Chapter Four: Kotogatari: DemonSlayer
AFTER that, Akari lived a double life. Working every weekday and doing Bookhouse duties on the weekends. Around two weeks had passed since this new lifestyle had begun.
Tomohito hadn’t come to her office again, but all the female employees had been asking her about him, as well as some other employees she’d never even spoken to before. Akari was getting tired of shrugging off their questions, but she had to admit things were easier this way.
As for Mayoi and Tomohito’s relationship, well, it was much the same.
They often fought between each other over who got to attend to Akari’s needs, but their squabbles were proof of their closeness, so Akari let them be. She was also a little tired of trying to be a mediator. Mayoi had gotten more and more comfortable around her and had started coming to her for attention, which Akari found soothing. Also, the Bookhouse duties Akari was in charge of amounted to nothing more than keeping the books dusted.
Whenever she visited the library/shrine, she had this funny feeling that someone was watching her. But Tomohito had assured her that reading the books wasn’t part of her job description, and she was more than happy to leave them unread on their shelves.
Never do anything that’s not in your job description. That was Akari’s policy.
Mayoi and Tomohito had been keeping the house in order, and the long battle against the unruly weeds in the garden seemed to be drawing to a close. Overall, the living environment was quite pleasant. Or so Akari thought.
Of course, another issue soon arose.
“Ack, I had no idea the gas and electricity bills would be this high…”
Akari sat on the sofa in the living room, staring with dismay at the bills from the gas company and the electric company that had arrived at the turn of the month.
Beside her, Tomohito peeked at the bills, looking confused.
“You think that’s high? It seems less than usual to me.”
“Maybe it’s not so much for a big manor like this, but it’s five times what I was paying at my old place. I never even thought about it.”
Tomohito blinked at Akari as she heaved a sigh.
The six-tatami-mat room Akari had rented had one electric light, a gas stove, and a simple sink. The toilets were communal, and the nearby public bathhouse sufficed for bathing. That was a fairly normal setup for workers in the capital, and Akari had never thought anything of it. She’d just paid the monthly maintenance fees.
She was only one tenant, but this was a big house, full of electric lights. Akari had also succumbed to the temptation of taking a nightly bath. Even with her efforts to recycle the bath water for the laundry, the water bill was sky-high.
And yet, having a bathtub all to herself was such a treat, and something Akari refused to forego.
“And look at how much we’re spending on food… Mayoi’s Western dishes are so delicious, I can’t help indulging. But the ingredients cost so much!”
“I’m so sorry, Mistress.”
Mayoi had appeared from somewhere and now stood with her head hanging. Akari realized she’d spoken too harshly and quickly tried to comfort the girl.
“You mustn’t apologize, Mayoi. I couldn’t resist and kept asking you to make expensive Western dishes. But it’s all right. We’ve already decided to focus on Japanese food for a bit. The only problem is…I’m not sure how I’m going to pay these utility bills.”
As she stroked the girl’s bobbed hair reassuringly, Akari frowned at her housekeeping ledger.
The advance from Munakata had been spent. She’d been busy at work, and she’d handed her salary over to Tomohito and Mayoi to buy new light bulbs, cloths, and other sundries for the upkeep of the house.
She’d wanted to tuck the compensation money away for the future, but she’d had no choice but to spend it on necessities. Also, Mayoi had been desperate to win Akari’s favor with food, so a month’s worth of grocery budget had also vanished into the ether.
The easy life of the past few weeks had come with an expiry date. Akari was going to have to come up with something if she wanted to save money.
Tomohito cleared his throat nervously.
“Um, I think it would be best if the two of us stopped eating food with you at meal times.”
“Hmm. Well, it’s not that much more expensive to feed three than it is to feed one. Anyway, I don’t want to eat alone. I’d appreciate it if you’d continue to join me for meals.”
“Me too? I can eat too?”
“Of course, Mayoi. And we can’t miss out on our daily afternoon snack, now can we?”
Akari winked. Yes, snack time was another recent pleasure she was unwilling to relinquish. Mayoi beamed back at her. Continuing to stroke the girl’s glossy hair, she suddenly thought of something else.
“Don’t the two of you need to replenish energy somehow? Like humans do by eating food?”
“Being read is what feeds me, Mistress.”
Tomohito nodded in agreement with Mayoi.
“Being enshrined in a Kotogatari is what sustains us, mostly. But a Narrator’s reading is what gives us the power to use our abilities. Being read every now and again is what nourishes us.”
In other words, read, Akari thought. Her mind went again to the silent stacks of Kotogatari books in the library and she felt her blood run cold.
“All the Kotogatari in our collection have been tended to by Munakata, so there is no need to bother about that. Only Kotogami that are regularly manifested need regular upkeep. You have already given Mayoi a thorough reading of late, Mistress, so there is nothing to worry about at all.”
“Huh.”
“I’m full of life, Mistress!”
Akari smiled as Mayoi made a fist and flexed her skinny arm.
Tomohito was in charge of the Bookhouse, so if he said it was all right, then surely it was. All Akari had to do was focus on getting by until payday. It was going to eat into her own salary, but she couldn’t give up the nightly baths. Darn this luxury she’d become accustomed to!
“Hmm, since we’ve got that big garden, maybe we could keep down food costs by growing our own vegetables? Oh, but perhaps I’d better not mess around with it. After all, I won’t be here for long…”
“If you’d like, it might be nice for you to do a touch of gardening… I’ve managed to clear the overgrowth somewhat, but there is further work to be done.”
“You want to tend the garden, Mistress? You really do?!”
Akari smiled as Mayoi bounced up and down on her toes. Slapping her knees, Akari rose to get on with the day’s plans, but just then Mayoi paused and turned in the direction of the front door.
“We have a visitor.”
What? thought Akari as someone knocked loudly using the door knocker.
When Akari and Tomohito went to open the front door, they found a familiar face outside.
“Mr. Munakata!”
“Hello. How are we getting along?” Munakata raised a lazy hand in greeting, looking as disheveled and lackluster as ever.
Akari was surprised by Munakata’s sudden appearance following his radio silence of late. Then, from behind her, an angelic voice rang out.
“Munakata, you old scruff. You never change, do you?”
Mayoi was standing beside Akari now, arms firmly crossed in her black kimono, the lace sleeves flapping. She looked like a tiny child, but her haughty attitude was at odds with her cute appearance.
“…Mayoi?!”
“No more than you do, strutting about your house. It’s the only place you’ve got any guts.”
Akari had gasped when Mayoi sassed him, but Munakata didn’t seem particularly bothered.
“How dare you speak ill of my master?”
Kuroe, the girl with the dog ears, was standing at Munakata’s side. She jutted her face forward menacingly as she spoke. She, too, was wearing a black kimono, but it wasn’t gorgeous like Mayoi’s. It looked more like a mourning dress.
Kuroe drew back her lips in a snarl, exposing her canine teeth. But Mayoi was unbothered. Instead, she puffed out her tiny chest pridefully.
“It’s the job of a guardian spirit to protect their master. Not to follow his every command like you, you pandering pooch.”
“Watch your words, you sniveling shut-in! You’ve never satisfied any master of yours in your life!”
“I’m a house spirit, duh. Of course I stay in. And I’ve got a mistress of my own now as well!”
“What, me?!”
Kuroe looked Akari up and down as Mayoi clung to Akari’s legs in a bear hug. Through Kuroe’s black hair, her ears seemed to flatten, and her tail seemed to straighten in shock.
Well, this was awkward. I have to say something, Akari thought.
“Um, sorry for Mayoi’s rudeness.”
“My mistress is a real good reader!”
“I won’t let you get away with sassing my master!”
“Pfffffft!”
Mayoi made a gleeful farting sound with her mouth in Kuroe’s direction. Then she disappeared as if to say, Welp, my job’s done here.
Akari looked on in sympathy as Kuroe stood there trembling with anger. Munakata, who had been silently observing Akari, spoke next.
“Miss Mitsukuri…you saw Kuroe just now, right?”
“Um, yes, but Mayoi was very rude to her first. Please…don’t be harsh on Kuroe later.”
Yes, she saw Kuroe… She was standing right there talking, after all, wasn’t she? Akari didn’t know what Munakata meant. At a loss for what to say, she’d ended up apologizing for Mayoi’s naughtiness again. But suddenly, Munakata’s interest seemed to be drawn elsewhere.
“So Mayoi’s showing herself these days, I see. And I’m surprised she managed to tidy up the old storage house.”
“Yes…I suppose… So this IS a storage house after all…”
Remembering how Munakata had told her nothing about the state of the house, she narrowed her eyes at him, scowling. But Munakata seemed unconcerned.
“If you’d asked for help with tidying up, I would have sent someone. I just didn’t want to upset Mayoi. But this old place really needed sorting out. Thanks for taking care of it.”
Akari’s face reddened. Jerk!
He didn’t want to upset Mayoi? Now she couldn’t say anything back. And it was odd… Munakata looked strangely surprised, even impressed with her. But why?
The next moment, though, his face soured. He was looking at Tomohito, who was wearing a triumphant expression.
“I told you Mistress Akari is amazing. Do you get it now, Munakata?”
“Don’t lecture me.”
Munakata looked deep in thought about something, which intrigued Akari for a moment, but she shrugged it off. This conversation was going nowhere.
“So what’s your business here, Mr. Munakata?”
“I wanted to see how things were going at the Bookhouse. And also, I think I may have a job for you. How about earning some extra pocket money?”
“All right, I’m interested. Tomohito, can you make some tea?”
“Certainly, Mistress.”
“Oh good, you’ve remembered your manners at last.”
Drawling sardonically, Munakata stepped inside at Akari’s invitation. She gave him a patronizing smile of her own as he crossed the threshold.