Epilogue
“TODAY’S job takes us to Kokura. Let’s see… ‘My deadbeat husband has been pickpocketing people at horse, cycling, and boat races,’” I read. “‘Please find him a job.’ Yikes. His wife contacted us?”
“Take a look at what sort of ayakashi the husband is, Kaede,” said Shinozaki.
“A…kudan?! The ones that can divine the future?!”
“Indeed. He used to make his living as a fortune teller.”
“A fortune teller turning to pickpocketing and gambling? Can you sink any lower than that?”
“He should’ve stuck to the straight and narrow.”
“Should we even be finding this guy a job?” I wondered.
“We’ll be going to Moji tomorrow,” Shinozaki said, ignoring my question. “Once you’ve glanced over the files, look up a restaurant that serves mild yaki curry.”
“Are you trying to make me hungry?”
The beginning of winter was near, and I’d just turned twenty-one a few days before. Shinozaki was currently driving us to the Kokura area of Kitakyushu City.
Every so often, he hummed a line of the Jellysh song drifting from the speakers. I glanced at him; to see him so absorbed in the music warmed my heart. But I didn’t say anything, because I knew he would stop if I pointed it out. His tail, on the other hand, swaying with the beat, was flicking me repeatedly. Maybe I could point that out.
“What’s with the smirk?” he asked.
“Smirk? Whatever do you mean?”
Despite the cold weather, Shinozaki had started to loosen his collar lately, and I could see the top of his chest. Previously, he’d worn a tight necktie even during the summer, so I could hardly believe the change. Perhaps the absence of the sigil made him more comfortable showing skin.
“Hey, perv, what are you staring at?” he demanded. “I’m trying to drive here.”
“Ouch, ouch, don’t slap me with your tail!” I cried. “Foxes molt in autumn, right? Your fur’s all prickly right now!”
“Keep complaining, and I’ll hit you with a sexual harassment lawsuit. Hey, Siri! Call Dr. Fukuda.”
“Whoa, whoa, hold on! I’m sorry! Oh, right, I have some chocolate. Here you go!” I found the candy in my tote bag and held a piece to his lips.
He wordlessly opened his mouth to accept the offering. Then nipped my finger in payback. Ouch.
Meanwhile, we’d reached the Kokuraminami interchange. Once we passed the automatic toll gate and merged onto the highway, I asked, “Shinozaki, when you absorbed my spiritual energy, you always said you were able to stop yourself from going too far through sheer willpower. But you actually couldn’t drain every last drop of my spiritual energy, could you? Because I have Sakura’s soul.”
“More or less,” he replied.
“I just thought you had incredible self-control.”
“Well, if I’m being honest, self-control alone can’t suppress animal instinct.” He stuck his tongue out at me.
He no longer needed to siphon my excess energy. Tsukushi had placed a seal on it, and we could adjust its flow depending on the time and situation. Of course, I still used my transit card as an amulet.
“Still,” I said, “it’s kind of a shame.”
“What is?”
“You hardly ever kiss me without some sort of pretext.”
He froze.
As traffic slowed to a crawl, I grinned, then shrugged dramatically. “When we first met, I kept thinking, ‘Wow, this fox is bold.’ Who would’ve guessed you’re actually just a shy little human?”
Shinozaki didn’t respond.
“You didn’t even kiss me when we reunited in the forest,” I reminded him. “Did you never kiss Sakura either, perhaps?”
“If you don’t shut that annoying trap of yours, I’ll drain every last drop of your spiritual energy.”
“Perish the thought! Are you trying to kill me?”
I looked at him as we stopped at a red light. He glared back at me, and the animalistic gleam in his eyes made me falter.
“…Did you forget?” he asked. “We’re staying the night here.”
My breath caught in my throat. Shinozaki smiled, narrowing his eyes. Like a fox stalking its prey.
Yikes. This is the scariest he’s ever looked.
“I’m going to make you remember what you just said.” He winked. “Each and every word.”
“Oh, that’s, um…”
The Jellysh song came to an end at the worst possible time. A moment later, my work phone rang.
“Answer it,” Shinozaki said in a low voice, still staring at me.
“Y-You got it.”
I slapped my cheeks, reclaiming my composure, and shifted to work mode. “Thank you for your call,” I said. “This is Kikui from Ayakashi Career and Moving Services. Oh, Dr. Fukuda. Yes… Wait, what?! A lawsuit?! Does this kudan live in southern Kokura, by chance?!”
It’s always one thing after another, isn’t it?
Regardless, another wonderfully normal day—both peaceful and hectic—awaited me. At least until that evening.