Hikari Okami: Kitsune Series (5 page)

In the bathroom Miyako allowed the water to
soothe her sore muscles for she wondered how long she could keep
working the way she was.

“One of these days I may have to return to
the university to complete my education because I can’t keep on
juggling jobs” speaking aloud to herself

Drying up as she changed into the clothe she
brought with her, opening the door she made her way to the room
noticing that Hikari was laying on her bed.

“Are you asleep?”

“No I didn’t know what to do with myself that
was why I decided to lie down”

“Ok, it is time to make dinner”

Standing up he walked with her to the kitchen
to start the preparation of their meal, this time it seem to take
longer than when they prepared the morning food.

“Why is it taking so long?” he asked

“Because we are doing something different
this time” she replied

After a while the food was done as they
settle into a familiar routine of dinning on the bed, then clearing
up to wash the dishes.

“Time in the human world seems to move fast;
here I was waiting anxiously for your return and next we are
through with dinner”

“One of these days I hope you would tell me
what it feels to live in your world” she replied

“There is nothing to really talk about, just
that it is very different from your world, do not concern yourself
about it”

Miyako decided not to respond as she hoped
that one day he’ll learn to open up to her, even if it meant not
being able to visit where he lived in the other world.

“It is time for bed because I have an early
start tomorrow”

Heading towards the bed she saw he followed
her “What are you doing? You know I can’t share the same bed with
you” as she said this the memory of what happened when she woke up
caused her to feel funny inside, for she didn’t want to tell him
that it was herself that she couldn’t trust to be on the same bed
with him.

“You know that I would not touch you for no
reason neither harm you”

“Tomorrow I’ll have to get a futon for you to
sleep in, and then we could see some places together”

Pushing the bed cover aside she settled down
for the night, Hikari wondered why the human was acting in such a
strange way.

Giving his body as much distance as he could
from hers, waiting until she finally slept for he knew that he
could not sleep as she could unless he wanted to mimic her, for a
yokai never had need of sleep as humans did especially one like
him.

The next morning Miyako quietly left for work
not knowing that Hikari knew the exact moment she woke but
pretended to still be asleep.

Miyako received a call from her manager while
on her lunch at the back of the store that she had a visitor “
I
have never had anyone come to see me at work, I wonder who it might
be. It had better not be Hikari sneaking away from the house to
visit”
with that thought in mind she made her way to front of
the store only for her to see a man she didn’t know.

“Good afternoon I was told you wanted to see
me, I don’t mean to be rude but who are you?” as she said this she
saw her manager cast a curious glance towards her and the
stranger.

“If it is not a bother to you, can we step
out so that we can talk in private?” he said not bothering to
answer her question

Deciding to co-operate with him as they
headed out of the store, not once did she turn to look at the
manager for fear he may get the wrong impression that she was in a
dangerous situation and call the police, within her she wondered
why she agreed to follow the stranger in front of her. On getting
outside he turned saying “I know you have a kitsune staying with
you” as he said this she gasped in surprise

“How did you know I have someone staying with
me?” she asked as her voice held a hint of fear.

“Let me warn you, if you decide to take sides
with the kitsune you would not be spared this a message from my
master, do well to heed the warning”

“Who are you and why are you threatening me?”
she asked

“You do not need to know who I am, separate
yourself from the kitsune if not you would not be showed mercy” he
said as his voice held traces of menace

“I just need to know what he may have done to
deserve such hatred”

“Hatred you say? This has nothing to do with
you, so don’t involve yourself in the matter of us yokai”

With that said his body slowly became as the
wind blending with the very air until she could no longer see his
form, making her way back inside she hid what she witnessed from
her manger.

“I’ll have to find a better time to tell
Hikari, maybe after we come back from our sightseeing”

Forcing her mind not to think about the
unusual event that occurred, as she continued the daily routine at
her job for the good thing was that the next day was going to be
day off so she made up her mind to spend it taking Hikari for some
sightseeing.

“
I wonder if it was because of what the
man said that makes me wish for tomorrow to quickly come”
she
thought

The next day came as she and Hikari started
by going to the theatre to watch some movies, after getting the
ticket and seated
“Why does this feel like am in a date?”
she asked herself turning as she saw Hikari looking like a normal
human being without ears or tail the only thing were his eyes and
hair for which people could easily think that they were as a result
of hair dye or contact even she was used to being stared at if it
ever came to that “There seem to be a lot of people gathering here”
he said

“Some are here on a date while some came to
watch the movie”

“What do you mean when you said they are here
on a date?” he asked

For a moment Miyako hesitated to say what she
meant, for she didn’t want him to think that it was the reason why
she brought him with her

“Hmmm….meaning that when you bring a male or
a female that you like with you”

“That means you like me?” he pointedly
asked

“What? I don’t like you! Why would you say
something like that?” as she panicked in response

“If you think that way then why am I here
with you?” as he said this Miyako felt a pang of regret for the
words she said to him, it was not her intention to say that instead
she said “I’m sorry I only misunderstood what you said, I don’t
hate you”

After she spoke Hikari didn’t speak a word to
her all the while they were in the theatre, Miyako could feel the
tension between them but she knew who was to blame, many times now
she would respond aggressively whenever he spoke to her.

Feeling dejected and sad as she wished that
the movie would come to an end so that she could quickly return to
her room, not too long after everything came to an end as people
began to file out of the theatre as the last ones out she didn’t
know what to say to him, feeling the wrongness of her action as she
said “I’m sorry for what I said”

“As long as you’re sorry that is all that
matters” he said but she still felt that he had not accepted her
apology, to make up for this she said to him “Let us go and see the
amusement park”

For the park was just a train away, with that
they boarded on the train heading for Osaka for which they stood
all through since there was never a time when the train was not
full of people with only seats to accommodate just a few.

Finally they got to their destination,
getting off the train the distance to the park was so close to the
train station she knew that when the time came for them to leave
they’ll be able to make it even if it was the last train for the
day.

On getting there they saw so many people both
school students, children and adults all catching fun in various
way, some were walking around just looking at the rides and other
attractions of the place.

Pointing to one of the rides “I want to be in
that one” said Hikari

“Which one?” she asked

“The one that moves really fast with
screaming people in it”

“Oh….that!” she replied in a bored voice for
deep inside she was terrified of the ride but she didn’t want him
to know

“Take me to that place so that I can
experience what those humans feel”

They had to queue to pay for the ride then
another queue to take turns taking the ride but finally they were
next to step into the ride with the safety belt firmly in place the
ride was set into motion, at first it started out slow then later
on it was moving really fast that Miyako didn’t know when she
started screaming out wishing desperately for it to come an end,
gradually the speed of the ride reduced it was then that she was
able to notice that Hikari was laughing as though having the best
time of his life as his hair was swept back by the wind, it was
when he turned to her the expression in his eyes was what
captivated her for even without words she could see the gratitude
in them. At that moment she felt the thudding of her heart for his
eyes made her melt inside, if he had asked anything she would have
granted it to him, that was when she realized how much Hikari meant
to her but with that came a sense of sadness for she knew he wasn’t
human just as she wasn’t like him.

She didn’t know when tears gathered in her
eyes until she heard him say “Why are you crying? Did I do
something to upset you?” he asked in a voice filled with
concern.

“No it is just me been emotional for that is
a human thing, you didn’t upset me in any way” she lied so as to
protect what she just discovered about herself

Still Hikari felt within him that she was
hiding something but he told himself not to push the matter.

“Let’s come down for some ice cream” she said
to him in order to divert his attention

Stepping out they made their way to the ice
cream stand after having their order taken they sat on one of the
benches that had some tree shade to enjoy their ice cream and to
observe the scenery.

“I want to go through all the rides here”
said Hikari in a serious tone

“You do know that those rides are not free
and secondly we have to queue twice before getting the chance to
enter each one, anyway let me rest a while so that I can have the
energy to do what you want” she said tiredly

“I really appreciate you taking me out to see
these, for I would have some memories to take with me when I leave”
he said

“You’re leaving? When? But why?” she said as
her voice rose in alarm

“I have to leave as soon as the season comes
to an end for that was the pact I made before venturing to the
human world”

“This does not make any sense, what pact did
you make? When were you ever going to tell me that you were
leaving” she said in a choked voice

“Weren’t you the same person that asked when
I was going to leave where you stayed and now you’re getting
worried when I said I was leaving, moreover I came here to fulfill
my duties as guardian of the Inari shrine and once am done I’ll
return to my world to take over as the supreme leader of the yokai
world”

“Those are unrelated and you know that, I
don’t want you to leave but if you have to then I’m not going to
hold you back”

“Humans sure are very confusing creatures…”
she interrupted him by saying “You don’t seem to get what I mean,
that aside let us not argue and enjoy the moment”

Miyako wondered why she could not bring
herself to tell him of the strange visitor that she had at work for
she didn’t know how the man and Hikari were connected.

Leaning backward as she closed her eyes to
rest not knowing when her body had succumbed to the strong pull of
sleep as she leaned on his shoulder, as soon as Hikari saw she was
soundly asleep he gathered her towards him allowing her head to
rest on his chest as his fingers ran through the tendrils of her
hair “She sure is strong willed for one so young” he muttered to
himself as it struck him right then how a human could become so
important to him in such a short time.

In that moment he felt a sharp pain pierce
his heart at the thought of leaving the human he held in his arms,
wishing that she could be by his side always.

Miyako woke with a start as she saw they were
the only ones left in the park “Why didn’t you wake me up when you
saw the people leaving?” for the last train left at 6pm while she
woke up almost an hour after.

“I saw you were sleeping so soundly and I
didn’t want to wake you”

“So how are we going to get back now that the
last train has left?”

“We could travel back by air” as he spoke he
carried her in his arm not waiting for her to resist as they
floated in the air together from the unseeing eyes of the
humans

Miyako decided not to bring up any arguments
for she was partly to blame for their current situation, deciding
that this could be the right time to let him know of the strange
visitor she had at work

“Hikari there was someone that came to see me
at work, threatening that his master would come after me if I
choose to have you at my place; he neither told me his name nor the
name of his master”

“Miyako I think it is time that you move with
me to the shrine where you would have enough protection, if you
stay where you are then the lives of your neighbors would be at
great risk”

She thought about what Hikari said, for it
would be selfish of her to stay at the apartment, because she
didn’t want to put the lives of her neighbors at risk and also he
had abandoned his duty at the shrine just to keep her safe.

“You’re right I will move out tomorrow for it
is already too late in the night to begin moving”

With that said the two headed back to her
place for the night which on getting there, Hikari opened the door
only placing her down when they got into her room.