Kisaragi Chiyo stopped in his tracks, held the lantern in his hands high, shone it forward, a figure appeared in the darkness.
It was a tall, slender creature with a human-like build, wearing a kimono.
By Kisaragi Chiyo's estimation, it was nearly two meters tall. Where a neck should have been, a dusty, long, cylindrical vase was attached, which occasionally bumped into the clutter piled nearby as it turned around to search for something.
"Vase Yokai.." Kisaragi Chiyo's voice wavered slightly. He took a small step back, dodging the porcelain vase that swung around violently upon hearing his voice.
".. Humans?" A dull, buzzing voice came from the vase, the Yokai wearing a kimono lowered the part where its head should have been.
"Why would you be here.. your scent.. you aren't from around here." The Vase Yokai's tone was steady and calm. Its tall stature was incredibly oppressive, in the dim light, it couldn't help but bring to mind the Slender Man from urban legends.
But Kisaragi Chiyo did not sense any hostility or intent to attack from the other, which was the main reason they were still able to converse so peacefully.
"Why I am here isn't important." Kisaragi Chiyo didn't particularly like this angle that required him to look up at the other person. He took another step back, slowly lowering his gaze until it landed on the overturned, messy wooden crates.
What matters now is why you are here?" Kisaragi Chiyo said in a cold tone. He moved the lantern he was holding in his right hand to his left hand. "Your actions have already caused trouble for this household.
I see.." The Vase Yokai spoke slowly, nodding clumsily with the gray vase atop its head. "I am looking for something, but because the vase on my head is such a nuisance, my vision is completely blocked, I can't find anything in the pitch darkness.
.." Kisaragi Chiyo fell silent for a few seconds, her voice tinged with surprise, "What.. the vase isn't its true form?
How rude." A muffled voice drifted up from the mouth of the vase. "My name is Tsukiyoushoku, I am no mere Vase Yokai.
Because I was curious about what it was like inside the vase, once I stuck my head in, I couldn't get it out.. Originally, I wanted to find the human who helped me once before, but there are still things I haven't found yet.
"What thing?" Kisaragi Chiyo narrowed his misty gray eyes, scanning the Yokai claiming to be Tsukiyoushoku up and down, feeling a strange sense of familiarity with this name, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
But that faint, ethereal sense of familiarity, as thin as mist, made it impossible for him to recall any memories regarding the other's name.
"A wooden cherry blossom hairpin." Tsukiyoushoku gestured with its deep blue haori sleeve. Although its form closely resembled a human's, it lacked human hands and feet; otherwise, it wouldn't have had such a hard time carrying the vase.
“Yours?” Kisaragi Chiyo raised an eyebrow, looking at the other with a skeptical gaze.
"No, it belongs to the owner of this house." Tsukiyoushoku began to slowly explain to Kisaragi Chiyo the circumstances of why he had ended up here.
During my travels, I encountered Ameyu. The rain was very heavy that day, I didn't want to continue my journey in the rain, so I took a temporary rest under the eaves in front of this house.
The owner of this house probably has poor eyesight; she invited me inside to take shelter from the rain.
In return, I want to find that hairpin and repair it for her.
"Why does it have to be that specific hairpin?" the young man asked in confusion.
"Because it's very important to her, isn't it?" Even with his head stuck inside a vase, Kisaragi Chiyo could still feel a gaze directed accurately at him right where his eyes should be.
Whether it be people or objects, life is so fleeting. Isn't it something to be more joyful about—that they can return to youth and be made new again?
"That's just your personal opinion, isn't it?" Kisaragi Chiyo was noncommittal regarding the Yokai's words; he raised an eyebrow and gave the lamp in his hand a slight shake.
"Do you need my help? After all, I promised someone else I would help resolve the trouble here." Kisaragi Chiyo placed extra emphasis on the word "trouble," appearing somewhat impatient.
If it weren't for that notebook he was interested in dangling before him like a carrot, Kisaragi Chiyo would probably have returned to the inn long ago to cuddle with the fluffy, soft kittens and puppies.
Would they be standing there, face-to-face with a Yokai whose head was stuck inside a vase, in this pitch-black, cramped, dust-covered warehouse just like this?
Then I'm sorry to trouble you." The tall Vase Yokai bent down. "Please help me remove the vase from my head first.
Kisaragi Chiyo didn't actually want to do something like this. Taking advantage of the fact that the Vase Yokai couldn't see him, his mouth curled downward, he used both hands to grasp the cobweb-covered vase with a look of disdain.
The vase wasn't fitted very securely; with just a little extra effort from Kisaragi Chiyo, he helped the Vase Yokai remove the vase from its head.
But after seeing the Vase Yokai's true face, Kisaragi Chiyo felt it would have been better to just let the creature keep the vase on its head.
The smooth, spherical head was reminiscent of a rugby ball, with vertical wood grain growing on it like the bark of an ancient tree. Where the eyes should be, there was a pitch-black hollow that appeared empty from the outside, the mouth was even simpler—just a long, narrow slit for making sound.
"Thank you for your help." Tsukiyoushoku bowed slightly; in the dim light, its spherical wooden head looked exceptionally terrifying.
Its voice was deep and resonant, like that of an elder with vast experience.
"Next, I'll have to trouble you to help me continue searching for that hairpin." Tsukiyoushoku issued the invitation to Kisaragi Chiyo with great familiarity.
Of course, I will repay you in return.
*
Is the matter resolved?" Mari Koike asked cautiously, looking at the cold and gloomy Kisaragi Chiyo, "Those strange sounds won't appear again, right?
It's resolved." Kisaragi Chiyo irritably brushed a stray cobweb from his hair with his glove, warning her with an attitude that was far from friendly, "Make sure to clean up the things in the warehouse later. It's a total mess; if things sit abandoned for too long without being used, they might attract something else.
Kisaragi Chiyo's words were not a threat; there truly were such rumors circulating that warehouses or rooms left unused for long periods would become habitats for Yokai or other small creatures, occasionally causing minor troubles.
"Okay!" Mari Koike was startled by Kisaragi Chiyo, her face turning pale as she thought of something. She nodded repeatedly, promising that she would find someone to reorganize the things in the warehouse in a few days.
"Just decide what you're going to do for your own business." Kisaragi Chiyo was feeling somewhat irritable; he felt as if his entire body had rolled around in dust, his wrists, neck.. all the skin exposed felt uncomfortably itchy.
Ah.. I want to go back.. I want to take a bath.. I don't want to chat at all.. So annoying.
Since you already understand," Kisaragi Chiyo said, lifting the notebook he was holding in his hand, "according to our previous agreement, let me borrow this for now.
Seeing Mari Koike's hesitant expression, Kisaragi Chiyo added, "Don't worry, I'll return it to you completely intact once I've finished reading it. The address to send it to will be here, right?"
No.. what I want to say isn't about this matter." Mari Koike spoke haltingly, carefully observing Kisaragi Chiyo's expression as he asked, "Kisaragi-kun, have you encountered anything strange lately.. I mean, receiving any suspicious packages or anything like that?
“What do you want to say?” Kisaragi Chiyo narrowed her eyes, her misty gray eyes staring fixedly at the man as cold sweat beaded on his forehead. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
It's that.." Mari Koike was stared at so intensely by Kisaragi Chiyo that her tongue tied itself in knots. She made an exaggerated gesture with both hands, "It's something like a threatening letter.
“A threatening letter?” Kisaragi Chiyo let out a sudden cold laugh, giving the other person a meaningful look as he crossed his arms, his expression indifferent.
Why do you think I would receive something like this?
“Mari Koike?”
This was the first time Mari Koike had heard such a way of being addressed by Kisaragi Chiyo. He felt a chill crawl up his spine, he stared wide-eyed at Kisaragi Chiyo, as if looking at some terrifying entity.
But it was only for a moment; that brief illusion made Mari Koike feel like she had just been seeing things.
.. No, I'm not.." Mari Koike explained anxiously, "Do you still remember Miki from our high school days?
.." Kisaragi Chiyo fell silent, it was quite a while before he spoke up with a hint of confusion, "Who is that?
It's Miki, the one who tried to play a prank on you but ended up losing a front tooth and getting bird droppings in her mouth when she opened it!
Hearing Mari Koike's words, Kisaragi Chiyo tried very hard to recall, but unfortunately, he had never been very good at remembering the names of people he wasn't interested in.
I don't remember," Kisaragi Chiyo said with an air of righteousness. "Why would I bother remembering someone like that?
"I didn't say you had to remember.." Mari Koike stammered in response, muttering under her breath, not daring to let Kisaragi Chiyo hear her.
It's just that what I'm about to say is related to that guy.
At the last class reunion," Mari Koike added, "they wanted to send you an invitation, but they didn't have your address or contact information.
"I'm not interested," Kisaragi Chiyo gave an answer that Mari Koike did not expect.
It was during that class reunion, that guy Miki was asking around for news about you everywhere. He said you were getting revenge on him for stealing his chance, so he wants to get revenge on you too.
I heard that Miki seems to have friends in the underworld, so Kisaragi-kun, you must be careful.
Is that so?" Kisaragi Chiyo looked nonchalant, appearing as if he didn't care about the matter at all. "Although I have no impression of what he said, if it's revenge against me..
"Then let him come as he pleases," the raven-haired youth said, gazing at a distant point, his tone as light as if he were merely commenting on how lovely the weather was today.
If only he had that kind of courage.
*
By the time Kisaragi Chiyo returned to the inn, it was already around seven in the evening. At this time of day in winter, the sky had already gone completely dark, due to the cold weather, one could only see a few scattered pedestrians and office workers in suits on the streets.
The izakayas and ramen shops were lively, with their boisterous chatter audible even to those just passing by.
Warm yellow light spilled from within, illuminating small patches of the street's darkness, but Kisaragi Chiyo had no interest in them; he walked with hurried steps, passing by without stopping for even a single second.
So dirty, so dirty, so dirty.. So tired, so tired, so tired.
Suddenly, the day's exhaustion rushed over her all at once. Kisaragi Chiyo wrapped her scarf tightly around herself with an expressionless face, after greeting the hotel receptionist, she turned and headed upstairs.
Swiping the card, turning on the lights, closing the door—it was all done in one smooth motion.
Kisaragi Chiyo wanted to lie down on the bed immediately, but first, he took the suitcase with the talisman attached to it out of the wardrobe.
He tore off the talisman and threw the gloves and discarded talismans all at once into the trash can.
As the suitcase opened, two fist-sized clumps of fluff rolled out. After rolling a few times on the carpet, they lay motionless on the floor, as if playing dead.
Looking closely, the calico fluffball next to it was a full size larger than the black fluffball.
This is the size difference between a dog and a cat; even after being shrunk, it still manifests to this extent.
"Are you going to get up on your own, or do I have to call you myself?" Kisaragi Chiyo looked down, gazing from her height at the two balls of fur on the floor. The larger one wriggled, rolling over to reveal its soft, white-furred chest.
"Chiyo-chan." The fluffball let out a whimper of cooing, clearly knowing that, even after being shrunk several times over, his cuteness possessed super-charged lethality.
-----------------------
Author's Note: *Marked text appeared in the original work
Thank you to all the little angels for your support. Mwah to everyone! I wish you all a Happy Lunar New Year!
Chapter 74
When Hara Kenji proposed that plan, Matsuda Jinpei wanted to refuse it.
But before he could even speak, Hara Kenji, who seemed to have already anticipated his reaction, curved his eyes into a smile, his dark purple eyes looking at him with a grin.
If Little Jinpei doesn't agree," the wicked Evil Spirit said, twirling a strand of hair around his finger with an innocent and sincere expression, "I'll tell Chiyo-chan that the Haori he couldn't find was snatched and hidden by you.
Matsuda Jinpei: ".."
This is a threat, isn't it? This is definitely a threat!
Matsuda Jinpei clicked his tongue in annoyance, the cat ears standing up amidst his curly hair pressed down due to his changing mood. His long, powerful tail slapped against the sofa beside him one after another with impatience, making a series of slapping sounds.
Cats are natural collectors, Matsuda Jinpei is no exception. Although he always insists that he is not a cat, it doesn't change his subconscious habit of hiding things he likes.
From toolboxes to model parts, or toys like catnip sticks, or even Kisaragi Chiyo's Haori..
Matsuda Jinpei swore that he absolutely had no perverted thoughts or tendencies toward Kisaragi Chiyo. Hiding her Haori was merely an instinctive act; by the time he realized what he had done, that Haori was already lying quietly there in his secret base.
And since it was covered in difficult-to-clean cat hair and his own scent, Matsuda Jinpei had no way to restore it to its original state to make it easy to return secretly.
And so, that haori was left behind as a matter of course, even now, it was still hidden by a guilty Matsuda Jinpei in a compartment of his toolbox.
“So, what is Little Jinpei's answer?” A smile played on Hara Kenji's lips as he leisurely stroked the tangled mass of tentacles with one hand, his gaze drifting lightly toward Matsuda Jinpei's face.