It was almost 5.30pm, the street started to get crowded with people as it was a Saturday evening.
Many couples were walking along the street, enjoying the company of each other.
Some were going for dinner, some were going for a movie and every single pair were either holding hands or smiling affectionately.
It was the middle of summer, and couples tend to wear shorter to cool themselves down.
The boys wore singlets, the girls wore hot pants and showed of their legs, the streets were filled with youthful energy and it was growing as the day got darker.
Mayuri was waiting alone in front of a beverage shop, taking sips off a soft drink can.
She saw couples walking past her one after another, the intimacy made her face red, she held her can tighter and bit her straw harder.
She was always shy and quiet around strangers. Only being with her friends, which she had only a few, made her feel like herself, and there was one person that she'd like to open up to.
She had just finished her work at the office. It was a rather tiring day for her since she had to work even on Saturday, but since the company she worked for was her own family business, which was a small construction company, she appreciated it as it was a place to grind her experience and skills.
Nevertheless, Mayuri would be annoyed by her work sometimes. If she could have the day off, she could have accompanied him for the whole day, not just the evening.
So, she tends to make the time count.
"Mayuri!"
The call of her name brought her back from her thoughts, Mayuri turned to the voice and looked for the person that she was looking forward to.
"Akira!" She found Akira, she wanted to raise her hand for a wave but her hand was frozen in mid-air. "Taka?!"
She saw Akira and Taka together, walking towards her. Her face couldn't help but twitch.
What is this? Taka! Why are you here! The night is ruined!
Mayuri wanted to cry in her heart so bad but as Akira and Taka were coming closer, she had to hold herself together.
"Hey Mayuri, sorry to keep you waiting! I brought Taka along after our little reunion with Domon-sensei, the more the merrier right? Are you hungry, your face is twitching." Akira asked frankly.
"Hi Mayuri." Taka also waved awkwardly at Mayuri, he knew why Mayuri's face was twitching, so he averted her grudgeful gaze after the greeting and stayed quiet.
Mayuri's heart was fighting with her brain, feelings versus logic, and in the end she surrendered.
Sigh, I guess it's another time.
Mayuri forcefully changed her helpless expression into a smile, she said "The more the merrier! I am indeed hungry, so let's go grab something to eat."
She failed this time because of Akira's naivety but after struggling with her own feelings, she shouldn't let her feelings get the best of her.
The three of them then walked together along the commercial street, seeking a place to have dinner while they talked happily.
The awkwardness between Taka and Mayuri flew away quickly, since all three of them were close friends for a long time, Mayuri wouldn't act selfishly to serve her own little desire.
Though she really wanted to spend more time with Akira alone, ultimately confessing to him when the time is right, regardless she had the courage or not, having this kind of friendly hangout was not all that bad either.
The three of them stopped by a western restaurant for dinner.
The three of them sat down at a table and started to read through the menu.
While they were discussing what to order, the waiter came over and wanted to take their order for beverage.
"Good evening, sir, madam, what would you like to drink?"
"A cup of warm tea for her, a glass of lemon water for him and… this, Vanilla Milkshake, and also an extra scoop of strawberry ice-cream please." Akira pointed at the menu showing the picture of the milkshake and made his order.
"I understand, please wait for a moment while I bring you your beverage and please let me know when you decide to order. Please excuse me." The waiter then left after a polite bow.
Mayuri looked at Akira when he ordered on behalf of her, she was rather flattered because Akira remembered her love for tea and dislike cold drinks.
It was the little things that attracted Mayuri to Akira. Some may think less of him for being a little too light-hearted or like to joke even in serious times, but he was a very perceptive of little details and always cared for people.
Mayuri was looking at Akira blankly, that was before Akira looked at her and said, "Mayuri, would you like to try their carbonara? I heard it's their specialty here and since you don't really like chewing on steak, I figured you may want to try some angel hair?"
"S-Sure. I'd like to try that!" Mayuri regained her senses after Akira stopped her from further imagining things. She agreed to the suggestion with a slight flush on her face.
Taka saw Mayuri's reaction, he smiled softly, kept quiet about it and continued reading the menu.
They ordered the food after the waiter served them their drinks and dinner went on with chatters and laughters while they enjoyed the food.
Happy time flew by quicker than usual.
After dinner, the three of them took a stroll along a quieter street.
They talked more as they walked, movies, news, gossip, even aliens and outer space were their topic.
The heated conversation came to a stop when they arrived opposite a dessert shop.
"Ah! That shop, that shop sells the famous strawberry cheesecake and pearl milk tea!"
Mayuri pointed at the cafe opposite the street.
The shop selling mainly pearl milk tea and cheesecake was a newly opened yet popular one around the area. It has no tables or chairs for customers to dine in, only takeaway. Hence, there was a long line outside.
"I really wanted to try the black sugar milk tea and the cheesecake, but the line is so long…" Mayuri pouted.
"Why not… I go get us some after meal dessert, you guys can wait for me at the convenience store down the street!" Taka volunteered to wait in line for the popular milk tea and cheesecake.
"But…" Mayuri sounded a little bit hesitant.
"It's fine, just go ahead. I'll get us the milk tea and cheesecake." Taka assured Mayuri with a smile, he also winked at her.
Mayuri saw it and instantly understood the meaning.
"Then, I want the black sugar milk tea with extra tapioca pearls." Mayuri answered joyfully.
"Then I'll get the same." Akira also gave an answer without being too concerned.
"Okay, I won't be long!" Taka then went across the street to get in line and Mayuri and Akira walked to the convenience store.
Taka actually volunteered on purpose. He knew he was being the third wheel, so he ought to make space for the two, or for Mayuri to be alone with Akira.
Thankfully Mayuri got his meaningful wink immediately, otherwise it would turn into an awkward situation.
Akira and Mayuri went over to the convenience store and waited for Taka outside.
Mayuri thought she finally had some alone time to spend with her crush, she was thinking about what to say to start the conversation but while her mind was grinding hard, Akira spoke to her first.
"Mayuri, how are you? After the incident last time, are you holding up okay?" Akira looked at Mayuri with a warm smile.
Mayuri was caught off guard, she never thought Akira would take the initiative to speak to her first and even used the supernatural encounter as a topic opener. Though if the topic worked, she didn't mind what kind.
"Eh? Ah, that scary incident! It's been days now, although I can't sleep soundly at first, I guess I'm fine already. Your grandfather did help me a lot to get back on my feet the next day after we came back, he even said he had 'purified' the lingering presence and blessed me with a protection? I don't know what he meant but the little rituals seems to be very comforting. I used to think rituals in shrines are just to calm the mentality of people, but after that encounter, I'm not sure if it's just a calming ritual anymore."
Mayuri told Akira he true thoughts after the incident with the Yoma.
Akira did bring her to his grandfather in order for him to cast a protection spell on her. It may be hard for a normal person to believe the supernatural but his grandfather's protection spell was a real thing, it has minimized Mayuri's presence from the Yoma or any other dark things.
One of the reasons why Akira agreed to meet her today was to make sure the spell was active and after spending a whole evening capturing the presence of his grandfather's work, he was certain Mayuri will be safer.
"Don't worry, it will protect you. My grandfather is the strongest one around after all, and even if his spell aren't working, I'll be here with you." Akira smiled and gave his assurance.
Mayuri instantly flushed, her heart beat faster and she looked down shyly.
"W-With me?" Mayuri's face got redder, she felt warmer and more nervous, but she managed to 'cool' down after what Akira said.
"We are friends for so long, of course I'll be with you and protect you." Akira smiled.
It was like a bucket of cold water poured over her head, she smiled back awkwardly, silently.
Few seconds later, after she mind calmed down, she asked, "So you have always been fighting those things?"
The awkwardness was replaced by curiosity.
"I guess it's been a very long time. Ever since I can walk, I've been learning from my grandfather. Those 'things', we call them Yoma, they are the souls of human corrupted by malevolence. Some gets so strong that they can affect the real world, like the one you encounter, it 'moved' you from the room to the lobby right?" Akira explained.
"Ya, ya! I was so scared! Thank god you arrived just in time back then! Otherwise I don't know what might happen!" Mayuri sounded annoyed, but no longer scared.
"Thankfully, that Yoma isn't that powerful yet, otherwise it can do more than just moving you around." Akira said.
"That wasn't powerful enough? I can't tell if you are being serious or playful here. Sigh." Mayuri was quite surprised by what Akira said.
"Don't worry, it's not here anymore. I'm also surprised you recover so quickly after that incident, I saw some cases that might take up to weeks, or months, or even years." Akira's eyes glimmered in curiosity.
"Well you know, my family worried sick the day after we came back, I'm the only daughter so they tend to get paranoid easily. They helped me a lot, especially my mother. My father was relieved when your grandfather helped me expel the dirty things, and he said I am blessed to have a friend… like you." Mayuri tilted her head down and smiled sweetly.
Akira smiled, he hopped on to the rail outside the convenience store to sit down and said, "It's nothing, always there to help a friend. Remember how we first met back in middle school? You ran into me, crying, and knocked my lunch off?"
"Hehehe, sorry about that." Mayuri chuckled awkwardly, she added, "Thank you for your constant helping, the bully back then and this scary encounter."
"Nah, don't mention it, I was bullied very often back then, if it wasn't for Taka, I might not turn out who I am today. So I'm just trying to return the favour and spread the love!" Akira said.
"It would really be love if the bad memories weren't there…" said Mayuri.
She sounded like she wanted referring to the supernatural encounter back at the ryokan but something further back in her memory.
"You can get the bad memories removed if you want." Akira looked at Mayuri.
"Is it possible?! To erase the bad memories and retain only the good ones? How?" Mayuri looked into Akira's eyes, yearning for the answer.
"I take a penlight and flash you eyes."
"Eh? It's it a little… too sci-fi?" Looking confused, Mayuri hoped for an answer that she could accept.
"Hahahahahaha!" Akira laughed loudly, he never thought Mayuri would believe it. "I am just kidding you! Hahaha, it really is too sci-fi!"
"Akira!" Mayuri pouted and pinched Akira's lap.
"Ouch! Hahaha, sorry, I just can't help it. It's not the first time I get this, so that's my go-to answer. But jokes aside, there's really a way to remove memories through special methods."
The annoyance went away and was replaced but sudden delight, Mayuri said, "Really?"
"Yes, but I would never do it to others and I don't suggest you get it either. Your memories, whether it was bad or not, it is part of you and it's the things you experienced in life, it becomes a part of you, you learn from it and be a better self. Erasing the memories is like removing a part of yourself, you will never feel complete… I know exactly how it feels, and it's not something you want to live with."
The words from Akira sounded heavy, but he said it with a light and delightful tone. He didn't mean to scare Mayuri at all, it was just his true thoughts, and after Mayuri heard it, her feelings for him changed for the better.
"Akira…" Mayuri was deeply moved, his words woke her up and guided her to a bright path in life. It may sound joyful in his tone but Mayuri had always treated Akira's words seriously, even more so after he saved her from the Yoma.
"Though I still can take a penlight and flash you." Akira added as a joke.
Mayuri chuckled, she pushed Akira's lap playfully and both of them sank in laughter.
The talk with Akira did not turn out as Mayuri's expectation, the topic that she wished they talked about was far from what they actually discussed, but she realized she was just trying to get Akira's attention to calm herself down after the incident.
After Akira gave her confidence, she saw things in a clearer view, so it no longer matters what they talked about or what they did together, because no matter what, spending time together was the best feeling for her.
Both of the talked further, ranging from the supernatural to family, from drama to international news.
15 minutes later, Taka came back with 2 cheesecakes and 3 cups of pearl milk tea.
The three of them moved to the nearby park to sit down before they tested out the famous cheesecake and pearl milk tea.
Akira and Mayuri also wished Taka all the best in his studies for he will be going back to his dorm the next morning.
In the end, the outing ended happily instead of awkwardness.
True friendship will not waiver and persevere till the end.
However, not everyone ended with laughter and hugs that night.
Somewhere else in the city, specifically on the rooftop of Tokyo Tower, Rei was standing on the edge, under the moon, gazing upon the bright city.
Rei's fedora was in his hand rather than on his head, his silver short hair waved as the night breeze blew. His abysmal eyes were looking down at the people, the cars, the lights, watching the people talked, watching the car come and go, but his mind was somewhere else.
His black scarf was over his nose, making his dark eyes look like a bottomless pit, there wasn't any reflection of light at all.
Suddenly, malevolence clumped behind him. The cloud of malevolence was as tall as Rei and right after it formed, a person walked out.
The person was wearing a black suit, with black inner shirt and tie, his hair was also black and had a ponytail behind him but there was a clown mask over his face.
He stepped out and said, "What a view right? I can understand why you like the night view so much."
Rei slightly turned his head around for a glance over the person, but he didn't say anything and turned back to the night view.
"It seems like your little Yoma has ran into some problems. What I told you before, random Yoma you picked up on the street can not help you."
The person with the clown mask put his hands, in a pair of black gloves, behind his back.
"Anyway, I'm not teaching you how to deal with your own matters, I'm just here to help. It seems like your little pet is still trying to prove its worth. Let's hope this time it can really help you to move on to the next step, but if it can't, feel free to ask for help."
"I, Mumen, will do my best to serve you."
The person revealed his name as Mumen, he then took off the clown mask, threw it on the ground and stomped it to pieces.
He bowed slightly and when he straightened his body, he revealed his face.
There was nothing on it! No eyes, no nose, no mouths, ears or bulges, Mumen did not have a face!
"I'll be leaving now for I still have matters to attend to. Remember to contact me, Rei."
A cloud of malevolence then shrouded Mumen whole, and dispersed into the air, carried away by the night breeze.
Throughout the meeting, Rei did not say anything to Mumen, because his mind was full of a single thought.
"Akira."