On Saturday evening, Haruko arrived ten minutes early at the restaurant to wait for everyone. She was excited for today's outing and even wore a touch of light makeup. The only regret was that Seimei couldn't come, so she prepared him some snacks to accompany his drink, and warmed a jug of sweet sake for him before leaving.
Seeing that no one had arrived, she took out a book given to her by Mr. Kogimi, opening it to her bookmarked page to continue deciphering it.
Calling it "deciphering" wasn't an exaggeration, as it was a handwritten manuscript with chaotic script interspersed with ancient phrases.
"Hm... 'Prefers... darkness... something... something…'?"
"Dark and damp."
"Oh, right, right, dark and damp..." Haruko opened her notebook to jot down what she'd just read, then realized it was Mr. Shinya who had answered her. "Mr. Shinya, are you here too? For the flower viewing?"
"Of course, I'm the supervisor, after all." Shinya had one hand carrying several blankets, and the other holding a bag filled with various drinks.
"Oh, right. Mr. Shinya has a job too."
She had almost forgotten that while Mr. Shinya and Mr. Kogimi were both youkai, they also worked as apartment managers. Likewise, Ms. Shimo and Ms. Lu, also youkai, were fashion models, and Achi, she recalled, worked as a postman. The only one whose job remained a mystery was Mr. Shu. "So, do all youkai have jobs in the human world?"
"Of course. Food and housing require human currency. Though it's generally easier for us to make money, given our various abilities."
"I see…" She suddenly grew curious about what kind of work Mr. Shu did. With such handsome looks, becoming a celebrity wouldn't be difficult, yet he didn't seem interested in that.
"…However, some work under even greater youkai. It's what we call the social hierarchy of the youkai."
Haruko nodded, realizing that the youkai world also had its rules. At that moment, Ms. Shimo entered with a tired expression, greeting Haruko with a brief nod, looking as though she would rather be anywhere else.
"Ms. Shimo, are you exhausted? Was work demanding?"
"Just returned from an outdoor shoot in Okinawa. The heat was unbearable… And my manager is such an idiot… Originally, we were supposed to shoot at a snowy hot spring… And I barely got to catch my breath before Kogimi called me over for this forced cherry blossom viewing… No regard for how I feel…" Ms. Shimo collapsed over the table, telling Haruko, "Wake me up when Kogimi gets here."
"Ms. Shimo, if you're that tired, you don't have to attend. I can tell Mr. Kogimi afterward."
She couldn't understand why the ever-considerate Mr. Kogimi would force Ms. Shimo to attend.
"No need. If you just give me a little of your blood…"
""No, no! Don't set your sights on Haruko!" Mr. Shinya pulled Haruko aside, warning her, "Never give any youkai your blood, understood?"
"Tch…" Ms. Shimo clicked her tongue but didn't seem too disappointed. Perhaps she hadn't been entirely serious.
Haruko couldn't understand, though. Did blood have some special function? Seimei had also warned her never to give her blood to anyone, human or youkai.
"Giving blood to a youkai binds you to them, depending on the amount. If you give too much, they can control your body."
After Mr. Shinya's explanation, she shuddered. But at least now she knew the reason. She vowed to be careful in the future, never to share her blood with anyone.
"…Shinya, I leave for just two or three minutes, and you're already filling Ms. Haruko's head with nonsense." Mr. Kogimi had arrived, carrying a lavish six-layer bento that seemed too heavy for his slight frame. Behind him trailed a young man with white hair.
The young man wore a displeased expression, his brow furrowed.
"Levi, greet Haruko."
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Haruko. My name is Leviathan."
"Uh… Nice to meet you too, Mr. Leviathan?"
"Please, feel free to call me Levi." Though still frowning, Levi bowed and took Haruko's hand, preparing to kiss it when Shinya struck him on the back of the head.
"Enough with the theatrics! Why don't you take a lesson in propriety from your master?"
"What are you doing, Shinya!" The previously melancholic Leviathan was suddenly lively, stomping his feet in frustration.
"Let's go, Ms. Haruko. Mr. Shu is waiting for us at the cherry blossom viewing spot."
"Oh… Oh… all right…"
Haruko glanced back at Levi, still quarreling with Shinya, and thought this flower viewing might be more interesting than she'd anticipated.
The flower viewing location was the back mountain of a nearby, now-closed temple. Initially, she was afraid they were trespassing, but Mr. Kogimi assured her that the land was owned by a Baron Barrett, one of the founders of their apartment building, though he rarely stayed there, reserving the entire fifth floor for himself.
"Oh, the baron is beyond amazing! He's my ultimate idol!" The usually melancholic Leviathan became animated upon hearing the baron's name. "A magnificent, dashing youkai! You don't often encounter one like him in Japan! The aura of a European youkai is simply unmatched."
…Almost as if he forgot he too was European. Haruko observed Leviathan's features closely; overall, he still looked Japanese, though his hair and brows were white, while his eyelashes remained black.
…Could it be dyed? Haruko wondered but decided it was best not to ask. She remained silent and continued walking up the steps.
Shinya pushed open the weathered wooden gate, revealing a cascade of pale pinks. Cherry blossoms bloomed on either side of the path, their petals drifting with the wind. At the path's end stood an enormous cherry tree, its branches so broad they obscured the moon.
Breathless with wonder, Haruko felt Ms. Shimo brush a fallen petal from her hair with a gentle smile.
Grinning, Haruko ran forward, her eyes fixed on the massive cherry tree, which looked even larger up close. Unlike other cherry trees she'd seen, its branches were thick and intricately textured, and every tenth petal, she swore, was a vivid red, as if dipped in blood.
As she marveled, something tripped her, and she braced herself to fall, only to be caught in someone's arms.
"I almost thought you were a wayward flower spirit, Haruko. You look even more beautiful tonight," said Shu, who seemed in no hurry to let her go, continuing to admire her in his embrace.
"…What do you mean, 'wayward spirit'? It was you who threw a stone that tripped her!" Shinya arrived, having sprinted over as Haruko nearly fell.
"Mr. Shu, let Ms. Haruko go. Beautiful flowers are for everyone," said Mr. Kogimi, his hands now free, as he had handed the bento to Levi and Ms. Shimo.
"Ah, no sense of romance, any of you." Though Shu sighed, he released Haruko and turned his gaze to the ancient cherry tree. "A demon flower… this must be your first time seeing one, right, Haruko?"
Haruko looked up. This cherry tree indeed deserved the name of a demon flower.
"You all go ahead and eat; I'll linger here a while longer." For some reason, Shu's silhouette looked different than usual, which made Haruko hesitate, but in the end, she joined Shinya and Mr. Kogimi back with everyone else.
Leviathan had already spread out the blankets, and Ms. Shimo was rummaging through the bento in search of her favorite treat, water mochi. She wondered if water mochi alone would be enough to fill Ms. Shimo up.
"Haruko, come sit closer." Shinya beckoned her, and though they were already close, sitting any nearer felt a bit embarrassing. Seeing her hesitation, Shinya removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "Wear this. You'll feel the chill soon."
"But…"
Shinya thought for a moment, considering what information about himself he could safely share with Haruko.
"I'm a fire youkai; I don't feel the cold. You'll be warmer next to me."
Haruko nodded. She wasn't surprised, given the "flame" character in Shinya's name.
"You should have this too, Ms. Haruko." Mr. Kogimi handed her a cup of sweet sake, murmuring a few words over it before passing it to her.
She took a sip, and a gentle warmth spread from her throat to her stomach, then radiated throughout her body.
She felt a bit overwhelmed, wrapped in nearly all of the blankets Shinya had brought.
"Then, let us begin, Miss Shimo."
Seizing the moment before Miss Shimo drifted fully to sleep, Mr. Kogimi urged her to fulfill her duty—a task she had been summoned here for.
With the last morsel of water mochi still in her mouth, Miss Shimo waved her hand gracefully, summoning a sudden gust of icy wind that sent Haruko instinctively retreating further into Shinya's coat. Yet, Miss Shimo, dressed in her light garments, seemed utterly unbothered by the cold, even appearing to relish in it. As her hand's movement quickened, so too did the strength of the wind; and when she finally stilled, the wind obeyed, gradually softening.
Only then did Haruko open her eyes, and what she beheld was a breathtaking scene. Cherry blossoms swirled around them like a delicate pink snowfall, and amid the petals, rare snowflakes drifted—a sight almost unheard of in late March in Tokyo.
"I knew it! Miss Shimo must be a Yuki-onna!" (Yuki-onna is a traditional Japanese monster. She has a stunningly beautiful girl appearance, is good at making ice and snow, lives in the mountains, and often lures men who enter the snowy mountains to a deserted place to kiss him. While kissing, she completely freezes him and takes his soul to eat.)
"…Anyone with common sense would have figured that out by now..."