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“WELCOME home, Mistress Akari.”
Back at the Bookhouse, Tomohito met her with his usual beaming smile.
Akari felt some of the tension instantly leave her body.
“I’m home…”
“Indeed, Mistress! Mayoi has made a splendid ‘pot-au-feu’ for dinner tonight! I hear it’s a sort of Western stew.”
Stew… The word made Akari’s stomach gurgle. She must be okay still, if she had an appetite.
Akari nodded distractedly, and Tomohito’s face fell.
“Whatever is wrong, Mistress Akari?”
“Huh? What? Nothing. I’m hungry. I’d like to eat right away.”
“Certainly, Mistress, only—”
“Mayoi! Kansuke! I’m home!”
Akari took off her boots and headed into the living room, where she found Kansuke sprawled on the sofa, a bottle hanging loosely from his hand. When he saw her, he waved the empty bottle in greeting.
“Hello, girly. I was just having a little pre-dinner drink.”
“When are you not having a drink?”
Mayoi materialized in the room then and picked up Kansuke’s empty bottle.
“The answer to that is never.”
“I helped out around the house earlier, didn’t I?”
“You did the bare minimum.”
Mayoi put her hands on her hips and glared at Kansuke, who firmly met her gaze.
Akari had gotten used to this scenario playing out whenever she came home. Its predictability was somewhat soothing.
And somehow cozy. Comfortable. Like a real family…
But she knew she shouldn’t get too used to this. They were spirits, and she was just the custodian. It wouldn’t do to get attached.
Mayoi was looking up at Akari with a bemused expression.
“Mistress, dinner is prepared. Would you like to eat now?”
“Yes. I’m starving.”
“Save me a bowl.”
“If you don’t work, you don’t eat.”
Mayoi tutted loudly at Kansuke, who was still lolling on the sofa. Akari snorted with unexpected mirth.
The pot-au-feu was sort of like a nimono stew, but without the soy sauce flavor. It had a chicken broth base, and Akari found it very warming and soothing.
“For a Western stew, it goes surprisingly well with Japanese rice.”
“I know, right?”
Tomohito watched solemnly as Akari and Kansuke nodded to each other, making noises of appreciation between mouthfuls.
“Mistress Akari, you seem to enjoy these Western flavors…”
“If it’s good and I can eat it, I’m happy. That’s me in a nutshell.”
“I see. I’ll bear that in mind.”
Akari raised an eyebrow as Tomohito nodded gravely. Then she noticed that Mayoi was looking at her.
“What’s wrong, Mayoi?”
“Has something happened, Mistress? You’re not eating your usual amount.”
“Come to think of it…usually she’d have asked for seconds by now.”
Now Kansuke was on her case, too. Akari gazed down at her bowl.
It was still about half full with pot-au-feu. Her rice bowl wasn’t empty either. Normally, she’d go for a second helping, but today she shook her head.
“Not today. Anyway, never mind that. I wanted to talk to you all about something. I heard from General Affairs today. The new dorm building has just finished being constructed.”
Mayoi and Kansuke both looked visibly thunderstruck.
But then Kansuke nodded.
“I see how it is.”
Akari wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but before she could ask, she was distracted by Mayoi’s trembling lower lip.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes. We promised that I’d only be here for a short amount of time.”
It was good timing. If she stayed here any longer, she’d get attached for sure.
She’d wanted to give them a heads up, but she knew it was still a shock. Mayoi’s face crumpled, and the little girl vanished.
Given Mayoi’s past, this must have been especially hard for her. Akari felt terrible. But she wasn’t a Narrator, and never would be. This was best for everyone.
Akari took another sip of the stew as Kansuke put his sake cup down on the table.
“You seemed to be enjoying yourself here. Despite that, you plan to leave?” Kansuke’s expression was tight, but he couldn’t hide the arrogant tone in his voice.
Akari was not to be swayed, however.
“I’ve been comfortable here. I was contracted as a custodian, but it’s basically just been like living here. I’ve even been able to earn extra income. And I’ve enjoyed getting to know all of you too. Tomohito’s been kind of a pill, though.”
“I’ve enjoyed it as well. You’re the one who summoned me, after all. Tomohito has been a pill, though; you’re right there.”
“Why does your bonding experience have to come at my expense?”
Tomohito pouted pathetically, but Akari and Kansuke just grinned at each other and ignored him.
“Well, you’re a living, human woman, girly. We spirits have no right to interfere in your affairs. But can’t you tell us why you’d want to leave? I don’t think Mayoi will accept it without an explanation.”
“I just…”
Akari didn’t know how to answer him.
Living at the Bookhouse had been extremely comfortable. She was even able to keep a safe distance from the stories she hated. It was a little tiring effectively having two “jobs,” but nothing she couldn’t handle.
The spirits had given her a lot of trouble as well, to be sure, but they weren’t bad people.
Nevertheless, the very concept of handling a Kotogatari tome sent electric shocks of fear up her spine.
And if she stayed here as the Bookhouse’s custodian, then sooner or later she’d have to narrate for these spirits—she just knew it. There wouldn’t be any way of getting out of it.
Akari had been afraid of this the whole time. She felt safe now with Mayoi, Kansuke, and Tomohito. But the other, unknown spirits in the shrine room… Perhaps what she’d really been avoiding wasn’t stories in general, but the actual process of narration and the power of the Kotogami themselves…
“No, no, it couldn’t be that…”
“What is wrong, Mistress?”
Akari shook her head, hard. She needed to stay focused on what was right in front of her.
“It’s nothing, really. I was never an apprentice Narrator to begin with, so it doesn’t make any sense for me to be the custodian of a Bookhouse like this. Tomohito, I need to get in touch with Munakata. Can you make that happen?”
She turned to Tomohito, trying to change the subject. He just gave her his usual polite bow.
“Certainly, Mistress. I shall go tomorrow. If that’s all right?”
“Oh. Yes, of course.”
Akari nodded, but something seemed strange.
She’d forgotten, but Tomohito had never protested when she’d talked about leaving the Bookhouse before, even though he’d begun their acquaintance by entreating her to be his mistress and then talking her into taking the custodian job. And even though they’d agreed it would only be for a limited period, his calm acceptance of her announcement had her feeling somehow dissatisfied.
Still, there was no point digging into the motivations of Tomohito Yagyou. Akari decided to drop it and got up from the table. Then she remembered what she’d found out at work and turned back.
“There was something else I wanted to talk to Munakata ab—”
But Akari stopped midsentence.
Everything in the room seemed to suddenly go dark. She felt her knees tremble and buckle.
The pot-au-feu threatened to make a reappearance as well, but Akari gulped it back down.
“Girly, what’s wrong?!”
Akari fell into Tomohito’s ready arms as Kansuke raised his voice in alarm.
“Sorry, Tomohito… Thank you…”
“Please permit me, Mistress.”
Tomohito held firm as Akari tried to squirm away from him, pressing his gloved hand to her neck.
How long has he been wearing those gloves? Akari thought in a daze as Tomohito frowned down at her.
“Mistress Akari, you’re burning up.”
“Huh? Oh, yes. I do feel quite hot.”
Akari hadn’t realized it until someone else pointed it out, but perhaps the fever was the reason she couldn’t think straight today. Kansuke sighed, chiding her in a strict voice.
“Girly, if you’re not well, then just say so. We can’t have you getting sick on us now, can we?”
“I only just realized… I’m sure I’ll be fine if I can just get some sleep…”
The concern in Kansuke’s tone disconcerted her. Akari had always been alone, and she didn’t know how to handle having other people fussing over her like this.
If she didn’t work, she couldn’t get by. So forcing herself to keep going, no matter what, had become second nature to her.
This sickness…it had to be caused by her lack of sleep lately. Now that she realized that, she felt even more exhausted. If she could just get to bed, she was sure to get better. It wasn’t serious enough to need a doctor’s visit. Colds could be healed well enough by resting. She only hoped she’d improve fast enough to make it to work tomorrow…
“Excuse me.”
As Akari tried to stumble to the door, Tomohito intercepted her, swinging her up into his arms.
She blinked blearily at him as he frowned with displeasure.
“I shall carry you to your room. Please call in sick to work tomorrow as well.”
“No, I have to go to work…”
“Please, Mistress.”
Akari swallowed her protests, gazing into Tomohito’s glistening eyes.
Her fainting spell had come on so suddenly, and Tomohito was so insistent on caring for her…Akari had no strength to resist.
Head still fuzzy, Akari lay against the Kotogami’s chest obediently and let him carry her upstairs.