/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45343211 (14/-)
—
Entering the Human Village feels again weird, like it's been a lifetime—three days since that night of carnage—and though the stares and whispers are still plenty and developing in the strangest manners, each souring Suzu's mood by my side more, I… really don't care. They do bother me, true—memories of the stoning are crystal clear, despite everything—; yet, as I walk forward towards my house, chin lifted and fists clenched, all I have in mind are the changes I'd have to make to comport those two kids in my life…

"Keine…" Suzu says as we reach a cross in our paths; her to the Suzunaan, me to my house. "… Just know you're not alone. You have friends to rely on, and anything you or the kids need, come to me immediately—no matter what, I'll receive you with open arms."

It's hard to contain the big smile. "Noted."

After—tightly—hugging Suzu and exchanging a LOT of final safety nets—'tips, come to me', 'I'll teach you how to prepare baby formula and change diapers', 'you'll build yourself a crib?! Are you crazy, Keine?!'—I watch as she waves in the distance, waving back slightly, though my smile quickly fades, cold in my stomach: I hope she's not harassed for being seen with me…

No, Suzu can take care of herself and her family…

If someone do harass them, I'll gladly teach a lesson to the miscreant.

Breathing in and out, feeling placid, I look up at the starry sky—my stomach rumbles, and I close my eyes. Kids cost money; they're responsibilities, after all… One of my goals is to recover my job, but with Mr. Hieda, I doubt I'll get that sooner or later; my tainted reputation also does me no favors…

Suzu again offered me a job at the Suzunaan, but I refused it. She's already just scraping by, and the economy is not getting better soon; Rinnosuke would be the same song and dance, and trying other places should yield the same results.

Again and again I think about possibilities, things I can do, things I'm good at, immune to the scrutiny from outside, burning with purpose, but not to the hollowness that comes with the lack of answers. My mind wanders to dark places—it'd be easy to rewrite story, so things go my way; robbing would be even easier…—but, bitterly, I gulp all the unsavory ideas. None are reliable, and all will lead me down a path of confrontation and prejudice. Is that the mark I want to paint myself and those two kids with?

… Hm, calling them 'those kids' forever won't do.

The boy's name I already know—I made a promise, after all—but the girl's…?

Wandering in the dark, illuminated by the sky and its stars, the occasional street oil lamp and open commerce, I feel lost. I have all these goals—recover my friendship, my job, clean my reputation and change the village for the better… Yet, I have no way to even feed myself for the next week.

Nibbling on my lower lip, stomach growling lowly, I sit on the curb to rest for a moment, sighing before rubbing my face and eyes, staying still like that, thinking—Mokou, Suzu, Anon…—, trying to ignore the creeping cold rising inside…

Ah… I should go home and eat something.

Opening my eyes, my frown creases when I notice something I hadn't noticed on the other side of the street: a house with its lights on, but what's in front of it grabbed my attention: a komainu statue protecting a small shrine, soft candles lighting it…

I got up and approached the statue, gently patting its head before turning to the shrine. In dire moments, a simple prayer is as good as anything—I remember someone once saying—so I began praying, unknown to whom the shrine was dedicated to…

Deep inside my prayers, wishing a good life for those two kids, I miss someone approaching me, only opening my eyes when the ruffle of a tail comes from my side: Standing there with a mellow smile and a plate of rice balls is a green-haired girl wearing a strange red shirt… I think I've seen her sometimes in the Hakurei Shrine and walking around the village, but never directly interacted to her. "You seem hungry, miss—here." She passed me the plate, her sudden kindness throwing me off balance. "Eat well, 'kay? To get very strong~!"

"T-Thanks…" I cautiously take one of the balls and eat, and oh, so salty…

Yet it's a treat that quenches my rumbling stomach. My smile in the dim light makes the horned girl blush and smile, who then leans on the Komainu statue and speaks: “You were looking all sad just now; what happened?” Was she watching me…? Well, a stranger praying at your shrine's house may acquire some attention.

I gulp and, not wanting to waste her kindness—she also doesn't seem to know about the rumors—decide to talk; "I was… fired recently, couldn't find another job and will soon have to sustain two babies—winter is coming, too… It’s tough times without any money." Her eyes droop, tail stopping bobbing. Empathy for someone you don't know always warms my heart. I ate another rice ball. "So I was praying to this god to give me a chance to do things right…"

"Do things right?"