" actually, I am a rain spirit."
Miss Lu revealed her identity directly, for come May's rainy season, her true form would inevitably be laid bare. Not that she had any desire to conceal it, either. "Unlike him, we've spent time among humans and learned to mask ourselves. Little Tiger is just lacking experience; he's bumbling and naive. Don't be angry with him."
Shinya, listening outside the door, turned away and stepped out of the apartment, lighting a cigarette in the chill air. Ever since Haruko had moved in, he'd nearly given up smoking. Whether yokai could truly become addicted to such things was a question he'd never considered, for he'd never tried to quit.
He was aware of the changes in Haruko but was at a loss as to how to respond. He couldn't even accompany her as he wished; all he could do was provide her with the "Ember" keychain—a charm he'd crafted for her protection. Yet, while it safeguarded her body, it could do little to ease her heart, and she was wholly unaware of its purpose or existence.
To reveal the keychain's nature to her would be tantamount to admitting she was in danger.
Frustrated, Shinya ran a hand through his hair, stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette, and watched it vanish into ash with a flicker of blue flame.
Back in the apartment, the silence was thick in the dining room, where the trio sat motionless. At Shinya's appearance, Miss Lu shot him a murderous look as though ready to devour him whole. Knowing there was no escape, he quietly seated himself in the chair Haruko had just vacated.
"Go ahead."
"I don't understand what you mean? Didn't you eavesdrop on everything we talked about outside the room?" Gu Jin deliberately emphasized the word "eavesdrop", making him feel a little embarrassed.
"Shouldn't it be you speaking, Shinya? After all, you've been tailing Miss Haruko like a dog—following her to the station in the morning and shadowing her back every night until she sleeps, haven't you?" Shu's mild demeanor dissolved the moment Haruko was out of sight, his smirk a dagger to Shinya's pride.
"And how would you know?! … Oh, fine, it was Hyakume(am monsters with many eyes In Japanese legends, who are good at peeping and whose attack method is staring.), wasn't it?" Shinya groaned, knowing Shu's informant was unrivaled in gathering intel.
"Wow, following a girl around like that? Pathetic. Gross. Disgusting." Lu seized the opportunity to mock him.
Shinya let it pass. He was, in truth, a novice—a three-year-old yokai, skirting Haruko's presence out of fear that he might fail to answer her questions. Yet, as her spiritual seal weakened, he felt bound by duty to protect her from what might be drawn to her power.
"Will you dodge her forever?" Kogimi's words hit him like a blow, and Shinya nearly regretted snuffing out his cigarette.
After a whole day of classes, when Haruko returned home, although there was no one in the hall and it was dark without any lights on, she didn't care too much.
Today's lesson covered Western dining etiquette, and they'd taught her how to judge the tenderness of a cut based on the provided cutlery. Beef might call for a steak knife, but a pork cutlet, requiring only a butter knife, should be so soft it melted under the slightest pressure.
There wasn't any pork at home for her to practice with, so perhaps tomorrow she could ask Mr. Shinya to pick some up for her.
"Mr. Kogimi! I said, no Sichuan pepper!"
The voices reached her the moment she stepped inside, her scarf still wrapped around her neck. She quickened her pace towards the dining room. Shinya and Kogimi were engaged in a heated culinary debate, while Shu, thoroughly unbothered, perused a magazine.
"Miss Haruko! You're just in time! Please, tell him that zoni does not need Sichuan pepper!" Shinya glared at Kogimi, then threw a desperate look towards the pot on the stove.
"Miss Haruko, please relax and leave dinner preparations to us. You're in for a treat!" Kogimi announced grandly.
"Us?!" Shinya scoffed. "The kitchen is my domain tonight, thank you very much!"
"Ah, now that Miss Haruko has returned, I'll be taking my leave." Shu closed his magazine with a flourish, and with a snap of his fingers, his casual attire transformed into a more refined ensemble. He sidled up to Haruko, draping an arm around her shoulder with an effortless charm. "There's a lovely new Italian restaurant nearby. Are you fond of white wine?"
"Oh, I do like it, but—" Haruko stammered, baffled by the scene.
"Don't go, Haruko! Are you really okay with Kogimi burning down the kitchen?!" Shinya cried, looking at his cherished pot while Kogimi brazenly ground Sichuan pepper nearby.
"Sorry, Shu, perhaps another time," Haruko said, extricating herself from his grasp. Shu shrugged and, with another snap, returned to his seat, his magazine open once more as though nothing had happened.
"Well then, gentlemen, care to explain just what on earth you're doing?"
"Ginger and Sichuan pepper porridge!"
"Zoni!" ( a Japanese stew Porridge)
"…" Haruko sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead, her patience wearing thin. She was renowned for her calm, but when it came to the kitchen, she brooked no nonsense. "I'll give you one more chance. What exactly are you making?"
"Zoni," Shinya murmured, nudged forward by Kogimi.
Taking a whiff, Haruko nodded. "In that case, Sichuan pepper isn't necessary."
"It's seasonal; good for you this time of year," Kogimi protested, unwilling to back down.
"Kogimi, this is cooking, not alchemy!" Haruko issued her final decree. Shinya smirked in victory. "Well, Mr. Shinya, it's all on you now."
"You can count on me!"
"How is it?"
It was a simple zoni, really, just vegetables and a bit of meat, yet Shinya's hopeful gaze urged her to smile and praise it.
"Mr. Shinya, what prompted this sudden interest in cooking?"
"…Nothing."
"Oh, isn't it obvious?" Shu chuckled, holding his untouched wine glass. "He's trying to charm you through your stomach."
"Absolutely not! I just thought it was time Haruko got a break. It's exhausting to cook for everyone every day."
Yet who was it that had all but threatened her with Kogimi's culinary misadventures?
Still, it was a rare chance to sit with Shinya again, and she refrained from stirring old concerns. Besides, the zoni had turned out rather well. Shinya was already on his third bowl, while Kogimi, who seldom had much appetite, had also finished an entire serving. Shu alone left his untouched, the steam long gone cold.
"Mr. Shu, aren't you going to eat?"
"If Haruko feeds me, I shall."
Kogimi placed his chopsticks down, a serene smile on his face. "Shinya, hold him down. I'll feed him myself."
"Gladly!"