Chapter 4 - The Experiment
After washing up, Lillian and Senku entered the guestroom and found Kohaku in the midst of greedily devouring a salt grilled fish whole, holding it to her mouth with her bare hands. Senku shook his head disapprovingly before taking a seat beside her, while Lillian simply smiled in amusement.
"Isn't that just like a lioness to start eating ahead of everyone else? Leave some for the rest of us, would ya?"
"Hmm?" Kohaku took the half-eaten fish from her mouth, revealing how she had chowed down on even the bones.
"Oh, sorry. Did you want some too? I don't mind sharing," she offered, shoving the fishy remains in his face.
"Ick, no! Get that thing away from me!"
"Suit yourself. More for me," she shrugged, happily returning the fish to her mouth.
Lillian couldn't help but giggle at their exchange, as she also took a seat. In the time it took her to successfully lift a piece of food with her chopsticks, Kohaku had already eaten her entire fish.
"Gee, you sure were hungry, huh?" she asked, as she lightly nibbled on her morsel of food.
"Here, why don'tcha take mine too," she added, offering her plate of grilled fish to Kohaku.
"Really?!" Kohaku's expression was one of sheer gratitude, that her eyes were on the verge of tears. "Are you sure?"
"'Course I'm sure," she affirmed with a smile. "Now, go on and take it. I insist."
"Thank you so much!" she said as she accepted the dish.
"Don't mention it. Instead... why don'tcha tell me about yerself, Kohaku."
"Well..." she started to say.
"Ah-ha! There you are," Byakuya stormed into the room and pointed a shaky finger at Kohaku. Then he ran to pull out Lillian's chair and stand between her and the cat-girl.
"L-listen you... I don't know what you're after, b-but you leave Lillian alone. She's just a gullible tourist. So, forget about whatever scheme you're plotting and g-get out of here. I'm w-warning you," he threatened with questionable conviction.
His sudden outburst only served to upset Lillian, who quickly became furious.
"ISHIGAMI BYAKUYA! HAVE YOU LOST YER EVER-LOVIN' MIND?!" She admonished, rising from her seat to come face to face with Byakuya, glaring daggers at him. "Just what in the world's gotten into you? And who do ya think yer callin' gullible?"
"Sorry Lillian, but don't be fooled by her outward appearance. She may look like a normal girl, but she's actually some kind of monster. Don't trust anything she says!" His words only made Lillian more upset.
"If this is some kinda sick joke, it ain't funny. Kohaku's no monster! In fact, she's been nothin' but a sweetheart. Now, you apologize to her right now!"
"Uhh... shouldn't we say something?" Kohaku whispered to Senku, who remained completely composed and ate his meal calmly as if his father weren't making a huge scene.
"Nah, just let the old man make a fool of himself. I'll explain everything once he's simmered down," he assured. And with that, Kohaku went back to eating while watching the spectacle unfold.
"That's exactly what she wants you to believe. Then, when you drop your guard, she'll make her move," Byakuya speculated in defense of his argument. "Trust me... she's not even a real girl. She's some kind of cat monster. She's bound to be nothing but trouble."
"A cat monster? Would ya listen to yerself? Ya sound like ya came straight outta the looney bin."
"No, I'm not making this up. I saw her transform with my own eyes," he insisted.
"Quit tryin' to pull my leg, 'cause I ain't buyin' it. I ain't the 'gullible tourist' ya think I am," Lillian crossed her arms in contempt and averted her eyes, unable to take Byakuya seriously.
"Actually, he's ten billion percent telling the truth. Kohaku's a bakeneko, which literally means monster cat. That's a type of yokai straight out of Japanese folklore," Senku stated matter-of-factly.
"See! What'd I tell you? Even Senku admits I'm not crazy."
"Oh, I never said you weren't crazy. I just said you weren't lying. But, you've also been acting like a total nut-job. I already told you, she isn't dangerous."
"Ha! As if I'd buy that so easily. How do I know she hasn't gotten to you, somehow? Who knows what happened while you were alone together? Besides, didn't you say she stole your cell phone? Why would you trust her after that? Unless she hypnotized you or something. And how do you explain why she looks so much like Lillian? I'm sure she's up to something," he accused.
"Tch, please. Hypnosis? Do I look weak-minded enough to fall for something like that?" Senku dismissed his theory. "But, you bring up an interesting question. Why do you look so much like Lillian?" he inquired, directing his question at Kohaku.
"I just chose this form because I think she's really beautiful," Kohaku admitted with utmost sincerity.
"Well, you got me there." Byakuya said under his breath.
"Aww... why, if that ain't the sweetest thing I ever heard! And not to be conceited or nothin', but I think ya look adorable. But, are ya really a cat like they said?"
"I was... Now, I'm something else entirely. After one hundred years, I suddenly gained the ability to transform and speak like a human," she explained.
"Really? Can you show me?" Lillian asked, with immense curiosity.
"Umm... well, I still don't have a handle on this ability. Once I turn into a human, it takes a lot of effort and concentration to change back."
"Really?!" Senku questioned in surprise. "I just assumed you could transform back and forth at will. But if what you say is true, then how did you suddenly transform into a cat back in the woods, and again in the tearoom?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure. I was just as surprised as you each time I changed back. Usually, once I obtain an item of personal significance, I can maintain a transformation indefinitely. But, it's like I told you before, three days is the limit. On the fourth day, the transformation wears off and the item no longer grants me the ability to transform."
"Interesting. I'll have to consider the circumstances of each instance to determine a trigger. There must be some commonality among each time that could point to a clue."
"You're right! But, do you think figuring that out could help with my problem?"
"It's worth a try. The more we can prove, the better," Senku advised.
"Problem?" Lillian wondered aloud, with a look of concern. "What problem?"
"Kohaku's been confined to this island for over a hundred years. So, I agreed to help her find a way off this island in exchange for her full cooperation with my investigation into her supernatural existence."
"Oh, my! How tragic," Lillian sympathized, with Kohaku's plight.
"Ah-ha! So, that's how she roped you in," Byakuya interjected. "You fell into her clutches thanks to your insatiable need to satisfy your own curiosity. No doubt her feminine wiles also played a key role in winning you over. Don't think I forgot that little scene I walked in on."
"FOR THE LAST TIME, GEEZER, THAT WASN'T WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE!" Senku got irritated, all over again. "And, I'm not under her control either. We just struck a deal. It's that simple. Now, cut the crap. Your wild accusations aren't helping."
"Heh, then I guess you wouldn't care about my theory that she probably turned back into a cat because you demanded to have your phone back?"
That left Senku utterly speechless. Byakuya might've just said something useful.
"'Cause if you ask me..." he continued, "...if the cell phone gave her the ability to transform, then asking for it back would cancel the ability, don't you think?"
Senku considered this for a moment. Could the answer be that stupidly simple? But then he remembered something that contradicted Byakuya's theory.
"No, wait a minute. I had already asked Kohaku for my phone even before you barged in on us, but she hadn't turned back at that point. So, what's your counter argument to that?"
"Hmm..." Byakuya rubbed his chin in contemplation, trying to re-work his theory.
"Maybe the wordin' is important," Lillian proposed.
"That's brilliant, Lillian. Good thinking," Byakuya complimented.
"Well, as a song-writer, I know that words can carry a lot of power. So, what exactly did ya say each time ya asked for yer phone?"
"Lemme think... I was planning to use my phone to do some more research online, so I said something like, 'lend me my phone...' and that's when the geezer walked in on us and started tossing out brainless accusations, so, in annoyance, I said 'just give me back my phone...'"
"You know, now that I think about it, I also changed back when I specifically asked for your permission to borrow your phone and you flat out refused," added Kohaku.
"Well, there you go. Looks like intent matters," posited Byakuya. "Mystery solved!"
"Wow! We were able to figure that out so fast," Kohaku marveled at their team effort.
"That's the power of putting everyone's heads together. As they say, 'two heads are better than one'... so imagine what you can accomplish with four," Byakuya boasted.
"Hold on, it's still just a hypothesis at this point. We can't just jump to conclusions because a theory sounds plausible. First, we need to conduct experiments. Once we get consistent results, only then can we verify the theory's validity. That's fundamental to upholding the Scientific Method."
"Does that mean I'll get to see her transform?" Lillian asked excitedly.
"Tch, heh, heh. If the old man is right, then sure. Alright, let's put it to the test. Kohaku, give me back my phone," he commanded. And just like that, she instantly turned back into a cat, making Senku grin triumphantly.
"Ha! Told ya I wasn't making it up."
"Whoa, it worked," Lillian looked on in pure awe, having a totally opposite reaction than Byakuya. "I guess ya weren't pullin' my leg."
"That's right. I think an apology is in order."
"Yeah. Sorry, I doubted you. She really did turn into a cat. And would ya look at just how cute she is? Kohaku, yer just as adorable a cat as ya are a human," Lillian swooned.
"Ya know, you're taking this really well, Lillian. Aren't you the least bit freaked out?"
"How could I be? She's just so stinkin' cute! I can't believe ya were so scared of her," Lillian giggled, making Byakuya feel silly for overreacting.
"I guess I did get carried away, there. She is pretty cute," he admitted.
Suddenly, Kohaku meowed and they both swooned over her. When Senku didn't make any move to turn her back, she took it upon herself to reclaim his phone. She changed back, but similar to the instance in the woods, Kohaku's transformation was incomplete.
"Oh... my... GOSH!" Lillian exclaimed in pure elation. "Kohaku, those ears are just too gosh darn precious. I love 'em! Are they real?" She ran over to feel them and was surprised when they twitched upon contact.
"Interesting. You're still exhibiting some cat features. The same thing happened during our clash in the woods. That was when you tried to swipe my phone again, after I managed to get it back. So, if I pass it along voluntarily, then..." Rather than completing his sentence, Senku grabbed Kohaku's wrist and placed his phone in her hands, causing her ears and tail to disappear.
"Yep. It's just like the geezer said. Intent really does matter. Hmm... let's try a different phrasing. Now, give it back."
Once again, she turned back into a cat. "Heh, looks like I don't even have to be specific about what I want back. I just have to voice my desire," Senku gave a devious grin that Kohaku found unsettling. She touched his phone again, taking it and hiding it away.
"Now that you've discovered this weakness, you're not gonna break our promise are you?"
"Tch, heh, heh. Is that a joke? We've just made a major breakthrough. Things just got ten billion times more exciting. No way I'm backing out of this investigation now."
Kohaku was so relieved to hear him say that, that she offers his phone back to him, fully trusting him to give it back. But instead of taking it from her, he voiced another command.
"Hold onto it for me." With that simple request, her ears and tail disappeared once more. Senku smiled in satisfaction, content to know that he was starting to gain a better understanding of her abilities.
"Okay, I think that's enough experimentation for now. If we don't sit down to eat soon, the lioness will finish off the rest of the food."
"Lioness?" Lillian tilted her head in confusion.
"I will not," Kohaku immediately denied, furrowing her brow at Senku's teasing.
Then, Lillian smiled to herself upon realizing that 'lioness' was a nickname Senku had given Kohaku. She actually found it rather sweet and endearing.
"Huh? Hey, wait a minute... is she eating my serving? See, I told you she was trouble," Byakuya proclaimed, feigning tears.
"Oh, quit bein' so dramatic. There's still plenty of food. Kohaku, sweetie, would ya like some more?" Lillian offered to share another dish with her.
"Yes, please," she happily accepted.
"So, Senku... what ideas have ya come up with to help Kohaku, so far? I feel real terrible about you being stuck on this island for so long. Must've been awfully lonesome. I wanna help any way that I can. Even if just a teeny tiny bit."
"Well, at first I thought that maybe her shrine was acting as an anchor point that roots her to the island. If that's the case, it would stand to reason that dismantling the shrine would allow her to roam freely."
"Okay, I follow. But wouldn't that be awfully drastic? I mean, you're talkin' about demolishing a century old structure. Wouldn't that upset the locals?"
"Heh... that's only the half of it," Byakuya chimed in. "If that shrine is what's anchoring her to the mortal plane, then destroying it could just result in freeing her spirit completely, and then she probably wouldn't even be around to haunt this island, anymore."
"Oh, no! I hadn't even thought of that. There's gotta be another way."
"Yeah, I came to the exact same conclusion. It's the only thing that's unique to her situation and likely the very reason for her current existence. Otherwise, all the cats that have died on this island would've also become bakeneko. So, messing with the shrine is out of the question. There's just too many drawbacks to that approach. Even just experimenting with that idea could have irreversible consequences for the lioness."
"Mm-hmm. That's definitely a bad idea," Lillian agreed with vigorous nodding. "So, what other ideas were ya cookin' up?"
"I also had the idea of her hitching a ride out of here in someone else's body via possession, but she's ten billion percent against the idea."
"Well, 'course she is," Lillian was outraged. "That's a horrible idea. Even if it works, taking over someone else's body is all kinds of wrong. Shame on you, Senku."
"Thank you! Those are my sentiments, exactly," Kohaku declared.
"Now, hold on," Byakuya interjected, with a cunning smile. "There's some merit to Senku's idea. After all, where would Scientific inquiry get us if we weren't willing to take some necessary risks? And since he's so keen on the idea, he should be the one to volunteer his body for possession."
"Ah... that's a mighty fine point," mused Lillian, with a sly smile of her own. "Okay, I change my mind. It's worth a try. Whaddya say, Senku? Will ya volunteer yer body for Science?"
Senku frowned indignantly, knowing full well that they had just ten billion percent played him. "I get it, alright. I admit it's a horrible idea. Happy?"
They just laughed in response to his look of utter defeat.
"So, anymore bright ideas?" Byakuya teased.
"Yeah, a couple. I thought Kohaku might not be able to leave the island because cats are adverse to water. So, maybe all it'll take is someone carrying her off the island to let her cross that threshold."
"Hmm... sounds simple enough.
"And if that doesn't work, Kohaku also said she gets more range when her offerings are personal items of great sentimental value. So, if we each give her something meaningful, maybe that'll extend her range."
"Oh! I can help with that, no problem," Lillian grinned in favor of this plan.
"Then, there's the new idea I just came up with. Since words seem to hold power over her, then maybe ordering Kohaku to leave the island is the answer to her problem. And the best part is that these are all working hypotheses we can safely experiment with."
"Does that mean we're ready to move onto step four?" Kohaku asked, her eyes gleaming with sheer anticipation.
"Tch, heh, heh," Senku chuckled at her eagerness. "Yep! Time to put our theories to the test."
"Well then, what are we waiting for?!" In all her enthusiasm, Kohaku grabbed Senku by the arm and started dragging him to the main entrance, without even giving him the opportunity to put down his chopsticks.
"Hey, easy, Lioness! We're not even done eating, yet. And are you trying to pull my arm out of it's socket?" he complained.
"You kids go on and get started, we'll be right behind you," Byakuya called after them.
"Shouldn't we go with 'em? What if they need some help?"
"Relax, Lillian. I'm sure Senku can handle it for the time being," he assured before setting his sights on the food that Senku left behind. "Now, come to papa!"
...
Kohaku dragged Senku all the way down to the port, practically dislocating his shoulder in the process.
"So, which of these hypothesis thingies are we trying out first? Oh, I know! Order me to leave the island. I'm ready to swim to the mainland if I have to," she declared with zero hesitation, causing sweat drops to form at Senku's temple.
"Uh, that's a bad idea. For starters, you don't even know your way to the mainland. Plus, we're on the northeastern side of the island, and Honshu is due west. If you swim out to sea haphazardly, you'd just get lost and can kiss any chance of making landfall goodbye," Senku did his best to deter her from doing something as insane as trying to make a swim for it. When he saw that it was working, he continued to dissuade her with more "sound reasoning".
"Then again, if you swim due east for about three kilometers, then you'll eventually make it to land. But its a remote area. Who knows when you'd make it to civilization again," he claimed nonchalantly, thinking he had her in the palm of his hand. However, Senku made a grave miscalculation by feeding her even a tiny grain of hope.
"Hah! You think that scares me? I've been living in isolation for decades. What's another decade or two of wandering? At least I'll be free."
Senku panicked internally for a brief moment when his initial plan backfired. Clearly, this lioness couldn't be reasoned with. So, he cut the act and spelled out the obvious. "Look, don't be stupid, Kohaku. Swimming out of here is the most idiotic and illogical thing you could possibly do. Besides, do you even know how to swim?"
After all her bluster, Kohaku could only blush in embarrassment upon realizing that she most definitely did NOT know how to swim. She had just gotten carried away and was too proud to admit that she was being overly presumptuous. Despite this, her silence spoke volumes to Senku. He knew he had just thrown a wrench into her hairbrained scheme, much to his relief.
He placed his hands on his hips and shook his head, sighing heavily. "Listen, Lioness, I know you're desperate to get out of here, but we have to approach this logically. Like I said before, nothing can be said with absolute certainty until we conduct our experiments and gather data. And I'm not just gonna give you the order to leave without a solid plan in place. First things first—we need a boat. Wait here."
Senku walked down to the end of the dock and soon spotted a small, unmanned, fishing boat that was moored there. He worked quickly to unfasten the rope and used it to haul the boat closer to Kohaku, with tremendous effort. Once the fishing boat was within her range, he tied the rope to the nearest dock cleat so it wouldn't float away with the current.
"Alright, Lioness, it's the moment of truth. Hop in," he ordered oh so casually, without even a millimeter of doubt in her ability to do so.
Kohaku, however, was not without her reservations. She looked at the boat with uncertainty, then at Senku, almost as if asking permission to take another step forward.
"C'mon, where's all that bravado from before? Don't tell me you're running scared all of a sudden. Tch, and after all the trouble I went through to bring you that boat," he taunted, trying to egg her on.
"Hah! Who says I'm scared? I'm just worried that you didn't secure the boat well enough. I mean, I don't want to fall into the water. Like you pointed out... I can't even swim," she tried to justify herself, not wanting to look cowardly.
"Tch, heh, heh. You don't trust my knot tying skills? Fine, I'll show you there's nothing to be afraid of," he stated confidently, before getting into the boat, himself.
"I told you, I'm not afraid!" She shouted in annoyance, narrowing her eyes at him. However, her protests went ignored.
"See? I'm in the boat and it's still floating. So, get in already," he continued to urge when she still hadn't made a single move to get any closer.
In all actuality, Kohaku was more afraid of discovering that after coming this far, she still wouldn't be able to take even a single step off the island. But after careful consideration, Kohaku decided she couldn't allow herself to be done in by her own self-doubt. So, with newfound resolve, she worked up her nerve and dared to take the plunge.
Squaring her shoulders, she took her first step toward the boat. So far, so good. She took another step, and the result was the same. Pretty soon, she was standing at the very brink of the dock, to where the toes of her sandals were actually hanging off the edge, over the water. She gave Senku a hopeful look. This was the furthest she had ever managed to venture before.
At that point, Kohaku had gotten so excited, that all of a sudden, she did something that instantly horrified Senku.
"STOP!" He demanded. "When I said 'hop in', I didn't mean it literally. If you jump into the boat, it'll ten billion percent capsize. And I'd like to come out of this experiment completely dry, if you don't mind."
"Hah! Now, who's scared?" she turned his own words against him, but he simply brushed them off.
"Heh. Yeah, I'm scared... scared that I'll catch pneumonia, thanks to you. And just to be on the safe side, leave my phone on the dock. I don't want it getting waterlogged, rendering it useless."
Kohaku did as instructed and set the device down on the ground before turning back around to find Senku holding out his hand.
"Here..." he implored her to take it. "I'll lend you a hand. Just get in, nice and easy."
Now that she knew she could advance to the very edge of the dock, she approached him without a second thought and took his hand in hers. From there, she experimented with extending a leg forward. When she felt no resistance, she gave Senku a radiant smile as she laughed with glee, which he return with a smirk.
Then, it happened... Kohaku took her first real steps off the island by getting into the boat with Senku. She knew the boat would move, but she wasn't prepared to experience just how unsteady it was in reality. It was a bit of a challenge trying to keep her balance with both of them standing, and in her panic, Kohaku grabbed ahold of Senku tightly to stabilize herself and find sure footing.
"Tch, heh, heh... not afraid, huh?" He teased with a chuckle.
"Sh-shut up! I just didn't want to fall over. Got it?" She was quick to give an excuse as she blushed intensely from embarrassment and put some distance between Senku and herself.
"Alright, first hurdle cleared! Now, let's see how far we can get."
Once they settled in, Senku unmoored the boat, and picked up the long sculling oar laying against the inner wall, affixing it to the stern of the boat. After some amateurish maneuvering, Senku was able to turn the boat around. He knew that for this type of oar, he would have to row in a figure-eight motion, but he had zero experience and very little stamina to spare, so he knew they wouldn't get far. But this experiment would be an exercise in futility if they didn't explore the limits of her range.
After only five minutes of rowing, Senku was completely spent. "Okay..." he said, breathing heavily. "I think we've proven you can officially leave the island. Let's head back."
"That's it? But we've hardly moved at all."
"What?" he was incredulous. "I've been rowing for five minutes straight. Surely we must've gotten pretty far by now."
"See for yourself," She pointed toward the shore.
"HUH?!" Senku was so fixated on his rowing technique that he was surprised to learn that he'd only managed to move them a dozen meters or so. Apparently his technique wasn't as good as he thought. Or maybe he just didn't have the necessary strength to propel them through the water.
"Here, let me try," Kohaku suggested, getting up from her seat, making the boat rock.
"Hey, don't stand up so suddenly. Are you trying to capsize us?"
"No, I'm trying to help. Switch places with me," she insisted, taking a step toward him, making the boat rock again.
"Hold it! Switching places in a small boat like this isn't that simple. It's absolutely essential that we distribute our weight evenly. We have to move together."
Slowly, they moved closer and closer together. When they both reached the center, a wave jostled the boat, forcing them to hold one another for support. They looked at each other in surprise and Kohaku couldn't help but blush due to their close proximity. Even Senku was starting to feel uncomfortable, and took a big gulp while avoiding making eye contact with her. Yet, despite how tense they were, neither of them dared to move again until the boat had steadied.
After a while, the tension was mounting. So, as soon as the boat stabilized, Senku took the first opportunity to turn a full one hundred eighty degrees before forcefully separating from Kohaku. The last thing he saw was her hurt expression, before she disappeared and her sudden absence as a counter-weight caused the boat to turn over.
Senku didn't even have enough time to process these events before meeting with the bitter cold of the ocean. He quickly resurfaced and his first thought was, "What the hell just happened?"
To be continued...
A/N: Here's a new chapter. Were you surprised? Just when they were making progress, this happens.
Anyway, I hope you've been thoroughly entertained, cause I'll have to take another break from this fanfic in preparation for another SenHaku Week. I'm so sorry. TwT
I promise I'll update again as soon as I get the chance. Thanks for reading and I'll catch you in the next chapter... eventually. n_n'
Notita especial:
Me gustaría dedicar este capítulo a mi querida lectora, CELESTE kaomy-chan. Muchísimas gracias por todo tu apoyo, tus comentarios, y especialmente por tus historias que tanto me inspiran. Se que llevo una semana de tardanza, pero ¡Feliz cumpleaños!