LUCKY FOX

A Ginji & Aoi Epilogue Short Story


STORY SUMMARY:

"You're in love with Ginji." That simple declaration one day from the Master Innkeeper of Tenjin-ya turned Aoi Tsubaki's world upside down. Could it be true? Had she actually fallen in love with her nine-tailed, fluffy-headed, lovably soft-hearted friend?


TABLE OF CONTENTS:

PART ONE: A Telling Talk with the Master of Tenjin-ya
Approx. Word Length: 1400 = 5 Minutes
Content Rating: Teen

PART TWO: A Deft Debate with the Hot-Blooded Earth Spider
Approx. Word Length: 2000 = 7 Minutes
Content Rating: Teen

PART THREE: A Candid Conversation with the Nine-Tailed Fox
Approx. Word Length: 6750 = 23 Minutes [Official]
Approx. Word Length: 6700 = 22 Minutes [Alternate]
Content Rating: Teen

PART FOUR: Work in Progress

PART FIVE: Work in Progress

PART SIX: Work in Progress

PART SEVEN: Work in Progress

Total Approx. Word Length (so far) = 16,850
Total Approx. Read Time (so far) = 57 mins.


MY 2024 UPDATE:

Currently, as of right now in 2024, I am focusing on Camellia, the Odanna + Aoi epilogue short story. My plan right now is to complete Camellia first before returning to Lucky Fox. Firstly, because the Odanna + Aoi pairing is the most popular and also the reason I started writing all of this in the first place. And secondly, because the second season of Kakuriyo is coming out in 2025 (Finally! Yay!) and I'd really like to have Odanna & Aoi's epilogue completed before then. Sorry for the delay, but please know that I am still adamant about completing Ginji & Aoi's epilogue. In the meantime, I hope that me saying this gives you some hope while you wait! 。^‿^。


DISCLAIMER:

This epilogue short story is solely based off the characters in the anime series since I've only seen the show and read neither the manga nor the light novels. Also, bear in mind while reading this tale that only the first season existed at the time I wrote this.


PART ONE: A Telling Talk with the Master of Tenjin-ya
Approximate Word Length: 1400
Average Read Time: 5 Minutes
FanFiction Rating: T


"Aoi . . . are you still with me or did I lose you again?"

"Huh?"

Odanna, the Master Innkeeper of Tenjin-ya, set down his chopsticks, the scrumptious meal Aoi had made for him momentarily forgotten. "Clearly, the Young Master's decision to return tomorrow to Orio-ya is weighing heavily on your mind."

Aoi was startled out of her thoughts again for the . . . well, she'd lost count how many times the ogre-god had tried to get her attention now. "I'm sorry, Master, it's just . . ." She hung her head. "I don't want him to go."

Odanna entwined his long-fingernailed hands together, resting his elbows on the table. "I know you don't. But that's his choice to make. And as much as I'd like to, I can't keep him prisoner here."

"That's funny coming from the ogre who has literally kept me prisoner here for the past eight months."

The Master laughed. "Yes, well, you know as well as I do that you're a prisoner here no longer. Your grandfather's debt has been forgiven for over a month now and yet here you are. Still with us."

"But I couldn't just leave without saying goodbye to everyone. And there was the business at Moonflower to think about as well."

Odanna's playful smile made his red eyes sparkle. "Yes, I know. You needed time, time which I was more than happy to give you." Slowly, the Master's smile began to fade. "But that's not the real reason why you chose to remain here."

Aoi sighed as she picked up her chopsticks and began absentmindedly moving the chicken stir fry with white rice around in her bowl. "I know. We've already had this conversation. It's because there's no reason for me to go back to the apparent realm, not when Tenjin-ya and Moonflower have become my home now."

The Master sat back from the table, his folded hands falling back into his lap and his body returning to its habitually formal posture. "While that may be true, it's not the reason I speak of."

"Oh?" she wondered aloud as she at long last took a bite of the hot meal she'd made that was now going cold. "What's the real reason then?" she asked around the food in her mouth.

"The real reason you've stayed so long at Tenjin-ya as well as the cause for your wandering mind this evening is because . . ." Graciously, Odanna paused to let her finish swallowing the bite in her mouth before stating the obvious. "You're in love with Ginji."

Even though she'd already swallowed her food, the chicken still got stuck in her throat, making her choke. "What!?" She coughed and sputtered as she reached for her drink. "What do you mean!?" She took a quick gulp of water then slammed the half-empty glass back down on the table, upsetting what remained of her drink all over her food. "I'm not in love with Ginji!"

The Master remained serene and serious. "Yes, you are, Aoi."

She coughed one last time before regaining her composure enough to match his sober gaze. "No. I'm not."

The ogre-god closed his eyes and shook his head. "Oh, Aoi." Then he opened them again, this time exposing through mist-filled eyes the pain he'd been holding in check for the past few months as he watched his decades-old friend and promised bride fall in love with one another. "If you would just take a moment to examine your heart, you'd come to realize as I did some months ago that while your love for Tenjin-ya and Moonflower may feel like the real reason you're staying here, it's not. Where your heart truly lies and where your home actually is . . . is with the Young Master."

Aoi had a hard time believing what the Master was saying. It had only been five weeks since she'd been set free from the burden of her grandfather's debt to the ogre-god. Five weeks since he'd stopped calling her his ogre-bride, though it had been clear to her then as it was to her now that the Master had still wanted to bestow such a title on her and claim her for his own.

So, why then would he tell her this? Why would he create such a fantastical story where the kind-hearted ogre-god she'd been promised to couldn't hold a candle to the silver-haired fox she'd become more and more familiar with, grown gradually closer to, and wanted more than anything to hold on to forever? Why would he—

"Oh," was all she could utter when the truth came crashing down like a wave upon her, filling her eyes to the brim with moisture.

What her unbidden thoughts had just revealed to her was true. Ginji, her faithful companion and beloved friend, had somehow stolen her heart right out from under her and become so much dearer to her than the ogre-god she had once been promised to. The Master was right. She was in love with the nine-tailed fox. Hopelessly and irrevocably in love with him.

"He's one lucky fox," the Master declared with a half-hearted chuckle. "To win the heart of Shiro Tsubaki's strong and independent granddaughter is no small feat. I would know."

Aoi brushed one tear – of many – away. "Then you . . ."

"Are in love with you as well, Miss Tsubaki," her once future ogre-groom said with a voice that had lost its luster. "But don't let that trouble you, my dear," he added on with a casual wave upon spotting the look of concern in her misty eyes. "I'll be content to call you nothing more than my friend from now on as long as you are happy and safe from harm."

Though he said it so sweetly with that lackadaisical smirk of his, Aoi didn't quite believe him. "But, Master—"

Odanna held up his hand, halting her protest. "Think no more on the topic of my affections and wishes, Miss Aoi. Think instead on your love for Ginji." He set down his hand and asked her plainly, "Tell me, now that you know the truth about your own feelings, what do you plan on doing with them?"

"Honestly . . ." she said with a sniffle as she rubbed her cheeks clear of the tears that had spilled over on them. "I don't know."

The Master set one arm across the table and leaned in. "Yes, you do." The slimmest of smiles found its peaceful resting place upon his lips. "Go to him, Aoi, and tell him the truth. Go now, before it's too late, before regret has a chance to overwhelm and undo you."

Slowly, the Master's words found their way through her ears and into her heart. He was right. He was right about everything. She hadn't been extending her stay in the hidden realm for Tenjin-ya or Moonflower or even for the ogre-god who longed to make her his bride. She'd been sticking around for one reason and one reason only.

Ginji. Her nine-tailed, fluffy-headed, lovably soft-hearted friend.

"You're right," Aoi agreed with the Master Innkeeper. "I have to go find him."

Odanna directed his hand toward the door. "Then go, Aoi. Find him."

Aoi wrinkled her brow and nodded with resolve. "Right," she said as she rose up from her place on the floor. "Excuse me then, Master. It appears I have a lucky fox to track down."

Odanna's lips curved up high on one end at her jest. "Then you'd best get going, my dear Aoi. I'm sure at a time like this, the Young Master is feeling quite low. And I know from personal experience that it's when he's at his lowest that his foxlike nature can make him hard to find. So be as quick as a fox yourself and find him fast before he has a chance to flee."

"Right," she repeated with another quick nod before making a beeline for the door.

"And, Aoi?"

"Yes?" she asked, glancing back over her shoulder at her once promised ogre-groom.

"When you finally do manage to find him, remember to be brave, don't hold back, and no matter what you may fear he will or won't say, be sure to tell him exactly how you feel."

Aoi stood there for a moment, letting the Master's words sink in. Then, with her resolve renewed, she said one final goodbye and exited the room, leaving the ogre-god alone at last to nurse the wounds his broken, undone, and regret-filled heart had inflicted upon him.


Author's Note:

I imagine that while an ending where Ginji and Aoi end up together would be adorably sweet, it would also be painfully sad for the ogre-god (as portrayed here) because I have no doubt that he would be just as much in love with Aoi as the nine-tailed fox would be, making for a bittersweet end to this story. But aren't all the best love stories also tainted with a bit of tragedy? ;-)

Anyway . . . hope you enjoyed the first part of this short story. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, so please don't forget to like, follow, and leave a review.

Thank You for Reading! 。^‿^。


If You'd Like to See Aoi Tsubaki Fall in Love with Another Handsome Ayakashi, Check Out My Trio of Kakuriyo Epilogue Short Stories:

1) CAMELLIA [Odanna & Aoi]
2) LUCKY FOX [Ginji & Aoi]
3) BAD DOG [Ranmaru & Aoi]

Also, FYI, any updates I have about where I'm at in the process of writing these epilogue short stories will be on my main profile page. So be sure to check it out if you want to stay up-to-date! Thanks!