Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, then you should not read this.
Chapter 286.
For the rest of the the night Kokasan stayed close to 'Hito.' She was not a fan of Tate no Kai, but her hero was willing to talk with the man, so she didn't interfere. Both men accepted her presence without complaint. The conversation the two had was one to cause a headache. The working girl did not have the benefit of a good education. The two men, Kokasan realized right away, were far smarter than she was.
Kokasan listened as the two men complained about politicians and the economy. On the surface it was like countless bar conversations she had heard over the years. On the other hand, Kokasan could tell that the two men were doing more than making casual conversation. The only thing she was sure of, was that by the time the conversation was over, Hito and Uwasa had agreed to another meeting, and that Uwasa did not want Kokasan to be there.
Xx
"I should be going," Tsukune said once he had set up a tentative second meeting with the Tate no Kai recruiter. "I didn't plan to be up this long."
"I understand," Uwasa said with a polite nod. "We can talk more next time."
"Until we meet again," Tsukune gave a small nod before he stood up. "Have a good night."
Kokasan stayed with Hito, as she knew him, as he headed for the exit.
"Hito," Kokasan took his arm in her embrace before he could escape the bar. "Can I walk with you? I want to talk to you about something."
"Alright," Tsukune said. He lead the way out of the bar and out into the night. He drew Kokasan across the street and paused there, making a show of checking his pockets. As he did he saw another man watching him from the bar entrance. "So," Tsukune started towards his own little local apartment, which was at a right angle from the way to Kokasan's place. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I was wondering," Kokasan started with a feeling of nervousness. "Well... Hito, does it bother you, what I do for a living?"
"No," Tsukune gave a small shake of his head. "You're not hurting anybody."
"The reason I want to know," Kokasan went on. "Is because what you think about me is important."
"It shouldn't be," Tsukune said.
"But it is," Kokasan insisted. "Because I've never met anybody like you." Her words came out in a bit of a rush. "In fact, I haven't even thought about anybody, not like this, not in a long time."
"I see," Tsukune said, because he did.
"Well, I noticed that we're not going to my apartment," Kokasan said. "And I wanted to make myself clear before... Well... I know you are younger than I am, but I'm fine with that. I was wondering if my age might bother you."
"Kokasan," Tsukune said without looking around more than he needed to for a casual conversation, which was enough to keep track of the man following them. "After what happened tonight, I thought it would be a good idea if you and I went somewhere private to talk about things."
"Oh..." Kokasan felt herself blushing. It had been close to twenty years since she had last felt so nervous around a man. Back then, trying to make a living with part time work, she had fallen for the manager of a store she sometimes worked at. She had been sixteen, and he had been almost thirty. It had been that man that had started her out in compensated dating. By the time the relationship had ended, she had been so heart broken and embarrassed that she couldn't stand to face anybody in her family. Now Hito was in front of her, and her heart was starting to flutter with feelings again.
"I know what you do is not normally a first choice," Tsukune spoke up to keep the conversation going. "Sometimes we just have to take what life gives us and make the most from it."
"I like how wise you are, Hito," Kokasan leaned into him as they walked.
"I had to learn a few things the hard way," Tsukune admitted with a smile. "But I was lucky to have some very special friends to help me along the way."
"Oh?" Kokasan felt a twinge of something from the tone in his voice. She suddenly realized that the conversation they were having was the first time he had shared anything of his personal life with her. A part of her was excited about that, but another part felt her emotions cooling. It seemed foolish to get too attached to a man she hardly knew. "Did you meet your friends in school?"
"I did," Tsukune nodded. "I was a lot different back then."
"Different how?" Kokasan asked.
"I was just a boy trying to get through school so I could get on with life," Tsukune answered. "Back when my biggest goal was to be a salary man."
"What happened to change that?" Kokasan wanted to know. "That sounds like a good life to me."
"I was run over by a girl on a bicycle," Tsukune said with a smile. "She was the cutest girl I had ever seen in my life."
Kokasan knew she that what she felt was jealousy when she heard the happy tone in his voice.
"She came from an old and rich family," Tsukune continued. "It took me a while, but I realized that a salary man would never be good enough to be with her."
"Oh," Kokasan looked down to hide her sudden smile. If a salary man couldn't measure up, than a part time security guard would never have a chance.
"Hito?" Kokasan spoke up a few meters later. "What kind of women do you like?"
"Ahhhh," Tsukune suppressed a grin. "I would have to say that I like very special women."
"What do you mean?" Kokasan blinked.
"The women I like have strong spirits," Tsukune explained. "The are not afraid to be who they are, and are willing to use that to go after what they want. They are not discouraged if it takes a long time to get what they want, even if it takes years of work."
"That would be someone special," Kokasan nodded.
"Of course nobody is perfect," Tsukune went on. "A woman who is strong and determined to get what she wants can be dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Kokasan almost stumbled.
"Sure," Tsukune nodded. "The world can be a dangerous place sometimes. The women I admire are not afraid to face those dangers. Anybody that tries to stop them from their goals is going to be in trouble."
"Do you know any women like that?" Kokasan asked.
"Oh yes," Tsukune nodded. "I know a lot of women like that." He looked at her. "You are a little like them yourself."
"I am?" Kokasan was surprised by his words.
"Sure," Tsukune said. "You do what you have to to get by. There are too many people that give up and take an easy way out when life doesn't go their way. Think about how many people give up when life goes wrong, and just throw their lives away."
"But what I do..." Kokasan tried to argue.
"What you do is find a way to live," Tsukune cut her off. "You are still alive, which means you have a chance to make your life better. You have a chance to do something. People that throw their lives away... Too many people give up and destroy themselves. When someone commits suicide, they hurt everybody around that cares about them, and there is nothing they can ever do after that. It's the end."
"Kokasan," Tsukune said as he turned to lead her up the stairs to his local apartment. "You have not given up, and I hope that you never do. No mater how bad things get, they can get better."
"Hito, I..." Kokasan began, but Tsukune cut her off by laying a finger on her lips.
"Let's talk inside," Tsukune said. He opened the door and ushered her into the apartment.
Kokasan was feeling nervous as she entered the apartment. Once she was inside she was unsure of what to expect, or what was expected of her. If Hito had been one of her usual dates she would start by getting close to him and feeling his crotch. But that didn't seem to be the right thing to do this time. She kicked off her shoes by the door as she entered the small apartment. As the one light in the ceiling flickered to life, Kokasan saw how small the apartment was.
Not only was the apartment small, is was very empty. There was a futon on the floor that looked like it cost more than her own bed and most of her other furniture put together. A small refrigerator hummed quietly in the corner of the kitchen nook. A folding table leaned against one wall. That was all there was to the small apartment.
Kokasan looked around the apartment and felt her heart sink. She had seen apartments like it before. She suspected that if she looked in the refrigerator she would find nothing but alcohol. It was not the apartment of someone who could not afford better, the nice futon put the lie to that. It was the kind of place a man kept so he could have affairs without his family, usually a wife, from knowing about it. Thinking about how little she knew about Hito, she suddenly wondered if he had been playing her all along.
"Would you like something to drink?" Tsukune asked.
"Alright," Kokasan answered, feeling her hopes sink a little more. This would be where he got her drunk. She turned to watch him as he opened the refrigerator, and pulled out a bottle of cold tea.
"I have tea, water, and it looks like I have some colas," Tsukune said.
"Water," Kokasan said, feeling her hopes starting to rebound.
"Here you go," Tsukune handed her the sealed plastic bottle.
"Thank you," Kokasan accepted the drink.
There was a small pause as they opened their respective bottles and took drinks. Kokasan's uncertainty started to grow again then. Nothing in her past matched what was happening.
"Kokasan," Tsukune said in a serious voice. "I should explain why I brought you here."
"It wasn't because you wanted to sleep with me was it," Kokasan observed.
"No," Tsukune shook his head. "I brought you here to protect you."
"What?" Kokasan was surprised by that.
"After what had happened in the bar tonight," Tsukune explained. "Tate no Kai might think to find me by going after you. I lead you here because we were followed, and I did not want them knowing where you live."
"Why?" Kokasan demanded. "I thought you were going to join them. I mean, I don't like them, and I don't think you should get involved with them, but you were talking with them tonight."
"That's right," Tsukune said. "And now I know who to look for later."
"Are you a policeman?" Kokasan accused.
"Not anymore," Tsukune said. "I am a private investigator. I have been hired to dig up information on Tate no Kai."
"Damn," Kokasan pouted. She took a few steps and plopped down on the futon. "And I thought I had finally found a good guy."
"Sorry," Tsukune said gently.
"And you're probably married too," Kokasan accused.
"Not yet," Tsukune shook his head.
"Oh?" Kokasan perked up a little.
"No," Tsukune said quickly. "You do not want to get involved with me, Kokasan."
"I could be your mistress," Kokasan offered. "Or your girl Friday. I've seen detective movies."
"That would not work out either," Tsukune said.
"Why not?" Kokasan argued.
"My finance would never allow it, and I don't keep secrets from her," Tsukune explained. "And even if she didn't say anything, I already have enough women in my life. Very special and dangerous women."
"Double damn!" Kokasan cursed. She took a long drink of her water as she eyes the man she knew as Hito. "Your name isn't Hito is it?"
"No," Tsukune answered.
"So now what happens?" Kokasan asked.
"You spend the night here," Tsukune explained as she moved to the side of the room. He knelt down and found a hidden spot in the tatamt mat. "Tomorrow, you should probably consider moving to another district, or another city all together." He lifted a section mat and put down his tea long enough to pull out an envelope.
"Move?" Kokasan blinked.
"You won't be safe around here anymore," Tsukune explained. "I can help you, maybe even give you the name of somebody that can give you a job, but you need to leave tomorrow." He handed her the envelope.
"What's this?" Kokasan said as she accepted the envelope.
"Money," Tsukune answered. He moved past her to open the curtains.
As Hito opened the curtains and window for a look out the back of the building, Kokasan opened the envelope. It had a stack of ten-thousand yen bills. Her eyes went wide at the amount as she thumbed through it.
"My god..." Kokasan said in a shocked whisper.
"If it helps," Tsukune said from behind her. "You were a big help with my work tonight. I never intended to put you in danger, but when those two started to turn on you I saw an opportunity. By helping you, not only did I get to do the right thing, I got a chance to get to know the man from Tate no Kai. So you earned that. It should be enough for you to move, and if you have to leave anything, you should be able to replace it."
"And how," Kokasan breathed. A smile slowly started to light up her face. "You know how you said you want me to spend the night here?"
"That's right," Tsukune agreed.
"I have no problem with that," Kokasan said. "But, well, as long as I'm staying the night, we can have a little fun together. I mean, well, for this much money, you should get something."
"I have," Tsukune told her. "I got a chance to take a shot at Tate no Kai."
"Are you sure?" Kokasan asked. She turned towards Hito and was surprised to see him sitting with his legs hanging out the window, as if he was about to jump from the third floor. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to work," Tsukune said with a cold smile. "Kokasan, please stay here until morning. I might be back before then, but on the safe side, you should just rest her."
"Alright," Kokasan nodded.
"Thank you," Tsukune said. With that he pushed off from the windowsill and out into the night.
Kokasan was stunned. After a moment of shocked immobility, she scrambled to the window. She looked out, afraid of what she might see down below, but only discovered a dark and empty alley. She did not see Hito soaring up into the night sky.