They'd become instant friends, Hojo's friendly nature and innocent honesty pulling her into genuine conversations while she poured his tea. He loved talking about his job as a doctor, always going out of his way to help those in need, especially when they couldn't afford to do so themselves.
Bankotsu thought he was full of it, but Kagome didn't see the harm. He never came in with anyone, too busy with his rounds at the hospital to do anything about his love life, but he never tried to push their relationship either. The only problem was that he loved herbal medicine. He couldn't practice it as much as he liked, especially in this modern age, but he was constantly offering up strange cures for the smallest ailments.
Wrapping seaweed around a cut, chewing on ice cubes for headaches, even adding spices to porridge for sore throats. Kagome took it all in stride, telling him she'd try them at home, but Bankotsu kept a close eye on him, thinking it was his weird way of flirting—especially when the gifts started.
Hojo swore they were blessed by monks and other holy people from foreign countries, making their healing properties more potent. Bankotsu had only rolled his eyes before throwing them in the trash when Hojo wasn't looking.
"Who ever heard of magical healing dirt?" he whispered, washing his hands after disposing of the little fabric pouch. "He probably pissed in it."
Kagome swatted his arm, placing the rest of Hojo's order on her tray. "He's not that crazy."
The other server snorted as he crossed his arms. "All the desperate ones are." She shook her head. If anything, Hojo's crazy antics distracted her enough to keep the grief at bay—at least for a little while.
"You know, one of these days, you're going to order something different, and I'm going to think you've been taken over by aliens," she said, placing the tray on Hojo's table.
He chuckled softly. "I'll be sure to give you a heads up beforehand." He caught her hand as she turned away, eyes filled with concern. "How are you today?"
She gave him a waned smile but patted his hand. "I'm alright. It was rough this morning, but I'm better now." He released her without argument, reaching into his briefcase.
"Take this," he said, holding up a plastic package. "It helps with nightmares." Kagome managed not to make a face. Pickled lime wedges? Who came up with this stuff?
"I'll try it out, thanks." She slipped it into the pocket of her apron, then went to check on the rest of her tables. If her luck held out, her shift would pass quickly, and she could go home and wallow in a hot bath. It seemed to be the only thing that warmed her up lately.
She'd managed to get a load of laundry done before slipping into her bath, letting the water run a little hotter than usual. The weather was nice enough that she'd been able to hang her clothes up outside, the gentle breeze rocking the clothesline back and forth as she stepped back into her apartment.
Kagome had made sure to fasten the clips properly, some of the items having gone missing the last time she'd hung up her clothes. It hadn't bothered her, especially since she'd found most of them on the balcony, but she didn't want to buy new underwear whenever she avoided using the dryer.
Besides, she enjoyed the scent of fresh air on her clothes more than anything else.
After declaring herself sufficiently pruney, Kagome finally got out of the tub, indulging in one of her softer towels as she began her nighttime routine. As tired as she was, the process of blow-drying her hair and lotioning her skin gave her a sense of normalcy that kept her from falling into despair.
She supposed the photo of Gramps on her kitchen table didn't help, but she'd tried to put it away more than once and found herself lonelier than before. The melancholy still had her in its icy grip, but the soft smile on his wrinkly face was better than nothing.
"Hojo came by the café again today," she said, pouring herself some of the tea she'd prepared before her bath. "He gave me another weird remedy for nightmares." She sighed as she sat down at the table. "I might be inclined to try it if I could sleep in the first place."
It wasn't so much the nightmares but the insomnia that bothered her. She'd always been a light sleeper, often rising before anyone else, even during high school. It gave her time to help around the shrine before archery practice, but it had steadily worsened since Gramps' death.
Mama was concerned, offering up just as many options as Hojo, though hers were more medically based and involved professionals, but nothing seemed to help. Kagome had resigned herself to the fact that she would never get more than a few hours of sleep per night. Her body had adjusted as much as it could, and split shifts helped because they allowed her to grab a quick nap before returning to work.
But since Bankotsu had been hired, there hadn't been a need for them. And he refused to let her work them anyway, spouting nonsense about how delicate females needed their beauty rest. He'd earned another smack for that remark, even little Jakotsu coming to her defence with a swift kick to his brother's shin and a lecture about how females could be warriors too.
The memory lifted her spirits before a sharp knock sounded at her door. Quickly checking her watch, she frowned. It was right in the middle of dinnertime, and she wasn't expecting anyone. Had Mama come over for a surprise visit?
Leaving her teacup on the table, she pulled her robe tighter around her shoulders and opened the door, mouth almost dropping open at the sight before her.
It wasn't that she was too busy to notice attractive people, there were a lot of them that passed through the café, but Kagome had a feeling that if this particular specimen had sat at one of her tables, she'd have ended up as a big puddle on the floor.
He was at least six feet, crowding her doorway with silver hair and amber eyes, his pale complexion only emphasized more by his dark suit. His posture was relaxed, but she could feel the power emanating from him, showcased in his broad shoulders and the magenta stripes that cut across his high cheekbones.
Kagome had never met a daiyoukai before.
She almost told him he had the wrong apartment, assuming he was visiting someone in the complex, but he flashed her a badge, and she suddenly realized there was a reason why he was in a three-piece suit in the middle of spring.
"I apologize for the late hour, but there have been a string of burglaries in the area, and I was wondering if you had noticed anything in the past week," he asked in a clipped tone. The line felt stilted and rehearsed, but his voice sent shivers of delight down her spine.
He cocked an eyebrow at her when she didn't respond, and she blushed, then shook her head. "I don't think so. No broken glass or missing appliances."
Pocketing his badge, he shook his head as well. "There is no distinct pattern other than the break-ins happening in this area, but please stay vigilant, as they seem to be happening at night."
"Have they been stealing clothes?" she blurted, flushing again at his questioning stare. "I have a clothesline on my balcony, and a few things have gone missing, but I figured they'd just fallen off. Or been taken by a cat."
"Nothing has been reported, but we are collecting as much information as possible." He seemed at ease with the questioning, and Kagome wondered how long he'd had this job.
"Do policemen usually go door-to-door questioning strangers about missing things?" She didn't know anyone in law enforcement, and a sudden curiosity had questions rolling off her tongue. Of course, it had nothing to do with wanting to keep him around a little longer.
"It is usually part of their job description, but the last incident turned violent, so we are trying to cover as much ground as possible."
"But you're not in uniform," she said, wincing at the obvious statement. "That is, are you doing this on your off time?"
"Only officers wear uniforms," he said, lips quirking. "Those of us who have put in the time have a different dress code, though I do not know if it is any better." He handed her a card, the word 'Detective' highlighted over his name. "Please call the station if you notice anything."
She was about to tell him that she thought his dress code suited him just fine, but managed to hold her tongue, accepting the card with a nod. "I will. Please be safe getting home tonight." He gave her an odd look, inclined his head, and then disappeared down the stairs.
Kagome closed the door before slumping to the ground, fanning herself. If she ever got a visit from him again, she'd leave her robe in the bathroom.
The Killing Perfection, indeed.