spirits_and_such_offices | Chapter 5: Cutting Algae Part Two

It was 7:50PM. Teru had gotten bored of studying and broke it up with his nightly stretches—he had decided it was going to be an early night to bed. He had already decided he was going to sign up for the next basketball roster and it was offseason practice time.

As it turned out, he couldn’t tolerate a lack of things to do after school for long.

Cooling down from his trunk rotations with some Kamizawa Water, he checked his phone and paused mid-sip. There were a few notifications from Mob that he opened right away. There were a few pictures of what was undoubtedly the long-awaited kaiseki meal…though they were a bit blurry. Oh, one was actually decent in quality. There was also a blurred person in the background of one without much food—even with the lack of clarity it looked like they weren’t expecting to be caught on camera. Had he meant to send that one, let alone take it? Oh well, didn’t matter.

that mukōzuke Send.

( ੭ ˘ ³˘)੭‎°｡⋆♡‧₊˚ Send.

divine looking Send.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

With Asa’s reply—the slight crack of her voice—Reigen’s doubt was snuffed out like a candle. He put his drink to the side and put a hand over her’s.

“You’re right. That wasn’t what I meant. This gift from you…I’m really happy.”

From:

mp_npc

"I'm glad." Asa flipped her hand underneath Reigen's so her palm was touching his, then gave it a squeeze.

"We should go for a walk," she said, standing up, her hand still grasping his own. "I think it might be good for the both of us. The air's refreshingly cool at this time of night."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

Reigen followed her lead immediately—she could have said she wanted to stand at the edge of the cliffs overlooking the sea, toes touching nothing but air, and he would have done so a second thought. Their touching hands were the center of his universe, and he gripped a little harder to keep himself upright against an unsightly wobble. He didn’t think to curse the sake for that one, no, it was too precious a gift.

Reigen’s eyes followed the elegant swoop of Ada’s hair as she turned to lead the way.

“It’s really red…”

From:

mp_npc

Asa looked over her shoulder at Reigen, oblivious to what he was talking about. "What is?"

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

“Your hair.” A red streak that cut through the black. Reigen managed to catch it in his clever fingers before it fell to her back, holding the very end of it.

Where had he seen something that red before…?

From:

mp_npc

"Oh, you like it?" Asa was pleased. "When I was a teenager, I thought that just because this place was pretty traditional, it didn't mean I need to be."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

“It suits you. My parents would have never let me get away with something like that.”

Reigen let it fall from his fingers.

“But…maybe they’d change their minds if they met you.”

…

……

Had he said that last part out loud?

From:

mp_npc

If it at all bothered Asa, she didn't show it. In fact, she wrapped her arm around Reigen's tightly, as if afraid that at any moment he might vanish.

"My parents already find you charming," she said. "I'm sure they'll be even more fond of you when the job is..." Asa trailed off, as if forgetting mid-sentence what she was saying. "...when the job is done," she finished more strongly.

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

'The job?'

That's right...he was here on one of those...

That fact had faded to the back of his mind along with a lot of other things, but if he had let them fade so easily, they weren't important. That's what Reigen decided. The most important thing was at his side already. She had just said something kind to him and even overlooked his tipsy rambling--what had he done right enough to attract someone like that?

"Are you cold?" They weren't even outside yet--they were taking the scenic route, but there wasn't anything wrong with that. "You're trembling a little."

From:

mp_npc

Asa laughed lightly. "That obvious?"

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

'Scared.' She knew it. He knew it.

"It's okay. Me, too." His free hand went to one of hers wrapped tightly around his arm. "For awhile now."

From:

mp_npc

"If you need more blankets, I can bring some to your room."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

Reigen blinked--and laughed. Asa's reply reminded him of someone immediately--but who? When he tried to question it, the thought had faded from his mind.

"No, that's alright. I'm warmer already." He closed an eye as a leaf from a towering bamboo brushed his cheek. They were approaching the lobby--not another soul in sight. They truly had the halls to themselves.

From:

mp_npc

Asa smiled. She had been thinking exactly the same thing.

"Oh," Asa said, stopping in front of a tremendous wall of photos. "Have you seen these yet? We take photos of everyone before they leave, but we have a few with some famous people."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

Reigen looked at them, his eyes glazed over as he took in each small face—until he saw one in particular. A blonde kid. His grandpa. A flicker of irritation. “Ah, yeah. Those two…” Reigen murmured and rubbed his head. “For crying out loud Mob, I still can’t believe you—“

Mob.

Mob.

It was like someone dumped a bucket of ice water over Reigen.

He was suddenly watching himself, half-drunk with his client on his arm. Mob. What if he saw this? How could Reigen even explain this? What was he doing?

From:

mp_npc

Reigen's sudden outburst surprised Asa. "Is something wrong?"

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

Reigen’s heart was beating out of his chest as he re-oriented himself, and Asa was so close to him he was certain she felt him.

“O-oh, you know…kids. Full of surprises.” He waved his hand aimlessly before pointing at the picture in question. “Turns out my pupil is friends with the kid in the photo!”

From:

mp_npc

"Your assistant, right?" Asa smiled. "The two of you are close. Is he like a son to you?"

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

Reigen laughed and rubbed his face. That question was an added layer of complication on top of the many he was struggling to process.

In his painful lucidity did he realize Mob was absolutely correct. He was possessed. There was no other explanation for this. He would have taken head spinning and projectile vomiting over being used as some...conjugal prop.

"No, not quite..." His thoughts of his protege were the only thing keeping him grounded and he clung onto them like a life raft. "He's just..."

From:

mp_npc

Asa gave his hand a squeeze. She led him outside, hoping that might help to clear his thoughts.

"You can be honest with me," she said as they stepped into the gardens. "I won't judge you for it."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

Could he? The feel of her warm hand on his was nice--too nice. It made him want to believe her.

'I'm in trouble.'

"He's just...a good kid who looks up to me."

From:

mp_npc

"I see aa lot of me in you and a lot of Mob in Misaki," she said, continuing through the gardens. They were beautifully lit this night. Moonlight filtered through the garden's trees, patterning the ground with leaf-shaped shadows. "Not that Misaki and Mob are the same--" They weren't. "--but, just the relationship. That's all."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

“They’re not the same, but they are similar. They’re both earnest.” To a fault. Reigen’s hand brushed a camellia plant and he took a branch of it in his fingers. The white flower glowed in the moonlight, the water droplets that cling to it making it even more luminous. It was pretty like Asa’s kimono—

‘Focus!’ He was losing himself again.

“She’s good at tending these. Misaki-chan. Mob…he’s good at what he does.” Really good. Reigen conjured up memories of Mob and held them in his brain. He’d need to find the kid as soon as he could make a clean exit. He could make up whatever story suited him, he’d worry about that later. “She looks up to you. That’s clear to see.”