-up to convey that he now understood the situation. He seemed to visibly relax with this new piece of information, "Well…good! I'm glad that's all cleared up between us then!"
"You sure you didn't hit your head too hard earlier?," Minako asked cheekily with a playful smirk.
"Possibly," Yuuichirou replied good-naturedly with a chuckle as he brought his hand up again to gingerly probe the swollen area above his eye, wincing again as a sharp pain followed the action.
"Mou! Stop touching it!," Minako chided as she stepped forward and gently swatted his hand away. She quickly turned him around and began marching him towards the back shoji doors of the shrine, pushing him along, "Now let's go take care of that before you make it any worse and lose more brain cells!"
A full laugh was all the apprentice responded with as he allowed himself to be shoved towards the house by the bubbly blonde.
- This is not what I intended. I always swore to you I'd never fall apart. You always thought that I was stronger. I may have failed, but I have loved you from the start. Oh, but hold your breath because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you over again. Don't make me change my mind or I won't live to see another day. I swear it's true. Because a girl like you is impossible to find. It's impossible. So breathe in so deep. Breathe me in, I'm yours to keep. And hold onto your words 'cause talk is cheap. And remember me tonight when you're asleep. -
"Really?," Yuuichirou asked in disbelief over the smooth, alternative rock song playing over a small, portable radio. He was standing outside the front of the giftshop's display counter, the omamoris he was holding quickly forgotten given his shock.
"Mmn," Minako replied from inside the gifshop as she wrote down the number of yaku-yoke omamoris she had counted onto a makeshift inventory log she created. She carefully gathered most of them and placed them neatly in a cardboard file box before setting that on a shelf nearby. Once complete, she collected the remaining ones she left out and began arranging them on the display counter near other various omamoris and trinkets. After helping Yuuichirou tend to his wounds and adorning a spare set of miko garbs Rei's grandfather had provided for her to use for the day, the pair began setting up the quaint giftshop.
The shop itself was little more than a simple bamboo hut that could hold perhaps three to four individuals snugly inside. A single door at the rear served as an entrance and exit for staff to come and go while the front had a large cut-out and simple, long wooden plank jutting outwards to serve as a display counter and service window. The roof was high enough for there to be three levels of shelving and drawers on both sides of the interior housing boxes marked with inventory and supplies. After a quick examination, the make-up artist realized instantly that there was really no organized system in place for the merchandise and knowing how many were sold or restocked and began creating one from scratch with Yuuichirou's help. Given their comical introduction to each other earlier in the day, they continued their friendly relationship and conversations as they performed their tasks under Minako's expertise and guidance.
"No, seriously, Aino-san," the apprentice insisted, getting the gorgeous blonde's attention, "You're saying Hino Rei…the Hino Rei…is Sensei's granddaughter?," he asked in subdued astonishment.
"Mmn," Minako replied matter-of-factly as she nodded with a casual shrug, "It's probably good for you to know now so you're not taken by surprise later when she comes back from the train station."
"Wow," was all the young man could say, still in awe by this new piece of information. His attention immediately went back to Minako, "Wait…Earlier you said you were dating Sensei's granddaughter. So…that means…," he allowed the sentence to trail off as a wide, friendly smile appeared on his face, "Awesome! Way to go!," he exclaimed as he raised his hand up towards her.
"Thanks," Minako chuckled in amusement as she leaned over the counter and returned his high five, "But I have to warn you, she's really protective of her privacy and space. Especially when it comes to strangers. She can be a bit…standoff-ish," the gorgeous blonde explained, trying in her own subtle way to support Rei in having to be in close proximity to a male stranger without giving too much away, "It'll help if you just stay calm when you're around her but also give her some space, you know?"
"Oh, of course," Yuuichirou replied quickly as he nodded in understanding, "I mean, I'm sure she gets a lot of fans bombarding her because she's famous. For me, the fact that she's Sensei's daughter and is really experienced as a miko and running a shrine…and me having the opportunity to learn from her? It's just…Kami-sama, I'm just really amped to absorb as much as I can from her," he said eagerly as he continued organizing some kaiun omamoris on the display, "Ok, how does that look?," he asked, changing the subject to the matter at hand.
"Hmm," Minako said as she took a brief moment to eye the array of merchandise, "I think we need to have a couple more omikujis and emas on the table to round out the display," she said thoughtfully as more of a statement.
"Here, I can get them for you," Yuuichirou said cheerfully as he began making his way around the shop to the back entrance.
"It's ok, I'll get them," Minako replied as she collected a two-foot step ladder nestled in the corner next to the counter and set about retrieving the needed box.
- I don't know where we're going, but I know we've gone too far. And I hope it isn't showing, but I think I love you. And I can't believe you're leaving just when I let you in and when you had me believing I could feel again. -
The fluttery, indie-folk song played softly over the radio as Rei drove back to the shrine. Due to the morning sun already burning off the morning mist, she had opted to remove her hoodie in the car, which freed her raven mane and revealed the black T-shirt she was wearing underneath. As she turned onto the dirt road that led to her home, she instantly slowed the car to a stop and turned the volume down on the radio. Her elegant eyebrows furrowed as her intense amethysts narrowed ever so slightly.
I guess he's here already, Rei groaned to herself as she let out a dejected sigh. Her intense violets began tinting to a shade of indigo as she sensed an unfamiliar presence at her home. She swallowed hard, struggling to fight the tension that was beginning to set in while trying to keep in mind that she was doing this as a favor for her beloved grandfather. Her hands gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter at the thought of having to interact with a stranger…and a man no less…for most of the day. Yes, she agreed to be a gracious host and assist in mentoring her grandfather's apprentice, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She closed her eyes tightly as she took a deep breath to calm herself.
As she did that, her abilities were immediately drawn towards a comforting, warm, orange-gold essence, as if searching for solace from the anxiety developing. Even with just that simple sensation, she felt herself calm significantly, her shoulders falling slowly in relaxation from the tense state they were in. The corner of her alluring lips pulled up into a soft smile at the sensation, At least I won't be alone, she thought to herself reassuringly. She quickly pinpointed the gorgeous blonde's location at the giftshop before taking a couple deep, meditative breaths and relaxed her abilities. She opened her piercing, amethysts and, with a new found confidence, continued on her path towards her home.
"You sure you got it?," Yuuichirou asked cautiously. He had made his way into the giftshop and was standing nearby watching the make-up artist balancing precariously on the tips of her toes on the step-ladder to reach a box located on the top shelf.
"M-Mmn," Minako replied with slight strain and distraction in her melodic voice. Even in this outstretched position, she was just barely able to get the tips of her middle fingers on the edges of the desired container that held the items she was looking for.
"Careful," Yuuichirou said with concern as he took a small step closer, his arms reflexively rising ever so slightly as if that would help to steady the gorgeous blonde through her arduous task.
"Alllmooost…," Minako verbalized aloud absently as her elegant eyebrows furrowed slightly, focused on continuing to inch the box closer to the edge of the shelf so she could get a better grip on it. She could feel her persistence beginning to pay off as the container inched its way little by little towards her and she was now able to get her other fingertips around the corners of the box.
"Got it!," Minako said triumphantly as she began pulling the large box halfway off the shelf when suddenly, "Aah!," she let out a startled cry and her eyes shut tightly. Her hand immediately went to her head in response to a sharp pain that shot through her skull. It disappeared quickly and was replaced with a dull ache as the gorgeous blonde felt herself beginning to lose her balance.
"Look out!," she heard Yuuichirou cry before she braced herself for her fall.
CRASH! THUMP! CLASH!
Rei slammed on the brakes as a cold shiver ran down her spine, "…Mina," the whispered name flew from Rei's alluring lips full of anxiety before she realized she had said it.
The beautiful archer felt something just now. It was like an ominous shift in the gorgeous blonde's familiar aura that caused it to waver momentarily and left a noticeable impact in the atmosphere near the shrine. Somehow she knew, she just knew, something wasn't right.
She pushed the gas pedal hard as she sped up the hill towards the house.
Once the commotion ceased, Minako coughed and tried to catch her breath as the dust that was kicked up from the ruckus began to settle. She sensed something warm beneath her and it began to spasm with the sounds of deep coughing come from above her head.
"Y-You alright, Aino-san?," Minako heard Yuuichirou's voice cough out from above her head.
"M-Mmn, I think so," Minako replied a bit hoarsely. She managed to make her way up to her hands and knees, still a little dazed by what just happened, before carefully opening her dazed, sapphire eyes to get her bearings. She brought a hand up to brush her gorgeous, blonde hair out of her face and saw that the box she had been trying to collect was on the ground nearby, laying on its side, with some of the contents spilling out onto the floor. The step-ladder she had been using was kicked to the opposite end of the shop and laying haphazardly on the ground, still in its open position.
"That's good," she heard Yuuichirou sigh in relief, but the sound was oddly coming from beneath her rather than above her head this time. Confused by why the apprentice's voice would suddenly be coming from a different direction, she turned her attention down towards the sound of his voice and her cobalt eyes widened.
"Oh my gods! I'm so sorry!," the gorgeous blonde exclaimed, realizing she had been laying right on top of the young man and was currently straddling him in a fairly provocative position. She shot up to a sitting position and was about to jump off of him when, "Ow!," the sudden motion caused the lingering aching in her head to flare slightly and her eyes shut tightly in reaction. She yelped in startled pain and reached up instinctively to massage her temple with one hand while the other hand reached down to the floor to steady herself.
"Easy, easy," Yuuichirou said soothingly, though he groaned slightly as he propped himself up on his elbows, feeling the soreness in his back. He could already tell he was going to be feeling the effects from his earlier fall and this one for days to come, "What's wrong? You sure you're ok?," he asked with concern.
"M-Mmn," Minako nodded carefully, the aching sensation beginning to fade a bit, "It's nothing, I just got this crazy headache while I was getting that box. Probably from straining too hard to get it or something," she groaned, "Otherwise, I'm ok." She opened her azure eyes slowly and blinked a couple times to get her bearings before she brought her attention to the apprentice below her, "Thanks for catching me, by the way," she said sincerely, realizing that the young apprentice had protected her from injury.
"No problem. Here, try this," the apprentice suggested as he reached up and rested his hand on top of Minako's head, pressing his thumb firmly in the middle of Minako's forehead, "My fiancé's anemic and gets headaches all the time if she doesn't take her iron supplements. Usually if you put pressure on your forehead like this, it helps."
"Mmmm," Minako moaned as she closed her eyes and leaned into Yuuichirou's thumb, already feeling the dull ache in her head dissipating from the force of the counter-pressure, "That feels really good." She was so grateful for the relief that she didn't hear the sound of the giftshop door opening right then.
"Mina…what…the…," the sound of a soft, smooth voice laced with shock caused Minako's sapphire eyes to shoot open, where they were met with a breathtakingly beautiful, raven-haired woman standing at the door of the shop, staring back at her with intense violet eyes that were filled with a mix of confusion, disbelief, and…hurt.
"Rei-chan?," Minako responded with some confusion, taken by surprise by Rei's sudden appearance and the concerning look in those captivating lavenders before the weight of her position in relation to Yuuichirou came crashing down on her consciousness.
"R-Rei-chan!" she exclaimed loudly. She could feel her face beginning to flush from mortification as she immediately scrambled to her feet. Once she was standing, she bent down and lent Yuuichirou a hand in getting up, who groaned loudly during the process, "This is Kumada Yuuichirou, your grandpa's apprentice," she continued hurriedly. Once the young man was on his feet, she let him go to allow him to dust himself off with his hands while she directed her attention fully onto the beautiful archer, "I was just getting a box off the top shelf and I lost my balance," she said quickly in a flustered manner, "And Yuuicirou was here and he caught me as I was falling, and…" She groaned loudly in annoyance as she closed her eyes tightly in frustration, bringing her left arm up to wrap around her midsection while her right hand came up in a subtle face-palm, "Gods, this all sound trite as fuck but I swear this is not what it looks like."
"G-Good morning, Hino-san," Yuuichirou greeted hesitantly yet politely as he bowed respectfully towards Rei who seemed to be frozen in place with her attention still on the mortified blonde, "Aino-san told me that you were Sensei's granddaughter. It's an honor to meet you and I look forward to learning as much as I can-"
"Is the shrine ready for opening," Rei cut in bluntly and firmly. Her question came out more as a statement due to her tone. This took Minako by surprise and it broke her from her original humiliation and brought her attention immediately towards the beautiful archer, whose attention was now on the apprentice.
To Yuuichirou, or anyone else who didn't know Rei, it would have appeared as though the beautiful raven was apathetic to, or even irritated by, the young apprentice and was simply ignoring his introduction and comments to get to her own agenda.
But to Minako and anyone else who did know the archer, Rei's words contained a sharp, cold edge to them that demanded attention and emphasized her authority. Yes, Minako knew Rei was disgusted by men. And, yes, the Flame Sniper had a reputation for being standoffish and unapproachable. But even then, Minako had never heard such…aggression…in the beautiful raven-haired woman's smooth tone ever before. Though her flawless, pale countenance appeared stoic, Minako noted the way those beautiful lavenders were narrowed ever so slightly and beginning to darken as the archer regarded the young apprentice before her analytically.
"U-Um…N-Not quite yet," Yuuichirou replied hesitantly as he shrunk slightly from the miko's sudden statement.
Rei let out an audible, disapproving sigh that carried a tint of annoyance as her elegant lips pursed ever so slightly. She brought her attention towards the floor where the fallen box of strewn omamoris had landed.
"These on the floor will need to be re-blessed within the shrine," Rei stated coldly, a commanding edge now bleeding into her tone with a hint of annoyance. Her cutting gaze returned to the young man, "You do know how to do at least that, don't you?"
"M-Mmn," Yuuichirou responded hesitantly with a meek nod. His gaze quickly drifting towards the floor submissively, unable to hold those intimidating amethysts that felt as though they were burning holes right through him.
"Then go," Rei responded evenly as she pushed the door open wider and stepped to the side so that there was a wide birth to allow the young man a pathway out of the shop. She crossed her arms as her critical gaze followed him while he quickly went to the fallen box, swiftly gathered up the items, and exited the facility.
Once Yuuichirou had left, Rei unfolded her arms and brought her left hand up to the door handle and turned to head out of the shop when-
"Baby," a soft, wavering, melodic voice with an entreating tone cut through the thick, heavy air. The archer only paused in her movements.
Silence filled the space between the two women as Minako found herself at an impasse, not knowing what to say but also desperately not wanting Rei to leave. Her pleading cobalts were fixed on the beautiful miko's back, willing her to turn around, to look at her, to say something, to allow her to explain the situation and alleviate Rei's sudden frigid disposition and her own guilt.
The gorgeous blonde knew she hadn't done anything wrong by any measure. On the contrary, she had no qualms about what transpired in the moments before the beautiful miko entered the shop. No, this daunting guilt that manifested within her chest, weighing heavily there, and pushing her heart to the verge of breaking…was from the thought of possibly hurting the beautiful raven before her, even if indirectly.
But…to some degree…the make-up artist…didn't want Rei to turn around. Didn't want to potentially confront those painfully, beautiful amethysts and whatever emotions that could be swirling within them. What if the archer turned around and looked at Minako in the way she had regarded Yuuichirou just now? It would surely shatter Minako and be the end of her as she knew it.
That in itself…this raw awareness of how much...power...this woman had over her…
…paralyzed her with dread.
"I need to change and prepare the shrine for the day," a soft, smooth voice disrupted the silence and brought Minako back from her internal conflict. It was audible, but quiet. So quiet it was difficult for the gorgeous blonde to make out any form of emotion at all from it. The fact that Rei had said it without turning around also didn't aid the smaller woman in deciphering the beautiful miko's emotional state and only served to worry her more.
"Reiko," Minako whispered. She could feel bits of her heart starting to crumble away, "I-"
"The shop tends to get busy around this time of year. Exams are coming up," Rei continued in the same quiet tone, interrupting Minako's words. She turned her head slightly, just enough to speak over her left shoulder but not enough for the gorgeous blonde to see her face, "And it seems we already have some visitors."
"Good morning!," the sound of a cheerful, young voice calling from not too far away caused Minako to turn around towards the front of the store, where she saw a couple of young school girls in middle-school uniforms trotting happily towards the giftshop. A sizeable group of students in various school uniforms were congregating around the chōzuya, their boisterous chatter echoing in the courtyard as they took turns performing the temizu before also making their way towards the giftshop, "Are you guys open yet?," the young girl who called out earlier asked eagerly as she and her classmate approached the stall.
"U-Umm…Mmn," Minako nodded, slowly comprehending the young girl's question, "J-Just…give me a quick second, ok? I need to-"
…cha-chunk…
The sound of a door closing softly behind her made Minako quickly turn around, only to find the back door shut and the beautiful miko gone. Her heart sank as she absently reached up to worry her necklace with her fingers. She took a deep, wavering breath to steady herself before she turned around, trying her very best to put on a friendly face for the young customers, making a mental note to talk to Rei as soon as she possibly could.
Author Note: Trouble is brewing in paradise. What will they do?
I didn't realize how big this chapter was. Most of my chapters so far have been about 6000 - 7000 words on average while this one is just a bit over 10000. Well, after such a long hiatus I guess go big or go home, eh?
Constructive feedback/reviews would be greatly appreciated.
(updated 03/2017)